Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 63

What The Sinner Does Not Know

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

The men who nailed Jesus to the cross didn’t think they were doing anything wrong.

They didn’t have a bad conscience, and they didn’t feel they needed to ask God for forgiveness. They were in the middle of committing the most terrible sin in the history of the human race, and Jesus said that they did not know what they were doing.

That tells us something of huge importance: You cannot know what sin is from your own feelings about right and wrong. If you trust your intuition, you will miss even big sins, and you won’t even know it.

We need God to tell us what sin is, and he does that through his Word. That’s why we need to live under the Scriptures. We need the Scriptures to tell us what’s wrong, not for us to say what we feel is wrong with them. Paul said, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law” (Romans 7:7).

What the Sinner Does When They Sin
They shut themselves out of a glorious heaven.

Spurgeon paints a compelling picture:

I see a pearly gate, and beyond it is a world of light and joy.
A man is standing outside, with a hammer and nails.
He is nailing bars across the gate to shut himself out. [i]

Wouldn’t you say, “This man is mad?” Sin shuts the sinner out of heaven. If you could see the joy you’re spurning, you would not sin. Here are men with a few short years left, and then they’ll enter eternity. They’re face-to-face with the Son of God who owns heaven.

A thief was crucified with Jesus, and he seized his opportunity and reached out to Jesus, saying, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” But not the soldiers––they are nailing the Savior to the cross. They were spurning grace, even as some of you may be doing right now. But they did not know what they were doing.

They prepare for themselves an eternal hell.

Sin brings sorrow in this life and judgment in the life to come. If the sinner knew the sorrow and judgment that a single sin would bring in light of eternity, they would not do it. Spurgeon says that hell is “drinking a cup of gall, every drop of which is distilled from your own sin” [ii].

God always acts in perfect justice. God’s justice means that nobody will be judged for a sin they did not commit. The judgment for each sin will be in proportion to the weight that the sin has, not in your eyes, but in the eyes of God.

This leads me to the conclusion that a person in hell would give anything to have committed just one less sin. What kind of hell is prepared by nailing the flesh of the Son of God? No wonder Jesus said, “They do not know what they are doing.”

They crucify the Son of God.

When the soldiers were nailing Jesus to the cross, they did not know who he was. If they had known that they were nailing the flesh of God incarnate, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). Spurgeon says, “Every time a man sins, he aims a blow at the crown of God” [iii].

You may not ever stand up and say, “I defy God,” but every time you curse or lie or swear or break God’s law in any way, that’s what you do. We don’t understand sin until we grasp that when we sin, we sin against him. Sin is much more serious than breaking a moral code. It’s an offence, an affront, an insult against God. That’s what makes it so serious.

The Sinner Doesn’t Know What They’re Doing

I know there’s such a thing as sinning knowingly and willfully. But whether a sin is intentional or unintentional, whether the sinner committed it on the spur of the moment or whether the sinner premeditated and planned it, if they really knew what that sin would cost and what it would bring, they would never do it.

Every sin is an act of folly, and if you knew the full extent of the folly, you would not commit the sin. Think of some sin to which you may be tempted this week. If at the moment when you are tempted, you could see the full horror of the hell that this sin brings, and the full glory of the heaven that sin shuns, and if you could see how this sin spits in the face of God, you would not fall into that sin.

So, use this as a defense against sin and against temptation. Say to yourself, “This sin that Satan is tempting me with is a sin that shuts people out of heaven and prepares an eternal hell. This is a sin that crucified Christ!” Wake up to what you are doing!

Your Sin and His Love

Are you awake to the extent of your own sin? Are you beginning to see not only that you are a sinner, but that your sin is far greater than you had ever imagined? Prostitutes and tax collectors came to Jesus, while the Pharisees stood back. Why was that? They saw the extent of their own sin, and they came to know the extent of Christ’s love.

Don’t go through life thinking you’re a good person! You will never learn the love of Christ that way. Those who are forgiven much love much (Luke 7:47). When you see how much you need to be forgiven, you will begin to know how much you are loved.

Christian, when you see the brightness and holiness of heaven, you will say, “I never knew I was so far from being righteous. How in the world am I here?” There will only be one answer—you are there through the righteousness and the forgiveness of Christ made yours by the shedding of his blood.

When you know the full extent of your own sin, then you can know the full extent of Christ’s love. But don’t wait till heaven for that. Ask God to show you more of your own sin, so that you may discover more of his love.

Make a habit of identifying and confessing your sins. Ask a friend to help you. Examine yourself. Use the prayer of Psalm 139:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (vv. 23-24)

If you think your sins are few, if you struggle to name a single sin that is yours, then you will never have great thoughts about the love of Christ. But when you see that your sins are many, and that Christ forgives you, you will begin to discover the extent of his love.

Do you see that?

