Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 95

How Do We Balance What Scripture Says About Saving with the Biblical Commands to Give Generously?

There are two sides to the issue of savings. On the one hand, Scripture tells us that the wise man anticipates future needs, while the foolish man spends and consumes all his resources with no thought for the future: “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has” (Proverbs 21:20). Even ants store up provisions for the coming winter (Proverbs 6:6-8).

It’s a shortsighted person who fails to store up provisions (money, food, or materials) for upcoming times of predictable need. If you are planning to retire and have no other means of income, then it would be wise to make some plans for how and where you will live after retirement.

On the other hand, Jesus commended the poor widow of Mark 12:41-44 because she did something most of us would consider foolish. She gave her last two pennies to God, having no idea where tomorrow’s provision would come from, except that it would come from her Lord. In 2 Corinthians 8:3-15, the Macedonian Christians gave “beyond their means” to the point of leaving themselves impoverished, and Paul commends them for it.

Jesus commanded us not to seek first material wealth, but God’s Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:24, 33). Speaking through Paul, God says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV). (I explore this passage, and the commands in it, in depth in my book Giving Is the Good Life.)

Saving Is No Substitute for Giving

For many people, their primary form of savings involves preparing for retirement. But when it comes to the “retirement dream,” we must ask ourselves, Whose dream is it? Is it God’s dream or the American dream? Consider one man’s plans for retirement: “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry’” (Luke 12:18-19).

We aren’t told that this man was dishonest or irreligious. His plans make sense by our standards. But in the verses that follow God calls this man a fool. He tells him his life is over and asks, “Who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Jesus promises, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) .

The distinction between financial responsibility and financial foolishness is this: Saving becomes hoarding when it is exercising our own sovereignty and financial independence so that God doesn’t have to come through for us.

James condemned the spirit of selfish stockpiling and indifference to a suffering world that had spread into the early church (James 5:1-5). And in Exodus 16 there is a graphic lesson against hoarding. We must beware of any savings or retirement or insurance plan that becomes a God-substitute.

Saving can be wise, but it is never a substitute for giving. If ever we don’t feel we can save and give, by all means we should give. Some people in Scripture are rebuked for saving too much, but no one is ever rebuked for giving too much. Giving is at the heart of a walk with God.

Generous Giving Is Responsible

In the truest sense, generous giving is not just compassionate; it is also responsible. By giving we prepare for our eternal future, because we lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-24). Laying up treasures on earth is ultimately irresponsible. Why? Because it’s investing in something worthless, that will be annihilated in the coming holocaust of things (2 Peter 3:10-11).

Now, something can be said for being more thrifty, and reducing lifestyle expenses in order to provide savings for retirement. This is probably wise. I believe that having less because you give is different than having less because you spend.

We know a missionary family who took their retirement savings and poured everything back into the mission. I suggest that God looks very differently at these people than at the Christian who spends his money on short-term indulgences with no thought of saving for upcoming needs or providing for his family’s future. To those who seek first His kingdom, and to those who sacrificially give of their assets to His kingdom, His promise is one of material provision (Matthew 6:32-33; Philippians 4:19).

I suggest looking for ways to save without reducing giving. To that end, there are some practical questions to ask ourselves: Can we presently reduce some expenses that would allow us to continue to give generously and save money? Can we liquidate certain assets? Can we sell our home and buy or rent a smaller one? Or buy a comparable home in another area where it is cheaper to live? Is it necessary for us to maintain our present standard of living?

The old saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.” But when Jesus spoke of laying up treasures in Heaven He added a corollary: “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.”

Instead of spending our lives backing into eternity and clinging to our earthly treasures, we can turn around, walk forward and lay up our treasures in our eternal home. Then, instead of moving away from our treasures we’ll spend our lives moving toward them.

Giving Is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do what pleases God, helps others, and is best for us―at the same time? Can we live the good life without being selfish?

In Giving Is the Good Life, bestselling author Randy Alcorn teaches life-changing biblical principles of generosity and tells stories of people who have put those radical principles into practice. Each story is a practical application that can help stimulate your imagination and expand your dreams of serving Jesus in fresh ways. These real-life models give you not just words to remember but footprints to follow.

Giving Is the Good Life reveals a grander view of God and generosity―one that stretches far beyond our imagination and teaches us what the good life is really all about.

And coming soon: Are You Living the Good Life? (booklet)

Photo by Sabine Peters on Unsplash

Suffering’s Limits

For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
to deny a man his rights
before the Most High,
to deprive a man of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?

Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
Why should any living man complain
when punished for his sins?

Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
—Lamentations 3:31–40

In this single passage, only verses apart, we’re told God doesn’t willingly bring affliction or grief, and we’re told that both calamities and good things come from God. What can this mean?

Even though the statements seem contradictory, they are not. While God finds no pleasure in sending affliction or grief to us and He empathizes with our suffering, He can and does accomplish good purposes in our lives through them.

One reason the problem of evil and suffering can seem so acute to us is the cumulative weight we feel from media oversaturation. At most, people used to bear the sufferings of their own families, communities, or nations. Now, through instant access to global events, we witness the sufferings of an entire world. While a tiny percentage of the world’s inhabitants face a given crisis, the images each day of one disaster after another make it feel far more universal. This oversaturation desensitizes some to suffering while overwhelming others.

Despite the horror of disasters, we must understand that suffering does not have a cumulative nature. The terrible suffering of six million people may seem six million times worse than the suffering of one. But no one, except God, can experience the suffering of six million people. All of us remain limited to our own suffering. While our suffering may include an emotional burden for others who suffer, it cannot grow larger than we are. The limits of our finite beings dictate the limits of our suffering.

C. S. Lewis concluded, “There is no such thing as a sum of suffering, for no one suffers it. When we have reached the maximum that a single person can suffer, we have, no doubt, reached something very horrible, but we have reached all the suffering there ever can be in the universe. The addition of a million fellow-sufferers adds no more pain" (The Problem of Pain).

