Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 85

What If God Takes It All Away? Trusting Him Through Financial Struggles

Recently we drove past our old house for the first time since downsizing. Immediately, our four children began rehearsing memories, noting every part of the house that they missed. Once again, they struggled to understand why we had to give it all up.

As hard as I tried to respond with confidence that it was the right thing for our family to follow God’s leading — even at the cost of financial comfort and a home we loved — deep down, I wrestled with my own nostalgia and questions.

Living on Far Less

Rewind six years when we were living well below our means, carefully planning for the future, and seeking wise counsel to be good stewards of our rising income. But, in his strange sovereignty, God chose to teach us how little control we really had.

Even as our oldest child’s neurological challenges seemed to consume us, other pressures were mounting. My health continued to decline and my husband’s on-call job often left me feeling like a single parent. Medical bills increased, and our confidence in the future was replaced by a growing reality that our family was in crisis.

God led us to a place where there was no other option but to let go of all we had saved, planned, and worked hard for. Within a few short months, my husband took a new job that brought significantly less income (but allowed him to be home more often). We sold our dream home, moved in with my parents, and were completely unsure of what the future held.

Am I Trusting in Prosperity?

Where did we go wrong? Maybe somewhere, but maybe nowhere.

Although God commands us to live wisely with what he entrusts us with, he ultimately asks us to trust him above all else, no matter the cost.

Through all of this, even in our desire to use our resources for God’s glory, he has taught me to search my heart by continually asking three questions.

1. Do I live in fear of losing my comfort?

If we desire worldly comforts, and fear earthly loss more than we fear God, then we will likely make decisions and plans according to what we think will keep our lives most comfortable. Looking back, I can now see the Lord’s severe mercy in overturning the plans we had set for our lives. He removed all of our earthly means to find comfort and security in this world. It was painful, yes, but it was also freeing.

As our eyes become increasingly fixed on fearing the Lord and trusting his promises for us, we can live in greater freedom to plan and live wisely according to God’s plan, rather than living in bondage to our own.

2. What legacy am I leaving?

Where we pour our time, energy, and money is a part of building the legacy that we will leave when we are gone. Are we working so many hours for our family’s comfort but are never there to invest in them spiritually and relationally? Are we so focused on planning for the future that we miss how God is calling us to live radically in the present? Or, does our lifestyle suggest that this earth actually is our home?

I am not saying we should not enjoy the gifts that God has given us, but we are commanded to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. We should be frequently asking the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and show us where earthy treasures are motivating us more than eternal ones, that we might pursue righteousness above all else (Matthew 6:33).

3. Whether in prosperity or need, is Jesus enough?

We should plan and save—but is Christ enough if he chooses to take it all away?

In a two-year period, we went from debating how to redesign and remodel our kitchen to wrestling with how we would feed our family of six on food stamps. Both seasons have presented different challenges. In comfort, it was a constant temptation to put our confidence and joy in the false security that wealth gave us. While we desired to honor Christ with all that we had, if I’m honest, it was far too easy to be distracted by the excess.

Far Greater Treasure

 Admittedly, the past two years have tested us in other ways as well. We’ve wrestled with trusting the Lord’s leading when it seemed only to lead to greater need and suffering. We were tempted to envy the seemingly comfortable lives of those around us. We’ve questioned why God would allow us to lose everything when we earnestly sought to honor him in our steps. We have struggled to understand why God has taken away provisions for the necessary treatments and doctors that our family’s chronic health issues require. And, at times, we have struggled to see God’s provisions and undeserving gifts because we were so focused on what we had lost.

Hold firmly to the truth that Christ is and will always be enough.
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Yet by his grace, he has continually shown himself faithful, providing in his way and timing, while changing our hearts along the way.

In whatever season you find yourself, hold firmly to the truth that Christ is and will always be enough (Philippians 4:19). He is a greater treasure than anything else this world can give. Sometimes, it may take losing everything on this earth to truly come to believe that with every ounce of our being.

Plan for the Future—But Don’t Hope in It

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

We are commanded to be content today because none of us have a guarantee of what tomorrow holds. Therefore, as Christ-honoring as it is to steward our resources wisely—to plan and save for an emergency fund, home, and retirement—we must always be on guard that we are not placing our hope in them. As we grow in understanding how temporary this life really is, we will learn to hold more loosely to our plans, live in freedom rather than fear, and be willing to spend ourselves more radically for the Lord.

When we find ourselves with a comfortable bank account and all of our efforts panning out as we hoped, we must be careful that our security and joy is not found there. We must boldly ask the Lord to both keep us dependent and to help us, in any situation, to glorify him. May we be slow to judge those who are struggling (not assuming it’s their own laziness or poor judgment), and quick to see how God’s grace has provided for us abundantly for his purposes.

You Can Lean on Him

If, on the other hand, you are reeling from the loss of what you worked hard for, or are carrying the burden of an uncertain future, take heart and rest in the one who sees your needs and is faithful to provide.

May this be a season that you see and savor an increased desire and love for Christ as you lean on him for your current and future needs. Be careful of giving way to resentment or envy towards those who appear to be more comfortable. Your intense season of need may be the greatest gift of grace that God has given you for his eternal purposes.

