How Sure Are You?

You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator.  In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father.  If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having him as his Father.

-JI Packer, Knowing God

Assurance of savlation is a tricky thing.  How do you know that your sins are forgiven?  What about the sins you committed last night?  This morning?  Surely if you were a good Christian you would stop doing such things.

Ultimately, our assurance of salvation must rest wholly in God’s work on our behalf.  There must be fruit in our lives if we are genuinely God’s children; but it is fruit that he produces. 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:15-19

Do you struggle with assurance?  Do you doubt the love of God for you?  Stop studying yourself.  Study your Father.  Observe his ways: his great mercy and patience, his unfailing love.  Place your hope solely and squarely on him.  To know the Father is to be assured of his love.  It dishonors God to doubt his love and to walk in fear when he intends for us to walk in the freedom of being his children.  Why not take time today to consider: if you are in Jesus Christ, you are truly a child of God.  You are loved by God.

 

Oh no! Could it be…swine flu??

“H1n1″.  By now, most of us have seen the news enough to know the ups, downs, ins and outs of this buggy little virus that is currently sweeping the U.S.  The symptoms are many, but probably the most common symptom that has followed this flu is fear.

The idea of facing a virus that is being pinned as pandemic, responsible for over a thousand deaths in our country alone, can be a temptation to fear.  Particularly for those of us who have young children or babies, a virus like H1n1 carries a frightening list of possibilities.  And that is precisely where our Savior will step in to help us think rightly of the Swine Flu.  To this and all viral pandemics, terrorist strategies or possibilities of highway fatality we hear him say:

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  (Matt. 6:34)

The Savior’s words are simple:  “Do not be anxious”.  What part of “not” don’t we understand?  God is God, and we are his children, held tightly in his sovereign hand.  Just as assuring: God sent Christ to die for us, and that should comfort us to the intent of his heart in and through all of life and its many trials.

His words are truth.  We are limited, creaturely beings who go at life one step at a time.  As parents, we restrict our children from handling dangerous chemicals for good reason.  God has restricted us from feeding our fears with tomorrow.

His words are grace.  Through Matthew 6:24-34, Christ tells us plainly that the Father, who controls flu viruses and highway accidents, loves us deeply and is committed to our good.  We are not dealing with a haphazard deity.  We are dealing with a perfect Father.

Let us face this flu season with faith.  Not faith that insists on escaping sickness, but faith that trusts completely the Father’s heart and hand.

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For further reading, check out this article from CCEF entitled “The Bridge over Troubled Waters: Overcoming Crippling Fear by Faith and Love” HERE.

For a wonderfully loaded list of links to articles, audio sermons and books on fear and anxiety, head over HERE.

 

A Praying Life

This morning I would like to write a profound post on the topic of Prayer. I would like to communicate what I am learning about how to pray. I’d like to include my reflections on the nature of God and how he answers prayers. If I have gotten your hopes up, let me apologize in advance. I am learning that I know less than I thought I knew.

Over the last several months I have been reading the book A Praying Life. I began because I was intrigued by some of the reviews that promised that it would “change your life.” I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical at first, however, as soon as I started the book I realized I had to slow down. The authors approach to the subject was humble, personally honesty and full of faith. I could feel my view of  God changing and I began to feel that God wanted to dismantle some of my inaccurate perceptions of prayer and the nature of God.

Here’s one small example:

Many things in life cannot be observed directly. In quantum physics you cannot observe a particles’ mass and speed at the same time. Or trying to describe the beauty of a woman by using a magnifying glass. … in the same way the closer you get to the character of God the less he can be measured. So it is with prayer.

Prayer is so wrapped up in the nature of God that to understand how it works one would have to be God . . .  I guess if there is one thing I am beginning to understand it’s this: as my perception of God grows larger my prayers become simpler. As God is gets bigger in my mind my problems get smaller (though not less intense) and my faith in God to answer prayer grows. God is much more eager to answer my prayers than I ever realized. In fact he is beginning to answer prayers that I haven’t even begun to ask! I can’t get my mind around that thought, but I love it!

If you don’t have time to read the book you can still approach our great God who wants to answer your prayers much more that you want your answers.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! - Rom. 11:33.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_physics

 

Above the clouds…

I have vivid memories while looking out of airplane windows.

My first airplane flight was from the crisp fall of New England to the dreary, overcast country of Germany. The shock of going from a cloudless, bright sky to a gloomy, drippy place was disheartening.  (I was soon to discover that the food in Germany would more than make up for the typical overcast weather!)

My most encouraging memories are memories of flying out of rainy weather.  Minutes earlier the clouds were heavy and unrelenting.  But the exhilaration of breaking through the clouds to the glory of a sunny, blue sky….it makes me laugh with joy.

Often our circumstances can feel like dreary weather.  The day-in-day-out grind of faithfully going to work while wishing we could be home.  The day-in-day-out rhythm of feeding and diapering little ones (and training, and laundry, and shopping, and cleaning something in there somewhere, and…..) all while you feel your friendships becoming more out of reach.  Or all that (minus the diapering) along with guiding maturing hearts (that often don’t want to be guided).  Or caring for aging and dying parents while you do all the above plus the diapering—while you feel less strength yourself….and your hormones aren’t helping either!  Or being the aging, dying parent.  I could go on.  And on.

II Corinthians 4: 16 & 17 says, “So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

That means that whatever we are going through now is getting us ready for a joy and pleasure and beauty and delight and gladness that will make all this worth it. The next verse says close your eyes to what you see and look at what you can’t see.  Because what you can see here is going to be done soon, but what you can’t see is never going to be done. (My translation)  The sun really is above the clouds!  And the clouds will soon part.  And then chapter 5 verse 4 says that we will be swallowed up by life. The joy of it makes me laugh!  Death isn’t going to swallow us up……life is!

photo by: misterbisson

 

Waiting for the day…

With an uncomfortable sigh my wife says, “When will this baby come?”  It’s difficult to wait so long to have relief from discomfort and the blessing of a new born baby.  I remember as a child waiting for Christmas day with great anticipation, for me it couldn’t come quickly enough.  In my teen years, it seemed like forever waiting for the day I could get behind the wheel and drive.

