Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 32

Help for Getting in the Christmas Spirit

We were in a time of transition, and I’d been eagerly anticipating the reliable traditions, stillness, and cherished peace of Christmas Eve. Silly as it was, attending a noisy, atypical morning celebration we were invited to instead of a calm service made me feel sad. To add to my frustration of eager anticipation climaxing in disappointment, it was unseasonably warm.

I felt
ridiculous praying for God to help me be still and praise Him. Shouldn’t I be
able to do that on my own? But I couldn’t, and God cares, so I asked.

That evening, my husband surprised me with a trip to a little historic church nearby. We entered a sanctuary adorned with well-loved pews, decorations made by children, and evergreen trimmings lining the walls. A choir sang, children listened to a story, and a pastor we’d never heard preach before shared the gospel beautifully and clearly. In the stillness, they passed out candles to hold as we sang “Silent Night.”

Then, two
by two, the pastor led us out with candles, song, and hearts still burning into
the starlit night. Unexpected snow began to fall as we ended with the words “the
Savior is born.”

God so
arrested my attention and awe I felt as if an angel in the sky declared, “Behold,
I bring you good news of great joy!” (Luke 2:10). By His grace, God helped me
stop and behold Him that night.

Do you
also struggle with getting in the Christmas spirit? Although there are many
different reasons for the struggle, we can find help through a few simple
strategies.

Remember What the Christmas Spirit Is

Secular
references to the “Christmas spirit” point to a sense of peace and joy that
come with a perspective of thankfulness. For, believers, this sentiment can be
a year-round reality.

When we
receive Christ as our Savior, He gifts us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
is the true Christmas spirit embodied. He equips us with the peace, joy, love,
and hope found in Christ alone. Sometimes in the midst of busyness,
festivities, and preparing for Christmas, we forget Christ has already come and
given us the Spirit by which we praise Him.  

Christmas
is a wonderful time to remember Christ’s coming, and also to dwell on what
Romans 8 describes: we “do not live according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit” (8:4). We set our minds on the things of the Spirit, the Spirit proves
we belong to Christ, and we are the children of God. These are gifts to rejoice
in!

Ask God for Help Worshipping Him

Asking God for help worshipping Him can feel a bit like asking Mom for money as a child—to buy a gift for Mom. But God’s grace is endless, and there is nothing we have we didn’t receive anyway (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Even the
relationship we have with God is something we have received from God. He
chooses us, delights in us, and is actively involved in our lives because He
wants to be! As our perfect heavenly Father, He loves when we ask His help.

“Let us
then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Drawing near to
God is an act of worship, and a wonderful first step when we need His help
being worshipful. Don’t be afraid to ask God’s help with worship or awe.

Behold What Is Awe-worthy

On the Christmas
Eve I asked God for help getting in the Christmas spirit, part of what I needed
to do in response to Him was behold.
I could have overlooked the sudden snowfall in the candlelight—surely I have
before. “Silent Night” could have gone in one ear and out the other, as it has
many times.

We have
opportunities all the time to stop, notice, and praise God for His good gifts. There
are reasons to worship Him all the time! Too often, we’re more focused on other
things.

In the
Bible, “Behold” is a word used to mark that something is important and should
be given attention. Beholding breaks routine and reorients us to worship.

For example, God said “behold” when He declared everything He made was good, when He gave Jacob His promise, and His angels used the word when they came to Mary and Joseph before Jesus’s birth (Genesis 1:31; 28:12; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31).

Remember, Ask, Behold

This Christmas, we have a plethora of gifts from God just waiting to be opened and enjoyed. When we remember Christ and the Spirit He has given us, we’re reminded of who we celebrate. Asking God’s help draws us near to the one we seek to praise. Beholding God’s glory in Christ and his kindness to us moves us to worship—the kind that stops us, stills us, and fills us with “good news of great joy!”

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Unsure of Your Future? Rest on God’s Immutability

God’s immutability is a wonderful attribute. What is immutability? In a 2014 Banner of Truth article, Geoff Thomas explains,

God is perpetually the same. He never changes. His being, and nature, and perfections can’t be altered. Nothing can be added to the infinite God and nothing can be taken from him. What God is today he always was. What God is today he shall always be.

In sum, God is always God. And He is the only being that is
this way. You and I are always changing, growing, moving, and developing, but
God is what he is. Herman Bavinck wisely
wrote, “God alone is absolute being, the ‘I will be who I will be,’ but all
creatures… are subject to the law of becoming” (82).

Implied in this “law of becoming” is unknowing and uncertainty. What will our lives hold?

As we approach the new year, perhaps we face this question more
directly. If this is a daunting question for you like it is for me, then join
me in meditating on these three Bible verses on the immutability of God.

1.) Psalm 106:25–27

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you [God] will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
   but you are the same, and your years have no end.

