Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 34

5 Key Connections: Faithfulness, Marriage

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including one from an article faithfulness in our relationship with God and another from an article on the joys of marriage.

What Will Come of Your Faithfulness (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

If you choose the path of purity before marriage, you will not find it easy. Some people will wonder what’s wrong with you. You may lose the affection of someone who wanted what you were not ready to give.  

3 Joys of Marriage (Miranda Webster and Evan Webster, TGC Canada)

Marriage is to be like the love of Christ for the church, one that allows us to be known and loved despite our flaws. What a joy that we can truly be ourselves in a godly marriage! 

1 John 5:13-21: Keep Yourself from Idols (Josh Moody, God Centered Life)

A real Christian does not continue in sin: they do not live in sin in such a way that they refuse to repent of sin. Someone who has been born of God is protected by God, and the evil one cannot ultimately harm them. 

Will You Be Faithful Even if It Costs You? (G. K. Beale, Crossway)

God wants us to trust in the midst of what appears to be destruction. He’s going to bring us out on the other side—and often in the midst of that, he will bless us.

Gratitude in the Midst of Grief (Abbey Wedgeworth, Risen Motherhood)

My dear sister, this Thanksgiving, as the rest of the world seems to be celebrating abundance, whether you pull up a seat to an empty table, with empty arms, in an empty house, with an empty bank account, or an empty womb, I pray that you would “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps.34:8). Even in the midst of all the brokenness and ruins of what the locusts have eaten, I pray that you will be moved to rejoice in what is imperishable and undefiled, the inheritance that Christ has secured for you in glory, where God will restore what the locusts have eaten. You will be seated as a guest at a table set with a bountiful feast—one that will not spoil—the marriage supper of the Lamb. 

When Answers to Prayer Don’t Make Sense

It all started with a hurricane. We’ve been through many, having lived in South Florida during Hurricane Andrew and then moving to coastal North Carolina, where wind and rain pummeled our homes and our wallets.

The timing of the
last storm was particularly bad. Hurricane Florence hit us just as our home
went under contract to sell and just as we learned of a medical issue that
brought all work to a halt. As we contended with one issue, we found ourselves
facing another.

With each new crisis,
we prayed for God’s will and we watched as He showed us His deliverance. And
yet, before we could rest, the very thing we thought was the answer to prayer
seemed to vanish and we found ourselves facing yet another crisis.

We knew God was in
all of the details, but the details didn’t make sense. As He was answering
prayer, the answer disappeared. The home sale fell through. The medical issue
needed further treatment. The rain just wouldn’t stop.

The Example of Joseph

Thank
God for the example of Joseph.

Joseph’s example comforted
us as we went from one crisis to the next. In each chapter of Joseph’s life,
God seemed to bring deliverance and fulfill His will, only to have the
situation deteriorate.

Shown in a dream that
he would be a ruler of his family, Joseph recognized God at work. And yet, the
next thing that happened wasn’t the power and authority he expected. Instead,
he found the opposite: rejection by his family and slavery far from home.

Despite being sold as
a slave into Potiphar’s household, God elevated Joseph to a position of
authority. Perhaps he thought that God was delivering him and fulfilling the
plan He showed Joseph in the dream. And yet what a surprise the new crisis must
have been when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of misconduct, and prison
became his new home. The unexpected accusation and subsequent imprisonment
couldn’t have made sense.

While Joseph was in prison, God showed Himself yet again, elevating Joseph to a new position of authority. Once again, the circumstances suggested that God must be delivering Joseph from betrayal at home and at work. Surely this time, God would fulfill the plan He showed Joseph in the dream. How disappointing the cupbearer’s betrayal must have been.

Where was God?

Joseph was given a
dream that he would be the prince of his family, but the slavery that followed
must have been confusing and disappointing. The rise to authority in Potiphar’s
house could have seemed like God’s deliverance, but then Joseph’s hopes would be
set aside yet again as he faced prison.

The rise to authority
in prison might have seemed like God’s deliverance, but maybe his hopes were
crushed a third time when he experienced the abandonment of his fellow inmates.
As God was answering prayer, the answer seemed to vanish. None of it made
sense.