[This post was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Praying For the Person Who Causes You Pain,” the first sermon in his series, 7 Words from the Cross.] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]
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[i] C. H. Spurgeon sermon, “Unknown Depths and Heights,” Nov. 28th, 1907
http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols52-54/chs3068.pdf
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid

A Heavenly Mindset Means Much Earthly Good

Our car rolled to a stop on the side of the highway. The difference between 55 mph and 0 mph was startling. Inside and out, our car looked to be in perfect working order—but now it couldn’t move.

I watched my Mr. Fix-It lift the hood and investigate. His answer was sure: All the right liquids were in all the wrong places. Our car had lost its ability to separate what mattered and for what purpose.

It made me think of this cliché: “You’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.”

Five Ways a Heavenly Mindset Leads to Earthly Good

God intends for a heavenly mindset to mobilize us to act in faith while we’re still on earth, not to live stalled-out lives because we’ve mixed up our purpose while we wait for our tow into eternity.

The connection between heavenly-mindedness and earthly good is strong in Scripture:

1. A heavenly mindset leads to glorifying God.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:2, 17)

Paul opens this beloved passage with a perspective fixed on heavenly, eternal things. He then tells us that as a result of this heavenly-mindedness, we are to:

Put off the old
Put on the new self
Be ruled by the peace of Christ
Encourage one another
Be thankful
Do everything in the name of Christ

All of our earthly activities, both words and deeds, can be carried out with thankfulness and a godly attitude because of the reality of Christ.

2. A heavenly mindset helps us embrace what life is really about.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:18-19)

In “Set Your Mind on Things Above,” Pastor Colin Smith illustrates that treasuring eternity helps us see what life is really about. He points out that if we all played a part in a theatrical production—some as princes and some as paupers—what we played wouldn’t matter when we got off stage. Our real lives would matter.

We’re going to spend much (much) more time in eternity with Christ than we are on this earth. Our real lives are likewise so much more than just what happens in these passing years. When we begin to treasure our real lives and see how life is really about building into eternity, we are much more generous and ready to be rich in good works.

3. A heavenly mindset compels us to encourage one another.

Holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:1-13, NIV)

Sin’s deceitfulness threatens to make us hard toward evil, each other, and ourselves. We lose hope and lose sight of our purpose when we fall prey to it. Fixing our thoughts on Jesus shields us from this by keeping our heavenly calling and hope in mind. Remembering his faithfulness keeps our hearts soft so we can be firm in Christ and encourage each other to glory in him too.

4. A heavenly mindset urges us to be holy.

Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy. (1 Peter 1:13-15)

A heavenly mind is compelled to do earthly good because goodness is part of holiness. We live set apart unto God knowing that the revelation of Christ is going to happen. Keeping that in mind, we have hope and want to share God’s grace until he returns.

5. A heavenly mindset helps us endure.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Christ is our ultimate example of being heavenly-minded for earthly good. While he was on earth, his focus was on the will of the Father, God’s eternal person and character—so much so that Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

With this eternal perspective of who God is and God’s greater purposes, Jesus sincerely loved those around him. Jesus took the time to have real conversations and listen. He healed many. He endured through temptation and hardship, and he died to save us!

When we’re weary and shaken and want to quit, as Paul describes in Hebrews 12, we are encouraged to persist because of what’s set before us. Having a heavenly mindset gives us such joy that we are willing to endure too.

Keep in Mind What’s Lasting

A significant aspect of the “good news” for believers is that we get to live eternally in close relationship with God himself. Jesus charged us with sharing this good news and, by the Holy Spirit, he lives in close relationship with us now.

This heavenly, eternal reality is the good we are to share in word and in deed while on earth. Our God-given purpose involves building into and training for glory, starting today. In the end, that’s what a heavenly mindset is: keeping in mind what is lasting—an eternity enjoying Jesus—and therefore living out what is certain to end with thankfulness, endurance, holiness, and a fixed gaze upon him.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

God’s Judgment Is Not Like Our Judgment

One day, in downtown Montgomery, I saw a homeless stranger sitting on a bench. Because of his haggard appearance, I walked past him without acknowledging him. A half-hour later, a friend and I were walking toward a coffee shop. Suddenly, he sat down next to somebody. To my astonishment, my friend sat down next to the homeless stranger that I had passed earlier. As the man began to talk, my countenance reeked of cold and distant disinterest. But the Holy Spirit slowly revealed my hypocrisy throughout the conversation and melted my heart to be consumed with compassion for Conté and contrition over my poor judgment.

As the Holy Spirit transformed my heart, Conté became more than a homeless man. His profession of faith in Christ resounded with awe, wonder, and thanksgiving. He talked about the non-necessity of abundant material possessions. He recounted God’s faithfulness in sustaining him. Conté delightfully pointed to the trees surrounding us, attesting to the glory of God revealed in them. He had a heart for the other homeless, leading him to buy and share meals with them.

My initial judgment of Conté speaks to how we wrongfully judge one another. But as we reflect on God’s perfect and loving judgment, we learn how we should treat one another.

