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

The Macedonian Call And The History Of The World

I arrived at the part of Acts 16 where Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man. It goes like this.

“6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ?€œCome over to Macedonia and help us.?€? 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

It struck me this morning how critically important this moment was. Not only for Macedonia, but for the entire world. Two things led Paul to Macedonia:

• Carefully listening to the Holy Spirit
• Obeying immediately

(I’m speculating on some of this and in other parts offering sweeping rationale so forgive me if I err or don’t offer a fully detailed explanation. But it all makes sense in the end.)

Macedonia is Greece. Because the Gospel went to Greece, it lay at the footsteps of Rome. Because the Greeks had considerable cultural and political influence in Roman society, Christianity in Greece would eventually spread into Rome. Although it took time, eventually Rome adopted Christianity as its official religion. Because Rome became Christian (I know that is a debate unto itself) all of Europe became Christian. In Christian Europe, the Reformation occurred. England, empowered by the precedent of the Reformation (and other political reasons), began their own church; the Church of England (Anglican/Episcopal). The English government became oppressive toward those who would not worship in the Church of England, so the Puritans set sail for America. This ultimately led us to the Revolutionary War and the birth of the United States of America, which would ultimately become the greatest, richest, most powerful country the world has ever seen. And you and I have the privilege of living here.

How different would world history have been if Paul had not been listening? What if Paul had not been listening on that Thursday when the Holy Spirit tried to tell him to steer clear of Asia? If Paul had gone to Asia would that have been a bad thing? People would have been saved, churches would have been planted, and all in all it may have been a very successful mission trip. But the Gospel would not have made it to Macedonia. No in all probability, the Gospel going to Asia might have taken root in places as far as India and the rest of the Middle East. But we know that a few centuries later years Islam would begin ravaging the peoples of the Middle East and Asia, forcing people to convert or die. Christianity in that region today is scarce and oppressed.

I think there are three lessons in this. The first is obvious: listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. He is constantly offering direction to us, awaiting us to hear Him. The second is inextricably dependent upon good listening. Doing a good thing will never be as effective as doing the best thing. Like I said before, a mission trip to Asia may well have seen hundreds, even thousands of people saved, and that would have been a good thing. But God had the best thing in mind. Go to Macedonia. And from Macedonia, God ensured that His church would endure through the ages. It could be said that He brought Rome to power for the sole reason of incubating and protecting His church. When you look at it that way, it’s no surprise that after 400-500 years, once the church was firmly established that Rome began to fade, its God given purpose having expired.

The third and last thing I’ll say about this may be the most important. Obedience can change everything. Paul had no idea that the simple act of obeying the vision to go to Macedonia would alter world history forever. He had no concept of the weight which this one obedient act carried. And it’s good that he had no clue. To him it was just another “yes” to what God was asking him to do. And it’s the same for us. That’s why it’s so important to respond quickly to God with “yes” to whatever He asks us to do. I’m not saying that your “yes” has the magnitude of a Macedonian call – but it might. Paul didn’t meet any dignitaries when he arrived in Macedonia. The first people they connected with were a bunch of women. That would get you no where in that culture. You may not know anyone who can make things happen, but neither did Paul. And the world was never the same.

Oh and one more thing. Because Paul carefully listened to the Holy Spirit, he ended up in Troas. This wasn’t only where he had the vision, but it was also where he encountered Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, and Acts. I’m going to go out on a limb here because if I’m right, it is yet more reason to carefully listen to God and obey quickly. First of all, I know they encountered Luke in Troas because in verse 10 the pronoun “they” changes to “we.” So Luke joined Paul, Silas and Timothy on their journey. This is the first time “we” is used in the narrative. What if this encounter was Luke’s first encounter with the Gospel? What if he received Christ as a result of Paul’s ministry in his short time in Troas? If that is true, then it is entirely possible that the reason we have the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts at all is because Paul listened carefully and obeyed quickly. So not only was the world never the same, but the Bible we have today was never the same either. It adds heightened urgency to the command to pray without ceasing.

Failures in our Flesh

My friend, Steve Smith, is teaching a study on Wednesday nights right now. I can’t remember the title of it, but it has to do with taking a look at our temperaments and character and using them in cooperation with our spiritual gifts. This past Wednesday was the first night. I rather enjoyed the opener and I look forward to the rest of it.

One verse was given, at the beginning of the study which has bugged me all week long. It’s a familiar verse, so I’m sure you’ve heard it:

“For I have the desire to do what is right, but no the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19

Here’s what’s bothering me. I think we have, in some respects, looked to these verses for comfort, when really they aren’t intended for comfort. Paul deals with the downward pull of the flesh in chapter seven of Romans, so these verses go right along with his theme. And many times I have referred to them when I have failed and taken solace in the fact that even Paul confessed to struggling with failure. And herein is where I have failed to understand.

You see, verse 18 above has been shortened. I shortened it on purpose because when we quote this verse to each other we tend to quote it the way I have shown it above. The first part of verse 18 goes like this:

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”

In my mind, as I’ve thought over this since Wednesday, this phrase removes all comfort from these verses. Where I once took solace, I now find a stinging reminder that when I do fail it is because I have relied upon my flesh. So rather than serving as an encouragement that my struggle is not uncommon, it now is a conviction to my Spirit that I have relied upon my own strength and forsook the strength which the Holy Spirit stands ready to give me.

It is not my intention to ruin these verses for anyone. They still serve as a reminder that the apostles were indeed human just like us and had their own battles with sin. But I do not believe that it was their intention when they penned these words to soothe the consciences of their readers. Rather Paul’s intention was to warn his readers that failure and sin await their opportunity to have us. Indeed, Paul says almost this very thing a few verses later in chapter seven, verse 21:

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.”

