Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 8

Will We Know Each Other in Heaven?

Will we know each other in heaven?Let’s cut to the chase with a one-word answer: Yes!The two-word answer would be, "For sure!"And the five-word answer would be, "You can count on it!"But being a wise and discerning reader, you will want more than the word of a pastor on this. You will want to see it in your Bible.So let me offer seven Scriptures that I have used to help people who wonder if they will be reunited with their believing loved ones in heaven. All of these point to our knowing one another in the resurrection, and some of them point to believers knowing one another immediately after death.1. David and his sonKing David had a son who died in infancy. When the little boy died, David said, "I’ll go to him" (2 Samuel 12:23).David knew that he would see his son again in the presence of the Lord, and knowing that he would be reunited with the son he loved brought him comfort in his bereavement.2. Abraham, Isaac, and JacobOur Lord said that many will come from the east and the west and recline at table "with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).Abraham was the father of Isaac and the grandfather of Jacob, and in heaven he enjoys the company of his son and his grandson, while Jacob enjoys the company of his father and his grandfather.3. Jesus and the disciplesJesus told his disciples, "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in a new way in my Father’s kingdom with you" (Matthew 26:29, emphasis mine).The eleven, who shared the Last Supper with Jesus on earth, will eat and drink with him in heaven. Peter, James, John, and the others will be named and known in heaven as clearly as they were named and known on earth.4. Moses and ElijahWhen the glory of Jesus was revealed in the transfiguration, we are told that "Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him" (Matthew 17:3).This is fascinating because when Moses and Elijah appeared, they did not have the resurrection body. They were souls made visible as the angels were made visible to the shepherds, and as the souls under the altar were made visible to John (Revelation 6:9). Although they were still waiting to be clothed with the resurrection body, Moses and Elijah were known. They were recognizable, and they were able to engage in conversation. That tells us a lot about the conscious joy of fellowship that believers share immediately after death in the presence of the Lord.5. The gathered souls in heavenThe writer to the Hebrews speaks of "the spirits of righteous people made perfect," that is, the souls of believers in the presence of Jesus. These souls, he tells us, are gathered in "the assembly of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:23). Right now, in heaven, the spirits of the righteous made perfect are gathered. Gathered means community, and community means relationship.6. Paul and the ThessaloniansPaul makes it clear that the believers he loved on earth will be his joy in heaven. "For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19). When Paul says this, he clearly anticipates that relationships forged on earth will continue in heaven.7. The reunion of believing loved onesWhen Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: "We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine)."Them" refers to believing loved ones who are now in the presence of the Lord. A wife who grieves the loss of her believing husband has the comfort of knowing that when the Lord comes, she will meet her husband again. Sons and daughters who grieve the loss of a believing father or mother can find comfort in the prospect of this happy reunion when we will be reunited with those who have gone before us into the presence of the Lord.That’s more than enough to settle the issue for me, and I hope that it is for you as well. Christians who know and love each other on earth will know and love each other in heaven.Go deeper on this topic in the sermon "Will We Know Each Other in Heaven?" which is part of the Listeners Favorites set. Get your copy of Listeners Favorites this month for a gift of any amount. This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s February 2017 column in Mature Living Magazine.

Why You Should Memorize Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most beloved passage in all of Scripture. Even many nonbelievers in our secular world are familiar with it due to many references in pop music, movies, and national discourse.

I think you should memorize Psalm 23. Here are five reasons why.

1. You probably already have much of it memorized.

Maybe you don't think you can memorize Scripture. That's OK, because there's a good chance you know much of Psalm 23 by heart already.

Let's practice.

Fill in the blank: “The Lord is my Shepherd, ________.” Or we can try verse four: "Even though I walk through the valley ___________." How did you do?

You may not be used to memorizing multiple verses of Scripture, but the familiarity of Psalm 23 makes it easier to memorize than most other passages of Scripture.

2. You can pray it.

Praying Psalm 23 (and Scripture in general) gives you a mental path to follow in prayer, one of the most helpful ways to focus in prayer. Memorizing this precious Psalm means you can call it to mind for prayer anytime. It may be daily prayer with a loved one, a way to start your personal devotions, or a way to make the most of pockets of free time you find yourself with throughout the day.

As you pray this Psalm and thank your Good Shepherd for wisely shepherding you, you will solidify your identity as a follower of Jesus since He is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep (John 10:1–18; Hebrews 13:20).

3. You will know your Shepherd better and submit to Him.

Psalm 23 shows us how God our Shepherd leads and cares for us, His sheep. He is the active One in the Psalm (see all mentions to "He" or "You" in the Psalm). We receive His gracious actions and submit to Him.

As your soul meditates on the beautiful imagery of the Psalm, you will recognize how God has made you content (verse one), leads you to rest (verse two), restores your soul (verse three), and leads you through challenging times (verse four). You will remember God's surprising favor to you (verse five) and look ahead to your glorious future in the house of the Lord (verse six). Recognizing God's work will in the past make you more attune to follow His voice in the future.

