Is Neediness and Fragility a Good Quality?

We live in a world that does not value the fragility of the human condition. We want to be self-authenticating, self-reliant, self-made, self-satisfied, self-actualized, self-sustaining, and ultimately self-glorified. While the world markets the self, Jesus teaches that the self is the very thing we should be looking away from.

Consider for instance the Lord's Prayer taught to us by our Savior in Matthew 6. This glorious prayer is surrounded by instances of pious people saying look at me. In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus gives an example of someone saying, "Look at how good I am at giving!" In Matthew 6:5-6 Jesus gives an example of someone saying, "Look at how good I am at praying!" In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus gives an example of someone saying, "Look at how good I am at fasting! I'm so godly!"

In the middle of these examples, Jesus tells us how we should pray. He doesn't tell us that we should pray for a great reputation. He doesn't concern himself with our ability to provide a great lifestyle for our families. He is not telling us to seek self-satisfaction, self-reliance, independence, vindication, or authentication. He says only God is holy. Only God is the great and glorious Father. Only God has a will that must be obeyed. All that we have is neediness.

Matthew 6:11-13 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We cannot live in this physical world without being reliant on God. We cannot have any hope of our future without being forgiven by God. We must rely on understanding the forgiveness we have in Christ so that we can know the reality of forgiving others. We are so easily tempted and sifted by the sinfulness of this world that only God can keep us on his path of holiness.

Neediness keeps us looking to God in and through Christ. Fragility keeps us knowing that we rely on One who is infinitely glorious while we are not. We keep looking to God who loves to show himself to us and give himself to his needy children.

Matthew 18:3-5... "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

Our fragility and neediness for God is not just good, it's essential.

Show Me Your Holy Spirit Anointing

We seem to live in a time when certain words in the bible have been hijacked by modern movements and taken out of context from their biblical setting and the historical faith. When it comes to the subject of the Holy Spirit, there are certain movements that claim that they have greater wisdom about the Spirit because they have greater focus on the power of signs and outward manifestations. The concept of anointing has also become one of those biblical truths redefined by modern movements as some claim to have a special power and ability to speak new revelation and perform signs. Regardless of the more extreme examples, some people have defined anointing to mean that a particular person has a specific power in their speech or ministry.

I once had someone talk to me about the very public ministry of a celebrity Christian speaker. They said, "He obviously has a special anointing from God." He was very surprised to hear my answer. "Of course he does, he's a Christian. You have it too." The way that Christians are anointed in the Holy Spirit has a very specific manifestation that belongs to all who are truly in Christ. Yes, anointing can be shown, but maybe not in the way the modern prophets of 'anointing' are claiming. Let's think through it with the Apostle John.

1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. John is writing to Christians who need to keep strong in the face of false teachers. Some were claiming that Jesus is not the Messiah. They claimed a special knowledge and perhaps anointing beyond the teaching of Christ from the Apostolic witness. 1 John 2:22, 26 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ... 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

The church needs to maintain orthodoxy and purity of the gospel by preaching the truth of Christ. The church needs to show that they have the only way, truth and life in Jesus Christ. John then encourages his audience by saying that they are different to the false teachers in that they have ALL been anointed by the Holy One, and have all knowledge. Every Christian has been anointed and knows the truth of Christ in contrast to the world and false teachers who deny Him. 

John then says, 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him.

John is not telling us that we do not need pastors or elders who work to teach and preach the Word of God. He is saying that when you have come to faith in Christ, you have been given the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as an anointing that confirms, reminds and holds firm the teaching of Christ. He is as the Apostles have witnessed, God The Son who died for our sins and was raised to life. The anointing we all receive is that the Holy Spirit points us to the truth of Christ that we know and live in our life. He keeps us abiding in Christ. We do not need any extra-biblical knowledge from those claiming to know something more than the Apostles have taught.

So, who has the real anointing? The answer is - every single Christian who trusts Jesus, lives for Jesus, and points others to Jesus as the Christ, our only eternal hope.

The reality, no matter what anyone would have you believe, is that to understand the work of the Holy Spirit and the anointing that you have in Him, you will show it by believing, living and preaching Jesus.

You will simply be a Christian. A Holy Spirit anointed believer in Jesus. If you want to show me your anointing and you don't show me Jesus, I'm not interested.

Song of Songs: A Book About Jesus

The Song of Songs (of Solomon) is otherwise called the Song of Solomon. It has also been called Canticles, which simply means that it is hymns or songs. This book is a combination of poems/songs that display the affection between a Shepherd and a Shulamite woman. There is some debate about what Shulamite means. Some think it is a name from the village in which this woman lived. Others think it is a name representing the Hebrew word for peace - Shalom. Others think it is a woman from Jerusalem. Either way, it seems to be a Hebrew woman who is betrothed to a Shepherd (notice my capitalization of the 'S').

We don't truly know if this is a book authored by Solomon, but Solomon is mentioned in this book a few times. The fact that he is mentioned could possibly mean that this is in the tradition of Solomon.  If Solomon did indeed write the poems in this book, I very much hope he was convicted by the sole devotion of the Shulamite to the Shepherd as he thought about his 700 wives.

One of the biggest considerations for this book is its interpretation. In more recent times, many scholars have proposed (based on other like poetry discovered) that this is simply a selection of poems between two people in love. This is not the way this has been traditionally understood in church history. The Jews traditionally understood this book talking about Israel's relationship in covenant with God. In the fulfillment of Christ, the new covenant church has then seen this book through new covenant eyes as a beautiful display of Christ and the church - much the same way that Paul speaks of marriage in Ephesians 2 and points to Genesis 2 as the origin of this great mystery.

In our time there has been somewhat of a revolt against considering texts like this as pointing to Christ. This modern phenomenon is one that embraces a more literal scientific understanding of the text that original readers would never have had. When you approach Song of Songs, and any book of the bible, we must always remind ourselves of two important truths. The bible is not simply a collection of books written by human authors. If it were so, we would be reading 66 books in disconnection to each other collected over 1500 years. The bible has a cohesion and thread that runs through every book with particular emphasis that shows that it has one Divine Author over every book. This Divine Author (God) has written his whole book to us with a big theme and purpose for our salvation and his glory.