This post originally appeared on November 27, 2017 on the Desiring God blog here . [Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post What If God Takes It All Away? Trusting Him Through Financial Struggles appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

A Lesson from Paul on Transformation

I’ve always enjoyed stories of rapid spiritual transformation, because they remind me that no one is beyond the gracious work of God.

The Apostle Paul experienced a dramatic story of radical transformation. He was actively persecuting Christians until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul’s life was immediately turned around. From that point forward he advocated for the gospel of Jesus Christ as zealously as he had persecuted Christians in the past.

Paul knows something about spiritual transformation. Paul wrote Romans 12:1-2 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, teaching us out of his experience of transformation.

In view of God’s Mercy

Paul begins:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God… (Romans 12:1)

God, in his great mercy, sent Jesus to suffer the penalty for our sin. Titus tells us:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior… (Titus 3:4-6)

What will it take to transform my heart to be more like Christ’s? I cannot do it; only God can transform a heart. Jesus Christ made that possible by dying the death I deserved and offering me the life he lived.

Living Sacrifices

To present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God… (Romans 12:1)

When we’re sure that God is merciful, then we will gladly offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and pleasing to him.

Sacrifices in Paul’s day were known to be dead animals, but Paul instructs us to offer our own bodies as living sacrifices. He encourages Christians to willingly resign their entire beings to God and his purposes for them. Complete surrender is necessary.

Paul offered his body as a living sacrifice, and his physical trials were legendary; shipwreck, beatings, and hunger, to name just a few (2 Corinthians 11:24-30).

Paul knew God’s mercy, and in response he offered all of himself as a living sacrifice. He trusted God, boasting in his physical trials of his own weakness and of God’s greatness (2 Corinthians 11:30). Surely God used those situations to transform Paul, and Paul exhorts us that knowing Christ is worth it all (Philippians 3:8).

Your Spiritual Worship

…Which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

How should we worship the God who made a way for the likes of us to be called his children? What honor can we show God, who saved us by his grace?

Paul said that, in view of God’s mercy, we are to surrender our bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices, and this is our spiritual worship.

Interestingly, Paul did not say that we must merely offer our minds full of correct doctrine, our voices in song, or our service in church. He said we must offer our bodies—period. He meant that our living is now worshipping. We worship God when we work, when we interact with friends and family, and, yes, also when we go to church.

Do Not Conform to the World

Do not be conformed to this world… (Romans 12:2)

Jesus came to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, and everyone who is in Christ is part of his Kingdom. Therefore, Christians live in the world but belong to the kingdom of God simultaneously, and we must choose which one we will live for.

Jesus had no use for the kind of power, wealth, status, and success that is valued on earth. He knew he had immeasurable power and wealth, because all things are under his feet. Therefore, worldly fame and fortune are worthless to him (1 Corinthians 15:27).

Paul urges us to resist the pattern of the world. The more we trust God, recognizing his mercy, and the more we surrender to and worship him, the better we’ll be able to defy worldly attitudes.

By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). In Christ, then, we also know, discern, and pursue true heavenly treasure—the riches that are ours in Christ the King—from worldly treasure.

Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

…But be transformed by the renewal of your mind… (Romans 12:2)

As we resist the world, we intentionally renew our minds with God’s Word. God gave us his Word, and reading it is the best way to renew our minds. Read his Word every day. Memorize it, ponder it, and apply it.

It takes the supernatural work of God to transform us, but renewing our minds is a means by which God chooses to perform his transformative work. We can read, study, and apply his Word, but we depend on the Holy Spirit to transform us. He will, for he promises:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Discern What is the Will of God

…That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

I often want to know God’s will, and I suspect you do too. Prayer, God’s Word, and other believers are all parts of the discernment process.

And God’s Word tells us here that: When we surrender our lives to God in view of his mercy, worship him with everything we are, resist the pattern of the world, and renew our minds by his Spirit, then we will be able to discern God’s will.

For most of us, transformation doesn’t happen so rapidly like it did for Paul. And even Paul spent three years in Arabia before he actually began to preach the gospel (Galatians 1:11-17). The transformation on the road to Damascus was no doubt the start of a lifelong work of God.

Are you willing, in light of God’s mercy, to offer your existence to him, to resist the world, and to renew your mind? I hope so, because as we do these things, the Spirit will transform our minds to be more like that of Jesus Christ:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post A Lesson from Paul on Transformation appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

10 Ways to Keep Christ the Center of Christmas

While things like gift-giving, cookie-baking (and eating!), and spending time with loved ones can be great and memorable things, Christians should seek to make Christ the focal point of Christmas. It is after all, Christmas!

How can we keep our focus on the Savior?

Here are 10 ways to keep Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration:
1. Read the Bible story with your family.

This is a simple way to start and the best way to remember what brought our Savior into the world. Read portions or all of the following biblical passages documenting the original Christmas:

Matthew 1:18-2:23
Luke 2:1-20

2. Walk through Old Testament prophecies about the birth of Christ.

There are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies documenting the coming of the Messiah. Several of these deal directly with the birth of Christ. Reading through the Old Testament prophecies about Christmas and seeing the New Testament fulfillment in Christ is a powerful way to build your faith and focus on Christ.

