Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 41

The Happiest Place on Earth

Earlier this summer, our family made a pilgrimage to the ultimate summer vacation destination, Disneyland. As we navigated the crowds, I noticed a common trait among our fellow mouse-eared tourists. With the exception of a few overstimulated toddlers and stressed-out parents, everyone around us was smiling and laughing. The strangers we met waiting in line, the families schlepping around snacks and sunscreen, the teens, newlyweds, and retirees – most people appeared to be reveling in the magic of their surroundings.

Before we left on our trip, I had decided to memorize Psalm 84. Halfway through our vacation, I realized how fitting it was to meditate on the happiest place in Israel while visiting the “happiest place on Earth.” Strolling through a joy-sparking atmosphere helped me imagine what it might have felt like stepping foot inside the tabernacle courts, except surrounded by songs of praise rather than reprises of “It’s a Small World.”

What made the tabernacle such a happy place? It didn’t boast fun rides, huggable characters, or photo opps galore. No, the greatest draw for the Israelites to visit the tabernacle was to be with the One who lived there.

Audience with the King

Psalm 84 extols the
beauty of the tabernacle, the tented sanctuary God commanded Israel to build as
His chosen residence in their midst. It housed the ark of the covenant in the
Most Holy Place, where the high priest would go once a year to offer sacrifices
on the Day of Atonement. Within that veiled back room, Yahweh descended to meet
with His people, fulfilling His covenant promise. “I will dwell among the
people of Israel and will be their God” (Exodus 29:45).

The author of Psalm 84
wasn’t so much enthralled by the tabernacle’s aesthetic magnificence as he was by
the glory of its inhabitant. His heart cried out for the living God who enlightens
like the sun and protects as a shield. In that holy tent, the God whose glory
erupted on Mount Sinai like a devouring fire settled as a cloud swelling the
air in the tabernacle. The experience was so astounding, it’s no wonder the
psalmist yearned to go there: “My soul longs, yes, faints, for the courts of
the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:2).

This desire is what drove
the Jewish pilgrims to trek through dry and mournful places like the Valley of
Baca to reach the holy city of Jerusalem. God gave them the strength to endure
the journey, and as a result of their perseverance, they gained audience with
their true King. Those who appeared before God in Zion were blessed, or “happy,”
because they’d reached their refuge and heart’s delight.

Holiness embodied

God mercifully provided a physical representation of His presence among His people by establishing the tabernacle, and later, the temple. But a tented house couldn’t provide a concrete solution to humanity’s sin problem. The annual sacrifices conducted there didn’t accomplish the full and final atonement required to make the people holy, as the author of Hebrews stated: “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). For us to be completely purified from sin, we needed God to come to Earth, live among us as a human, and die for us as a lamb.

Jesus, the Word of God,
became that ultimate sacrifice by taking on flesh and dwelling among us (John
1:14). Another way of saying this is He “tabernacled” with us in the tent of His
body. During His ministry on Earth, Christ declared He was the temple that
would be destroyed and that He would raise in three days (John 2:19). When He surrendered
his body to be nailed to the cross, He ripped the veil that separated the high
priest from the Most Holy Place, and removed the barricade of sin that
separated us from the Lord of hosts.

Like the author of
Psalm 84, our joy isn’t fixed to a place, but to a Person. Jesus is our greatest
treasure, the Messiah whom the prophets heralded, the loveliest dwelling the
psalmist desired. Our Savior makes our hearts glad with his grace, wisdom, and love.
Not only did Immanuel come here as the incarnate tabernacle, He also left us
with his indwelling Spirit, who guides us in all truth, intercedes for us, and
testifies that we’re God’s children.

Seeking delight

Though Jesus eliminated
our need to visit the tabernacle, we can still cultivate hearts that long for Him.
To experience the Lord’s goodness, we can commit to God’s Word, prayer, and corporate
worship.

As we read and study Scripture, we deepen our understanding of Christ, learn how to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, and direct our minds to the ultimate source of happiness. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).



Through Jesus, our great high priest, we gain the privilege to approach our Father in heaven. We can beckon the God of Jacob to hear our prayers, anytime, anywhere, with the confidence that He’ll shower us with mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).



