Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 38

The Bible Promises These Two Kinds of Progress

We previously talked about the different reactions to the sowing of God’s Word, and how the enemy plants weeds into the fruitful harvest. Now put yourself in the shoes of the first disciples as they listen to the teaching of Jesus in these parables: 

“So Jesus, we are to be sowers of the Word with you, and you’re telling us that when we sow this seed, the devil will be at work snatching it away. Trouble and persecution will come to people who receive it gladly. And on top of it all, when the seed falls in good soil, the enemy will sow weeds, and we won’t be able to pull them up. 

“You want us to commit our lives to this? What chance do we have? How in the world are we going to sustain a lifetime of service with all of that against us?”  

To answer that question, Jesus gives us two parables that promise us sustained progress. This progress comes in two ways: 

Visible Growth (The Progress of the Gospel in the World)   

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.” (Matthew 13:31) 

Here is what the rule of Christ looks like in the world. It is like a tiny seed. Jesus says it is the smallest of seeds. It is the smallest of all the seeds that were used in Palestinian gardens. [1] “When it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree” (Matthew 13:32). Christ’s kingdom has a small beginning but it will lead to a great and glorious outcome. 

Think about the small beginning of the gospel in the world. Our Savior was poor in this world, and he was put to death beside two criminals on a cross. After that, about 120 fearful followers remained, and they met for prayer in an upper room.  

His first preachers were a few fishermen and publicans who for the most part were unskilled and uneducated men. The first truth that they preached was the cross, which was bound to raise antagonism, since it was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles.  

The first movements of the faith brought persecution, first on the leaders, and then for the followers. [2]  

The Christian faith began as a tiny grain of mustard seed. But the seed had life in it, and from these small beginnings, the gospel spread. As the gospel has been preached, the risen Christ has been laying claim to more and more people’s lives.  

Never be discouraged that a work is small if Jesus Christ is at its center! The kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed. It may be small now, but it is part of something glorious that will last forever.  

I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) 

You shouldn’t be ashamed of it either. 

Pervasive Influence (The Progress of the Gospel in a Believer)  

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33) 

If you’ve made your own bread, you know all about this: Leaven, like yeast, produces fermentation in the dough, causing it to rise when it is baked. Every time bread was made, a piece of leavened dough was put into storage. When the next batch of dough was made, the leavened dough was mixed into it, causing the new dough to rise before it was baked.  

Jesus is saying that a small amount of the leaven mixed into a batch of dough will permeate the whole lump and change its entire nature. Bake it without leaven and it is hard, crispy, and flat. Bake it with leaven and it rises light and fluffy, and delicious to eat.  

Think about this in relation to your experience as a Christian. When God’s grace comes into your heart, it’s like a leaven being mixed into the dough of your life. 

Think about how that began. You began to feel an awakening to spiritual things. Maybe there was dissatisfaction in your own life, or with the shallowness of other people around you. You saw something in Christ that drew you. 

God began a work of grace in your heart, and gradually what he began in you permeates the whole of your life. God’s grace begins to influence your conscience, your affections, your mind. It’s changing your nature from the inside out.

The rule of Christ in the life of a believer may have a small beginning, but it will end in a complete transformation: “He who began a good work in your will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). 

When he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) 

Never Lose Hope

When you become a Christian, you begin to see how far you are from what God is calling you to be. There is a new longing for holiness in your life.  Sometimes all you can see is how far short of it you are.  

Satan keeps saying to you, “Look at what you were.” But Jesus says to you, “Look at what you will be!” 

You are not yet conformed to the image of Christ. But the leaven of Christ is present in your life. His grace will permeate every part of your life. The entire dough of your life will be leavened. The nature of every part of you – soul and body – will be changed. And the day is coming when you will be like Christ. 

This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Progress,” from his series Ministry Matters.  



Photo Credit: Unsplash 

__________ 

[1] John Macarthur, Commentary on Matthew 8-15, p. 369, Moody, 1987. 

[2] Adapted from J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, p. 20ff, Crossway, 1993.  

5 Key Connections: A Poem, A Kwitter, and more

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian content around the web, including a poem on Jesus as the sacrificial lamb and an article on why quitting Twitter might be a good idea.

On Being A Kwitter (Tim Challies)

Yet Twitter is a medium that seems to generate conflict and to thrive upon it. I find it a discouraging and intimidating place to be. I derive negligible pleasure from it. It adds nothing necessary to my life and very little that’s truly beneficial.

Where is the Lamb? (Peter Spaulding, Fathom)

A great poem that gets at, in my reading of it, Isaac’s willingness to fulfill God’s will, foreshadowing Jesus’s willing sacrifice of his innocent life in order to redeem us. God’s love for us came at a great cost to Him!

