An Arranged Marriage

This is a very short thought and quickly thrown together, but I wanted to post it while it was fresh in my mind and before I had time to elaborate and draw out of it every little detail. I think the thoughts are all biblical and I considered putting a verse with each thought but if you know the Word I think the verses alluded to will make themselves present within your mind. Happy reading!

Understanding election: an arranged marriage

I have come to think of election in the terms of an arranged marriage. Now depending upon how you feel about arranged marriages will largely influence you when you hear election put in those terms. For some, the thought of arranged marriages is wrong and evil and should never be practiced. For others, myself included, we have heard about the joy and love that has come from such relationships (though I am not advocating for them). One particular story has always stayed with me over the years, though the details elude me, but the gist of the story is this (and it is true to my knowledge): a women is betrothed to a man. She has no desire for this man, perhaps even she has feelings for another man, but either way, she has no say in the matter. She marries the man that she does not love. But the man loves her. She resists her husband in every way, basically making his life as miserable as possible. He continues to love her, patiently, kindly and forgivingly. After many years of this something begins to change in the women. The man’s love begins to soften her heart. She sees the sacrifice and determination of the man to love her. She sees the patience and kindness of this man that could have been done with her. She begins to see beyond what she thought she wanted to what she actually has. His love wins her. Her animosity is turned to gratitude. Her bitterness is turned to joy. Her sadness is replaced with companionship. Her loneliness is replaced with hope. She considers: if he has loved her so well in her enmity, how much more in her surrender. She now loves him not out of duty or prior arrangement, but out of an overflow of his love for her. Rather than marrying the man she thought she loved, she loves the man that loved her.

I see so many parallels in this story to the gospel: are we not the wayward women, betrothed to one man while pursuing another? Are we chosen for Christ though we have no desire for Him? Do we not resist Him at every turn? Do we not fight against Him and reject His love? Does not His love win us over? Do we not find ourselves in love with the One that loved us so well? Do we not serve out of gratitude, joy and hope? Do we not see that the one we thought we loved cannot compare to the One that loves us so well?

And yet, it is grounded in election. We were chosen, even against our wills. We were loved, when we hated. We were accepted when we rejected. We were all given to the world and wanted nothing but the world but we were chosen for Another. And even in our marriage to Christ, how often we look back over our shoulders at the one we left and wonder what could have been, or perhaps we have even been unfaithful within our marriage and gone back to the world, yet even so, our Husband remains faithful and true. He loved us before we were His, how much more now that we are. And even as the husband in the story patiently loved his wife, how much more has Christ loved His bride by laying down His very life for her, even when she was opposed to Him.

Are we not Gomer and Hosea? Are we not Israel and Egypt? Are we not Lot’s wife? Are we not Ezekiel 16? Certainly we are, and the only answer, the only cause for hope we have, is in Christ’s electing, marriage-arranging, love.

The Tornado and the Gospel

I have spent some time thinking about the gospel (the good news) in the light of the tornado in Joplin. These are just some preliminary thoughts that certainly need to be expounded but for now it is a starting point. The questions that drove my thinking were: what is my response? What is the gospel? What does scripture say? Lastly, this is not a theodicy (an attempt to justify God) for if God's actions were wrong there would be no justification and if His actions are right then they need no justification. And so I begin...

First, what is the Church? What sets the Church apart from every other social club, neighborhood association, theological school, humanitarian agency or political action committee is the Word of God (the gospel, for the whole word of God is only rightly known and understood when understood in the light of the gospel (Matt 5:17-20)). For the church to be the church, the word of the gospel must be central in every thing. We need to consider this, for regardless of everything else a church may be (social, theological, humanitarian) it ceases being the church when the gospel is not present. The Gospel makes the Church. So whatever else I may do in seeking to help these people, the gospel must be central.

secondly, what the gospel says to this situation directly (and this is something we must wrestle with to believe) is that man’ s greatest need is never temporal. There is a great temptation in the face of natural disaster, like in Joplin, to think that what these people need most is food, clothing, shelter, etc; and I am not denying that that is a great need (one we should seek to meet), but it is not the greatest. We must wrestle with this. It is hard in our flesh to not see the needs of the flesh as most important but the cross demonstrates God’s greatest love towards men, not in relieving every temporal need but in meeting the eternal need. To use an old proverb, “give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life” but the problem is that in both cases the man dies and goes to hell without Jesus. Again, what sets the mission of God apart is not the acts of service (as important as they may be) but the gospel. Christians are not distinguished from non-Christians by their kindness and love (though both should be recognized in every believer) for the world posseses these too. Often the charge is that the world possesses these in greater abundance then the church and avoids the hypocrisy of the church. No, rather what distinguishes the Christian from the non-Christian is the gospel. To base the identity of the church in works (even love and kindness) is to replace the gospel with law. If it is not the gospel that distinguishes than it is morality. If what men need most is temporal, then the church is just not needed and Jesus got the mission wrong. This is clearly seen when Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic before he heals him physically, the physical healing was only to demonstrate that Jesus had the authority to do the greater healing, forgiving sins and reconciling to God (Matt 9:1-7). This is not to downplay the need to meet physical need, but to meet physical need as a path to meeting the spiritual need. I think John 6 demonstrates the dangers of meeting physical needs apart from the gospel.

lastly, the gospel says, to these people displaced by this tornado, that God is near despite all contrary appearances. The cross remains unshaken by the winds as a testament forever to the love, sovereignty and grace of God. We can look at the cross, even in the midst of sheer terror, pain, loss and confusion and see the objective truth to all of our subjective experiences. The cross is the fullest exposition of God, the deepest revelation of God and the surest sign that we can hope against all hope in God. The world will ask, “where was God?” And we must answer, “God was lovingly, graciously, mercifully, righteously, justly governing those winds.” And when the world says, “how do I trust a God like that?” we must respond with the testimony of the cross. “We can trust a God like ‘that’ because we have a God that did that --> t.” (Those are my graphics, it’s pointing to a cross).