We all experience some sort of “waiting” in this life.  However, when we are faced with “waiting” how do we respond? Do we wait patiently?  Or do we insist that we get what we want when we want it?  The Bible talks a lot about patience; in fact it’s one of the fruits of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…”

When we patiently wait for things we show that inwardly we are trusting in the sovereignty of God; He’s the one who decides when things come about in this life. This goes for little things and big things, from waiting on the phone for customer service to waiting for the day that Christ returns.  Patience should be a byproduct of the Holy Spirit within us.

God has certainly been patient with us!  The truth of this should inform how we respond when things aren’t going the way we want them to. 

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

God will fulfill his promises!  We can trust God because He is trustworthy and has proven this by sending His own son to save sinners by dying on the cross. We certainly, and most importantly, “wait” for the day that Christ will return and take us home to be with Him in glory.  Until that day we must realize that all the waiting we do on this earth is meant for our good and for God’s glory.

So, let us continue to press on in faith, not losing hope.  God will never leave us nor forsake us and will return one day to judge the world and take His children home to be with Him forever!  And as we wait for the ‘trivial’ things on this Earth, may it remind us that God has and will fulfill all His promises to us.

By the way… My wife is has shown tons of patience as she waits for this baby to come.  Her example of patience humbles me to consider how I respond when I have to wait for things.

 

The Menace of Christian Athletes?

I read an interesting op-ed piece last week in USA Today, where the writer, Tom Krattenmaker, decried conservative Christians in sports and their divisive influence.  He points to athletes like Tim Tebow, the wildly popular and immensely talented quarterback at the University of Florida who is also the son of missionaries, as being “far-right” and exclusivistic.  In fact, his complaint seems to rest squarely with what Tebow and athletes like him believe, and how those beliefs do n0t accurately reflect the constituency of their teams.

But should we be pleased that the civic resource known as “our team” — a resource supported by the diverse whole through our ticket-buying, game-watching and tax-paying — is being leveraged by a one-truth evangelical campaign that has little appreciation for the beliefs of the rest of us?

After talking about the good that Christian athletes do and stating that they evangelize because they want to fulfill the Great Commission, he speaks about the danger of their approach:

But there’s a shadow side to this. If their take on God and truth and life is the only right one — which their creed boldly states — everyone else is wrong.

Again,

Our pluralism is a defining and positive reality of American life — but not one that is much valued by those who define the faith coursing through the veins of sports culture.

You should read the whole thing to get his comments in context (it’s always best to read anyone’s comments in context, rather than relying merely on the juicy quotes).  So, why do I bring it to your attention?  Here are a few random reasons:

1. It’s an interesting and thought-provoking piece.
2. It’s a sign of the times.  Krattenmaker cites a study that indicates that 65% of Americans are pluralists, believing that many roads lead to God.  This is hardly surprising, though it does indicate some of the difficulties we should expect to encounter in claiming that Jesus alone saves.
3. It highlights some of the dangers of Christian celebrity culture.  We can think that Tim Tebow, with his national stage, is doing great work for God (and I am grateful for his witness); but that we are somehow lesser with our “regular” lives.  This is simply untrue.  The way to change the hearts and minds of the 65% of pluralistic Americans is not through more celebrities, but through honest, day-by-day interactions at work, in homes and at the grocery store.
4. Krattenmaker’s arguments are surprisingly weak, which is consistent with pluralism itself.  He assumes the superiority of his position because: a) more people believe it, and b) it seems nicer (fewer, if any, people go to hell).

This is already a very long post, so I won’t bore you with more.  I’ll leave you with two final encouragements: 1) please read the piece for yourself and think it through.  How would you respond to these charges (that is, what arguments would you use, and what attitude would characterize your arguments)?  2)  Consider again the power of the gospel.  It is offensive, to be sure; but it also the power of God to all who believe.  What opportunities will you have today for gospel interactions?

 

10 reasons I love Christian funerals

No, I am not being overly morbid here.  Certainly there is deep sadness in loss, and my primary call as a believer is to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15) as I gather with others in times of loss.  But here, I desire to establish the truth, one we must grow to savor, that to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). 

Whenever I attend the funeral of a saint (as I had the privilege to attend Deborah Wilhelm’s father’s funeral this past weekend, a 95-year-old Christ-loving man), death takes on a rare sweetness as I consider what lies beyond in “realms of glory”.

Here are 10 reasons I love Christian funerals.

1. Hymns take on a level of significance in the shadows of death (take for example “Blessed Assurance” – such truth this hymn draws us to consider in light of the uncertainties of the grave!)
2. The gospel is clearly proclaimed and unbelievers are so often present.
3. The church gathers and sets to encouragement and comforting.  It really is inspiring to watch the Body at work!
4. Hospitality and home-cooked meals create opportunities for fellowship.
5. Snippets of heaven can be glimpsed as I contemplate Christ and glory.
6. Gospel-gratefulness grows in the face of the grave.  There have been many moments where I have thought to myself, “what could I do without Jesus?”
7. The “cloud of witnesses” grows by one.  The Lord so often stokes courage to persevere in the gospel when I consider this.
8. Reviewing a life lived for Christ compels holiness in my own.
9. The world becomes flat, stale and pale.   “You can have all this world, give me Jesus”.
10.  Seeing a Christ-centered legacy provokes passion to leave my own.

Would you add any reasons?