Glorifying God in Our Ends and Means

A few years ago, my kids participated in an AWANA program at our local church. This ministry strives to teach kids the Bible. All week long, my boys worked hard to memorize several verses. I’ll admit I was tempted to think my mom game was strong—I clearly was raising kids who loved God’s Word. But as time passed, I realized my boys were working hard to memorize verses so they could receive AWANA bucks—play money to be used in the AWANA store to buy toys and candy.

My dreams of raising the next John Piper were crushed. As it turns out, my little guys loved candy and did what they could to get more of it.

At the time, memorizing Scripture was just a means to an end for my boys. They valued treats and trinkets, not truth. I explained to them that learning God’s Word is a reward in itself. As with many aspects of parenting, through correcting my children, God began to reveal ways I devalued processes in my own life.

WHEN OUR GOALS AREN’T GODS

We can all be tempted to only value the final product, not the process. Often we value the destination, not the journey.

But our invested time and labor is not just a means to an end. It's in those processes and journeys that God is making much of himself in us. God is transforming our character and revealing himself. We would be wise to see the value in the means.

We work hard for rewards and value them. We desire to be thinner and healthier, so we diet and exercise. We are motivated by the end result of getting back into those jeans and watching our blood pressure go down. Diet and exercise can easily be viewed as a necessary evil to accomplish our goal of getting fit.

We want to get a good grade on a test, so we study hard to learn the material and get an A. Studying is a discipline endured to achieve a goal.

We want our children to obey, so we train them to respect our authority. The time spent teaching them is difficult and draining. But we know it’s the only way to accomplish our desired goal: having obedient children.

We desire to provide for our families, so we work hard five days a week to receive a paycheck.

The goals we work for can be good, and God can be glorified in them. But we shouldn’t be negligent in seeing and desiring God’s glory in the labor towards our goals. We miss out when we only see the process as the means to an end. God redeems our means and glorifies himself in them.

FINDING LIFE IN THE MEANS

Valuing the process is not a new idea; it’s a biblical one. When God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, their destination was the promised land of Canaan. They arrived via a 40-year detour in the wilderness. This was their means. Yes, this means was a time of punishment, discipline, and refinement (Joshua 5:6), but God was with them and displayed his glory to them.

He provided for his people with manna in the mornings and quail in the evenings (Exodus 16:12). He gave them water from a rock (Exodus 17:6). He kept their clothes and shoes intact for 40 years (Deuteronomy 29:5).

The Israelites were focused on getting to Canaan. In the meantime, God was with them, teaching them to trust him.

The ends we strive for make up very little of our lives. Most of our lives are lived in the means. The means may be pretty or messy, but God is sovereign over them all. He’s with us in our weakness, making us strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). When we believe, it’s because he was with us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24).

God is transforming us while we’re in the meantime.

God values a mother’s work training children. In doing so, she is loving him through her obedience (Proverbs 22:6). A student’s hard work has eternal value when it’s done for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

We bring God glory as we display his self-control in our lives by eating enough to sustain our bodies, not overindulging. We can value this discipline by eating to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). God values our hunger for him that surpasses our hunger for anything else.

God values our time at work as a place we make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

Yes, we want to see God glorified in our achievements. But it’s short-sighted to stop there. We should seek God’s glory in the means, processes, journeys, and methods. We can glorify God in where we go as well as how we get there. We can bring him glory in what we do and how we do it. God should be glorified in our ends and our means.

GOD’S MEANS

Even God’s plan to reconcile his creation to himself was a process. God could have simply desired it and it would have been so. But he chose a means to an end that involved him giving of himself to accomplish our redemption.

This method required decades of his Son humbly living the life we couldn’t here on earth, in perfect obedience, and without sin. It will require millennia of his patience toward us as he desires to see everyone repent (2 Peter 3:9). God is not wasting thousands of years, though. This time is valuable and transformational for his people.

One day our earthly pilgrimage will be over. We will be completely conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), forever with him in glory (Colossians 3:4). We will have a beautiful story to share of how our Father transformed us into Christ’s image “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Each degree of glory is another beautiful and valuable means to an end. As we look to that end, may we value the meantime.

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Christy Britton is a wife, homeschool mom of four biological sons, and soon-to-be mom of an adopted Ugandan daughter. She is an orphan advocate for 127 Worldwide. Her family is covenant members at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C. She loves reading, discipleship, spending time in Africa, hospitality, and LSU football. She writes for various blogs including her own, www.beneedywell.com.

Confessions of a Connoisseur

I recently read an interview conducted with the few common citizens who were able to obtain seats for the Academy Awards in Hollywood.  “It's American royalty,” said Barbara Doyle, 57. “We don't have the queen. We have actors and actresses.” “I've always wanted to do this,” said 48 year-old Pam Ford, who won front-row seats from a TV station. “To win and sit in the front row, it's beyond comprehension, anything I ever dreamed of. I could die tomorrow.”

Really? That’s the greatest dream she could envision? Surely there has to be more to life than this! Indeed, there have been those (including movie stars themselves) who have set much higher goals and pursued much greater pleasures, yet have still found they over-estimated the fulfillment even the grandest physical and mental achievements can provide.

A CONNOISSEUR CONFESSES

The dictionary defines a connoisseur as “a person with expert knowledge or training; a person of informed and discriminating taste.” Given that description, we might well say that the entire book of Ecclesiastes is the confession of a connoisseur, not just in one area or discipline, but every aspect of life and living.

Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, was one of the wealthiest and most intelligent men who has ever lived. He had everything—and tried everything—in order to find happiness. He makes the startling claim, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:14), and goes on to challenge the reader to find a more experienced connoisseur: “What can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done” (Ecclesiastes 2:12).

This book, then, is the remarkable journal of a connoisseur who tried it all and has passed his findings on to us. It is important to realize that Solomon was not merely a whining failure who couldn’t reach the top and so despised and disparaged it. No, Solomon was a success in every area of life and is speaking to us from under the sun, but also from on top of the world!

I TURNED MY HEART TO KNOW

Solomon gave himself wholly to the pursuit of personal pleasure and knowledge: “I turned my heart to know…” (Ecclesiastes 7:25). And because Solomon was a man of tremendous power, influence, intellect, and resources, he was successful to the extent that he experienced everything the world has to offer. He became “a person of expert knowledge” in every area of life. He tried it all, with all his might.

In order to appreciate the extent of Solomon’s existential research, we could summarize his experiences in six categories.

Knowledge and Education

Solomon says, “I applied my heart to know wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:17). Solomon was the scholar’s scholar, the academic’s academic. He excelled in science, architecture, philosophy, religion, literature—you name it, he had mastered it. In fact, the queen of Sheba tested him in exactly this manner, pressing him with every hard question she could think of and observing first-hand all his accomplishments. Even this wealthy, intelligent, and powerful woman finally admitted that “the half was not told” her in relation to Solomon’s wealth of wisdom (1 Kings 10:1-7).

The Arts and Entertainment

Solomon frankly states, “I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself’” (Ecclesiastes 2:1). He said he listened to a variety of singers, musical instruments, etc. (Ecclesiastes 2:8). There was no end to Solomon’s resources, and he dedicated his bottomless assets to the pursuit of every escape and amusement money could buy.

Temporary Highs

As is common, Solomon combined his pursuit of entertainment with other opportunities for temporary excitement. He says, “I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine” (Ecclesiastes 2:3). It appears Solomon was not half-hearted about anything he did, including partying and drunkenness.

Accomplishments and Luxuries

“I made great works,” Solomon boasts, including houses, gardens, and water features he designed himself (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6). Even though he was a king, he was also what we call a “renaissance man.” He was not idle but used his massive talents and creativity to push the boundaries of accomplishment in every direction.

Power and Wealth

Solomon was king of Israel during the zenith of its influence and prosperity. “I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces” (Ecclesiastes 2:8), he says. In fact, we are told that in Solomon’s time silver was not even highly regarded because gold was in such abundance! Take a trip to Tiffany’s today and you’ll see that even in the U.S. we have not approached this level of wealth.

Companionship and Sex

The most infamous lady’s man in modern history could not hold a candle to the exploits of Solomon. He furnished himself with 1,000 women of his choice, who were always at his beck and call (1 Kings 11:3).

We can sum up Solomon’s endeavors with this simple observation: in Ecclesiastes 2:4-10, Solomon uses the words “me,” “myself,” “I,” or “mine” over thirty times. Solomon gave himself to himself in order to pursue the greatest pleasure and fulfillment he could find for himself!

ALL IS VANITY

It’s easy to identify other people’s idolatry. But our own idols often have a way of hiding from our soul-searching gaze. Tim Keller provides some insight to help identify our personal idols. Keller observes, “An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’”

What has been occupying your thoughts, your ambitions, your affections lately?

Millions of people were waiting with great anticipation for the next iteration of the iPhone, although a new version is sure to come out next year and make this year’s obsolete. Others may not care a thing about the latest tech, but feel their life will surely be fulfilled if only they can get into the right school, win the state championship, get that next promotion, find the right person to marry, or . . .

From the man who had it all, tasted it all, and tried it all, comes this intensely disappointed testimony: “all is vanity.”

His experiences “under the sun,” or without God, are summed up with the single word vanity—emptiness. Solomon uses this word over thirty times in this single sermon. Vexation is used 4 times; folly 7 times. Solomon found life empty, frustrating, and foolish without the purpose and power of God.

After giving himself, with all his unparalleled skill and resources, to find happiness under the sun, Solomon comes to this tragic conclusion: “I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17).

His gaping void reminds me of an interview I came across several years ago with Halle Berry, an Academy Award-winning actress. When asked what if felt like to have so much success and beauty, Berry responded with indignation: “Beauty? Let me tell you something—being thought of as a beautiful woman has spared me nothing in life,” she said. “No heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory.”

THE HAPPY LIFE

Ecclesiastes has been called a lesson from “the discipline of a divine education.” Solomon learned through bitter experience the same reality that Augustine came to also: “There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other.”

Your house doesn’t really protect you. The food in your fridge won’t ultimately sustain your life. Your smartphone can’t make you truly wiser. In fact, no amount of family, friends, promotions, luxury cars, or philanthropic efforts will be able to fill the void in your eternal soul.

God, however, is everything your soul has been longing for, and more.

We often quote the human maxim, “Experience is the best teacher,” but Solomon reminds us this is emphatically not the case! The best teacher is the divine instruction of God’s Word, and it tells us of One who has come and who is even greater than Solomon.

Rather than giving himself to himself, Jesus Christ gave himself to death for sinners! And those, like Augustine, who love him for his own sake, find in him the joy never found by the ungodly.

Life with Christ, life in Christ—this is not life under the sun, but with the Son. This is the happy life . . . and there is no other (John 14:6)!

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Justin Huffman has pastored in the States for over 15 years, authored the “Daily Devotion” app (iTunes/Android) which now has over half a million downloads, and recently published a book with Day One: Grow: the Command to Ever-Expanding Joy. He has also written articles for For the Church, Servants of Grace, and Fathom Magazine. He blogs at justinhuffman.org.

Where You Go I Will Go

I boarded the airplane feeling like such an adult. I was all alone and heading to a new city for an awesome job interview. My arms and legs were electrified with excitement. I had complete assurance in what God had planned for me, so taking these steps seemed so easy. The young girl next to me turned and offered me a piece of gum which I kindly refused, but asked, “Are you from Nashville?” She said, “No, but my family is. I go to school in Virginia Beach. Are you?” I replied, “No, I’m actually just heading there for...” My throat closed. Water spilled out from my eyes. “Oh gosh, I am so sorry. I didn’t expect this emotion to come up right now, forgive me.” Humiliated, I took a minute to get myself together and finish our conversation. Grief. It’s unexpected, inconvenient, and heavy. It bombards our thoughts, our actions, and our hopes in ways that we can’t plan around. It is present with every heartbreak, every loss, and every transition.

I know transition all too well. The Lord knows my life has been full of them. When it’s time for a transition, I know how to process what I am leaving, and how I typically respond to the discomfort of newness. The frustrating thing is that it’s not any easier to grieve. The pit in my stomach still occurs. The tightening in my chest is just as consuming. The uncontrollable crying remains relentless.

I discovered most recently that I’ve learned how to deal with change by myself and with God. I can handle it if I can retreat, take my time, and then very slowly re-enter into normal life and relationships. This pattern is a well thought out way of dealing with grief the way I know how. But what if God has something more for me? What happens if I am so busy processing my own grief that I neglect the people around me?

I am moved by the story of Ruth. A woman whose faithfulness surpassed her grief. Her husband dies, her brother-in-law dies, and she turns to Naomi to say, “I will follow you.” Even when Naomi turns to bitterness, isolation, and inner turmoil, Ruth remains steadily focused on her purpose. It is absolutely crucial that we reflect on Ruth 1:14 because we miss the point if we miss this verse.

In verse 13, Naomi lays out the reasonable truth that the two girls really should return to their homes to find refuge after such a tragedy, and prepare for their next marriage and family. Anyone would agree that this is the wise choice according to every standard of the world. The Spirit then reports, “Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her” (v. 14). It is not that Ruth denies the tragedy or the real grief that came after. She feels the pain of loss. She lifts her face and shouts out cries of angst, and she unapologetically weeps. Notice it says, “they” lifted their voices. They expressed together. The difference is that after this outward expression of grief, Ruth doesn’t isolate into inward grief. She clings to her mother-in-law and conveys, you won’t do this alone- I’m going with you. I’m going to the deepest, darkest places with you. I’m going to share shelter, I’m going to share community, I’m going to share fellowship with God. Ruth responds with overwhelming humility. She refuses to take personal refuge, but insists on shared refuge.

God intends for grief to be healed both personally and in community, but it seems like our society has lost the humility it requires to share grief. Instead, we look like Orpah. We cry for a minute then get up, dust off our knees, and go home to take care of ourselves. We have lost Ruth’s beautiful depiction of humbly submitting ourselves to community. We have something to learn from her willingness to abandon herself and cling to someone. I want to be the person who can shamelessly cling to someone who knows my heart, is trustworthy, and is following God even through the pain.

I have seen my tendencies to isolate inwardly in this season. I am a nanny, and my life looks unbelievably different than it has for the past few years. It is humbling, it is exhausting, and it is also rewarding. I often feel hope, defeat, and loneliness in the timespan of an hour. One hour. When I have time to take for myself, I could easily retreat to process these things in the safety of my own home. I could find comfort within the small spaces of my own inner struggle. Or I could find fellow warriors who will be a support in this crazy transition. I could invite people into the process of grief, hope, and new rhythms. If I don’t do it now, then I may lose a lot of opportunities God has planned for me.

On my third day being a nanny, I was on the verge of a breakdown. My sweet little one ate something spicy and had a complete meltdown in the middle of the place we were eating. I made her plate, so it was clearly my fault. I was embarrassed, exhausted, and at the end of my rope. All I could think was, “Oh gosh, take me home.” After she calmed down a little, we began playing with toys, and she was recuperating from the meltdown, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t get myself out of the funk. I just wanted to escape home. In this exact moment, she curiously looks up at me and says, “Do you have a family?” Taken off guard, I replied yes. To which she said, “Can you tell me about them?”

The girl is three. She can’t know how this spoke to me. It was God saying, “Hey, it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling. It’s not okay to believe that you’re all alone.” The Spirit knows us in our grief, the Son knows us in our grief, and the Father knows us in our grief. Let’s allow God’s people to know us in our grief, too. We would experience fellowship in ways we’ve never known it. We will also experience disappointment, because people don’t know how to do this just like we don’t. No one is capable of carrying your grief, and we should never have the expectation that they can. Ruth didn’t carry Naomi; she just walked with her. Our lives would change if we humbly submitted to community. If we had the boldness to invite people to follow us into the grief.

The beautiful part about grief is that we share intimately with the suffering that Christ endured. He didn’t bypass the painful reality of sin and death, of loneliness and betrayal, but he took it on himself to feel deeply. He cried out to the Father in desperation. It’s my belief that when we grieve, we’re actually experiencing a deep union with Jesus that we can’t feel anywhere else. We get to know him and be known by him, and it’s a surreal thing when we can see a glimpse of that process in someone else. There’s a grace in patiently and quietly walking with someone in their process because we see God’s nature. It takes fearlessness and such trust to do this, and to prayerfully endure. It is so worth it when we get to see the Church walk in dependence first on God and second on one another. I hope the toil of our grief results in the fruit of our community.

