The Glory of God to Forgive Sins

God’s glory should embolden us to seek out his forgiveness.

In Psalm 25:7, David makes a request of the Lord he says,

 

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions

 

David asks the Lord to look past his former sins. To forget them. Let’s not rush the absolute boldness of this prayer. How can a perfectly holy and perfectly just God simply forget about unholy offenses against him and man? Where does David get such boldness? I think his boldness comes from him being consumed with desire for God’s glory. I think David has a particular scene in mind when he prays this prayer.

 

God’s Glory Descending as Goodness and Steadfast to Forgive on Mount Sinai
In Exodus 33, Moses is on Mount Sinai meeting with God. And there Moses also makes a bold request of God. In verse 18 Moses says, “Please show me your glory.” And God responds by saying, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord’” (Exodus 33:19). God tells Moses he will show him his goodness. And God makes clear that his goodness is bound up in his name.

So a few verses later, we see this unfold. God indeed passes by Moses and declares his name. And what does he say? We see the answer in Exodus 34:6–7,

 

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,

 

It’s like we’ve descended a ladder. God’s glory descends, manifesting as God’s goodness, which manifests as God proclaiming his name. And the essence of God’s name is his steadfast love to forgive sins and transgressions. This is who God is. This is the glory of God, the goodness of God revealed to us as steadfast love to forgive.

 

David’s Boldness and God’s Glory
So when David prays the bold prayer, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions,” he does not boldly pray this because of who he is. He deserves judgment. He boldly prays this because he is thinking of who God revealed himself to be on Mount Sinai. If we look to see what surrounds David’s prayer in Psalm 25, we see this is indeed the case. Consider what hems in David’s bold request before it and behind it.

First, before he ever makes his bold request in verse 7, David makes a prior request in verse 6,

 

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

 

David says, “God! Remember who you revealed yourself to be all those years ago on Mount Sinai! You revealed yourself to be the LORD of steadfast love, who forgives sins and transgressions!” The foundation for David’s boldness is God and his steadfast love to forgive.

And after David makes his bold request in verse 7, what does he follow it up with? Read on,

 

according to your steadfast love remember me,

 

David boldly requests God to not remember him according to his sins that would demand judgment. Rather, David requests God to remember him according to his [God’s] steadfast love that forgives. David hems his request in before and behind with the steel doors of God’s steadfast love to forgive and preserve his covenant people.

But why should God do this? David supports his bold request with one final reason,

 

for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

 

David sinks his bold request to rest in the unshakeable foundation, the bedrock of the goodness of God. The goodness of God, which David knows passed before Moses as the glory of God.

Let’s climb back up the ladder. David boldly requests forgiveness by grabbing hold of the rung of God’s steadfast love. And David uses the rung of God’s steadfast love to reach and grab tightly to the rung of the goodness of God. And David climbs this ladder boldly, because he wants to see what awaits at the top. He wants to see God’s glory. David is emboldened to make such an audacious request of God because he desires the glory of God.

 

Jesus, the Glory of God to Forgive
The only way we can ascend the ladder to God’s glory, is because God descended from his glory to us first in order to offer us forgiveness in Jesus. God by the pattern set on Sinai, by the faith displayed in David’s, and by words of OT prophecy pointed to the day of fulfilment in Christ, when his glory and goodness would provide forgiveness. Jeremiah 31:14 anticipated the day of Christ,

 

“I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.”

 

God promised to satisfy his people with his goodness, that is, his glory. And how did that glory and goodness come to satisfy? Jesus tells us,

 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

 

In Jesus we find steadfast love to forgive every sin. Thus, in Jesus we see and are satisfied with the goodness of God. Thus, in Jesus we see and are satisfied with the glory of God. If you desire to see the glory of God, boldly seek forgiveness in Jesus, the glory of God to forgive.

We Need Mercy. And God Is a God of Mercy.

We need mercy. And God is a God of mercy. This is the lesson that God aims to teach Jonah. Like Jonah, we often admire the idea of the second half of the lesson: God is a God of mercy. This is a good attribute of God, especially for any person who may need mercy. However, we often, like Jonah, stumble at the first half of the lesson. We don’t stumble at the fact that humanity in general needs mercy. Rather, we stumble when it becomes personal: I need mercy. Our hearts protest to this because it implies that we’re in the wrong and there is nothing we can do to right ourselves. So instead, our legalistic flesh works for mercy in order to get to a place where we wrongly think of it this way: I deserve mercy. And when we find ourselves thinking of mercy in this wrongheaded way, we often, like Jonah, project it negatively onto others: They don’t deserve mercy. But if we are to stand a chance spiritually, we must swallow this truth: We, I, you need mercy, and there is nothing we can do to deserve it.

 

Mercy in Jonah: The Pagan Sailors
This is a truth, our need for mercy, that the pagan sailors, who desperately—as a last resort—hurled Jonah into a raging sea, recognized as their words attest,

 

Therefore [the pagan sailors] called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you” (Jonah 1:14).

 

First, notice the final clause, “for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” This tells us that these pagans recognize that God is sovereign over their situation as Creator of all things (i.e. Jonah 1:9) and rightfully does all that he pleases. Second, the sailors recognize that, in light of who God is, they are completely at his mercy. They plead no merit. They have done nothing to deserve mercy as pagans who have never worshiped him. These pagan sailors recognize they need mercy that they don’t deserve. So what do they do? They bank their lives on God being merciful.