In the end, God
completed the mission. The cupbearer remembered Joseph, and Joseph was
delivered from prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. God raised him up as a prince
of Egypt, and gave him final authority not just over his family, as the
original dream suggested, but over the prison, Potiphar’s household, and all of
Egypt.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20)

God’s Promises When the Answers Don’t Make Sense

Our town faced a
record rainfall that year of over 100 inches, breaking the previous record set
in 1877 of 83.6 inches. That’s over eight feet of water in a coastal town where
the water table is no more than a scratch away from the surface.

Many friends and
neighbors continued to be displaced as contractors were in short supply. We remained
in that crisis for many months with more unexpected medical and financial
issues. But God has finally delivered us. We thank God for the example of
Joseph, and we believe what God says in His word is true.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 11:12)

God has answered prayers, and some of those answers have been confusing. With each new wrinkle, we are comforted to know that “His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers” (Nahum 1:3-4).

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Two Amazing Truths the Bible Says About Itself

I’ve been reading through the book of Isaiah, and there have been many moments where I’ve stopped and thought, Wow. You just cannot read the book of Isaiah without feeling awe for God’s power, shame for humanity’s foolishness and sin, and praise for the Messiah who, from our future perspective, fulfilled the promises Isaiah made about Him.

One of the many elements in this book that leads me to a place of worship is what it says about the Bible itself. Isaiah says many things about this, and in this article, I would like to highlight two such statements: 1.) The Word of our God will stand forever, and 2.) God’s Word never returns to Him empty.

I hope my reflections on these truths will bolster your faith in God’s Word as the sole source of stability for your life.

1.) The Word of Our God Will Stand Forever

A voice says, “Cry!”
   And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
   and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
   but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:6–8)

In
college, I took a few classes from a literature professor who was brilliant,
entertaining, and eccentric. In a word, he was unpredictable. This made the
class times lively and engaging, but it also made following his directions a
little difficult.

For example, he would come into class and say there would be a short paper due soon or a test coming up in the near future. We’d all dutifully prepare, only to realize a week later he had forgotten the assignment himself.

As
you can imagine, our wasted efforts quickly taught us to distrust his
announcements.

God’s Word is nothing like this. First of all, God never forgets what He promises to do. Isaiah, being a book full of prophecies, is a great testament to that truth. Second, God’s Word is not only spoken but also written down, precisely so we can return to it often.

There is great blessing here. Since it is true that God’s Word will stand forever, that means if we believe in it, we know we are putting our trust in something eternally secure. We can strive toward good works in Christ because we know following His Word never leads to wasted effort.

There is
also great responsibility here. God’s Word is forever authoritative. His commands
will not fade away in our lifetime like the assignments given by my professor.
So how can we grow in submissiveness to God’s Word?

2.) God’s Word Never Returns to Him Empty

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
  it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11)

Imagine if there were a baseball player who stayed in the major leagues late into his 80s. We’d be impressed by his longevity, saying, “Wow! That’s incredible. He seems like he can do this forever.”

Let’s say,
though, that his batting average for the past 50 years was .000. He had been playing
all that while, but he had not hit the baseball a single time the last 30
thousand at-bats.

That would
not be impressive at all. It wouldn’t matter that he had somehow stayed on the
lineup card for decades, he would not be deserving of any fan appreciation
without any real accomplishment. True endurance entails lasting accomplishment.

Here in
Isaiah 55, it says God’s Word never returns to Him empty. It uses the words accomplish
and succeed.  So, the Bible is
not only eternally authoritative but it is eternally powerful and effective.

You might ask, To what end is it eternally powerful and effective? The verse shows us that it always accomplishes God’s purpose. And then you might ask, Well, what is God’s purpose? What does the Bible do when I read it?

The image of rainwater in the first half of this passage sheds light on God’s purpose. Water causes life, and water sustains life. And the same is true of God’s Word; the Bible brings life and sustains life.

The Bible fosters and sustains the life God promises you.

The Accomplishment of the Word

As a writer, I am always trying to write something that stands for a long time and that has continued impact on readers. No one writes with the hope that their words are forgotten. No one writes with the hope that no reader is changed.

Consider
then the perfection of God’s Word, whose message will stand forever with the power
to bring life to all who hear it.

Cling onto His word, believer, and never let go!

