A Warning to Westerners

Author’s Note: I hesitated to compose this article because of its gloomy overtone.  That said, this morning in my quiet time, I was moved very powerfully toward this tone and could not ignore the heaviness upon my heart to write what was going through my mind.

Paul tells the church at Thessalonica, “you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia,” 1 Thessalonians 1:7.  The Thessalonian church became a witness, not only to the lost, but the rest of the church throughout the region.  The preceding verses tell us several things.  The gospel had been clearly presented to them in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Because of this, they became Christ followers as they followed the example which Paul and his companions had lived out before them. Because their faith was genuine, they endured in their faith in the face of persecution and hardship.  And even though they were afflicted, the joy of the Holy Spirit was evident in their lives.  It is no surprise that these people became an example to the surrounding church. Oh that we would do the same!

It is my dream, my ambition in life, to see the church become this vibrant again.  The 21st century, Western church is not lacking in books, in mp3′s, in video feeds of sermons which try to ignite this vibrancy once again.  If you notice, though, the Thessalonians had none of this, yet they shone like the sun to the surrounding region!  We have a glut of authors, we have a glut of Bible translations, yet we are still but an ember, left over from what was once a raging fire, in danger of being snuffed out.  If the Western church ceased to exist tomorrow, God’s church would still exist in other areas of the world, and God’s commitment to save a people from all tribes and nations would still stand fulfilled.  Scary.  We walk a dangerous road in our extra-marital romance with the world.  We, in the West, risk being spat out, just like the church at Laodicea.  Would that we would heed the living Christ’s advice to the Laodiceans:

“17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19

We Westerners are the most literate, Bible inundated, well taught, technologically advanced branch of the church in all of history.  We will be accountable for much because we have been given much.  The preacher of the gospel in the West may be the most frustrated of all men because despite his best efforts, despite his reliance upon the Holy Spirit, he feels like Jeremiah.  The people do not really listen to him; they pay the gospel little mind, if any.  There are precious jewels in the rough to be found (I am fortunate to be a part of one of those jewels), but by far, the experience of many Western preachers is one of frustration, and were it not for their love of their Savior and his church, they would quit at their earliest opportunity.

You need to know, however, that I am optimistic.  I believe that there is a root in the Western church, a remnant, that is experiencing a renewed passion for Jesus.  I am optimistic that the Western church has some future days of great strength yet to come.  But the question we all should be asking is, will the presence of a remnant stave off the judgment which is coming to God’s house?  My answer is no.  If God allowed Shiloh and Jerusalem, two of the most holy and special places on the earth to his heart, to be sacked and ruined, why would we be any different?  If you think that America has some special place in God’s heart, just remember that on top of his mountain, in Jerusalem, sits a mosque.  Am I optimistic?  Yes I am, but I am also aware that any future days of spiritual power in the Western church may come at great personal cost.  Be ready.

A Word to the Broken

This week a friend of mine and his wife, Cody and Sarah, suffered a heart breaking tragedy in their family.  They lost their baby boy, only seven weeks away from his due date.   I cannot fathom for one second the pain they are going through.  I won’t try to explain away this happening with trite phrases about God’s will.  While it is true the each of our appointed dates with death are by his sovereign design, understanding this fact does nothing, absolutely nothing to assuage the pain we endure in the moment.  Pain is a necessary burden in a fallen world.  If it were not for pain and suffering, many of us might have never met Jesus.  With that thought in mind, I want to make a meager attempt to offer some simple words about what we can do with our pain.

The first thing I would say is don’t ignore it.  The temptation to bear a stiff upper lip in the face of pain and tragedy isn’t brave, it’s foolhardy and will ultimately cause you to have contempt for people who allow their emotions to surface.  Your emotions are God-given, and when you experience them you are reacting the way God designed you to react.  As God’s image-bearer, you have been endowed with all the same emotions which he possesses.  He intends for you to experience them.  At the death of his close friend, Lazarus, Jesus, the creator of the universe, the creator of Lazarus, the man who was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, wept.  And it wasn’t one or two tears, he was deeply moved and wept very openly in front of everyone (John 11:35).  Many people want to spend time debating about why Jesus cried.  I say that’s not the point.  The point is that He is our creator, He is our model for living, and if He wept deeply, we can feel free to weep deeply as well.

Pain is to be shared.  It is right and good that when we are suffering we allow others to share the suffering with us.  I’ve seen people clam up and push others away when they are hurting.  This isn’t best and it’s contrary to how believers are to mourn.  The apostle Paul encourages his Roman readers to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,” Romans 12:15.  If you are hurting, you bet there are people who love you who want to share in that suffering with you and walk through it with you.  Let them in.  You will be blessed, and you will bless them by allowing them to suffer along with you.