4. You can point other believers to their Good Shepherd during the ups and downs of life.

The best thing human shepherds can do is point others to the Good Shepherd. We can't make anyone down in green pastures, restore anyone's soul, or be a continual comforting presence in dark times; but our Good Shepherd can. And when we point others to Him and His gracious work, He strengthens weak faith, stabilizes feeble knees, and causes love for Him to grow.

Locking away this psalm in your heart will make it a ready tool for impromptu counseling sessions, hospital visits, caring for a loved one on their death bed, and a myriad of other ministry situations.

5. You can use it for evangelism.

This may be the strangest point on the list because Psalm 23 is anything but evangelistic. But the testimony of the old Scottish preacher John McNeil proves my point. McNeil preached on Psalm 23 all over the world and saw many conversions. Why did that happen? Here's McNeil's explanation:

I have often been surprised to find the… converting power, under God, of a portion of Scripture so evidently belonging to believers. The sinner’s mouth begins to water, I suppose, when you seem… to leave him on the outside while you dwell on the blessedness of those who are in the fold. In his reaction to that, he begins to evangelize himself, and gets to the Shepherd without you.[1]

While many in our secular world scoff at the notion of a caring God, everyone longs for what He offers. To have a wise and caring Shepherd for navigating every trial of life might seem too good to be true for the anxious, angry, and depressed of our age. But that's when we can share Psalm 23 and say, "This is who Jesus is for me and everyone else who trust in Him. But you have to trust in Him for it to be said of you too."

[1] Pastor Colin shared this in the sermon on Psalm 23:1 "He Owns Me."

Three Characteristics of God to Remember in the Unknown

I usually don’t mind sharing my struggle if I can also tell how it resolved, how I’m better and how everything’s fixed and right again in my little corner of the universe. Yet the story I’m living is one that isn’t wrapped up with a pretty bow or a tidy ending. Instead, it’s full of unknowns, questions, and complexities. I still don’t know how this story will end.

All of us live in the middle of our stories, in one way or another. Maybe a personal trial leaves you unsure what the future holds and grasping for truths about God that you can hold onto. Or perhaps current events remind you that “you do not know what tomorrow will bring” (James 4:14). When you and I face the unknown, our ultimate hope is found in God, who made himself known to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15-19). Our hope in him is “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19), and here are just three of many characteristics of God to remember in the unknown:

The afternoon the specialist called and told me my toddler’s probable diagnosis with a serious genetic condition, I experienced first-hand the truth that God goes before us. My kids and I had a playdate scheduled, and there wasn’t time to Google the unfamiliar name of this condition—let alone wrap my mind around what it might mean for my child and our family—before there was a knock at the front door.

1. God goes before us.

As our children played together nearby, with tears streaming down my face, I shared the news with my friend. After listening intently, she simply said, “That’s what my son has.”

I’d known that one of her sons had a rare childhood liver disease and had spent significant time in the hospital as a baby, but I didn’t know many details about that season of her life. For her part, in seven years since her son’s diagnosis, my friend had never met another family face-to-face who had a child with this condition. It was clear that my gracious Father had gone before me, preparing another mom to weep with, encourage, and pray for me.

Just as Moses’s words strengthened Joshua in the Old Testament, it was as though the Lord was encouraging my heart through my friend, saying, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

However my story or yours plays out, we can find great comfort in knowing that the Lord goes before us. Our hardest days aren’t a surprise to our sovereign heavenly Father. He knows all about them. We remember that “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23)—and they are waiting for us tomorrow.

2. God is with us.

Not only does God go before us into the unknown, but he walks with us. Yet we don’t always feel God’s presence. At least in my experience, this can be especially true when physical and emotional pain scream loudly. And it’s all the more reason for us to base our faith not on feelings but on the truth of God’s promises.

As a child, when I was afraid of the dark, I would recite Isaiah 41:10:

“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.”

As an adult, this same promise—that God is with me, strengthening and helping me—continues to be an anchor to my soul when I’m scared and “darkness [seems to] cover me, and the light about me be night” (Psalm 139:11).

The days following my son’s diagnosis were some of those days. Because it was genetic, the rest of our family was tested, and I learned that two more of my children shared the same condition. Grief and questions flooded in: What did this mean for the future? Where was God in all this?

I couldn’t trust my fluctuating feelings. I couldn’t make sense of the future. But Scripture told me that God was right there, holding onto me.

I could trust the Lord to be with me for each day of this trial because he’d already shown himself to be faithful. After hundreds of years of silence—the time between the Old Testament and the start of the New—the virgin Mary had conceived and bore a son named Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). In Jesus, God had kept all his promises, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20), and made a way for me to live in fellowship with Him.

