Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 81

Why the Church Needs Suffering

Do you ever wonder why so many Christians endure incredible suffering? Nearly every day I hear of another believer or Christian family facing a tragic, heartbreaking, or dire situation. It’s hard to push away the immediate question: “Why?”

Why does there have to be so much pain? Why is life so heavy for so many of those who are following Christ? Why isn’t God protecting his people?

I’ve wrestled with these questions many times in my own family’s trials. Sometimes, it seems, the deeper our faith-roots go, the more the trials come.

However, as I have seen the deep work Christ has done in our family through the trials, I’ve grown in my understanding of why God allows so much suffering for those he loves, and why the Church needs to learn to suffer with the hope of Christ.

Reflecting Our Savior’s Suffering

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1)

If the Church follows a suffering Savior, we should prepare ourselves to suffer with him. If even Christ learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8), then how much more do we, as his people, need to learn obedience through suffering?

God’s Word says clearly that, since Christ suffered in the flesh (to the point of death) for the sake of our freedom from sin, we too should expect to suffer as we follow him: suffering for the name of Christ; suffering to learn obedience; and suffering to cease from sin.

Yet we have hope the suffering world doesn’t know:

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (5:10)

Just as Christ’s suffering had an eternal purpose, every moment of our suffering has a purpose and is preparing us for our promised eternity with Christ (Romans 8:28). We have this hope and joy in even the most despairing of circumstances; it’s what declares the infinite worth of following Christ to the world—and most powerfully as we share in his sufferings.

Reflecting Our Savior’s Comfort

Not only do we share in Jesus’ sufferings, we share abundantly in his comfort (2 Corinthians 1:5). In the words of Charles Spurgeon,

It is a blessed thing that when we are most downcast, then we are most lifted up by the consolations of the Spirit. One reason is, trials make more room for consolation. Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper and makes more room for consolation. God comes into our hearts—He finds it full—He begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; then there is more room for grace. The humbler the man is, the more comfort he will always have, because he will be more fitted to receive it. Another reason why we are often happiest in our troubles is this—then we have the closest dealings with God.¹

Suffering with hope also proves our faith genuine.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

When suffering hits, it either drives us away from Christ or drives us to him. As believers, suffering is used as the “pressure” to reveal what is inside us and to teach us endurance. As we are strengthened by Holy Spirit, we endure. As we endure, the Spirit grows in us the character of Christ. And as we grow in the character of Christ, we experience hope, a hope that is found in our faith being proven genuine.

When suffering hits, it either drives us away from Christ or drives us to him.
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The truth is, it’s easy to follow Christ when everything’s going according to our plans and life is comfortable. It’s often not until we pass through the furnace of affliction that our faith is proven genuine, and as we see the evidence of Christ at work within us, we grow in hope.

As the church, we shouldn’t seek out suffering, but we also shouldn’t fear it. When we see a fellow Christian suffering a senseless tragedy or carrying a burden that we can’t imagine carrying, we may be tempted to ask, “Why?” But we can pray and trust that Christ will be near to them in their pain, sufficient in their weakness, and will use it to accomplish his good purposes.  

Reflecting our Savior’s Gospel

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

We live in a world that tirelessly pursues comfort, success, and happiness. If we, as believers, experience nothing but these benefits, why would anyone take notice of the treasure we have in Christ?  

When we are broken, yet hope-filled, the treasure of Christ shines through our brokenness. For this reason, when the church suffers for the sake of Christ, it shows what a treasure the true gospel is and exposes the emptiness of false gospels, like the prosperity gospel.

The treasure of the gospel is most powerfully displayed through our broken cracks.
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Millions are being sucked into the lie that if we have enough faith, God will prosper us in an earthly sense. But when suffering hits, they don’t know how to reconcile their reality with what they’ve always believed about God, which often leads to anger, despair, and rejection of the “goodness” of God.

However, the true gospel says that, in God’s goodness and love, he sacrificed his only Son to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him, not heaven on earth. In God’s grace, he allows trials to separate us from a love for this world and from seeking our happiness in its shifting sands, in order to free us to love him more and find eternal security, hope, and joy in him alone.

For this same reason, we shouldn’t see suffering as a hindrance to our ministry to others, but as the very means God may use to minister the life-giving hope of the gospel to those around us. The treasure of the gospel is most powerfully displayed through our broken cracks, and the power of Christ is most greatly seen through our weaknesses.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, our suffering is never just about us. It is meant for our growth, the growth of the body, and to magnify the power of the gospel through weak and broken vessels.

Reflecting Our Savior

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:10-12)

Suffering has a way of setting aside our differences and drawing people together in a common goal. Christians are “one body,” which means we should be always be marked by unity and love in Christ. But the reality is, the Church is filled with redeemed sinners.

We are commanded to love one another with brotherly affection. But that doesn’t come naturally, does it? So how does Christ grow this love in his children?