I have spent some time considering John 11, its wonderful because Jesus knows Lazarus is ill and will die and then waits two more days to go (11:6). Jesus is even glad he is dead (11:14). When Jesus arrives, Lazarus is dead, as was the plan. Jesus weeps (11:35). I have little doubt that Jesus wept Sunday night for Joplin. What we don’t see is that Jesus could have saved Lazarus from death and he could have saved Joplin from destruction. He could have healed him with a word or calmed the storm. But He didn’t. His plan is for His glory (11:40). Jesus calls Lazarus from the grave, from death, from decay and decomposition (11:39). Our prayer for Joplin must be that God would once again glorify His name by bringing life from death, not so much but not excluding, physical death, but more, spiritual death. God’s plan for Lazarus was death before life. May it be so even now in Joplin.

Story

Let me preface this post by saying that I spoke at NCA's chapel service today, I had 20 minutes to share the gospel with pre-K - 4th graders. NCA is a christian school and with that in mind was confident that the children would know the gospel, therefore I thought that I needed to do something less familiar. I thought retelling the gospel story in a new light might impact them more then just hearing the gospel reiterated. I had an introduction that I made up on the spot and at the end I had some application and exhortation. But the main body of what I had to say is the story that follows. I hope you enjoy and as you read, read it as though you were reading it to children (otherwise the repetition will drive you crazy, just ask my wife.) Happy reading and enjoy.


Once upon a time, because that is how all good stories begin, there was a great King. This King was a good King, a kind King, and a loving and generous King. This King loved to give. He had a glorious kingdom full of servants that loved Him, for He was a very, very lovable King. Everything that this King did was right, He never made mistakes. And this King had a Son, an only Son, Whom He loved very, very much.

Now, though this King was a kind and a good and a loving King, He had a servant that was jealous of the King. This servant wasn't thankful for all that the King had given him, for how the good King had always been good to him. This servant was ungrateful and turned against the King. This wicked servant began to fight against the King. The wicked servant wanted to be the king.

This wicked servant began calling himself king. He even made a kingdom for himself. But where was he going to get servants to fill his kingdom? For you cannot have a kingdom without servants. So this wicked servant, who called himself king, decided to take the good King's servants. This wicked servant began kidnapping the good King's servants, he would promise good things to them, tricking them and then making them his servants. He was a very wicked servant indeed.

The good King's people began following the wicked king. The good King's people left the good King. This was not good. This was very, very bad. The people of the good King made themselves servants of the wicked king. Now the King's people were His enemies. The good King's people were now the people of the wicked king.

Now, the good King still loved His people, after all they were His people, and he desired for them once more to serve Him in love. He desired for them to know Him as King. But His people had done something very bad. Very, very bad. They were now very far away from the good King. Very, very far. So far away that it seemed that there was no way to get back. What were the people of the good King to do? The people had left their King, they had committed treason. Do you know what treason is? Treason is when you turn against those that are for you. The people had turned against their King.

The good King, because He is good, chose to rescue His people. He would rescue them, not only from the wicked servant (who thought he was a king) but even from their own mistake in leaving their true King. He not only would deliver them from the evil servant but also return them to His Kingdom. The King loved His people, for He was a loving King, and He chose to rescue His people. But how? Who would go to the evil servant's kingdom and defeat the evil servant and who would pay the penalty for what the people had done in turning from their King? Who would go? Who should go?

The King knew who would go. The King knew who had to go. The King knew that only someone as good, and as kind, and as generous, and as powerful and as loving as Himself could go and defeat a wicked enemy and pay the fine that the people owed for treason. For the people, though loved by the King, were also in trouble with their King for they had turned against Him. The King knew only His Son could accomplish this mission. The King had a Son, an Only Son, Whom the King loved very much. And in His love He sent His only Son to rescue those that had turned against Him. He would send His Son to take the place of His servants. His Son would live for them and even die in their place.

The Son left His Father's Kingdom and entered into the kingdom of the wicked servant. The Son of the good King would pay for the freedom of the good King's people, he would pay with His life. When the good King's Son entered the kingdom of the wicked servant, the wicked servant fought against Him. The wicked servant knew the Son had been sent by the good King. The wicked servant fought against the good King's Son. He fought and fought. He fought until he had killed the good King's Son, His only Son.

But the story isn't over. The wicked servant didn't know the good King's plan. He didn't know that the Son of the good King had been sent to die for the King's people. The good King had sent His only Son to take the place of His people, to die in their place, to pay for their turning against Him. The Son died as part of the good King's plan, for the good King had an even better plan. The good King would raise His Son from death. And when the Son rose from the grave He defeated the wicked servant.

The good King's Son rescued all the good King's people and brought them back to His Kingdom. The people rejoiced in their good King and in His love for them and in the love of His Son.

The Son of the good King had rescued them from the evil servant and had forgiven them for turning away from their good King. The good King's people were once again happy to be servants of their King. The End.

Man up

“Man up!”
This is intended to be a short post with not a lot of intensity but more just a personal reflection on a phrase that is tossed around a lot today in Christian circles.

