Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 51

How to Use the Old Testament Law Properly

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. (1 Timothy 1:7-8)

It’s clear that there were difficulties in the church at Ephesus over some people who wanted to be teachers of the law, but Paul says “They do not know what they are talking about.”  

Some in the congregation were confused about the role of the law in the life of a Christian believer. That’s not surprising. This is a difficult issue. It comes up again and again in the New Testament letters. It has perplexed believers and churches through the centuries.  

What Paul says here in 1 Timothy is of huge importance for the church today and always: “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.” He says two things:

               1. The law is good  

               2. You have to use it properly  

This raises a very important question: What does it mean to use the law improperly? 

Using the Law for Self-justification 

This is what the rich young ruler did.  

When Jesus recited the commandments: “Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Honor your father and mother”—he responded: “All these I have kept since I was a boy” (Mark 10:19-20). After taking a superficial look at God’s law. he said, “I’m good!”  

Paul could look back on a time when he did the same thing: “As for legalistic righteousness,” he says, “I was faultless” (Philippians 3:6).  

To say: “I live a really moral life, so I must be good with God” is a terrible use of the law! 

Using the Law for Self-sanctification 

Some folks have the idea that Christ forgives you for your past sins, opens heaven for your future joy, and the middle is basically up to you to live a good life. To find out what the law says to do and do it.  

Paul says, “The law was powerless… in that it was weakened by the sinful nature…” (Romans 8:3). Here’s the problem: The law can tell you what to do. It cannot give you the power to do it. That’s the problem with all legalism and moralism.

The Gospel brings forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future, but it does not bring the law for now. It brings forgiveness for the past, heaven for the future, and the Spirit for now!

It is the Spirit who sanctifies, not the law. The law will never make you like Christ. Only the Spirit can make you like Christ. 

How Can I Avoid These Errors When Using the Law? 

That’s a huge question for every Christian and for every church. The way you answer that question will shape the character of your life and home. The way we answer that question will shape the character of the church. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 

Read the Old Testament Forward 

The law is a sign that points forward. It is never an end in itself. You see this most clearly in our Lord’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. There is a pattern there in which Christ quotes the law and then takes it further: “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). 

“You have heard that it was said ‘Do not murder…’ but I tell you—Do not be angry with your brother” (v. 21-22).  

“You have heard that it was said ‘Do not commit adultery…’ but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (v. 27-28).  

In every case Jesus goes further than the law. The law says “Do not murder.” Jesus says, “I’m taking you further. I want you to forgive your brother in the power of the Holy Spirit.” The law says “Do not commit adultery.” Jesus says “I’m taking you further. I want you to pursue purity of heart in the power of the Holy Spirit!”

Jesus is telling us how to use the law properly!  

The key question to ask of any Old Testament command is: To what does this point me in Christ? The command about murder points me to forgiv my brother. That’s not less, it’s more. If I forgive my brother, I will not murder him. The command about adultery points to purity of heart. That’s not less, it’s more. If I have a pure heart, I will not commit adultery.

Examples of Reading the Old Testament Forward 

The principle of reading the Old Testament forward helps us to use other laws that may have a different application for us today:  

The command about circumcision points me to being a new and different person in Christ (Colossians 2:11-12). 

God’s promise to bring the Israelites into the promised land of blessing and his warnings about being driven out of the land point me to a life with Christ to gain and a hell without him to flee (Hebrews 6:7-12). [i] 

The commands about tithing point me in the direction of becoming a generous person who is committed to advancing the Gospel (2 Corinthians 8:1-15). 

The commands about the Sabbath point me to finding my rest in Christ and to rejoicing in God as I anticipate eternity to come (Hebrews 4:1-11). 

Christ Takes Us Where The Law Cannot Go 

When you use the law properly, you will soon see that Christ takes us where the law cannot go.

There is no command that says “You must lay down your life for Christ.” But believers who love Christ have laid down their lives for the Gospel in every generation.

There is no command that says “You must liquidate assets for the advance of the Gospel.” But believers who love Christ have done that in every generation. 

No command tells you “You must leave your home and your loved ones to take the Gospel to the other side of the world.” But believers who love Christ have done that in every generation.

Love takes us beyond the law. Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). 

We want to make proper use of God’s law. While some churches make much of law, we want to make much of grace.  

We want to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. And, we want the love of Christ to take us further than any law.  

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Gospel Freedom,” from his series 10 Distinctives of a Gospel-Centered Church]

[i] Calvin points out that this was always the meaning of the law and that this was clear to godly people in Old Testament times. (See Institutes of the Christian Religion, book 2 chapter 11)

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Key Connections: Justice, Walking Bibles, and more…

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from recent Christian articles, including one on justice, one on understanding ourselves as walking Bibles, and more!

Our Faith Is Not by Works: No One Can Boast (Jen Oshman, Servants of Grace)

It is by God’s grace alone that we are alive. And not only alive but seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Our position is with our Lord, spiritually seated with God’s son, our co-heir. Indeed, he is pleased! He made us alive and seated us with his beloved Son. His pleasure is imputed to us, through Jesus.