The second important truth is that Jesus has told us that all of the Scriptures are written in a way that points to his death and resurrection (Luke 24:26-27,44-47). This is the way that Song of Songs was written. For us to deny this would be to deny the consistency of the Divine Author, the words of Christ, and the historical understanding of the church. For this reason, it is a ridiculous notion to me that we would deny that Song of Songs is about Christ and his church.

When we realize that the genre of poetry speaks in beautiful imagery and symbols, Song of Songs is a glorious sight to behold indeed. Those pictures point to much about Christ and us as his bride. If we are careful not to import the emotional and superficial romanticism of our time into the text, we see a stunning love and devotion that Christ has for his church and the church has for our Shepherd King.

To read Song of Solomon is to realize the beauty of Jesus and his love for those he saved who are called his bride. We can echo the words of the Shulamite woman.

Song of Songs 5:16 - His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

The Fracture to Fellowship with God

What is the biggest barrier to communion with God? I know that among Christians I am going to get a very consistent answer - sin. We all know that sin affects us coming to God in prayer and fellowship, but do we really take time to understand the reality of the fracture it creates?

Isaiah was writing to Israel as he looked forward to a time when Judah would be taken into exile by the Babylonians. They needed encouragement to know that God had not forgotten them and that he is faithful to his covenant. Israel were meant to be God's chosen people who communed with their God. Instead, Israel had been separated from their land and their temple destroyed. The intimate communion that God had with his people had been severed and there is only one side to blame. Israel exiled from the promised land is a full display of the fracture that sin brings between God and his people.

Isaiah 59:1  Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.

Imagine hearing this message as a people in exile separated from the temple worship of their God. He is not so small that his power only exists within the confines of the temple. God's reach is infinite and ample to save his people. He hears every cry and sees every tear of a repentant heart. Israel should be greatly encouraged by knowing that God is able to hear and help them. God loves his children, and they are never beyond his ability to save.

If you are struggling in your intimacy with God, this is a great statement for you too. God knows those who have put their faith in Christ. He knows his saving power and he is purposed to save to the uttermost. This means that our distance from God is only ever one-sided. Our distance from fellowship with God is only ever due to our own sinful thoughts and actions.

Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Because of the devastation of sin, we isolate ourselves from intimate communion with God. This means that while God is not unable to hear or help, we cannot walk and wallow in sin expecting God to bless us with intimate fellowship. Putting these two verses side by side, Isaiah was both encouraging and warning Israel. Sin puts us in a position of a severed intimacy with our God, but our God is not beyond hearing our cries and restoring us with his power. Sin is powerful and brings separation, but God is more powerful and through repentance and faith, he brings complete restoration. The proof of God doing this is seen so prominently in the cross.

We have all sinned and experience the isolation of God in sin, but God's grace is bigger, and his mercy is infinite. We should never be complacent about the ruin that sin brings, and we should never be complacent about the mercy and grace that God gives. Sin separates, but God (in and through Jesus Christ) saves.

If you are feeling the isolating effects of your sin today, call out and know the restoring effects of God's grace as he hears your confession and forgives you in Christ.

Imagine if we wrote the opposite position to Isaiah 59:2. But Christ has made atonement between you and your God and has brought you into intimate communion so that he hears every praise from your mouth.

God's Wrath and Your Pastor's Heart

Roman 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Our church has been preaching through the book of Nahum. Nahum has shown us that the justice of God is absolute and comprehensive. God does not let sin go unpunished. He by no means clears the guilty. His holiness will not abide those who ignore him for their own false sense of glory. He will not allow this world to oppress those he calls his children. God's eternal perfection in righteousness demands his eternal judgment and wrath upon every sin and every sinner.

Our church has seen the reality of a world power brought to its knees and experience the sentence of utter destruction. Nineveh had been reduced to a pile of rubble that we dig out of the ground in amazement that this once great power had so quickly become "no more." The archeological digs of Nineveh have shown that human might is no match for the power and justice of God. Each Sunday in the book of Nahum we have seen evidence that God's wrath is real, righteous, and if God is against you there is no other power that can be for you.

As a pastor I have learned something more of the significance of the gospel. It's not as though I have not known that Christ's atoning sacrifice has saved me from God's wrath. It is that understanding God's wrath in vivid reality has helped me see the need to preach a gospel with a greater relief. God's grace is bigger to me for having preached his wrath. His forgiveness is more wonderful for having preached his justice. His mercy is more precious for having preached the historical evidence of his judgment.

The sheer power of God displayed in his judgment upon the Old Testament nations has made me more acutely aware that wrath is necessary to understand grace.

I have never been scared to mention wrath or even hell as I do so regularly. I do see, however, that until we define it, explain it, and even describe it, it can be a spoken concept that comes and goes in a sentence. God's wrath is the outworking of his justice and righteous anger, and it is executed in unimaginable power. No human can stand against it. No nation or combination of world power can stand against it. No world power or spiritual power can stand against it.

God came into this world and endured his unimaginable wrath in the place of every person who turns from their sin and comes to faith in Jesus. We have been made right with God in Christ. Because the wrath of God has been poured out on Christ, in Christ we are saved from that wrath.

My heart for my church family is not that they walk away scared or in terror at the wrath of God. My heart is that through preaching God's wrath they know the glory of a much bigger relief. My desire is that we know that the good news of the gospel is bigger and better than we can ever imagine. Don't shy away from the seeing the reality of God's wrath, it makes the cross so much more spectacular. It makes our praise so much more meaningful. It makes our hearts so much more joyful.

Look at what our God has done for us - what grace - what mercy - what forgiveness - what love. Look at what you deserve and match it with what Christ has done.

Hallelujah!! Much more will we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Judgment is About Holiness

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this."

So often when people object to God's judgment, they point to the Old Testament and use words like 'genocide.' They see that God brings his people into a land that he gives them and if these nations will not move out of the way, they are to be dispossessed. In some instances, they are wiped out. What seems like cruelty to skeptics is the very justice that we all who ignore God and his holiness deserve.