3. God’s grace is sufficient.

In challenging circumstances, especially ones with no immediate end in sight or with the potential to grow harder over time, we can question whether God’s grace is sufficient for what lies ahead. The breadwinner who loses his job asks, “Is God really going to come through when there are medical bills and a mortgage to pay?” Someone experiencing prolonged singleness wonders, “Will God’s grace really satisfy my lonely heart when I want so badly to be married?”

In my own trials, I’ve often tried to peek around the corner, to see what’s up ahead, only to find myself worrying about tomorrow’s trouble. But God’s grace is sufficient for today, in the present tense. As Paul testified in his own trial, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s grace is sufficient right now, in this moment, for every believer. God’s grace is available no matter how dysfunctional a family might be or what stage of cancer a loved one faces. God’s grace is adequate to meet the present need.

God’s grace is enough because He is enough, and His power is made perfect in our weakness. We know this because when we were at our weakest, “dead in our trespasses,” He “made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). As the writer to the Hebrews invites us: “Let us then 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). In our time of need, including those times when our struggles surround the unknown, we can draw near to God. When we do, we find that He is more than enough.

We may not know what tomorrow will bring or how God will answer our prayers, but we can get to know our Lord better and trust him more in the day-to-day. However our stories unfold, we look forward to the very good ending, when “God himself will be with [us] as [our] God” (Revelation 21:3).

Top 10 Quotes from J.C. Ryle’s “Walking with God”

If you are looking for some penetrating questions to help you evaluate the state of your faith, look no further than Walking with God by J. C. Ryle. I have been a Christian for over 30 years, and I don’t know that I’ve ever read a more helpful book—to wake me up, to encourage repentance, and to help me pursue what’s really important in life—than Walking with God.

If you are concerned that you might be drifting, this book for you. Ryle’s tough love will help you get your bearings. He asks some very straight forward questions, but at the same time, you get the sense that he is asking these things in Christian love.

Ryle wrote in the 1800’s, but this lightly edited version of Walking with God has a nice balance of staying faithful to Ryle’s original intent, while at the same time, making it accessible to 21st century readers. Here is just a sample of what you can expect from this excellent book.

1. On effort

Do not suppose that you must commit great crimes to be lost. The road of spiritual laziness—doing nothing—leads just as certainly to hell. (p. 26)

2. On prayer

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will choke sin, or sin will choke prayer. (p. 41)

3. On bible reading

I shall not waste time trying to prove the inspiration of the Bible. The book itself is its own best witness. It is the greatest standing miracle in the world, and nothing but divine inspiration can account for it. (p. 52)

4. On the world

Strive to show others that your principles (whatever they may think about them) make you cheerful, agreeable, good-tempered, unselfish, considerate of others, and ready to take an interest in everything that is innocent and good. Let there be no needless separation. (p. 97)

5. On wealth and poverty

Money is a good servant, but a bad master. (p. 108)

6. On the best friend

Often our friends would be willing to help us if only they could. They can sympathize with us when we are in trouble, but they have no power to deliver us from it. But Christ is almighty. He is never in the position of wishing He could help but not having the power to do so. (p. 112)

7. On illness

Do you want to make your Christianity attractive and beautiful to others? Then acquire the grace of patience now, before you experience illness. Then, if you become ill, your illness will be for the glory of God. (p. 123)

8. On the family of God

It would be a great mistake to judge God’s family only by what you can see at present. You see only a small part of it. You cannot see the huge number of those who are already in heaven. When the whole family is assembled at the last day, it will be “a multitude which no one could number” (Rev. 7:9). God’s family is far richer and more glorious than you suppose, and I want you to belong to it. (p. 131)

9. On being heirs of God

By nature all are guilty and condemned, and have a slavish fear of God. But when they become sons of God, this changes. Instead of slavish fear, they have peace with God and confidence towards Him as their heavenly Father. (p. 140)

10. On eternity

If we do not believe in the eternity of punishment, we cannot consistently believe in the eternity of heaven. They stand or fall together. The same language is used in the Bible about both. (p. 162-3)

As you might suspect, I found some chapters more helpful than others. The chapter "The Best Friend" was simply outstanding, as was the chapter on "Bible Reading." All in all, reading Ryle feels like having a really good older brother giving you sage advice. I heartily recommend him.

Get your copy of Walking with God by J.C. Ryle this month for a gift of any amount.

Top 10 Quotes from J.C. Ryle’s Walking with God

If you are looking for some penetrating questions to help you evaluate the state of your faith, look no further than Walking with God by J. C. Ryle. I have been a Christian for over 30 years, and I don’t know that I’ve ever read a more helpful book—to wake me up, to encourage repentance, and to help me pursue what’s really important in life—than Walking with God.

If you are concerned that you might be drifting, this book for you. Ryle’s tough love will help you get your bearings. He asks some very straight forward questions, but at the same time, you get the sense that he is asking these things in Christian love.

