Just Keep Pedaling

Last week I read a post with this same title by Chris Castaldo. Read his full post here. In the middle, he shared comments from an old missionary from Africa that struck me as wonderfully descriptive of the Christian life.

To understand the Christian life, imagine riding a bicycle in the middle of a two-way street heading up a steep hill. Your job is to keep the bicycle wheels on the yellow line and keep pedaling. If you veer to the left or to the right, with cars zipping past you on both sides, you're road kill. And as you get further up the hill, the forces of gravity and fatigue make pedaling more difficult (so get it out of your head that elderly people go on spiritual cruise control). The challenge continues until the end, and there is no reprieve until we finally arrive home. 

Of course, we do veer off the yellow line. Every single day. And when we do, Jesus' victory---the cross, resurrection and pouring out of the Spirit---provides forgiveness and healing. But we are nevertheless called to pedal. When our legs feel shot and we're unable to proceed, we pray for divine strength, and somehow it comes. This is God's promise: "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

When I read this I think of Heb 2:1 (pay attention, don't drift) and Phil 3:12-14 (forget what is behind (our righteous stuff) and press on toward what is ahead (Jesus)). This a day by day (maybe an hour by hour) task. But praise God, the Holy Spirit walks with us, to allow us to keep pedalling.

To God Alone be the Glory

Living and Dying for Christ

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. - Phil 1:18b-21

Note: I drafted the first part of this blog post last Tuesday, but was unable to finish due to time constraints. By the time I was able to return to it on Wednesday evening, a co-worker of mine had died. So, on Wednesday I was unable to find the right words or balance to finish this blog.  But perhaps today, by God's grace I can do so.  SDG.

Sometimes there is a danger of speaking of more than we know. I have a sense that I am on the verge of that now. Sure most could probably talk about living for Christ although most would use examples of others who would portray these truths better than we do. But dying for Christ; that's a different story. I would dare say most us, while on the slow march toward the grave, are not dying in the immediate sense of the word. So, I will proceed Biblically, but with the acknowledgement that my reach may exceed my grasp.

I think at the outset it would be important to note that at one level Paul did not see any distinction between living and dying in Christ. His prayer was the Christ would be honored, whether by life or by death. Next week, Lord willing, we can see the tremendous differences and blessings of dying in Christ. It should also be noted that Paul is receptive to either course of events. Life or death didn't appear to matter to him. He seemed content in whatever God granted to him.

One question that is raised in my heart and in my mind as I read this passage is: How is Christ honored in my life? Paul could certainly be our example. He was sold out, dependent on the Spirit, willing to speak the truth in love, committed to the spread of the gospel, insisting (at least in Corinth) that he speak of nothing expect Christ and Him crucified, and the list goes on. The problem with Paul (or any Bible character) is that we tend to super-spiritualize them. we think things like: he had a direct line to Jesus, she was able to pray 23 hours a day, etc.The reality is that the folks in the Bible were ordinary people with an extra ordinary God. And their commitment to live for Christ and that Christ would be honored in their lives did not come from themselves. Rather it was (and is) a gift from God via the Holy Spirit. But, this tendancy to place the men and women of the Bible on a pedestal is why I try to follow Piper's admonition to read Christian biographies. To see "real" men and women how they struggled in the faith and yet kept going is a refreshment and an encouragement to my soul.  In one sense, at least for me, it is an extend edition of Heb 11.

Here, of course, is the tricky part, the risky part. We can all offer an opinion about what it means to have Christ honored in our bodies through our lives. Not too many of us are qualified to pontificate on what it means to have Christ honored in our bodies through our death. With that being said however, I think we can make some safe, albeit challenging observations from Scripture.

The first observation is that this life is not ultimate; eternity with Christ is ultimate. To have Christ honored through our death must involve this reality. It is so easy to get caught up in the "here-and-now-ness" of this life and we forget that not only is this life a mist, it is also a shadow. We must remember and be reminders of the shortness of our lives and the incompleteness of our lives. If we are not yearning for something more, how will Christ be honored in our death?