When God brought his people into the land, they were to be his people. He was to be their God. They were to live for their God and enjoy his presence with them. They were to be holy as the Lord their God is Holy. That holiness was to be a display of God's fame and glory to the nations. It was to invite them to repent of their sinful ways and find forgiveness in the grace and mercy of the one true living God. Israel was to maintain that holiness and so often we see it displayed in the words that describe what is unclean and must be put outside the camp.

There was to be an absolute display of the purity and holiness of God to live within the family of God. If an Israelite touched a dead person, they would be put outside the camp. If they had a leprous discharge they would be placed outside the camp. There were various reasons as to why Israelites would be deemed unclean and have to go outside the camp. The holy presence of God was to be protected. God protects his glory in his people.

As Israel became more like the other nations and desired their own fame in the world, they were often afflicted by God to bring them back to an acknowledgment of his holiness. God often used the other nations to do this. Israel found themselves at the receiving end of the power of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and more. Throughout this time, God in his faithfulness kept his people in place looking to the Christ who would show all humanity what true holiness looks like in the worship of God 

When we see God chastising Israel, even via the other nations, it is because God is holy and his people are to be holy. When we see God judging the other nations in total destruction, it is because they oppose God's holiness and have seduced his people into unholiness. God's judgment is not cruel. He does not commit hateful genocide. He is not unfair.

HE IS HOLY!

The End of Affliction

The Prophet Nahum must have had some serious courage. Imagine writing a prophecy against the superpower of your day. Not just any superpower, but a superpower so violent that some historians have called it a terrorist state. The Assyrian empire was powerful, brutal, arrogant, and intimidating. Its kings were supreme rulers with unquestioned authority. Along comes Nahum, given a vision from God, and writes, "Thus says the LORD, "Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more." (Nahum 1:12). 

You might think this would bring comfort to the people of Israel so heavily afflicted. We hope that it did, but we might also be correct in thinking that for some Israelites it may have had the opposite effect. We can almost hear them worry, "When the king of Assyria hears about this, there could be huge repercussions."  

To receive this prophecy as an Israelite and find comfort you would have to believe that the Lord will absolutely carry out what he says. Your hopes of the end of affliction are tied to the end of those who bring it. God had promised both.

One thing we understand about Old Testament narratives like this is that they always leave us expecting more. While God never afflicted his people again via Nineveh, it wasn't long before a disobedient Israel are facing Babylon. As we read through the Old Testament narrative, we long for a day when God's people would be brought to full obedience, the affliction of God's people would come to a full and final end, and that there would be final justice for all who stand against God and his people. This day will happen. We can believe that because God has promised it.

God promised this day in the coming Messiah. Jesus came and conquered all on the cross. Because of the victory of the cross, we can be certain of God's promise that there is also a coming day of final vengeance against a sinful world that afflicts God's people. Just like God's affliction of Israel will be no more in Nineveh being no more, the affliction of the church will be no more when this oppressively sinful world is no more. What happened to Nineveh will one day be universalized. The book of Revelation uses a picture of Babylon as a representative of the world's empires to describe this.

Revelation 18:21-24 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."

The nations of the earth are proud. They satisfy themselves with power, entertainment, industry, commerce and more. There is no concern for God and his people and the church lives in the oppression of darkness that comes with the godlessness of this world.

Just like God bringing Israel's affliction to an end by bringing Nineveh to an end, the nations of this world will one day stand before God and be no more.

If you are a Christian, there is a message you can believe. Victory has come in Christ and victory is still coming in Christ. He has already gained victory over your affliction, and he will eradicate it forever more.

We live because of that great day of victory past.

We live according to the great day of victory to come.

God's Righteous Indignation Every Day

Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

Do you want to know the wonder of God's mercy and grace? Do you want to feel the stunning relief of forgiveness? Do you want to know what it's like to have an unbearable weight lifted from your shoulders? Unless you understand the reality of God's anger and wrath, you will never truly comprehend the wonder of his mercy.

Let's break Psalm 7:11 down into its two simple statements.

1. God is a righteous judge.

God is not simply a judge. I'm sure any and every judge in America would want to be known as a righteous judge. The problem with that is that even judges know that they are bound by the process of law. They have cases throughout the years that give precedence for making decisions. They are bound by legislators who seek to make and enhance and sometimes change laws. They are bound by constitutional documents that lay a foundation for the nation's laws. In all of this, we see through the years that laws and judicial decisions have evolved with the changing landscape of the culture. A judge may desire to say they are righteous, but their idea of that righteousness is inevitably diluted as it is defined by the ideas of right and wrong developed over time by fallible, sinful, humans. Those judges themselves are fallible, sinful humans.

God is not bound by subjective human ideals of right and wrong. God is right. God is always right. His righteousness is without blemish and his purity is perfection. When the Psalmist says that God is a righteous judge, this is an absolute statement about the very perfection of God's character. God is the ultimate judge as the source of all goodness. He cannot judge incorrectly. He cannot be manipulated into bending his judgment. His judgments are true and perfect, and they stand in his immutable sovereignty. They are bound to his holiness and every single breach of his holiness is brought under his judgment. To be the righteous judge, he must miss nothing because if he were to leave any breach of his holiness unnoticed or unpunished, it would be a breach of his very righteousness. God is a righteous judge because his character is absolute perfection.

2. A God who feels indignation every day.

Every day you and I sin. Yes, you do. Every day we ignore the glory of God in one way or another. We unintentionally breach his standard of perfect holiness. We intentionally breach his standard of perfect holiness. Not just one sin every day - multiple - every person - every day - ever since Genesis 3.

If God did not feel the intense indignation at the very nature of humanity and every thought, word and deed that deny his goodness, he would not be righteous. The indignation of God is a direct display of his perfectly righteous character in the face of our devastating sinful nature and behavior. His wrath upon sin brews in the righteousness of his indignation and must be delivered.