These pagans stake everything on God being merciful to them. They cast themselves upon his mercy simply based on who he is. And they learn that God delights to give mercy to those who trust him for it,

 

So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows (Jonah 1:15–16).

 

We need mercy. And God is a God of mercy.

 

Mercy in Jonah: The Ninevites
This is a truth that the Ninevites recognized as the king’s words attest,

 

The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “…let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (Jonah 3:6–9).

 

Notice the king of Nineveh does not imply that any of their actions will necessarily merit their preservation. Rather, their actions rest on God’s mercy alone, “Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (Jonah 3:9). The Ninevites recognize they need mercy. They recognize that only God can give it. And they bank on him being merciful to them, despite their rebellion. And God has mercy on them (Jonah 3:10).

 

We need mercy. And God is a God of mercy.

 

Mercy in Jonah: Jonah
What about Jonah? Jonah too is a recipient of God’s mercy, and he seems to recognize that as his prayer attests (e.g. Jonah 2). So what’s the hole in Jonah’s theology that God tries to point out and correct? Jonah’s response to God’s mercy on Nineveh in 4:1–2 offers a clue. There we read,

 

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster (Jonah 4:1–2).

 

God’s mercy displeased Jonah or, more literally, was evil to Jonah. And, Jonah became angry. And Jonah confesses the reason he was a resentful, unwilling prophet was because of the merciful character of God. Why does Jonah begrudge God’s mercy on Nineveh? Well, the answer cannot be that Jonah begrudges God’s mercy. Why? Because Jonah just availed himself of that mercy two chapters earlier. What gives? What upsets Jonah? The only variable here is the recipient of God’s mercy—Nineveh. Jonah did not want God to give mercy to Nineveh. Why? Well, they are Israel’s enemies to be sure, but there is more to the story. God offers Jonah one more object lesson on top of the great fish to reveal the heart of Jonah.

While Jonah sits outside of Nineveh to hate watch what happens to them, God causes a shady plant to spring up in order to give Jonah a reprieve from the hot sun. Jonah loves it. But the next day, God sends a worm to destroy it. No more shade. Then God sends a heat wave upon Jonah. And once again we find Jonah furious. And God says to Jonah,

 

“You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:10–11).

 

Why does Jonah pity the plant? Because it benefited him. Jonah likes God’s mercy when it benefits him. He doesn’t like it when it benefits Nineveh. Why? What’s the difference in Jonah’s mind between God showing mercy to him and God showing mercy to Nineveh? There’s only one possible answer. Jonah has a fundamental misunderstanding of mercy. Jonah thinks Nineveh doesn’t deserve the benefit of God’s mercy. And he’s right. They don’t. That’s not Jonah’s mistake. Jonah’s mistake is how he thinks about God’s mercy as it applies to himself. Just as with the shady plant, Jonah believes he deserves the benefit of God’s mercy. But the entire point of mercy is that no one actually deserves the benefit of it. In fact, the benefit of mercy is that it doesn’t give us what we actually deserve, the full wrath of God. Jonah has failed to recognize the fundamental lesson: he personally needs God’s mercy, a mercy he does not deserve just like the pagan sailors and just like wicked Nineveh. God is teaching Jonah that all important lesson: We need mercy, and there is nothing we can do to deserve it. And God is a God of mercy.

 

Mercy in Jesus
What secures such mercy for us? The greater Jonah (Matthew 12:38–41). John Stocker sums up God’s mercy for us in Jesus well in his hymn “They Mercy, My God” (1776).

 

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

 

The God of mercies gives us mercy in his crucified Son. Through God’s mercy in Jesus we are sealed as God’s own where once we were his enemies, pardoned as innocent where once we were guilty, and made righteous forever where once we were once sinful. Let’s learn the lesson that God taught Jonah. We need mercy—a mercy we don’t deserve. And God is a God of mercy, who delights to give us mercy in Jesus.

The Cross of Jesus Is “the Spring of Our Happiness”

In my sermon preparation for our upcoming outdoor service this Sunday, I have been reflecting on this strange, staggering, and sublime truth: Jesus suffered on the cross for our joy. In God’s kindness, in my reading I stumbled upon this wonderfully worded sentence from 17th century Puritan Stephen Charnock (1628–1680) that captures that sentiment much more beautifully:

 

“[Jesus’ death on the cross is] the spring of our happiness.”

 

The cross is the spring of our happiness. Without the gospel of Jesus, this would be a completely incoherent statement. A Roman device of torture and death for criminals is the well-spring of human happiness!? It makes no sense. We would not write the story this way. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18).

Charnock has more to say about the cross of Jesus and what it means for us. Consider this little excerpt for your edification from Charnock’s “A Discourse of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified” originally transcribed and posted here by Tony Reinke. As Charnock exhorts, let us with Paul determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and especially him crucified.

