The King of the Cosmos (Stop Pigeon-holing Jesus)

Luke reports,

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” (Luke 22:66-71)

Judas betrays Jesus. The religious leaders and armed soldiers take Jesus captive. Jesus stands trial before these religious leaders (never mind it was an illegal trial because it was at night). They demand Jesus tell them if he’s the Christ, but Jesus doesn’t answer them in the way they might have expected.

These religious leaders wanted to know if Jesus was the king of the Jews. The one who would overthrow the Roman yoke. You can see this is what their getting at because when they send Jesus to Pilate and he examines Jesus according to the charges he says,

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27:11-14)

They end up crucifying Jesus with a plaque above his head “KING OF THE JEWS.” You’re not surprised. You already knew that. I want to focus your attention on the contrast Jesus makes when answering the religious leaders in the first passage quoted. Jesus says, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” This statement sheds light on the charge of regional king. It sheds light on the plaque above his head.

They had it all wrong. He wasn’t only the King of the Jesus. He was the King of the Cosmos. The King of Everything. Abraham Kuyper famously stated, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” and R. C. Sproul gets at this same point when says, “There’s no maverick molecule if God is sovereign.”

The religious leaders and Pilate were thinking too small. King of the Jews? Jesus rises from the dead and sits on the right hand of God. King of All. That truth should’ve brought the religious leaders to their knees. They were standing on holy ground surrounding the Son of God.

That truth should change the way you live. There’s not a single area of your life that Christ does not claim as “Mine!” No maverick minute. You live your life as a child of God in proxy to the throne of God because Christ sits at the Father’s right hand and you are in Christ. Let that truth sink into your belly and smolder.

So stop pigeon-holing Jesus. He’s not the king of your church. He’s the King of all of your life. The King of the Cosmos.

Four Practical Steps to Fight Depression

Depression Series: Four Ways the Church Can Come Alongside the Weary Sojourner, United Together in Christ, and Hope in God.

I’ve labored, as you can read above, to lay a theological foundation for dealing with depression. I’m not one who believes taking medicine for depression is wrong--for some it’s necessary. I’ve also stayed away from making medical pronouncements because I’m not a doctor or the son of a doctor. If you need medical help, get it!

On the flip side, those who think biblical counseling (gospeling) is unnecessary when helping someone with depression argue, “If depression is a medical issue, why do we need biblical counseling? You wouldn’t counseling someone who had cancer because of their disease.” It’s certainly true we wouldn’t treat the cancer as sin (although cancer does fit into the gospel story as a result of the fall), we would certainly re-double the gospel foundation for our fellow believer by rallying around them, visiting them, encouraging them, and listening to them.  It’s interesting to note, The American Cancer Society writes “Although available research has not supported claims that spirituality or prayer can cure cancer or any other disease, spiritual well-being is linked to better quality of life in people with cancer.”

Those who have cancer and have a strong faith have a better quality of life because of their strong faith. That’s why I’ve been writing about depression. We need to get Christian psychologists and biblical counselors on the same side. A strong understanding of the gospel story will and can only help those battling depression, even if in some cases the depression’s root cause is medical.

With all of that said and after laying all of the biblical foundation above, I want to share with you some simple steps I took as the Spirit worked in my life which helped lessen the effects of depression for me.

Exercise and Eat Healthy

It seems so simple but exercising and eating healthy make a huge difference for me. I feel less sad and more motivated to do other important activities when I’m honoring God with my body. Lest you think how you treat your body is merely a temporal concern let me remind you that the gospel story starts with creation. God forms a man out of the dust and says what he’s made is "good." Your body is good. Take care of it. Also, the gospel story ends with the resurrection and a brand new body. One day you won't have to worry about sickness, pain, and suffering. You'll have a perfect body and will take care of it perfectly. Don’t ignore your responsibility to start doing this the best you can now.

Create A Simple Lists of Tasks

The biggest mistake you can make is creating a overly complicated list. Start small with two or three items. Ask for help if necessary. Complete the task and repeat. For me it started with raking my yard. I had failed as the man of my house to take care of simple maintenance items which started with the yard.  After raking the leaves, I started to work on another project--creating a garden bed. I finished that. Creating a list of tast isn’t merely a physical task. It’s a physical task but it’s spiritual too. We were created to have dominion and to work. We are reflecting God when we do so.

