Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 83

Counting on Mercy in Suffering

From the pits of grief and suffering, the human heart and soul can yearn to know the cause of earthly pain. Did a particular sin bring this suffering upon me, or did I need discipline?

Tender answers might pour into the soul from Scripture—Job was a noble man who suffered and grieved (Job 1:8). And the man born blind in John’s gospel was not provided by Jesus with a personal sin corresponding to his pain (John 9:2-3). We cannot always draw straight lines between cause and effect for our individual suffering (Isaiah 55:9). In How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil, D. A. Carson writes,

It is the uncertainty of reading what is going on that sometimes breeds pain. Is the particular blow I am facing God’s way of telling me to change something? Or is it a form of discipline designed to toughen me or soften me to make me more useful? Or is it part of the heritage of all sons and daughters of Adam who live this side of the parousia, unrelated to discipline but part of God’s mysterious providence in a fallen world? But must we always decide? If a little self-examination shows us how to improve, we ought to improve. But there are times when all that the Christian can responsibly do is to trust his heavenly Father in the midst of the darkness and pain. (Carson 66)

“Must we always decide?” We can heed Carson to welcome needed growth in obedience that “a little self-examination” uncovers. Yet, he also warns that our inability to understand the full purposes of God behind our suffering can cause us sorrow on top of sorrow.

Draw Near to the Merciful Savior

While we sit in the mysteries of God’s providence, there is a promise we can be certain of. It’s a theme Carson repeats throughout his book: “From the biblical perspective, it is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed” (Carson 44).

As I grow to have a higher and higher view of God being God—creating and owning me, being pure and dwelling in unapproachable light, and deserving of my unwavering devotion and holy fear, I am increasingly unable to view any of my sins as insignificant or any of my fleshly contributions as meaningful. This principle Carson writes of has been crucial for me, especially in the seat of suffering.

We cannot possibly count what we have in Christ.
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Approaching God for mercy in a manner that communicates, “I’ve got nothing,” is the biblical way (Zuber). Kevin Zuber preaches this approach to God based upon the account of the father who grieves the sickness of his son in Matthew 17:14-15,

And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him [Christ] and, kneeling before him, said “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.”

While witnessing the agony of his clearly beloved son—which a mother or father knows becomes the agony of the parent too—this father bends his knees to Christ and asks for the undeserved mercy of God. This is outward evidence of his commendable spiritual posture.

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)

Don’t Forget Your Sin While Suffering

Approaching God for mercy, I am able to draw near to his throne of grace. And this God has, indeed, been merciful. Look with me at the example of Psalm 40.

In this psalm, David speaks of being in a pit—a miry bog of suffering. As the Psalm progresses, two variations of suffering are mentioned—personal sins (Psalm 40:12) and a near-death experience at the hand of others (Psalm 40:13-14). Note that the latter doesn’t appear to correspond to a particular sin David has committed, for David openly declares that the sins of others are to their shame.

For evils have encompassed me

beyond number;

my iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot see;

they are more than the hairs of my head;

my heart fails me. (Psalm 40: 12)

 

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!

O LORD, make haste to help me!

Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

Who seek to snatch away my life. (Psalm 40:12-14a)

In such suffering from others who seek to take his life, David makes a theological step in his thinking that is often unnatural to those in pain. David does not forget about his own sin (Psalm 40:12). He does not forget about the grander biblical perspective for his life—that before God, is not exempt from being in need of mercy.

As those later in history than David, we can think of the new covenant by Christ’s blood and the suffering brought upon Christ on the cross on the basis of sins. To me, there is no clearer correlation in Scripture between suffering and sin—and none more helpful to my posture before him—than in the case of Christ. It’s my sins that held him there.

Find Joy in and Praise His Mercy

Meditating upon what God’s mercy meant for Jesus on the cross, the believing soul yields praise in suffering and grief. David does not withhold his own:

I have told the glad news of deliverance

in the great congregation;

behold, I have not restrained my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

from the great congregation. (Psalm 40:9-10)

David doesn’t seem to be praising God here for deliverance from his physical suffering—from those who were pursuing him. For in the last verse of the Psalm, David asks God to “not delay” (Psalm 40:17). His request for physical deliverance still stands. Yet, he doesn’t underestimate God’s spiritual deliverance—from the edge of death, he speaks about this good news. When suffering abounds, his joy in who God is and who God is to him multiplies countlessly more.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told. (Psalm 40:5)

“None can compare with him!” writes David. Does your perspective yield this praise while suffering? We may count the number of days we have been bereaved, the manifestations of our suffering and pain, and the people who have inflicted evil upon us, all the while sitting in the unknown about God’s full purposes behind our sorrows. But, we cannot possibly count what we have in Christ.

In David’s suffering that was directly caused by his sin and in his event of running from those who sought to snatch his life, he held to a singular stance before God. He leans on mercy.