“Grow a pair! Man up!” These phrases I think have been brought into otherwise gospel centered conversations not to detract from the gospel but to, I think, encourage in the gospel. However, the message contained in those words seem not only false, but anti-gospel. I don’t judge the user of those words, for I am sure that more often than not the intention is a gospel centered desire but, like many of our ideas, fall short of the glory of the gospel.

So what do those words mean? Not literally, nobody means them literally, as if the man you are speaking to is void of a “pair” and somehow needs to muster up the biological capacity to start growing a “pair.” What is conveyed in those words is the thought that we need to muster up something in ourselves, a strength, an attitude, an energy, and then get on with what needs to be done. It is similar to “pull yourself up by the bootstraps,” or as somebody said recently, it is the little engine that could theology.

No doubt, men need to be men. There is no denying that. Our culture is failing miserably in this arena of life. Boys stay boys forever, dependent upon mom and dad, cowardly, afraid and completely void of any real masculinity. However, this is not the only area in life where men are failing. We were created to be many things, one of which is men, but also to be images of God, worshippers of God. We fail here to. Its called sin. But nobody’s answer to the sin of failing to be God’s image bearer is to try harder. And the answer to being a man is not to try harder either.

It would be great if we had the strength to overcome our sin and weakness and fears and to perfectly fulfill all our God given roles, but we can’t. Sin dominates us in every area of our life and in ourselves we do not have the ability to correct or stay sin. Sin is our master, we are not sin’s master.

The problem is this: in telling men to be men we are telling them to do the impossible. The very first thing Adam did after he sinned that very first sin was to forgo his manhood. He cast off his role and placed the weight of responsibility on his wife. The answer for Adam was not grow “a pair.” The answer was repent.

If you want to crush men striving in and for the gospel, tell them to “man up.” Tell them that they are failing and that the problem is there lack of manhood. Tell them that if they were men they would fight better and harder and longer, that their “pair” is to little and that is why they struggle.

I have never been told to “man up” by another man. I cannot imagine what that would feel like. I know that my response would be to try a whole lot harder. To really reach down into the depths of me and try. But how void of the gospel is this.

The gospel message tells me that I have failed in and of myself in ever area of my life. But instead of calling me to “man up” it calls me to lay it all down. It calls me not to look at anything I have or can do or have done but to look at the Man. It calls me to cast all my hope for life in Christ in repentance and faith. The gospel says to me, in every failing and sin, you are accepted on behalf of Christ, not your “pair.”

The gospel calls me to repentance in all of my life and then to faith in all of life. It calls me to death of self. The gospel tells me all power rests in God and that no matter how big or small my “pair” may be the growth is up to God. In Jesus no labor is in vain. In abiding in Christ I will bear much fruit.

So, I don’t say any of this as a strong rebuke to those that so love the expression, “man up,” but I do say be careful. The theology you may be instilling in people through trite and cliché expressions may drive them from the gospel, not to the gospel.

Remember, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation in all its parts: election, calling, sanctification, glorification, etc is the work of God, start to finish. Man up, grow a pair, try harder, work longer, do more, etc, fail the gospel because they look to man and self. The gospel always directs our eyes away from self, (not only our pride but also our humiliation,) and to Jesus.

God's Will: Gospel Worldview

God’s Will: Gospel Worldview

Let me say something about worldviews in general so that we are working with a similar definition. By worldview I mean the way that we interpret and understand and perceive the world around us. We all have a worldview, for we all perceive and interpret and understand in some particular way what is taking place around us in our own little worlds and in the whole world.

A gospel worldview is different then any other world- view. There is the gospel worldview and then there are all other worldviews. I have heard someone say that we shouldn’t speak of worldviews because it is secular in origin but I disagree. Worldview is simply what I defined it as, our view of the world. This is not secular or sacred, it just is. We all perceive what is taking place around us in some particular manner. What sets the gospel worldview apart (GW from here on), is that it is the only true and accurate view and therefore the best and right worldview. When we perceive the world around us as the gospel tells us that it is we are perceiving the world correctly. Essentially what has happened is that we have taken off the glasses of sin and put on the glasses of Jesus. Or more scripturally, we have gone from blindness to sight. We have not only begun to see things clearer but we are now seeing them for the first time as they really are when we see them in the gospel.

Our worldview is first changed in salvation. If I can use my self for an example. At salvation I went from anti-theism/atheism to theism. I went from a world of pointlessness and vanity to a world of purpose and meaning. Paul went from a world of human righteousness to a world of human depravity. What happened was not a change in thinking. Don’t try to convince your mind of what you do not believe. We cannot believe what we do not believe no matter how hard we try. If you believe the sky is blue no amount of arguing will convince you it is Pepto-Bismol pink. Our world view is changed not by changing our own minds, like in all the other worldviews. Our mind is changed by the Spirit of God in the effectual application of the word of God. We can really want to believe something, (like change our worldview), but if we don’t believe something then we don’t believe it. The religions of the world are all worldviews and they can be chosen and mixed as liked. They are in our power to believe and adopt. But the GW is not in our power to adopt.

Why is it that we can adopt false worldviews at leisure but cannot accept the GW except by God? As said above, we are blind to truth. We, by nature worship and serve the creation, that includes the creation of false religions. Idolatry is ingrained in us from conception. We are born with a nature that includes the ability to believe lies above the truth. It is as Pilate said, “What is truth? (Jn 18:38)”

Jesus, in a dispute with the Pharisees about His true origin and His true Father, had this to say,

“If God were your Father you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desire of your father you want to do. He was a murder from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear because you are not of God.”