Cut Out Mindless Entertainment and Re-focus Your Time

I also made a BIG changes to my entertainment habits. When depressed, I found myself in front of the TV for hours and hours on end. Never changing out of PJs. Barely moving. Never thinking much. Hardly engaging with anything around me. Sound depressing? Well that’s because it is.

Family
Re-focus some of your time on your family. Plan fun activities you enjoy or your spouse enjoys or your kids enjoy. Watching someone else delight in something will help re-train yourself to enjoy God and life as well.

Prayer
Spend time with God expressing your dependence on him and also asking him to reveal himself more fully to you. Ask him to work in ways only he can in your life so that he might receive the glory. Tell him how you feel when you’re feeling depressed and don’t be afraid. Finally, ask him for hope in Jesus Christ.

Scripture
I can’t overemphasize this enough. Soak yourself in Scripture. Set aside uninterrupted time to read Scripture. Find friends who will read along with you and discuss what you’re reading. If you have a smartphone listen to Scripture as you do chores, drive, or have spare time. Allow it to seep into every area of your life.

Helping Others
You might be struggling with depression, but, as I said previously, someone else is struggling with something else. They may have cancer. They may have experienced lost. They might be struggling financially. You have resources, abilities, and gifts you can use to help others. Find someone you can invest in and do so. Make this time about helping them. Use the creativity bestowed upon you by God to serve others for His glory.

Sharing Your Story

Last, but certainly not least, share your story with others. I cannot tell you how freeing it is for those you love--family, friends, and church--to know you struggle with depression. Tell them how it impacts you. Tell them what triggers it. Ask them to pray for you. Ask them to keep you accountable. Also, expect some uncomfortable conversations. You might find someone who has no history with depression and just doesn’t get it. Be patient and answer even the absurd questions.

Let me give you an example from my own life. My depression grew in the soil of anxiety. I feared not having control. Not having those I loved close. I refused to trust God which allowed fear and sadness to grow in the garden of my heart. Because that went unchecked, my first major bout with depression when married was triggered in part by my sinful response to the first time my wife and daughter left for a week to visit her family. I had never made the connection before but I then realized I was vulnerable when my family was away.

I needed accountability. Someone to tell me, “Trust God. Stop acting like you can take care of your family better than He can.” For the first few years after having my major breakdown, I stayed with other family when my wife traveled with our kids to visit her family and I couldn’t join them. First, just to have daily encouragement to trust God and honestly because my depression also led to other sins. I needed the structure and accountability. Also, guys from my church were great about fellowshipping with me and preaching the gospel to me. By God’s grace I had no problems while they were gone. I missed my wife and kids but I was refreshed spiritually when they returned. This was possible because I dared to tell the people who surrounded me what I struggled with and they rallyed around me.

Lo and behold, I’m writing this post while my wife and daughters are out of town (I’ll be joining them in Kansas this Saturday). I’ve had such great support that this time alone has been a refreshing time for me to spend time with God. Never doubt the power of the gospel to change. I don’t doubt that this happened because of the Spirit working in my heart.

Jesus Ain’t No Pinky and the Brain

Growing up one of my favorite cartoons was Pinky and the Brain. For those who weren’t blessed to enjoy this cartoon:

Pinky and Brain are genetically enhanced laboratory mice who reside in a cage in the Acme Labs research facility. Brain is self-centered and scheming; Pinky is good-natured but feebleminded. In each episode, Brain devises a new plan to take over the world, which ultimately ends in failure, usually due to Pinky’s idiocy, the impossibility of Brain’s plan, Brain’s own arrogance, or just circumstances beyond their control. In common with many other Animaniacs shorts, many episodes are in some way a parody of something else, usually a film or novel. The opening song is preceded by the following dialogue:

Pinky: “Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?”

The Brain: “The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!”

I loved that opening dialoguing: “The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!” Brain was so passionate and ready to take over the world but he failed time and time again. He failed for many reason as listed above but he’s also an anti-tragic hero in some ways. He doesn’t know himself or his limitations, but he can’t be tragic in the fullest sense because, well, he’s just a mouse. So we laugh at the folly of his failed attempts at world domination.