A Walking Bible (Patrick Ramsey, Meet the Puritans)

Manton says that God appeals to us who are union with Christ “for the truth and reality of his grace.” Christians, he says, are Christ’s epistle and that every Christian is to be a “walking Bible.” We are living proof of the reality of the gospel message. “In the scripture there is Christ’s mind in words; in a Christian there is Christ’s mind in deeds in his conversation.”

What Does It Mean for God to Be Our Father? (Fred Zaspel, For the Church)

We have no need of human priests or even “sainted” mediators. We are God’s children and may boldly go to him with full assurance of acceptance. The related themes of provision, care, and protection were staples in Jesus’ teaching (Mt. 6:8, 11, 25ff; 7:7-11; 10:28ff). Knowing that God is our Father ought to give us a deep sense of assurance of his heart of loving care for us.

On The Gospel and Justice: It’s a Spectrum, Not Two Sides (Trevin Wax, TGC)

Worldliness is often manifested not merely in the positions we might take, but whenever we engage in debate the same way unbelievers do. If we fail to stand out in a world of polarization, if we fail to resist the temptation to easy and effective labels because it mobilizes a side… we may be worldlier than we realize.

What’s The Secret to Living a Godly Life? (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

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! 

Confused by Hosea? Here’s What You Need to Know

[Editorial Note: Colton Tatham also contributed to this article]

Reading Hosea can be a confusing experience. You may wonder, what is this book all about? Why is it in the Bible?   

In this article, I want to discuss how you can discover the treasure of Scripture—that is, Jesus Christ—in the book of Hosea. And I want to give you three questions that Hosea answers for our lives today.  

Unlocking Hosea: A Living Parable 

Hosea is part of that strange section of our bibles known as the Minor Prophets. These little gems can be difficult to interpret, but once unlocked, you find treasure!  

The book of Hosea may feel complex, but interpretative help is found when we realize that it is intended to be approached as a living parable.  

God loves using parables to convey truth. Consider Jesus and His use of them! A parable is simply a word picture designed to illuminate truth. The word picture runs parallel to the truth the storyteller is trying to convey.  

Chapters 1-3 of Hosea present this living parable to us. The painful tale of Hosea and Gomer, a faithful husband and an unfaithful wife. Like any other parable, even a living one, the characters and the storyline point to a greater truth—the relationship between God and his people! 

The Greater Truth 

The marriage of Hosea the Prophet and Gomer the wayward woman run parallel and point to the covenant relationship between God and his wayward people: 

“Go and take yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2) 

What is going on here? Well, God’s people, Israel, have been unfaithful. Consider the weight given to the living parable and then to the greater truth. While chapters 1-3 describe Gomer’s unfaithfulness to Hosea, chapters 4-14 describes Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.  

Gomer leaves Hosea for other men (plural) and even bears the illegitimate children of her lovers (3:1, 1:6)! And, God uses the story of Hosea and Gomer’s marriage to show that God’s people have done the same to Him: 

There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murdering, stealing, and committing adultery. (Hosea 4:1-2) 

Israel has been unfaithful and chased after other lovers.  

What We Can Learn from Hosea 

For us today, I believe Hosea can help give us answers to three big questions.

What does unfaithfulness look like? How does God love us despite our unfaithfulness? What does God desire from us in return?  



What does unfaithfulness look like?  

If you enjoy satire, God employs much of it in the latter part of Hosea to illustrate the unfaithfulness of His people. Chapter 7 is particularly illustrative. God’s wayward people are called a “heated oven” (7:4), “a cake not turned” (7:8), “a dove, silly and without sense” (7:11), and “a treacherous bow” (7:16) 

What does this all mean? They are a people burning with passion for half-baked, silly, and useless things.  

Fellow Gomers, do you relate? Have you burned with passion for half-baked, silly, and useless things? This is what unfaithfulness looks like. 

How does God love us despite our unfaithfulness? 

Hosea gave gifts for Gomer. And God gives gifts to his people.  

While we want to identify ourselves with Hosea, because of his Christ-like character, it is also helpful for us to think ourselves as Gomer in this parable!  

You are probably thinking, “Did he just call me what I think he did?!”  

Before you take too much offense, let me explain why being in the same camp as Gomer is a great place to be. Consider the wonderful gifts Gomer receives in this story: betrothal, redemption, and affection! These gifts show us a beautiful picture of God’s love in action.  

Betrothal  

So he (Hosea) went and took Gomer… (1:3)  

Hosea chose Gomer despite her sin. We don’t know about Gomer’s past, but we know that it was against all worldly logic that Hosea, a Prophet, a Man of God, would take her to be his wife.  

And this is our story, along with all of God’s people throughout history: God chose us, adopted us as sons and daughters, despite our sin. (John 15:16, Ephesians 1:4-5, Romans 8:29-30, Romans 9:6-21). 