Whether we like it or not, this happens most often on the road of suffering.

The reality is, the body of Christ needs suffering because it has a way of stripping away our false pretenses, our outward goodness, and our independence from Christ and each other. As Christ reveals our weaknesses, shows us the depth of our need for him, and comforts us in our affliction, we will grow in humility, unity, and love towards one another.

The church was never meant to be a place filled with perfect, whole, lukewarm people. Rather, it is made up of broken sinners who have been redeemed and are in the process of being made whole into the image of Christ.

In his goodness and love, we can trust the Lord to use our trials for the purpose of identifying with him, uniting us to each other, and using us to witness to a hurting world the life-giving hope of the gospel.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

Three Reasons to Be Glad When Trials Come
Joyfully Embrace What God Is Doing
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You Can Trust God With Your Unborn Child

I folded the last onesie and placed it in the drawer of our new nursery bureau. For most pregnant women, preparing their nursery for the arrival of their precious baby marks an exciting time. Happy thoughts of rocking their baby to sleep fill their minds, along with sounds of their baby’s sweet coos as they snuggle in the crib.

But my first thought was not so sweet. Instead, it was bitter: What if my unborn baby dies?

Excitement and Anxiety

Anxiety has carved a long scar that touches every area of my life, pregnancy and motherhood included. When I took my first test and the little words on the screen read, “Pregnant, 1-2 weeks,” I was met with both the excitement of pregnancy and the fear of miscarriage. I was actually relieved when morning sickness and food aversions settled in because that meant everything was hopefully in order.

During my first trimester, I clung to the hope of reaching my second trimester. Whenever my fears of miscarriage would overwhelm me, I would remind myself, Once you reach the second trimester, you can rest in knowing your chances of miscarrying are lowered significantly.

But that first trimester passed, and my fears refused to fade.

Facing My Fears

Although my chances of miscarriage were now lower, the possibility still existed. Such is the morbid and hopeless thought-life of the anxious: If there’s a possibly for failure or tragedy, despite how low the possibility, we’re still “required” to worry.

My new motto became, Once the baby is born and out of my fragile womb, I’ll be able to protect him or her. Though still a long six months away, it was the only hope I thought I had left. Once the baby was out, he or she was then in my control, and I could monitor and care for him or her.

This thought comforted me for a while, but it wasn’t long before that reassurance was ripped from my grip as well. I soon worried about the many situations where my child’s safety would be threatened outside my womb. My arms can’t shield my child from disease. My weak body will need sleep, meaning I must leave my child alone in their crib, unguarded. Someday, my child will grow up and leave the house, where my eyes can no longer see them 24/7.

Through tears, prayer, and the study of God’s Word, I am slowly being humbled and taught by him to release my grip on my child and trust him.

Trusting God’s Sovereignty

For those of us who are worriers and struggle against anxiety, God’s sovereignty can be both a comfort and a terror. It’s a comfort to know God is in control of all things as Ruler and King, that nothing happens without his go-ahead. With Job we can declare, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

This is an encouraging reminder that whatever happens to us was not unforeseen by God, and nothing can happen outside of his control.

Our battle cry in the fight against worry and fear is: My God is both sovereign and good.
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But God’s sovereignty can also be terrifying. When we realize God is completely sovereign over all things, we also realize he can do whatever he pleases. “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psalm 135:6; cf. Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 43:13). As our sovereign King, no one tells him what to do, and whatever he decides, happens.

None can overthrow his plan.  

This is terrifying when we consider stories like Job’s, who not only lost all his material goods, but also all his children. God not only knew, but allowed this to happen by giving Satan permission to act. The terrifying truth about God’s sovereignty is that he allows bad things to happen to his people. Children die. Spouses get sick. Friends backstab. We are falsely accused and punished.

Just because we are believers doesn’t mean we are suddenly protected from all evil. Rather, Jesus says we will experience trouble (John 16:33).

Trusting God’s Goodness

This would be terrifying if God was an uncaring and ruthless King. But we know that our God is not that at all.

Our God is both completely sovereign and completely good (1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 100:5; 119:68; 145:9). Our God is compassionate, loving, gracious, patient, and cares for each one of his created beings. He cares so much that God the Son came to earth in a woman’s fragile womb, was born, and lived a spotless life to be brutally killed as our perfect sacrifice.

Though God is sovereign and does whatever he wishes, because he is our good and loving God, he does everything for both his glory and the good of his children. Romans 8:28-30 seamlessly brings together these two attributes:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What is our good as believers? To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. And what is our end? To be glorified, that is, to finally be made righteous and live in heaven forever with God. That is why God’s sovereignty is a comfort to us, because we know he is eternally good and has a good purpose in everything he does and allows.

I have learned that it is not enough though to simply know this in my head. This knowledge must also reach my heart and change my attitude.