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Chelsea Vaughn (@chelsea725) is currently living in Nashville but has spent time in Texas, Thailand, and Australia. Obviously travel is a passion, along with hours in the kitchen or across the table from good friends. She does freelance writing, editing, and speaking for various organizations and non-profits. She hopes to spend her life using her gift for communication to reach culture and communities with the love of Jesus.

Killing The Devil's Radio with the Gospel!

George Harrison of The Beatles was right when he referred to gossip as the “Devil’s Radio.” In an age of overabundance of information, it is easy to tune into the frequency of social media where news are often blown out of proportions. Perhaps, in no other generation like ours is discernment required to such a great degree. While the gospel calls us to confess our sins, gossip confesses other people’s sins. Gossip broadcasts people’s weaknesses and sins in a whisper while others tune into the frequency. But it is always wiser to put a hold on any given subject until we’ve gained a fuller picture. We are all transparent before the Holy Spirit who sees and knows all our thoughts. I am transparent to my wife and other elders who speak into my life biblically and truthfully.

Everything is naked and laid bare before God, to whom everyone must give an account (Heb. 4: 12, 13). I believe we are to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another as priests (Jas. 5:16).  I believe in the kind of transparency that Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (I Cor. 11:1).  But what is often passed off as Christian transparency is sometimes-

Faux-honesty so often used as an excuse for voicing various kinds of complaints, doubts, accusations, fleshly desires, and other kinds of evil thoughts.  This exhibitionistic “virtue” is often paired with a smug self-congratulatory sneer or a condescending dismissal of anyone who dares to suggest that propriety and spiritual maturity may sometimes require us not to give voice to every carnal thought or emotion—i.e., that sometimes discretion is better than transparency.

Sometimes discretion may be better than transparency precisely because it takes spiritual maturity to be entrusted with confidential information.  In some cases, you’re in the middle of a conversation with someone and the gossip had already started. What should you do in such a case?

1. Listen objectively without taking sides and hold back judgments.

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Prov. 18: 17).  Listen with sympathy about the person being talked about, knowing that the person being talked about is not present to be able to defend himself/herself.  Don’t chime in or endorse!

In some cases, the person may come crying. When that happens, out of love for the person it is easy to believe everything the person says.  Sometimes, people cry not because they are innocent, but their burdens have become too heavy.  In such cases, tears can also be manipulative.

Think about when Esau returned from his hunt, he wept bitterly.  Esau was the victim of his own foolishness. He sold his birthright eagerly for a morsel of food to his brother, and when the blessing was given to Jacob (the swindler), he blamed it all on Jacob with tears—without admitting his own foolishness.  We are all skilled self-swindlers.  Besides it’s easy to feel sorry for the one who’s crying rather than the dry-eyed one–because when people cry, they can look like they’re the victim.  We must listen well with compassion, without being prejudiced in our discernment.

2. Gossip can destroy respect for the person being talked about.

It is wise to refrain from arriving at conclusions based on what you heard about the person. Gossip is second, third, or fourth hand information and when a morsel of truth is passed on, truth gets distorted and is diluted.

Even an element of truth becomes disproportionate and mixed up with personal opinions and judgments on the person’s character and reputation (sometimes this is done by well-meaning people).

For example: Person A may really respect person B, and because person A eagerly believed what he heard about person C say of person B, now person A has lost his trust and respect for person B (which may actually be partial truth but poisonous nonetheless).

Nothing may be as poisonous and destructive as gossip is in a community.

The Apostle James says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers” (4:10-11).  The word “speak against” is not necessarily a false report.  It can mean just an “against-report.”  The intent may be to belittle a person or be contemptuous.  It can mean to disdain, mock, or rejoice in purported evil.  These are subtler yet sinful forms of speaking against a person created in God’s image. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18: 21ff).  So we can either speak life or destroy a person with gossip.

3. Realize that chronic gossip is in itself a deep character problem.

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The tongue, James says “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (3: 8).  Proverbs says that those who gossip are untrustworthy: “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much” (Prov. 20:19).  In Asian cultures, group conformity tends to encourage people to avoid confrontations to the extreme, whereas in Western culture, individualism tends to  lead people to err on the opposite side of over confrontations (Mat. 18:10-15).  “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered” (Prov. 11: 13).  Those who gossip to you will gossip about you because they are not “trustworthy in spirit.”  In any case, prayerfully discern when to avoid the gossiper next time, or gently confront the sin (recognizing the ugliness of your own sin and the grace you have received) (Gal. 6: 1-2).

4. Pour water (not more fuel) to the fire.  

In other words, refuse to become a channel of gossip and walk in love (Eph. 5: 2).  Leviticus 19:16 says, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.  I am the LORD.”  Gossip is smearing a person’s character.  Gossip may involve details that are not confirmed as true.  It endangers a person’s credibility and can bring your neighbor’s reputation to ruins.  It is the opposite of the commandment to love your neighbor—who bear God’s image.  Even if the report being said about the person ends up being true, be hesitant to become a carrier of bad news.  Remember how instead of piling up all your bad records, Jesus has cancelled them on the cross (Col. 2:14).

Seek prayerfully for clarification; ask God, before you ask others, what to do with the bad report.  Proverbs 16:28 tells us how destructive gossip can become in relationships: “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”  Fight the urge to add more fuel to stir up “conflict” that separates close friends.  Satan is the master of division!

Someone once said that gossip is giving others some strife instead of peace.  It always brings more strife than peace! Gossip pours fuel on the conflict setting the entire community on fire.  It poisons relationships and multiplies misunderstandings.  Gossip never has positive outcomes!  Besides, there is a lot of truth that need not be passed around by people who are recipients of God’s lavish grace.

Gossip is always on the erring side because gossip is confessing other people’s sin without giving them the chance to repent.

Gossip is a like a terrible drug and very addictive.  For many, it is impossible to live without passing on bad news about someone, some churches or ministries because gossip has become a chronic illness.  Hence, gossip becomes an idol—something you can’t live with—something that gives you a false sense of superiority and self-righteousness over others.

The solution is not to simply try and control the tongue, because to be free from gossip an axe must be laid at the root of gossip.  “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness” (Jas. 3: 6).  Therefore, the root problem of gossip is in the heart: “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk. 6: 45).  Pray and give room and time for grace, repentance, healing and restoration to take place in a relationship that has been torn by gossip.

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” –Proverbs. 26: 20

With the passage of time, as the gospel takes root in the heart whisperers repent, and if no “whisperer” passes on gossip, quarrels and strife will cease.  John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”  Instead of kindling the fire of gossip, it must be killed.

While moralism flails at the branches, the gospel cuts to the roots of gossip.

Ultimately, Jesus was slandered on our behalf.  The Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by Beelzebul (the prince of demons) yet he was the purest of all (Matt. 12: 24).  All the accusations hurled at him were wrong.  Yet he endured them all on the cross for our sake.  He was accused of demon possession when he did not even know sin in purity.  Each one of us deserves to be put in His place, but we received what we did not deserve because of Him.

Even his most noble motives were challenged, yet in weakness he conquered the power of Satan, sin, and death. Jesus came not to condemn but to save sinners—which is the opposite of speaking against a brother or sister and hurting or destroying their reputation. In Christ, God offers us a clean heart, a new heart, with which we can honor our neighbors truthfully, and give praises to our God.

Do you struggle with gossip?  

1. There is nothing in our sinful nature that has not already been covered by the blood of Jesus, so confess your sins instead of other people’s sins.
2. Preach to your heart and say, “I am worse than what people think I am, but Jesus loves me more than I can ever imagine.  He already covered me with His own righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, I am free to discern the evidence of God’s grace in others instead of lending wood to the fire of gossip.”

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Joey Zorina is a church planter in an artistic neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan.  He writes articles, essays and devotionals for Living Life, and blogs occasionally @regeneration).  He asks that you please pray for them and the Japanese.  You can connect with him at https://twitter.com/JoeyZorina

Prayer is the Most You Can Do

One of the things that have always captivated me about the life of Jesus is his constant communion with the Father. In one instance, Luke writes: “When Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples came and said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” (11: 1). Jesus chose a certain place to pray, but it was not the marketplace. He had a habitual communion with the Father. If Jesus (who knew no sin) needed to pray “in a certain place,” away from the distractions around him, how much more do fragile and weak people in modern societies, with all of its distractions, need to pray?

Prayer wasn’t a religious to-do checklist for Jesus.  For him prayer was like breathing. This was not an isolated event.  Elsewhere Matthew 14: 13 tells us: “[Jesus] withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” And Mark 1:35 says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Or Matthew 14: 23, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone.”

Again Luke 6:12 says that, “He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”  Prayer is communion with the Father.  Jesus lived a prayer-saturated life during his ministry on earth.  So when the disciples saw him having communion with the Father in this way, they approached him.

Lord, teach us to pray

Looking up to the Lord as a much better (or more qualified) teacher than John the Baptist, they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.”  The disciples had seen John teaching his own disciples to pray, and they had seen Jesus praying to his Father earnestly.

Therefore, when they saw the communion that Jesus had with the Father through prayer they wanted that more than anything else.  Ironically, they did not ask, “Lord, teach us to preach, teach us to lead, teach us to disciple and do ministry” although they did all of these things later.

Their ministry would flow out of their relationship with the Father in prayer.  And so the first thing Jesus taught was this: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name” (Lk. 11: 2).  We call God “Our Father” by His Spirit because of Jesus who went to the cross.  And so Jesus taught his disciples big God-sized global prayers. He taught them to pray for the hallowing of God’s name. And he taught them Kingdom-centered prayer (“Your Kingdom come”).

But why aren’t many of us confident in prayer? In Matthew 7: 9-11, Jesus awakens the disciples and us with a simple logic, when he said,

“Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Idols prevent us from praying

Sadly, many of us do not feel the need to pray until disaster strikes in our countries or homes; or unless  cancer, physical debilitation, or great destruction shatters our pride to our great need of God.  More often than not, it’s our idols that prevent us from praying earnestly, because idols distract us from the more important things— like prayer.

The greatest barriers to living prayerful lives are not always bad things, but good things.

Bad things tend to make us pray, but not good things because bad things are not our most darling idols– good things are.  And these good things are blessings from God that we look to in order to give us comfort, security, safety, convenience and ease.  We can pull off all our organizations with managerial skills because we are a pragmatic people.  But prayer is spiritual so we find it to be the hardest thing to do.

Prayer, as simple as it sounds, is not simple for the vast majority of Christians when it comes to actually doing it, because everyone struggles to pray.  Sometimes, we don’t know how unspiritual we are until we start to pray.  I sometimes struggle to have prolonged periods of tarrying in prayer unless there’s a desperate need.

By God’s grace, I try to make it a habit to pray silently while in the train, workplace and leisure.  And though early morning prayers are often a struggle, the time I enjoy it most is at dawn.  Nothing is as revolutionary in the Christian life than to become a person of prayer.  But unless we put in prayer times as part of our daily schedule in our calendar, it will become harder for us to pray.

A common widespread misconception

In times of trouble, I’ve often heard people say: “The least we can do is pray.” I have probably said it too. But as a pastor once said: prayer is not the least we can do, but the most we can do.  What does prayer do?  Prayer tears down our self-reliance, and increases our reliance and confidence on God.  As Martin Luther (the reformer) said:

“None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience.  It is a great matter when in extreme need to take hold on prayer.”

And he went on to say,

“I know, whenever I have prayed earnestly, that I have been amply heard, and have obtained more than I prayed for.  God indeed sometimes delayed, but at last He came.”

Grace frees us from legalistic praying

Again, we pray not to become a righteous person, but because we are already declared righteous by God in Christ (2 Cor. 5: 21). We pray not because we have to, but because we want to. Resisting legalistic praying comes from an overflow of our confidence in Christ.  God’s grace frees us from legalistic praying. Grace frees us to come boldly before the Father and confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5: 16).  God’s grace frees us to pray for the hallowing of God’s name, as opposed to Pharisaical public praying that seeks to be seen by men (Matt. 6: 5).  We pray fervently not to become accepted by God, but because we are already accepted by him in Christ.  We pray not to feel better about ourselves and look down on others who don’t pray, but we pray so that we can lift up others who are in need, with love and humility.

Furthermore, we pray because we’re desperately in need of God’s intervention.  In Luke 9: 40  a father who had a boy with an unclean spirit approached Jesus with a great sense of helplessness.  He said, “I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” The disciples were not able to do anything with this particular case and neither could us.  Later on in Mark 9: 28-29 the disciples asked Jesus in private why they couldn’t cast it out, and he replied: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” 

The point is this: we are helpless and powerless over the kind of work that God is calling us to do.  We’re constantly in the middle of warfare (Eph.6).   So even in our disciple making, no matter how many hours we spend with people, we cannot aid the work of the Spirit in a person’s life without prayer.  This is why: in all that we do, praying is the most we can do.

The purpose of earnest prayer

I Peter 4: 11 says, “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything (i.e., in all our speaking, disciple-making and serving) God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

The purpose of prayer is that we may repent from self-reliance and be prevented from saying, “We did it with our strength; we were clever and bright.” Or, “We had the credentials and the educational qualifications.”  Or that, “We were smart and gifted” or that, “We had the money and power backing us up.” Or that, “We had cleverly devised ideas borrowed from the corporate world.”  Or that, "We had the latest strategies on how to grow church.”

We might never confess it out loud, but our attitudes and actions can betray us and reveal where our ultimate confidence really lies.  The ultimate purpose of prayer is that we may serve, speak, sing, teach and lead with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God alone may be glorified.

As Jonathan Edwards said, “There is no way that Christians, in a private capacity, can do so much to promote the work of God and advance the kingdom of Christ as by prayer.” God’s purpose for us is that we get the joy of seeing him at work in the world through all of our work and prayers, and that He alone gets the glory.

God’s means of recruiting and moving workers for active service

Jesus said in Matt. 9: 37, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”  Japanese, for instance, are the 2nd largest unreached people group.  And Jesus' solution for recruiting workers is verse 38, which says, “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Jesus is sovereign! He is the Lord of the harvest.  There is a massive need for workers and our responsibility is to pray earnestly to God to send out laborers.

There is still a need for more workers, and so great is the harvest of souls around us that no single church, no single denomination, no single organization or a small network of Christian workers can accomplish the task.  There is a need for unity for a citywide, nation-wide Gospel-centered movement in Tokyo, Japan and the world.

Prayer is a God-ordained means for birthing that kind of unity and movement.

Moreover, we must also feel desperate in our prayers because there are desperate needs all around us. Desperate situation requires desperate measures and prayer is God’s means for us to feel desperate before him.  But when we pray we also rejoice with confidence knowing that Jesus is Lord of the harvest.  He’s the Great Farmer!  It is his harvest field.  The unreached peoples belong to him, and he is patient.  As we look around us, and the state of our times, prayer is essential more than ever.  With a great burden, Jonathan Edwards wrote in his day:

“The state of the times extremely requires a fullness of the divine Spirit in ministers, and we ought to give ourselves no rest till we have obtained it. And in order to [do] this, I should think ministers, above all persons, ought to be much in secret prayer and fasting, and also much in praying and fasting one with another. It seems to me it would be becoming the circumstances of the present day, if ministers in a neighborhood would often meet together and spend days in fasting and fervent prayer among themselves, earnestly seeking for those extraordinary supplies of divine grace from heaven, that we need at this day.” – Jonathan Edwards

All of us may not go to cross-cultural missions, though I hope many or most of us would. All of us may not be preachers, but all of us can pray “for extraordinary supplies of divine grace.”  We have been given the privilege to pray.  We’re told in James 5: 16, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  As a people who have been declared righteous in Christ our prayers have “great power as it is working.”  How comforting it is to know that some of the most effective prayers were prayers prayed by men with nature like ours, and God answered with incomparable power.

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not train, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (vv 17, 18).

The goal of my prayer is that God be glorified in sending many into his harvest field among the unreached people groups.  Would you join us in praying for the mission fields to bear much Gospel fruit?

—

Joey Zorina is a church planter in an artistic neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan.  He writes articles, essays and devotionals for Living Life, and blogs occasionally @outsidecampers and @regeneration).  He asks that you please pray for them and the Japanese.  You can connect with him at https://twitter.com/JoeyZorina

Salvation: Past, Present, & Future

It is well said by many in the church that the Christian is not who he’s supposed to be, but by God’s grace he is not who he used to be. This well worn saying strikes at a truth we all know intellectually and experientially but get discouraged by in the aftermath of sin: sanctification doesn’t happen overnight. It is painful and progressive. By way of example, I think of my friend, we’ll call him George. George used to be dominated by alcoholism, but now by the empowering of the Spirit he has been sober for several years. In the earlier years of his struggle, however, this was not the case. He might go two weeks without a drink only to go on a weekend binder. He’d repent, muster up his strength, and get back on the wagon. Two months, maybe four, and he’d fall off again. While stuck inside this cycle it was easy for George to get discouraged. Didn’t Jesus die to save him from this mess? He hated alcohol, but like a dog returning to its vomit he kept returning to it (Prov. 26:11). That’s where fellow sojourners on this journey toward glorification had to meet with him and remind him of the truths that would get clouded by his sin. If he were to fall off again tomorrow, Jesus’ grace would still be there to help reorient him towards the fixed goal.