Redemption 

So I (Hosea) bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. (3:2) 

Hosea entered into a covenant with Gomer. He would maintain his loyalty no matter what. He would go so far as to redeem his wayward wife from slavery!  

We too, as God’s people, have been bought at a price. We too have been redeemed from slavery! Christ the True and Greater Husband, our redeemer, paid for our freedom with His blood. (Ephesians 1:7, 1 Cor 6:20, 7:23) 

Affection  

“You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” (3:3) 

Hosea reassures Gomer that despite her former sin he will keep his promises. He will love her and be loyal to her.  

Christ has redeemed us from horrifying sin. Despite our past his affections for us, as his blood-bought people, run red-hot. (John 15:9-17, Romans 5:8, 8:38-39)  

The parable of Hosea and Gomer foreshadows the perfect, redeeming, and passionate love that God in Christ has for all his people throughout history. Rejoice fellow Gomers!  

What does God desire from us in return? 

Hosea 6:6 answers this for us: 

 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”  

He wants us to know him, and desire him. This is for our good and for our joy, because as new creations our core desires mirror his. Christ alone is what will fulfill us.  

So, get to know the one who chose you, redeemed you, and loves you with relentless affection. Love him. This love and knowledge will be what leads you to a life of blessing and obedience unto him.

From the beginning, God’s intention was for us to know and enjoy him, and that has not changed!  

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Bible Q&A: Is Jesus Talking about Confession Here?

Regarding the Catholic practice of confession, what do you think Jesus meant by: ‘If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (John 20:23). How can the person seated next to you ‘retain’ a sin you’ve committed?

This is Pastor Tim from Unlocking the Bible. Pastor Colin asked me to thank you for your good question and to respond to you. 

What I hear you saying is this:

In John 20:23 it sounds like Jesus is delegating the authority to forgive sins to the Apostles.

According to Roman Catholic understanding, this authority has been transferred to priests since the death of the Apostles. And priests exercise this authority when they forgive or retain sins in the Sacrament of Confession.

But since evangelicals tend to have a less “corporate” more “individualistic” approach to Christianity, if this passage applies to individual Christians, then how, practically, are they to carry this out?

Scripture Interprets Scripture

When you look at John 20:23 in isolation, I agree that it does look like this is precisely what Jesus is saying. It looks like Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and that he delegates (or shares) that authority to the Apostles.

However, there is an important principle for understanding (or interpreting) the Bible correctly that applies here. I think it is helpful to call this principle: Scripture interprets Scripture.

In other words, if you look at one passage of Scripture in isolation, and it appears to have one meaning (or interpretation) that meaning (or interpretation) cannot contradict what is said elsewhere in Scripture.

This principle holds because “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). There is no contradiction or confusion in God.

Matthew 16:19

I think it is helpful to look at another passage that has a similar construction, but a more helpful immediate context. I believe the context of Matthew 16 gives us some helpful clues to the meaning of John 20:23. 

Jesus said: 

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (16:19)

Again, on the surface, it sounds like the same kind of delegation we find in John 20:23, but with the added detail of “the keys of the kingdom.”

Jesus is telling Peter (and the other Apostles) that he is going to give them “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” In other words, Jesus is going to give them something or entrust something to them that will unlock heaven for some and lock others out of heaven.

Now here is the question that I would ask of this passage: What are “the keys” that open up heaven for people? Clearly, Jesus is not talking about a literal “key” here. He does not hand them a key.

The Bible’s answer to the question: “How does heaven become open for a person?” is the gospel.

When a person hears the gospel and responds in repentance and faith, heaven is open to that person. His or her sins are forgiven. Here are a couple of examples of teaching that agree with this understanding of the gospel as the key that opens up heaven for a person:

Gospel as the Key

Jesus said: 

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

In other words, The kingdom of God (or of heaven) is near, so what do you need to do? Repent and believe the gospel. Believing the gospel is the key that opens up heaven (or the kingdom of God), according to Jesus.

John said: 

“This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).

I believe when John refers to eternal life, he is talking about entrance into heaven. So, according to the Apostle John, we find the keys that open up heaven “in Jesus.”

Paul said: 

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Our salvation, or our entrance into heaven, comes through the power of the gospel, according to the Apostle Paul.

Back to John 20:23

Now, let’s apply this same thinking to John 20:23: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 

What Jesus said here does not, therefore, apply to individual Christians. Jesus meant it initially for the Apostles and then, as they left the scene, for the Church (universal).

The Church has a responsibility: to steward the message of the gospel and to faithfully share it with people.

As the gospel is shared and people respond in faith, their sins are ‘forgiven.’ And also, as the gospel is shared, and people reject the message, their sins are ‘retained.’

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Should You Always Speak Your Mind?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21)

How many times have you been in an argument with
someone and before they have finished talking you already know your response
and talk right over them? The conversation keeps going as the two of you try to
get the last word in.

