Jesus' resurrection is a source of endless fascination to me. My mind can't fully grasp it, but loves to feel out the idea and try to picture it. I simply can't fathom the miracle of God that happened that day.
Try to picture the scene. Picture the hands taking Jesus off the cross. Picture the fearful pharisee secretly arranging with Pilate to take care of the body. Picture those lifeless arms and legs being wrapped up in cloth like a mummy, with seventy-five pounds of expensive spices stuffed in. The body that had been alive just hours before was laid to rest in a tomb and sealed off. It was a customary burial, to honor the body and allow it to decompose in peace out of sight and smell of anyone who survived Him.
Now picture what it was like in that tomb. Just imagine you could see inside. For three days, absolute stillness. Not a whisper of air, not a flicker of light, not a sound. And then--motion.
The mouth takes in air. Dead lungs fill with oxygen. Blood once again flows through the veins. The man sits up, takes off his face cloth and folds it off to the side. This is no longer a dead body; this is the living God.
Jesus' resurrection changed everything.
When the first person saw Him alive, Jesus said to her, "Go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Brothers. Father. Jesus welcomed us into His family by becoming a part of ours. The last barrier between Him and us was broken when He became like us in death. His Father is our Father! Even more amazing, our God is His God.
Because He became like us in death, reconciling us to the Father, we who are in Christ now become like Him in a new kind of death. A death like His death. Temporary.
You will die someday. The last gasp of air will escape your lips and will not be replaced by another. Your heart will stop pumping blood. Your body will be moved and handled and redressed and, probably, put in a coffin, as is the custom. And the lid will be closed and a hole will be dug and dirt will be sprinkled over you. Then shoveled and dumped and smoothed out over the top, and marked with a stone.
But there will be no three days waiting for you, friend. There will be no three days of dark stillness. For your last breath will be followed by your first. Heaven will surround you, fill you. Your life will begin just as soon as it ends.
And there, in heaven, we will see our Savior. We will see the scars, the wounds, the lips that breathed the same oxygen we did. We will behold our brother, our God. And forever we will live with Him.
Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A Kingdom Not of this World
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to Him,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about Me?"
"Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You over to me. What have You done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
Pilate (just like every person who is alive today) had a fundamental problem with believing in Jesus. Because of his mind's compulsive acceptance of the way the world was (and is), he was irreconcilable to Jesus' awesome power. People are just like that today.
Pilate heard "king" and thought "Caesar." He thought of power, and the accolades of men--himself included in the worshipers. He thought of the military might that was able to subject an entire people group to Roman control.
And what he thought of didn't match up with what he saw. A man in plain clothing--supposedly possessed of great healing power, yet now helpless to His captors' every whim. A man who had been bound up, led away, and struck in the face. No armies of loyal followers fighting for his release. Just an ordinary, weak, normal man. This could be no king.
Then the King spoke: "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
This where Pilate and a whole lot of us get lost. Because we as people are fighters. Nobody has anything worth having who didn't have to fight for it. We have these desires and urges that control us, and so we fight. Desperately, madly, we will fight to get our way.
But we serve a God who doesn't need to struggle. God speaks, and it is done. He forms substance out of nothing. He can open up canyons from flat ground to swallow His enemies. He can bring the entire sea down on armies that rage against Him. When Jesus said His servants would be fighting, He is assuming the kind of power that Pilate thinks of as power. The people kind of power; the struggle and get what you can kind. The true power that our God possessed was far greater than some servants with swords.
Yet on this night, our King did not open up a chasm to swallow the soldiers. He didn't rain down fire from heaven to consume the wicked. Tonight, the power Jesus showed was the awesome, terrible power of submission. Because He did not fight back. He didn't struggle. He let the weak and helpless fighters of this earth whip Him, hit Him, drive nails through His hands and feet.
And power was displayed. The King and His kingdom shone in radiant glory that night like they had on no other. Because our King showed that in His otherworldly strength He was mighty to die. Mighty to sacrifice. Mighty to save.
This is our King. And our kingdom is not of this world.
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about Me?"
"Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You over to me. What have You done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
Pilate (just like every person who is alive today) had a fundamental problem with believing in Jesus. Because of his mind's compulsive acceptance of the way the world was (and is), he was irreconcilable to Jesus' awesome power. People are just like that today.
Pilate heard "king" and thought "Caesar." He thought of power, and the accolades of men--himself included in the worshipers. He thought of the military might that was able to subject an entire people group to Roman control.
And what he thought of didn't match up with what he saw. A man in plain clothing--supposedly possessed of great healing power, yet now helpless to His captors' every whim. A man who had been bound up, led away, and struck in the face. No armies of loyal followers fighting for his release. Just an ordinary, weak, normal man. This could be no king.
Then the King spoke: "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
This where Pilate and a whole lot of us get lost. Because we as people are fighters. Nobody has anything worth having who didn't have to fight for it. We have these desires and urges that control us, and so we fight. Desperately, madly, we will fight to get our way.
But we serve a God who doesn't need to struggle. God speaks, and it is done. He forms substance out of nothing. He can open up canyons from flat ground to swallow His enemies. He can bring the entire sea down on armies that rage against Him. When Jesus said His servants would be fighting, He is assuming the kind of power that Pilate thinks of as power. The people kind of power; the struggle and get what you can kind. The true power that our God possessed was far greater than some servants with swords.
Yet on this night, our King did not open up a chasm to swallow the soldiers. He didn't rain down fire from heaven to consume the wicked. Tonight, the power Jesus showed was the awesome, terrible power of submission. Because He did not fight back. He didn't struggle. He let the weak and helpless fighters of this earth whip Him, hit Him, drive nails through His hands and feet.
And power was displayed. The King and His kingdom shone in radiant glory that night like they had on no other. Because our King showed that in His otherworldly strength He was mighty to die. Mighty to sacrifice. Mighty to save.
This is our King. And our kingdom is not of this world.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Contradiction Man
Sin makes people into walking contradictions. You know people who are kind to you, but you see them tearing others up. People are capable of feeling both love and hate for the same thing, or the same person. We can be proud by being self-effacing. We can lie by omitting something from the truth. We are sinful, and thus we are inconsistent.
One of the most poignant examples of man's inconsistency was named Peter. He was a follower of Christ, who loved his Savior deeply. He was also completely flawed from the inside out. John 18 provides a moving narrative of Peter's denial of Christ. It showed us how the most vocal defender of Jesus became a timid liar in the face of opposition.
As John MacArthur notes in his message on this passage, "Jesus' Trial, Peter's Denial," the arrangement of John 18 is truly creative. Verses 12-27 involve both the beginning of Jesus' several trials, and Peter's denial of His Savior. But instead of laying the two stories side by side in self contained sections, God's word has permanently interwoven them to give anyone who reads it a pair of contrasting narratives. The contrast is fourfold, according to MacArthur. It serves to: a.) emphasize the glory of Christ and the sinfulness of man; b.) show why Christ's atoning death was necessary by showing sinfulness in the both Jesus' unregenerate persecutors and in a true believer; c.) to contrast faithfulness with faithlessness; and d.) to exalt Jesus Christ by comparison of Him to a shameful sinner.