At this point you may be asking: “What in the world does this have yo do with Christian faith? Or Jesus? Or the gospel? Or anything really?” Brain, a mouse taking over the world, is funny. We laugh knowingly because we know he’ll never succeed. As Scripture unfolds the gospel story and reveals the identity of the hero of that story, Jesus functions as an anti-tragic hero as well but for different reasons. He knows himself fully. He understands his mission. Even when Satan tempts Jesus with the kingdoms of the world, Jesus declines. He’s single-mindedly focused. Even when his disciples encourage him to set up a temporal kingdom now, he’s violently pursuing the cross. In a sense, the cross is a tragedy because Jesus died, but it’s, as Tolkien says, an eucatastrophe (a good tragedy).

The irony is: Jesus will establish an earthly kingdom. He will come back again and will defeat all his enemy. They will kiss the hand of the Son or perish (Psalms 2). Right now though he’s building a different kind of kingdom. He’s working in the already towards the not yet. The gospel hunts down darkness and crushes it where ever the gospel finds it.

There’s no knowing snickering. There’s no repeated, “Gee, Jesus, what do you want to do tonight?” The gospel doesn’t fail. He doesn’t fail. It storms the gates of hell and prevails.

Live your life in that reality. You participate in a story where we know the end. We are on the winning side. We are assured of the power of the gospel to stamp out darkness. Jesus reigns now and forever more. Get I get an “Amen!”?

Review: The Big Story by Justin Buzzard

5 out of 5 Stars
Author: Justin Buzzard
Publisher: Moody Publisher
Buy The Big Story
Reading Level: Liesure

“We can’t live without a sense of story” (p. 25).

Justin Buzzard writes a much needed book. A book about the gospel story for those still seeking and those seeking to share the story with others; a conversational book challenging the foundations of life. Justin writes,

My conviction is that only one story is big enough to adequately answer this question, to explain all the beauty and all the brokenness we see in this world, to make sense of our desires, dreams, and disappointments. (p. 15)

Justin riffs off the creation-fall-redemption-consummation. He starts with God moves to his creative act. He examines our rebellion and our rescue. He ends with home and life. In the midst of telling the gospel story Justin stops and explains what partaking in the story of Jesus means.

What I loved. Justin writes matter of factly and simply. You can feel confident giving this book to your friends and family who are seeking. Even for those uninitiated with the gospel story, unfamiliar with Jesus, The Big Story will penetrate and be understandable. As a matter of fact, I could see The Big Story used as a discipleship tool for those seeking the truth of Jesus Christ in a one-on-one context and also in a church setting.

The Big Story also encourages those who may be unsure of how to share their faith. Knowing the gospel story helps place our own story within a context that’s easy to share with unbelievers. Justin deconstructs “evangelism” in a way which makes it approachable for the average Christian.

I also loved that The Big Story was God-centered. The story isn’t about us ultimately. It’s about Him.

The story of the Bible is about God. It is not about us working our way up to God. It’s about Him working His way down to us, to our broken world, in order to fix us and free us. (p. 44)

 We are just rescued.

Rescued. That’s what we are forever, in Jesus. We are rescued from ourselves, our own self-destruction. We are rescued from the judgment we earned through our rebellion. We are rescued from the wrath of God which is rightly poured out on those who refuse the gracious work of Jesus. (p. 111)

I highly recommend The Big Story. It’s a book you’ll love if you love the gospel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Big Story free from Moody Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If you plan on purchasing The Big Story, consider supporting Grace for Sinners by purchasing from Amazon.

Review: Depression: The Sun Always Rises by Margaret Ashmore

4 out of 5 Stars
Author: Margaret Ashmore
Publisher: P&R Publishing
Buy Depression: The Sun Always Rises
Reading Level: Easy

Margaret contrasts psychology’s approach with the Bible’s approach to handle depression. She says, “pyschology may describe but only the Bible prescribes” (p. 6). She then describes Scripture’s prescription and her approach (p. 9):

This is a booklet of good news because its center is the gospel of Jesus Christ, whose power saved us from the penalty of sin at salvation, whose power will save us from the presence of sin at glorification, and whose same divine dynamism can save us every day from the power of sin in sanctification. The gospel doesn’t just save us from hell; it saves us from ourselves. And these few pages face us head-on with the choices we can make—the world’s way or God’s, the centrality of self or Christ, depression with moments of happiness or joy with moments of depression. Whichever path you are on, you have chosen to go there.