Christ’s promise to be present where two or three are gathered in His name offers ample motivation to show up at church on Sunday. When we worship at our Father’s house, and devote ourselves to teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer together, we gain the joy of community: “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46).



The Best Destination

A day in the Lord’s
house is lightyears better than a thousand days at Disneyland. Yet both places
provide a shadow of something greater, something that fulfills a deeper need
than tabernacle attendance or a meetup with Mickey.

Jesus is preparing a home
for us in glory. As lovely as the tabernacle was to the Israelites, no man-made
structure can compare to His heavenly palace. No happy experience on Earth will
outshine the moment we see Him face-to-face.

Until that day, we can praise Him and enjoy the comfort of His Spirit. Wherever we live, we’re happiest with Him.

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How Can I Cultivate a God-Centered Life?

Christians aim to live a life that is centered on God. Here are some ways to cultivate that kind of life:

Recognize that Whatever You Are Doing Now Is Only for a Time

The world wants you to believe that everything is stable, secure, and permanent. But it is not so. The home that you live in is yours for a time. The work that you do is yours for a time. The people you love are yours for a time.

One day, others will live in your home. One day, others will continue your work. And one day, others will have your money. James says: 

What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) 

David says: 

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12) 

Whatever you are doing in your life, hold it lightly because it will not be forever.

Keep Your Dreams on the Altar of God

How hard this is to do! We all have hopes and dreams for the future. But we have no rights. There are no certainties.  

God is free at any time to disturb in any way your dream, to give you a completely new calling. So keep your dreams on the altar of God. 

None of us knows the sovereign purpose of God. But God is always at work. If God should call you to something new, it will be a defining moment for you. Think of Jonah—he never imagined himself in Nineveh. What is going on under the surface of your life will be revealed.

Lord, help me keep my dreams on Your altar. Don’t let me be like Jonah. Don’t let me become the kind of person who is so comfortable in my home, with my friends, and in my ministry that I would be unwilling to do something completely different for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the lost, for the sake of the gospel.

Practice Making Yourself Available to God

The more comfortable you are, the more difficult it will be for you to obey God’s call to do something new.  

When you love what you do, you’re happy in your life, everything seems to be going well, and God seems to be blessing you, it is really hard to keep your heart in a place where you can say to the Lord: “If there’s something else you want me to do, I’m willing to do it.”

Have you ever honestly asked if God wants you on the mission field? Have you explored whether there is some way in which your gifts could be used in cross-cultural ministry? 

When you think about your career, what you do when your children are at school, when you think about your retirement, have you come before the Lord and asked how you can be most useful to Him? Or it is really about yourself?

Practice making yourself available to God. 

Jonah and Jesus 

There is an extraordinary contrast between Jonah and Jesus.  

Think about Jonah: He lives in a good place, he is doing a good work and enjoying a good life, and God says, “Jonah I want you to go to another place, do another work, and live another life for the sake of people I love who are facing judgment.” And Jonah said “No.” 

Think about the experience of the Son of God: He was surrounded by the joy and life of heaven. He ruled the universe by the Word of His power. He was adored by angels with all creation at His feet. The Father says to the Son, “I want you to go to another place, where you will be utterly rejected. I want you to live another life that will lead to torture, crucifixion, and death. I want you to do this work to reach and save people I love, who are facing judgment.” And Jesus said “Yes!”

Lord, make me less like Jonah and more like Jesus. 

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Resist God’s Call to Something New,” from his series How to Avoid a God-Centered Life.] 



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5 Key Connections: Legalism, God’s Grace, and more

Here are 5 Key Connections from recent Christian articles around the web, including the difference between legalism and discipline, how God’s grace leads us into worship, and more.

God’s Grace Makes Some People Worship (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Here’s why you believe, if you are a Christian: God set His love on you. God’s Holy Spirit awakened you. God drew you to Himself. He redeemed you. He gave you new life from above, and you did nothing to deserve it! Neither did I. That’s grace. 

The Difference between Legalism and Discipline (R. Kent Hughes, Crossway)

You have to understand there is a universe of difference between discipline and legalism. Legalism says, “I will do this thing in order to gain merit before God.” Discipline says, “I love God, I love the Lord Jesus Christ and I will discipline myself to please them.”