God Judges the Heart

God’s standard of judgment is defined by his holy character. At birth, we are all deserving of his judgment. But, out of his infinitely rich mercy and steadfast love, he sent the perfect Lamb, Christ, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Christ took on the judgment we deserved. Washed in Christ’s blood shed on the cross, we are transformed from strangers and aliens into children of God (Ephesians 1:7-8; 2:19). Overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving, we ought to extend the same olive branch of peace and love to all our neighbors.

God judges perfectly and totally. While our judgment of each other is often superficial, his judgment is eternally significant. We judge our neighbor according to outward markers (i.e. wealth, social etiquette, health, intellect, influence, eloquence, pedigree, and beauty). But God judges the heart.

Our judgment is often self-centered. We accept people who will increase our glory and praise. We ignore those who will not increase it.

But God judges all humans according to the highest and purest standard, his perfect and holy character. Rightfully, God is concerned with the hallowing of his glory, and since we fall short of his glory, we all fall under his judgment. He looks at our heart and sees all of our desires. He sees we are consumed with self-worship, caught up in schemes designed to increase our own glory.

Looking at this truth, we realize that we simply cannot do what God does. His judgments are true, but ours are faulty and self-centered. Therefore, we should be critical of our own judgments instead of trusting them right away.

God Redeems the Faulty

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

This is a big difference between our judgment and God’s judgment. We know that God cannot peacefully abide with rebels, guilty of cosmic treason against his perfect law. He would be just and fair if he chose to lift his gaze from us lowly traitors. This is precisely what we would do. Paul shows above that we would be unlikely to die for a righteous person, let alone an unrighteous person! For when we judge others we use that judgment as a reason to dislike them or separate ourselves from them. When someone is found guilty of our judgment, we cast them away.

But God does this amazing thing that we do not do after we’ve judged someone. He takes it on himself to redeem that person. God uses judgment to show us why we need redemption. Consider Paul’s words:

If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. (Romans 7:7)

The judgment we learn of as a result of the law is not God telling us that he is done with us, but that he wants to redeem us. We must recognize our sin before we can be redeemed. How many of us consider judgment as a way to help another person? Too often we use it as a way to distance ourselves from them. But God in his love and mercy, uses judgment to help us become more like him. And so, we should also use judgment, with caution and contemplation, to help others grow in their relationship with Christ.

God Welcomes the Stranger

Not only does God redeem the guilty, but he makes them a permanent part of his household. Those who have responded in repentance and faith to the judgments pronounced by the law, he welcomes as sons and daughters.

The Father knew our rebellion and depravity. In love, he predestined to adopt separatists, aliens, and strangers into his household through Jesus’s blood (Ephesians 1:5, 7-8; 2:12-13, 18-19). He chose us in Christ to make us holy and blameless before him (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus is our peace. Now, we are citizens of his Kingdom and members of his Father’s household.

Additionally, the Father has granted us the Holy Spirit, so that we can call out to him in times of need, screaming, “Abba Father!” The Holy Spirit joins us in our screaming with his own groans. In Christ, we have access through the same Spirit to the Father.

When we reflect on this outcome of God’s judgment, we realize that our method of judgment is inherently flawed. While we tend to reject the ones we judge, God means to welcome them into his family.

Taste His Kindness

God delights to use us to welcome strangers into the body of Christ. Thankfully, through my conversation with Conté, I realized my hypocrisy. The Lord of glory lowered his gaze to the lowly and dwelled among them, including me. If we are the children of God, how could we lift our gaze and walk past the hurting?

How could I do such a thing?

If God has been so radically hospitable, if God, who knows perfection, can love us, then how can we be any different? Friends, we need to look beyond outward markers; we need to reduce our judgments of others. We need to take our focus off one another and refocus our eyes on Christ. When we taste the Father’s good and sweet kindness in Christ, we will grow in kind acts toward all different people.

Your Pastor Needs Your Prayers

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

There’s rarely a day that I don’t pray. At 5:30 in the morning, en route to the gym, I praise God for his fresh mercies and steadfast faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23); I pray for my wife’s safety (Psalm 91:1-2) as she departs for school to teach a group of spirited first-graders; and together, we pray for our son each night before bed (Proverbs 22:6).

What I don’t do enough is pray for our pastor.

Prayer tends to return to the same people and petitions, except for those times when an urgent request is brought to our attention; it holds our focus for a few days or weeks until we hear otherwise, or the prayer fades from memory. Likewise, we often think someone else is praying for the pastor. Surely, he has a dedicated group of people that are praying for him and his family on a daily basis, right?

While this may be true, whether the church size is 100, 1,000, or or 10,000 people, every pastor will benefit from the faithful prayers of every soul he is responsible to steward. In short, your pastor needs many prayers from his congregation––including you––but three readily stand out:

1. Pray for your pastor’s humility and wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5)

There’s an eloquent simplicity about this verse. Ask God, and he will give generously. He will bestow the pastor in pursuit of wisdom a generous portion of it. “If you should say you want a great deal of wisdom, a small portion will not serve your turn, the apostle affirms, he gives liberally,” says Matthew Henry.