I find a lot of comfort in this verse because it reminds me
that nothing is as permanent as God. Although the world I live in may be
hectic, painful, and confusing, it will pass away. God alone will remain.

It’s not enough to know that the earth will pass away, for
if everything were to just end then life would be pointless. The struggle would
be fruitless. But God remains the same in the end as He was in the beginning.

The application here, partially, is that faith in and worship of Jesus Christ brings stability to our lives. He is the only thing that will never change. So if you are looking for stabilitythis season, look to Jesus!

2.) Isaiah 46:9–10

I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, “My counsel shall stand,
   and I will accomplish all my purpose.”

This is one of my favorite verses for several reasons. One reason is that God promises His counsel shall stand, and that He will accomplish His purpose. God is good not only because He does not change but also because He never fails. That’s part of God’s immutability; He always accomplishes His purpose.

Another reason is that God highlights something He can do
that no one else can do: God declared the end of time from the beginning of
time.

When we experience failures or uncertainties in our life, we
can be comforted by Christ, because we are in Christ, and He never fails
and He is always certain.

Prediction and Declaration

I’m a baseball fan, and I enjoy guessing who will win the
championship. In fact, I like guessing who will win each division, who will win
each playoff series, and who will win the World Series. I shared my picks with
my wife back in February, and guess how I did? Terrible! I predicted the Chicago
Cubs would beat the New York Yankees—but Chicago didn’t even make the playoffs!

Had I been right, I could have said, “I declared the end of
the season from the beginning of the season.” That would have been a nice guess,
and it would have certainly increased my credibility as a baseball thinker.

God, however, isn’t predicting something eight months away,
He is declaring the end of all things from the beginning of all things. And my
baseball prediction was just a guess—it had no bearing on reality. What God is
doing is not prediction, it’s declaration. He isn’t saying, “Look at how
perceptive I am into the way the world works.” He is saying, “I will do this.”

God does not predict the end from the beginning; God
is “the beginning and the end.”

3.) James 1:17

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

It is good to remember that everything good comes from God.
The source of good gifts never changes. So, when you are stuck in a period of
uncertainty and unknowing, if you receive a good gift—a new friend, an encouragement—you
know it’s from God and He is with you.

The other thing to mention is that giving good gifts is a
part of God’s nature, and therefore a part of His immutability. He does not
waver in His nature, and His nature is that of a “Father” who “give[s] good
things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

When you are facing an unknown future, ask God for His help! It is His promise to His children that He will give good gifts. You can have peace knowing that God will do this and that what He will do will be a good thing.

Other Verses to Read?

This article just had enough space to talk about three verses
from the Bible on God’s unchanging nature. But there are plenty more! What
verses do you often revisit when you need to be reminded of God’s immutability?

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season, full of rich biblical meditation on who God is and what He has done for you.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

In Christ There is Hope for the Discouraged

The Christmas season is a time when many people feel discouraged. Whether
from the reminder of the loss of a loved one, a divorce, a broken heart, broken
friendships, or marriages on the verge of collapse, this season is challenging.
Although some call this time of the year “the season of joy,” Christmas can
often be tough for a wide variety of reasons.

In this article, we will consider some ways to face discouragement during the holidays (and every day) by finding hope in Christ alone.

Fight Discouragement with the Gospel

The gospel is not only the power of God but the very fuel by which
Christians can face life’s challenges.

I’ve found spending significant time being quiet in prayer with God,
preaching the truth about the person and work of Christ to myself, to be very
helpful to address this challenge in my own life. Battling discouragement with
the gospel is another way of applying the reality of who I am in Christ.

Share Your Struggle with Other Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Please realize you don’t fight discouragement alone. The Bible teaches that “in
the abundance of counselors, there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). The more you
realize that you are not alone in the Christian life and that we desperately
need each other, the better.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in community with God’s people.
Having godly friends in my local church to pray for and encourage me has helped
me a lot in my fight against discouragement and depression.

As Christians, we are called to one another, which isn’t easy as some people face intense periods of discouragement. Wherever you are today, you have a great need of Christ. Christ desires more than ever to meet you right where you are for, He cares for you.

As Christians, we have One in Jesus who calls us His friend (John 15:15). He doesn’t leave us to ourselves; instead, He promises never to forsake us for He is our very present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1; Hebrews 13:5).

Such biblical truth also helps me to realize that each day is new, and each day has an end. And very slowly over a lot of years gone by the Lord continues to massage these truths deeper and deeper into my life. And the deeper they go, the more joy-inducing they are. There is so much joy to be had in the Lord, since, He loves His people so much.

Read Scripture Daily

Another strategy for fighting anxiety and depression is to read and meditate on the Word of God regularly. In the Psalms, we frequently see David down in the dumps and then exulting in the Lord who alone is His rock and refuge (Psalm 18:2; 62:6; 71:3) and present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1).

