Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 65

Errors and the Bible: Five Reasons Inerrancy Matters

On the first day of my teaching career, working as a freshmen-level composition instructor the fall after my own college graduation, I entered my class more nervous than any of my 23 students. I knew I was hardly older than they were. I felt I had to be perfect to keep their trust. Imagine my horror when, as I introduced the course, I found errors in my own syllabus!

Unfortunately, I’m not just referring to typos when I say errors. I’m talking about inaccuracies, contradictions, and bluffs sniffed out by my students. As you can predict, these errors found in my course notes caused substantial damage to my credibility as a teacher—especially since I taught composition.

Errors harm the trustworthiness, usefulness, durability, accessibility, and beauty of the source. Fortunately, readers of the Bible can know with certainty that the Scriptures, and their unified goal to glorify Jesus Christ, are all of these things due to the wonderful doctrine of Inerrancy.

What Inerrancy Is

Inerrancy does not mean the Bible contains nothing false; Inerrancy means the Bible teaches only truth. As one example, John Piper discusses the importance of literary awareness in his article, What Is Inerrancy? He provocatively says, “Job is a book of errors,” and later clarifies by saying, “The book of Job is written to show the advice [given to Job in the middle of his suffering] is bad.”

Those aware of how Job’s friends’ advice functions within the story will not mistake their bad counsel for something affirmed by the Scriptures. After making this point, Piper then attempts a definition of Inerrancy:

The biblical authors, with God as their guide, do not teach anything false or command as God’s will anything displeasing to God…What the authors intend for us to understand or obey, properly understood in its nearer or wider context, is true. It’s not misleading… It’s not false.

Don Carson echoes this idea in his own writing. He writes:

It is potentially misleading to say “all Scripture tells the truth” if we thereby convey the impression that “Scripture is nothing more than factual expressions.” But to say “all Scripture is inerrant” is to affirm that it is without error, and this negation of untruthfulness covers all of the Bible indiscriminately.

One might ask in response to these definitions, what then is the intention of the biblical authors? How can we know what the Bible affirms or intends? Jesus himself answers these questions for us in a response he gave to those looking to kill him:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

The Scriptures all inerrantly point to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Not only is the message good, but so it the medium that brings us the message. The more we reflect on the doctrine of Inerrancy, the more we come to trust in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer.

What Inerrancy Means For Us

When we reflect on Inerrancy, we reflect on the nature of God. Inerrancy flows not from man-made tradition but from the very nature of God himself. Our perfectly truthful book comes directly from our perfectly truthful Father in Heaven. If this is true, then what does this doctrine mean for us as we approach the Scriptures? Inerrancy helps us understand (at least) five truths about God’s Word:  

1. Inerrancy means God’s Word is trustworthy.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)

Inerrancy points to how God is ultimately the author over all the Scriptures. What we read, and what we believe, does not come from man alone. The writers of the Old and New Testaments “were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” For this reason, the Bible is more trustworthy than any other book!

2. Inerrancy means God’s Word is useful.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Consider what might have been going through the minds of my students on that first day of class: This guy is our composition instructor? He can’t even write a syllabus without making a mistake! The strategies he’ll teach us must not be that useful, considering they don’t work for him…

Yet, when we read the Bible we should have the exact opposite thought running through our head: The perfect God of the Universe is the author of this book! When he instructs me, I’ll listen. When he commands, I’ll obey. Where he leads, I’ll follow!

3. Inerrancy means God’s Word is durable.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18)

Jesus makes it clear that he was sent to earth to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. This shows that the truths taught in the Old Testament were still active during the New Testament. Not only this, but Jesus makes it clear that those truths also live on until the end of time.

The Holy Bible is not only trustworthy and useful, but also durable. In other words, we can find truth in the Bible “until heaven and earth pass away.”

4. Inerrancy means God’s Word is accessible.

…it is impossible for God to lie… (Hebrews 6:18)

The doctrine of Inerrancy also speaks to the reality that anyone who wants the truth can have it. The Bible is not closed, but open. It is not locked, but freely accessible. God wants us to understand his truths in the Bible. The secrets of the universe are not hidden in heaven, but given to us in the Scriptures!