Consider that while our suffering can rise only to the level we individually can suffer, Jesus suffered for all of us. All the evils and suffering that we tell Him He never should have permitted, He willingly inflicted upon Himself, for us.

Think about that long and hard, and let it pierce your heart with wonder and praise.

Lord, if we understood the extent of your empathy for us and the extent of your suffering to make us your children, we would surely be embarrassed to express our displeasure with you when your plans turn out to be radically different from ours. While we tend to live for the pursuit of our happiness, you are committed to the pursuit of our holiness. Teach us that when we pursue only happiness we will lose it along with holiness, but when we find holiness, including the holiness that can come to us through difficulties, we will find the happiness of Heaven.

This blog is excerpted from Randy's devotional 90 Days of God's Goodness. Right now, you can purchase 90 Days of God’s Goodness in softcover from EPM for $6.99 (53% off $14.99 retail), plus S&H.
 
Offer ends Thursday, September 19 at 12:00 pm PT (noon)
 
“This book is truly inspiring! Help for those going through deep water or who want to encourage others who are.” —Reviewer on Amazon

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Bruce Ware on Is Jesus the Only Savior, and Is Faith in Christ Necessary to Be Saved?

My friend Bruce Ware is an accomplished theologian and a professor of Christian Theology at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Here he answers some vital questions about whether Christ, and faith in Him, really is the only way to be saved.  —Randy Alcorn

Two Questions, Three Positions

Three positions abound today on the question of whether Christ is the only way to salvation. All three can be detected by how each answers these two fundamental questions: First, Is Jesus the only Savior? More fully: Is the sinless life of Christ and his atoning death and resurrection the only means by which the penalty of sin is paid and the power of sin defeated? Second, Is faith in Christ necessary to be saved? More fully: Is conscious knowledge of Christ's death and resurrection for sin and explicit faith in Christ necessary for anyone to become a recipient of the benefits of Christ's atoning work and so be saved?

Pluralism answers both questions, ‘No.’ The pluralist (e.g., John Hick) believes that there are many paths to God, Jesus being only one of them. Since salvation can come through other religions and religious leaders, it surely follows that people do not have to believe in Christ to be saved.

Inclusivism answers the first question, ‘Yes,' and the second question, ‘No.' To the inclusivist (e.g., Clark Pinnock), although Jesus has accomplished the work necessary to bring us back to God, nonetheless, people can be saved by responding positively to God's revelation in creation and perhaps in aspects of their own religions. So, even though Christ is the only Savior, people do not have to know about or believe in Christ to be saved.

Exclusivism answers both questions, ‘Yes.’ The exclusivist (e.g., Ron Nash, John Piper, Bruce Ware) believes that Scripture affirms both truths, first, that Jesus alone has accomplished the atoning work necessary to save sinners, and second, that knowledge of and faith in Christ is necessary for anyone to be saved. The remainder of this article offers a brief summary of some of the main support for these two claims.

Jesus Is the Only Savior

Why think that Jesus is the only Savior? Of all the people who have lived and ever will live, Jesus alone qualifies, in his person and work, as the only one capable of accomplishing atonement for the sin of the world. Consider the following ways in which Jesus alone qualifies as the exclusive Savior.

1. Christ alone was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26), and as such, he alone qualifies to be Savior. Why does this matter? Only as the Holy Spirit takes the place of the human father in Jesus' conception can it be true that the one conceived is both fully God and fully man. Christ must be both God and man to atone for sin (see below), but for this to occur, he must be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a human virgin. No one else in the history of the world is conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin mother. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

2. Christ alone is God incarnate (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:1; Philippians 2:5; 1 Timothy 2:5), and as such, he alone qualifies to be Savior. As Anselm argued in the 11th century, our Savior must be fully man in order to take the place of men and die in their stead, and he must be fully God in order for the value of his sacrificial payment to satisfy the demands of our infinitely holy God. Man he must be, but a mere man simply could not make this infinite payment for sin. But no one else in the history of the world is both fully God and fully man. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

3. Christ alone lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 2:21; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:23; Hebrews 9:13; 1 Peter 2:21), and as such, he alone qualifies to be Savior. As Leviticus makes clear, animals offered as sacrifices for sin must be without blemish. This prefigured the sacrifice of Christ who, as sinless, was able to die for the sins of others and not for himself. But no one else in the history of the world has lived a totally sinless life. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

4. Christ alone died a penal, substitutionary death (Isaiah 53:4; Romans 3:21; 2 Corinthians 2:21; Galatians 3:10), and as such, he alone qualifies to be Savior. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). And because Christ lived a sinless life, he did not deserve to die. Rather, the cause of his death was owing to the fact that the Father imputed to him our sin. The death that he died was in our place. No one else in the history of the world has died because he bore the sin of others and not as the judgment for his own sin. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

5. Christ alone rose from the dead triumphant over sin (Acts 2:22; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Corinthians 15:16), and as such, he alone qualifies to be Savior. The Bible indicates that a few people, other than Christ, have been raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17; John 11:38), but only Christ has been raised from the dead never to die again, having triumphed over sin. The wages of sin is death, and the greatest power of sin is death. So, Christ's resurrection from the dead demonstrates that his atoning death for sin accomplished both the full payment of sin's penalty and full victory over sin's greatest power. No one else in the history of the world has been raised from the dead triumphant over sin. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

Conclusion: Christ alone qualifies as Savior, and Christ alone is Savior. Jesus’ own words could not be clearer: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And the Apostle Peter confirms, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). These claims are true of no one else in the history of the world. Indeed, Jesus alone is Savior.

Faith in Christ Is Necessary to Be Saved

Why think that faith in Christ is necessary to be saved? The teaching of the apostles is clear, that the content of the gospel now (since the coming of Christ) focuses directly upon the atoning death and resurrection of Christ, and that by faith in Christ one is forgiven of his sin and granted eternal life. Consider the following passages that support the conviction that people are saved only as they know and trust in Christ as their Savior.