Now consider this. God, The Son, came into this world to be born of a virgin, take on humanity, live among us as one of us. He was truly man and yet truly God. Jesus walked among us with the very same righteous indignation explained in Psalm 7:11. Every day, Jesus healed, taught, delivered from demons, fed, and loved people who were sinning against him. He went to the cross feeling that indignation at every cry of "crucify him." He felt that indignation at every scoffing word against him and the pound of every nail fastening him to a cross. He took human sin upon himself and then in the full fury of God's righteous indignation, he endured the infinite wrath of the righteous Judge.

When we see this mercy and grace in the light of the righteous indignation of God, we start to get a miniscule glimpse at just how amazing it is. When you understand God's righteous indignation and wrath, you can begin to feel the relief of his mercy. You begin to feel the joy of his forgiveness. You begin to live for the glory of his grace.

Your Mission Field is Ready

I wonder if we look at our city and think that people are just closed and darkened to the truth and the soil of our mission field is hardened clay. If you think that, perhaps we can be reminded that we live in an exciting time. We may not always see a mass harvesting of souls in our neighborhood this very moment, but all around the world Christians are witnessing to the truth of Christ and people are believing. The type of confidence we can have is linked to the fact that Jesus is the Lord of the harvest.

Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Jesus teaches his disciples what a compassionate heart for the lost looks like.  He teaches them that there is no shortage of people who will come to know Jesus, and he teaches them that we need to pray continually for more believers to spread his good news. The harvest is ready, Jesus is the Lord and Savior of souls, and we are his means through prayer and obedience.

In John 4, we find a similar discussion between Jesus and his disciples within the account of Jesus talking with the Woman at the well. While the Samaritan woman has run to tell the town-folk about Jesus, Jesus talks to his disciples about his purpose. He is here to do the will of his Father. John 4:33-34 So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. We then hear Jesus talking about what he is doing in accomplishing the Father's will. He is bringing a great harvest.

35 Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

It seems to be a confusing way to talk about the harvest. Jesus acknowledges that his disciples realize that in the current season, the harvest will not yet happen for another four months. Jesus is, however, talking about a harvest that they have no need to wait for. There is now a harvest that is ripe because Jesus has arrived. The time for the harvest has come because the fulfillment in Christ has arrived. With Jesus, the spread of the gospel is ready to go everywhere all the time. While there is still sowing and reaping, we will all do this work and rejoice as we see people hear about hope of forgiveness in Christ and come to faith.

For the disciples, they were working in the ground laid by the prophets, the last of which was John the Baptist. The ground had been prepared, the sowing complete, and now Jesus had arrived, the harvest can begin.  There can now always be a harvest because the long-expected Jesus has arrived. We now live in the reality of his completed work.

Is there something else that must be done to prepare the world for the harvest? The answer is no. Jesus is the Savior, the work of the cross is complete, the atonement has been made, the resurrection life has been obtained, the hope of victory over sin and death has been achieved. The fields are ripe for harvest in every set of ears that need to hear this good news.

Go tell it.

Four Men Who Wanted to Die

1. Moses wanted God's presence with his people.

Moses had an amazing experience. He went into the tent of meeting and spoke "face to face" with God. He hid in the cleft of the rock as the shining glory of God passed by. He went on Mt Sinai in the glorious presence of the Lord and came down glowing in God's radiance. Moses communed with God and knew something of the awful and yet beautiful presence of God.

Moses had almost the opposite experience with the people of Israel. They were constantly failing and complaining. They were faithless and undermining of his leadership. The frustration Moses must have felt thinking about these people called to be God's shining light from the promised land was surely overwhelming. Moses realized that there was no future for such a people unless they would know God's mercy and forgiveness. There was no point for God's people without God's mercy and presence.

Moses says to God, "But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written." Exodus 32:32.

2. Elijah wanted God's sustaining friendship in his weakness.

Elijah felt alone. He had gone to battle with the prophets of Baal. He had seen God's fire from heaven consume the altar and clearly display the glory of the one true living God. The evil Jezebel, consumed with rage, embarked on a violent vendetta after Elijah who ran into the wilderness to be protected in the presence of his God. Alone and despised, Elijah was in such sorrow that he asked God to take his life.

1 Kings 19:3-4 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

God ministered to Elijah after this moment and revealed to Elijah that he wasn't alone. Not only was God with him but there were 7000 other Israelites who had not bowed to Baal. Elijah saw that he was a weak and lonely man in ministry, but God graciously sustained him and raised up the next man to succeed him. Like Moses, Elijah's great concern was that God's name would not die in Israel.  

3. Paul would have done anything to help his countrymen see God's grace.

Paul was a Jew, saved by Christ, and called to the gentiles. Even though Paul's mission was particularly to the gentiles, he had a heart for his fellow countrymen to know God's saving grace in the gospel. In fact, if it were possible, Paul would have given his life for it.

Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Paul's heart was for Israel not to reject their God but to come to know their Messiah. Paul was concerned that God's name would not be lost even among those who were national brothers.

4. Jonah couldn't bear to see Nineveh receive God's mercy.

Jonah was unwillingly put on the road to give warning to Nineveh that they might repent of their evil and come to know the mercy of God. When God showed this mercy, Jonah was angry. He wanted to die.

Jonah 4:3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."

Imagine you would give up your own life for one of these - which one would it be?

May we never go to our death bed begrudging the saving work of God in the world.

A God Who Relents?

Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Does God relent? Does he change his mind based on the behavior of human beings? It's certainly more difficult to say no when you see this verse and a few others like it. So how do we understand this? God had warned Nineveh through Jonah that destruction was coming. They believed God and repented. Does this verse show a genuine response to their repentance from God or not?

Let's consider this statement in the light of other Scriptures.

1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret."

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Malachi 3:6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

The consistent testimony of Scripture is that God is immutable (he never changes). God's eternal counsel is absolute. If God does not change his mind, then this means we cannot understand the statement in Jonah 3:10 about God relenting in the same way we would a human being.

Often when the Scriptures describe God in his interactions with humanity, we see something that is known as anthropomorphic language. This means that God's actions with humanity are presented in a language that we can understand on our terms. God doesn't change and yet he has genuinely interacted with humanity according to his will. To truly understand the intricate details of how God's sovereign, eternal will operates in real human history is truly above our pay grade, but this language helps us to understand that God genuinely does interact with us.

