Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 35

5 Key Connections: Covetousness, Temptation

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

Three Biblical Encouragements to Fight Covetousness (Jason Helopoulos, Servants of Grace)

Dear Christian, look to Christ, live in contentment, and rejoice in thanksgiving, and send covetousness scurrying from your heart and life. It is a deadly foe not to be trifled with. Rather, let us live in love for God and one another—storing our treasures in heaven above.

How You Can Stand Strong in Temptation (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

How you can stand strong in temptation? You’ll never do it with an open mind. You have to have clear commitments, clear communication, and clear boundaries. 

When You Don’t Desire God’s Word (Shar Walker, TGC)

Fight the temptation to memorize, meditate on, and understand God’s Word for the sake of merely gaining knowledge. For the Word is the way we know God

Satan’s Strategy #5: God Doesn’t Judge (Robert Spinney, Meet the Puritans)

Nowhere is God’s righteous anger against sin more clearly demonstrated than at Calvary. When the Lamb of God hung on the cross bearing the sins of all God’s people, the thrice holy God poured out His divine punishment upon the Messiah. The Bible makes this clear: The God who gives grace is also the God who judges sin. 

How I Love Your Law (Jared Olivetti, Gentle Reformation)

Love and duty are not opposed but can operate simultaneously in the heart of a believer seeking to obey God. So to draw believers to obedience through both motivations is entirely appropriate. Our obedience should be loving and dutiful.

Comparison Steals More Than Joy

There’s a lot of buzz out there about comparison. Instagram is full of little squares that hold quotes about how, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” and, “Flowers don’t look at the flower next to them, they just bloom.”

But we aren’t flowers. We’re people. And we’re women with flaws and a constant desire to look perfect.

We find ourselves comparing everything from our bodies, to our marriages, to how spiritually mature we are.

I know many women would give a mighty “Amen!” to our need to be delivered from the quicksand that is comparison.

But where is deliverance found? Is contentment with what we have and how God made us truly attainable?

More Than a Joy Thief

Contrary to the belief of many, joy isn’t the ultimate goal. And while it’s true that comparison steals that from you, it does something even more damaging.

Comparison is really just a glorified word for envy.

Envy sounds more evil, whereas comparison sounds more like something that “just happens” or is “just part of being a woman.” It feels acceptable and normal. So we tend to heap compliments on women stuck in these cycles, rather than getting to the root of the issue.

Truly, comparison comes from a covetous heart. It’s a heart that says, “I want what she has.” or “Why didn’t God give me that too?”

And it offends a holy, sovereign God.

Sure, envy steals our joy, but more than that, it separates us from God.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

What Do We Deserve?

We’re like a child on Christmas who just opened up an abundance of gifts, yet calls out for more. When there are no more presents to be discovered, he screams in ungratefulness. I tend to have harsh words for kids like that. But what lies there in those tantrums is a picture of myself.

I may have grown out of the “gimme gimme” phase around Christmas, but how many times has my heart groaned within me saying, “I deserve more!”? Better yet, how does my attitude toward my circumstances display what’s hidden under the surface of my heart?

Truly, what do we deserve?

Well, to be completely frank…Hell. We deserve eternity in Hell.

For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)

Because of our sin, we have earned death.

Jesus died while we were still sinners and gave us eternal life through Him. (Romans 5:8). We didn’t deserve his blood shed on our behalf. We don’t deserve the treasure of knowing Him and becoming like Him.

How unfathomable is this gift of salvation?! That the Father would send His Son as a propitiation for sinners who hated Him. If God hadn’t redeemed us, He would be just. If he were to grant us salvation and nothing more, withholding the fulfillment of all earthly desires we have, He would still be infinitely good.

Truly, we don’t deserve anything from God. But He lavishes us with grace and gifts beyond measure.

By dwelling on what another has that we don’t, we point our finger at a God who has been more than gracious to us and tell Him it’s not enough. We tell Him Jesus is not enough.

