It's Ok to not be Ok

(audio can be found here)

Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Preaching is often a balancing act and it can be easy for any preacher to "bury the lead" in a sermon. It's easy to dive into the text or present wonderful illustrations or share challenging applications but neglect to emphasize the main point of the passage. I don't want to do that today. I believe the message of this text and the implications that flow from it are too important. So, I want to sum up this text and its implications with one phrase that you will hear me say multiple times this morning and I've been praying that it's truth will resonate in our hearts long after we've left this building. The phrase is this: "It's Ok to not be Ok"

My goal this morning is two fold. The first thing I'm trusting God to do in our time together is to establish the truth of the reality that it's Ok to not be Ok. We will look closely at Jesus' words recorded in Mt 11 to determine that Jesus invites us in, even when (or maybe especially when) we are not ok. It's important to see this directly in God's word so that you know that I'm not making this up. My second goal is to consider at least some of the implications of this truth. How does owning it affect our view of God, of Jesus and of ourselves? How do we relate within the body of Christ? How do we pray? And more.

Since our text this morning stands in the flow of a discourse Jesus is having with the people who have been following him around the Galilean countryside, it is important for us to know what has gone before. The chapter starts with an exchange between Jesus and some followers of John the Baptist. Jesus basic response is "Look at the prophecies in the Old Testament and look at me. What else would you expect from the Son of Man?" Then he compares the crowds to fickle children who ask for one thing but are then unhappy when they receive that thing. In turn they ask for exactly the opposite. Following this exchange he rebukes the Jewish cities where he has done a majority of his preaching and miracles. They have been blessed with the Old Testament scriptures plus the preaching and the miracles of Jesus. And yet they don't believe. 

This is the very point our text takes an amazing turn. The progression so far has been downward: questioning, followed by fickleness, followed by out right rejection. Can there possibly be any hope for any one of us? The answer lays in Jesus' response to this impossible dilemma. He doesn't call down fire from heaven nor does he walk away wringing his hands. Instead, he prays. 

Jesus thanks his Father (our Father) that he has hidden the truth of the reality of the gospel from wise and learned people and he's given that insight to people who have the faith of little children. In Jesus' culture, as well as our own, this statement is upside down. Children, especially little children, don't have any authority. Doesn't might make right? Aren't the smartest people usually CEOs and presidents? Aren't the wisest ones those who shape culture and aspire to the Supreme Court? How then can Jesus say the Father has decided to reveal his truth, The Truth, to those with a child like faith? Interestingly, Jesus doesn't defend his statement. Instead, as he does so often in the book of Matthew, he simply appeals to the authority that God has given him.

In fact, Jesus' divinely given authority is the point in the first part of verse 27. This one idea should both fill us with awe and draw us in like a magnet. Jesus is not just an ordinary carpenter. He is not simply a good, moral teacher. He has been given all things by God our Father. Because of this Jesus is worthy of our worship. In addition, since he has been given all things, he is able to hear and respond to our deepest needs. We don't (we can't) bring him anything. We come empty. And that's ok. 

Jesus' other point in this verse is less about his authority and more about his people. We are part of the all things that have been given to Jesus. And he is the one whom reveals the Father to us.  Consider this: any wisdom you have, any insight you may possess, and faith you lean upon, it all is a gracious gift of Jesus. It has been said we tremendously underestimate what Jesus does for us on a daily basis and simultaneously overestimate what we bring to the table. 

This leads Jesus to offer his stunning invitation in v28. "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." In one sense, this is just a continuation of Jesus' flow of upside down thought. Not the wise, but the child like; not the self sufficient, but those dependent on Christ. And now it is not those who have it all together but those who are toiling, and struggling that Jesus invites to find rest in Him.

What's stunning, at least to me, is the imagery of exchange. We understand and accept the idea of exchange when it comes to our sins: Jesus bearing our sins on the cross while giving us his own rigtheousness in which we can stand before our Father. However, here we have that idea laid before us with our burdens and struggles.  Jesus is inviting each of us to exchange the things that grip us, that weigh us down and exchange them for rest and refreshment.

The two descriptive words here may help us get the idea Jesus is trying to communicate. The word "labor" conveys the intensity of fatigue, laboring to exhaustion. Picture a marathoner who has run in high humidity, against the wind and up hill. This is not "I carried a box of books up a flight of stairs and I'm winded." Rather, this is "I can barely stand, every muscle is screaming, my mind is in a blind whirl, my emotions are all over the map and I simply want to quit." The other word is "heavy laden" This carries with it the idea of improper over loading.  Imagine a large pack loaded on your back that is too heavy for you and it unevenly packed so that you are constantly leaning to one side or another. Together we have the perfect storm for despair and disillusionment. 

What's interesting, encouraging and freeing is that Jesus doesn't look at our weariness and say try harder or call us wimps for being fatigued. He is not like the coaches at the Olympics. They are very much into and concerned for their athlete's performance, yet powerless to affect the outcome of the event. Nor does he condem us when we find ourselves in this state of exhaustion. Instead, he opens the floodgates of his mercy and invites everyone to come to him for rest. And the rest he offers is a rest that conveys both a break in the action but also a recharging and refreshing for the journey ahead.

Notice the rest and refuge that Jesus offers to his disciples is not completely unconditional. He is asking something of us in return. Now, I realize most of us are used a quid pro quo in our own personal relationships. A favor granted in expectation of a favor returned. But that's not how Jesus operates. As usual, Jesus' condition is paradoxical. He seeks out the weary and the burdened and offers them rest and a load that is light, which also fresh and nimble. Instead of a task master, he offers to teach us as one who is both gentle and humble.