In addition to drawing near to Christ through the Scriptures regularly, wisdom comes through conversations with trusted people. An elder board. A deacon board. Fellow pastors. Laypeople. “You will seldom rise above the quality of people who surround you,” says Bob Merritt, Senior Pastor of Eagle Brook Church. A wise pastor asks others for their thoughts before making decisions that impacts the church as a whole.

The desire for wisdom implies humility. James says that the man who lacks wisdom will ask God; conversely, the prideful man, puffed up and arrogant, will likely shirk from kneeling before the Almighty. He will go his own way. Consequently, pride precedes his destruction (Proverbs 16:18). But the Lord will lift up the humble pastor (James 4:10).

So pray for your pastor’s humility and wisdom! Pray that he would spent time in God’s Word and with wise people. Pray for his fight against pride.

2. Pray for your pastor’s mental and physical health.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. (Romans 1:11-12)

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults had an anxiety disorder within the past year, and an estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point. Meetings with elders and deacons and members, budget sessions, counseling others through hardship, visits to the hospital, presiding over funerals, and preparing for the week’s sermon can induce major stress upon the pastor.

Consider the apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11, he spoke of imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, and exposure to the elements. This man feared for his life, but still felt “anxiety for all the churches” (v. 28). To know that a man like Paul struggled mentally is a boon for the weary pastor as he faithfully navigates mental and physical hardship through the power of God.

Your pastor needs the prayers of your whole church for fresh strength. “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength,” writes the prophet Isaiah (40:29). “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,” he adds two verses later. Regular prayers from your church body for an increase in strength will help your pastor keep fighting the good fight of faith against the enemy’s schemes.

3. Pray for protection against the enemy.

A few years ago, my pastor spoke of a family trip in the mountains of north Georgia. During a bike ride, his wife tumbled to the ground after losing control downhill. She struck her head, and the next 24 hours became crucial. Needless to say, that was a long night for him. He prayed––how he prayed. Others prayed. Thankfully, she fully recovered, and quickly at that.

Whether Satan played a role in the fall of the pastor’s wife is not for me to say, but make no mistake: The devil despises every follower of Christ, especially those who want to advance his glorious message of redemption.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

But through fervent prayers for our pastors, we (and he) can stand firm, submit to God, and resist the enemy’s deceptions and lies (James 4:7).

God Works through Your Prayers

In the words of 18th century minister Gardiner Spring:

Let the thought sink deep into the heart of every church, that their minister will be such a minister as their prayers make him.

Surely God will lift up ministers to be effective and far-reaching in spite of churches with minimal prayer. Yet, the pastors who lead a regularly praying church will see God work powerfully as he expands his kingdom and draws many to his Son. Spring also writes:

How perilous is the condition of that minister then, whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people!

Will you help your pastor with the Great Commission (see Matthew 28)? Pray for his wisdom, physical and mental health, and his protection against the enemy. Pray that God will give generously to him, because your pastor prays for you.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Book Brief (October 5, 2018)

 

We decided to post a “Book Brief” instead of a Key Connections this week, here’s why: In his Introduction to Athanasius’ On the Incarnation, C. S. Lewis speaks to the importance of reading old books. He said this, not because he disapproved of new writing, but because he wished for readers to be aware of the full conversation. He wrote:

If you join at eleven o’clock a conversation which began at eight you will often not see the real bearing of what is said… [So,] it is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.

In light of this, we’d like to share some quotes from a book that has shaped Pastor Colin’s thinking. Enjoy!

Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cures (D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Wm. B. Eerdman’s Printing Company, 1965)
Regarding the deceptive nature of spiritual depression:

The forms which this particular condition may take seem to be almost endless. It comes in such different forms and guises that some people stumble at that very fact… of course, their ignorance of the problem in and of itself may lead to the very condition we are considering. The kind of person who think that once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ all your problems are left behind and that the rest of the story will be “they all lived happily ever after” is certain sooner or later to suffer from this spiritual depression. (51)

In response to those who say they can’t have a relationship with Christ because they are not good enough:

They are still thinking in terms of themselves… “I am not good enough.” It sounds very modest, but it is the lie of the devil, it is a denial of fatih. You think that you are being humble. But you will never be good enough. The essence of the Christian salvation is to say that [Christ] is good enough and that I am in him! (34)

On the tendency to differentiate between one sin and another:

We must not think in terms of particular sins but always in terms of our relationship to God. We all tend to go astray at that point. That is why we tend to think that some conversions are more remarkable than others. But they are not. It takes the same grace of God to save the most respectable person in the world as the most lawless person in the world. Nothing but the grace of God can save anybody, and it takes the same grace to save all. (71)

Regarding Christians using “common sense” to solve an issue:

There are some people who seem to think that it is wrong for a Christian ever to use common sense. They seem to think that they must always do everything in an exclusively spiritual manner. Now that seems to me to be very unscriptural… The Christian can not only do everything that the unbeliever does, he can do even more… I am saying all this because I often find that people are in difficulty about this matter and are spending their time in praying about a matter instead of doing something that is perfectly obvious from the standpoint of common sense. (82)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

A Challenge for the Christian Employee

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-8)

The apostle Paul worked incredibly hard. He was a brilliant scholar, a Pharisee from the school of Gamaliel, but he also had a trade that he used at times to earn money while he was serving the church.

