I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' Acts 26:17-18
"If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 2 Corinthians 4:3-7
The Christian community throws around many words and sayings in regards to salvation like “Believer, born again, faith, repent, once saved always saved, backslider, give your life to Jesus, come forward and give Jesus a chance, accept Jesus, Christian, confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, or say the sinners prayer”. But what really constitutes a Christian? What makes for a true convert to Christ? Is becoming a Christian merely a decision? Is it like signing on the dotted line a sales agreement? Can a person think he is a Christian and be lost? What does it mean to be saved? Born again? What is does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? What part does God play and what part does man play in the salvation process?
Today many biblical terms have lost their meaning in the light of 21st century misunderstandings. We live in a day surrounded by unconverted people outside the church and within the church who say and think that they believe in Jesus. Our responsibility is to pierce the hearts of those who are unconverted with biblical truth. How? In Acts 26, the apostle Paul is telling King Agrippa about his conversion and his call to the ministry. He reports the spectacular encounter with Christ he had on the Damascus Road (Read Acts 9). Then he reports the commission that Christ gave him. It’s the words of the commission that are so amazing and relevant for us.
Paul tells us tells us in verses 15-17 what Jesus told him: ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you.” Now listen carefully to what Jesus says he is sending Paul to do in his ministry. Verse 18: “I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Here is what Christ aims to accomplish to save sinners through the means of the witness of His people. There are several things I see in this verse:
I. God sends ordinary men and women as His instruments- “I am sending you…"(verse 18a) God told Paul that He was sending him. When Paul thought about being sent by Jesus and the task of proclaiming the gospel he writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Paul describes himself as a jar of clay with a powerful treasure inside. He says we have “this treasure.” What is this "treasure"? He describes it in the verse before, 2 Corinthians 4:6, “The knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” Or, 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” In short: We have the gospel with its light-giving power.
Think about this statement: “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” Jars of clay are a reference to us. We are the jars of clay. That is, compared to the treasure that is within us, we are clay. This means that in the wisdom of God, He ordains that those who feel and are are weak, fickle, average, below average in your ability and worthiness to share the gospel treasure, you are blessed by God and living close to this truth. Paul wants us to realize that we all are clay pots when it comes to containing and sharing the gospel. It is so valuable and so powerful that any thought of its container being something special is foolish.
So what’s the point of being a clay pot? Back to 2 Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” God’s aim is that His own power through the gospel be honored, not us. The glory of God shines brightest through the lives of flawed saints. This means that if you feel average or less than average in your sense of ability to tell the gospel, then you are the person God is looking for; a flawed, weak, clay pot, who simply shares the treasure of the gospel.
Paul makes a similar statement in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "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." Spurgeon said, "We give God much glory when we receive from Him much grace."
Consider Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:25-31, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
It is of paramount importance to understand the very root of God's working out His purposes in converting lost sinners: The means of conversion is God sending out flawed saints carrying within themselves a gospel treasure to bring glory to God. John Piper writes, “God ordains that we gaze on His glory, dimly ministered in the lives of his flawed servants. He intends for us to consider their lives and peer through the imperfections of their faith and behold the beauty of their God.”
God wills to do his work through the gospel, carried in flawed Christians, and the surpassing power will belong to him and not to us. Be encouraged, ordinary Christian. You are appointed, precisely in your ordinariness, for the greatest work in the world: proclaiming the greatest news in the world: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To be continued...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
THE FREEDOM IN BEING SET ON FIRE BY THE GOSPEL
““What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (Philippians 1:18)
Paul has just written that the things that had happened to him had actually served to advance the Gospel. Some of the members of the Praetorian Guard had been converted, and those who were already Christians were encouraged (by Paul's courageous stand) to bear a witness for Christ. And there are those who are sincerely preaching the gospel. But there was a darker side to the situation also. Now, we see a second trial that Paul had to endure. He was being attacked from other Christians. In the military we would say he was being threatened by "friendly fire". It’s important to note that whoever these selfish preachers were, they weren’t false prophets or apostates. I don't think Paul would have rejoiced if they were preaching a false Gospel, in Galatians he anathematises, he curses people who are preaching a false Gospel. No, they are true brothers in Christ. Paul says that they took advantage of his imprisonment to preach the gospel for less than noble reasons. They were not anti-Christ. They were anti-Paul. But they were anti-Paul with a vengence. In Paul’s words, they were doing so “thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”
I love Paul’s triumphant conclusion, "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” He has chosen to rejoice in spite of his critics. Paul’s only concern is the gospel of Christ. As long as people preach Christ, it doesn’t matter what they say about him. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” For Paul, the “main thing” is the gospel. He refused to be diverted by lesser issues such as how certain people felt about him.
How did Paul do it? The answer is not hard to find. He was committed to a cause that was beyond himself. He believed in something that was so great that even after he had given his best effort, there was still much work to done, even by his critics! He believed in the cause so much that it didn’t particularly matter what happened to him personally.
Paul said in Acts 20:24, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul’s battle cry was “It doesn’t matter what happens to me!” He didn't really mind what happened to him so long as nothing happened to stop the gospel, because in his understanding the message preached mattered more than the man preaching. Paul was fierce when the gospel was perverted, he was fierce when the unity of the church was threatened, but he was passive when the attacks were personal.
Jonathan Edwards faithfully served his congregation at Northampton, Massachusetts, for almost 24 years. He took a position that a person must profess Christianity before they can take Communion. As a result the church took a vote on the matter and voted 90% to 10% for him to be fired (this was with a wife and 10 kids)! Then, strangely enough, they asked him to stay on and preach until they found a replacement. This he did for 15 months! It is said by one of his contemporaries named David Hall of Edward’s reaction to being so unjustly and harshly fired, “The faithful witness received the shock, unshaken. I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week but he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” I love that statement: “whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” Oh for us to live with that kind of attitude in that kind of freedom! This is what happens to a person whose happiness does not depend upon this world, the things of this world, or in the approval of others, but whose supreme happiness is in God alone.
This was the happiness of the apostle Paul who says “in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice”. He gets real joy - why? Because the gospel is being preached! Joy comes when we approach difficult people this way because we realize that the worst thing anyone says about us is still not even close to what could be said about us. In the slander and opposition of others we are reminded of the Gospel of God's grace and forgiveness towards us who apart from His grace are slanderers and opposers of God. That frees us to act in grace towards others. When the gospel is the center of a man’s life, he will default to grace in his dealings with others.
Secondly, because if you believe in a sovereign, loving God who doesn't just put you through life's prisons for kicks but has a purpose has a plan and a design, you can also believe in a God who can overrule human failure and bring people to Christ through it and in spite of it!
Thirdly, our joy is not anchored to the opinion of the crowd or others but the opinion of the Lord. Paul’s says, in 2 Corinthians 5:9,“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” So if I am in jail, my aim is to please Him. If people criticized me, don’t like me, and judge me, my aim is to please Him. Paul didn't care because of the one thing, the great joy of his life, the gospel, was being proclaimed! Remember his purpose? “To testify to the gospel of the grace of God”. Paul lived and breathed, ate and drank, gospel! “Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.”
In one deft sentence Paul shifts the legitimate interest of the Philippians from himself to the great undeterred purpose of God in history. Perhaps you feel a complete disconnect from Paul. Do you know why we are not gospel centered and blasé about these kinds of things? Because there is a great malaise afflicting the church today called spiritual amnesia. When we have forgotten the greatness of the gospel and what it means to the totality of our lives, our amnesia is flaring up again.
Tozer says, “When it comes to our minds, what we think about God (and I might add His gospel) is the most important thing about us.” Spiritual amnesia means we have forgotten the centrality, the worth, the greatness of the gospel. We have forgotten that the greatest thing in the world is to be saved; how great it is to be saved and rescued from certain death. How great it is to rescue as many as we can with the good news of Jesus Christ. Oh that we would think and feel the preciousness of the gospel! What a difference it makes when we are centered in it.
Every day the gospel’s advance is at stake in your life. When the gospel is in the forefront, there is a seriousness over all of life, there is a sense of urgency in all our endeavors, there is an awareness that everything in my life is about the gospel, there is a flavor of blood earnestness that seasons everything and makes sin feel more sinful, and righteousness feel more righteous, and salvation more awesome and amazing, and life feels more precious, and relationships more profound, and God appears more wonderful, beautiful, and important.