5. Inerrancy means God’s Word is beautiful.

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

I can’t think of a better word than beauty to describe something that is perfectly life-giving, wholly trustworthy, entirely useful, forever durable, and completely open to all. Friends, if there is anything certainly, 100% good in this world, it is the Word of God!

Therefore, I encourage you to seek, every day and every hour, the perfect counsel and eternal truth accessible to you. Remember that God has made this book without error so that we may trust it, use it, and come to know Jesus Christ through it.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Errors and The Bible: Five Reasons Inerrancy Matters

On the first day of my teaching career, working as a freshmen-level composition instructor the fall after my own college graduation, I entered my class more nervous than any of my 23 students. I knew I was hardly older than they were. I felt I had to be perfect to keep their trust. Imagine my horror when, as I introduced the course, I found errors in my own syllabus!

Unfortunately, I’m not just referring to typos when I say errors. I’m talking about inaccuracies, contradictions, and bluffs sniffed out by my students. As you can predict, these errors found in my course notes caused substantial damage to my credibility as a teacher—especially since I taught composition.

Errors harm the trustworthiness, usefulness, durability, accessibility, and beauty of the source. Fortunately, readers of the Bible can know with certainty that the Scriptures, and their unified goal to glorify Jesus Christ, are all of these things due to the wonderful doctrine of Inerrancy.

What Inerrancy Is

Inerrancy does not mean the Bible contains nothing false; Inerrancy means the Bible teaches only truth. As one example, John Piper discusses the importance of literary awareness in his article, What Is Inerrancy? He provocatively says, “Job is a book of errors,” and later clarifies by saying, “The book of Job is written to show the advice [given to Job in the middle of his suffering] is bad.”

Those aware of how Job’s friends’ advice functions within the story will not mistake their bad counsel for something affirmed by the Scriptures. After making this point, Piper then attempts a definition of Inerrancy:

The biblical authors, with God as their guide, do not teach anything false or command as God’s will anything displeasing to God…What the authors intend for us to understand or obey, properly understood in its nearer or wider context, is true. It’s not misleading… It’s not false.

Don Carson echoes this idea in his own writing. He writes:

It is potentially misleading to say “all Scripture tells the truth” if we thereby convey the impression that “Scripture is nothing more than factual expressions.” But to say “all Scripture is inerrant” is to affirm that it is without error, and this negation of untruthfulness covers all of the Bible indiscriminately.

One might ask in response to these definitions, what then is the intention of the biblical authors? How can we know what the Bible affirms or intends? Jesus himself answers these questions for us in a response he gave to those looking to kill him:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

The Scriptures all inerrantly point to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Not only is the message good, but so it the medium that brings us the message. The more we reflect on the doctrine of Inerrancy, the more we come to trust in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer.

What Inerrancy Means For Us

When we reflect on Inerrancy, we reflect on the nature of God. Inerrancy flows not from man-made tradition but from the very nature of God himself. Our perfectly truthful book comes directly from our perfectly truthful Father in Heaven. If this is true, then what does this doctrine mean for us as we approach the Scriptures? Inerrancy helps us understand (at least) five truths about God’s Word:  

1. Inerrancy means God’s Word is trustworthy.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)

Inerrancy points to how God is ultimately the author over all the Scriptures. What we read, and what we believe, does not come from man alone. The writers of the Old and New Testaments “were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” For this reason, the Bible is more trustworthy than any other book!

2. Inerrancy means God’s Word is useful.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Consider what might have been going through the minds of my students on that first day of class: This guy is our composition instructor? He can’t even write a syllabus without making a mistake! The strategies he’ll teach us must not be that useful, considering they don’t work for him…

Yet, when we read the Bible we should have the exact opposite thought running through our head: The perfect God of the Universe is the author of this book! When he instructs me, I’ll listen. When he commands, I’ll obey. Where he leads, I’ll follow!

3. Inerrancy means God’s Word is durable.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18)

Jesus makes it clear that he was sent to earth to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. This shows that the truths taught in the Old Testament were still active during the New Testament. Not only this, but Jesus makes it clear that those truths also live on until the end of time.

The Holy Bible is not only trustworthy and useful, but also durable. In other words, we can find truth in the Bible “until heaven and earth pass away.”