Ryle wrote in the 1800’s, but this lightly edited version of Walking with God has a nice balance of staying faithful to Ryle’s original intent, while at the same time, making it accessible to 21st century readers. Here is just a sample of what you can expect from this excellent book.

1. On effort

Do not suppose that you must commit great crimes to be lost. The road of spiritual laziness—doing nothing—leads just as certainly to hell. (p. 26)

2. On prayer

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will choke sin, or sin will choke prayer. (p. 41)

3. On bible reading

I shall not waste time trying to prove the inspiration of the Bible. The book itself is its own best witness. It is the greatest standing miracle in the world, and nothing but divine inspiration can account for it. (p. 52)

4. On the world

Strive to show others that your principles (whatever they may think about them) make you cheerful, agreeable, good-tempered, unselfish, considerate of others, and ready to take an interest in everything that is innocent and good. Let there be no needless separation. (p. 97)

5. On wealth and poverty

Money is a good servant, but a bad master. (p. 108)

6. On the best friend

Often our friends would be willing to help us if only they could. They can sympathize with us when we are in trouble, but they have no power to deliver us from it. But Christ is almighty. He is never in the position of wishing He could help but not having the power to do so. (p. 112)

7. On illness

Do you want to make your Christianity attractive and beautiful to others? Then acquire the grace of patience now, before you experience illness. Then, if you become ill, your illness will be for the glory of God. (p. 123)

8. On the family of God

It would be a great mistake to judge God’s family only by what you can see at present. You see only a small part of it. You cannot see the huge number of those who are already in heaven. When the whole family is assembled at the last day, it will be “a multitude which no one could number” (Rev. 7:9). God’s family is far richer and more glorious than you suppose, and I want you to belong to it. (p. 131)

9. On being heirs of God

By nature all are guilty and condemned, and have a slavish fear of God. But when they become sons of God, this changes. Instead of slavish fear, they have peace with God and confidence towards Him as their heavenly Father. (p. 140)

10. On eternity

If we do not believe in the eternity of punishment, we cannot consistently believe in the eternity of heaven. They stand or fall together. The same language is used in the Bible about both. (p. 162-3)

As you might suspect, I found some chapters more helpful than others. The chapter "The Best Friend" was simply outstanding, as was the chapter on "Bible Reading." All in all, reading Ryle feels like having a really good older brother giving you sage advice. I heartily recommend him.

Get your copy of Walking with God by J.C. Ryle this month for a gift of any amount.

Biblical Lament: What It Is and How to Do It

God was kind to give us the Psalms, wasn’t He? These prayers and songs give us words when we are fatigued, confused, or numb.

But, if we’re honest, some of the Psalms flow more easily than others from our mouths. It isn’t hard to pray, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). Yet we hesitate to pray, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).

What is Lament?

A lament is a prayer expressing sorrow, pain, or confusion. Lament should be the chief way Christians process grief in God’s presence.

Because many Christians have grown up in churches which always look on the bright side, lament can be jarring. And for believers whose lives are relatively free from tragedy, lament may seem unnecessary. It sure sounds like a downer.

But the world is broken. We are broken. We see and experience sadness and sickness and agony every day. On the news, we see wars in foreign lands, stories of poverty and neglect, and a gunman killing 21 people at a school in Texas. Of course, the brokenness is close to home, too: our children die in the womb; our brothers suffer with cancer; our neighbors lose their house in a fire; our friends turn away from church; our words cause deep wounds in our coworkers.

What is a Christian to do with all this sorrow? We must take it to the Lord!

Almost a third of the Psalms and the entire book of Lamentations are concerned with lament. Like every other emotion, God wants us to hear about our pain. God wants us to lament.

Lament Shapes Us

Lament is not a God-approved vehicle for grumbling. We bring our complaints to God, yes, but we leave with great hope. (More on this below.) Like all types of prayer, God uses lament to form His people into His image. Here are a few ways God shapes us as we lament:

We recognize God’s wisdom and our finiteness. Sorrow is disorienting. No one emerges from a season of grief feeling capable and wise. Looking to God in our pain reminds us of our limits and of God’s expansive knowledge and power.We learn to trust God. Lament is a direct expression of trust in God. But the more we trust God with our sadness, the more likely we are to trust Him with everything.We understand more of God’s grace and love. In our darkest nights, we cry out to the Lord and bring nothing to Him but our needs. As God meets and helps us, we see that His faithfulness is not based on our behavior or our love for Him. He is gracious and loving, and should we ever doubt, we have the cross of Jesus as a reminder.We become better neighbors. When we bring our grief to the Lord, we become more aware of the grief of others. We are more likely to listen to our neighbors with kindness and love when they experience the brokenness of our world.We walk in Jesus’s steps. The laments of Jesus in the Gospels provide additional Scriptural warrant for lament. In His ministry, and especially in His sufferings, Jesus had great reason for grief, and He brought that sorrow to His Father. Among other places, see Matthew 23:37–39, Luke 19:41–44, Mark 14:32–42, Matthew 27:46 (quoting Psalm 22:1), and Hebrews 5:7. We follow Jesus as we lament.Practicing Lament

The best way to get familiar with lament is to read laments in the Bible and pray them yourself.

