Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 73

Key Connections (June 1, 2018)

He Will Carry You Through the Fire (Marshall Segal, Desiring God)

We can’t simply tell our hearts to be strong or courageous, but God can. If you want to find strength when you feel weak, or courage when you feel ashamed or afraid, meditate on what God has said — and do whatever he says. Let his promises, his commands, his works, and his ways wash over your fears and insecurities.

Clarifying the Call of God (Jon Coombs, Rooted Ministry)

Understanding how the Bible teaches calling makes following Jesus tremendously freeing. We are free from expectation, from pressure, and from the fear of missing out. Instead, we are given freedom to follow Jesus through our passions, abilities, gifts, skills, and opportunities.

The Essence of a Gospel-Soaked, Faithful Teacher (Grayson Pope, Gospel Centered Discipleship)

Most of us have an overinflated sense of how strong we are. We think we can stand up to temptation and beat sin through sheer strength or willpower. But we can’t—that’s why Jesus had to die for us.

When Muslims Dream of Jesus (Darren Carlson, The Gospel Coalition)

Would Satan cast out Satan? Would he give dreams filled with Scripture, pointing to Jesus, that ultimately lead to conversion and purity? I doubt it. The Spirit is still on the move, saving his people from among the nations. Of course Satan tries to attack and muddle what is real, but this should cause us to be discerning, not dismissive.

9 Things to Know About a Widow’s Grief (Gaye Clark, True Women Blog)

So how does God love those suffering? In Isaiah, He says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (41:10, emphasis added). This infers a deep intimacy. While compassion walks beside the bereaved, pity stands off at a safe distance.

The Only Way You Can Do God’s Will (Kristen Wetherell, Unlocking the Bible)

Augustine once prayed, “Give what you command, and command what you will” (Confessions). We echo his prayer and know God will answer it because, in Christ Jesus, he gives us what we need to desire his way and fulfill his commands.

The post Key Connections (June 1, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

What’s the Difference Between Faith and Assurance?

Video Transcript:

My friend Charles Price who was the pastor of the People’s church in Toronto tells the story of the first time he flew on an airplane.

When he boarded the plan he was in a middle seat of three. Next to the widow was an old lady who looked really nervous. On the aisle was a business man who seemed like he had done this a hundred times before. Charles, in the middle, was up for the adventure, but never having flown before, he was just a little apprehensive.

When the plane took off, the businessman opened the newspaper, Charles held onto the armrests of his seat, and the old lady reached for the barf bag. When lunch was served, the businessman ate the whole lot, Charles ate half of his, and the old lady just looked at hers and didn’t even touch it.

Here is the conclusion to the story: All three passengers arrived at the same place at the same time! They were all equally safe, but they had very different experiences of the journey.

Faith gets into the plane; assurance enjoys the journey. Faith puts you “in Christ” where you are completely safe, even if you are full of fear; assurance is the joy and peace that comes from knowing that in Christ you are completely safe.

Your eternal safety does not rest on the degree of peace and joy you experience in your Christian life. We are by justified by faith, not by assurance. But the degree of assurance you know will make a big difference to your experience of the journey of the Christian life. That is why the writer says to people who believe: “We desire each one of you… to have the full assurance of hope!”

[This sermon clip is an excerpt from the sermon “Full Assurance” from the series, Faith That Lasts.]

RELATED POSTS:

How Can I Be Sure of Heaven, Part 1
Faith Without Questions
The Simplicity of Faith

The post What’s the Difference Between Faith and Assurance? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Only Way You Can Do God’s Will

I can’t.

Our culture despises those two little words. Hatred for weakness and inadequacy is why we tell our kids never to say, “I can’t.” It’s why we love the inspiring words of Thomas the Tank Engine: “Yes, you can!” The belief that we’re capable of anything, if we set our minds to it, pervades our worldview.

This “I-can” mentality also colors our reading of Scripture, specifically how we understand and respond to God’s commands. If we aren’t careful, we’ll be deceived into thinking we’ve “got this” apart from the power of the gospel motivating and empowering us.

When God’s Will Is Impossible

Consider a familiar passage. Many of us can recite it from memory. It’s one of the few answers we give to the common question, “What is God’s will for my life?” We affirm it—

But struggle to apply it:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

God couldn’t be clearer: His will for his people is a life steeped in rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving! We never have to wonder if we’re on the right and godly path with these actions. They are God’s will for us. Yet—

They’re some of the most difficult commands to obey.

Think about it:

Why does God command us to “rejoice always”? Because it’s more natural for us to grumble and complain about our circumstances than to see God’s character and purposes at work in them.
Why does he tell us to “pray without ceasing”? Because, in an age of distraction and entertainment, it’s easier to give our focus and time to nothingness, wasting it on self-centered, temporary pleasures, than to give ourselves to eternal, Kingdom matters.
And what about his command to “give thanks”? We usually forget or refuse to because, somewhere deep within our hearts, we fail to remember that everything is a gift from God. We think we’re entitled to what we want and deserve an easy life.