Another observation is that everything in this life should lead to, point to and drive us to the next. The author of Hebrews states we do not have a city here, but we seek the city that is to come. Seeking, pursuing, actively going after what is eternal, all of this demonstrates that this life leads us to eternity with Christ. Our deaths then will honor Christ as a culmination of a life spent on a journey toward the Celestial City.

My one final observation of the many that could listed is this: death is not an end nor is it a tragedy for those who are in Christ. This is often a hard truth, especially for those who have lost a loved one and  for those who are faced with death. In all honesty, I think it connects with our poor memories regarding the temporariness and incompleteness of this life. But Christ will be most honored in our deaths when we can proclaim we are eager to die because only through death (or Christ's return) can we actually receive the prize we've been longing for.

If our heart's desire is to honor Christ whether we live or die, the Spirit needs to continually reform our hearts. By God's grace our lives will become more and more a picture of Christ's love and our deaths will not be a tragic event to be avoided at all costs, but rather a long awaited reunion with the One who created us, redeemed us and loves us with a love that exceeds knowledge.

To God Alone be the Glory

Preaching Christ, even with false motives, is better than not preaching at all

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 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 - Phil 1:15-18

I was (and still I am) unsure of the title. I thought maybe "Preach Christ!", but that's not full point. Then I thought "Preach Christ, no matter what your motive", but that's not quite all that's here either. In the end, at least as I write these words, I went with what I wrote several week's ago in my Phil 1 summary post. Why all the hassle? First, because I firmly believe that good, effective titles draw people in and set the stage for what is said. Second, because my personal effort to pick a title is also my personal effort to encapsulate what I want to say.

I think part of the struggle with "sound biting" these 4 verses is that there is more than one layer to think about and to be affected by.  There is the preaching Christ whatever the motivation layer. There is the rejoicing that Christ is being preached as opposed to not being preached layer. There is the Christ is being preached to afflict Paul in prison layer. And there is the Paul rejoicing even though he is in jail layer. And, there may more.

With all those layers, where do we start. Maybe the simplest way is to look at the most transparent layer first. Paul is rejoicing over the fact that Christ is being preached no matter what the motive. There were good preachers preaching good sermons with Christ as their focus and Paul was rejoicing. And there were other preachers with insincere motives preaching Christ (or at least about Him) in an effort to get Paul in more trouble. It is difficult to imagine what such a sermon might look like, but perhaps it contained phrases like: "what those Christians believe" or "their savior is Jesus, who claimed to forgive sins" Doctrine was taught by way of negation.

Paul is clearly excited about this and I think we should be too. Not every one is going to preach Christ in a God-honoring, Christ-exalting, gospel-centered way. But even if they preach these realities by way of negation or in opposition, Paul rejoices and we should too.

However, not every sermon preaches Christ. Paul's sentiments in verse 18 are clear "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice." Paul rejoices when Christ is preached. So that should be our goal and our standard and our Spirit-driven expectation. Too many sermons in too many churches for too many years have preached something other than Christ. Yes, Jesus' name may be stated. Jesus may even be quoted, but that is not preaching Christ. Preaching Christ is exposing our helpless, hopeless, rebellious hearts for what they are. Preaching Christ is proclaiming the boundless, matchless, sacrificial love that Jesus had for his Father and for his sheep. Preaching Christ is declaring that the Father, Son and Spirit planed from all eternity to execute a rescue mission to save God's people from themselves and from the power of sin and death and Satan. Preaching Christ is stating emphatically that Jesus died to absorb the just wrath of God for those who believe and the in dying, Jesus' righteous was give to those same believers. Preaching Christ is wholeheartedly affirming that we are caught up in this love and grace by the sovereign, omnipotent, gracious loving will of God. Preaching Christ is announcing with every fiber of our being that if Jesus has done all of this, He will complete His work and deliver us to the end of the race, whole and pure and ready to meet our God. Preaching Christ is saying unequivocally that we must work out this salvation with fear and trembling because it is God, through his Spirit who works in us to will and to work according to his good purposes.