I agree with Margaret and learned a great deal. She moves from the gospel truths to actions one must take as a result. I agree we must choose and act. One turning point in my own battle against depression was doing stuff--yard work, reading Scripture, taking my family out to do fun stuff. But that wasn’t the starting point. It was a deep understanding of what had already been done for me. It was a heart brimming with gospel truth.

Through out these to do’s is peppered gospel. For instance, “[T]he more we focus on Christ instead of ourselves—his beauty, his grace, his mercy, and his indestructible love—the more we experience transformation” (p. 34). But I wonder if there’s an imbalance in the force. I would be hesitant providing this book to someone head barely out of the muck. Because such a long list of to do’s could be overwhelming. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be done, but I wonder if more a foundation should’ve been laid.

I would recommend Depression: The Sun Always Rises for counselors and possibly for those who may struggle with depression but have had a measure of success battling it already. I was reminded to keep battling. Keep living in light of the gospel. Keep acting the miracle, as John Piper says.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Depression: The Sun Always Rises free from the P&R Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If you plan on purchasing Depression: The Sun Always Rises, consider supporting Grace for Sinners by purchasing from Amazon.

Gospel Self-Esteem: Imago Dei

He was on his kick. They all had one. Something they had studied and come to the definitive answer on, usually it was related to a cultural issue or the rapture.

This particular evangelist had studied Scripture and found out that it never said anything about self-esteem. Loving yourself was bad. We don’t need more value. We’re disgusting sinners. We just need Jesus.

Truth mixed with error. That’s the danger zone. Flat out error--easier to spot. Error peppered truth--more difficult to spot. Truth: we’re sinners. We do need Jesus. Error: understanding our value as humans isn’t important.

There’s also some truth in the fact that our self-esteem culture has created a herd of piglets longing for the milk of cultural acceptance. We must affirm and reduce negativity to nil. The problem though isn’t seeking value (imago Dei aka the gospel story) but finding the value in the wrong place (cultural affirmation).

This evangelist’s problem was a truncated gospel. His story starts with the fall. There’s no room for creation. There’s no room for God creating mankind in his image. No imago Dei. And if there’s no room for creation, there’s no room for re-creation. No hope.

The gospel starts with creation. Starts with God’s creative words. Starts with “It’s good.” Starts with dust formed. You can’t fall without first starting somewhere good.

So let’s talk about the fall, but not before we talk about God’s creative purpose in the beginning. And let’s not end with fall. Let’s plant ourselves on the hope of Jesus Christ. Let’s anchor ourselves on his finished work and his final return where he’ll make all the sad things come untrue.

That’s gospel self-esteem. Imago Dei.

Depression: Hope in God

Depression Series: Four Ways the Church Can Come Alongside the Weary Sojourner, United Together in Christ

“Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”

(“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”)

Dante writes these haunting words as he begins his classic Inferno, a descent in the very pits of Hell. Abandon all hope. These words have stuck to my bones since first reading Inferno.

For those battling depression these words feel all to real. I’ve felt as though all hope was lost. Like the Psalmist I cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest” (Psalms 22:1-2). But God says he has a better expectation of us in Christ. All hope isn’t lost. We can hope in God. We can exchange our despair for joy in Christ.

We can do this partly because these words were not only spoke by the Psalmist but also by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was forsaken of God so that we might be united with them.

I earnestly desire Christ “as a sure and steadfast anchor of [your] soul, a hope that enters into the inner places behind the curtain” (Hebrew 6:19). Our hope walks into the heavenly realities, into the very presence of God the Father and so our hope in Christ is assured. We forget this often and so we lose hope. I write to inject hope from Scripture in your spiritual bloodstream. From there I would encourage you to wrestle with these truths in Scripture. Take comfort and violently pursue Christ.

Psalms 9:18-19

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hipe of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, Or LORD! Let no main prevail; let the nations be judged before you!

Psalms 33:18-19, 22

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. . . . Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Psalms 39:7

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalms 42:5

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God' for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

Psalms 42:11

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalms 43:5

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalms 62:5

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.

Psalms 65:5

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;

Psalms 71:5

For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

Psalms 78:7

so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;

Psalms 119:49, 74, 81, 114, 116, 147, 166

Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope. . . .
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word . . . .
My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word. . . .
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word. . . .
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope! . . .
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words. . . .
I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.