In my times of illness and grief, I am not troubled by the mysterious providences of God. For my suffering here, no matter how severe, could never graduate me from being utterly, moment-by-moment requiring of God’s mercy. To not be presently consumed by his wrath is evidence I look upon often—and do not fathom. And this is mercy Christ suffered for me to joyously receive.

Indeed, none can compare with him.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The Reign of the King: Lean on This Promise

King David said to God, “I will build a house for you.” But God said to David, “No, I will build a house for you” (2 Samuel 7:11). God was not referring, of course, to a building of bricks and mortar, but to a dynasty, a line of descent that would continue.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

There will be one person, in the line of David, whose reign will continue forever.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

“The promise,” Isaiah says, “does not mean that there will always be a Davidic king.” Hope for God’s people does not lie in a dynasty. Hope for God’s people lies in a person, one person, who will be born into the line of David, and who will fulfill the promise given to David. His reign will be forever.

Hope for God’s people lies in a person who will fulfill the promise given to David.
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The New Testament opens by introducing this Son of David: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” (Matthew 1:1).

Hebrews 1:5 picks up God’s promise to David and relates it to Jesus Christ: “For to which of the angels did God ever say… ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’”? (Hebrews 1:5).

And at the end of the New Testament, the cry of victory sounds out from the angels of heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). This promise is ours in and through Jesus Christ!

Lean on This Promise

I want to identify three places in life when this promise (given to David, and which belongs to us through the Lord Jesus Christ) will be especially valuable to you.

1. Lean on this promise when you don’t get to do what you wanted to do.

 This was David’s situation. He wanted to build the temple and he didn’t get to do it. Since then David and Solomon have been in the presence of Jesus for centuries. How much do you think it matters to David, in the presence of Jesus, that Solomon got to build the temple and not him?

The answer to the bucket list of all the things you were not able to do in this life is that you have an eternal future with Christ in glory.

2. Lean on this promise when you mess up what you might have done.

 There are times in life when our own sins, our own foolishness, closes a door that otherwise might have been open.

Think of David in the presence of the Lord. Later in David’s life, he messed up big time (2 Samuel 11). What matters to David now, is not what he did or did not get to do in this life. What matters now and forever is that God did not take his steadfast from David and, in Christ, he will never take his steadfast love from you.

3. Lean on this promise when you no longer know the joy you once did.

When the joys of life have diminished for you, remember the forever that lies ahead of you. It’s beautifully described in the book of Revelation: “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). Brother, sister in Christ, you will never tire of the life that God has in store for you. It will never seem long, stale, routine, or dull.

This promise gives us a marvelous glimpse of our hope in Jesus Christ. What good would a promise be, if it died with us? What good would a promise be, if it was canceled when we sin? And what good would a promise be, if it expired after a certain period of time?

But God’s promise to us in Jesus Christ is stronger than death, greater than sin, and longer than time itself. When we come to the New Testament, Peter says,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV)

This promise can never perish, so death can’t end it!

This promise can never spoil, so sin can’t ruin it!

And this promise will never fade, so time can’t diminish it!

[This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon “When God Says ‘No’—Part 2” in the series, A Leader You Can Follow] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post The Reign of the King: Lean on This Promise appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (January 12, 2018)

The Staggering Consequences of Neglecting Your Bible (Erik Raymond, The Gospel Coalition)

Too often our doctrinal confessions that assert a belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures are betrayed by lives that ignore them. We must be sure that we are not succumbing to the false teaching that denies the supernatural nature of the Bible.

Does Your Doubt Dishonor God? (Greg Morse, Desiring God)

Survey the condemned in the deepest pits of hell, and not one will have any just complaint against him [Jesus Christ]. Ask the martyrs in heaven, and none will think of anything but praise for him. Who can accuse him of wrong? His disciples couldn’t. His enemies couldn’t. Satan can’t. His Father didn’t. But after all of heaven stands silent, should the groans and complaints of professing Christians stand ready to accuse him?

Dear Teenagers: Advice From Screwtape (Zach Philip, The Rebelution)

Has not Our Enemy Himself said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”? Have them follow their heart, seek after their own pleasure, rebel against their parents and authorities, and think rationally like us–believing that they only live once, that life has no purpose, and that foolish Christian doctrine isn’t meant to be taken literally.

Get them now and you will keep them forever.

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE

Why Should I Sing in Church? (Keith & Kristin Getty, Lifeway)

Your heavenly Father cares whether and what you sing, but He does not mind how well you sing. While we may have choirs within our churches made up of voices who have expertise and ability, the congregation of a church is the ultimate choir, and it is without auditions—everyone can be in it and should be in it.

Your Fresh Start Begins Today (Dawn Wilson, Revive Our Hearts)

Most people go through life taking the easy way, but God calls us to supernatural living. The Bible tells us we are the temple—the dwelling place—of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). And our hearts are to be altars of sacrifice.