The words of Christ to the Pharisees are the same for all men (I Jn 4:5-6). We believe lies before we believe truth because lies are our nature. Lies come natural to us. We can chose which lies we will believe but we cannot chose to believe the truth apart from the Spirit of God changing our minds. Justification by grace through faith in Christ is the first time that we see as we should see. It is the moment of passing from death to life that we first see some of truth, our worldview is first shifted to the truth at justification.

At justification, the moment we pass from blindness to sight, death to life, we, for the first time, see Jesus as He is, the Savior that saves us. Up until that time, no matter how much knowledge of Jesus and sin and the bible we may have had, truth had not penetrated our beings. Until justification, no matter how much knowledge one has, they are not seeing truth as true, for they are not trusting it. It is when we first place our faith in the truth of Jesus Christ that we first have our worldview changed.

“What does worldview have to do with God’s will, ” you may be asking. Everything. We are not to be conformed any longer to this world but we are to be transformed (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:17-19) . God’s will is this transformation. Part of this transformation is seeing the world as God sees the world. We could argue that until you see the world as God sees the world you cannot really understand what you are called to. It is as our understanding and knowledge (not just in our heads but in our hearts, our beings) are conformed to God that we are transformed, that’s why Rom 12 speaks of the renewing of the mind.

We are taught in scripture that we have the mind of Christ (I Cor 2:16; Phil 2:5), this certainly includes our understanding and perception of the world. We see differently and hear differently then the rest of the world. We are set apart from the world by the word of Christ (Jn 17:17) that only His sheep can hear (Jn 10:27), contrary to the world that hears the lies of Satan (I Jn 5:19).

What is a gospel world view? It is many things and to show the correct view of everything, to apply the gospel to every area of life would take a very long time so we will just apply it to some broad, general circumstances.

We have talked about suffering in a previous post, and what I outlined of suffering is GW. The gospel, rightly understood and believed, will enable a joy in suffering. It does not dull the suffering or make the suffering enjoyable in some sadistic masochistic manner but it brings suffering into subjection to God. For certain, and do not think otherwise, suffering is always suffering. The gospel does not relieve suffering but it gives hope, comfort and rest in suffering. The pain Christ experienced upon the cross was not deadened by the gospel. The pain Paul experienced in his lashings was not diminished by the gospel. Suffering is God’s will in the gospel but it is received in faith of His goodness. The suffering stays real though. But the way it is perceived is changed.

Now, let me just interject this, GW is not mind manipulation. This is not about tricking ourselves into believing something or forcing to accept as true that which is untrue. This is not about adopting a set of values or beliefs. This is not religion. This is about submitting to truth. When the bible says to consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, it isn’t telling you to consider it joy just to consider it joy. The considering that the bible is commanding is simply submitting to truth. Maybe a picture will help. When we get a shot for medical reasons we are not particularly excited about the needle but the medicine that is being delivered makes the shot worthwhile. We don’t see the medicine but the faith that the medicine is there leads us to pursue getting the shot. Its not a perfect picture but it works. We accept the truth of the gospel and submit to it, not because we fully see but because we trust the Physician. Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn’t help. Take it or leave it.

We are not conforming our lives to a set of doctrines that may or may not be true. We are submitting to a Person that is Truth. I fear for those in the church that try so hard to believe but don’t but settle for their trying to believe as saving faith. They don’t believe the gospel. But they try to. This is not faith. This is, “I want to believe but I don’t.” This is not good. They have yet to see the truth of the gospel, they have yet to pass from death to life. We all struggle with faith to some degree. None of us trusts the Lord as fully as we should. But to be saved we must have faith that the gospel is true.

“What do I do if I don’t believe the gospel but want to believe the gospel?” Examine your heart. If you desire to be saved this is a work of the Lord in your life. Jesus invites all who hunger and thirst, all who are tired and heavy laden. Why do you not come? Perhaps it is because of a sin that you don’t want to let go of? Perhaps your love of money or adulterous sex or pride keeps you from coming. You desire to be saved in the superficial way of desiring to keep all your sins but not be punished. Don’t be deceived, none who do not repent of their sins will inherit the Kingdom of God. My advice to you would be to trust the Lord when He tells you that all sin leads to death and that it would be better to enter heaven with one eye or one hand then to keep both and end up in hell. Sever the sin that ensnares you. Flee the wrath to come.

Perhaps you desire heaven but you don’t want to submit to Christ as Lord. You know that to be saved is to cast your whole life upon Christ in faith and this you don’t want. You want heaven but you want it on your terms. This is not a desire to be saved. This is a desire to continue as your own god and reject the true God. Recognize the foolishness of your ways. You have exalted yourself to godhood while relegating God to servant hood. Repent. You are but a creature of the Creator and your treason, though small in your eyes, is wickedness of the greatest kind before the Lord.

If you desire salvation then believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. If you cannot believe know that no desire for salvation will make you acceptable before the Lord. Only the work of Jesus upon the cross in your place can make you acceptable to God. Faith that you are saved is not saving faith. We are not called to believe that we are saved. We are called to trust Jesus and His cross and resurrection and know that we are saved by Him, not ourselves. This is faith. True faith. Faith hears Jesus promise of salvation to all who come to Him and faith goes to Him.