An impressively bearded Abraham
looms over a chiseled and youthful
Isaac that makes you wonder, like,
how’d Abraham even get him down?

Hebrews 13:9-25: Christ is Better Than Any Other (Josh Moody, God Centered Life)

What then do we learn from this Book of Hebrews? First, that Christ is better than any other Old Testament religion, and therefore, that he is also better than any other “new” idea too. And the consequence is that we must not give up meeting together but encourage one another daily and all the more as we see the return of Christ approaching.  

Desiring Christ (Jeremy Walker/John Flavel, The Wanderer)

Consider the way and course you have taken since you came into the world, proceeding from iniquity to iniquity. What command of God have you not violated a thousand times over? What sin is committed in the world, that you are not one way or other guilty of before God? How many secret sins upon your score, unknown to the most intimate friend you have in the world? Either this guilt must be separated from your souls, or your souls from God to all eternity.

5 Surprising Truths about Biblical Kindness (Davis Wetherell, Unlocking the Bible)

God’s kindness is stronger than death! This was true in Naomi’s day, in Paul’s day, and also in ours. If we are in Christ, we shall always see the power of God’s lovingkindness.

Love God and Your Neighbor by Knowing God’s Word

You probably learned and heard in Sunday school what the most important commandments are, or maybe in the midst of a fight with a sibling your mother was quick to remind you of this often-quoted command:

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)

When we think of ways to grow in our love for God and our neighbors, we often think of public or visible acts of service in which we give our time and resources: volunteering in church, donating money and clothes, babysitting for a tired mom, cooking a meal for a mourning family, and the like.

But have we ever considered that loving God and loving our neighbors well means that we must know God’s Word well?

Love God with All Your Being

Jesus commands us to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. This is a whole person command. Loving God doesn’t only involve our feelings and emotions. We don’t only love Him with our intellect. Loving God doesn’t only require physical action. Loving God involves all of those components together, and each of those aspects come into submission to the Word of God.

Our emotions must be submitted to the Word. The knowledge that our minds collect must be in line with what the Bible says. Our actions must be obedient to what Scripture has revealed. The Bible, being living and active, equips us for that. As Paul wrote to Timothy: 

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

The Bible also fuels us to love God with our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Doctrine and theology should ignite a passion to go and live for God and be obedient to Him. Theology gives us courage to go forward when we are fearful, downcast, or dismayed. 

When we are fearful about evangelism, knowing God’s sovereignty over salvation can kill our fear. Knowing God is using our suffering for good helps us find joy even in the midst of our trials. Knowing God, and how He is at work, grows our hearts to love Him more. 

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

How does knowing the Bible help us to love our neighbors? The Bible tells us how to love our neighbors, sometimes in ways that the world would tell us is wrong or involves too much giving of our own selves. And, the Bible equips us to love our neighbors even when it’s hard and goes against everything in our being.

The Bible tells us what isn’t loving and does further harm. And, the Bible furnishes us to love our neighbors as ourselves. But if we aren’t careful in studying Scripture, we can easily twist it (possibly by accident) in such a way that keeps us from loving one another as we should.

We are all teachers to some extent—whether formally in a class, in day-to-day life as parents, or as informally as having a conversation with our neighbor. As teachers, rightly handling the Word is part of how we love our students. James calls us to carefully consider our roles as teachers because of the impact of our work. 

We don’t want to lead those we mentor or teach into heresy, false teaching, deception, or burdens they were never meant to carry. Many of us probably have those cringe-worthy memories of legalistic counsel we gave, leading a Bible study that was gospel-less with passages pulled from their original context, or an evangelistic opportunity in which we botched the gospel. These memories make our cheeks red with embarrassment. I know because I have those memories too. 

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We want to fill ourselves with right doctrine and truth from God’s Word, and so loving our neighbors as ourselves should lead to the same desire and the same careful discernment and discretion we use when teaching ourselves. As much as we care about what kind of theology and teaching we are consuming, we should be filled with passion to feed others the same kind of goodness.

We Can’t Do It on Our Own

Perhaps you see now that your lack of care for handling the Bible has led to a lack of love towards God and others. You’re remembering even more instances that you didn’t rightly use Scripture or you made a bad interpretation, and now you’re full of shame and fear. You don’t want this to happen again.

And so you begin cramming your mind with resources, sound theology, and thorough exegetical study because then you will be able to love God and love your neighbor perfectly.

Friend, let me reassure you—you will still get it wrong.