Rehearsing What’s True When Our Kids Head to Try Outs and Auditions (Jen Oshman)

My kids and yours are aiming high, trying hard, and taking big risks. We want to assure them and comfort them with all kinds of “probablys,” and “don’t worrys,” and “of course you wills!” 

But, the truth is, these parental phrases fall short. Our kids need a better hope than their own abilities. A better hope than probably. A better hope than comparison to their peers. A better hope than “you’ve got this.” Even a better hope than “I believe in you!” 

Gratitude Leads to Joy (Gavin Ortlund, Soliloquium)

I’ve also discovered that suffering and sadness do not negate the power of gratitude. Even when you are lamenting disappointments of life—the glass is half-empty stuff—gratitude still works. Often, in my experience, it overcomes negative emotions, or at least staves them off a bit. I don’t know how to explain that—a psychologist maybe could. I just know it works.

When God Calls (David McLemore, For the Church)

Genesis 12:1 shows us what happens when God speaks to a man. Before God speaks, deadness and darkness; after God speaks, life abundant. Abram’s redemption—like every believer’s—began with God speaking. No one comes to saving faith apart from God’s effective call.

When Prayer Makes Anxiety Worse

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Year after year, search data on major
Bible websites show Philippians 4:6–7 to be one of the most popular passages in
Scripture, and with good reason: it shows us God’s proven path from anxiety to
peace.

Unfortunately, our desperate hearts easily get off track seeking a remedy for our stress. We treat this precious passage as a talisman, missing the true meaning and path to peace. A recent situation of mine illustrates this.

As I thought through my stressful
situation practically, my anxiety worsened. The same thing happened when I
tried to fix my attention on something else—anxiety would boomerang back around
in no time.

Then Philippians 4:6-7 came to mind. Prayer
is the answer!

So I knelt down to pray.

My prayer started out fine, but soon I
felt like I was trapped in a hot car, breathing the same air over and over
again. Each line of my prayer gasped for breath and brought a deeper longing
for fresh air. Prayer made my anxiety worse.

What happened? Was God’s promise in
Philippians 4:6–7 a sham?

As I reflected on this troubling episode,
I realized that God’s promise wasn’t a sham but rather I had it all wrong.

A pity party will not lead you to peace.

My anxiety-driven prayer didn’t make
things better. That’s because God doesn’t promise any type of prayer to be the
silver-bullet anxiety stopper. He prescribes supplication with thanksgiving
(Philippians 4:6). A heart lacking gratitude will not encounter the peace of
God.

I soon realized my lack. My lame attempts
to thank God were not from the heart but were always preceded with a
“but…” as if to say, “God, I thank you for this, but you owe
me.” Sidestepping true thanksgiving leads to a cocktail of other sins
including self-centered grumbling, cynicism, coveting the situations of others,
entitlement, and ultimately unbelief. These are all the opposite of
thankfulness.

My self-centered pity party lamented my situation always instead of rejoicing in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). We are to pray with thanksgiving “in everything” (Philippians 4:6). A thankful heart isn’t just a remedy for anxiety; it’s a part of a healthy spiritual diet for every circumstance (see 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Meditating on your anxieties will not lead you to peace.

A second error of my prayer attempt was misplaced meditation. My prayers repeated the details of my anxious situation before the Lord, pouring gasoline on the fire of my anxiety.

What I was doing was leaning on my own understanding, which we’re taught not to do for a few reasons: first, it’s the opposite of trust in the Lord, and second, it presumes we have the ability to understand our situations—no matter how simple or complex they seem (Proverbs 3:5–6).

The only way to douse the fires of anxiety is to thankfully set our minds on the good stuff of Philippians 4:8 (“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”).

Setting our minds on these things isn’t a one-time action since the fires of anxiety can quickly return; it is a continual mediation.

Paul offers another place to set your mind: his example.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

Paul had reason for anxiety; he wrote Philippians and several other of his epistles from prison. But Paul’s approach to combatting anxiety not only adopted God’s perspective but it also was fueled by His power. He could learn contentment in hunger, abundance, or need:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

It’s not just Paul we can learn from. We have a great cloud of witnesses in the Scriptures (Hebrews 11), the examples of faithful men and women from church history, and believers in our churches today who model lives of peace through tribulation.