Don’t Loose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism (Sarah Walton, Unlocking the Bible)

Godly discipline is being disciplined in the strength of the Holy Spirit, with the purpose of sanctification, fully aware that justification comes only through salvation in Christ. For this reason we can say, “Christ has bought me with a price and, therefore, I will discipline myself to run the race he has set before me, ‘laying aside every weight and sin that clings so closely’”(Hebrews 12:1).

The post Key Connections (January 12, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Power of God to Set You Free

There is one battle you will fight your entire life.

I’m referring to your battle against sin. Some of you reading this blog post are discouraged today; some of you feel beat up and ashamed; some of you are sick of fighting the sin in your life; and some of you have just about given up altogether.

The truth is, all of us are not only guilty of sin, we are slaves to sin. So, we not only need forgiveness, we need freedom. Here is what I want you to take confidence in today: No matter how powerful sin feels in your life, God’s power is greater.

In Exodus, we read the epic story of God’s power to free his people from slavery. In chapter 14, we get to the climax of the story: the crossing of the Red Sea. Before the people of Israel cross over the sea, they come face to face with their enemy. Their enemy is strong, and they are weak—but God is stronger.

Here are three observations from Exodus 14 that I pray will encourage you today:

The enemy does not want to let you go (vv. 5-9).

At this point in the story, things have not gone so well for Pharaoh. Ten plagues have rocked his nation, his firstborn son is dead, and he’s just lost all his slaves.

If he had any sanity at all, he would have called it quits. But evil, narcissistic, power-hungry people are often irrational. So Pharaoh is not ready to give up, even after all the evidence that God is stronger than him. He hears that the people of Israel have actually fled from his country. And he says, “Let’s go get them back.”

He takes six hundred chosen chariots (the real legit ones—think stealth bombers), all the other chariots, and he pursues the people of Israel with his whole army. Every military advisor with half a brain would say, “You lost man!” But Pharaoh is not willing to let his slaves go.

This is exactly the insanity and evil of our enemy. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. But he won’t quit his hot pursuit of God’s people. This is why we can’t be complacent Christians. We have to be on guard. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Are you being watchful? Do you know his strategies?

You should be able to identify the unique ways that he tempts you. Is it stress, exhaustion, boredom, loneliness, pride in your accomplishments? Is it at school, at work, at a certain friend’s house, in your room, driving in your car? When, where, and how does the enemy come after you?

You must be watchful, because he does not want to let you go. But take heart…

God fights for you (vv. 10-20).

Israel has got their back against the wall—cut off by the Red Sea.

They are terrified as they look upon their enemy. Then they complain because they are under the false assumption that following God out of slavery is going to be easy. It’s not.

We make this mistake every time we assume that following Jesus will be easy. He never promised that. But in Exodus, God gives us a true promise: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14).

Imagine this: Israel with the sea on one side and Pharaoh on the other. Trapped. But then, in a pillar of cloud and fire, God’s presence moves between them. This is one of the greatest pictures in the entire Bible of what Jesus does for us. We are trapped in sin, totally helpless. But Christ moves with all his power and positions himself between us and our enemy.

This is the gospel! Your battle against sin is real, but you are not fighting alone. Jesus fights for you, he died fighting for you, and in the victory of his resurrection you win as well.

Now, this doesn’t mean you won’t sin. This doesn’t mean you won’t struggle. It means that if you trust Christ by the simple silence of your faith alone, your enemy will not defeat you. So this week when you face temptation, it may seem overwhelming. But remember which side of the pillar you are on. You’re not fighting alone. The Lord fights for you!

God will save you (vv. 21-31).

As Christians, we know that the outcome of our lives is secure in Christ. But sometimes we still wonder, am I going to make it? Will my struggle against sin ever really end?

What we learn at the end of this story is magnificent: that the Lord saved Israel, and His people saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

The day will come when your enemy will be gone forever! Satan will be destroyed. You will live in eternity with no more temptation and no more sin. Revelation 22:3-5 says, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [the city], and his servants will worship him… And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever.”

If you’re a Christian that’s the end of the story for you.

But what exactly was it that got Israel across the sea? What gets us into this glorious eternity? Read Hebrews 11:19 with me: “By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted the same, were drowned.”

That’s what it comes down to: faith. Exodus 14:31 says that the Israelites believed the Lord. What about you? Do you believe the Lord? Do you have faith in Jesus? I pray today that you will trust in his power to set you free.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Three Keys to Fight Spiritual Wandering
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Thank You for Sharing: 10 Most Shared Articles of 2017

10 Most Shared Articles of 2017
1. Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters (Tom Olson)

Our singing is more than a warm-up for the sermon or a filler in the service. Colossians 3:16 is clearly laying out for us that: Singing stands alongside of preaching as one of the two great ways that God has ordained for his Word to dwell richly in each one of us!

2. To Defeat Your Sin, Look at Jesus (Joel Stucki)

As new creations, we’re not to manage our sin, but to cease from it: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14). We don’t focus on our sin as if we can defeat it through the right strategic approach. Instead, we focus on the One who has already done all that is necessary for its defeat and our redemption.

