Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 90

When Christ Asks for Everything

Have you ever asked a question that you didn’t really want answered?

Or have you ever asked for an opinion, while looking for validation of a decision you had already made?

This seemed to be the case with the rich young ruler when he questioned Jesus:

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:16-20)

A Surprising Response

The young man seemed surprised when Jesus responded by telling him to keep the commandments. Surely, this was a mistake. Wasn’t Jesus aware of all the good he had accomplished to date? What was left undone?

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (v. 21)

He was probably equally surprised when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Christ. Rather than one more manageable task, Jesus asked something costly, public, and seemingly impossible (vv. 23-24). We read about the young man’s response to this command:

When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (v. 22)

We can identify a couple reasons why the young ruler may have gone away sorrowful:

Until this point, the rich young ruler was able to follow God out of his wealth, but Jesus was asking him to follow out of poverty by selling his possessions and giving to the poor.
The young man came looking for one “good deed” to perform, but Jesus didn’t require one more deed; He required everything. The thing Jesus asked of him wasn’t a rule to satisfy, but the sacrifice of his life.

A Sure Reward

We may shake our heads at the rich young ruler and wish he would have responded by following Christ instead of clinging to his wealth. Yet we may be no different from this young man if we answer the following questions truthfully:

Am I following Jesus on my own terms, choosing how, where, and to what degree I obey him?
Have I come to Jesus asking him to agree that I’ve met his expectations under the circumstances, or have I come asking him to expose the areas where I have fallen short?

Instead of asking Christ to validate what we think obedience should be, Christ asks us the difficult question of whether we will obey his command to give up everything for the joy of following him.

The Help of Christ

Does Christ ask the impossible? The disciples asked the same question:

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (vv. 24-26)

Jesus says here that salvation is impossible for us to achieve. But what is impossible for man is possible for God. The rich young ruler was trying to save himself by doing everything the law required. His best efforts fell short because he could not earn what only God can give through Christ.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:21-25)

Our Response

The rich young ruler went away sorrowful because he clung to the physical blessings he had been given. Likewise, we can grow too attached to the blessings that God brings into our lives, making them a greater treasure than Christ himself.

If you find yourself facing the same impossible call to sacrifice your life to Christ—counting him a greater treasure than all the blessings he can give—will you join the rich young ruler and go away sorrowful, or will you respond like these:

1. Like Job, acknowledge that he is the sovereign Giver.

If you’re in a season of loss that seems impossible to overcome, remember the words of a man who suffered great loss:

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20-21)

2. Like Peter, acknowledge the Lordship of Christ.

If you struggle with the impossibility of submitting to Jesus’ authority in your life, remember Peter’s response:

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

3. Like Paul, acknowledge God’s provision of sufficient grace.

If you’re facing a season of trial—maybe an impossible health crisis, financial circumstance, or relational struggle—remember that God’s grace is sufficient and his power is perfect:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Why God Asks for Sacrifice
The Deceitfulness of Riches: Five Diagnostic Questions
Four Powerful Reasons Not to Set Your Heart on Money

The post When Christ Asks for Everything appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Stop and Stare at the Wonder of God

Wondering about the wonder of God is always worthwhile.

The first chapter of the book of Genesis provides a succinct beginning for marveling at the Almighty as he intricately weaves something out of nothing. In Genesis 1:1-2, the author writes,

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Note the bleak descriptors before God acts. Formless. Emptiness. Darkness. In the midst of this void, however, the Holy Spirit is hovering above the waters, waiting for I AM to speak and paint a vibrant tapestry of totality with his awesome hands.

The Wonder of Glory

Though the earth and its fullness thereof is a glorious sight to behold, it simply points back to the Creator: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge,” says David in Psalm 19. We believe that the universe reflects the glory of God, but what exactly is this glory that stirs up a sense of wonder inside the soul?

Dr. John Piper provides a glimpse from a 2006 sermon, employing Isaiah 6:3 as a scriptural springboard.

Intrinsically holy, intrinsically holy, and the whole earth is full of his glory from which I stab at a definition by saying the glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness. It is the going public of his holiness. It is the way he puts his holiness on display for people to apprehend. So the glory of God is the holiness of God made manifest.