And we stand arrogant and ungrateful before him forgetting that everything we have is a gift. Even the very breath in our chest.

…nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:25)

Dwell on The Maker

So, how do we increase thankfulness and contentment? How do we put off the weight of comparison?

We don’t need reminders of how we’re wonderfully made or how social media is only a filtered glimpse into the life of others.

We need truths about Jesus. Truths that cause us to be overcome by thankfulness and gratitude. Truths that ingrain a trust in the Lord that seeps deep into our hearts. A trust that freely and humbly appeals to the Lord about our desires, but submits to His timing and will, knowing what He chooses to give or withhold are both His grace.

That is what will deliver us from comparison. Not dwelling on how we are wonderfully made, but dwelling on the truth that our Maker is wonderful!

God loves to give good gifts to us, his Children. (Matthew 7:11; James 1:17). But in His goodness He knows when to hold back for the sake of our hearts, that we may not idolize those gifts.

Oh Father, forgive us for our envy and pride. Help us to fix our eyes on you and fall before you in thankfulness and wonder. Because you are wonderful.

This article originally appeared on Brittany Allen’s blog, and it was reposted with permission.

What Makes Me Angry, and What Makes God Angry

“God is love. That is His Nature and His love is not
provoked,” writes Colin Smith in chapter 42 of Open.
He continues: “But God’s anger is different… The Bible never tells us that God is
wrath. It tells us that He is slow to anger (Psalm
103:8).”

I fall so short of God’s holiness! I’m quick to anger, and I have to be provoked to love. Many things set me off, make me angry. Some weeks, it is as if I’m living in a constant state of anger.

What Makes Me Angry

As I write this, it is Friday at 10:27 a.m. on the first day
of November. I’m at Starbucks, and there is snow on the ground—and that makes
me angry!

Two mornings ago, it snowed a lot—a lot for October, anyway. The weight of the snow, added to the weight of the leaves still clinging on, caused a large branch to fall from the silver maple tree in my front yard. That made me angry too.

Instead of thanking the Lord that one of the branches hovering
over my house and car did not fall, I was angry that one of them still could.

I’m angry now, two days later, because the (expensive) company
I called to take care of the remaining dangerous branches has not called me to
schedule a time to come.

In His grace, the Lord reminds me of Jonah 4:4: “Do you do
well to be angry?” And although I want to answer, “Yes, I do well to be angry”
(Jonah 4:9), the memory of the story of Jonah reminds me that God is in control
of all things. This humbles me and convicts me of my sin.

My anger is often unrighteous, as it is in this case because
all that I’m angry about is a threat to my own convenience, comfort, and wallet.

But God gets angry too, and we know He is perfectly righteous. So, His anger is meaningful and always right. What are some things that Scripture says provoke God to anger?

What Makes God Angry



1.) Failure to Revere His Holiness

David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:5-7)

Take this passage one section at a time. First, “all the
house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord.” The mood was great, and everyone
was happy! Second, Uzzah commits what the Scripture says was an “error,” and
touches the ark of God. And third, God strikes Uzzah down.

You might think, What is God doing? The oxen stumbled! It wasn’t really Uzzah’s fault. I have the same thoughts, and I am certainly not an expert on this passage. But I do know this: God is perfect and all His actions are righteous. He makes no mistakes. He never overreacts.

This passage then communicates, as I see it, that God’s holiness is serious business. Any offense, minor or major, unintentional or intentional, made a person liable to death. Fear the Lord, and honor His Holy Name with the utmost reverence.

And this is exactly why we praise Jesus. We are all liable to death, each one of us has fallen short of the glory of God. But God sent His own Son to provide a refuge for us, and Jesus took on the full wrath of God at the cross for the sake of those who believe in Him.

2.) Idolatry

“You have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger.” (1 Kings 14:9)

Idolatry is not only against the Ten Commandments, not only bad for our spiritual development, not only foolish and hopeless but also something that makes God angry.