Added to all of this, what do we do with the fact that Paul saw some people as preaching Christ with the specific intention of afflicting him? Would we respond with his same attitude of joy? Would we acknowledge that there may be a higher gospel value than our comfort and ease? Would we gladly accept, not just prison, but abuse while in prison, so that the gospel could go forth much more effectively?

Maybe, in the end, it all comes back to the source of our joy. If our joy is in our happiness, none of this will make any sense. If our joy is in our success, we will struggle with being put on the sidelines. If our joy is in our doctrinal precision, we will  bristle when average and even poor theological preaching and ministries succeed. But, if our joy is in Christ, if our joy is seeing Him preached, no matter the motive, if our joy is in the spread of the gospel whether we're directly involved or not, then we will truly rejoice as God does his work in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

To God Alone be the Glory

Update: Piper's comments on this passage.

Tuesdays from Phil 1 - God Uses Means (even Satan) to Accomplish His Purposes

"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 the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." Phil 1:12-14

These verses from Philippians 1 are the stunning flip-side to Rom 8:28. Or maybe, just maybe, they are an expansion of Paul's thoughts from Romans. Ask yourself, if God really does use "all things" to accomplish good for those who love Him, isn't possible, maybe even probable that some of the "all things" God uses are not good in and of themselves? And, even if Satan is the author, doesn't it stand to reason that not only is it possible for God to use these things for His purposes, but that He will use these things for His purposes.

I would like to take a moment and consider a couple of other implications from these verses (and by extension, Rom 8:28 as well). My two thoughts are interrelated, but I'd like to hit them one at a time. The first thought is this, "What is the good that God is working out for those who love Him?" I can't see it being health or wealth. not based on the lives of the first Christians or the large majority of 21st century Christians around the word. I don't see it being Paul-like or Peter-like, apostle-like lives lived on the front lines of the Spiritual battlefield.  It may be that for some, but I'm convinced that's not the norm.

So, what is the good that all things are working toward? Here are a few considerations to ponder.

• God will never leave us where we are at spiritually. (Eph 4, Phil 2, Heb 2) Our spiritual lives are journeys and He expects to be growing and maturing. He will work all things (even Satan-wrought things) together so that we may grow and mature in Christ. See Job 1-2, Heb 12
• Christ is building his Church. Part of building that Church is making her pure and holy (Eph 5) If we are loved by Christ, He will work all things (even evil, painful things) together for the purifying, sanctifiying good of those whom he loves and wishes to present holy and blameless before his Father's throne.
• Christianity and the Church are an ecosystem (kudos to Tim Keller for this great imagery). 2 Cor 1 may be the single best glimpse of this idea, but in reality its everywhere. The simple idea is that Christianity is not just me and Jesus plus you and Jesus plus the other guy and Jesus plus so and so and Jesus. It is not a collection of individual posts in the ground, each pointing to God, but with no connection to each other. Instead, it is like a jungle (or forest, or ocean) where each member of the system is dependent on the other. Get one part of the system out balance and the whole system suffers. Prune or trim part of the system and the whole system benefits.

That third observation brings me to my second thought. Since Christianity and the Church really is an interconnected ecosystem, could it be that God will bring things into my life that are really designed for the benefit of others? Track Paul's thinking in the verses from Philippians 1. Paul is in prison, not sure of his earthly fate, yet he views his situation as something that has served to advance the gospel. How can this be good?  Look at Christ in Gethsemane. Aching at the prospect of bearing the sins of the world and having to absorb the wrath of His holy Father. How can this be good? Yet, in this ecosystem called Christianity, every system, every element has a role and a purpose. Everything works together for good.

So, all things working together for good may include evil, Satan-wrought things for the over arching plan and glory of Christ. We may actual receive what appears to be the short end of stick if God determines that it will result in what is best for the kingdom of His Son. Oh, to be used like Paul, for the very great purpose of advancing the gospel.

