I can hardly read Paul without a sense of wonder and awe at this man’s devotion. How did Paul manage to come to the end of his life and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:8)?
I love 2 Corinthians 4:1, where Paul said, “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” The phrase that I have really anchored myself on is, “We do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1,16). The Greek term is ekkakeo, which contains the root kak, always a reference to evil, sin, and fallenness. This is more than just not getting discouraged or burned out; it is a commitment not to defect spiritually, whether through cowardice, laziness, immorality, indifference, or abandonment of calling and duty. But how do we do it?
First, we do not lose heart because of the preciousness and worth of the ministry that God had given us: “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1). The ministry he was referring to is described in the previous chapter as “the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:8) and “the ministry of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 3:9), in contrast to the “ministry of condemnation.” It is the ministry of the new covenant, which the Old Testament predicted: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31–33).
To know the gospel, to believe it with all your heart, and to be called to proclaim it is the most noble and exalted privilege any person could ever have! That led Paul to write: Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:14–16). Who is sufficient for these things? Amazing! Paul was stunned by the divine privilege of ministry and never lost sight of it. I must always remind myself that ministry is a privilege not a perk. It is a wonderful sacred trust given to me by God of the most incredible gospel treasure.
Secondly, we do not lose heart because of the reality that all ministry is a mercy, which is grace bestowed upon the undeserving. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1)
The fact is that all ministry is nothing but a privilege that comes to us solely by grace, kindness, mercy, and goodness. All ministry is undeserved! The godly response is deep gratitude, as we see from Paul’s words to Timothy: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:12-15).
I don’t know how many times I have felt lofty expectations of return for what I do for Jesus. I have often complained and whined to God, “My church isn’t treating me well. I deserve to be treated better!” I will say “my church should be much bigger. More people should be hearing my teaching. I deserve more success for my efforts.” Paul says that my salvation is a mercy. The fact that I’m not in hell is a mercy. My ministry itself is a mercy. C.J. Mahaney says that the fact is, once you understand who you are and who God is, you are always doing better than you deserve!
Much discouragement in my life is connected to unrealistic expectations based upon a sense of entitlement. If you realize, however, that you deserve nothing and that everything good in your life is a mercy from God, you will be free to accept whatever God chooses to grace you with in your ministry whether little or large.
John MacArthur says, As a pastor sometimes I wallow in self-pity and say, “Those people don’t appreciate me. I’m not going to take this!” and then go home to complain to my wife. The right response is, “I don’t deserve to stand up and teach any of these people. If they all walked out next Sunday, I’d be getting what I deserve.” It is a mercy I have not so affected my wife that she walked out. It is a mercy I have not somehow disappointed my children and made them turn away from Christ. It is a mercy I haven’t stood in the pulpit and said such stupid things that my congregation ran me out of town!’
Thirdly, we do not lose heart because of the reality of our own insignificance.
A few verses later we see the proper view of ourselves that helps us to not lose heart. “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” ( 2 Corinthians 4:7). Oh how amazing is the mercy and grace of God! You cannot explain the impact of the gospel message by looking at those whom God has called as preachers. What a contrast Paul makes: There is a treasure (the massive, blazing, shining, glorious gospel) in earthen vessels or clay pots (things that are cheap, common, breakable, and replaceable)! The power of the glorious gospel is not the product of human talent, ability, genius, or technique. We are weak and common, plain and fragile, breakable and disposable, but that does not prove fatal to the work of God. On the contrary, in our weaknesses we demonstrate that God must be at work, for that is the only logical explanation!
I pray all of the time that God would do a work in me utterly disproportionate to who I am! I pray that God would take my little life and little ministry and little abilities and utter weakness and do something so great in this clay pot that all would say, "The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!" When Paul looked at his own life, he thought of himself not only as a mere clay pot but also as a battered one: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). These four contrasts all say the same thing, which is that Paul experienced severe trials in his ministry, but none of them prevailed.
One of the greatest trials Paul experienced was his thorn in the flesh. Do you remember what Paul learned from God’s own lips about that trial? The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul got the message, for he responded, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
Finally, we do not lose heart because we live with eternity in view, not earthly comfort, popularity, or success in this life.
Paul concludes: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)
Those are staggering thoughts that put all our struggles into perspective. We don’t lose heart in the end because we have an eternal perspective. In view of Christ and eternity his motto was, “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). His focus was always on heaven, preferring the spiritual over the physical (2 Corinthians 4:16), the future over the present (verse 17), and the invisible over the visible (verse 18). He kept his eye on the prize, which is an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (verse 17). Nothing that can come our way in this world can compare with the magnificence of the glory that will be granted to us in the presence of our Lord someday.