The irony of the story is that it doesn't just contrast Jesus with Peter; it contrasts Peter with himself. This man had earlier said "Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you (Jn. 13:37)!" But Jesus knew Peter far better than He knew Himself. "Will you lay down your life for me?" He asked. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied Me three times (Jn. 13:38)."
And in John 18, the denial happens. What a curious combination of self-confidence and crippling fear! Peter followed Jesus as far as the outer ring of the courtyard, obviously intending to do something to stand up for His Master. Yet He wasn't even brave enough to tell a servant girl that He knew who Jesus was.
Do you see yourself in this? Do you have great desire to tell others about Jesus--but not the strength to compromise your social standing for His Name? Don't be discouraged. This passage contrasts a man like us with Jesus for the precise reason that we can see the difference. We are faithless; He is faithful. We are inconsistent; He never changes.
The God who died for you knew your weakness before He even came to earth. He knew all of your inconsistencies--better than you or anyone else ever could. And He loves, and forgives, time after time. Whether you have denied Christ by silence or with swearing, whether you've denied Him 3 times or 300 times, He is faithful to forgive. Confess your faithlessness, and take heart. Just like with Peter, Jesus still has a plan for you. He will make you bolder--just wait and see.
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful--for He cannot deny Himself.
"Jesus' Trial, Peter's Denial" http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg1571.htm
One of the most poignant examples of man's inconsistency was named Peter. He was a follower of Christ, who loved his Savior deeply. He was also completely flawed from the inside out. John 18 provides a moving narrative of Peter's denial of Christ. It showed us how the most vocal defender of Jesus became a timid liar in the face of opposition.
As John MacArthur notes in his message on this passage, "Jesus' Trial, Peter's Denial," the arrangement of John 18 is truly creative. Verses 12-27 involve both the beginning of Jesus' several trials, and Peter's denial of His Savior. But instead of laying the two stories side by side in self contained sections, God's word has permanently interwoven them to give anyone who reads it a pair of contrasting narratives. The contrast is fourfold, according to MacArthur. It serves to: a.) emphasize the glory of Christ and the sinfulness of man; b.) show why Christ's atoning death was necessary by showing sinfulness in the both Jesus' unregenerate persecutors and in a true believer; c.) to contrast faithfulness with faithlessness; and d.) to exalt Jesus Christ by comparison of Him to a shameful sinner.
The irony of the story is that it doesn't just contrast Jesus with Peter; it contrasts Peter with himself. This man had earlier said "Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you (Jn. 13:37)!" But Jesus knew Peter far better than He knew Himself. "Will you lay down your life for me?" He asked. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied Me three times (Jn. 13:38)."
And in John 18, the denial happens. What a curious combination of self-confidence and crippling fear! Peter followed Jesus as far as the outer ring of the courtyard, obviously intending to do something to stand up for His Master. Yet He wasn't even brave enough to tell a servant girl that He knew who Jesus was.
Do you see yourself in this? Do you have great desire to tell others about Jesus--but not the strength to compromise your social standing for His Name? Don't be discouraged. This passage contrasts a man like us with Jesus for the precise reason that we can see the difference. We are faithless; He is faithful. We are inconsistent; He never changes.
The God who died for you knew your weakness before He even came to earth. He knew all of your inconsistencies--better than you or anyone else ever could. And He loves, and forgives, time after time. Whether you have denied Christ by silence or with swearing, whether you've denied Him 3 times or 300 times, He is faithful to forgive. Confess your faithlessness, and take heart. Just like with Peter, Jesus still has a plan for you. He will make you bolder--just wait and see.
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful--for He cannot deny Himself.
"Jesus' Trial, Peter's Denial" http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg1571.htm
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I AM--Jesus
What use are men and lanterns and torches and weapons against the Most High God? He spoke these men into being, yet now they challenge Him with a few scraps of metal and little plumes of flame?
Jesus is mighty, and He showed the men that much. When Judas' band of soldiers first approached, He asked them an obvious question.
"Whom do you seek?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
And Jesus said to them, "I am He."
Do you hear the echo of Exodus 3 in Jesus words? "I AM WHO I AM" was the Name for Himself that God revealed to Moses from the burning bush. Here in John 18, the same God speaks His identity from a human mouth. "I am He."
God's holiness in Exodus shone like fire from the bush and compelled Moses to remove His shoes. When Jesus Christ spoke His Name, the band of soldiers "drew back and fell to the ground." John even makes a point of telling us that "Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them"--and when God's holiness bowled them over, Judas too fell on his face.
At this point, the soldiers had to be very afraid. Sure, Jesus didn't look as terrifying or mysterious as an unconsumed bush glowing with flames. He was the same Jesus of Nazareth whom they had seen before, walking their streets and eating among their people. But God's power was clearly present with this man. The soldiers and Judas were still lying prone in the shock of Divine power when Jesus asked them again,
"Whom do you seek?"
Again they replied, "Jesus of Nazareth."
Note the difference between the two statements of Christ's identity. "I am He"--bursting with the power and holiness of God. "Jesus of Nazareth"--commonplace and chock-full of basic humanity.
Yet Jesus of Nazareth was the Jesus who remained, and the Jesus who would breathe his last later that night. After revealing His awesome power, Jesus has a different response to their second statement of His Name.
Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He. So, if you seek Me, let these men go."
No fight in these words. The God who threw a band of strong men on their faces with only the words of His mouth now submitted as they bound him and led Him away. Even when His disciples tried a vain attempt at insurrection, Jesus forbade it.
Jesus of Nazareth, the Great I AM had His mind made up from the beginning of time.
"Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?"
It was for you and for me that He drank this cup. It was the cup of God's wrath--the cup of death. And so that we would not die but live, the Great I AM became confined to the lifespan of a finite person.
His death was possible because He was Jesus of Nazareth. Your forgiveness is possible because He died.
His resurrection was possible because this man was the Great I AM. And because the Man Who Is God rose from the dead, we can have eternal life!
We worship Jesus in wonder, for He is the I AM who is a man.
Jesus is mighty, and He showed the men that much. When Judas' band of soldiers first approached, He asked them an obvious question.
"Whom do you seek?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
And Jesus said to them, "I am He."
Do you hear the echo of Exodus 3 in Jesus words? "I AM WHO I AM" was the Name for Himself that God revealed to Moses from the burning bush. Here in John 18, the same God speaks His identity from a human mouth. "I am He."
God's holiness in Exodus shone like fire from the bush and compelled Moses to remove His shoes. When Jesus Christ spoke His Name, the band of soldiers "drew back and fell to the ground." John even makes a point of telling us that "Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them"--and when God's holiness bowled them over, Judas too fell on his face.
At this point, the soldiers had to be very afraid. Sure, Jesus didn't look as terrifying or mysterious as an unconsumed bush glowing with flames. He was the same Jesus of Nazareth whom they had seen before, walking their streets and eating among their people. But God's power was clearly present with this man. The soldiers and Judas were still lying prone in the shock of Divine power when Jesus asked them again,
"Whom do you seek?"
Again they replied, "Jesus of Nazareth."
Note the difference between the two statements of Christ's identity. "I am He"--bursting with the power and holiness of God. "Jesus of Nazareth"--commonplace and chock-full of basic humanity.