If, on the other hand, this verse does mean that God does change his mind and is directed by man's actions, God loses all sovereignty.  This type of belief system is known as open theism. It is an unbiblical philosophy about God that contradicts his very character. Open theism also gives us no confidence about our future. If God's will can be directed according to the actions of his creation, we can have no certainty about his hold on our future with him.

The beautiful reality about God's immutability is that we can have absolute confidence in God's eternal decrees. When God saves, he will absolutely save, because he has willed it from eternity. Our confidence in God's hold on the future is made even more amazing when we understand that in the working of real history, God genuinely interacts with us.

I can't explain this further, but I'm so thankful for the fact that I can have utmost confidence in God who holds my future, and sincere intimacy with my God who really does walk with me in this world.

From The Pit to Praise

Often in the Scriptures and especially in the poetic writings biblical authors talk about being saved from death even though they haven't physically died. The Psalms are full of references to being saved from the grave and often uses terms such as "The Pit" and "Sheol." Even when Jonah was delivered by God from the seas and the belly of the great fish, he terms it in the sense that he was in the Belly of Sheol and The Pit.

You and I don't necessarily speak this way when our life is in turmoil. Sometimes we might consider saying that we had a near death experience through sickness. We might suggest we had a close call with death if we avoided a serious accident. We don't really see the low ebbs of our lives and say it is death. Especially in the Psalms and other wisdom literature, life and death are not just the physical realities of existence, they also describe the essence or vitality of existence. Life is not just breathing but seen to be abundant and vibrant. Death is not just the loss of physical life but it is the depravity of the human condition in life. Sometimes it is the very struggle, even physical struggle of life.

Listen to David.

 Psalm 30:3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 69:10-16  When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. 14 Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

In Psalm 69 David is speaking of his life as if he is lying in the ground ready to be covered over as he faces the hardship of his life and the taunts of his enemies. He is in despair.

We are never left in this position. We are always called to know that God's mercy is greater than Sheol or The Pit. In Psalm 30, David cries out to God and makes the argument that if he were physically to be in the grave because of the consequences of his own pride, God's greater glory in his mercy would not be seen and praised. He pleads for God's mercy knowing that God has power over death.

Psalm 30:9-12 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

In the beautiful rhetoric of poetry and songs we get to truly contemplate the glory of God in the way he rescues us out of human depravity. Rather than the doom of Sheol, in Christ we have our mourning turned to dancing, our sackcloth turned to clothes of gladness, and we are not able to be silent in singing God's praise.

When we look at the reality of our lives as we read it in the Psalms, we are presented with a stunning truth. We desperately need God's mercy. God's mercy is more wonderful than you can imagine and it should drive your whole life of praise and thanksgiving as you live, abundantly live, for him.

How Spectacular is God's Mercy to You

Psalm 107:1-3 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

When you read Psalm 107 you see an amazing glimpse of the wonder of God's mercy. This Psalm is a journey through different circumstances that all result in praise to the Lord for his mercy and deliverance. There are people who suffer in the circumstance of a sin cursed world. There are those who suffer in the reality of their own sin. There are those who suffer in the consequences of their sin, and those who simply suffer in the midst of God-ordained events. In every circumstance there is a cry for deliverance and a glorious vision of the grace and mercy and love of God in response to our cries.

This doesn't mean that God instantly delivers us from every trouble. In fact, this Psalm seems to show that God uses all sorts of affliction and suffering to turn us to him. His righteous ones look up from their situation, not in.

The amazing thing about Psalm 107 is how it shows a most glorious truth. This, one of the great songs of Israel, talks about God saving his people out of all sorts of trouble. When you read the first three verses, you find that his deliverance reaches every land from every direction. For its original audience, these words could not be so easily looked over. God's mercy and deliverance extends beyond the borders of one nation, and it's spectacular.

At one point in this Psalm there is a description of godless merchant sailors who are humbled by the horror of a great storm and cry out to God for mercy. God calms the storm and delivers these men, and the Psalmist makes it clear that the only right answer for these men is to worship God and praise him in the assembly of his people.  God's mercy is spectacular, and it requires our praise.

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. 28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

If you want to see a similar account, just like this, read Jonah 1. For today, the point is simple. God's mercy should be overwhelmingly spectacular to us all. It is most gloriously seen in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should be praising!

You Can Only Run Away from A False god.

2 Kings 17 is a depressing read.

Those who were supposed to be God's people were overcome by the brutal nation of Assyria. King Hoshea was taken captive and the city of Samaria (the capital of Northern Israel) was besieged for three years. As you read through the chapter you find that this is the result of a people who ignored God's warnings to them through the prophets and continued to live according to the evil of the surrounding nations. Those who were supposed to be God's people were not God's people and they came under his judgment. Assyria removed them from the land and scattered them among pagan cities. Then, the king of Assyria brought people from other nations into the city of Samaria. Northern Israel was no more.

When people moved into the territory of Northern Israel, they also did not fear the Lord and they were by no means welcomed by God.

2 Kings 17:24-27 And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land." 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land."

When you read this narrative, it almost sounds like God's territory is only the boundary of land called Israel. The king of Assyria certainly saw it that way. When things were not working out in the city of Samaria, he sent an Israelite priest back from exile to show them how to worship the "god of the land." In one sense we know that God is indeed the God of Israel, but we also know that God cannot be contained by a temple or land. He is the ever-present God and the earth is his footstool. The king of Assyria was talking about his own understanding of the gods worshipped by other nations.  They were only "powerful" in their own places. The king of Assyria has no conception of the one true living God of Israel. In fact, Israel itself had ignored a true fear for the God of the universe.

We read in the book of Jonah that he attempted to run away from the presence of God. When he got into a boat headed to Tarshish, Jonah was at least acting as a pagan even if he didn't believe like one. We can do that too. God is not the god of the place we choose. God is not the god of your public image. He is not the god of the church building. He is not the god of your family reputation. He is the God of the universe in your public and private life, and he is the God of all time in your present and after life. God simply is. The I AM. How much more amazing is that when we remember that this same God came into this world to die for our sins? He died that we might worship him as the one true living God that He is.

