Are We Christians Slaves? Or Are We Free?

[The July 31 sermon spoke of the paradox of true freedom resulting from slavery to God. The following is edited and shortened from a sermon on that topic preached March 3, 2019, as part of a series entitled Contradictions? How Delving Into Challenging Topics Unlocks the Riches of God’s Revelation. You can listen to that 2019 sermon via this link – Coty]

“Live as free people,
but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;
live as God’s slaves.”
(1 Peter 2:16 NIV)

Peter commands us to live as free people – yet also to live as God’s slaves. How can anyone fulfill both commands? If I’m free, surely I’m not anyone’s slave. Right?

Wrong. Scripture clearly teaches that we are free in Christ and we are slaves to Him. The Apostles Peter and Paul as well as Jesus Himself intentionally draw our attention to this paradox.

Understanding how to live out both commands Is key to living the Christian life. In order to do this, we must modify our understanding of freedom as well as our understanding of slavery.

For many people today – particularly those of us who grew up in this country – freedom means “having no constraints:”

  • No one is telling you what to do, or what not to do
  • No one is controlling you
  • No one is forcing you to do one act or another

That conception of freedom is the opposite of slavery. For if I am a slave, I am constrained by the commands of my master. The master tells me what to do and what not to do. The master can force me to do one act or another. Under those definitions, it is impossible to “live as free men” and to “live as God’s slaves.”

But the biblical definitions of both freedom and slavery differ markedly from those modern American understandings. Indeed, biblically the only way to find true freedom is to be God’s slave.

We’ll address this issue under three headings:

  • What is Freedom in Scripture?
  • What is Slavery in Scripture?
  • The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

Our goal: That we might joyfully live as God’s biblical slaves, and so live in biblical freedom.

What is Freedom in Scripture?

As we’ve said, most Americans today think of “freedom” as the absence of constraints. Furthermore, we think being without constraints is inherently good and desirable.

But consider: Is being unconstrained good for us? Is it even possible for us?

Everyone acknowledges that there must be some constraints on some people. Three-year-olds can’t be allowed to do whatever they might like. And we must have laws and institutions that constrain us in order to protect us from those that might like to harm us.

Even so – we today often think of these constraints as necessary limits on freedom rather than part of the definition of freedom. Thus, many Americans would say: “Yes, being without constraint is good and desirable, with the exception of young children, those with certain mental disorders, and those who, without constraint, will harm themselves or others.”

Biblical freedom, however, is not related to our being unconstrained in that sense. Think of Jesus’ statement in John 8:31-32: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That statement makes no sense if we think of “free” as “unconstrained.” Rather, Jesus says that knowing, following, and delighting in His words day after day leads to our knowing the truth, and knowing that truth sets us free.

Let’s consider a few additional Scriptures to help us understand the concept, beginning with Romans 8:18-21. The Apostle Paul writes:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (ESV – the NIV renders that last phrase, “the glorious freedom of the children of God”)

Paul says: For those in Jesus, there is a glory coming. We will be shown to be the heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. We will be perfected, like Jesus. No longer will we be part of this creation which, after the Fall, was subject to futility. We will no longer grow old; we will no longer be sinful; we will no longer face temptation. We will have the glorious freedom of the children of God. We will fully know the truth and thus be fully free.

Other Scriptures give a picture of what someone with that type of freedom looks like.

“I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” Psalm 119:32 ESV

Or NET: “I run along the path of your commands, for you enable me to do so.”

Do you hear freedom in this verse? We are free to follow God’s commands with joy and delight.

In December 1984, we returned to the US after three years living in Kenya at over 5000’ elevation. Twenty-eight years old, having trained and competed at altitude – and on hilly terrain – for those years, I was in excellent condition. We spent one night in Amsterdam during our return journey. That morning, I got up before dawn and ran along the canals. It felt so easy! I tested myself, running faster and faster – it seemed I could not even make myself breathe hard. I felt I could run and never grow weary.

Psalm 119:32 is talking about that type of freedom – a freedom that makes it easy to follow His commands. This type of freedom is not so much characterized by lack of constraints as by potential, power, the ability to become something beautiful.

Note four aspects of this biblical freedom that John Piper helpfully brings out:

  • The desire to follow Jesus’ commands
  • The ability to do so
  • The opportunity to do so
  • The understanding that these commands are for our good.

Apply these four aspects to Jesus’ statement in John 8:

  • Abiding in Jesus’ words gives us the desire to follow them.
  • The power of His words as well as the miracle of the new birth gives us the ability to do so.
  • Every moment of every day we have the opportunity to follow His Word, His commands
  • His word, His commands are always for our good.

Or think of Psalm 1:1-3 in this regard:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

The blessed man avoids what will be to his harm; he delights in the Law that tells him who God is, who man is, how to be reconciled to Him, and how to live a life to His glory. In this way, he has freedom: He is always sustained, always productive, always fulfilling his potential, always becoming what his Creator intends Him to be. Thus this blessed man is free to have joy! He is free to love God and man! He is free to have peace with God – and peace with man as far as it depends on him.

This is biblical freedom – not the absence of constraints, but becoming a joyful, fulfilled follower of our Creator through Jesus.

What is Slavery in Scripture?

When we hear the word “slavery” in this country we understandably think of the millions of Africans who were kidnapped, carried in chains across the Atlantic, then sold into a slavery that was based on a myth of Africans as sub-human – an inferior race whose right place was to serve the superior race. And these attitudes continued to characterize many individuals and institutions in this country well after the horrible war that led to the ending of such slavery.

That type of slavery, American slavery, is inherently evil, inherently wrong.

Slavery in New Testament times was quite different.

If we are to understand this topic in Scripture, we must distinguish among three uses of the word “slavery:” American slavery, first century Roman slavery, and the way the word is used in Scripture.

First century Roman slavery was not based on race; it was not lifelong, as people moved in and out of slavery; and it was not based on a myth that masters were superior to slaves. People often became slaves because they could not repay a debt. They could choose to sell themselves into slavery and – over time – earn their freedom. In a way, first century Roman slavery was a substitute for our modern institution of bankruptcy.

Now: even in Roman times, a bad master could make his slaves’ lives miserable. Furthermore, slaves could not just quit and walk away. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this institution was quite different from American slavery, and was not in and of itself evil.

How is the word “slavery” used in Scripture?

Note first that it is very common. Searching the Greek New Testament and the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the words that mean “slave,” “slavery,” and “serve as a slave” yields more than 700 verses!   Sometimes the word refers to a first century slave, such as Onesimus, the subject of Paul’s letter to Philemon; similarly, Jesus speaks of such slaves in several parables. Sometimes the word refers to the way a son should act towards a good father, or the way a citizen should act towards a good king, or the way a friend should act toward a good friend, or the way a woman desires to act toward a good man she hopes to marry.