These conversations happen all the time. It makes
sense because we live in a world that teaches us to speak our minds. We put
people who are witty and loud up on pedestals.

In our own lives, we are always expressing our
opinions, triumphs, and whatever else we think needs to be said. But James
challenges us to do the opposite: be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow
to anger.

Why is this so hard?

The difficulty of being quick to listen and slow to speak comes from self-centeredness that is in each one of us. Our natural inclination is to talk first and say whatever we want because we feel that is our right. We feel what we have to say is important because we feel that we are important.

We are instantly focused on ourselves. However, God
commands us here in James to be quick to listen and to focus on what the other
person has to say.

To go along with this, James also commands us to be slow to anger. There are righteous types of anger, but often unrighteous anger comes when we are irritated that our circumstances are not the way we want. Again, this is being self-centered.

When we are quick to listen, we are taking the
emphasis off ourselves and putting it on other people.

Our willingness to be slow to speak shows others
around us that we care about what they are saying. It also allows us to slow
down and think about what we are saying, so that it may be wise and uplifting.

Likewise, we should become slow to anger as it shows that we are not simply acting out of our own self-centeredness, but rather being patient and loving. Granted, this is much easier said than done. How is this difficult task to be achieved?

Cleaning House

James urges that if we want to be able to accomplish this, we must look into our souls and rid ourselves of those sins that pollute us. Or, as he calls it: “moral filth” (v. 21, NIV).

Consider for a minute when you host people in your
home. When you have people over to your house for a nice dinner there is much
preparation that must be done before they arrive. One of the many important
chores any good host will do is clean up the house: sweep the floors, dust the
furniture, and clean any dirt stains out of the carpet.

The key is that you want the house to be clean and
presentable to your guests. Just like cleaning our homes, we want to clean our
souls of “moral filth.” And cleaning means doing something different than just
stuffing everything into a closet.

Similarly, we cannot just hide our sin from others. What
we have dwelling in our souls is what will spill out into our lives.

If we have a sin or sins that we have failed to deal
with, they will eventually manifest themselves in an ugly way. This will make
being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger impossible.

Therefore, James emphasizes the necessity of searching
our souls for our indwelling sin and ripping it out!

Making our Homes Ready for Company

James goes on to admonish us not to just rid ourselves
of sin, but to replace it by humbly accepting the word of God in our hearts
with the knowledge that it alone can save us.

Why is this profoundly helpful? Because when we
reflect on God’s word and humbly take it to heart it makes us realize that we
are not our own but God’s.

It calls us to be a people that love God and other people more than ourselves. Most of all it, makes us aware that we owe all that we are to Christ. For without His sacrifice of love and grace we would be lost.

If this is what is dwelling in our souls then we will
be able to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Let’s go back to our analogy of hosting people in the
home. It is not simply enough when you are hosting people to clean, but we must
also prepare a meal, light candles, and ensure that there are provisions for
them to enjoy their stay.

When we humbly fill our souls with God’s Word and
plant it in us, we are creating an environment to host the Holy Spirit within us.
When God’s spirit rests in us, it will allow us to be a people that listens and
cares for others.

It enables us to be slow to speak and allow our speech
to be life-giving and good for building up other believers. It helps us to be
slow to anger as we reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and how in his mercy and
grace he is slow to be angry with us.

Being Intentional

When we are intentional about putting these words into
practice, we can transform our relationship with God and with others. Consider
how much better workplaces, families, and churches would be if people were
intentional about James’s wise counsel.

When listening, being slow to speak, and slow to anger become difficult always remember this: God is a God who listens and hears the cries of his people.

When God speaks to us, it is always out of a place of love, even if it is hard to hear. Most importantly, God is slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8).

Let this be our reminder as we serve the Lord this week.

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What’s The Secret to Living a Godly Life?

Godliness, and living a godly life, is the central theme of 1 Timothy, chapter 4: 

“Train yourself to be godly.” (v. 7) 

“Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things…” (v. 8) 

But what does a godly life look like? I’ll tell you first what it does not look like. 

You can’t love God more by loving life less. 

In a culture saturated with sex and food, you can see how some people would say: “Since there is so much sin bound up with sex and food, we must be against that. Have nothing to do with marriage or with fine foods. Pursue the simplest lifestyle possible. In denying pleasure you will become more godly.” 

The Apostle Paul says, “That is completely wrong!” It is a false path to a godly life. That kind of teaching doesn’t come from heaven. You can’t love God more by enjoying life less.  

Paul reminds us—God is the Creator: “Everything God created is good. Nothing is to be rejected—if it is received with thanksgiving!” (v4). Remember, marriage was given by God even before the Fall, with all of the beauties and joys of sexual union. God gave the abundance of food in the earth for our enjoyment. These are the gifts of God. 