Psalms 130:7

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.

Psalms 131:3

O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalms 146:5-6

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;

Jeremiah 14:22

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for you do all these things.

Jeremiah 17:13

O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you[a] shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Lamentations 3:24

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

Acts 24:14-15

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

Acts 26:6-7

And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!

Acts 28:20

For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”

Romans 5:2-5

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:20-25

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 15:18-20

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

2 Corinthians 1:7-10

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

Galatians 5:5

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

Ephesians 1:18

[H]aving the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 4:1-4

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call

Colossians 1:4-5, 23, 27

[S]ince we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel . . . . [I]f indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. . . . To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:8

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Timothy 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope . . . 

1 Timothy 4:10

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Titus 1:1-2

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began . . . 

Titus  2:12-13

[T]raining us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . 

Hebrews 3:5-6

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3:18-19

And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 7:19

[F]or the law made nothing perfect; but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

1 Peter 1:3, 13

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . . Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

All the hope we read about from Psalms until 1 Peter points to the return of Jesus when he will return to right all wrongs, reward his Church, and punish those who rejected him; to redeem the world, re-create it, and re-fashion our bodies to live within it. John’s vision at the beginning of Revelations one stands as a testament to that promise.

Revelations 1:9-18

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

5 Easy Steps to Finding God’s Perfect Will

God has a perfect will and he’s not afraid to use it.

I was sitting in the chair transfixed. Muscles tensed. Fingers gnarled scratching into the rough fabric covering the dingy red chair.

The evangelist was preaching with, what we liked to call, “unction.” Focused. Gestures on point. Methodically delivering his sermon. The cadence was familiar. Evangelists in the circles I grew up in must take the same sermon delivery class. Vocally you had booming highs and deadly serious lows. It was all in a day’s work.

He had just finished reading a passage that was extremely important for us to understand (or so he said). His head titled forward. His eyes staring over the top of his glasses. The pause must have lasted for 10 seconds or more. He then took his glass off folding them and placing them back on his Bible. He commenced explaining how God had a perfect will and permissive will.

“You see,” he said, “God has a perfect plan for your life. You must find that perfect will.”

His description of God’s perfect will sounded a lot like his personal convictions and preferences were God’s perfect will. Moses must not have been the only person God spoke to face to face.

Then we were solemnly warned, “If you don’t find God’s perfect will, you’ll be put on the shelf.”

You might be wondering what the shelf is. You see the shelf is where God places Christians who don’t find his perfect will. Some analogies I heard frequently were from the lives of Moses and King David. You see Moses did a lot of great stuff with his staff but one day God told Moses to speak to a rock so water would come out. Because Moses was angry with Israel, he struck the rock with his staff instead of speaking to it. God was angry with Moses and put him on the shelf. After being put on the shelf, Moses still did some stuff but God couldn’t use him for the really big stuff.

Another one was King David. He did a lot of great stuff. You know “David killed his ten thousands,” giant killing, Philistine foreskins, and on and on it goes. Well as the shelf story goes after David committed adultery with Bathsheba God put David on the shelf. Sure he used David but not for the really big stuff.

I’m gonna give this guy the benefit of the doubt now and assume he was serious about Scripture and wanted people to love God. But this is all law and no gospel. He was constraining consciences with his personal convictions and preference not Scripture.

Sola Scriptura: Finding God’s Will is Simple

Don’t get me wrong. God is sovereign. He has a sovereign will which he executes unfailingly but we don’t know that sovereign will. And we’re never required, recommended, or encouraged to find it out. As a matter of fact, God’s ways are so far above our ways we couldn’t handle the truth.

Finding God’s will for yourself is simple. Read his word. Anything explicitly or by good and necessary consequence that is taught in Scripture obey. But here’s the rub. In every other area, you’re free to choose. Gary Chapman in Sacred Search makes an important point: when we make the choice between two jobs, three houses, a spouse, or anything which Scripture doesn’t directly address we’re not choosing between right or wrong we’re choosing between “wise and unwise.”

Let me flesh this out for you. Let’s say you’re a dude dating this amazing girl. She’s beautiful, funny, smart. Her parents are awesome. You love her. She loves you. You guys just have that chemistry. You’re deciding whether to take this to the next level by asking her to marry you. You’re not sure if it’s God’s will.