The Wonder of the Word

According to Dr. Piper, the glory of God is his holiness put on display. Therefore, holiness made manifest is also found in his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the display of God’s holiness in human form. The author John describes Jesus as the Word, and he eloquently brings us back to the first chapter of Genesis with a simple but staggering description of the Trinity:

In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

The baptism of Jesus, performed by John the Baptist in the Jordan River before beginning his ministry, is yet another instance of wonder. John, who once said that he was “unworthy to carry the sandals of Jesus,” resisted the Son’s request to baptize him. John stood in sheer awe of a Savior who would ask him to carry out such a significant sacrament.

Jesus is the display of God’s holiness in human form.
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After John consented to Jesus’ request and baptized him, the skies opened and the Trinity was displayed – Father, Spirit, Son – through the audible voice of God and a dove.

At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

John the Baptist marveled at the wonder of Jesus, much like the disciples did when Jesus called them to leave their vocations and follow him. This was the carpenter from Nazareth who raised the dead, healed the sick, and repeatedly declared the nearness of the kingdom of God. The Son of God, who was immersed in water to symbolize what he would do for humanity by dying on a lonely cross, also walked across it.

The Wonder of Authority

In what may be one of the most compelling stories in the Bible, Jesus summoned his friend Peter to walk with him on top of the water. We can only visualize the scene in our minds, but you can imagine the disciples exchanging looks of wonder and bewilderment at the sight unfolding before them on the choppy sea.

After catching Peter as he began to doubt and subsequently sink, Jesus stepped into the boat and the wind swiftly diminished. “Truly you are the Son of God,” said the disciples (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus, who is fully God, has complete authority over the seas.

David echoes the proclamation of the disciples in Psalm 24, writing, “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it upon the rivers” (vv. 1-2). David, penning his prayers many years before John did his Gospel, also alluded to the wonder of God’s mighty sovereignty in Genesis 1.

Stop and Stare

Indeed, there are numerous instances of wonder in the Scriptures. The creation narrative. God delivering the Israelites from the Egyptians through supernatural “signs and wonders” (Deuteronomy 7:19). The mighty walls of Jericho crumbling to the ground (Joshua 6). David slaying the godless giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Elijah being carried away to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2).

For followers of Christ, wonder begins and ends with Jesus, for the entire story of the Bible points to his life, death, and resurrection. No one else in history inspires awe like he did and does. He walked on water. He restored the sick. He taught us how to love others by demonstrating the most excellent way, voluntary sacrifice for the undeserving.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17-18)

How do we respond to a wonder like this, to the immeasurable love of a kind, gentle, merciful Savior? In the words of John Piper,

Christ is our life—not only the guarantee of it in heaven, but the down payment of it by the Spirit now, as he lives in us. His joy our joy, his love our love, his peace our peace, his strength our strength. These are not gifts moving from him to us. They are his life experienced as our life.

Marvel at the wonder of it all.

Marvel at the One who made it all. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

You Share in Jesus Glory
It’s a Wonderful Life
Who Then Is This Jesus Christ?

The post Stop and Stare at the Wonder of God appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Do You Resent the Life God Gave You?

I sat in the restaurant booth across from my husband, but I was distracted by the couple sitting nearby. As I watched them, smiling, enjoying their massive plate of gluten-and-dairy-filled food while my body ached and stomach churned, resentment began to rise in me.

I bet they can eat whatever they want and not feel miserable afterward.

How nice it must be to enjoy a date and not be distracted by a pain-wracked body and a trail of heavy trials that follow you wherever you go.

Rather than enjoying a rare night out with my husband, I found myself spiraling down into self-pity over how hard my life has been, and how easy life seems to be for so many people around me.

Before long, God, in his kindness, jolted me out of my pity party and made me see the ridiculousness of comparing the messy inside of my life to the seemingly pain-free outside of this unknown couple. I don’t know their story. I don’t know the heartache or scars hidden behind those smiles. I don’t know whether they are joyful in Jesus or ignorantly happy in their blindness.

They weren’t the problem. My own heart was.

Recognize Resentment

Though I hate to admit it, resentment is a subtle but real temptation in my heart, especially during times of deep pain and sorrow. Over time, I’ve learned how important it is to recognize this temptation when it comes, so that when I start to go down that path, I can take steps to realign my heart with the truth.