4. Inerrancy means God’s Word is accessible.

…it is impossible for God to lie… (Hebrews 6:18)

The doctrine of Inerrancy also speaks to the reality that anyone who wants the truth can have it. The Bible is not closed, but open. It is not locked, but freely accessible. God wants us to understand his truths in the Bible. The secrets of the universe are not hidden in heaven, but given to us in the Scriptures!

5. Inerrancy means God’s Word is beautiful.

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

I can’t think of a better word than beauty to describe something that is perfectly life-giving, wholly trustworthy, entirely useful, forever durable, and completely open to all. Friends, if there is anything certainly, 100% good in this world, it is the Word of God!

Therefore, I encourage you to seek, every day and every hour, the perfect counsel and eternal truth accessible to you. Remember that God has made this book without error so that we may trust it, use it, and come to know Jesus Christ through it.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

When You’re Struck Down by the Storm

A Saturday morning storm rattled my tranquil slumber. Looking at the curtains, I watched the lightning pierce the dark fabric as rumbles of thunder followed. I thought of The Old Mill, a 1937 cartoon produced by Walt Disney, which depicts the evening routine of animals populating an abandoned windmill in the country. Frogs croak, crickets chirp, and lightning bugs dance above the unkempt grass. There’s a peace about this pasture.

Suddenly, a storm emerges and thrashes the old mill. Rain pelts the withered roof and the wind effortlessly rips off a window held together by rusty bolts. The mighty squall crescendos into a single bolt of lightning that strikes the mill with ferocity, shattering one of the wooden blades and causing the structure to sink back against the wet earth.

Do you see it? Christ followers are like that old mill, subject to the minor and major storms that surface in life. Though we will be struck down from time to time, we are not given over to destruction.

Rough Waters

The apostle Paul is familiar with being struck down. In his letter to the church in Corinth, he writes:

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Once consumed with destroying the early church after the ascension of Jesus, Paul encountered the risen Christ and made an abrupt change with his life. He repented of his sins, was baptized, and quickly started proclaiming Jesus as Lord to all who would listen (see Acts 9). The Light of the world pierced Paul’s dark soul and set in a motion a mighty voice who helped the fledgling church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria increase in size and influence (Acts 9:31).

Like the old mill, Paul encountered a severe storm as he sailed for Rome in his later years. He didn’t take to sea as a free man though; no, Paul was a prisoner bound to stand before Caesar:

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. (Acts 27:20)

The ship was struck down by the elements, but Paul was told by an angel of God to not be afraid (Acts 27:24). He relayed his renewed courage to the other men aboard, and the ship eventually reached land without a soul perishing.

Is your faith in rough waters right now? Storms are inevitable, and despite the lingering beliefs today that doing this or saying that will insulate you from harm, storms come. Hardships and calamities usually manifest in the form of loss. Loss of work, loss of a family member or friend, loss of a relationship, loss of health. Some even lose hope.

Where do you turn when hope fades?

Peace! Be Still!

Paul turned to God. When the men aboard the ship wondered whether they would survive,  Paul delivered a word of bravery to them (Acts 27:21-26). “Take heart,” he declared twice to the forlorn crew. The underlying theme of Paul’s message is clear: Don’t lose hope. Hold fast to God.

We too can hold fast to God if we turn to Jesus Christ, remembering that the storm will eventually pass and yield to the peaceful stillness that Jesus spoke into existence in the middle of a raging squall on the lake (Mark 4:35-41).

Jon Bloom, in a Desiring God article, writes:

It’s this Spirit-empowered dynamic in the soul that allows us to be both ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Corinthians 6:10). We expect sorrow from the world and redemption from our Savior, who will work even our sorrows for ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

To put another way, our Savior is redeeming all of our sorrows and storms toward a greater hope.

This greater hope is the renewal of all things. A new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). Life is full of sorrow, but we wait patiently for a glorious restoration. Jon Bloom calls this waiting a “hope-infused groaning, full of anticipation for what is coming.” Hope in God’s love for us is what keeps our tiny ships anchored as the storms rise and subside.

I Will Rise

That old mill didn’t sink back in defeat. The cartoon doesn’t end there. No, the darkness lifted and the rain ceased. Rays of sunlight entered the tattered roof as the animals slowly returned to the field and went about their lives. That vicious storm had its night, but the old mill endured.

