Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 42

Moms, How to Take and Give Shame-free Criticism

If you look in the display cabinet in my kitchen, nestled
among my mismatched vintage serving ware you’ll see a framed sign that says,
“Pardon the mess. My kids are making memories.”

My husband laughs at that sign and says, “It’s so passive-aggressive. It says that you don’t want to be judged for a messy house, so you subtly judge someone else for judging you for making memories. Before they’ve even judged you.”

He’s absolutely right. To me, the sign says, “My house is messy for a very good reason.” But the fine print says, “So if you were thinking about judging me, forget it. I wouldn’t change the way my house looks even if I could. Now please watch where you step. I don’t want you stepping on any of my memories.”

“Mom-Shaming”

It’s just one example of the little games we play as moms to
protect ourselves from the dreaded “mom-shaming.” We defend everything we do so
we can keep criticism as far away as possible. But somehow it still finds us. It’s
as close as our nearest screen.

After ten minutes of scrolling through social media, I find myself thinking, “My kid’s birthday party didn’t look as good as that. Wait—she did crafts with her kids today AND made that chicken pot pie?!” It would be nice if turning off the mom-shame was as easy as turning off a screen. But it’s not.

That’s because shame starts on the inside.

Free from Judgement

Have you ever noticed that the more critical you are of yourself, the more critical you are of others, and vice versa? We judge others because we feel judged. But the beauty of the gospel is that we have already been set free from the greatest judgment of all: the judgment for our sin.

In Christ, we have been justified once for all through faith, and now we have peace with God for all eternity (see Romans 5:1). If you are a Christian, your judgment day has come and gone. God pronounced judgment on all your sin at the cross, and it will never be counted against you again.

The answer to that nagging mom-shame isn’t defensiveness. It’s the gospel. We can confidently say, “I’m not perfect, but I am forgiven.” Since we have freely received this grace, we can give it just as freely (see Matthew 10:8).

Instead of judging our fellow sisters in Christ, we can
smile and say, “You’re doing great! Hang in there, sister. We’re all flawed,
but God’s grace is sufficient.”

How to Take Criticism

Our freedom in Christ means we don’t have to be crushed by
criticism. But we can still grow from it. God often uses others to show us our
blind spots. When criticism comes our way, the gospel helps us respond humbly
and confidently at the same time.

But not all criticism is the same. Sometimes it is true and
helpful, and other times it is untrue and hurtful. How do we respond to these
two kinds of criticism?

True Criticism

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that “iron sharpens iron, and one
man sharpens another.” We need our sisters in Christ to help sharpen us. When
another mom points out a helpful fact, like, “You kids are digging soda cans
out of the church trash can and drinking them,” my first response should be
thankfulness.

When God shows me truth, even if it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing, I can only stand to gain by it. A simple thank you communicates that my sister in Christ is a resource, not an enemy. 

Another easy phrase I have learned to say when my kids put
their sin nature (and my flawed parenting) on display for all the world to see
is, “We are working on it.” My family is a work in progress. If another mom can
help me “progress” a little more, what do I have to lose?  

Untrue Criticism

Unfortunately, not all criticism is true and helpful. Maybe
there is someone in your life who constantly criticizes you. If you’ve searched
your heart and concluded there is nothing true or helpful in their criticism,
give it to the Lord.

Pray with David in Psalm 140:1–3, “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men who… stir up wars continually. They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps.”

Sometimes words are poisonous. We don’t have to let poison into
our hearts. We can say, “I don’t
have to let this criticism destroy me, determine my worth, or dictate my
decisions. God is my judge and I am justified in Christ.”

Once you’ve given it to the Lord, look for another mom to encourage. The threat of mom-shame disappears when we pour ourselves into serving others.  

How to Give Criticism

Is it ever okay to tell another mom that she’s doing
something wrong? How do we do it? Unfortunately, our own sensitivity about
being judged tends to create an unspoken rule: “You don’t say anything about my
parenting, and I won’t say anything about yours.”

This might help us to protect one another’s pride, but it
doesn’t help us to build one another up. If you’re wondering if you should
offer helpful criticism to a particular mom-friend, here are four simple
guidelines.