Yet Jesus of Nazareth was the Jesus who remained, and the Jesus who would breathe his last later that night. After revealing His awesome power, Jesus has a different response to their second statement of His Name.
Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He. So, if you seek Me, let these men go."
No fight in these words. The God who threw a band of strong men on their faces with only the words of His mouth now submitted as they bound him and led Him away. Even when His disciples tried a vain attempt at insurrection, Jesus forbade it.
Jesus of Nazareth, the Great I AM had His mind made up from the beginning of time.
"Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?"
It was for you and for me that He drank this cup. It was the cup of God's wrath--the cup of death. And so that we would not die but live, the Great I AM became confined to the lifespan of a finite person.
His death was possible because He was Jesus of Nazareth. Your forgiveness is possible because He died.
His resurrection was possible because this man was the Great I AM. And because the Man Who Is God rose from the dead, we can have eternal life!
We worship Jesus in wonder, for He is the I AM who is a man.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Bearing Fruit
--It's not possible unless I am abiding in Christ.
The problem for me is, I am apathetic about abiding in Christ. I get close to Him for a short time, and really exciting growth happens all over my life. Then somebody nice tells me that I'm godly, I'm doing great, and I think I have it made.
But all that good stuff in me isn't me.
"As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
Anything worthy in me comes from Christ. The second I start to give myself credit for what He has done is the second that I decide I don't need to abide in Him. In that second, it becomes impossible for me to bear fruit.
All I'm left with is that detestable, but stubbornly lingering pride that says "I'm godly," but has no proof to back it up. The problem is, I can go days or weeks without realizing that--get ready for this, Car--I'm not all that great.
I praise God that He has given me people to (graciously) remind me of that horrible, wonderful, liberating fact.
How I need Jesus. I need Him when I feel that I need Him. And oh, how I need Him when I feel okay.
If you feel okay, you shouldn't. You should be afraid, very afraid of your own pride. Because without Him, we are nothing.
"Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:4, 5
The problem for me is, I am apathetic about abiding in Christ. I get close to Him for a short time, and really exciting growth happens all over my life. Then somebody nice tells me that I'm godly, I'm doing great, and I think I have it made.
But all that good stuff in me isn't me.
"As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
Anything worthy in me comes from Christ. The second I start to give myself credit for what He has done is the second that I decide I don't need to abide in Him. In that second, it becomes impossible for me to bear fruit.
All I'm left with is that detestable, but stubbornly lingering pride that says "I'm godly," but has no proof to back it up. The problem is, I can go days or weeks without realizing that--get ready for this, Car--I'm not all that great.
I praise God that He has given me people to (graciously) remind me of that horrible, wonderful, liberating fact.
How I need Jesus. I need Him when I feel that I need Him. And oh, how I need Him when I feel okay.
If you feel okay, you shouldn't. You should be afraid, very afraid of your own pride. Because without Him, we are nothing.
"Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:4, 5
Friday, December 17, 2010
Love and the Obvious
The New Commandment
A new commandment I live to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
--John 13:34-35
--John 13:34-35
Love and the Obvious
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
--1 Thessalonians 4:9
Sometimes love seems like a difficult and confusing thing. This passage makes me wonder if that is completely my fault.
If I followed this verse, I would save myself so much trouble! I wouldn't spend so much useless time debating with my conscience over whether or not I need to include this person, or apologize to that person, or give her a call, or just leave him alone.
My problem is not that the Bible doesn't tell me how to love others—it does.
It's not that I don't have access to the Bible at virtually any time of the day—I do.
It's not like I don't have a Helper within me, activating my conscience to awareness of God's will—He's there.
Sometimes, the best advice is the simplest.
Do what you know.
If you are a believer, then God has already equipped you to know who you need to love, and how you need to do it.
An application: write down 10 names of people in your life, and next to the names, write practically how you can love them better. Write down what you already know, and ask God for new strength and motivation to actually love these people.
To image Christ to the world, love others in the obvious ways.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Love and Your Mindset
The New Commandment
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
--John 13:34-35
Love and Your Mindset
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
--Col 3:14
Perfect harmony. What a concept! I have certainly not achieved this state in my relationships. Even the closest friendships I have don't sound like a perfectly blending a capella group. There are moments--and sometimes days or weeks--of discord that create a clashing, painful racket. Thank God that the reason for this disunity is so plain and obvious. If we are not in perfect harmony, then we are not loving each other as we should.
Love is incredibly important for the believer. It is so important that this passage actually directly states that it is "above" many other important godly traits. For example: "compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another"--each of these important characteristics must submit to love. Why? Because without love, it is impossible to bear even one of these Christian fruits.
So love is absolutely crucial. The context of this verse, the rest of the chapter, sheds more light on what this love means, and how it can be lived out.
The central theme of Colossians 3 is a contrast between the earthly and the heavenly. The opening statement of the chapter is this: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Set your mind on the the things above--not the things which are on earth.
Love flows out of this simple yet profoundly impactful choice that each person makes. On what will you set your mind?
What are the things on earth?
Attention, beauty, clothes, fun, being liked, man's praise, money, pleasure, power, reputation, talents, worries.
What is above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God?
Heaven, my eternal home.
Certainly there is more to love than this, yet this simple truth could deeply impact my life and my love if I let it. Set your mind on heaven, and as the things of earth fade away, love will overflow out of your heart and into your actions.
Death to worldly thought patterns leads to a growing, godly life. "You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (v. 9-10)." Beginning with the mind, there is an inescapable, undefeatable new life with all new desires. If you are a believer, your life is already being renewed--in your mind's knowledge--so that you are being transformed to look like the one who made you.
If you are struggling to love anyone in your life, take comfort in the fact that your mind is already being renewed, and God will not stop untill you look like Him. And as you rest in this truth, take action: make it a priority to think about heaven every day. When that person does something annoying that drives you crazy, or makes an effort to put herself in your path when you don't want to deal with her, or shoots back a stinging remark--take a minute to set your mind on the things above, where your Savior is sitting down at the right hand of God the Father.
To image Christ to the world, be intentional about meditating on heaven, so that love will flow from your mind to your heart and out to everyone you know.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
--John 13:34-35
Love and Your Mindset
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
--Col 3:14
Perfect harmony. What a concept! I have certainly not achieved this state in my relationships. Even the closest friendships I have don't sound like a perfectly blending a capella group. There are moments--and sometimes days or weeks--of discord that create a clashing, painful racket. Thank God that the reason for this disunity is so plain and obvious. If we are not in perfect harmony, then we are not loving each other as we should.
Love is incredibly important for the believer. It is so important that this passage actually directly states that it is "above" many other important godly traits. For example: "compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another"--each of these important characteristics must submit to love. Why? Because without love, it is impossible to bear even one of these Christian fruits.
So love is absolutely crucial. The context of this verse, the rest of the chapter, sheds more light on what this love means, and how it can be lived out.
The central theme of Colossians 3 is a contrast between the earthly and the heavenly. The opening statement of the chapter is this: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Set your mind on the the things above--not the things which are on earth.