Putting Off the Idol of Self

This must be our anthem when worry strikes, our battle cry in the fight against worry and fear: My God is both sovereign and good.

In our fight to believe this truth, we struggle to put off our desire to worship ourselves. Within each of us remains that same sinful desire Eve had when she bit into the forbidden fruit—I could be like God.

For those of us who struggle with anxiety, our desire is often to be sovereign like God. We want the ability to control our children, futures, bank accounts, friends, and spouses. That’s what I wanted with my child; I wanted to protect my baby from any possible pain, harm, even death. What mother doesn’t?

But here’s the reality we need to face to put to death this idol of self: Even if we could somehow be sovereign, we’d never do it well. Our picture-perfect world is far from true perfection, nor do we have the infinite wisdom to conceive a better future. Not only that, our desires are spiked with sin and evil, so that whatever future we try to create will always be filled with sin.

God not only knows the best outcome for us, he has the power to execute it.
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But you know who doesn’t have either of those problems? Our sovereign and good God. He is perfect in all his ways, including his wisdom. He not only knows the best outcome for us, he has the power to execute it. His perfect decisions are not swayed by uncontrollable emotions or persuasive people. He has the perfect love, goodness, and grace to give us exactly what we need, even when we can’t see it for ourselves.

To put off the idol of self, we look in the mirror and see how insufficient and incapable we are of being sovereign. We recognize our weaknesses and sin. Then, in the midst of that painful conclusion, we bow in joyful submission to the One who is perfect, sovereign, wise, and good, and believe that he really does know what’s best and will execute it.

Trusting God with Your Child

I still worry and fret some days when I am reminded of all that will threaten my child’s safety.  But I’m learning to trust God with my unborn baby, and not to put my hope not in the passing of time, in age, or in my own abilities.

In the midst of my fears God is teaching me to turn to him in prayer and bow my heart in submission to him, rather than to myself. This doesn’t always come easily; some days it comes through tears and minute-by-minute obedience. But in the midst of it all, God is revealing to me that he alone can truly care for my precious baby.

He is the best caretaker my baby—and I—will ever have.  

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

Renouncing Anxiety
Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols
Where to Turn When the Fear Is Real

The post You Can Trust God With Your Unborn Child appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (February 9, 2018)

Why You Desperately Need the Holy Spirit (Jordan Standridge, The Cripplegate)

So many of us, even those of us who go to “solid churches” where the Word is preached and our pastor faithfully seeks to craft sermons that will be an encouragement to our soul, desperately need to be asking the Lord to change us! Perhaps especially those of us who are constantly sitting under solid expository preaching, since it is so easy for our hearts to become dull.

What Is It Like to Enjoy God? (John Piper, Desiring God)

Love is first. Commandment-keeping follows. Doing is fruit. Loving is root. This is why Jesus put the heart first in this highest duty: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” The heart is not the organ of performance. It is the organ of preference. It’s not the organ of doing for God. It’s the organ of delighting in God.

Grace Greater Than Your Pride (Leanna Shepard, True Women)

When your sin elevates your thoughts to shameless heights or plunges your spirit to shame-filled depths, remember and give thanks for the cross and what it represents—the pardon for your sin; the exchange of your guilty record for Christ’s perfect one; the grace to walk in truth and light; the promise of peace, fellowship, and oneness with the Father.

A Biblical Theology of Church Discipline (Bobby Jamieson, 9Marks)

Third, God “disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb 12:10). God’s discipline is good for us; it aims at a good far greater than what we often settle for. We constantly need reminding that hard providences do not mean God has a hard heart. If God uses hard measures, we should look to our hard hearts as the targets, not accuse God. Only a jackhammer will split concrete.

Faithfulness When You Feel Inadequate (Katherine Forster, The Rebelution)

He has called us, in everything we do, to glorify him. Whether you’re doing your schoolwork or publishing a book, the ultimate goal is the same: to make your God look great.

Your Christian Walk Isn’t About You (Jen Oshman, Unlocking the Bible)

When we receive God’s gift of faith, we don’t have to wonder why we exist. We aren’t responsible for conjuring up our purpose in life or our purpose for our faith. That purpose has been given—it’s to bring praise to God’s glorious grace.

The post Key Connections (February 9, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Listen to Your Father’s Voice

I listen carefully to my dad. Of all the people I know, I respect him most. His character and trustworthiness have been clear to me since I was a little girl.

In Proverbs 2, God’s Word addresses me as a “son.” This means I’m being spoken to by my Father in heaven, who reconciled me to himself through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As I read this word from my Heavenly Father, I hear him teaching what it means to listen to his voice. 

The Father’s Instruction

Proverbs 2 begins:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call our for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure… (Proverbs 2:1-9 NIV).

“Accept my words,” says the Father.

But don’t just accept them; store them in the halls of your heart (v. 1).