 

Stephen Charnock on the Cross of Jesus
Let us delight in the knowledge of Christ crucified, and be often in the thoughts and study of him. Study Christ, not only as living but dying, not as breathing in our air, but suffering in our stead; know him as a victim, which is the way to know him as a Conqueror. Christ as crucified is the great object of faith. All the passages of his life, from his nativity to his death, are passed over in the creed without reciting, because, though they are things to be believed, yet the belief of them is not sufficient without the belief of the Cross; in that alone was our redemption wrought. Had he only lived, he would have not been a Savior. If our faith stops in his life, and does not fasten upon his blood, it will not be a justifying faith. His miracles, which prepared the world for his doctrine, and his holiness, which fitted himself for his suffering, would have been insufficient for us without the addition of the Cross. Without this, we had been under the demerit of our crimes, the venom of our natures, the slavery of our sins, and the tyranny of the devil; without this, we should forever have had God for our enemy, and Satan for our executioner; without this, we had lain groaning under the punishment of our transgressions, and despaired of any smile from heaven. It was this death as a sacrifice that appeased God and as a price redeemed us. Nothing is so strong to encourage us; nothing so powerful to purify us; how can we be without thinking of it? …

This will be the foundation of all our comforts. What comfort can be wanting, when we can look upon Christ crucified as our surety, and look upon ourselves as crucified in him, when we can consider our sins as punished in him, and ourselves accepted by virtue of his Cross? It was not an angel which was crucified for us, but the Son of God; one of an equal dignity with the Father; one that shed blood enough to blot out the demerit of our crimes, were they more than could be numbered by all the angels of heaven, if all were made known to them. He was not crucified for a few, but for all sorts of offenses. When we shall see judgment in the world, what comfort can we take without a knowledge and sense of a crucified Christ? What a horror is it for a condemned man to see the preparation of the gibbets, halters and executioners? But when he shall see a propitiation made for him, the anger of the Prince atoned, the Law some other way satisfied, and his condemnation changed into remission; all his former terrors vanish, and a sweet and pleasing calm possesses him… When we tremble under a sense of our sins, the terrors of the Judge and the curses of the Law, let us look upon a crucified Christ, the remedy to all our miseries. His Cross has procured a crown. His passion [death] has expiated our transgressions. His death has disarmed the Law. His blood has washed a believers soul. This death is the destruction of our enemies, the spring of our happiness, the eternal testimony of divine love. We have good reason, as well as the apostle Paul, to determine with ourselves to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and especially him crucified.[1]

 

 

[1] Originally transcribed by Tony Reinke from “A Discourse of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified,” from The Works of Stephen Charnock, 2 vol (London: 1684) pp. 844-845. Taken from TonyReinke.com (https://tonyreinke.com/2007/03/29/cross-centered-life-puritans/) on 05/01/2025.

 

A Verse for Easter: The Gospel in One Verse

If you could pick one verse that captures the significance of Easter, which one would you turn to? Might I suggest 1 Peter 3:18. Here, Peter packs into one little verse the treasure trove of our salvation that Jesus won for us in his cross and resurrection. Let’s consider it.

 

For Christ suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous, in order that he might bring us to God, by, on the one hand, having been put to death in the flesh but, on the other hand, having been made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18. My translation).

 

What Peter says here is essentially this: Jesus died and rose from the dead to bring his people into eternal life with God.

Let’s just consider this marvelous verse a piece at a time.

 

Christ suffered for sins once and for all…
First, consider the main action: Christ suffered for sins once and for all…

Jesus’ suffering for sins on the cross was final. No other death for sins is needed. This tells us something of sin. Sin must be punished with death. The wages of sin is death.

Why was Jesus’ death for sins so final? Because Jesus was perfectly righteous.

 

the righteous for the unrighteous…
Second, notice the next phrase which explains this: Christ suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous…

Jesus was sinless, perfectly righteous, perfectly obedient to his heavenly Father. No sin in his nature, no sin in his heart, no sin in his hand. Perfect. If he is sinless, then why must he suffer for sins? Because his suffering was substitutionary. He was the perfect sacrifice for sins. He the righteous suffered on behalf of the unrighteous. Well if Jesus is the righteous one, who are the unrighteous? You and me.

What was the purpose of this substitutionary death? To brings us to God.

 

in order that he might bring us to God…
Third, consider the next phrase which points to this purpose: Christ suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order that he might bring us to God…

Peter could have described Jesus’ purpose of the cross in a myriad of ways and yet he captures it like this: Jesus suffered for the unrighteous on the cross for the purpose of bringing us to God. This tells us something about God and our dilemma. If Jesus had to die for our unrighteousness in order for us to even be brought into God’s presence, then unrighteousness, unholiness, must not exist or be able to exist in God’s presence. This is because God is perfectly holy. God is perfectly righteous. This, here, is our dilemma. Our unrighteousness, our unholiness separated us from God. This tells us a little bit more about what Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished. If Jesus died to bring us into the righteous, holy God’s presence, then that must mean that he not only eliminated our unrighteousness, but he also gave us his righteousness. Jesus died, for the dual purpose of eliminating our unrighteousness and making us righteous for the ultimate purpose of bringing us back to God.

 This final purpose unveils our purpose. If Jesus died in order to bring us to God, then we were made to be with and enjoy him. This is the greatest good for us. Alternatively, the worst place we can find ourselves is separated from him. But Jesus in his death brings us back to the greatest good for our souls, the most joyful place for you and me. He brings us back into the presence of and into relationship with our Creator God.

How can we be sure that this is ours in Jesus? Because Jesus rose from the dead.

 

by, on the one hand, having been put to death in the flesh but, on the other hand, having been made alive by the Spirit.
Fourth, consider the last phrase which fills out what it meant for Jesus to suffer while also describing the manner in which Jesus accomplished this bringing us to God: by, on the one hand, having been put to death in the flesh but, on the other hand, having been made alive by the Spirit.