Love flows out of this simple yet profoundly impactful choice that each person makes. On what will you set your mind?
What are the things on earth?
Attention, beauty, clothes, fun, being liked, man's praise, money, pleasure, power, reputation, talents, worries.
What is above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God?
Heaven, my eternal home.
Certainly there is more to love than this, yet this simple truth could deeply impact my life and my love if I let it. Set your mind on heaven, and as the things of earth fade away, love will overflow out of your heart and into your actions.
Death to worldly thought patterns leads to a growing, godly life. "You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (v. 9-10)." Beginning with the mind, there is an inescapable, undefeatable new life with all new desires. If you are a believer, your life is already being renewed--in your mind's knowledge--so that you are being transformed to look like the one who made you.
If you are struggling to love anyone in your life, take comfort in the fact that your mind is already being renewed, and God will not stop untill you look like Him. And as you rest in this truth, take action: make it a priority to think about heaven every day. When that person does something annoying that drives you crazy, or makes an effort to put herself in your path when you don't want to deal with her, or shoots back a stinging remark--take a minute to set your mind on the things above, where your Savior is sitting down at the right hand of God the Father.
To image Christ to the world, be intentional about meditating on heaven, so that love will flow from your mind to your heart and out to everyone you know.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Love and the Law
The New Commandment
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
--John 13: 31-35
Love and the Law
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
--Romans 13:8-10
We owe it to God to fulfill His law. Complete and total obedience to Him, from now until the day we die, would still not be perfect enough, for we have disobeyed Him already enough to earn Hell thousands of times. In this passage, we find the broad category under which much of God's law falls: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus has a higher standard than just "Don't have an affair" or "Don't kill anybody." In His most famous sermon, He revealed that He considers lust to be adultery and hatred to be murder. So it isn't enough for us to just abstain from heinous, obviously despicable crimes that would earn us shame from other people. That in itself is not enough to pay what we owe. The perfect obedience which is our debt consists of a heart that loves.
If love is the fulfilling of the law, then I am a law-breaker.
Looking at these four sins, I find just how guilty I am of transgressing God's commandments.
Adultery. There is more to lust than just looking at someone with impure desires in your heart. There is a sense in which any relationship you have can contribute to indulging your cravings for attention. One of the places this can be most obvious is in relationships with people of the opposite gender. My selfish heart can and does seek to gratify itself in the attention of men. God tells me that this is not only a way to rack up debt against Him, but it is in fact a refusal to pay what I owe to other people in my life. If you see someone--anyone--in your life as a source of self-gratification, then your lust for your own glory is actively hindering you from loving that person. No matter how much you may "like" that guy or girl, the only person you are loving is yourself.
Murder. The sin of hatred is equally dangerous and equally disguisable. Almost no one I know has ever actually taken someone else's life. Yet we all have feelings of anger, bitterness, and un-love that we would be appalled to see anyone find out. Daily, someone I know does something that causes the mercury in my anger-meter to push to the top. I may ignore the person--may even be silent--but inside I am hot with wrath. I have literally thought before of someone in my life, "I hate ____." I have done this multiple times. Even more numerous are the instances in which I have said, "I hate it when _____ does ____." My open complaint reveals that I love my own unchallenged comfort more than I love the person who challenged it.
Coveting and Stealing. The last two breakable laws seem to go hand in hand--"You shall not covet" and "You shall not steal." How many times have I wanted something that someone else has? To limit this to material possessions would be (for me) a major cop-out. I have found myself capable of being jealous of anything and everything. Someone's car or clothes or paycheck--sure. Someone's abilities, popularity, or the favor they enjoy--even more prevalent. I often like to see the sin of jealousy as a sin against God. After all, I am being discontent with His numerous gifts. But I am remiss if I don't consider this sin as a lack of love towards others. Have you ever been actively envious of someone in your life, and continued to love them perfectly, or even treat them well externally? It's not just difficult. It's impossible. To covet someone, or competitively fight to get what they have is to deny them your love.
Each of these sins jars me with the realization that I do not love as I should. Every day, instead of paying God and others the debt that I owe, I am increasing my deficit by being lustful, hateful, and jealous. A comparison to Jesus' law reveals that I am hopelessly behind on laying down even a fraction of the payment He is due.
But praise be to Jesus--He has paid our debts.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
--Matthew 5:17
Not only does Jesus establish the law of love--He follows it to the letter. In His perfect obedience, we are free to enjoy God's favor even though we cannot obey perfectly. And because our Savior lives in us, we know that He will help us to pay back what we owe.
To image Christ to the world, rely on His power to help you obey the law.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
A New Commandment + Love and Vengeance
A New Commandment
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
--John 13: 31-35
In an incredible context, we receive an incredible command. Jesus is sitting down for his last meal. Directly after being abandoned by a dear friend, and directly before his horrific death, Jesus gives a new commandment.
"Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
And what is the purpose of this great call?
"By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.
Love is important. Love is so important that our Savior says we are identified by it. Jesus says that love is how the world knows we are His. It is important, then, to look very carefully at what our God means when He tells us to love.
The extent to which we know and apply Biblical love is the extent to which we make it obvious to the world that we belong to Jesus.
Love and Vengeance
Leviticus 19:18
"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD."
Love, in this verse, is described by what it does not do. Love never has a grudge or a desire for vengeance upon those who harm us.
The problem with this commandment is that, even as believers, we do suffer harm from others--even other believers. Because we live in a fallen world, we hurt each other. Until I reach heaven, I will have to deal with biting words from family members, sharp-edged sarcastic remarks from friends, mean-spirited jabs disguised as rebukes, criticisms motivated by jealousy, and undeserved anger caused by circumstances unrelated to me. But the Bible says that the way to respond to these injuries is never, ever to hand back what is dished out.
Not only are we not to exact our own revenge, but we are also commanded to not even hold a grudge.
Do you realize what this means? It means that if you have been wronged and do not fire back a single unkind word, it is still possible to sin. The root of the sin of vengeance--the grudge--is deeply buried in the heart. A retaliatory attitude can be present (even controllingly so) and not be visible to anyone else.
Holding a grudge is refusing to think well of someone who wronged you. It is unforgiveness held close to the heart. It is a treasured ill will towards another person. It is the voice in your head that says you would be justified in being mean to that person but you are being extra godly by holding back.
How guilty are we of this? Most of us carry just as many grudges as we do scars of being hurt. It can feel so impossible to love that person who made fun of you in front of friends you look up to, or who belittled you out of his own pride, or who excluded you when she invited everyone else. It seems rediculous to think of looking at that person the same way again, as though they never did that evil thing. You look at them through the ugly veil of your own hurt, and their image is forever marred by the fog of your grudge.
There is only one escape, only one way to "love your neighbor as yourself" and that is in the identity of your God.
"I am the LORD."
Freedom from a begrudging heart can only be found in the One who has forgiven you. For you greatly wronged Him, spurning Him to His face repeatedly, day after day. Yet now, when He looks at you (if you have become one of His own), He willingly does not see one who is an enemy. He has chosen to look at you as though you never sinned against Him. How much more, then, ought we sinners to willingly close our eyes to the faults of those who wrong us.