Most modern English translations render the majority of these cases with “servant” language. For example, Ruth tells Boaz, “Spread your wings over your servant” (Ruth 3:9). The Greek translation of the Old Testament renders that “your slave.”

This word group is also commonly used to refer to the relationship of humans to gods – whether to false gods (the Canaanites slave for Baal), or the true God.

So unlike the American institution of slavery, neither first century slavery nor slavery in Scripture is evil in and of itself. First century slavery and slavery in Scripture are good, neutral, or evil depending on the master. To slave for a bad master, or a false god, is terrible. To slave for a good master (or a good friend or a good father or a good man you want to marry) is good. Most of all, to slave for a gracious and loving God is the way to true joy.

This brings us to the issue of authority. Some Americans – particularly those of us who grew up in 1960s – think of authority itself as something problematic. That’s not at all biblical. We need authority in our lives – whether as children or adults. We rightly want to avoid bad authorities; but we should delight to serve good, wise authorities.

Let’s deepen our understanding of the biblical conception of slavery through considering the figurative use of “slavery” in Scripture. The New Testament speaks negatively of our being slaves to sin, and positively of our being slaves to righteousness. To be enslaved to sin is to have wrong desires as our master. Yet the Apostle Paul speaks positively about slavery to fellow Christians: “Through love slave for one another” (Galatians 5:13, literal).

To understand how slaving for one another is positive, let’s consider the example of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Upon becoming king, Rehoboam seeks advice from his father’s counselors. What type of king should he be? They say, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them … then they will be your servants forever” (1 Kings 12:7 ESV). The Greek translation of the Old Testament uses “slave” language: “if you will be enslaved to the people, they will be enslaved to you.”

Rehoboam rejects this advice, and the northern ten tribes rebel against his rule; the kingdom is never again united. Rehoboam should have slaved for the people.

But then King Jesus does what Rehoboam did not. He becomes a slave to His people (Philippians 2:7), enslaving Himself in love. Not in the sense that He obeys us! But He gave up His majesty, He suffered, He died to give us what we needed most: Freedom from slavery to sin, freedom from slavery to wrong desires, freedom from slavery to Satan.

So now let’s return to Galatians 5:13: “In love slave for one another.” Paul is saying: Do for other people what Jesus did for us. That doesn’t mean do whatever they ask. We are not enthralled to the whims and desires of others. But secure in God’s love, confident in His sovereign provision, we can deny ourselves, love others, and serve them.

Do you see biblical freedom here? We are free to love, free to be like Jesus! Because in Jesus, united to Him, we need nothing, just as Jesus had everything He needed in the Father.

So as Jesus loved sacrificially, we too can love sacrificially

The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

The 17th century English poet and pastor John Donne captures well the paradox of biblical freedom and slavery:

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free

We have seen: Biblical freedom is not the lack of constraints, but rather is the ability, opportunity, and desire to do what is for our good. And it is for our good to become what God made us to be: Like Jesus. So biblical slavery to God is following the only authority who will always lead us on the path to joy in Christ.

Deuteronomy 10:12-21 sums up this idea well. We are to be God’s slaves. He requires certain things of us: to fear Him, to walk in all His ways (that is, to live our lives as He tells us, showing what He is like), to love Him, to serve/slave for Him (not just with external actions but with our entire being), to obey all His commands and statutes. That is, we must acknowledge that He is our Master.

But is this negative? No! All that He commands, He commands for our good. We are privileged to be loved by Him – by the God who is the Lord of all, who is the God of justice and mercy. So it only makes sense to stifle all rebelliousness, all stubbornness, all rejection of His authority, and to hold fast to Him, to praise Him, to become like Him.

That pictures the glorious freedom of the children of God: Free to love God, free to love others:

  • Truly free – because we hold fast to the one who loves us
  • Truly free – because we are enslaved to the one who knows us
  • Truly free – because our Master owns all things and controls all things
  • Truly free – because through obedience to Him we become what He created us to be

This is the truth – the truth that can set you free.

So trust in Christ, enslave yourself to Him – and find the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Who is #Blessed?

Who is blessed?

If you search social media for #blessed, what will you find?

Or consider a similar question: What leads to a happy, satisfied, fulfilling life?

If you were to ask that question of random people in Charlotte, what might they say? You would likely find people who would answer:

  • Career success/accomplishment
  • Working to change the world, to make it a better place, perhaps through local service, perhaps through politics
  • Working to help those around you who are less well off
  • Others might focus on possessions: Having a nice house, or a second house at the beach, in the mountains, on a lake; having the latest gadgets, or car, or clothes
  • Yet others would say: Having good health and a great body
  • That’s then related to: being attractive sexually, having great sex – and, some would say, with multiple partners
  • Others might focus on aesthetics and intellectual engagement: Great music, great books, great art, great conversation
  • Others might focus on friends or family
  • Others might say: There’s no way in this crazy world to be happy and satisfied; the only way to some joy is to escape through drugs, fantasies, virtual reality, or the metaverse
  • Others might say – believe in Jesus, and you will be blessed.

What does Psalm 119 say?

Psalm 119:1-3: Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

How does the psalmist’s answer compare to the others?

This answer differs from all of them, including the last. The psalmist’s answer is more complex than any of the others. He tells us to walk in the Law, to walk in His ways, on His paths, and to seek God with all that we are. This answer clearly is not speaking of a one-time decision that moves you from “unblessed” to “blessed.” Indeed, the psalmist is not speaking of something you obtain or an activity you do.

Instead, the psalm describes a relationship with God. Indeed, a specific type of relationship with God – the type of relationship Jesus had with the Father during His time on earth. For Jesus walked in the Law of the Lord. Jesus kept God’s testimonies. Jesus sought the Father with all His heart. Jesus did no wrong but walked on the Father’s ways and paths.

Before He began His public ministry, Jesus referred to this idea. Do you remember what He said when He had fasted for forty days and was hungry, in response to Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread? Quoting Deuteronomy 8, He says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

That’s the attitude of the author of Psalm 119: “Your Word is my life! I live by listening to You, following You, trusting You!”

So Psalm 119 describes a right relationship with God, which Jesus then lived out.

The psalm promises that we too can have such a relationship with God: life-giving, fulfilling, satisfying – blessed. Furthermore, we know from 2 Corinthians 1:20 that “Every one of God ‘s promises is ‘Yes’ in [Jesus].” So the promise of Psalm 119 of a blessed life, true life – deep joy in Him in the midst of a crazy, fallen, dangerous world – that promise is yes in Jesus, as we come to the Father through the crucified and risen Son.

That’s the central message of this psalm: We find true life only in God, and He communicates Himself in His Word. And today we know: Jesus is the living Word who displayed and fulfilled the written Word, enabling rebels like us to have that blessed relationship with the Father.