Jesus’ suffering once for sins, as alluded to, was his death on the cross. But, he did not remain dead. Jesus dying on the cross is one half of how he brings us to God. Jesus broke the power of death through his righteousness and by the power of the Spirit, he rose to new life. Thus, the resurrected Jesus is our living guarantee that if we are in him, we too will be raised to eternal life even though we die in the flesh.

 

A Verse for Easter
So here then is the gospel in one verse: Jesus died and rose from the dead in order to bring his people into eternal life with God.

This is what Jesus did for you and me on Easter.

Evangelism: Dying Men Preaching in Love to Dying Men for God’s Glory

Richard Baxter famously wrote: “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”[1] God has given the great privilege and work of evangelism to the church, which it has carried out since its inception. The first six chapters of Acts illustrate this quite strikingly. Not only does Luke explicitly report four gospel presentations to unbelievers in the first six chapters (Acts 2:14–41; 3:11–26; 4:8–12; 5:29–32), but we read formulas that point to ongoing evangelism like:

 

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls (Acts 2:40–41).

 

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

 

But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand (Acts 4:4).

 

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).

 

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles (Acts 5:12) (The Holy Spirit bears witness to the gospel through signs and wonders. Therefore, Signs and wonders in Acts go hand-in-hand with gospel proclamation. Cf. Acts 2:22; 5:32; 14:3).

 

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women (Acts 5:14).

 

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus (Acts 5:42).

 

And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7).

 

Evangelism is and has always been the work of the church. But, is there a way to go about this great work of evangelism in a wrongly? Is there a way in which we preach the gospel not as dying men and women to dying men and women for God’s glory?

 

The Right and Wrong Way to Evangelize from Paul and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Paul says in Philippians 1:18, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Does this mean that the ends justify the means when it comes to evangelism? Not really. When Paul rejoices that Christ is preached even when the motive of that preaching is envy and rivalry (Philippians 1:15), this is a testament to his utter dearth of selfish ambition when it comes to gospel proclamation, not an approval of motive or how to go about it. Rather, Paul himself here offers us an the right example to follow when it comes to evangelism. For Paul, evangelism is not about himself or his influence. It is about loving and glorifying God in Christ and loving the lost at the expense of oneself.

It must’ve been in this same spirit that the great Welsh pastor (and in many ways evangelist) of Wales and England Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) (ML-J) offered these five principles for evangelism at a conference in England in 1942:

 

  1. The supreme object of this work is to glorify God…The first object of preaching the Gospel is not to save souls…Nothing else however good in itself, or however noble, must be allowed to usurp that first place.
  2. The only power that can really do this work is that of the Holy Spirit…
  3. The one and only medium through which the Holy Spirit works is the Word of God…The medium which is used by the Holy Spirit is the truth.
  4. The true urge to evanglization must come from apprehending these principles and, therefore, of a zeal for the honour and glory of God, and a love for the souls of men.
  5. There is a constant danger of error, and of heresy, even amongst the most sincere, and also the danger of a false zeal and the employment of unscriptural methods.[2]

 

ML-J’s fifth principle here makes clear the assumption of the biblical foundation of the first four. Therefore, this affords us a helpful exercise. If the first four principles define biblical evangelism, then the opposite of each should help us define unbiblical evangelism. So let’s rewrite the first four principles as the photo-negative version of themselves:

 

  1. The supreme object of this work is to glorify man…The first object of preaching the Gospel is to save souls…
  2. The only power that can really do this work is that of man and his innovation…
  3. The only mediums through which the Holy Spirit works is man’s personality, celebrity, clever words, and persuasive rhetoric.
  4. The true urge to evangelization must come from apprehending these principles and, therefore, of a zeal for the honor and glory of man and a love for self.

 

These principles define an evangelism that will err—stumble headlong into heresy, produce a false, manufactured and manipulated zeal, and employ unscriptural methods. Such evangelism is not the work of dying men seeking to rescue dying men and bring them to God for his glory and influence. This is the work of dying men seeking to rescue dying men and collect them for their own glory and influence. This type of evangelism is evangelism of self-love. But true evangelism is not about self. It is about loving God and loving the souls of lost men even at the expense of oneself.

 

Jesus: The Supreme Evangelist
Jesus is the supreme model for evangelism. In Jesus we see every principle that ML-J articulated. Jesus came evangelizing: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’ (Mark 1:14–15). And what Jesus called lost men to, he fulfilled in love for men and for God’s glory: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13); “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus suffered and died to bring lost souls, whom he loves, to God for God’s glory. Jesus, the living Word, the man of the Spirit, gave his life for the glory of God and in love for the lost. Jesus was the epitome of a dying man bringing the gospel to dying men in love for the glory of God.

 

A Call to Evangelize
Let us be like the founder of our faith. Let us continue his great evangelistic work that he passed on to the church, who has continued to pass on this great work down through the centuries ultimately to you and me. Let us “do the work of an evangelist” and so “fulfill (our) ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Let us not evangelize for man’s glory and for love of self, but for God’s glory and for love of the lost. Let us “preach as a dying man to dying men.”

 

[1] Baxter’s Poetical Fragments (1st ed.; 1681), p.40, lines 7-8.

[2] Iain H. Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939–1981 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2016), 2:90.