On this topic, John Stott helpfully quotes G. K. Chesterton: 

“You say grace before meals, all right. But I say grace before the play and the opera, and grace before the concert and the pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching and painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing; and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” [i] 

Do you see what he is saying? I celebrate all the good gifts of the Creator, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.  

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! 

Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness.

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16) 

Godliness, a God-centered life, is not a set of disciplines or a system. It is a person. The mystery of a godly life lies in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ who appeared in a body and was vindicated by the Spirit.  

Jesus Christ is godliness in the flesh. He has lived the God-centered life, and our hope of living a godly life is in him. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith and Jesus Christ is the source of our life. 

Many people would say “Oh yes, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but he feels distant from my struggles.” Being a Christian is more than believing in Jesus. It is the life of Jesus Christ in you by the Holy Spirit. This is perhaps the most important thing for us to grasp in the whole of the Christian life. 

Faith is more than believing Christ. Faith unites us with Christ so that we are united with him in his death and in his resurrection. Remember that faith receives Christ (John 1:13). Faith feeds on Christ (John 6:54). Christ is your life (Colossians 3:4) and “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). 

Jesus gave us a wonderful illustration of this “I am the vine and you are the branches” (John 15:5). Godliness is in him and it flows from him. It grows in us as we grow in him. That’s the hope of you living this life. Christ with you and Christ in you—the hope of glory.  

Your hope of godliness is in Jesus Christ.

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:9-10) 

Paul begins like this when he wants to say something really important. What hope is there for me of a godly life? What hope is there for you of a godly life? How will Christian people become what God calls us to be? Everyone is looking for the answer to that question.  

“We have put our hope in the living God who is the Savior…” (v. 10). Paul is thinking about sanctification here. How do we know that? He says “for this we labor and strive…” (v. 9).  

Do we labor and strive for justification? No. We rest wholly in Christ. Do we labor and strive in sanctification? Yes. We put on the whole armor of God and fight the good fight. We take our stand against the enemy and his schemes.   

The Spirit of God living in you, weds these two things together: 1. We labor and strive, and 2. We put our hope in the living God who is our Savior. Many people are confused about how to live the Christian life.  

There are two misunderstandings of the Christian life that have caused much of this confusion.  

a. The “hard labor” version  

We labor and strive… (1 Timothy 4:9)

This version says that the Christian life is one great effort to try and live a godly life. Many people live here. But there is no power, no energy, and very little joy about them. These folks have the air of defeat about them. They feel that the Christian life is impossible and so they become discouraged.  

b. The “no labor” version  

We have put our hope in the living God. (1 Timothy 4:9)

This version says “There is nothing we Christians can do. We have to let go and let God.” They become completely passive. They do not see what the Bible says about fighting against sin. They do not dress daily in the armor of God. And, they say there’s nothing we can do to grow in holiness, it’s all up to God. It sounds so spiritual, but actually it divorces what God has joined together.   

c. The “Gospel life” version  

“For this we labor and strive… We have put our hope in the living God.” (1 Timothy 4:10) 

Gospel life is the active pursuit of godliness through the power and presence of Jesus Christ in you. I engage in this struggle, and I fight this fight. I press on towards the prize with hope because Jesus Christ lives in me.

That’s how you live a godly life, and that’s the mystery of godliness: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:28).

[i] John Stott, The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus, p.115

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Gospel Life,” from his series 10 Distinctives of a God-Centered Church] 



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Key Connections: Ezra, Bible Reading, and more…

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from key Christian articles around the web! Topics include Bible reading, the book of Ezra, and what the Word of God produces in you.

A Guide for Bible Reading (Jared Olivetti, Gentle Reformation)

I’ve been reminded that we all need both encouragement and instruction in Bible reading. Encouragement because we have real enemies who would keep us from it and instruction because we’re not naturally good at it. That is, just because we have the Bible open and are reading words on a page doesn’t necessarily mean we’re reading it correctly and in a way that will benefit us spiritually.

What the Word of God Produces in You (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

A rich and regular diet of the word of God will increase your wisdom. The Bible is the Word of God. It comes from the mind of God. Thinking God’s thoughts after him is the best way to grow in wisdom for every area of your life.   

The Gospel in Ezra (Kathleen Nielson, Crossway)

God provided his Word, which Ezra the priest set his heart to study and do and teach (Ezra 7:10). Old Testament history comes to a close with a picture of God’s people gathered around God’s Word, yearning for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises—the fulfillment that would come with the Word made flesh.

Your Pastor Needs Your Prayers (Silverio Gonzalez, Core Christianity)

Pastors who don’t see the fruit of their labors should not give up. They shouldn’t look at the situation before them and draw premature conclusions. It’s easy to think that people aren’t passionate about their faith or that in finding an actual lack of passion that one should give up. But God likes to raise the dead, and surely, he can work in us to create a passion for his glory, renew our passion, and work even when we lack all desire and passion for his glory.