And as you store them up, turn your ear to the voice speaking his words. But don’t just listen; engage your heart to understand his voice (v. 2).

And then, let listening not be enough. Call it too passive an act, and raise your own voice to encourage the Father’s voice of insight to continue. Raise your volume as if to compel him to answer so that you might understand (v. 3).

We follow the Father’s voice with our whole self, not just fancy it with our ears.
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Keep on; don’t stop with raising your voice. As full as the halls of your heart become with the words of wisdom, as crammed as your ear is of its tone, and as hoarse as your voice becomes from crying for it, do not stop as you welcome wisdom (v. 4).

Pick up your feet and run after it. Search for it as a treasure not easily found. Make it the quest of your life (v. 5).

The condition is not that we sit back and consider the words of Scripture, but that we “run in the way” of our Father’s commands (Psalm 119:32). We follow his voice with our whole self, not just fancy it with our ears.

This is how the father in Proverbs 2 instructs his son—and how our Father instructs us by his Spirit.

The Father’s Promise

The words of our Father are living and active (Hebrews 4:12). So much so, that we’ve got to chase them down in a hunt. But if I leave my comforts behind, for this uncomfortably costly endeavor, what will I gain?

…Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5 NIV)

But how? If I call out for wisdom, and even go looking for it, how can I be sure I will find the knowledge of God?

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (2:6 NIV).

Ah, so we are called to seek something that actually belongs to someone. The “hidden treasure” dwells within a store—“his mouth.” The treasure trove of wisdom is not buried under a mountain, but in the very being of the Lord (Luke 6:45).

Open the Bible in front of you, for it is dealt-out treasure from the wisdom-store of God’s heart.
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Vastly unlike a dragon hovered over hoarded gold, the Father says that the Lord “gives” of his treasure store (v. 6). The Lord does not send us on a fruitless journey; he stands ready to give what we seek (Isaiah 30:18; 45:19; James 1:5).

The Father’s Message

But God does not give the wisdom we seek in the way we might expect:

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

In God’s wisdom, he determined our inability to “find the knowledge of God” through our own efforts.

In God’s pleasure, he determined that we might “understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” through belief in a preached message.

What message?

We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

Jesus Christ is wisdom.

In him we find the knowledge of God’s mercy, as he lived to absorb the wrath that we, God’s adopted sons and daughters, justly deserved.

In him we find the knowledge of God’s grace. For, he died for us while we were still sinners, gave us his righteousness that we cannot earn, nor deserve, that we might stand before God with confidence and without fear (Romans 5:8).

And through Jesus Christ we understand the fear of the Lord, for he speaks a better word than Abel, pleading not for our judgment before our holy God, but for our pardon on account of his own death and resurrection (Hebrews 12:24). He embodied perfect obedience to the Father’s instruction, but died for our disobedience, and was raised that his obedience might be credited to us by faith (John 1:14; Philippians 2:8).

The Father’s Plea

Receive the Word, Jesus Christ, as the only salvation for your soul. And if you have, hear the call of Proverbs from your Father. Don’t be content to merely accept the Word you have—chase after him with your life.

“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25), but repent of walking in your own ways, and believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Come to the Father through him, and embark on a quest to know him.

Open the Bible in front of you, for it is dealt-out treasure from the wisdom-store of God’s heart (2 Timothy 3:16). His understanding is unsearchable, so the journey can never get old as you dig into the written Word that has come from the mouth of the Lord (Romans 11:33).

Your Father in heaven loves you in Christ and continually beckons:

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

You’ve been listening. Start calling. Run after him.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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Three Ways Christ Can Be Outside Your Church

The last book of the Bible opens with the risen Lord Jesus Christ seated on the throne of heaven, exalted in power and glory. The apostle John records the words of Christ to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22.

Laodicea was church with relentless activity. There was a certain confidence about the people. This was a church that was felt by its own members to have been quite successful.

Here is the congregation’s self-assessment: “For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing…” (Revelation 3:17).

Spiritual temperature rises in a church as Christ becomes central to its whole life and ministry.
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A few months before coming to this country, I caught up with a professor from Trinity who was speaking at a conference in England. He was not a member of our congregation, but he knew the church well. I was eager to get his impressions of the church where I would soon be serving.

So I asked him what he thought would be my biggest challenge serving at what was then the Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, and I will never forget his answer: “Your biggest challenge will be knowing what to do. They already have everything.”

That was our reputation in 1996, and that was the reputation of the church at Laodicea. Laodicea was a church with a 5-star rating. Visitors who came to the church would say, “What more could you want? They’ve got everything here.” If the pastor at Laodicea had called the congregation there to a summer of reflection, with regards to their spiritual life, the people would have said, “We are doing quite well.”