We are sinful, and we can’t love anyone on our own, not God or our neighbor. Rather, “We love because [God] first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). Before God gave us new hearts to love and obey Him, we were selfish and hateful people. As Paul wrote in Titus,

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7)

Though at times we may have shown good deeds and love, our actions were always corrupted by sin. And even if we loved people sort of well, we still despised God. 

Unlike us, Christ walked the earth loving God and loving neighbour perfectly—he never gave way to the temptation to be disobedient, to slander, be sinfully angry, or selfish. He obeyed His Father in all that He did, unlike us. And when He died on the cross, He gave us this righteousness and took the punishment for our sins.

When we have placed our trust in Christ for salvation, we can stand before God as if we lived the perfect life that Christ did.

Don’t leave this article thinking that if you only memorized every inch of the Bible or if you collected solid theology you’d be able to love God and your neighbor well. We need to first be redeemed by God and have His power at work in us. We need the Holy Spirit sanctifying us (making us more like Christ) so that we can be obedient.

It is only then that out of gratitude to God for His saving work that we are able to submit to His Word and how it has called us to love God and love others. Out of love for Christ, we submit to Him as Lord.

Growing In Love

We all have room to grow in this endeavor to love God and our neighbors better, and the only way growth will happen is by the Holy Spirit as He uses the Word in our hearts.

Together, let’s go onward, making disciples and being disciples, loving God and loving neighbor, our foundations being the Bible rightly handled.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

5 Surprising Truths about Biblical Kindness

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a person who does not want kindness. In today’s society, people generally agree that more kindness would make the world a better place. But what exactly is it? Where does it come from? What does it do?

Definitions of this word often associate the word with being friendly, generous, and considerate. While this may be helpful, these three terms can fail to depict the full nature of what kindness looks like. Here are five things the Bible reveals about kindness rooted in Christ, which gives the term some needed substance:

1.)
Kindness is Powerful

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared… (Titus 3:3-4)

Consider
what Paul is claiming here.

He is
saying that we were fools. We did not obey. We followed leaders who took us
astray. Not only this but we spent all our time wishing we had what others had
and being angry at them for having it. Other people hated us, and we returned
the favor. If I met a person like this today, I would likely say, “They are too
far gone! Nothing can bring them back to goodness.”

Then
everything shifts as Paul writes, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of
God our Savior appeared.” Just like that, the previous evils are overshadowed
by the great mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   

Kindness, like meekness, gets confused for passivity and ineffectiveness. But the Bible says otherwise—it is the tool of God’s omnipotence. Kindness is so powerful, it is even stronger than death!

2.)
Kindness Is Stronger than Death

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead! (Ruth 2:20)

In discussing a man whom Ruth just met (Boaz), Naomi hopes for
best. She says, “may he be blessed by the Lord,” and then she describes the
Lord with these amazing words: “whose kindness has not forsaken the living or
the dead!”

This woman has seen many trials in her life. First, a famine in
her home land caused Naomi and her whole family to flee. Then, her husband died.
And then, her two sons pass away. All she had left was her two
daughters-in-law, which would soon become one daughter-in-law after the other
went back home.

This woman was familiar with death. We may think that she would distrust
God or think that He did not care for her or her family. But, in reality, Naomi
believes in God’s goodness and knows Him to have a lasting kindness extending
both to herself and to her deceased family members.

Death was not enough to make Naomi doubt God’s kindness. Nor was it enough, she knew, to separate her husband and sons from it.

Her words sound a lot like what Paul writes in his letter to the
Romans: “For I am sure that neither death nor life… will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

God’s kindness is stronger than death! This was true in Naomi’s day, in Paul’s day, and also in ours. If we are in Christ, we shall always see the power of God’s lovingkindness.

3.)
Kindness Prepares for Repentance

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

So, kindness has significant power,
and it’s power is not meant to simply make us feel better about ourselves. The
power of kindness is seen in how it leads people to repentance.

Remember this next time someone makes
you angry. You want them to know how they hurt you, and you want them to never
do it again. When I am in this position, I usually use a different tool than
kindness. I may use spite, gossip, or coldness, thinking to myself that
kindness will only encourage their behavior.

This fruit of the Spirit entails forbearance, yet Scripture also tells us that God uses kindness to lead us into repentance. Why should I use a tool other than the one God chooses to use?

4.) Kindness Can Hurt

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
   let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head. (Psalm 141:5)

When I think of actions associated
with kindness, I think of “hug,” “listen,” or “smile.” I certainly do not think
of “strike!” Yet, Psalm 141 brings together the two words.

When someone speaks a hard truth into
your life, it can hurt. Sometimes it feels like they have betrayed you, like
they don’t understand you anymore, or like they are looking down on you. In the
moment, you can’t see why they would say what they did—and it just feels like
an aimless, unprompted attack.