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Sermon Clip: When the Treasure is Yours

____________________

We know that salvation is a gift from God that we do not earn. But it is a gift that must be received. And it can only be received with empty hands, but there is a transaction by which what he gives actually becomes yours.

And that’s the point. A Christian can say, “Jesus and all that is in Him actually is mine.” There is a transaction that has taken place. You might ask: How do I know if that has taken place?

Here are two ways:

1. When you have Christ, you know you are rich.

When Christ is yours, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Him.

“For all things are yours… life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

2. You know in your heart that you are no longer searching.

When the trader buys this pearl, he is done trading. He has sold his collection, and so the only way he could do any more trading would be to give up the pearl of great value.

So when the pearl merchant has made his purchase, he says, “I am done with that market!  I am no longer in that business.  I have found what I was looking for.”

Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price. 

When you have him your search will be over. When Christ is yours you will no longer be on a long search. You will find yourself saying with Paul that you want to know more of him and of the power of his resurrection, even if that means sharing in the fellowship of his sufferings. That’s how a Christian speaks.

The good news is that the owner of the pearl is ready to sell. If you will have Christ, Christ will be yours. You must go to God to seal the deal. The treasure is His. Christ is His Son.

Go to the Father and tell Him that you see supreme value in His Son. Tell Him you have been living for the wrong things and that nothing in your life can compare in value with who Christ is, and what He has done, and what He offers to you.

Tell him that you are ready to give up, “I have been pursuing my own way. I have been defining my own truth. And I have been ruling my own life. From this day forward Jesus Christ will be my way. Jesus Christ will be my truth. Jesus Christ will be my life.”

This sermon clip was taken from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Joy,” from his series Ministry Matters.



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What Will Come of Your Faithfulness?

When you fight temptation, you might ask yourself: Does it really matter? Two things here–one you can guess, the other you cannot imagine. 

The Part You Can Guess 

The part you can guess is that faithfulness will not be easy. Joseph must have known that his faithfulness would be costly. It was not beyond him to foresee what Potiphar’s wife would do with the robe.  

And sure enough, the immediate outcome of Joseph’s faithfulness to God in pursuing the path of purity was that it landed him in prison. 

To those who are single:  

If you choose the path of purity before marriage, you will not find it easy. Some people will wonder what’s wrong with you. You may lose the affection of someone who wanted what you were not ready to give.  

And you find yourself experiencing what Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).  

To those who are married:  

If, for the sake of Christ, you choose the path of faithfulness in a marriage to an ungrateful or an unresponsive spouse, it will not be easy. There may be times when you find yourself thinking your life could be very different. That part you can guess. 

The Part You Cannot Imagine 

But there’s something else here–another part that you cannot imagine, and that is the good that God will bring from your faithfulness. Think about this and follow the chain of connection: 

It was through the faithfulness of Joseph that he ended up in prison. Yes, but it was through being in prison that he met Pharaoh’s cupbearer. It was through the cupbearer that Joseph was introduced to Pharaoh. And it was through Pharaoh that he became the wise prime minister who provided food for his people. 

It was through the food he supplied that the life of Judah and the other brothers were saved in a time of famine. And it was through the line of Judah that Jesus Christ was born into the world. 

It is through Jesus Christ that a great company of people will be gathered forever with great joy in the presence of Almighty God. 

Joseph could not possibly have imagined the chain of connections and the good that God would bring. It was beyond anything that he could have imagined there in Potiphar’s house. 

Your Fight Matters

So here you are trying to find the strength, the motivation, and the energy to stand strong against temptation when it is at its most intense. What will be the effect of your standing strong and being faithful on your son, your daughter, your friend, or your colleague? What will be the good of it for your future husband or wife? How will God weave this strand of your faithfulness into the tapestry of His gracious work in the lives of others? 

You throw a stone into a lake when the water is completely still, and it looks like a piece of glass. One stone produces a ripple, a series of rings, and you can hardly believe how far they go. That’s how it will be with your faithfulness. 

One of The Joys of Heaven 

One of the joys of heaven will be to see the fruit that comes from the especially intense battles that you have fought with temptation in your life. To have Christ say to you: 

“Remember the time you fought a battle with temptation in that hotel? You said, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. How can I do this wicked thing and sin against God?’ By God’s grace you prevailed. What you didn’t know was that if you’d given in, a whole different series of events would have transpired. But you stood strong, and now I want you to see what came of it.” 