Imagine a Christian, married man tempted toward lust. God convicts Him, and the man knows it is against God’s Word. He senses that he’d keep himself back from fruitfulness in the spirit by engaging in the flesh. And he knows it is all fake, false, and foolish. Yet he continues.

He may wake from his stupor in sin when he confesses to his wife, and she rightfully says, “You have hurt me tremendously. And I am angry with you.” There is grace here!

She could respond with indifference, not caring for the marriage or for the state of his soul. But her anger is an act of grace because it is a catalyst bringing the man back into right living.

God’s anger, which we provoke when we trust in anything
other than His name, aims to bring us back into right relationship with Him. It
is an act of tremendous grace.

3.) Sin, Injustice, and Crime

Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die.” (2 Samuel 12:5)

David had sinned greatly. God described what David did:

You despised the word of the Lord… struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. (2 Samuel 12:9)

Before God said this to David through Nathan the prophet, God first had Nathan tell David the story of a rich man who stole a poor man’s only lamb.

I once heard someone say that humans have a stronger judicial sentiment (ability to see wrong in others) than moral conscience (ability to see wrong in ourselves). This seems true here with David. Though he was living in sin, he could still see and judge sin clearly in someone else.

David reflected the righteous judgment and anger of the Lord in his response to the story. He was provoked to great anger by the sin, the crime, the injustice committed by the rich man.

Don’t provoke your Lord to anger by sin, injustice, and crime. Honor the Lord by hating sin, injustice, and crime—and trust Him to be the perfect Judge the world desperately needs.

Offer Your Anger to the Lord

Jesus says, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged” (Matthew 7:2). Is there a better passage to demonstrate this truth than 2 Samuel 12:5? The man that was the rightful target of David’s righteous anger was himself!

This is why Jesus Christ is the Judge. Because only He can measure up to the measure by which He judges. When we get angry and cast judgment, we end up humbled—learning about our own failures.

(On that point, the tree guys came while I was at Starbucks, and they were working earlier, while I wrote about how I was angry at them for not coming.)

I think this is connected somehow to why Paul says we should put away anger (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8). Sometimes our anger is right, but many times our anger is misinformed, disproportionate, and unrighteous. So, when you feel angry, offer your anger, righteous or unrighteous, to Jesus in prayer.

The Lord has all things in His hands, and He promises to make all things right.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

The Bible’s Response to the Myths of the World

Many of the popular ideas we hear on a regular basis sound good. They seem reasonable and right. But when compared with the Bible, we quickly see them for the myths they are—completely contrary to what God says in the Bible.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, in Isaiah 55:8 we read, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

Below are several popular myths and what the Bible says in response:

Myth #1: Survival of the Fittest

Science classes in public schools have long taught that only the strong survive. When we look at the world around us, we are tempted to believe the myth that strength is rewarded while weakness is crushed.

That’s not how God’s ecosystem works. He doesn’t seek the strong or the wise or the powerful. Instead, He lifts up the weak and the foolish and the despised so that no one can boast before Him.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Myth #2: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

The world teaches us from a young age to compete, to get what we deserve, to take what’s ours. It’s a rat race, and we see others get ahead by tearing and clawing their way to the top.

Once again, God’s way is completely opposite the world’s way. Not only does He not help those who help themselves, He also actively resists them while helping the humble.

Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. (Proverbs 3:34)

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)

Myth #3: God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle

Many find this myth encouraging when facing life’s struggles. It allows us to believe that we have an innate power to handle adversity and that somehow God will not breach our personal limits and push us beyond our capacity to endure.

But we read in the Bible that when we are weak, He is strong. When we reach the end of our ability to endure, He steps in and carries us. He doesn’t promise that we will have the power to endure; He promises that He will have the power to live in 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. (1 Corinthians 4:8-11)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Myth #4: Believe in Yourself

This myth is a favorite of the movies. Just when the protagonist faces failure, she believes in herself and finds success. This myth suggests that we follow our instincts, listen to our emotions, and follow our hearts

Unfortunately, our emotions are a fickle master. God’s word tells us to walk by faith, not by sight. We follow God’s way, even when our flesh yearns to go a different direction altogether. Rather than allow our decisions to be controlled by our emotions, we bring our emotions in line with God’s Word and insist that our will, thoughts, and emotions take a back seat to the gospel.