To image Christ to the world, love others by forgetting their wrongs against you through confidence in who God is.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
--John 13: 31-35
In an incredible context, we receive an incredible command. Jesus is sitting down for his last meal. Directly after being abandoned by a dear friend, and directly before his horrific death, Jesus gives a new commandment.
"Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
And what is the purpose of this great call?
"By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.
Love is important. Love is so important that our Savior says we are identified by it. Jesus says that love is how the world knows we are His. It is important, then, to look very carefully at what our God means when He tells us to love.
The extent to which we know and apply Biblical love is the extent to which we make it obvious to the world that we belong to Jesus.
Love and Vengeance
Leviticus 19:18
"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD."
Love, in this verse, is described by what it does not do. Love never has a grudge or a desire for vengeance upon those who harm us.
The problem with this commandment is that, even as believers, we do suffer harm from others--even other believers. Because we live in a fallen world, we hurt each other. Until I reach heaven, I will have to deal with biting words from family members, sharp-edged sarcastic remarks from friends, mean-spirited jabs disguised as rebukes, criticisms motivated by jealousy, and undeserved anger caused by circumstances unrelated to me. But the Bible says that the way to respond to these injuries is never, ever to hand back what is dished out.
Not only are we not to exact our own revenge, but we are also commanded to not even hold a grudge.
Do you realize what this means? It means that if you have been wronged and do not fire back a single unkind word, it is still possible to sin. The root of the sin of vengeance--the grudge--is deeply buried in the heart. A retaliatory attitude can be present (even controllingly so) and not be visible to anyone else.
Holding a grudge is refusing to think well of someone who wronged you. It is unforgiveness held close to the heart. It is a treasured ill will towards another person. It is the voice in your head that says you would be justified in being mean to that person but you are being extra godly by holding back.
How guilty are we of this? Most of us carry just as many grudges as we do scars of being hurt. It can feel so impossible to love that person who made fun of you in front of friends you look up to, or who belittled you out of his own pride, or who excluded you when she invited everyone else. It seems rediculous to think of looking at that person the same way again, as though they never did that evil thing. You look at them through the ugly veil of your own hurt, and their image is forever marred by the fog of your grudge.
There is only one escape, only one way to "love your neighbor as yourself" and that is in the identity of your God.
"I am the LORD."
Freedom from a begrudging heart can only be found in the One who has forgiven you. For you greatly wronged Him, spurning Him to His face repeatedly, day after day. Yet now, when He looks at you (if you have become one of His own), He willingly does not see one who is an enemy. He has chosen to look at you as though you never sinned against Him. How much more, then, ought we sinners to willingly close our eyes to the faults of those who wrong us.
To image Christ to the world, love others by forgetting their wrongs against you through confidence in who God is.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Looking at Jesus: 10 Things From John 13:1-20
1. He suffered willingly to depart this world to the Father.
2. He loved His own to the very end--even when they fled or denied Him.
3. He greatly trusted His Father.
4. He humbled himself like a servant
5. He was patient with his disciples.
6. No pain or sacrifice of earth was too low for Him.
7. He set His followers an example.
8. He promised to reward obedience.
9. We have access through Him to God the Father.
10. In Him we have salvation, forgiveness, cleansing, and a relationship with the Most High God
2. He loved His own to the very end--even when they fled or denied Him.
3. He greatly trusted His Father.
4. He humbled himself like a servant
5. He was patient with his disciples.
6. No pain or sacrifice of earth was too low for Him.
7. He set His followers an example.
8. He promised to reward obedience.
9. We have access through Him to God the Father.
10. In Him we have salvation, forgiveness, cleansing, and a relationship with the Most High God
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Greatest Honor
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor Him.
--John 12:25-26
Following Christ is harder than it sounds. Following--it's not just like follow the leader in a neat little line for a short little time.
Where Jesus was, you will be. Among the needy, the demanding. Jesus went where suffering was worst. The suffering was often His own.
Following Jesus, these verses tell us, is equivalent to "hating your life." It takes pain, suffering, and denial of your very self! Death might even be literal
Yet this great price also leads to a great reward--"If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor Him."
Can you just imagine what that could mean? Jesus telling you: "My Father will honor you." Imagine a big honor that you have--or could--receive in your life. Maybe someone you really like paid you a great compliment. Maybe you found out you graduated with a 4.0 or made the top something for being smart.
God's honor--what's that all about?
Psalm 91:14-16 tells us:
Because He holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows My Name.
When he calls to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.
Know God,
Follow God,
Hold fast to God in love.
When you call, He will answer.
When you are in trouble, He will be with you.
The "honor" that He gives is more than just "props to you." It's rescue. It's satisfaction in the life He
gives. It's salvation.
He who hates his life will find it.
--John 12:25-26
Following Christ is harder than it sounds. Following--it's not just like follow the leader in a neat little line for a short little time.
Where Jesus was, you will be. Among the needy, the demanding. Jesus went where suffering was worst. The suffering was often His own.
Following Jesus, these verses tell us, is equivalent to "hating your life." It takes pain, suffering, and denial of your very self! Death might even be literal
Yet this great price also leads to a great reward--"If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor Him."
Can you just imagine what that could mean? Jesus telling you: "My Father will honor you." Imagine a big honor that you have--or could--receive in your life. Maybe someone you really like paid you a great compliment. Maybe you found out you graduated with a 4.0 or made the top something for being smart.
God's honor--what's that all about?
Psalm 91:14-16 tells us:
Because He holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows My Name.
When he calls to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.
Know God,
Follow God,
Hold fast to God in love.
When you call, He will answer.
When you are in trouble, He will be with you.
The "honor" that He gives is more than just "props to you." It's rescue. It's satisfaction in the life He
gives. It's salvation.
He who hates his life will find it.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Losing It--Keeping It
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
--John 12:25God is helping me to love my life less and less.
I've always really loved all the good things in life God has given me. But the longer I know Him, the more I can say: I'd take heaven over all that.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Believe and See
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, His hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
--John 11:38-44
What is the glory of God?
When Jesus spoke about it here, and in many other places, He was referring to the most amazing of God's miracles: the giving of life.
“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
There's a problem with that: we don't believe. I know I have saving faith. Yet I often find myself not living as though I really have faith in God's ability to give life to the dead.
It's easy to say, “I believe in God.” But it's harder to live day to day expecting God to bring the miracle of life. Sure, I know that God saved me when I was dead in sin. But _(fill in the blank)_ is too dead. “He'll never turn away from his sins.” Wrong! No one will turn to God on their own, but anyone can be saved if God wills it! If He could save me, then of course He can save them. No heart is too hard.
I've also been guilty of skepticism as it pertains to myself. Sin is death. Jesus in me—now that's life. But at times when my struggle with sin is getting more intense, with no sign of letting up, I might think “I will never have victory.” Wrong! Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom is in my heart—freedom from every wrong thought, every mixed-up priority, every unhelpful word I say. Jesus is completing perfect life in me.
The miracle of my sanctification--the glory of God in giving me life--is not impossible. It's happening, right now!