Consider the structure of this psalm. There are 22 sections containing eight verses each, and thus 176 verses in total. Most Bibles label each eight-verse section with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, for all eight verses in every section begin with the same letter.

Almost every verse refers to God’s Word in some way, using words such as: Law, Word, ordinances, testimonies, commandments, statutes, precepts, sayings, and promise.

But the Word in this psalm is not at all a set of rules we obey in order to gain access to God. Nor is this Word a set of laws we obey outwardly to satisfy the Lawgiver, while deep in our hearts we long to violate them.

No. This Word is the path to true life, true joy, true happiness, true blessedness. For this Word is the path of a relationship with our loving Creator – the path that Jesus walked before us.

So I encourage you: Read this psalm expectantly. Learn how you can know and love God through His Word.

And then – walk in His ways, to His glory and to your joy.

[This devotion is edited from the introduction to the July 24 sermon, “Know and Love God Through His Word.” You can listen to that sermon via this link.]

What is Old Testament “Law”?

[On Sunday we return to the sermon series on the book of Psalms, The Songs of the People of God, with the first of several sermons on Psalm 119. This longest of all psalms begins: “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!” The Hebrew word translated “law” is “torah.” This devotion on the meaning of “torah” is edited from the introduction to a sermon on Malachi 2:1-9 preached March 16, 2008. You can listen to the audio here – Coty]

What is Old Testament law?

Most English translations use “law” to translate the Hebrew word “torah.” But torah is not “law” in the sense of a speed limit or the internal revenue code. Indeed, three times in Malachi 2:7-9 the ESV translates “torah” as “instruction.” That alone shows us we might benefit from investigating the meaning of the Hebrew word.

So what is “torah”?

Torah is the revelation of God to man, fundamentally communicating His character, and consequently instructing us how to live in light of who God is. It is thus the source of joy and well-being, the foundation of any right view of the world, the foundation of any wisdom, any knowledge, any insight. Through torah we learn who God is, who we are, how we can be reconciled to Him, and how we can live every day before Him to our joy and His glory.

As the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament puts it: “The true purpose of torah is to lead man into a fruitful, abundant life of fellowship with God.” I would add “and thus fellowship with each other, and with the created order.”

Therefore:

  • Don’t think of torah as a list of rules or laws that we must keep in order to earn God’s favor
  • Don’t think of torah as a set of hoops He requires us to jump through
  • Don’t think of torah as arbitrary standards God sets up.

But think of torah as precious revelation from God given to us for our good.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 is helpful here:

“Now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (NIV)

This is torah – God’s commands given to us for our good:

  • He tells us to fear Him; that’s the right response when coming before a majestic, perfect King.
  • He tells us to walk in His ways, His paths, His road – and on no other road, not turning off that road but observing His commands.
  • He tells us to agree that He is wise – much wiser than we are – and thus to follow His ways even if doing so doesn’t seem to make sense.
  • And He tells us to do all this from a heart devoted to Him. Thus we are not just going through the motions, but our outward behavior flows from an inner change, from hearts that love Him and thus serve Him wholeheartedly.
  • Finally, He tells us doing all this doesn’t limit us, doesn’t keep us from true life, but rather leads to our good.

Many of the same ideas come out in John 15:1-11 as Jesus elaborates on His statement, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” That is, “I am the source of all that is good in you. If you are to accomplish anything of value, you must depend on Me. So abide in Me, remain in Me, depend on Me always. If that is to happen, My words, My torah, must abide in you. As you keep My commandments, my torah, you abide in my love. And all this is to your great joy; all this leads to life, to fulfillment, to peace/shalom. Furthermore, all this leads to My glory – to your creating alleluia.”

The bottom line is this: God does not set up hoops for us to jump through, and then say, “On your marks, get set, go! Jump through those hoops! Show Me that you deserve eternal life! If you succeed, I’ll give you that life!”

Nor does God set up barriers to joy: “If you want heaven, you have to prove to Me that you can give up everything that you enjoy, everything that is good, everything that leads to life.”

No. We are to desire God because He is the greatest joy. He is true life. He is peace/shalom. His torah is the way to the greatest happiness imaginable.

Our task is not to prove our worth, but to help each other to turn away from cheap, momentary pleasures that never satisfy and to turn to the greatest pleasure of all: Knowing God through Jesus Christ, knowing the King of the Universe through the King of kings and Lord of lords, knowing the heavenly Father through the crucified Son.

This is torah. This is the torah that leads to peace/shalom. This is the torah that leads to our joy and God’s glory.

Jesus, The Only Lord and Savior: Follow Him or Head to Destruction

[This is a shortened, edited version of a sermon on Matthew 7:13-29 preached May 5, 2013. You can listen to the audio of that sermon here.]

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, what was His main point?

Certain phrases from the Sermon on the Mount are well-known:

  • Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth
  • Judge not
  • Blessed are the peacemakers
  • Blessed are the merciful
  • Let your light shine
  • Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven
  • Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart
  • If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also
  • Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you
  • When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
  • Do not be anxious about your life
  • Consider the lilies of the field
  • Take the log out of your own eye
  • The wise man built his house upon the rock, the foolish man built his house upon the sand

Every one of those phrases is true, important, and vital for us to hear.

Yet if you focus on those phrases as you reflect on the Sermon on the Mount you may well miss the main point. For not one of the those phrases encapsulates the main point of the Sermon; indeed, all of them together don’t come close to summarizing the Sermon.

Considered on their own, those phrases seem to imply that the Christian life consists of obeying a set of moral exhortations. Our right response would then be, “Ok, I must be like this! With sufficient self-discipline, with enough accountability partners, I can!”

That is not the point of the Sermon.

In the closing verses of the Sermon, Jesus helps His listeners to focus in on the main point: Jesus is the only Lord and Savior; unless we turn to God through Him, we are headed to destruction.

We’ll consider Jesus’s conclusion under three headings:

Three Dangers

Three Signposts

One Lord

Three Dangers:

1) A wide and easy road leads to destruction

“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.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Remember: Jesus is speaking – not some preacher or prophet who delights in telling people they’re going to hell. Indeed, Jesus has said earlier that if you’re just angry with your brother you are liable to judgment.

So Jesus is not speaking out of vindictiveness. He’s simply speaking truth.

Many, He says, are headed to destruction. If you follow the crowd, if you do what many others do, if you think the way many others think, you will drift down the road to destruction.

That’s the first, great danger.

2) False prophets point you to that road

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Jesus builds on the verses 13 and 14. He says false prophets will tell you the road to destruction is the road to life. These false prophets look good – they are dressed like sheep, thus looking like those in Jesus’ flock. But in truth they are wolves.

Remember, throughout the first section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that the Law of God requires conformity between our inner lives and are outward actions. False teachers display no such conformity. So watch out for them.