By reading the Scriptures, we come to see that many others in the Bible have faced issues with anxiety and depression such as David (2 Samuel 12:15-23; 18:33), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Jonah (Jonah 4:3, 9), Job (Job 2:9; 3:11, 3:26; 10:1; 30:15-17), Moses (Exodus 32:32), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14, 18) to name a few.

Perhaps you feel overwhelmed and crushed on every side. You may even wonder
where the Lord is in the midst of all that’s going on in your life. What you
need to understand is that the Lord has not abandoned or left you; instead, He
is for and with you.

After all, His promise in Hebrews 13:5 is never to leave you nor forsake
you. The promises of God are tied to His holy unchanging character. God has
fully disclosed Himself in the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why you and I need to be in the Scriptures for it’s there we daily
learn about men and women who have faced the very problems that we have with
the help of the LORD.

Battling Discouragement is Spiritual Warfare.

Some of you struggle with discouragement because a battle is being waged, requiring you to take up the full armor of God. Rather than succumbing to the lies of Satan, you need to stand firm in the grace of God and take hold of the “nowness” of the gospel that is your identity as adopted sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 1).

Battling discouragement is hard, but preaching the gospel, applying the
truth of who you are in Christ, living in the community, as well as knowing
when and how you get discouraged are keys in the fight against discouragement.

As you begin to see Jesus as your supreme treasure each moment of each day,
you’ll start to fight the fog of discouragement. Instead of feeling all alone,
you’ll start to see yourself as part of the family of God. You’ll also begin to
learn that others in the church are facing the same fight as you are.

This Christmas season, we all need one another, but supremely we need to know that Jesus is all we need, and He is for us and to begin to walk alongside one another with the help of His grace.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

How and When God Forgives

Forgiveness is a fruit of life in Christ. This is a distinguishing mark of all who are in Christ, which is why the Lord teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12).  

With this in mind, think with me for a moment about how and when God forgives. God forgives: 

1. where wrong has been done 
2. when repentance begins 
3. because atonement has been made 

1. God forgives where wrong has been done. 

If I were to say to you, “I forgive you,” you would reasonably say, “Whatever for? I haven’t done anything for you to forgive!” Forgiveness is only appropriate, it is only meaningful, when a wrong has been done.

When God forgives us, it means we’ve wronged Him. Every sin in your life and mine is a personal offence against God. Saul of Tarsus was on a campaign in which he hurt people, and the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Forgiveness can only happen when a wrong has been done. We have wronged God. Thank God, He forgives. 

2. God forgives where wrong has been done, when repentance begins. 

The story of the prodigal son makes this clear. The son goes off on a journey of rebellion, and when he comes to his senses, he says to himself, “I will go to my father.” 

The boy has a change of heart, and he begins the long journey home. Remember what happens: The father sees him from a distance and runs out to meet him. Rather than wait, he runs to him. Why? God embraces us with mercy and forgiveness at the first sign of repentance. 

Repenting is a process that every believer begins, but none of us completes, in this life. Our repentance towards God is at best a small part of what it should be. Thank God, He forgives when our repentance begins, not when it is complete. Without this none of us would ever be forgiven.

But friends, remember this: there is no forgiveness without repentance. 

There is no forgiveness without repentance. God does not forgive unrepentant sinners. He loves them, and that is what He calls us to do, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.”

Why does he say that? Because that’s the way God loves sinners. God does not say, “Forgive your enemies.” He says, “Love them. Pray for them.” Because that is what God Himself does. He laid down His life for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). 

“Forgiving the Unrepentant Person” 

You often hear Christians talk about “forgiving the unrepentant person.” They say, “You must do it for your own sake, so your life is not controlled by another person.” 

But in asking you to forgive the unrepentant person, they’re asking you to do something that God Himself never does, and in the process, they’re changing the nature of what repentance is. God’s forgiveness always effects a restored relationship. 

Forgiveness involves the reconciling of two people—one who repents and the other who forgives. I believe, as a pastor, that it is a great mistake to tell people that they must forgive where there is no repentance. 

God forgives at the first sign of our repentance, and where forgiveness and repentance meet a relationship is restored. He does not say to us “Forgive your enemies.” He says to us, “Love your enemies.” 

3. God forgives where wrong has been done, when repentance begins, because atonement has been made. 

There is a sense in which God is the only being in the universe who cannot forgive. For us who are sinners, it is reasonable to be indulgent, lenient, and forgiving towards others whose wrongs may not be very different from our own. 

But God is holy. God sees sin in all the ugliness that it is. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Every time someone says, “I know God has forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself,” I want to ask: “Are you saying that it’s easier for God to forgive you, than it is for you to forgive yourself?” James Denny says: 

If there should turn out, after all, to be such a thing as a Divine forgiveness of sins, we may be sure it will be such a forgiveness as carries the Divine condemnation and destruction of sin at the heart of it. 