Sometimes there was money to support Paul, sometimes not. When there was no money, here’s what Paul did—he made tents and sold them, and then gave himself to the work of ministry.

Especially when he was in Thessalonica, Paul was bi-vocational. He gave himself to two jobs, which is why he says that he “worked night and day” (3:8). That is extraordinarily difficult to do, but Paul was ready to do whatever it would take to make the gospel run.

Here is the great irony: To not be a burden on other believers, Paul is working two jobs. At the same time, there are Christians who refuse to do any work, and they’ve become a burden to other believers!

The Bible says, “Those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14). Paul says that this is a command of the Lord. So, as an apostle, Paul had the right to financial support from the church. But look at what he says:

[This work night and day] was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. (2 Thessalonians 3:9)

Do you see what Paul is saying? Being an example to others is more important than having what is mine by right. This is so important, especially in the workplace.

Being a Christian Employee

As a Christian employee, my example matters more than my rights. When you find yourself in conflict and you say, “What are my rights?” make sure you also ask, “What is my example?” Never ask, “What are my rights?” without asking, “What is my example?”.

Here are some questions to keep in mind:

What would happen if everyone did what I’m doing?
What is my example to my children? Or, what is my example to unbelieving colleagues who see my life?
What is my example to the church and to angels and to demons, who scorn the work of God?
How does what I am saying and doing look in the eyes of God, who gave his Son to die on the cross for me?
How to Persevere Through Discouragement

With work, some of us tire more easily than others, but all of us struggle at some point. There are times when we easily become discouraged and tire of doing what is right. Here’s how we can persevere:

Look back to what Christ has accomplished.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:3)

Think about the trouble that came to Jesus as he went about doing good. They called him “Beelzebub” and hung him on a cross. Think about how little he was thanked. Ten lepers healed—a miracle! Only one came back to say thank you. Did healing from leprosy mean nothing to them? Think about the slow progress of the disciples under his teaching, “Do you still have no faith? Do you still not understand?”

When I look at my own sins, the way I take God’s many gifts for granted and my slow progress in the Christian life, it’s amazing to me that Christ would not throw up his hands and say, “I’m done with him. He’s not worth it.” Don’t you feel that? Our Savior never tires of doing us good!

Consider all that Christ has endured and it will put strength into you and help you to press forward.

Look around at what Christ’s people endure.

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

We all have times when we feel sorry for ourselves. When I feel sorry for myself and I start thinking that I’m carrying a heavy burden, I find it really helpful to look at the burdens of others. It helps me. It strengthens me.

The apostle Peter says that the suffering of other Christians will help you to resist Satan and carry your own burdens. When I feel sorry for myself, the best thing I can do is go visit someone else in need. When I see the burdens they are carrying, I ask myself, “Why did I ever complain?”

Look forward to what Christ has promised.

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31)

I enjoy tennis and my tennis hero is Jimmy Connors. He wasn’t the most gifted of players. What I liked about him was his sheer determination.

One year at Wimbledon he was playing a guy by the name of Mikael Pernfors. Connors lost the first two sets 6-1 and 6-1, and he was down 4-1 in the third set. He was nursing a leg injury that required the help of the doctor, but incredibly he came back to win the match.

Afterwards, an interviewer said to him, “You are 34 years old and you are carrying a leg injury. You are 2 sets down and 4 games to 1 behind, and you’ve already won all this stuff. Don’t you ever think to yourself, ‘Is this really worth it?’” To which Connors said, “It is always worth it!”

Never tire of doing what is right. It is always worth it. Jesus said that even a cup of cold water, the smallest act done in his name, will have its reward. One day you will stand in the presence of Jesus, and on that day, every act that honored Christ, every decision to do what is right, every sacrifice you ever made in the Christian life will be of infinite value.

You will never regret one good deed you have done. You will never regret one sacrifice you have made for Christ. And, you will never regret one costly decision to do what is right when you are in the presence of Jesus. So, look at what is ahead of you, look at what he promises and press on!

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Pursuing What Is Right,” from his series Staying the Course When You’re Tired of the Battle] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Why Repentance Is Really About Joy

If you were looking for an uplifting, empowering book to read, the topic of repentance probably wouldn’t be at the top of the list. Most likely, it wouldn’t even be on the list. Repentance seems like a depressing thing, characterized more by sorrow and sadness than by rejoicing.

