Receive, Receive, Receive

What do you deserve? How much of what you have – family, goods, health, friends, ministry, influence – is yours by desert?

In Deuteronomy 26, God gives instructions for an offering of the firstfruits of the initial harvest after the Israelites enter the Promised Land. In addition to the offering, they are to say these words:

“A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation. . . . The Egyptians treated us harshly. . . . Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction. . . . The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. . . . He brought us into this place and gave us this land. . . . Now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:5-10).

Moses then says, “You shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you” (Deuteronomy 26:11).

Notice the God-centeredness of this statement. The Israelites are to say, “We were not even a people, yet God chose us, guided us, and watched over us. He enabled us to multiply. He rescued and redeemed us – all we did was cry out! All we have is the result of His grace!”

Now, the Israelites might be tempted to say, “We had to fight battles to get here! We defeated the Amalekites, we destroyed the armies of Sihon and Og, we defeated the forces of numerous Canaanite kings. Furthermore, we worked the ground, we harvested the crops. Of course, God has given us much – but surely because of our hard work we deserve a considerable portion of what we have!”

But that is not the biblical attitude. Paul asks the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). And earlier in Deuteronomy, Moses warns the Israelites against thinking they deserve what they have worked for:

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’  You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18, emphasis added).

“It is He who gives you the power to get . . .” Complete the sentence. Put in place of “wealth” whatever you have that you think you deserve. Your job. Your friends. Your spouse. Your children. If you have worked for and received something worthwhile, even that is a gift of God. You did not deserve the ability to work.

My friends, whatever we have, whatever we are, whatever we love – all is a gift. Everything is ours by grace. We don’t deserve goods. We don’t deserve friends. We don’t deserve abilities. We don’t deserve family. We don’t deserve breath.

Today I turn 54 years old. This lesson – that I deserve nothing, that every good in my life is a gift and is not earned – is one I have needed to learn over and over again. So often, when matters don’t go exactly as I desire, the thought arises, “Surely I deserve. . . .” So often in times of joy I will pat myself on the back for what I have.

This evening there will be birthday presents to open. Last night before small group, there was a delicious birthday dinner complete with a 54-candle birthday cake. At moments like this, it’s relatively easy to say, “I don’t deserve these presents. I don’t deserve this party. I don’t deserve this 54-candle birthday cake.”

But, Lord God, help me to look at all else and say, “Everything good in my life is a gift from the Father. Whatever is good in my character, whatever I have received in pay, whatever joy in Beth or in the children or in athletics or in this loving church – all comes to me because of the mercy and lovingkindness of God the Father through Jesus Christ.”

And may I, in this next year of my life, say with the Apostle,

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Thank you, Lord God. May I be overflowing with thankfulness for the abundance of Your undeserved grace toward me through Jesus Christ my Treasure.

Finding Life Through Denying Self

The year is 1810. You are one of the parents of four daughters; your youngest, Ann, is 21. One day in July you receive a letter from a young man you met only one month previously, asking to begin a courtship of Ann. This is to be expected; she is attractive, vivacious, intelligent, and, after all, is 21; but no parent has ever received a request for courtship quite like this one. Let me quote:

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next Spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure for a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory with a crown of righteousness, brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from the heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

How would you respond?

The natural response would be to say, “No way! Not my youngest! She can serve God right here! She means too much to me to let her risk her life on the other side of the world! I need her!”

In Mark 8:34-37, Jesus confronts each of us with questions similar to those raised in this letter: Where do you find life? What is the source of life? Do you find life in the accomplishments and pleasures and relationships of this world? Or are you willing to give up all of those in order to know Him, and to follow Him?

Just prior to these verses, Jesus has asked His disciples who they believe Him to be. Peter responds for all twelve: He is the Christ, the Messiah, the One promised by God to usher in His Kingdom.

But then Jesus astounds them. He tells them He, their long-promised Messiah, will be rejected by the Jewish leaders and put to death in Jerusalem. He will suffer – and then rise again.

So He has stated that He will die. He then tells His followers that they too must die:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? (Mark 8:34-37)

What is true of the master is true of the disciples also. Jesus must die in order to become what God intends Him to be; His followers must die also, they too must take up a cross, they too must lose themselves in order to become what God intends them to be.

What does Jesus mean by these expressions: “deny himself. . . take up his cross . . . lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s . . . forfeit his soul”?

One key to understanding this passage is to recognize that the same Greek word is used for both “life” and “soul” in verses 35-37 (as noted in the ESV and NIV textual footnotes). This word psyche is more commonly translated “soul;” it emphasizes your individual life, your particular needs and wants – what makes you you. A different Greek word, zoe, is used for life in contrast to death.