And, there is one other item to point out. What Jesus is inviting us into is not simply physical rest or relief from our emotional loads. I think these are a part of what he is getting at, but in verse 29 he makes it clear that the main emphasis is a rest for our souls. Along the same lines as Heb 4:9-10, Jesus is offering us rest from the exhausting work of trying to save our souls. And in this setting, the soul is the essence of who we are. Jesus is saying that we can have rest physically, emotionally and spiritually when we allow him to carry the load we could never carry. 

So, here's the question that has been rolling around in my mind and pressing on my heart for the past several weeks as I've thought about the realities of this passage: What difference does it make? Just because we know a few more facts about Jesus and what he taught doesn't automatically mean that it will impact our lives. These truths and their implications need to sink from our heads to hearts. We need to own them and they need to own us. 

Let's look at the vertical implications first. If it's ok to not be ok and if Jesus is inviting us to come to him for rest and if everything has been given to Jesus by the Father, then how should this impact our relationship with God. First of all, it should impact how we pray. It means we can be honest and candid with God. If we're hurting, we can tell Him. If we're angry, we can let Him know. If we have deep, faith-testing questions, we can ask Him. Maybe all we can do is groan because we are too tired or stressed or guilt ridden to say or think anything. Then just groan. Nothing in your heart or mind is a surpirse to Jesus. He knows the blackest, bleakest corner of our hearts. And know this: he loves us anyway! Dear brother and sister in Christ, Rom 5:8 is always and forever true. "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The next implication is that it should affect our worship. As the the song goes, oh the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free. Layered on top of saving us, layered on top of giving us his righteousness, layered on top of adopting us and bringing us back into the family of God, all of which are gracious gifts that defy our imaginations. Layered on top of all of that, these verses tell us that Jesus wants to give us even more. He wants to pile on and graciously give us the rest and relief we so desperately need. 

For a moment, for even a split second, have you considered what it cost Jesus to give us this rest? If we no longer need to bear the load, who's bearing it? If we no longer need to worry or fret, who's taking care of the issue? If we are allowed to sleep all night (either literally of figuratively), who is staying up all night? The answer to each of these questions is Jesus. What an additional cause for us to worhsip. To adore Christ our Savior and Lord, Redeemer and Friend. And to say thank you to our good, good Father who has given Jesus to us but has also given us to Jesus.

And, a third vertical implication is a deepening of our faith. Much, if not all, of Christian faith is paradoxical. For example: "the only way to save your life is to loose it". Or "what has happened to me (jail) has served to advance the gospel". Or "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Each one of the statements and the myriads of others throughout God's word require faith. And so it is with the rest that Jesus provides. Will we trust him for it? Do we really believe that Jesus loves us that much and that his authority is so extensive that he can actually do what he promised he would do. This passage is calling us to exercise our faith and take Jesus at his word.

Now, I want to move to a few of the horizontal implications of our text. How do these verses impact our relationships within the church and our own families? The first implication that jumped out at me is that if we are all weak and wounded, sick and sore, then we are all equal in our need for the rest and relief that only Jesus can bring. And since we are all needy in some way or burdened in some way or just exhausted in some way, there is no ground for boasting. Instead, we are invited to see our brothers and sisters, each one of us, as people who need to pointed (or maybe carried) to Jesus.

Another horizontal implication is one of freedom. If it's ok to be not ok, if Jesus is really inviting us to come with our weariness and struggles and guilt and shame and we are all in this together, then we no longer need to pretend that we've got it altogether. Since we have been freed up to be honest with God, we are now freed up to be honest with each other. If our prayer life has become anemic, it's ok to share that. If our marriage has hit a prolonged dry patch, it's ok to admit it. If we are stressed at work or our kids are off the rails, we can be honest with each other. If our aging body or atrophying minds are causing anxiety, if doubts about our salvation plauge us, if we are sitting here and want to raise our fist to God, we can be open to these struggles. We really are in this together. Together as a body and together with our Savior. 

I want to pause here for just a moment to be really candid with you. You are my friends. You are my family. I want so much for this sermon to not simply be a theoretical exercise. I've prayed and pleaded that this sermon would be real for each one of you. As a result, the strong conviction I have is that if this sermon is going to be real for you, it has to be real for me. In other words, I need to be ok with not being ok.

So, I could spend the precious time we have together and say things like, I struggle just like you (which I do) or that I need the rest and relief only Jesus can provide just like you (which I do). But I don't think that models these implications very well. Instead, because Jesus is beckoning all of us, including me, to come to him for rest and because that rest and relief gives me the freedom to be open with God and with all of you, I want to share with you just one way the Spirit has brought the reality of this text home to me.

As many of you know, I have the honor as serving you as the Chairman of the Elder Council. In that role, I've come to the point where I've realized I'm weary, fatigued to the point of exhaustion and heavy laden, carrying too big of a load and doing so improperly. My response to date has been: try harder, do it differently, bury my head or simply get frustrated. And then along comes Mt 11:28 and Jesus' sweet invitation to come to him for rest. So there I was, less than a week ago, well into crafting this sermon and not really owning it for myself. The invitation is sitting right in front of me and I hesitate to take it. You see, there is a very proud man standing up here this morning. And sometimes instead of having childlike faith, I have childish tantrums. Like the proverbial two year old, I basically tell God: I can do it myself. 