3. Seven Symptoms of a Prideful Heart (Jaquelle Crowe)

It’s because of Jesus’ humility that we can be forgiven of our pride. That’s both the sting and joy of the gospel. It deals with our pride by destroying it, reminding us that life is not about us, and that we deserve only the wrath of God for our sin. Jesus Christ also deals with our pride by taking the just punishment for it upon himself at the cross, that we might be renewed in the image of our Creator (Colossians 3:10) and made humble like our Savior.

4. A Three-Step Strategy for Fighting Sin (Colin Smith)

Stalking sin is how you move from knowing your sin to killing your sin. It means getting to a position where you can see sin’s movement so you can take action against it. If you have become aware of a particular area of sin in your life and you do not move in on it, then it will grow. Sin is a power. It has life and vigor in it. You have to track it down and deal with it, or it will destroy you.

5. Give Thanks, For the Lord is Good (Colin Smith)

God has chosen to open up—for every person in this world—the possibility of an authentic relationship with Him that begins now and will go on beyond death for all eternity. To bring this about, he sent his Son into the world. When Jesus came into the world he did good. But evil men hated him and nailed him to a cross. So why did God not wind up human history the day Jesus was crucified? Because God is good.

6. Four Truths for the Infertile Married Couple (Meredith Hodge)

We see that when we try to handle our own desires, rather than trusting in the Lord, we sin and produce death—even more pain and suffering. So we watch our desires carefully and are aware of any seed of doubt, confessing it to the Lord lest it grow into greater sin that affects other areas of our walk with him or our spouse.

7. Hope for Loved Ones Who Have Resisted the Gospel (Colin Smith)

The good news is that God can wield the plough long after the seed has been sown. God can break up the hardest ground, dig out the largest stones, and pull out the most stubborn weeds, and when he does, the living seed that was planted long ago will spring to life and bear wonderful fruit.

8. Pray for Your Enemies (Denise K. Loock)

Our attitudes toward those who offend us won’t change overnight. Sometimes the adjustment takes months, years, or maybe even decades. But God will be faithful to change our perspective as we come to him in prayer. Praying for those who have hurt us is not only obedience to God’s Word, but also opportunity for him to work in our hearts and within other people. He will help us move beyond our sinful attitudes about others and toward his love for them.

9. God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle (Sophie McDonald)

When we’re crying into our coffee and feeling burdened beyond our strength, we recognize we need a Savior, from sin andfrom all the human weaknesses that accompany it. That’s when we feel what’s true all the time: We are helpless on our own. We need a strength beyond our own to rescue us… I don’t need someone offering a warm platitude to help my strength grow. I need someone reminding me this debilitating weakness is intentionally purposed to lead my weak soul to the One who raised the dead.

10. Deserving or Delighting in God’s Generosity? (Jennifer Brogdon)

God may give others more than we think they deserve, and he may give us less than we think we deserve. But praise God that he has not given those of us in Christ what we actually deserve! Every gift God gives comes by grace—from our salvation to the reward of our work (Romans 2:6).

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism

In 2015, I was given the incredible opportunity of participating in a 16-week course taught by Colin Smith alongside of a few other guest speakers. During one of these sessions, I was struck by a statement made by Pastor Colin. He said,

Don’t let the fear of legalism rob you of the benefits of a regular pattern of walking with God.

His words caught my attention and I began to recognize ways that I had fallen into this skewed way of thinking.

Legalism or Discipline?

Some years ago, while in a small group with other young Christian couples, someone shared that they believed we shouldn’t force ourselves to pray before each meal. “For if we did, wouldn’t that be legalism?” they asked. “If we don’t feel thankful in the moment, aren’t we being hypocritical and legalistic to pray and thank God for our food simply out of habit?” Although something seemed a bit off in his reasoning, I found myself pondering it anyway. For a while, I even tried a little of his method, only praying before I ate when I felt moved to do so. I will admit, this caused me only to grow in a spirit of thanklessness.

Let us not be deceived into a life lacking discipline.
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As I considered Pastor Colin’s challenge, I began to realize what a subtle, yet real, lie this has become in many believer’s lives. For fear of being legalistic, we can rob ourselves of the benefits of a regular pattern (or “spiritual disciplines”) of walking with God. Is this biblical or beneficial? Not at all! Paul makes it undeniably clear in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

How do we know if our habits are beneficial and necessary patterns of walking with God, or if they are driven more by a legalistic mentality? I find the definitions of legalism and disciplines to be helpful in understanding how the motives behind the two are what sets them apart.

Legalism is defined as “excessive adherence to law or formula.”

Discipline is defined as “activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.”