1. Offer help before criticism.

If a friend stumbles into church late, offer to hold her
baby while she gets her other kids settled instead of giving her advice on time
management. Many times we raise our eyebrows instead of offering a hand. When
you help, it tells the other mom, “We’re in this together.”

2. Give criticism within the context of relationship.

You might have something helpful to say—but are you the
right person to say it? Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to build
a friendship first and then you’ll know what kind of advice is appropriate.

3. Offer constructive criticism for important issues—not just your opinions.

Is this a life and death issue, or just something that
bothers you? We are often tempted to judge based on our personal feelings: That’s
way too young for a cell phone. That family is involved in too many sports (or
not enough sports).

But these are not the criticisms we should give. We need to acknowledge
that God made every parent different—and thank goodness, because every child is
different, too.

4. Give criticism the way you want to receive criticism.

A neighbor once came to tell me that my son had hit her son
in the face with a plastic sword. I was so embarrassed, but she just laughed
and said, “Well, now we’re even. Remember when my son threw gravel at your kids
last week?”

We laughed together and shared the burden of raising little sinners. I did not feel judged by her. I felt her sympathy. Kindness and a smile can help a mom receive your words.

An encouraging word can set a mom free to be who God wants
her to be. A critical word can trip her up and cause her to lose focus on
what’s truly important. Romans 14:13 says:

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

So let’s decide right now. Let’s build up instead of tearing down. Let’s drink deeply of God’s grace so we can pour a refreshing drink for another weary mom.

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Editor’s Note: This article contains a partial excerpt from Sara’s new book, Creat to Care: God’s Truth for Anxious Moms. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

God’s Grace Makes Some People Angry

God’s grace will either make you angry or it will make you worship. 

When you feel that you can offer an explanation for your sins, you undermine your own repentance. And the tragedy is that when a man undermines his own repentance, it won’t be long before he is angry with God: “It’s all God’s fault. God made me like this. God put me in this position.” 

Explaining sin is big business in America, and the tragedy is that it leads many into the dead-end of long-term anger with God.

If you’ve been encouraged in some way to explain away your sin, this is where it leads. Explaining sin undermines repentance and undermining repentance leads to anger with God. 

God’s grace makes some people angry 

If you read the story of Jonah, you may notice how the theme of anger runs right through the last chapter: 

“Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry” (4:1).  God asks Jonah “Have you any right to be angry?” (4:4). God says again “Do you have any right to be angry?” (4:9). Jonah says “I am angry enough to die” (4:9). 

Jonah is angry about God’s grace: “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love” (4:2, emphasis added). This chapter takes us into a surprising truth: God’s grace can make you angry.  

If you want to discover how God’s grace could ever make people angry, read Romans 9. Of all the chapters in the Bible, Romans 9 is the starkest statement of what God’s grace actually means.

Many folks think that the grace of God means simply that God is kindly benevolent to all people. But Paul makes it clear that God’s grace is much more personal and much more wonderful than that:

Romans 9 

“Jacob I loved, but Esau, I hated” (Romans 9:13). 

That’s one of the most difficult statements in the Bible. There’s an instinct within us that wants to say “It’s fine for You to love Jacob, but then You have to do the same for Esau.” 

Some people will think that this is unfair. But Paul writes:

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For [God] says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. (Romans 9:14-15) 

In other words, God says “It’s up to me to decide where I exercise mercy.” The obvious conclusion is that “it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort but on God’s mercy” (9:16). Salvation does not come from your effort or desire to be saved, but from His great mercy. 

Paul goes on to deal with an obvious objection: “One of you will say to me: Then why does God still blame us? For who resists His will?” (9:19). Notice the biblical answer: “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” (9:20). God says, “Excuse me, are you telling me what I can and cannot do?” 

Is it not an expression of our pride and arrogance that we make so much of our own freedom and so little of God’s? We feel that we must be free to choose or reject Him, but we do not feel that He should be free to choose or reject us. 

The Fruit of Embracing God’s Freedom 

Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. (Psalm 115:3, NIV) 

If you are really struggling with this, you are not alone. One reason why many struggle is that it seems like God’s freedom makes His love less —Jacob I have loved, Esau I hated. If God really is loving, should He not treat all people the same?