That is precisely what we find at the cross. God’s forgiveness flows from the destruction and condemnation of sin in the atoning death of His Son, Jesus Christ, as He bore our sins at Calvary. 

Whenever there is an injury, there will always be something in the human spirit that cries out, “What about justice?” The Christian answer is that justice has been poured out on Jesus. 

The cross makes forgiveness possible. God forgives where wrong has been done, when repentance begins, because atonement has been made. 

How can I get to forgiveness? 

Satan can get us so focused on one sin, one problem, one issue that we want to overcome. How do I get over my fear? How can I prevail over this lust? There you are, standing right next to the hurdle, and you can’t get over from that position. You have to begin further back, so you can get a run at it and get some momentum. 

You can’t begin with forgiving other people, but you have to go back and begin with your own need to be forgiven. How’s that relevant? The very beginning is seeing my own need of forgiveness.

As I began to reflect on what the Bible says about getting to the place where you can forgive, I realized that everything we need to know is brought together in Ephesians 4. Read more here. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

5 Key Connections: 2019’s Top Bible Verses & more

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including one from an article on 2019’s top Bible verses and another from an article on striding toward forgiveness.

What are the Most Popular Bible Verses in 2019? (Aaron Earls, Facts & Trends)

Both YouVersion, the world’s most popular Bible app, and Bible Gateway, the most visited Christian website, recently announced their top Bible verses for the year. Among global YouVersion users, the 2019 verse of the year is Philippians 4:6.

Six Strides toward Forgiveness (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

You may have experienced hurts and wounds that are incredibly hard to forgive, hurts that I know nothing about, hurts that are deeper than anything I’ve ever experienced. Here’s what you need to know: No one has had more to forgive than God.

Now that Camp, or the Retreat, or the Conference, is Over (Steve Burchett, For the Church)

We are a culture engrossed in irrelevant pictures, posts, conversations, and stories on our multiple screens. It’s hard to imagine a better way for Satan to get your mind off of spiritual glories burning in your heart than by wooing you back to that world of trivialities. Isn’t it worth quitting something that, for you, is basically worthless and deadening?

We Can Worship Even When We Don’t Understand (J. D. Greear)

(see also Alistair Begg’s 2013 sermon clip, which Greear echoes)

How do I feel? That’s where we are going to start? It’s Sunday morning at 8. I feel terrible. Things are going wrong in my house. I’ve got bills I’m not sure how to pay. My kids have me holding on by my last string. I feel overwhelmed and confused.

Instead of asking me how I feel, why don’t you tell me what I should know? Tell me about him in whom I have believed and can trust. I feel terrible, but I know he is faithful.

Remembering the Gospel at the Table: How Our Meals Can Point Us to Christ (Sarah Hauser, Risen Motherhood)

We can create that spirit of remembrance around our tables. The Old Testament feasts often celebrated God’s physical deliverance of his people. During Advent we celebrate the coming of Christ, the one who will deliver us not only from earthly oppressors, but also from sin and death. As we feast at Christmas, the food we share and traditions we observe can remind us of who he is and what he’s done.

Seven Reasons to Stand Against False Teaching

“Do
your best,” the apostle Paul writes to protégé Timothy, “Do your best to
present yourself to God has one approved, a worker who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Paul is promoting
a kind of eager, committed persistence for the truth that the flawless Word of
God inspires in us who believe.

According
to 2
Timothy 2:15-19, we can learn to stand in truth and against false teaching
for at least seven reasons:

God is to be pleased.False teaching leads to ungodliness.False teaching quickly spreads.The faith of some believers might be upset by
false teaching.A firm foundation already exists.God differentiates between those who spread
truth versus falsehood.False teaching is sin.

Paul
unfolds his reasons about fervency for the truth on the basis of who God is and
the kind of regard we are to have for Him and those around us.

Because God is Worthy



1.) God is to be pleased.

According to Paul’s teaching, one reason to be firm in the
faith is for God to be pleased. Timothy was to view his work as a preacher/
leader as being directly for the Lord. In our contexts, we can consider our
handling of God’s Word also as labor we present to Him in love.

We stand against false teaching because God is highly worthy to be pleased with our deeds.

2.) False teaching leads to ungodliness.

Paul progresses to instruct Timothy that any talk irreverent
toward Scriptural truth will only produce more and more ungodliness. If believers
present the Word of God as trivial, as means for personal gain or influence, or
as mere material for displays of intelligence, wit, or debate skill, these self-serving
attitudes can be readily replicated by others—far more readily than the devotion
that comes from following God with one’s whole heart.

We stand against false—irreverent—teaching because we follow
a God who deserves our fear and devotion so that our human words might reflect well
upon the worth of divine ones.

Because People Stand to Be Deluded



3.) False teaching quickly spreads.

In 2 Timothy 2:17, Paul reiterates that irreverence can
spread like a deadly condition. If we are dismissive about the importance of
studying, discerning, and conveying the truth of God, others around us stand to
be swayed.