3. Use an advent calendar with Scripture in it.

The advent season looks forward to the coming of Christ at Christmas (advent comes from a word meaning ‘coming’) and is a time of preparation for Christmas. It also looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

Using an advent calendar with Scripture will provide you with a daily reminder from Scripture and help you renew your mind as Christmas day approaches.

4. Watch a Christ-focused movie.

Sadly, many “Christmas” movies do not even mention the name of Jesus. Those movies fall way short of the true meaning of Christmas.

Watching a Christ-centered movie can entertain you, provide positive family memories, and build your faith as you ponder the work of our Savior. Some recommended movies to watch at Christmastime include: The Gospel of John, The Star of Bethlehem, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Nativity Story, and the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.

 5. Call out wrong messages about Christmas.

Holiday movies tell us there are several meanings to Christmas: giving to others, spending time with people you love, getting good gifts, and that you can be a hero if you have “the Christmas spirit.”

All of these things fall short of the true and amazing meaning of Christmas: God sent his Son into the world, in the form of a baby, to perfectly fulfill God’s law and eventually serve as the sacrifice for the sins, saving whoever would put their faith in him (John 3:16).

6. Listen to Christ-exalting Christmas music.

So much Christmas music is meaningless fluff, lacking any mention to Christ and lacking substance. Read the words from one of the most popular Christmas songs of all-time, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas:

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know / Where the tree tops glisten / And children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow…

Although it is a catchy song, it does a better job glorifying snow than Christ. Christ has given us so much, why would we not sing about him at Christmas time? Through him we have the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7), a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), the Holy Spirit living in us (Romans 8:11), an eternal inheritance in heaven with Christ (1 Peter 1:4). Snow isn’t bad, but Christ is so much better!

Here are some lyrics from a great Christ-exalting Christmas song called “Mary Did You Know” by Mark Lowry:

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water? / Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? /  Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? / This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.”

Or if you are into classical music, Handel’s “Messiah” is one of the most glorious pieces of music ever written or played—and is about Christ!

7. Remember the dangers of materialism. 

Don’t let yourself or your children get sucked into the materialistic trap that exists at Christmas. If you are a parent, it is especially important that you make sure your kids understand at an early age that Christmas is not about getting presents and having more possessions.

Some practical steps for teaching and learning a biblical perspective on gifts and earthly possessions are:

Walk through Scriptures dealing with possessions. Matthew 6:19-34 and James 4:1-12 are good places to start.
Go to a garbage dump and look at all of the old things that might have been highly-coveted at one time.
Focus on giving at Christmas time. Jesus is the ultimate example—sacrificially giving Himself to pay the price for our sins.
Make your Christmas list be a list of things you are thankful for, not a list of things you want.
Pray that God would change your focus.

8. Give Christ-centered gifts.

Giving gifts that will build faith is an excellent way to celebrate Christ at Christmas. The Unlocking the Bible Store has several items that would make excellent gifts:

For the studious Christian:  The ESV Study Bible
For the new believer or non-Christian:  Ten Keys for Unlocking the Bible
For anyone wanting to get into the Word:  The OneYear Unlocking the Bible Devotional

Writing a Christmas Bible verse on a Christmas card is a great way to point back to the Savior as well!

9. Make the highlight of your Christmas serving others.

Christ, himself, did not come to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). Christmas can be a very self-centered time, and serving others provides you an opportunity to think about and meet the needs of others. Serving can happen in your church, a homeless shelter, giving a gift to the child of a prisoner, and many other ways.

Regina commented on our Facebook page on a way her family serves others during Christmas time:

We pool our Christmas money together and instead of buying gifts, we decided together on a relief organization to send it to. Our kids ask us every year what organization we can give to. We all enjoy it!

10. Share Christ with others. 

The Christmas season may be the best time to invite people to church and strike up spiritual conversations. The topic of Christmas and Jesus Christ will come up often. Take advantage of that and share the life giving truth of the gospel! Take advantage of the fact that people are not satisfied with candy canes and mistletoe and that they long for something deeper and satisfying and that Jesus Christ will satisfy all of their thirsts and longings of this life, and the life to come.

If you send out a Christmas card or letter, you have a great opportunity to share the real meaning of Christmas and the source of true Christmas cheer, Jesus Christ.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post 10 Ways to Keep Christ the Center of Christmas appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Five Ways to Celebrate God’s Deliberate Design

Last night, my brother Travis and I flipped through old baby and toddler pictures of ourselves. We laughed at the way the shots reflected our personalities. Travis was constantly moving, destroying, and building. I, on the other hand, was always talking, reading, or imagining. My mom often reminds us what different children we were—not just because of our personalities, but because of our inborn identities as girl and boy.

For, despite what culture tells us, boys and girls are different. And this is a very good thing.

Designed Diversity

God could have made us all the same. Have you ever considered that?

But he didn’t. He made us different. And one of the most glorious distinctions he created is between boy and girl.

Yet we live in a culture that’s hijacked gender distinctions, believing these differences are nothing more than social constructs: artificial stereotypes propped up by the patriarchy and currently crippling our children. Their message is that boys and girls are not really different at all, and that to treat them as such is destructive and confining.

But God—the author of these differences—did create boys and girls to be different, so that’s not something to fear or hate. It’s something we must celebrate.