And yet, what at first seems like an
aimless attack may actually be a compassionate gesture, pushing you back toward
fixing your eyes on Christ. Once your eyes are on Him, you can look back and
say: “I was in a bad place, and thanks to the kind strike from my friend, I’ve
returned to the peace that comes from Jesus.”

5.)
Kindness Brings Honor

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor. (Proverbs 21:21)

Once again, kindness sometimes carries a connotation
of insignificance and failure. Kindness might seem like a nice ideal to some,
but if they really want to “make a difference” or “be someone important,” then they
can’t be kind all the time.

First of all, this is not true. As we have already
demonstrated, kindness is powerful, and it can change the person you never
thought would change.

Secondly, it is slightly true. This world promises
certain honors, many of which could be missed by a person who was kind all the
time. Yet, as Christians, we are called to strive for a greater honor. We are
called to imitate the sufferings of Jesus, which result in an imperishable
honor.

There is great honor waiting for those who pursue kindness—for
they are zealous for good works for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Don’t miss out on this honor by walking in the way of the world.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

When the Miracle You Prayed For Doesn’t Come

If you have prayed for a miracle of healing or good provision from God’s hand that did not come, not only are you anguished about your circumstance but—compounding that pain—perhaps you are now also grieving that your God did not answer your prayer.

Expressing sorrow over both realities before the Lord for what He has
not sovereignly deemed fit to give you can form the substance humble laments
while suffering.

While you lament, remember that God can undoubtedly accommodate our
complexities. You may be confounded and sorrowing in one area of your heart.
But the heart can experience more than one emotion—especially when more than
one truth is at play.

Multiple Truths at Play, Multiple Emotions

Your suffering is real. So, let the grieving areas of your heart grieve,
the sorrowing sorrow. And while they are, while you grieve that your miracle
has not come, look for another resonating truth. I would even guess that an
area of biblical truth will so strike you that you will experience joy and hope
in the knowledge of God in the middle of your suffering that you otherwise
would not be able to comprehend in the same way.

Allow me to illustrate.

The intricacies of the Godhead I do not fathom. But since the stillbirth
of my daughter, I marvel differently now that God gave His Son to death and planned
this death before the foundation of the world. Also, the miracle of the new
birth, I cannot fully grasp. But I am more amazed at God birthing us to eternal
life when I was incapable of birthing a daughter alive on earth.

Though what you dearly sought has not come, what biblical truth
resonates with you?

Not According to How We Pray

By the power of the Spirit, we can never overestimate what biblical truth can do within us. The apostle Paul wrote in doxological form:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)

Perhaps these kinds of words are difficult to read right now—God doing abundantly for us. Yes, God is able to perform miracles. He was able to make my daughter’s heart beat again in my womb. He did not. Clearly, I am writing and you are reading because He does not necessarily answer prayers according to how we pray. And He is no less able.

He knows why He does not do; you and I might not understand now, in this
present life, His wisdom. But could it be that He is doing beyond what we ask?
Could it be that what He is working on our behalf is more than what we think?
We do not grasp future glory; we cannot fathom what earthly sufferings are
achieving for us (2 Corinthians 4:17). We don’t comprehend,
but we can trust.

Two Realities to Hold

And there is a main component of Ephesians 3:20 we can understand more immediately,
a near reality. God is accomplishing more than we know to ask or think according
to “the power at work within us.” Power is also referenced only a few verses
earlier—in Ephesians 3:16 where Paul prays about the power of the Holy Spirit
in our inner beings.

Throughout Ephesians 3:14-20, God is being
asked to help believers comprehend more of Him, that our hearts might be
strengthened…

…with
power through God’s Spirit in our inner beings. …in
order for Christ to dwell in them through faith. …with
rootedness in His love.…with
all the saints in the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love.…to know
the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. …to be
filled to our maximum of the limitless fullness of God. …to
trust God’s power at work within us. …and, to
rejoice in all glory being His for all He is and has done throughout all
generations.

Our hearts are strengthened as we become personally convinced that truth
is true by the power of the Holy Spirit. Who on this earth can tell what that
power at work in us and through us will achieve?

We lament; at the very same time: more than we ask, more than we think.

Hold both when the miracle you prayed for doesn’t come.  

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7 Elements of Jesus’s Parable of the Weeds

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” (Matthew 13:24-25) 

Last post we discussed what happens when you sow the seed of God’s Word. Today we come to a second parable in which our Lord tells us more about the experience of a true Christian in this world. 