The difference between these two words comes out in John 10:10-11, where Jesus says:

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

In verse 10, “life” is the usual word for life in contrast to death, zoe; Jesus came to make alive those who are spiritually dead. But in verse 11, Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his psyche – that is, his “soul,” all that he is, his personal self, his wants and desires – he lays down all this for his sheep.

In light of this, look again at Mark 8:34-37. Here, Jesus tells us to do what He does in John 10:11. This paraphrase attempts to bring out these truths:

If you want to follow Me, you must first deny yourself, and take up your cross – you must die to yourself. Only then can you truly follow Me. 35 For if you want to hold on to what makes you you in this world, you shall never become what God intends you to be; but if you give up what you think makes you you for My sake and the Gospel’s, you shall become what God intends you to be. 36 For what does it profit you to gain everything the world has to offer and to actualize what you think you should be, if you then forfeit what your Creator intends you to be? For what shall you give in exchange for the very thing that truly makes you you, the essence of who you are?

Jesus himself is headed toward a physical death – and then a resurrection to a glorious new life in a new body. Just so, He tells us to die to self – so that we can become what God intends us to be, perfect in Him.

Jesus asks every one of His followers this question. And so, in the letter quoted above, Adoniram Judson, the first missionary to go out from the United States, asks John Hasseltine to give up His daughter for the sake of the glory of Christ among the nations.

Mr Hasseltine did give his consent to the courtship; about 18 months later, Adoniram and Ann Hasseltine were married. Less than two weeks after the wedding, they boarded ship for the four-month journey to India and, subsequently, Burma. She knew the cost was high. That day she wrote in her journal:

My heart bleeds. O America, my native land, must I leave thee? Must I leave my parents, my sisters and brothers, my friends beloved, and all the scenes of my early youth?

In the next 15 years, Ann and Adoniram suffered hardships that are almost unimaginable to us today. They were blessed with children, but all of them died in infancy. Ann and Adoniram were separated almost as much as they were together, frequently not knowing if the other was still alive. It was during one of these lengthy separations that she became ill and died. She had not seen her husband for 3 1/2 months. Four weeks passed before news of her death reached Adoniram.

Evaluated at the time of her death, many might have said she wasted her adult life. She was instrumental in the conversion of only a handful of Burmese, and most of those had been dispersed or lost their lives during a war between Burma and England. Was it worth it?

Ann wrote this in her diary prior to her marriage: “Might I but be the means of converting a single soul, it would be worth spending all my days to accomplish.”

She had no regrets, even given what she could witness. But the impact of her willingness to die to self and live for Christ becomes much more apparent from our perspective. Without her devotion and care, Adoniram would have died during the persecution he suffered. Instead, he survived to translate the entire Bible into Burmese, and see thousands come to the Lord. His translation remains the Burmese Bible used today.

What about you? What is it that you need to die to? What treasures are you holding on to that hinder your becoming like Christ, your becoming what God intends you to be?

Are you willing to die to your sinful desires?

Are you willing to die to your desires for things which are good in and of themselves, but get in the way of your following Jesus? Money? Career? Possessions? Pleasures?

Die to self – that you might have true life. Take up your cross – to find the fulfillment that only God can provide.

(This devotion is excerpted and edited from a 1999 sermon on Mark 8, “Gaining True Life Through Losing False Life.”)

Spreading a Passion Through the Overflow of Your Heart

Why are we here?

Why are we here as a church? Why are we here as individuals?

Why doesn’t God just open our eyes to see the magnificence of Jesus, save us by grace through faith – and then translate us into His presence? Why doesn’t He immediately remove us from this world? It seems like that would result in our having a lot more joy and a lot less sorrow. Think of the various sorrows you would not have experienced had He acted that way.

Indeed, if God’s goal were to minimize the pain that His people go through after salvation, undoubtedly He would take us to Himself immediately.

But He doesn’t. Why not? That is: Why are we here?

Over the six years of our existence as a church, we answered that question with different phrases. Our mission statement is a direct answer to that question: We exist as a church to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. We have taught that the Bible gives the church a threefold purpose: Expressing joy in Christ, deepening joy in Christ, and spreading joy in Christ. The first two occur both now and in eternity. The last is peculiar to our time in this world.

Scripture uses different images to get this point across:

  • Paul says we are “ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
  • Jesus refers to us as those who are sent out: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21)
  • Our Savior tells us we are to lovers of God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37)
  • And He tells us we are to be lovers of our neighbors: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).
  • When we live this way by His grace through His Spirit, we are godlike, spreading His image: “As he is so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

Do you see the connections among these descriptions of us? As John Piper notes, “You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.” If we are spread a passion for Him, we must be passionate about Him. Then we can be His ambassadors, sent by Him, like Jesus, both the proclaim the Good News, and to live out the Good News in acts of love. In this way, we truly are like Him in this world, displaying His image, His likeness

So this is why we are here. God gives us Himself, and then He gives us pain, He gives us trials, He gives us challenges – as well as joys, successes, and accomplishments – so that we might display Who He is.