Following these examples will help you battle.

Peace at all times?

We’re not promised a problem-free life; if anything, the opposite. What sets the Christian life apart is that while we are promised trouble, our Savior has overcome our problems because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Even when our understanding of the circumstances go from bad to unimaginably worse like it did for Habakkuk, our peace and joy can rest not in our circumstances themselves, but in our faithful Father who judges evil and saves His people and is sovereign over our circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17–19).

Our anxieties may flow from petty situations, serious ones, or somewhere in between, but we can always be confident of His faithful, comforting presence (Psalm 23:4; Matthew 20:20).

The way of peace

As I reflected on my postmortem analysis
of my anxious episode, I became less confident in my power to manufacture peace
myself and more confident God’s ability to provide it in the bleakest of
circumstances.

What makes His peace special isn’t that a simple prayer zaps all our problems immediately; it is that we can know the One who transcends it all, and we can call Him our sovereign and loving Father. We can trust that He often allows life’s situations to draw us to Himself and grow us more like Christ.

Our emotions are not slaves to our circumstances, rather Christ set them free to enjoy heavenly peace and joy now no matter what. This is peace the world longs for, peace God longs to give, and peace that is ours in Christ.

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Bible Q&A: Will We See God the Father in Heaven?

Will we see God the Father in heaven? The Bible teaches we will be like Jesus after the resurrection, so if we cannot see God the Father then does that mean Jesus can’t see him either?

The answer to your question is less about us and more about the nature of God. The reason we cannot “see” God the Father has to do with His nature:

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

God the Father is spirit. That means he does not have a physical body. He is invisible. He is present everywhere. And, he is not localized like we are. Any change in our nature wouldn’t help us see God, because it would take a change in His (invisible) nature.

God the Son, Jesus, is different. At the incarnation, Jesus took on human flesh and He became the God/man. That is the reason why you will be able to see Jesus and not the Father.

It is important to remember that God the Father and God the Son existed together in love in eternity past:

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

All this love between the Father and Son presumably happened without them “seeing” each other.

Also, while it is true that we will be like Jesus after the resurrection (sinless), we will not be like Jesus in every way (divinity).

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Moving from Self-Reliance to Grace-Reliance

Your life is the illustration of your theology. What does your life show that you believe? 

In his book Reset, David Murray writes, “Lots of people call God Creator but live like evolutionists. It’s as if life is about the survival of the fittest rather than about living like a dependent creature—trusting our Creator rather than ourselves—and according to our Maker’s instructions” (Murray 39).  

What does your life show that you believe and trust the most? 

I recently graduated from high school, and this season caused me to look back on those four years. From early in the morning into the late evening during every day of high school, I prioritized constant self-improvement through school studies and basketball workouts. 

But three and a half years of continuously working, and never giving myself time to rest took its toll. I ran into a brick wall of lethargy and stupor.

What was I saying about my belief then? Not only did I live as if God was unimportant, but I also turned school and basketball into my sources of value and significance—into idols. 

A Matter of Identity

Hence, I poured my identity into what I accomplished, not what God accomplished for me as His child adopted in Christ.  

Contrary to our shallow and cheap idols, Jesus offers living water to quench our spiritual thirst. In fact, his water becomes within us “a spring of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). That spring overflows with joy and peace as boundless, endless, and ceaseless as the love and delight shared between the Father and the Son.  

Through faith, we are united to Jesus. When the Father looks at us, He sees Jesus, His eternally-begotten and beloved Son. He pours His delight, namely the Holy Spirit, into us. United to Jesus, we are intimately one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

That fellowship empowers us to joyfully and peacefully endure the rejection of man. That fellowship empowers us to direct our relationships and work to God’s glory and provision of grace for us to serve our neighbor through our work.  

God redeems us in Christ from sin to enjoy and glorify Him. Contrary to God’s accomplished and applied redemption within us, we give ourselves back over to sin. We rejected God for idols, namely, acceptance and design apart from His presence and design. In other words, we return to our vomit.   

