Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:28 NLT)
The most outwardly religious people of Jesus' day were also the most hypocritical people of His day. God isn't looking for conformity to a list of rules so you "look" righteous. He wants the kind of transformation of life that causes you to "own your faith." If your Christianity isn't changing you from the inside out you're only "playing the part" of what it really means to be a follower of Jesus.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Consider This...
Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. (Proverbs 14:13 NLT)
There are lots of people who are laughing and smiling, but their hearts are breaking within them. Care enough to go deep in your relationships and you'll find out what's really happening behind the surface. Then you can minister the healing balm of God's love to hearts that need to feel His tender care through you.
There are lots of people who are laughing and smiling, but their hearts are breaking within them. Care enough to go deep in your relationships and you'll find out what's really happening behind the surface. Then you can minister the healing balm of God's love to hearts that need to feel His tender care through you.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Consider This...
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26 NLT)
They say that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes, but apparently they haven't heard about our God. Once you're in a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ He is yours and you are His "forever." Everything around you or in you may fail, but He will never fail you or leave you!
They say that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes, but apparently they haven't heard about our God. Once you're in a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ He is yours and you are His "forever." Everything around you or in you may fail, but He will never fail you or leave you!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Consider This...
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (Proverbs 12:25 NLT)
It's often apparent when a person has the weight of the world bearing down on him. And, it may only take "an encouraging word" to lift him out of the doldrums. Be a "Good Samaritan" every day and look for that person you can cheer up with some gracious words of compassion.
It's often apparent when a person has the weight of the world bearing down on him. And, it may only take "an encouraging word" to lift him out of the doldrums. Be a "Good Samaritan" every day and look for that person you can cheer up with some gracious words of compassion.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Consider This...
When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. (Proverbs 10:25 NLT)
Of one thing we can all be certain...the "storms of life" will come. The question is what will happen to us when they come? The proverb makes clear that the people of God have a "lasting foundation" or secure relationship that no passing misfortune can ever affect. Rest in the truth that you are His child and that no catastrophe can "whirl" you away from Him!
Of one thing we can all be certain...the "storms of life" will come. The question is what will happen to us when they come? The proverb makes clear that the people of God have a "lasting foundation" or secure relationship that no passing misfortune can ever affect. Rest in the truth that you are His child and that no catastrophe can "whirl" you away from Him!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Keep Me Near the Cross
Galatians 6:14
There’s a parable told about a country church that had an ivy plant growing up by the porch doorway. Over the doorway was a text carved in stone, “We preach Christ crucified.” Over the years the plant grew steadily and a branch gradually spread over the doorway. The first word of the text covered by the leaves of the plant was “crucified” which reduced the text to say: “We preach Christ.” We might think that’s unfortunate but the essential part of the faith is still there. As time went on the branch spread further and covered over the word “Christ.” But, no one seemed to notice, and the message of the church to the world outside was reduced to "We preach..." In other words...it looked as if the church had no message. When we cease to preach Christ crucified...the church literally has no message!
Recently, an American atheist group filed suit to prevent the “miracle cross” from being displayed at the 9/11 memorial in New York City. They indicated that just the sight of it made their members physically sick and that it was a violation of the American Constitution. Those kinds of attacks against the cross are not nearly as disturbing as the ones made by people who profess to embrace the cross.
In an effort to be as welcoming as possible some churches have removed all iconography of the cross from their facilities in order to not offend unbelievers that might possibly join them. We could argue the point of whether this is effective or not, but sadly it makes the church appear as if it has no message...not unlike the parable of the country church.
Instead of being ashamed of the cross it should be the rallying point for all believers and the clear message we proclaim as the means of sinners being reconciled to God!
Explain the background of Galatians and the final verses beginning at 6:11-18.
And yet, the cross that many thought “offensive and foolish” was the very thing in which Paul boasted!
Timothy George writes, “Paul...chose something utterly despicable, contemptible, and valueless as the basis of his own boasting—the cross of Christ. For two thousand years the cross has been so variously and beautifully represented in Christian iconography and symbolism that it is almost impossible for us to appreciate the sense of horror and shock that must have greeted the apostolic proclamation of a crucified Redeemer.” He continues, “...Actually the Latin word crux [i.e., cross] was regarded as an expression so crude no polite Roman would utter it in public...But what the world regards as too shameful to whisper in polite company, a detestable object used for the brutal execution of the dregs of society, Paul declared to be the proper basis for exultation. In this and in this alone he would make his boast, in life and death, for all time and eternity.” (Timothy George, The New American Commentary, Galatians, pg. 436)
And, it should be the basis of our exultation as believers, as well!
Notice the three crucifixions that are delineated in 6:14:
1. The Crucified Christ...that’s salvation!
cf. 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Corinthians 1:18
It was February, 1941, Auschwitz, Poland. Maximilian Kolbe was put in the infamous death camp for helping Jews escape Nazi terrorism. After some men made a successful escape, ten prisoners were rounded up randomly and herded into a cell where they would die of starvation and exposure as a lesson against future escape attempts. Names were called. A Polish Jew, Franciszek Gajowniczek (pronounced: Frandishek Gasovnachek), was called. He cried, "Wait, I have a wife and children!" Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest, stepped forward and said, "I will take his place."
Kolbe was marched into the death cell with nine others and never made it out alive. This story was chronicled on a news special several years ago. Gasovnachek, by this time 82, was shown telling this story while tears streamed down his cheeks. A mobile camera followed him around his little white house to a marble monument carefully tended with flowers. The inscription read:
A priest far greater than Maximilian Kolbe died for you and for me...His name was Jesus. And, His death did what no other death could ever do...it paid our sin debt in full that we might be be forgiven.
2. The Crucified World...that’s liberation!
The world has been crucified to the saint! It no longer holds any power over us except what we give it.
By the “world” we don’t mean the physical world per se, but the world system that is alienated and opposed to God. The world system has lost its power and should increasingly lose its allure to believers.
Charles Swindoll writes, “The world system is committed to at least four major objectives, which I can summarize in four words: fortune, fame, power, pleasure. First and foremost: Fortune...The world system is driven by money; it feeds on materialism. Second: Fame. That is another word for popularity. Fame is the longing to be known, to be somebody in someone else's eyes. Third: Power. This is having influence, maintaining control over individuals or groups or companies or whatever. It is the desire to manipulate and maneuver others to do something for one's own benefit. Fourth: Pleasure. At its basic level, pleasure has to do with fulfilling one's sensual desires. It's the same mindset that's behind the slogan: ‘If it feels good, do it.’” (Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.219.)
cf. Romans 6:5-11
We’ve been set free from all bondage that once held us in its grasp! That’s true freedom/liberty!
3. The Crucified Christian...that’s separation/distinction!
God still calls His people to “be holy as He is holy.” The truth about separation has been misused and turned into legalism in the past, but the pendulum in recent years has swung to the other extreme and now what too often prevails is licentiousness.
cf. Romans 12:2
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it; and if you begin to run down the hill, the ever-increasing impetus will send you down faster and faster to destruction. You Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity. I do believe that the growth of worldliness is like strife, which is as the letting out of water. Once you begin, there is no knowing where you will stop. I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, "May I do so-and-so?" I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person's conscience lets him say, "Well, I can go to A," he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet. . .When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin.”
cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (6:17 comes from Isaiah 52:11; cf. Revelation 18:1-5)
Because we are dead to the world we should live a life of distinction in the world. Our lives should be characterized by Christlike qualities that make us clearly identifiable to the world!