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Myth #5: Stick Up for Yourself

In a world filled with bullies, sticking up for yourself seems right. After all, if you don’t protect your rights, who will? This is our natural instinct. Protect your interests at all costs, make sure you get a good deal, don’t let anyone take advantage of you.

But God sees it differently. He says if someone asks you for a small thing, give him or her a big thing. Allow yourself to be defrauded. Don’t insist on being first, being right, or getting the best deal.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? (1 Corinthians 6:7)

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44)

If we examine the generally accepted wisdom of our day, we will find even more myths that are refuted in God’s word. In fact, the gospel itself is contrary to the philosophy of the world. After all, our human nature wants to earn our way to heaven, but God tells us that eternity with Him is freely available to anyone who believes.

Let us be like the Bereans in Acts 17 who examined every teaching to see if it lined up with Scripture before we accept it as true.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

How You Can Stand Strong in Temptation

Joseph faced great temptation, and all the odds were stacked against. He seemed bound to fail. And yet, to our astonishment, Joseph stood strong in the face of temptation.   

How did he do that? Where did he find that kind of strength under these circumstances? How was it possible for him to stand strong in temptation, and how is it possible for us to do the same? 

There are two parts to the answer here—strategies and motives, and both are important. Strategies deal with how you stand up to temptation. Motives deal with the desire and the power you need to put the strategies into practice. 

Three Strategies 
Strategy #1: Clear commitment 

“How then can I do this?” (Genesis 39:9) 

Joseph must have been aware that Potiphar’s wife had her eyes on him. He saw that trouble was brewing, and when it came out into the open, he had already settled the issue in his mind, “I cannot do this.” 

Why does an open mind in the face of temptation make failure inevitable? Because a godly life revolves around commitments, and if you have none your life will drift. In any situation of life, you need to ask, “What will likely be the big temptation here for me?” Name it, and then make a commitment before God to guard against it. 

This is huge when you go off to college. This is huge in the workplace. This is huge in any situation where you know that you’re likely to face temptation. 

There is tremendous value in making a vow of sexual purity before marriage, a vow that you will keep yourself for the spouse God may (or may not) have for you in the future. This is a vow or a commitment between you and God that you might share with a trusted friend. 

Then there is tremendous value in making a vow of sexual faithfulness within marriage. At the heart of a wedding is the giving and receiving of a vow, in which a man and a woman say to each other: “I will be loyal to you in regard to my body, my heart, and my mind.” 

The reason we make such a vow is that this gift of sexual union is a sacred trust from God, and it is not to be entered into lightly. So when we receive it, we surround it with the protection of a lifelong commitment to love, faithfulness, loyalty, and respect. 

Strategy #2: Clear communication 

[Potiphar’s] wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused. (Genesis 39:7-8) 

Do you get the clarity of this? Joseph didn’t say, “Let’s go out to Starbucks and talk about how both of us feel.” He refused. There were no mixed messages from Joseph. 

Strategy #3: Clear boundaries 

As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. (Genesis 39:10) 

Joseph didn’t say, “I can’t do what you ask, but we can always be friends.” After this thing had come out into the open, he gave Potiphar’s wife a wide berth. He did not play the game: How close can we get to the fire without getting burned? 

But one day, when the other servants were gone, Potiphar’s wife took advantage of the situation. She grabbed Joseph by his robe, and Joseph did the only thing he could do: He ran out of the house. Better to lose his robe, better to lose his job, better to lose anything, than to sin against God and against Potiphar and against the woman who was tempting him. 

How you can stand strong in temptation? You’ll never do it with an open mind. You have to have clear commitments, clear communication, and clear boundaries. 