One step forward, two steps back. Such is the awkward dance of sanctification. But we do not dance alone. Jesus is our masterful dance instructor, never missing a beat, but always extending a hand to pull us back to our feet when we trip ourselves up.

God has Saved Us

Many people write the date they accepted Christ in the front cover of their Bible. It is a helpful reminder, an ebenezer to the day God first introduced himself to you. Yet, we risk misplacing our faith in a particular date in time instead of a particular person who entered time and took on flesh (Jn. 1:14). While from our human perspective it is helpful to remember the day we acquired a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, it is all too simplistic to think of that as the day we were saved.

Instead, salvation was purchased for us on a cross in Calvary some 2000 years ago. Long before our mothers had planned to birth us God had planned our second birth. Paul says, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). Jesus knew the names of those he was dying for even before they were born.

In eternity past, God decided it was good for him to make man in his own image (Gen. 1:26, 27). At the cross, he chose to ransom some of every tribe, tongue, and nation and in the future he will bring many sons and daughters to glory. Our salvation, in one sense, was entirely determined in the past by the triune God.

God the Father had a plan and a purpose to accomplish our salvation the moment our first parents sinned in the Garden. As Adrian Rogers was fond of saying, “The Trinity never meets in emergency session.” This plan was then executed by the son who was obedient even to the point of death (Phil. 2:8). He, as the second Adam, succeeded in the desert in contrast to the first Adam who failed in the garden. It was the Holy Spirit who led the Son to the desert (Lk. 4:1) and now indwells all who trust in Christ. All of these events were sovereignly ordained prior to the birth of those of us alive today. When understood and contemplated they should overwhelm our hearts and bring us joy. We have been saved indeed. All that was done to accomplish this was determined in eternity past. And all of it accomplished by grace; we can do nothing to add to it. We can nod in agreement with the truth that “we are great sinners, but Jesus is a great savior.”

Yet, in another sense, our salvation has not been completed.

God Will Save Us

The death of Christ is not our only and ultimate hope, although it was necessary to purchase salvation for us. Paul says that we are hopeless without the resurrection of Christ and should be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). If the death of Christ was the payment for sin, his resurrection is the proof of purchase to take home the prize.We don’t worship a dead Savior, but a Savior that defeated death and promises that we will too if we place our faith in him.

So long as we toil in these earthly bodies we fix our gaze toward the renewed heaven and earth (2 Pet. 3:13) where even the presence of sin and death will be removed. Jesus’ earthly ministry (Rom. 5:10) and substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21) purchased for us nothing less than paradise. It purchased life for our dead souls at the cross and in the future will cast death itself into the grave.

At times Christians have been accused of being “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” This criticism is a sort of evidence that most of us understand (at least in part) the future hope of our salvation. Yet, something gets missed. Our hope is misplaced if it is in the paradise. Paradise isn’t important without the one who we are with in that paradise. Jesus promises the thief on the cross paradise in his presence (Lk. 23:43). Note this.

Perhaps you’ve heard the hymn “I Will Trade the Old Cross for the Crown.” While it may comfort us in our suffering, the song misses the gospel. One line talks of carrying a cross for the Savior, but no line about the cross he carried for us—a glaring omission. Furthermore, the hymn writer sets our hope on obtaining a crown in exchange for a cross. But in Revelation 4 the elders cast down their crowns at the feet of Jesus because of his worth and glory. We will receive crowns, no doubt, but we’ll return them to King Jesus.

When we think of our future salvation, we must cautiously direct our thoughts not to the crowns we will receive but to the King who is worthy of our worship. It is there, with him, that every tear will be wiped away and death will die (Rev. 21:4). We will cast our gaze on him and see him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). His righteousness will dwell there and that will be enough (2 Pet. 3:13). He will be more captivating than the paradise that merely provides the background for his glory. So God has saved you, he will save you, and he is saving you. Past. Future. And now we move to present.

God is Saving Us

We are a fickle people. As another hymn states, we’re “prone to wonder…[and] leave the God we love.” But God has redirected our hearts and minds via signposts to what we need most—himself. We draw encouragement from the actions of God in the past that secured for us salvation. We set our hope on a future day when we will see him face to face. But God is not distant and confined only to the past and the present. His grace is here for our taking now.

Paul writes,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2

Through Jesus we stand in grace. Yes, we stood in grace when he saved us in the past. Yes, we will stand in his grace in the future when he himself serves as the light of the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:23). But we are short changing ourselves if we relegate God only to the past and the future. Paul David Tripp, pastor and writer, says:

Many believers have a gap in the middle of their gospel. They understand salvation past—the forgiveness that they have in Christ; and salvation future—the eternity that they’ll spend with Christ. But they don’t understand the present benefits of the work of Christ in the here and now.

We have a mediator interceding for us at the throne of God at this very moment (Rom. 8:34). This should be cause for rejoicing. We have peace with God, not because we have put down the gauntlet, but because Jesus has absorbed our sin in his body on the tree. Because we have placed our faith in him, we can boldly approach the Father (Heb. 4:16). He is not mad at us; we don’t have to avoid him. Do not neglect to plumb the depths of this great grace.

The prosperity gospel teaches us to demand earthly rewards in the here and now—rewards that Christ himself rejected in the desert (Lk. 4). We should reject this over-realized eschatology found in the prosperity gospel. We will enjoy physical blessings in the end, but as I stated that’s never the point. The point is a person. So as we daily struggle with sin and discouragement over our slow progress in sanctification, we should boldly claim the blessings we are promised now. In Jesus Christ, all of God’s promises are yes (2 Cor. 1:20). We can commune with God now in preparation for seeing him face to face. We have the Spirit of Christ within us. We have Jesus enthroned in the heavens interceding for us. We have everything we need to make it home. Rejoice in hope of the glory of our God!

—

Sean Nolan (B.S. and M.A., Summit University) is the Family Life Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fallston, MD. Prior to that he served at a church plant in Troy, NY for seven years and taught Hermeneutics to ninth and tenth graders. He is married to Hannah and is father to Knox and Hazel. He blogs at Hardcore Grace and the recently started Family Life Pastor.

Tasting What’s Good

When spring rolled around, color splashed on our front lawn. Snapdragons, impatience, and geraniums, all in their black plastic containers, were waiting to colonize our garden. My mother issued the invitation to join her in beautifying our lawn. But first, we had to pull the weeds. We kneeled down and dug into East Texas clay to pull up what threatened growth. Only then would our plants be safe. Only then would their beauty last. We are created to bloom in holiness and love. But to do so, we have to kneel down and pull the weeds.

Pulling Evil

Saint Peter puts it this way, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Pt 2:1). To “put away” means disrobe or change clothes. He’s telling Christians to take off malice like a dirty garment and throw it to the ground. But what is malice? In verse 16, the same word is translated “evil.” We rarely think of ourselves as possessing evil. It’s usually something “out there,” like ISIS or serial killers, but as David Brooks notes, the moral realist is humble enough to acknowledge inner evil. In the words of philosopher Immanuel Kant, we’re all made from “crooked timber.”

If we are to straighten out, if we’re to bloom in holiness and love, we have to admit our evil. But it’s not enough to admit inner evil; we have to see the evil and come face to face with it, before we can pull it out. One weed we rarely consider is envy. Envy opposes love by hoping for others downfall, instead of desiring their best. Envy seeks personal advance over the joy of others. Instead of being happy for someone’s new home or car, we silently discredit them, telling ourselves that we deserve a bigger house or nicer car.

Envy isn’t restricted to materialism; it trespasses all territory. We envy good things. People who struggle to conceive may begin to despise other parents instead of taking joy in their children. Singles without a spouse may grate against the joy of married couples instead of taking pleasure in it. And married couples can envy the freedom of singles.

Envy gets tinier. It desires, not the house, but the ability to decorate the house. Not the car, but the features of the car. Not the children, but judges how poorly or how well the children behave, while secretly praising or condemning the self. Not the married or single but their companionship or freedom. Envy destroys community by creating invisible walls of distrust, hatred, and meanness.

Don’t Struggle with Sin

What are we to do? Pull the weeds! Peter says that we must get them out! All of them. All malice, all envy, and all slander. “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Pt. 2:11). He tightens the language. It’s not enough to put evil off; we must abstain from it. Abstain means to create distance by getting away. Modern Christians aren’t known for putting distance between themselves and sin. We use the language of “struggles,” so it’s popular to say, “I’m really struggling X” (drinking too much, lusting, or envying), but what that often means is “I’m putting this sin on, I’m close to it, and I really kind of like it. I know I shouldn’t, so I’m going to confess that I’m struggling with sin.” Peter says, “Run, your passions are waging war against your soul!”

Recently, a drug deal went down close to my kids’ school. A shot was fired. An armed criminal fled to the school campus. Two things happened: The school went into immediate lock down and a couple courageous men tackled the perpetrator. When evil comes knocking, we don’t “struggle” with evil. We fight or we flee! It’s not enough to admit evil, or even see evil; we have to flee evil. As John Owen famously said, “Be killing sin, lest it be killing you.” This is not an exaggeration. Think about how envy plays out. Envy leads to debt, divorce, divided relationships, and distance from Christ. For the love of God, pull the weeds.

Babies or Engines?

That’s the dirty work, but growing together also includes lovely work: absorbing what makes us grow. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (2:2-3). In order to grow into our new selves, we have to long. The word is hyper-desire. In true religion, desires are not evil and God is not a killjoy. He insists on our joy by insisting our desires go in the right direction.

Babies long for milk and engines run on gas, but the modern dilemma is that we don’t know the baby from the engine. We don’t know what to run on. So we try a little of everything: career, friends, diets, exercise, breweries, books, films, music, but it all comes up short. In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Anna is a person with all the wealth, all the comforts, all the power she could ever dream. She’s even enjoyed an illicit affair but confesses: “I don’t know myself; I only know my appetites.”

Do we only know our appetites? What are we running on? Social connection, productivity, fun? A text, a tweet, a status—compelled by envy we scramble to stay up with a culture that is in overdrive. Where should our desires turn? We have to know who we are—a newborn infant, a new creation, born again to a living hope through the resurrection—only then can we direct our appetites to a place of satisfaction.

When Peter says we’re like babies, he’s not speaking down to us. He’s trying to show us that we live by craving milk. Pure spiritual milk grows us. Pure means a hundred proof. What’s in it? Spiritual milk. Now this word “spiritual” is a little tricky. It’s not the typical word for spiritual (used later). In fact, the word has more in common with reason. It’s the word logikos, from which we get logos or logic. So how do we grow? Well it depends how we read this word.

Some will say, the way we grow is to think better, to have the right beliefs, and to read our Bible. They take a more rational approach. Others say, no it’s more mystical than that, which may be why its translated spiritual. What we need to grow is an experience in prayer, worship, and blessing. And so we’ve got the Bible people and the Prayer people, the rational and the spiritual. The people who take theology classes and the people who join the prayer team. So who’s right?

Tasting What’s Good

Neither or both, kinda. It’s not the person who reads or the person who prays, but the person who tastes. Peter says, “Long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (2:2-3). The spiritual milk that causes us to grow requires tasting the goodness of the Lord. How can we taste the milk of God’s presence? Consider three things.

1. Tasting takes time

First, we have to take time. When I used to wash windows with my grandfather in the summers, we would take a break and have lunch together. Famished, I would inhale my food. Poppa would say to me, “Johnny, did you taste it?” He knew something I didn’t. He knew how to taste, how to linger, how to enjoy, not just God’s gifts but God’s presence. We can read the Bible and miss his presence; we can pray and not taste his goodness. Are we tasting or just reading or just praying? Tasting takes time and meditation. “On your law I meditate day and night” (Ps. 1:2). How do we do it? We take a piece of truth and mull it over, sit with it, chew on it, and converse with God about it. Ask him for understanding: what it means, how to experience it, how it applies (rejoice, repent, obey), and for desire and ability to respond. This takes time, but not a ton of it. We have to chew slowly and, when we do, we taste the goodness of the Lord.

2. Ask for Hunger

Second, we have to be hungry. If we’re not hungry, we have to figure out why. Hunger begins by taking the position of a baby—crying out (not assuming) for God to satisfy us. “Satisfy me in the morning with your lovingkindness, O Lord” (Ps. 90:14). Ask for hunger. We may need to confess misdirected appetites, which have dulled us to the goodness of God. On Monday, I woke up and checked my phone. I saw a message that sent my heart and mind reeling. I stood in the shower and worked it over and over. And when I sat down to commune with God, it was very hard to meditate, to taste him because I was hungry for something else, resolution. I’ve resolved to not make checking my phone my first act of devotion.

3. Find Silence

Third, we have to find a place of silence. German theologian Josef Pieper said, “Only the one who is silent can hear.” To taste God, we have to turn off all other appetites. Tune out the things that clamor for our attention: phones, screens, sleep, work, play. We have to find a place of silence—in a corner, outside, by the bed, early/late, on a walk, wherever we can be still and know he is God.

A hundred proof spiritual milk comes, not through Bible study (rational), not through prayer (mystical), but when they overlap and we taste the goodness of the Lord (personal). Are we cultivating a garden where people pull the weeds and taste what’s good? If we do, we’ll blossom in holiness and love. Let’s pull the weeds, taste what’s good, and bend towards the light.

—

Jonathan K. Dodson (MDiv; ThM) serves as a pastor of City Life Church in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Unbelievable Gospel, and Raised? He has discipled men and women abroad and at home for almost two decades, taking great delight in communicating the gospel and seeing Christ formed in others. Twitter: @Jonathan_Dodson

Evangelization Through Repentance

“I almost lost my witness.” These words, said—often in jest—by a former (very southern) seminary professor of mine, often echo in my head when my driving affirms the stereotypes about native New Yorkers and their driving habits. It doesn’t make my overreactions to the bad driving of others right, but it often makes me thankful that I’ve never given in to the pressure to broadcast my faith with a “Jesus fish” on my bumper. Whether you’re an aggressive driver or not, I don’t have to be a prophet to know that everyone has sinned in a public setting. Does this then put us in danger of, as my seminary professor said “losing” our witness?

Dealing With Sin Is Part Of Sanctification

Dealing with sin is essential for following Jesus. We follow a perfect Savior who never sinned. We rightly want to be like him, but we follow imperfectly. And when we take our eyes off of him for even a moment, we return to the sin that we previously swore off. Proverbs “beautifully” compares us to dogs returning to our vomit when this happens (Prov. 26:11). Most every Christ-follower has exclaimed, “I thought I’d dealt with this sin!” when a familiar pattern of the flesh rears its ugly head after months without any significant incident. Such is the awkward and often frustrating dance of sanctification.

It is possible to teach old “dogs” new tricks and replace their diet of vomit with righteousness, but it is painfully slow and wrought with discouraging setbacks. John Owen wrote:

"The growth of trees and plants takes place so slowly that it is not easily seen. Daily we notice little change. But, in course of time, we see that a great change has taken place. So it is with grace. Sanctification is a progressive, lifelong work (Prov. 4:18). It is an amazing work of God's grace and it is a work to be prayed for (Rom 8:27)."[1]

No great oak tree sprouted overnight, it takes decades to grow to an impressive stature, and so it is with growing in Christ-likeness. We notice little growth when comparing yesterday to today, but when we look back on our life as a whole we notice a gradual trajectory growing toward Christ.

When we find ourselves in the aftermath of our own sin and are face to face with the victim of it (like my illustration of the traffic confrontation), we are at a crossroads: Will we harden our hearts and deny our sin? Will we rattle off excuses of why our sin was just under the circumstances? Or will we deal with it, admitting that we messed up and repent?

A Man After God’s Own Heart

Each of us could point back to examples in our own life where we admitted our sins, accepted God’s grace, and moved on grateful and in awe of his work in our life. Other times, we hardened our heart and moved away from God in pride and selfishness. I know this is true of everyone because the Bible is replete with examples of it and the nature of being a fallen being guarantees it. David’s life is a great case study.