Closing:
I read a fictional story about two friends who went to a law school together. One became a lawyer and eventually a judge, but the other squandered his life, broke the law and wound up in court. Who do you think was sitting in the judge’s seat? It was his old friend with whom he had gone to law school. One question filled the courtroom: what kind of sentence would he pass? To everyone's surprise, the judge demanded the full penalty of the law. No sooner had he passed the sentence than the judge stepped down from the bench, took off his robes, walked over to the table where his old friend stood and putting his arms round him, gently said, "Let it be recorded today, not only have I passed sentence upon him, but I will stand chargeable with all his debts." In that moment the judge became his redeemer! That’s an analogy for what Christ has done for us on Calvary.
Don’t run away from the cross...stay as close to it as possible.
There’s an old hymn written by Fanny Crosby that expresses well the sentiment for all of us about the cross and proclaims the message everyone needs to hear whose sins are yet to be forgiven. (P. 319)
There’s a parable told about a country church that had an ivy plant growing up by the porch doorway. Over the doorway was a text carved in stone, “We preach Christ crucified.” Over the years the plant grew steadily and a branch gradually spread over the doorway. The first word of the text covered by the leaves of the plant was “crucified” which reduced the text to say: “We preach Christ.” We might think that’s unfortunate but the essential part of the faith is still there. As time went on the branch spread further and covered over the word “Christ.” But, no one seemed to notice, and the message of the church to the world outside was reduced to "We preach..." In other words...it looked as if the church had no message. When we cease to preach Christ crucified...the church literally has no message!
Recently, an American atheist group filed suit to prevent the “miracle cross” from being displayed at the 9/11 memorial in New York City. They indicated that just the sight of it made their members physically sick and that it was a violation of the American Constitution. Those kinds of attacks against the cross are not nearly as disturbing as the ones made by people who profess to embrace the cross.
In an effort to be as welcoming as possible some churches have removed all iconography of the cross from their facilities in order to not offend unbelievers that might possibly join them. We could argue the point of whether this is effective or not, but sadly it makes the church appear as if it has no message...not unlike the parable of the country church.
Instead of being ashamed of the cross it should be the rallying point for all believers and the clear message we proclaim as the means of sinners being reconciled to God!
Explain the background of Galatians and the final verses beginning at 6:11-18.
- The offense of the Christian cross was frequently described by a Greek word (mania), which means “madness.” It was common for people to consider Christians mad for believing that God would actually be nailed to a cross!
- The ancient historian, Plinius Secundus, called the preaching of the cross “a perverse and extravagant superstition” and said that Christians suffered from amentia (which is a mental disorder).
- The orator Caecilius (a contemporary of Marcus Aurelius) said that Christians suffered from “sick delusions” and a “senseless and crazy superstition” and adds, “Not least among the monstrosities of their faith is the fact that they worship one who has been crucified.”
- Martin Hengel, in his book, “Crucifixion” states, “A crucified messiah, son of God, or God must have seemed a contradiction in terms to anyone, Jew, Greek, Roman or barbarian, asked to believe such a claim, and it will certainly have been thought offensive and foolish.”
And yet, the cross that many thought “offensive and foolish” was the very thing in which Paul boasted!
Timothy George writes, “Paul...chose something utterly despicable, contemptible, and valueless as the basis of his own boasting—the cross of Christ. For two thousand years the cross has been so variously and beautifully represented in Christian iconography and symbolism that it is almost impossible for us to appreciate the sense of horror and shock that must have greeted the apostolic proclamation of a crucified Redeemer.” He continues, “...Actually the Latin word crux [i.e., cross] was regarded as an expression so crude no polite Roman would utter it in public...But what the world regards as too shameful to whisper in polite company, a detestable object used for the brutal execution of the dregs of society, Paul declared to be the proper basis for exultation. In this and in this alone he would make his boast, in life and death, for all time and eternity.” (Timothy George, The New American Commentary, Galatians, pg. 436)
And, it should be the basis of our exultation as believers, as well!
Notice the three crucifixions that are delineated in 6:14:
1. The Crucified Christ...that’s salvation!
(“...the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...”)
cf. 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Corinthians 1:18
It was February, 1941, Auschwitz, Poland. Maximilian Kolbe was put in the infamous death camp for helping Jews escape Nazi terrorism. After some men made a successful escape, ten prisoners were rounded up randomly and herded into a cell where they would die of starvation and exposure as a lesson against future escape attempts. Names were called. A Polish Jew, Franciszek Gajowniczek (pronounced: Frandishek Gasovnachek), was called. He cried, "Wait, I have a wife and children!" Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest, stepped forward and said, "I will take his place."
Kolbe was marched into the death cell with nine others and never made it out alive. This story was chronicled on a news special several years ago. Gasovnachek, by this time 82, was shown telling this story while tears streamed down his cheeks. A mobile camera followed him around his little white house to a marble monument carefully tended with flowers. The inscription read:
IN MEMORY OF MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
HE DIED IN MY PLACE.
A priest far greater than Maximilian Kolbe died for you and for me...His name was Jesus. And, His death did what no other death could ever do...it paid our sin debt in full that we might be be forgiven.
2. The Crucified World...that’s liberation!
(“...the world has been crucified to me...”)
The world has been crucified to the saint! It no longer holds any power over us except what we give it.
By the “world” we don’t mean the physical world per se, but the world system that is alienated and opposed to God. The world system has lost its power and should increasingly lose its allure to believers.
Charles Swindoll writes, “The world system is committed to at least four major objectives, which I can summarize in four words: fortune, fame, power, pleasure. First and foremost: Fortune...The world system is driven by money; it feeds on materialism. Second: Fame. That is another word for popularity. Fame is the longing to be known, to be somebody in someone else's eyes. Third: Power. This is having influence, maintaining control over individuals or groups or companies or whatever. It is the desire to manipulate and maneuver others to do something for one's own benefit. Fourth: Pleasure. At its basic level, pleasure has to do with fulfilling one's sensual desires. It's the same mindset that's behind the slogan: ‘If it feels good, do it.’” (Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.219.)
cf. Romans 6:5-11
We’ve been set free from all bondage that once held us in its grasp! That’s true freedom/liberty!
3. The Crucified Christian...that’s separation/distinction!
(“...I [have been crucified] to the world.”)
God still calls His people to “be holy as He is holy.” The truth about separation has been misused and turned into legalism in the past, but the pendulum in recent years has swung to the other extreme and now what too often prevails is licentiousness.
cf. Romans 12:2
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it; and if you begin to run down the hill, the ever-increasing impetus will send you down faster and faster to destruction. You Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity. I do believe that the growth of worldliness is like strife, which is as the letting out of water. Once you begin, there is no knowing where you will stop. I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, "May I do so-and-so?" I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person's conscience lets him say, "Well, I can go to A," he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet. . .When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin.”
cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (6:17 comes from Isaiah 52:11; cf. Revelation 18:1-5)
Because we are dead to the world we should live a life of distinction in the world. Our lives should be characterized by Christlike qualities that make us clearly identifiable to the world!
Closing:
I read a fictional story about two friends who went to a law school together. One became a lawyer and eventually a judge, but the other squandered his life, broke the law and wound up in court. Who do you think was sitting in the judge’s seat? It was his old friend with whom he had gone to law school. One question filled the courtroom: what kind of sentence would he pass? To everyone's surprise, the judge demanded the full penalty of the law. No sooner had he passed the sentence than the judge stepped down from the bench, took off his robes, walked over to the table where his old friend stood and putting his arms round him, gently said, "Let it be recorded today, not only have I passed sentence upon him, but I will stand chargeable with all his debts." In that moment the judge became his redeemer! That’s an analogy for what Christ has done for us on Calvary.