So the first danger is: If you drift along, you will end up destroyed. The second danger is: If you follow a seemingly good teacher who is actually a wolf, you will end up destroyed.

3) Many who think they are on the right road are headed to destruction

Last two images:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Consider these folks: They seem very good:

  • They call Jesus “Lord”
  • They call Jesus “Lord, Lord” – indicating some degree of fervency
  • They prophesy
  • They cast out demons
  • They do mighty works, miracles
  • They do many such mighty works
  • They do all this in Jesus’ name – thus claiming to do this for His glory and by His power

Also, note that they are surprised at Jesus’ condemnation of them. They thought the Kingdom of heaven was theirs.

Why did they think that? Three reasons:

First, because they called Him Lord.

Second, because of their fervency.

Third, because of how they have ministered, on their ministry success.

So these folks think they are blessed, think they are saved, because of what they say, how they say it, and what they’ve done.

But is that what Jesus said at the beginning of this sermon?

Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

He did not say, “Blessed are those who say to me Lord, Lord, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

Ministry success, fervency of speech, and mouthing the words “Jesus is lord” will never save us.

We see the second image in Jesus’ final story:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Imagine these two houses are near each other in your town. Both are lovely. Both appear well-built. Both owners feel secure. When you walk by, you admire both houses.

But when the storm comes, one house will stand. The other owner will head to destruction. Even though he thinks he is secure.

So, three dangers: A wide and easy road leads to destruction. Many false teachers will happily point you and guide you in that direction. And many people think they are on the right road, but are self-deceived.

 

Three Signposts

Jesus doesn’t only warn us of dangers, however. He also gives us three signposts, three directions to the narrow road that leads to life.

1) Fruit identifies false prophets

Though the false prophets deceive via disguising themselves like sheep, Jesus says you can figure out what they really are:

“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16-20)

What fruit is Jesus talking about?

We easily lapse into thinking that the fruit is some kind of ministry success: People coming to faith, big churches being built, people healed. But Jesus’ next statements rule out that interpretation; these folks who prophesied and cast out demons and did miracles are workers of lawlessness!

So the fruit is not any type of ministry success. What is it?

Jesus has been talking about such fruit throughout the Sermon: Those who recognize that there is no way they can make themselves perfect like God, and so become:

  • Poor in spirit
  • Mourning
  • Meek
  • Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
  • Not longing for recognition for their giving, for their prayers, for their fasting
  • But longing for God’s Kingdom, for His Will to be done, for His Name to be hallowed
  • Not being enslaved to money or anything in this world
  • But gladly submitting themselves to God as His slaves.

That’s the fruit.

Now, that fruit is not as obvious as ministry success. You must observe a teacher for a while to know if he bears such fruit. You must look beyond the teacher’s words, beyond what’s happened in his ministry, asking: What is his character? What are his deep desires? Who is he? How does that come out in the way he spends money, in the way he interacts with people?

In November of 2000, I had quit my job and was getting ready to uproot my family and take them more than a thousand miles away in the middle of winter to spend several month in Minneapolis to learn from John Piper and Bethlehem Baptist Church. The night before I was to leave, I awoke at 2am wondering: What if he’s just a fake? What if Bethlehem is all a show? What if he’s just a false teacher, building a ministry to massage his own ego?

Those are good questions.  We should always ask such questions.

I arrived in Minneapolis and found abundant evidence of John’s fruit – in his personal life, in his character. Whew!

By their fruit – the right kind of fruit – you will know them. False prophets identify themselves by their fruit. Genuine prophets identify themselves by their fruit. That’s the first signpost.

2) There is a road that leads to life

Verses 13 and 14 can sound purely negative: Many enter by the wide gate to an easy road that leads to destruction.

But there is also a note of hope in these verses: There is a road that leads to life! While the gate is narrow and the road is hard, it does exist – and anyone can enter by it! This is not a limited access highway with signs saying, “Pedestrians and Cyclists prohibited!” This is not a road in a gated community with a sign saying, “Only Mercedes and Lexus cars may enter!” The road is hard – but all may travel by it.

3) Hearing and Obeying Jesus is that road

Who is like the man who built his house on the rock?

Everyone who hears these words of Jesus and does them!

You’ve got to hear! Others must hear! The truth must be proclaimed, understood, and applied! You can’t build your house on the rock unless you hear.

But you can’t stop at hearing! You must obey!

As Jesus says so often: “He who has ears – he must hear.” Meaning: Not just that sound waves must make our eardrums vibrate, but that we must take these words to heart and follow them.

This is the narrow gate. This is the hard way. This is the road to life: Hearing Jesus, and obeying Him.

But remember the thrust of Jesus’ entire Sermon: We must obey Him not only in actions – such as avoiding murder, adultery, revenge, and hatred – but by our inner being and outer actions into conformity with one another:

  • Becoming sons of your Father who is in heaven
  • Being perfect like your Father is perfect
  • Hungering and thirsting to shine with the light of the image of God into the world around you
  • Having a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, because your righteousness is more than outer conformity to a set of rules.

Jesus promises that when you do: The storms of life will come your way – the road is hard, as Jesus says. The rain will come, the floods will come, the wind will blow and beat against your house. But it will stand, whatever the storm may be: Illness, death of loved ones, poverty, loss, pain, rejection. Amidst the real pain, your house will stand. For it is founded on the rock.

We’ve seen 3 signposts that point to the road that leads to life:

  • Know false prophets by their fruit
  • Don’t despair of finding the road to life: it’s there
  • Hearing and obeying Jesus is that road

But how are you going to obey Him?

How are you going to be perfect like your heavenly Father? That’s not going to come through self-discipline. How does that happen?

That question takes us to our final heading:

 

One Lord

Why is hearing and obeying Jesus so important?

The central message of the Sermon on the Mount is not a set of ethical rules, like “Love your enemies” or “Be peacemakers.” The central message is: Jesus is Lord. And there is none like Him.

Listen to what Jesus says:

  • “I tell you who is truly happy – Not those who you think are happy, but the poor in spirit. Indeed, if you are persecuted on my account you are truly happy, and you will have a great reward in heaven.” Who can say such things?
  • “I have come to fulfill the Law and the prophets.” Who can say such things?
  • “You have heard that it was said . . . but I say to you…” Jesus claims to be the sole right interpreter of Scripture. Who can say such things?
  • “I never knew you; depart from me your workers of lawlessness.” He claims to be the final Judge who will declare who is in the Kingdom and who is left outside. Who can say such things?
  • “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” He claims His words are the difference between the Kingdom and destruction. Who can say such things?

No one can say such things. Except the Messiah. The Promised One. The One who from the beginning was promised to Eve, was promised to Abraham, was promised to David, was promised through Isaiah.

Anyone who says such things is a crazy fool – unless He is the culmination of all the promises of the Old Testament. Unless He is the One who lived the life you and I should have lived and died so that we might live in Him. Unless He is risen from the dead, seated at the right hand of God the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us.