Let's not act like those who have false gods of specific territories. Let's worship the God of creation with reverence wherever we are and with every breath.

A Treasured Possession, Not Arrogant Possession

Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

I wonder how you would hear these words as an Israelite looking forward to the promised land. You are a "treasured possession" of God "out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." Would this statement have you bowing in wonder at God's mercy and grace, or would you stand tall with pride thinking how much better you are than those other nations?

In the New Testament we have a similar statement being made about the church. 1Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. When you realize that you are part of God's church, chosen by God for his own possession, how does that make you feel? Is there something special in you? Are you better than others around you? Did God see something in you that allows you to hold on to some sort of pride? Can you say, "I'm a better candidate for God's family than most people in this world?" Of course not. Peter says that you are God's possession because you received mercy. God in his infinite electing love did not give his church what we all truly deserve - an eternity under his infinite wrath because of our negligence to love and glorify him in our God-given life and our rebellion against living for him in every moment of our day. We simply deserve hell.

How can a people who deserve an eternal hell be arrogant about being God's possession? We do so by under-valuing the enormous gift of grace and the infinite cost of God's grace to bring us into his family. We lose sight of the devastation of our own sinfulness and the infinite glory of God's holiness. We lose sight of the perfect and boundless nature of God's love, mercy, and grace. When we lose sight of this, we look at others around us with the effortless ease of our pointing fingers. When we lose the infinite measurement of grace toward us, we become measurers of the entitlement of others to receive that same grace we so desperately needed. 

Being God's treasured possession is such a mind-bowing thought that we should no longer be surprised by the sin of the world in front of our eyes. We should be compassionate ambassadors of the grace of Christ that is the only hope for everyone who is no less underserving than us. Sure, the world's sin deserves hell - so did ours.

I wonder what might have happened if we had this discussion with Jonah. Would he have boarded that boat in an attempt to run away from Nineveh?

What about you?

Letters To Timothy: A Summary

This week our church finishes our sermon series in 1 and 2 Timothy. This has been such a helpful series and I am reminded, even though this is written to Timothy as a pastor in Ephesus, it is just as much written to the whole church in Ephesus. It is a letter TO the pastor, FOR the church. Paul ends 2 Timothy by saying "Grace be with you." The you is a plural - y'all. There are numerous calls to action that Paul gives to Timothy as he deals with a significantly difficult job in shepherding sheep who are surrounded by some wolves. Those calls are significant for the whole church.

As a reminder to our church family, here are some of the calls we've heard from the Apostle Paul. Be reminded that 2nd Timothy are his last recorded words on the planet.

1 Timothy 1

We have a call to guard the good deposit of faith. We are charged to combat worthless teaching. We can understand the scope of the gospel through the calling of Paul who is chief of sinners. Sinners are called to Christ. The gospel of saving sinners is entrusted to us.

1 Timothy 2

We are called to pray for all people. We are called to pray for those in authority that we might have peaceful lives for the sake of the gospel. We are to maintain the apostolic gospel for all people (including gentiles). We are called to men and women of God and not per the world's standard. Men are called to be gentle and prayerful. Women are called to be godly inside and out. The creation order for men and women is to be displayed in the church. Women are to come under the teaching of the gospel with a quiet and godly demeanor.

1 Timothy 3

The church is to appoint elders and deacons according to the calling and qualifications in the Scripture. Elders are to be the few men called and qualified to teach, oversee and shepherd the church. Deacons are to be the men qualified to manage the ministry of the church. We are all together called to maintain the purity of the teaching of the word of God as the pillar and buttress of truth.

1 Timothy 4

We are to recognize false teaching as a threat to the church. God has not called us to legalistic asceticism but to the enjoyment of his glory. We are to both know and apply the word of God to our lives. Salvation begets the importance of life and doctrine in all of us.

1 Timothy 5

The church is to act as a community. Generational love, honor and respect should be visibly evident. When an older lady has no ability to care for herself with no family of her own, the church is her family and support. Young ladies should be careful not to be idle with temptation to sin - marriage is a good thing.

1 Timothy 6

Do not allow false teachers to build an expectation that coming to Christ means he will meet your earthly temporal desires. Our contentment is found in godliness. Don't pursue the love of money (or the world) as it will only lead to destruction. Counter your earthly desires with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness, fighting the good fight and holding on to eternal life. Be generous toward the gospel.

2 Timothy 1

We have a call to suffer for the gospel. A call to guard apostolic preaching of the gospel. Be like Onesiphorus who is not ashamed of the gospel and willing to refresh a brother under persecution because of it.

2 Timothy 2

Equip faithful men for the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Avoid being focused on worldly and civilian pursuits but keep your eyes on fulfilling your mission in Christ. Hold fast to everything we have in Christ and be faithful to it. Handle the Scriptures carefully in contrast to false teachers. God's election stands in powerful opposition to the false teachers - the Lord knows his own. Whatever the situation, our response is not to come from our own selfish desires. We are to be kind and gentle and not quarrelsome as we seek to teach others the truth in correction. We are to rely on God alone to change the hearts of men.

2 Timothy 3

Be super careful with false teachers because they can easily lead you astray and even show an appearance of godliness. You can discern this because they do not show a commitment to God's power in the repentance of sin. There is certain judgment awaiting those who will so boldly oppose God's truth. We are called, therefore, for endurance in godliness and faith. Remember where the Scriptures come from, they are God's Word, breathed out in his power. They are our useful guide and truth for all ministry.