But, this reality in me, and I think in some form, in each of us leads me to my final implication and it really ties this all together. Since Jesus is calling us to rest in him, to trust in him and take up his yoke and since we are now free to be honest with him and honest with each other, we have both the privilege and responsibility to pray for one another. You see, I don't simply need your high level, generic prayers. I also need street level, tear stained prayers. 

As we make use of our freedom to express when we are not ok, we have this privilege of  carrying each other's burdens before the throne of God's grace. Its a privilege because God has designed so much of the spiritual reality to work by the means of prayer. But it's a responsibility because we are family, true family. I've got your back. And you've mine. And it's a responsibility because we are all in this together. Our struggles may be different. What drags us down and burdens us may be a unique as our fingerprints, but each one of us is still battling against sin, battling against self and battling against an enemy that seeks to devour us.

Here at LEFC, we are attempting to put tools in place for us to fulfill this responsibility and to engage in this privilege.  The first tool, which has been around for nearly a year is our post service prayer right up front each week. We are here to pray with you, not as people who have figured it out, but as people who are also weary and are seeking find our rest in Jesus.

The second tool we inaurated a few months ago is our faith family prayer time. As the name implies, this is for us as a family. Brothers and sisters who are in the fight together and are desirous to lift each other and the needs of this body before the Father. On the 2nd Sunday of each month, including today, we can gather and pray of our common needs, both physical and spiritual 

The third tool that we are developing and refining in this regard is our small group ministry. Ryan will have much more to say about small groups in September. But one of the key components of our small groups will be a venue where we can share with a closer group of folks the deep aches of our hearts. In a small group is probably the best place to begin realizing and practicing that it is ok to not be ok.

So, as we prepare to continue to worship via music, I want you to consider what load you might be under. What spiritual weight are you struggling to carry all by yourself? I would ask you to take seriously the invitation of Jesus: Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden. He will give you rest. I would encourage you to own the reality that the Father has given all things to Jesus and that includes each one of us. And I would invite you join us for prayer, whether at the end of service or at our faith family prayer time or in a small group. Worship. Trust. Pray. 

What Are You Waiting For?

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing (Ezra 1:1)

It struck me as I read Ezra 1 that the exiles had been waiting a long time for the declaration that had just been uttered by Cyrus. Jeremiah's prophecy was that the exile would last 70 years. 70 years? There is nothing that I have waited for that has been delayed for 70 years. What was their mindset? What was the state of their faith?

But the question that is pressing on my heart and mind today is this: "What am I waiting for?" So much of life, so much of Bible study, so much of prayer is focused on here and now things. My perspective is rarely, if ever, focused on long range, big picture things. Thus my longing and expectation for what God's going to do is often muted, limited and perhaps short sighted.

Thankfully, the testimony of the Bible continually lifts my gaze, my hopes and my prayers toward what God has promised to accomplish through the work of his Spirit. What better to have goal for the new year than to look forward to what God will bring about and lean into that hope through devoted prayer and earnest expectation.

Christmas Thoughts 2015

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). - Matthew 1:23

This passage, from one of the biblical accounts of Jesus birth, is fairly common and most of us have probably heard it or read it or sung it dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the years. In fact, one of the classic Christmas carols is "Come, O Come, Emmanuel". However, despite our familiarity with this statement of an angel to Jesus' step dad, if you're like me, you may have missed the stunning promise being made to all who would love and follow Jesus.

The promise spoken to Joseph, but in reality made to all who would align themselves with Jesus, is that through Jesus God would be with us. Now, most of us would acknowledge that if God is really God, he is everywhere all the time. That's simply part of being God. Since this is true, what's so special about Jesus coming to live among us so that God could be with us?  Here are just a couple of simple thoughts.

First the fact that God is everywhere doesn't guarantee his closeness or his favor. Have you ever been to a college or NFL football game? How about a concert or a Broadway show? How about shopping on Black Friday? In all of these situations you are physically close to a lot of people. But how many are you relationally close to? How many of the 70,000 people at the football game "have your back"? Very, very few, if any. But Immanuel means the God who is everywhere is now here for you. As we follow and trust in Jesus, he is on our side in ways we can't even imagine. And, looking forward to Good Friday, we can honestly say, Jesus has our back.

Second, there is an elephant in the room when it comes to our relationship with God. Most of us would rather not talk about it (thus the elephant in the room metaphor) but that doesn't change the reality. We would prefer to just wish it away or hope that somehow God might develop Alzheimer's. But ignoring or wishing away our problem with God doesn't remove it or resolve it. In fact it makes it worse. The problem is this: since the moment we were born, we have wanted to do things our way. We have offended, rejected, ridiculed and rebelled against God day after day for our entire lives. Even the "best" of us have done our good deeds in self directed ways, thus doubling down on the problem. 

Because of all of this, God really has no reason to come to be with us, much less to be on our side. And yet the promise is that he will. However, in order to do this, our problem must be resolved. We don't have the resources or the ability to fix the problem, but Jesus does.  So, implicit in the promise that Jesus will be God with us is an even deeper promise. Jesus will solve the problem that every man, woman and child on this planet has. We are sinners and rebels while God is holy and just. Jesus has come to take the just punishment owed to us so we can receive the gracious blessing of God being with us and for us.

And finally, while this may seem obvious, it is quite easily missed or minimized when we think about Jesus, especially at Christmas. If Jesus is to be Immanuel, which means God with us, he must be God. Why is this so important? Consider some of the additional promises made to those who trust in Jesus: We will one day be with him, Jesus is praying for us right now, We will have new bodies just like his, Nothing can take away God's love for us, and so many more. How can any of these promises be true, much less realized, if Jesus is not God?