The most amazing, God-glorifying giving of life happened a couple thousand years ago when a dead man named Jesus took a breath and walked out of the tomb He had been laid in. And millions of miracles have happened since, because of that one. Dead people in every place, buried by their own sinfulness, have taken in the breath of new life by His power. I am one of them. How can I possibly think that Jesus won't do this miracle again? He glorifies God by giving life—so we better believe He'll give more!
John 17:1-5
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.”
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.”
Jesus glorified His Father when He gave me eternal life! What a thought—my salvation is part of the work that God gave Jesus to do. And I believe that making me holy is the other part of the work. I am so excited about this. Jesus is giving me life! He won't stop—ever.
I believe that I am seeing the glory of God.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
On Eternal Life
John 11:25-26
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.
John 6:40
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
John 12:24-25
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Today I am praising God that He has given me this life, and praying for those I know who don't have it yet.
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.
John 6:40
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
John 12:24-25
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Today I am praising God that He has given me this life, and praying for those I know who don't have it yet.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Truth that Sets Them Free
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."
--John 8:31-38
This conversation (and the rest of it, as it continues through verse 59) is quite frustrating to read. There is nothing quite like talking to someone with head-knowledge of Jesus, and apparent close proximity to embracing His truth, yet who staunchly and wilfully remains ignorant of Him in the most important ways. The verses tell us that these Jews "believed in Him." Yet they also were "slaves to sin" and were even seeking to kill Jesus. How is this even possible? How can someone believe in Jesus, yet be totally lost? The answer to this question can be found at the borderline of belief and unbelief. That line is this: "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples."
There can be no freedom outside of God's word. There can be no following Jesus in any way other than His word lays out. Rejection of God's word is rejection of Jesus, and no one who rejects is a disciple.
Reading these verses this morning reminded me of a somewhat similar conversation I had with a woman on an airplane. I was witnessing to her, despite her immediate affirmation that she was a Christian, because it was obvious that she did not know the truth, and had not been set free. She, like the Jews, was claiming belief--yet contradicting in the next breath the very words of God. From her mouth, I heard little gems like this:
"Yes, I absolutely agree with you that Jesus is essential to salvation! He is a wonderful son of God!"
"Yes, I agree with you that the Bible is absolutely true and it is the only message of salvation! But without the Book of Mormon, the Bible can't be verified and its message will be twisted."
"Yes, I believe that salvation is only by God's grace and our faith. But if my child dies without being baptized, I need to baptize someone else for her, so she can get into heaven."
Strangely enough, I was having a brutal argument with someone who only ever expressed joyful acquiescence with me. And now I know the tragic problem that had kept this woman from salvation for so many years. She was willfully refusing to know truth. Because of this, she could not be freed by truth, or truly be a disciple of God's word through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus' words "found no place" in her--for although she accepted them in her mind, she had laid them beside other qualifying "truths" that limited their absolute authority.
I have been just like that woman, and just like those Jews. I was willfully blind to God's truth, and with no excuse. God alone opened up my eyes to finally behold that which I had put off for years--that He is Truth. He would not tolerate a mind shared with other beliefs. So He set me free from my sins, and made me His child once and for all by the death of His own Son. I am free indeed!
I need to remember this as I seek to witness to others who don't know Truth. It is absolutely impossible--not worth trying--to convince them with brilliant arguments or concise refutals of whatever they say. There is only one way for them to believe, and that is for them to hear Truth. As a disciple of Jesus, I must be personally abiding in His word if I ever hope to make disciples of others. The best thing they could possibly hear from me is a direct quotation of Jesus' words. His truth alone can set them free--so let's abide in it, and boldly proclaim the Truth that fills our hearts.
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."
--John 8:31-38
This conversation (and the rest of it, as it continues through verse 59) is quite frustrating to read. There is nothing quite like talking to someone with head-knowledge of Jesus, and apparent close proximity to embracing His truth, yet who staunchly and wilfully remains ignorant of Him in the most important ways. The verses tell us that these Jews "believed in Him." Yet they also were "slaves to sin" and were even seeking to kill Jesus. How is this even possible? How can someone believe in Jesus, yet be totally lost? The answer to this question can be found at the borderline of belief and unbelief. That line is this: "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples."
There can be no freedom outside of God's word. There can be no following Jesus in any way other than His word lays out. Rejection of God's word is rejection of Jesus, and no one who rejects is a disciple.
Reading these verses this morning reminded me of a somewhat similar conversation I had with a woman on an airplane. I was witnessing to her, despite her immediate affirmation that she was a Christian, because it was obvious that she did not know the truth, and had not been set free. She, like the Jews, was claiming belief--yet contradicting in the next breath the very words of God. From her mouth, I heard little gems like this:
"Yes, I absolutely agree with you that Jesus is essential to salvation! He is a wonderful son of God!"
"Yes, I agree with you that the Bible is absolutely true and it is the only message of salvation! But without the Book of Mormon, the Bible can't be verified and its message will be twisted."
"Yes, I believe that salvation is only by God's grace and our faith. But if my child dies without being baptized, I need to baptize someone else for her, so she can get into heaven."
Strangely enough, I was having a brutal argument with someone who only ever expressed joyful acquiescence with me. And now I know the tragic problem that had kept this woman from salvation for so many years. She was willfully refusing to know truth. Because of this, she could not be freed by truth, or truly be a disciple of God's word through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus' words "found no place" in her--for although she accepted them in her mind, she had laid them beside other qualifying "truths" that limited their absolute authority.
I have been just like that woman, and just like those Jews. I was willfully blind to God's truth, and with no excuse. God alone opened up my eyes to finally behold that which I had put off for years--that He is Truth. He would not tolerate a mind shared with other beliefs. So He set me free from my sins, and made me His child once and for all by the death of His own Son. I am free indeed!
I need to remember this as I seek to witness to others who don't know Truth. It is absolutely impossible--not worth trying--to convince them with brilliant arguments or concise refutals of whatever they say. There is only one way for them to believe, and that is for them to hear Truth. As a disciple of Jesus, I must be personally abiding in His word if I ever hope to make disciples of others. The best thing they could possibly hear from me is a direct quotation of Jesus' words. His truth alone can set them free--so let's abide in it, and boldly proclaim the Truth that fills our hearts.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Never Thirst Again!
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal.
--John 6:26-27
In the wake of an astonishing miracle (the feeding of the 5,000) the crowds proved again the inability of worldly people to comprehend spiritual things. Their desire for earthly food alone propelled them to follow Jesus to Capernaum. Not only was their focus “What's in it for me?” but they didn't even see that the gain they were pursuing was completely unsatisfying and temporary. It must have been so frustrating for Jesus to see these people who followed Him around and heard His teachings still deny their need for salvation. How could a loaf of bread seem more important to them than eternal life?
People today live in much the same way. You probably don't see many people choosing a bag of Wonder Bread over an eternity in heaven. But human desires (and not just those of the unsaved) tend towards what we can feel, and taste, and touch.
Some people just put off the need for spiritual reconciliation because they are enjoying the world too much. These people have not necessarily even heard the whole gospel, and they don't want to. They don't want to hear anything that will make them change, because the fleeting happiness they are pursuing—that joy that's always just around the corner—depends on their doing things that, in their heart, they know are wrong.