Friends, I’m preaching to myself here. I often fail to fulfill God’s will in these particular commands. I’d rather complain about what he hasn’t given me than praise him for what he has; and I’d more quickly scroll social media for the umpteenth time than set aside what feeds my pride for the prayerfulness that will expose it. Turns out, these basic commands to do God’s will are much harder to obey than they seem.

Yes, on our own, obedience to God is impossible. We need his help and power, secured for us through our union with Christ, to do his will.

God’s Will in Difficult Circumstances

The original context of this well-known passage gives it special significance. Paul penned his letter to the Thessalonians for two main reasons:

To encourage them about the contagious nature of their faith in Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:8; 3:6-7)
To urge them to press on in that faith through various hardships (2:14-20; 4:13-14; 5:15)

In particular, these believers faced persecution, the absence and sufferings of their pastor (Paul), and the deaths of beloved brothers and sisters in the church.

Persecution. Worry. Death. Those were the “circumstances” in which Paul was exhorting this church to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks.” Those commands, among others at the end of his letter, had tougher soil in which to grow than we might expect.

God’s will for his people is a life steeped in rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving!
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And isn’t that a similar soil to the one in which we’re seeking to grow day by day? We too struggle with hardships of many kinds. We deal with relational division (even in the church); we worry about those who are hurting; we grieve the loss of loved ones; we’re mocked and rejected for our faith. It’s in this context—difficulty and suffering—that Paul tells the Thessalonians, and us, to press on in doing God’s will.

But wait—as if obeying these commands wasn’t hard enough in times of ease and comfort, how can we possibly fulfill them in times of trial?

The Greatest Doctrine You’ve Never Heard Of

Only “in Christ Jesus.”

That’s the phrase that changes everything about this command: “…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It’s the difference between being enslaved by our inability to obey and being freed to obey.

According to Kevin DeYoung, “Union with Christ”—the elaborate phrase for what it means to be in Christ—“may be the most important doctrine you’ve never heard of” (The Hole in Our Holiness). But there is no Christian life, no doing God’s will, apart from it.

Union with Christ means we are in Christ and Christ is in us. It means we are no longer our own and destined for wrath, but are now hidden with Christ and given new life—his life. We are one with him, and clothed in his righteousness. Union with Christ says that everything that’s his becomes ours by faith.

This precious doctrine is our reality when we trust Jesus to save us from sin and death by his atoning sacrifice and raise us to eternal life through his resurrection. We are sealed by the gift of his Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in our hearts—the very life of Jesus, changing our desires and empowering us to please our Father and walk in his will.

How Doing God’s Will Is Possible

Augustine once prayed, “Give what you command, and command what you will” (Confessions). We echo his prayer and know God will answer it because, in Christ Jesus, he gives us what we need to desire his way and fulfill his commands.

Let’s consider how union with Christ affects our ability to obey 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

In Christ, we’re free to “rejoice always.” Rather than being emotionally enslaved to our always-changing circumstances and seeking happiness in fleeing highs, the Spirit sets our minds on who God is—the sovereign, unchanging Lord—and what he’s done for our souls. True joy is found in what will never fade and what can never be taken from us: peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He empowers us to rejoice always.
In Christ, we’re free to “pray without ceasing.” Rather than spending our days on self-centered, temporary pleasures that will never truly satisfy, the Spirit has given us a new desire to know God and effect his will on earth through moment-by-moment dependence on him. True purpose is found in communion with our Father who invites us to draw near to his throne of grace with confidence because of Christ’s righteousness. He motivates us to prayerfulness.  
In Christ, we’re free to “give thanks.” Rather than demanding certain outcomes from God in our blinding foolishness, the Spirit reminds us of all we’ve been undeservedly given in Christ: every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and an eternal inheritance far surpassing any earthly gain (Ephesians 1:3). True thankfulness flows from recognizing what we deserve—condemnation for our sin—and rejoicing over we don’t deserve, yet have received: all the eternal fruit of Jesus’ finished work, and Jesus himself. He leads us to be thankful.  

Hope for Imperfect Obedience

No matter what our “I-can” culture thinks, we can’t fulfill these commands by our own efforts and strength; nor does union with Christ mean we will live perfectly holy lives, for our battle with the presence of sin remains.

But we’re no longer controlled by sin. We’re dead to it, and alive to God in Christ—new creations—whose Spirit now lives in us (Romans 6:10-11)! His compelling presence means obedience is now possible when it was once impossible, that we now have everything we need for life and godliness because of our union with Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns in us (see Romans 8:7-10). To be in Christ is now who we truly are.

And one glorious day, when we’re with Jesus, sin will be abolished once and for all. What hindered us will be no more, and we’ll rejoice in the finished work God started when he united us to his Son.    

To run, to work, the law commands,

The gospel gives me feet and hands.