Consider the dishonor we give to God. When we think and live contrary to our identity in Christ, we reject “the fountain of living waters” for “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). God illumines our eyes to clearly and truly see Him and thus see everything else. We reject His work of illumination for our own way of seeing reality. 

Do you live as if you do not need God? Here are two quick things to remind yourself of that will move you back toward a reliance on God. 

1.) Man is Weak  

For while we were still weak… (Romans 5:6) 

Let’s face it: none of us are independent of God.  

As created beings, we are limited in strength and are dependent upon Him. We are not infinite like God. And we are certainly not self-sufficient like God. One of the greatest deceptions of our age is that we need only ourselves–to need God is the exception, not the rule.

As fallen beings, we are born with corrupted hearts and minds which incline us to sin against God (Romans 3:23). In this state, we ignore the reality that we are dependent creatures. Convinced of our competence and self-reliance, we no longer worship and serve God. Instead, we worship and serve ourselves. 

2.) Jesus Made Himself Weak to Save Us 

…at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) 

Our faithful Savior Jesus Christ was foreknown by His Father before the foundations of the world were made (1 Peter 1:20). For our sake, He took on filthy human rags. Then, Jesus ransomed us from our futile ways when He was slaughtered on the cross and shed His precious blood as the Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:18-19).  

But on the third day, He rose from His grave in glory and exaltation (1 Peter 1:21). Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Word, we are born again (John 3:5-6). The same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead dwells within us and gives us everlasting life (Romans 8:11). Then, He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus’s second coming (Philippians 1:6).  

So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made Himself weak to the point of death to save us from our own weakness! Self-reliance is no longer necessary.

Also, how astounding is it that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Jesus, was dependent upon the Father. Jesus himself said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30). 

In His humility, Jesus sets an example for us to imitate when we recognize our own weakness, to subject ourselves to the will of God and the Lordship of Christ.  

Don’t Be Self-Reliant, Be Grace-Reliant

Christ has released us from the chains of self-reliance which kept us bound (Revelations 1:18). Jesus has slain sin once and for all through the cross, making a grace-reliant spirit real, present, and possible.

Christ holds the keys to our freedom from the temptation and sinful pattern of self-reliance which are rooted in the idolatry of and belief in ourselves.

By faith, we can put off the old self, corrupted by the spirit of self-reliance, and put on the new self, transformed by the Spirit of grace in the “likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). 

So while our culture tells us that our value is found in our performance, God proclaims something different: Due the perfect obedience and sacrifice of Jesus, our value is derived from His love and his image. 

The world’s yoke is hard, and its burden is heavy because it demands that we become what we are not: God. Jesus meets us where we are in our burnout culture and paid the highest cost, His own life, so we could find rest in Him. 

Do not be afraid to be countercultural. Be intentional about using your time to serve the Lord, and not just for self-improvement. Rest in him who calls, pleading: 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  

Your resting will be an apologetic to a restless world. 

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God’s Grace Makes Some People Worship

In my last post, I said that God’s grace will either make you angry or it will lead you to worship and to prayer. Focusing on those who become angry, I talked about Jonah and Romans 9. 

Now, Christians disagree on how we should understand these things, and if you find yourself saying “I don’t see what Colin sees in the Bible,” we can agree to differ. That’s ok. Your eternal future does not hang on this. 

So, then, why am I writing about it? Because I think a great deal of your joy in worship does hang on this. Let God’s grace lead you, not into anger, but into worship. 

Why You Believe 

If you are a Christian, why is it that you believe, and someone else in your family, workplace or group of friends does not? I’m thinking of folks with the same background and the same opportunity.

Do you think it’s because you’re wiser than they are? You might say: “I made a better choice.” But why did you make a better choice? Is it because you are a better person? If it is, you just turned grace into works. 

Here’s why you believe, if you are a Christian: God set His love on you. God’s Holy Spirit awakened you. God drew you to Himself. He redeemed you. He gave you new life from above, and you did nothing to deserve it! Neither did I. That’s grace. 

How Sweet and Awesome is the Place 

Isaac Watts wrote a hymn that describes this: It’s called “‘How Sweet and Awesome is the Place.” It takes up our Lord’s picture of salvation being like great banquet.  