So every pain, every trial, every challenge is an opportunity to display the glory of God. We will display that glory if in the midst of trials we remember Who He is, live in accordance with that truth, and proclaim that truth to others.

If we, then, are here in this world rather than in God’s presence in order to spread joy in Christ, how does this spreading happen?

Let me answer that in a roundabout way. Trust me that we’re going to get back to biblical spreading.

In a program-driven church, spreading occurs in large measure through scheduled activities:

  • “We do evangelism 10am to noon Saturday mornings. Come out with us and speak of who Jesus is.”
  • “Tuesday nights at 7 we have a class on sharing the Gospel. Come learn how to spread!”
  • “Thursday evenings at 6pm we offer a meal and then a course that takes 6 weeks to explain the Gospel to unbelievers. Bring your unsaved friends!”

None of those activities are bad. We have often done similar activities. We may do all again in the future.

The problem arises when we attend a Saturday morning evangelistic effort and then say, “OK, I can check off evangelism for this week!” Paul did not say, “We are ambassadors for Christ two hours each week.” We are ambassadors. We exist to spread joy in Christ. We are always as He is in this world.

So the biblical mandate is to be an ambassador, to be a sent one, to be one who loves God with all your heart.

One who is an ambassador of Christ may well structure formal activities in order to live out that calling. But he is an ambassador all the time. And we certainly cannot schedule love for God with all our heart for a few hours each week!

So what are we aiming at here at Desiring God Community Church?

We aim to be a community of God-enamored people, of Gospel-enamored people, spurring each other on to love Him all the more, speaking to each other out of overflowing hearts about who Jesus is. As my friend Tim Cain puts it, we want DGCC to be a church where we exhort one another, “Tell me something that you learned this week that blows you away about the majesty of Jesus.” We want to leave Sunday morning services asking each other, “What did you see of the glory of God the Father in that sermon?” “What lyrics or Scriptures today thrilled you about the person of Jesus?” We want to come together in small groups and ask, “What have you seen of God’s character in your devotions this week?”

So, a program-driven church might emphasize that everyone should be in a small group in order to get to know a few people well, to feel attached to the church, to give each person a task, with the goal of assimilating everyone into the life of the church.

Once again, those are not bad things. Hopefully our small groups will yield those secondary benefits.

But in a Gospel-enamored church, small groups are a scheduled opportunity to do what should be happening all the time: Fulfilling the biblical one another commands.

Here is a partial list of those commands (here is a complete list, with references)

  • Love one another (earnestly, from a pure heart)
  • Abound in love for one another
  • live in harmony with one another
  • do not pass judgment on one another
  • welcome one another
  • greet one another
  • care for one another
  • serve one another
  • bear one another’s burdens
  • bear with one another in love
  • be kind to one another
  • Address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
  • submit to one another
  • do not lie to one another
  • forgive one another
  • teach one another
  • admonish one another
  • encourage one another
  • exhort one another
  • build one another up
  • do good to one another
  • stir up one another to love and good works
  • do not speak evil against one another
  • do not grumble against one another
  • confess your sins to one another
  • pray for one another
  • show hospitality to one another
  • clothe yourselves with humility toward one another

My friends, these are the marks of a Gospel-enamored church. These are the marks of hearts changed by God’s grace. Out of the overflow of that grace, in chance meetings and in scheduled meetings, we give grace to one another, we speak of God’s grace to one another. Our cups overflow in word and deed. Speaking of Christ to one another becomes natural.

So what does this have to do with spreading? Much in every way!

First, when speaking of Christ is natural with believers, speaking of Christ will also become natural with unbelievers. We will then commend what we cherish. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

Second, when such interactions are common among us, the church as a whole is a tremendous witness to the truth of the Gospel. When we live out the “one another” commands, others will notice the depth of our relationships, the extent of our love, the sincerity of our concern, and the quality of our joy. Living in this way commends the Gospel in ways that words never will.

So will you pray to this end? Will you pray that we would be such a community? Will you pray that each of us individually might be so enamored with Christ that our lips cannot but speak of Him? Will you pray that our life together would be characterized by the fulfillment of these one another commands?

And will you pray that we then might indeed spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ?

Christians and Political Advocacy

What does the Bible say about political advocacy?

In Romans 14, Paul discusses a specific issue: Should Christians have concerns about whether or not the meat that they eat has been killed according to Old Testament regulations? Paul does believe one side is right in this disagreement. But he emphasizes that loving our brothers and following our convictions are both much more important than being on the right side.