A love that treats everyone the same is a very weak kind of love. Let me tell you about a strong love: I love my wife. That means I treat nobody else the same! The Bible speaks about the love of Christ like this: He has a bride! (John 3:29). 

Some folks are so committed to the idea that God must treat everyone the same that they think of God opening the door of salvation and then standing back, waiting to see who will come in. 

But the Bible speaks of a greater love than that, in which God takes the initiative, not only in sending His Son into the world, but by breaking into the lives of particular people to save them. 

That’s what God did with His people Israel. Listen to this great statement about God’s particular love for His covenant people:  

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6). 

Why did God love them in this special way?  

“The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples” (7:7). 

Why then did God set His affection on them?

“It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (7:8).

Why Did God Love You? 

Why did God love you? Because He loved you—no other reason—not because of your background, your prayers, your ministry, your commitment, your faith, or your good life.

God set His love on you simply because He loved you. That is why He chose you out of all the people on the face of the earth to be among His treasured possession. 

Going back to the story of Jonah, God extended this saving love to Nineveh, the capitol of terror and torture. Why Nineveh? Of all the cities of the world, why did God send a prophet there? Of all the cities God could have chosen, why did He bring revival to Nineveh?

“Our God is in heaven. He does whatever pleases Him.” Nobody tells Him what to do! And that made Jonah mad.  

While it may be that we’d be more comfortable with a God who operates within our framework, that is not the God of the Bible. 

[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]



Photo Credit: Unsplash 

5 Key Connections: Faithless, Rejection, and more…

Here are 5 Key Connections from recent Christian articles around the web, including how God is faithful even when you’re faithless, and how to handle rejection.

Why I Need A Church that Judges Me (Allen Nelson IV, Things Above Us)

Often we think it noble to say things like “our church doesn’t judge anybody!” or “you’ll find no judging here.” But let’s be clear, a church that doesn’t judge is a church not faithful to Her Master (at best), and at worst, is not an actual church at all.

4 Promises to Christians about the Resurrected Body (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Christ made you (body and soul), and he will redeem you (body and soul). He will do it in this order; soul now, body later. All that God has made is good and all that God has made he will redeem. 

How to Handle Rejection (Michael Riccardi, The Master’s Seminary)

Rejection is, in many ways, our heritage. As our Lord Himself said, if the world hated Him, it is not surprising that the world hates us, His slaves (John 15:18–21). If we are faithfully living out the Christian life and proclaiming the gospel with our words, we are sure to encounter rejection. In spite of this and other assurances from Scripture, though, many of us still shy away from evangelism for fear of being rejected.

Do Not Miss the Theology of the Song (Josh Buice, Delivered By Grace)

Singing to God is about praising God first, but it also serves to teach us about God—especially the little ones who are with us in the worship services. Remember, words matter, songs matter, worship matters, and as we sing—we must labor to not miss the theology of the song.

God Is Faithful, Even When You’re Faithless (Kim Jaggers, Revive Our Hearts)

Maybe life seems unfair. Maybe you want to question God’s goodness. Oh friend, hold on! He brings beauty from ashes! He works hard things together for good in our lives and the lives of those we love! 

Cultivating Godly Character While Waiting on God

A little over seven years ago in May 2012, I graduated from seminary with my second Master’s Degree. Since that time, I’ve been applying to a variety of pastor positions to no avail. While I’ve had a lot of interviews, none of them have resulted in me receiving a call from a local church.  

In the meantime, I’ve served in the local church in a variety of roles since graduating high school almost two decades ago. Presently, I serve as a writer, editor, podcaster, and speaker living in Southern California. 

Waiting on God is challenging, frustrating, and painful. See, our flesh and our instant-gratification-society don’t teach us patience. They teach us to snap our fingers and expect whatever we want in a matter of minutes.  

Today you might be like me, waiting on the Lord to provide that job you want. Or you might be struggling with discouragement, depression, anxiety, and worry. I don’t have a magic formula that will ensure you get what you want in an instant. Nor do I have a to-do list for you to reach your best life today. And let’s be honest, you and I both know that won’t work.  