He pictures us as believers, coming into a vast banqueting hall, greater than you can imagine. We see a marvelous feast spread out on tables: 

While all our hearts and all our songs 
‘Join to admire the feast 
Each of us cry, with thankful hearts, 
Lord, why was I a guest? 

Why was I made to Hear thy voice 
And enter while there’s room 
When thousands make a wretched choice 
And rather starve than come. 

‘Twas the same love that spread the feast 
That sweetly drew us in; 
Else we had still refused to taste 
And perished in our sin.[1] 

Apart from God’s grace, you would never have come to Christ and neither would I. Our sinful hearts would have taken us away. We would be outside, like thousands of others, still refusing to come. 

Let God’s grace lead you to worship. Once you get a taste of God’s grace, you will spend the rest of your life coming back to this question: “Why me?” And you will never get a better answer than this: “He has set His love on me!” 

Amazing Grace 

You will start to feel with John Newton that God’s grace is “amazing”: 

Amazing grace how sweet the sound 
that saved a wretch like me. 
I once was lost but now am found 
was blind but now I see. [2] 

If you asked, “What’s so amazing about grace, John?” He’d say “I was lost and God found me! I was blind and God healed me! And why God would do this for me, when thousands live their lives and die their deaths still lost and blind is amazing beyond anything I can imagine or begin to explain!”

I want more of us to see, not just that God makes it possible for us to be saved, but that He saves us! Because that’s what the Bible teaches. 

You may say “Well, this is all very well for the folks who are saved, but what about the folks who are lost?” 

God’s Grace Makes Some People Pray

Isaac Watts ends his hymn by praying that the same grace of God that drew us in, will now draw others to faith in Christ. 

‘Twas the same love that spread the feast 
That sweetly drew us in; 
Else we had still refused to taste 
And perished in our sin. 

Pity the nations, O our God! 
Constrain the earth to come; 
Send thy victorious Word abroad, 
And bring the strangers home.

The reason Watts can pray like that—and the reason you can pray like that—is because he believes God does constrain people to come. God does bring strangers home. 

If all God could do is open the door of salvation and then stand back and leave it up to us, there would be little point in praying for the lost. But when you see in the Bible that God takes the initiative, then you will pray for the lost. 

God’s grace is the greatest incentive I know to pray for the salvation of lost people. He doesn’t just stand by the door and watch. 

God swooped down into my life uninvited, to change my heart so that I began to seek after Him. That’s what he did for you, if you are a Christian.  And He can do that in the lives of other people, including those who, right now, are filled with resentment towards Him. God is able to do this because He is free to do whatever pleases Him. 

God’s grace is amazing: No one is so good as to deserve it. No one is so bad as to be beyond it.

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Resent God’s Providence in Ordering the World,” from his series How to Avoid a God-Centered Life]



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_________

[1] Isaac Watts, How Sweet and Awesome is This Place, 1707 http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/s/hsweetaw.htm

[2] John Newton, Amazing Grace, 1779 http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/m/a/amazing_grace.htm

Top 5 Unlocking the Bible Articles of 2019 So Far

Instead of a Key Connections post this week, I thought I’d look back on the top 5 Unlocking the Bible articles from the year up to this point. If you have not yet read these articles, please do so!

1.)10 Questions for Examining Your Life (Colin Smith)

Examining your life is essential to your growth as a Christian believer. Seeing your own sins and failings will make it possible for you to confess, repent, find forgiveness, and grow in grace. These are the steps by which we move forward in the Christian life. If you can’t see your own failings, you can’t make progress.

2.) What’s The Secret to Living a Godly Life (Colin Smith)

You can’t love God more by loving life less. So how can you love God more? How can you grow in godliness? This is surely the significance of 1 Timothy 3:16, where Paul lifts up Jesus Christ and says “Great is the mystery of godliness.” What is the mystery or secret of godliness? Answer: Jesus Christ!

3.) 3 Biblical Prayers to Say for Your Parents (Chelsea Stanley)

In Ephesians, God commands us to honor our parents (Ephesians 6:2). The word “honor” in this verse means “to give weight.” We honor our parents, then, when we give them weight in our hearts and lives. One tangible way we do this as grown children is by giving them weight in our prayers.  