Today, the way animals are killed is not an issue many Christians worry about. But, as usual, Paul resolves the issue by looking at bedrock principles of who we are in Christ, and what motivations should underlie all that we do. His argument in this chapter is thus helpful for every issue not fundamentally related to salvation on which Christians may disagree.

What follows is a reworking of Romans 14, replacing Paul’s specific discussion of food issues with present-day, American political issues. I’ve arbitrarily labeled one side Democrat and the other Republican – feel free to reverse the labels if you wish. Verse 14 moves furthest from the original text, while verses 7-13, 18, and 19 are all unchanged.

The central point in Paul’s discussion is found in verses 7 to 9: We are not to live to ourselves. We are not to live aiming to increase our own comfort or status. All we do– from our seemingly trivial decisions like what we eat to our political decisions – should be focused on giving God honor, on glorifying Him.

So I encourage you: Read Romans 14, then read over this reworking of the chapter. See if this helps you to take to heart the lessons Paul is teaching. Ask yourself if my reworking is true to the basic principles Paul lays out. And then ensure that whatever you do  – eating, drinking, or political advocacy – you do all to the glory of God.

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions, or to convince him of your opinion.  2 One person believes he should vote Democrat, while another votes Republican.  3 Let not the one who votes Democrat despise the one who votes Republican, and let not the one who votes Republican pass judgment on the one who votes Democrat, for God has welcomed him.  4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one party as better than another, while another esteems all parties alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  6 The one who supports a party, supports it in honor of the Lord. The one who votes Democrat, votes in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who votes Republican, votes in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.  7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.  9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;  11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”  12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.  14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that one party is better than the other, but it would be wrong for another believer to support that party to please me if he is convinced otherwise. 15 For if your brother is grieved by your political advocacy, you are no longer walking in love. By political advocacy, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.  16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.  17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of political advocacy but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.  19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.  20 Do not, for the sake of politics, destroy the work of God. One party is indeed better than the other, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by political advocacy.  21 It is good not to support a political party – or to do anything else – if that causes your brother to stumble.

(These related blog posts examine similar issues: Christians and Politics, How Should a Christian Vote?)

Who Can Be Against Us?

Romans 8:31   If God is for us, who can be against us?

Really, Paul? Don’t you know who can be against us? Lots of people! Former friends – like Judas was against Jesus. Relatives – even our very children or parents, as Jesus Himself warns us (Matthew 10:35-36).  Then add to that the political authorities, the religious authorities, as well as our neighbors and colleagues – it seems that everyone potentially is against us. So how can you ask such a question? Instead, shouldn’t the question be, “If I proclaim that Jesus is Lord, who won’t be against me?”

What’s that you say? Sure, I’ll keep reading. God has done what is hardest for us in sacrificing His Son – will He not then graciously give us all things? And who can bring a charge that will lead to condemnation against anyone whom God has chosen, who is in Christ? For Jesus is there, always making intercession for us, saying, “These wounds paid the penalty for those sins! They are covered!”

OK, Paul. So you’re saying no one can be against us in the sense that no one can take away the salvation that is ours in the new heavens and the new earth. If we believe in Jesus, if we are in Christ, then we will spend an eternity with Him. No opponent can change that.

Yes, that is a precious truth. And it indeed is some comfort. I didn’t mean to question that.

But, Paul, don’t you understand? I am hurting now. And as precious as that promise of future hope is, I still have to endure the pain of betrayal and opposition from those I love now. It still seems to me that your question in verse 31 is the wrong question. God is for me in eternity, but there are still many who are against me now.

Oh, I’m sorry, I was talking and didn’t hear you. Keep reading some more? Ok. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Oh! Is that what you mean by someone being against us? “Who can be against us” means “Who can separate us from Christ’s love”? That must be what you mean for you then say: They might persecute us, they might make us starve, they might expose us to the elements, they might threaten to kill us, they might even fulfill the threat and kill us –  and they do! – yet we more than overcome all of this through the One who loves us.

So, Paul, even the worst things that happen in this life won’t separate us from the love of Christ? Not even torture and murder? Not even that? Praise God!

But, you know, there are these spiritual forces out there that are powerful – what about a demon, a fallen angel? What about Satan himself? Can he separate me from Christ’s love? No?

Well, even if I am in Christ’s love today, and He has overcome those powers that assail me, might not a greater power come along tomorrow to separate me from His love? No? Really? Nothing in all creation?

But there’s one more enemy to consider, my greatest enemy: What about myself? What if I separate myself from Christ’s love? If His love is dependent on my own faithfulness, I can surely be separated! Indeed, I certainly will be separated eventually!

Yes, I’m listening. Yes, I am a created being. Therefore I am in creation. And you said nothing in all creation can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus if indeed I am in Christ, if I am God’s elect. Yes, I do remember that Jesus said: “This is the will of the one who sent me– that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day” (John 6:39).