STRIVING TO FIGHT THE FIGHT, FINISH THE RACE, KEEP THE FAITH, AND TO NOT LOSE HEART,
Pastor Bill
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A BRIEF STUDY OF PAUL'S LIFE FOR INSPIRATION IN ORDER TO PERSEVERE IN HARD TIMES
I have had many trials this year of my life. I lost my assistant pastor at the beginning of the year. I have battled severe back pain for eighteen months, my wife was gone for 6 months, we sent out two of our best church members out on the mission field (this one is kind of bitter sweet I guess!), I have seen several people leave my church, my personal finances have been tight, my daughter got in a severe auto accident, and our church finances have been really down by about $6,000 the past two months.
While all the circumstances of my life ebb and flow and the sands shift, the foundation I want to be building on is the bedrock of God’s Word. I have sought to be like the man in Luke’s Gospel whom Jesus said built his house by digging deep and laying a foundation on solid rock (Luke 6:48).
The teachings and life of Paul have been a firm foundation for me to build my life upon during these tough times. I just love this man! I have endured this year largely because of the apostle Paul. I don’t come close to having gone through all that Paul did, but I’ve been a Christian for 34 years and a pastor for 31 years and 21 years here in San Juan Capistrano at the same church. It has been long enough to see just about every kind of attack on my character, life, and ministry; so I’ve made a study of Paul’s life to learn how to persevere.
When Paul was at the end of his life he wrote that he “had fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Even to the end of his days, he was at the Mount Everest peak of his life, breathing the rarefied air understood only by those who not only climb to the very pinnacle but also make that climb with nobility and integrity. Paul managed to do that, even though all in Asia had forsaken him. We read in 2 Timothy 4:10,14-16, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia… Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.”
Paul’s life even at the end was filled with disappointments. There was no great crowd cheering Paul on when he reached his epic moment and finally approached the finish line. In fact, the church had largely turned their affections away from him, and the world was about to chop his head off.
2 Corinthians is an amazing autobiographical account of Paul’s adversities. I refer to it over and over when I am discouraged, tired, depressed, weak, feeling like quitting, having a pity party, and lonely. I wanted to encourage all of you to read the statements that Paul makes about his sufferings here on earth.
Let’s go back to Paul’s life at the beginning of 2 Corinthians:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:3–9)
The comfort came because Paul’s life was saturated with suffering and affliction. Everything that could come at that man came at him: physical persecution, deprivation, and illness, alongside spiritual battles and disappointments.
The thematic backbone of 2 Corinthians, in fact, is a chronicle of Paul’s highs and lows:
• “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–11)
• “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger . . . dishonor . . . slander. . . . We are treated as impostors . . . having nothing.” (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)
• “When we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us.” (2 Corinthians 7:5–6)
• “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Corinthians 11:23–29)
• “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)
I can hardly read these each time without a sense of wonder and awe at this man’s devotion. I just want you to see all those passages because that’s the man who came to the end of his life and said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” How did Paul manage to do that? We will discuss this next time.
Following Paul's example,
Pastor Bill
While all the circumstances of my life ebb and flow and the sands shift, the foundation I want to be building on is the bedrock of God’s Word. I have sought to be like the man in Luke’s Gospel whom Jesus said built his house by digging deep and laying a foundation on solid rock (Luke 6:48).
The teachings and life of Paul have been a firm foundation for me to build my life upon during these tough times. I just love this man! I have endured this year largely because of the apostle Paul. I don’t come close to having gone through all that Paul did, but I’ve been a Christian for 34 years and a pastor for 31 years and 21 years here in San Juan Capistrano at the same church. It has been long enough to see just about every kind of attack on my character, life, and ministry; so I’ve made a study of Paul’s life to learn how to persevere.
When Paul was at the end of his life he wrote that he “had fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Even to the end of his days, he was at the Mount Everest peak of his life, breathing the rarefied air understood only by those who not only climb to the very pinnacle but also make that climb with nobility and integrity. Paul managed to do that, even though all in Asia had forsaken him. We read in 2 Timothy 4:10,14-16, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia… Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.”
Paul’s life even at the end was filled with disappointments. There was no great crowd cheering Paul on when he reached his epic moment and finally approached the finish line. In fact, the church had largely turned their affections away from him, and the world was about to chop his head off.