He has said: “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

How much chance do you have of perfection?

You cannot fulfill the exhortations of the Sermon on the Mount. You must recognize that – and so turn to the one with all authority, turn to the Promised One, and recognize Him as Lord. Seeing your lostness, you will be poor in spirit, you will mourn, you will be meek, you will hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be merciful. And you will throw yourself on the mercy of Your heavenly Father.

There is a way that leads to death – and that way includes determining to live up to the exhortations of the Sermon on the Mount on their own. Any way that does not recognize Jesus as the sole Lord and Savior leads to death. And many enter that easy road.

But you need not go that way.

Don’t you see His power? His majesty? His authority? Don’t you see that He lived and died – for you?

Come to Him on that narrow road! Say: “I want to live out this Sermon on the Mount – and I can’t on my own. I want Your righteousness. I acknowledge the literal dead end of all my striving for attention and recognition and success and happiness on earth. I want to be like You – I want to shine with Your light, to live for Your glory. I want to be part of Your Body, to do Your work.”

Jesus is Lord. He is the only Savior. Apart from Him – we are headed to destruction. United with Him, forgiven by His blood, raised to walk in newness of life through Him: We are sons of our heavenly Father.

The Promised One welcomes you. So come to Him.

The End of Roe v Wade

Praise God that the legal, political, and moral horror of Roe v Wade is no more.

  • Roe v Wade was a legal horror, for it made up a fictional right found nowhere in the constitution, presented as facts falsehoods about the history of abortion jurisprudence, and thereby distorted subsequent legal decisions for the past several decades.
  • Roe v Wade was a political horror for it was a raw assertion of judicial legislative power (as noted in today’s opinion; see, for example, p. 10), rescinding laws then in existence passed by dozens of state legislatures, removing most questions concerning abortion from state legislatures and assigning them to the courts. By so doing, Roe v Wade played a central role in the politicization of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court.
  • Roe v Wade was a moral horror, treating unborn children early in pregnancy as no more important than an appendix, and propagating the view that we as individuals are autonomous, having the right to do what we wish with our bodies.

Millions have prayed, marched, and organized over these last decades to bring about today’s decision. It has been my privilege to participate in some events – particularly given that, at age 20, I advocated for a theoretical abortion and thus incurred guilt (as discussed in this sermon: text, audio).

We rightly stand amazed at the array of people God used to overturn this monstrosity:

  • On the legal side: The Federalist Society has been instrumental in supporting and raising up justices who try to interpret the constitution as written.
  • Political leaders: George W Bush, Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump all played vital roles in bringing about today’s ruling. As imperfect as all three are, and with as many disagreements as they have among themselves, God used all three to answer our prayers.
  • Teachers and preachers: God used Roman Catholics, evangelicals, and secular scholars to make the case against Roe v Wade. In our circles, John Piper’s twenty-five sermons on abortion were particularly powerful, as were Scott Klusendorf’s books and seminars.
  • Workers of compassion: The movement to create Pregnancy Resource Centers around the country began more than forty years ago. Now there are thousands of centers where women can receive tests, ultrasounds, and counseling at no cost to them – and often can hear of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior. We have had the privilege over the years to support such centers in Charlotte – today, the Queen City Pregnancy Resource Center.

While we praise God for the end of Roe, much work remains.

  • Pregnancy Resource Centers may well see a substantial increase in clients. They will need more finances, more personnel, more spiritual support – and protection. A number of such centers have been vandalized by abortion advocates in the last few months, including one in Asheville.
  • Today’s opinion returns decisions about abortion to state legislatures. There will be heated debates in many states, including North Carolina. There may also be attempts to have state Supreme Courts find a right to abortion in state constitutions. Thus we must vote wisely – for state legislators and for judges.
  • Many of our most populous states will see no decline in abortions because their state legislatures have already passed laws that ensure abortion access. Indeed, it is likely that some will travel to such states to have abortions. So the need to teach and to advocate for the unborn continues.
  • Most of all, the worldviews and consequent attitudes that lead to abortion continue to exert strong influence in our society. Challenge those worldviews; question those attitudes. Know and communicate the storyline of the Bible – highlighting our rebellion, our inability to think straight, and God’s compassion and grace through Jesus. Remember that we are not autonomous – we are created for a purpose, to glorify God. We thus do not have a right to do what we want with our bodies. But we find freedom, joy, and fulfillment not in looking inside ourselves and “discovering” who we are, but in following Jesus. Abundant, true life is found only in Him (John 10:10, Mark 8:34-36).

But the most important task remaining is to continue in prayer – prayer for the unborn, prayer for confused, scared, pregnant women, prayer for legislators and leaders, prayer for compassion and witness, prayer for those who may seem like enemies, prayer for our light to so shine among people that they see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Roe v Wade is no more. Praise God for answering so many prayers and using so many people. Today may be an important inflection point in the history of our country. But work remains. May we continue in the work of prayer, the work of love, the work of witness – and so hasten Jesus’ return (2 Peter 3:11-12), playing our role in completing the task of filling the earth with the knowledge of God’s glory as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

What Changed At Pentecost? (Part 2)

Last week we considered how the Holy Spirit’s work was similar both before and after Pentecost. We noted that the Spirit has always been the source of life for those who believe; has always engendered a love for the character of God, and thus for His Law; has always been constantly with those who believe; has always enabled obedience in those who believe; and has always enabled perseverance in those who believe.

But there are major difference in the Spirit’s work after Pentecost. We will list five, although we will consider the first two together.

1) There is a New Extent to the Spirit’s Work

2) There is a New Entrance into God’s Covenant People

Consider: Before Pentecost, what proportion of the Israelites had been made alive by the Holy Spirit? How many loved God’s law?

Praise God, some did. Those who did, did so by His grace. But the people as a whole were stubborn. Rebellious. Hardhearted. The people as a whole broke the Covenant – again and again. Only a remnant was faithful. Only a remnant had the Spirit.

Jesus then lives and fulfills God’s covenant perfectly – He is the only completely faithful Israelite. He is the remnant. He is faithful Israel.

Now, after Pentecost, others can become part of faithful Israel by identification with Him.

God cleanses them in Christ, as prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25. This cleansing is the new entrance into Israel, into God’s covenant people. You do not have to be born into the covenant to be in the covenant. United to Jesus by faith, you become part of the faithful remnant. Christ is the Israel of God, and since you are in Christ, you are in Israel.

Thus, after Pentecost the extent of God’s people cuts right across every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. As Joel prophesied and as Peter quotes in his Pentecost sermon, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32). Young, old, rich, poor, master, slave, Jew, Gentile, black, white, educated, uneducated – all who say, “By nature I am an object of God’s wrath. In failing to glorify God, I have violated the purpose of my creation. I deserve His punishment. But I believe that Jesus lived the perfect life, fulfilled the Covenant, and died on behalf of all who will trust in Him. I do trust Him. He is my Savior, my Lord, my treasure – Father God, will you shower me with your mercy? Will you give me your Spirit?”