The man after God’s own heart blew it when he acted on his sinful impulses to pursue Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). But God gave him opportunities to repent. The first came when God opened her womb to conceive. Rather than confess, David tried to cover up his sin (much like his father Adam did in the garden) by encouraging Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba to cover up their sin. When this backfired, David resorted to murder (death is never far away when we let sin run its course). But even after hardening his heart at both opportunities to bring his sin to light, God did not let him go. Instead he graciously used the clever prophet Nathan (2 Sam. 12) to expose the sin and bring David to repentance. The drama of this event is better than the best of day time soaps and gives us keen insight into the human heart and the depth of our fall.

It’s in David’s repentance that we see the scandal as he cries out for forgiveness

“Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.” (Psalm 51:13, 14)

We tend to think the best way to witness to the transforming power of Christ is to project images of ourselves as sanitized saints free from the ugly taint of sin. But Psalm 51 gives us a glimpse into the evangelistic power of repentance. David’s prayer is essentially, “I’m dirty, everyone knows I’m a sinner, please cleanse me, and my sin will be the means for testifying to others about your righteousness.”

Notice, the righteousness he is pointing to is not his own. How could he possibly deceive himself into thinking he had any righteousness of his own? He had slept with another man’s wife and had Uriah’s blood on his hands! He needed to be cleansed of the blood and only God could “wash him white as snow” (Ps. 51:7). His method for testifying about the goodness of God was not to spin his life story to make him look flawless but to point to God’s grace in the midst of his sin. The gospel we proclaim is not that we will no longer sin once trusting Christ for salvation, but that God is good and forgives even the most wretched of human behavior. This is Good News for both the Christian sinner and all sinners. When the thin veneer of having-it-all-together cracks like a piece of cheap furniture we are presented with a short window to proclaim the goodness of the God who is not surprised by our sin and had a plan in eternity past to deal with it. David learned the invaluable lesson that our sin always finds us out (Num. 32:23). The wages of that sin is always death (Rom. 6:23). In David’s case, God spared his life, but not the life of the child (a small glimpse into the future where another child from David’s line would die on his behalf to pay for the totality of all human sin). Amazingly, David uses his sin as an opportunity to tell others about the God who forgives, and he does so not by minimizing or hiding his sin, but using it as a launching pad into the Good News of the God who cleanses us from it.

With Sin Comes Opportunity

Martin Luther famously started his 95 Theses with these words: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In other words, repentance isn’t a one-time event and it isn’t just for “new” believers. It should be the distinguishing mark of every disciple. Yet, so often we unintentionally function and speak as if all of our days of repenting are behind us. Out of a fear of “losing our witness” with those outside the Church we try to sweep our sin under the rug and present ourselves as those who “have it all together.” We come off as phony and insincere (dare I say hypocritical?). When we do this, in an ironic twist of providence it often backfires and has the opposite effect. Who could possibly be drawn to the Savior we represent when we represent him so poorly and give the impression we’ve committed no sin to be saved from?

A shift in thought is needed when we find ourselves in a confrontation with someone we’ve sinned against. Instead of trying to minimize our own sin and point out the sins of the other party we actually have an incredible opportunity to witness to the transforming power of the gospel in all its messy beauty. But this has the odor of death to it, as growing in Christ-likeness always does. But for the believer, with death comes resurrection.

The Good News

In the upside-down economy of the Kingdom of God we are offered eternal life in Christ (Jn. 3:36). But Jesus counter intuitively calls us to die in taking up our cross to follow him (Luke 9:23). How can these two seemingly contradictive offers be reconciled? The answer is found in the Christ of the resurrection.

Every time a Christ follower sins against someone outside the Church there is an opportunity to take up our cross and follow Christ. Will you try to sweep your sin under the rug like David and cause the other person, like Uriah, to bear the brunt of it? Or will you die to yourself and your desire to have a “clean” image? To think that the only sinless person who ever walked the earth didn’t answer his accusers but silently absorbed their scoffs and blows for the benefit of others leaves us with no excuse.

When the still small voice of the Holy Spirit prompts us to own up to our sin and repent of it we will experience a small sort of death: the death of the flesh (Rom. 8:13). This death, what the Puritans called “mortifying the flesh,” is the arduous path to growing more like Christ and in it he meets us there and resurrects us to life in him. Sin always requires death, either ours or someone else’s. Will we die to our pride, our selfish desire to defend and justify ourselves or accept his death on our behalf and clothe ourselves in his righteousness and life? Transparency about this painful process with those witnessing it (and sometimes falling victim to it) is one way of making and maturing disciples.

[1] The Holy Spirit, 108-109

— Sean Nolan (B.S. and M.A., Summit University) is the Family Life Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fallston, MD. Prior to that he served at Terra Nova Church in Troy, NY for seven years and taught Hermeneutics to ninth and tenth graders. He is married to Hannah and is about to be a father for the second time. He occasionally blogs at Hardcore Grace.

Following a Crucified Messiah

Lately my self-talk has been more subtle than usual, but no less harmful. During an ongoing season of being stretched in about every imaginable way, I’ve caught myself offhandedly thinking, “Don’t you wish you chose an easier path?” Or, “Why can’t you just have a normal, more comfortable life?” Undoubtedly, in these moments, I’m believing the lie that I can be a follower of Christ and a friend of the worldI want to experience all the benefits of salvation without the consequences of following Jesus. I want to follow Him and have a comfortable, convenient life. I start buying into the idea that my time is mine, my money is mine, my plans are mine, my family is mine, even my physical life is mine. But, when I stop and think about it, it’s actually quite ridiculous. As a Christian, I serve a crucified Messiah! To act as though this doesn’t have implications for my own life is simply foolish.

As a matter of fact, the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24 make it clear what following a crucified Messiah will demand—devotion unto death.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The literary context is key to understanding the full thrust of Jesus’ words. He says this to His disciples immediately after rebuking Peter for challenging His Messianic suffering (see Matt. 16:21-23). Surely Peter’s concern is not only for Jesus’ final destiny, but also for his own. You see, if Jesus were to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things and be killed (Matt. 16:21), it would have serious implications for anyone who identified with Him. Peter knows this and being influenced in some capacity by Satan (Matt. 16:23), attempts to prevent Jesus’ mission. Jesus, the condemned King on the road to His execution, rebukes Peter (Matt. 16:23) and goes on to make the disciples’ mission as explicit as His own (Matt. 16:24-28); His path would inevitably become theirs.

I SERVE A CRUCIFIED MESSIAH! TO ACT AS THOUGH THIS DOESN’T HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR MY OWN LIFE IS SIMPLY FOOLISH

Jesus is demanding nothing short of a willingness to die (literally!) for His sake. This is important to realize because language such as “cross bearing” and “self denial” is frequently used among Western Christians to mean they missed the latest episode of The Voice to go to community group or they had to do coffee with “that” person on their day off. But this isn’t what He had in mind. Jesus wasn’t only speaking about the demands on His disciples’ lives, He’s referring to the future of the disciples’ deaths.

If you think this seems a bit extreme, it’s helpful to finish reading the passage (see Matt. 16:24-28 for the full account). Jesus continues by providing three reasons, set off by the word “for” (Gk. gar), in verses 25-27 as to why His followers should give up their lives. This is why they (and disciples today!) should be willing to lose their lives.

Reason #1. To lose physical life for the sake of Jesus is to find the only true life, which transcends death. “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)

Reason #2. To save physical life and succeed in attaining everything the world has to offer is to ultimately lose eternal life. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

Reason #3. To lose physical life out of loyalty to Jesus is to gain eternal reward on the final Day of Judgment. “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” (Matt. 16:27)

What I find fascinating about Jesus’ words is that it isn’t a call to blind martyrdom. It’s a call to eternal life! Loss of life for the sake of mere self-denial is no gain. But, Jesus says, the life lost out of love for Him and loyalty to His mission is true life gained. Followers of Jesus must be willing to give all, even their very own lives, for the sake of Him and His eternal life.

And this isn’t bad news; it’s good news!

For those of us on this side of the cross, we know we’ve been saved through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of the crucified Messiah. We have a fuller picture of Jesus’ redemptive work than the disciples originally did at the moment of hearing these words. We understand that Jesus’ radical call to die is really an opportunity to live. We know there is a type of life that leads to death and a type of death that leads to life!

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS MUST BE WILLING TO GIVE ALL, EVEN THEIR VERY OWN LIVES, FOR THE SAKE OF HIM AND HIS ETERNAL LIFE

Needless to say, the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24 are incredibly convicting in light of my unbiblical self-talk. The temptation to ask, “Why can’t I just be a Christian and have a normal, more comfortable life?” doesn’t even make sense in view of Jesus’ words! When I say to myself, “Why can’t my path be easier? Perhaps I should have chosen option A instead of option B because it might have been a bit more comfortable,” I’m missing the entire point. Whether I chose path A or B in this lifetime isn’t of ultimate significance because thirteen years ago I chose to follow Christ.

Period.

I chose to follow a crucified Messiah knowing he demanded nothing short of my entire life. He demanded I be willing to die for Him. He demanded I be willing to be counted as a martyr for his sake. He demanded I be willing to lose this life so that I might gain eternal life. Therefore, every single decision I make while still breathing becomes subject to that first one.

WHETHER I CHOSE PATH A OR B IN THIS LIFETIME ISN’T OF ULTIMATE SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE THIRTEEN YEARS AGO I CHOSE TO FOLLOW CHRIST

Period.

I had to remind myself of that this week. I had to spend time considering the crucified Messiah and His cross-centered perspective. I had to meditate on the implications that following Him has for my life. I had to remember that if I’m truly willing to die for Jesus, how much more should I be willing to live for Him by sacrificing my personal comforts, cares, concerns, and choices for the sake of Him and His mission? As I preached the gospel to myself using the truths highlighted in Matthew 16:24-28, my unbiblical self-talk simply lost it’s power.

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Whitney Woollard has served in ministry alongside her husband Neal for over six years. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and just finished her Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary. She is passionate about equipping disciples to read and study God’s Word well resulting in maturing affections for Jesus and his gospel message. Neal and Whitney currently live in Portland, OR where they love serving the local church. Follow her on Twitter @whitneywoollard.

Used with permission. Originally posted at Self Talk the Gospel

3 Lessons on Holiness from John Owen

In the West, we’re increasingly appreciative of authenticity. Being yourself, regardless of your good or bad qualities, is applauded while pretending to be something else or acting disingenuous will invoke public shaming. Advertisers have picked up on this and use it to their advantage. One example is the Domino’s Pizza ads from a few years ago where they used negative reviews to their advantage to launch a massive rebranding campaign. The general public praised their humble acknowledgement of negative feedback. When it comes to the Church, I’m thankful the culture around us continues to challenge our authenticity (here’s to hoping the market for corny “Christian” product lines will dwindle to extinction). We should all be intolerant of insincere expressions of Christianity.I hope this environment, both inside and outside the Church, will contribute to a revival of what John Owen called “gospel holiness.”

1. Gospel Holiness Opposes Legal Holiness

What comes to mind when you hear the word “holiness”? Like most words, it’s picked up baggage: some good and some bad. To differentiate “gospel holiness” from the ordinary use of the word, J.I. Packer tells us:

“‘Gospel holiness’ is no doubt an unfamiliar phrase to some. It was Puritan shorthand for authentic Christian living, springing from love and gratitude to God, in contrast with the spurious ‘legal holiness’ that consisted merely of forms, routines and outward appearances, maintained from self-regarding motives.”[1]

Holiness, according to the Puritans, comes in two forms: “Gospel holiness” which springs from an inward devotion to God and the counterfeit “legal holiness” which is primarily an outward act. But to be sure, the difference is difficult to spot at a glance. Both result in similar actions but stem from entirely different motivations. The legal being attempts to look holy outwardly and the gospel is cultivated as an outward expression of the inward reality of our ever-increasing union with Christ. Or as John Owen puts it, “What, then, is holiness? Holiness is nothing but the implanting, writing and living out the gospel in our souls.”[2]

Jesus himself speaks of the difficulty in discerning the two when he mentions “that day” when many will not enter the kingdom of heaven despite prophesying, casting out demons, and doing many mighty works in his name. The reason they will not enter? Jesus “never knew them” (Matt. 7:21-23). This is sobering and should challenge us to examine our relationship with Jesus (after all, it’s the relationship that distinguishes the two). Are we living a life of “gospel holiness” where holy living is the result of dwelling on the good news we have in Christ? Or are we merely trying to convince others (and maybe even ourselves) of our superior spirituality?

2. Gospel Holiness Is A Result Of The Indwelling Holy Spirit

When Jesus told his disciples that he would give them his peace (Jn. 14:27), it was directly tied to the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit that dwells inside us and brings us peace is the same Holy Spirit that is working in us to sanctify us and make us more like Christ (Phil. 2:13). This transformation to be more like Christ by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit is what sanctification is and what the Puritans meant when they spoke of gospel holiness. Oddly enough the same John Owen who famously remarked on Romans 8:13 that we must be killing sin or it will be killing us, knew that the key to unlocking this verse is the place of the Holy Spirit in that battle. The same God that fought for Israel and put the Egyptians to death at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:14) fights for us (and through us) to put to death our crimson sins (again see Rom. 8:13).

The war cry of discipleship is to put to death our god-replacements (i.e., sin) with the true God. Legalistic attempts at holiness conflict with this because they put our effort front and center and leave God on the sidelines like a cosmic cheerleader cheering for our victory. Our flesh tempts us to make ourselves the heroes of the story by achieving holiness on our own accord, but the Holy Spirit inside us prompts us to rest in the victorious defeat of sin at the cross. By focusing on what Christ has done for us in the gospel and his gift of righteousness we are no longer enslaved to our own fickle attempts at holiness. While the gospel frees us from the pressure of having to be our own savior it denies us none of the benefits that rightfully belong to the victor. Christ absorbs all our sin at the cross and transfers all the recompense due for his perfection and glory to his imperfect bride: the Church.

Too often we slide into the error of believing holiness is achieved by aiming at a destination when it was actually achieved for us by a declaration (see 2 Cor. 5:21 for starters). Gospel holiness means resting in the identity Christ has procured for us and clinging to him amidst temptations to do otherwise. The world, the flesh, and the devil oppose gospel holiness, but Jesus (who overcame these three enemies) said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace (John 16:33)”. Owen sums it up nicely: “Sanctification is a fruit of that peace with God which he has made and prepared for us by Jesus Christ. . . . So God, as the author of our peace, is also the author of our holiness.”

3. Gospel Holiness Is Just One More Expression Of God’s Grace

Ed Marcelle[3] has often stated that if we see how big and ugly our sin is our need for the cross only increases. Put succinctly: only a big cross will pay for our big sins. God’s grace has achieved the payment for our sin in the death of Christ as our substitute. When the old nature creeps up and wants to do war with the new man—the man in Christ—the same grace that bought us at the cross can bring us back to the cross. The same gospel that saves us sanctifies us. Owen states: “The one who sanctifies us is God. As God gave us our beings, so he gives us our holiness. It is not by nature but by grace that we are made holy.”

There is the temptation to view the gospel as the starting point of Christian discipleship and look at sanctification as a process that happens subsequently and independent of it. But Owen’s insights into the Scriptures show us a different sanctifying grace. A gospel holiness which makes no distinction between saving grace and sanctifying grace. It’s all a gift of God, as he states: “Holiness, then, is a glorious work of the Holy Spirit.” Or as Paul put it before Owen:

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh (Gal. 3:2-2)?

[i] Packer, J.I., Knowing God, p. 249

[ii] This and all following John Owen quotes can be found at this helpful primer on Gospel holiness: http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/holyspirit_owen.html

[iii] Ed has also contributed to GCD and pastors Terra Nova Church in Troy, NY.

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Sean Nolan (B.S. and M.A., Summit University) is the Family Life Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fallston, MD. Prior to that he served at a church plant in Troy, NY for seven years and taught Hermeneutics to ninth and tenth graders. He is married to Hannah and is father to Knox and Hazel. He occasionally blogs at Hardcore Grace.