1. Jesus' own teaching shows that the nations need to hear and repent to be saved (Luke 24:44). Jesus commands that “repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). The people Jesus here describes are currently both unrepentant and unforgiven. To be forgiven they must repent.  But to repent they must hear the proclamation of Christ’s work in his name. And this is true for all the nations, including Jews who haven't trusted Christ. Jesus does not envision the “nations” as already having saving revelation available to them. Rather, believers must proclaim the message of Christ to all the nations for people in those nations to be saved.

2. Paul teaches that even pious Jews, and everyone else, must hear and believe in Christ to be saved (Romans 10:1).  Paul's heart's desire and prayer is for the salvation of his fellow Jews. Even though they have a zeal for God, they do not know that God's righteousness comes only through faith in Christ. So these Jews, even though pious, are not saved. Whoever will call upon the name of Christ (see Romans 10:9 along with Romans 10:13) will be saved. But this requires that someone tell them. And this requires that those are sent. Missions, then, is necessary, since people must hear the gospel of Christ to be saved.

3. Cornelius's story demonstrates that even pious Gentiles must hear and believe in Christ to be saved (Acts 10:1, Acts 10:38; Acts 11:13; Acts 15:7). Far from being saved before Peter came to him, as some think, Cornelius was a pious (Acts 10:2) Gentile who needed to hear of Christ, and believe in Christ, to be saved. When Peter reports about the conversion of the Gentiles, he declares that only when he preached did Cornelius hear the message he needed to hear by which he would “be saved” (Acts 11:14; cf. Acts 15:8). Despite his piety, Cornelius needed to hear the proclamation of the gospel of Christ to be saved.

Conclusion: Jesus is the only Savior, and people must know and believe in Christ to be saved. May we honor Christ and the gospel, and manifest our faithfulness to God’s word, by upholding these twin truths and living in a manner that demonstrates our commitment to them.   

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com and is used with permission of the author.

Photo by Ben White on Christianpics.co

God’s Sovereignty Means Our Giving Isn’t Random

The following is an excerpt from my new book Giving Is the Good Life. I hope it encourages you to look today for God-given opportunities to experience the adventure of giving!

The popular expression “random acts of kindness” is catchy and good hearted, but as believers in a sovereign God, we should see how He orchestrates our lives, including the people we know and the needs He brings across our path.

Cathy Osbun, a friend of EPM (our ministry), told me she knew someone whose husband was going to college, so grocery money was tight. She said, “The Holy Spirit prompted me to gather up some food, including the ham I’d just bought with my $300 monthly grocery budget. I struggled with that ham, thinking we’d have no more grocery money for the month. Thankfully the Holy Spirit won. I had my sister quietly place the bags of groceries on my friend’s porch.”

While Cathy didn’t expect it, what happened next seemed like God’s way of showing His approval. “I shopped at a grocery store that drew a signed receipt weekly for that amount in free groceries. The next week my receipt for over $300 was drawn. As far as I know, my friend never knew who provided the groceries, but God sure did.”

I believe that while it’s wise to do most of our major giving in a thoughtful, planned way, there’s certainly a place for spontaneous giving. But even unanticipated giving is not ultimately random. If you believe in a sovereign God, then being somewhere at a certain time and place when a particular person is also there is not random, but providentially orchestrated by God.

Acts 17:26 says, “From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live” (GNT). Since God fixes the exact times and limits of where people live, doesn’t this suggest He also fixes the times and places we will be on any particular day? Sure, people have free will, but that doesn’t mean God can’t take into account your free will and mine (and everyone else’s), so He can schedule us for divine appointments with people at certain times and places.

The next verse tells us the beautiful purpose God has for fixing our exact times and places: “He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27, GNT, emphasis added). Part of our role in divine appointments is helping people look for and find the grace of Jesus. Perhaps having His followers everywhere is part of the way God is not far even from unbelievers. He touches others through us.

Too many of us are bored with our Christian lives, and the reason for that is largely because we don’t see life in terms of the daily opportunities for adventure granted us by our sovereign God.

One afternoon, I bought a stranger lunch at a pizza place (I left my credit card with the cashier while I ate, and told her to use it for whoever came in next). As I saw the stranger smile, this thought came to me: God had me here today, not for a random act of kindness, but to fulfill his ancient plan and purpose. He prepared in advance for me to buy lunch for this man at this place and time.

I couldn’t have put that particular man on my schedule. What I can put on my schedule is a giving adventure—a day of giving, where I don’t buy anything for myself without giving something to someone else.

After spending two bucks at a dollar store on work gloves and a pair of giant plastic spiders to scare my grandsons (both purchases proved to be good investments), I kept my eyes open for a giving opportunity. Leaving the store, I saw an energetic and raggedly dressed little boy peering into every window. From the look on his face and the way he ran ahead of his mom and grabbed the door, he thought he’d arrived in paradise.

I approached the young mom with three dollar bills and asked if she would buy some things for her son. She looked at me, incredulous. “Are you sure?” Smiling broadly, she walked in to share the good news with him.

I didn’t have one of my booklets, and I didn’t have the opportunity to tell her I’m a Christ-follower. But I didn’t waste money that day. Jesus was behind the whole thing. I prayed he would use this tiny event somehow in their lives.

Jesus said that where your treasure goes, your heart will follow. Three dollars isn’t much of a treasure, but I can still picture that woman and her son, and even as I write this, I’m praying for them again.

That’s what giving does—it takes us on an adventure and ties our hearts to people we otherwise would never have noticed or connected with. And some of them we will see again on a redeemed Earth filled with endless adventures.

Photo by Javier Molina on Unsplash

God’s Truth Is at the Heart of the Spiritual Life

A common Old Testament word expressing truth, emeth, speaks of a dependable reality that’s solid and binding. Truth is the bedrock of human relationships (Exodus 20:16), involving an integrity of thoughts, speech, or actions.