2 Corinthians is an amazing autobiographical account of Paul’s adversities. I refer to it over and over when I am discouraged, tired, depressed, weak, feeling like quitting, having a pity party, and lonely. I wanted to encourage all of you to read the statements that Paul makes about his sufferings here on earth.
Let’s go back to Paul’s life at the beginning of 2 Corinthians:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:3–9)
The comfort came because Paul’s life was saturated with suffering and affliction. Everything that could come at that man came at him: physical persecution, deprivation, and illness, alongside spiritual battles and disappointments.
The thematic backbone of 2 Corinthians, in fact, is a chronicle of Paul’s highs and lows:
• “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–11)
• “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger . . . dishonor . . . slander. . . . We are treated as impostors . . . having nothing.” (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)
• “When we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us.” (2 Corinthians 7:5–6)
• “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Corinthians 11:23–29)
• “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)
I can hardly read these each time without a sense of wonder and awe at this man’s devotion. I just want you to see all those passages because that’s the man who came to the end of his life and said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” How did Paul manage to do that? We will discuss this next time.
Following Paul's example,
Pastor Bill
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
NOT LOVING YET LOVING THE WORLD Part 3-EVANGELIZE THE WORLD!
Several weeks ago I mentioned about a wonderful little book entitled Worldliness edited by C.J. Mahaney. There is a chapter written by Jeff Purswell on How to love the World that really excited me. Even as we are called to "stop loving the world, and the things of this world" in 1 John 2:15; there is also a sense in which we are to love the world. The apostle John reminds us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world" and in John 17:8 that it was Christ's intention that the church would be in the world. So the question is how are we to live in this world that God loved and not love it, yet at the same time how can we love this world that God so loved? Jeff Purswell proposes three God given task that give substance to our loving the world in which we live. We looked first at the first task which is that we are called by God to Enjoy the World. Last week we looked at the second task which is that we are to Engage the World. The third task Purswell writes is:
Task 3: Evangelize the World
This final point may strike you as a bit predictable (like the first two tasks, it even begins with an E). It's also likely to elicit the inevitable guilt most of us experience when the subject is broached. Raise the topic of evangelism, and most sincere Christians will nod their heads, even as their eyes look down and their feet shuffle in embarrassment. It need not be this way, however. Once again, a biblical worldview can transform evangelism from a neglected Christian duty or a mark of elite spirituality to an exhilarating privilege for every believer.
Recall the Bible's storyline: creation, fall, redemption, consummation. As Christians, it's critical that we locate ourselves within this story, for this will inform and guide the nature of our involvement with the world. We live in that period of salvation history between the redeeming work of Christ on the cross—where sin was atoned for and Satan's stranglehold on humanity was broken—and the consummation of God's saving plan, when Christ will return to earth, Satan and all his works will be vanquished, and God will dwell with his people in a transformed creation. Until that glorious day, Christians have the consummate privilege of being God's ambassadors in a fallen world, proclaiming to sinful men and women the stupendous news about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him.
This cosmic vantage point should bring fresh perspective and motivation to a task we often shy away from. Far from being an optional extra of the Christian life, evangelism lies at the core of God's campaign to restore his entire creation—the reconciliation of his rebellious image bearers to himself. The unfolding of salvation history has therefore expanded the job description of God's people. In addition to filling and subduing the earth (Genesis 1:28), God now calls us to "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) through the proclamation and teaching of the gospel. These two facets of the Christian life are in fact inextricably related: the redemptive mandate of the Great Commission makes the fulfillment of the creation mandate possible. Only through Christ's redeeming work can God's redemptive purposes for this world be realized. To be sure, through common grace God restrains much evil and bestows many blessings to humanity. However, apart from the power of the gospel to transform human hearts and redirect human lives to live for God's glory, man would never comprehend or realize the purpose for which he was created: "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
The privilege of evangelism has both an individual and a corporate dimension. The last recorded words of Christ endow every Christian with a noble identity and high calling: "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Of course, Jesus' apostles were uniquely witnesses of his life and resurrection, and their proclamation launched the church's mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. But this term wasn't limited to the apostles, nor were they the only ones who proclaimed the gospel in the book of Acts. Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6-7), Philip in Samaria (Acts 8), nameless Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:20), countless believers throughout the centuries, you and I—we all bear the privilege and responsibility of communicating the message of the gospel to those around us.