There are four ingredients that show up in most biblical laments, though not every lament contains all these elements.[1]

Keep turning to the Lord. Our natural reaction to grief may be to deny it, to ignore it, or to seek to numb it. But a Christian should be committed to repeatedly turning to the Lord in both joy and sorrow. “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” (Psalm 4:1).Bring your complaints. Complaints form the heart of a lament; they are the reason we are sad before the Lord. But reading them in Scripture can make us squirm. Am I really allowed to talk to God like that? It seems disrespectful. Brothers and sisters: We are not only allowed to talk to God this way, that is what He wants! To be sure, there are ungodly ways to complain to the Lord. One mark of the difference between lamenting (godly complaint) and grumbling (ungodly complaint) is whether or not we are dwelling on what we deserve. Godly complaint identifies conditions or events in the world or in our lives and brings them to God, saying, “Lord, look at what we are experiencing!” This sharp, acute cry is all over the Psalms and Lamentations. “O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?” (Psalm 94:3).Ask boldly. After we have brought our complaints to God, we ask Him to act. Our bold requests are anchored in God’s character. We beg Him to intervene because He is just, because He is loving, because He is faithful, because He keeps His promises. Healthy lament always moves to intercession instead of getting stuck in complaint. Because of Jesus, we have confidence that we can pray boldly before His throne (Hebrews 4:16). “Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O Lord, from men of the world whose portion is in this life” (Psalm 17:13-14a).Choose to trust. The destination of lament is a heart that clings to the Lord of steadfast love. After we complain and ask God to intervene, we turn to hope. If we know the promises of God, and if He always keeps His promises, we can trust Him. “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God’” (Psalm 31:14).Practical Steps

Here are some practical steps any Christian can take to grow in lament.

Read Psalms of lament. It’s not too hard to find lists of lament Psalms.[2] I suggest reading several of these Psalms and letting a few of them sink into your bones through memorization. Here are twelve Psalms of lament to get you started: 3, 10, 13, 17, 31, 42, 43, 60, 79, 80, 94, and 102.)Read Lamentations. This often-avoided book of the Bible is (perhaps obviously) full of lament. Read it several times, slowly, to reap the benefits. We learn some things in Lamentations that we may not learn if we only read the Psalms—namely, that lament should often be corporate, not just individual, and that we can and should lament even when we are responsible for the pain and sorrow we experience.Write your own laments. This would be a great activity for a small gathering of Christians. Take the four ingredients of lament along with some personal or group occasion of sorrow, and write some honest prayers. You may use some of the lament Psalms as prompts, or you may end up making those words your own.Looking to Jesus

As we lament, we must remember Jesus. He is not only a model of lament, He is the center of all our lamenting.

Our greatest hope in every lament is that one day lament will be no more. This is no exaggeration—in the new Jerusalem, we read that God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

What Jesus secured for His people through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension is the complete reversal of the Genesis 3 curse. As that curse vanishes, and as God’s people gather around the throne to worship the victorious Son, our need for lament will fade away.

Godly lament produces the fruit of hope in a future in which lament will have no place. So, Christian, gather your sorrows, bring them to your Father, and pour out your heart in lament. He knows, He cares, and He is eager for you to trust Him in your sadness.

—

[1] These categories are taken from the book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, by Mark Vroegop, by which I have been greatly helped.

[2] For example: https://kenboa.org/biblical/psalms-la...

You Are Not a Slave to Sin—Even if You Feel Like One

When you are ‘in Christ,’ you stand in a completely new relationship to the power of sin. Sin used to be your master. Sin used to reign over you. But now you have ‘died’ to the reign of sin (Romans 6:2).

Imagine yourself travelling down a long country road. Looking ahead, on one side you see a high chain link fence, and on the other you see an open field. As you drive closer, you can see people behind the fence and people in the field.

You slow down to take a closer look, and you discover that the fence is actually part of a huge cage. The people inside are trapped with no way out. There is a man in the cage who seems to be in charge, and he is angry. He shouts orders at the people telling them what to do. Sometimes the people in the cage seem to protest, but eventually they do what the angry man tells them to do.

The cage is a picture of our situation apart from Jesus Christ. The angry man’s name is ‘Sin,’ and he reigns in the cage. Sin tells the people what to do. “The whole world is a prisoner of sin” (Galatians 3:22).