A similar thing happens in the Christian life thanks to Jesus Christ: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). This why the story the Bible tells is the best story in history: Jesus Christ, the true light, defeats all evil. “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). The storms of life may last for more than one night, but they will end in time.

Is it a stretch to suggest that God beckons us to stand tall amidst the thunder and lightning and rain, to step into the water like Peter (Matthew 14:29) and exercise great faith? Jesus says that we will encounter trouble in this life—storms both big and small—but he has overcome them all.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

What’s more, he’s with us to the end of this life (Matthew 28:20). Comfort and companionship of this magnitude compel us to rise, compel us to endure the storms since we are not given a spirit of fear, but of power.

A power to stand strong in him.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Christianity Isn’t About Avoiding Trouble

September 11th. There’s a certain chill in just reading the date, isn’t there? We all remember where we were when we heard the news. The image of crumbling towers imprinted on all of our minds forever. A very date, as Roosevelt said after Pearl Harbor, that lives in infamy.

And ever since, we’ve lived with the knowledge that there are people who are determined to destroy our way of life. And they’ll give their lives to do it. We live in a dangerous world in which for many years I doubt there has been a single news bulletin that did not include the word terrorism.

We are overtaken by new disasters every day. A friend of mine told me about a report he had read back in the 1980s identifying three events that could cripple America:

A major earthquake on the San Andreas fault
A major terrorist attack on a main city
A tidal wave in the gulf

I’m still struggling to get my mind around the sheer scale of the devastation in New Orleans from years back. The volume of water. The number of people. The massive scale of loss.

Sunday morning after September 11th, I spoke from the book of Hebrews chapter 12 where God says that everything in this world will be shaken and reminds us that nothing in this life in completely secure (Hebrews 12:26-29). Your home, your family, your health, your job.

So what we need is a faith big enough for life.

Paganism and Christianity

Now, I’m convinced from the very depth of my being that what that means is a return to biblical Christianity. And I want to explain what that means, because there has been such a massive slide away from this in our time.

I want us to grasp clearly the difference between Christianity and paganism. And by paganism, I’m using that word to refer to any form of idolatry that you would find both throughout the Old Testament and widely in our culture today. Pagan religion is based on the idea that the gods will keep you from harm as long as you keep them happy. That’s paganism.

So a wise pagan will say: Now I’ve got to say my prayers, I’ve got to give my tithes, I’ve got to offer my sacrifices because as long as the gods are happy, the gods will keep me from harm.

So the pagan thinks like this: If I keep the gods happy, then my family will be healthy, then my business will prosper, then my kids will make wise choices, then my country will be secure. That’s paganism.

It is a religion you practice so that nothing terrible will happen to you. Now Christianity is completely different. The Bible makes it as plain as can be, for anyone who reads it, that in this world bad things will happen to me and to you.

The reason for this is simple: We live in a fallen world. We are surrounded by an environment in which evil is rampant within the human heart. The human race itself is plagued by disease and by death. And the Bible says the whole creation in which we live is groaning under a curse. A curse that has not yet been removed.

So for all our blessing the Bible makes it clear that our life in this world will include the experience of loss, and that loss will come through disease, it will come through death, it will come through disaster, and it will come through destruction that arises from men and women whose hearts have been opened up to rampant parts of evil and the demonic.

Jesus speaks clearly about wars and rumors of wars, about famines, and about earthquakes. This is your world, he says to those who are listening, this is the reality in which you live your life. This will be part of your experience. And this is precisely why you need me.

In this world, we need a God who is big enough to fulfill his purpose even when everything else is lost.

Cross-Shaped Paganism

Do you see the huge contrast between these two things?

Paganism says: the gods, as long as they’re happy, will keep you from trouble. Christianity says: God will fulfill his purpose even through trouble, which you ought to expect in this world.

Now what has struck me as I’ve pondered this, is just how widely believers in our time have really bought into a Christianized form of paganism. In other words, we have the idea that if we’re good Christians, nothing bad will happen in our lives, and that if our country is based on Christian principles, no disaster will happen here. That kind of thinking shows how far we’ve drifted from Christianity into a cross-shaped paganism.