Those who might have been receptive to the authority of the
Scriptures can find their interest in a complete commitment to Christ and His
Word diminished if a less demanding alternative is made to seem viable.

4.) The faith of some believers might be upset by false teaching.

False teaching can also bear an impression upon committed believers.
2 Timothy 2:18 teaches: “[Those who have swerved from the truth] are upsetting
the faith of some.” People who have been born again may entertain doubts about
orthodox truths because falsehood can often sound profound and persuasive, what
was once clear becoming clouded.

We stand against false teaching so that the seeker is not
deterred from having ears that hear and the believer is not deluded into
believing he or she has an unstable foundation.

Because God Has Spoken

At least three more reasons for determined persistence in
truth are conveyed in Timothy 2:19: “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing
this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the
name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’”

5.) A firm foundation already exists.

As Paul’s ultimate impetus for presenting oneself as a right
handler of God’s Word, he indicates that God’s truth cannot be broken—that its
authority stands regardless of the actions or attitudes of men. So, we stand
against false teaching because God’s Word is exactly that.

6.) God differentiates between those who spread truth and falsehood.

By way of support, Paul outlines two primary inscriptions on
God’s unbreakable foundation. First, God is able to differentiate between those
who speak truth versus those who speak falsehood.

While people might be deluded by false teaching, God’s perception
is piercing. He knows.

We stand against false teaching because we are not judged by
others’ reception to God’s message. Should world, friends, or family reject us
for truth—that God sees us and knows us can be our strength and comfort.

7.) False teaching is sin.

Paul then refers to an activity that ought to characterize
believers—while not being sinless, we are to be those departing from our sins.
We stand against false teaching because teaching God’s truth falsely is
iniquity.

Two Ways I Stand
Against False Teaching



As a church member

In my daily life, one way I stand against false teaching is
through my ongoing commitment to the kind of home church I have selected.

I have confidence that those entering the place our church
worships will receive words from the pulpit that arise from the Scriptures and that
have been presented to and weighed before God prior to being delivered to the
congregation.

And, I have confidence in the eagerness of my church to
attend to the truth of all that is being taught throughout its leadership, from
pastor and elder to small group leader.

As a parent

Another way I stand against false teaching is through
mothering my four-year-old daughter. I engage with her in apologetic and
polemical work as we discuss the world in which we live—its reception to Christ
and its favorite messages to her age group.

As a family, we also seek to find new ways to discuss and
describe the gospel message, teaching nuances and applications. This guards
against misconceptions that further teaching can dispel and against the
fallenness of human memory that can find itself withered where once stoutly
built. All of this I do as a follower of Christ who is ever needful of Him and
His cross.

So, as often as I sin against my daughter, I seek to make
swift apology—to uphold what is right through failure to do it. After
apologizing, I often reaffirm to her the truth of the perfection of God, who
never does her wrong—and we rejoice in Him, and His truthfulness and graciousness,
together.

Being
firm in the faith can be considered a habitual occupation—a layer of good work for
the Lord that rests atop the rest of the labor of our days. We can hear Paul’s
instructions to Timothy like a refreshing call of reminder to be fervent about
what is true, about the faith that has been delivered once for all to us, the
saints (Jude
3).

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Jesus’s Birth through Four Biblical, Literary Forms

Last year around Christmas, I wrote to affirm the infinite value of re-reading familiar passages of the Bible, like the story of Jesus’s birth in Luke chapters 1 through 2. And this year, I want to also affirm the practice of looking at multiple places in the Bible to increase our joy this Christmas season.

I want to structure our brief, very incomplete tour of what the
Bible has to say about the birth of Christ in terms of literary forms. By literary
forms, I mean different categories of writing we find in the Bible.

We’ll look at prophecy, theology, song of praise, and narrative.
By looking at these four literary forms, it is my hope that we will see Jesus
as the fulfillment of prophecy, the inexhaustible object of study, the reason
for worship, and the resolution of all conflict.

1.) Prophecy

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
  from ancient days. (Micah 5:2)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

We often talk during this season about the Christmas story.
But narrative is not the only form that helps us see Christ during Christmas. Prophecy,
too, shines a special light on the glory of our Redeemer in a way that no other
form can accomplish.

What separates prophecy in my mind apart from story?
The most obvious aspect might be that prophecy requires proclaiming
things will happen that have not yet happened.

Use of this literary form include, but are not limited to
the following: creating a sense of expectancy, giving hope to the hopeless, giving
people signs to discern when an important event has come upon them, and making
bold predictions meant to shock readers.

The passages from Micah and Isaiah above certainly do these
things, and they do so with Jesus as the focus.  

So, when we look at the birth of Jesus Christ through the
literary form of prophecy, we experience how Jesus is the fulfillment of the
expectancy and the hope given to God’s people long before.