In the first parable, our Lord spoke about four different kinds of soil. Now it is as if the camera zooms in on the good soil. The other three – the path, the rocky ground, and the thorns drop out of sight. So now we are looking at the good soil. Picture a beautiful field with furrows plowed in straight lines, rich dark soil, and lots of good seed in the ground.  

Now what happens with the good soil? The good soil will produce and abundant crop. But that is only half of the story. There is more to be said, and so we have this second parable in which our Lord focuses in on the experience of a true believer in this world. 

Seven Elements of Our Lord’s Story  



1. The Owner 

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field… The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.” (Matthew 13:24, 37)

The one who sows the good seed owns the field. It is “his” field. Then, we are told that “the field is the world” (13:38). So this sower of good seed is the owner of the whole world. 

Notice that Jesus says the one who sows the good seed, (the owner of the world) is ‘the Son of Man’ (13:37). Jesus used this name “Son of Man” 84 times in the Gospels and he always used it to refer to himself. [1]  

So Christ says, “The whole world is mine!”  

2. The Enemy 

But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away… The enemy… is the devil. (Matthew 13:25, 39)

The owner (Christ) has an enemy, and you cannot understand the world as it is without taking into account the enemy and his work. Christ tells us that his enemy is the devil (13:39). If you do not believe in the devil, remember that Jesus Christ did.  

The power of this enemy is so great and the work of this enemy is so vast that it took God an incarnation, a cross, and a resurrection to bring his kingdom to a defeat.   

3. The Seed  

The good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one. (Matthew 13:38)

In the Parable of the Sower we looked at last week, the seed was the Word of God that is sown in the ground. But here the picture changes. In this second parable, the seed is people who are growing where they are planted in the world.  

Just as there are two sowers, there are two kinds of seed. The different seeds are different kinds of people. The good seed is the “sons of the kingdom.” That is, people who live under the rule of God in their lives. The weeds are the “sons of the evil one.” That is, people who, like the evil one, place themselves on the throne of their own lives. 

Notice the destructiveness of the enemy’s work. He sows destructive seed in Christ’s field. He has no positive objective in mind. The motivating force of all his work is simply to destroy the harvest. 

Do you ever scratch your head and say, “Why have so many terrible things happened in the history of the church of Jesus Christ?” Here is at least part of the answer.

4. The Field  

“The field is the world.” (Matthew 13:38)

These words are crucial to understanding what this parable is about. Many writers treat this as a parable about the church, i.e. to show there can never be a pure church. That is certainly true this side of heaven. While there are some applications of this parable for the church, this parable is not about the church.

Jesus says quite clearly, “The field is the world!”  And John Macarthur says very helpfully, “This is a picture of the church in the world, not of the world in the church.” [2]  

5. The Question  

“Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” (Matthew 13:27)

If God is so good, if Christ is so mighty, then why is there so much evil in the world? 

This is a profound question, and it arises in every generation: Where does this evil come from? If Jesus triumphed over evil on the cross, then why is it flourishing today?  

People in Jesus’s day assumed that when the kingdom came, the Messiah would blow the whistle and it would be game over for evil. But Jesus came without judgment.  

Isaiah says the coming Messiah will “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance” (Isaiah 61:2). Early on in Jesus’ ministry (Luke 4:19), He got up and read this, but stopped halfway through the verse! What about the day of vengeance? 

Grace comes with Jesus now; judgment comes with Jesus later. What’s going to happen between now and then?  

6. The Growth 

“Let both grow together until the harvest.” (Matthew 13:30) 

Evil will grow alongside the good until the return of Christ. That is the teaching of Jesus, and we need this wisdom if we are to sustain a lifetime of ministry, because we need to understand the nature of the world in which we are living.  

Is this world getting better or is it getting worse? Both! This world is getting better and it is getting worse at the same time!  

The good seed is growing and producing an abundant harvest.  And the weeds are growing too. With every week that passes they are larger and more deeply rooted than before.   

7. The Harvest  

“At harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:30) 

We are living in the day of God’s grace. The Day of Judgment has not yet come, and until that day, this is what the kingdom will look like: Good wheat in a field laced with weeds. 

It has become popular, especially among younger Christians, to talk about “bringing in the kingdom,” or to set things right in the world. It’s important to remember that ‘bringing in the kingdom’ means pulling up the weeds and breaking up the great power structures of evil in this world. 

That work of judgment belongs to Christ. He has not given it to us to do.  

He calls us to live and grow in this world until he comes and brings about a righteous judgment in which all will be brought to account before him. That day will come, and when it does, the weeds will be gathered and bound together in bundles. 

Three Applications from our Lord’s Story  



1. Stay Engaged

“Let both grow together.” (Matthew 13:30) 

Where has God rooted you down? Where have you been sown? Stay engaged! 