Thankfully, God has shown us exactly what it looks like. Psalm 73 temporarily travels the road of resentment toward “the wicked” whose lives seem to be going so well.

Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. (Psalm 73:12–14)

By God’s grace, the psalm doesn’t get stuck there. As it continues, God shows us how to turn from a resentful heart to a grateful one.

Trust What God Says, Not What You See

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. (Psalm 73:16–17)

If we try to make sense of our circumstances, or compare our circumstances to others’, we will inevitably feel like we drew the short straw. We will always find someone who seems to have an easier life, better job, healthier body, or what we long for and can’t have.

As we repent of resentment, God will bring us back to the truth of who he is and what he has…
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Therefore, like the psalmist, we need to stop trying to understand what is beyond what God has revealed, and instead trust the loving purposes our Father has spoken by filling ourselves with the truth of his Word. As we do this in prayer, our resentment may melt into gratitude as we remember that no painful circumstances in this world can compare to a hopeless eternity apart from Jesus.

How foolish to resent those who are comfortable now, but will be eternally lost. And how foolish to resent other believers who have something we wish we had when we serve a God who is purposefully working in each of our lives to give us what we most desperately need: more of himself.

Confess Your Resentment

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. (Psalm 73:21–22)

Just as the psalmist realized his resentment was ultimately directed toward God, my resentful feelings toward the couple near me was really a cover for my resentment toward God. I might as well have said to him, “I don’t believe you are doing what’s best for me, and I don’t trust your plan.”

When we are suffering and feel resentment towards those who are not, or when we resent others for having something we don’t have, our feelings are rooted in some form of unbelief towards God. We are either believing he’s not good (“If he was truly good, he would not deny me what I want”), or he’s not in control (“If he was truly sovereign, he could have prevented this or given me what I think I need”), or he’s not trustworthy (“This can’t be what’s best for me”). The battle begins at the level of our thoughts ­– that we take them captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

As we find in God’s Word the truths about him we aren’t believing, we must confess our unbelief. As we acknowledge the root of our resentment and repent of unbelief, God will faithfully bring us back to the truth of who he is and what he has promised.

And our joy will be restored once again.

Tell Him Your Sorrows

I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (Psalm 73:23–28)

I thank God for his grace and patience as I stumble my way down the path of following his Son. I never imagined the challenges and heartache I would face in this life, but God knew, and he has promised to carry me through to the end – growing me and drawing me closer to him each step of the way.

Christian, if you find yourself battling bitterness, resentment, or anger toward what God has chosen for your life, and how unfair it feels, I encourage you to lift your eyes to our loving Savior who knows your pain, struggles, and heartaches. Nothing on this earth compares to knowing Christ and enjoying him now and having the sure hope of eternity with him.

When you feel tempted toward resentment, and feel the weight of your circumstances threatening to crush you, remember that, though your heart and flesh may fail, God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever. He will faithfully guide you with his promises and counsel until that day when he receives you into glory.

When we can honestly say, “There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you,” a grateful heart has replaced a resentful one, and the circumstances that once brought resentment may be the very means God uses to show us his worth and satisfy our restless souls.

[This article originally appeared at DesiringGod.org. Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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When God Asks Hard Things of You
Joyfully Embrace What God Is Doing
Repentance

The post Do You Resent the Life God Gave You? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Bible Q&A: Do I Need to Confess My Sins to Other Believers?

Question: I need help. I want to confess my sins, but I don’t know who to confess them to. Do I just need to confess to God, or does he ask that we confess to others? I’m embarrassed of my sins, and I don’t know who to talk to about them.

Answer: The first thing to say is that confession is a normal part of a healthy Christian life. The Apostle John says, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). John wrote these words to Christians. Then he added, “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves” (v. 10).

The person who cannot see anything in his or her life that should be confessed as sin to God is a deceived person. That person is simply not seeing clearly. He or she is not in touch with reality.

Your desire to confess your sins is a good indicator of a normal, healthy Christian life. But how confession is to be done has been a matter of debate in history.