This kind of superstition is so far from the world of the Bible. The Bible never suggests that if you keep God happy nothing bad will happen to you. No, the real world of the Bible is that we live in a fallen world in which there is disease, there is danger, and there is death–and these things will shape the experience of the most righteous man.

No one ever lived a life more pleasing to God than Jesus. And yet Jesus, more than any other, knew terror unleashed. And when he stretched out on the cross, the earth splits beneath him as the sun no longer shines.

Paganism would say: My goodness, the earth splitting? He’s on a cross? The sun stopped shining? The gods mustn’t be pleased with him. That’s what a pagan would say. But the gospel tells us that it is through this agony of trouble that God fulfills his redeeming purpose.

You see, these are two completely different worlds.

The Desperate Need of the Hour

So, as we remember September 11th today, it seems to me that the desperate need of the hour is that we be delivered from a superstitious Christianity, in which we see our religion as a way of keeping God happy so there won’t be any trouble in our lives, and return to a biblical Christianity, in which we put our trust in God, knowing there will be trouble in our lives, but that God will bring us through it.

And that even by it and in it, he will fulfill his purpose, and it will not be lost. The God of the Bible is big enough for life. The God of the Bible can bring you through the worst experience of loss you or I will ever face. He is able to more for you, in you, and through than you can ask or think.

[This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon “The God Who Brings Revival,” from the series, Close Encounters With The Living God .] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Three Barriers to Faith (and How to Overcome Them)

Is there something God is calling you to, but you’re holding back in faith?

How would you fill in the blanks in this statement? I think God may be calling me to _____ , but I’m holding back because _____ .

Maybe there’s something big you would put in that first blank. I think God is calling me to start a homeless ministry, but I’m holding back because I don’t have the resources to do it.


Maybe it’s something on a smaller scale. I think God is calling me to teach Sunday School, but I’m holding back because I don’t think I have the time to prepare.


It could even be something much more personal. I think God is calling me to make peace with my brother, but I’m holding back because I’m afraid he won’t respond well.

You get the idea. We probably all have things we think God is calling us to do, but we’re holding back for one reason or another. In Hebrews 11 we find what some people call the “Hall of Faith”. It lists heroes of the Bible that were asked to trust God in great ways. One of these men was Abraham. God had a big blessing waiting for Abraham. But he also had a great challenge. God called him to leave everything behind and venture to a new land.

That’s what Abraham would put in the first blank. And, as you can imagine there were significant barriers to obeying. Let’s look at what Abraham might have put in that second blank and how he overcame the barriers to obedience in his life.

Three Barriers to Faith
Faith Barrier #1: Abraham didn’t know where he was going.

Put yourself in Abraham’s shoes. God comes to you and says, “Pack your bags. You’re leaving everything behind.” And you say, “Where am I going?” And God says, “You’ll find out.” This would be a challenging command to obey, wouldn’t it?

However, I often find that this is the way God leads us. He shows us the next step, even though we don’t know the final destination. But if we don’t take that first step, we won’t arrive at the final destination!

That’s the position Abraham was in when God called him. He didn’t know where he was going.

Faith Barrier #2: Abraham left his comfort zone.

God called Abraham to leave the city and live in a tent. And not by himself – with his whole family. How many of you are ready to sign up for that calling?

God was calling Abraham to leave behind all that was comfortable to him.

Faith Barrier #3: Abraham was going to a foreign land.

We all love our homeland. It’s a part of us. God is calling Abraham to leave his homeland forever and to go to foreign land. Now that’s quite the challenge. Which of us actually enjoys being uprooted from all that’s familiar, in order that we might move to an unfamiliar place? We would much rather stay put in our known surroundings than venture out into unknown territory, even if it’s just the next city or state.

So, how in the world did Abraham overcome those barriers? How in the world can we overcome ours?

Overcoming the Barriers to Faith

It’s really pretty simple. Abraham overcame them through faith:

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. 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 11:8-9)

Faith is believing in the invisible reality of God’s Word over the visible world that we can see and touch and hear (Hebrews 11:1).

There’s always some competition between these two realities.

For example, Jesus said that when we give money to the Lord we’re laying up treasures for ourselves in heaven. We believe that, and so we give generously to the Lord. That’s living by the invisible reality of God’s Word.