But those who are in Christ have died to sin (Romans 6:2). Think about that: Death involves a translation from one realm to another. When you die, God will move you out of this old world and into a new world that is eternal. You will be done with this world. You will have nothing more to do with it.

Paul uses this picture to describe what God does for us in Christ. When you came to faith in Jesus, God moved you out of the cage and into the field. God moved you from imprisonment to freedom, from an old life in which sin was your master to a new life in which sin is no longer in a position to control you (Romans 6:14).

Being in Christ puts you in a new position in relation to sin. Sin is still your enemy, but it is no longer your master. The angry man will still shout instructions across the road. And when he does you will immediately feel that you should do what he says. After all, that’s what you always did before. But the fact of the matter is that the angry man is no longer your master. You are under no obligation to do what he says. You are not in the cage. You are in the field. You are free!

Resistance to sin was ultimately futile when you were held hostage in the cage, but out in the field you are in a position to fight, and you can triumph over your enemy.

Every person is either in the cage or in the field. You cannot be in both places at the same time, and knowing where you stand is a crucial part of discovering your new identity in Christ.

Freeing the Hostages

“Christ has become for us… our redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). The way to true freedom is not through a technique but through a person. Christ moves you from the cage to the field. He is our redemption.

Paul gives us a marvelous description of a man in the cage, overwhelmed by the compulsive power of sinful habits. He says that he is “a prisoner of the law of sin,” and he describes how he is unable to do the good that he wants to do, repeating the same evil that he intended to avoid (Romans 7:19, 23). Finally he bursts out in exasperation: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

Notice the question: He’s not asking, ‘What will rescue me?’ but ‘Who will rescue me?’ If you are struggling with addictions or problems of compulsive behavior, it’s important to ask the right question. If you ask “What will rescue me?” there are all kinds of answers on offer: Self discipline, accountability, counseling, joining a small group, etcetera. All of these things may be helpful in changing your behavior, but none of them will get you out of the cage.

You can pray in the cage, set up accountability in the cage, or join a small group in the cage, but at the end of the day you are still in the cage.

If you want to get out of the cage, the question you need to ask is not “What will rescue me?” but “Who will rescue me?” That’s the biblical question, and Paul gives the answer: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ out Lord” (Romans 7:25). Christ sets the prisoners free. He is our redemption.

In a recent interview, an American soldier who had been taken prisoner during the war in Iraq described the moment of his liberation, as his colleagues stormed the building in which he was being held. “They came in just as they had been trained to do,” he said. “It was beautiful. They burst through the door, and in a moment they had me out. I can’t describe it…” He broke down in tears and couldn’t continue.

If you can picture the drama of that great moment, you will be able to understand what happens when Jesus Christ redeems you. He raids the cage and sets you free. He takes you from a position of powerlessness in the hands of the enemy to a position where you can fight with new strength.

Sin shall not be your master! You might find it helpful to name the specific sin that that has mastered you in the past so that you can hear and apply the promise of God more clearly in your life. If you are in Christ, drink shall not be your master; money shall not be your master; sex shall not be your master; drugs shall not be your master; pride shall not be your master; rage shall not be your master. The truth of your new identity is that in relation to sin’s guilt you are clean, and in relation to sin’s power you are free. So be who you are!

But That’s Not How I Feel!

Maybe you are thinking, “It’s all very well to tell me that I am free, but that’s now how I feel. In fact, sometimes I feel totally defeated.”

That’s not surprising. When slavery was abolished in America after the civil war, many former slaves found it very difficult to adjust to their new freedom. If you have been in slavery to a particular sin for ten, twenty or thirty years, you may well find that you continue to feel as if you were in the cage even though Christ has redeemed you.

If that’s your struggle, here’s what you need to do: Tell yourself the truth. The biggest cause of defeat in the Christian life is that we go on repeating the lies of the enemy. If you look at a powerful temptation in your life and say, “I can’t overcome this,” you are talking as if you’re still in the cage. Stop talking defeat! Tell yourself the truth.

Sin is not your master, so don’t do what it says. In Christ you are free. Be who you are.

—

This article is an excerpt of the sermon "You Are Free Even Though You Struggle."

The Good Shepherd Leads Us On Right Paths

“He leads me in paths of righteousness.” (Psalm 23:3)

Christ gives us rest so that we may have strength to follow Him on righteous paths.

Notice the order. You might think that we rest after the exertions of walking on the right paths. But David tells us first, that God makes us lie down, and then that God leads us in paths of righteousness.

The order is important. Some people have the idea that we must walk the paths of righteousness so that we may rest in Christ. But we never make enough progress on the path of righteousness to reach a place of rest. Rest is God’s gift to us, and we rest in Christ so that we will be able to walk in paths of righteousness.

The Apostle Peter reflects the same order when he writes, “He [Christ] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). The purpose for which Jesus laid down His life is that we will begin to pursue righteous paths. And we do that as forgiven sinners, who know that we have peace with God because Christ bore our sins.