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Editor: In our Family History Series we are seeking to understand how Christians of the past have pursued making disciples. We want to connect the church’s current efforts to make, mature, and multiply disciples to its historical roots as well as encourage the church to learn from her rich past. So far in our series:

• 4 Simple Ways Fred Elliot Discipled His Children
• 4 Lessons from St. Patrick for Making Disciples the Irish Way
• 3 Counter-Cultural Lessons from Elisabeth Elliot
• 2 Principles for Living Free from J. R. R. Tolkien
• 4 Convictions for Boldness from John Knox
• 3 Essentials of Discipleship According to Herman Bavinck
• 4 Gifts to the Church from Mechthild of Magdeburg
• 3 Lessons from John L. Girardeau for Crossing Divides
• 4 Lessons for Making Disciples from Jan Hus

4 Lessons for Making Disciples from Jan Hus

Editor: In our Family History Series we are seeking to understand how Christians of the past have pursued making disciples. We want to connect the church’s current efforts to make, mature, and multiply disciples to its historical roots as well as encourage the church to learn from her rich past. So far in our series:

• 4 Simple Ways Fred Elliot Discipled His Children
• 4 Lessons from St. Patrick for Making Disciples the Irish Way
• 3 Counter-Cultural Lessons from Elisabeth Elliot
• 2 Principles for Living Free from J. R. R. Tolkien
• 4 Convictions for Boldness from John Knox
• 3 Essentials of Discipleship According to Herman Bavinck
• 4 Gifts to the Church from Mechthild of Magdeburg
• 3 Lessons from John L. Girardeau for Crossing Divides

—

Yesterday I meandered through Prague with my friend Nuno. Nuno used to be a student of my father’s in Lisbon, Portugal, and we now oddly find ourselves sharing a few days together in Prague, his adopted city. Prague is everything I thought it would be: craftsmanship in every detail of the city—the rails, the sewer caps, the windows, the roofs, the palaces, and the cathedrals. We walked through cramped cathedrals with thousands of others who could barely get enough space to take photos. We walked over the Charles Bridge, passed snake handlers, beggars, artists, and tourists rubbing statues for good luck and blessings. We escaped the crowds when we went to the cemetery of the Jews and the oldest standing synagogue in Europe. It was preserved, unlike the jewish people in Prague, during world War II because Hitler wanted it to be a museum or monument to the extinct race. On our walk, I learned the mixed history of this city. It was central in trading, the arts, and religion. Now it’s central in human sex trading, the arts, and atheism—the brand of atheism that refuses to even think about God.

Then we stepped into a nondescript building donated and built by a shopkeeper where the Bible was to be preached in Czech. I found this fact both inspiring and disappointing, what were all the other cathedrals for?

An old Czech woman walked us into the vast silent chapel where, 700 years ago commoners, business owners, nobleman, and university students pilled in by the thousands to hear the gospel in their language, many for the first time. They say it seats 3,000 people. Historians note it was normal for upwards of 5,000 to gather there. To the side of the pulpit where Jan Hus preached the gospel is a deep, ancient well. Literally. On the walls you can see slight remnants of hymns etched in stone where people sang the gospel in their language. The room itself was powerful. More powerful than the massive gothic cathedrals crammed with tourists, because of the significance of what happened in that space and in the souls of thousands hundreds of years ago.

My friend Nuno and I, who hope to give our lives to seeing everyone in our cities experience the deep well and life found in Christ, sat quietly meditating on the reality that we wouldn't be where we are in life without the ministry and discipleship of Jan Hus.

Jan Hus was a Czech priest and a professor at the Prague University which was established by Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor. Hus was given the privilege of being the preacher of the Chapel of Bethlehem where he was charged with delivering sermons in the language of the people. This is what Jan Hus did and the impact was astounding. It’s amazing how such a simple act can have massive global, historical implications and how at the time it was seen as a small charitable work of an entrepreneur.

As Hus preached the gospel, people responded. As he declared the gift and mercy of Christ, his convictions hardened against the system which kept people from receiving that. Jan Hus stood as a sign post in one of the Church’s major forks in the road. Would the church be given to the lives of everyday people? Would she include them or would she be kept exclusively for the ruling class? Hus, emboldened by the fruit of the gospel, knew instinctively that it should be given to the people. He worked to have the Bible and his works published into Czech and allowed every believer to take part in communion—to drink the cup and eat the bread for themselves.

Jan Hus came into the reformation movement after Wycliff and before Luther and Calvin. On my tour through his small apartment attached to the chapel, I saw a piece of art that depicted Wycliff lighting a spark with stones, Hus lighting a candle, and Luther carrying a torch. Hus stands firmly as a major player in our family history. Luther would say later that he was Hus’ “disciple” despite the time and place that separated them.

In the fall of 1414, Hus was called to attend the counsel of Constance and speak before the rulers of Europe and the Catholic Church about his beliefs and teachings. He was granted safe passage, but once he arrived and shared his beliefs they demanded he recant his teachings and his reformation ways. Hus was soon put into prison to await a trial. At the trial, he refused to recant unless they could prove his error through the Scriptures. In the summer of 1415, he was condemned a heretic and sentenced to death. He was burned publicly at the stake in the center of town and in the shadow of the cathedral. Dying, he sang hymns to God as worship before breathing his last as flames blew in his face.

Here are just four lessons on gospel-centered discipleship I learned from Jan Hus in the old city of Prague:

1. Unleash the Artists to worship God through their work in the Cities

“I entreat all artisans faithfully to follow their craft and take delight in it.”

This is so evident through out the city. The wealth that flowed through Prague and the vision of Charles IV attracted  hundreds of artists to build temples, bridges, theaters, clocks, statues, and palaces. Jan Hus continued to press the creative tradition and took it further. Ultimately God commissions the artisans to create beauty in the world, notnobility or bishops .

2. We want to be pastors for respect and admiration, but instead we lose our lives and it is sweet

“I was anxious to take the holy orders to have a life of comfort and the admiration of the people.” 

Hus’ desire to become a priest was rooted in his desire for comfort and respect. He saw the life of a priest accurately in that time. Instead of the life he envisioned, he found the gospel to be everything his heart desired. As a pastor, his life models mine. Honestly, my heart often seeks admiration from people through my vocation. I don’t simply just want to be liked but revered. Hus’ life and writing teach me to be honest about that while pursuing the greater calling which is to give your life away and find the deepest life possible in the gospel.

Hus stood in front of kings, emperors, and a pope knowing he could have their affection by recanting his beliefs. Yet, he sang hymns to God amidst flames in death. He found God to be more worthy of worship than himself. Then, he found God more worthy of worship than his peers.

3. The Gospel is For Everyone

During Hus’ lifetime, many church leaders were separating people into categories—who is important and who is not. For them, the church existed for the wealthy and powerful more than the people. The church played the role of power broker and power keeper more than a place for everyone to know the love of God and to love one-another.

This is our family history, too. We cozy up to the influential and use the uneducated, the burdened, the insignificant as collateral damage in kingdom building. Many times we are more like the Catholic church of 700 years ago than we would like to admit. We prefer to imagine ourselves and our family history beginning with Jan Hus; however, all of it is our history. And some of it ought to be a caution to us as we build kingdoms, seek the influential, and disregard the un-cool. This problem isn’t new—Jesus critiqued the Pharisees, Paul fought Jewish leaders to include Gentiles, and James rebuked the church for keeping special seats for the “important.”

Jan Hus teaches us that the gospel is for everyone and for every aspect of life. The gospel is grace, mercy, and faith—not power, money, and control.

4. Proclaim and Die for the the Gospel alone 

“I hope, by God's grace, that I am truly a Christian, not deviating from the faith, and that I would rather suffer the penalty of a terrible death than wish to affirm anything outside of the faith or transgress the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I love how Hus describes his reasons for persevering to death. He would not let go of what he knew and believed to be central to his faith. He died for refusing to give up anything central. He didn’t die for the fringe, he didn’t stir up conflict, and he didn't try to start a revolution.

He was fixated on making the gospel clear, understood, and experiential. He wouldn’t recant that. He couldn’t stop preaching the gospel. Because to stop proclaiming the gospel andto stop inviting people to the communion table would make his life in Christ void.

The gospel of free salvation and mercy in Jesus was controversial and it still is. As we make disciples this has to be our focus, too. We have to put all our efforts into making the gospel central and clear.  As we make disciples in community and in our cities, we need to create a space for the gospel itself to be controversial. Step into conflicts about those things that without you would not be a Christian.

Conclusion

We are in the midst of many conflicts, disagreements, and issues in our culture. I pray that we are fighting with the gospel in mind and for the gospel. I pray our hope in talking about sexuality is rooted in the gift of God’s love in Jesus. I pray that our discussions about racial reconciliation are directly sourced in the reconciliation of God to man in Christ. I pray that our motivations in government are founded on God’s love for all men and women. Above all, I pray that we are motivated and empowered by the Spirit of God to make the gospel plain and clear to everyone around us.

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Brad Watson (@bradawatson) serves as a pastor of Bread&Wine Communities where he develops and teaches leaders how to form communities that love God and serve the city. Brad is the author of Raised?, Called Together: A Guide to Forming Missional Communities, and Sent Together: How the Gospel Sends Leaders to Start Missional Communities. He lives in southeast Portland with his wife and their two daughters. You can read more from Brad at www.bradawatson.com.

Fulfilling the Law of Christ Through Biblical Counseling

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:2 (HCSB)

The mental health community recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. As a biblical counselor and former police officer who responded frequently to calls for service involving human tragedy (i.e., suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, etc.), I’m reminded of the urgent need for spiritual hope in our communities and of the church’s role in providing the hope that so many desperately need.

Over the course of my law enforcement career, followed now by several years of pastoral and counseling ministry, I have grown increasingly convinced of the power of the gospel to not only save us in eternity, but to redeem us in this lifetime, including our disordered thoughts and troubled emotions.

When we acknowledge this, we are not denying the role of appropriate medical care—to be human is to possess both a body and a soul. Neither are we making outlandish declarations about the cure of organic mental illness through prayer and the reading of Scripture alone. But to deny the gospel’s power to restore the mind is to suggest that for most of human history, that is, until the advent of psychoanalysis and psychotropic drugs, that we were without any tangible hope for the restoration of our minds or the alleviation of emotional suffering.

A History of Care

“Counseling belongs in and to the church of God.”

This mantra of the greater biblical counseling movement raises eyebrows in an age that dismisses the authority and sufficiency of Scripture while uncritically assuming the efficacy of secular mental health care. This phenomenon exists despite serious questions about secular treatment methodologies based on research outcomes that cannot always be reproduced and counseling theories that do not otherwise align with Scripture.[1]

Through the effective use of media and its dominance in academic and medical arenas, secular psychology has a firm grip on societal mental health structures. Accordingly, mainline and evangelical churches have too often surrendered control of counseling to those who adhere to theories established by Freud, Jung, Rogers, Skinner, et al. The result is that today’s most common approaches to counseling reflect a societal shift away from a biblical worldview while embracing a medical model of mental health care that more often than not establishes a pathology for nearly every problematic behavior and emotion.

Dr. David Powlison observed that following the Civil War, “Professional jurisdiction over Americans’ problems in living gradually passed form the religious pastorate to various medical and quasi-medical professions: psychiatry, neurology, social work, and clinical psychology. . . .  Psychiatry and psychotherapy displaced the cure of souls.”[2] While the debate concerning the church’s ongoing embrace of biblically questionable counseling theories continues, what is clear from Scripture and church history is the church’s responsibility to provide biblically faithful, clinically-informed counsel in the context of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20).

A Biblical Foundation for the Care of Souls

Galatians 6:2 is one important verse that urges the church to re-engage in the counseling task. Paul instructs the church, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” To understand this verse and apply it properly, we need to consider what “burdens” Paul had in mind. Were these burdens primarily physical (i.e. food, shelter, and clothing), or more holistic? Further, we need to consider what Paul meant by the “law of Christ,” because for Paul, its fulfillment was the desired outcome.

Although a few scholars find that 6:2 is independent of 6:1 because of the absence of a connecting article in the Greek text (as happens at 6:3), Paul’s point does not arise in a vacuum. Restoring a “brother” who has fallen into some type of “wrongdoing” is accomplished in part when burdens are shared. How then do we practically observe this passage? For many people, a season of intentional and systematic counseling of God’s word is central to their discipleship.[3]

It was in this context that Paul called upon the church to “bear one another’s burdens” and in so doing “fulfill the law of Christ”—a law that, according to Paul, transcends the law of Moses (3:2-3). To this point, Bruce wrote, “The ‘law of Christ’ is for Paul the whole tradition of Jesus’ ethical teaching, confirmed by His character and conduct and reproduced within His people by the power of the Spirit.”[4]

This law of Christ was nothing less than the command of Jesus for believers to love one another and their neighborsas they love themselves (Jn. 13:34; Matt. 22:39).

With the call to love one’s neighbor in view, the command to “carry one another’s burdens” takes on clearer meaning and may be applied more holistically to the whole man. Carrying one another’s burdens certainly includes meeting physical needs, but it does not end there. The spiritual and emotional concerns of those who suffer fall within the scope of Paul’s intent and may be properly addressed through biblical counsel.

Rapa agrees in his commentary on 6:2 that sin is, at a minimum, included in Paul’s admonition. He wrote, “Joining together to restore one who has sinned or to prevent others from being ‘caught in a sin’ in the first place is a way that believers may ‘serve one another in love’ (5:13; cf. Ro 15:1-3).”[5] Moo, on the other hand, takes an expanded view of “burdens” in 6:2 to include “all those problems that afflict our brothers and sisters”(emphasis added).[6] In light of Christ’s command to love, Moo’s interpretation should be preferred.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe and by it sinners and sufferers experience transformation rather than conformity to the patterns of the world (Rom. 1:16; 12:2). Paul understands, however, that people live in the context of a world marred by sin and

‘[‘ therefore will go on experiencing the varied effects of the fall, both physical and non-physical (Gen. 3). For this reason he calls upon his audience to fulfill the law of Christ by carrying one another’s burdens in whatever form they may come (i.e. sin and suffering).

Tim Lane and Paul Tripp wrote,

“Kind people look for ways to do good. Patient and faithful people don’t run away when people mess up. Loving people serve even when sinned against. Gentle people help a struggler bear his burden. Galatians 5 and 6 are filled with hope.”[7]

As with Moo, Lane and Tripp see Christ-like love as the source of hope in 6:2 along with a call to enter into the suffering of others across the full spectrum of human struggle. This is the essence of biblical soul care and why the church must re-consider its obligation to provide intentional forms of counsel.

The Stakes Are High

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2013 there were approximately 43.8 million adults aged eighteen and over in the United States with some form of diagnosable mental illness.[8] That statistic excludes children, which would only serve to increase the extraordinary figure.

While the definition of what constitutes “mental illness” is not a settled debate, that people struggle with a multitude of problematic behaviors and emotions that help fuel significant societal concerns is evident even if the source of those troubles are also debated (i.e. biological or spiritual). Whatever the cause of one person’s mental, behavioral, or emotional trouble, the gospel is everyone’s preeminent need and those needs are often properly addressed through a word-based counseling ministry.

With significant numbers of those diagnosed or diagnosable being found within the church at large, the issue of mental health and mental illness is one that affects the mission of making disciples. This ought to communicate to the church an area of immediate gospel-need and missional opportunity, yet many people, both inside and outside of the church, perceive the church to be less than responsive. This communicates to some a casual indifference to emotional suffering or even an unbelief in the sufficiency of the word of God to actually transform the mind (Rom. 12:2). The church can and must do better.

Paul’s command to bear one another’s burdens is founded upon the law of Christ, which calls us to love one another. As we’ve seen in our survey of Gal. 6:2 and the surrounding verses, the burdens Paul demands we carry run deep and the law of Christ that calls us to love our neighbor is necessarily wide.

The church has historically responded well to the physical suffering of others through such things as food pantries, clothing closets, and soup kitchens. The past one-hundred years or so have not been equally distinguished by soul care through counseling. With the advent of quality training programs available at both the academic and lay levels, inadequate preparation is no longer an reasonable excuse to ignore this critical ministry concern.

Whether that counsel is provided for through a lay ministry, pastoral position, or some other arrangement such as a para-church ministry is a separate matter for the local church to decide. My hope is to persuade Christians that counseling ministry is not an something the church should outsource to the state, rather it fits squarely within the command of Paul in Galatians 6:2 to fulfill the law of Christ by carrying the burdens of one another, whether physical or spiritual-emotional.

The church must recall that if it does not love people with the gospel in this way, that the secular world waits with a “gospel” of its own—and its “gospel” cannot save. Paul states this more positively in Rom. 15:14, where he writes, “I am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.”

[1] A.D.P. Efferson, “How Many Laws Are Based On Psychology's Bad Science?,” The Federalist, September 8, 2015, accessed September 14, 2015, http://thefederalist.com/2015/09/08/how-many-laws-are-based-on-psychologys-bad-science/.

[2] David Powlison, The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2010), 22.