GW sees children as a blessing. Always a blessing. Not a curse. Not a burden or drain on life. Children are not an obstacle to happiness or just a hurdle in adulthood. The gospel promises children as a heritage from the Lord. Children are a blessing. How sad that so many see children as an inconvenience.

Now, it may be asked how “children as a blessing” is a GW. Isn’t the verse to support that Old Testament? Yes, Psalm 127:3-5. A GW sees all of scripture as gospel. Even the law and prophets are gospel, history, psalms, wisdom and any other. Scripture is gospel if, and that is a big “if,” it is understood rightly. Every scripture rightly understood will lead us to Jesus. So much could be said on this and it could easily fill a book so let me keep it brief.

In the law we see the standard of God that should lead us to despair of self and hope in God (Rom 5:20-21; Gal 3:24). The ceremonies and temple sacrifices all pointed to a better sacrifice, namely the Perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ (Heb 9:11-15). The wisdom literature was all fulfilled in Christ the Wisdom of God (I Cor 1:30). The history relays us information on Israel’s deliverance and set apartness for God, perfectly showing by type and illustration of what was to come (Heb 3:1-4:16). In the prophets we see a perfect picture of what is to come in Jesus and then how it was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus (Lk 4:16-21). The Bible tells one unfolding continuous story of God’s plan for and fulfillment of redemption. We are part of this story. It is a GW that sees this story and enters into this story as now being their story. God’s story is your story in Christ Jesus. Scripture unfolds this marvelous drama of cosmic redemption, from Eden to the New Jerusalem, the story is told and unfolded. From Genesis to Revelation we see God’s perfect plan unfolding through imperfect, sinful men, redeemed by God’s Redeemer, Jesus Christ. As we see the scriptures unfolding God’s story of redemption we see the world as it really is. This is essential to living for God. This gives all of creation and history the correct definition and purpose for what it was made.

The GW does not allow us to depend on money (Matt 6:31-34). The GW does not allow us to fret in the face of opposition (Rom 8:31). The GW sends us to the poor and down trodden (Matt 25:31-46). The GW calls us to hope (Rom 5:1-5). The GW fights for marriage (Eph 5:22-33). The GW leads to personal holiness (I Pet 1:13-15). The list goes on and on, to cover every area of life.

As the gospel penetrates our lives we begin to see things as they are. No longer does sight rule but faith. We see reality for what it really is. Sin is seen as sin. Wickedness as wickedness. Righteousness as righteousness. Holiness as holiness. The world will tell us that in order to be happy we need to indulge in every desire and want, we need to free ourselves from rules and standards and do what feels good. But the GW sees the sin that dominates man and believes the verdict against sin and trusts the love of God and enters into a life of denial, trusting that God will not mislead. Never has one followed Jesus faithfully to the grave and looked back at life with disappointment, but how many have followed the world, even for a time, only to find sadness, disappointment and pain.

The GW sees everything for what it is: God’s glory and our good. Ultimately that is what the gospel promises is taking place in creation and history. God is being glorified by everything and everything is working for our good. That is quite a worldview to adopt when you consider the state of the world at any given time. We see death, poverty, war, disaster, disease, abuse, orphans, massacre, and things only getting worse. How could somebody adopt a view of the world that says, “everything is to God’s glory and our good?” As I said before, we can’t adopt this worldview on our own. In fact, there are days and times when this worldview will be challenged by what we see around us, yet, our faith has the victory (I Jn 5:4-5). How do we answer what we see? The life of Christ.

In Jesus we see the perfect love of God flowing out to man, not by correcting every wrong and ending all suffering but by redeeming all of creation (Rom 8:18-25). In Jesus we see the perfect wrath and justice of God fulfilled in the ultimate punishment of sins (Rom 3:21-26). In Jesus we see God’s hatred of evil and love of good. In Jesus we learn of God’s unstoppable love for us, even dying upon a cross for His enemies (Rom 5:10). In Jesus we learn that God is for us and with us (Matt 28:20). In Jesus we get the fullest understanding and image of God that man knows (Col 1:15, 19) In Jesus we see the full meaning of scripture (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39; II Tim 3:15). In Jesus we are given the answer that unlocks every mystery (I Cor 2:7, 4:1; Eph 3:4-5). He is our wisdom, redemption, sanctification and righteousness (I Cor 1:30). In Jesus we see what we never saw. In Jesus we know God (Jn 14:9,17:3). Jesus is the gospel worldview. Look out at the world as Jesus looked out at the world and you will posses a gospel worldview and more then that, you posses the knowledge of God’s will that you desire.

Don’t qualify that last statement. Oh how we want to qualify everything till there is nothing left to believe. We have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, dwelling in us and this is better then Christ standing here now (Jn 16:7). We are equipped to do the will of God, we have the mind of Christ. And when we stand in the darkness of uncertainty, the gospel promises us an unfailing, unending, unstoppable love that cannot be defeated and cannot be overcome. The gospel holds forth Christ risen from the grave of your deserved death saying, even now, “I am for you, trust Me.” He is gentle and kind, He is merciful and full of grace, He is love. Do not let the uncertainty of the unknowns dictate the reality of the fully known: God’s love in Christ! What do we have to fear? Not death (I Cor 15:54-57). Not needs (Matt 6:32-33). Not man (Matt 10:28). Not Satan (I Jn 4:4). What do you have to fear? “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who is risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom 8:31-39)”

Are you persuaded? Do you yet see as God sees? Do you yet view the world even as Jesus viewed the world? The answer is in the cross and the empty grave. Look there and see the love of God, the power of God, the grace and mercy of God. Look there and see perfect righteousness and perfect justice of God perfectly fulfilled. Look there and see the wrath poured out upon sin. Look there, to the cross and empty tomb, and see life eternal. Hear the call, today. Jesus commands your repentance, Jesus commands your faith. He has come for the sick. He has come for the sinner. He has come for you. Let His love win you. Let His beauty capture you. Let His glory captivate you. Behold God in the face of Jesus Christ.