The word witness doesn't originate in religious contexts or in evangelism materials. As in its common legal usage today, the word simply speaks of one who provides testimony of something they've seen or experienced. In a law court, a witness doesn't need a law degree or technical training in jurisprudence. He simply takes the stand and tells the truth as he has known and experienced it. That's all that's required of us as Christ's witnesses. In our relational networks and in the opportunities God provides, we simply "take the stand," as it were, and bear testimony to the gospel as we've known and experienced it. We don't need to be brilliant, dynamic, or persuasive—we simply need to testify faithfully of what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners like us. Theological understanding and apologetic training, while helpful, are not prerequisites for this task, nor does their absence exempt us from responsibility. The only requirements are a saving knowledge of Christ and a willingness to obey our Lord by sharing his gospel.
Now, let me be the first to admit something: it's far easier to compose the paragraph I just typed than to apply it. No doubt most who read this paragraph agree with it. The question is, are we obeying? Am I alert to the opportunities afforded to me daily to speak for Christ—wisely, humbly, winsomely, yes; but to speak nonetheless? Am I ready to give an account for the hope I have in the gospel (1 Peter 3:15)? Am I convinced that the gospel message itself—not my intellect or articulateness or wit—is "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16)? The response of others to the gospel lies outside our control. We have one responsibility: faithfulness to the privilege of bearing the gospel to people who desperately need it.
Thankfully, we don't bear this responsibility alone. The story of the Bible reminds us that God is not simply saving individuals but gaining a people for himself. And through the witness of this people, God's saving actions are put on display: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
God holds up his church as Exhibit A for the reality of the gospel. As people called out of a fallen world, living transformed lives with transcendent values, the church displays the character of God, illustrates the power of God, and exemplifies the saving purposes of God. In fact, the church at this stage in salvation history has the privilege of signaling the next stage. Our life together gives the world a preview of life in the coming kingdom. George Ladd puts it this way:
Who dreamed that their church participation was so significant? Giving the world a glimpse of the consummated kingdom of God! Does such a grand vision govern our attitude toward our local churches? If it does, our participation will no doubt reflect it. We will love, serve, sacrifice, forgive, forbear, employ our gifts, mortify our pride—all that we might together "display in this present evil age the life and fellowship of the Age to come." Churches that display such a life, however imperfectly, are God's most potent instruments in his cosmic program to reclaim and restore his creation.
Strictly speaking, evangelism is sharing the message of the gospel, and the predicament of sinful people before a holy God invests this task with supreme urgency. However, the urgency of evangelism doesn't drain all other activity in this world of eternal significance. Once again, the Bible's story gives us perspective here: God remains committed to his creation, and he's actively working to restore it. As his redeemed image bearers, we have the privilege of laboring to see his dominion manifested throughout his creation. Swept into the kingdom of God, we now become agents of that kingdom in a fallen world.
Therefore, our daily lives in all their variety—vocation, relationships, study, community involvement, artistic endeavors, leisure—have the potential, when pursued for God's glory, to demonstrate something of the gospel and its effects. Every aspect of our involvement in this world is to have a redemptive component, illuminating the character of the Creator, imitating his activity, and embodying his intentions to save, renew, and restore. If we're appropriately "heavenly minded," we'll be alert to endless earthly oppor¬tunities to glorify God.
Take your job, for example. We should pursue our vocations in such a way that we model God's redemptive intentions. Different vocations will accomplish this differently, but all vocations can contribute to God's creation-restoring work. How can I serve others in my work? How can I display excellence? Model integrity? Alleviate suffering? More efficiently utilize God-given resources? Produce beauty? Seek justice? Our vocations are about far more than simply productivity and profit (although these should in no way be demeaned, reflecting as they do God's own fruitful activity). They provide untold opportunities to work for the extension of God's rule. Such activities follow naturally from the cosmic dimensions of Christ's rule, as John Murray reminds us: "There rests upon us . . . the obligation to bring to bear upon the whole compass of life the supernatural and redemptive forces that are inherent in the Christian redemption and revelation."
Consider other spheres of your life. In my neighborhood or community, what avenues of involvement would enable me to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)? How might I serve the poor and underprivileged? How could I help to reverse inequities and establish justice? What gifts do I have that could be deployed for the good of my neighbors, the betterment of my community, the "welfare of [my] city" (Jeremiah 29:7)? Even though such activities may not directly communicate the gospel, they may well embody God's redemptive purposes by bringing peace and blessing to others.