When to Confess Your Sins to Others

Many of us were brought up in a tradition where we were taught to confess our sins to a priest. There may be some value in that, but there is no place in the Bible where God says that you must confess your sins to a priest.

In the 16th century, there was a great movement to get behind the traditions that had built up in the church over the centuries, and to discover what the Bible actually said. The Reformers saw that we are confess our sins to God. They rediscovered the great Bible truth that in God’s eyes all believers are priests, and Jesus is our great high priest.

Your desire to confess your sins is a good indicator of a normal, healthy Christian life.
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John Calvin, who was a wise pastor, said that we are to confess our sins to God, but that confessing a particular sin to another person could be helpful—especially if, having confessed it to God, you were still struggling to find peace in your heart about it.

In that situation, you can go to a pastor and tell him, or you can go to any other mature Christian and tell them. This is what is often called “the priesthood of all believers.” It means you can go to any priest, including the one sitting next to you!

If Someone Confesses to You

If someone comes to you looking for help, and tells you about a sin in their life, your job is to help them grasp the promises of the gospel in relation to that particular matter. Whatever else that person may have done is none of your business. Your job is to help them come before God and believe the gospel in relation to the matter they have shared with you.

There is great wisdom here. James says, “Confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

Confess your sins to God. And if you are still struggling to find peace, share it with a pastor or a trusted Christian brother or sister so that they can help you apply the promise of the gospel to this particular situation, and so you may find peace.

[This is an adapted excerpt from Pastor Colin’s sermon “ Confess! ” from I Almost Gave Up. Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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How to Keep Your Heart: Confession
Your Best Defense Against Sin
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The post Bible Q&A: Do I Need to Confess My Sins to Other Believers? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (September 29, 2017)

Understanding Spiritual Gifts: 4 Lessons from J.I. Packer (Christel Humfrey, Revive Our Hearts)

The reason many of us feel presumptuous in claiming a spiritual gift is because we have wrongly assumed that our spiritual gifts are about us. But as Packer points out, “spiritual gifts must be defined in terms of Christ, as actualized powers of expressing, celebrating, displaying and so communicating Christ in one way or another, either by word or by deed. They would not be edifying otherwise.”

The Unhypocritical Jesus (Nicholas T. Batzig, Feeding on Christ) 

In this brief cameo we see the way in which Jesus did all that He taught–especially as it pertained to His carrying out the work of redemption for the salvation of our souls. The Savior has taken away the sin of our hypocrisy by His sincere obedience.

Three Things to Remember When You Read the Bible (Jonathan Parnell, Desiring God)

Whether you open these pages before dawn, over midmorning coffee, or at the dinner table with family, whenever you read the Bible something miraculous is happening. After all, you are not just any ordinary person, and the Bible isn’t just any old book.

On Getting ‘Un-Dragoned’ By the Light of Christ (Jared C. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition)

The good news is that Christ was exposed for us that we can confess without fear and find our refuge in him. If we are hidden with Christ in God, we have nothing left to hide! It may cost us a little something, but the reward for walking in the light far surpasses keeping whatever it is we’re trying to protect.

Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters (Tom Olson, Unlocking the Bible)

Often times, we think only of singing when we’re happy and times are good, but singing bringing strength for trial comes out in Acts 16. Paul and Silas are unjustly imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, and what do they do while they’re in prison? Sing! (Acts 16:25)

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

Four Things You Can Always Expect from God

We have a way of shaping our expectations. But this way, the responsibility is on us, and we can become unsettled, even angry, if our expectations fail to become reality.

My 7-year-old grandson is famous for this. Recently, when my husband had our deck taken apart for repairs, Oliver was determined to play on it, even though we’d told him it was off-limits. He said, “But I can see in my mind how I will walk across it!” He had developed a mental expectation and was not happy when we prevented him from making it a reality.

Likewise, adults sculpt expectations about how their lives will proceed. The happy marriage of parents leads to an expectation of similar marital bliss, while an unhappy parental divorce builds the opposite prospect. My generation expected that diligent work would lead to the American Dream. Yes, many have achieved success – but others have endured financial, relational, and health challenges.

Four Things You Can Always Expect from God

Life does not play out as expected. Some of my expectations have been met, others have been exceeded, and yet others remain unmet. I imagine that you would say the same.