Five Ways to Celebrate the Difference Between Boys and Girls

So how do we celebrate gender differences in a hopelessly confused culture? And how do we teach our children to embrace these differences with joy? Here are five ways:

1. Show the absolute equality of boys and girls.

Our culture fails to grasp that diversity does not denote inequality. Boys and girls are fully equal in worth and dignity in the eyes of God. We see this from their very creation:

Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:26-27, emphasis added)

When two things differ, it doesn’t make one lesser than the other. Rebekah Merkle uses the example of a rolling pin and a measuring cup:

A rolling pin is different than a measuring cup, and we can acknowledge that without saying one is better than the other. And what a weird thing it would be if we did…Better at what? If you want to measure some flour, you’ll have a hard time with a rolling pin, and you’ll have similar problems trying to roll out a pie-crust with a measuring cup.

When we say boys and girls are different, we’re not shaming, embarrassing, or denigrating either gender. We’re honoring them, and our Creator God, as he intended. They’re perfectly equal in value because God made both male and female in his image. Highlighting their differences displays the beauty of God’s design.

2. Praise God for his good and intentional design.

The difference between boys and girls isn’t an artificial stereotype; it’s God’s purposeful design. In his unsearchable wisdom, he hardwired our DNA with dissimilarities.

For example, why are professional sports male and female-exclusive? It’s because men and women have fundamentally different strengths and weaknesses (Jeremiah 51:30), and pitting them against one another isn’t fair.

The difference is no mistake. God declared it to be “very good.” In fact, it’s one of the first things he tells us: “And God saw everything that he had made [including men and women], and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

When we try to minimize or blur our differences, we’re rebelling against the very way God made us—against his intentional design.

3. Affirm boys and girls in their roles.

We can celebrate our differences by affirming boys and girls when they’re playing their specific God-given role. When you see boys putting girls first (Eph. 5:25), opening doors for girls (Eph. 5:28), protecting girls (1 Pet. 3:7), affirm that. When you see girls nurturing (Titus 2:4-5), building up (Prov. 31:26-28), submitting in an appropriate context (e.g., to their father—Ephesians 6:1), affirm that.

Of course, this is an affirmation of their obedience to the Lord in these roles—we’re not merely affirming “who they are.” We’re affirming their obedience to honor God’s intentions.

4. Don’t stereotype, but look at Scripture.

We can be tempted to reduce beautiful God-ordained differences to cultural stereotypes: girls like pink and boys like sports. Girls play with dolls; boys play with trucks. Girls want to be nurses and teachers; boys want to be engineers and in the armed forces. We think such preferences are what make boys and girls different. But these generalizations aren’t always true—and they’re not always biblical.

God didn’t create every girl to like pink. He did not create every boy to play sports. Those aren’t biblical mandates. Sure, these preferences often arise because boys and girls are shaped by legitimately feminine and masculine desires, but these specific preferences aren’t the differences we were created to embrace and respect.

Instead, we’re called to embrace the inherent distinctions God instilled in Adam in Eve – distinctions in body (e.g., men can’t bear children), mind (e.g., men and women use their unique intuitions to solve problems in different ways), and in marriage roles (e.g., man leads and loves while woman helps and submits).

Every man and woman, boy and girl, must go to the Scriptures and passionately seek to know and understand the role God has given them. You won’t be distracted by petty stereotypes there. Instead, you’ll find God’s vision for men and women who desire to following his perfect design for their lives.

5. Celebrate their unified goal in Christ to proclaim his excellencies.

Yet there is one way in which every boy and girl is completely the same: they are sinners. They were all born with the same problem: they are rebels against a good God.

But this good and gracious God freely extended salvation to both boys and girls through the perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this Savior infuses boys and girls with the same purpose: to live, work, and worship God in community with others (1 Peter 2:9). Every difference they have should be a means in reaching to their unified goal—to glorify God.

Boys and girls both were made to look to Christ as their authority, their king, their brother, and their friend. Both were made to serve Him. Both were made to love Him (Gal. 3:28).

However, the way we glorify God and live out our calling as men and women, boys and girls, is often different because of the different roles and responsibilities God’s given us. But this is “very good.” This is beautiful. This is the way things were meant to be. And that is reason to praise God.

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The post Five Ways to Celebrate God’s Deliberate Design appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (December 8, 2017)

6 Things Christ Accomplished by His Death (Servants of Grace, Matt Perman)

The reality of substitution is at the heart of the atonement. Christ accomplished all of the above benefits for us by dying in our place – that is, by dying instead of us. We deserved to die, instead, He took our sin upon Him and paid the penalty Himself.

Teaching Your Children the Virtue of Waiting (The Good Book Blog, Scott James)

As your children excitedly wait for Christmas morning, look for opportunities to talk with them about what it was like to faithfully wait for Jesus’s birth all those years ago. Our anticipation of Christmas only lasts a month or so, but during this time we can lead our kids to better appreciate what it means to trust God as we wait, knowing he always keeps his promises.

Stop Apologizing for God (Desiring God, Tony Reinke)

God is not a kitten. He’s a tiger. He’s good, but he’s not tame. He is the God we find in Ezekiel. If we choose to live in denial, our worship will weaken, our standards of purity will diminish, our mission will skid to a halt, our message will be hollowed out, and our part in God’s global work will become more and more trivial.