Ok, Paul. I see now how you endured so much tribulation – how you were sorrowful and afflicted and perplexed and persecuted yet you rejoiced in God through it all. You knew the love of God – you experienced the love of God in all of that pain. And to be in Christ – to know Him – to be loved by Him – was worth more than all the pain. Yes, I do see that this is what all the Old Testament saints knew: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

If God is for us, who can be against us? No one can condemn us, and thus separate us from His love for eternity; nor can anyone put up a barrier between God and us even now, even in the most severe trial.

Thank you for explaining that to me, Paul. I look forward to the next lesson.

The Calculus of Temptation

Why do you disobey God? Why is disobeying God attractive to you?

Sin promises us greater joy, greater fulfillment, greater life. The temptation may be to internal sins like anger, bitterness, lust, pride, greed, cowardice, and self-centeredness, or it may be to external sins like hurtful words, illicit sex, physical violence, duplicitous lies, or outright theft. But in every case, the motivation is similar. Just as the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-5), so sin tempts us today: “Following God doesn’t lead to true fulfillment. Be all that you can be! This is the way to pleasure, to status – to life itself!”

The tempter tries to portray God as an out-of-touch authority who likes to throw His weight around, and get those under Him to do meaningless tasks for His pleasure. So the tempter asserts that both the costs of following God and the benefits of sin are high. He furthermore asserts that the both benefits of following God and the costs of sin are low. So it’s only logical, he alleges, to sin. It’s in your self-interest.

How can we combat this calculus of temptation?

The Bible does not tell us to avoid the calculus. Rather, the Bible tells us to do the calculus rightly. Look at the true costs. Look at the true benefits. Do what is truly in your own best interests.

Consider Romans 6:20-22. Paul has said that we have only two choices: We are slaves to sin, or we are slaves to righteousness. He then instructs us to think clearly about what life is like as a slave to sin. What are its benefits?

What fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (Romans 6:21)

In effect, Paul acknowledges that there were some short-term, seeming benefits of sin. There is some pleasure in contemplating the words you will say to get back at the co-worker who belittled you. There is some enjoyment that comes from spending the tax dollars you lied to avoid paying.

But, Paul says, consider the end of those sins. Consider the long term. Even in this life, there may be long-term, negative consequences: You may remain bitter and angry for years; you may end up in jail. But much more importantly, the end of those things is life without God. Life without the Giver of life. Life without the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Life that is not life at all; life that is death.

So the benefits of sin are brief and temporary, at best lasting a few decades. Furthermore, the costs are huge – and eternal.

Now move to the other side of the calculus, says Paul.  Consider the benefits of being God’s slave – that is, the benefits of the obedience that comes from faith in Christ:

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

Note that in this passage Paul says nothing about the costs of obedience. Those are real, as He details elsewhere (2 Corinthians 4:7-18, for example), and as Jesus Himself tells us (John 15:20, for example). But here in Romans 6 the Apostle focuses on the surpassing greatness of the fruit of faithful obedience: Sanctification. That is, becoming like Christ. Taking on His image. Being His image-bearer. Displaying His likeness, and thereby being His ambassador. And the end, rather than death, is eternal life. Union with the Giver of life, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. And that must be true life.

So Paul concludes in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death” – the natural consequence, the just deserts of sin is not joy, pleasure, and life, but the absence of everything good. Death itself. “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Union with Christ now, in this life, and all the joy that accompanies His presence even as we go through trials and difficulties; and then, the new heavens and the new earth, when we see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12), when there is no more mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4), and we will be with the Life-Giver forever.

So Paul invites us: Do what is in your self-interest! Do the calculus! But judge the costs and benefits rightly. Look at the time frame of eternity. Look at each act not only in isolation, but consider how it enslaves you further under sin or under righteousness. Look at the end to which you are moving – and get off the road that leads to death.

The battle in my heart, the battle in your heart, is to truly believe that every commandment of God is for our good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13), that in His presence alone is fullness of joy, at His right hand alone are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). This is the testimony of Scripture; this is the testimony of our brothers and sisters in Christ over the centuries – including those who have given their lives for Him.

So what about you? Do you believe? Do the calculus rightly! Fight the tempter’s lies! And, saved through His blood, walk in newness of life to the glory of God the Father (Romans 6:4).

Self-Absorbed or Self-Forgetful?

“What’s that in your pocket?” The TSA officer looked sternly at me.

“My wallet.”

“Take it out and show it to me.”

I comply.

“There’s still something in that pocket!”

“Oh, yes – it’s a granola bar.” I pull out my Quaker Chewy Low Fat Chocolate Chunk granola bar, unopened, and hold it up.

She glares at me. “You’ll have to go back through the metal detector, and put that granola bar through the scanner.”