Instead, what you and I both need is the Bible and what it teaches about waiting on God. 

The Bible’s Teaching on Waiting on God

The Lord gives us great promises in His Word so that we’ll trust Him in seasons of life where we’re waiting on Him. Look with me now at some of the biblical teaching on waiting on the Lord: 

Lamentations 3:5: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”  Psalm 33:20-22: “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”  Psalm 130:5-6: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”  Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”   Micah 7:7: “But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Isaiah 64:4: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”  



Focusing on the Lord 

I don’t know about you, but I am often guilty of focusing too much on my circumstances. When we replay our situations over and over in our mind, we are not thinking about what is noble, pure, and good as Philippians 4:8 says.

If we are so focused on what is negative in our lives, we will never give thanks like we’ve been commanded by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. And if we aren’t giving thanks, we will focus too much on our circumstances. We’ll become frustrated with life, getting discouraged, depressed, and full of anxiety.

Instead, what the Lord offers is for us to rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4) because we believe that He alone is sufficient (Philippians 4:13). Such a perspective shift will help us to become focused less on our challenges and more on the Lord who helps us through our difficulties. 

Challenges are Opportunities to Grow in Grace 

Within the last month, a book project of mine got rejected by a major Christian publisher. And then I again got that dreaded email, though nicely worded, that I was rejected by a church for a pastor position I applied to.  

Talk about a double whammy. It felt like a gut-punch. Needless to say, I didn’t respond well. I immediately went negative, but later in the evening, I went on a walk, had a good cry, poured out my soul to the Lord, and preached the gospel to myself. 

Then, I walked back home, headed to bed, kissed my wife, and told her I love her. I prayed and hit my pillow to sleep for the night. I woke up the next morning, ready for the day, and refreshed in the Lord. 

At the moment, that rejection from my book project and the church devastated me. But what I remembered while on my walk was that Jesus was thoroughly rejected in every way by humanity at the cross. I considered how my worst days are nothing compared to Jesus’s worst day. 

It is because He was rejected by the world He came to save, I am now adopted, fully accepted, and loved by Him because of His finished and sufficient work,

The Seasons of Our Life Are Not for Us Alone 

The seasons of our lives are not for us alone; they are for others also. When you grab hold at the heart level that God is faithful and good, you will wait on Him with faith in Him.  

You will also trust him in the storms of life knowing that the storm may shake you, but you are held in the storm by none other than the Creator and Lord who secures your salvation in Christ alone. 

You may say, “I get that in my head,” but it’s not just in the head where this truth should hit us. We need to know and experience it in our hearts. As I continue to grow myself in applying these truths to my own heart, I grow more peaceful and content in Christ.   

To that end, I daily remind myself that the seasons of my life are governed by the hand of a sovereign God who loves me and cares for me. This truth helps me to face the present and the future with confidence in His sovereignty.

Perhaps today you are tired of waiting, sometimes patiently and sometimes not. What you need to understand is this: in Christ, you and I have been given everything, and all of it is of grace. No matter how long we have to wait on God, He is still good and sufficient.   

We can trust the Lord while we wait on Him and look to the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus. who alone secures the beloved and who now faithfully intercedes for the people of God. 

Let’s you and I commit as His friends while we wait on the Lord to trust and to grow in Him. It’s here in waiting on God where we will become men and women of godly character, useful to our Master so that He may use us to lift high the name of Jesus, for His glory.  

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Bible Q&A: Can I Help Someone Else’s Conscience?

How do I, when I see that someone else’s conscience has been seared and corrupted, help that person, especially if they don’t feel like they need help? I know only God can change someone’s heart through the Holy Spirit. Should I simply pray the Holy Spirit doesn’t let go of him?

The answer most likely depends on the openness or willingness of the person you are talking about. And, it is probably not necessary for him to see his need at this point in order for you to be helpful.  

There are three things that enable us to have a healthy conscience, or to restore an unhealthy conscience:  

1.) His conscience needs to be powered by the Holy Spirit 

This would depend on whether or not he is a Christian. So you can pray for him, that the Spirit would bring conviction of sin, whether or not he currently believes. 

In one case, you are praying essentially for salvation. In the other, you are praying for God to revive him spiritually.  