Of course, such endeavors are not a substitute for the evangelistic task, although the distinction between these responsibilities is increasingly blurred in the evangelical world. Calls for mercy ministry, community transformation, and environmental concern, while legitimate and important, ring out with an urgency that often exceeds that attached to the evangelistic mandate. Unquestionably, Christians are to be salt and light in their communities (Matthew 5:13-14), working to see God's purposes extended in every possible way.
However, we must never forget what is at the core of God's redemptive activity: the salvation of people who bear his image and were created to know and glorify him. No other endeavor transcends this evangelistic priority. Our deeds may adorn the gospel message, but they must not be confused with the gospel message. Moreover, we should remain clear where our hope lies: only Christ's return will finally "redeem the culture," and our efforts to transform society, however legitimate, will always be partial. Like Abraham, we await a heavenly city (Heb. 11:8-16), which Christ will usher in at his return.
Enjoying the world, engaging the world, evangelizing the world—all are ways by which God calls us to be in the world and love the world. We receive God's earthly gifts, pursue God's purposes in earthly life, and work for the salvation of people made in God's image. All of life lived for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Task 3: Evangelize the World
This final point may strike you as a bit predictable (like the first two tasks, it even begins with an E). It's also likely to elicit the inevitable guilt most of us experience when the subject is broached. Raise the topic of evangelism, and most sincere Christians will nod their heads, even as their eyes look down and their feet shuffle in embarrassment. It need not be this way, however. Once again, a biblical worldview can transform evangelism from a neglected Christian duty or a mark of elite spirituality to an exhilarating privilege for every believer.
Recall the Bible's storyline: creation, fall, redemption, consummation. As Christians, it's critical that we locate ourselves within this story, for this will inform and guide the nature of our involvement with the world. We live in that period of salvation history between the redeeming work of Christ on the cross—where sin was atoned for and Satan's stranglehold on humanity was broken—and the consummation of God's saving plan, when Christ will return to earth, Satan and all his works will be vanquished, and God will dwell with his people in a transformed creation. Until that glorious day, Christians have the consummate privilege of being God's ambassadors in a fallen world, proclaiming to sinful men and women the stupendous news about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him.
This cosmic vantage point should bring fresh perspective and motivation to a task we often shy away from. Far from being an optional extra of the Christian life, evangelism lies at the core of God's campaign to restore his entire creation—the reconciliation of his rebellious image bearers to himself. The unfolding of salvation history has therefore expanded the job description of God's people. In addition to filling and subduing the earth (Genesis 1:28), God now calls us to "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) through the proclamation and teaching of the gospel. These two facets of the Christian life are in fact inextricably related: the redemptive mandate of the Great Commission makes the fulfillment of the creation mandate possible. Only through Christ's redeeming work can God's redemptive purposes for this world be realized. To be sure, through common grace God restrains much evil and bestows many blessings to humanity. However, apart from the power of the gospel to transform human hearts and redirect human lives to live for God's glory, man would never comprehend or realize the purpose for which he was created: "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
The privilege of evangelism has both an individual and a corporate dimension. The last recorded words of Christ endow every Christian with a noble identity and high calling: "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Of course, Jesus' apostles were uniquely witnesses of his life and resurrection, and their proclamation launched the church's mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. But this term wasn't limited to the apostles, nor were they the only ones who proclaimed the gospel in the book of Acts. Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6-7), Philip in Samaria (Acts 8), nameless Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:20), countless believers throughout the centuries, you and I—we all bear the privilege and responsibility of communicating the message of the gospel to those around us.
The word witness doesn't originate in religious contexts or in evangelism materials. As in its common legal usage today, the word simply speaks of one who provides testimony of something they've seen or experienced. In a law court, a witness doesn't need a law degree or technical training in jurisprudence. He simply takes the stand and tells the truth as he has known and experienced it. That's all that's required of us as Christ's witnesses. In our relational networks and in the opportunities God provides, we simply "take the stand," as it were, and bear testimony to the gospel as we've known and experienced it. We don't need to be brilliant, dynamic, or persuasive—we simply need to testify faithfully of what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners like us. Theological understanding and apologetic training, while helpful, are not prerequisites for this task, nor does their absence exempt us from responsibility. The only requirements are a saving knowledge of Christ and a willingness to obey our Lord by sharing his gospel.
Now, let me be the first to admit something: it's far easier to compose the paragraph I just typed than to apply it. No doubt most who read this paragraph agree with it. The question is, are we obeying? Am I alert to the opportunities afforded to me daily to speak for Christ—wisely, humbly, winsomely, yes; but to speak nonetheless? Am I ready to give an account for the hope I have in the gospel (1 Peter 3:15)? Am I convinced that the gospel message itself—not my intellect or articulateness or wit—is "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16)? The response of others to the gospel lies outside our control. We have one responsibility: faithfulness to the privilege of bearing the gospel to people who desperately need it.