As I’ve studied the Bible, I’ve realized how my expectations are not necessarily God’s expectations for my life. I started thinking about what we can expect from God, no matter what.

1. Unchanging Love

I remember being stunned when a friendship went wrong or a boy broke up with me. It had apparently never occurred to me that someone wouldn’t like me. Shocking, I know.

But God’s love is unchanging. The Bible tells us that while we were still sinners and had little knowledge of the love of God, Christ died for us. When we enter a relationship with God, through Jesus, learning more about what the Bible teaches about the love of God, our eyes are opened. God’s love is no longer abstract. This continues to astound me.

There will be times when relationships hurt, but I know that nothing will ever cause God to break up with me. He knows me better than I know myself, and through Christ he loves me and is for me. He created me, and he will never leave me. I can expect God’s love, always.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

2. Unending Presence

Have you ever been left out of something? Me too. It hurts to be left on the outside when others are together on the inside. Lately, my husband and I have felt this with regard to our work. Earlier in our careers we were successful and satisfied, but now we find ourselves searching for fulfilling work. When I see friends and family members who are hitting their stride in their jobs, I feel left out.

I don’t know why work has been such a struggle for us, but I do know that God is in it and that we are growing closer to him through prayer, searching, and waiting.

God will never leave us. He’s promised that he will be with us always, no matter what, in any and every situation, whether we realize it or not. He often uses difficult circumstances to get our attention, for we may be too self-sufficient to look for God until he shows us just how dependent we are on him. We are not promised easy lives, but we can expect the presence of God in our difficulties.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

3. Glorious Transformation

Transformation is harder to get our heads around, for it’s a process empowered by the Holy Spirit that takes effect with our cooperation.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Notice that “do not conform” is active and “be transformed” is passive, the Holy Spirit’s work. We renew our minds every time we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit slowly transforms us to be more like Christ.

When we learn to reject the pattern of this world, that it’s all about us, and see that it’s all about the Lord, the Holy Spirit will transform us to be more like Jesus. We will be humbled. We will repent. The attractions of this world will recede, and the glory of God will come into unmistakable focus.

As the attractions of this world recede, the glory of God comes into unmistakable focus.
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God also uses trouble to initiate transformation; we can expect trouble at some point in our lives. The most recognizable moments of transformation in my life happened as a result of trouble.

When I was raising my children, I remember a time when I was troubled about my parenting. I was taking a walk and praying about it when the truth of God’s Word renewed my mind. I realized that his will for my children would be accomplished, that he loved them more than I did, and that he was a far better care taker than I’d ever be. In that moment, God used that trouble to transform my heart and my parenting.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18, emphasis mine)

4. Perfect Glory

Our expectations are short-sighted. This life is only the first baby-step of our eternity with the Lord. Because we live in a fallen world, there’s no escaping the effects of sin. In Christ, however, we have the firm expectation of living with him in a perfect, sinless world forever.

Jesus said he goes to prepare a place for us (John 14:1).
The writer of Hebrews wrote that heroes of the faith were looking forward to a heavenly country, as do we (Hebrews 11:15-16).
Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

If our expectations are set on the promises of God’s unconditional love, constant presence, transformation by his Holy Spirit, and unimaginable eternity with Jesus, we will never be ultimately disappointed.

RELATED POSTS:

We Need God’s Transforming Grace
Worshipping as Much as You Know of Your God, Part 1
The Peace and the Presence of God

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An Open Letter to My Single Friend

Dear Elisabeth,

I ask for your forgiveness. I have not been a good disciple, nor a good friend to you in the ways I press and groan and guess about possible times and dates for when the Lord will bring us husbands. Talking too much about “if” and “when” and “how” Mr. Right comes is not beneficial to either of us. I distract you from the Lord, feed my idolatry of this gift, while eroding our trust in the Father’s sovereignty.

Times and Dates for Marriage

I read this passage today, and it encouraged and challenged me:

He [Jesus] said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth…”

“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:7-8, 11)

Jesus is about to leave his disciples, and you can imagine the questions going through their minds! Why? When will he return? How will we go on? But Jesus tells these men that times and dates don’t belong to them. They are not theirs to know, manipulate, or work around. So times and dates don’t belong to us either; they are set by God the Father and will come to pass as he ordains.