We all have certain responses to the idea of confessing and repenting of sin. Maybe you occasionally go through the motions, trying to drum up a sense of sorrow over sin. You know Christians are meant to feel sorry, but if you’re honest you don’t, really—at least not very often. How are you meant to repent when you don’t feel repentant?

Or maybe you do feel sorrow and guilt over your sin. So you confess it to God, and then confess it again, and again—but you’re not sure you’re saying or doing the right things because the guilt never seems to go away. Or you keep sinning in the same way, and you wonder whether God is losing patience with you.

Although we associate repentance with these things, when we see repentance for what it truly is, we discover it’s about joy.

Repentance from the Heart

Often we look at repentance as a statement—an “I’m sorry, please forgive me” that checks a box and (hopefully) alleviates our guilt. But when we look at David’s prayer in Psalm 51, we see that repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God—a process that doesn’t merely alleviate guilt but cultivates deep joy.

You might remember that David sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11. Not only this, but he thought he got away with it. He covered his tracks, hid the evidence, and moved on with his life. But the last verse of that chapter says, “But the thing David had done displeased the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:27).

Then, God sent Nathan, a prophet, to call David to repentance for his sin. Psalm 51 shows us his repentant heart:

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment. (Psalm 51:1-4)

In Psalm 51, David clearly defines his sin and appeals to God’s mercy and forgiveness. He isn’t defensive, and he is serious about the depth of the problem—it’s not just actions, but it’s inside of him. But then he boldly asks God to cleanse him and give him a new heart. He’s asking for radical change—change only God can provide.

Repentance Leads to Praise

Look at how David connects his repentance to praise in following verses:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

you who are God my Savior,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:12-15)

David is like a bottle of soda that has been shaken—he needs only to be opened to burst forth and overflow with praise. He is asking God to make him so joyful about his salvation that he can’t help but teach other sinners the forgiving ways of God.

This is important, because so often we do the opposite—we’re inclined to wallow in our sin and draw back from serving others, whether in church or in our communities, because we think we’re unworthy. But here David says the joy of forgiveness for sin should compel us to speak of that good news with friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Having experienced God’s grace, we will want others to experience it and rejoice in it too!

Repentance Leads to Freedom

True repentance is not a joyless, wallowing-in-sorrow repentance. It’s a process that starts with grief and guilt, and ends with forgiveness and deep joy. And that’s not the only pay-off: Repenting and receiving forgiveness from God leads to real relationships with others, because it reminds us that we’ve got nothing left to hide.

I learned that for myself one Wednesday morning in the auditorium of my small Christian college. I was standing in the back row during our mandatory chapel service. On the days when I managed to wake up and make it to our ten o’clock service, I generally enjoyed participating in the song worship. But on this day, I struggled even to stand with my friends and wait for the music to end.

My sin was before me, and I knew I could not stand in worship of a holy, gracious, loving God with unconfessed sin in my heart. I had been dishonest with someone, months prior to this particular Wednesday, and for some reason the Holy Spirit’s conviction was heavy to the point that I knew I had no other choice than to repent before the Lord and then go to confess immediately to the person to whom I had lied. I still remember the freedom of walking away from that meeting with my burden lifted, able once again to worship.

For months, I had made excuses about this situation, but on this day the Lord’s hand graciously pressed me to the point of calling my sin what it was and taking it to the cross, where it rolled off my back and onto Christ. My repentance before God led to a repaired relationship with another. And the sweetest worship came as a result.

Repentance Leads to Joy

In his book The Doctrine of Repentance, Puritan pastor and writer Thomas Watson wrote, “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

If we come to God with a heart broken by our sin, he “will not despise it” (Psalm 51:17); he will accept it, and accept us, because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. In Christ, we’re assured of forgiveness. So we don’t need to deny, cover, or make excuses for our sin––we need to take it to the cross and experience the joy of repentance.

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Six Old Testament Passages That Demonstrate God’s Love

Some Christians and many non-Christians hold, consciously or not, the false belief that the God of the Old Testament is somehow different than the God of the New Testament. When we think of the Old Testament, we think of plagues, wars, and judgments brought onto humanity by God. When we think of the New Testament, we think of Christ’s love for the church and the communion of early Christians.

Perhaps someone has asked you or challenged you in the past with this question: Is God’s character different in the Old Testament than in the New? Look to Bible in response to this, where we learn the answer is a resounding no.

I have picked out six verses to demonstrate God’s loving-kindness, mercy, and faithfulness from the Old Testament. These verses all come from the very same prophets who know God’s wrath more than others at their time. These writers forecast the destruction of cities, yet they still speak to God’s love for humanity.

Share these with a friend or a family member, and write them upon your own heart as well:

1. Nehemiah 9:17

You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

When we read the major and minor prophets in the Old Testament, we feel bombarded by judgment after judgment. It’s easy to lose perspective of where we are in the ongoing story. When we read the prophets, we need to remember that God has been with his people for a long time. His people have rebelled against him, time and time again. Centuries worth of rebellion.