Jesus Is Worth It

In Acts 5:40–42, we see a fascinating situation unfold. The religious leaders in Jerusalem beat the apostles for preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus and charge them to cease and desist. And what happens next? The apostles leave the council, rejoicing!

What leads to this kind of response to suffering and dishonor? Simply put: Jesus is worth it. The apostles treasure Jesus and his gospel promises.

 

Man’s Honor or God’s Honor
Luke notes that the apostles rejoice because they were deemed worthy on behalf of the name to be dishonored (Acts 5:41; My translation). Luke does something interesting here. A few verse before this, a Pharisee named Gamaliel counsels the religious leaders concerning the apostles. Luke makes this observation of Gamaliel: he was held in honor by all the people (Acts 5:34). While this is just an observation on Luke’s part and not necessarily an indictment on Gamaliel, Luke makes this observation to add a flourish of irony to this scene. Desiring honor among the people is the heart of the religious leaders’ problem.

The religious leaders resist the gospel and Jesus because he threatens their influence and authority over the people. Their desire of not wanting the gospel to spread among the people (Acts 4:17) motivated their original ban on gospel preaching by the apostles. The religious leaders covet their glory, authority, and honor among the people. Therefore, when the apostles grow in their influence and the followers of Jesus exponentially increase, the religious leaders are filled with jealousy (Acts 5:17). Jealousy, James notes, goes hand-in-hand with selfish ambition (James 3:16). The religious leaders’ are so bought into their own glory and honor among men that they would gladly trade the glory of God for it. But not the apostles. The apostles, God’s people, gladly choose dishonor among men for Jesus’ sake in order to gain honor from God. Therefore, they rejoice. And this honor from God is guaranteed because they gain it through their treasure Jesus and his gospel promises.

 

Jesus and His Promises
Jesus offered his apostles these words in Luke 6:22–23,

 

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

 

The apostles suffer dishonor among men to gain honor from God because they hold fast to Jesus’ gospel promises. Jesus promised his disciples that their suffering for his sake would lead to great reward in heaven. Here in Acts 5:40–42, with every strike of the rod or whip upon their back, the apostles hear these words ringing in their ears “Your reward is great in heaven! Honor from God!” They hold fast to Jesus’ gospel promises of reward and honor. What is the essence of that reward and honor? Eternity with their treasure, Jesus. How do they know it’s guaranteed? Because Jesus gain it for them.

The apostles suffer dishonor among men to gain honor from God because they hold fast to their treasure, Jesus, who is their life. The apostles are able to endure and hold fast to these promises because they are not the first ones to walk this road. In fact, the path to eternal life in heaven with God has already been paved for them by a forerunner, a pioneer, the Author of Life, their Savior, Jesus (Acts 3:15; 5:30–31). They hold fast to these promises because they hold fast to Jesus who suffered the dishonor and shame of the cross for the sake of the joy that was before him (Hebrews 12:1–2). And, he rose victorious, exalted to God’s right hand as the Author of Life (Acts 3:15; 5:30). Therefore, when the apostles suffer dishonor for Jesus’ sake, they do so because they cling to him as their savior, trusting in the life he won. Furthermore, when they suffer dishonor among men for reward set before them, they have never looked more like Jesus. This last observation—looking like Jesus in suffering—is worth a closer look.

 

Deemed Worthy of Dishonor
Luke notes that the apostles rejoiced not just because they suffered dishonored, but because they were deemed worthy to suffer dishonor. The apostles saw their suffering as an affirmation from God of their worth. This is remarkable. We often consider our suffering to be tied somehow to our being unworthy in the eyes of God, but here we see it is often just the opposite. While the apostles do suffer persecution, which is a unique kind of suffering, the purpose of suffering in general in Scripture points to this same remarkable reality. First Peter 1:7 notes that various trials grieve us in this life for the purpose of proving the genuineness of our faith.

Trials and suffering are not applied because of lack of faith. God applies trials and suffering to reveal for all to see the true, genuine, worthy faith that was there all along, like gold encased in raw ore that only appears once its passed through the crucible. When Christians suffer it is because God has deemed us worthy to suffer. And, we are only worthy because we are united to the great sufferer, Jesus. Because he was perfectly worthy we can rest assured that our suffering points to our worth in him. And so, in the eyes of the world and the heavenlies, when the Christian suffers and still clings to Jesus, God is glorified. And, when the Christian suffers and clings to Jesus, God adds another jewel into the unfading crown of glory that he deems you worthy to receive amidst much praise, glory, and yes, honor (1 Peter 1:4, 7; 5:4). This calls for rejoicing.

 

Rejoice
Whether we suffer persecution for the gospel or suffer the trials of life, let us rejoice. Rejoice because in God’s eyes, we have been deemed worthy of the highest honor: suffering like our king who endured for the joy set before him. Rejoice because of the life we have in and with Jesus our greatest treasure now, and because of the reward he won for us in that awaits in eternity. And as you rejoice, be like the apostles and continue to proclaim Jesus (Acts 5:42). Let the psalmist in Psalm 73:25–28 instruct us,

 

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

that I may tell of all your works.

 

When suffering and dishonor come in this life, rejoice! Jesus is worth it.

Don’t Stand Aloof. Fly to the Fount.

In Acts 5:12–16, we see an amazing scene glowing red hot with signs and wonders and astounding church growth. But nestled within this wild scene is an exhortation that we can’t allow to sneak past us for all the action. Don’t stand aloof from Jesus. Come to him.