The gospel-It is so full, rich, and wonderful, and all of its treasures are for the enjoyment of the world. Apart from the gospel, there is only guilt, shame, condemnation, judgment, and sorrow. But with the gospel, everything that Paul enjoyed was owing to the gospel. And so Paul rejoiced in a gospel where all the blessings were purchased for him at the cost of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and he rejoiced when this same gospel was being proclaimed to lost sinners not only by his friends, but even by his enemies and with the worst of motives.
Paul's example is impressive and clear: Put the advance of the gospel at the center of your aspirations. Get set on fire by the gospel! I pray that Paul’s passion would awaken in you a desire for you to be set on fire by the gospel-even if you are surrounded by people who neither feel nor desire what you desire. Our own comforts, our bruised feelings, our reputations, our misunderstood motives, all of these are insignificant in comparison with the advance and splendor of the gospel. May we gain a single minded passion like Paul when he said in Acts 20:24, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. One thing mattered to Paul, I will not waste my life, I will not waste my chains and trials, and I will not waste my problems with people. There is too much at stake: Jesus Christ and His wonderful gospel! Oh that we would pray, think, live, dream, plan, and work with this purpose at the forefront of our lives.
Paul has just written that the things that had happened to him had actually served to advance the Gospel. Some of the members of the Praetorian Guard had been converted, and those who were already Christians were encouraged (by Paul's courageous stand) to bear a witness for Christ. And there are those who are sincerely preaching the gospel. But there was a darker side to the situation also. Now, we see a second trial that Paul had to endure. He was being attacked from other Christians. In the military we would say he was being threatened by "friendly fire". It’s important to note that whoever these selfish preachers were, they weren’t false prophets or apostates. I don't think Paul would have rejoiced if they were preaching a false Gospel, in Galatians he anathematises, he curses people who are preaching a false Gospel. No, they are true brothers in Christ. Paul says that they took advantage of his imprisonment to preach the gospel for less than noble reasons. They were not anti-Christ. They were anti-Paul. But they were anti-Paul with a vengence. In Paul’s words, they were doing so “thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”
I love Paul’s triumphant conclusion, "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” He has chosen to rejoice in spite of his critics. Paul’s only concern is the gospel of Christ. As long as people preach Christ, it doesn’t matter what they say about him. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” For Paul, the “main thing” is the gospel. He refused to be diverted by lesser issues such as how certain people felt about him.
How did Paul do it? The answer is not hard to find. He was committed to a cause that was beyond himself. He believed in something that was so great that even after he had given his best effort, there was still much work to done, even by his critics! He believed in the cause so much that it didn’t particularly matter what happened to him personally.
Paul said in Acts 20:24, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul’s battle cry was “It doesn’t matter what happens to me!” He didn't really mind what happened to him so long as nothing happened to stop the gospel, because in his understanding the message preached mattered more than the man preaching. Paul was fierce when the gospel was perverted, he was fierce when the unity of the church was threatened, but he was passive when the attacks were personal.
Jonathan Edwards faithfully served his congregation at Northampton, Massachusetts, for almost 24 years. He took a position that a person must profess Christianity before they can take Communion. As a result the church took a vote on the matter and voted 90% to 10% for him to be fired (this was with a wife and 10 kids)! Then, strangely enough, they asked him to stay on and preach until they found a replacement. This he did for 15 months! It is said by one of his contemporaries named David Hall of Edward’s reaction to being so unjustly and harshly fired, “The faithful witness received the shock, unshaken. I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week but he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” I love that statement: “whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” Oh for us to live with that kind of attitude in that kind of freedom! This is what happens to a person whose happiness does not depend upon this world, the things of this world, or in the approval of others, but whose supreme happiness is in God alone.
This was the happiness of the apostle Paul who says “in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice”. He gets real joy - why? Because the gospel is being preached! Joy comes when we approach difficult people this way because we realize that the worst thing anyone says about us is still not even close to what could be said about us. In the slander and opposition of others we are reminded of the Gospel of God's grace and forgiveness towards us who apart from His grace are slanderers and opposers of God. That frees us to act in grace towards others. When the gospel is the center of a man’s life, he will default to grace in his dealings with others.
Secondly, because if you believe in a sovereign, loving God who doesn't just put you through life's prisons for kicks but has a purpose has a plan and a design, you can also believe in a God who can overrule human failure and bring people to Christ through it and in spite of it!
Thirdly, our joy is not anchored to the opinion of the crowd or others but the opinion of the Lord. Paul’s says, in 2 Corinthians 5:9,“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” So if I am in jail, my aim is to please Him. If people criticized me, don’t like me, and judge me, my aim is to please Him. Paul didn't care because of the one thing, the great joy of his life, the gospel, was being proclaimed! Remember his purpose? “To testify to the gospel of the grace of God”. Paul lived and breathed, ate and drank, gospel! “Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.”
In one deft sentence Paul shifts the legitimate interest of the Philippians from himself to the great undeterred purpose of God in history. Perhaps you feel a complete disconnect from Paul. Do you know why we are not gospel centered and blasé about these kinds of things? Because there is a great malaise afflicting the church today called spiritual amnesia. When we have forgotten the greatness of the gospel and what it means to the totality of our lives, our amnesia is flaring up again.
Tozer says, “When it comes to our minds, what we think about God (and I might add His gospel) is the most important thing about us.” Spiritual amnesia means we have forgotten the centrality, the worth, the greatness of the gospel. We have forgotten that the greatest thing in the world is to be saved; how great it is to be saved and rescued from certain death. How great it is to rescue as many as we can with the good news of Jesus Christ. Oh that we would think and feel the preciousness of the gospel! What a difference it makes when we are centered in it.
Every day the gospel’s advance is at stake in your life. When the gospel is in the forefront, there is a seriousness over all of life, there is a sense of urgency in all our endeavors, there is an awareness that everything in my life is about the gospel, there is a flavor of blood earnestness that seasons everything and makes sin feel more sinful, and righteousness feel more righteous, and salvation more awesome and amazing, and life feels more precious, and relationships more profound, and God appears more wonderful, beautiful, and important.
The gospel-It is so full, rich, and wonderful, and all of its treasures are for the enjoyment of the world. Apart from the gospel, there is only guilt, shame, condemnation, judgment, and sorrow. But with the gospel, everything that Paul enjoyed was owing to the gospel. And so Paul rejoiced in a gospel where all the blessings were purchased for him at the cost of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and he rejoiced when this same gospel was being proclaimed to lost sinners not only by his friends, but even by his enemies and with the worst of motives.
Paul's example is impressive and clear: Put the advance of the gospel at the center of your aspirations. Get set on fire by the gospel! I pray that Paul’s passion would awaken in you a desire for you to be set on fire by the gospel-even if you are surrounded by people who neither feel nor desire what you desire. Our own comforts, our bruised feelings, our reputations, our misunderstood motives, all of these are insignificant in comparison with the advance and splendor of the gospel. May we gain a single minded passion like Paul when he said in Acts 20:24, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. One thing mattered to Paul, I will not waste my life, I will not waste my chains and trials, and I will not waste my problems with people. There is too much at stake: Jesus Christ and His wonderful gospel! Oh that we would pray, think, live, dream, plan, and work with this purpose at the forefront of our lives.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
THE RIPPLE EEFECT OF A GODWARD LIFE
As a kid, I lived close to a running stream in a forest. One of my favorite pastimes was skipping stones across the flat, slow moving surface of the stream. Each time the pebble would land inevitably, ripples would flow from the impact of the stone. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. Every moment of your life is a divine appointment to influence the world. Every conversation is a chance to change a life. And every choice you make impacts another choice, which in turn impacts another, rippling through your life and the lives of those around you for the glory of God.
The ripple effect of your life can be incalculable. I thought about this so often in England. One day I ate my lunch in Bunhill Field’s Cemetery in London and there on my right was the tomb of John Bunyan and behind me was John Owen and to my right was Susanna Wesley, and just across the street was the tomb of her son John Wesley. All these precious saints have made incalculable impacts on others for hundreds of years by ripple effect from the pebbles of their lives.
I think of David Brainerd. His life was a short life: twenty-nine years, five months and nineteen days. Only eight of those years as a believer, and only four of those as a missionary, and less than a year to see any fruit in his attempts to reach the Indians. He died in obscurity in Jonathan Edwards home. Two years after Brainerd died, Jonathan Edwards took his diaries and published them as a Life of Brainerd in 1749. His diaries are still in print today.