But then our neighbor pulls into their driveway in a shiny new car. And the thought creeps into our mind: You know, if I wasn’t giving so much to the Lord, I could be driving a new car. Is giving that money away really worth it?

In crashes the visible world.

Surely Abraham was experiencing such tension. The invisible reality was the promises of God – that he would have a new land, that he’d be a nation and experience God’s blessing and be a blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). That’s what God had promised, but he couldn’t see it. He couldn’t touch it. It was invisible.

Nevertheless, Abraham made the decision to live by faith. He chose to live by invisible, unseen realities. And because he chose to live by faith he experienced the blessing of God like you can’t imagine. Through his family line Jesus Christ was born: The Savior who would live the perfect life, show us the Father, die for our sins, and bring all those who believe in him to heaven for eternity.

You and I want to be people who say, “God is calling me to _____ , and I’m going for it by faith in Jesus Christ.”

So here’s the question for us all: What would it look like for you to exercise faith in the situation you feel God is calling you to?

[This is a repost. It was originally posted on January 8, 2015 here on UTB’s Blog.] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Key Connections (September 7, 2018)

Here are your key connections for the week!

Did You Know Martin Luther Practiced Bible Journaling? (Herman Selderhuis, Crossway)

In which Selderhuis discusses Martin Luther’s innovative Bible teaching in what was referred to as the “heavenly lecture hall.” This post includes a quoted passage from Luther himself revealing the book of the Bible he found to be “the most important chapter in the New Testament and is the purist gospel. It would be worth a Christian’s effort not only to memorize this letter word for word but also to work with it on a daily basis like daily bread for the soul.”

Why Pastors Should Consider Preaching (At Least) 5 Minutes Shorter (Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel Coalition)

Here’s the bottom line: there’s no need to preach for an hour when 40 minutes will do.The truth is most people will be glad for a shorter sermon. The parents with children in the pew certainly will be. Your wife just might be too. And the nursery workers will rise up and call you blessed.

What Does It Mean For A Mom to Have Freedom In Christ? (Nana Dolce, Risen Motherhood)

A great post discussing whether it is biblical for a mother to work outside of the home. Nana Dolce has great insight into this conversation, and better insights into what Christian community misses out on when we divide over secondary issues.

Be Vigilant, Be Watchful, Be Gentle (Joseph Hamrick, The Blazing Center)

Joseph Hamrick offers his thoughts on what to do, and what not to do, when you are aware of sin in another Christian’s life.

When A Leader Disappoints You (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

What are you to do in life when a leader you respect disappoints you? I want to give you the most direct answer I can from the Bible here today, and it is simply this: When a leader that you respect disappoints you, you look to Jesus Christ by way of contrast.

When A Leader Disappoints You

Our passage today [2 Samuel 19] speaks to times when our leaders disappoint us.

David was the best leader God’s people ever had in the Old Testament. But when you come to the end of his life, you find some things recorded in the Bible, you say, I just wish that that was not so. 

David brought great blessing to the people of God, and what we learn about David in the last days of his life frankly is hard to believe. And it is disappointing to say the least.

What are you to do in life when a leader you respect disappoints you? I want to give you the most direct answer I can from the Bible here today, and it is simply this: When a leader that you respect disappoints you, you look to Jesus Christ by way of contrast.

In this series, we’ve picked up, time and again, ways in which David points us forward to Jesus. Ways in which David is an anticipation of Jesus. Ways in which David is very like the Lord Jesus Christ. He was, after all, a man after God’s own heart. And so it is not surprising that as you look at his life, you very often see a reflection or an anticipation of the Lord Jesus Christ. But at the end of his life, there are painful things that you just wish were not there.

But they are there.

And so, you look through David to Jesus Christ, not by way of comparison or continuity but by way of contrast, you say to yourself thank God there’s nothing like that in Jesus.

Essential Characteristics of a Godly Leader: Part Two

Jesus refused to lead in the way the world suggests. In fact, he often took a path in leadership that was quite the opposite of what you might think. In this article, I want to highlight three more essential characteristics that made Jesus the best spiritual leader: his compelling communication, his kingdom-focus, and his adaptability.

His Compelling Communication

James Humes, a speech-writer for five American presidents said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” He couldn’t be more right. Leaders communicate, and good leaders do so regularly. Great leaders do so precisely, intentionally, and with purpose. The best leaders communicate things that are compelling to the hearer.