We find the action that gives rise to the dramatic results in verse 12,

 

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.

 

God the Holy Spirit powerfully works signs and wonders through the apostles among the people and in the gathered church. The result:

 

more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

 

Now, at this point in Acts, the Lord had already been adding people to the church in huge numbers: Three thousand at Pentecost. Two thousand or perhaps even five thousand after Peter and John heal the lame man. So the church, counting women and children, is already pushing ten thousand at this point. And now more than ever believers were added to the Lord (Acts 5:14). The scene had to have been a wild one in Jerusalem. How do you even begin to report it. Well, Luke essentially drops us into a theater seat here and offers us a glimpse of the glorious, divinely directed play. People in the streets on cots. People pouring in from all the surrounding cities threatening to burst the walls of Jerusalem. All healed.

A good question to ask at this point is this: did the signs and wonders do this? They certainly played a part, or Luke would not have pointed them out. But what part did they fill in this divine comedy? Were they the lead role? Or, were they the supporting role. Acts 2:22 gives us the answer:

 

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know” (Acts 2:22).

 

The purpose of signs and wonders and the miraculous when Jesus walked the earth was to attest to Jesus. Acts 14:3 confirms that this remains the purpose of signs and wonders and miracles in the ministry of the church. There Luke describes Paul and Barnabas’s ministry in Iconium, saying,

 

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands (Acts 14:3).

 

Thus, the Holy Spirit performs signs and wonders through the church for the purpose of attesting to and bearing witness to Jesus and the gospel. Signs and wonders are the supporting character that shines the spotlight on the lead character, Jesus. Signs and wonders show Jesus. That’s their purpose, and they cannot be divorced from that purpose. They are never alone, but accompany the gospel.

So, when we consider a scene like Acts 5:12–16, we must recognize that Luke assumes the gospel here. These signs and wonders were done while the apostles boldly proclaimed the gospel (Acts 4:30–31). If this is the case, then, people are flocking to Jesus and availing themselves of all his benefits promised in the gospel. Thus, as Luke notes, believers, that is believers in Jesus, were added to the Lord (5:14). And as they came bringing the sick and demon afflicted, or perhaps sick and afflicted themselves, they found healing. Here in Acts 5:12, you can see the desperate hope. You can almost smell the mass of humanity. You can hear the commotion—cries of need from the sick and afflicted mingled with spontaneous exultations of the healed and delivered. Wonder upon wonder!

And, tucked away in this sensory scene is an implicit exhortation. In v. 13 we read,

 

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem (Acts 5:13).

 

While believers frantically flock to Jesus, there are others or the rest, the people (formulaic in Acts for those outside the church) who keep their distance. And yet, we also see that these people are divided even within themselves.

The people, while not daring to join the church still hold them (the apostles and the church) in high esteem. A more literal translation could be they magnify them. This Greek word that we render hold in high esteem or magnify (μεγαλύνω) usually attaches itself to the Lord or Jesus in the NT. For example, the Lord Jesus was extolled or magnified in Acts 19:17. In the OT, the Greek word translates the Hebrew word that communicates the idea of making great. Again, this word most often refers to God being made great. However, when it is applied to a man in the OT, that man is typically made great or magnified only because of his association with God and his glory. That is, God makes them great in the eyes of men (For example, Genesis 12:12; 2 Samuel 5:10).

The payoff of this little word study is this: These people who keep their distance magnify the apostles and the church not in spite of Jesus and his glory, but because of him. They recognize that God is with the church and doing something through them for his glory in the name of Jesus. And yet, they dare not join them.

When Jesus enters the scene, we can rest assured that there will always be division. That’s because Jesus demands all or nothing. But in return, he gives so much more,

 

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

 

When these people in Acts 5:13 see Jesus, they sheepishly stop short—content just to spectate and admire. Others see Jesus and furiously fly—not content until he is theirs and they are his. And it is only those who come to Jesus who find healing (Acts 5:16).

Let this exhort us.

When God reveals his glory to us in face of Jesus

When Scripture shows Jesus in all his exacting elegance

When the preached Word pricks our hardened hearts with the call of Christ

When the Holy Spirit works a sign or wonder or miracle to throw light on the love of God in Jesus

Do not stand aloof. Fly to the fount.

 

Nothing in my hand I bring

Simply to the cross I cling

Naked come to thee for dress

Helpless look to thee for grace

Wretched to the fount I fly

Wash me Savior or I die [1]

 

[1] Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me by Augustus Toplady (1776).

God Loves You More Than You Love Him

God is more excited about your redemption than you are. Zephaniah 3:14–20 prophesies of the coming day of redemption for God’s people through the gospel of Jesus. It is a day of great joy. And, the joy of some is greater than others. In short, God’s joy in and love for you so outshines your joy in and love for him that when you finally witness it in full, it will quite literally take your breath away. Consider some bits of the passage.

 

The Joy of the Redeemed
Zephaniah 3:14 exhorts you to express your joy fervently:

 

Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (Zephaniah 3:14)

 

God through his prophet gives you three commands: (1) Sing aloud, (2) Rejoice, and (3) Exult. God’s people are a people who must sing and sing loudly! They are a people who must rejoice and exult with all their hearts. In the same way the Great Commandment exhorts you to love the LORD your God with all your heart, Zephaniah exhorts you to sing loudly as you rejoice and exult with all your heart.