I plead, even now, be reconciled to God in Jesus (II Cor 5:20-21). Faith believes the world is even as God says that it is. Faith believes the promises and threatening of God. Faith looks beyond its own understanding and rests in God’s perfect wisdom. Faith hopes, even contrary to hope, for God is beyond all means.

God's Will: Faith (part 4:works)

God’s Will: Faith (part 4: works)

I have had to back track. I have put the last two or three posts off until I have tackled this subject of works. Let me give credit where credit is due. Everything up to this point has been an overflow of a conversation with my friend Christa. Thank you, Christa, for engaging my mind. This current post is the overflow of a conversation with Kevin and a book that he gave me. Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another,” seems to always hold true in my life. The Lord uses someone to engage my mind and heart in a subject that I might not have considered. So it is with this post.

Works. What role do they play? First, I am considering this in this series because of the emphasis I have put on faith. Secondly, works have to be one of the most misunderstood and abused doctrines.

I am reading a book right now on the “social gospel” and the need for Christians to do more, not just locally but internationally. The main criticism of the book is that secular humanitarian aid agencies do more for the poor then the Christian agencies. The whole of the book is that we have a “hole” in our gospel where our devotion is lacking to the poor and impoverished. I would agree. Where I would not agree is the answer to the problem. The answer put forth thus far in the book is that we need to be doing more by understanding how important this is to the Lord. I would partly agree with that. Where I would disagree is that doing more is not the answer at all.

Why? The gospel is not about doing. It is about believing. It is about faith in Jesus Christ. What does that have to do with all the commands to “do?” We do because we believe and where we do without faith, we do wrongly and even more then wrongly, we sin. The problem is not that Christians aren’t doing enough for the social issues of the world, that is merely a symptom of the problem, and since that is not the problem then the answer cannot be working harder for these issues. The real problem in not believing. Faith, not works, is the issue.

James teaches us that faith without works is dead, or as I paraphrase it, faith without works is not faith, it is something else all together: dead. But the answer is not to add works but to fix the faith. What the bible teaches is that if we abide in Christ (Jn 15:5) we will bear fruit. If we believe in Jesus, streams of living water will flow from us (Jn 7:38). We work as God works in us (Phil 2:12-13). We do as grace abounds in us (II Cor 15:10). The bible everywhere makes clear that works follow faith not as something that is added to faith but as the abundance and overflow of faith. If we are not “doing” (i.e.: social deeds) we are not believing. We live in accordance to our faith. Where our lives fall short is where our faith falls short.

The answer is to believe the gospel then the works will follow. We are called to faith in Christ, that is the core of the gospel and it is only when the core is right that the rest is right. Or to say it another way, the tree of the gospel is faith in Jesus, the fruit will grow from that tree; if and when we do not see fruit we are to turn back to the tree of faith in Christ and repent and believe.

We need to understand that faith is the root of works. We do because we believe. Where we only do, apart from faith, we sin. No matter how much “good” we do apart from faith, it is sin. Works not brought about by faith are no different then a lost person doing works. What the gospel is calling us to is not humanitarian efforts but to Jesus, and when we come to Jesus the works will follow. The Pharisees were a group of guys that obeyed the commandments very faithfully. The problem? They were void of faith. Their works were filthy rags before a holy God for they were not trusting Him. Faith sanctifies what we offer to God. There is enough sin in every person that every thing we do is contaminated before God. A sinner cannot produce anything but sin, sometimes that sin looks very good on the outside, like the secular humanitarian efforts and agencies but what does God say? “There is no one who does good, no, not one. (Rom 3:12)” How can God say that about all the “good” relief organizations? Because of sin there is nothing that we can do that is void of sin, sin infiltrates everything we do, our hearts are never right before God. Only a heart with the pure motive of God’s glory apart from anything else could offer up pleasing service (work) to God.

Jesus could offer His life to God as pleasing because His very nature was God and man. No other can ever make a sacrifice that is pleasing to God, no matter how great and noble it may appear. If one were to give everything to the poor and abstain from every fleshly sin for a lifetime, the impurity of their heart in not trusting Christ would condemn them still. We need a perfect Savior, only Jesus, the God-man, can fulfill what we need for we need one that knew no sin to be offered in our place. Only the gospel holds forth the promise that we need for salvation. Only the gospel holds forth Jesus, a perfect sacrifice in our place. We need His righteousness before God always and in all things. We receive His righteousness by faith. The just shall live (not just once but live) by faith. When we move from faith, even to something as noble as helping the poor out of obligation and need, apart from faith moving us, we sin.

How does faith move us to work? I think the better question is: how does our faith not move us? Think for a moment with me. If we really believed that the sovereign God of all of creation loved us and was orchestrating every event for our good and His glory would we ever covet? If we really believed that the sovereign God of the universe was for us, would we ever fear? If we really believed that Jesus was the Savior of all men and that we are gifted and called to preach the gospel would we ever be silent? If we really believed that the greatest problem in the world was sin and its effect of separating us from God would we ever waste our time with the mundane and boring and secular? If Jesus really did what He did for you on that cross, how can you ever doubt His love and grace? Do you see the point? The point is that we do live what we believe because we really don’t believe it. There is a break down somewhere between our heads and our hearts. We have all had the experience where something we knew suddenly became something that we knew, I mean really knew. The light bulb goes off. Things that didn’t make sense suddenly do. The puzzle pieces of life fit a little better. It is a joyful and sometimes a sorrowful thing but always a good thing.