You say, “I find all of this very difficult to imagine.” Don’t you think Joseph would have said the same thing? 

Why Jesus Came 

Jesus came to bring forgiveness for our past sins and power to face our future temptations. We need both. I hope that many of us will be moved make new commitments to purity today. We need the strength of Jesus to be faithful. Some of us may feel swamped by a sense of our own past failure. 

We need the grace of Jesus to bring us forgiveness and cleansing. The Bible says Jesus was tempted “in every respect… as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 

Then our Jesus goes to the cross, and why is He on the cross? He bears the guilt and the shame of our sins, of every kind, including sexual sins of the mind and of the body. Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree. He carried them into His death, and He buried them there, as far as His people are concerned. 

Then Jesus rose from the dead in the power of a new and endless life. Our living Savior, holds out His arms and invites us to come to Him, whatever we have done, whatever our sense of guilt and shame, in faith and in repentance. He is ready to forgive you. He is able to help you! 

Jesus came to bring forgiveness for your past sins, and he came to bring power to face your future temptations. That is who He is. That is why He is the Savior. And that is why there is hope for every person in Him. 

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This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Tempted and Faithful,” from his series Snapshots of a Godly Life, Part 1.

5 Key Connections: Temptation, Eternal Life

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including one on temptation and another on eternal life.

7 Seasons When You are Vulnerable to Temptation (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

We understand why Jesus told us to “pray,” but why did he tell us to “watch”? Because there are particular times and seasons when we’re especially vulnerable to temptation. You need to find out what they are. 

The Reward of Eternal Life (Patrick Ramsey, Meet the Puritans)

We aren’t justified by our good works because they do not play a role in the granting of the right to eternal life, and because they are rewarded after justification. Indeed, we can’t be rewarded with eternal life in the sense of entering into its possession if we don’t already possess it by right

Waiting for the Pruning to Work (Courtney Reissig)

…pruning is a normal part of being in the vine—Jesus—and that by being in the vine you will bear fruit. This is a helpful truth for believers, especially those who are undergoing pruning in their lives. Pruning and bearing fruit are evidences of being God’s child.

You May Not Know What to Pray, but the Holy Spirit Does (J.D. Greear)

Thank God that the Spirit doesn’t meet us in our pain with “At least …” The Spirit knows our pain is real. Jesus knows it’s real. They feel it with you, and the Spirit groans even more deeply than you do.

But the Spirit doesn’t just empathize with us. Groaning also indicates the Spirit’s wisdom. The Spirit prays “according to the will of God.” He prays the will of God perfectly over us, that God’s good purpose will be accomplished to the letter.

The Problem with “Spiritual but not Religious” (David Qaoud, Gospel Relevance)

We must be patient with those who doubt (Jude 22-23). We should not sneer or mock those who say things like this, but must lovingly listen and point them to the right path.

Reread Scripture to Remember Jesus Loves You

Jesus loves me.  

This simple sentence can sometimes be an overwhelming thought. God became a human, like me. He understands my sorrows, and died for my sins so that I might be united with Him in glory. Not only glory, but also His Spirit dwells with me now and currently guides, encourages, and grows me from one small change to another until His work in me is completed (2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 1:6).  

For the Christian, there is this and so much more, all packed into the small, life-changing sentence: Jesus loves me. 

Yet, this simple phrase often lacks transforming power in my life. There are times when I become discouraged by my acts of sin and selfishness. In these moments of conviction, I really don’t love myself; and it becomes difficult to understand how God could.  

Other times, I question God’s love for me as an individual. My emotions of guilt and discouragement often turn normal days into weighty and cloudy ones. I know I am a Christian and that the Bible says “for God so loved the world.” But can anything be done when the intellectual truth of God’s love fails to touch my heart? 

How can I grow in my understanding of God’s love for me, when I don’t feel loved? 

“I love you” 

One true broad statement is this: a man or woman in love desires to be loved in return. Hearing the phrase “I love you” from someone you love can carry incredible significance. Married couples often remember with fondness the day they first heard “I love you” from their spouse.  
 
Imagine a married couple that honestly says “I love you” every day. Can a spouse in this marriage still feel unloved? Absolutely. Why? Because humans by nature allow their experiences to determine their perceptions.  
 