Featured Sermon: Giving Thanks for Salvation (Grace to You, Cameron Buettel)

But true Christian gratitude is never rooted in temporal circumstances. Our thankfulness must rest in eternal realities. That’s why John MacArthur chose to focus on the glorious truths of salvation in his Thanksgiving sermon “Giving Thanks for Salvation.” We should never stop meditating on the glorious truths of redemption. The gospel is a message for believers as well as unbelievers—it calls sinners to repentance and saints to remembrance.

Three Ways Your Faith is Tested When God Says “No” (Unlocking the Bible, Colin Smith)

Brother, sister, for all eternity, who you are and what you will be will rest on Jesus Christ and all that he has done for you. That’s grace—and understanding grace takes the sting out of disappointment! When you know what it cost the Savior for your name to be written in heaven, for your sins to be forgiven, and for your eternal future to be secured, you will find great joy in what he has done for you, irrespective of what you may or may not get to do for him.

The post Key Connections (December 8, 2017) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Deserving or Delighting in God’s Generosity?

Being last in anything often brings shame and embarrassment. I feel like I failed if I get last—my reputation ruined. Thus, I often succeed in not being the very last. Yet, whenever I see Jesus’s words about the “last”, I wonder if the mentality not to be last whatever the cost, proves wrong.

Jesus says, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30).

We don’t easily digest this “be last” mindset in the success-driven world we live in. The most skilled, the “elite”, and the first-placers rise up in order to get rewarded with wealth, prestige, and reserved parking slots.

But Jesus calls for a correction of our perspective. He pulls back the reigns on our natural pursuit of self-aggrandizement.

The Story of the Vineyard Workers

Jesus illustrates to his disciples the difference between the reward system of God’s kingdom and worldly accolades in the parable of the vineyard workers in Matthew 20:1-16.

He says, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard” (v.1). The landowner goes out looking for men at three different times, hires everyone he can, and promises to pay each a denarius.

At the end of the day, when the landowner goes out for the last time, he finds people still waiting to be hired (v.6). It seems that other landowners passed them by and hired others, for they reply, “Because no one hired us,” when asked why they remained idle (v. 6-7). This landowner hires these men, though the day is almost done. He tells them he will pay them “whatever is right” for their work, which turns out to equal the same wage as the ones who worked much longer (v.4-5).

Peter’s Question

Immediately prior to this parable, Peter’s asks a question of Jesus that reveals that he embraced a low reputation in the world, but still struggled with pride. Like Peter, one can be low on society’s totem pole, but still lifted too high in their heart.

He and the disciples had given up everything they had to follow Jesus, so he asked Jesus what they would get in return (Matthew 19:27).

Perhaps Jesus’s purpose for the parable is to show Peter (and us) the importance of trusting God for the reward of our work, and to stop thinking we deserve more than he gives.

In the parable, the all-day workers believe they deserve more than the others who worked less. This makes sense by worldly standards (Matthew 20:10). Like the early workers, Peter thinks the disciples deserve a reward for being more obedient than others—like the rich young ruler they just heard about (Matthew 19:16-24).

Jesus’s Answer

But, the landowner simply wishes to give the same wage to the laborers who worked less (Matthew 20:13-15). He does so out of his generosity. And, though he was true to his word, it bruises the vanity of the others. He says:

“But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (Matthew 20:13-15)

It turns out that the reason for the landowner’s generosity is rooted entirely in his own character, and not in the recipient. He graciously gives to each what he wishes—though he never does so unfairly.

The point Jesus makes gets to the heart of the workers he hired first—the Peters—and those of us who think we deserve more than we should.

Jesus assures us of a reward, but it will be different from our worldly expectations. God says that he rewards differently than the world rewards—he does so according to the generosity of his own heart.

God’s Ultimate Generosity

God generously grants us the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. It says in his Word, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For by grace you have been saved through faith…not as a result of works, so that no man may boast” (Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:8-9).

We don’t deserve to escape God’s wrath because of our sin. This undeserved gift of salvation in Jesus Christ is the epitome of God’s generosity.

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).

And, God will never be unfair, for he is just:

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

He will be, and has been, more than fair and abundantly generous to those who receive Christ as Lord and Savior. And for that we praise him.

His Promise to Exalt the Humble

To be first in the kingdom is to be last in our sense of deserving—desiring praise from the world and from God for what we’ve done. God will humble us if we ask him, change our perspective, and he will reward us justly in due time:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. (1 Peter 5:6)

Thus, let us focus on the object of our service—God himself—more than any earthly reward. When we joyfully work and serve with our eyes on Christ and what he’s already given us, we won’t long for more.

But, we do have the gracious promise that we will be rewarded for our good work done in Christ’s strength (Colossians 3:24). It’s important to see any good we do as Christ working in us and not our self-motivated obedience (John 15:5). God will be faithful to exalt the humble; therefore, in light of God’s generosity, let us be zealous for good works as those who are weak and imperfect, but who have a mighty and generous Savior.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post Deserving or Delighting in God’s Generosity? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Need Wisdom? Number Your Days

Friends, in order to gain the wisdom that we long for, we must pray.