Thankfully, we don't bear this responsibility alone. The story of the Bible reminds us that God is not simply saving individuals but gaining a people for himself. And through the witness of this people, God's saving actions are put on display: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
God holds up his church as Exhibit A for the reality of the gospel. As people called out of a fallen world, living transformed lives with transcendent values, the church displays the character of God, illustrates the power of God, and exemplifies the saving purposes of God. In fact, the church at this stage in salvation history has the privilege of signaling the next stage. Our life together gives the world a preview of life in the coming kingdom. George Ladd puts it this way:
Who dreamed that their church participation was so significant? Giving the world a glimpse of the consummated kingdom of God! Does such a grand vision govern our attitude toward our local churches? If it does, our participation will no doubt reflect it. We will love, serve, sacrifice, forgive, forbear, employ our gifts, mortify our pride—all that we might together "display in this present evil age the life and fellowship of the Age to come." Churches that display such a life, however imperfectly, are God's most potent instruments in his cosmic program to reclaim and restore his creation.
Strictly speaking, evangelism is sharing the message of the gospel, and the predicament of sinful people before a holy God invests this task with supreme urgency. However, the urgency of evangelism doesn't drain all other activity in this world of eternal significance. Once again, the Bible's story gives us perspective here: God remains committed to his creation, and he's actively working to restore it. As his redeemed image bearers, we have the privilege of laboring to see his dominion manifested throughout his creation. Swept into the kingdom of God, we now become agents of that kingdom in a fallen world.
Therefore, our daily lives in all their variety—vocation, relationships, study, community involvement, artistic endeavors, leisure—have the potential, when pursued for God's glory, to demonstrate something of the gospel and its effects. Every aspect of our involvement in this world is to have a redemptive component, illuminating the character of the Creator, imitating his activity, and embodying his intentions to save, renew, and restore. If we're appropriately "heavenly minded," we'll be alert to endless earthly oppor¬tunities to glorify God.
Take your job, for example. We should pursue our vocations in such a way that we model God's redemptive intentions. Different vocations will accomplish this differently, but all vocations can contribute to God's creation-restoring work. How can I serve others in my work? How can I display excellence? Model integrity? Alleviate suffering? More efficiently utilize God-given resources? Produce beauty? Seek justice? Our vocations are about far more than simply productivity and profit (although these should in no way be demeaned, reflecting as they do God's own fruitful activity). They provide untold opportunities to work for the extension of God's rule. Such activities follow naturally from the cosmic dimensions of Christ's rule, as John Murray reminds us: "There rests upon us . . . the obligation to bring to bear upon the whole compass of life the supernatural and redemptive forces that are inherent in the Christian redemption and revelation."
Consider other spheres of your life. In my neighborhood or community, what avenues of involvement would enable me to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)? How might I serve the poor and underprivileged? How could I help to reverse inequities and establish justice? What gifts do I have that could be deployed for the good of my neighbors, the betterment of my community, the "welfare of [my] city" (Jeremiah 29:7)? Even though such activities may not directly communicate the gospel, they may well embody God's redemptive purposes by bringing peace and blessing to others.
Of course, such endeavors are not a substitute for the evangelistic task, although the distinction between these responsibilities is increasingly blurred in the evangelical world. Calls for mercy ministry, community transformation, and environmental concern, while legitimate and important, ring out with an urgency that often exceeds that attached to the evangelistic mandate. Unquestionably, Christians are to be salt and light in their communities (Matthew 5:13-14), working to see God's purposes extended in every possible way.
However, we must never forget what is at the core of God's redemptive activity: the salvation of people who bear his image and were created to know and glorify him. No other endeavor transcends this evangelistic priority. Our deeds may adorn the gospel message, but they must not be confused with the gospel message. Moreover, we should remain clear where our hope lies: only Christ's return will finally "redeem the culture," and our efforts to transform society, however legitimate, will always be partial. Like Abraham, we await a heavenly city (Heb. 11:8-16), which Christ will usher in at his return.
Enjoying the world, engaging the world, evangelizing the world—all are ways by which God calls us to be in the world and love the world. We receive God's earthly gifts, pursue God's purposes in earthly life, and work for the salvation of people made in God's image. All of life lived for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
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