Jesus Christ was the most compelling communicator the world has ever known. Jesus’ compelling communication is seen when you look at the source of his information and the clarity with which he spoke that information:

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49)

Jesus’ compelling communication came forth from God the Father. It was this same source from whom he derived information to give to his disciples (John 6:49-50; 15:15). He did not do or say or minister without initiation from the Father.

Have you have ever heard a leader communicate only to feel like the speech was as clear as mud? Nothing can be more frustrating than lack of clarity in a message. But Jesus, who had the ultimate source of spiritual truths, always spoke his messages with clarity.

Sermon on the Mount

One of the greatest sermons ever given was the Sermon on the Mount. It started with descriptions of what God’s kingdom was going to be like for people.The opening of that sermon is filled with specific qualities people could anticipate in the Christian life. These phrases were obvious, concise, and compelling.

Jesus reoriented people’s paradigms and rearranged cognitive wiring by including phrases like “You’ve heard it said…but I say to you” (Matthew 5:43). This kind of communication would have stopped the thinking listener in his tracks to reconsider a new possibility or higher awareness of God’s purposes. Today’s leaders can learn from this kind of precision and argumentation. Our speeches, sermons, lectures, and conversations could be drastically improved if we were to model this kind of compelling communication.

Another example of Jesus’ unique clarity was his use of parables and examples. Jesus often illustrated his message in such a way that the listener could see pictures in his mind. He made distinctions with words and arguments so the hearer would have to make decisions mentally.

Jesus words had a target. That target was to see the kingdom of God break forth and grow in the ages to come.

His Kingdom-Focus

Secondly, all good leaders have focus. They have a vision in mind about where they want to see people go. God’s agenda was the kingdom, and Jesus was moving people toward it. For the present-day believer, we understand this kingdom to have an already-but-not-yet scope, meaning, the kingdom is here, people are being redeemed, but they do not entirely exist in the final and eternal kingdom the Bible reveals.

There is still a real problem of sin. When did this kingdom first show up in the Bible? Initially, John the Baptist helped inaugurate this kingdom idea publically when he declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). His stated purpose is simple, yet profound. He was focused on the kingdom and displayed it in his leadership, calling for the necessity of the crowd to share that focus. Good Christian leaders will have a God-based vision and will be able to share it.

His Adaptability

Good Christian leaders also know how to adapt their message so that it speaks the same truth to a different set of people. The Jewish people, the covenant people, rejected the kingdom, and so Jesus changed the way he spoke about it, particularly to the common folk and the Gentile:

He put another parable before them, saying

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-33)

Teaching in parables like these showed Jesus’ focus on the kingdom and his adaptive way of communicating truth. These were statements painted in such a way that the ordinary person could understand the profound truth. The hidden truths became understandable illustrations of first century Israel.

As we reflect on Jesus’ leadership ability, know that there has not been anyone like him nor will there ever be again. Learning from the most exceptional leader of all time takes time. It takes a relationship. A relationship with Jesus forms when you clearly understand what God has revealed in his Word.

Do you have a relationship with the greatest leader of all time? You need to. The rich young ruler came with his leadership and moral credentials to Jesus and asked a profound question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 18:18). Jesus got right down to business and told him to give up everything he had in this world to have life in the next.

We aren’t entirely sure what this leader did when the gospel was presented to him, but we do know he had something to match his great wealth, which was great sadness. Perhaps his highest kingdom-value was his money and not Jesus.

What is your highest kingdom-value? Leader, you and I need Jesus. Only Jesus can lead us to himself as we seek to lead others to him.

In case you missed it, read “Essential Characteristics of a Godly Leader: Part One“
[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Five Ways Christ Loves His People Well

What you believe most deeply about how God loves his people will shape your experience of him.

Some people see God as a kind of referee, running up and down the field, watching all of us as we play the game of life, making sure we play according to the rules.

Other people see God as a kind of gatekeeper. Think of the officer on passport control. The officer checks your passport. If everything is in order, the officer stamps your passport and lets you in. If there’s a problem, it is his job to keep you out.

Other people see God as a kind of servant who only exists to give them the life they want.