Don’t run away from the cross...stay as close to it as possible.
There’s an old hymn written by Fanny Crosby that expresses well the sentiment for all of us about the cross and proclaims the message everyone needs to hear whose sins are yet to be forgiven. (P. 319)
Friday, August 24, 2012
Consider This...
So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.(Matthew 18:4 NLT)
God says the way up is down and the way down is up...the exact reverse of what society teaches us. In other words, true greatness with God is not found in pride, but in humility. Actually, it's clear that God "opposes the proud, but favors the humble." (James 4:6) Here's the choice we all have to make...humble ourselves before the Lord (1 Peter 5:6) or be humbled by Him!
God says the way up is down and the way down is up...the exact reverse of what society teaches us. In other words, true greatness with God is not found in pride, but in humility. Actually, it's clear that God "opposes the proud, but favors the humble." (James 4:6) Here's the choice we all have to make...humble ourselves before the Lord (1 Peter 5:6) or be humbled by Him!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Consider This...
Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the LORD to handle the matter. (Proverbs 20:22 NLT)
They say that revenge is "sweet," but it's never justified! It's almost always tainted by prejudice and overreaction. Give the wrongs done to you to God and let Him deal with the transgressor in His time and way.
They say that revenge is "sweet," but it's never justified! It's almost always tainted by prejudice and overreaction. Give the wrongs done to you to God and let Him deal with the transgressor in His time and way.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Consider This...
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. (Matthew 15:8, 9 NLT)
This rebuke was spoken to some of the most respected religious leaders of Jesus' day. The problem is that they had traded the truth of God's Word for some trendy "man-made ideas" thus turning worship into a "farce." Listen carefully to what you are taught and make sure it is firmly grounded in the Truth. Just because a man/woman is a gifted communicator with a charismatic personality doesn't necessarily mean he/she is speaking the Truth of God!
This rebuke was spoken to some of the most respected religious leaders of Jesus' day. The problem is that they had traded the truth of God's Word for some trendy "man-made ideas" thus turning worship into a "farce." Listen carefully to what you are taught and make sure it is firmly grounded in the Truth. Just because a man/woman is a gifted communicator with a charismatic personality doesn't necessarily mean he/she is speaking the Truth of God!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Consider This...
Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God....He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. (Exodus 2:23, 25 NLT)
God has a plan that includes your good even when it seems He's far away and not listening. Keep crying out to Him in your difficulty knowing that He is there to sustain you until the time is right for your deliverance.
God has a plan that includes your good even when it seems He's far away and not listening. Keep crying out to Him in your difficulty knowing that He is there to sustain you until the time is right for your deliverance.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Consider This...
"Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good." (Romans 12:9 GW)
"Love the sinner, hate the sin"and "Love the sinner, hate your own sin" are both equally true. Actually, love for God necessitates hating sin no matter where it's found (cf. Proverbs 8:13). You can't love your neighbor and not hate the evil that threatens to destroy his life/soul. Neither can you love God deeply when you don't hate/deal with your own sin. What we have to reject is condoning our own sin while calling out the sins of others. Stop playing semantics with either of these truths and let's obey them both: "Love sincerely" AND "hate evil."
"Love the sinner, hate the sin"and "Love the sinner, hate your own sin" are both equally true. Actually, love for God necessitates hating sin no matter where it's found (cf. Proverbs 8:13). You can't love your neighbor and not hate the evil that threatens to destroy his life/soul. Neither can you love God deeply when you don't hate/deal with your own sin. What we have to reject is condoning our own sin while calling out the sins of others. Stop playing semantics with either of these truths and let's obey them both: "Love sincerely" AND "hate evil."
Friday, August 17, 2012
Consider This...
But Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? (Exodus 4:10, 11 NLT)
If you feel adequate in yourself to do the Lord's work then you likely have a problem with pride. If you refuse to do the Lord's work because you feel inadequate in yourself...you are being disobedient. If you yield yourself to the Lord you'll find that He is more than adequate to do His work through you!
If you feel adequate in yourself to do the Lord's work then you likely have a problem with pride. If you refuse to do the Lord's work because you feel inadequate in yourself...you are being disobedient. If you yield yourself to the Lord you'll find that He is more than adequate to do His work through you!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Consider This...
Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. (Genesis 45:15 NLT)
Families will never know healing and peace until at least one of their members chooses to extend forgiveness to the others. As long as everyone keeps throwing "verbal jabs," "bringing up the past," and "holding on to bitterness," the battle will rage on and the pain will continue. Maybe God is sending you on ahead so that like Joseph you can lead the others out of the hostilities by being the first to forgive.
Families will never know healing and peace until at least one of their members chooses to extend forgiveness to the others. As long as everyone keeps throwing "verbal jabs," "bringing up the past," and "holding on to bitterness," the battle will rage on and the pain will continue. Maybe God is sending you on ahead so that like Joseph you can lead the others out of the hostilities by being the first to forgive.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Consider This...
If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. (Matthew 5:46 NLT)
This verse is one of the clearest evidences that Christian love transcends sheer emotional love. Loving feelings sometimes follow loving actions, but we must show loving actions/responses whether we ever have loving feelings or not. It's when we love those that don't love us that we most look like Jesus! Thank God He helps us love in this manner because we could never do this alone.
This verse is one of the clearest evidences that Christian love transcends sheer emotional love. Loving feelings sometimes follow loving actions, but we must show loving actions/responses whether we ever have loving feelings or not. It's when we love those that don't love us that we most look like Jesus! Thank God He helps us love in this manner because we could never do this alone.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Consider This...
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17 NLT)
If the people you choose to hang around aren't having a positive influence on your life you might ought to consider changing friends! A true friend sharpens you and makes you better for having spent time with them. They challenge and inspire you to reach your greatest potential. Be sure to choose your friends carefully lest you surround yourself with people that make your life "dull."
If the people you choose to hang around aren't having a positive influence on your life you might ought to consider changing friends! A true friend sharpens you and makes you better for having spent time with them. They challenge and inspire you to reach your greatest potential. Be sure to choose your friends carefully lest you surround yourself with people that make your life "dull."
Monday, August 13, 2012
Consider This...
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:37, 38 NLT)
While the world population continues to grow those willing to help reach them with the Gospel are seemingly on the decline. There is no mission agency actively turning down qualified applicants because there are too many missionaries already on the international fields. We need to pray every day for God to "send more workers" into the harvest fields where Christ isn't known. And while we're at it...let's ask Him who we can reach in the harvest fields located in our own "back yards."
While the world population continues to grow those willing to help reach them with the Gospel are seemingly on the decline. There is no mission agency actively turning down qualified applicants because there are too many missionaries already on the international fields. We need to pray every day for God to "send more workers" into the harvest fields where Christ isn't known. And while we're at it...let's ask Him who we can reach in the harvest fields located in our own "back yards."
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Use What’s Been Given To You
Matthew 25:14-30
SIX PRINCIPLES TO NOTE:
Principle #1: What we have is not our own. (14)
Principle #2: We’re only given what we can handle. (15)
Principle #3: We have to use the things we’ve been given. (16)
Principle #4: A day of reckoning is coming for all God’s servants. (19)
Principle #5: Our view of God affects our service for God. (20-25)
Principle #6: If we don’t use what we have, we’ll lose it. (26)
SIX PRINCIPLES TO NOTE:
Principle #1: What we have is not our own. (14)
- It was not uncommon in biblical times for wealthy men to take long journeys.
- Before they left they would put their affairs in order by arranging for someone to look after domestic matters, as well as their business affairs.
- When they returned they were not only expecting to still have a business but for that business to have prospered!