[3] John Strelan, “Burden-Bearing and the Law of Christ: A Re-Examination of Galatians 6,” Journal of Biblical Literature 94, no. 2 (June 1975): 266, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost.

[4] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians (The New International Greek Testament Commentary), Reprint ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2013), 261.

[5] Robert Rapa, ed., Romans - Galatians (The Expositor's Bible Commentary), Revised ed., ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 634.

[6] Douglas J. Moo, Galatians (Baker Exegetical Commentary On the New Testament) (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 376.

[7] Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp, How People Change, 2nd ed. (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2008), 214.

[8] “Any Mental Illness (AMI) Among Adults,” National Institute of Mental Health, accessed September 6, 2015, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-mental-illness-ami-among-adults.shtml.

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Josh Waulk is the Founder and Executive Director of Baylight Counseling, a nonprofit biblical counseling ministry in Clearwater, Florida. He is married with four children, three of whom are adopted. Josh earned the MABC and is now pursuing the D.Min. in biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is ACBC certified.

3 Essentials of Discipleship According to Herman Bavinck

Editor: In our Family History Series we are seeking to understand how Christians of the past have pursued making disciples. We want to connect the church’s current efforts to make, mature, and multiply disciples to its historical roots as well as encourage the church to learn from her rich past. So far in our series:

• 4 Simple Ways Fred Elliot Discipled His Children
• 4 Lessons from St. Patrick for Making Disciples the Irish Way
• 3 Counter-Cultural Lessons from Elisabeth Elliot
• 2 Principles for Living Free from J. R. R. Tolkien
• 4 Convictions for Boldness from John Knox

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You probably haven't read much, if anything, by Herman Bavinck. I hadn't either, but after hearing what impact he had on some ministers that I deeply respected, I decided to take the plunge and purchase his seminal masterpiece, Reformed Dogmatics, a four-volume, 3000-page collection that was translated into English only seven years ago. As I finish reading through the last of the four volumes, I now treasure Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics as an essential piece of my library. I have gleaned a wealth of learning from Bavinck and I know I'll return to these again and again throughout my ministry. Even if you are familiar with Bavinck's work, many are tempted to view him as only a systematician, doctrinal explanation without application. My aim is to not merely draw your attention to a man worthy of it, but also to show that we can learn much from Bavinck in terms of how we apply these critical teachings in our lives as we pursue a historically rooted discipleship.

The Preface of Discipleship: God's Revelation

Our quest for discovering the depths of discipleship through Herman Bavinck's eyes starts with a focus on God's revelation. Oftentimes, especially in systematic treatments of theology, revelation is placed at the forefront, serving as a sort of apologetic. After all, if God can or does not reveal himself generally and specially, what argument is there for him? This point certainly should be emphasized, especially for the unbeliever. Yet, in our approach to thinking about God's general and special revelation, we face the temptation of limiting its importance to only the unbeliever. We feel like revelation must be talked about only for the sake of those who need to be convinced of its reality, and it is often treated in such a way that Bible-believing Christians are exempted from the discussion. But "general revelation," Bavinck observes, "has meaning not only for the pagan world but also in and for the Christian religion."¹

The primary Greek word for disciple is mathetes, which means "a learner." If we can reduce the concept of God's revelation to knowing, we can reduce the concept of Christian discipleship to learning. Bavinck connects the task of discipleship with the function of revelation here:

"Now special revelation has recognized and valued general revelation, has even taken it over and, as it were, assimilated it. And this is also what the Christian does, as do the theologians. They position themselves in the Christian faith, in special revelation, and from there look out upon nature and history. And now they discover there as well the traces of the God whom they learned to know in Christ as their father."²

Discipleship starts with revelation, because it is in that moment that we are "equipped with the spectacles of Scripture" and thus "see God in everything and everything in God." Revelation does not only help the Christian "feel at home in the world," but also gives Christians "a firm foundation on which they can meet all non-Christians."³ Revelation is critical to our foundation as disciples of Christ.

One last word from Bavinck on how discipleship finds its origins in revelation:

“The purpose of revelation is not Christ; Christ is the center and the means; the purpose is that God will again dwell in his creatures and reveal his glory in the cosmos...In a sense this, too, is an incarnation of God.”⁴

While Christ is the ultimate instrument of revelation, the highest purpose of revelation itself is that God may be glorified by dwelling with his people. As we will see, once the revelation of God captivates the heart of the believer, not only can the journey of discipleship begin, but also the horizon of its purpose will come more plainly into view.

The Purpose of Discipleship: Union With Christ

If you went to one hundred Bible-believing, evangelical Christians and asked them to define "discipleship," you'd likely get one hundred unique answers. Because of its broad scope, everyone's definition may look and sound slightly different. As we examined earlier, discipleship at its core is learning. Here's my imperfect stab at a more broad, yet succinct definition: Discipleship is a faithful striving towards the heart of God and the love of man. This idea is summed up well by Luther's famous charge, "Love God and do what you will." Ephesians 4:1-6 is a perennial passage for determining what discipleship looks like. Paul's words in these verses can be rightly narrowed to two: love and unity. Paul is not only helping us to understand the importance of love and unity in the body, but ultimately, love and unity to Christ. This is the entire purpose, the entire hinge on which the door of discipleship opens or closes.

Maybe your proof-text of a lifestyle of discipleship is summed up as "walking in the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). Maybe it's becoming "a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). Maybe it's Galatians 2:20, or Ephesians 2:5, or 1 John 4:13, or another. What Bavinck would argue is that all of these verses, among others, have one similar aim or goal: union with Christ. In a section called Becoming Spiritual Persons, Bavinck proves his point from a slew of verses, all of which ironically written by Paul:

"The new life is the life of the Spirit but just as much the life of Christ in us (Rom. 6:8, 23; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:4; Phil. 1:21). Believers have been crucified, have died, been buried and raised, set at God's right hand, and glorified with Christ (Rom. 6:4ff.; Gal. 2:20; 6:14; Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12, 20; 3:3; etc.). They have put on Christ, have been formed in his likeness, reveal in their bodies the suffering as well as the life of Christ, and are perfected in him. In a word, "Christ is all and in all" (Rom. 13:14; 2 Cor. 13:11; Gal. 4:19; Col. 1:24; 2:10; 3:11), and they are "one spirit with him" (1 Cor. 6:17). In Christ, by the Spirit, God himself dwells in them (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19)."⁵

Bavinck's understanding of Pauline theology is that at the heart of every hint of discipleship is a motivation to be united with Christ. If God is going to accomplish his highest purposes of revelation, dwelling in his creatures and revealing his glory, we must set before ourselves in our journey of discipleship this sole intention of union with Christ.

If union with Christ is a fundamental of discipleship, it cannot be something we achieve by our own volition. "Union with Christ is not the result of human decision, striving, seeking, yielding, or surrendering, but of Christ's."⁶ This is what Paul meant in Ephesians 2:20 when he calls believers "[God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We do not walk alone. We do not earn his love through measuring up. His grace has perfectly covered our transgressions, and because we belong to the true vine, we are therefore branches who produce fruit.

Not only this, but being united with Christ means the Spirit is empowering and enabling us for His glory. "The spirit . . . poured out in the church is not only a Spirit of adoption, who assures believers of their status as children, but also the Spirit of renewal and sanctification."⁷ Oftentimes our view of discipleship is strictly limited to what we do and how we do it. When we think about the journey, all that often comes to mind is our Bible reading habits, our prayer life, our evangelism opportunities . . . all of these are discipleship, but discipleship is more than all these things. Bavinck places a great deal of emphasis on the work of the Triune God in our lives, taking us beyond what we do and onto what God is doing. Dead men cannot raise themselves, but united to the resurrected Jesus, he has no problem restoring what's broken. Unloving attitudes become Spirit-enabled love (1 Cor. 13). Formless groans become Spirit-articulated thoughts (Rom. 8:26-27). Remarkably, after the end of his letter to the church at Thessalonica, after Paul gives them plenty of practical tips and charges for how to grow in sanctification (5:12-22), he says in the following verse, "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely" (5:23). Paul and Bavinck both recognize the ultimate purpose of discipleship is not only being united to Christ, but letting him move in and through us.

The Process of Discipleship: Ordinary Obedience

So we've got some principles for discipleship in our pockets now, but how do we actually implement this stuff in our lives? Discipleship is often seen as a tiered system, where those who courageously live in bold, radical situations for the gospel are elevated above simple professions of faith. John Bolt fabulously labors to explore this idea deeper in his new book, Bavinck on the Christian Life: Following Jesus in Faithful Service. Bolt discusses Bavinck's disapproval of this celebration of only striving for or trying to live out acts of "radical discipleship." The most radical thing we can do, according to Bavinck, is being faithfully obedient to God with ordinary simplicity. This is true "radical discipleship," and arguably, more extreme and "heroic" than a life spent selling all possessions, taking vows of silence, and so forth. Bavinck elaborates in The Certainty of Faith:

"Nowadays we are out to convert the whole world, to conquer all areas of life for Christ. But we often neglect to ask whether we ourselves are truly converted and whether we belong to Christ in life and in death. For this is indeed what life boils down to. We may not banish this question from our personal or church life under the label of pietism or methodism. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, even for Christian principles, if he loses his own soul?"⁹

If the summary of discipleship is to learn, we have been commissioned by Christ to go and make learners. But in what way will such people learn? Are we going to win souls to the gospel with scientific defenses of God alone? Do we win people with personal and character attacks, or endless banter back-and-forth on social media? Discipleship is first and foremost ordinary obedience. Making disciples, then, is letting others see the ordinary obedience of Jesus in our lives, and showing them how the same can be true of them. Some may think this is an oversimplification; but in a culture warring as hard as ever at Christianity "dying to self and taking up our cross" is becoming a practice less and less about heroism and more about holding fast to him in the small and insignificant. Even Jesus's exceptional acts of death and resurrection are truthfully simple, unflashy acts of obedience to the Father. More from Bavinck:

"All work which man undertakes in order to subdue the earth, whether agriculture, stock breeding, commerce, industry, science, or the rest, is all the fulfillment of a single Divine calling. But if man is really to be and remain such he must proceed in dependence on and in obedience to the Word of God. Religion must be the principle which animates the whole of life and which sanctifies it into a service of God."¹⁰

Bavinck makes discipleship simple: By God's revelation, we become true disciples by being united to Christ and thus equipped by the Spirit for the extraordinary life of ordinary obedience.This Dutch Reformed theologian may not be a marquee name (yet) among evangelicals, but if you want to learn the essentials of the Christian life, look no further.

¹ Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2003. I.320.

² ibid. I.321

³ ibid.

⁴ ibid. I.380

⁵ ibid. IV.89

⁶ Horton, Michael. "Union With Christ." Accessed September 23, 2015, at http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/questions/horton/union.html

⁷ Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2003. IV.251.

⁸ Bolt, John. Bavinck on the Christian Life: Following Jesus in Faithful Service. Crossway, Wheaton, 2015. 44-47.

⁹ Bavinck, Herman. The Certainty of Faith. Paideia Press, Ontario, 1980. 94.

¹⁰ Bavinck, Herman. The Origin, Essence, and Purpose of Man. Accessed September 23 at http://www.the-highway.com/origin_Bavinck.html

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Zach Barnhart (@zachbarnhart) currently serves as a church planting intern with Fellowship Church in Knoxville, Tennessee and is pursuing pastoral ministry. He is a college graduate from Middle Tennessee State University and lives in Knoxville with his wife, Hannah. He is a blogger, contributor to For The Church and Servants of Grace, and manages a devotional/podcast at Cultivated.

5 Ingredients for Spiritual Meal-Making

My mom is a great cook who would make three delicious meals a day for my brothers and me. I wish I could say I inherited my mom's love for cooking, but I never did. She tried and tried to teach me how to cook, but I never wanted to learn. Now my wife is away for a few weeks and I'm counting down the days until the lasagna she made and so lovingly stored in the freezer is gone. As this terrible deadline approaches, I have several options: 1) I can starve; 2) I can eat out; 3) I can ask for handouts; or 4) I can cook for myself. I don't want to give up food for the next three weeks even though I could potentially fast for some of that time. I don't have the money to eat out daily and although I do have several friends who are going to invite me over for meals, begging for food just doesn't seem like the grown-up option. The last option is the hardest one, but that one has the most benefits. If I learn to cook while my wife is away, imagine how I could surprise and bless her when she returns. I could make her a date-night meal and maybe cook one-night a week. I could even invite friends over and be the one to prepare the meal. The benefits of learning to cook for myself are pretty much endless.

Why Do It Yourself?

I don't know many pastors who are good at cooking, at least, in the literal sense. However, I do know many pastors and teachers who are great at cooking spiritually-filling meals. They can prepare a great Bible lesson or sermon that provides you something to meditate on for the week. They're so good in fact, and you get such great nutritional value from what they're teaching, that you're a bit wary of your own cooking. Why study the Bible for yourself when your pastor can do it so much better?As a pastor, I'm here to encourage you that nothing brings me more joy than seeing people learn to “cook spiritually” for themselves then nourish others. In other words, I love it when you learn to love and know God for yourself through the Bible and when you share that love with those around you.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 ESV)

The book of Hebrews is written to early Christians who aren't maturing in their faith as they should. All they want is to be fed and not even with food that meets their spiritual need. The author of Hebrews has a double challenge for them: hunger for spiritual food and become cooks ("teachers" v. 12). Notice that those who are mature and feeding on solid Christian teaching are themselves responsible to duplicate the task. They should be "trained" so that they can understand what is "good."

Spiritually filling food is for those who have "powers of discernment" and are "trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (v. 14). Christians need to get involved in the cooking process. We are to take ownership for what we're learning. Other passages also encourage believers to prepare themselves to receive real food (1 Cor. 3:2) and to desire good food to grow strong (1 Pt. 2:1-3). So not only should we desire good teaching, we need it to mature, and we should desire to share what we are learning with others.

Ingredients for Spiritual Meal-Making

What are some practical ways we can learn to cook?

1. Study the Bible individually and in a small group; 2. Use outside resources to double check your recipe (i.e., use reference tools and commentaries like your pastor does); 3. Pray and meditate on what you're learning; 4. Take what you're learning to your pastor and teachers so they can help you; and 5. Finally, share what God has taught you with friends, family members, and fellow pilgrims.

This doesn't mean we should stop learning from pastors, teachers, and others, but we should become less dependent on them even though we value and honor their teachings. We come under their authority but not passively. A strong faith produces active discipleship. We don't desert the church for our own personal devotion, but we realize both personal and corporate learning together make the most nutritionally healthy Christians. Good shepherds should always feed their flock, but the goal is not to just eat another good meal, but to feed the starving and teach the full how to cook.

While my wife was away I went to the store, purchased chicken thighs, and spent around 45 minutes baking them when they probably should have only taken around 20-25 minutes. I couldn't get the chicken to cook like I wanted and when I did eat them, I was very much suspicious that I was poisoning myself. I don't enjoy cooking but I'm willing to try again. I want to help my wife and grow as a person. You're first time cooking “a spiritual meal” will probably go something like mine. Nobody ever learned to cook the first time they tried. Try again and see how you grow in Christ and mature as a follower of Jesus. The best cooks all started by making one meal.

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Jonathan Romig (M.Div., Gordon-Conwell, 2013) is the Associate Pastor of Immanuel Church in Chelmsford MA (CCCC) and the Church Planting Pastor of Cornerstone Congregational Church in the neighboring town of Westford MA. He has taught New City Catechism as a year-long adult Sunday school class and recently self-published his first e-book, How To Give A Christian Wedding Toast.

The Life of the Mind for Knowing God

I have some formal education but not as much as others. I don’t have a PhD. I’m not a professor. I’m entertained by mindless T.V. shows and video games on my iPhone. If asked to do a math problem I freeze, blackout, then vomit. However, I’ve recently become aware of how much the Bible actually pushes the importance of serious biblical study. “Yeah,” you may say, “I know we are all supposed to read the Bible as Christians.” However, I think I mean something stronger than that. I mean something closer to “almost all we should be doing is growing theologically because our devotion to the Bible shows how much we believe it really is God’s Word.” Yikes! That is a pretty strong statement. So let’s see if it is true. Let’s see what the Bible itself has to say about how much we should study.

High-level Bible Study

The Bible is not ambiguous about the fact that Christians are to be serious studiers.

We are told to love God with all of our “mind” (Mk. 12:29). We are commanded to “Destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). We are told to meditate on God’s law “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). We are told to discuss it with our children when we walk and when we rise and when we sit and at all times of the day (Deut. 11:9). We are told to question everything, especially teaching and “prophesies” (1 Thess. 5:21). We are called to supplement our faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge (2 Pt. 1:5).