Oh the ripple effect of this man’s life! John Wesley said, "Let every preacher read carefully over the 'Life of Brainerd". It was written of Henry Martyn that "perusing the life of David Brainerd, his soul was filled with a holy emulation of that extraordinary man; and after deep consideration and fervent prayer, he was at length fixed in a resolution to imitate his example". William Carey regarded Edwards' Life of Brainerd as a sacred text. Robert Morrison and Robert McCheyne of Scotland and John Mills of America and Frederick Schwartz of Germany and David Livingston of England and Andrew Murray of South Africa and Jim Elliot of modern America looked upon Brainerd with a kind of awe and draw power from him the way they and countless others did.
David Brainerd had a profound effect upon Jonathan Edwards. Edwards' bears his own testimony:
I would conclude my observations on the merciful circumstances of Mr. Brainerd's death without acknowledging with thankfulness the gracious dispensation of Providence to me and my family in so ordering that he ... should be cast hither to my house, in his last sickness, and should die here: So that we had opportunity for much acquaintance and conversation with him, and to show him kindness in such circumstances, and to see his dying behavior, to hear his dying speeches, to receive his dying counsels, and to have the benefit of his dying prayers."
Gideon Hawley, another missionary protégé of Jonathan Edwards spoke for hundreds when he wrote about his struggles as a missionary in 1753, "I need, greatly need something more than humane (=human or natural) to support me. I read my Bible and Mr. Brainerd's Life, the only books I brought with me, and from them have a little support."
John Piper says of Brainerd’s Life;
“Through this Life the impact of Brainerd on the church has been incalculable, because beyond all the famous missionaries who tell us that they have been sustained and inspired by Brainerd's Life how many countless other unknown faithful servants must there be who found strength to press on from Brainerd's testimony!”
In the scriptures we see the ripple effect of the apostle Paul’s life: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of all brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14). Imprisoned, chained, unheard, uncertain, he looks back at all the trials of his life and says, "What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."
Think of it! All of the frustration, all of the delay, all of the physical suffering and Paul sees his circumstances not as curtailing his mission but advancement of his mission!. Paul means to say that his imprisonment—which seemed to be a setback—actually served to advance the gospel in Rome. Paul tells us how the ripple effect of his own imprisonment produced two wonderful and extraordinary outcomes. The gospel has advanced in two ways:
1. It advanced the preaching of the gospel. Paul says that his imprisonment gave him an opportunity to witness to the whole Praetorian Guard. Paul realized that he was not only chained to soldiers, they were chained to him! Paul had a "captive audience". So Paul experienced a shuffle of soldiers chained to him 24 hours a day. Since they changed guards every six hours, this meant Paul had a new audience four times a day, 28 times a week, and over 2900 times in two years talking to these men about Jesus Christ and living by faith in Him before them. The very chain which Roman discipline riveted on the prisoners arm secured to his side a hearer to whom Paul would tell the story." These soldiers thought they were guarding a prisoner of Rome, but soon found that they had inadvertently enrolled in a course of systematic theology. And apparently, his witness was effective. Paul remarks that because of his imprisonment, the gospel of Jesus Christ was known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard. It is assumed (since he sends greetings from those in Caesar's household. (Philippians 4:22) that the gospel message had even worked its way into the Emperor's home.
2. It produced Bold Witness in other Christians God used Paul's situation to "light a fire" under some of the other believers. The ripple effect of Paul’s witness gave the church confidence and boldness. The people of God were set on fire for the Lord, and all this did not happen through Paul's mighty preaching in Rome. He was in prison chained to an unbelieving soldier, but the effect of his life in jail impacted the whole congregation who were all out of jail. His chains led to their freedom!
Have you ever thought about the effect of your life on others in this way? Many people today have been disappointed because of being let down, abandoned, failed by other Christians who have not trusted or walked with God when times got tough. What a breadth of fresh air to see someone committed, persevering and trusting in God like Paul; loving, serving, caring, sacrificing no matter what! When you’re courageous, others are inspired by your courage. When you choose to trust God in a trying circumstance, others see your faith and are encouraged by it. Faith can be caught. Your example can be more encouraging than anything you say. When the church saw how Paul was being in prison it challenged them to confront their difficulties and speak up for Christ whatever the cost. If the apostle could do so much from a prison cell how much more should they be accomplishing with their freedom. New courage and boldness was given to the church.
Let me share with you something that came home to me about the ripple effect when I went to Northwood cemetery and saw Charles Spurgeon’s grave. read on the side of the tomb his words “For since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply; redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. Then in a nobler, sweeter song I’ll sing of thy power to save, when this poor stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.”
Then on the front of the tomb there was an open bible with the words of 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
That day I read those words of that dear pastor and servant of God I was moved to recommit my life to Christ and his Kingdom and to preach the gospel of Christ and grace and to serve the Lord till my dying day. The pebble of Spurgeon thrown in the pond of history 110 years ago has created a ripple effect that reached out to touch me on a cold, rainy, isolated evening and I will never be the same.
The ripple effect is incalculable. John Piper gives this illustration:
A book by Richard Sibbes, one of the choicest of the Puritan writers, was read by Richard Baxter, who was greatly blessed by it. Baxter then wrote his Call to the Unconverted which deeply influenced Philip Doddridge, who in turn wrote The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. This brought the young William Wilberforce, subsequent English statesman and foe of slavery, to serious thoughts of eternity. Wilberforce wrote his Practical Book of Christianity which fired the soul of Leigh Richmond. Richmond, in turn, wrote The Dairyman's Daughter, a book that brought thousands to the Lord, helping Thomas Chalmers the great preacher, among others
The stone of David Brainerd, of Paul have made a huge vast ripple effects on countless souls. Oh brothers and sisters you don’t know the effects that flow outward from the pebble of you and your soul falling in the pond of those all around you. If Christ stirred Paul and Paul stirred pagan guards and the Christians in Philippi, if Christ stirred Brainerd and Brainerd stirred Edwards and countless missionaries, and if in reading this he has stirred you, than it is obvious the waves are in motion and the waves are going onward to you, in you, and flowing out through each one of you.
May your life to count. May the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity.
Pastor Bill
The ripple effect of your life can be incalculable. I thought about this so often in England. One day I ate my lunch in Bunhill Field’s Cemetery in London and there on my right was the tomb of John Bunyan and behind me was John Owen and to my right was Susanna Wesley, and just across the street was the tomb of her son John Wesley. All these precious saints have made incalculable impacts on others for hundreds of years by ripple effect from the pebbles of their lives.
I think of David Brainerd. His life was a short life: twenty-nine years, five months and nineteen days. Only eight of those years as a believer, and only four of those as a missionary, and less than a year to see any fruit in his attempts to reach the Indians. He died in obscurity in Jonathan Edwards home. Two years after Brainerd died, Jonathan Edwards took his diaries and published them as a Life of Brainerd in 1749. His diaries are still in print today.
Oh the ripple effect of this man’s life! John Wesley said, "Let every preacher read carefully over the 'Life of Brainerd". It was written of Henry Martyn that "perusing the life of David Brainerd, his soul was filled with a holy emulation of that extraordinary man; and after deep consideration and fervent prayer, he was at length fixed in a resolution to imitate his example". William Carey regarded Edwards' Life of Brainerd as a sacred text. Robert Morrison and Robert McCheyne of Scotland and John Mills of America and Frederick Schwartz of Germany and David Livingston of England and Andrew Murray of South Africa and Jim Elliot of modern America looked upon Brainerd with a kind of awe and draw power from him the way they and countless others did.
David Brainerd had a profound effect upon Jonathan Edwards. Edwards' bears his own testimony:
I would conclude my observations on the merciful circumstances of Mr. Brainerd's death without acknowledging with thankfulness the gracious dispensation of Providence to me and my family in so ordering that he ... should be cast hither to my house, in his last sickness, and should die here: So that we had opportunity for much acquaintance and conversation with him, and to show him kindness in such circumstances, and to see his dying behavior, to hear his dying speeches, to receive his dying counsels, and to have the benefit of his dying prayers."
Gideon Hawley, another missionary protégé of Jonathan Edwards spoke for hundreds when he wrote about his struggles as a missionary in 1753, "I need, greatly need something more than humane (=human or natural) to support me. I read my Bible and Mr. Brainerd's Life, the only books I brought with me, and from them have a little support."
John Piper says of Brainerd’s Life;
“Through this Life the impact of Brainerd on the church has been incalculable, because beyond all the famous missionaries who tell us that they have been sustained and inspired by Brainerd's Life how many countless other unknown faithful servants must there be who found strength to press on from Brainerd's testimony!”