What is welling up in me as I turn around and walk back?

There could have been a question about public policy – that is, a question of truth: “Have we made air travel any safer through all these regulations, or just more of a hassle? Have the terrorists indeed won? Was this their goal – to make our lives more difficult?”

Those are legitimate questions. Had those been the questions in my mind, there would have been no sin involved.

That’s the way I am tempted to tell the story: I care about the efficiency of air travel in the US, the hassles faced by other travelers, the economic impact of making travel tedious and difficult.

But in fact, the thoughts in my head did not concern those matters of truth and policy. Instead, my immediate thoughts were annoyance at the hassle she put ME through. My immediate action was to demean her in my mind for making me take 15 seconds to put the granola bar through the scanner.

Note: I complied. I smiled at her. I was over it in a few minutes. No one could see my annoyance. I don’t think Fred noticed anything when he saw me on the other side of the security checkpoint.

But my being good at covering up sin does not lessen the depth of sin.

What is so bad about this sin?

Fundamentally, the sin I engaged in is a denial of the cross.

The cross says, “Coty Pinckney is so depraved, so rotten, so despicable, that the only way to make up for those sins is the shedding of the blood of Jesus.” I have Jesus’ blood on my hands. I deserve His punishment. And He came and gave up everything to save me.

So what do I deserve from the TSA officer? My mind functioned as if I deserve her service to me, her kindness to me. But actually, I deserve to be told I cannot board the plane, because I am dangerous and I stink.

When we truly see the cross, we cannot be defensive. As in this case, there may be a matter of truth involved: Someone may accuse us of something we did not commit, or (as possibly in this case) the procedures used may be ineffective and unproductive. There could be some value in discussing these matters of truth. But we are not defensive, because the reality of our sin is always greater than the accusation made against us.

In essence, my sin described above is self-absorption. And the opposite of this sin, the Christian goal, is self-forgetfulness. When I take on this attitude, I no longer am concerned with how others are responding to ME – but instead am desirous that others are responding to the TRUTH of who Jesus is.

Self-forgetfulness also leads to “omnivorous attentiveness” (a phrase Alan Jacobs uses to describe C.S. Lewis). That is, seeing God’s gifts everywhere, from the way light shines through a window to the way a cat curls up on a chair; and seeing evidences of God’s grace in others, as they become more Christlike.

What will DGCC look like if we become more self-forgetful and less self-absorbed, more cross-centered and less me-centered?

  • Time and again Scripture will come alive to us as we are amazed at who Jesus is and what He does.
  • Time and again we will share with one another what we have seen recently of who Jesus is.
  • Time and again we will be attune to and thankful for the common grace God gives others, including unbelievers.
  • Time and again, we will speak of Christ and His work on the cross as an encouragement to our fellow believers and as a witness to unbelievers.
  • Time and again we will be generous with time and money – and think not at all about OUR sacrifice or OUR work.

This is what we want DGCC to be; this is what we want our small groups to encourage; this is what I want in my own life: That is, we want us as a community to live out Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So we want each of us to say: “I am dead. The me that takes offense at being told to go back through the metal detector is dead. Christ is in me. He loved me, He died for me, He raised me with Himself, He made me alive so that He can display who He is through me. That is the only reason I live.”

May God make us self-forgetful and thus omnivorously attentive. And may we so marvel at the saving cross that we cannot but speak of the One who died so that He might live through us.

How Clean are Your Hands?

Psalm 24:3-6   3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?  4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Can I ascend the hill of the Lord? Can I stand in His holy place?

David here presents us with a picture of a pilgrim ascending the hill to the temple in order to engage in the privilege of worshiping God. The temple is a picture of God’s presence with His people. So the question is: Can I stand in God’s presence? Am I qualified to worship and praise Him?

Psalm 1:5 tells us that “the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” No, the wicked could never stand in the presence of a holy God – they can only fall on their faces before Him, and be overwhelmed by His righteous wrath. Only the righteous, those with clean hands and pure hearts, can stand.

But consider verse 4: How clean must my hands be? How pure must my heart be? If my heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9), what hope is there for me to stand before God? How could I be clean enough to worship Him?

Verse 6 provides the hope that verse 4 seems to preclude: Those who seek His face, who desire to know Him, are among the generation of those who receive the blessing of worshiping Him. Such people desire above all else to see the fulfillment of the High Priestly blessing in Numbers 6:25-27, by which God’s Name is put on His people: “The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Such seekers, identified with God, subsumed under His Name, will receive God’s blessing: His own righteousness (verse 5). Therefore, to them He will become a God of salvation, not a God of wrath. Thus, they can indeed stand in His presence, in the assembly of the righteous.