Even more tragic are those people who know the Gospel and choose something else anyway. These are the people that we as Christians have labored in prayer over, cried about, and pleaded with to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as their Savior, Lord, and true Joy. Our attempts fall on deaf ears and stubborn hearts, because there is something else in their life that they just can't give up. There is something that can be touched, and felt, and tasted that is so tantalizing and addictive that the urgency of the Gospel message seems irrelevant.
But unbelievers are not the only ones who partake in the folly of the crowds. Look inside your own heart, and I believe that you will find, as I did, that we who are saved can be guilty of the same atrocity. We want what we can feel. I know that Jesus is in me, shining as a light to the world. I know that heaven is real, and it's coming, and it's infinitely better than the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know that the Bible is made of the very words of God, and is an incredibly precious gift that I have the privilege of taking with me in my heart wherever I go. But my heart looks at the blessings of the world and wants them.
Why is it that we want earthly blessings so badly? Why is it that we'll devote hours of actions, thoughts, and words each week to the purpose of winning peoples' good opinions? Why is it that we'll worry and wonder and plan endlessly for our future in pursuit of great personal success, instead of trusting the only One who ever had any control over what's to come? Why is it so hard to be content with loving Jesus wholeheartedly by yourself, and so easy to feel like you need someone else to love and be loved by? Why is it that just about every blessing in our lives is only ever a hair's breadth away from becoming an idol—a necessary, ultimate goal of life? The reason why is that we are like the crowds who followed Jesus with their feet but not their hearts. We are captivated by the taste, the smell, the feel of earthly bread in our hands, in our mouths, in our stomachs. We want it, we pursue it, we take it, we eat it. Then, after a few hours of feeling warm and full, we find that once again we are hungry. The cycle repeats. And the cycle will repeat, in my heart and in yours, if God doesn't put a stop to it. Thanks be to God that there is a way to stop wanting and chasing this earthly bread—and to finally find true joy and satisfaction.
Isaiah 55:1-3
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
I am sick of spending my money, spending my time, spending my labor on that which does not, cannot, and will not satisfy. I am ready (at least in my heart) to throw my all into pursuing Jesus, the bread of life. And right here, in Isaiah 55, is the way for me to do just that.
“Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good.”
“Incline your ear.”
“Come to me.”
“Hear, that your soul may live.”
I'm thirsty. I want my life to be more joyful, and more fulfilled. Jesus, my Savior, is the only fountain that can quench my thirst. So I'll come to Him. I'll enter His presence. And it won't just be for the few minutes that constitute a “quiet time.” Instead, I'll linger with Him. I'll listen diligently—not giving up when His words seem counter-intuitive to my immediate happiness. And as I hear, as I listen, as I come, I will worship Him—because He is the bread of life.
John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.”
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Being the Witness
You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
--John 5:33-34
If there was ever someone who shouldn't have needed anybody to stick up for Him, it was Jesus. He shouldn't have needed anyone to testify, “Yeah, He's God”--because He was God. The words of some man couldn't make His claims any more or less true, because He only told the truth.
If I was claiming to be Taylor Swift, I would need a lot of backup. For one thing, I don't look like her. For another, I don't sound anything like her. No one would believe my claims, because I'm not her.
But for Jesus to say He was God was for Him to declare the truth. And it was a truth that should have been obvious. He fulfilled every single Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, yet the Old Testament scholars were the ones that hated Him most (John 5:45-46). He healed the sick, proving He had both the compassion and the power of God His Father, yet even the ones He healed betrayed Him (John 5:15-16). He offered the bread of life to people enslaved to insatiable desires, yet they forsook the gift of God for earthly food (John 6:26-27). It should have been obvious to everyone that Jesus was exactly who He said He was, yet people refused to believe (just as they do now) that this Man was the Son of God.
So Jesus did something He should never have needed to do. The perfect Man referred the Pharisees to the testimony of a sinful, finite man. He showed that He understood their small-mindedness when He said, “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that He bears about me is true (John 5:31-32).”
Sinful people, deserving of Hell, had raised a finger and said to the One who could save them: “We don't think you are who you say you are.” Jesus didn't ignore their vain, useless arguments. He didn't leave them in their self-deception without a word of how they could escape. He took the argument down to their petty level. “Alright, so you aren't willing to believe the Bible. You aren't willing to believe the words of the very God you claim to serve. You'd rather believe the unwarranted claims of imperfect human beings than the indisputable truth of the Most High God. I get that. So go ahead and listen to John. He's a man like you, so listen to what He says about Me.”
This is the humility of Jesus Christ. He did what He never needed to do, in order that sinners might believe what they needed to believe. “I do not receive glory from people,” He said. “But I know that you do not have the love of God within you....How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God (John 5:41, 42, 44)?”
How could they believe, indeed? They had made a narrow door to their hearts. They ostensibly wanted to hear God's truth, just not from His Son.
And today it happens in much the same way. People have all the evidence they need readily available in the Bible, yet they don't believe. So Jesus uses another means to get His gospel to people--us! Just as Jesus didn't need John, He doesn't need you and me to be the ones telling a disbelieving world that He is the Christ, the Son of God. The God-breathed scriptures bear more than enough testimony to this truth. But still, God has chosen to use people like us to be messengers to the hard-hearted. He lets pitiful, failing sinners like you and me be the ones who get to tell a dead girl about Life for the first time. He lets earthly, tainted eyes like ours be the first to see a lost person's face light up at the realization he can be found. He gives dishonest, untrustworthy people the unspeakable privilege of bearing witness to the Savior of the world—though we wouldn't even believe our own words unless He had quickened our hearts.
Jesus doesn't need glory from us. But he wants it! Just as He used John the baptist, He is pleased to use us as testimonies to His great salvation. What an honor.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Life in Jesus
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.
--John 5:21-26
Of all the things Jesus has, “life in Himself” is truly one of the most amazing. Just as the Father can raise anyone from the dead, so Jesus can give life to one who is not alive.
Obviously, He's not just talking about earthly life and death. Jesus only raised a handful of dead people from the grave while He was on earth. The inhaling, exhaling, heart-beating kind of life is not by any means the most important kind. The kind of life you really want is the kind we see in verse 24:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”
If Jesus had only said the part about hearing and believing, my heart would have sunk in disappointment. I am no stranger to hearing without belief. I see unbelievers who have been told the gospel (some who have heard the gospel passionately told multiple times) and who stubbornly refuse to believe. I see people continue to ignore the pressing urgency of commitment to Christ and live on in their dead ways day after day. People hear, and don't believe. How can such ones have eternal life? It would seem that they are destined for judgment and have no hope of passing from death to life.
But the progression of these verses gives me some hope about their salvation. You see, Jesus doesn't start with people and their hearing and their believing. He starts with Himself, and that makes all the difference. “The Son gives life to whom He will.”
I find incredible comfort in remembering that salvation comes from God alone. There are (more or less) thirty people whose salvation I pray for regularly. At least once a week, I ask for God to save these people. Most of them have been told the gospel. Some of them have been told by me. It just feels so good to remember: if it's not about them hearing perfectly, then it's not about how well I tell. I don't need to be persuasive enough, or diligent enough, or perfect enough. I couldn't be. And I could never, ever save these people. I certainly didn't save myself!