In the honeymoon stage, the phrase “I love you” seems to meet no end. “I love you” means the significant other will stop at no cost, fight all foes, and even sacrifice their own lives for the other. 

Years later, the phrase is perceived differently because further experiences have defined and shaped the meaning, either positively or negatively (or some of both). For example, the spouse may learn that “I love you” does not mean they love enough to pick up dirty laundry, communicate honestly, serve humbly, and so on.  

In these situations, the meaning of the phrase “I love you” shrinks with experience. On the other hand, “I love you” may be expanded even beyond initial perception through experiences of amazing self-sacrifice, love, and unwavering commitment. This is recognizable in couples who honestly say they are more in love now than ever before. 

Another thing to point out is that our perception does not always accurately capture reality. We humans are often wrong in how we perceive others’ actions. Similarly, Christians can often inaccurately perceive God’s love. The question is, how do Christians grow an accurate understanding of God’s love when experience and perception greatly influence us? 

Growing in “Jesus Loves Me”

When a good husband seeks to communicate love to his wife he does not simply tell his wife “I love you,” but he romances her by using phrases and actions to help her understand. He writes poems about her love, sings songs about her beauty, gives her flowers, watches the kids, cooks the food, all to expand her perception of “I love you.”  

Similarly, in Scripture God not only says “I love you” but He also uses images, poetry, synonyms, and stories to communicate His love. God directly speaks to our perception of His love towards us in order to grow our understanding.

Below is a list (not exhaustive) of examples where God attempts to expand our perception of His love. Therefore, when your heart fails to respond to His love and your experience tempts you to believe He has left, seek Him and search Scripture to discover “the great love with which He has loved us” (Ephesians 2:4)

God’s Love…



is like a great gift (John 15:13, Romans 8:31-32).looks like someone planning a future surprise (John 14:1-4, 1 Corinthians 2:9). sounds like joyful singing (Zephaniah 3:14-17).is unbreakable (Romans 8:37-39, Psalm 136). wants to adopt us as children (1 John 2:28-3:2, Ephesians 1:3-6).  looks like encouraging the outcast (Genesis 21:14-21, John 4:1-26, Luke 23:39-43).  is not dependent on how “good” we are (1 John 4:7-10, Ephesians 2:4-6). causes Him to weep (John 11:28-38, Luke 13:34-35). is compared to a bird protecting young (Psalm 36:7, Psalm 57:1, Matthew 23:37). looks like a good father (Matthew 6:1-8, Matthew 7:7-10, Psalm 103:13). is compared to a compassionate mother (Isaiah 49:14-18, Isaiah 66:12-13).  looks like a caring teacher (Matthew 9:35-38, Mark 6:33-44). 



Reread the Scriptures

Sometimes a daughter wants to hear “I love you,” but other times she wants to hear a story of her dad’s courage to fight the dragon. Sometimes a son wants to hear “I love you,” but other times he wants to explore with his dad.  

As Christians we need not resign ourselves to the memory of the glorious truth that “Jesus loves us,” but like a wife who re-reads old love letters when her husband is traveling, we must also reread God’s letters, searching anew and afresh to expand our understanding that in fact, Jesus truly loves us.  

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How Can I Increase My Joy When it Feels Depleted?

As Christians, we know we are called and empowered toward lives full of joy. How could we not be joyous, our King has risen and He has freed us from the power of sin and the grip of death!

If we are honest, though, we may not always feel joyous. And this is a hard thing to admit because we may also feel guilty about it. Why am I not more joyous? What do I have to do to increase my joy?

I think it is helpful in these times to remind ourselves
of where the source of our joy is found, and where we can turn to increase our
joy.

Joy Comes from Jesus

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11)

A
few verses earlier in John 15, Jesus says “I am the vine; you are the branches.”
He is saying that if you abide in Him, He sustains you. He provides everything
you need for life. It is all up to Him, and He will give graciously and
generously to you.

Jesus
says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). If you feel like you are running low
on joy, take up the promise of our loving Savior who has promised to sustain us.

Notice too in Jesus’s words that we are to have His words abiding in us. I have found many times in my own life that if I’m lacking in joy it is because I have been abiding with someone else’s words instead of Jesus’s.