The one requires that I obey,

The other does the power convey. (Ralph Erskine)

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

RELATED POSTS:

The Problem With Rejoicing Always
In All Your Ways
Jesus Calls His People to Obedience

The post The Only Way You Can Do God’s Will appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Eight Words for Worshipful Meditation

The voice of the dinner host resounds throughout the dining room and kitchen, “Alright, the food is ready, friends! First, grab your silverware, plates, and napkins here, and then start going along this side of the table to get your food. Don’t forget, drinks are on the far counter—we have ice water, lemonade, and coffee.”

For guests to follow instructions from their host about the meal he or she has prepared and provided is honoring to do. Similarly, as we hear what God’s Word teaches about itself, we are guided through the “meal,” if you will, of meditation.

Eight Words for Worshipful Meditation

Meditation has been defined as this:

Act of calling to mind some supposition, pondering upon it, and correlating it to one’s own life. A wicked individual meditates upon violence (Prov. 24:2). The meditation of a righteous person contemplates God or His great spiritual truths (Pss. 63:6; 77:12; 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 148; 143:5). He hopes to please God by meditation (Ps. 19:14). Thus meditation by God’s people is a reverent act of worship. [1]

To remember the ways God has said his Word is profitable toward our souls while we contemplate it in meditation is honoring to him and worshipful. As one way to help in this pursuit, below are 10 words taken from Psalm 19 and 2 Timothy 3:16 that God speaks concerning Scripture. Provided as well are some explanations about these words, followed by questions to guide us as we ponder and then correlate to life the principles and teachings we have studied throughout the Bible.

Reviving (Psalm 19:7a)

Matthew Henry writes that Scripture “is of use to convert the soul, to bring us back to ourselves, to our God, to our duty.” Scripture makes us turn to the Lord, it plunges his life-giving ways into more of the depths of our hearts.

How does this passage awaken my soul to the Lord and things eternal, and deaden me toward the world?

Making Wise (Psalm 19:7b)

Henry writes, “It will give us an insight into things divine and a foresight of things to come. It will employ us in the best work and secure to us our true interests.” Scripture causes us to see life in light of the greatness of God, helping us live with increasing temperance and diligence.

In light of this passage, how am I challenged to live, act, and make decisions in a more godly way?

Rejoicing (Psalm 19:8a)

Henry writes, “The law, as we see it in the hands of Christ, gives cause for joy; and, when it is written in our hearts, it lays a foundation for everlasting joy, by restoring us to our right mind.” Scripture gives joy to our lives; the person who knows and follows what is right and true is spared from great misery.

What teachings, provisions, and promises in this passage bring joy to my life as I align with them and know my God better?

Enlightening (Psalm 19:8b)

Henry writes, “It brings us to a sight and sense of our sin and misery, and directs us in the way of duty.” Scripture gives us new understandings — it challenges our minds to see everything by holy light that glories in God.

Scripture challenges our minds to see everything by holy light that glories in God.
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What can I learn from this passage that I did not previously know—how does it change the way I think about what is true, valuable, etc.?

Teaching (2 Timothy 3:16)

John Calvin writes, “[Instruction] ranks above all the rest; for it will be to no purpose that you exhort or reprove, if you have not previously instructed.” Also, Matthew Henry refers to “teachings” as “doctrine.” Scripture instructs us, giving us information about God, our world, and ourselves that we simply could not otherwise know.

How does this passage help me understand God, his acts in this world, and his will for people?

Reproving and Correcting (2 Timothy 3:16)

Calvin writes, “Reproof and correction differ little from each other, except that the latter proceeds from the former; for the beginning of repentance is the knowledge of our sinfulness, and a conviction of the judgment of God.” Scripture confronts the sin and untruth in us; it stands contra evil and provides clarity about how to change.

How am I convicted as I read this passage? How do my ways not measure up to the holiness of God, and how can I be corrected?

Training (2 Timothy 3:16)

Calvin writes, “Instruction in righteousness means the rule of a good and holy life.” Scripture fills our lives with the abundant peace of living according to the everlasting ways of God.

According to this passage, in what ways can my life be filled with the righteousness God loves because I love him?

As we meditate upon God’s holy Word as he has intended, he teaches us to pray from our hearts, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

[1.  LeBron Matthews, “Meditation,” in Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen, Trent C. Butler, and Bill Latta, eds. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003).] [Photo Credit: Lightstock]

RELATED POSTS:

The 3-5 Method: Studying God’s Word When You’re Tired and Busy
Growing in the Ability to Pray, Part 1
Grow in Contentment through Worship

The post Eight Words for Worshipful Meditation appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

10 Words for Worshipful Meditation

The voice of the dinner host resounds throughout the dining room and kitchen, “Alright, the food is ready, friends! First, grab your silverware, plates, and napkins here, and then start going along this side of the table to get your food. Don’t forget, drinks are on the far counter—we have ice water, lemonade, and coffee.”