Now you may be saying, “This makes perfect sense to me. I can see the wisdom of the strategies. But that’s not my problem. My problem is finding the desire, the power, the motivation to do this. Where do I get the strength to implement the strategies?” 

Three Motives 
Motive #1: The trust of a servant 

He refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.” (Genesis 39:8) 

Notice Joseph’s reasoning, his motive, and the clarity with which he deals with temptation: I’m a trusted servant, not a free agent, drifting around from one thing to another at the impulse of my own heart. I have a master. He has been good to me, and I will be loyal to him.  

You are not a free agent either. You are a servant of the Lord. Your master has been good to you. 

Motive #2: The wickedness of sin 

“How then can I do this great wickedness?” (Genesis 39:9) 

Joseph calls sin by its proper name. The world is always in the business of coining fresh language to make sin more acceptable. Instead of describing what Joseph was tempted to as an act of “adultery,” people today would call it “an affair” or “a fling.” It doesn’t sound quite so bad when you put it that way. 

Change the language and it doesn’t sound like such a big deal. And if Satan can persuade you that the sin to which you are tempted is not a big deal, it will not be long until you fall into temptation. What is the defense against this? 

What is the sin to which you are tempted? Call it by its proper name. Is it pride? Is it envy? The Bible says these things are an abomination to the Lord. If I call it that, it’s going to help motivate me to fight against it. Joseph calls the sin to which he is tempted “wickedness.” He sees and feels the sinfulness of sin, and that acts as a defense in his soul. 

Motive #3: The fear of the Lord 

“How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9) 

The great motive for the Christian in the battle against temptation is that you have come to love God. The fear of the Lord means that his frown would be your greatest dread, and His smile would be your greatest delight, and so for that reason, what God thinks of what you are doing carries weight in your life, in fact, it is the decisive thing. 

If you love the Lord, then grieving the Father who loves you, sinning against the Christ who died for you, and resisting the Holy Spirit who lives within you, will seem like a fearful thing, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?“

Photo Credit: Unsplash 
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: Luther, Superman, and more

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including one on how reading Luther can encourage today’s Christians, and another on why Superman can’t share the gospel.

Luther Taught Me to Have Faith Again Today (Lianna Davis, Unlocking the Bible)

God knows I am not perfect; I am not to approach Him as if I were. He knows I am not made to stand independently of Christ; I am never to approach Him as if I could. I come before the Father in Christ with faith—yesterday, today, and until faith becomes sight.

Superman Can’t Share The Gospel (Ronni Kurtz, For the Church)

You see, Superman can’t share the gospel. His self-sufficiency and undeniable strength make it a futile and rather silly enterprise. But you, Christian, you are not Superman, and praise God.

4 Ways to Battle Bitterness over ‘Minor Offenses’ in Marriage (William P. Farley, TGC)

Wise couples fear the power of bitterness to wither affection, strangle intimacy, and smother joy. When you hear, “I just don’t love my spouse anymore,” unresolved bitterness is often the culprit. Yet the writer of Proverbs says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov. 19:11).

4 Prayers to Pray through Spiritual Darkness (Crossway)

O Lord make us strong in you and in the power of your might: put your whole armor upon us, that we may stand steadfast against the crafty assaults of the Devil.

What Will I Find When I Look at Christ? (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Believe in Jesus Christ as far as you know Him, and you will know Him more. If you demand to have all your questions answered before you will follow, you will never believe. But if you are willing to believe on the basis of what God has shown you, Christ promises that you will see more.

It Is Well With My Soul

In the middle of suffering, can you say, “It is well with my soul”?

While sick on the couch one week, I read the Shunammite woman’s story in 2 Kings and was immediately helped. I’d been fighting fear because I was terrified that our infant daughter would catch my sickness, and because I had no idea how I would care for her in such a depleted state.