See, prayer is the fountain of wisdom.

Wisdom is tightly tied to prayer in the Scriptures. Wisdom is asked for in prayer, often received during prayer, and wisdom is the result of prayer.

We see this very famously in King Solomon who, as he begins his kingship, asks God for wisdom, and God answers his request abundantly. We see this in James chapter one, where we are told to pray to God for wisdom and with great faith that he will answer our prayers.

In Psalm 90 we see this in Moses, who prays, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (v. 12). Moses is one of the great people of God in all of history, and there is only one psalm attributed to him. At the heart, at the climax of this psalm, we see him praying for wisdom. What’s interesting is that he asks God to teach him to number his days.

Friends, if we would have the wisdom that we long for, we must pray. And specifically, if we want to be wise, we need to learn to number our days.

How do we do this ourselves? What does it mean to number our days? And how will numbering our days bring us wisdom?

Learning to number our days means recognizing the unnumbered days of God (vv. 1-2).

God is the Creator; we are created. God is eternal; our lives are passing. God’s days are without end; but our days are numbered!

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world,  from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (vv. 1-2)

This immediately puts us in position to be wise. How? Because it teaches us where wisdom will come from. There is a being far greater than ourselves, far greater than any other human, and certainly greater than any other idea or philosophy in all of creation. Therefore, this being must be the source of all wisdom.

He has wisdom to offer to us that we cannot offer to ourselves. He has wisdom to offer us what nothing in all of creation can offer us. God is the source of wisdom. When we prayerfully consider God’s unnumbered days, we gain wisdom because we will know where to look for it. Surely, that is the beginning of wisdom: to quit looking at ourselves, to quit trusting the world, and instead to look to God. Learn to pray, “Lord, from everlasting to everlasting You are God!”

Learning to number our days means remembering that our lives are fleeting (vv. 3-6).

Here is what we read in Psalm 90 about the transience of our lives:

You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. (vv. 3-6)

Our lives are like dust, like a watch in the night, like a sweeping flood, and like a passing dream. Our lives are like the grass, renewed in the morning, and withered by night.

Friend, grasping this truth is the great secret to wisdom. I consider some of the wisest people I’ve ever met, and what they have in common. All of them have understood the brevity of human life:

The child in the children’s hospital who already has a stirring faith in Jesus Christ.  It’s because this is a child who has quickly learned to number their days.

The teenager who is “wise beyond their years.” It’s because, unlike other teenagers, they don’t think they have years to waste because they know their life is fleeting.

The older believer who doesn’t waste away in retirement, but invests those last years for the Lord. Almost everything he utters is wise because he doesn’t see these years as years to waste. He numbers his days!

What about you? Have you considered the brevity of your life?

Learning to number our days means prayerfully considering the wrath of God (vv. 7-11).

How many of us pray about the wrath of God? Most of us try to avoid this theme altogether. But look at how Moses prays to God plainly about it:

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? (vv. 7-11)

In Moses’ prayerfulness about God’s wrath we see what it means to fear the Lord. Holy reverence comes when we understand our sin and God’s holiness and anger towards that sin. Understanding this reality makes us reverent before him. This is not being afraid of God. This is a deep awe and reverence that makes us want to honor him.

Consider how much more wisely we would live if we remembered that God sees everything – even what we think is done in secret! We too often think that we can live anonymously, and we are sinful and foolish because of it. But as we fear the Lord and honor him with holy reverence, we will be wise.  It’s why the Bible says again and again, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7).

Friends, if we would have the wisdom that we long for, we must pray.
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Please don’t miss the joy attached to this truth. Because we know the power of God’s anger, we know that his wrath against sin was poured out upon Christ on the cross. We know that his wrath and anger live in harmony with the greatest act of love and grace in all of history!

Yes, God hates sin and must punish it in order to be righteous, just, and good. But for all who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, God will not pour out his wrath upon them. Instead he has already poured it out upon his Son. It is at the cross where wrath and mercy meet!

Friend, as you seek to walk in wisdom, ask yourself this: Am I numbering my days? What in my life would change if I did? Today, prayerfully consider the eternal nature of your Creator, the fleeting reality of your life, and the just wrath of God. Pray Psalm 90 when you need wisdom. Learn to number your days!

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post Need Wisdom? Number Your Days appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

10 Steps of Inductive Bible Study

Psalm 119:130 says “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

One of the ways God unfolds his Word to us is through personal Bible study. One method that I have found particularly helpful is inductive Bible study, which the ministry of InterVarsity introduced to me in college.

Inductive Versus Deductive Study

To study the Bible inductively means to use information in the passage to reach a conclusion about what the passage is saying. This might sound obvious, and we probably assume this is what we’re doing when we read the Bible. But, whether aware of it or not, we all come to passages of Scripture with conclusions already made.

By nature, we are prone to deduction: making a conclusion about a piece of something based on general knowledge of the whole.

For example, if you have concluded that a certain brand of clothing is high-quality and fashionable, then you may assume each item of that brand is high-quality and fashionable, without looking closely at each item yourself.

When we study a Bible passage inductively, we try very hard to make our conclusions about what the text is saying from evidence within the text, rather than from information or opinions outside of the text.