For guests to follow instructions from their host about the meal he or she has prepared and provided is honoring to do. Similarly, as we hear what God’s Word teaches about itself, we are guided through the “meal,” if you will, of meditation.

10 Words for Worshipful Meditation

Meditation has been defined as this:

Act of calling to mind some supposition, pondering upon it, and correlating it to one’s own life. A wicked individual meditates upon violence (Prov. 24:2). The meditation of a righteous person contemplates God or His great spiritual truths (Pss. 63:6; 77:12; 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 148; 143:5). He hopes to please God by meditation (Ps. 19:14). Thus meditation by God’s people is a reverent act of worship. [1]

To remember the ways God has said his Word is profitable toward our souls while we contemplate it in meditation is honoring to him and worshipful. As one way to help in this pursuit, below are 10 words taken from Psalm 19 and 2 Timothy 3:16 that God speaks concerning Scripture. Provided as well are some explanations about these words, followed by questions to guide us as we ponder and then correlate to life the principles and teachings we have studied throughout the Bible.

Reviving (Psalm 19:7a)

Matthew Henry writes that Scripture “is of use to convert the soul, to bring us back to ourselves, to our God, to our duty.” Scripture makes us turn to the Lord, it plunges his life-giving ways into more of the depths of our hearts.

How does this passage awaken my soul to the Lord and things eternal, and deaden me toward the world?

Making Wise (Psalm 19:7b)

Henry writes, “It will give us an insight into things divine and a foresight of things to come. It will employ us in the best work and secure to us our true interests.” Scripture causes us to see life in light of the greatness of God, helping us live with increasing temperance and diligence.

In light of this passage, how am I challenged to live, act, and make decisions in a more godly way?

Rejoicing (Psalm 19:8a)

Henry writes, “The law, as we see it in the hands of Christ, gives cause for joy; and, when it is written in our hearts, it lays a foundation for everlasting joy, by restoring us to our right mind.” Scripture gives joy to our lives; the person who knows and follows what is right and true is spared from great misery.

What teachings, provisions, and promises in this passage bring joy to my life as I align with them and know my God better?

Enlightening (Psalm 19:8b)

Henry writes, “It brings us to a sight and sense of our sin and misery, and directs us in the way of duty.” Scripture gives us new understandings — it challenges our minds to see everything by holy light that glories in God.

Scripture challenges our minds to see everything by holy light that glories in God.
Click To Tweet

What can I learn from this passage that I did not previously know—how does it change the way I think about what is true, valuable, etc.?

Teaching (2 Timothy 3:16)

John Calvin writes, “[Instruction] ranks above all the rest; for it will be to no purpose that you exhort or reprove, if you have not previously instructed.” Also, Matthew Henry refers to “teachings” as “doctrine.” Scripture instructs us, giving us information about God, our world, and ourselves that we simply could not otherwise know.

How does this passage help me understand God, his acts in this world, and his will for people?

Reproving and Correcting (2 Timothy 3:16)

Calvin writes, “Reproof and correction differ little from each other, except that the latter proceeds from the former; for the beginning of repentance is the knowledge of our sinfulness, and a conviction of the judgment of God.” Scripture confronts the sin and untruth in us; it stands contra evil and provides clarity about how to change.

How am I convicted as I read this passage? How do my ways not measure up to the holiness of God, and how can I be corrected?

Training (2 Timothy 3:16)

Calvin writes, “Instruction in righteousness means the rule of a good and holy life.” Scripture fills our lives with the abundant peace of living according to the everlasting ways of God.

According to this passage, in what ways can my life be filled with the righteousness God loves because I love him?

As we meditate upon God’s holy Word as he has intended, he teaches us to pray from our hearts, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

[1.  LeBron Matthews, “Meditation,” in Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen, Trent C. Butler, and Bill Latta, eds. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003).] [Photo Credit: Lightstock]

RELATED POSTS:

The 3-5 Method: Studying God’s Word When You’re Tired and Busy
Growing in the Ability to Pray, Part 1
Grow in Contentment through Worship

The post 10 Words for Worshipful Meditation appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

God Is Working Through Your Waiting

Waiting is a common pattern in my life. Waiting for graduation, for work, for a boyfriend, for a trip, for an idea, for the next big thing. And I find this terribly inconvenient. I am a full-throttle go-getter who wants to move from thing to thing with speed and efficiency, and waiting feels like a massive speed bump that kills my momentum and drive.

No, I am not a fan of waiting.

Yet I should be, because waiting is not a pattern unique to me. Every Christian’s life is woven with spiritual, mental, and physical waiting. Waiting for God to provide, guide, move, heal, direct, answer, reveal. To lead us to the mysterious “Next Thing”—the next step, person, place, or plan. But added to the difficulty of waiting is a deep desire for control and comfort, which makes us want to earnestly prepare for the “nexts.”