Finally, pain is a compass.  Pain helps us find true north.  Rather than burying pain, allow it to run its course.  Pain leads to the foot of the cross of Christ.  When all is lost, the only person who can offer comfort and purpose for continuing to move forward is Jesus.  The power of the cross has purchased for us a redeemed purpose that rises above the circumstances of life.  When you’ve dealt with your pain and allowed Jesus to redeem your pain, your pain will become your servant.  When Paul speaks to the Romans of being more than conquerers (Romans 8:37) this is what he means.  Not only do you overcome, but you come about and use the thing which once caused so much suffering, to bring glory to God by helping others endure their times of trial.  I didn’t coin this phrase, but I’ll use it anyways:  your pain is your ministry to others.  Don’t bury it, but endure it, overcome it, and make it your strength for helping others in their times of need.

My love and condolences to Cody and Sarah, and anyone else who reads this who has suffered such great loss.

The Promise of Completion

Philippians 1:6 contains a precious truth, accompanied by a potentially difficult concept to grasp.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

The precious truth is that God will complete the good work he begins in us. It is the promise that once God saves us and begins the life-long process of making us like Jesus, he will finish the job. There are two implications we can draw from this truth:

1. Our salvation is secure because God has promised to complete the work he starts within us. In other words, once he saves us and gives us new birth, he will ensure that we remain in Christ so that he can complete his work in us.
2. If he starts the work of salvation and completes the work of salvation, then our remaining in Christ is resting entirely upon God’s power. It is not my efforts that keep me saved, it is God’s power that keeps me saved.

For many, number one is not difficult to embrace. Some Christians believe that a person who has been born again can fall away from the faith and lose their salvation, or become what some call carnal believers. I will put my cards on the table here and say I don’t believe in carnal Christians, nor do I believe the Bible supports their existence. Without going into a detailed explanation, let me just say that the Bible describes only two kinds of people: saved and lost; people who love the Lord and people who love the world; people who will inherit the Kingdom of God and people who will not. Read this for a brief, but succinct, explanation from the Scriptures of why there are no carnal Christians. And for those who believe you can lose your salvation, this verse presents an acute interpretive dilemma. How can one lose something that God has promised to complete? Either God is a liar, or it is impossible to fall away from the faith once you have been born again.

Now for the second implication; this one can make your head blow off. Philippians 1:6 describes in very brief terms the process of sanctification. Sanctification is the process which God puts us through so that we will become more like Jesus. The Bible contains several metaphors for sanctification. A particular favorite of mine is that of a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:3). He burns out the impurities in our life. It is an intentional process where our life is tested by fire, and the things which are impure fall away, leaving a more Christ-like person. God has planned the end from the beginning. We will be more like Christ because he has given us his promise that he will completely transform us.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Where does our responsibility to obey come into play? How does God accomplish the transformation of our lives without violating our will? Let’s be honest. If God forced me to submit, the relationship wouldn’t be a love relationship. Somehow God accomplishes the transformation of our lives and yet at the same time, never forces us to love him and obey him. How? Through the cross, Jesus has purchased for us redeemed affections for God. In other words, when we are born again, the Holy Spirit takes residence within us and brings with him a new heart, new desires, and new affections toward God. Perhaps the most popular verse in all of Ezekiel describes for us what happens in salvation:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

The Psalmist explains very clearly that God gives us new desires:

“Delight yourself in the?Lord,?and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Without the new heart and the new desires we are given, we would never be transformed; thus, in order to transform us, God would have to violate our will. But because believers do receive these new desires and affections toward God in salvation, we genuinely desire to obey him all on our own, and pleasing him becomes our natural desire; thus God accomplishes our transformation with our willing participation. BUT, because God granted us the ability to willingly follow him when we were born again, any transformation we undergo still belongs to God and is from him, and through him and because of him. Believers can trust not only that God has forgave them saved them, but also that he will transform them and continually transform them until they stand before him, just like Christ, in Christ’s righteousness, glorified like Christ, and inaugurated into eternal rest with Christ. What a glorious promise it is!

Brother, sister, if you struggle with sin (and we all do), know that God will complete the good work he began in you. Don’t allow your setbacks and struggles to take your eyes off of the prize. Remember that he has made a promise to bring you to completion. Let this precious knowledge be what sets you free. Paul’s lament in Romans chapter 7 that he continues to sin even though he doesn’t want to (Romans 7:15-24) is immediately followed by these glorious truths in Romans 8:1-6, with which I will conclude:

“1?There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.?[1] 2?For the law of the Spirit of life has set you?[2] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.?3?For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,?[3] he condemned sin in the flesh,?4?in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.?5?For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.?6?For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:1-6

Who Are You?