And that’s not all . . .

The king of Israel was to copy God’s entire law by hand and read it every day of his life (Deut. 17:18). The sole academic requirement for elders is that they are “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2). God’s people perish due to their lack of theological knowledge (Hos. 4:6). We are commanded almost forty times in Proverbs to seek, not just “wisdom,” but “knowledge.” Paul rebukes those who have a zeal (i.e. passion) for God but not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2).

And this is just a tiny fraction of all the times we are told to know God’s word, to seek knowledge, and to study, study, study!

Church Leaders Yesterday

We also see a pattern regarding the importance of education in church history. All the major players in church history seem to be very highly educated either formally or informally:

• Jerome translated the entire Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.
• Augustine was a Rhetoric professor in Milan before his conversion and had a broad education in the humanities.
• Gregory the Great said, regarding the education of ministers, “No one claims to be able to teach an art until first having learned it through careful study. With what incredible boldness then do the unlearned and unskillful stand ready to assume pastoral authority, forgetting that the care of souls is the art of arts! For it is clear that the ills of the mind are more hidden than the ills of the bowels. And yet quite often those who have no knowledge whatever of spiritual principles dare to declare themselves physicians of the heart, while those who do not know of the use of drugs would never dare to call themselves physicians of the flesh!”
• Martin Luther had a doctorate in Theology and translated the entire Bible into German by himself while locked up in a castle struggling with spiritual attack. Luther thought that the biblical languages were so important that he said he would be willing to go to school with the devil to learn them. He also encouraged people to study until they “had taught the devil to death and had become more learned than God himself and all his saints.”
• John Calvin studied at both the University of Paris and at Orleans and wrote one of the most popular Protestant Systematic Theology textbooks ever.
• Ulrich Zwingli, in addition to having a strong formal education, had all of Paul’s letters memorized in Greek.
• George Whitfield and John Wesley both studied theology at Oxford.
• Jonathan Edwards graduated from Yale at 17 and then became the president of Princeton. His dissertation was delivered, of course, in Latin. He sometimes studied 14 hours a day and is considered to be the greatest mind to ever come out of America.
• Even those like Charles Spurgeon, who didn’t have a lot of formal degrees, were highly educated . . . Spurgeon tutored Greek at Cambridge.

Evangelicalism Today

Great church leaders in the modern era are the same way. Some of the most influential, godly, Christian leaders are also the most knowledgeable:

• John Piper has a PhD from the University of Munich.
• Wayne Grudem has a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a Master’s degree from Westminster (which broke off of Princeton Seminary), and a PhD from Cambridge.
• N. T. Wright has 5 degrees from Oxford, including two doctorates.
• Alister McGrath has 5 degrees from Oxford, including two doctorates.
• D. A. Carson, in addition to having a PhD from Cambridge, reads 500 books a year. Think about that… there are only 365 days in a year!

But what about the Apostles? Weren’t they uneducated?

Despite the overwhelming pattern above, some will object and say, “The Apostles were a bunch of uneducated fisherman and God seemed to use them despite their lack of training.” However, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, some were highly educated (like Paul who wrote a lot of the New Testament). Second, these other men spent three years personally walking with Jesus! What better education is there to knowing God then living with the God-Man for 3 years?! Also, the Apostles knew Aramaic (and some knew Greek and possibly Hebrew) which are more biblical languages than most pastors know. They didn’t need to study the background or culture of the Bible because they lived in it. They had also seen the risen Jesus, been commissioned by him to be Apostles, and had been empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. That is a far cry from anyone’s meager education today. In a sense we could say they had more theological training than anyone else, not less. Ministerial training is not about a lot of knowledge but about the right knowledge.

Discouraged Yet?

The above facts don’t make me want to be a Christian—they make me want to give up. If the above information is true then I feel like God will never use me. I’ll never attain the level of these guys. I don’t have a PhD. I don’t debate scholars in Latin. And I’ve never translated the entire Bible into a new language.

However, my purpose is not to tell you that you have to be a scholar but merely to correct a trend in our evangelical culture which seeks to make Christians a people of the heart without also being a people of the head. This shouldn’t make you feel as though you have to become an ivory tower monk. It should, however, encourage you just to take “baby steps” and to devote yourself to studying God’s word. Part of loving God more is to know more about him.

Jonathan Edwards described knowledge about God like firewood and passion for God like fire. A fire with no firewood just produces a big flash but no lasting heat. Firewood without fire doesn’t do much good either. But if there is a fire the more firewood you add to the pile the brighter and hotter it will burn. Theology is the ceiling to your worship – by knowing more about God your capacity to love him grows.

God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. So the power is not in education in and of itself. But it is the education that allows one to better unlock the treasures of God’s Word. That is why these men are great and that is what the Bible itself tells us to seek.

Reconnecting Head and Heart

We have a tendency to vilify academics and act as though study is somehow unspiritual. We also have a tendency to feel as though serious Bible study is only for the “experts.” However, God wants all his people to be serious Bible students. So how can we take some “baby steps” and what are some practical things we can do to grow? Perhaps this means participating in some of these activities:

• Asking seminary professors or pastors what books they recommend so you don’t waste your time on poor books.
• Auditing a class at a local seminary.
• Listening to seminary lectures on iTunes U.
• Just devoting yourself to reading for fifteen minutes a day.
• Asking more questions from people who know a lot about theology.

It’s not about reading a lot of books. It’s about reading the right books and to know what books those are you have to ask the guys who know. The easiest thing you can do to start is just to read the Bible a little every day. You won’t understand everything at first, but the more familiar you become with the Bible the more it will make sense over time.

It is easy to accidentally separate “head” from “heart.” We do it all the time. We either try to merely know facts about God (and not love him) or we just try to love him and conjure up emotion (and don’t correctly think about whom we are loving). However, it doesn’t have to be this way. The Christian is called to love God with our whole heart and our whole mind. It is not so much a “scale” or “spectrum” (which would mean that loving God moved one away from knowledge and having knowledge moved one away from love). Rather, these are two separate categories in which one should seek to grow. If one finds that they love God but don’t know much about him they shouldn’t try to love him less as if that will make them know more. Conversely, if one finds that they know about God more than they love him they should not study less as if being dumber will somehow make them love God more. Rather they should just seek to grow where they are weak whether that be head or heart.

The goal is not degrees but knowing God. Or, as church historian Justo Gonzalez says, “The goal of theological studies is not a degree or diploma. Their final goal is the contemplation of the face of God in the final reign of peace and justice.”

—

Zach Lee is Associate Home Groups Minister at The Village Church and is married to Katy.  Follow him on Twitter: @zacharytlee.

How Rebellion Leads to Rest

Our hearts often flee to fear in seasons of waiting. We care more about the comfort of control than we do the uncertainty of steadfastness. Faith becomes doubt in the seasons where we feel like the rain is pouring too heavy and the ground beneath us may sink in. The natural reaction, as fallen human beings, is to then plant our own foundation that seems more stable than the soggy mess we stand in. So, we look down and become a little more confident after we see that we have built ourselves a little ground of our own. It’s like we prefer a false sense of security more than a genuine sense of dependence. Our hearts yearn for stability; only Truth helps them comprehend why.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” –Romans 1:17

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” –Romans 1:20

Believe it or not, college students, pregnant mothers, and retirees aren’t the first to endure uncertainty. Scripture is an entire story of people waiting for a holy God to reveal himself. If we were truly created in his image, then we cannot flee him. Even in the garden, he saw Adam and Eve in their nakedness. Yet they still ran from him in shame.

Uncertainty is a reality, and the fear that comes with it is okay. It scares us to have no control, but sin creeps in by how we respond to that fear. Rebellion is sinfully choosing to take control and build that faulty foundation ourselves. Submitting our fear under the authority of God is sanctification. It is the humble response of remembering and resting in his unwavering character.

Rebellion

The Israelites responded similarly in the wilderness, as they doubted their call to God’s Promised Land. I follow this pattern when I flee from him in fear that he will forsake me. I feel my feet sinking in the soggy grounds, and I choose to look down to gain my footing. In this act of “gaining control,” I take my eyes off of Jesus and struggle with greater uncertainty. My rebellion is not reckless defiance, but rather a doubtful and disbelieving heart. My doubt defies the promise of God’s faithfulness.Even more, my fits of fear reject the Source of Life and beckon a hardened heart.

Remember

We will never fully understand God’s ways, and we can’t attain the map to his will for our lives. I choose rebellion when I strive for control, and all I gain is a hardened heart. I will never gain assurance from self-made stability. The Holy Spirit is our assurance, and our faith is an investment in God’s promises.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. –Hebrew 11:1-3

Our uncertainty should lead towards a deeper dependence on the faithfulness of God. It should lead our hearts to cry out for his Holy Spirit to guide us. God’s word declares his eternal faithfulness and our eternal hope. I wouldn’t fear the pouring rain if I remembered this Truth. I would stand on the soggy grounds with a lifted face looking to the sky for the glimmer of sunshine that I know is coming. A person who can stand in the rain trusts God’s eternal power and divine nature.

Rest

The grounds need rain in order to grow, just like we need uncertainty to test our faith. It is said that (in time) joy replaces mourning, and I think that (in time) rest replaces uncertainty. God promises that he has gone before us. Jesus said that he has prepared a place for his bride in the Kingdom. This eternal security should certainly have a profound impact on our present faith.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. –1 John 5:4

The beauty of dependence is that we can’t will ourselves to respond in faith. Confident faith is a consequence of eyes that are looking towards Jesus, and a heart calling out for his provision. Prayer connects our heart to the heart of God where we have access to rest and peace, even in uncertainty. We may not understand what God is doing, but we rest in his holy presence. Prayerful dependence has revealed God’s faithfulness more than any bible study ever has. Train your eyes to look to Jesus in the unstable times of life, and trust that he will steady the ground under your feet.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. – Psalm 34:4

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, ⁹ where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. ¹⁰ Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ ¹¹ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. ¹⁵ As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” – Hebrews 3:8-15

—

Chelsea Vaughn has served a ministry she helped start in the DFW Metroplex since she graduated from college. She received her undergraduate degree at Dallas Baptist University in Communication Theory. She does freelance writing, editing, and speaking for various organizations and non-profits. She hopes to spend her life using her gift for communication to reach culture and communities with the love of Jesus.

Curving My Affections Toward God

My mouth dropped and my eyes filled with tears as the surgeon lifted my daughter’s spine x-ray up to the light box. As a former chiropractic assistant, I had seen my share of spine films twisting and coiling from scoliosis; I had no idea one day the film I saw would be my own eleven year old daughter’s. Four months earlier, a checkup as part of a school transfer had revealed that Sarah’s thoracic spine was beginning to curve into her right shoulder blade. Now, the x-ray showed that instead of stabilizing, the curve had nearly doubled in size. At her age, with the trajectory of progress her condition seemed to be on, it was no longer a question of if my daughter needed surgery, but what kind she should have, and how quickly she should have it.

Scoliosis is rarely fatal in and of itself, but left uncontrolled, an excessively curving spine can make everyday activities painful, give women difficulty during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, and restrict heart and lung function—not to mention the psychological trauma of disfigurement so distinctive that in earlier centuries it was associated with demon possession (and still is today in some countries). The surgical “gold standard” for progressing scoliosis in adolescents is spinal fusion, a complex surgery which sandwiches the spine between rods, and screws threaded through them, into the vertebrae. Fusion is usually corrective, but it renders parts of the spine permanently immobile, inhibits growth, and can stress the non-fused portion of the spine, causing pain, arthritis and the need for more surgeries later in life. Sarah would need to spend the formative years of junior high and high school in a shoulder to hip brace, which would hopefully squeeze her spine into submission until she was nearly done growing. Then she would have the fusion surgery and spend months recovering. It was a daunting, discouraging prospect. There had to be a different approach.

Common Grace and Scoliosis

Through the common grace of the Internet, we discovered a brand new type of spine surgery that leverages rapid adolescent growth to correct scoliosis curves. Similar in approach to orthodontic braces with teeth, vertebral body tethering involves inserting screws on the outside of a spinal curve, and a heavy polyethylene cable threaded through the heads of the screws, which are then tightened to straighten the spine part way. As an adolescent child continues to grow, the tension on the cord causes the spine to continue to straighten, often completely. With no fusion to restrict movement or inhibit growth unnecessarily, kids who receive this type of surgery are able to enjoy sports and all kinds of physical activity with no restrictions. With freedom of motion and growth maintained, and little to no risk of complications associated with fusion, kids are able to grow, play any sport, and generally return to just being growing kids.

One month of insurance drama, round the clock emailing and phone calling, and an eventual plane flight across the country later, I again looked at an x-ray of my daughter’s spine with eyes filled with tears, this time from inexpressible thankfulness as she slept nearby in a hospital bed. In less than five hours, the chief of surgery at Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia had done the tethering procedure, and taken a post-operative film to make sure everything was just right, and it was, beautifully so. Sarah’s curve was less than half of what it had been mere hours before.

Today, six months after her surgery, Sarah has dived, literally, back into all the water sports she loves, with several small scars her only visible reminder of the procedure, as the invisible tether helps her grow stronger and straighter every day. The experience itself was sanctifying for our entire family. But through it, I have given a profound, and profoundly helpful, picture of how the “tether” of the gospel, rather than the crushing of the law, empowers our life as believers in Jesus.

homo incurvatus in se

Martin Luther summarized our battle with sin with the Latin phrase homo incurvatus in se—humanity curved in toward self. My natural “bent” is away from God. Left to myself, I see only myself—my needs, my desires, my idols—and I am powerless to change.I need spiritual surgery.

The gospel, Paul reminds us in Romans 1, is that power. United with Christ through repentance and faith and made alive through the Holy Spirit; the power of the gospel tethers our hearts towards our heavenly Father, reducing the curving inwardness of our sin and lifting our hearts. In our times of struggle with temptation and discouragement, it is the tether of the gospel that keeps us from coiling back in on ourselves.

When my children seem determined to make Titus 3:3 their collective life verse, it is the tether of the gospel that helps me respond to them with the same goodness and kindness God showed in saving me (Ti 3:4).

When the administrivia of junior high homework and house projects “get in the way” of my plans for writing and study, the tether of the gospel reminds me of the One who emptied himself of his glory to become a servant for me (Phil 2:7).

When my husband does not utter the precise arrangements of words and phrases that would make me feel loved at the precise moment I want him to, the tether of the gospel reminds me that God exults over me with singing (Zeph. 3:17).

And when the weight of my sin and weaknesses and failures begin to curve my heart inward toward my wretched self, it is the tether of the gospel that reminds me that before the very foundation of the world, God had chosen me in Christ before the very foundation of the world and that redemption and forgiveness are mine in him, forever (Eph 1).

The law can only crush me into rigid, outer conformity. But the tether of the gospel empowers me to move freely, as a beloved child of God and a growing disciples of Jesus Christ by curving my affections towards the Triune God.

—

Rachael Starke (@RachaelStarke) lives with her husband and three daughters in San Jose, California. A graduate of The Master's College, she is now pursuing a master's degree in Nutritional Science, and writes about the intersection of spiritual and physical nutrition at What Food Is For. She also writes for and co-edits Gospel-Centered Woman, a newly repository of resources for for pastoral staff and lay leaders to support women’s discipleship through the local church. She and her family are members of West Hills Community Church in Morgan Hill.

What We Build Will Be Tested by Fire

“Alright guys,” I instructed, “I want you to build something beautiful with the materials in front of you. But whatever you build has to be able to stand the test.” For an hour these young men created out of the materials I’d provided them. They could build with any combination of modeling clay, copper pipe, lumber, cardboard, rocks, and a host of other materials.

When time was up we surveyed their work. Some creations had an artistic flair; others looked like child’s attempt to mimic a Michelangelo piece. Some projects were towered vertically—miniature Babels. It was clear much effort had been devoted just to keep the creation upright.

With each young man still wearing a smile of pride and accomplishment, I poured lighter fluid on each project and lit them on fire. This fire was the test I told them was coming. The aftermath was entertaining. Besides the shock on the faces of the guys, it was fascinating to watch their creations burn. Depending on what they had used to build, some had more and some had less of their work remaining.

Now before you start calling me some kind of psychopathic pyromaniac, let’s be clear. The scene I created that afternoon wasn’t an original. Our construction project was actually designed to mirror a biblical text from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

Your Life is a Building Project Followed by Arson

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. —1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Paul is saying to the church at Corinth, “Friends I laid a foundation for you. I brought you the message of Jesus. Now it’s up to you to build on that foundation—for better or for worse.”