Paying Attention

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1).

It’s a mistake to read the Bible casually, guessing at its meaning and relying on our own experiences to determine what God is saying to us. This inductive method is helpful because it forces us to pay closer attention to what God’s Word says for itself. Here are 10 steps that may help you begin an inductive Bible study:

10 Steps of Inductive Bible Study:
1.Prayerfully choose a book to study.

As students of God’s Word, we aim to humbly receive the whole counsel of God. So, ask the Lord to guide you to a book that will broaden your grasp of Scripture, as well as deepen your love for and knowledge of the Lord (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Choose prayerfully, but remember that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

2. Understand the background of the book.

Research the general background of the book. Who wrote it? Where and when was it written? Who was the original audience? In what genre is it written?

You’re looking for perspective: to place the book in its correct place in time and history. A study Bible can be helpful, but resist the temptation to read every note at this point. The study Bible likely contains themes and conclusions that you want to discover for yourself in the text.

3. Make a manuscript of the book, and read it twice.

Create a manuscript by printing out the book double-spaced with section headings and paragraph formatting removed. You can use a website like Biblegateway.com to locate a digital copy of the book. Read the book from beginning to end. Try to approach it as if you had never read it before. Then read it again from beginning to end, looking for the aim of the letter and overarching themes.

4. Select a portion of the text to study within the context of the whole.

Narrow down a section for closer study. Depending on the time allowed, it might be half a page, or several. Choose a section to work with that contains a cohesive thought.

5. Mark what you see in the text.

Take a set of colored pencils. Look for key words or ideas to mark: repeated words, similar ideas, and words that connect units of thought (like “now”, “therefore”, “so that”, “but”, etc). Connection words between sections of thought indicate how the author is building on what has already been said, whether continuing their argument, making a conclusion, or introducing a new thought.

6. Ask questions of the text.

Try to think of questions that naturally arise from what has been said. Ask questions like: What does this say? What does this word mean? How does this section relate to the rest of the book?

Write down as many questions as you can.

7. Answer questions from the text first, then look to resources.

Often many of our questions can be answered in the text and its surrounding context. When you get stuck, read the passage in another trusted translation, and look up definitions in an English dictionary or a Bible dictionary like Vines [1]. Use cross-references too.

For example, when I’m studying James—which is believed to be the earliest book in the New Testament canon—I try to find answers to my questions in the Old Testament first, since that’s the resource James’ recipients had.

8. Humbly discuss your conclusions with other believers.

While personal Bible study is tremendously important, it is important that we do it while connected to the larger body of believers.

Strange ideas tend to take hold when we operate in silos. Humble discussion within your local church body, or comparison of your ideas with the study notes written in your Bible by other Christ-followers, are some of the Holy Spirit’s means of keeping our doctrine sound.

9. Determine your appropriate response.

A life-changing encounter with the Living God is the ultimate goal of any Bible study (James 1:22-25). Invariably, there is a promise to believe in, a command to obey, or a warning to heed when we read God’s Word.

10. Prayerfully ask God to change you.

Avoid the tragic pitfall of concluding your time in God’s word determined to obey, but without any real power to do so. While we are no longer slaves to sin because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on our behalf (Romans 6:17), we remain wholly dependent on His Spirit to change us. Prayerful fellowship with our Lord and Savior—relying on Him by asking daily for grace to obey—is the only means of lasting fruit-bearing. Hear his promise for those in Christ:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

Praise the Lord that we’re not left to understand Scripture by our methods alone; but instead, the Lord faithfully promises to opens our eyes to his wondrous truth.

As stated, this is a way to begin inductive study, but it’s far from an exhaustive list of the tools available for this type of study.   Here are some resources with more information on inductive Bible study:

The Bible Study Handbook by Lindsey Olesberg
Women of the Word by Jen Wilken
Living by the Book by Book by Howard and William Hendricks

[Photo Credit: Unsplash] [1] Vine, W.E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1976).

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The post 10 Steps of Inductive Bible Study appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Three Ways Your Faith is Tested When God Says “No”

Today we are going to look at the story of a godly man with a good heart and a great idea.

This story from God’s Word speaks directly to something all of us will experience. It’s one of the toughest challenges a Christian can face—when God closes the door on something good you hoped to do for him.

David had it in his heart to build a temple for God, but God said ‘No,’ and gave that privilege to David’s son, Solomon, instead (2 Samuel 7:13). The point isn’t that God doesn’t want a temple to be built. It’s simply that David will not be the one to do it.

Why did God close the door?

Why was David not allowed to do this, especially when Solomon was?

Why did God give a blessing, an opportunity that you desired, to someone else and not to you?

We are not told. “The secret things belong to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

How will David respond when what is in his heart is not God’s plan for him? How will you respond when what is in your heart is not in God’s plan for you?

When God says ‘No,’ your faith will be tested in three ways.

1. How well do you love God?

The first calling of God on your life as a Christian is to love him with all of your heart, all of your mind, and all of your strength (Mark 12:30). If it’s really true that you want to do something for God, then your love for the Lord will remain the same whether you get to do it or not.