2 Timothy 4

The pastor is to do the work of a pastor (preach, reprove, exhort) regardless of the pressures, preferences, and passions of others. Beware of those who preach what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. At the end of your life, look toward the glory of heaven. Regardless of those who disappoint you, fulfill your calling in the gospel. Know always that the Lord is present with you. Maintain your commitment to live for his glory. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

Give the Disciples a Break

Have you ever read the gospels and wondered how the disciples could be so confused about the Master they follow? For me, as I read the gospels looking at the disciple's reactions to Jesus, it's a bit like I'm a spectator watching my favorite football team. One moment I'm on my feet watching them advance and excited for the progress. The next moment they're outmaneuvered and I'm wondering how they could not see the next play coming. Even more than this, watching the disciples is like watching your team play when you already know the end score. We have the wonderful benefit of resurrection hindsight.

It's impossible to take our hindsight away, but one might still try to make the argument that the disciples had good reason to have true clarity about Jesus. They had the Old Testament Scriptures that are continually progressing toward and pointing to Christ. They tell specific things about the Messiah that were completely true in Jesus. Isaiah 35:4-6 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Even Jesus referred to these words as words about himself (Matthew 11:4-5). Take your hindsight away and ask yourself, what it means that God will come with vengeance and save. How will he save? What will it look like? It's something great and I'm sure the disciples believed that, but what exactly would it be?

The disciples had Old Testament Scriptures that were explicit about the shame of one who being sentenced to death was hung on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance." If you were a disciple, this alone would make the crucifixion of your Messiah unthinkable. If we didn't have the hindsight of Galatians 3:13, would we ever think that Jesus being crucified and becoming a curse for us would be so glorious? In his famous discussion with Nicodemus Jesus said in John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Without hindsight would you have so easily equated this with a Roman crucifixion?

There were times we see the disciples making clear and true statements about Jesus. One of these was Peter's confession that Jesus was The Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). That confession was not attributed to Peter's great insight. Jesus tells Peter that the only way he can know this is that it has been revealed to him by his Father in heaven. Just a few verses later Jesus explicitly tells them that he is to die and rise on the third day and Peter will have nothing of it (Matthew 16:21-22).

We have the gospels and New Testament letters written in hindsight of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Apostles who wrote them, wrote with new eyes. Even if previous to the cross they believed Jesus when he told them he would rise on the third day, how could they possibly understand exactly how that resurrection would look? In fact, they themselves were instructed by Jesus after his resurrection to see how all the Old Testament Scriptures point to his work of the cross. Now they had the reference point to understand the pinnacle event of God's great plan.

When we see the disciples bewildered by the crucifixion of their Master or taken by surprise at the sight of his resurrected body, we must understand that it is this wonderful, completed work of the cross that gives us the clarity to comprehend the entire canon of Scripture. It is only through this and the illuminating, enlightening work of the Spirit of God that we, even today, have any ability to see the truth found in Jesus Christ alone.

Let's give the disciples a break. Sure, the Old Testament Scriptures made clear reference to what they should all expect in the coming Messiah. Most Jews did in fact reject Jesus, but these disciples did not. By the grace of God, he used these men to give us an eyewitness testimony of the one event that explains the very purpose and meaning of life and our hope for all eternity. Because of their witness, we know the end score.

The Irony of Decisionism

Decisionism and regeneration are two entirely different realities. The regenerate believer is one who hears the gospel and is made alive through a new birth into an entirely new life which is defined by union with Christ. The decision maker is a person who hears the gospel (or maybe not) and decides to believe in Jesus through some type of on-the-spot transaction to get into heaven (or not go to hell). This is not to say that there has never been a decision maker who has received God's grace of regeneration. The problem is that thousands of churches and Christian organizations have used decisionism tactics to count numbers of Christians - many who are not truly Christians. Persuaded by music, effective lighting, emotional pleas and revivalist fervor, many people have been guided into a false transaction with God that has eternal consequences.

Probably the greatest irony of decisionism is found in the forgetfulness of the decision makers. It always amazes me how people can in one moment decide for Jesus because they want to go to heaven, and in the next moment live a life that shows no anticipation of that future glory. They live for now and not for later even though they claim a decision that's all about later.

As I read the Scriptures, I find that those claiming to be the people of God are not authentic when their faith is defined by forgetting who and what they are living for. We also find many examples of those who live by faith in their Redeemer and his promises to the end.

1. Psalm 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.

This verse is part of a duo of Psalms which starts in Psalm 105 as it explains God's absolute sovereignty and wonder in his redemption and guidance of his people. It is a glorious Psalm that should instill praise and wonder in every reader. In Psalm 106 we see the devastation of those who would consider themselves to be a part of Israel, but they grumble against God. They hate his provisions, his appointed leaders, and they are more concerned with the idols of the world than the promises of their God.

In the middle of the vivid description of these people, the Psalmist describes them as those who have no faith in God's promise. In Egypt they wanted nothing more to be out of the heavy burden of slavery to live in their own glorious land. They were willing to claim the promise of God. Living in the presence of God in the land of promise would be so much better than the slavery of Egypt. The problem with these decision makers, is that they had no intention of actually living in anticipation of God's promise. For now, life was not about trusting in their Redeemer, it was about their love for the things of the world. God's promise for later had no living reality in their lives. They were faithless.

2. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

In a more positive sense, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy that the crown of righteousness is waiting for him (and all like him) because from the beginning of his calling in Christ, Paul endured in faith living unto the day when he would meet Jesus face to face. His life could be described as an enduring good fight of trusting Christ in every reality of life.

These are just two passages in the Scriptures that help us to see that saving faith in Christ does not come from us raising our hand at a gospel concert. It comes from us seeing the devastation of our sin in the light of God's holiness and trusting in his forgiveness and mercy that is only possible when God's justice has been poured upon Jesus in our place. The promise of reconciliation with God, adoption into his family, and the glorious inheritance of an eternal crown becomes our entire life as we live in the relief and love of our Savior. To live a life marked by ignorance of what we have in Christ is to not have it in the first place.

Our decisions don't save us, God grace does - through faith - in Jesus Christ. The irony of those who simply make a decision about Jesus to obtain a ticket to heaven is that they never really understand the nature of what God's promised salvation is. Without a new birth, your ticket is void. When your life is depicted by the world, what's the point of claiming heaven?