- To do this the owner delegated control and responsibility of his possessions to trustworthy employees.
- These employees were then expected to bring a return on what had been entrusted to their stewardship.
The point is...
- There was no doubt in the minds of these servants that the property and money belonged to the master.
- They were the stewards, not the owners.
- Their job was to manage their master’s possessions while he was gone, which included trying to invest and increase his worth.
Truth to remember:
- We must remember that everything we have is a gift from God and we are stewards of His gifts.
Principle #2: We’re only given what we can handle. (15)
- A “talent” was actually a measure of weight in: copper, gold, or silver.
- Here, because of the Greek word used in 25:18 (trans. “money”), it is clear that this is silver that has been given to these servants.
- One “talent” weighed approximately 50 to 75 pounds and was equivalent to 6,000 denarii.
- One denarius was equivalent to a day's pay for a common laborer.
- Consequently, even a single “talent” would have equaled a very large sum of money.
- It would have been almost 20 years’ wages for the common laborer.
Let it represent more than money, though:
- The “talent” also has a symbolic meaning.
- It could potentially refer to spiritual gifts, physical abilities, special skills, or to opportunities of service that come our way.
- Let it be symbolic of anything God has given us.
In the story...
- The Master gave the first servant “five talents.” (15a)
- The second servant received “two talents.” (15b)
- And the third servant received “one talent.” (15c)
- There’s a big difference between “five talents” and “one talent,” but we mustn’t forget that the “one talent” still represents a large sum of money (almost 20 years wages) that had been entrusted to him.
Why the disparity in the amount of the talents given?
- The master gave “each according to his ability.”
- The verse clearly teaches that though people do not have equal abilities, they can give equal effort!
- Whatever talent(s) we have been given (big or small), we need to invest it/them in the service of God.
It’s also clear in 25:15:
- Remember the ratio of five, two and one has nothing to do with the value placed on the person, but only recognizes that God knows who can handle different responsibilities.
- God never asks us to do things we’ve not been gifted and/or enabled to do.
- He will not underuse our abilities, either.
Principle #3: We have to use the things we’ve been given. (16)
- The man that received “five talents” went IMMEDIATELY and put the money to work.
- The man that received two talents apparently did the same thing. (25:17)
- Both of them were prepared to work and as a result doubled their master’s money.
- However, 25:18 indicates a totally different approach for the third servant.
- In contrast to the first two servants this “one talent” servant went and buried his blessing.
- Though it was not uncommon to bury valuables in that day, in this case it showed carelessness/wastefulness as a steward of his master’s money.
Truth to remember:
- It’s been said: “Our potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to Him.”
Some important details:
- The man who had “five talents” is NOT COMPARED to the man who had two or one talent.
- Nor is the man with “two talents” compared to the one with “five talents” or “one talent.”
- We are not in competition with each other when it comes to the stewardship of gifts/abilities/opportunities imparted to us.
- Stop comparing yourself to anyone else and what they can or cannot do.
- God only expects us to fulfil the mandate we each have received from Him with the resources He has given us.
Principle #4: A day of reckoning is coming for all God’s servants. (19)
- The duty of all stewards is to remember that the master will return and settle his accounts with his servants.
Truth to remember:
- If we think more about the return of the master it will help us focus more on utilizing what He’s given us effectively.
- Our future service in the Kingdom of God may well be affected by our earthly service here.
Principle #5: Our view of God affects our service for God. (20-25)
- THE FIRST SERVANT: (20)
- His language is revealing. He says, “look, I have gained five more.” (25:20)
- The word “look” indicates “behold” or “stare.”
- He was eager and excited to show the master what he had done.
- He couldn’t wait for him to see his work because he had tried to please the master.
- THE SECOND SERVANT: (22)
- He approached the master with the same anticipation and excitement.
- Both of the first two servants demonstrated responsibility and served their master well.
- The master repeats the exact same thing to both of them:
“Well done, good and faithful servant [Affirmation]; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things [Promotion]. Enter into the joy of your lord [Celebration].” (25:21, 23)
- Both of these servants were given even greater responsibilities to do for him because they proved themselves faithful.
- THE THIRD SERVANT: (24)
- The first words out of his mouth are about himself: “I knew.” (25:24)
- The other two servants kept their focus on the master: “Lord, YOU delivered to me...” (25:20, 22)
- This reveals the misguided belief of the unfaithful servant.
- He saw the master as someone who was hard/harsh, instead of loving/gracious.
- He tried to place the blame on the master by making him out to be harsh and cruel.
- However, it’s quite clear from the rest of the story that he’s nothing of the kind.
- He even gives the first two servants a generous reward for their faithfulness and diligent effort.
- Far from being exploitative/ruthless, this man is generous/beneficent.
Notice the contrasts:
- The first two were determined to make a profit;
- The third was determined to not take a loss.
- The first two were willing to work and take risks;
- The third was lazy and wanted to play it safe.
- The first two wanted to advance the master’s cause;
- The third was only interested in his own cause.
- The first two viewed the money as an opportunity;
- The third saw it as a problem.
- The first two saw their opportunity as a blessing;
- The third saw it as a burden.
- The first two knew the master well;
- The third really didn’t know him at all.
Principle #6: If we don’t use what we have, we’ll lose it. (26)
- The master saw right through the excuses of the wasteful servant.
- Look at what he calls him: “You wicked, lazy servant...” (26)
- He deserved this rebuke because he represented poorly both his master and himself.
- Instead of owning his guilt, he acts like the master should have given him credit for being cautious.
- Because he did not use what he had been given, he lost it.
Regarding your talent that God has given you:
- Develop it, hone it, multiply it, and use it so that it will be productive for the Master’s cause.
Closing Thoughts:
- The focus of the parable is not on the master (God) and it does not teach us any new truths regarding His character.
- Neither is it primarily about judgment or even about people’s eternal destinies.
- The main focus of this parable is on the faithfulness of the two servants to use what they had been given.
- It is a reminder that one day we will be called into account as to how we have used our gifts from God.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Consider This...
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12 NLT)
When did the rules change and we start treating each other so poorly? One basic adjustment could bring some civility back to our society: treat others the way YOU want to be treated. You know...with respect, dignity, honor, kindness, honesty, loyalty, patience, etc. The qualities we value should be the qualities we show to others.
When did the rules change and we start treating each other so poorly? One basic adjustment could bring some civility back to our society: treat others the way YOU want to be treated. You know...with respect, dignity, honor, kindness, honesty, loyalty, patience, etc. The qualities we value should be the qualities we show to others.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Consider This...
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:27 NLT)
It's certain that worry won't add a "single moment to your life," but it may well take a few moments off your life. One of the greatest battles for any Christian is trusting God when things are uncertain and unclear. It's in those moments that God calls us to Himself and says rest in Me! Even if your circumstances are spinning out of your control, remember...they are never out of HIS control.
It's certain that worry won't add a "single moment to your life," but it may well take a few moments off your life. One of the greatest battles for any Christian is trusting God when things are uncertain and unclear. It's in those moments that God calls us to Himself and says rest in Me! Even if your circumstances are spinning out of your control, remember...they are never out of HIS control.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Consider This...
Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. (Matthew 7:6 NLT)
There's a time to shake the dust off your feet and walk away from people that reject the Gospel with vicious contempt. People that try to force feed the Good News to a recalcitrant rebel actually show despite for the gracious nature of God's saving offer. Remember, Jesus spoke generously to all kinds of people, but didn't say a word before Herod (Luke 23:9). Paul proclaimed the Gospel to the Jews in Corinth, but stopped in the face of persistent rejection and hostility (Acts 18:5-7). Sometimes the right thing to do is just walk away until some later time when God opens their hearts to the truth.