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesdays from Phil 1 - Our prayers for others

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. - Phil 1:9-11

Starting each blog post can sometimes be a challenge, not due to a lack of something to say, but due to way too many disparate thoughts that my mind often struggles to coherently pull together. And prayer is probably the best (or should I say worst) example of this. As my close friends can attest, I have wrestled with whole notion of prayer: what it is, what it should be, how God sees it and what its become in the broader evangelical community. So, with all that baggage, I want to reflect on a very simple, yet profound set of verses where Paul portrays both the heart and the goal of prayer.

Let me assure you, I've asked God to restrict the flow of my thoughts regarding prayer.  My Spirit driven focus today will be simply to highlight a few things and then call us into this marvelous, gracious gift called prayer. In the end my prayer is Paul's prayer, that we all may grow in wisdom and discernment so that we may know and embrace what is excellent and that through God's mercy and grace we may be filled with the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, to the glory of God.

Observation 1:  Notice Paul's focus. He is not focused on stuff. Is praying for stuff wrong? Not necessarily, but if you read Ecclesiastes and see the vanity of it all or read Mt 6 and see that God knows what we need, then perhaps the better focus of our minds and hearts is on God's kingdom and His righteousness. (Mt 6:33)  Paul really has one request, but with a few anticipated, Spirit-wrought affects. Paul asks that the Philippian's love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment. How important is it that the love Christ puts into us not only stays alive, but stays true and grows deeper? My friends we must each be growing more in love with Christ and the people he has redeemed. Yet only God can give us this growing, abounding love. Shall we ask for it? Shall we seek it? Will we request it for our families, our pastors, the others in our church who we don't really know?

Observation 2: Paul expects results from his prayers. I want to say this very carefully, because I am certain I will be misunderstood. It is very easy for us (or at least for me) to wish for answers from our prayers rather than expect them. My sense and my observation is that we trust God to do the right thing, we want to inform Him of our perspective on the deal (in case He's unsure) and then kind of step back and let God do His thing. Paul's attitude is different than that. Paul (and other Biblical pray-ers) see prayer as more cooperative. God actually responds to our prayers (No ask -- no answer) So, as Paul begins a letter about growing more in love with Jesus so that we may be filled with the fruit of righteousness, he simply, expectantly, confidently asks God for it. And, as he says in Eph 1, we have access, through prayer, to the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

The call: It is as simple and as difficult as this. We must pray. Not lip service prayers. Not help me find a good parking place prayers. Rather, by God's mercy, we must pray Christ-centered, God-exalting, believer-strengthening, unbeliever-saving, Spirit-driven prayers. By the way, I am NOT there by any stretch of anyone's imagination. I can clearly see the shallowness of my own prayers in contrast to the powerful ones laid out in Scripture.

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesdays from Phil 1 - God Finishes What He Starts

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. Phil 1:6

To be honest, I find the familiar passages more difficult to comment on than the more obscure ones. The less reflected upon a verse or passage is, the comfortable I find myself. Maybe that's due to a lesser chance of critique when few are unfamiliar with a text. Or, maybe its due to a fear that I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said, said more accurately and more eloquently. But, both the fear of critique and the fear of irrelevance have their roots in pride. So, I trust that God will use a time like this to both bless His people but also root out the sometimes pervasive pride in my life.

I share this in part to be transparent with those who read this blog, but also as a way to testify that God is at work even now bringing to completion the work He began in us. I know we need to be careful and to understand the Paul is ultimately looking at the full completion Christ will accomplish on our behalf on the day of His return. Yet isn't all of our journey, including our death, part of the process of being completed? Yes there will be a glorious day when the perishable puts on the imperishable, but aren't there hundreds and thousands of days where we become a little more Christ-like in this life?

I think this verse has two time horizons. The first is the end state, the 1 Cor 15, resurrected body, walking on streets of gold, fully complete, gloried person. And, we should praise God that we can be sure that He will do and accomplish this. If He can't, or won't or is given to changing His mind, our faith is useless. But I would also submit there is a second time horizon. Or maybe a better comparison is traveling from New York to LA. You can take a 747, get on and go. Once you are on the plane, if you trust the pilot and equipment and the security folks, you are on your way. Or you can drive in your family vehicle, stopping in Philly and Pittsburg, maybe Chicago or St Louis, Denver or Salt Lake anyone? How about stopping at Gettysburg or Cedar Point or the Arch. What about skiing or picnicking or a hundred other activities along the way. Eventually, however, if you trust your driver and your mechanic and your GPS, you will also arrive in LA.