Over half the New Testament uses of truth, the Greek word aletheia, are in John’s Gospel. Truth is reality. What seems to be and what really is are often not the same. As I develop in my novel Deception, “Things are not as they appear.” To know the truth is to see accurately.

God has written his truth on human hearts, in the conscience (Romans 2:15). If truth is spoken graciously, many are drawn to it, instinctively knowing it will fill the moral vacuum they feel. Every heart longs for truth—even the heart that rejects it.

As followers of Christ, we’re to walk in the truth (3 John 3), love the truth, and believe the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). We’re to speak the truth, in contrast to “the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). We’re to be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Truth is far more than a moral guide, it’s inseparable from God’s own person. Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He didn’t say He would show the truth or teach the truth or model the truth. He is the truth. Truth personified.

That Jesus is the God-man, the second member of the Trinity come in human flesh, is central to our faith. To deny this is to be a “liar” (1 John 2:22). If we get it wrong about Christ, it doesn’t matter what else we get right.

The Holy Spirit leads people into truth (John 16:13). We’re commanded to know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3), handle the truth accurately (2 Timothy 2:15), and avoid doctrinal untruths (2Timothy 2:18). Christ’s disciples do the truth (John 3:21) and abide in the truth (John 8:31-32). The “belt of truth” holds together our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14). God “does not lie” (Titus 1:2). He is “the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16 ESV). “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

Christ, as the Living Word of God, is inseparable from truth. He not only is the Truth, He is the source of all truth, the embodiment of truth, and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.

Those in countries where democratic ideals are embraced might have the illusion they should have a voice when it comes to truth. But the universe is not a democracy.

Truth is not a ballot measure. God does not consult us to determine right and wrong. It’s we who must go to revealed Scripture to find out what we should believe. Our culture appeals to whatever now is; God appeals to His intentions and design, to what ought to be.

When we wonder what’s right, we’re to turn to God’s Word: “For the word of the Lord is right and true” (Psalm 33:4). As Psalm 119 depicts in every one of its 176 verses, God’s truth is at the heart of the spiritual life.

Truth: A Bigger View of God's Word

Author Randy Alcorn shares 200 daily meditations with Scripture readings and inspirational quotes to help you grasp the wisdom and love found in the eternal Word of God. 

Right now, purchase one copy of Randy Alcorn’s Truth devotional from EPM for $5 (67% off retail $14.99) and get a second copy of the Truth book FREE! No code necessary. No limit to number ordered. Your free book will be automatically added to your cart. Offer ends Thursday, September 12 at 12 pm PT (noon).

"Truth is a daily jolt of reality for the day! I gave a copy to my agnostic friend with a challenge to him to read just one page and then ask himself if that is how he views truth. This book makes a great gift, and the daily layout is excellent in its inclusion of Scripture." —Reader review

Photo by Ben White on Christianpics.co

Christ Is the Unshakeable Foundation for Our Happiness—But It’s Also Good to Rejoice in Positive Life Circumstances

In my books Happiness and Does God Want Us to Be Happy?, I emphasize that the primary source of our happiness isn’t our present circumstances but our God, who promised He’d be with us always and who commands us to rejoice in Him.

When we talk about our circumstances, we usually mean the temporal, outward conditions of our lives. These may include a lost job, estranged relationships, illness, fatigue, or depression.

But if we are in Christ, we should look to and affirm our “spiritual circumstances,” which are eternal and very real. We are created by God, loved by Him, redeemed by Christ, indwelt with and empowered by His Spirit, assured of an eternally happy and abundant life. No one can snatch us out of God’s hands. We are more than conquerors through Christ, He is working all things together for our good, and nothing will ever separate us from His love!

Ponder those circumstances, every day and every hour, and they will overshadow your temporal circumstances.

Our present circumstances do matter. But in the scope of eternity, instead of determining our happiness, they offer opportunities for our growth and ultimate good. When they threaten to overwhelm us, difficult circumstances can remind us to look to God, our Rock and Redeemer, who is our happiness.

That said, sometimes there is a  modern sentiment in Christian circles that being happy due to positive circumstances, including the welfare of loved ones, is somehow unspiritual. True, circumstances change and our happiness should be grounded on Christ, who doesn’t change, but that doesn’t make it inappropriate to rejoice in favorable circumstances.

In 2 Corinthians 7:6-7, Paul said, “God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!” (NLT).

The Good News Translation puts it this way: “It was not only his coming that cheered us. . . . He told us how much you want to see me, how sorry you are, how ready you are to defend me; and so I am even happier now” (verse 7).

The word chairo at the end of verse 7, translated “joy” (NLT) and “happier” (GNT), is triggered by Titus’s arrival. Chairo is clearly an emotional response of great gladness. While not all biblical joy—or happiness or gladness—comes out of favorable circumstances, many times in Scripture it does.

Note the emotion in Paul’s words:

I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. . . . Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ.  Philippians 2:25-30, NIV

The New Century Version translates verse 28, “I want very much to send him to you so that when you see him you can be happy, and I can stop worrying about you.”

Though the Philippians were distressed when their dear friend Epaphroditus nearly died, they rejoiced in his deliverance and would rejoice to see him face to face. Positive life circumstances can prompt deep and emotional joy and happiness, and it’s OK to express that, as long as we remember that our ultimate happiness isn’t based on them.

Speaking of good news: right now Nanci and I are rejoicing over some very positive news related to her health. Last Thursday she had a follow-up test after a suspicious spot showed up on her most recent MRI. It turns out what looked suspicious was just a shadow! The surgeon said all is well in the area of the colon where the original tumor was, and he’s very happy with what he sees. 

Now the concern is a black spot in her right lung. But last week’s news was the best possible, as among other things it means no intestinal surgery is needed. It’s uncertain what the spot is, and whether it will or will not grow and might require chemo, but she’ll have a  CT in 30 days that should help determine that. 