So, as we celebrate and enjoy this great and glorious Christmas season, remember that Jesus is Immanuel for those who love him, follow him and trust him. May this Christmas be the one where we truly worship the savior king who is God with us. Immanuel.

An Ephesians 3 Prayer

May (youu) have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:18-19

Father, as I consider the multi-dimensional love of Christ, I would ask for your help to know and grasp just how big you are, how powerful you are, how holy you are, how majestic you are and how loving you are. The immesity of these qualities are really beyond my grasp and I need your Spirit to anchor them into my heart and soul.

On top of this, oh Lord allow the expanse of your sovereignty to soak into my bones. Grant me the privilege to really believe that you are able to do all things, that you are active everywhere accomplishing purposes that you have established since the foundation of time, and that you really truely know what you are doing. May this reality strengthen and establish my trust and faith in you.

In addition, dear Jesus, give me the eyes to see the depth to which I had fallen. I am not there anymore, which is a praise to your glorious grace, but I need to reminder that I am sustained solely and completely by your steadfast, faithful, ever-enduring love. Also, help me begin to begin to comprehend the depth to which you lowered yourself in order to redeem a people to  yourself. The creator steping into creation, the eternal one stepping into time, the sovereign one stepping into dependence and the holy, righteous one stepping into a broken, sinful. fallen world. All of this was not to rule or reign, but to suffer and to die. For me. Oh God when I consider this, I am undone.

And finally Father, graciously give me a glimpse of the breadth of what you are accomplishing by your Spirit. My vision is so small. My mind is so simple. My heart is so weak. My faith is so frail. But you are doing things in every home, in every community, in every nation around the world. You are calling people to faith in Christ even as I pray these words. You are pushing and proding people to serve you today in ways they may have never considered before. You are allowing people to suffer today for your glory and their ulitimate good. You truely are a good, good Father. Help me, help all your beloved children, to see this truth and transform us today even more into the image and likeness of your dear Son Jesus, in whose name I always and forver pray.

Amen.

Recommended Posts

You Are Meant To Move Mountains - Bloom - 11/12/2015

That Vital Moment In Every Preachers Week - Raymond - 11/8/2015

Intimate Theology - Chambers - 11/6/2015

Grace Driven Effort - Carson - 11/4/2015

Contemporary America And A Call To Prayer - Piper - added 11/3/2015

Give Me The Doubly Offensive Jesus Please - Wax - added 11/1/2015

Take Full Possession Of My Heart - J Wesley - added 11/1/2015

Has Authenticity Trumped Holiness? - McCracken - added 10/31/2015

5 Ways To Deepen Your Preaching - G Ortlund - added 10/30/2015

Justification By Faith - Chambers - added 10/28/2015

Prayer Teaches Us Our Unworthiness - Spurgeon - added 10/11/2015

Oh, to see Jesus!

I think we have the Christmas gift thing mixed up. Its not that I'm against giving (or receiving) gifts, but when we actually stop and ask, what is Christmas is all about, we seem to go in one of two directions.

First, we might ask "what could I give Jesus for Christmas?" Presumptuous, I know, but the heart is one of devotion, seeking to honor Christ with our lives, our gifts and our heart.

Or, we might ask "what would I receive from Jesus this Christmas?" Perhaps this just a more focused, seasonally heightened prayer request, but if its anything like mine, its focus, aim and goal usually falls way short.

Well, what if we crumpled all of the above like so much old Christmas wrapping paper? What if we found our guidance in the Holy Spirit and in the ebb and flow of God's Word?

For instance, consider Luke 18. While there is a lot in this chapter, I think Luke uses a great, subtle teaching technique by repeating overlapping truths in various parables and narrative accounts so that if one section doesn't hit us, the next one might. So, in one chapter we have God giving justice, a tax collector calling for mercy, the disciples learning that all things are possible with God, that Jesus journey to Jerusalem will result not in glorious, messianic victory, but painful, ignominious defeat, and that seeking the mercy of Jesus is worth more than any social custom or anyone's opinion of us.

Beyond this, Luke 18, like other sections of this book, is a study in contrasts. God vs the judge. Tax collector vs Pharisee.  Child-like faith vs "grown-up" faith. A love for Christ himself vs a love for all that Christ can (and does) give us. A vision to do God's will God's way vs a desire to do God's will my way. A willingness to defy all conventions to see (really see) Jesus vs obeying all conventions and missing (really missing) Jesus although he is right in front of us.

So, whether I zero in on the tax collector, who really grasped his position before God and his desperate need for God's mercy and grace or the blind man who defied all social and religious customs because he too desperately knew he was both helpless and hopeless without Jesus, my prayer and my plea this Christmas is that I want to see Jesus. This prayer is not just to see him in passages like Luke 18, but to see him as Paul says in Eph 1, with the eyes of my heart. To see him in his fullness, in his deity, in his humanity, as prophet, priest and king, as redeemer, as intercessor, as brother and as friend. Along with this, I need God's gracious reminder that on my own I am desperate, helpless and hopeless. The only reason to tenacious cling to Christ by faith is a firm knowledge that letting go results in ruin.

After nearly fifty years I think it is starting to sink in that while Christmas may be a great time to discipline our selfish hearts and actually be generous (not just pretend or talk about it), the reality is that we are never truly the giver. Christmas is about a gift given. A life lived. A death died. A price paid. A relationship restored. A victory won. 

May Jesus invade your Christmas this year in a great, glorious and perhaps unexpected way so that the focus is not so much on us but on Him. And not just Him in the manger, but on the cross and at the right hand of the Father and on the cusp of His return.