4.) Five Cliches You Won’t Find in the Bible (Nicholas Davis)

Instead of offering people more bad advice via Cliché-anity, let’s turn to offer them the whole truth, being fully honest so that we can always lead them toward the good news of Christianity. Let’s refrain from using clichés in our conversations with others. Let’s put “Christ” back into Christ-ianity.

5.) 27 Snapshots of New Testament Books of the Bible (Davis Wetherell)

Here is a list that offers a snapshot of all 27 New Testament books of the Bible. I hope you see Jesus Christ is at the center of each book. And, I hope you grow in worship of our Lord and Savior.

Christian, Rejoice in Long-Term Security.

Our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)

I previously talked about how we are to recognize short-term uncertainty, and now I want to encourage you to rejoice in long term security that you have in Jesus Christ.

There is a piece by poet and journalist Steven Turner which I quote in part:

In heaven there will be no policemen, because there will be no crime.
There will be no soldiers, because there will be no war.
There will be no doctors, no surgeons, no nurses.
There will be no prison wardens, security guards, undertakers,
insurance salesmen, judges, watch-makers, fire-fighters, evangelists, gossip columnists, prostitutes or ambulance drivers.

Sin will be no more. It will not be in you and it will not be around you. Never again will you grieve your Savior. You’ll be a joy to Him and He will be a joy to you forever.

You Will

You will serve the Lord as you always wished you could. Never again will you be tired, weary or discouraged. And you will explore the joys of the new earth freed at last from the curse–no floods or raging fires, no storms, earthquakes or mudslides.

You will enjoy the blessings of a world where every person truly loves his sister and brother–no violence, no hatred, no fear.

And, you will enjoy this life in a resurrection body (modeled after the resurrection body of Jesus), in which the dark cloud of depression can never cast its shadow over you, the strong pull of temptation will never rise from within you, and the sharp anguish of pain will never torment you. You will be at home and at peace in this body.

Right now we sometimes groan inwardly. That is why we yearn as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. But it was in this hope that we were saved (Romans 8:23-24). Old regrets that have haunted you will be gone forever.

All tears will be wiped from your eyes. There will be no death, no mourning, no crying, and no pain.

And then you will see the King in His beauty. Your eyes shall behold Him. In your flesh, you shall see God, and in His presence you will find fullness of joy.

[This sermon clip is from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Overcoming Evil with Steadiness,” from his series Overcoming Evil]

Instructions for the Fruitful Christian: 1 Thessalonians

Many Christians go through seasons where everything seems to be going as planned. You are immersed in God’s Word, you are engaged with God’s people, and you are fighting sin well. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ for doing this work in you!  

Now, this can bring its own set of temptations. It is possible that a fruitful Christian can feel tempted to scale back, considering how well things have been going: I’ve been in God’s Word every day for a year—it’s probably okay if I take a break from it for a while! 

Instructions from 1 Thessalonians

Paul’s words of encouragement to the Thessalonians are helpful here. Paul wrote to them, saying how much joy it brought him that they had continued in the faith after he had to leave them. The church had not forgotten “how [they] ought to walk and please God” (1 Thessalonians 4:1). 

But Paul didn’t say, So just relax for a while until Christ comes—you’re doing fine! He says, “we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus… that you do so more and more” (4:1). In other words, keep going, keep growing in your sanctification. Don’t scale back!   

And Paul gave them some specific instructions that are applicable to us today: 

Respect Spiritual Leaders



“respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you…” (5:12) 

This is a necessary word for many of us, right? When our pastor stands in front of us at church and offers theological, biblical warning, it is wise to listen.

I often want to criticize, critique, and compare but the Bible calls me to first to respect. 

“…esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” (5:12) 

Respecting our spiritual leaders is only one part of the equation though. It’s one thing to give my pastor my ear when he is speaking from the pulpit, but do I appreciate the time and effort that went into the sermon?

Am I valuing the work of those whose full-time, or part-time, job is to be concerned about me? 

I should esteem those people very highly, because God calls them to something very difficult: to care about my soul even when I don’t. 

“Be at peace among yourselves.” (5:13) 

The leaders among us are never perfect. We should start with respect and high esteem, and we should strive to be at peace. As I see it, this can apply to the temptation to form factions over particular leaders, whether you follow Paul or Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4).  