God is good all the time, whether our health news is good or bad. But it was very kind of Him to answer our prayers regarding Nanci. We are VERY happy and relieved and grateful to God above all, and also profoundly thankful to all of you who prayed for her! THANK YOU, LORD!  

“Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, GNT).

Photo by Özcan ADIYAMAN on Unsplash

Giving Is an Eternal Investment That Benefits Us Here and Now

I’m sharing more today about my new book Giving Is the Good Life, which was released this week. Some readers might wonder how it differs from my book The Treasure Principle. Instead of a short book, it’s mid-sized, allowing me to explore many things there wasn’t room for in The Treasure Principle, including a number of things I’ve learned in recent years.

In particular, one distinctive of Giving Is the Good Life is that I have collected many exciting and meaningful giving stories, most of them short. Some are integrated into the main text of the book, while others are featured in sidebars. They illustrate the biblical principles related to giving and will broaden readers’ minds to many creative and exciting ways to give that most people may not have considered.

While the teaching from God’s Word, including the bad news and good news about money, is foundational, I honestly believe that the stories may inspire many people to discover forms of giving that fit their own hearts and passions and love for people.

The following is the second part of the introduction to Giving Is the Good Life (see part one).

One of the biggest misconceptions about giving is that the money we part with to help the needy or to spread the gospel just disappears and is gone forever. While we hope others will benefit from it, we’re quite sure we won’t. We even buy into the devil’s lie that giving will rob us of the good life.

We couldn’t be more wrong.

Jesus told His disciples that when they gave money away, their hearts would follow the treasures they were storing in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He also said that at the Resurrection, God would reward them for helping the needy (Luke 14:14). Somehow we’re forever connected to what we give and the people we give it to. Martin Luther has been credited with saying, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”

The Bible shows that anything we put in God’s hands is an investment in eternity. But that doesn’t just mean that someday our giving will bring us good. It will actually do us good here and now—at the same time it does good for others. That’s why the good life is inseparable from generosity.

I once heard a longtime Christian say, “I always used to tithe, checking off the box of spiritual duties. I never got excited about it. Then, as my wife and I learned about generosity, suddenly giving became fun. My wife told me that until then she’d never seen me write a check with a smile on my face!”

Does that seem too good to be true? Keep reading, because as we’ll discover, the truth is far better than we could ever imagine.

Generosity Is Good for Everyone, Not Just Christians

Even outside the Christian world, there’s a great deal of emphasis on philanthropy. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and various actors, musicians, and athletes have championed giving to various causes. It’s not uncommon for people who don’t profess Christ to believe in helping the poor and advocating for the oppressed.

In fact, modern research has much to say about the benefits of generosity. In their book The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose, sociologists Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson write about Smith’s findings on giving, which are based on years of careful studies. His conclusions may seem unexpected, but they shouldn’t be at all surprising to those who understand we’re created in the image of a generous God. They write, “Those who give, receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. . . . This is not only a philosophical or religious teaching; it is a sociological fact.”

Smith’s extensive research, which included more than two thousand surveys of American adults and many personal interviews, reveals this:

Giving money, volunteering, being relationally generous, being a generous neighbor and friend, and personally valuing the importance of being a generous person are all significantly, positively correlated with greater personal happiness, physical health, a stronger sense of purpose in life, avoidance of symptoms of depression, and a greater interest in personal growth.

In her book The Giving Way to Happiness: Stories and Science behind the Life-Changing Power of Giving, Jenny Santi shares the results of a 2008 study by Professor Elizabeth Dunn of the University of British Columbia. Participants received an envelope with either five dollars or twenty dollars. Some were instructed to spend the money by the end of the day; others were told to give it away. “Participants who were instructed to spend the money on a gift for someone else or for a charitable donation reported greater happiness than those who were instructed to spend the money on themselves.”

These are not isolated examples. Scientific studies back up what God’s Word has been saying for thousands of years: generosity pays immeasurable dividends. God rewards people for generosity in this life as well as in the life to come. He does this because He is a God of grace and a lavish giver Himself.

Generosity Benefits Recipients and Givers

Surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t talk that much about how giving changes the lives of its recipients. More often, it talks about what giving does for the one who gives.

I could have filled Giving Is the Good Life with stories of how the hungry are fed, how clean water saves children, and how people weep for joy when they receive God’s Word in their heart language. While I’ve included some of those vital stories in the book, I’ve following the example of Scripture by focusing on the giver’s happiness, rewards, and spiritual transformation.

My book isn’t big enough to explore the extent of the world’s needs. While I briefly summarize the facts of poverty, injustice, and unreached people groups, most of my readers are probably aware of those needs already or you can learn about them elsewhere. I believe the best way I can serve the needy is to show God’s people the wonder and joy, as well as the present and future rewards, of generous giving.

Giving Is the Good Life is full of stories of people who have put into practice the life-changing biblical principles of generosity. Each story is a practical example that can help stimulate your imagination and expand your dreams of serving Jesus in fresh ways. These real-life models give you not just words to remember but footprints to follow. In turn, as you apply these principles in your own unique way and place, you will become an example to others, “a letter from Christ . . . written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God . . . carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3, NLT).

I’m excited about how we can change others’ lives through our giving. But I’m also excited about how giving can change our lives, for God’s glory and our good.

I pray that Giving Is the Good Life will give readers a bigger view of God and of generosity—one that stretches far beyond this present life. And in the process, I pray that they will understand more than ever what the good life is really all about.

Giving Is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do what pleases God, helps others, and is best for us―at the same time? Can we live the good life without being selfish?

In Giving Is the Good Life, bestselling author Randy Alcorn teaches life-changing biblical principles of generosity and tells stories of people who have put those radical principles into practice. Each story is a practical application that can help stimulate your imagination and expand your dreams of serving Jesus in fresh ways. These real-life models give you not just words to remember but footprints to follow.

Giving Is the Good Life reveals a grander view of God and generosity―one that stretches far beyond our imagination and teaches us what the good life is really all about.