I’m not proud of the fruit I bore that week: frustration, unkindness, negativity, and even more fear and doubt. But God, in his mercy, convicted and helped me through his Word, through the story of the Shunammite woman’s suffering.

The Shunammite Woman’s Suffering

Here’s the short version (see 2 Kings 4:8-37):

A wealthy woman (our Shunammite) knew that Elisha was God’s prophet; so she convinced her husband to make him a small room on their roof, where he could rest when he passed by. Elisha figured she’d want something done for her in return (which she didn’t), so he promised her a son the following year. She conceived according to his word and despite her doubts.

When he’d grown, her God-given son died on her lap. Without hesitation, she saddled up her donkey and went to find Elisha for help:

When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” (vv. 25-26)

All is well? What?! Didn’t her son, her unexpected gift from God, just die on her lap? How could she say this?

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

And the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. (v. 17)

This Shunammite woman’s very decision to find Elisha is an act of remembering God’s faithfulness to her. He had provided her a son, as Elisha had promised, and she knew she could return to this God, and his man, in her time of need.

One of the hardest things in suffering is remembering because the most glaring, urgent thing is in front of our faces, and it doesn’t seem good. Rather than remember, we try to solve our problems. Our trials threaten to take up our attention, and our wayward hearts distract us from how God has worked in the past, leading us to fret and forget. This is why we seek to remember his faithfulness.

Do you need to pause right now in your suffering and remember? Remember how God has proven his great love for you by sending his Son to die upon a cross. Remember how he raised him from the dead, to give you resurrection life forever, to ultimately defeat every suffering, and wipe away every tear.

And, remember how he’s been faithful to answer your prayers in the past; to make you like his Son even when the answer was no; and not to waste a thing, from the smallest to the hardest of trials.

Remember God’s faithfulness, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Confessing Doubt

Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” (v. 28)

When Elisha first promised the Shunammite woman a son, she doubted him, saying, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant” (v. 16). So naturally, when her son dies, she confronts Elisha with these past doubts: “Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

It actually takes a great amount of faith to deal with our doubts, rather than sweep them under the rug and pretend they don’t exist. That may be easier, yes, but if we do this we won’t grow in our trust of God and his Word, or what it means to walk by faith rather than sight. Instead, when we acknowledge our doubts before the Lord in confession and prayer, he loosens their power over us—and deals a death-blow to our enemy who wants to derail our faith. We pray because our God responds.

What doubts do you need to confess? Are you doubting that God is good? Are you doubting that his promises can be trusted? Or, are you doubting his ability to change your circumstances, or to care for you in the midst of them? Tell him. God is more than capable of handling your doubts and transforming them into a more unshakeable, trusting faith.

Confess your doubts, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Clinging to Christ

And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet….Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” (v. 30)

Hear the desperation and trust in the Shunammite’s words as she refuses to leave Elisha’s side “as the Lord lives.” Her hope is in the Lord, who lives forever, and in God’s prophet—in his very word.

When suffering comes, we can move one of two directions: toward Christ in faith, or away from him in anger and bitterness. We can quickly turn to creature-comforts to deliver us from our afflictions, keeping God at arm’s length, or we can cling to his Word and hope in Christ alone.

You too can cling to Christ, the incarnate Word: his character, works, and promises. He’ll do what is best out of the goodness of his character; he will give you what you need to stand up under suffering; and he will satisfy you with his unfailing love. But even this trust is impossible apart from the power of the living God at work in us. So we say along with the Shunammite, “As the Lord lives, I will not leave you” because we believe the Word-made-flesh will never leave or forsake us, and will help us trust him by faith day by day.

Cling to Christ, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Rejoicing in the Resurrection

The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes….And when she came to [Elisha], he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. (vv. 35-37)

Elisha journeys to the woman’s home, and after praying and stretching himself out upon her son, the Lord answers his prayer, raising the boy miraculously from the dead.