This verse in Nehemiah returns us to a right perspective: God’s judgment does not mean he is unfairly angry—but his delayed judgment, the years that God bore with the sins of his people, means he is slow to anger.

And even more amazing of a testament to God’s goodness and mercy is that he did not forsake his people. God’s mercy is demonstrated through his judgment on them. It means he still loves them. It means he is working to perfect them.

2. Jonah 3:8-10

“Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

The Ninevites were some of the worst people. Jonah was either so afraid of them or thought they were so hopelessly lost that when God called him to go there he went the other way. But here, Jonah has proclaimed God’s Word to them, he proclaimed God’s offer of repentance to them. They responded in faith, and God withheld their due judgment.

Remember the Ninevites’ story next time someone describes God as one who lacks mercy in the Old Testament. The Ninevites so deserved their punishment that Jonah himself—a prophet of God, having seen many conversions—still believed God would condemn them after they repented. Jonah’s lack of mercy in his story contrasts the overwhelming mercy and love God has for humanity.   

3. Isaiah 43:1-3

But now thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob,

   he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

   I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

   and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

What the Lord says here through Isaiah’s writing reflects Jesus’s words in the New Testament: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is not speaking of some new truth; He refers to something that has been true forever—he is with us because he loves us.

4. Isaiah 54:10

“For the mountains may depart

   and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

   and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

   says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

This verse in Isaiah speaks to the eternal nature of God’s love for us. It is more permanent than the mountains and the hills, the Lord says. What an encouragement this must have been to those faithful to him during that time—and what an encouragement it is to us today. Chaos surrounded them, as they witnessed God’s wrath upon their city. But God assures them that the most permanent thing—more permanent than anything in the world—is his love for us.

5. Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is deceitful above all things,

                and desperately sick;

                 who can understand it?

I the Lord search the heart

                and test the mind.

This passage from Jeremiah may not immediately jump out to you as a representation of God’s mercy or lovingkindness. The verse calls our heart “sick” and “deceitful.” But consider the need represented here.

We feel the sickness of our heart. We know the deceitfulness of it. We feel things we are ashamed of, and we think in ways we wish we would not. The worst part of it all is that we do not know why. We are a mystery to ourselves.

God, however, knows us. He know us better than we do. And he wants to solve this mystery for us through a relationship with him. Therefore, this verse in Jeremiah demonstrates, once again, his love for his people.

6. Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good,

a stronghold in the day of trouble;

he knows those who take refuge in him.

These verses come after the prophet asks, “Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?” (v. 6). I read verse 7 as an answer: God is merciful to the repentant, to those who believe in him and obey his commandments.

The Ninevites, on the other hand, rebelled again and God brought his judgment on them. I see two applications to make from Nahum.   

God demonstrated mercy to the Ninevites in Jonah’s time even though he knew they would rebel again and ignore his message in Nahum’s time. He did not have to. He knew they would rebel. But, God is a loving God—he wants people to be free from wrath. He always has.
However, God’s mercy is not universal. He protects those who have repented and obeyed him. He gives grace to all who believe in him. Yet there are real consequences for those who do not.

Those consequences had to become reality. As we fast-forward to the New Testament, we learn that God has not relaxed his standards one tiny bit. God gave up his perfect Son to be the propitiation and expiation for our sins. And on the cross, God’s full wrath was poured upon Jesus. Paradoxically, the same moment demonstrates God’s greatest act of love: Jesus Christ, willingly died so that we may live.

So, reader, believe in him and live.

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Parents, Your Tiredness Is an Opportunity

No parent likes to be tired. God created us to need rest to function and raise up our kids another day. A good night’s rest is a gift, and we see this more clearly when it’s lacking––and let’s be honest: For most parents, quality sleep is often lacking

When the nights are interrupted and the morning starts early, all I want is not to be tired. To feel like I can conquer what’s ahead. To greet the day with joy. Or, to use nap time to accomplish something, rather than give into my need and nap myself.

I’m often so busy fighting tiredness that I forget to look for what God may be doing in and through it. If he promises to work all things for our good, this extends even to our fatigue––so rather than seeing tiredness purely as an unwanted hindrance, we can seek the opportunity within it to look for God’s good purposes.

Five Opportunities Tiredness Gives Us

What might these be? Parents, your tiredness is an opportunity:

To seek God’s plan above your own

I’m never more aware of my desire to control things than when they spin out of control. This includes sleep. When I’m rested, I get the crazy idea that I’m in charge of my day. I carefully craft plans and am sure I’ll execute them. But not on tired days. On tired days, I’m barely getting by. I’m aware of my weaknesses, my needs. I see how my life is in God’s hands.

Tiredness awakens me to the reality that I’m not in control.

And this is a good thing, parents. Scripture says pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18)––how often do we pridefully think “we’ve got this”? On tired days, we have an opportunity to taste reality: We’re desperately in need of God, our Sustainer, every moment and all the time. What an unexpected gift, to see clearly through the fog of fatigue!