Why? Two categorical reasons. Because of your redemption and because of your redeemer. The next verse makes this clear.

 

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. (Zephaniah 3:15)

 

The three commands of sing aloud, rejoice, and exult have three reasons that we can shuffle into the two categories of redemption and redeemer: (1) the LORD has taken away the judgments against you; (2) the Lord has cleared away your enemies; and (3) the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst.

 

Your Redemption
First, you sing, rejoice, and exult because of your redemption. Consider the first two reasons that make up your redemption. (1) “the LORD has taken away the judgments against” you, and (2) the LORD “has cleared away your enemies.” Zephaniah makes a word play here that we don’t get in our English translation. The Hebrew word that we translate “take away” conveys the meaning of turn aside. We could translate then, “the LORD has turned aside the judgments against you.” Similarly, the Hebrew word we translate “cleared away” conveys the meaning of turn to. So we could translate “he has turned to your enemies.”

The full effect here is this. In your sin, you were an enemy of God under his rightful judgment. Yet, the promise of redemption in Jesus means that God has turned aside his judgments against you because they have all landed on Jesus. No more wrath for sins remains for you. Thus, as a result, the LORD now turns to all your enemies—sin, Satan and his demonic forces, and death itself—in order that they may feel the full weight of his divine judgment. Because of Jesus, the LORD has turned aside his wrath from you and has turned toward your enemies in his hot, blazing wrath. This is enough in and of itself to lead to great joy. But there’s more.

 

Your Redeemer
Second, you sing, rejoice, and exult because of your redeemer. The third reason in Zephaniah 3:15 doesn’t describe your redemption but your redeemer—the King is in your midst. Notice how the prophet describes the king. He is not merely “the King of Israel.” He is “the King of Israel, the LORD” who is in your midst. This King is YHWH. That is, Jesus Christ your King, the Son of God, dwells in the midst of his people now spiritually, and he will dwell in the midst of his people forever in the new heavens and new earth.

The reasons for joy have piled up so high that you should be boiling over with loud singing, rejoicing, and exulting! You who are in Christ should be the most joyful people because of your redemption and your redeemer. And you should be experts at expressing it with passion. However, there is one whose excitement for your redemption outpaces even your own. Look at what else the prophet has to say.

 

The Joy of Your Redeemer
In Zephaniah 3:17, the prophet moves away from describing the joy of the redeemed and begins to describe the joy of the redeemer.

 

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17).

 

The command to you is to sing loudly, rejoice, and exult with all your heart in your redemption and in your redeemer. And yet, what you read here is that your redeemer—the King, the LORD who is in your midst—also rejoices. And notice what or rather who he is rejoicing in—“he will rejoice over you with gladness.” Specifically, the prophet says (1) he will rejoice over you, (2) he will exult over you, and (3) he will sing over you. The prophet begins to paint a picture for you here.

As you come to the LORD, singing, rejoicing, and exulting with everything you have, he is doing the exact same thing. And what is the result? Is it a joyful back and forth of singing? Surprisingly, no. The prophet says you will actually stop your singing at the sight of the LORD—he will quiet you by his love. The Hebrew word for “quiet” here does not convey the idea of calming down or comforting like you might comfort and quiet a fussy or sad child. Rather, the word conveys the idea of keeping silent. The picture suddenly takes on more color. You come to the LORD with great joy, singing loudly, rejoicing and exulting with all of your heart. But you quickly find that the LORD’s joy completely eclipses yours. God’s delight in you, whom he has redeemed, is so great that it moves you to shocked silence.

 

Stand in Awe of Your Redeemer
God is more excited about your redemption than even you are. And his joy in and love for you will so outshine your joy in and love for him that it will quite literally take your breath away. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that right now for you in Christ, you should worship him with all you have. Specifically, according to Zephaniah, (1) you must sing and sing loudly, (2) you must rejoice with all of your heart, and (3) you must exult with all of your heart. You should express the entire scope of your joy and happiness in your redemption and in your redeemer. But it also means that you should expect in foretaste now and in full flavor in eternity to be moved to shocked silence—hand over your mouth, awe—when you see, experience, and know God’s joy and love for you in Christ that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:17–19). It also means that even when you are not delighting in and rejoicing in him or when you may be tempted to doubt his love for you, he has not ceased to delight in and rejoice in you.

As excited as you may be about your redemption, and as much as you might delight in and love your redeemer, his excitement over, delight in, and love for you far surpasses it. Look at the joy and love of your redeemer, and be moved to silence. Stand in awe of King Jesus, the LORD your God, in your midst.

Welcomed by God

Are you a weary sinner worn down by your idolatrous pursuits, guilt-ridden and ashamed to return to God? God welcomes you in Christ. Are you a weary saint worn down by the trials and tribulations of life, wondering if any of your labors will bear fruit, reward, or glory for your king or whether such labor will be overshadowed by your feebleness and failings? God welcomes you in Christ.

This Sunday, we will consider this high calling in Romans 15:7,

 

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

 

To do this, we must first consider this: How does Christ welcome us?