Standing Outside the Church

Yet, here is the great irony: For all its fine reputation, Jesus Christ was standing outside the door of this church, and he was knocking (v. 20). To me, this is one of the most extraordinary pictures in the Bible: Jesus Christ outside his own church! Christ knocking on the church’s door!

I know this text is often preached as a message to unbelievers inviting them to open their hearts to Christ. There is nothing wrong with that. But the first application is not to unbelievers; it’s to the church!

Think about the One who is knocking at the door: He is the glorified Lord, who has just been revealed to John. He is the head of the church, and the church is his body. He loves the church, and without him, there would be no church to love.

His whole life centers on the church. On the cross, he gave himself to bring the church into being. Now, in heaven, he lives to direct the church in its mission and sustain the church amid all the assaults of her enemies; and one day he will come in power and glory to bring the church into the joy of his immediate presence forever.

The life of Christ centers on the church. But (in Laodicea) the life of the church did not center on Christ. Christ was outside, knocking at the door.

Three Ways Christ Can Be Outside a Church
1. Christ can be outside the preaching of a church.  

In the summer of 2011, I was given some weeks of study leave which gave me the opportunity, unusual for a pastor, to visit and worship at a number of churches.

I went to a different church each Sunday for a whole summer, and I was deeply struck by the number of churches in which the name of Jesus Christ was not even mentioned once in the entire sermon.

I heard much about marriage, family, and community. I heard a great deal about opening yourself up to other people. There were often general references to God, and I heard plenty of quotations from the Bible; but on many of these Sundays, Christ was not in the sermon.

Even when the sermon was from the Bible, Christ was too often outside the preaching.

2. Christ can be outside the mission of a church.

Last year, our church board read and discussed an excellent book by Kevin DeYoung called What is the Mission of the Church? You might wonder why anyone would need a book about the mission of the church. Isn’t the Great Commission clear? Yes, it is.

But no matter how clear the Great Commission is, church mission is widely being redefined in our time as being a blessing, or being a presence, or alleviating need, all of which can be done without even mentioning the name of Jesus.

“Go make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20) is a radically Christ-centered mission. But many churches are redefining mission in a way that leaves Jesus outside, knocking at the door of mission.

3. Christ can be outside the fellowship of a church.

A defining mark of our time is that people want to experience community. That is a wonderful thing. We want to “do life together.” I’ve said that before, and you probably have too. That’s good, but it is possible to “do life together” with Christ outside the door!

It is possible to have fellowship groups where we encourage one another, but Christ is outside. Christian fellowship goes beyond doing life together. It is about “walking with Christ together through life.”

The word “fellowship” literally means sharing in a common life. When Christ lives in us, we share in his life together. Getting into a small group for fellowship is a marvelous benefit, and building supportive relationships is a huge blessing, I commend it to you.

But let’s be careful to keep Christ at the center of our fellowship. We don’t want him outside knocking on the door.

Why Is Christ Knocking?

S.W.A.T. teams can knock a door down. They have the gear to do it. Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord of power and glory. Closed doors never stand in his way.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples locked the door in the house where they were gathered. They were afraid of the authorities. But a barred door was no problem to the risen Christ. He came through the walls and appeared to them!

Christ can barge through any door at any time of his choosing. The strongest door installed in a bank vault or in a high security prison is no hindrance to him. But here we find Jesus knocking at the door. Why is he knocking?

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

His Knocking Is Good News

Communion! Fellowship with us! Here is why Christ is knocking. Fellowship cannot be forced. Communion cannot be commanded. Christ cannot have fellowship with us by breaking down the door.

Jesus says, “If anyone hears my voice…” That means he is not only knocking, he is also speaking. The door must be opened. What Christ seeks involves a choice for us.

The fact that Christ is knocking at the door is good news for us. He wants fellowship with us more than we want fellowship with him. If the whole church was aflame with passion for communion with Christ, and he did not want communion with us, we would be completely hopeless.

The good news is that Christ seeks a deeper fellowship with his people. He is at the door. He is knocking. The great challenge for the church at Laodicea was the low temperature of their spiritual life. They were neither hot nor cold, but somewhere in between.

Spiritual temperature rises as Christ becomes central to the whole life and ministry of a church. That includes a church’s preaching, mission, and fellowship.

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Crockpot Churches in a Microwave Culture
Seven Lies You’ve Been Telling Yourself About Church
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Your Christian Walk Isn’t About You

I was a young missionary and a young mom. My husband and I had just crossed the Pacific Ocean and arrived on the field with our six-month-old baby girl. I started hosting women’s Bible study right away, but I didn’t have the bandwidth yet to teach my own material, so we watched a recorded lesson on DVD.

The Bible teacher on the screen looked at us viewers and asked, “How do you know God is pleased with you?”

Immediately I began to justify myself and mentally list all the ways I was trying hard to please the Lord. We were missionaries after all. We had left teary-eyed grandparents back in Colorado and moved across the globe with our firstborn. We had taken a leap of faith and were giving it our all.