There's a time to shake the dust off your feet and walk away from people that reject the Gospel with vicious contempt. People that try to force feed the Good News to a recalcitrant rebel actually show despite for the gracious nature of God's saving offer. Remember, Jesus spoke generously to all kinds of people, but didn't say a word before Herod (Luke 23:9). Paul proclaimed the Gospel to the Jews in Corinth, but stopped in the face of persistent rejection and hostility (Acts 18:5-7). Sometimes the right thing to do is just walk away until some later time when God opens their hearts to the truth.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Consider This...
When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get...Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:2, 4 NLT)
We should be thankful for the reputable organizations that help people in their times of greatest need. There are many hurting people in our world that depend on the generosity of others just to survive. But, followers of Christ should be careful that in offering their beneficent assistance they do not make the same mistake as others...doing it to be seen and praised by men. The highest form of Christian charity values secrecy, not publicity.
We should be thankful for the reputable organizations that help people in their times of greatest need. There are many hurting people in our world that depend on the generosity of others just to survive. But, followers of Christ should be careful that in offering their beneficent assistance they do not make the same mistake as others...doing it to be seen and praised by men. The highest form of Christian charity values secrecy, not publicity.
Monday, August 06, 2012
Consider This...
Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. (Proverbs 20:3 NLT)
Don't be the person that everybody tries to avoid because all he/she wants to do is argue! You know the person...the one that is the self-appointed authority on seemingly every subject and feels it's their place to correct everybody else. Remember, it's a "mark of honor" when you stay out of fights and walk away from quarreling.
Don't be the person that everybody tries to avoid because all he/she wants to do is argue! You know the person...the one that is the self-appointed authority on seemingly every subject and feels it's their place to correct everybody else. Remember, it's a "mark of honor" when you stay out of fights and walk away from quarreling.
Sunday, August 05, 2012
The Assurance of Salvation
Dr. J. Vernon McGee graduated with his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary and his Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary. After pastoring churches in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Pasadena, California, He moved to Los Angeles and became the pastor of the Church of the Open Door where he ministered until 1970. Dr. McGee also served as chairman of the Bible department at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola University) and as a visiting lecturer at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is probably best known to many of us from his radio program, Through the Bible, where he took listeners through every book of the Bible every five years.
Dr. McGee had an interesting story that he told about his own conversion to Christ and his struggle with the assurance of salvation.
He said, “If I may be permitted a final personal reference, this is my experience. I have never been able to put my finger on the moment that I was converted. As a boy, I went to an altar under a brush arbor, but no one thought to speak to me about my soul or to explain the way of salvation. The devil formerly used this to disturb my mind when I heard someone testify to a transforming experience. That master of doubt and deception would lean over my shoulder and whisper, ‘How do you know that you have accepted Christ?’
“Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer gave me the solution to this problem in a class lecture when I was in seminary, and the devil does not disturb me on this score anymore. Now I say to him, ‘Perhaps you are right. I may never have accepted Christ in the past. But you are witness that here and now I accept Him with all my heart. Now I am a child of God.’”
The reality is that many people, even some seminarians like Dr. McGee, struggle with the assurance of their salvation. One of Satan’s most effective tools to defeat you is to get you questioning whether you really are a child of God or not, so he can render you impotent in your spiritual life. As long as you are struggling with the certainty of your relationship with God then you are limited in your boldness for Christ. There is a fear that plagues you and prevents you from walking with God in confidence. It’s a debilitating spiritual handicap when you are unable to speak with certainty about being right with God.
The next time you go to the airport to take a flight, carefully observe the people around you to see if you can tell the difference between the ones that have confirmed tickets and those that have standby tickets. It’s not uncommon that those with confirmed tickets are relaxed, reading newspapers, talking and laughing on their cell phones while they await their boarding call.
On the other hand, people that are on standby are often hanging around the ticket counter, pacing anxiously, and fidgety. They’re just hoping to get the call that a seat is available for them on the next flight.
The difference in the actions of these two types of passengers is the confidence factor. The people with confirmed tickets are able to relax, knowing they’re getting on the plane. But the people who are on standby aren’t certain, so they’re nervous about what the future holds!
That’s a pretty good, though imperfect, analogy of the difference between having a certainty to your relationship with Christ and having a “hope so” kind of relationship.
In order for us to understand what we mean by the assurance of salvation we need to first define the term so that we are all considering the same subject matter. My definition goes like this: It is the confident realization of the fact that eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and a relationship with God is ours through Jesus Christ, Whom we have trusted for our personal salvation.
cf. 1 John 5:13
God never intended His people to live with anything less than an absolutely certainty that they are right with Him and ready to meet Him in Heaven. He wants them to comprehend the facts of their salvation and His provision to them through faith in His Son.
Why is it then that so many Christians fail to have this confidence and assurance?
Like a doctor trying to diagnose the underlying cause of a patient's illness, let’s look at some of the underlying reasons people aren’t living confidently in their relationship with God. Each of these reasons represents the experiences I have encountered with people in my own ministry. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but it definitely touches on several of the most frequently experienced causes why people struggle with the certainty of their salvation.
Reason #1: Unexplained truth
It’s sad but true that too often in dealing with people about their eternal souls we have helped many to trust Christ, but have failed to lead them into the full assurance of their decision by pointing them to this important scriptural truth. Even before baptism we want a person to take God at His word in knowing that what He promised He always completes. When the Bible says that a man/woman that “has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12), it means exactly what it says.
Evangelist John R. Rice tells the story about his own conversion to Christ in one of his books. He says, “When I was a boy about nine years old, in the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Texas, the pastor...preached on the prodigal son.
When the invitation was given, I walked down the aisle and told the preacher, ‘All right, I have come to trust Jesus.’ But nobody then took the Bible and showed me how Christ had promised to us everlasting life. Nobody showed me any Scripture. They just said, ‘Now, John, you ought to join the church.’
“Well, I went home that day and said, ‘Dad, what about me joining the church? (I didn't know how to tell him what had happened.) He said: ‘Well, son, when you are really old enough to repent of your sins and be regenerated, there will be time enough to join the church.’ ...I didn't know what those big words meant, but if my dad didn't think I was saved, I guessed I wasn't, since he was the smartest man in the world. So, sadly I put it aside. I supposed I was too young. Dad seemed to think so, and I supposed I was not saved.
“...I went on doubting for three sad years. Then I decided to leave this thing with Jesus. I remember I asked a preacher to pray for me and I didn't say, ‘Tell me how to be sure.’ He didn't know how to tell me, I suppose. All he said was, ‘All right, John, I'll pray for you and you pray for yourself.’
“So I went home and knelt down by my bed that night and prayed, but I didn't feel any better. I went to bed and I didn't feel good and I said, ‘I had better get this settled.’ So I got up and knelt down and prayed again. Well, I decided I would join the church and try to live for Christ the best I could.
“But after I had been saved for three years I started reading the Bible. I read the Scripture which says, ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life’ (John 3:36). I read where ‘he that believeth on him is not condemned’ (John 3:18). I read John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ I read John 1:12: ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ I said, ‘Here it is. When I believed in Jesus, when I trusted Jesus, I got everlasting life! That is what the Bible says.’ And, God is my witness, as far as I know, I have never had a second of doubt about my salvation since then.”
Dr. Rice’s story is a reminder that we have to lead people into this truth about the assurance of salvation so they can know that they are God’s children. When a person can say I’m a child of God because the Word of God says so...that’s success!