Don’t be on an agenda of withdrawal from the world. There are no ideal spots in this world. Wherever Christ sows his people Satan sows his weeds. So bloom where you are planted.  

Augustine said: “Those who are weeds today may be wheat tomorrow.” [3] 

2. Practice Tolerance  

“Let both grow together.” (Matthew 13:30) 

The word tolerance had been hijacked in our culture. It used to mean showing patience and forbearance towards people with whom you radically disagree. Now it is used to mean affirming what others affirm. But there is no need for tolerance between people who affirm the same convictions. If you agree what is there to tolerate? 

Tolerance is a wonderful Christian virtue that is needed where there are deep-seated disagreements. It means showing patience and forbearance towards people you find really difficult, and with whom you radically disagree.  

It does not mean passivity. It does not mean that you give up concern for another person’s spiritual condition. Jesus makes it clear that in this world, the wheat needs to grow alongside the weeds until the Son of Man comes.  

Always remember, the mission of the church is sowing seeds not pulling weeds. We have a big enough challenge on our hands trying to deal with sin in our own hearts, our own families, and our own churches. It is not in our power or in our calling to root it out in the world. That is the work of Christ and he will do it when he comes. 

3. Anticipate the Harvest   

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)  

God will harvest the wheat. He will bring His people home, and the righteous will shine like the sun. With whom will you be bundled on that day? 

May you be found in the bundle of life with the people of God who submit their lives to King Jesus and stand before the Father in the grace that they find in Him.  

This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s Sermon, “Limitations,” from his series Ministry Matters. 



Photo Credit: Unsplash 
__________ 

[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 546, Zondervan, 1994.  

[2] John Macarthur, Commentary on Matthew 8-15, p. 377, Moody, 1987. 

[3] Cited in J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, p. 147, Crossway, 1993. 

5 Key Connections: Hebrews, Whole Woman of Faith

Here are 5 key passages from recent Christian articles around the web, including one article on being a whole woman of faith, and another on an important message found in Hebrews.

A Whole Woman of Faith: The Need for Doctrine and Deeds (Lara d’Entremont, Servants of Grace)

The question is not simply if you are theologically well-versed, but how are you using that theology? Does your theology lead you to love others better? Does your theology lead you to serve God whole-heartedly? Does your theology shape your daily life? If your theology has not changed your heart, your theology is useless.

Hebrews 10:19-39: Don’t Shrink Back (Josh Moody, God Centered Life)

The author of Hebrews is warning us that we cannot turn our backs on God and expect that there will be no consequences. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. There is no room for complacency. We must stick with Christ. We must press on to holiness. We must live up to our calling. We must make sure of what we say we believe. Don’t drift. Don’t abandon Christ.

4 Different Responses A Sower of God’s Word Sees (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Some people who hear the Word will be unresponsive. If you are a sower of God’s Word, you know how hard and discouraging this can be. You are trying to teach the Word of God. You break it down to make it as simple as you possibly can, but your son or daughter, or a member of your small group just doesn’t get it. 

5 Questions to Ask When You’re Not Getting Anything Out of Your Pastor’s Sermons (Daniel Darling, Facts & Trends)

The local pastor you have is the one God gave you, who knows you and is laboring, day in and day out, to care for his people. Your pastor can’t and shouldn’t compete with your podcast.

Pursuing the Will of God as a Student(Dave Jenkins, Unlocking the Bible)

You and I are not called as Christians to seek out this hidden will, which we cannot know because God hides it from His people. Instead, His people are to live by what the Lord has revealed about Himself in His Word.

God’s Promise to Christians Who Feel Defeated

I want to speak to Christians who feel defeated. I want you to hear this promise: By his power, and through Jesus Christ, God’s promise to you in the Gospel is that you should escape the corruption caused by evil desires. Sin shall no longer be your master.

You will not escape the battle with evil desires. But if you are in Christ, you have escaped their power over you. Stop telling yourself you are in chains when God has set you free.

I thank God for this promise. A gospel that offers forgiveness but not power isn’t big enough for life. Many people have heard a gospel that is about forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future, but it says nothing about God’s power to change your life now.

That’s why there are many who attend church and profess faith, but never grow. They remain stuck in the same failures, gripped by the same fears, trapped in the same despair.

Peter says “Let me tell you about a faith that is big enough for life. Let me tell you about God’s power that gives us everything we need for life and godliness. That power will come into your life through Jesus Christ who calls you by His own glory and goodness.”

And here is His promise: His Spirit will live in you, giving you new power, new desire, and new capacity, so that you will escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires! Sin shall no longer be your master!

This is an excerpt from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Everything You Need for Life.”