In the scriptures we see the ripple effect of the apostle Paul’s life: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of all brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14). Imprisoned, chained, unheard, uncertain, he looks back at all the trials of his life and says, "What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."
Think of it! All of the frustration, all of the delay, all of the physical suffering and Paul sees his circumstances not as curtailing his mission but advancement of his mission!. Paul means to say that his imprisonment—which seemed to be a setback—actually served to advance the gospel in Rome. Paul tells us how the ripple effect of his own imprisonment produced two wonderful and extraordinary outcomes. The gospel has advanced in two ways:
1. It advanced the preaching of the gospel. Paul says that his imprisonment gave him an opportunity to witness to the whole Praetorian Guard. Paul realized that he was not only chained to soldiers, they were chained to him! Paul had a "captive audience". So Paul experienced a shuffle of soldiers chained to him 24 hours a day. Since they changed guards every six hours, this meant Paul had a new audience four times a day, 28 times a week, and over 2900 times in two years talking to these men about Jesus Christ and living by faith in Him before them. The very chain which Roman discipline riveted on the prisoners arm secured to his side a hearer to whom Paul would tell the story." These soldiers thought they were guarding a prisoner of Rome, but soon found that they had inadvertently enrolled in a course of systematic theology. And apparently, his witness was effective. Paul remarks that because of his imprisonment, the gospel of Jesus Christ was known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard. It is assumed (since he sends greetings from those in Caesar's household. (Philippians 4:22) that the gospel message had even worked its way into the Emperor's home.
2. It produced Bold Witness in other Christians God used Paul's situation to "light a fire" under some of the other believers. The ripple effect of Paul’s witness gave the church confidence and boldness. The people of God were set on fire for the Lord, and all this did not happen through Paul's mighty preaching in Rome. He was in prison chained to an unbelieving soldier, but the effect of his life in jail impacted the whole congregation who were all out of jail. His chains led to their freedom!
Have you ever thought about the effect of your life on others in this way? Many people today have been disappointed because of being let down, abandoned, failed by other Christians who have not trusted or walked with God when times got tough. What a breadth of fresh air to see someone committed, persevering and trusting in God like Paul; loving, serving, caring, sacrificing no matter what! When you’re courageous, others are inspired by your courage. When you choose to trust God in a trying circumstance, others see your faith and are encouraged by it. Faith can be caught. Your example can be more encouraging than anything you say. When the church saw how Paul was being in prison it challenged them to confront their difficulties and speak up for Christ whatever the cost. If the apostle could do so much from a prison cell how much more should they be accomplishing with their freedom. New courage and boldness was given to the church.
Let me share with you something that came home to me about the ripple effect when I went to Northwood cemetery and saw Charles Spurgeon’s grave. read on the side of the tomb his words “For since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply; redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. Then in a nobler, sweeter song I’ll sing of thy power to save, when this poor stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.”
Then on the front of the tomb there was an open bible with the words of 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
That day I read those words of that dear pastor and servant of God I was moved to recommit my life to Christ and his Kingdom and to preach the gospel of Christ and grace and to serve the Lord till my dying day. The pebble of Spurgeon thrown in the pond of history 110 years ago has created a ripple effect that reached out to touch me on a cold, rainy, isolated evening and I will never be the same.
The ripple effect is incalculable. John Piper gives this illustration:
A book by Richard Sibbes, one of the choicest of the Puritan writers, was read by Richard Baxter, who was greatly blessed by it. Baxter then wrote his Call to the Unconverted which deeply influenced Philip Doddridge, who in turn wrote The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. This brought the young William Wilberforce, subsequent English statesman and foe of slavery, to serious thoughts of eternity. Wilberforce wrote his Practical Book of Christianity which fired the soul of Leigh Richmond. Richmond, in turn, wrote The Dairyman's Daughter, a book that brought thousands to the Lord, helping Thomas Chalmers the great preacher, among others
The stone of David Brainerd, of Paul have made a huge vast ripple effects on countless souls. Oh brothers and sisters you don’t know the effects that flow outward from the pebble of you and your soul falling in the pond of those all around you. If Christ stirred Paul and Paul stirred pagan guards and the Christians in Philippi, if Christ stirred Brainerd and Brainerd stirred Edwards and countless missionaries, and if in reading this he has stirred you, than it is obvious the waves are in motion and the waves are going onward to you, in you, and flowing out through each one of you.
May your life to count. May the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity.
Pastor Bill
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Fear, God's Antidote to Fear!
“In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence…” Proverbs 14:26
(Some of this blog has been taken from John Piper’s Pierced by the Word)
Do you battle fear? I know that at times I sure do. We are clay pots, weak and broken and battling anxieties and doubts. How do you overcome it? Is there a way and a means to victory over this powerful emotion? What makes fear even more difficult is that over and over in scriptures we hear God demanding us to “be not afraid”(ex. John 6;20;14;27; Acts 18:9; 27:24; 1 Peter 3;14; Revelation 1:17). Often times when I am afraid I will hear this demand and all I can feel is more discouragement because God demands of me something that is the opposite of what I am feeling and how can I stop feeling fear when I feel fear? God says, “Be not afraid’ but I feel that “I am afraid.” So what’s the way to overcome fear and to obey His command to not fear? Is there a solution?
Proverbs 14:26 gives a wonderful answer: "In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence." This is very strange. It says that the solution to fear is fear. The solution to timidity is fear. The solution to uncertainty is fear. The solution to doubt is fear. The solution to fear is fear.
How can this be? Because it is a particular kind of fear- the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? To "fear the LORD" means fearing to dishonor the Lord. Which means fearing to distrust the Lord. Which means fearing to fear anything that the Lord has promised to help you overcome. In other words, the fear of the Lord is the great destroyer of fear.
The Lord says, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you" (Isaiah 41:10), If the Lord says this, then it is a fearful thing to worry about a problem that God says He will help you with. Fearing that problem when God says, "Fear not, I will help you," is a serious vote of no confidence against God's Word, and that greatly dishonoring to God. And the fear of the Lord causes us to tremble to dishonor God in that way.
Another time the Lord says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6). If the Lord says that to you, then to not be confident in the Lord's promised presence and help is a kind of pride. It puts our estimate and perspective and attitude about the trouble above God's. That is why we read the amazing words of the Lord in Isaiah 51:12, “Even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? " Who are you to fear man, when God has promised to help you? So it is unbelief and pride to fear man. And pride is the exact opposite of the fear of God.
So this Proverb is true and is a great help to us. The antidote to fear is fear-Fear God. Fear God. Fear dishonoring Him. Fear distrusting Him. Fear putting your assessment of the problem above His. He says He can help. He is smarter. He is wiser. He is stronger. He is more generous. Trust Him. Fear not to trust Him. Be like the Psalmist who said in the light of his fear in Psalm 56:3, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You."
Why? Because God says that He "acts for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4). He will solve the problem. He will come to the rescue. He will take care of us. He will meet your needs. Let us fear distrusting that promise. Let us fear distrusting Him, the one who made the promise.Let us fear Him who sweetly and lovingly commands us to not fear. Then you will have be a person who "has strong confidence"—not in himself, but in God and His promises, which he trembles not to trust, and fears not to fear.
Fearing Him so not fear,
Pastor Bill
(Some of this blog has been taken from John Piper’s Pierced by the Word)
Do you battle fear? I know that at times I sure do. We are clay pots, weak and broken and battling anxieties and doubts. How do you overcome it? Is there a way and a means to victory over this powerful emotion? What makes fear even more difficult is that over and over in scriptures we hear God demanding us to “be not afraid”(ex. John 6;20;14;27; Acts 18:9; 27:24; 1 Peter 3;14; Revelation 1:17). Often times when I am afraid I will hear this demand and all I can feel is more discouragement because God demands of me something that is the opposite of what I am feeling and how can I stop feeling fear when I feel fear? God says, “Be not afraid’ but I feel that “I am afraid.” So what’s the way to overcome fear and to obey His command to not fear? Is there a solution?
Proverbs 14:26 gives a wonderful answer: "In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence." This is very strange. It says that the solution to fear is fear. The solution to timidity is fear. The solution to uncertainty is fear. The solution to doubt is fear. The solution to fear is fear.