I pray that we each may take some time this year to consider not what we can give to Jesus, but what we so desperately need from Him and then have the humility and child-like faith to plead for it.

To God Alone be the Glory

Though He Slay Me

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake - Phil 1:29

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; - Job 13:15

I continue to be struck by the reality that suffering is not just allowed by God; it is often a gracious gift.

This reality is in stark contrast to every other message in the world around me. Success. Comfort. Retirement security. Health. Ease.

Are these things evil? No. In fact they can be gracious gifts from God as well. But consider the testimony of Scripture and of your own life. When does God speak most clearly? When do his children cry out most passionately? When are they most easily distracted and drawn into sin?

Consider the cross. On the surface there is no comfort, no success, no security, no health, no ease. Christ put all of that (and so much more) aside so that he could stand in our place. Ultimately, he purchased for us comfort, success, security, health and ease. But today we only have a taste of the glory that will be revealed. And, we still need pruning

So rejoice in God's blessings, but rejoice more as you suffer for the sake of Christ. Know that we are really simply unworthy servants, but we have been given worth in Christ and have been adopted into the family of God. And, rest in the reality that "this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison," (2Co 4:17)

It is a true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him," is heaven-born faith. - CH Spurgeon

To God Alone be the Glory

Our Inheritance in Christ

(Note: This is a summary of a sermon preached on July 15, 2012. Audio of this sermon can be found here A manuscript can be found here SDG)

As Peter begins his letter to minister to an increasing persecute and disheartened church, he focuses on four aspects of the great salvation we have in Christ.

1) Our salvation is based on and produces in us a living hope.

2) Our salvation is secured for us by God and He is keeping  it imperishable, undefiled and unfading for us.

3) Our salvation is based on a genuine, precious faith that is graciously tested by God

4) Our salvation is magnificent and yields in us inexpressible joy.

It is Peter's hope and mine as well that these realities will redirect the focus of our hearts and minds. Perhaps the struggles and the failures and the disappointments of life will become less traumatic as we see our lives through the lens of our salvation in Christ.

To God Alone be the Glory

Christ's death / Our assurance

(The following was excerpted from a sermon I preached on 2/12/2012. The full manuscript is here. The audio can be found here. SDG)

So, we have four reasons that Jesus chose to die.

1) Jesus died because we are his sheep. vv11-13
2) Jesus died because He knows us. vv14-16
3) Jesus died because the Father loves him v17
4) Jesus died because He has the authority to die (and to live again) v18

But what do we do with these truths? How can we take them with us into the rest of our lives? Here are just a few quick items that I pray the Spirit will press upon your hearts.

First, remember that Jesus was speaking both to build our confidence and to bolster our assurance. We must realize that whatever comes our way, He died for his own, for us who by grace have put our faith and trust in him. The hardships in your life are not a surprise to him. The temptations that seem to derail your walk with Christ are not insurmountable obstacles to him. Remember that he died to secure your eternal redemption.

Second, rest on the reality that Jesus’ death was intentional, purposeful and born out of love. We are too quick to view Jesus’ death as just a point in time event. While it was that, it was (and is) so much more. The Father, Son and Spirit planed your redemption before the world began. They have been acting throughout history to bring the cross and the Christ together. They have been working everyday of your life, first to bring you to faith, and second to build you up in Christlikeness. And they are laboring now toward the restoration of all things. As Paul asks in Romans, if God is doing all this, will He not, along with Christ graciously give us all things? On top of that, if Christ has done all of this, what in all of creation could possibly separate us from the love of God that is in Christ?

Third, we need to rely on the fact that all of this, our salvation, sanctification and glorification, the redemption of all things, the restoration recreation of the universe all hinges on the magnificent and incomprehensible love of God. Jesus’ love for the Father sends him to the Cross. The Father’s love of Christ accepts, approves and is filled out by Jesus loving submission. The love of the Shepherd for his sheep compels him to protect them and preserve them despite the cost to his very life.

Finally, we are both recipients and responders. The Bible is God’s story of creation, redemption and restoration. From Genesis to Revelation, we are simply recipients of God’s unmerited favor. Jesus did the heavy lifting. In reality, He did all the lifting. And yet, God expects a response to his grace. We need to receive it. We need to own it. We ought to revel in it. We ought to run with it. But whatever we do, we dare not reject it.

But I would remiss not to reiterate that the security of Jesus’ sacrificial death only applies to His sheep. If have not surrendered your life to Him, if have not accepted the free gift of his grace, neither I nor the Bible can offer you any assurance. Yet the Bible is clear: today is the day of salvation. If the Spirit is pressing on your heart, if the love of Christ has hemmed you in, if you are experiencing a gut wrenching hunger for this kind of assurance, let go of your tightfisted grip on a self-righteousness that can never save and reach out to embrace the magnificent gospel of grace and the Savior who chose to die so that you could live.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He has laid down his life for us. We are safe, we are secure. We are free to live and serve and die for the one to has our lives in the palm of his hand.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

To God Alone be the Glory

And again He taught them

And again, as was his custom, he taught them. (Mk 10:1)

It is interesting to me that in a "throw away" transitional sentence, Mark, by the inspiration of God, both communicates volumes about Jesus' earthly ministry and calls us to learn, really, deeply, repeatedly learn from Him as well. It brings to mind a statement I read just a few days ago. It is God's Word itself that teaches us. And, Mark 10 is an awesome resource for calling us to follow hard after Christ.