The Perils of a Pragmatic Pastor

Pragmatism - To be pragmatic is to be someone who finds meaning or truth in the success of their actions rather than by principles. In other words, some people do certain things or behave certain ways because they get certain results. Some people not willing to be ruled by pragmatism are willing to forgo those results on the basis that they are not willing to abandon principles. When it comes to success in ministry, pragmatism is the tempting path that appeals to pastors who don't properly guard biblical principles.

Even though Paul doesn't use the word "pragmatism" in his letters, he is regularly talking about it in other ways. Consider for example what he says in 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God." Throughout this second letter to Corinth, Paul seems to be defending a principled gospel ministry against the pragmatic nature of others around the church. There seems to be people saying that Paul is not successful because he doesn't command a great crowd. He doesn't seem to generate income from his speaking. He just doesn't seem to have a message that a greater number want to hear.

Paul has a determined commitment to a truth that doesn't always tickle the ears. He has a complete trust in God's power to use God's message through God's spirit to transform lives. If Paul's gospel is not successful, Paul doesn't need to question his strategies. In 2 Corinthians 4:3, Paul simply says this, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." What Paul is saying is that the only way someone comes to an experience of saving truth is when God brings light to the spiritual blindness of a human heart. God saves, we don't. If God's message does not seem successful enough to you, maybe you should dare to tell God who he should save. As for Paul, he has one focus that he has made clear to the church of Corinth from the very beginning. 1Co 1:22-23 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.

Paul's goal is not to gain a great number of Jewish followers by giving them what they want. His goal is not to gain a great number of Greek followers by giving them what they want. He is about preaching the stumbling block and folly of a Savior crucified and risen as the only way of salvation. He preaches to both Jews and Greeks that they are sinners in need of this crucified Savior. He trusts God to work through the preaching of his word.

Today all-around faithful churches where there are pastors preaching the truth of the gospel, there are pragmatic pastors focused in on the perils of a success driven mentality. Quite frankly, it grieves me. But...I also want to avoid the peril of legalism. We can go from pragmatism to legalism when we make rules that are not in the Scriptures. We can dangerously lean on legalism as a reaction to pragmatism.

So, what are some areas where pastors/elders need to be careful not to lead churches into the perils of pragmatism without falling into the equal perils of legalism.

You might be letting pragmatism rule when....

- You avoid talking about sin and its consequences for the sake of not being offensive.

- You seek to say things in your sermon because you know your crowd will like it.

- You use music styles and lighting to draw a crowd without careful concern for theological accuracy or Christ-centered truth in the lyrics.

- Your music is more about drawing people in rather than edification in the gospel and the encouragement of voices raised to God in praise and prayer.

- You raise up teachers based on their motivational capacity rather than their commitment to God's truth, elder-like qualifications, and heart for God's people.

- You avoid certain passages of Scripture because they are hard to hear or difficult to understand.

- You place more emphasis on your strategies than God working through the ministry of his word - especially the gospel.

- You forsake meaningful church membership for fear that accountability to church purity will drive people away.

- You allow egalitarian demands to overrule God's design for biblical manhood and womanhood in the church and family.

- You forsake prayer and reliance on God in your ministry for more confidence in your own time and efforts.

- You avoid your own accountability for the sake of getting things done.

While there are obviously a lot more areas we could list where pragmatism may rule, I simply want to suggest we all start right here - Please pray for your pastor not to be ruled by pragmatism. Temptations for "success" in ministry can be real and we truly need your prayer. Please lovingly encourage your pastor that real success is found in obedience to God and His word. The best encouragement you can give to a faithful preaching ministry is your own personal faith in Christ and continual transformation into the image of Christ.

Higher Authority Than Your Experience

Often when we talk about the inspiration and authority of Scripture, we immediately go to two New Testament verses. Both verses speak of the comprehensive nature of the inspiration of God in all of Scripture.

2 Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Something many people don't often consider is that in context, these verses are not just positive descriptions of God's initiative in his revelation through Scripture, they are also statements showing that there is no human experience that can override the authority of the Bible. Let's consider each of these passages.

1. 2 Peter

In the verses leading up to Peter's statement about the inspiration of Scripture (men speaking from God and being carried along by the Holy Spirit), Peter talks of his amazing experience as a direct witness of the transfiguration of Jesus on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:16-19 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Notice that Peter says that witness of Jesus for the Apostles is a first-hand experience and cannot be reduced to myths. The problem is that even though this experience was real and spectacular, there were only three apostles that witnessed it directly. Peter is relaying his witness right here in this text and in receiving Peter's witness, people might easily wonder its believability. Is Peter a credible witness? Is he telling the truth? He's lied before when he denied knowing Jesus. Is his interpretation of what he saw accurate? Is it possible that the sun passed from a cloud and shone in his eyes? Why should people believe Peter alone?

Peter himself says that there is a more-sure word than his experience. The Scriptures point accurately to Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the entire progression of the Old Testament. The Scriptures are not just man's word but God's word. The inspiration of the Scriptures places them in a category far beyond human experience and interpretation. Because God always tells the truth, if God says a fish was big enough to swallow and spit out a human being, then he is totally believable compared to my father-in-law who always embellishes on the length of his catch. (I do love you, Pop)

For us, we have a greater benefit in that we know we can believe Peter's word about his experience in 2 Peter 1, because this word is itself inspired infallible truth from God through this fallible human author.

2. 2 Timothy.

Likewise, Paul's statement about the inspiration of Scripture has a context that depends on the verses leading to it.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Timothy had experienced life with the Apostle Paul and his godly mother and grandmother. He witnessed their teaching and way of life consistent with the Scriptures. He saw amazing courage in Paul and the wonder of God working through him. If this were all that were needed for Timothy, then we might be tempted to say that our experiences are all the authority we need.

The reality is that Paul directly points Timothy to the Scriptures as being the only source of inspired, infallible, and inerrant truth. The bible, not his experience, is everything he needs to be equipped for every good work of ministry.

So, where does that leave us?

When it comes to our experience, we must always ensure that it takes a back seat to the magisterial authority of the word of God.

In serving our Lord, there's one thing to know, God's Word must direct us wherever we go!