How can this be? Because it is a particular kind of fear- the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? To "fear the LORD" means fearing to dishonor the Lord. Which means fearing to distrust the Lord. Which means fearing to fear anything that the Lord has promised to help you overcome. In other words, the fear of the Lord is the great destroyer of fear.
The Lord says, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you" (Isaiah 41:10), If the Lord says this, then it is a fearful thing to worry about a problem that God says He will help you with. Fearing that problem when God says, "Fear not, I will help you," is a serious vote of no confidence against God's Word, and that greatly dishonoring to God. And the fear of the Lord causes us to tremble to dishonor God in that way.
Another time the Lord says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6). If the Lord says that to you, then to not be confident in the Lord's promised presence and help is a kind of pride. It puts our estimate and perspective and attitude about the trouble above God's. That is why we read the amazing words of the Lord in Isaiah 51:12, “Even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? " Who are you to fear man, when God has promised to help you? So it is unbelief and pride to fear man. And pride is the exact opposite of the fear of God.
So this Proverb is true and is a great help to us. The antidote to fear is fear-Fear God. Fear God. Fear dishonoring Him. Fear distrusting Him. Fear putting your assessment of the problem above His. He says He can help. He is smarter. He is wiser. He is stronger. He is more generous. Trust Him. Fear not to trust Him. Be like the Psalmist who said in the light of his fear in Psalm 56:3, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You."
Why? Because God says that He "acts for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4). He will solve the problem. He will come to the rescue. He will take care of us. He will meet your needs. Let us fear distrusting that promise. Let us fear distrusting Him, the one who made the promise.Let us fear Him who sweetly and lovingly commands us to not fear. Then you will have be a person who "has strong confidence"—not in himself, but in God and His promises, which he trembles not to trust, and fears not to fear.
Fearing Him so not fear,
Pastor Bill
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Full Assurance From God
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 ESV
There are a lot of maladies out there that are permeating society known by their abbreviations such as HIV, ADHD, STD’S. A great spiritual malady permeates the church of Jesus Christ today. If I were to give it a name, I would call it ADD: Assurance Deficit Disorder. The problem afflicts millions of sincere Christians who have put their faith in Christ for salvation, consistently attend church, read their bibles, faithfully serve the Lord, and pray regularly. And yet these precious people have little or no assurance that their eternity is secure in Christ. When asked if they are on their way to heaven, they might answer if they are being honest, “I think so,” or “I sure hope so.” But they would stutter to say “I know so.” The symptoms of Assurance Deficit Disorder include an inordinate fear of death and hell, a questioning of God’s love for them or of the believers worthiness to be His child, a sense of real insecurity concerning eternity, and-not surprising-a lack of spiritual victory and of joy in daily living.
Assurance is no minor issue. There is real assurance and certainty that God wants you to have. God means for our souls to be anchored in heaven. He does not want us to bob and drift on the sea of people’s opinion, our own feelings and emotions or our works in order to gain assurance. When those become the ground of our security we become insecure because they are only as good as their mood or actions at any given moment. Too many of us are looking for assurance in all the wrong places. God's will for us is that we live in the liberty and the joy and the power of full assurance. He means for us to know assuredly that we are bound for heaven and that we will not fail to get there. That is why John said in 1 John 5:9, 13, "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater... I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."
Our experience of assurance is highly subjective and must constantly be brought back to the solid, stable, secure ground of God’s Word. He wants us to be anchored in a knowledge based on the truth and certainty of the Word of God. In our text this morning Paul gets our eyes off of ourselves and on to God as the source of our confidence, security, and assurance. Paul is exalting the fact that the saints can have absolute assurance that they are saved and that they will go to Heaven! Paul is celebrating the glory of his God who is involved in the totality of our salvation: past, present, and future; a God who does not partially save us, or halfway save us, or even three-quarters of the way save us, but He saves us completely, totally, and eternal; and we can have full assurance of that fact.
Paul was confident in God’s working in their salvation, and you can be confident and assured in your salvation as well. You can have joy and confidence because:
God previously acted by His grace in you- “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you” In regards to our salvation, Paul was “sure”. Paul is not saying that he was hopeful in regards to our redemption, the work of redemption in our lives. Paul uses a strong word peitho in the Greek which means “to persuade, to convince beyond all doubt.” Paul uses the word “you” to make this confidence personal. Just as Paul knew, so you need to know and you need to know based on the evidence. Who was it that began that good work in you? “He.” Who’s the “He”? God! Paul is emphasizing the initiative of God in salvation.
The verb "began" (Greek enarchomai,) is interesting, it is a rare word only used two times in the New Testament. It's used here and Galatians 3:3. It literally means 'to inaugurate'. The tense 'to inaugurate', is employed as a decisive tense, as a deliberate act. In other words, because God at some time in your history has deliberately and completely saved you. God began a good work. And it was true. It is always true.
Salvation is God’s work. He is the initiator of it. This is something that Paul emphasizes over and over. Think of Ephesians 2:1, 5, “For you were dead in your trespasses and sins..But God made you alive in Jesus Christ.” Who took the initiative in that salvation? You? No! You were dead. Dead people are notoriously bad initiators! But God took the initiative and did what? Made you alive in Christ! Listen to John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God even to those who believe on His name...listen...who were born, born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God."
Salvation is God's work. He makes the first move, and if he didn’t make the first move, we would make no move at all. Perhaps you’ve heard of the country preacher who was being examined for ordination to the ministry. When asked how he had become a Christian, the preacher replied, "I did my part and God did his." That sounded questionable, so the learned brethren on the council asked the preacher to explain "his part in salvation." "My part was to run from God as fast as I could," the preacher answered. "God’s part was to run after me and catch me and bring me into his family." All of us were born running from God, and unless God took the initiative to find us, we would still be running away from him. He was the seeker. He was the mover. He was the initiator. Salvation is always of God. We love because He first loved us.
Paul also says that this good work was begun “in you”. God works for us, He works with us, He works through us, He works by us, but before He will or can work for us, with us, through us, and by us, He must work "in us." Becoming a Christian is the deepest and most wonderful change that a person can ever know. It is not a superficial and temporary change. It is a powerful work of God in the very center of our being. Henry Scougal called it, "the life of God in the soul of man." The Prophet Ezekiel describes it beautifully. Ezekiel 36:25-27: "I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws”. God performs a spiritual heart transplant. He removes our hard old heart and gives us a new heart -- a heart that loves Him and desires Him and wants to follow His ways and obey His commandments and is able to follow His ways and do His commandments. You can have joy and confidence because:
This salvation, this good work, is unfinished work here- He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” It’s vital for us to remember that. The Apostle Paul is telling us that the work of grace is but begun in this life, but it is never ever finished here. The Christian life is not one uninterrupted climb heavenward, nor is it some catapulting to perfection and then a continuous experience of perfection in this life. It is a life filled with peaks and valleys, and sometimes the valleys are so deep that we never ever think that we’re going to climb out of them. This word is one of the most encouraging words in all of Scripture. I remember hearing someone say, "Please be patient with me, God isn’t finished with me yet. We are all under construction! We all are a work in progress. I may not look like much—but God isn’t finished with me yet. And when you look in the mirror—and even deeper into your own soul, you may not like what you see, but no matter. God isn’t finished with you yet.
There is good news and bad news in this truth. The good news is that since God isn’t finished yet, we have great hope for the future. The bad news is that since God isn’t finished yet, he won’t let us stay as we are today. Romans 8:29 tells us, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” He’s going to keep chipping away at us until we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Most of us have a long way to go—and some of us have an enormous distance to travel. But it doesn’t matter. John Newton put it this way when he said: “I am not what I ought to be – ah, how imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be. I abhor the evil in me, and I would cleave to that which is good. I am not what I hope to be; soon, soon, I will put off with mortality both sin and imperfection; but though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan. And so, therefore, I can heartily join with the Apostle Paul and say, ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am.’”
That’s where Christians live, right there. And that’s what the Apostle Paul is saying. We read in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Our lives are being transformed, as the King James Version has it, from "glory to glory." Paul says in Philippians 2:13,“It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The Apostle Paul is emphasizing that God is at work in you now.
God always finishes what He starts- “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Yes, God began it, yes you are not perfect yet; but it is a certain work. It is absolutely certain that He will complete it. Because God finishes what He starts. He inaugurates it, He continues it, and what a blessing today for you child: the outcome is guaranteed - do you know why? Because God's working to a schedule. He is working to the day of Christ Jesus, a day on His calendar marked when He's going to make you perfect! He has begun in you. Everything and everyone will be ready in time for that day.