Returning to His Word is what works to increase my joy.

Joy Comes from the Holy Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… (Galatians 5:22)

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

The point I want to make in this section is just to say that joy is the work of the Holy Spirit. That means at least two things:

First, joy is not something you have to make on your
own. If you are lacking in joy, this is not the time to “pull yourself up by
your bootstraps,” this is the time to depend on God. If you are empty, then God
can fill you up.

Second, joy is not something to boast about or to be
jealous of. If you have joy, and someone else does not, what you have is the
work of the Spirit. You did not earn it; you cannot boast as if you accomplished
joy. If someone has joy, and you do not, know that God promises the same fruit
to you!

Joy Comes from Others

Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. (2 Corinthians 7:13)

This is why it is so important that we be in regular,
committed Christian community—by which I mean the church. Be in a setting where
you can refresh and be refreshed by the joy and faith of others.

If you are struggling with joy, and you are not regularly attending a local church, I would urge you, plead with you, to not miss out on one of the most important things Christ has called us to.

Praise to Jesus!

Everything good we have is thanks to our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. And joy is one of the wonderful things we have been given.
Here are some extra notes on joy that I hope will be encouraging to you:

With Jesus, Fear Will Not End Joy

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:8)

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see Jesus’s tomb. And when they were there an angel came and he was a terrifying sight (Matthew 28:2–3). The guards who were there “became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4) because of their fear.

But notice what is said about the women, who were
followers of Jesus. After the angel told them Jesus had risen, and that they
would see Him in Galilee, they left “with fear and great joy.”

They were terrified just like the guards, but the joy
they experienced as a result of being Christ’s followers kept them going.

In Jesus, Suffering Cannot Overcome Joy

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

There are times when suffering is so strong in our
lives, and joy seems very far away from us. Jesus has been there. When He died
on the cross, we are told that He endured it “for the joy that was set before
him.”

He knew what God the Father promised for Him, and the
knowledge of future joy empowered our Lord to endure unparalleled suffering.

Let’s go back to John 15:11, quoted in the first
section above. Jesus said that His joy would be in us. So, the joy promised to
Christ is the same joy we can access today. In your suffering, know that Christ
suffered too, and rest in the knowledge that he obtained great joy from his
endurance and he offers it to you.

Thanks to Jesus, There is More Joy to Come

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)

One
glorious day, Christian, you will enter the joy of your master. The present joy
we are promised is great, and future joy promised to us is greater than
anything we could possibly imagine.

God gives graciously and generously. Just knowing that He is our God helps me increase my joy, right now as I write these words.

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Three Ways Authenticity Can Be Dangerous

A buzzword in certain Christian circles is authenticity, a quality both Millennials and GenZs value and desire in the church. The word suggests genuineness and integrity, qualities that describe faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. But this drive for authenticity can be dangerous, if it isn’t grounded in the gospel.

The mantra of self-centered authenticity is “be true to yourself.” This sounds nice, but what if you don’t have a healthy gospel lens through which to view yourself? At least two dangerous distortions of Christian authenticity can result.

But viewing yourself through a gospel lens leads to true authenticity. And that can be dangerous in a way that glorifies God.

1. Counterfeit Authenticity

This is an oxymoron, but it
captures something I’ve heard before: 

“I don’t feel I can be authentic around others who are more put
together than me, so I put on a face, which is exhausting. When I can’t sustain
the act, I isolate myself from community. I wish people were more open and
authentic.”

This distortion’s dangerous because
“authenticity” is talked about as an ideal and never personally embraced. The
irony? Many who talk about authenticity are often themselves guilty of living
inauthentically.

But the felt need to “put on a
face” betrays the real issue: people don’t want authenticity, they want
solidarity. They want to feel they aren’t alone in falling short, so they
desire openness and vulnerability from others. This stems from a natural but
unhealthy view of self that says “I don’t like who I am, and I want to hide.”

It’s reminiscent of the fig leaves Adam and Eve hid behind in the garden after discovering their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). And there’s good reason to want to hide, since no one is alone in falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). 

Cycles of Inauthenticity

When we talk about being real
without admitting our real sins and brokenness, authenticity becomes a distant
and vague ideal instead of a powerful and present reality. This leads to a
cycle of inauthenticity, where we show others only carefully curated versions
of our best self.