The Rocky Friendship in the Story of Joseph

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  

Christ provides the clearest and greatest picture of what it looks like to be someone’s friend. He gives all of himself for others—that’s true friendship. But friendship is not a one-way road. The law of friendship, similar to Newton’s third law of motion, is that every act of friendship deserves an equal reaction. 

When we talk about friendship and the Bible, we usually highlight relationships between friends that exemplify this reciprocal humility and self-sacrifice. David and Johnathan. Naomi and Ruth.

But the Bible is full of relations that either fell apart or faced a great trial due to inaction. There are plenty of friendships that were, in all honesty, rocky relationships at best. I like to look at a few rocky friendships every now and again to discover what true friendship really is by considering what it is not. 

One such rocky friendship can be seen in the story of Joseph and the cupbearer in Genesis 39-41.

Joseph in Jail 

Joseph had been wrongly accused, but it did not matter. He was stuck in jail. 

Even so, Joseph was quickly seen as someone who didn’t belong there; The keeper of the prison trusted him and put him in charge of everything. This was likely a great honor, but he was still in jail, away from freedom.  

Sometime later, a cupbearer and baker were sent to jail for committing an offense against Pharaoh. For whatever reason, they weren’t placed in the normal spot, but “[Pharaoh] put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard” (Genesis 40:3).

This “captain of the guard” had already put Joseph in charge of everything else and so he “appointed Joseph to be with them” (Genesis 40:4).  

While Joseph attended to these men, they both had peculiar dreams. Joseph, knowing all things belong to God, offered to interpret them.

If you know the story, you know that both dreams would change the dreamer’s life, one for good and one for bad. The baker’s dream was fatal: Pharaoh would execute him in three days. The cupbearer’s dream was great: He would be Pharaoh’s personal cupbearer. 

Joseph the Friend 

Joseph was an important person. He had all the duties of the “captain of the guard” after all. Genesis 39:22-23 says, “Whatever was done [in the prison], he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge.”

In other words, Joseph had as much power and prestige as a prisoner could have.

But when these men had dreams that they could not decipher, Joseph noticed that they were troubled: “Why are your faces downcast today?” (Genesis 40:7).

Here, we can see Joseph’s love for others. Joseph close paid attention to their moods—he knew them well enough to tell they were downcast.

Joseph genuinely cared for these men, and he sacrificed a moment of his day to stop and ask: “You seem down today. What’s up?”

Do you do this with the people you see regularly? Do you know them well enough to tell when they are feeling down? 

But Joseph did more than just ask. He also wanted to remedy the situation. It would not have been enough for him to say, “Sorry to hear about those dreams. Sounds complicated! I’ve got plenty more prisoners to see, however. Catch you later!”

He was there until their issue was resolved. And the resolution was far from an easy one. On the one hand, he got to tell the cupbearer great news. On the other hand, he had to tell the baker terrible news.  

If I were in that situation, I would have hesitated to tell him the truth. And this is where a rocky friendship can start—with an avoidance of a hard truth given from God. What a responsibility to tell someone their death awaited them soon!

But Joseph loved God’s truth, and he loved these men like friends. Loved them enough to tell them the direct, unfiltered truth.

Joseph Forgotten 

In friendship, the natural response to a kindness by one friend is an equal reciprocation of that kindness by the other. Joseph looked for reciprocation from his friend, the cupbearer, but what he asked for was far less than the kindness he originally showed: 

“Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.” (Genesis 40:14)  

Joseph isn’t riding on the cupbearer’s coat tail. He’s not looking to gain a job in Pharaoh’s house. He’s just asking for help in getting out of prison! Anyone who lived in that prison knew Joseph did not belong there anyway!

Genesis 40:23 tells us how the cupbearer responded to Joseph’s request, how he acted when he should have reciprocated kindness back to Joseph:

“Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

The next verse adds even more weight to this slight:  

“After two whole years…” (Genesis 41:1)  

Consider Joseph’s position. He cared for his friend, noticed when he was down, and sought to encourage him. He asked his friend to mention his position to Pharaoh, and then his friend goes up out of prison. 

Surely he would be free tomorrow. But tomorrow goes by and Joseph is still down there. And then the first week goes by too without a word from above.

Maybe the cupbearer needed some time to get back on Pharaoh’s good side, Joseph may have thought, but surely, I’ll be free the second week. But that one goes by too and so many more. Perhaps Joseph wondered:

What has become of my friend who knows I am here and is now with Pharaoh?

The Cupbearer Remembers  

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today… A young Hebrew was [in prison] with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.” (Genesis 41:9, 12)  

After all this time, the cupbearer finally remembers. His memory is assisted by a familiar conflict: Someone had a dream that they cannot interpret. This time it is not the cupbearer, but Pharoah himself. 

I feel like it is easy to criticize the cupbearer for his inaction. He was a bad friend for two years. Yet in this moment he does have to do something difficult. In remembering Joseph, he also had to confront his offense of forgetting him.  