Paul, in Romans 8:29-30 tells us, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” The word “glorified” is in the aorist tense. Paul is not saying that one day we will be glorified but right now we are seen as glorified in the Father’s eyes. The reality is, that is how God sees you, the finished project, a finished work of art, a masterpiece of grace! That is how certain our glorification is, 100%! As one person put it, “The Lord always looks at His people as they will be when they are done.” We will be brought to safety, not by our own efforts or our own devices, but solely by the faithfulness of our heavenly Father. God's purpose in the salvation of his people is invincible—it cannot fail. I Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (Read 1 Cor.1:8; Jude 24, 25)
God is working and He will set us apart, completely, for His glory, He will finish the work! We can resist the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can reject what He is doing, but God will keep working because in the end, John tells us, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” ( I John 3:2-3). Someday you and I will stand before Jesus Christ as redeemed children of God—holy, blameless, and complete in every way. We’re a far sight from that today. But a better day is coming for the people of God. What is incomplete will be made complete. What is unfinished will be finished. What is lacking will be made full. What is partial will be made whole. What is less than enough will be far more than adequate. What is broken will be fixed. What is hurt will be healed. What is weak will be made strong. What is temporary will be made permanent. We are saved by grace; kept by grace and eternally secured by grace. God will preserve us and persevere with us so that we will stand at the end. That was the New Covenant promise of Jeremiah 32:40, “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
There are a lot of maladies out there that are permeating society known by their abbreviations such as HIV, ADHD, STD’S. A great spiritual malady permeates the church of Jesus Christ today. If I were to give it a name, I would call it ADD: Assurance Deficit Disorder. The problem afflicts millions of sincere Christians who have put their faith in Christ for salvation, consistently attend church, read their bibles, faithfully serve the Lord, and pray regularly. And yet these precious people have little or no assurance that their eternity is secure in Christ. When asked if they are on their way to heaven, they might answer if they are being honest, “I think so,” or “I sure hope so.” But they would stutter to say “I know so.” The symptoms of Assurance Deficit Disorder include an inordinate fear of death and hell, a questioning of God’s love for them or of the believers worthiness to be His child, a sense of real insecurity concerning eternity, and-not surprising-a lack of spiritual victory and of joy in daily living.
Assurance is no minor issue. There is real assurance and certainty that God wants you to have. God means for our souls to be anchored in heaven. He does not want us to bob and drift on the sea of people’s opinion, our own feelings and emotions or our works in order to gain assurance. When those become the ground of our security we become insecure because they are only as good as their mood or actions at any given moment. Too many of us are looking for assurance in all the wrong places. God's will for us is that we live in the liberty and the joy and the power of full assurance. He means for us to know assuredly that we are bound for heaven and that we will not fail to get there. That is why John said in 1 John 5:9, 13, "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater... I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."
Our experience of assurance is highly subjective and must constantly be brought back to the solid, stable, secure ground of God’s Word. He wants us to be anchored in a knowledge based on the truth and certainty of the Word of God. In our text this morning Paul gets our eyes off of ourselves and on to God as the source of our confidence, security, and assurance. Paul is exalting the fact that the saints can have absolute assurance that they are saved and that they will go to Heaven! Paul is celebrating the glory of his God who is involved in the totality of our salvation: past, present, and future; a God who does not partially save us, or halfway save us, or even three-quarters of the way save us, but He saves us completely, totally, and eternal; and we can have full assurance of that fact.
Paul was confident in God’s working in their salvation, and you can be confident and assured in your salvation as well. You can have joy and confidence because:
God previously acted by His grace in you- “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you” In regards to our salvation, Paul was “sure”. Paul is not saying that he was hopeful in regards to our redemption, the work of redemption in our lives. Paul uses a strong word peitho in the Greek which means “to persuade, to convince beyond all doubt.” Paul uses the word “you” to make this confidence personal. Just as Paul knew, so you need to know and you need to know based on the evidence. Who was it that began that good work in you? “He.” Who’s the “He”? God! Paul is emphasizing the initiative of God in salvation.
The verb "began" (Greek enarchomai,) is interesting, it is a rare word only used two times in the New Testament. It's used here and Galatians 3:3. It literally means 'to inaugurate'. The tense 'to inaugurate', is employed as a decisive tense, as a deliberate act. In other words, because God at some time in your history has deliberately and completely saved you. God began a good work. And it was true. It is always true.
Salvation is God’s work. He is the initiator of it. This is something that Paul emphasizes over and over. Think of Ephesians 2:1, 5, “For you were dead in your trespasses and sins..But God made you alive in Jesus Christ.” Who took the initiative in that salvation? You? No! You were dead. Dead people are notoriously bad initiators! But God took the initiative and did what? Made you alive in Christ! Listen to John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God even to those who believe on His name...listen...who were born, born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God."
Salvation is God's work. He makes the first move, and if he didn’t make the first move, we would make no move at all. Perhaps you’ve heard of the country preacher who was being examined for ordination to the ministry. When asked how he had become a Christian, the preacher replied, "I did my part and God did his." That sounded questionable, so the learned brethren on the council asked the preacher to explain "his part in salvation." "My part was to run from God as fast as I could," the preacher answered. "God’s part was to run after me and catch me and bring me into his family." All of us were born running from God, and unless God took the initiative to find us, we would still be running away from him. He was the seeker. He was the mover. He was the initiator. Salvation is always of God. We love because He first loved us.
Paul also says that this good work was begun “in you”. God works for us, He works with us, He works through us, He works by us, but before He will or can work for us, with us, through us, and by us, He must work "in us." Becoming a Christian is the deepest and most wonderful change that a person can ever know. It is not a superficial and temporary change. It is a powerful work of God in the very center of our being. Henry Scougal called it, "the life of God in the soul of man." The Prophet Ezekiel describes it beautifully. Ezekiel 36:25-27: "I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws”. God performs a spiritual heart transplant. He removes our hard old heart and gives us a new heart -- a heart that loves Him and desires Him and wants to follow His ways and obey His commandments and is able to follow His ways and do His commandments. You can have joy and confidence because:
This salvation, this good work, is unfinished work here- He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” It’s vital for us to remember that. The Apostle Paul is telling us that the work of grace is but begun in this life, but it is never ever finished here. The Christian life is not one uninterrupted climb heavenward, nor is it some catapulting to perfection and then a continuous experience of perfection in this life. It is a life filled with peaks and valleys, and sometimes the valleys are so deep that we never ever think that we’re going to climb out of them. This word is one of the most encouraging words in all of Scripture. I remember hearing someone say, "Please be patient with me, God isn’t finished with me yet. We are all under construction! We all are a work in progress. I may not look like much—but God isn’t finished with me yet. And when you look in the mirror—and even deeper into your own soul, you may not like what you see, but no matter. God isn’t finished with you yet.
There is good news and bad news in this truth. The good news is that since God isn’t finished yet, we have great hope for the future. The bad news is that since God isn’t finished yet, he won’t let us stay as we are today. Romans 8:29 tells us, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” He’s going to keep chipping away at us until we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Most of us have a long way to go—and some of us have an enormous distance to travel. But it doesn’t matter. John Newton put it this way when he said: “I am not what I ought to be – ah, how imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be. I abhor the evil in me, and I would cleave to that which is good. I am not what I hope to be; soon, soon, I will put off with mortality both sin and imperfection; but though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan. And so, therefore, I can heartily join with the Apostle Paul and say, ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am.’”
That’s where Christians live, right there. And that’s what the Apostle Paul is saying. We read in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Our lives are being transformed, as the King James Version has it, from "glory to glory." Paul says in Philippians 2:13,“It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The Apostle Paul is emphasizing that God is at work in you now.
God always finishes what He starts- “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Yes, God began it, yes you are not perfect yet; but it is a certain work. It is absolutely certain that He will complete it. Because God finishes what He starts. He inaugurates it, He continues it, and what a blessing today for you child: the outcome is guaranteed - do you know why? Because God's working to a schedule. He is working to the day of Christ Jesus, a day on His calendar marked when He's going to make you perfect! He has begun in you. Everything and everyone will be ready in time for that day.