Our faith tends to be shallow and false. Why do we not see works? Because we are not seeing by faith. The answer is not to work but to repent and believe. It looks like this: Jesus, I don’t believe you will really meet my every need and that I still need to work and strive and plan and worry about the future because if I don’t who will! Jesus, I can’t sleep at night because I don’t believe that you really are in control of my life and circumstances, I mean, how could a loving God allow ________ to happen to me! Jesus I worry and fret and am greedy and discontent because I don’t believe that you are enough! Jesus, I look down on other people because I don’t see how you could love people like “that!” Jesus, I need to repent!! Jesus, what I know to be true of you intellectually, what my pastor tells me, what your word says, these things I know, but I don’t believe and therefore my life is a mess. Jesus, help me to believe! Jesus, I know that if I confess my sins that you are faithful and just to forgive them by the power of your cross so I confess to you in my brokenness that I don’t believe You! Lord, help my disbelief and give me faith to believe.

When there is sin in my life, whether sin of omission or commission, the answer is faith and repentance. The gospel always calls us back to Jesus, not to trying harder or getting on with it. The gospel is not “pull yourself up by the boot straps,” nor is it a standard that we attempt to live up to, the gospel is the announcement of truth, truth that shapes the whole of perception and understanding. If the gospel is true, then it changes everything. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation because it is true. It is not religion. It is not rules and values and morals. It is not ceremonies and ritual and observance. The gospel is the truth of Jesus Christ and the gospel calls us to receive that truth as true because it is true.

Think. Think. Think. The gospel is true. What does that mean for your daily activities? How are you not radically changed by the announcement that though you were God’s enemy and under His wrath, now through His sacrifice in your place you are a friend, child and heir of God. We do not live what we profess to believe because we don’t really believe. Yes, we believe that what the bible says is true, but we don’t trust it. Remember what was said on the nature of faith. Faith is not knowledge or assent but trust in that knowledge and assent. It is not enough to know Jesus is Lord and that He can save you if you don’t trust Him to save you.

Now I have not been talking about the one time transaction from death to life. I am not talking about the moment one passes from enemy to heir. I am talking about everything that comes after that. I am talking about the life of faith. Let me clarify something. I do not think that anyone that has believed will stop believing. I do not think that is possible for one once brought to Jesus in saving faith to ever stop having saving faith. Why? First, because I am persuaded by scripture. Secondly, because faith is the gift of God, we are no more responsible for the upkeep of faith than the initial act of faith. Faith only saves because it is in Jesus, therefore Jesus saves through the gift of faith. We do not save ourselves through believing, but He saves us through our believing. Now, for us to lose salvation would be for Jesus to stop saving; and that I do not see.

What I have been talking about, saying that we need to believe and that we don’t believe enough is not about salvation, it is about us trusting the Lord that has saved us. It is growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). We are not born with a full knowledge nor are we born again with a full knowledge. The Lord has placed at the head of His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for edification, for unity and doctrine (Eph 4:11-16). These are all speaking and teaching roles because that is what we need. We need men, filled with the Spirit, to effectually teach us the gospel, continuously. We cannot place to much emphasis on the proclamation of the gospel daily in our lives. We need it. We need the fellowship of believers to surround us so that we can see just how trustworthy the Lord is. We need to be encouraged in the faith. Built up in the faith. Taught. Instructed. The word of God alone can equip us for every good work (II Tim 3:16-17). We need to hear the gospel more not less.

We do not need to lessen the preaching and teaching of the word of the gospel and start emphasizing mission and social cause. With a fuller and wider and deeper preaching of the word of God, mission and ministry will pursue. It is where the word has been preached fully and boldly that ministry has followed. We can not get the cart in front of the horse, or more apt maybe, we cannot get the man in front of the gospel.

The gospel calls us to believe and from that faith to live. We do not live more radically for Jesus because we do not believe in the radicalness (that’s a new word) of Jesus. Jesus has not changed. The Jesus of Paul that enabled the life of Paul is the Jesus of us. We often wonder why we don’t see the awesome miracles that we know once happened; can I throw this out there: God hasn’t changed. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (II Chron 16:9). But we really don’t believe that either. I mean we do because the bible says it but we don’t really trust that. We make excuses and “but” statements and “well, yes, but ______.” We don’t believe it. What if we did? What is the thing that you would do if you knew God were for you? Oh wait, He is for you. But we don’t believe that either. I mean we do, just with some criteria and conditions, right? But what does the gospel say? It says that is true and if you are unsure if it is true look at Jesus and know that God is for you. Look at the One Who left heaven and glory to come and live like a peasant amongst a wicked people so that you could have life. You do believe that. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also give us all things? (Rom 8:32)”

When we encounter unbelief the answer is the cross of Christ. We do not need to work harder, just turn back to the gospel and repent and believe. The works will follow. As James said, I will show you my faith by my works.