First, you should ask yourself what does Scripture say about marriage for believers? Proverbs talks about finding someone who has inner virtue. Song of Solomon has a lot to say about appreciating the beauty of your lover. Paul talks about being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

You cringe at that point because this girl isn’t a Christian. Scripture speaks directly to your situation. You should obey ending the relationship. An oversimplification but I hope you get the point.

One more example. You have a family and you’re looking for your first home. You’ve studied your budget and have an exact figure in mind you know you shouldn’t go over or you might cripple your family financially. As you’re searching for your home, you find two homes you love. One you really love and the other you just plain old love. The really love home is about $10,000 over your prescribed budget. The plain old love fits nicely under your budget.

First (again) you should ask what does Scripture say about buying a home. Not much. Nothing directly. But by good and necessary consequences we can apply principles about money, seeking first, and debt apply these principles to the situation. This scenario then is a choice between wise and unwise. Maybe you give your budget a once over one last time and free up another $300 a month you could throw at the higher mortgage without crippling your family and you go with the house you really love. That allows you to have an extra room and a larger living room which you can use to be hospitable and serve others in need. Maybe you decide even though you could free up the money you’d rather take the lower house so that you have more flexibility to give financially and serve the church on mission trips.

Here’s my point. Don’t become a slave to finding God’s “perfect” will (at least the way I described it at the start). That’s mystical rubbish. Unless God speaks to you face to face you won’t know whether he wants you to eat a hamburger or hotdog for dinner. Or whether he wants you to marry Edward or Jacob (both Christians, both leaders, both equally handsome at least in this story). You have freedom in Christ to choose.

Guidelines for Making Important Decisions

Here are a few guidelines I use when making important decisions (for example, buying big budget items, getting married, dating someone, taking jobs/promotions, etc).

1. Examine Scripture and Pray

Your first priority is to examine Scripture and see if it speaks directly to your situation. In any way that it does, obey it. Simple. No excuses. No questions. Obey. These should be the easiest decisions to make. As you sit down to examine Scripture, you should also be speaking with God through prayer. Ask him for wisdom and discernment. Ask him for guidance through Scripture and for the entire process.

2. Seek Counsel

After examining Scripture, seek counsel from people you trust (and don’t just seek counsel from people your own age). You might have missed something in Scripture. Or they might have life experience that you don’t have in the wise/unwise category. Also, for married folk, seek the counsel of your spouse. Don’t make any decision without seriously considering your spouse’s counsel (unless the counsel directly contradicts Scripture). They offer a perspective and opinion that is invaluable. If you’re making big decisions against your spouse’s better judgement then you should reevaluate the decision.

3. Weigh the Wise and Unwise

If step one brings nothing directly to your situation, and you’ve gathered all the facts and counsel you can get, sit down and weigh the wise and unwise. You could call it pro’s and con’s if you want. Let me give you an example. I accepted a new position at work this fall which fell right into this wise and unwise category. Scripture didn’t tell me whether I should stay in my old position or go into this new position. However, as I understand my role as father and husband, I’m required to be actively involved in my family’s life. I was concerned the new position might require me to work unfavorable hours. After further research and much discussion with my wife, we found out the schedule wouldn’t be that much different and she encouraged me to take the position. I did. No looking back. We weighed the wise and unwise.

4. Make a Choice

Let’s say you’ve done all of the above and you’re stuck. Pray and just make a choice. Everything above should be lathered in prayer. Ask God for wisdom and discernment when making all decisions (and all means all!). If you’ve examined Scripture, weighed the wise and unwise, and lathered the whole process in prayer, just make a choice. You have freedom in Christ to do that.

5. Rejoice in Your Freedom in Christ

After all is said and done, rejoice in Christ. You aren’t a slave to finding some mystical, secret will of God. You have God’s very words in Scripture and it’s enough for your life. Once you know what’s He has said and what he hasn’t said, don’t bind your conscience by any other word. Rejoice you’re free to serve Christ in a thousand different ways.