 

Weary Sinners
First, Jesus has welcomed us as we are, sinners in need of a savior. When we come to God in our weakness and need, he welcomes us as the father welcomed his prodigal son in Luke 15:17–24. We often come to God like this prodigal son came to his father. We come with a plan. Consider Luke 15:17–19,

 

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’

 

Notice the plan: (Step 1) I’ll confess, (Step 2) I’ll declare my unworthiness, (Step 3) I’ll take a demoted position and work to earn my place. The plan is heartfelt and marked with genuine humility. Yet some subtle but substantive misunderstanding of the father tinctures this plan. And so too often with us when we return to God from our wayward ways. And God in Jesus blows up our categories of restoration with his profound grace. Just consider how the father receives his returning son,

 

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

 

Notice, the son begins to implement his plan, and what is the father’s response? He doesn’t even acknowledge his sons attempt earn the restoration. Luke uses the key word “But” to show us the contrast in the father’s response to the son’s expectation of being treated as a servant. The son offers his spiel, but the father puts on mercy’s robe and a ring of grace.[1] The father welcomes his son home with abundant mercy, grace, and celebration. There is no time for self-flagellation when a son who was dead returns alive.

This is how Christ welcomes weary sinners. This is how Christ welcomes you. He welcomes you with staggering mercy, confounding grace, and exuberant celebration. But what’s arguably more breathtaking is the welcome weary saints receive when King Jesus returns.

 

Weary Saints
Second, Jesus welcomes weary saints with refreshing. Jesus offers us a parable to illustrate this in Luke 12:35–40. There, Jesus offers a parable to warn his people to remain faithful and expectant of his future return rather than being distracted by and invested in earthly things. Consider Jesus’ words,

 

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

 

The promise to the servants who are faithfully waiting their master’s return is that when the master does finally return, he greet his faithful, joyful servants happily. Then the servants will, in their joy, have their master sit as they begin to serve him. Is that the promise? No. The unexpected promise is that when the master returns and finds his servants faithfully working, he will have them sit, and he will serve them in joy. We can never outdo the hospitality of God in Jesus. The promise for you weary saint is that no matter how arduous or up and down the journey to eternity seems, no matter how long you have awaited the return of your master, if you remain faithful, he will come to you. And though you would welcome him, he will welcome you with times of refreshing.

 

Welcomed by God
God welcomes weary sinners and weary saints in Jesus. The promise for you weary, prodigal sinner is that if you will come to God in Jesus, he will welcome you. He will clothe you. He will adorn you. He will kill the fattened calf and celebrate you. There will be no place for guilt or demotion. The promise for you weary but faithful saint is that when Jesus returns, he will welcome you. He will wipe the sweat from your brow. He will sit you down at table. He will offer you a cool drink from the river of life. And he will set a feast before you. So if you are weary, a weary sinner or a weary saint, let the tried and true words of that great hymn by Joseph Hart be your anthem,

 

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms (Joesph Hart, “Come Ye Sinners” [1759])

 

This is your king, the one who welcomes you with ten thousand charms. Come weary sinner. Come weary saint. You are welcomed by God.

 

 

[1] “mercy’s robe” and “a ring of grace” are lyrics found in “The Prodigal” by Sovereign Grace Music. Music and words by Meghan Baird and Ryan Baird. © 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP (adm. by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved.

Snow and the Kindness of God

Snow should remind us who are in Christ of God’s kindness.

According to Queen City News, Charlotte has not seen measurable snow since January 2022. That’s a three year snow drought. That means, we (the Smith family) have never seen snow in Charlotte. But as I write this, snow sits on the ground outside our house. Our first NC snow! As many of you know, we moved here from the Midwest—namely Kansas City, MO, by way of Minneapolis, MN,—where we grew quite accustomed to lots and lots and LOTS of snow. But, let me tell you, it hasn’t taken very long for us to lose our familiarity with it. Three years of no snow may as well be thirty. So that makes our very first snow in Charlotte and the first snow in three years for many of you as fascinating and magical as ever. And, while there can often be some inconveniences with snow, these white crystals of frozen water that captivate us from the time we’re young should also spark flames of praise to our Heavenly Father. Consider the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 147,

 

Praise the LORD!

He sends out his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

he scatters frost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before his cold? (Psalm 147:1, 15–17)

 

God is the inventor and maker of snow, and that should lead to our wonder and praise. And, when this rare snow starts to melt, which is likely to be rather quickly, that too should remind us to send up praises to the Creator. Again, the Psalmist,

 

He sends out his word, and melts them;

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. (Psalm 147:18)

 

Snow should lead us to praise God. But do we praise God merely for this mesmerizing gift of snow as wonder-inducing as it may be? No. This sprinkle of snow and ice, its falling and its ultimate melting, is simply a kind reminder from God that he has been uniquely kind to us who are in Christ. That’s because, just as he sent this snow by his word, he has kindly revealed himself to us by declaring his Word to us. Again, the Psalmist,

 

He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and rules to Israel.

He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know his rules. (Psalm 147:19–20)

 

If you know the gospel, if you know God’s Word, it is only because he has spoken it to you and revealed it to you. It is only because God has kindly shown mercy to you.

 

Just as God speaks to send the snow and take the snow away, he spoke to reveal himself, awaken our hearts, and remove our sinfulness through the gospel of Jesus. As long as a three year snow drought may seem, we were on a trajectory of lifelong spiritual drought. And God in his kindness permanently broke the drought. Snow should remind us who are in Christ of God’s kindness to us. This snow, therefore, should lead all of us who are in Christ to one thing. It should lead us to repeat the refrain of the Psalmist,

 

Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:20)