Paul, in Romans 8:29-30 tells us, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” The word “glorified” is in the aorist tense. Paul is not saying that one day we will be glorified but right now we are seen as glorified in the Father’s eyes. The reality is, that is how God sees you, the finished project, a finished work of art, a masterpiece of grace! That is how certain our glorification is, 100%! As one person put it, “The Lord always looks at His people as they will be when they are done.” We will be brought to safety, not by our own efforts or our own devices, but solely by the faithfulness of our heavenly Father. God's purpose in the salvation of his people is invincible—it cannot fail. I Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (Read 1 Cor.1:8; Jude 24, 25)
God is working and He will set us apart, completely, for His glory, He will finish the work! We can resist the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can reject what He is doing, but God will keep working because in the end, John tells us, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” ( I John 3:2-3). Someday you and I will stand before Jesus Christ as redeemed children of God—holy, blameless, and complete in every way. We’re a far sight from that today. But a better day is coming for the people of God. What is incomplete will be made complete. What is unfinished will be finished. What is lacking will be made full. What is partial will be made whole. What is less than enough will be far more than adequate. What is broken will be fixed. What is hurt will be healed. What is weak will be made strong. What is temporary will be made permanent. We are saved by grace; kept by grace and eternally secured by grace. God will preserve us and persevere with us so that we will stand at the end. That was the New Covenant promise of Jeremiah 32:40, “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
Once there was an artist who had conceived in his mind a great picture, which he meant to be the masterpiece of his life. He was working on a large canvas, putting in the drabs and grays that were to compose the background, when a friend entered, unnoticed. The artist worked on with enthusiasm not aware of the onlooker’s presence. But, finally happening to turn, he saw him, and exclaimed, “What do you think of this? I intend it to be the greatest work I have ever done.” His friend burst into a laugh, and exclaimed, “Why, to be frank, I don’t think much of it. It seems to me to be only a great daub.” “Ah,” replied the artist, at once sensing the situation, “you cannot see what is going to be there. I can.” And so it is with God our Father. He sees in every believer the finished product of His masterpiece of the work of grace that He began in each of His children and, and He is working on right now toward that end.
Oh the assurance of God’s sovereign grace over our shaky, fickle,and frail lives! The grace of God triumphs over the flaws of men. Remember that “God’s grace was, is, and shall always be sufficient for you” (2 Cor.12:9). Let your assurance rest firmly on the faithfulness of God and His word over your own weakness and proneness to wander. Arm yourself with the truths of God’s word such as John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39; and 2 Timothy 4:16-17. You will not fall away because He will keep you. If you ask me how I will know tomorrow that I will still believe in Christ, my answer is not that I am a disciplined, strong, man of faith, or that I finish what I start, or that my will is reliable, or that the benefits far out way the costs. My answer is God’s sovereign grace over my fickle will is my only hope to persevering till the end. I pray like Paul that you will gain confidence in it; that you will understand it and believe it; that you will be amazed and exult in it; and that you will revel in the security and joy of it. What can be sweeter than to be “Kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5)? John Newton wrote: “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures”.
Joyful in full assurance,
Pastor Bill
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
On Being Thin-skinned and Vulnerable
I read something by John Piper that stirred my soul. I think it really speaks to the fragile, weak, overly sensitive, and PC times that we live in.
"But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:9-12
I have been keenly aware recently that we live in a day when people's feelings are the chief measure of how to love. If feelings are vulnerable and might be hurt by a certain action, then we say, "This is probably not the loving thing to do." Which means that we can easily be held hostage by people's sensitivities. Good and loving acts will be rejected because the bottom line of love is not truth or principle or even what's best for the person, but how they will feel. So if they can communicate that they will feel really bad, they can protect themselves from many good things.
What makes me think of this is the word "beloved" in verse 9. It means simply "loved ones"—"you whom I love." It's the only place in the whole book of Hebrews where the writer says it this way—where he calls them "loved ones." The reason this stands out is that he has just said some of the hardest words in the book.
He has said that they are dull of hearing even though by this time they ought to be teachers (5:11-12). He says that they are like babes stuck on milk (5:13-14). And he holds out the possibility that some of them have had great blessings and high religious experiences but are not saved, and are like a field that drinks rain for months and never brings forth fruit (6:4-8).
And then he says, "I do love you." Now I point this out because we need to let the Bible shape our worldview. We are a nation of victims and whiners and pouters to a large degree. That is, if someone says something negative about us—no matter how constructive they may try to be—we either slump into a fit of self-justifying woundedness, or we file a harassment suit. We are a very thin-skinned people in America these days. Easily offended and easily provoked.
This is not good. And followers of Jesus Christ should be different. We don't need to be thin-skinned and vulnerable. We are chosen by God, loved by God, forgiven by God, accepted by God, indwelt by God, guided by God, protected by God, strengthened by God—and God is more important than anyone else in the universe. We do not have to feel vulnerable or insecure. We do not have to be self-justifying or self-defensive or self-pitying. We can be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, as James says (James 1:19). We can be like Paul who said, "When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate" (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).
And if we can relate to our enemies that way, how much more can we handle the tough love of those who come to us with hard words for our good. The writer to the Hebrews says, "beloved"—"loved ones"—I have spoken to you this way because I love you.
A few times over the last five years or so I have taken loved ones out to lunch with the express purpose of asking some hard questions about their spiritual lives. This is very risky and very hard to do. You know that your actions could so easily be misinterpreted. They could accuse you of nosiness, butting in where you don't belong. They could accuse you of judgmentalism, pointing a finger toward the imperfections in your own life. They could accuse you of distrust, assuming the worst instead of hoping for the best. And so on. The possibilities of misunderstanding and false accusation are many.
And because of this, we do not do this as often as we should. The writer to the Hebrews is calling us by his example to grow up and to take the risks of love. He is also calling us to be less easily offended. And less easily hurt.
We have a massive foundation for our salvation in the death of the Son of God and we have an advocate in heaven more powerful and more compelling than any accuser on earth. We should be the freest of all people to listen to criticism and take it into account and not be wounded or self-pitying or resentful.
So let us learn how to love and be loved when heaven and hell are at stake and hard questions are in order.
"But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:9-12
I have been keenly aware recently that we live in a day when people's feelings are the chief measure of how to love. If feelings are vulnerable and might be hurt by a certain action, then we say, "This is probably not the loving thing to do." Which means that we can easily be held hostage by people's sensitivities. Good and loving acts will be rejected because the bottom line of love is not truth or principle or even what's best for the person, but how they will feel. So if they can communicate that they will feel really bad, they can protect themselves from many good things.
What makes me think of this is the word "beloved" in verse 9. It means simply "loved ones"—"you whom I love." It's the only place in the whole book of Hebrews where the writer says it this way—where he calls them "loved ones." The reason this stands out is that he has just said some of the hardest words in the book.
He has said that they are dull of hearing even though by this time they ought to be teachers (5:11-12). He says that they are like babes stuck on milk (5:13-14). And he holds out the possibility that some of them have had great blessings and high religious experiences but are not saved, and are like a field that drinks rain for months and never brings forth fruit (6:4-8).
And then he says, "I do love you." Now I point this out because we need to let the Bible shape our worldview. We are a nation of victims and whiners and pouters to a large degree. That is, if someone says something negative about us—no matter how constructive they may try to be—we either slump into a fit of self-justifying woundedness, or we file a harassment suit. We are a very thin-skinned people in America these days. Easily offended and easily provoked.
This is not good. And followers of Jesus Christ should be different. We don't need to be thin-skinned and vulnerable. We are chosen by God, loved by God, forgiven by God, accepted by God, indwelt by God, guided by God, protected by God, strengthened by God—and God is more important than anyone else in the universe. We do not have to feel vulnerable or insecure. We do not have to be self-justifying or self-defensive or self-pitying. We can be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, as James says (James 1:19). We can be like Paul who said, "When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate" (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).
And if we can relate to our enemies that way, how much more can we handle the tough love of those who come to us with hard words for our good. The writer to the Hebrews says, "beloved"—"loved ones"—I have spoken to you this way because I love you.
A few times over the last five years or so I have taken loved ones out to lunch with the express purpose of asking some hard questions about their spiritual lives. This is very risky and very hard to do. You know that your actions could so easily be misinterpreted. They could accuse you of nosiness, butting in where you don't belong. They could accuse you of judgmentalism, pointing a finger toward the imperfections in your own life. They could accuse you of distrust, assuming the worst instead of hoping for the best. And so on. The possibilities of misunderstanding and false accusation are many.
And because of this, we do not do this as often as we should. The writer to the Hebrews is calling us by his example to grow up and to take the risks of love. He is also calling us to be less easily offended. And less easily hurt.