Reason #2: Unsettled feelings
On other occasions people have doubts about their relationship with God because they have the mistaken notion that they had to feel differently after trusting Christ or the feeling they experienced at the moment of their salvation has left them. In other words, they are allowing their emotions to be the determining factor of whether they possess eternal life rather than the Scriptures themselves.
Sometimes I’m afraid that we’ve been guilty of suppressing genuine emotion in an effort not to embarrass ourselves or not to be associated with groups that seem to major on emotional experiences. Really, though, there is nothing wrong with being emotional!
However, your salvation isn’t dependent on how you felt at the moment of your conversion or how you feel at this very moment in time. Salvation is the gift of God (Romans 6:23) to all that meet the condition to receive His gift. And, the condition He prescribed for receiving His gift is faith in the finished work of Christ Who died for our sins and rose again.
The assurance of our salvation is not subjective (based on our changing emotions), it is objective (based on His unchanging Word). You have to claim the promises of scripture knowing that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) or break a promise. If He says you are His child...you are His child!
Reason #3: Unreasonable demands
One commonly overlooked reason why some people lack the assurance of their salvation is that they have been exposed to a legalistic style of ministry/preaching that measures a person's salvation on the basis of how closely they follow the “rules and regulations.” This has nothing to do with teaching Christians to follow the truths of scripture as an expression of their gratefulness for Christ’s wonderful gift of forgiveness. This is about making a person’s eternal security dependent on the works he does, rather than on faith alone in Christ alone.
There are at least two common mistakes that some people make when teaching about the doctrine of soteriology. One is to “frontload” the Gospel with works they indicate are necessary for a person to come to Christ. The other is to “backload” the Gospel with works they indicate are necessary to prove a person has come to Christ. Most evangelicals would rightly call “frontloading” the Gospel heresy, but at the same time they’ll ignore those that “backload” the Gospel. With either of these two errors, what you have done, in essence, is make works necessary for salvation and negated the sole condition of faith in Christ as the only means of being made right with God.
If justification is based on faith alone then it stands to reason that assurance is also based on faith alone. As someone has said, “To argue for justification by faith and assurance by works is like arguing that two plus two equals four, but four minus two equals three.”
Even the debate in some circles about so-called, “easy believism” really boils down to whether a person can have the assurance of their salvation or not. The term “easy believism” is a misnomer as believing on Christ is easy in the sense that Christ has done all the work for us. And God made it that way so that even a child could believe and be saved!
Discipleship on the other hand is demanding and unfortunately, not everyone goes on to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus because the cost is too high. They want to be God’s child, they want to live for Him to a point, but there are limits they place on how far they will go with Him. However, in the process of encouraging Christians to a deeper commitment to Christ, we must not confuse the sole condition of salvation and assurance (faith) with the several conditions of being a devoted follower of Jesus.
If we teach people that they have to look to their good works to determine the assurance of their salvation there will never be anyone that experiences assurance! Who among us doesn’t fall short of all that God commands? And, if a person thinks that his works are worthy proof that he knows Christ...isn’t that arrogance of the worst sort? (cf. Matthew 7:21-23) How much is enough and how little is too little to have assurance of salvation?
The real problem isn’t that we’ve made the Gospel too easy, but that we’ve failed to lead people to fully appreciate the full implications of what Christ has done for us. It’s not until we grasp the true meaning of what it cost Christ to save our souls and the desperation of our condition apart from Christ, that we begin to surrender to all it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.
R. T. Kendall notes regarding some people from the reformed tradition whose tendency it is to “backload” the Gospel: “One of the most stunning discoveries I made at Oxford, and it's sad, is that so many of these men, who are household names in reformed homes today, died doubting whether they were saved. It's a melancholy fact. And it is a melancholy fact that godly men ever since have too often questioned their own salvation.” ("The Ground of Assurance," Westminster Record [ca. 1988], p.27).
The right question we need to be asking if we’re going to help people find the assurance of their salvation is, “Have you trusted Christ to be your Savior?” That and that alone is the determining factor as to whether you can have assurance or not.
There is only one basis on which a person can know if he is secure in Christ and that’s faith alone in Christ alone. Nothing added to it and nothing taken from it.
Reason #4: Unwise comparisons
I trusted Christ when I was sixteen years of age and began my journey of following Jesus. About a year after my conversion I attended a revival meeting with a powerful and persuasive evangelist that was speaking about the importance of knowing Christ. At the conclusion of his message there were several that responded to trust Christ for salvation. After the close of that portion of the service some of them shared their testimonies of why they responded to the message that night. Among them was a Sunday School teacher, a deacon and his wife, and two or three other present church members. As I listened to their description of what they had just experienced I began asking myself the question, “Could I have missed being genuinely saved, too?”
My experience with Christ wasn’t nearly as dramatic as theirs and I had never felt some of the things they were describing that preceded their personal conversions during that invitation. As I compared my experience to theirs it started a process in me of doubting my own salvation. That was followed by the fear of dying without Christ and repeatedly asking Jesus to save me.
I didn’t realize at the time but what I was trying to do was mimic their experiences. It wasn’t until I made up my mind that I would trust God’s Word and the promises of His Word that I found freedom from my doubts.
Everybody's journey to Christ is different, though they all lead past Calvary and the empty tomb. The one common denominator of all Christians is that they have put their trust in Christ as their only hope of eternal life with God. The other details are different for each believer and unique to his/her life experiences.
Reason #5: Unconfessed sins
As common as any of the other reasons for struggling with the assurance of salvation is the reality that even after trusting Christ we still sin at times.
The moment a person believes on Christ for eternal life the Bible teaches that his sins are forgiven forever. It’s one of the great truths that all new believers need to learn and one mature believers need to remember. What Jesus did for us on Calvary was pay a debt we could not pay so He could cancel the debt we owed. That, however, doesn’t mean we never sin again. Sometimes when there is persistent, unconfessed sin in our lives it strikes at the very heart of our assurance of salvation. And, the devil is always there with the question, “How could you be a Christian and do that type of thing?”
What we need to understand is the distinction between our relationship with God and our fellowship with Him. When a person trusts Christ as Savior he is immediately brought into a right relationship with God with all the privileges of fellowshipping with Him, too. When he sins it affects his fellowship with God, but it does not change his relationship to Him.
The thing we have to know is that once you become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ you entered into a relationship that will never change. God never rejects His children or takes away their eternal life. And, that’s the reason we seek to break the pattern of sinfulness in our lives. We live to please Him, not ourselves.
When King David committed his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah we find him desperate to reconnect with God in fellowship. In one of the most famous prayers of the Old Testament, Psalm 51, David cries out to God for forgiveness of his transgressions. He prays for the nearness of God again in His life and for opportunity to teach others the ways of God. That’s what must happen in the life of any New Testament believer when he sins against God, as well. He must confess to Him the error of his ways and God promises to forgive and cleanse him of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This isn’t confession in order to get into a right relationship with God again. This is confession to restore a right fellowship with God again.
There is no sin that can sever you from your relationship with God, but any sin will hinder your fellowship with Him, if you allow it to go unconfessed. Thank God, any hindrance “between [your] soul and the Savior” can be removed by simple confession or agreement with Him that what you have done is wrong.
Having considered a few of the reasons people lack the assurance of their salvation it should be understood that I’m not trying to talk any person into having something they do not actually possess. Neither is it my desire to talk anyone out of something they actually do possess. My desire is to help you evaluate what may be causing you to miss out on the assurance of your salvation so that you will deal with it and find the peace God intends you to experience.
So, let's ask again the most important and only question that really matters, “Are you trusting Christ alone as your Savior?”