Jesus gives his disciples freedom to let go: The thing they worry over and grasp for is not in their hands. They don’t control what they so desire, which in this case is a good desire – to see God fulfill his promises to their people, his people (see 1:16)!

The times and dates of our wedding days are in the hands of our Father, and the “if” question is already answered by this verse in Acts: He has set the circumstances, whether an earthly wedding or seasons of waiting. The details are not for us to know. To think we are lords over this good desire we share is a lie. Only our Lord is truly sovereign. Let’s submit to and delight in our King’s reign.

Treasure Better Than Marriage

Jesus tells us that God replaces what we wrongly clutch with a gift. Like the loving Father he is, it is a good and perfect gift (James 1:17) that he knows we can – and commands that we will – cherish. That gift is his name, and a couple other gifts come with this.

When Jesus comes back, we will have the real version of which earthly marriages are merely shadows.
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We are given the Holy Spirit and the authoritative Word of God so we can bear witness to his name rightly and with power. We are bearers of the name of Jesus to the ends of the earth. That is no small treasure to possess and profess.

We carry this treasure of the gospel into our work places, homes, churches, schools, and circles of influence; what a gift we have the privilege of proclaiming! It’s no trivial perk that God says we have his Spirit and his power—we desperately need both and cannot bear this responsibility without him.

Turning from Our Sin

Yet, the devil, the world, and our sinful hearts would take our focus off this treasure and instead fix us on what we don’t have: a dating relationship or a future spouse. These desires can give way to sin: discontent, fear, anger, bitterness, envy, pride and idolatry—

But God promises that his Spirit will help us put to death those sins surrounding our desires:

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)

I so often believe the lie that I’ll never be free from mixed motives in relationships with Christian brothers, impatience with God’s timing, and doubt in his sovereignty. But such sin can be destroyed! God says it cannot live on in our hearts; that’s a promise. He is our help.

The Glorious Wedding Day

We desire godly husbands, so we look to the wedding day! God’s Word here tells us what to desire: the name of Jesus to be proclaimed because the Wedding Day is coming. Jesus is coming back for us, and then time will be up for this side of eternity. Earthly marriage will pass away. The wedding of the Lamb of God and his prepared Bride, the church, will arrive in its place (Revelation 19:7).

When Jesus comes back, we will have the real version of which earthly marriages are merely shadows. We are members of his Bride. Yet we can keep the desire for earthly marriage; perhaps it is God’s design that we have it. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to stop hoping in the restoration of Israel. He told them to lift their eyes to their ultimate hope.

Truths as We Wait

What’s going to help us remember these truths? What will remind us that we don’t need to know times or dates for dating or engagement or marriage?

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Our greatest help is from the Lord. The Spirit of power given to us will work in our hearts. He, our faithful friend, will endlessly bear witness to the name of Jesus and go with us to the ends of the earth. Our corner may be small, but our call and companion are not.

Maybe instead of talking about our earthly dreams for dating and marriage – “what if’s” and worries over the “how’s”– let’s ask each other, “What will the day be like when Jesus returns?” What do we have to look forward to? And how can we creatively, sincerely, and boldly bear witness to him now as we wait for that day?

Let’s anticipate the coming of our true Husband better, together.

Grace and peace in the Lord Jesus,

Eden

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The post An Open Letter to My Single Friend appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

God Gives Us Himself

Several years ago, I missed my oldest daughter’s birthday. A conference for work overlapped with her big day.

My wife made it special for her, and I called to chat. My daughter enjoyed the gifts and food and celebration. But when a loved one is absent, it’s just not the same.

A Rebellious People

In the book of Exodus, after rescuing his people and bringing them near, God is closer than ever before to Israel. He designs the tabernacle so he can dwell with them (Exodus 25:8).

But in a single act of rebellion, the covenant bond of peace between God and his people explodes like a light bulb. 

While Moses is on the mountain, the people hunt for something – anything – to worship. They forget their Savior (Psalm 106:21), they disregard Moses, and they beg Aaron to make a god for them (Exodus 32:1). Don’t miss this—in this treacherous act, the Israelites are turning their back on the God who brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and to this holy, smoking mountain. The golden calf is not a slip of the tongue or an accidental offense; these people are rejecting God with a stiff arm and stiff necks.