The Apostle Paul reflects the same order in Romans 8 where he tells us that that God has done what the law could not do by sending His Son. “He condemned sin in the flesh” (v3), that is, He dealt with our sins through the crucified flesh of Jesus when he gave His life as the sacrifice for our sins. God made peace through Jesus, and He did this so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (v4). Again, notice the order. Peace with God comes first. Pursuing the right path follows.

What does the right path look like?

Right paths will not be easy

Pastures are not always green, and waters are not always still for God’s flock. David knows that the right path - the path on which the Good Shepherd leads him - will take him through the presence of enemies (v5), and even through the valley of the shadow of death (v4). But even there, he knows that his Shepherd will lead him.

The gospels record more than one occasion when Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat. The disciples obeyed Him, and their obedience led them into a storm (Mark 4:35, Mark 6:45). But it was in the storm that they saw the glory of Jesus and discovered what He can do.

In Psalm 77 we read, “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psalm 77:19-20).

David is describing what happened when God’s people came to the Red Sea. It seemed that there was no way forward, but God’s way was through the sea.

There will be times when God leads you on a path that seems impossible. You may find yourself asking, how in the world do I move forward from here? God’s way for you may not be beside the waters but through them. And when His path for you is through the great waters, He gives you this promise: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2).

God was with His people when they crossed the Red Sea. He was leading them on this path, but His footprints were unseen. There will be times when you find it hard to detect the presence of God. You may find yourself asking ‘Where is God in this? I can’t see Him, I can’t feel His presence. I can’t figure out what He is doing. God’s ways often seem mysterious, but you can be sure of this: When the Lord is your Shepherd, He will lead you. Even when His footprints are unseen.

How will this happen?

Asaph, says to God, You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (Psalm 77:20). God was not seen at the Red Sea, but Moses and Aaron were, and God led His people by their hand. Wise counsel is a gift from God when we are seeking to discern the right path. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15). Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22). Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future (Proverbs 19:20).

God gives under-shepherds to you. He puts other believers around you. Seek their wisdom and value their counsel when you are trying to discern the right path. Open your mind to the possibility that God may lead you through them as He led His people through Moses and Aaron. There will be times when the Lord leads you to the right path through people He puts beside you.

The Good Shepherd will move you on

If God has put you in a place where you are enjoying green pastures, it is not likely that you will ever want to leave. But there will come a time when the Good Shepherd moves you on.

When the sheep are put into a field of lush grass, they enjoy a feast. The problem is that they don’t know when to stop. And if sheep are left in a field for too long, they will eat not only the grass, but the roots as well, leaving the field completely barren. So a good shepherd must have a land management plan and, before a field gets over-grazed, he will move the sheep so that he can nourish them somewhere else.

Here is something that all of us will face. God puts you in a place where the grass is green. You are happy in the field, and when the Shepherd moves you on, you won’t want to go. ‘Why can’t I stay here longer? I don’t want this change! I don’t want to leave this field.’

Remember that when the Shepherd moves you on, He is saying to you, ‘This is no longer the place where you will be nourished. I have another place where I will provide for you. There I will feed you. There I will make you lie down. Do not be afraid. This is the right path.’

You may not want to move to the field where the Shepherd leads you. But He will feed you there in a way that your soul would not have been fed if you had stayed where you were before.

So, trust the Shepherd when He moves you on.

There’s an old hymn that says, “In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear.” When the Lord is your Shepherd, you don’t need to fear change. Where the Shepherd leads is always the right path.

—

This article is an excerpt of the sermon “ He Leads Me ” from the series on Psalm 23 titled The Lord Is My Shepherd.

Jesus Is Here

“Jesus keeps me safe,” Jovi, my oldest daughter, quietly said as I tucked her in the other night.

“Yes, He will always keep you safe,” I said, while hugging her.

“He is not here,” Jovi responded.

It was in that moment I knew I could send a sense of reassurance into Jovi’s toddler-sized heart. She is only 2.5 years old, so I understand she can only process so much. But I knew she remembers things well.

“Oh, sweetie,” I said, “Jesus is here. He is with you, with me. He is everywhere.”

She replied, “Jesus is here.”

To ensure she knew my point even more, I replied, “I know you can’t see Jesus, but I promise He is here. He is always with you.”

The next day my wife told me as she was putting her down for a nap, Jovi randomly said, “Jesus is here.”

Let the heart melting begin.

I knew I didn’t need to explain the mysterious intricacies of the omnipresence of Jesus—how can He be everywhere at once? But I knew the fact that He is with her would calm her for the night and, better yet, she’d remember it. And she did.

Christian, I tell this story to give you—to give me, to give all of us—a reminder. Jesus is here with us. He is not distant, far off, or lost. He is here and cares for us.