But Ephesians 4:25 says we’re to put away falsehood and speak the truth with one another, since we’re members of one another. This includes putting away our false faces and telling the truth about our brokenness and need for Jesus. 

James 5:16 is especially helpful here. Notice we’re to confess our sins, not to God (as in 1 John 1:9), but to one another. When we don’t confess our sins to one another, only presenting each other with social-media worthy faces, we fail to walk in the light of God’s truth.

And if walking in the light is a condition to Christian koinonia—or fellowship (1 John 1:7)—then counterfeit authenticity endangers Christian community.

We all fall short. We all need
Jesus. But there’s a great difference between hiding behind the fig leaves of
our own making and being clothed by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

When
we put on false faces, or hide behind fig leaves, we create an environment that
encourages others to do the same. In doing so, we demonstrate our lack of faith
in Christ’s atoning death and clothing righteousness. So counterfeit
authenticity is a danger to both faith and Christian fellowship. 

2. Complacent Authenticity

“I don’t
pretend to be put together. I’m a mess, but God loves me just as I am.” 

This distortion of authenticity is
dangerous because it’s half true. It acknowledges our sin and brokenness, our
need for grace. And since this view celebrates a high view of grace and the
cross, it’s a very attractive version of ”being real.”

Complacent authenticity celebrates
messiness and brokenness as ideal qualities found in those who are real. But at
the heart of the statement “God loves me just as I am” is often this sentiment:
“I don’t need to change.”

This is exactly the perspective Paul anticipated and spoke against in Romans 6:1-14. 

Paul says the abounding grace of
God is never grounds for living in and under the reign of sin. Those saved by
grace through faith in Jesus experience a profound union with Him, so that His
death and resurrection become our death and resurrection. Though Jesus died for
our sins, we’re to die to our sins. That is, we’re to consider
ourselves dead to sin, so that sin doesn’t reign over us.

The power of death and sin are broken in the death of Jesus, and we’re called to live out this reality. When we embrace our brokenness, our “old self” (Romans 6:6), allowing sin to reign over and in our lives, we distort God’s grace. Just as the end goal of Jesus’s death was His resurrection to life, so the end goal of our death to sin is a life of righteousness (Romans 6:15-18). 

Don’t Celebrate Sin and Brokenness

Sin and brokenness shouldn’t be
celebrated. They were never part of God’s good design for the world. The life
of sin is the death of righteousness. That’s something to mourn.

But thanks be to God, the death of sin means the life of righteousness! You may be a broken mess, but by the grace of God, your old self is crucified with Christ. You can walk in newness of life, because God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Complacent authenticity is a danger to our growth in godliness. And as 2 Peter 1:8 says, growth in godliness keeps us from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So if we want to have a fruitful
knowledge of our Lord, we must not be ok with not being ok. 

3. True Authenticity

Distortions of authenticity tend to
orbit around self-perception. If we don’t like ourselves, we tend to
hide our sin and brokenness. If we do like ourselves, we tend to lean
into our sin and brokenness.

But true authenticity isn’t
concerned with self-perception. It’s concerned with reality. With
truth-telling. And God is the source of truth. As John Calvin states in the
opening of his Institutes, “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be
deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the
knowledge of God and of ourselves.”

In order to tell the truth about
ourselves, we must know who God is. So if we want to be genuine, real,
authentic people, we must love and pursue God and the truth that He reveals in His
Word.

Here’s a helpful four-fold
framework for understanding God’s truth:

Creation: We were created to reflect God’s character and care for
His worldFall: We’re sinful and broken, destined for deathRedemption: Jesus died and rose again so that we could have
forgiveness and lifeRestoration: The Holy Spirit is making us new, and one day we’ll
be perfectly holy as God is holy.

When we tell the truth about our
createdness, brokenness, redeemed status in Christ, and the end goal toward
which believers are moving, we can have life-transformative, gospel-centered
authenticity.

True authenticity would cause
growth in godliness, it would promote Christian koinonia (fellowship and
community), and it would cherish the gospel of Jesus Christ. That authenticity
would be dangerous.

It could even change the world. 