Just a quickie. This past Sunday, in our Growth Group, we talked about identity and where it comes from. Who are you and how do you get that identity? The authors of our study contend that identity is not something we make up for ourselves, but rather it is bestowed upon us. In other words, I am known by the things other people identify in me, not by some identity I construct for myself. As believers, we are given an identity in Christ by grace. It is not something we make up for ourselves, but rather God bestows our identity in Christ to us and the body of Christ sees this and confirms it in us. This is how we know our Spiritual gifts, this is how we know our role in the gospel community – it is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, through the body of Christ.

Practically, this means we must not allow our past to label us, we must not allow the history of our relationships define how we relate to our brothers and sisters in the church. The Bible should be what defines how I relate to people, not my history with people. If we allow our history, our past relationships, our experiences, good or bad, to define us, we are not allowing the grace-given identity which God has prepared for us in Christ to shine forth. We must do as Paul says in Philippians 3:13, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Don’t allow what you’ve done in the past to hold you captive. Take a hold of the grace-given identity which God has given you as his child, his new creation!

A Song That Must Be Shared

This is the only song I’ve ever heard that caused me to want Jesus to wait just a little longer. Thanks to my friend Brian for first sharing this with us on Facebook.

2 Corinthians 6:1-4

Here’s another journal entry from this week . . .

Journal Entry: May 12, 2009, 6:45 AM

“1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, In a favorable time I listened to you,and in a day of salvation I have helped you.Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:”

What does it mean to receive God’s grace in vain? First of all, this is a message, I believe, addressed to believers. It is to those who have received God’s grace. To receive his grace in vain then has application to those who have been born again. It must be actions which nullify the power of the gospel in the individual and in the church. It is those actions which would cause God’s efforts in saving us to appear futile. Dissensions, factions, gossip, slander, adultery, strife, murder, envy: everything which Paul has admonished the Corinthians to expel from their midst.

My mind goes to the difficulties we are experiencing in the final days of our church building’s construction. God has been gracious to us throughout this process. Yet I, and others, sense an undercurrent here which could threaten to sweep us away and make all of God’s graciousness through this entire journey for naught. I personally only know a little bit. I do not know every detail of what is awry. But there is a tension in the air that is tighter than a snare drum. All I can do at this moment is cry out to Jesus to loosen the strain upon our emotions and to make things right. I know this: the deeds done in secret will be brought to light. If there has been any wrong-doing, the Holy Spirit will make it known. Judgment always begins with God’s people. And God will purify his church if there exists any reason to purify. It will be fearful, but it is totally avoidable if all is confessed and all is repented of willingly. But I am speaking to the air because I don’t know anything for sure. I just trust my discernment that something isn’t right. Willing confession and repentance will bring honor to God and prove his grace to not be in vain.

Now back to the verses. Today is the favorable time to repent. Today is the day of God’s favor. The urgency to respond to the Holy Spirit cannot be underestimated. True, this verse speaks of salvation and believing today, however the application is also to the killing of the flesh and our sanctification. The longer we resist the Holy Spirit, the deeper we plunge ourselves into callousness and hardness of heart. The maintaining of short lists with God keeps our hearts sensitive to conviction. Sin is toxic and it poisons you and everyone with whom we love and have relations. Even if it is an unseen sin there are still spiritual consequences with everyone in your life. So now not only have you sinned, then sinned again by resisting the Holy Spirit, but you sin again by bringing toxicity to those around you. YUCK! Today is the day to repent, for your sake, for the sake of Christ’s glory, and for the sake of the spiritual health of everyone surrounding you.

Paul said they put no obstacle in the way of people repenting. He added no difficult, extra requirements, he presented no moral objections to the way he conducted his ministry and his life. He made sure that no one could look at his life, ministry, or his message and make an objection. We too should be careful to ensure that no one can raise a legitimate objection against us, giving them reason to discount our message. This does not imply perfection, but rather along with striving to live holy, when we do fail, there is quick – if not immediate – confession, admission of wrong-doing, repentance, and where necessary, restitution. So long as we practice this, people who do raise objections will have no solid biblical ground upon which to accuse us. So then, even in our imperfections, God will glorify himself.