To identify and kill sin

Being tired also exposes what’s already in my heart. When my guard is down because I’m exhausted, I’m more likely to be unkind and impatient toward others and more demanding of my own wants and needs. I’m more likely to complain against the Lord. I’m more likely to seek comfort and peace in circumstances (think: naps, quiet, food, and ease).

To be honest, I’m not a fan of me when I’m overtired. Yet, tiredness doesn’t cause these sins––it only reveals what’s been lurking within me.

And again, this is a good thing! As parents seeking to trust and follow Jesus and pursue holiness, we want to be on the lookout for sin every day, identifying it, owning it, and fleeing from it. We want to grow in love, abhorring what is evil and holding fast to what is good (Romans 12:9)––and Jesus is gracious to work in us as his Spirit exposes our sin when we’re tired. He uses this exposure to draw us to himself in humility and confession, to rejoice our hearts in his mercy, to mature us in Christlikeness, and ultimately to put himself on display in the world and in our homes.

To receive help from others

Our culture of autonomy and self-sufficiency has groomed us, even unknowingly, to resist anything that will make us look weak. More intrinsic than culture is our sin-nature that rejects the God-dependence we were made for, and that often suspects fellow humans are manipulators and takers, rather than good gifts from God.

But these are challenged when my tank is empty, when all I can do is cry, “Help!” Whether I’m asking for prayer, for help around the house, for wisdom and advice, or for much-needed childcare so I can rest, there’s joy in giving someone the privilege of serving God by serving me, and there’s humility and peace in admitting what I can’t deny: I am limited. I am not God.

When you’re so tired you can barely function, consider this a chance to enjoy the privilege of friendship, family, and fellowship in the body of Christ. Who might you reach out to this week?

To prioritize God’s Word

When we’re hungry, we need to fuel our bodies with food; and when we’re weary and spent, we need to nourish our souls through God’s Word. We need strength in our weakness, the power to endure in our depletion, and true and lasting hope in our discouragement. Jesus gives us this in himself and promises to carry us when we’re heavy-laden and need rest (Matthew 11:28).

Jesus sustains us as we feed on his Word, learning of him as our Bread of Life and Living Water.

Many of us want to be in our Bibles more––and as much as tiredness seems like a detriment to this goal, it can actually help us reach it. How? Just as when our resources are limited we must prioritize, so when our sleep and energy are limited we must do the same. Even if we’re only able to read Scripture and respond in prayer for five minutes, we should prioritize that time with God, trusting he’ll give us what we need the rest of the day (Matthew 6:33).

To point your kids to Christ

In his book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, Paul David Tripp writes that our desire as parents should be to show our kids that we’re more like them than unlike them. All of us need Jesus to rescue us from our sin. We all need Jesus to strengthen us day by day, moment by moment. We all need Jesus to change us into his likeness.

When our tiredness leads to sin and struggle, we have an enormous opportunity to point our children to the one who never grows weary or exhausted, who helps and renews those who wait for him (Isaiah 40:31). We have an open door to believe God’s Word, trust his character, confess to him and our families when we fail, and ultimately share his truth through our words and actions.

Leverage Your Tiredness

Parents, your tiredness may be an unwanted trial, but it’s also an opportunity to trust God. Ask him for grace to see clearly, amid much fatigue, how he’s at work to grow and use you.

And don’t stop asking him for the gift of sleep! He can give it, and so much more.

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Key Connections (September 28, 2018)

Here are great blurbs from recent key connections across the web!

Jesus’s Overwhelming, Spectacular Love (Sue Harris, enCourage)

I don’t think any of us manifest our love for the Lord Jesus the way we ought. Frankly, I don’t often live as if I believe that the gospel is that big of a deal. But here’s the question that I’m pondering: how does Jesus feel about the gospel and our salvation?

Relearning the Discipline of Self-Control in a Culture of Instant Gratification (Ace Davis, The Master’s Seminary)

The mind is our control panel. We have good thoughts and bad thoughts. Believers will even allow their minds to go to places that their actions would never go. They think that since no one can see them, that it is okay to think sinful thoughts. However, we must remember that God sees and knows every thought you have ever had. He knows our sinful thoughts and the battles that we face in our mind.

What Jesus Christ Taught About Prayer (Kevin Halloran, Anchored in Christ)

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (Matthew 7:7-9)

The Mountain of the Lord, Part 1 (Brad Baurain, Today in the Word)

“They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” This marvelous prophecy will be fulfilled when Christ establishes His kingdom after His Second Coming.

Feeling, Not Just Knowing, God’s Love (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

It’s possible to endure persecution and not to feel the love of Christ. It’s possible to worship in the seats of an evangelical church like this for 20 years and to not feel the love of Christ. I don’t want to be there! And neither do you. Paul is saying to these believers, “I want something better for you. I want your soul to be filled with the love of God.”