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Self-Control In Christ Alone Brings Freedom

Self-control
is in high regard these days.

The regard, however, is for a kind of self-control that pushes against outside feedback. It says, I know myself best. So only I can control how I live.

But this is not how the Bible talks about self-control in the slightest. The Bible is cautious about the self, recognizing man’s fallen nature and indwelling sin. Scripture urges us to stay in command. In other words, self in self-control is not an exclusive authority to appeal to but a wayward force to exercise control over.

Culture at large seems defines to self-control as, “An individual having the right to decide for themselves what is best.” Yet, the Bible defines it in the exact opposite way. A summary might be: “A believer in Christ proactively controlling their self, which needs be to trained up in godliness.”

The phrase “a believer in Christ” is essential to fruitful self-control, for here is the truth: Only the one who is in Christ can truly control their self.

Self-Control Without Christ is Limiting

Here
are a few reasons why self-control without Christ is unfruitful and limiting.

1.) Without Christ, we cannot view ourselves rightly.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. (Titus 2:6)

Earlier
in Titus, Paul gives a whole list of things for older men to do, while here he
has one pointed thing to say to Titus when it comes to teaching young men: urge
them to be self-controlled. Why is this such an important command for younger men?

The
first answer we’d all set forward is something having to do with equipping
young men to fight against lust. This is good and true. And, there might be
another lesson here as well.

Here’s my guess, the same word Paul uses in Titus, translated self-control, is used in his letter to the Romans, translated as sober judgment:

I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment. (Romans 12:3)

Paul is telling his readers that they should view themselves rightly. Is it not true that young men tend to think of themselves more highly than they ought? So Paul then might be saying to Titus: “Make sure the young men know who they really are. Don’t let them have too high a view of themselves. Make sure they are sober-minded.”

Surely this is something we all need to be reminded of. So how can we have sober judgment about ourselves?

Look to the cross. Look at our perfect savior, who bled and died for us. What does this tell us about who we are? We are sinners, we need redemption, and God made provision for us because we are loved by Him.

That’s
who we are!

2.) Without Christ, we remain in darkness.

…for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8)

The line above, written by Paul to believers in Ephesus, applies to believers, who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. They were once darkness, but now they are light because they are “in the Lord.”

The implication, then, is those who are not in Christ are still in darkness. This is a spiritual darkness that keeps a person from seeing reality. Not only this but a person in darkness confuses their thoughts for true light. Jesus warns us about this:

Be careful lest the light in you be darkness. (Luke 11:35)

This trick of the mind, where one mistakes darkness in them to be light, where one mistakes falsehood as logic, hate as love, reminds me of the illustration given in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.”

People are stuck in a cave. They are watching shadows on the walls which they mistake to be real forms. The light creeps in from outside. It catches someone’s eye. Though they first feel pain, they eventually turn toward the light. And they leave the cave to go out into the pasture of the real world.

There
are many and great dissimilarities between the Christian message and this
allegory, but the point here is to illustrate that those stuck in the cave are
controlled by many external forces—chains, shadows, falsehoods—while the one in
the light is free to roam.

Of
course, Jesus is the true light that frees us from darkness. Being in Him brings
greater freedom!

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5)

3.) Without Christ, we are powerless over our desires.

You may challenge, How is there a difference between myself and my desires?

But you know the answer already. You mean to tell the truth, but you lie. You mean to honor others, but you slander them. Though you mean to be at peace, you are often in conflict.

The person caught in these things naturally says, “but I am only human!” This gets at something very true—you, by yourself, cannot control what you do. You cannot overpower the rule your sudden desires have over your life.

Even so, humanity is no less culpable.

So
what then? How are we to achieve true self-control? It is found only in Christ.
As Scripture tells us:

…we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:2-5)

Christ’s death and resurrection defeated sin. This victory is yours too if you are in Him.

Self-Control in Christ Brings Great Freedom

So,
the one outside of Christ has little to no control over themselves after all. Only
in Christ do we know who we really are. Only in Christ can we step into the
light. And only in Christ can we overpower our sinful desires.

And in this new life in Christ, you will find that self-control brings unparalleled freedom. As R. Kent Hughes writes in Disciplines of a Godly Man:

Spiritual discipline frees us from the gravity of this present age and allows us to soar with the saints and angels. (25)

We
become, in a sense, ascended humans through our self-control, being set free
from our natural earthbound state. Here is what is ours in Christ:

1.) Unlimited Fruit

When Paul talks about the fruit of the spirit, he says “against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:23). That means they can be enjoyed luxuriously forever. There is no cap on how much you can eat the fruit of self-control.