But verse 4 still bites:

  • Do I have clean hands? Water does not suffice to clean them, as Pilate found out (Matthew 27:24).
  • Do I have a pure heart? Jesus echoes this psalm in saying the pure in heart will have the blessing of seeing God (Matthew 5:8). Yet my heart goes astray.
  • Do I lift up my soul to what is false – that is, do I long for what will never satisfy? That may be longing for the promise of power from a literal false god, a carved idol, but it also includes the longing for any goal in my life other than knowing God. The judgment must be, “Guilty!”
  • Do I mislead others with my speech? Do I want others to think more highly of me than I deserve? Do I twist facts and accomplishments so that I look good? Is my yes always yes, and my no always no (James 5:12)? Once again: Guilty.

So if I don’t have clean hands, if I don’t have a pure heart, if I do long for what will never satisfy, and if I do mislead others with my speech – where does that leave me? Can I climb God’s holy hill? Is there any chance I can stand to worship Him in the assembly of the righteous?

I want to seek His face. And yet, I have no ability to clean my hands. Where does that leave me?

My only hope: Receiving a pure heart as a gift. Receiving clean hands that are, indeed, Jesus’ clean hands. Having Him incline my heart to Himself (1 Kings 8:58). Having my lips purified by a coal from His altar (Isaiah 6:6-7).

That is, my only hope is God’s gift of grace through the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15).  And then, because Jesus rose from the dead and lives in His people, by His grace I can and must strive to live each day with clean hands, with a pure heart, with a soul not lifted up, and with edifying speech that gives “grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). I thus strive not to gain access to the holy hill, but, having been granted access to His presence, I strive to present evidence that He is worth more than everything else in this world.

Then I can ascend the hill of the Lord. Then I can worship Him. Then I can rejoice in God, my Savior. Then I will be among His people. Then He will be my God.

So I ask: How clean are your hands?

Should Christians Be Indifferent?

In the conclusion of Sunday’s sermon, I said, “Long for God to use you for His glory. Be confident that He will. But be indifferent to whether He uses you through pain and sorrow, or through success and fame.”

In my notes, I set off the word “indifferent,” and put a question mark next to it. Was it really the right word? Biblically, should we be indifferent to these outcomes?

The answer is yes or no – depending upon how we frame the question. So consider these different situations, and whether or not we are indifferent in each one:

In looking at the present circumstances others are facing, we must never be indifferent to their pain and sorrow. As we noted last week when discussing the Haiti earthquake, we must weep with those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). In this way, we are like Jesus Himself (John 11:35).

In considering those who do not know Christ, we must never be indifferent to whether or not they come to faith in Him. Paul has “great sorrow and unceasing anguish in [his] heart” when he thinks of the unsaved state of most of his fellow Jews (Romans 9:2). This is not indifference! Our hearts similarly should long for the salvation of those around us.

In the midst of our present circumstances, we must rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). Paul writes those words while in prison. He goes on to say, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11). Note that some of those reading this letter may have seen him live this out when he and Silas, beaten and bruised, praised God in song while in a Philippian jail (Acts 16:25). Now, I am sure that, other things being equal, Paul would have preferred to be out of prison rather than in prison. But he was content, he was rejoicing in the Lord, while confined. He knew God was at work. He was confident that God was in control. He was entrusting Himself to God in those circumstances (1 Peter 4:19) – and so his circumstances did not matter. In that sense, he was indifferent to them.

In looking to the future, we desire God’s glory above all else. We pray and long for His Kingdom to come, His will to be done on earth itself, and not only in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We desire the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). We are not indifferent to this outcome!

In looking to the eternal state, we long to see Jesus face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). We do look forward to living with perfected humanity without sorrow, without pain, with every tear wiped from our eyes (Hebrews 12:23, Revelation 21:4). But God Himself is our hope; all other joys of heaven pale before being with Him (Psalm 73:25). We are certainly not indifferent to that outcome.

In contemplating our personal future on earth, we want to be used by God in whatever role He chooses to bring about the coming of His Kingdom. This is the sense in which I was using the word in the sermon. God may grant us success or failure. We may be known or unknown. We may see a clear response to our ministries or no response. Our goal is not success, or fame, or even a response to our ministry. Our goal is God’s glory.

We could say that this attitude is Philippians 4:11 prospectively. We are content not only in our present circumstances, but in any possible future circumstances – if those future circumstances are part of God’s plan to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory.

As in the case of present circumstances, we certainly will have personal preferences about what those future circumstances look like. I would rather be able to walk all my life than to lie in a hospital bed from tomorrow until the day I die. I would rather live with a roof over my head than to have an earthquake devastate my city and be forced to sleep in the open with thousands of others for days on end. And I would rather be the means hundreds come to faith than to speak to those of hard and stubborn hearts who never listen (Ezekiel 3:7).