The danger of confusing the two is that we can lose the important spiritual disciplines which are crucial to our growth, sanctification, protection, and intimacy with Christ. Therefore, as we consider whether our personal disciplines (or lack-thereof) are based on of legalism or the gospel, we can ask ourselves which of these seem most characteristic of us:

Legalism is being disciplined in order to live up to the law in our own strength, for the sake of achieving justification of sins. (We can resort to this way of living even after becoming genuine believers, trying to save ourselves even though we have been given the gift of salvation in Christ.)

Godly discipline is being disciplined in the strength of the Holy Spirit, with the purpose of sanctification, fully aware that justification comes only through salvation in Christ. For this reason we can say, “Christ has bought me with a price and, therefore, I will discipline myself to run the race he has set before me, ‘laying aside every weight and sin that clings so closely'”(Hebrews 12:1).

Maximize Your Running

John Piper spoke a while back about a preacher who, through his interpretation of this passage in Hebrews, had a great impact on his younger years. Here is a portion of what Piper shared:

And the preacher said — and I am the preacher now saying it — this text says, “Look to Jesus and lay aside sins for sure and lots of other stuff, too.” Now that is a different way to live. Well preacher, as a 13-year-old or 14-year-old, what question should I ask if it is not, “Is it a sin?” And the answer is, “Does it help me run?” That is the answer. “Does it get in my way when I am trying to become more patient, more kind, more gentle, more loving, more holy, more pure, more self-controlled? Does it get in my way or does it help me run?” That is the question to ask.

Ask the maximal righteousness question, not the minimal righteousness question.

You know why that question isn’t very often asked? Because we are not passionate runners. We don’t want to run. We don’t get up in the morning saying, “What is the course today? What is the course of purity? What is the course of holiness? What is the course of humility? What is the course of justice? What is the course of righteousness? What is the course of love? What is the course of self-control? What is the course of courage? O God, I want to maximize my running today.”

If you have that mentality about your life, then you will ask not, “How many sins can I avoid?” but “How many weights can I lay down so that I am fleet-footed in the race of righteousness?”

Do you find his words as convicting and motivating as I do? Do we want to live seeking only to avoid sin (which of course is vitally important), or do we desire to run the race with proactive intentionality, laying aside anything that prevents us from running well? This takes discipline! If we want to be equipped to run the race, we must prepare ourselves for it.

Three Keys to Running a Disciplined Race

If you see a runner training for a marathon, do you look at them and think, “What a hypocrite! The marathon is still six months away! He’s running for no reason!” Of course not! In fact, this person would be setting themselves up for failure if they foolishly thought they could get up the day of the race, run well, and win the prize without having disciplined or trained in preparation for it.

The same is true for the race we run as we strive to live a life set apart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I imagine that every great Christian’s life to whom we look for an example is marked by incredible discipline!

For fear of being legalistic, we can rob ourselves of a regular pattern of walking with God.
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However, because spiritual disciplines can stem from a heart of legalism, it is crucial for us as believers to evaluate our motives when creating these patterns of how we invest our time, energy, and money. But we must not go so far as to remove any semblance of spiritual discipline in fear of becoming legalistic.

What then are necessary requirements to a regular pattern of walking with God?

1. Set aside consistent time in God’s Word both in private and with other believers, even if it feels like a discipline.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

I’m certain that most of us would admit that sitting down in the Word, praying, or going to church has been purely a discipline, at one time or another. However, time in the Word, memorizing it, and learning to apply it, is food to a believer’s soul. Apart from it, we will be prone to drift from the truth and susceptible to being swept away when the storms of life come.

We see this in the Psalms as David spoke the truth of God’s Word to his own questioning, hurting, and fearful heart. In fact, the times we feel least like reading the Bible are most likely the times that we need it the most. If we neglect these disciplines, it will do more than keep us from legalism, it will keep us from the life-giving truth, hope, and power that we all desperately need. We need to stop making excuses for why we don’t have time to read, study, and meditate on Scripture. (This will look different depending on the season of life. However, we must continue to find ways to feed ourselves with the Word…especially in these seasons.)

We also need to be careful to not become a culture of believers who downplay the importance of church when other things we enjoy conflict with it. We have one life, one race, one chance. How we spend our time greatly reflects what we value.

2. Pray persistently and regularly in praise, thanksgiving, repentance and supplication.

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

For me, prayer has been a challenge at times. There can be so much noise in my head that it can take 10 minutes just to pull my mind into focus. However, that is all the more reason for prayer. When we allow the noise of the world to fill our minds, we become susceptible to lies, burdened with anxieties, and unable to hear the Holy Spirit. We need to discipline ourselves in the pattern and importance of prayer. For me, I have found the consistent habit of journaling my prayers to be greatly effective in helping with my lack of focus, while also allowing me to look back on answered prayers.

Prayer gives us direct access to the One who created us, sustains us, and has the power to change us into his likeness. For this reason, the enemy will work very hard to keep us from an open line of communication with our Father. So we must be prepared for this battle by creating a consistent discipline of focused time in prayer, whether it be long or brief, in quiet or in chaos. This is not legalistic, but rather, wisdom to admit that our heart is prone to wander and, therefore, we must constantly be realigning it with the Spirit.