Our lives are on the secure-in-Christ, fast track to glory. God said it. I believe it. That settles it.  But our lives are also on the cross country journey to glory. There are detours. There are diversions. There may be car trouble. Paul's point here is not to belabor the what or where or the why, but to get our focus back on the Who. God started our journey and He wlll make sure we finish it. Why? Because He's God.

So whether you need to be gently (or abruptly) reminded that God will absolutely, positively get us where we are going or you need to know that the Spirit travels with us on the day to day journey of life and He will ultimately get us where we need to go, this verse (and this Book) is for you.

One final note. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that all of Paul's (and my) confidence is pointed to those who are on the journey. If God has begun the work in you, He will complete it. No doubt. But if He has not yet begun the work, that is where you must start. Look to Christ, even just ahead in Philippians 2 or in John or the other gospels. See what He has to say and the faith He asks from us, but also graciously provides to us (Eph 2:4-10). Trust me, this is one journey you don't want to miss!

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesdays from Phil 1 - Partnership in the Gospel

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Phil 1:3-5

Do we really see the gospel as a partnership? Sure, we "partner" with folks all the time: "You bring the veggies, I'll bring the dessert" "You sing and I'll preach" "You work with the youth and I'll serve in the nursery" There is no denying that these are all partnerships of some sort and when they are offered in humble service to Christ, they are partnerships in the gospel. But, I can't escape the thought that Paul was commending the Philippians for something beyond an entry level, basic body-life sort of partnership.

Think for a moment about what Paul says in 2 Cor 8:

"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." 2 Cor 8:1-5

 They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. They gave out of their abundant joy and extreme poverty. They begged earnestly to take part in the relief of the saints. That's a picture of partnership!

I also like to think of partnership in business terms. As I work for my employer, I want the company to succeed and keep me employed. Yet I'm free to go and they are free (hopefully not too free) to let me go. In a partnership, you are "all in". If the business succeeds, you succeed. If the business fails...

So are we "all in" with the gospel? I know the gospel and God's Word cannot fail, but yet God is calling us to put our ministries and perhaps even our lives (whether physically or just reputationally) on the line. And, if we casually re-read Philippians not for the doctrinal truth, but just for the tone of Paul's message, we see that he really did view them as partners in the gospel.

Maybe the prayer and the point is not so much to see the partnership that Paul had with the Philippians, as important as it is to see that (Phil 3:17), but rather to move toward this attitude in our lives and ministries. What would change if  you viewed your church (or where ever you serve) not as the "Jesus Corporation", but as the "Jesus and you partnership". To borrow from a different context, we are no longer slaves (employees) but sons and if sons then heirs (partners).

Be "all in" for the glory of Christ!

To Live is Christ

Philippians is another treasure trove of gospel truth. In reading through chapter 1, I tripped over several gems laying right there for our blessing.

• Gospel ministry is a partnership
• God completes what He starts
• There is a deep and abiding affection within the body of Christ
• Our prayers ultimately need to be for others to know Christ more in order to love Christ more in order to grow more in righteousness and faith
• God can use anything in our lives, even bad, Satan-wrought things, to further the gospel
• Preaching truth, even with false motives, is better than not preaching at all (Note: this is different than not preaching truth, even with true motives, see Galatians)
• Our lives can glorify God both in our living and in our dying, if both are done in Christ.
• Being with Christ is better by far!
• Remaining here is for furthering the gospel.
• We must be striving to live in a manner worthy of the gospel
• Gospel-centered unity is a witness and indictment to the world
• God grants salvation
• God grants suffering

As I said with Acts 20, but never followed up on (yet), I will say here: Each of these items deserve a sermon (or at least a blog post).  By God's grace and some Holy Spirit driven organization, I may follow through on these themes on Tuesdays this spring.  Please pray with me in this regard.

To God Alone be the Glory