Only Jesus has life in Himself. The life I have is not innate; I was born dead and given life later. Jesus has been gloriously alive since forever before the first second of time passed. And He will be alive for the never-ending ages, long after every living thing has left the earth. He gives this life to others. I believe He will give life to some people on my list before long—and He will do it apart from any skill or wisdom or faithfulness of mine.
I trust in the one who has, and gives, life--all by Himself.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Real Kind of Faith
I have more blessings than you can possible imagine! For someone as ungrateful and selfish as I am, it is truly amazing how faithful God is to give me so much to enjoy. I have close friends to share in mutual encouragement with, and people older and younger than me that I can lead or follow in Christ. God lets me feel His presence in a deep way almost every morning. He regularly gives me the chance to worship Him, and stand or kneel or lay face down in awe and wonder at who He is, despite my personal lack of spiritual understanding. If my certainty of God's love was dependent just on my experience of His spiritual blessings, then I would have more than enough proof.
But here's the thing. I'm not okay with that. I don't want my understanding of God's love to depend on what I can see and touch and feel. Who God is is infinitely greater than my experience of who He is, because I am finite and very limited in my scope of vision.
In my Bible reading this morning, I got to revisit an example of what kind of person I want to be. In John 4, we read of a man who was in dire need. This man was an official in high position who lived in Capernaum. Whatever power this man may have felt he had, there was one circumstance in his life that he was powerless to deal with. His beloved son was sick and dying, and the official could literally do nothing about it. So this man went to the One who could do something.
When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
This man was acknowledging that he could do nothing for the one he cared about so deeply. His attitude was one of humility and desperation. Yet he was still not at the place Jesus wanted him to be. He was ready for a miracle from God, but faith in and desire for this miracle was not all that God wanted.
So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
The official had no problem believing that Jesus could do a miracle. His problem was believing in Jesus if He didn't do a miracle.
The official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”
Now the official faced the dilemma that we all come to at some point or another. He had felt hopeful and confident on his journey to Jesus, as long as he expected that Jesus would come back with him. If the official could see Jesus lay hands on his son, that was more than enough. But now Jesus had done the unexpected. He refused to come back with the man. Instead, the official was to go home, alone, with no guarantee but a word from Jesus.
This is where our faith is tested. It is good to have a firm belief that Jesus is at work in your life. But as long as you are seeing His work clearly from day to day, your faith, though genuine, is still untested and unproven. When real faith comes into play is when you are asked to face a day with no certainty of Jesus showing His hand. Without any clear sign that He is near, armed with nothing but the ancient promises of His word, you are asked to “Go.” Go back home. He won't show you a sign. He won't give you a blessing or a token of His involvement in His life. Just walk back the way you came, by yourself, and believe not in what you will see when you get there, but in the One who sent you.
The man believed that word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
As he was going down his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.
Sometimes Jesus wants us to do more than just believe He'll work. He wants us to believe in Him even when we aren't feeling His presence, or feeling used in others' lives, or feeling encouraged by the believers around us.
The official from Capernaum passed this test. By the time he got back to the servants who told him the good news, he had already proven he didn't need good news. He had gone to Jesus, left Jesus, traveled for two days and probably even slept a whole night—all without any knowledge of his son's state. But a word from Jesus had been enough to sustain him, because he trusted in who Jesus was.
How I want to be like this man! Sometimes I think that the only faith I've been proven to have is the kind that is instantly rewarded and rarely tested. Who's to say that my faith in God has what it takes, if it might just be dependent on the blessings I'm used to receiving?
But my prayer and my hope is that God has given me a better faith. Who He is is more than enough. And if today I lose some blessing I thought I needed, I hope I can keep His character in view and, like the the man from Capernaum, “Go.”
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Price of Our Joy
No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
--John 3:13-14
Have you ever given up something you wanted, so someone else could get what they wanted? Maybe you said no to hanging out with your friends because you knew someone else really wanted to talk. Maybe you didn't accept an exciting opportunity you were offered, and waited for someone else to jump on it, without even acknowledging that they were taking what you wanted for themselves. Maybe you gave up your morning of sleeping in because someone needed help moving, or doing yard work. I've done something along all of these lines before. But let me tell you, what Jesus gave up to give us eternal life makes any sacrifice I've ever made seem not even worth mentioning.
Jesus descended from heaven. Do you have any idea how wonderful heaven is? I wish I knew. I only will know when I get there, and I want to be there more than anything. But once I am, I'm sure of one thing. I won't want to come back here.
Now imagine what it was like for Jesus to leave. If the joy of heaven is the presence of God, Jesus had been reveling in that joy since before the beginning of time. He willingly left it all, confining Himself to space and time and suffering. In many ways, His life was miserable even by our standards. But imagine those trials from the perspective of living in paradise for all of eternity. I will never understand the depths of Christ's perfection, so I'll never realize just how much He suffered.
And Jesus carried the awareness of what He had given up with Him even to the end. John 13:3 tells us that, when His hour had come, Jesus knew that "He had come from God and was going back to God." Finally, after enduring the worst trial imaginable, Jesus would be on His way back to the Father's side--this time to sit down and remain forever, glorified.
I am so thankful to Jesus for the sacrifice He made. He gave up heaven for decades of a grueling earthly existence, so that I could enjoy heaven, with Him, forever. I can barely believe that He would sacrifice so much for me. I am in awe of the depth of joy I get to experience for eternity, and the price it took to buy that future for me.
--John 3:13-14
Have you ever given up something you wanted, so someone else could get what they wanted? Maybe you said no to hanging out with your friends because you knew someone else really wanted to talk. Maybe you didn't accept an exciting opportunity you were offered, and waited for someone else to jump on it, without even acknowledging that they were taking what you wanted for themselves. Maybe you gave up your morning of sleeping in because someone needed help moving, or doing yard work. I've done something along all of these lines before. But let me tell you, what Jesus gave up to give us eternal life makes any sacrifice I've ever made seem not even worth mentioning.
Jesus descended from heaven. Do you have any idea how wonderful heaven is? I wish I knew. I only will know when I get there, and I want to be there more than anything. But once I am, I'm sure of one thing. I won't want to come back here.
Now imagine what it was like for Jesus to leave. If the joy of heaven is the presence of God, Jesus had been reveling in that joy since before the beginning of time. He willingly left it all, confining Himself to space and time and suffering. In many ways, His life was miserable even by our standards. But imagine those trials from the perspective of living in paradise for all of eternity. I will never understand the depths of Christ's perfection, so I'll never realize just how much He suffered.
And Jesus carried the awareness of what He had given up with Him even to the end. John 13:3 tells us that, when His hour had come, Jesus knew that "He had come from God and was going back to God." Finally, after enduring the worst trial imaginable, Jesus would be on His way back to the Father's side--this time to sit down and remain forever, glorified.
I am so thankful to Jesus for the sacrifice He made. He gave up heaven for decades of a grueling earthly existence, so that I could enjoy heaven, with Him, forever. I can barely believe that He would sacrifice so much for me. I am in awe of the depth of joy I get to experience for eternity, and the price it took to buy that future for me.
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