I hope that you will, as I will, seek to be mindful and discerning when we are going about our walks with Christ and recognize not only the good opportunities which lie before us, but also the evil which wants to have us at its first chance. We must discern the devil’s wicked schemes – that they are often running close by, just under the radar, waiting for our guard to drop.

The Absence of Power Leaves Us With Plausibility

I seldom title my blog entries before I begin writing them because I don’t want to be tied down to sticking to the title. This time it is different. And while my title may not roll off the tongue with ease, I want to stick to this topic because it is increasingly a topic which keeps being brought to my mind by the Spirit when I have my morning coffee and Bible.

I say “plausibility” because that is the word Paul uses (in the ESV) when he writes to the Corinthians in chapter 2 when he declares that his words were not “plausible words of wisdom.” (2:4). His words were supported by the display of God’s power in his life and ministry. And later in chapter 4 he tells them that the “kingdom of God does not consist inf talk, but in power.” (4:20) You might ask, “What are plausible words of wisdom?” It means that it’s only theoretical because there’s no evidence to support your claims. It’s purely academic because you display no reasonable proof that what you’re saying is the truth.

Then in Acts chapters 3-4 we see the first miracle performed through Peter and John when they healed the lame beggar who sat in the gate of the Temple every day for 40 years or more. People believed their message about Jesus because the Holy Spirit accompanied their message with great power through the beggar’s healing and through the preaching of Christ. And later in chapter 4 it says that the “full number of those who had believed” – which at this point was at least 5,000 people – were of one heart and soul. No one held tightly to their possessions but shared ownership with all. And it comes up again in 4:33, “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” The presence of God’s power not only supports our message, but it unifies us as one body in ways I’ve never seen happen.

I’m telling you that this is what we all need: God’s power. Do you want to be an effective witness? You need God’s power. Do you want to serve faithfully in the Lord’s church? You need God’s power. The power of God is what sustains His church, it’s what revives His church, it’s what grows His church, it’s what transforms His church. How could we ever think we could do anything without God empowering us first?

Why do we not see the kind of unity mentioned in Acts 4:32? It’s not that it’s completely absent. I’ve seen individuals who possess the heart and soul mentioned in that verse. But why is it that we are not like they were? They had 100% participation in the same heart and soul. We might have 10-20%. Where is the disconnect? It is the absence of God’s power. There are more Christians who look just like the world in most ways than there are Christians whose lives exude the presence and power of God. My heart has become quite burdened about this.

Here’s my commitment. I want the power of God to be evident in my life, in my family, and in my ministry. I don’t know how that will manifest itself. All I am certain of is that upon examination, it has been lacking. And it’s entirely my fault. This is not a selfish prayer. I want God to be seen more clearly in me than I am seen in me. I want his working to be seen rather than my working. I want his message to be spoken rather than my message. How can I live another moment, do another “ministry thing” with this knowledge of the importance of God’s power and do nothing? I pray you will join me in this quest to see God’s power more clearly displayed in and through us.

Father, I know that my heart can be easily drunken upon the attention of man. I pray that you would hold my feet to the fire. Do not allow my soul to aspire to places which belong to you. That being said, please display your power in me and through me so that you may be seen more clearly in my life and in your church. Jesus, let it be your character, your deeds, your glory which guides my every move as your child, as a husband and father, and as a minister of your Gospel. Please let these things happen in me so that you will be magnified in the hearts of those who don’t know you. Please let these things happen so that your church will be strengthened. And please let these things happen so that your message will be supported by the evidence of God’s power. Amen.

Hunger for the Word

In my quiet times for the past few weeks, I’ve began alternating between the Gospel of Mark and 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians is a challenging book. I don’t know if you’ve ever taken the time to study it, but 1 Corinthians is as informative to the living of our Faith as Romans is to the doctrines of the our Faith. I like that they are right beside each other in how the New Testament has been ordered. You get great theology from Romans, and then just keep reading and you get great teaching on living from Corinthians. Not that 1 Corinthians doesn’t have great theology and doctrinal teaching, it does, but Paul’s focus here is much heavier toward relational problems between believers, than doctrines.

I say all that to say this. 1 Corinthians 2:1-10 says this:

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers,did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him?€? 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

I hope you are not afraid of the depths of God. Because here we are clearly told that we are to impart wisdom to the mature. In other words, mature believers are to go deep. You might wonder why I bring this up. Well, here’s why. Look at Matthew 28:18-20:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I added emphasis to the pertinent phrase. The disciples were not to teach only the basics. Ligon Duncan, who was one of the speakers at the T4G conference, aptly brought this to our attention. Jesus commanded us to teach ALL of the things he has taught us through the Word. It’s part of the Great Commission. Giving people only the basics of the Gospel is a violation of the Great Commission.

Now I’m not saying that the people we share Christ with need to immediately be informed of the depths of the doctrine of the Atonement. What I’m saying is that as believers, the job of understanding theology is not just the job of pastors. It is incumbent upon all of us to be informed about theology so that we can fulfill the Great Commission. And if we are teaching that the Great Commission is a commandment for everyone, then everyone needs an understanding of theology.

Practically, this means that each believer should struggle with the Scriptures. Wrestle with it until the Holy Spirit reveals Truth. Read books that challenge our minds. Read the classics like Pilgrim’s Progress and Mere Christianity. Try to understand what Calvin was saying, even if ultimately you do not agree with him. It is only in the stretching of our understanding that we will be able to fulfill what Jesus and Paul have taught us to do. You don’t have to be seminary trained to understand these deeper things; all that is needed is willingness to dive in and be challenged.