Friend, we don’t know if our suffering will end in this life. It may not. But we do know that something greater—resurrection life—awaits us in Jesus Christ. Whether or not we are delivered here and now, someday we will be healed completely from the brokenness of this world. We will rejoice in the new heaven and new earth, where Jesus will be our light forever, where we will live in the splendor of his perfection and the restoration of all things, where sin and its effects will be no more.

No matter what you’re going through today, rejoice in Christ, for the resurrection is your sure future, and death no longer has a hold on you. You will finally come into the presence of Jesus, fall at his feet, and exult in his beautiful glory—and your pain and suffering will be wiped away for good.

Rejoice in the resurrection, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

[This article was originally published February 2018, and re-posted October 2019]

4 Ways We Act as if Death is King

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. (1 John 3:13-14)

Love is an essential component of the Christian life. Due to Christ’s work on the cross, as John says, we have “passed out of death into life.” As Christians, we do not abide in death, like those who do not love, but we abide in Christ—who is our life.

Notice that John does not diminish the power of death. Death still exists, and it holds many people within its grasp. By not loving, people reaffirm death’s authority over them.

Here are four ways this can happen:

1.) We Over-Protect our Time

Death says, “You only have one life. Are you enjoying it? Are you spending your time well, given that it will all be over in a matter of years? Are you sure you want to volunteer at church—that’s three hours of your day! Are you sure it’s a good idea to do the dishes every night—you’re wasting your life!”

But Jesus Christ says about Himself, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This life of ours is not our one and only life.

When we value time too much, we become reluctant to spend it. We hoard our time. This then is an indicator that we believe death’s lies, and that part of us is still living under death’s reign.

The promise of eternal life, however, means we don’t have to hoard our time here on earth. There is a whole bunch of it awaiting us in heaven, which Christ will sustain for eternity.

2.) We Give Partial Effort

Death says, “None of your work matters. It’s all going to be wiped away. Forgotten. Why strive for no reason? It makes no difference whether you work hard or give partial effort! Who cares if you are not a good steward—no one is keeping you accountable anyway.”

But Jesus says, “For [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property… Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:14, 19).

We are the servants, and Jesus is our master. He is coming back! Death says everything we have is an accident, given to us by chance and will be taken away. But Jesus tells us that He has given us everything, and one day we will be accountable for what we’ve done with it.

What gifts has God given you? Use them for His glory! As Jesus said, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).

3.) We Don’t Rest

Death also says, “You better work real hard. Any legacy you want to attain has to be done here on earth. That’s where it really matters. You want people to remember you, right? Do something big. Make lots of money. Establish your reputation.”

But Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

Death wants us to be busy making a name for ourselves, and makes sure we feel stressed when we have to give up our time for something that doesn’t help our reputation. You might note that death pushes us to not only despair of work but also to increase our work—and therein is the cruel inconsistency of death.

Jesus, as seen in John 9:4, calls us to work hard for His glory. But what He is saying about work is the exact opposite of what death is saying. If death motivates you to work hard by dragging the carrot in front of you, always keeping it out of reach, Jesus compels you to good works by giving you everything you need beforehand.

In other words, death calls us to earn, and there is no rest in death’s framework. Jesus saves us, then calls us to work as a result of salvation, not as a way to gain it.

And since we are saved in Christ, we can rest in Christ too.

4.) We Stress about the Unknown

Death says, “You know you are not in control. What will happen to you in the future? What will happen to those around you? You better provide for every last possible outcome.”

But Jesus says, “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:30-32).

Jesus assures us that death is not ultimately in control, but God is.

Belief in Christ is the Key to Love, Defying Death

As John wrote, the one who does not love abides in death. For, if we listening to the lies of death, we will hoard our time, give partial effort, refuse rest, and stress about the unknown.

Love, on the other hand, spends all of its time for the sake of others. Love gives full effort. Love provides space for rest. And love brings constant joy to the believer. This is the way to the abundant life which Jesus promised believers (John 10:10).

Death is an intimidating force. He boasts an undefeated record, and believes himself to be the king. But the Bible tells us Jesus rose from the dead—gaining victory over sin and death.