First, we are called to have deeply dependent faith. Men and women who follow Jesus are exhorted to have a faith as dependent as a child, How often do we look to God like that? Simply trusting that He is always on our side. Somehow knowing that everything will be o.k. Not worrying if we've outrun His love. Not concerned that we will wake up tomorrow and find that He is gone.

Next we are challenged to get our priorities straight. One can always meet an external code, especially one that is man-centered (or worse yet, man-made). But one can never meet the internal requirements of God. Please note that Jesus loved the young man (and us) enough to keep pressing the issue until his heart was revealed. He will do the same for us, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear and a child-like faith to trust that He can save us out of the mess we've created for ourselves.

Beyond this, Jesus underscores by lesson and by personal testimony, that true faith does not terminate on ourselves. The primary terminus is God, who deserves all praise, but out of the gratitude and worship that our salvation generates comes a service to others that is beyond comparison. Mark 10:45 is the epitome of this truth. But we must not leave it simply in Christ's repertoire. He has called us to imitate Him in this.

The chapter is closed out by an example of the child like faith described at the beginning. The blind beggar will not be kept from Jesus and simply asks for what he needs most: his sight. Oh, if we could drop our pretense before God and "barge into His presence" and ask for the deepest aches and needs of our hearts.


I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Religious knowledge or faith?

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Mt 7:13-14)

A week or so ago I had a blog post about the faith of the wisemen (read here) Today I read a blog post by David Mathis at Desiring God which highlights the lack of faith of the religious leaders. And, as a good teacher should, Mathis brings his point to us.

Is the warning here not obvious for those of us who have taken class after class and read Christian book after Christian book? Many of us are all too familiar with the church jargon. We can say all the right things to appear pious. We’ve memorized Scripture. We know how to sound very churchy in our repeated use of precious theological terms and concepts. But biblical training does not guarantee that our hearts are inclined toward worshiping the true king. Religious language and learning can cloak the kingdom of self.

Note the contrast between the pagan astrologers and the religious establishment. The magi don’t know much, but they rejoice exceedingly with great joy (verse 10) at the true revelation from God they have received, while the religious leaders with all the answers and books about books about books are disturbed along with Herod and refuse to bow the knee in their hearts.

Later on in the blog, he wraps it up like this:

A word to the modern-day chief priests and scribes, the religious establishment, the well churched: Bible knowledge from all the classes and all the books can be precious fuel for worshiping the true Jesus or a scary excuse for keeping Jesus at arm’s length. Increased knowledge doesn’t necessarily translate into increased worship.

And for those more like the magi, the non-churched “pagan” and de-churched disenfranchised: You may not have any Christian background (or you did and rejected it, maybe because of the religious). You may not know the Christian jargon. You don’t fit nicely into the church-goer box, and yet you’re being drawn to Jesus. And this whole church scene may feel really foreign, but we want you with us. We want the magi. Please don’t let imperfect Christians scare you away from the perfect Christ. Let the astrologers come to Jesus, and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven.

What can I add, except to say Amen! (Read the whole post  here)

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

The Faith of the Wisemen

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn 20:29)

I recently read a blog post (read it here) that challenged by thinking about the wisemen, the magi from the east. Before a few days ago, I hadn't really considered their role in Matthew's gospel. Sure, they were a key part of the Christmas story. Sure they were integral to Matthew's overarching message to proclaim Jesus as King. But what about the wisemen themselves? Isn't there anything we can learn from them and how they approached the King of kings?

Enter J.C. Ryle. When I read some of his thoughts about the wisemen from his commentary on Matthew, I was stunned. Why hadn't I seen this before? Here's an excerpt:

The conduct of the wise men is a striking example of faith. They believed in Christ when they had never seen Him – but that was not all. They believed in Him when the Scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving – but that again was not all. They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knee, and worshiped Him as a king. This was the crowning point of their faith. They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They saw no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them. They saw nothing but a new-born infant, helpless and weak, and needing a mother’s care like any one of ourselves. And yet when they saw that infant, they believed that they saw the divine Savior of the world. ‘They fell down and worshiped Him.’

Faith without evidence? Believing in one you've never seen? As Ryle says, this is an incredible display of faith. Yet, as I reflected on this a little, what struck me is not so much their example of faith, as great as it is, but rather the object of their faith. How great is the King, if he is worshiped while he is still an infant? How great is the One who has all authority who is submitted to before he exercises any of it? How great is the Savior who is trusted before he has shed one drop of blood?

So, the question before us today is this: What is your estimation of Jesus? Is your vision limited to what you can see? If so, you may be stuck with a baby in a manger or teacher who needs to convince you of the truth or a savior who must demonstrate his authority and ability to save. Yet, if our vision can go beyond what's in front of us we will see that the baby is the king, and the truth and the one with all authority and the one who has saved all who will believe in Him.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Grace driven effort

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13)

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Heb 2:1)

It is fairly clear in Scripture that there are two concepts that run from beginning to end and would, at least at the surface, appear to contradict each other. The two concepts are grace and effort. Now, it almost goes without saying that grace is what underpins the whole biblical storyline. From the creation account, through the flood, the selection of Abraham and his line, the deliverance of Moses and the people, the provision of the land, the provision of a king, the faithful discipline of the exile and the gracious restoration to the land. Of course then there's Jesus, his incarnation beginning with conception, followed by birth, childhood, youth and finally adulthood, his preaching and teaching and miracles and simple relationship building, This is followed by his betrayal, his torture, his mocking rejection, his physical death and his spiritual sin bearing, his resurrection and his ascension. Then there is the giving of the Spirit and the birth of the Church. The message of grace proclaimed faithfully for thousands of years continues to redeem, continues to save, continues to bring glory to God.