3. Be disciplined in ways that are unique to your own weaknesses.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14)

We each have unique areas that will require more discipline than others. For example, would we consider it legalistic for an alcoholic to keep alcohol out of their home? Is it legalistic for a someone who feels controlled by their smartphone to turn it in for a less fancy flip phone? Is it legalistic for a family to say “no” to a sport that has games only on Sunday mornings for the sake of making church a priority? No, it isn’t. It’s creating spiritual disciplines and protection for themselves in areas they know they are vulnerable.

For that reason, it is beneficial for us all to seek wisdom in prayer, counsel, and the Word to see if there are areas in our lives that may require us to put new habits and disciplines in place for the purpose of laying aside anything that does not help us run well. For each of us, this will look different, but with the same goal in mind. May we spur each other on to this! Not in a guilt-ridden, legalistic way, but as fellow racers, encouraging one another towards the upward call we have in Christ Jesus.

Let us not be deceived into a life lacking discipline. Overtime, godly discipline under the truth of the gospel will begin to feel less like discipline and more like the privilege that it is.

As Piper said,

So the point is: Don’t stroll. Don’t meander. And don’t wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line where everything hangs on the race.

Godly disciplines are not legalistic. Rather, they are the appropriate and wise response of a chosen, forgiven, and redeemed child of God.

What spiritual discipline is the Lord leading you to pursue right now?

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Faith is Like a Muscle and Needs to Be Exercised
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The post Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (January 5, 2018)

Beyond Resolutions: Habits of Grace for a New Year (David Mathis, Radical Blog)

Cultivating wise habits is not our attempt to work for God’s acceptance, but to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12–13). In prayer, we re-consecrate ourselves again and again to pursue our resolves “by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). How foolish it would be to pour fresh, regular efforts into new spiritual habits without explicitly asking God to make it truly fruitful.

Watch Where You Walk in 2018 (Scott Hubbard, Desiring God)

Therefore, walk in wisdom — seize your days from the devil’s hand. Clutch onto every opportunity in your life, and turn it in a Godward direction. Make a plan for your marriage this year. Go to work on your parenting. Gauge the health of your friendships. In each of these areas of life (and every other), ask, In this part of my life, how can I live like Christ is precious, the gospel is powerful, the Spirit is inside me, and eternity is coming?

New Year, New Beginnings: The Importance of Considering Our Ways (Melissa Kruger, The Gospel Coalition)

If we spent as much time on our knees in prayer as we do on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, what might the Lord do in our midst? Our God can solve what we cannot even begin to comprehend. He is able. May we cry out to him. Some questions to consider:

How can you set aside time for prayer each day? When is the best time for you to pray?
How can you incorporate Scripture more into your prayer life?
What keeps you from prayer?
Who can you pray for specifically this year to come to faith?

Rescued from Meaningless Resolutions (Jordan Standridge, The Cripplegate)

As we make plans this year to lose weight, grow our bank accounts, or learn a language, let us remember always that if Christ is not in it, or not the reason for it, it is without meaning; but, if he is, not only will it be significant, but it will be eternal.

10 Questions to Consider as You Enter the New Year (Deepak Reju, Biblical Counseling Coalition)

How is your fight against your respectable sins? Maybe you don’t struggle with the high-handed, habitual sins. But we are all sinners, so the “respectable” sins—pride, impatience, anxiety and worry, ingratitude, discontentment, judgment of others, envy, coveting, jealousy—we each face daily. Pick out the sin you struggle with the most. Take some time to consider how you can wage war against it in the coming year. Do you even know what it would mean to put this sin to death? Search the Scriptures, ask a wise friend, and pray about it.

Let the Fear of the Lord Deliver You (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

There is a fear that God commands and a fear that God forbids, a fear that builds you up and a fear that tears you down, a fear to gain and a fear to lose. There is a fear that Christ brings and a fear that Christ relieves. The fear that you want to gain is what the Bible calls “the fear of the Lord.” The fear that you want to lose is the fear of anything and anyone else. I wonder what kind of fear you would want to lose? Fear of failure? Fear of other people? Fear of loss? Fear of pain? Grow in the fear of God, and you will find strength to face all your other fears.

The post Key Connections (January 5, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

A Question About Christian Satire

Love is patient and kind.

Our God commands us to love him first and foremost, and to love our neighbor as ourselves—but are we doing this online? Especially when we disagree with our neighbor?

I’ve been saddened by the lack of love strewn throughout Christian circles on the web in recent years. Lately, someone brought a satirical article to my attention that called out by name a person with whom the author disagreed, poking fun at them and attempting to make them a laughingstock to the reader.

My heart broke.

Is satire funny and helpful when it deals with ideas? Yes. But this was about a person. Someone created in the image of God. Someone who genuinely believes they’re following Christ.