2.) His conscience needs to be set by the Word of God.  

This is really about encouraging him to open the Bible.  

Depending on where he is, you might begin by asking him to go to church with you (if that’s possible). If he is already in a church, then you could go a couple of different routes.  

i. You might invite him to go through the Bible with you, once a week. 

Check out Open, where Pastor Colin leads you through the whole Bible story in 50 sessions. Read the bible chapter, listen to the teaching, and meet to discuss the questions.  

ii. Or you could ask him to memorize / meditate on a verse a week with you. 

If you have the ESV bible app, there are fice icons across the bottom. Click on the second icon (looks like a calendar). Then scroll all the way to the bottom, and second from the bottom you’ll see the “Truth Bible Memory Plan.” Click on this and work your way through these verses together.  

3.) His conscience needs to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.  

Again, this cannot happen apart from genuine Christian faith. But God is able to intervene in his life and do the beautiful work of cleansing his conscience.

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7 Realities Revealed in the Book of Revelation

Is there any book of the Bible that sparks as much controversy and confusion as the book of Revelation?

Some believers form strong dividing lines over different interpretations. Many Christians scratch their heads as they read through John’s illustrative visions. And others avoid reading Revelation altogether.

Perhaps you share the curiosity of one of our church members who recently asked me, “Why did God have to end the Bible like that?” It’s a fair question.

What are we to make of this seemingly odd conclusion to God’s Great Book? 

The purpose of this post is not to engage (let alone settle) the common debates regarding Revelation. My goal is more simple and more general:

I want to show you some of the broad themes of Revelation that every Christian can agree upon, and every Christian needs to know. And, I want to encourage you to read and value Revelation.

I even want to suggest that the book of Revelation is one of the most important books in our Bibles.

Revelation Shows Us Reality

We live in a noisy, distracting world which incessantly screams for our attention. But in Revelation, Jesus yells back and reminds His church that He is Lord, that He is coming, and that we need to stay awake to this truth (Revelation 16:15).

Yes, he uses imagery and symbolism that can seem bizarre and strange at first glance, but He’s not out to confuse us. He’s out to encourage us.

Remember, Revelation was originally written to seven struggling churches to help them endure in the faith. Therefore, Revelation is in our Bibles today to help us press on in our walk with Christ.

In 22 action-packed chapters, Jesus pulls back the curtains of this world and lets us peek behind the scenes. We see what’s actually going on in the chaos of our day, and we see what’s surely coming in our future. We see reality. 

Here are just seven of the realities revealed in the book of Revelation for the encouragement of the church: 

1. Real Jesus 

Revelation 1:1 begins with these words: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” Revelation is first and foremost a book from Jesus about Jesus.

John sees Jesus in the fullness of his glory as the:

Sovereign King over all creation (1:12-16), Lion of Judah who alone is worthy to unfold human history (5:1-5), Slain Lamb who shed his blood to ransom his people (5:6-12), Word of God who leads the armies of heaven (19:11-16), Judge who justifies his own and condemns his enemies to the lake of fire (20:11-15).

This is the real Jesus we are called to honor and serve now and into eternity. 

2. Real Church 

Revelation also paints a realistic picture of the church.

Lest we think that first-century Christians had it all together, Revelation 2-3 shows us real churches with real issues. Ephesus is backsliding, Smyrna is suffering, Pergamum is compromising, Thyatira is polluted, Sardis is dying, Philadelphia is small, and Laodicea is lukewarm.1 

And yet, Jesus personally calls these believers to press on, to endure, and to share in his eternal victory. “The one who conquers,” he promises, “I will grant him to sit with me on my throne” (Revelation 3:21).

3. Real Suffering 

Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy.

Life in a fallen world is marked by suffering. In Revelation, the seven seals (6:1-17, 8:1-5), seven trumpets (8:6-9:21, 11:15-19), seven bowls (16:1-21) describe great turmoil on the earth.

There’s debate about which parts of these sufferings Christians will endure, but we certainly endure some (see Romans 8:18ff). And yet, the great hope of Revelation is that one day God himself will:

wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4).

4. Real Hostility 

Demonstrations of hostility against the church run throughout Revelation.