Faithful preparation is not bad, but how can we do that when we’re not even sure what we’re preparing for? How do we live in the tension between waiting and preparation for the season ahead?

Why God Makes Us Wait

First, we need to recognize why God calls us to wait. He does it for his glory and to make us more like Jesus, whose whole life could be called a waiting game. He waited for his disciples, he waited for the crowds, he waited for his parents, he waited for crucifixion, he waited for glorification, and he is waiting to return. His life, death, and resurrection are pictures of faithful waiting. He is our example when waiting seems so horribly hard and contentment feels just out of reach.

Yet he is much more than our example; he is our hope. When waiting saps you of joy and you feel empty, overwhelmed, and afraid, Jesus is the brother and friend who will give you the strength you need. God’s radical love for you, as shown through his Son’s sacrifice, means he’s not going to leave you on your own, and his wisdom means he knows waiting is best for you. His empowering grace will help you persevere through the waiting, and will abound when you don’t wait well.

And so we need to learn to wait—I need to learn to wait—and recognize how God is working through the waiting.  

God Works Through Waiting

God doesn’t make us wait out of capricious malice but in loving wisdom, and he is working through our waiting. How?

To increase our trust. First and most foundationally, he uses waiting to increase our trust in him and loosen our perceived control. Waiting reminds us we’re at the mercy (literally) of God’s timing, and we have no power to change that. As humans, we crave control, yet waiting pulls that from our grasp. Waiting pries our fingers from the ledge and confronts us with an uncomfortable question: “Will we give up on ourselves and trust God wholly?”

To crucify our idols. Second, God uses waiting to crucify our idol of efficiency. We live in an accomplishment-driven culture where value is measured and marked by productivity. How much you get done defines your worth, and we can be guilty of making that an idol. But waiting destroys that. We can’t always maximize efficiency if we’re waiting on God—and that’s okay. Are we putting our worth in our plans and productivity, or in God (Galatians 6:9)?  

Humility and Patience

As our eyes are taken off ourselves and our idols, waiting changes us. God uses waiting to make us more humble. As waiting reveals our spectacular lack of control, it exposes our weakness and vulnerability. God is in charge, and we are not. Therefore, we have no reason for pride or boasting. Instead, we should embrace our weakness in the form of humility and approach God with a proper view of ourselves (Psalm 8:3-4).

God’s grace will help you persevere through the waiting, and will abound when you don’t wait well.
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Along with making us more humble, God uses waiting to make us more patient. I used to think I was a patient person, but waiting revealed just how impatient I was. I despise delayed gratification; I don’t want to be left wondering and guessing. I want what I want, and I want it now.

But waiting is like a seat belt that buckles me into being patient, a forced lesson in patience. I have no choice; I have to be patient. I can either ungratefully fight it or contentedly embrace it. Patience says we are faithfully trusting in the Lord’s timing, not our own: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).

What To Do While You’re Waiting

Realizing why God makes us wait, and what he’s doing through the waiting, is the start of trusting him in this tension between waiting and preparation for the season ahead.

Then, as we wait we focus on living faithfully in the present. It’s easy to let waiting distract us or pressure us to false-start before God says, “Go,” but that’s not what we’re called to. God uses waiting to test, teach, and train us for what lies ahead. We need these periods to sanctify us. And by living faithfully in the midst of them, God will use these years to transform us.

That’s how he’s always worked for his people:

Abraham and Sarah waited for a son (so did Rachel and Hannah).


Joseph waited for a promotion.
Moses waited to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
Joshua waited for the Promised Land.
Ruth waited for a husband.
David waited to become king.
Elijah waited for rain.
Job waited for suffering to end.
Paul waited for release from prison.

In those times of waiting, these people were called to serve their families and those around them; learn about and listen expectantly to God; pray without ceasing; not grumble or complain; and fulfill the ordinary work God called them to. It wasn’t glamorous, showy, or especially exciting, but it was preparing them for what lay ahead.

In God’s wisdom, he knew Abraham and Sarah needed decades to learn that God was enough, that he deserves their trust. He knew Joseph needed years of languishing in prison and cycling through suffering to learn humility and forgiveness. He knew Moses needed 40 years as a country shepherd before he could shepherd God’s people, just like Joshua needed his 40 years assisting Moses to learn leadership and courage.

God knows what we need, and if he wants us to wait, it’s always for our good. Our calling is simply faithfulness.

And if we trust in him, we know that he will direct our steps and point us to our next destination. He will say, “Go,” when we need to go—but not before then. That is the lesson this “go-getter” is learning. I am waiting, and I am trusting, and I am changing, and ultimately I am growing more like Jesus.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

RELATED POSTS:

Five Questions to Consider As You Wait
Your Purpose, Faith, and Patience
For the Discontent and Frustrated

The post God Is Working Through Your Waiting appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (May 25, 2018)

Where Does God Want Me to Work (David Mathis, Desiring God)

First, we recognize, contrary to the suspicions that may linger in our unbelief, God is the happy God (1 Timothy 1:11), not a cosmic killjoy. In his Son, by his Spirit, he wants to shape and form our hearts to desire the work to which he’s calling us and, in some good sense, in this fallen world, actually enjoy the work.