But weaved within this theme of grace, is the thread of effort. How are we saved? By grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. How are we perfected? By that same grace utilizing that same faith in the same Christ, but we must step into that grace, we must lean on that faith, we must pursue that Christ. If it were not so, too much of the Bible would be nonsense "Rend your hearts, not your garments", "I strain toward what is ahead", "Seek first His kingdom" "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands" This concept of pressing into Christ, of leaning into faith, of stepping into grace has been described by DA Carson as "grace driven effort" (See For the Love of God vol 2, Jan 23)

"ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING EVIDENCES of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform. In the grace of God, sometimes human beings display such virtues. But where such virtues are absent, the drift is invariably toward compromise, comfort, indiscipline, sliding disobedience, and decay that advances, sometimes at a crawl and sometimes at a gallop, across generations.

People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

My prayer for myself, and any who may read this post is that God will give us the strength to make the effort. I know that in me I do not have the strength or the determination to carry out what God expects of me. This reminds me of a prayer from Augustine: "God, command what you will. but grant what you command" May that be our prayer and our hope as well.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

What are these for so many?

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (Jn 6:9)

Have you ever been captivated by a single verse? Admittedly, there are verses that seem worthy of captivating us. Verses like Rom 6:23 or Rom 8:1 or Phil 1:21 or Mk 10:45 or Jn 6:35 and several others. But what about the thousands of other verses that play important, but supportive roles to these "keynote" verses? Have you ever been captivated by a verse that would never make it on a coffee cup or as the caption on a Thomas Kinkade calendar?

The other day as I was reading Jn 6, the disciple Andrew's question in verse 9 shot like an arrow into my stomach. It was not so much his concern about the feeding of the 5,000 or his lack of perception of the problem in front of him that grabbed me. Instead it was the very sinking realization that his short-sighted assessment of his situation is often my short-sighted assessment of my own situation. How often do I ask, in my own words and in my own way. "What are these for so many?"

Clearly my gifts and abilities are limited. Clearly my circle of influence is small. Clearly my shortcomings and blind spots provide excellent opportunities for the enemy. Clearly the needs of Christ's kingdom are as great as ever. Clearly the gospel is still desperately needed both here and around the world. Clearly Satan, while ultimately defeated, still prowls around like an angry lion. So, how can I not ask "What are these for so many?"

Can I pause here and say that today is one of those days when I am so grateful that God has given us the entire Bible and not just a book on systematic theology or an instruction manual on how to live a good Christian life. We have all of that and so much more. And all of it is integrated, empowered and exposed by the Holy Spirit. As a case in point you can have someone read Jn 6 one day and be provoked by the question in verse 9. He sees Jesus' then and there answer the question by providing both the physical but also the spiritual solutions to the dilemma, yet not having that truth sink in. Then, on the following day while reading in 2 Chr 20 about Jehoshaphat's approach to the invading hoard of Moabites by praying "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." God responds by saying "the battle is not yours but God's." and providing the deliverance. All of this while using a Bible reading plan established over 200 years ago.

My point in all of this is to say I can easily adopt the attitude of the disciple Andrew and become fixed either on the smallness and limitations that I see in myself and the situation in which I find myself or in the bigness of the task in front of me (or both!) Instead, the call of the gospel is to adopt the faith of Jehoshaphat and say "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." And isn't that really the point of Jn 6. When we need something physically, we look everywhere but to the only one who can provide it. And, when He does provide it, we fixate on the provision and seek more of it rather than seeking the One who can give us what we really need: eternal life.

Father forgive me. Help me to remain dependent on and committed to your Son, the One who is the Bread of Life.

To God Alone be the Glory

Our faith needs the right Object

I've wrestled to articulate what Oswald Chambers says quite succinctly, yet quite eloquently regrading our faith. He captures at least two strong threads about faith that are continually weaving through my mind. The first is that our faith must terminate on Jesus, not on facts about Him or things that get us to Him or even on our faith in Him. The second is that because our faith is so often in these secondary things, we lose the the majesty and the power of what our faith should really produce. Feel free to read the whole devotional at Faith or Experience. I have provided some lengthy excerpts below.

Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit. Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!

We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.

To God Alone be the Glory

Second hand faith?

I am still processing a blog post I read yesterday by Jonathan Parnell at Desiring God. His post was titled We Don't Want to Live at Second Hand. The main idea that Parnell shares is that it is very easy for us to ascribe to the concepts of faith and grace that we read about, but it is an entirely different thing to actually own them. Thus, we in essence are relying on second hand faith.

"The mind moves a little faster than the heart. It's easier for us to intellectually apprehend truth than it is for us to actually embrace it. This creates what Thielicke calls the hiatus between the arena of spiritual growth and what we already know intellectually about this arena (11). In other words, many of us could talk the day lights out of justification, getting the concepts down and the order right, but never really living in the fullness of what it means to be justified."

The sad reality for me is that this is often true. So much I read, so much I hear simply flows through the sieve of my mind and never gets anchored down. Parnell has two good recommendations:

1) Pray - It is God who will empower us to embrace what we read and hear

2) Apply - As Parnell states, "We want to be able to take what we've consumed and reproduce it through our faith in action.  Nothing is happenstance. God, in his sovereign grace, has made it so that you read and watch and hear all that you ever read and watch and hear."