Moses begs God not to destroy the entire nation (32:11–13), and though God relents (32:14), there are still consequences. Three thousand people die (32:28). The stone tablets – on which God wrote the ten commandments – lay in pieces. And Moses has to plead for Aaron’s life (Deuteronomy 9:20).

Would God forgive the people? Could he, after the people trashed his reputation and spit on his awesome deeds?

A Gracious Consequence

The drama reaches a climax in Exodus 33. God tells the people to go to the land of Canaan. This is the land promised not only to Abraham (Genesis 12:7) but also to Moses and Israel (Exodus 6:8). God told them that they would enter a lush, bountiful land, and now he sends them off to do just that. But, there’s a caveat.

God won’t go with them (Exodus 33:3). He can’t. The people are “stiff-necked.” Their sin is so odious that God says he would “consume them on the way.”

By his angel he will drive out the inhabitants (33:2). He’ll keep his promise. But God himself cannot go.

A Disastrous Word

To the Israelites, this is a “disastrous word” (33:4). Moses understands how empty the promised land would be without God. He declares, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (33:15).

Think about this! The Israelites have never had their own land. But for Moses, having land is worth nothing if God’s not there.

God isn’t withholding all his blessings. The land will still flow with milk and honey (33:3); the tribes will still be defeated (33:2).

In the midst of many blessings, God has given the gift of himself. He is our eternal treasure.
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But Moses wants God. And if God won’t give himself, none of his lesser blessings will do.

John Piper frames this issue for modern Christians:

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

A Steep Price

In my honest moments, Piper’s question makes me squirm. Far too often I’d be satisfied without Christ himself. I’d take the blessings without the Blessed One.

Thank God my destiny is not determined by my desires! Our future is bright with the promise of God’s presence—in the new heavens and new earth, “the dwelling place of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3).

This presence of God – God with us for eternity – comes at a steep price. In our natural state, God’s presence would consume us.

But Jesus, the perfect son of God, is our shield. In our place, he felt the consuming fire of God’s wrath on the cross. For a brief time, Jesus experienced the absence of God (“Why have you forsaken me?”) so we could enjoy his presence forever. Jesus suffered so “he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

The Eternal Treasure

Moses clearly saw what we catch in glimpses: God’s gifts are wonderful, but they are nothing without God himself.

And we have God himself! Not just in the future, but right now. Because Jesus Christ reconciled us to God, he then gave the Holy Spirit to dwell in each Christian (Acts 2:38).

What does God’s presence mean for us? Exodus offers some answers.

1. God’s presence means we can rest.

We aren’t on a journey to find, achieve, or conquer a land like Israel. But we still go about our lives striving for blessings. We can be still and know that he is God, God with us. Because he has promised never to leave, we can cease our restless striving knowing God will provide (Exodus 33:14). This means we can sleep, we can worship, we can observe the one-day-in-seven pattern that God established for our good.

2. God’s presence means he loves us.

For Moses, God’s presence signified his favor (33:16). Because of Christ’s obedience, we have the perfect approval of our Father. The Spirit in us is the spirit of adoption by which we cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15). When we feel lonely, lost, or abandoned, we replace the whispers of Satan with the clear truth of Scripture.

3. God’s presence means he has called us.

Moses tells us that God’s presence with the Israelites would make them distinct “from every other people on the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:16). In other words, God sets his people apart by his presence. The Holy Spirit now marks us as holy people, called for a purpose.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9–10)

God goes with us and trains us to talk to our friends and family. He sends us as the recipients of mercy to proclaim his free offer of mercy. In the midst of many blessings, God has given the gift of himself. He is our eternal treasure! And he equips us to declare God’s excellencies to a dark world that needs light.

[1] John Piper, God Is The Gospel, p.15. Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post God Gives Us Himself appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

10 Promises for Your Bible Reading

Many mornings, weariness threatens to win.

Like a thick cloud, it opposes my time in God’s Word, obscures my desire to read, and keeps me from seeing the light of truth. My weariness might be circumstantial – a disappointment or an ongoing trial – or it may be physical – a long night of little sleep or the lingering annoyance of chronic pain.