There are many people in church who see God as the referee, the gatekeeper, or the servant. But what do you know about Christ as the lover of your soul? God says, “If you want to know what I am to my people, think love, think marriage.”

Here are five ways Christ loves his people well.

Cleansed: A love that forgives you

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.  (Ephesians 5:25-26)

A believer who comes to Christ and asks for forgiveness will never hear the answer no. “Whoever comes to me, I will never turn away.” When you say “Please forgive me,” you always get a yes from Christ, because he loves you.

Christ never turns a cold shoulder towards his people. He does not hold a grudge. He does not open old wounds or pick at old sores. Christ loves us well with a love that forgives. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the church.” But it’s not just husbands. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

Sanctified: A love that makes you flourish

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her. (Ephesians 5:25-26)

The love of Christ always causes a person to grow. Christ will make more of you than you will ever make of yourself. Give yourself to him and see what you become through him.

Nourished: A love that brings you strength

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.  (Ephesians 5:29)

The love of Christ will build you up and give you strength to face the toughest circumstances of life. Paul says, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long” (Romans 8:36). That’s about as tough as it can get. But then he says, “In these things we are more than conquerors.” Why? Because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

Cherished: A love that values you

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.  (Ephesians 5:29)

Brother, sister in Christ, there is never a moment when you are not the object of the conscious affection of the Son of God. Others may say, “Nobody really cares about me,” but you could never say that. You are cherished by the Son of God!

Presented: A love that endures forever

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25, 27)

Every time we have a wedding we hear these words, “Till death do us part.” Why do we remind the bride and the groom of their dying day on their wedding day? We want them to value every day of their marriage because it will not be forever. Value your children, your friends, your colleagues, and the people God places around you because none of this will be forever.

But Christ pledges a love to you that will never end. He does not say, “I will love you, till death do us part.” He says, “I will love you in life, I will love you through death, and then I will present you in splendor, in glory, faultless, with all the draining, wearing, wrinkle-causing effects of your life on earth gone and behind you completely. I will welcome you in glory and I will love you forever.”

We love because he first loved us. To anyone reading this today who does not yet know this love, Jesus Christ offers himself to you. He holds his hands out to you. Jesus Christ is willing to be yours.

If you will leave your sins, if you will leave living for yourself and give yourself to him, he will welcome you. He will not turn you away. Christ will be yours, and you will be his, and all that he came in love to accomplish will be yours forever.

Which of these facets of Christ’s love do you need to remember today?

[This is a repost. It was originally posted on February 12, 2015 here on UTB’s Blog.] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

Welcome to Unlocking the Bible’s New Website

Here at Unlocking the Bible, we believe in the power of God’s Word to transform souls. In the last two decades, we’ve seen the amazing ability of modern media, in all its changing forms, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe. This is why we’re thrilled to share our new website with you!

Our team has worked tirelessly to redesign our website so you’re better served. You’ll find all of Pastor Colin’s biblical content housed here in a more organized, enjoyable format. We consider it a privilege to have worked with our web development agency who helped us freshen up our look-and-feel. We even reimagined our logo!

We’re excited about a few new features in particular:

Explore This Topic Further. After you engage with a radio program, article, or sermon, we’ll suggest other content about the same topic, to help you deepen your grasp of God’s truth.

This Week @Unlocking the Bible. Our new weekly email will be curated with the latest content, featuring articles, radio programs, devotionals, and ministry updates. You can sign up to receive the weekly email on our Homepage.

Multi-language translation. Many of you visit us from other countries (thank you!), so we now offer translation of our page content in 17 languages. If you have feedback, we’d love to hear from you!

Stories of Impact. Every week, men and women around the world contact us with amazing stories of how Jesus has impacted them through this ministry. Discover how the gospel has impacted souls for your encouragement, and share your Story of Impact with us.

Search functionality. Between the search bar and our new Archive, you’ll find what you’re looking for more easily. We hope these tools will serve you as you engage with God’s Word.

Modern media will change, but the gospel won’t—and that’s why we do what we do at Unlocking the Bible. Do you have questions about the new website? Don’t hesitate to email me at kwetherell@unlockingthebible.org.

We hope and pray that God will use this platform for his glory and the spread of his gospel for many years to come.

Daniel D. Video