Just like my students built with different materials, every Christian, is building on the foundation they have received in Christ. However, Paul surprises us when he says what we build with our lives will be tested by fire.

There are two judgments described in Scripture. One for believers in Jesus (the judgment seat of Christ), and another for those who have not believed (the great white throne judgment).

According to Paul, your life is a building project followed by arson. Jesus is offering us a heads-up that we will stand before him face-to-face. During this conversation, the quality of the story you lived will be revealed. (It is important to note that for Christians, this conversation does not result in a verdict of heaven or hell but rather, reward or loss of reward.)

I’m prone to view my life as a smattering of disconnected parts. I can survey the different areas—husband, father, professor, coach, student, writer, athlete—and things seem kind of hodgepodge. But the Bible says that my life is progressing towards a singular and united outcome. That product is the finished picture of the story I have lived. That story, this lifelong building project, will either leave me smiling after my conversation with Jesus or it will leave me weeping and he will wipe away those tears.

So what are the materials we have to build with? What is the “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw” that Paul refers to?

The answer runs deeper than the good things we do or don’t do. The story you live will not ultimately be the sum product of your behavior. The story you live is actually molded by the subterranean desires that drive you forward. When you stand before Jesus, he will test the purity of your affections. Were you pursuing false loves or responding to the Lover of your soul? Did you build your life around the true story of the gospel or around a hollow and broken story?

The most important task any of us can ever undertake is to launch a full investigation into these questions. What you find through this personal inquiry might change the trajectory of your life.

 Life as a House

The film Life as a House opens with a stunning panorama of the southern California coastline. We see the sun rise as it peeks over the cliffs and you can hear the waves crashing below. The camera pans and we are introduced to the main character who is facing the ocean, stretching, and urinating off the cliff.

George Monroe is the owner of this magnificent property and his neighbors hate him for it. Surrounded by pristine mansions, his embarrassing shack is in disrepair (and no functioning toilet, thus, the need for the cliff). The great irony is that George is an architect. However, he hates his job. He is divorced and alienated from his drug-loving son.

Early on in the movie, George collapses after being fired. Doctors discover that he has terminal cancer. Mere months remain in his life. With the end in view, he sets to work on the project he’s always dreamed of—pouring his energy and skill into the house. He enlists the help of his son Sam who violently opposes the idea but is forced to help by his mother. Sam moves in for the summer.

George has not shared the news of his cancer with anyone, but as his condition worsens the secret leaks. Sam begins to soften towards his father. As the cancer slowly kills George, his house is being constructed and repaired. But even better, a relationship between George and Sam blossoms out of the rubble.

As summer fades, George is hospitalized and it is clear that his death is imminent. Sam places Christmas lights on the house so George can see it from a distance in his hospital room.

George dies. The building is finished. The movie ends with a voice-over of his final words to Sam.

“I always thought of myself as a house. I was always what I lived in. It didn't need to be big; it didn't even need to be beautiful; it just needed to be mine. I became what I was meant to be. I built myself a life . . . I built myself a house. . . . If you were a house, Sam, this is where you would want to be built: on rock, facing the sea. Listening. Listening.”[1]

You and I can still build. You are, in fact, building something with your life right now. It’s the story you live.               

[1] “Life as a House (2001) - Quotes - Imdb,” IMDb, accessed April 17, 2015, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264796/quotes.

—

Sean (@Sean_Post) lives in Maple Valley, WA with his wife and two sons and leads a one-year discipleship experience for young adults called “Adelphia”. He is completing his doctorate in Missional Leadership.

Adapted from Sean’s upcoming GCD Books title The Stories We Live: Discovering the True and Better Way of Jesus. Coming June 2015.

Jesus the Cowboy Hero

An isolated town is in trouble. Maybe it’s a gang of outlaws. Maybe it’s a greedy rancher, or a dictatorial mayor. In any case, bad men are having their way with the townsfolk. More importantly, there’s a beautiful woman in town and they’re after her too. She’s resisting tyranny—of course she is—while working to help the oppressed.

Then a cowboy rides into town. He’s tough. He’s quiet. He’s got a heart of gold. He’s drawn into the conflict. He shoots a bunch of bad people and works his way up to the chief bad guy himself. A showdown ensues—of course it does. The town is saved. The beautiful woman asks the cowboy to stay, but he can’t. He has to ride on, back into the wilderness. There are other good deeds waiting to be done.

I have always loved Westerns. I will watch any movie that features a cowboy with a six- shooter. I was born and raised in West Texas, and that is partially to blame for this affection. As a boy I would watch an episode of The Lone Ranger, then I’d put on my sheriff’s badge, grab my cap guns, and walk out onto the range, ready for adventure.

I’m not alone either. Americans love Westerns. We are fascinated by the myth of the cowboy-hero.

But of all the cowboy heroes, my favorite was Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Wait. What? Don’t act so surprised. Surely you knew that Star Trek was a Western, right? The only difference is that Kirk beamed in with a transporter rather than rode in on a horse.

Let us investigate: Captain Kirk, accompanied by sidekicks, rides down to the lonely planet on his transporter beam. He fights the bad guys, rescues the planet, and leaves the beautiful woman behind. He beams back to his spaceship leaving grateful aliens to stare up at the sky and wonder what life would be like if only Kirk wasn’t such a busy hero.

I had another sci-fi cowboy hero when I was a kid. This one I heard about at church. His name was Jesus. The Ascension of Jesus Christ sounds a lot like the Beaming of Captain Kirk. You remember the story. Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus meets his followers near Bethany (Luke 24:50-53). He tells them to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Sprit. Then he’s gone, up into the sky. Luke describes it this way “he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-53, NIV).

Jesus the Cowboy Hero

Some Christians see the Ascension as the last page of a dime-store novel called Jesus the Cowboy Hero: Western Adventure. Earth was in trouble. The land was dominated by sin, the devil, and other ”bad men.” God’s people were trying to hold out and stay strong. Then one day Jesus rode into their midst. He conquered the bad guys. The people of God, the beautiful “Bride of Christ,” are grateful. They want him to stay but he can’t, he has to move on. So they are left staring up into the sky wondering if they will ever see him again.

Of course, most Christians don’t literally think that Jesus is a cowboy-hero. But unfortunately, some of our popular theology is so corrupt that we’ve essentially made him into one. We’ve created a cowboy god, a hero who cared enough to come down and save us from sin, but not enough to stick around. He left us tickets for the 3:10 to heaven, but staying in town to help rebuild after the showdown wasn’t of much interest to him, and off he rode, a beam of light into the sunset.

But that cheap dime-store novel is a lie. The God of the Bible stands in stark contrast to that irrelevant god. Unlike the cowboy who rides off when showdown is over, the Ascended Christ is now more invested in his Creation than ever.

It was an amazing thing for the non-corporeal God, a being who is not made of anything, to create everything. It was an act of incomprehensible humility for God to become a part of his creation by being made man. It was the greatest act of love imaginable for the God- man to die an insurgent’s death, to descend to the dead, and then to rise again to eternal life. It was absolutely inconceivable that this God-man would then take his whole self back into the throne room of his Father. One of the great mysteries of the universe is that Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man, now reigns forever in his corporeal body. When Jesus ascended he didn’t slither out of his skin, leaving the human part behind. God became a man and now that man is God. For God so loved his Creation (John 3:16), that he has now made himself a part of his Creation forever.

When Jesus was resurrected he appeared to his disciples in a perfect, eternal body, eating and drinking, but also walking through walls. Scripture says that when he ascended he sat down at the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). Because Jesus is still flesh he must be in some sort of physical location. But at the same time, he is God and sits at the right hand of the Father. Where is the “right hand”? Where is God? Everywhere. Christ is both present in a single place and also present everywhere. How? I have no idea. What I do know is that Christ is everywhere available, everywhere loving, everywhere knowable.

But “sitting at the right hand of the Father” is not simply about location; it’s about power. Jesus’ ascension is his enthronement. Paul writes: “(God) raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way is King of his Creation.” (Ephesians 1:20-23 NIV) Christ is the King who fills, with his own self, all that he has made. As Kuyper said. “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”

The Ascension Changes Everything

The Ascension fundamentally changed the relationships between God, humanity, and the created order.Kirk comes and goes in fifty minutes. The planet he saves may be altered by his presence, but the Captain is always the same. Not so with Christ. The great Church Father St. John Chrysostom pointed out that the same Father who once said to flesh and blood “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” now looks at the flesh and blood of his Son and says “sit at my right hand.” Jesus’ story is the opening and closing chapter of the tale of us all. We were dust, now we’re flesh. We will fall to dust but be raised to a greater flesh than we can now imagine.

Chrysostom goes on to say that “we who were unworthy of earthly dominion have been raised to the Kingdom on high, have ascended higher than heaven, have come to occupy the King's throne, and the same nature from which the angels guarded Paradise, stopped not until it ascended to the throne of the Lord.” God has become Man so that humanity can now be welcomed into the divine life. Creation is already redeemed and awaits its coming restoration.

The Ascension is divine proof that the world matters. This world. The world of cowboys and townsfolk, bad men and heroes. If it did not, why would Christ fill it? Why would he reign over it? Why would he love it? Why would the Father accept the Created onto his own throne?

Because the Ascension changed the world it must also change the way we understand the world. The Ascension is like a new and better eyeglass prescription. When we look through it, we see what we have always seen; but we see it more clearly. This is especially true of our relationship to Creation.

Many years ago, I moved from Pittsburgh to San Antonio. I had to live apart from my wife for a couple of months. During this time I lived in an apartment with a month- to- month lease while I looked for a more permanent home. It was an old and dirty unit with broken appliances and dated wallpaper. I had several framed pieces of art with me, but I never hung any of them on the walls. I tried to ignore the walls and the faulty appliances. I never fixed the broken toilet in the second bathroom. Why not? Because it was a transitional place. I didn’t care about it.

Many Christians, lacking an understanding of the Ascension (as well as the Creation, Incarnation, and Second Coming) treat this world like I treated that apartment. While it’s true that we are sojourners (Hebrews 11:16), the Ascension must reframe our thinking. We are called to live here like my wife and I lived at our more permanent place in Texas. We bought furniture. We painted a room. We kept the place good repair. We hung up our pictures.

The Created World Matters

The Ascension shows us that the created world matters because it’s filled with Christ. As Christ’s brothers and sisters, we are called upon to care for creation. The curse is rolling back. Adam’s children may once again care for God’s garden. When some company wants to strip the land with no regard for our grandchildren, it should be the Church that rises up in opposition. When it comes to making decisions about how we consume the earth’s resources, it should be Christians who are most willing to sacrifice our convenience. Christians should be known for the creative ways in which we protect and restore the world we inhabit here and now.

We who bear the image of Christ should be leading the way in caring for our own physical bodies while also showing concern for the health of all people. Medicine, exercise, biology, nutrition, and a whole host of other disciplines are meant to bring glory to Christ. Eating disorders, drunkenness, and sexual immorality are symptoms of a population that has not been formed in the beauty of the Ascended Christ.

The Creation matters, and so does co-creation. By “co-creation” I mean our participation with God in bringing order, truth, and beauty out of chaos. All of Creation is now under the gracious dominion of Christ. When we co-create with him, our work becomes part of his glorious kingdom. Everything from our painting and songwriting to our baking and childrearing finds eternal significance at the Father’s right hand. The Ascension proclaims the validity of our work, our creativity, and the joys of this world.

The Ascension challenges us to rethink our cowboy mythology, our Captain Kirk worldview. Our stories, especially our fiction, should point to the Truth. The Hero of the universe is fully invested in building up his people, in loving his children, and in ruling all aspects of our lives. He hasn’t ridden off into the sunset. He hasn’t beamed back into the heavens. He’s moved in, and he’s done it in the biggest way we can imagine. When we tell our tales, are we representing this kind of heroism? When we consider the narratives of our own lives, what is it that we see as heroic? Is it the full engagement with, and care for, our communities, our families, and even our possessions? It should be.

All of us are storytellers, whether we have a large audience, or a small circle of family and friends, or even if we are simply whispering to ourselves. Some of us still tell our tales by the campfire, dusty from a day out on the range. We’re cowboys, but maybe we can be cowboys who stick around for a while. By the grace of God, maybe we can tell true stories. Maybe we reject isolation and self-sufficiency. Maybe we can know ourselves as fully accepted children of God, people whose work has eternal significance, and whose true value is a gift of pure mercy.

—

Thomas McKenzie (@thomasmckenzie) is the founding pastor of Church of the Redeemer in Nashville, Tennessee. He's the author of The Anglican Way: A Guidebook. Thomas writes for several websites, including ThomasMcKenzie.com. He lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

3 Fundamental Reasons to Recover Fasting

Recently I was asked to preach on fasting. Better yet, I was asked to preach on fasting on Super Bowl Sunday. In my mind I was being asked to preach on a super spiritual topic to the super spiritual people in our church who would actually show up to our services. Because I’m still being trained for ministry and never turn a preaching opportunity down, I pursued this  curious assignment with excitement. As I studied and tried out what I was learning, I began to realize what a normal and important practice fasting was for believers in Jesus’ day, and more importantly I experienced why.

We talk a lot about spiritual disciplines (rhythms of grace, or whatever term you want to use for personal disciplines that help line our lives up with all that we have in the gospel) in the church today—and rightly so, because we need them. But for some reason we treat fasting as this abstract discipline reserved for only the spiritual elite, removed from normal, everyday Christian life and discipleship. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus only talks about three spiritual disciples (giving, prayer, and fasting), and treats them with equal weight (Matt. 6:1-18). In Matthew 9:15 Jesus explicitly states that he expects his disciples to fast.

So what is fasting? And why does Jesus treat it as important and normal in the Christian life? Fasting creates hunger to experience more of God.

Creating hunger

Creating hunger means we take something out of our lives for a period of time that will hurt. Usually this is food, but it can also be other morally neutral things that are staples in our lives and would hurt to go without (like Facebook, email after work hours, TV, shopping, etc).

To experience more of God

We are not ascetics that just enjoy pain. The hunger we create is so we can feast on something greater. So fasting involves not just the cutting out but adding in—you have to fill that space with something. Use the time you would have spent consuming food or something else with feasting upon God. It’s for this reason that fasting in the Bible is always tied to prayer.

Why fast? Here’s three ways we specifically see this play out in our lives:

1. To plead with God/seek guidance.

This is one of the most common ways we think of when we think of fasting. For me, it was the only way I had thought of fasting before this sermon. Some examples include the Jews when facing annihilation (Esther 4:3) and the church at Antioch considering whether or not to send out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2-3).

In this way, fasting creates space for us and reminds us to pray. It helps align our soul with an appropriate seriousness and tunes us to hear from God. Martin Lloyd Jones says it this way, “One any important occasion, when faced with any vital decision, the early Church always seemed to give themselves to fasting as well as to prayer.”

2. To help fight besetting sin.

Just as we might train in a gym for a big triathlon, so God calls us to train ourselves for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). Fasting is one of the ways we do this. When we say no to bodily urges in the form of food or something basic, we are exercising the muscle to resist in other areas (i.e., sexual temptation).

Fasting trains us to not just gratify our bodily urges. This strength to resist will transfer to other areas where we fight against sin. Martin Luther says, “Of fasting I say this: it is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body.”

3. To remind us of God’s presence.

Have you ever gotten through a day and realized you forgot about God all day? Me too. It’s madness! You know when this doesn’t happen? When you’re fasting. The hunger pains serve as a reminder that there is more going on beyond what we can see. Fasting tunes us to a deeper and truer reality. The sovereign King of glory is with us, in spite of how we are doing, and this is where we find true life in the midst of our crazy circumstances.

As I got up to preach this sermon to my church family, I was really preaching to myself all that God had been teaching me . Fasting is not something we must add to our lives in order to earn God’s love, rather fasting is a gift to help us live more awake to the undeserved love of God in Christ and to stay clear of distractions that numb and take our life .

If we’re serious about walking in the joy, freedom, and life of the grace of God, how can we neglect fasting? Incorporating fasting as a regular discipline into my life has taken me into much more vitality in my walk with the Lord .

What do you need to take out of your life, where do you need to create a hunger, to help you tune your thoughts, affections, and energies toward God?

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Chad A. Francis (@chadafrancis) serves as the Ministry Coordinator at Garden City Church, where he is being assessed and trained for future pastoral ministry. He’s obsessed with grace and passionate about being a waker where complacency exists. You can read more from Chad at www.chadafrancis.com.