Perhaps the most striking is the story of the two witnesses in chapter 11. These two men are faithful to Christ and bold for Christ, and then they are killed for their faith. When they die the world rejoices, celebrating their demise as if it were Christmas by making merry and exchanging presents (Revelation 11:10)!

This serves as a powerful reminder that the world will often hate followers of Jesus (John 15:18). And yet, the story of Revelation 11 ends in resurrection and vindication, which is the future and the hope of every persecuted Christian as well. 

5. Real Deception 

Revelation 12:9 calls Satan “the deceiver of the whole world.” Throughout the book, he deceives the world into engaging with him in active rebellion against Almighty God (Revelation 16:14).

This reminds us that we need to stay awake and resist his lies (Revelation 16:15). This also reminds us that our ultimate battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the cosmic powers over this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12).

Our mission in this world is not to wage war with the unbelievers we know, but to winsomely and passionately seek to lead them to the One who can deliver them from deceitful schemes of our great enemy by opening their eyes to the truth.

6. Real Judgment 

Few things are as unpopular today as the doctrine of eternal condemnation. And yet, few things are as clear in Revelation as the doctrine of hell. Hell is not pleasant, but it is very real.

At the end of history, anyone who has not pledged allegiance to Christ by repentance and faith will face the wrath of God. God’s judgment is always just, and they will only receive what they deserve (Revelation 16:6; 20:12).

However, no one needs to face this judgment. Jesus Christ is the Lamb who was slain, the one who drained the cup of the wine of the fury of God’s wrath in our place (Revelation 16:19; Matthew 26:39). By his grace, through his sacrifice, his people are not destined for wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

7. Real Glory 

The future hope for every believer is the new heavens and the new earth. There will be no more sin (Revelation 22:3). There will be no more suffering (21:4). And, there will be no more sun because the glory of the Lord will shine out in the fullness of its brilliance (21:23).

Christians will stand before the Lord Jesus, in resurrected bodies, in a completely restored creation, and we will see him face to face (22:4). And this real glory, which is our real hope now, will be our real joy forever and forever (22:5). 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

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1.)These titles come from Richard Bewes’ book The Lamb Wins (Christian Focus, 2000) 27-34. 

4 Promises to Christians about The Resurrected Body

Let’s look at four Scriptures that speak of what God has promised, marvelous promises throughout the Bible about the resurrection of the body.   

#1: Job 19:25-27 

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.  

Notice what Job already knew: a. that his Redeemer lives, b. that his Redeemer will stand on the earth, and c. when that happens, Job will see God with his own eyes.  

Job is talking about the physical here: My eyes! My flesh! I will see God! And all this will happen when my Redeemer, who lives, stands upon the earth. You will see God as truly as you see this pulpit in front of you.  

#2: Romans 8:22-24 

We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.  

The redemption of the body is the hope in which you were saved. The great purpose of God is not to save a part of you (your soul) but the whole of you (body/soul unity). 

Christ made you (body and soul), and he will redeem you (body and soul). He will do it in this order; soul now, body later. All that God has made is good and all that God has made he will redeem. 

#3: Philippians 3:20-21 

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.  

a. The human body is described as ‘lowly’   

At its strongest and most developed, the human body is fragile. Even if you are really fit, and you get hit by a truck, you will be in trouble. Our bodies are fragile. 

C. S. Lewis says, “When you are learning to ride they give you unimpressive horses. Only when you are ready for it are you allowed an animal that will gallop and jump” [1]  Wait till you see the upgrade. Even if you’re impressed now. You ain’t seen nothing yet! 

b. Your body will be ‘transformed’ by the Lord Jesus Christ and by his power  

The resurrection of the body is a truth that cannot be grasped apart from the work of Christ and the power of Christ.  

The credibility of this great truth is that Christ demonstrated his power to raise his people by rising himself! Every Christian says, “Yes, the Savior has given me a new heart!”  He will also give you a new body. It will be the completion of his redeeming work in your life.  

c. Your resurrection body will be like Christ’s glorious body  

That means it will be a physical body. You will not be a disembodied ghost or spirit in the new creation. The reason you won’t spend eternity floating on the clouds is that bodies don’t float, right? 