I desire to dive into the depths of Scripture, but weariness wants to keep me in the shallows. I yearn to explore the endless riches of knowing Christ better, but weariness tempts me to apathy and tricks me into settling for less.

I need God’s help when I come to his Word. We need God’s help.

Only he can overcome the shallows of our weariness and enlighten our clouded hearts with his truth. He actually promises to do these things when believers read their Bibles—

But do we trust his promises?

Our Problem and God’s Blood-Bought Promise

Apart from the miracle of the gospel at work in us, we’re unable to read our Bibles to see what’s really there. John Piper says,

We cannot turn from one page to another [in our Bibles] without God. We cannot think one thought without God. We cannot feel one feeling without God. And we certainly cannot see the glorious wonders in the word without God. Therefore, we must read by faith in the blood-bought promise that God will help us.

If my desire for the Word was left to me, most days I’d feel apathetic, distracted, and yes, weary! This is the problem of the human heart, that we’re easily deceived by our sinful emotions, tempted by Satan’s devices, and lured by worldly distractions.

We come to our Bibles expecting to hear from God, who promises to help us as we read.
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But this is precisely the problem Jesus remedied when he went to the cross, and it’s the obstacle he overcame when he destroyed sin and all its fruit by his resurrection.

When the Son of God took our sin upon himself at Calvary, what was he doing? He was reconciling us to the Father. He was making peace by the blood of his cross. He was opening the living way for relationship with God, that we would hear him speak, desire to obey his words, love him increasingly, and be changed in the process.

The miracle of the gospel is this: We can now come to our Bibles expecting to hear from the God who speaks, who’s given us a new, blood-bought heart that loves him, and who promises to help us as we read.

10 Promises for Your Bible Reading

What are some of these promises? What does God say he’ll do when we, his weary children, read his Word, trusting that he will help us? Meditate on and pray one or more of these promises as you open your Bible today, and trust that they’re for you as you commune with God in the name of his Son:

1. God promises to accomplish his purposes through his Word.

[My word] shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

2. God promises to grow you in holiness through his Word.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

3. God promises the gift of faith through his Word.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

4. God promises to keep his Word.

I will not violate my covenant

or alter the word that went forth from my lips. (Psalm 89:34)

5. God promises to be with you as you read his Word.

…for [God] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

6. God promises to direct your way through his Word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

7. God promises to attend to those who are humble before his Word.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

8. God promises his Spirit will guide you in the truth of his Word.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)

9. God promises to search your heart by his Word.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

10. God promises to help you as you read his Word.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

[1] Reading the Bible Supernaturally, John Piper, p. 280. [2] Ibid. See Piper’s entire chapter on trusting God’s promises. Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Key Connections (September 22, 2017)

Nabeel Quereshi (1983-2017) (Justin Taylor, The Gospel Coalition)

Jesus is the God of reversal and redemption. He redeemed sinners to life by his death, and he redeemed a symbol of execution by repurposing it for salvation. He redeemed my suffering by making me rely upon him for my every moment, bending my heart toward him.

Nothing Out of the Ordinary (Eric Davis, The Cripplegate) 

When humanity committed spiritual treason against God, everything shifted. It had to be this way. God must remain God. We must be regularly reminded that sin really is this big of a deal.

Museum Collections (Museum of the Bible)

Guests will be able to experience these collections year-round when Museum of the Bible opens its 430,000-square-foot museum in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2017.

Biblical Encouragement (Christina Fox, The Christward Collective)

As believers, we need biblical encouragement and we need to give it to others. May our encouragement go deeper than the cheers of a crowd and to the very heart and soul of our brothers and sisters, comforting, exhorting, and urging them forward in the truth of the gospel.

Siz Benefits of Ordinary Daily Devotions (Jon Bloom, Desiring God)

Similarly, devotions are one of the ways we cultivate delight in God. Many days it may seem mundane. But we will be surprised at the cumulative power they have to deepen our love for and awareness of him.

Overwhelming Joy in Ministry (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

The joy we have in ministry is that you never know what God has been doing in a person’s life before, and you never know what he will do later as a result of your sowing the seed.

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