If your answer to that question is “no,” will you trust Him right now? Just tell Him that you will rely on Him and Him alone for eternal life. Don’t put your confidence in anything or anyone else!
If your answer is absolutely “yes,” then you need to take these three concluding thoughts to heart and rest in the salvation God has given you.
Closing Truths:
A. It is Christ’s power that secures us.
B. It is Christ’s provision that seals us.
C. It is Christ’s promises that settle us.
What God wants us to enjoy is a blessed assurance that Jesus is our personal Savior! No questions, doubts, or “hope so” about it. He wants us to be able to say with absolute certainty that we are the children of God. Not because we are that good, but because He is that gracious!
Fanny Crosby was blinded at six weeks of age because of an improper medical treatment she received. In her 95 years of life she wrote more than 8,000 Gospel songs that have blessed multitudes of believers. Among them is the hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” which expresses well what God wants you to enjoy with Him.
Listen to the words of two of the verses of this song and the chorus and take them to heart.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His spirit, washed in HIs blood.
Perfect submission--all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blessed;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Dr. McGee had an interesting story that he told about his own conversion to Christ and his struggle with the assurance of salvation.
He said, “If I may be permitted a final personal reference, this is my experience. I have never been able to put my finger on the moment that I was converted. As a boy, I went to an altar under a brush arbor, but no one thought to speak to me about my soul or to explain the way of salvation. The devil formerly used this to disturb my mind when I heard someone testify to a transforming experience. That master of doubt and deception would lean over my shoulder and whisper, ‘How do you know that you have accepted Christ?’
“Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer gave me the solution to this problem in a class lecture when I was in seminary, and the devil does not disturb me on this score anymore. Now I say to him, ‘Perhaps you are right. I may never have accepted Christ in the past. But you are witness that here and now I accept Him with all my heart. Now I am a child of God.’”
The reality is that many people, even some seminarians like Dr. McGee, struggle with the assurance of their salvation. One of Satan’s most effective tools to defeat you is to get you questioning whether you really are a child of God or not, so he can render you impotent in your spiritual life. As long as you are struggling with the certainty of your relationship with God then you are limited in your boldness for Christ. There is a fear that plagues you and prevents you from walking with God in confidence. It’s a debilitating spiritual handicap when you are unable to speak with certainty about being right with God.
The next time you go to the airport to take a flight, carefully observe the people around you to see if you can tell the difference between the ones that have confirmed tickets and those that have standby tickets. It’s not uncommon that those with confirmed tickets are relaxed, reading newspapers, talking and laughing on their cell phones while they await their boarding call.
On the other hand, people that are on standby are often hanging around the ticket counter, pacing anxiously, and fidgety. They’re just hoping to get the call that a seat is available for them on the next flight.
The difference in the actions of these two types of passengers is the confidence factor. The people with confirmed tickets are able to relax, knowing they’re getting on the plane. But the people who are on standby aren’t certain, so they’re nervous about what the future holds!
That’s a pretty good, though imperfect, analogy of the difference between having a certainty to your relationship with Christ and having a “hope so” kind of relationship.
In order for us to understand what we mean by the assurance of salvation we need to first define the term so that we are all considering the same subject matter. My definition goes like this: It is the confident realization of the fact that eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and a relationship with God is ours through Jesus Christ, Whom we have trusted for our personal salvation.
cf. 1 John 5:13
God never intended His people to live with anything less than an absolutely certainty that they are right with Him and ready to meet Him in Heaven. He wants them to comprehend the facts of their salvation and His provision to them through faith in His Son.
Why is it then that so many Christians fail to have this confidence and assurance?
Like a doctor trying to diagnose the underlying cause of a patient's illness, let’s look at some of the underlying reasons people aren’t living confidently in their relationship with God. Each of these reasons represents the experiences I have encountered with people in my own ministry. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but it definitely touches on several of the most frequently experienced causes why people struggle with the certainty of their salvation.
Reason #1: Unexplained truth
It’s sad but true that too often in dealing with people about their eternal souls we have helped many to trust Christ, but have failed to lead them into the full assurance of their decision by pointing them to this important scriptural truth. Even before baptism we want a person to take God at His word in knowing that what He promised He always completes. When the Bible says that a man/woman that “has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12), it means exactly what it says.
Evangelist John R. Rice tells the story about his own conversion to Christ in one of his books. He says, “When I was a boy about nine years old, in the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Texas, the pastor...preached on the prodigal son.
When the invitation was given, I walked down the aisle and told the preacher, ‘All right, I have come to trust Jesus.’ But nobody then took the Bible and showed me how Christ had promised to us everlasting life. Nobody showed me any Scripture. They just said, ‘Now, John, you ought to join the church.’
“Well, I went home that day and said, ‘Dad, what about me joining the church? (I didn't know how to tell him what had happened.) He said: ‘Well, son, when you are really old enough to repent of your sins and be regenerated, there will be time enough to join the church.’ ...I didn't know what those big words meant, but if my dad didn't think I was saved, I guessed I wasn't, since he was the smartest man in the world. So, sadly I put it aside. I supposed I was too young. Dad seemed to think so, and I supposed I was not saved.
“...I went on doubting for three sad years. Then I decided to leave this thing with Jesus. I remember I asked a preacher to pray for me and I didn't say, ‘Tell me how to be sure.’ He didn't know how to tell me, I suppose. All he said was, ‘All right, John, I'll pray for you and you pray for yourself.’
“So I went home and knelt down by my bed that night and prayed, but I didn't feel any better. I went to bed and I didn't feel good and I said, ‘I had better get this settled.’ So I got up and knelt down and prayed again. Well, I decided I would join the church and try to live for Christ the best I could.
“But after I had been saved for three years I started reading the Bible. I read the Scripture which says, ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life’ (John 3:36). I read where ‘he that believeth on him is not condemned’ (John 3:18). I read John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ I read John 1:12: ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ I said, ‘Here it is. When I believed in Jesus, when I trusted Jesus, I got everlasting life! That is what the Bible says.’ And, God is my witness, as far as I know, I have never had a second of doubt about my salvation since then.”
Dr. Rice’s story is a reminder that we have to lead people into this truth about the assurance of salvation so they can know that they are God’s children. When a person can say I’m a child of God because the Word of God says so...that’s success!
Reason #2: Unsettled feelings
On other occasions people have doubts about their relationship with God because they have the mistaken notion that they had to feel differently after trusting Christ or the feeling they experienced at the moment of their salvation has left them. In other words, they are allowing their emotions to be the determining factor of whether they possess eternal life rather than the Scriptures themselves.
Sometimes I’m afraid that we’ve been guilty of suppressing genuine emotion in an effort not to embarrass ourselves or not to be associated with groups that seem to major on emotional experiences. Really, though, there is nothing wrong with being emotional!
However, your salvation isn’t dependent on how you felt at the moment of your conversion or how you feel at this very moment in time. Salvation is the gift of God (Romans 6:23) to all that meet the condition to receive His gift. And, the condition He prescribed for receiving His gift is faith in the finished work of Christ Who died for our sins and rose again.
The assurance of our salvation is not subjective (based on our changing emotions), it is objective (based on His unchanging Word). You have to claim the promises of scripture knowing that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) or break a promise. If He says you are His child...you are His child!
Reason #3: Unreasonable demands
One commonly overlooked reason why some people lack the assurance of their salvation is that they have been exposed to a legalistic style of ministry/preaching that measures a person's salvation on the basis of how closely they follow the “rules and regulations.” This has nothing to do with teaching Christians to follow the truths of scripture as an expression of their gratefulness for Christ’s wonderful gift of forgiveness. This is about making a person’s eternal security dependent on the works he does, rather than on faith alone in Christ alone.