Jesus said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). Flesh and bones! This is a physical body! Jesus is talking about his own resurrection body. 

In terms of appearance, Jesus’s resurrection body was so similar to the form of the body we have now that Mary could mistake him for a gardener. And Jesus looked like just another traveler to the two disciples on the Emmaus road, 

Although the resurrection body will be very different, the similarities to the body you have now are more striking than the differences.  

In John’s Gospel, we have Jesus not only cooking breakfast but eating it with the disciples. We are definitely talking about barbeque in the resurrection folks!   

Wayne Grudem says, “No [bible] text says that Jesus passed through walls or anything like that.” [2]  Why would anyone think that? Because the Bible says the disciples were meeting behind locked doors when Jesus came in (John 20:19). But Peter was also behind locked doors in prison and God miraculously opened them so that Peter could walk out (Acts 12:10).  

The idea of heavenly bodies that dematerialize comes from watching too much Star Trek, not from the Bible. Jesus speaks about his resurrection body in terms of flesh and bones.   

#4: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  

The transformation of the body you have now, into the body you will have, will be instantaneous. All believers will receive this gift at the same time.  

The new earth will be better than the earth we have now. The resurrection body will be better than the body you have now. And you will have forever to savor the pleasures that God has in store for you. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

[1] Cited in J. I. Packer, Growing in Christ, p. 66, Crossway, 2007.  

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 610, Zondervan, 1994. 

5 Key Connections: Pastor’s Kid, the Body, and more

Here are 5 Key Connections from recent Christian articles around the web, including encouragements to the Pastor’s kid, and the biblical story of the body.

The Biblical Story of the Body (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

God created your body as much as he created your soul. All that God has created is good. That is why he will not scrap it and start again. What God has made, he will redeem, and that means your body as well as your soul.  

For the Pastor’s Kid: Your Dad Needs You (Bethany Melton, For the Church)

No matter your age, a pastor’s kid can radically bolster the ministry of your dad when you stop shirking your duties and start serving your calling. It’s no accident your dad was chosen for ministry and you were chosen for your dad. This doesn’t elevate you above others; it simply compels you to abide by a different calling.

3 Lessons Adults Can Learn from Teaching in Children’s Ministry (Rachel Sinclair, Facts & Trends)

Whether it’s the natural leader who can make others laugh, the thoughtful child who sits next to the visitor, or the faithful student who memorizes the key Scripture verse every week, children show us every individual has a gift to share with the group.

Confessing Sin Is Always Awkward, Sometimes Costly, and Absolutely Worth It (John Lee, 9Marks)

Reputation is a dam that blocks living water from flowing into our souls. It keeps us from confessing our sins. But in Christ, God has been gracious to us, which means we don’t have to prove ourselves. His throne of judgment has turned into a throne of grace! We can boldly look at the holy, righteous God and run to him in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14–16).

The Secret of Being Content (Portia Collins, Risen Motherhood)

True contentment lies in being satisfied with Christ, in and of himself. It’s knowing you have a relationship with the giver of all things and even if he doesn’t give all things to you, it’s not because he’s incapable of doing so. In his devotional, New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp explains, “When you are satisfied with the Giver, because you have found in him the life you were looking for, you are freed from the ravenous quest for satisfaction that is the discouraging existence of so many people.”

Christian, Recognize Short-Term Uncertainty

Listen to what God says about uncertainty in the letter of James:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. (James 4:13-14)

Here are people with plans: “Here is what I want to do: I am going to live in this or that city. I will to this college and pursue this career. We are going to marry and we are going to have children. We are going to plant a church. And, we would like to send out ten pastors, church planters, and missionaries every year!”

It is good to have plans, but remember, when you plan for the future, you don’t even know if you will be here tomorrow!

What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:15)

Everything we hope to do in life depends on God’s grace and God’s strength, therefore the wise person says, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (Romans 4:15).

We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

The short life we have in this world is filled with uncertainty. God calls us to travel a winding path. None of us can see what is around the next corner – it may be a great trial, and it may be a great joy. We walk by faith, not by sight.