2.) Theology

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1–3, 14)

In a 2015 Crossway article, K. Erik Thoennes writes, “The study of theology is an effort to make definitive statements about God and his implications in an accurate, coherent, relevant way, based on God’s self-revelations.”

If prophecy is essentially the form of divine foresight, theology,
like Thoennes said, is the form of divine description. In other words, theology
is describing who God is and what He does. In that sense, I am calling this beautiful
passage from the opening of John’s Gospel theology.

Theology is not just head-knowledge; it is an experience. Good theology does something paradoxical: it first helps us know God with greater clarity, and it second opens up a whole new world of mystery for us to dive into.

For example, as we read about the birth of Jesus Christ here
in John 1, we have confidence that the Word (Jesus) was God and that the Word
(Jesus) became flesh. We are told this with assurance and clarity. Yet there is
so much more to know about what “the word became flesh” means. So much left to
learn about the person of Jesus Christ and the incarnation.

So, when we look at the birth of Jesus Christ from the literary form of theology, we gain assurance that He is God and that He is an infinitely beautiful and edifying object of study.

3.) Song of Praise

            See Luke
1:46–55

What makes a song a song? Well, in this context a song means
a sustained outpouring of emotion. And here we have Mary’s song of praise, so the
emotion is that of awe, joy, and wonder.

If you look through Mary’s song, you may be surprised to see
that the main pronoun is he rather than I. You may expect in an
outpouring of emotion, the speaker would be saying, “I am in awe of you. I love
you, God. I am comforted by you.”

I think it’s fitting, however, that the song of praise here
is recalling exactly the cause of her praise. She highlights what the Lord has
done, and although we can see it between the lines, her personal emotions take
a backseat to the work of God.

So, when we look at the song inspired by our Savior while he
was a baby in Mary’s womb, we too are led to worship His mighty name!

4.) Narrative

            See Luke
1:2–2:21; Matthew 1:18–2:23

What qualifies something as narrative? In my opinion, the
essential ingredients are character, goal, conflict, and resolution.

Some of the best stories we know play around with these main
ingredients. Some have multiple characters with various goals that overlap and
all come together during the resolution. That’s exactly what makes the story of
the birth of Jesus both spiritually and aesthetically rich.

Our cast of characters? Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Gabriel,
the innkeeper, Herod, the wise men, the shepherds. Each one has their own part
to play in this story, with their own goals, and conflicts toward those goals.

What’s the one thing that brings all these various storylines
together? On what point do they converge? The birth of Jesus Christ. Looking at
this in a literary sort of way, we get the sense already from this first story
that Jesus “is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians
1:17).

The Ultimate Conflict

Now, it is on the topic of conflict that I want to end this article. For all people living today, there is an ultimate conflict we are quickly approaching: the final judgment.

For those who are in Jesus Christ, the resolution to that conflict came two thousand years ago on the cross at Calvary. Jesus Christ died for our sins. For those outside Christ, what is your planned resolution to this ultimate conflict?

I urge you this Christmas season to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, proclaiming him as Lord over your life, and step into the peace that comes from resolving this conflict.  

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Five Attributes of God’s Holiness

The holiness of God distinguishes God as God, and reveals how we are not. It communicates His transcendent sovereignty and flawless purity, His overwhelming right to rule, and His stainless character.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:3)

Human beings cannot begin to measure God’s holiness, and yet, God has revealed His glory and holiness to us in His Word (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

Because of Jesus, Christians can know God through His attributes, and God’s holiness is the crown of His attributes. In this article, we’re going to unpack five attributes of God’s holiness.

1. God’s Holiness is Providential

First, God is holy in His omniscience, or providential knowledge.

Because God is light, nothing is hidden from Him (1 John 1:5). The Lord rules on high as the perfect judge, and no one can measure the depths of His understanding. All things, past, present, and future are fully known by our God.

Human understanding is limited and like walking in a poorly lit parking lot at night. But God rules over all things and sees all things in perfect light. God’s omniscience is like the light of a sports stadium which illuminates everything as if it were day.

All of creation is full of the glory of God, because of His
omniscience; thus, “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and
exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

Our holy God sees all, knows all, and orchestrates all
things in complete and perfect clarity.

2. God’s Holiness is Present

Second, God is holy in His overwhelming presence.

When Solomon built and dedicated the temple, he desired that
it would be a place of God’s dwelling just as the Tabernacle had been for
Israel in the wilderness. Solomon fully recognized that unlike idols, the God
of Israel cannot be contained.

He prayed, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold,
heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that
I have built?” (1 Kings 8:27).

God’s immensity stretches beyond human ability to measure. God is present here at the Unlocking the Bible offices in Illinois as well as in Bangladesh. More than that, He is at the center of the universe, and His presence extends beyond the limits of the cosmos. His holy presence is weighty and potent.

3. God’s Holiness is Powerful

Thirdly, the holiness of God also applies to His power. He
is powerful beyond comparison!