Time to Cut the Emotional Umbilical Cord (Scott Sauls, For the Church)

God have mercy on us if we consider any possession—whether it be wealth, fame, recognition, romance, career, or any other thing—to be so precious that we would prefer it over Him. And we need this mercy, because we do keep looking for our worth in people, places, and things that will ultimately not breathe life into us, but take life from us.

The Man Who Sings the Bible with Slugs and Bugs (Kelly Keller, The Gospel Coalition)

The joyful, carefree, utterly dependent nature of a child is, I believe, at the core of what Jesus is talking about in Luke 18:16–17. Humor that comes from that childlike place will appeal to adults as well as children, since it appeals to the core of our identity in Christ.

Reconciled by the Work of Substitution (John MacArthur, Grace to You)

To put it in personal terms, God treated Christ on the cross as if He had lived my life, so God could treat me as if I had lived Christ’s life. That’s the beautiful glory of the gospel. God sees us covered with the righteousness of His Son.

The Best Worst Day Ever (Elyse Fitzpatrick, Gospel Centered Discipleship)

As much as his disciples had believed that Jesus was the Christ, they had missed this message entirely. And so do we. We miss the message when we try to turn the Bible into morality tales that tell us how to have our best lives now.

What Happens When You Pray (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

On the cross, Jesus accomplished all that is needed for your salvation. In heaven, he applies all that he accomplished on the cross to all who believe in him. And he does this by presenting you to the Father as his own! He brings you before the Father, and the Father sees you in him.

The post Key Connections (May 25, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

What Happens When You Pray

Most Christians are familiar with what Christ has done on the cross and what Christ will do when he returns in glory. What may be less clear for some of us is the continuing work that Jesus is doing for us now.

The answer to that question is, Jesus Christ is interceding for us.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

The word intercede means literally, to move or pass between.[1] It is to stand in the gap between two parties. This is what Jesus Christ is doing now! He stands in the gap between us and the Father, bringing us to the Father and holding us in relationship with him. He lives for this purpose! There is never a time when he is not actively engaged in this ministry on our behalf. It is his continuing work.

Our Great High Priest

On the cross, Jesus accomplished all that is needed for your salvation. In heaven, he applies all that he accomplished on the cross to all who believe in him. And he does this by presenting you to the Father as his own! He brings you before the Father, and the Father sees you in him.

Mark Jones comments, “There is no Christian alive who has not had Christ mention his or her name to the Father.”[2]  Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father, and he is there for you.

We have a great High Priest who carries our names on his heart into the presence of the Father, so that the Father sees us in Christ, in his dearly loved Son. In Christ, God receives you as someone who is clothed in his righteousness. God will hear you when you pray as someone redeemed by Christ.

But what does this look like?

What Happens When You Pray

In Revelation 8, what we have is like a movie that jumps back and forth between two things that are happening at the same time—in heaven and on earth. The camera moves from one to the other to show us what happens in heaven when Christians pray on earth.

Scene One: The seals are opened in heaven.

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (Revelation 8:1)

Something that is sealed or hidden, something that has been kept secret is opened up.

Christ, the Lamb, pulls back the curtain to give us a glimpse of what happens in heaven. When the veil is pulled back, all of creation collectively holds its breath. Then the camera moves from the scene in heaven to what is happening on earth:

Scene Two: Christians are praying.

The prayers of all the saints… (Revelation 8:3)

The saints are praying. In the Bible, the word saints is used to describe every person who, through faith in Christ, has become a child of God and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But what happens when believing people pray?

Scene Three: Christian prayers are made fragrant.

Scene three takes us back to heaven again. Something happens in heaven when Christians pray on earth! Our prayers ascend to heaven, but before they reach the throne of God, something happens to our prayers on their way up. What happens to them makes them powerful and effective.

Another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (Revelation 8:3-4)

The sweet smell of incense overwhelms the stench of anything that is stale or anything that stinks. In the Old Testament, God commanded that Aaron, the high priest, burn incense in the place where prayer would be offered (Exodus 30:6, 7). This reminded the people that they needed the perfume of God’s mercy to fill the place where prayers would be offered on behalf of the people.

Revelation 8 takes this picture from the Old Testament and applies it to what happens when Christians pray today. Perfume is sprinkled on our prayers on their way up to the Father.

Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father, and he is there for you.
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When you pray, you will often feel that your prayers are very inadequate: Am I asking for the right things? Am I asking in the right way? Am I asking with the right motives? Here we are being told that our weak, stumbling, and often feeble prayers are perfumed, so that the stench of all that is stale, unworthy, confused, foolish, or mistaken is taken out.