All who turn to Him in that way are saved. That’s the new entrance into His covenant people. That’s the new extent of the Spirit’s work.

3) There is a New Power for Witness

At Pentecost, 3000 people come to faith. Nothing similar had ever occurred. Two thousand years later, what started as a believing community of a few dozen covers the globe. That is evidence of a new power.

Now, in the first sermon on Acts 2, I distinguished between the pouring out of the Spirit on all believers – that is, the baptism of the Spirit or the sealing of the Spirit – and the filling of the Spirit. Filling is a special anointing for a particular task. At Pentecost, the disciples are both baptized and filled.

It is good and right for us to pray for a special filling, a special anointing for witness. But we can have confidence that the Spirit is in every believer, always empowering us for witness. Because of the change in entrance into God’s people and the change in the extent of the Spirit’s work, we invite others into God’s covenant people differently than the Israelites. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, we are now entrusted with a message of reconciliation. We are God’s ambassadors – God makes His appeal through us: Be reconciled to God! Surely that happens only by His Spirit.

So, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us to raise the spiritually dead.

Think of the Great Commission in these terms:

Matthew 28:18-20 [Jesus says:] “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me  (There’s the power). Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, (There’s the new extent and the new entrance) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus says, “I, the one with all authority, am with you always – so you have the power to disciple all nations – even those held captive by false religions for centuries and centuries. My Holy Spirit will enable you. I will open doors, break down barriers, and bring nations to Myself.” This is the new power for witness post-Pentecost.

I believe this is how we should understand John 7:38-39. Jesus says,

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Rivers of living water will flow out of the hearts of believers in new ways after Pentecost. He’s not saying no one previously had had the Spirit working in his life. Rather, Jesus here speaks of this new power for witness that will flow through believers. His followers will speak and live out these truths by the Spirit’s power in such a way that thousands and then millions will come to faith.

So there is a new extent, a new entrance, and a new power for witness. Those are all dramatic changes. The last two changes represent a difference in degree compared to what was true prior to Pentecost; the Spirit’s earlier work increases many-fold. Furthermore, these last two changes will be true to a greater or lesser extent in different individuals. Some Old Testament saints reflect these truths in powerful ways. But after Pentecost, many more live out these truths.

4) A Deeper Intimacy with the Spirit

We said that before Pentecost, the Spirit was with believers. But as described in Romans 8, this intimacy deepens considerably after Pentecost.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:15-16)

These pictures of adoption, of being in God’s intimate family, are hinted at in the Old Testament, but become central to the teaching of the New. We can call the Holy God, the One in Whom is no darkness at all, our Daddy! For He loves His people with a tender love, an intimate love. He knows us and delights in us.

We can rejoice, post-Pentecost, in this deep intimacy.

5) Additional Power for Living

We noted that before Pentecost, the Spirit enabled obedience and perseverance in His remnant. But this is true to a much greater extent post-Pentecost.

Think of the disciples. They certainly believed in Jesus before Pentecost. But they give no evidence of power to live out His truths. Instead, they are fearful, hiding behind locked doors.

At Pentecost, all that changes. They are bold. Forceful. They no longer bicker over who is the greatest.

Jesus’ comments in John 14 and 16 help us to see that this difference is not accidental. The Spirit’s coming changes them from the inside. Jesus tells them:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18, emphasis added)

Do you see the distinction Jesus makes? Now the Spirit dwells with them. He had to do that, for they could not believe apart from His work. But there is a change coming. An order of magnitude difference. The Spirit will be in them in a new sense post-Pentecost. And we see that change in the book of Acts.

Jesus says something even more striking a short while later:

I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

That is: “The Spirit won’t come and be in you until after I go away and send Him. His presence in you is more important than My presence beside you.”

These verses help us to see that the Spirit’s granting us power to live is heightened after Pentecost. No one could ever live a life pleasing to God apart from His power. But that power is more pervasive and more prevalent in this age. The disciples themselves show that clearly.

What, then, is the bottom line?

Consider, then, all these changes – all the privileges and power we have today. If believers during Old Testament times loved God so much, lived such faithful lives, and accomplished so much by His power – how much more should we!

He gives us power to become what we were created to be: Healed, accomplished, useful, complete; living in His love, witnessing to His grace. He enables us by His Spirit to be loving, to be generous, to be patient, to be kind. He gives us the responsibility to bring others into His family – and He gives us the power to fulfill that responsibility.

Do you believe Him? Do you trust Him? Have faith in Jesus – and His Spirit will live in you.

[This is an edited, shortened excerpt from the sermon ”What Changed at Pentecost?” preached 10/19/08. The audio is available here. Part 1, last week’s blog post, is here. The two previous sermons on Acts 2, “The Promise of the Father” and “The Crucified is Both Lord and Christ” are also relevant. John Piper’s sermon “How Believers Experienced the Spirit Before Pentecost” is another helpful resource on this topic.]

What Changed at Pentecost? Part 1

Acts 2 describes the events of the day of Pentecost. Before the day ended, God had saved 3,000 people. But if God saved 5,000 people tomorrow, Pentecost would still be a far more important day.

Why? Why should we consider Pentecost to be one of the most important days in the history of the world?

Most Christians would answer: Pentecost is important because on that day the Holy Spirit came. But we know the Holy Spirit was active prior to this day. So what changed? And why is this change so important?

Let’s look at this by, first, considering how the relationship of the Holy Spirit to believers is the same before and after Pentecost. Next week we’ll consider how that relationship changes on this momentous day.

How is the relationship of the Spirit to Believers Similar Before and After Pentecost?

Five ways:

1) The Spirit gives life to those who believe

This statement is true of all believers of all time

Consider Ephesians 2:1-5, one of the most important biblical passages describing salvation:

You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Paul makes clear that he is not speaking only about the readers of this letter, for he says we are by nature objects of God’s wrath. That is, God, as the moral authority of the universe, must mete out punishment in response to our sinful nature, not only our sinful deeds. And since this holds “for the rest of mankind,” this is true of all men everywhere at all times since the Fall. No one is able do anything on his own to change his being under God’s wrath.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

“But God!” Only He could change our condition. He makes us alive; He enables us to believe; He cuts through the blinding fog so that we might see Him.

There has never been anyone saved by any means other than by God’s grace through faith. This is true before Pentecost and after Pentecost: The Spirit gives life to those who believe.

2) The Spirit gives love for the character of God, and thus for His Law

The Law is a reflection of the character of God, helping us to know Who He is. So the one who loves God must love His Law.