For some, having to confront such an offense would be reason enough to forget Joseph once and for all. The cupbearer might have thought, I cannot do it. If I say something, then everyone will know my injustice toward this person who considered me a friend.  

But as Genesis tells us, the cupbearer did the right thing to try to fix the rocky friendship. He owned his offense, and he reciprocated kindness back to Joseph, belated as it was.

Rocky Friendship Restored through Remembrance  

We are not told if Joseph and the cupbearer talked again. Considering Joseph was made to be second-in-command over everything (Genesis 41:40), I think it is likely that his path would have again crossed with the chief cupbearer.

And if Joseph’s forgave his brothers, showing he is a man of grace, I believe Joseph would have forgiven the cupbearer and would have redeemed their rocky friendship into a true friendship.

As I worked on this article, I reflected on how Joseph reminds me so much of Jesus Christ.

More than wrongly accused, Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins, dying in our place, an act of friendship that we can never repay.  His request to his disciples, and to us, is about remembrance (Luke 22:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). But we forget Christ—we sin and we forget what he has done for us on the cross, turning a good relationship into a rocky friendship.

Will you forget him still? Or will you, today, be like the cupbearer and say:

“I remember my offenses today. Jesus Christ died in my place to save me from my sin, and I shall remember him today and forevermore so he can be the Lord over my life.”

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Christians Should Always Long for A Better Home

I recently preached a sermon at a local nursing home from Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16 titled A Lasting Home for Those Who Live by Faith. My desire was to encourage these nursing home residents that God has prepared a better home, a heavenly home, for those who trust in Jesus Christ.  

Looking back, I realized that this passage can encourage Christians in many other situations. The impact of sin on our world reaches all aspects of life, and it leaves us searching for safety, satisfaction, security, strength, and stability. In short, a better home.  

This passage has a real bearing on our own hopes, fears, and faith. Especially in the challenges of facing the unknown. And preaching this passage to nursing home residents is only one specific application.

Whatever platform you might have to influence others, I would encourage you to add these responses of faith from Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16 to your spiritual toolbox:

Trust God in the unknown and walk in unflinching obedience to him.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8) 

What a marvelous, gospel-saturated statement!  

It isn’t Abraham’s raw obedience but his faith that takes center stage. It’s entirely possible for Abraham to have obeyed without faith, in which case the text might read: 

“By a strong moral framework and sense of obligation, Abraham obeyed…”  

But in stark contrast is this gospel reality: we achieve true obedience by means of faith—a personal trust in God—and even this is a gift of God (Genesis 15:6-7, Ephesians 2:8).  

Abraham’s faith is even more significant when you consider where “he went out” from. Genesis 12 tells us that Abraham left home!  

Abraham left his land, his people, and everything familiar with only the promise of the Lord’s guidance and blessing in his heart. Had Abraham not believed in the Lord’s promises, we might imagine his objections:

“But I’m comfortable and well established here!”  “I’m afraid of leaving what feels secure.” “I need more time to prepare!”  “Could you at least tell me where you are sending me?” 

Abraham’s faith and obedience are example for our own lives today. While you may not be called to leave your country, there may be times in life when you feel that everything familiar and comfortable is leaving you.  

Layoffs from work, the unexpected loss of a family member, moving a family cross-country, running a deficit in retirement savings, or any other number of situations might leave you wondering how best to proceed in the unknown.  

You may raise objections like those listed above. But like Abraham, our first response should not be fear or despair, but a confident trust in the Lord which allows us to follow him in unflinching obedience.  

Admit that you are a temporary resident in a foreign land.

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. (Hebrews 11:9) 

All three were heirs of the promised homeland but lived in temporary housing in Canaan “as [if] in a foreign land”. Geographically, they were in the right place, but they didn’t feel at home. 

Abraham didn’t lay claim to the promised land; nor did Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, or even Moses. Only after several hundred years in Egyptian bondage and 40 more years of wilderness wandering would Joshua finally lead Abraham’s descendants to possess the land.

Thus Hebrews 11:13 tells us that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth”. The original word communicates more than acceptance of fact; it is an explicit statement of this reality.  

This is confirmed in 11:14: “people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.” 

I don’t know about you, but if someone told me that they were exiled on the earth, I would think that this person was out of his right mind. Or, that this person was an extraterrestrial being.  

But this is precisely what Hebrews affirms: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had their truest citizenship not on the earth, but in heaven! As C.S. Lewis eloquently says in Mere Christianity:  

If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world. 

The overarching story of Scripture confirms that God made us for another world, a better home. Abraham’s faith story brings this truth and its implications into focus. As Christians today, we are dual citizens of heaven and earth.  

For Christians, our allegiance is first and foremost with our heavenly country and its King: the Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, let’s remember financial, social, cultural, political, or any other kind of instability cannot shatter our truest and highest hopes.

Look forward to the heavenly country and secure city of God.

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10) 

Abraham died still trusting God’s promise though he didn’t live to see its fulfillment (v 13). And there was much to look forward to; the city with foundations is in strong contrast to the temporary, moveable tents in the previous verse.  