It can also apply to the temptation to overlook conflict. If problems exist in the church, we need to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). And that does not mean ignoring problems that exist; it means getting in the middle of them to restore situations to peace.  

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good.” (5:20-21) 

We should abound in a love for learning God’s Word! And so. we should embrace, not despise, when someone has been put in our lives to teach us about God’s Word. Yet, Paul also encourages believers to “test everything.”  

We don’t just hear, take down notes, and blindly accept everything that is taught to us by anyone who happens to be speaking. The final authority is the Bible itself, which God has given to us for all of us, even the fruitful Christian, to read and test what we hear. 

Build One Another Up  



“Admonish the idle…” (5:14) 

Is someone letting all the tough work go to others? Has someone you know grown apathetic in their spiritual walk? The Bible tells us we have a responsibility to one another to admonish idleness and to help another person be a fruitful Christian.

“…encourage the fainthearted…” (5:14)  

This task seems a little easier than the first, but it actually requires a deeper relationship with a person. I’ve found that most people are able to put on a good face in church, so as to not burden one another with their problems. 

Those who don’t feel comfortable letting just anyone know about their struggle will share with those who are close to them. This is why regular and engaged church attendance is so important—not just for you but for others. You may have exactly what someone else needs to be encouraged.  

“…help the weak.” (5:14)  

We often don’t help the weak because we don’t want to offend. Sounds silly, but it’s true. Someone might have weak faith, and you have strong faith, but you don’t want to appear haughty or all-put-together, so you keep the wisdom you’ve been given to yourself. Don’t hold back! I know from experience how helpful a strong person can be to a weak person: 

One time back when I was in high school, I was running late for class. I was a freshman, and I didn’t know a single person at the school. To make it worse, I was terribly self-conscious. Due to a childhood cancer, I never grew past 4’8”, and I stood at least a foot shorter than everyone else in my whole school. 

I was headed to a science class, and I needed the textbook. The book, unfortunately, was on the top shelf of my locker, and it had somehow slid way back. I couldn’t reach it. I stood on the edge of my locker, feeling embarrassed, and I still could not reach it.  

A senior, 6’2”, walked by—I held my breath. At my previous school, I would’ve been shoved into my locker without a second thought. But this senior stopped, grabbed my textbook, gave it to me, and said, “Here you go. Have a nice day!”  

I was glad for his help. I remember it, even to this day!

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (5:15)  

I like this one, because my thought was to read it like, “See that you never repay anyone evil for evil…” (which is certainly a good warning), but it says, “See that no one repays evil for evil.” That means we have to get involved in other people’s business.  

We are a caring, loving community if we keep one another from adding fuel to fire of controversies and rivalries. Let’s commit to keeping each other focused on good, rather than evil. 

“Be patient with them all.” (5:14) 

As you invest in others, the overriding principle is gospel patience and love. Don’t treat people as hostile if they cannot change immediately, but rest in the knowledge that Christ will perfectly sanctify each one of His sheep.

Go from Good Habits to An Unceasing Lifestyle 



“Rejoice always…” (5:16) 

Don’t just rejoice when something great happens to you, fruitful Christian. Instead, grow in your sanctification and faith so that you are rejoicing all the time!

“…pray without ceasing…” (5:17)  

Don’t just pray once or twice in a day. Instead, adopt a lifestyle of prayerfulness reminding yourself without ceasing that you are reliant on God.

“…give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (5:18)  

Ever wonder what the will of God is for your life? Well, here is one answer—that we should give thanks in all circumstances. Why is this? Why should we thank God even when the worst things happen to us? The answer is that God never changes. Christ’s grace given to us never fades. Our anchor never loses its hold on us.  

That’s why we thank Him all the time! 

“Do not quench the Spirit… Abstain from every form of evil.” (5:22) 

Fruitful Christian, do not scale back on your spiritual life just because the Lord has given you a good season of life, but press forward! Don’t grow idle, don’t start taking up habits that will distract you from the relationship you have in Jesus Christ.  

Keep receiving God’s word through attending Church and reading your Bible! And press on in your faith all the way until the end.  

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