To God Alone be the Glory

The Mighty Privileges of Faith

It is by faith, simple faith in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, that people’s souls are made free. It is by receiving Christ, trusting Christ, committing ourselves to Christ, placing our whole weight on Christ–it is by this, and by no other plan, that spiritual liberty is made our own. Mighty as the privileges are which those who are free in Christ possess, they all become a person’s property on the day that they first believe. They may not yet know their full value, but they are all their own. They that believe in Christ are not condemned, rather they are justified, are born again, are an heir of God, and have everlasting life.

~ J.C. Ryle

It is interesting to look at the nature of our salvation and see our total dependence on Christ, our total need for grace and the total requirement of faith. Salvation, top to bottom, is designed to take us out of the equation "so that no man should boast". Yes we need to exercise our faith. Yes we need to respond to God's prompting and pleading. But all of that, I dare say, is secondary to Jesus' primary work on our behalf.

I'm beginning to realize that we really don't know how bad and pervasive sin is. We don't know how much we really don't want God to tell us what to do. He has protected us so much, he has graced us so profoundly that we think that there is something intrinsic in us that is seeking after Him. If there is one ounce of desire for God in your heart and mind, that thought, that impulse came from God.

Thankfully, God is continuing to call people to Himself.  As this day dawns, it is another day God has made available for us to respond in the faith that He graciously provides. So whether today is the day we put our trust in Christ for the first time, for the first time realizing that everything depends on Him or today is another day we wake up and praise, thank and worship God for all that He has given us in Christ, let us each rejoice!

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

Happy Anniversary - belated, of course

I noticed over the weekend that this blog has survived its first year. This is only by the shear grace of God, since the general tendency of my life is to start strong but fade as things become routine and other, newer things come into play. For nostalgia's sake, I re-read my first post and found it as powerful as when I wrote it. Clearly God's Word doesn't ebb or fade.

Coincidently, I also participated in a Bible study that worked through Heb 10. Since the overall title of this blog is "Drawing Near", I took a moment to reflect on the connections between that verse (Heb 10:22) and the goals and objectives I have for this blog.

Two things immediately stand out to me.  First is that drawing near to God is a privilege that Jesus has purchased for us at the cost of his life through his High Priestly role. Yet, this is an action verb, not a passive one, so in some sense, we must participate in drawing near to God who has drawn near to us through the life, death and resurrection of his Son. Second, our drawing near is done in full assurance of faith. I submit this represents both the means and also the measure of our drawing near.  We can only draw near to God through faith and while that faith doesn't have to be the rock-solid, never-doubting, world-conquering, Jim Elliot kind of faith it does need to have the full assurance that Jesus is who He says He is and He accomplished what He needed to accomplish and that God is satisfied in Him.

Strange is it that where misery was concentrated mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax weary souls find rest. The Saviour bruised is the healing of bruised hearts. See how the lowliest penitence gives place to assured confidence through simply gazing at Christ on the cross! - C.H. Spurgeon

To God Alone be the Glory

The John 8 Conundrum

In John 8:31, Jesus addresses those who have believed in Him. By the end of the chapter, these same folks are ready to kill Him. What happened between verse 31 and verse 59? More to the point, how can someone who believes in Christ want to kill Him?. It seems totally irrational.

Maybe part of the problem is in the wide, expansive use of the word "believe". In Greek, as well as in English, the phrase can range from the merely factual (I believe the sky is blue) to the philosophical (I believe time heals all wounds) to the theological (I believe that Jesus died for my sins to placate a holy, righteously-wrathful God and present me as a faultless, adopted son). 

Since the term "believe" runs the gamut, perhaps John's goal was not to confound us with a belief to heresy free-fall.  Perhaps instead he was revealing to us at least one variety of inauthentic faith. The followers in v31 claimed faith. Yet as Jesus presses on their religious system(s), what emerges? The system(s) are more important and are to be defended more passionately than Jesus is. And, as with all idolatry, in the end only one can win. In John 8 the Jews' dependence on their Abrahamic heritage as their means of salvation wins over their belief in Christ.

So the question for us is this: What kind of belief in Jesus do we have? If none, then the place to start is with your standing before God. How can you face a perfectly holy and righteous and just God who can't even look on sin? How can you possibly make yourself right with God when every act, even the good ones, just dig yourself deeper in the hole? Read the book of John. Read the book of Ephesians. And as the Holy Spirit presses on you with all the weight and guilt and shame, take all of that and lay it on Jesus and trust, really trust, life dependingly trust that Jesus died so that you could live.

But, what if your belief is more like what is found in John 8 (or John 6, or the book of Galatians)? In one sense, the answer is the same. You need to see first how bad your offense before God really is. He is not just a grandpa who's upset because you forgot to mow his lawn. The depth of our treason and rebellion and humiliation is beyond what we could conceive. And simply acknowledging a few Biblical truths will not appease Him. Only a complete payment for the crimes you have committed will satisfy Him. An earthly judge cannot wink at a crime and be viewed as a good and fair judge. How much more a perfect, heavenly judge? So, if your faith is simply in a person named Jesus who lets you do whatever you want and in the end is bound to forgive you because you "believe", plead for mercy and trust, really trust, life dependingly trust that His death will cover your sins and that His life will become yours. Ask God to send His Spirit so that you may know who Jesus really is (read Hebrews) and how to grow to be more like Him.

And, if your faith encompasses all of these things? Praise God! He has given you a very precious gift! Do not take it for granted and do not assume that everyone who says they believe has a deep and abiding faith. Rest fully and completely in the promises of Romans 8 and ask God, seriously ask God, how He wants to you to spend the new life that He has given you for the glory and exaltation of His Son.

To God Alone be the Glory!