Spurgeon highlights this: “What a depth of meaning there is in those five words, ‘a city which hath foundation,’ — as if all other cities had none!”

He then illustrates the impermanence of earthly cities like this:

“Little mounds of sand made by the children’s wooden spades upon the seashore, which the next tide will wash away.”  

Even the greatest empires can crumble. Take Rome, for example. Augustine saw that imperial city conquered before his death, an event which led him to write The City of God.  

But no matter the state of our earthly countries, cities, careers, finances, families, or anything else, we may find comfort and hope in the reality that God has prepared a lasting heavenly country and home for those who trust in Jesus Christ.  

And when we desire that better country, the result is astounding:  

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16) 

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Six Ignored Bible Verses Jesus Says in Matthew 5

I talk a lot. I justify it by calling myself “a verbal processor.” It’s true, but I’m sure the people around wouldn’t mind if I processed my thoughts silently from time to time.

Compared to how many words I speak every day, Jesus’s words in the New Testament seem sparse. The number of words which Jesus speaks in the New Testament is likely fewer than what I say on a normal day, and their value is far greater than anything I’ll ever say.

His words are precious. But, I must confess, I often ignore them. I tend to live my life as if Jesus’s words only matter on Sunday. But I do not want this, I want for Jesus to be Lord over my whole life.

In order to call out this behavior in me, I want to give you six examples of bible verses from Matthew 5 that Jesus said which I often neglect.

1.) Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

A quick Google search reveals why I try to avoid meekness: “Quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.” To get what you want in this world you have to be loud, aggressively pursue goals, and keep others from pushing you around. Everybody knows that, right?

But Jesus tells us if we want to inherit the earth, if we want to be a part of God’s plan for a new earth that will thrive for eternity, then meekness is the way to go.

2.) Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

I appreciate what Pastor Colin wrote about this verse in his book, Momentum, which also highlights the cause of my temptation to ignore the verse:

Peacemakers are like God because they move toward trouble. I once heard a consultant say that in dealing with conflict it is important to “move toward the barking dog.” I don’t know about you, but that is never my inclination! If a dog is barking, my instinct is to back off. But when the world was barking at God, He did not back off. He moved toward us, even though He knew it would lead to the cross. (160)

3.) Matthew 5:14

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

My tendency to ignore this over other bible verses has to do with two words: Courage and character.

Courage is essential in living out this verse because Jesus tells us directly that we cannot be hermits–hiding away from the world. Jesus tells us that others will mock us for our belief, and he also says we cannot hide it. We have to courageously walk in the spotlight he has given us.

Character is essential too because it is of no use to us to be courageous in living a lifestyle of pride and power, feeling haughty as God’s children, if we miss the point of being the light of the world. In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” So if in Matthew Jesus says we are the light of the world, then he is saying we represent his character to the world

Honestly? I can do the courage part, but I balk at the character part. Christ calls me to a meekness that imitates his own, but I feel tempted to trust in the power I think I have.

4.) Matthew 5:29

“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”

My sinful tendency to ignore Jesus’s teaching here has everything to do with a misreading of the verse. It’s too shocking to think Jesus actually meant for anyone to tear their eye out. It must be figurative speech.

It is figurative speech. But in thinking this I allow myself to forget that figurative speech indicates something unspoken that is literal. In using figurative language, Christ calls us all to examine our life.

What member of your body needs to be torn off? Is it a particular habit? A social media account? A device you own?

If it causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.

5.) Matthew 5:38-42

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

Perhaps it’s because I’m too entrenched in our modern culture, I have the hardest time taking Jesus at his word here. I know he says “Do not resist the one who is evil,” but surely he does not mean it!

Combating evil–at large, in culture–is good. Full stop. I think, though, Jesus’s words here are mainly concerned our individual hearts. If we retaliate against evil, then we open our heart to it. We let evil enter us and define us.

But remember, Jesus calls us to be meek. Calls us to be peacemakers, not warmongers. Representatives of Jesus Christ to the world. We let evil hit us, sue us, steal from us, tire us, and deplete us rather than let it into our hearts.

6.) Matthew 5:48

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The bad news about this verse is that Jesus is telling the truth. There is no way around it. No good life is good enough to get into heaven unless it is a perfect life–which none of us can achieve since we are born into sin.

The good news about this verse is that Jesus lived a perfect life for us. He then offered that perfect life as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. And just as Adam’s sin had been applied to us, so Jesus’s righteousness is now applied to us.

He did not just wipe our sins away and allow us to start over, but he placed his righteousness upon us and ended that conversation for good. If you are in Christ you have no penalty left. All you have is Christ’s righteousness.

I ignore this verse because it can feel discouraging if I read it without the knowledge of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. It reads like a death sentence. But in Christ, is it is a life sentence.

We are dead to sin, and alive in his righteousness. And so we can freely pursue a life of holiness.

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