Our prayers are sweetened by the Lord himself so that—despite all of the inadequacy we see in them—they are made powerful and effective when they are received by the Father.    

Jesus lives to make our weak, stumbling prayers effective. He stands between us and the Father. Our weak prayers are sanctified and made fragrant through the blood of Jesus, so that the stammering prayers of people like us should carry weight with Almighty God!

Scene Four: The effects of prayer on earth.

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:5)

Things happen on earth because of the prayers of believers, sweetened by Christ. When you see that, and when you believe it, you really will be motivated to pray, even when you feel the weakness of your own prayers. This is a truth that has the power to transform your prayer life.

Pray with Confidence

So friends, here is a marvelous truth that should give us the greatest encouragement to pray:

We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God… (Hebrews 4:14)

When you feel a sense of your own unworthiness, the answer is that Jesus Christ is your great High Priest. It’s his great work to present you to the Father in himself, to supply everything that you need, and to sweeten your prayers through the merits of his blood and so to make them effective before God.  

And because you have a great High Priest, there is no need for you to be shrinking back and saying, “Well, who am I to pray? I’m not worthy. There is no point in me praying because I only stumble around, and I don’t really know what I’m doing.” No! You have a great High Priest, and if you belong to Jesus, you can come to God with confidence.

So then, “let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).   

[1. Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 2. Mark Jones, Knowing Christ, p. 179, Banner of Truth, 2015.][Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post What Happens When You Pray appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Let’s Talk About Your Worry

Yep, we’re gonna talk about worry. You’ve heard the command:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life… (v. 25)

But a good friend of mine told me to always ask, “What’s the therefore there for?” What was said before this to birth Matthew’s imperative? Earlier in the chapter, we read, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:21) and, “No one can serve two masters” (6:24). God in his Word has reminded us that he is our Father and Master, and out of this reality we find the command to live free of anxiety.

When we labor for the Lord, it’s not a part-time employment—he’s the Master. When we fight for the Lord, it’s not a temporary deployment (2 Timothy 2:4)—he’s the King. But one of the ways Christians side-step service to the King and dishonor his Lordship is by worrying.

We know this deadly enemy by our fret and sweat, the jitters, the “oh-no!”s about tomorrow, the thoughts surrounding events that make our palms sweat and elevate our heart rates. But really, worry is our heart’s response to a deeply rooted belief that we are our own master; a deeply felt responsibility that we are our own king; and a deep craving to meet our own needs.

I read Matthew 6, and I write now to admonish my own failure. There are four things, among many more, we can learn about the root of worry—what’s really going on in our heart—from this passage. As we consider God’s Word, I pray he works in us both to put to death this sin in our heart.

Four Things That Happen When You Worry
1. You have disordered priorities.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (v. 25, emphasis added)

Life is more than the sum of solutions to the things we worry about. What things does God warn us not to worry over? Food, drink, clothes, our body. These are real needs, but they’re not worth one minute of faithless fretting.

Verse 38 tells us that “the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Their to-do list only includes searching out solutions to today’s problems. Food—check. Clothes—check. Thirst for who-knows-what satisfied—check.

Those who have not been reconciled and made children of God by faith through the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed for them, and who have not been united to him in his resurrection, do not have the privilege of running to him for what they need.

But we do!

Your needs are seen by God. They are attended to by the King of kings. And he sees the needs hidden in your heart before you speak them (v. 8). He, the King, sees your need so you can set your eyes elsewhere—on his kingdom.

Don’t spend your energy on trite and transient things, when you could be seeking the kingdom—instead busy yourself in service to the King.

The earlier part of Matthew 6 gives us a host of things we can be spending ourselves for: providing for the needy (vv. 2-4), praying (vv. 6-13), pursuing forgiveness (vv. 14-18), and fasting (vv. 17-18); namely, our relationship with God and others. When our primary concern is material needs, we’re neglecting the eternal concerns God has commanded should occupy our minds and hearts.

2. You trust your preparation over God’s provision.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?…And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (v. 26-27)

Use your imagination, God says. Do you see birds scurrying to harvest crops they planted, laboring like farmers for their food? Lillies don’t take a trip to Home Depot for Miracle Grow to keep themselves rising out of the ground, much less to adorn themselves in the royal robes God has donned on them. These creatures’ preparation has no effect on God’s provision; they are recipients of God’s gifts, and when his provision meets their unvoiced need, he is glorified. These creatures, clothed in dignity and beauty receive the daily provision of the King who delights to provide for them for as many days as he wills. They don’t prepare for later; they—at present—receive from the Maker.

And so should we.

We, as unique creatures made with minds and hearts and wills and hands to work, are instructed to prayerfully welcome his provision, though these faculties deceive us into thinking we don’t need him. As we lift our eyes to the Maker, we find ample reason to continually give him praise.