At times Paul uses the word “commend.” It doesn’t mean congratulate like we may believe it to mean. Often we use the word “commend” in a context of congratulating someone. That isn’t what it means here. The word “commend” really means “to present.” So when we say we commend something, we are saying we present something to you. Therefore when Paul says, “we commend ourselves in every way,” he means that they have went to great lengths to present themselves to them in such a way that there would be no obstacle in themselves which would prevent them from believing and repenting. In other words, they have gone through hell to present the gospel to them in a way which would keep the focus squarely on Jesus Christ and him crucified and raised. What lengths do we go through to ensure that the sin in our lives does not corrupt the message of the gospel? It is not legalistic perfection we seek, but rather a loving pursuit of holiness which is quick to confess, quick to repent, and easy to convict. (Ease of conviction meaning the Holy Spirit needs only offer gently correction instead of earth shattering rebuke.)

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Here’s a one of my recent journal entries . . .

Journal Entry: May 7, 2009, 7:00 AM

“16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is a very well known, very well cited passage. However there is a portion here which often doesn’t get included when quoted. Verse 16 says, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.” The new creation we become in Christ is held to a different standard of life. We should not hold each other to worldly standards. In conflict, we look to the Scriptures. In times of peace, we look to the Scriptures. If we are unsure, we look to the Scriptures. If we need encouragement, we look to the Scriptures. Our standard is heavenly by nature and to abide by it we become like Jesus. If we abide by worldly standards, we will become like the world, and in the end will be indistinguishable from the word, which will ultimately give no one good cause to consider following Christ due to the lack of God’s power in our lives.

I love verse 18, where it says, “All of this is from God.” There is great comfort in knowing that this new creation which I am, and am becoming, is completely a work of God. I do not make this new man by my efforts. It is God who creates the new man within me. This doesn’t mean I have no responsibility in my transformation; indeed I am responsible to obey every prompting of the Holy Spirit and every command which Jesus issued for us to follow. But here is where I end and God begins. More obedience isn’t what really transforms me. If obedience was all it took to be transformed then every legalist would be the most transformed people in the church. We know this cannot be. If it were, the Pharisees would have been the good guys. No, there is something about loving Jesus enough to obey him that affects the change in me. And I suppose therein is the difference: love. There is the person who obeys from fear of losing blessing. There is the one who obeys to obtain favor. These are the legalists among us, and in them transformation is stunted, if not altogether halted. But the one who obeys because he loves Jesus and just wants to pleas him, he will be transformed from one degree of glory to the next. And God steps in and is happy to do the work in the one who loves his son. How simple!

This transformation into the new creation is the sure sign that we have been reconciled to God through Christ. Only those who are being transformed are those who are reconciled. No transformation is equal to no reconciliation. And since we are reconciled to God through Christ, and the Holy Spirit resides in us, we have been given opportunity to share in this ministry of reconciliation. Allowing God to work through us in the declaring of the gospel so that other may hear the gospel, repent and too be reconciled to God. This chance to work with the Holy Spirit in reconciling others to God is the highest calling to which one can be called. Being chosen to serve as an ambassador for the King of all creation cannot be surpassed by any earthly honor. Why do we treat it as something common? Why do we often approach the calling in a cavalier manner? If God were a CEO and we were his employees all of us would be jobless. Thankfully he is not a CEO, but rather he is merciful and slow to anger and long-suffering with our failures. And this should cause us to love him even more.

Journal Entry: May 11, 2009, 7:05 AM

And finally the clincher of this passage: “He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The very purpose from eternity past, which was given to Jesus, was to become a curse for us, to die a sinner’s death, to absorb the full wrath of God upon sin, to take upon himself the sins of the world, past, present, and future so that we who have trusted in him would not be held responsible for our sins, stand before God and be declared not guilty! What wonderous, unexplainable, ill-deserving, deep, deep love Jesus has for the Father and the Father has for us to endure such injustice, such pain and suffering so that we could be reconciled to God – even while we continue to sin.

Because of this we become the righteousness of God. It is the great exchange where when the Holy Spirit regenerates my heart, he not only removes my sin, but applies the righteousness of Christ to me so that I can stand before the Father blameless! This positional righteousness is the guarantee that I will persevere. Once I am his, no one can revoke that ownership. I am secure. But this righteousness that is applied also applies itself in my horizontal life. As the Holy Spirit transforms me, the righteousness of Christ he applied to me becomes more and more visible. Hence, I become more like Jesus, even while I am on this earth. And this is why there can be no salvation in the absense of transformation. The righteousness of Jesus will conquer the flesh and shine through in those he saves. Not every believer is transformed at the same pace, but for sure, transformation is occurring.

A Great Joy

I really love my wife. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. She’s a great wife, a great mom, and the person I love laughing with the most. That is one of the best joys of my life. Laughing with the woman I love most. She loves Jesus more than she loves me and I don’t think I could ask for anything more.