Because I’m trying so very hard, I thought to myself. That’s how I know God is pleased with me.

After a moment, the wise woman on the screen answered, “Because of Jesus. God will be pleased with you because of Jesus. If you are in Christ, he is pleased.”

I sat dumbstruck. The moment is so seared into my memory that I can remember what I was wearing, a pink t-shirt and khaki capris. It was 14 years ago. My Christian living paradigm was knocked off its axis. I knew it was all grace before—but now I knew.

Until that moment I had done what I think many of us believers do: I had subconsciously made my Christian walk primarily dependent on me and about me.

God Does Everything

The opening lines of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians open our eyes to the truth that our Christian walk has been both established and purposed by the Lord himself. While we easily drift toward spiritually pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, Paul reminds us of what is true:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

We Did Nothing

Paul rejoices with the saints who are in Ephesus because God chose him and them before the foundation of the world. Before creation even was, we were chosen. Before we were, we were chosen. The Lord didn’t wait for us to be born and weigh our good deeds against our bad, choosing us accordingly—

No, we weren’t even alive when he predestined us to be adopted as his children. We did nothing to earn our sonship.

Our faith is not about us. It’s about bringing praise and glory to the One who saved us.
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This is wonderful news. Because we did nothing to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it. Because our adoption is dependent on his perfection and not on our performance, we can rest easy. We don’t have to clamor to earn his approval and affection.

God’s choosing us is purely a gift of grace and has nothing to do with our best efforts.

This truth flies in the face of the way we operate. In all other spheres we seek to earn our status. We study hard in school to earn good grades. We try hard at work to earn a promotion. We train hard to win the race—

But salvation is free. May we receive this lavish gift of grace with gratitude and joy and rest.

It’s Not About Us

It’s clear from Paul’s letter that the foundation of our faith is a free gift from God. But that’s not all he provides. God has also given us our focus—the purpose or goal or point of our faith. He adopted us “according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6).

When we receive God’s gift of faith, we don’t have to wonder why we exist. We aren’t responsible for conjuring up our purpose in life or our purpose for our faith. That purpose has been given—it’s to bring praise to God’s glorious grace.

Again, this is wonderful news. Because we didn’t earn our salvation, we don’t have to create a purpose for it. We aren’t left to flounder or wander or wonder. We simply praise him and bring him glory.

This, too, flies in the face of the way we operate. We brainstorm goals and write mission statements and draft purposes for our education, free time, careers, and workout regimens. We in the West tend to be driven, goal-oriented, self-sufficient, and self-realizing—

But when it comes to our faith, it’s not about us. It’s about bringing praise and glory to the One who saved us.

It’s All About Him

Both the foundation and the focus of our faith have been gifted to us by the Lord. May this good news lead us to rest and rejoice. May we stand secure in his grace and serve him and his people for his glory.

You and I don’t need to mentally tally the ways we are trying hard to please him. Our faith is not actually about us—

It’s from him and for him.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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It Is Well With My Soul

In the middle of suffering, can you say, “It is well with my soul?”

While sick on the couch one week, I read the Shunammite woman’s story in 2 Kings and was immediately helped. I’d been fighting fear because I was terrified that our infant daughter would catch my sickness, and because I had no idea how I would care for her in such a depleted state.

I’m not proud of the fruit I bore that week: frustration, unkindness, negativity, and even more fear and doubt. But God, in his mercy, convicted and helped me through his Word, through the story of the Shunammite woman’s suffering.

The Shunammite Woman’s Suffering

Here’s the short version (see 2 Kings 4:8-37):

A wealthy woman (our Shunammite) knew that Elisha was God’s prophet; so she convinced her husband to make him a small room on their roof, where he could rest when he passed by. Elisha figured she’d want something done for her in return (which she didn’t), so he promised her a son the following year. She conceived according to his word and despite her doubts.

When he’d grown, her God-given son died on her lap. Without hesitation, she saddled up her donkey and went to find Elisha for help:

When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” (vv. 25-26)

All is well? What?! Didn’t her son, her unexpected gift from God, just die on her lap? How could she say this?

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

And the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. (v. 17)

This Shunammite woman’s very decision to find Elisha is an act of remembering God’s faithfulness to her. He had provided her a son, as Elisha had promised, and she knew she could return to this God, and his man, in her time of need.

One of the hardest things in suffering is remembering because the most glaring, urgent thing is in front of our faces, and it doesn’t seem good. Rather than remember, we try to solve our problems. Our trials threaten to take up our attention, and our wayward hearts distract us from how God has worked in the past, leading us to fret and forget. This is why we seek to remember his faithfulness.