This is one of the New Covenant promises in Jeremiah 31: That His people will have His Law written on their hearts. There will be an inner change, not only external obedience to rules.

But while Jeremiah 31 is not fulfilled until after Pentecost, there are those in the Old Testament who have a similar inner change – who have the Law on their hearts, who love God’s Law. Consider the following verses:

  • Isaiah 51:7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.
  • Psalm 119:97  Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
  • Psalm 119:18-19   Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!

Note that in Psalm 119:18-19, the psalmist acknowledges that this love for God’s Law is God-given.

So before and after Pentecost, God engenders love for His character, for His Law, in the hearts of people.

3) The Spirit is constantly with those who believe

This is clearly true after Pentecost, as it is another of the New Covenant promises contained in Ezekiel 36:27: “I will put my Spirit within you.”

But hear what David says:

Psalm 139:7-10  Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

David is not only saying, “God is everywhere.” He is also saying, “No matter where I go – even if I am being rebellious, trying to flee from You – You are with me, leading me, holding me.”

So the Spirit’s presence with believers was real before and after Pentecost.

4) The Spirit enables obedience in those who believe

Again this is obviously true after Pentecost; it is the Spirit that bears the fruit of love, joy, and peace in believers (Galatians 5:22-23). And Ezekiel had prophesied that God would “cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27).

But before Pentecost, David says, ‘He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:8)

Or as the author of Psalm 119 writes:

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. (Psalm 119:35-37 NAS)

The Spirit enabled obedience in believers before and after Pentecost.

5) The Spirit enables perseverance in those who believe

Once again, this is clear after Pentecost; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 and many other passages teach this truth.

But consider the perseverance in faith of Old Testament characters. We have already seen from Ephesians 2 that faith is a gift of God. In Hebrews 11, the author lists many Old Testament characters who display extraordinary faith. After summarizing the difficulties they endured, he concludes:

Destitute, persecuted and mistreated– the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith (Hebrews 11:37b-39a)

This is extraordinary perseverance. And it is the result of Spirit-given faith.

The Spirit has always been at work. No one would ever believe, ever obey, ever persevere apart from the Spirit. As Jesus says in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” He was speaking to his disciples, using present tense, before Pentecost. And His statement is therefore true of all men, of all times.

Next week: How then does the relationship of the Spirit to believers change after Pentecost?

[This is an edited, shortened excerpt from the sermon ”What Changed at Pentecost?” preached 10/19/08. The audio is available here. The two previous sermons on Acts 2, “The Promise of the Father” and “The Crucified is Both Lord and Christ” are also relevant. John Piper’s sermon “How Believers Experienced the Spirit Before Pentecost” is another helpful resource on this topic.]

The Moon is Always Round: Faith in the Goodness of God After Losing a Child

[On the April 26 edition of the “Life and Books and Everything” podcast, Kevin DeYoung conducts a wide-ranging interview with Westminster Seminary professor Jonathan Gibson – author of several books, including Be Thou My Vision (which I recommended recently) and an excellent children’s book, The Moon is Always Round. DeYoung prompts Gibson to tell of the personal tragedy that led to the writing of this book. This excerpt begins 41 minutes into the podcast – Coty]

When Ben was about three, we were living in Cambridge [England]…. He loved to look up at the moon at night. So we would always hold him up at the window and look for the moon and say, “What shape is the moon, Ben?” He’d say it’s a crescent moon, half moon, three-quarter moon. Then I’d say, “What shape is the moon always?” And he would say, “The moon is always round.” I told him to say that. And then I’d say, “What does that mean?” And he would say, “God is always good.”… Even when you can’t see the whole of the moon, the moon is always round; even when you can’t understand all of God’s goodness in a certain situation in life, God is always good.

But little did I know that six months later it would be quite providential….  We were expecting our daughter, Leila, and she was due on the Lord’s Day, 20 March 2016. But on the Lord’s Day 13 March, … she departed this earth…. We woke up and Jackie said there’s something not right, so we went to the hospital and had the scan and confirmed that there was no heartbeat…. Our world fell apart…. We had always heard of these situations of … late-term … still birth, but … all of a sudden were thrust into it. Leila was still born four days later on St Patrick’s day, 17 March.…

We brought Ben to the hospital to meet her. We spent the afternoon with her and I drove him home that night…. In the car out of nowhere – he’s three and a half – he says to me from the back seat, “Daddy, will Mommy ever grow a baby that wakes up?” See, he had held Leila – he saw that she was just very still, eyes closed. I said, “Ben, I don’t know, but let’s pray that she does.” And then he said, “Why isn’t Leila coming home?” And I said, “Well, because Jesus called her name and she went to Him.” And he said, “After she’s been with Jesus for a few days, will she come to us?” And I said, “No, Ben, when you’re with Jesus you don’t want to go anywhere else.” And then he said, “Does she not like us?” And I said, “No, she does like us, she just likes Jesus more…. We’re going to have to go to them one day. She’s not coming back to us.”… And Ben said, “Daddy, why isn’t she coming home?”… I said, “Ben, I don’t really know why, but … you remember the moon? What shape is the moon, Ben?” And he said, “The moon is always round.” And I said, “What does that mean?” He said, “God is always good.” And I said, “Tonight, Ben, it’s hard to see the moon at all really, but we’ve got to remember that God is good and He has His reason why Leila’s gone to heaven.”…

It was actually quite a joyful day to meet Leila – nine months expectation. To meet her, to hold her…. We could see God’s goodness and giving us a daughter. We got to meet her, name her. But then there was this other half of the moon I couldn’t see…. I couldn’t believe the profound conversation I’d had with Ben in the car…. I just decided to start writing this kid’s story…. So hence was born the book The Moon is Always Round….

At her funeral, … Ian Hamilton had this throwaway line where he said Leila’s was a glorious testimony. She pointed us all to God, she pointed us all to another world. And then he … said, “Leila the evangelist.” That’s what we call her. We hear quite often throughout the year letters, emails from people who have been blessed by that book who’ve sadly had similar experiences, and we just always think Leila the evangelist, she being dead yet speaks….

They did an autopsy afterwards and found nothing wrong with her. Fifty percent of stillbirths are a mystery to the medical profession….

So good has come out of it. The moon is always round. The Lord has used our sore providence to minister to others. We still miss her greatly. We just had our sixth anniversary of her not being with us….

Each person’s valley is their valley and I think that’s what people need to respect and be aware of…. With a still birth you get to meet them, you get to hold them, you get to see who they look like. You carry their little body in a white coffin into church, you put that body in a grave. In that sense it gives them great dignity…. On my books … it says I have four children, and Leila’s one of those four…. One of the great pains for a parent is we all love to talk about our children, we love to put photos up of them on Twitter, Facebook, email them to people. But nobody gets to see your stillborn child, and that’s a great sadness…. You think I’ve only got three children. I have four children. I held my daughter.