Ask, and it will be given to you…For everyone who asks receives. (Matthew 7:7-8)

3. You forfeit precious time.

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (v. 27)

James 4:14 says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Today’s time is precious; it’s all you’ve got. We don’t know if we will have tomorrow. There are present temptations to be waded through (v. 13), an Evil One to battle (v. 13), and most importantly, a life to be lived unto Christ.

Let’s not throw the pearl of opportunity to the swine of our anxiety.
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Let’s not give the dog of worry our sacred time or throw the pearl of opportunity to the swine of our anxiety. It won’t just take the pearl, it will tear you to pieces (7:6). Ephesians 2:10 says,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God has work for you to do that he has predetermined for you. Your time is his, to do his will. Let’s delightfully serve him in the various ways he’s revealed us to do so and not waste our time worrying.

4. You doubt God’s care.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (v. 30)

God dresses the lilies in beauty though they’re seasonal plants, and though they have no will to serve him, nor hearts to know him, nor eyes to see him. He does it because he is good and so we might see his glory in them.

You were bought with precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). How much more does the Father care for his children, if he already gave his perfect Son to redeem a profoundly rebellious band of sons? He knew your need for salvation, your need for awakening from death (Ephesians 2:1). For the joy of future communion with you, your brother Jesus endured the cross. The Godhead planned from eternity past to go through with the crucifixion of his only begotten Son, so you might know him as one of his adopted sons.

He has given you, Christian, a will to serve him, a heart to know him, eyes to see him by faith, and a desire to love him, and he wants you to see his glory in the care he shows you. He’s shown you he cares for the eternity of your soul, though you cared not for him. So give him your needs in prayer, rather than your dishonoring doubt in worry.

Hear how our Father puts this exhortation to us:

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11)

Ask for your bread; ask for your fish. And remember how God answers these sorts of prayers:

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (Luke 9:15-17)

Oh how God delights to answer prayer! You can worry your way into sweat and distress. But this isn’t God’s desire for you. It’s not his will for you to worry. What’s the way out?

Matthew follows the command to not worry with this exhortation in the following chapter:

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. (Matthew 7:7-8)

You’re his child. He’s your good Father. Don’t let your heart be weighed down by worry. Run to him with your requests—big and small—and believe that your Heavenly Father cares for you.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Book Briefs: A Little Book on the Christian Life

Editor’s Note: Today we continue our new series, “Book Briefs,” to help you stock your reading pile with excellent, gospel-centered books. Tim Augustyn, our Pastor of Ministry Resources, shares a brief summary of titles he’s read, along with his favorite quotations from each. We hope “Book Briefs” will help and equip you!  

A Little Book on the Christian Life Book Brief

Summary. If you would like a brief and practical, counter-cultural approach to the Christian life, this is it. John Calvin’s 126-page excerpt from his book Institutes of the Christian Religion will challenge, strengthen, and encourage both the mature as well as the younger Christian.  

Warning. This book will not merely affirm the way you’ve always thought about the Christian life. But you will find Calvin’s passion and directness refreshing, like a cool drink on a hot day. Prepare yourself to work a bit harder to read this book than you normally would for a contemporary Christian author, but the reward is well worth your time and energy.

My Top 10 Quotes from A Little Book on the Christian Life

10. “The gospel’s power ought to penetrate the innermost affections of the heart, sink down into the soul, and inspire the whole man a hundred times more than the lifeless teachings of the philosophers” (pp. 13-14).

9. “The plague of submitting to our own rule leads us straight to ruin, but the surest way to safety is neither to know nor to want anything on our own, but simply to follow the leading of the Lord” (p. 23).

8. “Godly men must neither desire, nor aspire, nor expect to prosper for any other reason than the Lord’s blessing” (p. 47).

7. “The godly man has this comfort, which provides greater security to him than the highest peak of wealth or power—he knows that his affairs are ordered by the Lord and, as such, promote his salvation” (p. 51).

6. “Those whom the Lord has chosen and condescended to welcome into fellowship with him should prepare themselves for a life that is hard, laborious, troubled, and full of many and various kinds of evil” (p. 57).

5. “Our flesh is like a stubborn horse that becomes wild and unmanageable and doesn’t recognize its rider—however much it previously obeyed his commands…after a period of relative peace and quiet” (p. 67).

4. “Man’s life is like a vapor or shadow…and there is nothing we bring to mind and think about less diligently than this truth” (p. 93).

3. “[Some have tried to bind] men’s consciences more narrowly than the Word of the Lord binds them—a very dangerous thing to do” (p. 113).

2. “Scripture teaches that everything we own—everything appointed for our benefit—has been given to us by God’s kindness, so that all that we own is like a deposit for which we must one day give an account” (pp. 122-123).

1. “Every work performed in obedience to one’s calling, no matter how ordinary or common, is radiant—most valuable in the eyes of our Lord” (p. 126).

A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin. Edited by Aaron Denlinger and Burk Parsons. Reformation Trust Publishing (March 2, 2017). 132 pp. $8.00.

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