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7 Seasons When You are Vulnerable to Temptation

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41) 

We understand why Jesus told us to “pray,” but why did he tell us to “watch”? Because there are particular times and seasons when we’re especially vulnerable to temptation. You need to find out what they are. 

When are you tempted? Is there a pattern to the times when you fall? You are in a battle. And this is really important intelligence you need to have in order to effectively fight this type of warfare. From the story of Joseph in Genesis, here are seven seasons when we are especially vulnerable to temptation: 

1. When you are young and single

At this point of the story, Joseph would have been 27 or 28 years old. He is young, fit, and strong. He would have experienced all the tensions in his body and all the longings in his soul that come with the desire for intimacy that God has placed within us all. 

These tensions and longings are surely not exclusive to the young, but they are at their most intense when we are young. And Joseph was right at the point of life where temptation would have had its greatest power. So this is a story that speaks very powerfully to all of the students and young adults here today. 

We live in a culture that assumes that being sexually active is an essential part of a normal life. And if you believe that God has placed this gift within the bounds of a life-long commitment of marriage between a man and a woman, you are going to find yourself under all kinds of pressure. 

My prayer is that this story will bring strength and hope for all, (whether single or married) who find themselves tempted because of pressures and frustrations in this area of life.

2. When you are good looking

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. (Genesis 39:6) 

 Joseph was a really good looking fellow! I enjoyed the comment made to me by a member of our congregation, who I highly esteem, some years ago. He was cautious and genuinely concerned about the use of video in our services, and so he said to me, “Colin, I want you to know that you sound better than you look!” I did not dispute with him. 

I guess most of us would like to look better than we do. Some have been given greater gifts in this area than others, and if God has given you the gift of being handsome or beautiful in form and appearance, you need to know that there are pressures and temptations that will come with it. 

George Lawson, a nineteenth-century writer, says in the language of the day, “Hast thou beauty? Trust not in it, but be modest and cautious. Dost thou want beauty? Be content, and thankful that you are free from those snares which often attend it.” [1]

3. When you have worked hard and been successful

Joseph worked hard. He gained multiple promotions, and God gave him success in all that he did. Temptation, in its many forms, is especially powerful when you have been working hard. Your energies are drained. You are tired, depleted, and your heart says, “You have been working hard and you deserve a reward.”

4. When you have opportunity

Joseph didn’t go looking for temptation; temptation came looking for him. Sometimes a person may have desire but not opportunity. Other times you can have opportunity but not desire. But when desire and opportunity come together, temptation is at the height of its power. It’s a lethal mix.

5. When you are away from home

Many of you know the pressure of this in your working life. Your work means that you must travel, so you spend a lot of nights in a hotel. 

You know the routine: You check into a hotel, and there you are in a strange, anonymous place. And you are lonely. There’s something disorienting about travel. You can get the feeling, when you are in a different place, that the normal rules do not apply. You’re on your own, away from your wife, with time on your hands, and you’re vulnerable to temptation.

6. When you have no one to hold you accountable

Many have found great help in the battle with temptation through the support of an accountability partner. But Joseph had nobody to share his struggle with. Put yourself in his shoes: He had no external support whatsoever. He was alone and anonymous in Egypt, and that could only have heightened the power of temptation in his soul.

7. When temptation continues over a long period of time

[Potiphar’s wife] spoke to Joseph day after day. (Genesis 39:10) 

This was not a passing temptation. This was a relentless campaign! It is not too hard to resist a fleeting temptation. But when it grinds on day after day, always at you, always in your face, it wears you down. You just get tired of the battle. 

That may be where you are right now, “How did God know that I’m tired of the battle?” 

He is speaking to you right now from this story. You face a particular temptation, and you have been battling it for a long time. You have fought, and now you are tired of fighting. 

Put all of this together and you will see the cumulative pressure that Joseph was facing: He was young, and single, and good looking. He had worked hard and been successful. He had opportunity, and he was away from home with no one to hold him accountable. And he had been fighting the temptation for a long period of time. 

That looks like a recipe for disaster. He’s got to fall! And yet, to our astonishment, Joseph stood strong when he was vulnerable to temptation. He did so by having clear commitments, clear communication, and clear boundaries. This is possible for you too in Jesus Christ! 

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This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Tempted and Faithful,” from his series Snapshots of a Godly Life, Part 1.