David gives us a marvelous example here. He really loves God, and so he says, “Lord, you choose what I will give to you. I wanted to build a temple for your glory but if you want something different from me, then I want to give to you whatever pleases you” (2 Samuel 7:18-29).

Understanding grace takes the sting out of disappointment!
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David didn’t get the blessing of building the temple. But God had something else for him to do. God’s ‘No’ to David building the temple was part of God’s ‘Yes’ to the great contribution of David’s life, which was to establish peace by subduing the enemies of God’s people (2 Samuel 8, 10). For, Solomon could not have built the temple if David had not defeated the enemies and established peace.

What to you may be a great disappointment, may open the way to some other work that God may be calling you to do. That work may not be what you would have chosen, but if you really love the Lord, you will find peace in following the path that he has mapped out for you.

2. How well do you love others?

The second calling of God on the life of a Christian is to love your neighbor as yourself. That would mean loving others as much as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39).

None of us are there yet, but when God’s work of grace is complete in all of us when Christ returns, we will have as much joy in a blessing bestowed on someone else as we would have had if it had been given to us.

If building the temple really is for the glory of God, it shouldn’t make that much difference to David who builds it. To God be the glory! David would have had great joy in building a temple, but his joy was no less when that honor was given to his own son.

David is a wonderful example of what God’s grace can do. He is tested and he shines in 2 Samuel 7. He is a marvelous example of what is possible for the person who really loves God and really loves others.

3. How well do you understand grace?

Grace is all about what God does for us: what he has done, what he is doing now, and what he will do for us through Jesus Christ. It means that all of God’s kindness to us and all of God’s gifts to us are given freely—they are not earned. Grace is not a response to what we have done, nor is it a reward for the investment that we have made in his kingdom.

These verses that start out with what David wanted to do for God, end up overflowing with God’s grace toward David.

What God has done in the past

I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. (2 Samuel 7:8)

God stepped into David’s life and took him from the shepherd he was to the king he became.

Christian brother or sister, God has stepped into your life. He has laid hold of you and made you his own. In Jesus Christ, you are a son or daughter of God (John 1:12-13). You did nothing to deserve this. That’s grace!

What God is doing right now

I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. (2 Samuel 7:9)

God was with David at every step of the journey, including the times of his greatest disappointments.

Christian brother or sister, God is with you. In all you face and all you endure, God says to you, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)! That is God’s promise to you. God sticks with us, even when we are at our worst—that’s grace! And that grace is yours in Jesus Christ.

What God will do in the future

I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. (2 Samuel 7:9)

“David, who you are and what will come from your life is safe in the hands of God. You don’t need to fret about an opportunity that didn’t work out for you. Your name will rest, not on what you accomplish for God, but on what God in Christ has done and will do for you!”

Brother, sister, for all eternity, who you are and what you will be will rest on Jesus Christ and all that he has done for you. That’s grace—and understanding grace takes the sting out of disappointment!

When you know what it cost the Savior for your name to be written in heaven, for your sins to be forgiven, and for your eternal future to be secured, you will find great joy in what he has done for you, irrespective of what you may or may not get to do for him.

[This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon “When God Says ‘No’-Part 1” from the series A Leader You Can Follow.] [Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post Three Ways Your Faith is Tested When God Says “No” appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (December 1, 2017)

How to Find Joy in Your Work (Jon Bloom, Desiring God)

This is why we often resent or even hate work: our sin and the curse make it so hard. So we avoid work, or we turn it into a pragmatic, mercenary enterprise to buy something or to give us an identity we believe will bring us joy…God meant our work to creatively and vigorously steward some part of his creation, to be a means of providing for our needs and serve others, and to bring us joy.

The Most Dangerous 10 Minutes of Your Day (Carl Laferton, The Good Book Blog)

Did the Pharisees do their devotional times? Yes. Probably more often and for longer duration than you or me. Did the Pharisees have eternal life? No. Why? Because they thought that the Scriptures gave them eternal life. And the Scriptures don’t. And because they thought that the Scriptures gave them eternal life, they did not come to Jesus.

God Spoke, What’s Your Response? (Eden Parker, Godismysalvation.wordpress.com)

God spoke, and we did not listen. In his mercy, He speaks again, this time through his Son (Hebrews 1:2). We have the opportunity to listen–to repent and believe–or to say no to Christ’s Lordship. How important is Christ to you? Do you trust in Him? Are you believing his Word today?

Letting Go of Self-Sufficiency (Lara D’Entremont, Renewed in Truth)

The gospel is for people who recognize they are incapable of saving themselves and incapable of doing what is right. The gospel is for people who need God to save them, who need God to supply the faith, and who need God to change their hearts. And in this needy state, we glorify God as He works His awesome power in us.

It’s All Working Together—For What? (Timothy Thomas, The Village Church)

But the good we get from God “working all things together” is sanctification: God’s lifelong process of making us more holy, more like Himself. It is His glory that is our good.

God is Worthy of Your “Wow” (Josh Parsons, Unlocking the Bible)

Before we start shouting praises all over the place, we have to have a focus. Who are we to give this praise to? The object of our worship is God. Psalm 117 commands us to “praise the Lord” (emphasis added). God is to be the focus of our praise and joyful worship. Everybody worships something. Yet our praise-focus often gets diverted to places other than God, doesn’t it?

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