We have a massive foundation for our salvation in the death of the Son of God and we have an advocate in heaven more powerful and more compelling than any accuser on earth. We should be the freest of all people to listen to criticism and take it into account and not be wounded or self-pitying or resentful.
So let us learn how to love and be loved when heaven and hell are at stake and hard questions are in order.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
GRACE TO YOU AND WITH YOU
“Grace to you…from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. (Philippians 1:2 ESV)
When we look at Paul’s greetings at the beginning of his epistles, we are tempted to read right past it and miss the significance of what he is saying. One of the reasons we ignore certain statements in Scripture is our misguided belief that they simply don't apply to us. But what he says here is significant. If you examine this opening phrases you will find that it is not a meaningless pleasantries. Instead, even here Paul is teaching the one’s he is writing to.
Someone has said, rightly so, that whatever Paul touches it turns into the Gospel. Paul profoundly touches this normal greeting of the day and it turns into the Gospel. He can't help it, because the Gospel is just welling up in his heart.
In ancient Greek letters the writer would first identify himself and the recipients of the letter, then he would say Chairein, which means "rejoice," but in a letter “Greetings!” Paul altered chairein to read charis or "grace!" This slight change of letters denotes a significant shift because Paul isn’t just offering cheery pleasantries; he is imparting grace to his hearers.
There is great and glorious encouragement in the fact that Paul begins his letters by blessing his readers with the grace of God. It is as if before Paul can say anything else, he desires God to impart grace to them. It is a sincere prayer for the release of divine favor and power into the lives of those to whom he writes.
Paul wrote 13 letters in our New Testament. He begins and ends each of them with a blessing of grace upon the Christian readers. Nothing else in Paul’s letters comes close to this kind of unbroken focus on grace at the beginning and ending of each letter. I think the Lord has some important things he wants to say to us through this blessing of grace. As Paul blesses his readers he blesses us as well!
This blessing focus’s upon who God is speaking to: You and I, and an appeal to God to do something: Give grace. At the beginning of Paul's letters he says, -Grace [be] to you," while the blessings at the end say, "Grace [be] with you.” Why? Because at the beginning of his letters Paul has in mind that the letter itself is a channel of God's grace to the readers. Grace is about to flow "from God" through Paul's writing to the Christians. So he says, "Grace to you." That is, grace is now active and is about to flow from God through my inspired writing to you as you read—"grace [be] to you." But as the end of the letter approaches, Paul realizes that the reading is almost finished and the question rises, "What becomes of the grace that has been flowing to the readers through the reading of the inspired letter?" He answers with a blessing at the end of every letter: "Grace [be] with you" (Philippians 4:23). May grace be with you as you put the letter away and leave the church. With you as you go home, to work , and your daily life
Paul tells us the divine grace is ready to flow to us every time we take up the inspired Scriptures to read them. And we learn that grace will abide with us when we lay the Bible down and go about our daily living. This as a bracing trumpet call to the centrality of grace in Christianity. You could say the Christian life begins with grace, it is sustained by grace, and it will end with grace. Keep it central in your thinking about life and more specifically, your life.
Paul says that grace is something that comes from God. What makes grace, grace is that it starts "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. The single preposition “from” governs both names, and has the effect of hyphenating them together into one single source of blessing. All the divine greatness of our Lord, all the divine love and saving efficacy of the Father and the Son come together in divine union to pour out upon the sinful saints like you and me whatever grace we need in our life freely, without being merited or earned.
Saying that God is a God of grace is a way of saying that God is God -- that He is the infinite, all-sufficient, self-existent, complete, source and sustainer and owner of all being and all value and all worth in the universe. This grace, however, is not only the divine act by which God initiates our spiritual life, but also the very power by which we are sustained and nourished in, and proceed through, that life. The sanctifying, sin-killing, Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying presence of the Holy Spirit is given to us by grace of God via the instrumentality of Holy Scripture and its inspired truths.
There can be little if any expectation of triumphant Christian living apart from the grace that is mediated to us and diffused throughout our hearts and minds preeminently through the means of grace that God has given to us. Grace comes to us through means, primarily reading, preaching, teaching, and hearing of the Word of God. So Paul is saying : “May God do something gracious now. May God go on being gracious to you, starting now. May God give grace to you through the Word of God and may that grace be with you as you leave after receiving the grace from the Word: Saving grace, sanctifying grace, sustaining grace, serving grace, strengthening grace, enabling grace, empowering grace, healing grace, amazing grace!
Pastor Bill
When we look at Paul’s greetings at the beginning of his epistles, we are tempted to read right past it and miss the significance of what he is saying. One of the reasons we ignore certain statements in Scripture is our misguided belief that they simply don't apply to us. But what he says here is significant. If you examine this opening phrases you will find that it is not a meaningless pleasantries. Instead, even here Paul is teaching the one’s he is writing to.
Someone has said, rightly so, that whatever Paul touches it turns into the Gospel. Paul profoundly touches this normal greeting of the day and it turns into the Gospel. He can't help it, because the Gospel is just welling up in his heart.
In ancient Greek letters the writer would first identify himself and the recipients of the letter, then he would say Chairein, which means "rejoice," but in a letter “Greetings!” Paul altered chairein to read charis or "grace!" This slight change of letters denotes a significant shift because Paul isn’t just offering cheery pleasantries; he is imparting grace to his hearers.
There is great and glorious encouragement in the fact that Paul begins his letters by blessing his readers with the grace of God. It is as if before Paul can say anything else, he desires God to impart grace to them. It is a sincere prayer for the release of divine favor and power into the lives of those to whom he writes.
Paul wrote 13 letters in our New Testament. He begins and ends each of them with a blessing of grace upon the Christian readers. Nothing else in Paul’s letters comes close to this kind of unbroken focus on grace at the beginning and ending of each letter. I think the Lord has some important things he wants to say to us through this blessing of grace. As Paul blesses his readers he blesses us as well!
This blessing focus’s upon who God is speaking to: You and I, and an appeal to God to do something: Give grace. At the beginning of Paul's letters he says, -Grace [be] to you," while the blessings at the end say, "Grace [be] with you.” Why? Because at the beginning of his letters Paul has in mind that the letter itself is a channel of God's grace to the readers. Grace is about to flow "from God" through Paul's writing to the Christians. So he says, "Grace to you." That is, grace is now active and is about to flow from God through my inspired writing to you as you read—"grace [be] to you." But as the end of the letter approaches, Paul realizes that the reading is almost finished and the question rises, "What becomes of the grace that has been flowing to the readers through the reading of the inspired letter?" He answers with a blessing at the end of every letter: "Grace [be] with you" (Philippians 4:23). May grace be with you as you put the letter away and leave the church. With you as you go home, to work , and your daily life
Paul tells us the divine grace is ready to flow to us every time we take up the inspired Scriptures to read them. And we learn that grace will abide with us when we lay the Bible down and go about our daily living. This as a bracing trumpet call to the centrality of grace in Christianity. You could say the Christian life begins with grace, it is sustained by grace, and it will end with grace. Keep it central in your thinking about life and more specifically, your life.
Paul says that grace is something that comes from God. What makes grace, grace is that it starts "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. The single preposition “from” governs both names, and has the effect of hyphenating them together into one single source of blessing. All the divine greatness of our Lord, all the divine love and saving efficacy of the Father and the Son come together in divine union to pour out upon the sinful saints like you and me whatever grace we need in our life freely, without being merited or earned.
Saying that God is a God of grace is a way of saying that God is God -- that He is the infinite, all-sufficient, self-existent, complete, source and sustainer and owner of all being and all value and all worth in the universe. This grace, however, is not only the divine act by which God initiates our spiritual life, but also the very power by which we are sustained and nourished in, and proceed through, that life. The sanctifying, sin-killing, Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying presence of the Holy Spirit is given to us by grace of God via the instrumentality of Holy Scripture and its inspired truths.
There can be little if any expectation of triumphant Christian living apart from the grace that is mediated to us and diffused throughout our hearts and minds preeminently through the means of grace that God has given to us. Grace comes to us through means, primarily reading, preaching, teaching, and hearing of the Word of God. So Paul is saying : “May God do something gracious now. May God go on being gracious to you, starting now. May God give grace to you through the Word of God and may that grace be with you as you leave after receiving the grace from the Word: Saving grace, sanctifying grace, sustaining grace, serving grace, strengthening grace, enabling grace, empowering grace, healing grace, amazing grace!
Pastor Bill
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