Imagine
if Adam and Eve had not eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
How long could they have lived in Eden? How many times would they have been
able to eat of all the other trees? Infinity.

That
is the reality now before us with spiritual fruits.

2.) Imperishable Wreath

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. (1 Corinthians 9:25)

An athlete earns a reward through great and difficult self-control. What they have accomplished is mighty, and they are given a reward—here a wreath. A wreath may just be a Christmas decoration for us these days, but for them it was a grand symbol of victory—a literal crown of honor.

Our self-control brings about a wreath as well. But this one is imperishable and eternal. Consider too how our self-control was not our own doing, but Jesus’s doing. It is His accomplishment.

And so the wonderful, eternal reward we receive is witnessing the imperishable crown of honor resting on Jesus’s head. And living under His rule forevermore.

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Pursuing the Will of God as a Student

Growing up, I played competitive tennis, golf, soccer, and football. I was good at many of these sports, but I was only great at one: golf, which I picked up at the age of thirteen and continue to enjoy playing at a high-level today.

Throughout high school, I felt drawn to be a professional golfer but also had a call on my life that had been affirmed by others at church for vocational ministry. During my teenage years, I often asked myself, “Is God’s will for my life to go into vocational ministry or to go into professional golf?”

Today many high school and college students are asking
the same question I did in my high school years. Maybe not about golf, but they
want to know what direction they should go in terms of college, marriage, and
more.  

The Hidden and Revealed Will of God

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Deuteronomy 29:29 helps God’s people understand that the Lord has two wills—one hidden and one revealed. The hidden will of God includes every event in history, every thought, and intention of every person of everything that happens according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).

You and I are not called as Christians to seek out this hidden will, which
we cannot know because God hides it from His people. Instead, His people are to
live by what the Lord has revealed about Himself in His Word.

The Lord’s revealed will is also known as His preceptive will, which tells
people what the Lord finds pleasing.  

God’s hidden and revealed will give God’s people freedom. As a high school
or college student, you do not have to know or worry about the hidden will of
God. As long as you obey His revealed Word in the Scriptures, you may freely do
whatever is in accordance with the Word of God.

If for example you are presented with a choice to go to four schools you are
free to choose according to the revealed will of God in Scripture. Similarly,
if you are presented with five to ten choices or more of majors in college, you
are free to choose what major you want at the school of your choice. As
Christians, we aren’t called to make God’s hidden will come true, we are simply
called to obey God’s revealed will.

What Is the Will of God?

In Ephesians 5:17, Paul says, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the will of the Lord is.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul says, “For this is the will of God your sanctification that you abstain
from sexual immorality.” 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise you
for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in
love, in faith, in purity.”

The desire to discover the will of God occurs for the Christian because the
Holy Spirit creates such a passion for what pleases the Lord, so the people of
God will aim to do all the Lord approves (Ephesians 5:10; Philippians 2:12-13).

Paul says in Ephesians 5:17 that those who are mature aim the course of their lives to understanding the will of God. God desires a holy people to reflect His holy light in our local churches and in the world.

Advice on Making Decisions

When making decisions I pray, read, and meditate on a book of the Bible like Proverbs. I also talk to godly counselors because there is wisdom in the abundance of counselors (Proverbs 11:14). After I’ve prayed, read the Bible, and talked to godly counselors, I make my decision.

Making decisions, whether they are
major or minor, can be difficult. Some choices, such as getting married,
involve your entire family close friends and your pastor. Other decisions may
not involve a wider circle of people in your life.

Decision making for the Christian is
to be done through a biblical worldview and for the glory of God. You and I as
Christians make such decisions grounded in the final and full revelation of God
in the Word of God which testifies to the finished and sufficient work of the
grace of God.

The Lord knows our needs, burdens,
our anxieties, fears, and doubts. The key to making godly decisions is to trust
in the sovereign care of God. Christians believe the Lord created the world,
sustains the world and who orders all things in accordance with His will and
good pleasure, for His glory.

The Lord longs for His children to
trust in Him to know His goodness, and for them to find their pleasure and
satisfaction in Him. Making godly decisions requires trust in the sovereign
care and concern of a good God who loves us and wants His children to grow in
His image and likeness.

I urge you today to put your trust
in the Lord, rest in His finished and sufficient work, pray, read the Word of
God, find godly counselors, and make your decision. Then as you make choices
about your future rest in the knowledge of God’s care and love for you in Christ.

As you head to that place and to study, please trust your sovereign God. Our sovereign God calls you to know, love, and serve Him in the local church and outside of it. Additionally, He calls you to witness to others wherever He’s placed you about the glory of the grace of Christ. Do this all to and for His glory!

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