But there is a sense in which I should be indifferent to these outcomes. For Jesus was indifferent to outcomes over which he had a personal preference. When faced with the immediate threat of the cross, of taking on Himself the punishment for all the sin of all redeemed humanity, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). In that sense, He wasn’t indifferent. However, He continues, “Not as I will, but as You will.” Or as He says elsewhere when His heart is troubled at the prospect of the cross, “For this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27-28).

He was indifferent in the sense that the joy of glorifying the Name of God so outweighed the pain that there was no comparison (Hebrews 12:2). Paul says our attitude should be similar: our terrible sorrows, real as they are, become “light momentary afflictions” when compared to the “eternal weight of glory” that they produce (2 Corinthians 4:18).

So will you have the indifference of Jesus? Will you pray, “Lord, I naturally want an easy life. And I naturally want to be used by You in ways that yield clear, obvious responses. But You are filling the earth with the knowledge of Your glory as the waters cover the sea. Above all else, I want You to use me in whatever way will bring that end about. So here I am. You choose. Enable me to serve you faithfully – in whatever way you choose: in sorrow and pain or in earthly joy and happiness; in success and fame or in obscurity and dishonor. Just glorify Your Name through me, Your slave.”

As Laurence Tuttiett wrote:

Father, let me dedicate all this year to Thee,
In whatever worldly state Thou wilt have me be:
Not from sorrow, pain or care, freedom dare I claim;
This alone shall be my prayer: glorify Thy Name.

My He do so. And may we always rejoice in Him. Amen.

Responding to Disasters

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is devastated. Thousands and thousands of buildings have collapsed. Tens of thousands are dead. Thousands more are injured and doomed to die, as hospitals too are destroyed and the needs outstrip the remaining medical care.

How can we respond to such a tragedy?

The Bible is our guide in all matters. In His Word, God tells us who He is, who we are, how He rules the world, and how we should respond to Him. He tells us what we could never learn on our own, what we would grope after and never find apart from His revelation.

So what guidance does the Bible give us?

First, we must weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). Our Lord wept over the coming judgment on Jerusalem (Luke 19:41); He wept at the grave of His friend, even though He was about to raise him from the dead (John 11:35). Ultimately, all sorrow and pain in this world is the result of sin – God’s initial creation was very good (Genesis 1:31). So let us weep over sin and its impact.

Second, we must pray. God works through prayer to bring about His purposes at all times (2 Corinthians 1:11), and so He exhorts us to pray about all our needs (Philippians 4:6).

Third, we must do what we can to help those in need (Luke 12:33). In so doing, we honor God (Proverbs 14:31), who has compassion on the poor and needy (Psalm 72:13). Now, in such situations we can do more harm than good – our attempts to help can hurt, as we noted earlier. So let us give to organizations that are cognizant of these dangers, who are working with local institutions, considering both the urgent relief needs and the longer term rehabilitation and development needs. Some suggestions (among many possibilities): Food for the Hungry, Child Hope International, and Water Missions International.

Fourth, we must take note of Jesus’ warning to those around Him as they considered a local tragedy:

“Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:4-5

Some people evidently were explaining the fall of the tower as God’s judgment on those eighteen people, saying that they deserved to die, and others (like themselves) did not. Jesus says, “Don’t think that way – but take the occasion of these deaths to examine yourself!” God’s judgment will come on all who do not repent (Romans 2:4-5) – and it will be much more terrible than the fall of the tower of Siloam, much more terrible than the Haiti earthquake, much more terrible than the Aceh tsunami (Revelation 6:15-17).

Fifth, we must remind ourselves of the Gospel. No one is righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10-12). We all deserve God’s condemnation, His wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet God sent His Son to live the perfect life that we should have lived, loving God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength every minute of every day, loving His neighbor as Himself (Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 22:36-40); He sent Him to the cross to suffer and die, taking on Himself the penalty we deserve (2 Corinthians 5:21); and He raised Him from the dead, showing that the penalty was sufficient (Acts 2:24). We who believe in Him (John 1:12), valuing Him above all else (Matthew 13:44), receive the benefits of this death, and are united with Him for all eternity (Romans 6:4-5, 23).

Finally, we can rejoice that God is sovereign over all affairs of men. He is the Almighty One, who not only knows the number of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30), but watches over and superintends all the events of my life, and of all the lives of those who are united in His Son (Psalm 1:6). So we can pray with the psalmist, “When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!” (Psalm 142:3). May our hurting brothers and sisters in Haiti know this truth, and lean on our Rock and our Refuge (Psalm 61:2-3).

May we, by His grace, be as He is in this world (1 John 4:17) – and thus, knowing our sinfulness, knowing our weakness, serve humbly as conduits of His mercy, His compassion, and His Word to the downtrodden and the needy.