So, we have two options: We can follow Christ’s teachings and love another, in spite of death’s supposed reign, or we can choose to not love, in spite of Christ’s reign.

Who do you believe?

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Jesus Is The Ruler Who Knows You

____________________

Who is Jesus?

He is the sovereign God who knows all things. Nothing is hidden from Him. Before a thought goes through your mind, and before a word leaves your tongue, God knows it completely. He knows everything about you. How that feels depends entirely on whether the One who knows you is for you or against you. And it depends on whether you are for or against him.

David knew that God was for him, and David was for God, so he said, “You know me completely, and such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is wonderful that you know me. How else would I ever be invited to your banquet? If you did not know me and love me, how would I ever be invited into your house?”

The woman at the well goes running to her town and says, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did!” And she is full of joy, even though Jesus told her about a lot of stuff she should not have done. So why was she glad about it? Because she had discovered that the One who knew her also loved her and that there was hope for her in Him.

The ruler who knows you is the brother who loves you.

When you get a taste of His love for you, it will not be long before you find in your heart a love that returns to Him. We love Him because He has first loved us.

And this ruler, who is in nature God, who is our brother because He became man in Jesus Christ and He takes His stand alongside of you, is the victim who is ready to forgive you. What happened to Him? Jesus is the victim who suffered on account of our sins. All of our sins are sins against Him. That’s why our sins were laid on Him at the cross. He became the sacrifice. He was the victim.

But now risen and exalted, He stands ready to forgive us, to welcome all who will be reconciled to Him, to call us His brothers and sisters, to seat us at His table, where He will feed us and nourish us, even to eternal life. You are known, you are loved, and you can be forgiven, through Jesus Christ, who is the one and only Son of God.

When you see who He is, why would you not submit to Him as your ruler, love him as your brother, and trust Him as the Savior who gave Himself as the sacrifice for your sin? When you do, you will be able to say:

Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you!

The Father’s wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you!

Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you!

This sermon clip was taken from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Welcomed and Fed,” from his series Snapshots of a Godly Life, Part 1.

Jesus is The Ruler Who Knows You

____________________

Who is Jesus?

He is the sovereign God who knows all things. Nothing is hidden from Him. Before a thought goes through your mind, and before a word leaves your tongue, God knows it completely. He knows everything about you. How that feels depends entirely on whether the One who knows you is for you or against you. And it depends on whether you are for or against him.

David knew that God was for him, and David was for God, so he said, “You know me completely, and such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is wonderful that you know me. How else would I ever be invited to your banquet? If you did not know me and love me, how would I ever be invited into your house?”

The woman at the well goes running to her town and says, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did!” And she is full of joy, even though Jesus told her about a lot of stuff she should not have done. So why was she glad about it? Because she had discovered that the One who knew her also loved her and that there was hope for her in Him.

The ruler who knows you is the brother who loves you.

When you get a taste of His love for you, it will not be long before you find in your heart a love that returns to Him. We love Him because He has first loved us.

And this ruler, who is in nature God, who is our brother because He became man in Jesus Christ and He takes His stand alongside of you, is the victim who is ready to forgive you. What happened to Him? Jesus is the victim who suffered on account of our sins. All of our sins are sins against Him. That’s why our sins were laid on Him at the cross. He became the sacrifice. He was the victim.

But now risen and exalted, He stands ready to forgive us, to welcome all who will be reconciled to Him, to call us His brothers and sisters, to seat us at His table, where He will feed us and nourish us, even to eternal life. You are known, you are loved, and you can be forgiven, through Jesus Christ, who is the one and only Son of God.

When you see who He is, why would you not submit to Him as your ruler, love him as your brother, and trust Him as the Savior who gave Himself as the sacrifice for your sin? When you do, you will be able to say:

Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you!

The Father’s wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you!

Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you!

This sermon clip was taken from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Welcomed and Fed,” from his series Snapshots of a Godly Life, Part 1.