God is the Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything, He is omnipotent (all powerful) (Colossians 1:16), and His power extends over all things, both visible and invisible. Galaxies, stars, and planets did not come into being by accident. Conception of human life is nothing less than a miracle. All of creation sings of the mighty power of God!

Presidents, prime ministers, queens, and supreme leaders all may claim some form of authority, but none of these can stand next to the true sovereign, the King of kings and Lord over all lords. No matter the uncertainty of our times, the Lord remains exalted upon His throne.

4. God’s Holiness is Infinite

Fourth, the holiness of God is infinite.

More than being immortal, God’s eternal nature also means
that He does not change. God’s holiness sets Him apart from all else. Because He
exists in perfect purity and is eternally consistent with Himself.

People grow, mature, and age, but God remains the same. He is morally pure, without the slightest hint of evil, and the Lord is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11). He will not commit evil for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). For this reason, God’s wisdom, justice, and beauty are perfect.

Out of this fact comes a final point:

5. God’s Holiness is Incomparable

When my wife and I were first thinking about marriage, we went ring shopping. We found an amazing jeweler. He was great because he didn’t just try to just sell us a shiny rock and metal band. Instead, he took the time to show us what makes a great diamond. I learned a lot, and then gave him a lot of my money.

Gemologists measure the quality of diamonds by cut, color,
clarity and carat weight. And, they grade gems by their various degrees of
imperfections, with the perfect stone representing flawlessness.

Any honest jeweler will admit that there are no truly
‘flawless’ diamonds out there. However, Christians can say of our Holy God,
that He is “Flawless! Flawless! Flawless!”

Everything about His incomprehensible nature and character
is supreme. And because of God’s infinite nature and character, He is worthy of
eternal praise!

The Promise

God’s holiness is His crown, and it makes God himself, the treasure of all treasures. Angels in heaven sing praise to God for all that He is and all He has done, and God desires men and women to join with the heavenly choir.

An excellent way to do this is by reading the Psalms, for they invite us to “worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:9).

Whenever people in the Bible saw the LORD in His awesome holiness, they trembled with fear (Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17). Those moments made people realize how absolutely unholy they truly were because of sin. However, Christians have confidence to approach God’s holy throne through faith in Christ.

When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, people saw the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Jesus reveals the holy God to sinners. When you open the Bible, you can behold the holy God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6).

Best of all, when you put faith in Jesus Christ, the God crowned in awesome holiness, promises to crown you with His steadfast love and mercy (Psalm 103:4). Thus we can say:

“Bless the LORD oh my soul…worship His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Six Strides Toward Forgiveness

We are looking today at the subject of forgiveness. To forgive a person who has hurt you deeply may be the greatest challenge you ever face and the greatest gift you ever give. 

Imagine standing right next to a hurdle on a racetrack. You are right up against it. You can’t jump a hurdle from a standing start. It’s impossible. It can’t be done. You have to take a run at it.  

This, to me, has been one of the most important things I have learned about the Christian life, and it is at the heart of our series. All progress in the Christian life is made by the momentum of our spiritual health. 

So, here are six strides you can take toward forgiveness:

1. Remember that the Holy Spirit lives in you. 

…the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed. (Ephesians 4:30)

Progress towards forgiveness begins here: The Spirit of God lives in you. 

You may have experienced hurts and wounds that are incredibly hard to forgive, hurts that I know nothing about, hurts that are deeper than anything I’ve ever experienced. Here’s what you need to know: No one has had more to forgive than God.

Think how much God has had to forgive: Every sin you have ever committed is a sin against Him. Each of these sins played a part in the awful suffering of God’s Son. That is true, not only of your sins, but of every sin of every believer who has ever lived.

Think how much God has had to forgive, and He has done it! And His Spirit lives in you!! When you look at an offense, and forgiveness seems impossible, take a step back, get some distance, and begin your run here. 

2. Don’t dwell on the injury. 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger… be put away from you. (Ephesians 4:31) 

Bitterness, wrath, and anger all come from nursing a grievance. Someone has wronged you, and your mind keeps going over it, and over it, and over it again. All of us know about this in our own experience.

You keep thinking about it—how wrong it was, how hurtful it is. But every time you think about it, you are stoking a fire within your own soul of anger and bitterness. 

Bitterness and anger are fires that need to be fed. Stop feeding them. When your mind goes back to that stuff, say to yourself, “There are better things to fill my mind with than this.” 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, set your mind on something else—whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise. You have the power to do this if you are a Christian because God’s Spirit lives in you.

3. Don’t fight and quarrel. 

Let… clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31) 

When a relationship is in trouble, fighting and quarreling over who did what or who said what can make it worse. “The Lord’s servant must not quarrel” (2 Timothy 2:24). Quarreling stokes the fire of bitterness and anger, putting you further from the forgiveness you’re trying to cultivate. 