Jesus, as the second Person of the Trinity, is not confined to time and space. He is transcendent. He is truly everywhere at once. He is just as much in the future as He is in the present. He will never leave nor forsake us, but will always be by our side.

Here are a few things to remember.

Remembering the omnipresence of God brings comfort in times of distress. Nothing should calm our hearts more than knowing God is always with us (Joshua 1:9). We don’t have to worry about God not being by our side through everything life throws at us. If we are in our home, He is there. If we are in the car, He is there. No matter where we are, He is there—always.

Remembering the omnipresence of God helps us soak in the realities of His sovereign rule and reign. One of the funnest—and most mysterious—things to ponder about God is his sovereignty. It doesn’t take much for me to think about the complexities of how sovereign God truly is and what that entails. His omnipresence is directly linked with His sovereignty. If God is not omnipresent—everywhere and everywhen at once—then He is not sovereign. But He is. And when we think on His sovereign reign, it helps us marvel at the God we serve.

Remembering the omnipresence of God makes us ponder the fact that we’re not Him. Ultimately, when we remind ourselves of His omnipresence, we likewise remember we are not Him. We are not God, He is. And thank God for that. He is holy—completely “other” than us. And this is a wonderful thing, as any of us would be horrible at running the universe. But it also allows us to let our guards down and be vulnerable. We don’t control our lives—God does. When we let God be God, our life is better. It’s when we forget His omnipresence—and His other attributes—that we start attempting to control our own lives, and then everything goes to shambles.

But here’s the remarkable thing. With Jesus being omnipresent that doesn’t mean He’s only watching you from a distance or just “keeping an eye on you.” No. He is both transcendent and personal to us. He is imminent. He is near.

So, friends, ponder this today. Jesus is with us. He is everywhere, but very close to us. He cares and loves us. Let the reality of His omnipresence bring you immense comfort and push you forward in becoming more like Him.

 

–
This article appeared originally on theology-and-life.com.

7 Good Reasons to Read Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Welsh minister, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), served at Westminster Chapel in London for 30 years, and he is considered by some to be the greatest preacher of the 20th century.

Here are seven good (in my opinion, but you be the judge) reasons to read MLJ…

ML-J was a godly man. One of the advantages of reading authors who are already dead is that you don’t have to worry about them getting embroiled in some scandal. You already know whether they finished well or not. Lloyd-Jones was a faithful husband, a good father, and an exemplary minister for over 30 years. The man lived what he taught.ML-J was an expository preacher. In other words, Lloyd-Jones did not primarily get up in the pulpit in order to share his opinions about life. He opened up the Bible and unfolded its words so that the listener could understand the meaning and application of God’s Word. So, when you read Lloyd-Jones, you are not simply getting the ideas of a very smart man, you are receiving a faithful explanation and proclamation of the very words of Almighty God.ML-J is a compelling writer. Lloyd-Jones was primarily a preacher, and many of his books are simply published transcripts of his sermons. Here are a couple of things you need to know about the writing of Martyn Lloyd-Jones: He is theologically sound and biblically faithful. The primary aim of his preaching and teaching is to exalt Jesus Christ. He is thoughtful, insightful, and compassionate about the human condition. His writing is weighty (dealing with eternal things), while also being clear and compelling.ML-J is a time-tested author. Many people choose to read a book based on its title, but if you can’t judge a book by its cover, then you could end up wasting a lot of time and money. A better way to choose is to find a good author and then read his or her books. Lloyd-Jones died 41 years ago, but many of his books are still in print. That tells us that his writing has stood the test of time.ML-J has written some excellent books. Two of Lloyd-Jones’ books stand out to me for their unusual excellency. The first is his 14-volume series through the book of Romans (that is NOT a typo!) If you were to pick up any of these volumes, you would soon discover a rare combination of rich theology and devotional writing. The second is my favorite: Spiritual Depression. In this book, Lloyd-Jones considers various things that can prevent a Christian from being happy in God. This book has 18 chapters, including chapters on regrets, fear of the future, weary in well-doing, and that one sin. I have found it to be helpful, personally, on a number of occasions, and useful when talking with other Christians.ML-J’s writings help you encounter God. Lloyd-Jones’ preaching ministry was actually a second career for him. He started out as a medical doctor, and his medical training carried over into his preaching and contributed to his extraordinary insight into the human condition. He had a wonderful, God-given ability to properly diagnose the human condition, and prescribe, from the Bible, the appropriate spiritual remedies. You cannot read him very long without saying or thinking, “God is speaking to me!”ML-J’s life and preaching are accessible. If you would like to get a sample of Lloyd-Jones’ preaching before you pick up one of his books, you can visit the MLJ Trust site and choose from over 1,600 audio sermons. The sound quality is not always good, but you can quickly get a feel for him. And if you would like to learn more about the man and his ministry, look no further than the excellent (almost 2 hours long!) documentary, Logic on Fire.