And coming soon: Are You Living the Good Life? (booklet)

Photo by Jordan Rowland on Unsplash

What Is the Good Life?

Having written nearly 60 books, I rarely get super-excited about a new one coming out. But I’m very enthusiastic about two books that have just been released. Does God Want Us to Be Happy? isn’t merely a condensation of my big Happiness book—it is specifically designed to correct the myths and misconceptions about happiness many evangelicals have believed and taught.

And Giving Is the Good Life, which was released just yesterday, is unique in addressing the biblical good life and telling many short giving stories to broaden readers’ horizons about the joy and adventure of giving. I’m praying both books have a significant kingdom impact.

Why a book on the “good life”? While reading 1 Timothy 6 I was intrigued by a phrase in verse 19 that talks about “the life that is truly life.” In studying that chapter, I found that Paul actually lays out clear instructions for how we can experience and take hold of that kind of life. This isn’t the “good life” as the world defines it, but something far better, more satisfying, and eternally longer lasting. In fact, it’s connected to the abundant life Jesus came to offer us (John 10:10).

I hope you enjoy the following excerpt from the book’s introduction.  —Randy

Are you living the good life? If not, I know you wish you were.

People define the good life in different ways, but everybody wants to live it. After all, what’s the alternative? Living a bad life? A pointless, guilt-ridden, or miserable life?

We’d all choose the good life any day, and yet we often don’t understand how to make it happen.

A quick online search reveals that most people’s idea of the good life includes happiness. That makes sense—nobody wants to be unhappy. Most of us also want to make other people happy and help them if we can. But when it comes down to it, even Christ-followers suspect that spending our lives serving God and others might cost us our happiness.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do what pleases God and what’s best for others, while at the same time enjoying happiness and deep satisfaction?

But that’s not possible, you may think.

Or is it?

What if we really can live the good life without being selfish? What if God not only wants us to live life more abundantly, as Jesus put it (John 10:10), but also provides clear instructions for how to actually experience it? What if it’s possible to discover what to embrace and what to avoid so we can live a meaningful and fulfilling life—the good life—even in this broken world?

Does that sound too good to be true?

Actually, it’s both “too good” and true.

That’s what my book Giving Is the Good Life is about.

The Good Life Is Countercultural

We live in a world that screams, “Make lots of money and spend it on yourself, and you’ll be happy. That’s the good life!”

There’s just one problem. It’s a lie.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly turned our definition of the good life on its head. For instance, He said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35, GNT).

Jesus told us that parting with money to help others will bring us more joy than hanging on to that money. Counterintuitive as it may seem, our greatest good, and the happiness that accompanies it, is found in giving, not receiving.

In other words, generosity is the good life.

This idea that giving away money and possessions equals happiness is a paradox. Human reasoning says that spending money on ourselves is in our best interest—and to a degree, that’s true. We all need food to eat, a place to live, clothes to wear. But once our basic needs are met, money can easily stop helping us and start hurting us.

According to CreditCards.com, the average American has nearly $16,000 in credit card debt. The average college student graduates with $40,000 in student loans, and some with far more. Almost 40 percent of Americans carry credit card debt month to month, continuing to spend more than they have and remaining in financial bondage. Debt is routinely incurred in pursuing the good life, yet psychologists attest that the debt-funded lifestyle leads to depression, anxiety, resentment, stress, denial, anger, frustration, regret, shame, embarrassment, and fear. This is the very opposite of the good life. It’s the terrible life!

Here’s a truth that can set us free: “living large” actually makes us smaller. Living “the good life” (as our culture defines it) results in missing the best life.

Deep down, we all know it’s true: you can spend every last cent you own on yourself—and, through credit, far more—and still end up miserable. In fact, if you want to be miserable, greed and stinginess are the perfect recipe. Those who hoard their money, like those who spend it all on themselves, are the unhappiest people on the planet. Jesus calls us to do something radical: love others by giving away our money and time. That sounds like loss, not gain. Yet in God’s economy, that’s exactly how we can expand and enhance our own lives.

Generosity Pays Off

Giving Is the Good Life really is about living the good life. I say this because you may wonder if I’m trying to make the generous Christian life sound easier and happier than it really is.

First, I’m not suggesting that giving always comes easily or without sacrifice. What I am saying is that in God’s providence, the payoff far outweighs the sacrifice. Generosity is God’s best, designed just for us. This is always true in the long run, and usually it’s true in the short run too.

Suppose I give up some vanilla lattes and two lunches out each month in order to support a child in Haiti. There’s nothing wrong with lattes or meals out, and I may miss them, but thoughts of how the money helps a needy child flood me with happiness greater and far more enduring than twenty minutes of pleasure from a drink or eating out. My life has a purpose beyond myself, and as I say no to that small thing, my day is put in perspective. That gladness and perspective don’t disappear when I finish the meal or toss the coffee cup in the recycle bin.

Giving Is the Good Life is about that kind of joy-filled, openhanded adventure of following Jesus, which brings us lasting pleasure and reaches far beyond this life to the next.

In part 1 of the book, I explore the good life as God defines it and discover what Jesus meant when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV). The first step to finding life is clear: we need to place our trust in Christ. That’s where eternal life—the ultimate good life—begins. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38).

Once we believe in Christ, what can we do to experience the abundant life—a life overflowing with vibrancy, satisfaction, and contentment?

Though we’ve been granted eternal life, many Christians don’t fully experience what Jesus came to give us. The stresses and pressures of life weigh us down and leave us feeling like we’re missing something. We lose both joy and purpose. Life becomes a drudgery, not an adventure. It’s a shrunken life, not a flourishing one.

If that’s where you find yourself, take heart. True, it’s not possible to eliminate difficulties and challenges until we’re living at last in the world we were made for (the New Earth, not this one). But we certainly don’t have to wait until we die to experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

Part 2 of the book delivers the bad news and the very good news about money, as described in 1 Timothy 6. The bad news is that loving and serving money will destroy us and rob us of life and happiness. The good news is that if we recognize God’s ownership of everything, we’ll steward our resources to help meet physical and spiritual needs. Our reward will be both future rewards and present contentment, purpose, and what Scripture calls “the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19, NIV).