Review: Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes by Robert W. Kellemen

5 out of 5 Stars
Author: Robert W. Kellemen
Publisher: P&R Publishing
Buy Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes
Reading Level: Easy

Kellemen writes an approachable and gospel rich book addressing sexual abuse. Kellemen first makes an overarching statement for everything he’ll say--“[God] is Indispensable” (p. 7) and later, “So Satan loves to feed our distrust of God with betrayal by those who ought to be trustworthy” (p. 12). For those who have been sexually abused, he’s established the truth and the lie.

These foundations are explored through the story of Amnon and Tamar from 2 Samuel 13 paralleled with the counseling session of “Ashley” and “Nate.” We see the biblical narrative unfold and the growth of the gospel in the marriage of Ashley and Nate.

I love the biblical exposition. Pastors, I would encourage you to read this book with an eye to making your sermons more pastoral. Having an eye to applying the gospel as a counselor. Kellemen will demonstrate how this can be done well.

Those who are fighting despair, anger, or other emotions because of sexual abuse, I would encourage you to read with an open heart to God’s Word and find a biblical counselor you can trust to lead you to Jesus Christ for healing.

Those who are reading this book because a friend or family member has experienced sexual abuse and you’re unsure how to respond, Kellemen provides a good reminder,

One of the temptations we have as Bible-believing Chris- tians is to race in and tell God’s story before we’ve taken the time to listen to our suffering friend’s story. We earn the right to interact about God’s eternal story by first listening to our friend’s earthly story. (p. 22)

No matter who you are remember, “[T]hrough Christ we are accepted in the beloved” (p. 17).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes free from P&R Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If you plan on purchasing Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes, consider supporting Grace for Sinners by purchasing from Amazon.

The Story of the Gospel on Mother’s Day

Sunday is mother’s day. An appropriate day to celebrate the women in our life who’ve invested so much of themselves in molding us and our children into who we are today. Paul commends Timothy’s faith which mirrors the faith of his mother and grandmother (1 Timothy 1:5). We mustn’t underestimate the importance of mothers.

God accomplishes his purpose through ordinary means and I can say with confidence my faith would’ve been shipwrecked without the providence of God working through the love, admonition, and encouragement of my mom.

But we shouldn’t neglect Paul’s admonition: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

Mother’s day is a day to rejoice but it’s also a day to mourn for many. The story of the gospel swallows both the rejoicing and the mourning. Within that story, within our story we learn that we were created in the image of God--sons and daughters. The best of this world is a faint glimmer of the creativity bestowed upon us by God. The worst a grim reminder things are not the way they should be. The world is broken.

But the story doesn’t end there. I can’t sum up the next chapter in the story better than Sally Lloyd-Jones has in her deep and rich Jesus Storybook Bible:

“Papa! Father!” Jesus cried. And he fell to the ground. “Is there any other way to get your children back? To heal their hearts? To get rid of the poison?”

But Jesus knew--there was no other way. All the poison of sin was going to have to go into his own heart.

God was going to pour into Jesus’ heart all the sadness and brokenness in people’s hearts. He was going to pour into Jesus’ body all the sickness in people’s bodies. God was going to have to blame his son for everything that had gone wrong. It would crush Jesus.

But there was something else, something even more horrible. . . . He was going to lose his Father--and that, Jesus knew, would break his heart in two. (pp. 294-296)

Two major points about the redemption found in Jesus Christ. God knows the world is not the way it should be and he has started its full restoration--he’s begun to make all things new in Jesus.

He poured out on Jesus Christ the full weight of sin, brokenness, and death onto Jesus. He poured out the weight of your grief over your lost child. He poured out the weight of your abortion. He poured out the emptiness of your first mother’s day without her. He poured out the longings of the childless. He poured it all--your guilt, shame, sadness, brokenness, sins on one who knew no sin. He poured it all out because he loves you.

And by doing this. By covering Jesus with the blackness of this fallen world. He turned his back on his Son for you. God separated himself from his beloved Son on your behalf. Jesus knows what it means to separated from a parent. The Father knows what it is to lose a child. As our priest, Jesus knows our grief and sorrow. He knows it because we are now in Christ. And Christ is in us.

So for all the women who cannot rejoice this mother’s day--who mourn instead. Know I am mourning with you. Know that God mourns with you. We are his and he is ours. As the Church we are united to him and so we mourn together. But I urge you not to mourn without hope. Mourn knowing God will make all the sad things come untrue. He will mend hearts and make all creation new. Hope in God.