Put clamor and slander away from you: I am not to sit at the breakfast table or go around talking to other people about what that person has done or about what a terrible person he or she is.

Put away all malice: Malice is the desire that the person who hurt you will get what they deserve. 

These are the negatives, and they are very important. There are certain things that make forgiveness impossible. If you keep doing them, you will not be able to forgive. 

4. Have compassion on the one who has hurt you. 

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted… (Ephesians 4:32) 

This is especially important with a person who has wronged you and still has no idea what he or she has done. They’re completely unrepentant—they have not taken ownership. They have no sense of responsibility. They’re blind to what they’re doing, and to the pain they’re causing. 

Well, if this person is blind, then you should have pity. When you see a person walking on the street who’s completely blind, do you want to run up and kick their cane away? No! 

Jesus became the merciful, tenderhearted, compassionate high priest He is through what He suffered (Hebrews 2:17). That means suffering can produce hardness of heart, but it can also produce great tenderness! Pain made Him the kind of high priest that you can come to.

If you have experienced great pain through the sins of another person, if something can hurt this much, then use your pain as fuel for compassion. 

When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). They didn’t even know they were lost! The person who has sinned against you may be just like that. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.

5. Realize that you will need the forgiveness of others. 

Forgiving one another… (Ephesians 4:32) 

God does not tell us here that we should forgive someone who has hurt us. 

He says that we should forgive one another. What does that tell us? There will be things that you need to forgive in others, and you can be absolutely certain that there will be things that others need to forgive in you. 

Here’s something that you will find to be true: It is impossible to say from the heart “Lord, have mercy on me,” and at the same, to refuse mercy to another person in your heart. Realizing your own need of continuing forgiveness will help you to take another stride towards forgiving. 

6. Savor your forgiveness in Christ. 

Forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you… (Ephesians 4:32) 

God’s forgiveness is both the model of our forgiving and the motive of our forgiving. So, the Apostle draws our attention to the way in which we have been forgiven by God. 

Think about how God has forgiven you. Turn this over in your mind. God has forgiven me in Christ. He did it gladly, freely and fully. This forgiveness us undeserved, it is irreversible, and it is eternal.

God has forgiven me in love and mercy, out of an agony of heart, shrouded in darkness at Calvary, and I will never fully understand that pain, even in all eternity. 

Savor your forgiveness in Christ. Appreciate it. Enjoy it. Let this priceless gift of God that you have received move your heart to worship, wonder, love, and praise. Forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you.  

Practice the six strides and your seventh will take you over the hurdle of forgiveness. 

Here’s what you do with regard to a person who has hurt you badly, and is completely unaware of what he or she has done: Take these six strides on the path of mercy, and you will be ready at any moment to forgive. 

Forgiveness will already be in your freed heart, ready to be released. You will be ready to place it in the hands of the one who has wronged you when he or she is ready to receive the gift. 

And this is how Jesus Christ is towards you today: Ready to forgive whatever in your life needs to be forgiven. He is kind and tender-hearted.  He has compassion on you. His nail-pierced hands are stretched out towards you today. Whatever you see that needs to be forgiven, He is ready to forgive as you come to Him. 

If you believe that this is true, why would you not come to Him in repentance today? 

Photo Credit: Unsplash 

5 Key Connections: Christmas, Singing Together

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including one from an article on singing together and another passage from an article on Christmas.

The Real Meaning of Christmas (Stephen Nichols, Ligonier Ministries)

In a way, Joseph and Mary extend beyond themselves, beyond their particular place and time. They represent all of us. We are all poor and living in desperate times. Some of us are better than others at camouflaging it. Nevertheless, we are all poor and desperate, so we all need the promise bound up in that baby.

What Happens When We Sing Together? (John Piper, Desiring God)

Corporate worship becomes not only an awakening of affections that I did not bring into the service, but a feeding on what God is doing in that moment, on the truth there and on the beauty of our songs. So I’m being awakened to be who I am, being awakened to know God, love God, delight in God, be satisfied in God by song and the truth of the songs and the beauty of the songs.

Why I Write Christian—Specifically Fantasy (Jasmine Fischer, TGC Australia)

Christian fiction, done well, functions as literary jamais vu: taking the well-studied, emphatically underlined and dutifully highlighted truths of the Gospel and rendering them momentarily unfamiliar so that they can be contemplated and appreciated anew—especially for those of us who have been Christians for many years.

What a Wise and Discerning Counselor Looks Like (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Jesus is the wise and wonderful counselor who comes to you in the mysteries of your life, when you are pressed down by the burdens of your responsibilities, and you don’t know where to turn or what to do, and He says, “Come to me.”

Why We Can’t Quit the Church (Trillia Newbell, Facts & Trends)

Jesus’ sacrifice enables us to love the broken church and to contribute to her, knowing that one day he will come back for his bride, and we will worship perfectly as one.