None of us knows for sure what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. But here’s the thing: I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but, in Jesus Christ, I do know the final outcome of my life.

That’s where our hope is. Our hope is set on the ultimate destiny that is absolutely secure because it has been revealed and it has been purchased in Jesus Christ.

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

The Breath of God

Paul wrote that “all scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). This remarkable phrase about the breath of God provides us a look into the intimate relationship between God and His Word. 

This verse is often pointed to when speaking about the inerrancy of the Bible: God is without contradiction, so it follows that His Word is also without contradiction. The reasoning here is that God’s nature is intertwined with the nature of the Bible.  

As is God so is the Bible. This connection applies not only to content but also to form—not just what is said but the way it is said.  

Good writers differentiate themselves from bad writers by expressing their idea with clarity. Great writers differentiate themselves from good writers by expressing their clear ideas in an intentional form crafted to match the mood of the content.  

If great writers can do this, consider how intricate, sophisticated, and marvelous the one perfect writer can connect His intended message with His chosen form. 

God’s Breath  

I want to focus on the word breathed in Paul’s phrase above. 

Without any study, one can understand the imagery here. A breath is something soft, intimate. A breath may be quiet, but it is also a sure sign of life. God’s breath is a giving of God’s life. 

And so, the giving of God’s breath suggests a reflection of his likeness.  

Consider the creation of the world. All the living things God made were made “according to its kind” or “according to their kind,” except for one—humanity. When God made man and woman He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).   

And how did God do this? Genesis 2 provides a closer look: “The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (2:7, italics added).  

So here in Genesis, we can see the association between the likeness of God and the breath of God. Let’s look at two other examples.

Jesus on the Cross 

Move forward in time to the hill of Calvary. Jesus hanging from the cross, bearing the sins of the world. When it was finished, the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke both say that Jesus “breathed his last” (Mark 15:37, 39; Luke 23:46).   

I don’t want to over-analyze the diction here, this is not a phrase exclusive to Jesus—Luke uses this same phrase in three separate places in Acts (5:5; 5:10; 12:23).  

But a connection is still there. Jesus’s death was the atonement for the sins of His sheep. Jesus’s death, and resurrection, purchased righteousness for His people. This final breath tore the veil between God and man, signifying reconciliation—the likeness of God given to man. 

The Disciples Receive the Holy Spirit 

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples. They were overjoyed to see Him. And Jesus then “breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22, italics added). 

Here again we see the breath of God corresponding to the giving of the nature of God. There is a sanctifying effect to the breath of God—in receiving it you are made to reflect God’s likeness. 

The Breath of God Brings Perspective 

I want to clarify here in this article that the breath of God, while it brings the likeness of God, does not make anyone or anything else God. The breath of God given to us does not mean we are now our own gods. 

On the contrary, if we come to see how we, as God’s creation made in His likeness, were given His breath, we take on a sobering, humble perspective on our lives.

Consider these two passages from Scripture. First, David in the Psalms:  

Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! (Psalm 39:5) 

And Job:  

“…for my days are a breath.” (Job 7:16) 

Having received the breath of God as the source of our life (“the breath of the Almighty gives me life” [Job 33:4]), we can visualize how small and transient our lives are compared to the Almighty.  

Our lives, everything we strive to do, everything we work for, is like a single breath for God.  

As that breath, the best thing we can hope to do, and the one thing that will bring us the most satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment is to demonstrate and share the life of the one who breathed—God himself. 

The Christian Life  

Job said that the breath of the Almighty gives life. This is true in that it moves people from nothingness to life (as shown from Genesis), and also true in that it increases the fruit, the liveliness, of our life. 

The Christian life, then, is a life powered by the breath of God, transforming a person more and more into the likeness of God. 

How can we obtain this life? The “man of dust” obtained life because God breathed into him. Where is the breath of God given to us? 

Paul’s phrase in 2 Timothy 3:16, notice, shows us that the Bible is not “breathed upon” by God, but “breathed out.” God’s Word is God’s breath to us, bringing us life, making us more like Christ.  

The Bible has the power, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to both teach and demonstrate all the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

Are you growing in these fruits by reading God’s Word? 

Photo Credit: Unsplash