In other words, giving really is the good life.

Giving Is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do what pleases God, helps others, and is best for us―at the same time? Can we live the good life without being selfish?

In Giving Is the Good Life, bestselling author Randy Alcorn teaches life-changing biblical principles of generosity and tells stories of people who have put those radical principles into practice. Each story is a practical application that can help stimulate your imagination and expand your dreams of serving Jesus in fresh ways. These real-life models give you not just words to remember but footprints to follow.

Giving Is the Good Life reveals a grander view of God and generosity―one that stretches far beyond our imagination and teaches us what the good life is really all about.

Waiting on God and Acknowledging His Goodness in Tough Times

It’s been a long time since I’ve mentioned my wife Nanci’s health issues, and her battle with cancer. I share about it now because some of you have health issues, and most of you have spouses, children, parents, other family and/or friends who are facing them and all kinds of other challenges. I hope this will encourage you and give you some perspective.

Eighteen months ago Nanci was diagnosed with colon cancer. Since then, she has had two surgeries, chemo and radiation, then a break, then more chemo. The side effects mounted with each infusion. Muscle and bone pain were her constant companion for many months. The chemicals caused not only extreme fatigue but also depression. The recovery has been slow and difficult, but until recently it seemed to be going well, with several tests indicating no detectable cancer.

Now we have moved back into uncertainty. This Thursday, September 5 Nanci’s surgeon will be checking on something “suspicious” that appeared on her latest MRI at the original tumor site. It could be the recurrence of cancer, or not.  We pray it is benign. Two spots on her lung are also matters of concern. We pray those too are harmless. But as is often the case, WE DON’T KNOW, and since they cannot be easily removed, the doctors believe we need to wait and watch.

When we get good news, it rightly prompts us to say things like “God is good.” But when we get bad news, or are thrown into uncertainty (with high stakes and low control), GOD IS STILL GOOD all the time. He is good when the cancer is gone, but He is also good when the cancer comes back. Consider these passages:

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. (Exodus 34:6)
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” (Ezra 3:11)
Good and upright is the Lord. (Psalm 25:8)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145:9)

Nanci recently said some great things in a letter to encourage our pastor friend who is fighting cancer:

The cancer battle has been tough. However, my time with The Ancient of Days (one of my favorite names for God) has been epic! He has met me in ways I never knew were possible. He does provide strength—absolutely!

Every single time I came to Him, His grace, mercy and steadfast love poured into my soul. A major lesson I have learned is God’s use of “waiting” in our lives. God is always working, and sending this time of waiting to me has been the greatest mercy—other than my salvation—He has performed in my life.  

Through the reading of great books, as well as THE BOOK, God has impressed upon me a profound sense of His character and His attributes. I’ve studied and written lessons on the attributes of God in the past, but His sweet Holy Spirit has done a spiritual “infusion” of His character through this time of waiting on Him.

I have experienced His sovereignty, mercy, and steadfast love in tangible ways as I have been in this deep cave. He let me tell Him my fears and confess my lack of peace at what was happening and what might happen.

I now trust Him at a level I never knew I could. And He understands that I don’t need to be happy with everything, but that I can depend on the fact that everything that comes into my life He intends for my good.

As I am in “God’s waiting room” once again, I am taking advantage of some great reading material. Andrew Murray’s book Waiting on God was incredibly meaningful to me last year. This time I am going through it taking special note of the words I had underlined. The passage below has found its way back on our refrigerator door:

Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He can do something supernatural and divine.

Bow before Him; wait upon Him, until your soul realizes that you are in the hands of a divine and almighty worker.

Consent not to know what and how He will work; expect it to be something altogether godlike.

He is teaching you to leave all in His hands, and to wait on Him alone. —Andrew Murray

Nanci concluded by saying this:

The “supernatural and divine” may not turn out to be what we thought we wanted, but I am convinced that it will be what we will embrace in God’s grace!

And she added this verse: “You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!” (Psalm 40:5).

I hope Nanci’s words have encouraged you. Here are some words from God that are helping us while we wait to find out what’s going on:

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14)

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. (Lamentations 3:25)

Therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed [happy] are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)

For more on suffering, see Randy’s book If God Is Good, as well as the devotional 90 Days of God’s Goodness and book The Goodness of God (a specially focused condensation of If God Is Good, which also includes additional material).

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

John Piper on God Control’s of Every Molecule in the Universe—Including Every Cancer Cell

R.C. Sproul wrote, “If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled.” Thankfully, Scripture assures us of God’s sovereignty, and affirms that no atom or molecule is outside His control. These truths can bring us great comfort, especially in times of suffering and uncertainty.

Last year John Piper wrote an article titled “No Maverick Cells in Me: My Deepest Hope During Cancer.” Nanci and I first read this while she was undergoing cancer treatments, and it really encouraged us. It’s an apt reminder for us again, as we are in another season of waiting and uncertainty related to Nanci’s latest test results. (See her Caring Bridge page for updates.) We are resting in God’s sovereign grace, and entrusting ourselves to His mercy and wisdom. —Randy Alcorn

No Maverick Cells in Me: My Deepest Hope During Cancer

By John Piper

Two hours before writing this sentence, I received a phone call from a friend whose adult son was just told by the doctor that the medical professionals have done all they can do, and that barring a miracle, his cancer will be fatal. This would be the second child my friend has lost to cancer. I mention this because I am painfully aware that not everyone gets a reprieve from the cancer diagnosis the way I did—so far.

There are several ironies surrounding my own experience with cancer. My biopsy for prostate cancer happened on our thirty-seventh wedding anniversary, and the surgery to remove the cancerous gland happened on Valentine’s Day. It’s okay if you smile, even though cancer is not a laughing matter.