Remember how God has been faithful to make you like his Son even when the answer was no.
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Do you need to pause right now in your suffering and remember? Remember how God has proven his great love for you by sending his Son to die upon a cross. Remember how he raised him from the dead, to give you resurrection life forever, to ultimately defeat every suffering, and wipe away every tear.

Remember how he’s been faithful to answer your prayers in the past; to make you like his Son even when the answer was no; and not to waste a thing, from the smallest to the hardest of trials.

Remember God’s faithfulness, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Confessing Doubt

Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” (v. 28)

When Elisha first promised the Shunammite woman a son, she doubted him, saying, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant” (v. 16). So naturally, when her son dies, she confronts Elisha with these past doubts: “Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

It takes a great amount of faith to deal with our doubts, rather than sweep them under the rug.
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It actually takes a great amount of faith to deal with our doubts, rather than sweep them under the rug and pretend they don’t exist. That may be easier, yes, but if we do this we won’t grow in our trust of God and his Word, or what it means to walk by faith rather than sight. Instead, when we acknowledge our doubts before the Lord in confession and prayer, he loosens their power over us—and deals a death-blow to our enemy who wants to derail our faith. We pray because our God responds.

What doubts do you need to confess? Are you doubting that God is good? Are you doubting that his promises can be trusted? Are you doubting his ability to change your circumstances, or to care for you in the midst of them? Tell him. God is more than capable of handling your doubts and transforming them into a more unshakeable, trusting faith.

Confess your doubts, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Clinging to Christ

And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet….Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” (v. 30)

Hear the desperation and trust in the Shunammite’s words as she refuses to leave Elisha’s side “as the Lord lives.” Her hope is in the Lord, who lives forever, and in God’s prophet—in his very word.

When suffering comes, we can move one of two directions: toward Christ in faith, or away from him in anger and bitterness. We can quickly turn to creature-comforts to deliver us from our afflictions, keeping God at arm’s length, or we can cling to his Word and hope in Christ alone.

You too can cling to Christ, the incarnate Word: his character, works, and promises. He’ll do what is best out of the goodness of his character; he will give you what you need to stand up under suffering; and he will satisfy you with his unfailing love. But even this trust is impossible apart from the power of the living God at work in us. So we say along with the Shunammite, “As the Lord lives, I will not leave you” because we believe the Word-made-flesh will never leave or forsake us, and will help us trust him by faith day by day.

Cling to Christ, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Rejoicing in the Resurrection

The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes….And when she came to [Elisha], he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. (vv. 35-37)

Elisha journeys to the woman’s home, and after praying and stretching himself out upon her son, the Lord answers his prayer, raising the boy miraculously from the dead.

Friend, we don’t know if our suffering will end in this life. It may not. But we do know that something greater—resurrection life—awaits us in Jesus Christ. Whether or not we are delivered here and now, someday we will be healed completely from the brokenness of this world. We will rejoice in the new heaven and new earth, where Jesus will be our light forever, where we will live in the splendor of his perfection and the restoration of all things, where sin and its effects will be no more.

No matter what you’re going through today, rejoice in Christ, for the resurrection is your sure future, and death no longer has a hold on you. You will finally come into the presence of Jesus, fall at his feet, and exult in his beautiful glory—and your pain and suffering will be wiped away for good.

Rejoice in the resurrection, and you too will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Key Connections (February 2, 2018)

Enneagram: The Road Back to You, Or to Somewhere Else? (Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel Coalition)

The spirituality of the Enneagram in The Road Back to You bears little resemblance to biblical spirituality. In the book we meet a man named David who is described as having a “meet Jesus” crisis that “brought him face-to-face with himself.” You would have thought that a “meet Jesus” moment would bring you face-to-face with Jesus.

Two Strategies to Win the War on Lust (John Piper, Desiring God)

The more we receive into our hearts the beauty of Christ through the eyes of the heart as we read and meditate, the more we will have his desires, his preferences, and his convictions. We will be receptively transformed. Oh, how sweet to have that receptive transformation so that the hooks of the devil don’t even lodge themselves anymore!

Spiritual Warfare and Our Spiritual Growth (Dave Jenkins, Servants of Grace)

The spiritual nature of the church’s resource is nowhere more plain than in its reliance upon God’s Word, which is the only offensive weapon mentioned in this list of spiritual armor. The Word of God is to be wielded like a sharp two-edged sword, in the mighty power of God’s Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

Depressed and Thankful: 6 Ways to Find Joy (Stacy Reaoch, Revive Our Hearts)

In Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth’s excellent book Choosing Gratitude, she makes the point that we are either whining or worshiping. Our natural, sinful state makes us prone to see what we lack, what we don’t have, and what’s gone wrong in our lives.

10 Bible Reading Habits I’ve Learned from My Pastor (Rachel Lehner, Unlocking the Bible)

Often, we can be tempted to quickly adopt the opinions of notorious scholars, giving them equal or more weight than Scripture. But these voices are merely human. The Word of God, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, is the only trustworthy means of hearing the voice of God. We are blessed to have access to many helpful books and writings for interpreting difficult passages or proposing another way to view something—but they are not to be seen as absolute authority.