There are at least two common mistakes that some people make when teaching about the doctrine of soteriology. One is to “frontload” the Gospel with works they indicate are necessary for a person to come to Christ. The other is to “backload” the Gospel with works they indicate are necessary to prove a person has come to Christ. Most evangelicals would rightly call “frontloading” the Gospel heresy, but at the same time they’ll ignore those that “backload” the Gospel. With either of these two errors, what you have done, in essence, is make works necessary for salvation and negated the sole condition of faith in Christ as the only means of being made right with God.
If justification is based on faith alone then it stands to reason that assurance is also based on faith alone. As someone has said, “To argue for justification by faith and assurance by works is like arguing that two plus two equals four, but four minus two equals three.”
Even the debate in some circles about so-called, “easy believism” really boils down to whether a person can have the assurance of their salvation or not. The term “easy believism” is a misnomer as believing on Christ is easy in the sense that Christ has done all the work for us. And God made it that way so that even a child could believe and be saved!
Discipleship on the other hand is demanding and unfortunately, not everyone goes on to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus because the cost is too high. They want to be God’s child, they want to live for Him to a point, but there are limits they place on how far they will go with Him. However, in the process of encouraging Christians to a deeper commitment to Christ, we must not confuse the sole condition of salvation and assurance (faith) with the several conditions of being a devoted follower of Jesus.
If we teach people that they have to look to their good works to determine the assurance of their salvation there will never be anyone that experiences assurance! Who among us doesn’t fall short of all that God commands? And, if a person thinks that his works are worthy proof that he knows Christ...isn’t that arrogance of the worst sort? (cf. Matthew 7:21-23) How much is enough and how little is too little to have assurance of salvation?
The real problem isn’t that we’ve made the Gospel too easy, but that we’ve failed to lead people to fully appreciate the full implications of what Christ has done for us. It’s not until we grasp the true meaning of what it cost Christ to save our souls and the desperation of our condition apart from Christ, that we begin to surrender to all it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.
R. T. Kendall notes regarding some people from the reformed tradition whose tendency it is to “backload” the Gospel: “One of the most stunning discoveries I made at Oxford, and it's sad, is that so many of these men, who are household names in reformed homes today, died doubting whether they were saved. It's a melancholy fact. And it is a melancholy fact that godly men ever since have too often questioned their own salvation.” ("The Ground of Assurance," Westminster Record [ca. 1988], p.27).
The right question we need to be asking if we’re going to help people find the assurance of their salvation is, “Have you trusted Christ to be your Savior?” That and that alone is the determining factor as to whether you can have assurance or not.
There is only one basis on which a person can know if he is secure in Christ and that’s faith alone in Christ alone. Nothing added to it and nothing taken from it.
Reason #4: Unwise comparisons
I trusted Christ when I was sixteen years of age and began my journey of following Jesus. About a year after my conversion I attended a revival meeting with a powerful and persuasive evangelist that was speaking about the importance of knowing Christ. At the conclusion of his message there were several that responded to trust Christ for salvation. After the close of that portion of the service some of them shared their testimonies of why they responded to the message that night. Among them was a Sunday School teacher, a deacon and his wife, and two or three other present church members. As I listened to their description of what they had just experienced I began asking myself the question, “Could I have missed being genuinely saved, too?”
My experience with Christ wasn’t nearly as dramatic as theirs and I had never felt some of the things they were describing that preceded their personal conversions during that invitation. As I compared my experience to theirs it started a process in me of doubting my own salvation. That was followed by the fear of dying without Christ and repeatedly asking Jesus to save me.
I didn’t realize at the time but what I was trying to do was mimic their experiences. It wasn’t until I made up my mind that I would trust God’s Word and the promises of His Word that I found freedom from my doubts.
Everybody's journey to Christ is different, though they all lead past Calvary and the empty tomb. The one common denominator of all Christians is that they have put their trust in Christ as their only hope of eternal life with God. The other details are different for each believer and unique to his/her life experiences.
Reason #5: Unconfessed sins
As common as any of the other reasons for struggling with the assurance of salvation is the reality that even after trusting Christ we still sin at times.
The moment a person believes on Christ for eternal life the Bible teaches that his sins are forgiven forever. It’s one of the great truths that all new believers need to learn and one mature believers need to remember. What Jesus did for us on Calvary was pay a debt we could not pay so He could cancel the debt we owed. That, however, doesn’t mean we never sin again. Sometimes when there is persistent, unconfessed sin in our lives it strikes at the very heart of our assurance of salvation. And, the devil is always there with the question, “How could you be a Christian and do that type of thing?”
What we need to understand is the distinction between our relationship with God and our fellowship with Him. When a person trusts Christ as Savior he is immediately brought into a right relationship with God with all the privileges of fellowshipping with Him, too. When he sins it affects his fellowship with God, but it does not change his relationship to Him.
The thing we have to know is that once you become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ you entered into a relationship that will never change. God never rejects His children or takes away their eternal life. And, that’s the reason we seek to break the pattern of sinfulness in our lives. We live to please Him, not ourselves.
When King David committed his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah we find him desperate to reconnect with God in fellowship. In one of the most famous prayers of the Old Testament, Psalm 51, David cries out to God for forgiveness of his transgressions. He prays for the nearness of God again in His life and for opportunity to teach others the ways of God. That’s what must happen in the life of any New Testament believer when he sins against God, as well. He must confess to Him the error of his ways and God promises to forgive and cleanse him of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This isn’t confession in order to get into a right relationship with God again. This is confession to restore a right fellowship with God again.
There is no sin that can sever you from your relationship with God, but any sin will hinder your fellowship with Him, if you allow it to go unconfessed. Thank God, any hindrance “between [your] soul and the Savior” can be removed by simple confession or agreement with Him that what you have done is wrong.
Having considered a few of the reasons people lack the assurance of their salvation it should be understood that I’m not trying to talk any person into having something they do not actually possess. Neither is it my desire to talk anyone out of something they actually do possess. My desire is to help you evaluate what may be causing you to miss out on the assurance of your salvation so that you will deal with it and find the peace God intends you to experience.
So, let's ask again the most important and only question that really matters, “Are you trusting Christ alone as your Savior?”
If your answer to that question is “no,” will you trust Him right now? Just tell Him that you will rely on Him and Him alone for eternal life. Don’t put your confidence in anything or anyone else!
If your answer is absolutely “yes,” then you need to take these three concluding thoughts to heart and rest in the salvation God has given you.
Closing Truths:
A. It is Christ’s power that secures us.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
- We don’t keep ourselves saved...He keeps us saved!
B. It is Christ’s provision that seals us.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
- The guarantee of our eternal salvation is in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
C. It is Christ’s promises that settle us.
- At least 150 times the Bible says that our salvation is predicated on one thing... “believing/trusting” Christ.
- Our assurance of salvation is founded upon the promises of a faithful God and His Word.
What God wants us to enjoy is a blessed assurance that Jesus is our personal Savior! No questions, doubts, or “hope so” about it. He wants us to be able to say with absolute certainty that we are the children of God. Not because we are that good, but because He is that gracious!
Fanny Crosby was blinded at six weeks of age because of an improper medical treatment she received. In her 95 years of life she wrote more than 8,000 Gospel songs that have blessed multitudes of believers. Among them is the hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” which expresses well what God wants you to enjoy with Him.
Listen to the words of two of the verses of this song and the chorus and take them to heart.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His spirit, washed in HIs blood.
Perfect submission--all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blessed;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
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