Loving Our Neighbor

Doesn’t our great God call us to more than this? Doesn’t he command us to love others because he first loved us—even when we sorely disagree with them?

Yes, and we can and should disagree. We seek to hold fast to God’s Word when others aren’t, guarding truth by clearly addressing untruths. Scripture shows us how to appropriately call people out, as Paul does in his letters (see 2 Timothy 1:15; 2:16-18; 4:14). He desires to expose wrongdoers and wrong doctrine—but he doesn’t joke about eternal matters or resort to cheap laughs.

I pray that writing this doesn’t defeat my point, but only encourages us to think about what we post online and find entertaining:

Does what we publish honor our neighbor, even though we might disagree with them?
Is it necessary? True? Kind?
Or is it unloving and, therefore, opposed to God’s greatest commandments?

Three Implications

Our calling is to consider the love-of-God-and-neighbor to which we’ve been called in Scripture, along with a few other implications:

1. We drive people away rather than pointing them to Christ and his Word.

If we think that satirically addressing a person we disagree with won’t do any damage or will change their theological position, we’re misguided. Like Paul, Jesus never made fun of people or joked at their expense; instead, we see him both confront people and lead them to repentance through his kindness. We see him die for sinners, while we were still weak.

Seek to understand one another in Christian love by choosing kindness, wisdom, and truth.
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We’re making theological disagreements and relational rifts worse with our attempts to satirically clear the air, rather than doing what’s harder: seeking to understand one another in Christian love by choosing kindness, wisdom, and truth.

As a result, the people we’re criticizing respect us less—and see a dim reflection of Christ in us, if any reflection at all. We drive them away, rather than pointing them to the beautiful gospel we’re attempting to guard and preach.

2. We disregard Scripture and disobey Christ.

“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing….Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:2, 4-6).
“‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 5:43-45).
“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:23-25).

Oh, that the Word of Christ would dwell richly in us and lead us to love when it’s hard!

3. We do not honor the name of Jesus.

Most importantly, we do not exalt Jesus by our rude words and actions; we reflect him inaccurately and stain his precious name. Friend, if the glory of Christ is our highest pursuit, why would we undermine this goal in any way? Why would we want to do anything but adorn the holy name and upright character of our Lord and Savior?

This is what’s at stake when we speak harshly of people and joke at their expense: We weaken our evangelical pursuit of Christ’s glory and the advance of his gospel.

I’m writing to myself here, for I know I’ve slandered my neighbor and sinned against many people in my short lifetime. But I pray this causes us both to think before we post: Is this loving my neighbor, or is this rude? Does this honor Christ, and will it point people to him or drive them away?

May we increasingly reflect Jesus’ glory and display the gospel in our love and through what we publish.

[This article first appeared at Kristenwetherell.com here.] [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

Texting and Driving Is Not Loving Your Neighbor
Love Covers Sins
Six Elements of an Effective Christian Witness

The post A Question About Christian Satire appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

In All Your Ways

My Grandpa Jim wrote an autobiography that he hoped would “show that when we commit our lives to God’s direction, His promises are proven true, time and time again” (Jim Miller).

When I was thirteen, he scribbled this note in my copy:

Dear Eden,

We are proud of your many abilities and most of all your commitment to Jesus. He will lead you in the right path when you acknowledge him. Then you can be a larger influence for him like your mother and dad,

Love Grandpa.

Reading my family history through Jim’s lens, I’ve discovered that the roots of my convictions run deep—as far as I know, back to Rev. Perry Miller, the first of five generations of Christ-followers.

Jim’s story is a nearsighted view of my family tree—biologically and spiritually.

The Lord through his Word gives me the spectacles I need to see the genealogical wonder you and I are wrapped up in.

My roots run back to Eden, ultimately (1 Chronicles 1:1).

No Man Is an Island

A famous poet shares the same truth quite beautifully:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main. (John Donne)

Mr. Donne was right. The grace of God given in Jesus Christ was revealed to me because it was revealed first to Perry Miller before the dawn of the First World War. And Perry Miller knew nothing of grace, apart from Christ. And there would be no Christ were there no Mary, nor Joseph, David, Judah, Abraham—or Adam.

We are tethered to past generations, whether we’d prefer to be an island or not. Man’s words—my grandpa Jim and Mr. Donne included—echo God’s Word: We are threads in a tapestry of redemption from which we cannot untie. And we’d do well to zoom out from the square inch we occupy and start looking at the whole—or at least the part that God reveals in his Word.

My Understanding: Limited

My grandfather’s note to me quotes God’s Word:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I loose sight of the fact that my path is connected to the maze of history, as is yours. My understanding only goes as far as my experience—the step of the path I’m currently on. And so often, I can’t even make sense of the circumstances at hand.

It’s so easy to make predictions about “what will happen if.”

Our hearts conceive hypotheticals and then deceive us that we can change the direction of our path. And, our pathetic attempt to iron out our way bears only in mind our own concerns—much less those of five generations before or after us.