The post Key Connections (February 2, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Twin Tracks of the Christian Life

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, NIV)

The apostle Paul describes the Christian life as “the life I live in the body,” but Paul says that he lives this life “by faith in the Son of God.” The Christian life is lived “in the body” and “by faith in the Son of God.” These two statements give us a good handle on the Christian life.

Two Statements on the Christian Life
1. Your Christian life is lived “in the body.”

You will always feel the pull of the flesh. You will find yourself lacking courage, losing heart, and lamenting your failures. You will experience sickness, weakness, and eventually death. You may struggle with depression, anxiety, doubt, fear, and loneliness. This flows from the fact that the Christian life is lived in the body. But that’s not the whole story.

2. Your Christian life is lived “by faith in the Son of God.”

Christ is for you and with you. His Spirit lives in your body. That means you can look to him and count on him in every circumstance of life. Christ’s presence is what makes it possible for you to live this life in the body, and his power is appropriated as you exercise faith.

Think about the Metra train going into Chicago. It runs on twin tracks, just like the Christian life. Just as the train needs two rails to get to Chicago, you need to grasp these two realities —“living in the body” and “living by faith”— to make sense of the Christian life.

Five Descriptions of the Christian Life
1. The Christian is at peace with God and at war with sin.

You have peace with God because you are in Christ. You are at war with sin because you are in the body. Grasp the one without the other and you really haven’t taken hold of the Christian life.

2. Christ lives in me by the Spirit, and sin lives in me by the flesh.

The Christian doesn’t live in sin, but sin lives in him. He is not in the flesh, but the flesh is in him. There is never a day when we do not need the cleansing blood of Christ.

3. The Christian is done with sin, but sin is not done with the Christian.

There’s been a decisive break with sin: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin” (1 John 3:9). Yet, “if we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

4. The Christian lives in the power of the Spirit and experiences the weakness of the flesh.

Don’t expect life in the power of the Holy Spirit to feel like standing on the podium, taking a bow for your triumphant performance in the Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit is what makes it possible for you to persevere in the challenges of life you are facing.

5. In Christ you are a new creation, and your struggles continue to be shaped by your experience, environment, and temperament.

All of us are tempted, but our temptations are not the same.

The Outcome of the Christian Life

You live by faith, so trust Christ for the outcome. In the battles and struggles that you face this week, you can say, as a Christian, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The Son of God is with you and he is totally for you. You live the Christian life by actively exercising faith in him whatever you face.

Living by faith means you don’t despair. When you feel completely defeated and you wonder, I’ve failed so many times. Will I ever win this battle? Look to Christ. The Son of God is with you. He has not left you. He is at your right hand.

Living by faith means you don’t presume. The Bible describes believers as “saints” (see Ephesians 1:1), and this is wonderfully true. But it’s a dangerous thing to affirm yourself as a “saint” and then forget that you’re also a “sinner.”

A believer is a “saint” because he or she is “in Christ.” Without Christ we’re completely lost. We have no standing before God without him. Our new life flows from him, our hope rests on him, and all our good is in him, “by the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

So where there is faith, there will be hope and humility—humility that knows we have nothing without Christ and hope that, in him, we have all things.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Bible Q&A: Do We Confess to One Another, or Ask God for Forgiveness?

Question: Is “confessing” telling someone your sins, or asking God for forgiveness?

Answer: When it comes to “confessing sins,” there are examples of both in the Bible.

Two Biblical Patterns of Confession

For example, David says,

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

Clearly, David is saying here that he confessed his transgression (or sin) to the Lord (and not to someone else), and that he was forgiven. This is normal in the Bible. Our sins are committed against God, so we confess our sins to him.

We find the same pattern in the New Testament in a parable told by Jesus:

“The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” (Luke 18:13-14)

However, we also find this encouraging pattern to confess our sins to one another:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

Two Important Truths About Confession

Here are a couple things to keep in mind:

1. You can confess your sins directly to God. You do not need to confess to a pastor, priest, or spiritual leader to be forgiven.

You do not need another human mediator, since (by faith) you already have Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 2:5).

This is what Paul was talking about when he said,

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:13-18)

2. James tells us to confess our sins to one another.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

There may be a season of life when a person has confessed his or her sin to God (perhaps many times), and he still doesn’t feel forgiven. In these situations, it can be helpful to go to a trusted Christian pastor or friend and confide in them.

The purpose of doing this is not for them to tell you that you are forgiven. Only God can do this. The goal is for the pastor or friend to help you find, personalize, and trust the promises of the gospel. This might include listening carefully, sharing relevant Bible passages, and praying together.

Warmly in Christ,

Pastor Tim

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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