Let me say a little more. The book that I have been reading makes the epidemic of poverty the greatest issue facing the Church today. This is not true. If this were true than the answer would be money. If poverty were the greatest problem facing man and the Church then all we would need were bigger purses. This is not the case at all. J.C. Ryle once said that “money is not the one thing necessary.” This is true. The problem with focusing on the needed “works” is thatit shifts the focus from God to man. The greatest problem in the world is sin and its effects and the answer to this is purely supernatural, it is God. It is easy to think that we can over emphasis the preaching of the gospel to the exclusion of social work but that is impossible if the gospel is truly being preached. As scripture says, if we abide in Christ we will bear much fruit. The problem is not the over preaching of the gospel but the under preaching of the gospel. If our churches are weak in their social justices it is because they are weak in the gospel.

We are all to prone to fall into the trap of thinking that works will somehow make us more acceptable to the world and to God. Works will never do either. Sit down and read the first 12 chapters of John (I did this today). The over all impression I got was that no matter how much good Jesus did they hated Him. His works did not make Him more acceptable to the world. In fact, it had the very opposite reaction. The more they saw His works the more they hated Him (John 11:46-48). We think like the world. We think that if we do good the world will listen. Wrong. The Church’s history is littered in good. Trace literacy, democracy, education, equality, hospitals, relief agencies, etc, to their roots and you will find the church. The world does not care. They may take note. They may even discuss it. But it does not win the world. It was not meant to win the world. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation not relief work.

If we give a man a fish he eats for a day, if we teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime but if we don’t give him Jesus, he dies and goes to hell. All the fish in the world mean nothing. Jesus is the true bread and water. “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (Jn 6:27, 35)” Serving opens a door to share Jesus by putting you with people but it does not make you acceptable to people or to God. If you think that by serving people you will win them to Christ you have forgotten that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

Let the gospel have its work in you by believing the gospel. Where you find a lack of works, repent and believe. There is a problem somewhere in your believing that allows you not to work. Recognize it and address it for the sin that it is. What are you not believing in the gospel? What are you believing apart from the gospel? What of the gospel do you know but don’t trust? What would you do differently if you knew that Jesus, the sovereign loving God, was for you? That is such a profound question. How would you live if you truly believed that every detail of your life was planned out by the sovereign hand of your creator for your good and that nothing could thwart that plan? How would you live if you believed that Jesus was divinely orchestrating every moment for His glory in your life and that you would never be ashamed? How would you live if you believed that Jesus was in you reconciling the world to Himself, that you are a coworker with God? The amazing thing is that all that is true. Will you believe it?

If you believed it, even a little, even as a mustard seed, you could say to that mountain be cast into the sea and it would be. Even as a mustard seed.

Let us come up upon one another to strengthen and encourage and edify. Let us surround one another that we may not be discouraged. Let us remind one another of the truth of the gospel. We need to remember Who our God is and what He has done. We need faithful preachers and teachers in our lives that call us back to the gospel. We need faithful brothers in Christ that will expose our error and sin and call us back to Christ. We need to be reminded what the main thing is always.
“Why?” is a great question that we should ask often. Why do I do what I do? Why don’t I do what I don’t do? Why do I profess __________ but then don’t do ____________ or do _____________? Why? What is the root of your life?
Let me end with this. We must be about feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison. We must do good to glorify our Father in heaven. But let us remember that faith alone is pleasing to God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselfs; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:8-9)”




I fear that many do not believe that the gospel will produce good works in us. I fear that many believe the gospel can save them but that truly after that they are left on their own to work and labor. The gospel certainly calls us to zeal and diligence and striving but only in the power of the gospel by the Spirit in faith. The mind set that we must now work and labor to fulfill the gospel is heretical. We are to carry a yoke but it is the yoke of Christ. The yoke of Christ is easy and light (Matt 11:30). When we carry the yoke of works we will live under condemnation and guilt because no amount of labor will ever be enough. We will know no rest. We will know no joy. When we carry the yoke of works trying to fulfill the work of the gospel we will burn out. We will be crushed by a new law and a new rule. Christ has come to set us free and give us rest. Yes, we will carry His yoke but it is His yoke of salvation and rest and peace and joy. It is a yoke of gratitude and humility and faith. It is a yoke of love towards God and man. Never a yoke of working to win favor or complete salvation. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, the whole of salvation, beginning to end and all between. Sanctification is the work of God. Salvation is the work of God. Glorification is the work of God. Preservation is the work of God.

How I desire to set God before you that you would see the adequacy and sufficiency of God in all things and for all things. That you would see His majesty and glory and grace and be humbled and changed and filled with awe. Remember Paul, the glory of God on the Damascus road could sustain him through the revelation of all that was to come upon him. So to we, let us look to our Savior Jesus Christ and be overcome by His beauty and love. Let us behold our holy and awesome God and see that life abides in him. Set your mind and heart and affections on God in Christ and allow His glory to change you and move you.

Our pastor has relayed the story several times to us that during a great plague, when the masses of people were fleeing the cities and leaving everything behind to avoid death, that the Christians were going into the cities. They went where no other would go. They walked into the face of death and did not fear (Ps 23:4). They did not need a relief agency explaining to them the need to do works of mercy. No, they, like Paul, were compelled by the love of Christ (II Cor 5:14). I am not knocking agencies calling us to serve. I am simply saying the greatest need of every man, saved or lost, is the gospel. We need more preaching of the gospel. Not the preaching of morals and values. Not the preaching of humanitarianism. But the preaching of the cross. The gospel is God’s power for salvation, sanctification and glorification. We must believe the gospel.

upcoming posts

Just wanted to apologize for the long delay between posts. I am having to backtrack a little. But I am going to finish this series as soon as time allows. thanks again.