Our understanding does not deserve our trust, nor can it bear it.

My Heart: Wicked

Our own minds are faulty places to put our trust, not only because they’re limited, but also because they’re wicked.

Yes, our Creator has told us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). In fact, the Lord has been patient with our wicked hearts for thousands of generations, though he knows their intentions to be evil from our youth (Genesis 8:21).

Jesus Christ, the Lord, paid the penalty for my wickedness on the cross, broke sin’s power at work in my heart, and promised its presence will one day be removed for all eternity.

We who have faith in the Savior for the forgiveness of our sins, now recognize him as our Lord. We were dead in our sin. But, now that we’ve been made alive, we can see the death sin wrought in our hearts and the death it threatens to reap in our regenerate hearts (Ephesians 2:1-5, James 1:15).

By God’s Spirit we battle sin’s remaining presence. We do not trust in our regenerate heart. For, we still sin; we’re still inclined toward wickedness. Instead, we put our trust in him who put an everlasting beat in our dead heart at the expense of his own.

Our way led straight to the grave apart from Jesus, and without the strong and loving direction of his Lordship, many of the ideas of our wicked heart will lead the same way (Proverbs 16:25).

With All Your Heart

So, the Lord welcomes us to lean on him alone with the full weight of our heart. Giving him all your heart does not mean that every ounce of your being will be at ease always. Giving him all your heart means that in all your ways you acknowledge him. Big, small, silly, severe, tender, and mundane—we look to him for every step.

From the provision of your daily needs to the salvation of your soul, you are to acknowledge God as the Lord he is over all things, entrusting to his care the decisions you make, the ways you want to take, and the desires of your heart (Proverbs 16:33, Proverbs 16:1, Psalm 62:8).

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

The “secret things” include the path we entrust to the Lord; for, in fact, it already belongs to him. With the secret things, may we honor our Heavenly Father’s sovereignty.

Another way we trust the Lord with our whole heart is to walk in obedience to the things he has clearly revealed—“all the words of the law.”

As we fear the Lord by walking in obedience to his Word, we have the promise of his friendship, and also sometimes a glimpse into his purposes (Psalm 25:14). Brother Andrew, a missionary behind the iron curtain during WWII reminds us, “that’s the excitement in obedience, finding out later what God had in mind” (Brother Andrew, God’s Smuggler).

Trust in the Lord

Perry Miller, Jim Miller, Brother Andrew, and our fathers in the faith since Adam could not see the whole picture either. But “not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar” (Hebrews 13:13), they were faithful to trust the Lord and point us where they could to his Word.

In everything, acknowledge the Lord for who he is and may his reign in your life be evident and affective in the lives of generations to come. And may you trust in him with all your heart, all the way home.

Remind me of this with every decision

Generations will reap what I sow

I can pass on a curse or a blessing

To those I will never know. (Sara Groves, “Generations“)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

Do You Trust Christ?
Five Reasons Why We Should Love the Genealogies of the Bible
Don’t Follow Your Heart

The post In All Your Ways appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (December 29, 2017)

Find a Friend to Wound You (Greg Morse, Desiring God)

True friends are not mobsters who club us with their words to prove points or settle scores. But godly friends are not less than EMTs (emergency medical technicians) who will rip open our carefully crafted excuses and stun us back to life. They wound us for our good.

4 Creative Ways to Be Generous (Kristen Wetherell, The Gospel Coalition)

Friends, God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, we may abound in every good work. We’re free to be generous because he has provided, and will provide, all we need. And in this freedom, our generosity takes on many forms as we contribute to the needs he has sovereignly placed around us. May our hearts overflow with humble, creative generosity because God in Christ has first been generous to us.

Jesus in Job (Justin Huffman, Servants of Grace)

 But Jesus, in effect, said to Job: “You deserve what you are suffering, and worse, forever. But I will take your losses, your festering sores—even God’s forsaking you—upon myself, so that you can go free now, and be freed forever.”

4 Reasons Every Church Needs Senior Saints (Tim Counts, 9 Marks)

Senior saints, please continue to speak into the lives of younger believers with love and truth and grace. The church needs your wisdom not simply because you’re older, but because you bring the practical, biblical wisdom that only comes from marinating in the Word and walking with Christ in both life’s joys and sorrows.

The 2018 Christian Reading Challenge (Tim Challies, Challies.com)

The 2018 Christian Reading Challenge is composed of 4 lists of books, which you are meant to move through progressively. You will need to determine a reading goal early in the year and set your pace accordingly. All you need to do is download the list (or buy a printed version—see below), choose your first few books, and get going. Happy reading in 2018!

For the Discontent and Frustrated (Kyle Golden, Unlocking the Bible)

Because you have an ever-present Father who cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7), you can bring all your anxieties, frustrations, and doubts before His throne while thanking him for the blessings in your life. In those moments of great frustration and discontent, go to him in prayer.

The post Key Connections (December 29, 2017) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.