Doug Kelly wrote to me whenever Leila died. He had a still birth, a sixth child, and he wrote to me, “You have just been given the strange stewardship of a quiet grief.” I’ve never forgotten that line. I have friends at seminary here, … and their daughter is six years old and I’ll often look at their girl and I’ll think, wow, Leila would be running around with her…. But she’s not here. So it’s this hidden grief that’s very hard to articulate at times, but it’s very real. And the encouragement I give to people is: If you know someone who’s lost a stillborn child, ask them their name…. Just to ask them their name and use their name in conversation if you’re talking about the child. Don’t just talk about the baby they lost or we’re sorry for your loss… Say, “We’re sorry Leila died.” … Be personal and talk about them like they’re actually a real person, because they are….

Look up in the sky. You can’t see the moon tonight. You see just a sliver, but it’s not any less round, it’s not any less brilliant than it always is.

[You can watch and listen to Ben – several years older – read the book at this link.]

 

Be Confident Because of God’s Passion for His Glory

Is God’s passion for His glory an encouragement to you?

Scripture tells us again and again that God is determined to magnify His fame; all peoples must recognize His holy character. Isaiah 48:9-11 is particularly explicit:

“For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”

The New Testament is just as clear. We are to do good works for the glory of the Father (Matthew 5:16). Lazarus was sick and a man was born blind for the glory of God (John 11:4, 9:3). We could list a hundred other examples.

Upon seeing this truth, many become uneasy. For we do not like people who magnify their own glory. Such people are uncaring and inconsiderate, self-absorbed and self-promoting. Do we really want to follow a God like that?

The prophet Samuel helps us to see that we need not have such uneasiness. Indeed, God’s passion for His glory is the basis for our hope!

Recall the setting of 1 Samuel 12. No Israelite has served as king in the years after God brought His people out of Egypt. Instead, God Himself has been their king. Yet the people have asked God to make them like other nations, providing a king for them. God acquiesces; following God’s instruction, Samuel anoints Saul king. The prophet lets the people know, however, that their request is a rejection of God, and thus is sinful.

The people therefore ask:

“Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” (1 Samuel 12:19)

Samuel responds:

“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.” (1 Samuel 12:20-22)

This expanded paraphrase attempts to highlight Samuel’s logic:

You indeed have sinned. You deserve God’s judgment; indeed you deserve His rejection. But remember how you became His people! He did not choose you because you were obedient or powerful; He made you His people because it pleased Him to do so. That has not changed! He promised that you are His – and He is faithful to His every promise, for He is passionate for His glory. He always acts consistently with His character, so that His glory might be displayed in all the earth. Therefore, acknowledge your sin – and then serve the LORD with all your heart! You belong to Him – so repent! Worship Him! Don’t turn away from Him, turning aside to other gods, or to anything else that you think might benefit you! None will! You belong to Him! In Him alone will you find joy and fulfillment and peace! So serve Him alone.

Friends, God’s reputation is all wrapped up with His forgiving and perfecting His people – that is, all who come to Him through Jesus. It is God’s good pleasure to act this way, and thus to display His mercy, grace, love, and justice to the entire created order. God’s passion for His glory is thus for our good, for our joy (unlike the passion of any human for his own glory).

So delight in the God-centeredness of God – particularly when you sin! He will never forsake His people, for His great name’s sake.

The Power of the Resurrection

[From D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Ultimate Purpose: An Exposition of Ephesians 1 (Baker, 1978), excerpted from p. 399-422. These chapters are based on three sermons on Ephesians 1:19-20 preached in 1954; audio of those sermons is available online: first, second, third.]

[The resurrection] is the proof, beyond every other proof, of the fact that every obstacle and hindrance and enemy set in our path shall be overcome. The raising of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is proof positive and absolute, that even the ‘last enemy’ has been conquered and defeated….

Whatever may be true of our experience, whatever may be true of the world and its darkness, whatever may be true of the seeds of decay and of illness and of death that are in our bodies, and howsoever great is the power of the last enemy, we can be certain and confident of this, that nothing can prevent the carrying out of God’s purpose with respect to us. There is no power that can withstand Him; there is no might or influence that can match Him, there is no possible antagonist that can equal Him. The mightiest foes, the devil, death and hell have already been vanquished, and the resurrection of Christ is the proof of it….

Do you realize the exceeding greatness of His power in you? Do you realize the energy of the strength of His might that is already working in you? And do you realize that because it has begun it will continue, and continue until you will find yourself ‘faultless and blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing’ in the presence of God?…

It is most important that we should realize that the Apostle is praying here, not that the Ephesians may have more power, but that they may come to know the greatness of the power of God that is already working in them…. We are not Christians and cannot be Christians apart from this mighty working of the power of God…..

The most urgent practical question for every Christian is this: Are we aware of the fact that the almighty power of God is working in us? Do we realize that we are what we are solely and entirely by the grace and the power of God? Do we realize in our own personal lives and experiences that it is this exceeding great power of God that accounts for everything in the Christian life? I press these questions again because I am convinced that the main trouble with most of us is our failure to realize the greatness of the salvation into which we have been brought, and which we enjoy together.…

Somehow or another we do not grasp the idea of this mighty working of God in salvation. Far too often we think of it solely in terms of forgiveness. We think of the Christian life as just a matter of knowing that we are forgiven, and then our living the Christian life as best we can…. When we come to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, do we realize that it was the greatest manifestation of the energy of the strength of God’s might that the world has ever known. According to the Scriptures nothing but the almighty power of God could have raised Him again from the dead, and exalted Him to the high position where He is at this moment at the right hand of God. We forget that He was ‘declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead’” [Romans 1:4]….

Nothing but the power of God can make us believers. But it is also by this selfsame power that we continue in the Christian life. It takes the same power which enabled us to believe to enable us to continue at all in the Christian life. We would not be able to stand for a single hour in the Christian life were it not for this power of God that is working in us….

If you have the life of God in you, if He has started ‘a good work’ in you, He will not give it up, He will bring it to perfection. If you will not be led by Him, you will be driven; if you refuse to be enticed and attracted, you will be chastised. God wills our perfecting, and he will stop at nothing less. The work will go on, the power of God will continue to be exercised in us until we are faultless…. He wills that we should be holy and without blemish in His presence.

Is there anything more important for us than to know all this? We are in the hands of God, and He is working in us. He has given us the power to believe, He is working in us now, fashioning us, molding us, bringing us to perfection. We cannot escape it, we are in His hands and He will go on with the work. Blessed be his name!

Oh that we might know this more and more, and realize the high privilege of our calling, the marvel, the miracle of this new life which is all from God, and which is all by God. My comfort, my consolation, my strength, my assurance, is to know that God is working in me; and that He will never cease to work in me until I stand before Him in glory.