Routine Exam, Everything Changes

Let me set the stage. It was a routine checkup with my urologist, after years of dealing with the troubling effects of an enlarged prostate. I was sixty years old and, I thought, in good health. Strange, isn’t it, how we presume we are in good health when, in fact, we have no idea what is growing inside of us.

When people ask me now, “How’s your health?” I never say, “Fine,” like I used to. I say, “I feel fine.” Which, being translated, means, “I don’t know how I am. Only God knows. For all I know, I could have fatal cancer, or an aortic aneurysm that will burst tomorrow, or a blood clot in my leg that will release tonight and cause a fatal stroke as I sleep.”

Here’s what changed that simple habit of saying, “Fine.” My routine exam is over. But the doctor says, “I felt some irregularities. I’d like to do a biopsy.” Pause. I say, “Okay, if you say so. When?” “Now,” he says, “if you have time.” Pause again, as this sinks in. “Sure.”

He takes me to another examination room, tells me to change into the robe hanging on the hook, and says he will be back in a few minutes with the machine for the biopsy. He goes out and leaves me alone.

Perfectly Timed Gift

At this point, you remember your best friends—the ones you spend the most time with and who tell you what you most need to hear, when you need to hear it. Well, I had spent significant time early that morning with my friend the apostle Paul. In fact, I had loved his words so much that morning that I had committed two verses to memory.

As I sat there on the examination table with my legs dangling over the end, wearing my open-backed hospital gown, and waiting for I knew not what, Paul’s words came back to me.

God has not destined [you] for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for [you] so that whether [you] are awake or asleep [you] might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10)

This was an exquisite gift to me. Perfectly timed. Perfectly expressed. Paul had spoken the words that morning. But God had arranged for me to read them during my devotions. God had put it in my heart to memorize them. God had brought them to my mind in the examination room. And God had given me the faith to embrace them as the sweetest gift he could give in that moment. Yes, even sweeter than “You will be healed.”

No Maverick Cells

But Paul was God’s instrument. His spokesman. His emissary to my need. I knew the voice of God, because I knew the voice of his ambassador. This was vintage Paul. Here’s the tailor-made news he spoke to me:

First, he told me, “What you are about to experience—cancer or not—is not wrath! If you have cancer, it is not owing to God’s punishment.”

To feel the full force of this, you need to realize that I share Paul’s unshakable conviction that God is absolutely in control of whether anyone gets cancer. Paul said, “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). He said, “[God] works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

So when Paul said to me, “This is not the wrath of God,” he did not mean, “If you have cancer, it’s not from God.” No. No. If I have cancer (which I did), it is most certainly owing to God’s ultimate purposes. God controls every molecule in the universe. He is God! There are no maverick cells outside his control.

What Paul meant when he said, “This is not the wrath of God,” is that, cancer or not, “God is not punishing you.” This is not punitive. God has his purposes, but they do not include punishment for my sin. They are all mercy. All love. How do I know that? Paul answers that question. I will come back to it in number four below.

Better Than No Death

Second, Paul told me, as I waited for the doctor, the positive side of “This is not wrath.” He said, “God has not destined [you] for wrath, but to obtain salvation.”

This cancer is not wrath. It is the path to salvation. Salvation is the positive counterpart to no wrath. Did he mean, “The biopsy will come back cancer-free. You will be saved from having cancer”? No. That is not what he meant.

There is no question about this. Paul said, in effect, that I might die from the cancer they are about to detect. So what, then, does salvation consist in? He will get to that.

Third, Paul told me that God does not guarantee I will escape death from this cancer.

He said that I would be saved “whether [you] are awake or asleep.” This means “whether you live or die.” Paul called death sleep not because after death there is no conscious fellowship with Jesus (Philippians 1:23), but because the body of a dead Christian looks like it is sleeping, and that body will be raised from the dead (as from sleep) at the last day (1 Corinthians 15:20).

You might think this would be small comfort—not being told that I was going to survive this cancer. But that is not the way it worked. What I needed at that moment was a comfort far more solid and lasting and unshakable than a few more years of life after cancer. I needed just what I got: “This is not wrath. You are destined for salvation. And that is true—absolutely true—whether you live or die!”

Of First Importance

Fourth, Paul gave the awesome answer to the question I left open at the end of number one: “How do you know this cancer is not the punishment of God for your sins?” Answer: because Christ already died for my sins. Cancer or no cancer, death or life, Paul told me that I was going to “obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for [you].”

At moments like these, we realize why Paul said, “I delivered to you as of first importance: . . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). “Of first importance” is that “Christ died for our sins.” Why?

Because, if he died for them, we will not die for them. That would be double jeopardy. That was the reason he came — that my condemnation under the wrath of God (John 3:36) would be endured by Jesus when he died on the cross (Romans 8:3). The person who is united to Christ by faith in him “does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

That’s why Paul said, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). No condemnation because Christ bore the condemnation. No wrath because Christ bore the wrath. That’s why Paul said to me so clearly and firmly and joyfully, as I waited for the biopsy, “This cancer is not wrath.”

Promise of a Person

The final thing he said to me was very personal—namely, just what he meant by salvation. “God has not destined [you] for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for [you] so that whether [you] are awake or asleep [you] might live with him.”

Whether you live or die, you will live. But not just live in some misty, unspecified immortality, but very specifically, you will “live with him”—the one who died for you and rose again. Which means at least two great truths. One is that I will live forever, since the one I live with cannot die. “Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again” (Romans 6:9). The other is that I get to live forever with the one who loved me enough to die for me. This is a very personal and deeply satisfying promise.

The doctor called me the next day and said, “You have cancer. I’d like to meet with you and your wife when it’s convenient for you and discuss your options.” We took the radical option: take it out. That happened seven weeks later—on Valentine’s Day. That was twelve years ago. How am I doing? I feel fine.

By John Piper. © Desiring God Foundation. Source: desiringGod.org

Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash