Delighted, Not Dependent: God’s Glory and Your Good

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. And yet, God delights to use you for his glory and your good in his kingdom plans. At the same time, he is not dependent on you to accomplish them. This is a principle that John the Baptist reminds the Pharisees and Sadducees of (cf. Matthew 3:9 — “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”) We see this principle illustrated in Acts 1:15–26. There we witness a memorable scene play out. Peter leads the disciples to fill the void in the twelve left by Judas with a qualified disciple, in keeping with the necessary fulfillment of God’s Word with regard to kingdom restoration (cf. Psalms 69:25; 109:8). Two fellas, the man with three names, Joseph-Barsabbas-Justus, and the man with one name, Matthias, meet the stipulations. That is, both Joseph and Matthias are qualified to be counted among the twelve and receive a share in their ministry. And yet, only one will be chosen. In the end, King Jesus reveals his choice of Matthias. Check out the final movements in the scene:

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:24–26)

The disciples pray for the Lord to reveal his choice, and he does. We may wonder: What did Joseph do after this? Did he leave in a huff? Did he ask for a recasting of the lots? Did he take his ball and go home? I think it is safe to say no to all of the above. Here’s why.

The very next thing we read in Acts 2:1 is this,

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

They here refers to all of the disciples of Jesus who were present in the preceding scene: the eleven and the roughly 120 including the newly added to the eleven, Matthias, and Joseph. All of these were baptized in the Holy Spirit and became instrumental witnesses of Jesus Christ in the founding of the early church. Some traditions even say that Joseph went on to become a bishop in the early church. But, we may still wonder: Why was Matthias chosen over Joseph?

The short answer, as we’ve made clear at the top, is because Jesus delighted to choose Matthias and wasn’t beholding or dependent to pick one over the other. But there might be more to say on the matter.

We find one other valuable insight in Acts 1:24. From the disciples’ human perspective, the choice is a toss-up. All the objective evidence they can observe suggests that these men are equally qualified. There are no glaring reasons why one and not the other should be chosen. Therefore, they pray. Notice the content of their prayer again. Not only do they confess that Jesus has already made his choice (he simply needs to reveal it) but they address Jesus as the knower of hearts. They recognize that not only does the Lord know the hearts of these men in a way that they as outside observers certainly can’t, but that the Lord also knows Joseph and Matthias’ hearts more intimately than even Joseph and Matthias can. We’re reminded here of the Psalmist:

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. (Psalm 19:12)

 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

Perhaps, there was something in the heart of Joseph that better suited him to not be one of the twelve. For that matter, perhaps there was something in Matthias’ heart that better suited him to be one of the twelve. What was it? We don’t know. We can only speculate on the specifics. But what we can know for sure is that this choice by the Lord was a grace to both men.

Everything God does for his people, he does for his glory and their good. God’s will for his people is their conformity to Jesus and their ultimate glorification with him (Romans 8:29–31). Therefore, God works all things toward this ultimate good for those who love him and are called according to this purpose and plan unto his own glory (Rom 8:28; 11:36). By taking away from Joseph the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Joseph. Likewise, by giving to Matthias the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Matthias. This is instructive for us.

Our identity should never be wrapped up in anything other than Jesus—not even our particularly calling or ministry. If Joseph bound his identity to being named one of the twelve because he thought it was what was best for him and the kingdom, the loss of this possibility might have driven him to despair. By taking this role from Joseph, then, we can trust that God was working a particular grace in his life that otherwise wouldn’t have come about. Perhaps he was exposing things in Joseph for his good. Perhaps he was protecting Joseph from hidden things in his heart that wouldn’t have been revealed and dealt with otherwise. So, for you, when God takes something away, even when it is what you believe he has called you to, you can rest assured of this: God gives and God takes away always for your ultimate good and his glory.

God is not dependent on you for his kingdom plans to succeed. He is not beholden to use you in any specific ministry or way. Rather, God delights to use you in the way that will most glorify him and conform you into the image of Jesus (Rom 8:28–31). The picture of Matthias being chosen rather than Joseph illustrates this reality for us in a memorable way.

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. But, in his kindness, he has delighted to call you to wrap yourself up completely in his Son, Jesus. He has delighted to call you to glorify him in the way he chooses. Submit to his call knowing that he will work all things for your good. For, his glory is your good.

The Promise of the Father: Overloaded Fuses of Love

The Father made a promise to his people. Acts 1:4–5 tells us that Jesus assured his disciples that they would receive that promise from the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit. We see the heavenly delivery of this gift in Acts 2. What came with that promise? Well, there are different aspects we could highlight—purity and power just to name a couple. But another astounding reality that comes with the Father’s promise is the promise of his permanent, unmediated, abiding presence.

God’s salvation program has always aimed at him dwelling with his people. This is what makes God’s people his people. Moses understood this and longed for the presence of God.

 

And he [Moses] said to him [YHWH], “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15–16).

 

And so God promised to dwell and did dwell with his people. Consider Leviticus 26:11,

 

I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people (Leviticus 26:11–12).

 

And he remained with them in this special way until, because of their ongoing rebellion, God’s glory departed the temple, and he handed them over to exile (Ezekiel 10:18; 2 Chronicles 36:20–21). But God’s story of salvation did not end there. God has already written the end of his story of salvation, and he will dwell with his people in a way never known or experienced before. Revelation 21:1–4 gives us as close a glimpse as we can get on this side of the new heavens and new earth of the wonders of the ineffable future reality to come,

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1–4)

 

This is the endgame, eternity in God’s joyous presence for those who have surrendered to King Jesus (Psalm 16:11). And, in God’s grand wisdom, how is it that we get there? By God’s presence with us now.

Ezekiel and Jeremiah, having experienced both the fall of the seat of God’s earthly kingdom, Jerusalem, and the exile of God’s people, foresaw and longed for the day when God’s presence would return in a new way to his people under a new covenant. He would not only dwell with them. He would dwell in them.

 

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:27–28).

 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:33).

 

And, what again is the payoff of God dwelling with his people? It’s Moses’ insight we noted above. God’s presence with his people identifies them as God’s people. God’s presence with his people assures them, they are his. Jeremiah foresaw this new covenant promise of God’s abiding presence resulting in knowing God in a new, intimate, expansive way never before seen,

 

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:34).

 

This is the promise of the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s permanent, abiding presence with and within his people—that Jesus poured out on his people in Acts 2. This is the gift he has given us who are in him. Put simply, the promise of the Father, the gift of God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit, is the gift of assurance. It is the sure knowledge that God’s is ours and we are his. God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit assures us that we are his children,

 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14–16).

 

And at times God delights to overwhelm us with the presence of his Holy Spirit in order to fill us with fresh knowledge of his abiding presence with us and love for us. Martyn Lloyd-Jones captures such experiences well, saying,

 

“The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out.”[1]

 

And, when the fuses of love are overloaded with the knowledge of God’s love for us, that’s when we sing his praises and declare his mighty works through the gospel of Jesus with such joy and boldness that the world takes notice and the kingdom of God advances. Again, Lloyd Jones,

 

The subconscious doubts…are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world. And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, “My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!”[2]

 

The Father made a promise. And what the prophets of the old covenant foresaw, we get to experience in the new covenant. We live with the permanent, abiding presence of God dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit. And because of this, we know him, we know his love for us, and we know we are his children. And he delights to remind us of this at the most unexpected times in fresh, wonderful ways. If you haven’t experienced that in some time, just ask your Father for it. For your Father delights to give you the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). In this way—you being filled with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God and his love for you, which leads you to declare his mighty works of salvation through Jesus because of your joy in him—in this way, God will take his kingdom to the ends of the earth. Through your overloaded fuses of love, the Father will make his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[1] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Random House Publishing Group, 2000).

[2] Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable.

From the Deep Well of Past Blog Posts: What Has Straw in Common With Wheat?

[Every now and then, we like to dip back into the well of past blog posts. This week, Coty is beginning a new series in Jeremiah titled, The Word of Life, the Word of Judgment. The theme for this Sunday is “Father, You Have Put Your Words in Our Mouths .” If you can’t tell, the common theme here is God’s Word. In light of this, consider this past blog post that observes how Jeremiah 23 reveals the immeasurable worth of God’s Word that he has graciously given to us. Read and be edified.]

Are you hungry? Why don’t you go collect grass clippings from your lawn, pile them up on your plate, and sit down to a sumptuous feast?

Doesn’t that sound appealing?

Which would you choose: That plate of grass clippings, or a loaf of piping hot bread, right from the oven?

Jeremiah tells us that the Word of God is like wheat, and any other words of advice, of counsel, of experience, are like grass, like straw. The Word of God is that much more valuable than all other words.

Does that image reflect the relative value you give the Word of God compared to other voices?

The image comes from the prophet Jeremiah. God gave him a difficult message to deliver to the nation: The Babylonians would come and destroy Jerusalem. The Lord God would bring about this punishment because of centuries of rebellion against Him.

Jeremiah faithfully delivered the message.

But many other false prophets were telling the people that all would be fine: They said the attacking Babylonian army would depart, the exiles who had been taken away to Babylon a few years earlier would return, and the kingdom would be secure. They claimed to have received dreams from God revealing these truths.

In response to these false dreams of the false prophets, God says through Jeremiah:

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28-29)

The prophets’ dreams were like straw, like grass – like that plateful of grass clippings. Those dreams provided no nourishment. As God says a few verses later, “They do not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 23:32).

In contrast, God’s Word is like wheat: Nourishing; satisfying; filling; sustaining.

And no one would mistake straw for wheat! No one would pick up grass clippings and think, “Oh, let me grind this up to make fresh flour!”

Just so – if we have eyes to see – there is a stark difference in value between the Word of God and other writings that claim authority.

Daily, hourly, minute by minute, words pound against our ears and messages present themselves to our eyes, saying: Buy this! Vote for that! Advocate this! Write a letter about that! Heal your relationships via this technique! Get your life together through that miracle cure! Make a million through this investment! Become attractive through these clothes! Become healthy via this exercise regime!

Among all those messages, some are totally false. Some are harmful. Some, on the other hand, are useful in one way or another.

But in comparison to the truths God graciously provides us in His Word, all of those are straw. All are a pile of grass clippings, compared to the satisfying, fragrant, filling bread of His Word.

And the bread is not just for our personal consumption! His Word, says the Lord, is like “a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29). Picture a sledgehammer, shattering the concrete barriers we have erected between us and God. God’s Word breaks through those barriers, leaving us “exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Exposed, we can only fall on our faces before Him, humbly seeking the forgiveness He offers through Jesus Christ.

So we must proclaim that Word, so that it might have its intended, shattering effect.

Now, the effect of that proclamation is often not pleasant. Indeed, when the sledgehammer is at work, hearers may oppose the Word harshly. This was the case with Jeremiah. He was thrown in prison more than once for speaking God’s Word. He was even tempted to quit speaking. But God would not let him. Jeremiah writes,

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9).

God’s Word is like a fire (Jeremiah 20:9; 23:29). It burns within us. Like the Yosemite wildfire, it spreads and spreads. We can’t hold it in. We can’t contain it. We must speak it.

Many pastors have applied these verses to the preaching ministry. Indeed, my prayers prior to preaching almost always echo Jeremiah 23:29.

But the Word should be a fire in every one of God’s people. The Word is a hammer, breaking the rock into pieces, whenever any Christian faithfully speaks that Word to others.

So, first: value God’s Word above all the other voices you hear – consider it like a hot loaf of fresh bread compared to grass clippings. Second, remember that it is like a sledgehammer, which will break down the barriers we erect between ourselves and God. Finally: that Word is a fire within us – it must come out!

May we speak that Word faithfully and fully – so that all might know the difference between straw and wheat.

The Kingdom of God in Acts From Beginning To End

The kingdom of God is one of the most central themes of the Bible. If you find yourself perusing through the Old Testament (OT) historical accounts of Israel’s kings, it won’t take you too long to come to this conclusion: as the king goes, so goes the kingdom. Let’s consider this reality in the book of Acts.

Luke has the distinction of being the most prolific of the New Testament (NT) authors, if you measure production by the amount of pages written. As the author of most of our NT, we may find it surprising that Luke only refers to the kingdom of God eight times in Acts, when it is such a prominent theme in the Bible. The specific phrase “kingdom of God” occurs six of those times. Here are the relevant verses:

 

Acts 1:3—He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:6—So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Acts 8:12—But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 14:21–22—When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Acts 19:8—And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Acts 20:25–And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 

Acts 28:23—When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Acts 28:30–31—He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

 

While Luke only refers to the kingdom of God these eight times, it would be a mistake to think it isn’t a major theme in his book. For starters, notice the strategic, fairly even distribution throughout the book. Luke places references to the kingdom at the beginning, middle, and end, with a few one-offs in between for good measure. You can’t go more than a few pages in Luke’s twenty-eight chapter work of theological history without finding yourself confronted by a “kingdom of God” statement that Luke uses to summarize the early church’s work. Let’s zoom in on a couple of those statements

Notice that Luke frames his book with this all important theme. That is, he begins and ends his book with the kingdom of God.

Luke begins Acts with the kingdom of God—He (Jesus) presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Jesus spent forty days moving in and out among his disciples after his resurrection. That’s a good chunk of time. Notice how Jesus used it. Luke tells us Jesus did two things: (1) Jesus repeatedly proved that he was alive, and (2) Jesus spoke to the disciples about the kingdom of God. Luke doesn’t want us to miss this: Jesus’ resurrected life ties directly to the kingdom of God. That’s how he starts Acts. The right question to ask is, “What exactly did Jesus speak to his disciples about regarding the kingdom, and how does that relate to his resurrection?” To answer that question, to the end of Acts we go.

Luke ends Acts with the kingdom of God where he gives us one final account of Paul’s ministry in Rome, writing, He (Paul) lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:30–31). The last sentence in Acts that Luke carefully selects and writes tells us that Paul continued to proclaim two things (1) the kingdom of God and (2) Jesus. Acts 28:23 fills this out a little more by telling us that Paul aimed to convince [those who visited him] about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. This is precisely what Jesus did for his disciples in his forty days.

In Luke 24:25–27, we see Jesus appear to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. This is what how Luke captures the moment: [Jesus says to them] “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Likewise, when Jesus appears to his disciples later he offers the same message:

 

Then he [Jesus] said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:44–48).

 

What exactly did Jesus speak to his disciples about regarding the kingdom, and how does that relate to his resurrection? Jesus’ message to his disciples is essentially this: the kingdom of God is inaugurated and here because the king of God’s kingdom lives and reigns. Peter proves this conclusion for us in his very first public proclamation of the gospel in Acts 2:14–41.

In his Pentecost sermon, Peter climactically heralds that when David wrote Psalm 16:27 he was prophesying about Jesus’ resurrection as the true king of God’s kingdom,

 

he (David) foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses (Acts 2:31–32).

 

And for the final touch, Peter exclaims,

 

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36).

 

Jesus’ resurrection proves he is the rightful king of God’s kingdom. And if the king is here, the kingdom of God is here. King Jesus conquered death and lives forever. And because he lives forever, he reigns forever. And because he reigns forever, his kingdom, God’s kingdom, will never end. As the king goes, so goes the kingdom.

The book of Acts from beginning to end is all about King Jesus reigning over the kingdom of God. This is the story Luke tells. This is the story Jesus’ people, citizens of his kingdom, in Acts tell. And, it’s a story that did not end at Acts 28:31. It continues. If you are in Christ today, this is your story. Go and tell it.

Mithridatism, Maturity in Christ, and Immaturity in Evil

What is Christian maturity with respect to sin and evil?

There is a practice called mithridatism. Are you familiar? It is the practice of ingesting small, non-lethal amounts of a poison in order to build up resistance or immunity to that poison. Is this what Christian maturity with respect to sin and evil is like? A mature Christian, then, is one who remains unaffected by sin and evil even when they directly or indirectly participate in it? John Owen helps us understand how to answer this question.

In the classic work The Mortification of Sin, John Owen points out that one of the great dangers of continuing in sin or, as Owen puts it, “harbouring your lust” is “Being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”[1] Owen has in mind the warning of Hebrews 3:12–13,

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12–13).

What is the outcome of being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? An evil unbelieving heart that leads one to fall away. This is the life cycle of sin. “Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:13–15). So continuing in sin ultimately leads to apostasy or effectively denying God’s offer of salvation in his Son. This should not surprise us. Sin, unrighteousness, by nature suppresses the truth in those who practice it (Romans 1:18). Therefore, if we continue to practice sin, refuse to repent, and, as a result, sear our conscience, then our powers of discernment become useless. We can no longer distinguish between good and evil effectively. Hebrews 5:14 calls this the opposite of Christian maturity,

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

So Christian maturity with regard to sin and evil is in part being able to distinguish between good and evil. In a fallen world that often calls good evil and evil good, this is a vital skill. Another characteristic marks Christian maturity, though. Ironically, a certain immaturity marks Christian maturity.

In 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul tells us that a necessary aspect of Christian maturity is immaturity with regard to evil. He writes,

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature (1 Corinthians 14:20).

Mature Christians think clearly with regard to good and evil. They are adults in their thinking not children. We’ve confirmed this above. However, Paul implies here that such maturity did not come by tasting evil and sin so as to build up an immunity to it. Paul says, be infants in evil. The full implication, then, is that such maturity came by being immature in the ways of sin and evil, that is, by not practicing it. Christians should not practice sin and evil even in the slightest. Paul makes this clear elsewhere in 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22,

but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22).

Being able to distinguish between good and evil and being immature in evil, that is, abstaining from evil, while holding fast to what is good—these things mark Christian maturity.

Christian maturity with regard to sin and evil then is not like the practice of mithridatism. Notably, mithridatism will not work on certain toxins. As one continues to take small, non-lethal doses of certain toxins in the hopes of building immunity, they actually facilitate the opposite result. Rather than building resistance to the poison, the poison accumulates in the body until it reaches a lethal level, killing the practitioner of mithridatism. Sin is the poison we never build immunity to. We may consume it over and over in non-lethal doses with the result that we no longer feel its immediate effects. In doing so, we deceive ourselves into thinking we’ve built resistance to it—that we are now mature with regard to sin. But all the while the poison of sin has continued to accumulate and will continue to accumulate in our souls until it ultimately kills us. This is why John Owen wrote, “always be killing sin or it will be killing you.”[2]

Is Christian maturity as simple as that? To be sure there are other aspects that mark Christian maturity. But when our Lord spoke one of the most famous promises of his coming Christ through the prophet Isaiah, this is how he chose to describe him,

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isaiah 7:14–15).

If we can capture the idea of Christian maturity with the word Christlikeness, then this is at the essence of Christlikeness—holiness, turning from evil and choosing the good. When the Christian does this, they are mature. When the Christian does this, they are Christlike.

 

[1] John Owen, The Mortification of Sin (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2022), 68–69.

[2] Owen, The Mortification of Sin, 9.

Testify What the Lord Has Done for You

Last Sunday morning, we collectively read Psalm 40:1–5 as our responsive call to worship. Recall v. 5:

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

David announces that he will proclaim all the wondrous deeds and thoughts or intentions that YHWH has multiplied to the people of God’s kingdom. We applied that this past Sunday to our call in Colossians 4:2–6 to be witnesses to those outside the kingdom—to walk in wisdom toward outsiders and to let [our] speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. This is vital. We as disciples of Jesus must be his witnesses and ambassadors of the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:13–16; 2 Corinthians 5:20–21). However, we should also take a cue from our king and tell of God’s kindness toward us to our brothers and sisters in Christ, the church, as well. David, writing prophetically in the voice of Jesus in Psalm 22, pens:

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! (Psalm 22:22–23).

Our call as disciples is also to tell of Jesus to our brothers and to praise him in the congregation. God calls us to share Jesus with one another by telling of the wondrous deeds and thoughts he has multiplied toward us. Testimonies of what the Lord has done for us encourage our hearts in Christ and build up the church.

We see this exemplified by Paul and his partner in ministry, Tychicus.

Tychicus shows up a few times in Scripture. And, from the evidence available, he seems to be a very trusted co-laborer of Paul’s. When the church in Crete needs to be covered in Titus’ absence, one of Paul’s go to candidates is Tychicus (Titus 3:12). When Paul requires Timothy, he sends Tychicus to Ephesus to cover for Timothy while he’s gone (2 Timothy 4:11–12). Tychicus, Paul tells us, is a beloved brother and faithful minister of the gospel (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21). And, one of his most important jobs, it seems, was to to testify to other churches—to tell everything that was happening in Paul’s ministry:

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities… They (Tychicus and Onesimus) will tell you of everything that has taken place here (Colossians 4:7, 9).

 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything (Ephesians 6:21).

Why did Paul send Tychicus to tell about his ministry? He had this purpose in mind: to encourage the hearts of those who listened.

Paul writes to the Colossians and the Ephesians using identical language, “I have sent him (Tychicus) to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts” (Colossians 4:8; Ephesians 6:22). Paul wants other saints to know what God is doing through his ministry in order to encourage or exhort them.

Some of the sweetest moments in our corporate worship are our “Mission Moments” when a missionary we support visits and shares with us how the gospel has been increasing and bearing fruit in their ministries. In what manner does this encourage or exhort our hearts so much? I think it does so in at least three ways.

First, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in the gospel magnifies Jesus in our midst. And, when we magnify Jesus in our midst, this stokes our affections for and worship of him as we behold his glory.

Second, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in the gospel strengthens our unity and solidarity with Christ as the church.

Third, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in their gospel ministry emboldens gospel action—we effectively spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).

There is one scene from Acts that captures this quite poignantly. In Acts 4:23–31, Peter and John return to their friends to report their recent gospel activities (healing of the lame beggar [Acts 3:1–10], Peter preaching in the temple [Acts 3:11–26], and the persecution they endured at the hands of the chief priests and elders [Acts 4:1–22]). They specifically report “what the chief priests and the elders had said to them” (Acts 4:23). After hearing their testimony three things result: (1) Worship—They begin to worship the Lord (Acts 4:24–30), (2) Strengthened unity—They prayerfully worship together (Acts 4:24), and (3) Emboldened gospel action—The Holy Spirit fills them and they continued to speak the gospel with boldness (4:31).

The lesson for us is, let’s be like David, Paul, Tychicus, Peter, and John. Let’s make a habit of sharing with our fellow brothers and sister what Jesus is doing in our lives and ministries. Because, our testimonies (1) magnify Jesus, leading to worship, (2) galvanize our collective solidarity with and our unity in Jesus, (3) and embolden gospel action. In short, when we share our testimonies of Jesus, we encourage one another in Christ and build up the church.

In that spirit, I leave you with these words of instruction from our King from Mark 5:19:

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Sing

Two months ago, Pastor Wil wrote a blog post titled “Song as a War Strategy,” and he alluded to where we presently find ourselves in Colossians this weekend, Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” In that post, Pastor Wil crystallized a vital truth for the church—God has given us psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a means of grace to build us up in our Christian walk. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t wait another second. Avail yourself of the opportunity here.

Wil wrote, “I want to suggest to you today that singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs both individually (and especially collectively) is a means by which the Spirit enables us to wage spiritual warfare against our threefold enemy: our sinful flesh, the fallen world, and the Satanic powers of darkness.” He then followed this up with wonderful examples from Scripture where songs of the saints preceded miraculous victory. I want to use this as my jumping off point for this post. Specifically, I want to answer the question: What do psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs do for us as a body that makes them such a vital means of grace? Let’s follow Paul’s logic in Colossians 3:16 to find out.

The main idea in Colossians 3:16 is Paul’s primary command, “The word of Christ must dwell in you richly” (My translation). The word of Christ is nothing less than the gospel of Jesus that Paul has just brilliantly put on display like a multifaceted diamond refracting light and beauty from all angles for the Colossians to see. You must read all of Colossians up to this point if you want to fully appreciate all the angles of the gospel that Paul has uncovered. This word of Christ, the revelation about Jesus, must dwell richly in the church. That is, it must be central to everything she does and completely conspicuous. It must be noticeable and on display. Why? Because through this gospel the Holy Spirit ignites faith in Jesus unto salvation. Our very salvation depends on the gospel of Jesus dwelling richly in our midst. Okay. It’s vital. Not an option. We’re on board. It needs to dwell in us. So how does one cause it to dwell? Paul tells us in this verse.

We cause the gospel of Jesus to dwell richly in us by teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing go hand-in-hand with gospel proclamation (Colossians 1:28). All wisdom is just code again for gospel wisdom — in [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). When we teach to one another this revelation—the word of who Jesus is, what Jesus has done to justify sinful man, what Jesus is doing to sanctify sinful man, and what Jesus promises to do, that is, glorify his perfected people—we cultivate an environment for the gospel to dwell richly. And, when we admonish one another, that is, warn one another about the disastrous consequences that await if we don’t heed this gospel, we cultivate an environment for the gospel to dwell richly.

Okay. Let’s do this. Let’s teach and admonish one another so that the gospel dwells richly in our midst unto our salvation. Obviously this happens through formal teaching settings, one-on-one discipleship, and other times of informal fellowship, but how else can we practically facilitate a culture, an environment where all this happens corporately? Of course, we gather for the corporate preaching of the word, which is central and vital to the life of the church and the body’s gospel culture. But Paul clearly gives this command to everyone, even if they are not in leadership or particularly gifted in teaching. So how do we do it? Paul has a solution. Sing.

Paul says the way in which we teach and admonish one another corporately so that the gospel dwells richly in our midst is with psalms, hymns, and songs of the Spirit, singing with thankfulness in [our] hearts to God (My translation). The grand solution—(Indulge me for a moment—The grand solution to cultivate and build a beautiful gospel culture that treasures Jesus and his gospel at such a deep, abiding level that no one could walk into the midst of a local church and not know who they were gathered to worship and why. That’s a mouth full.)—the grand solution to that, is to sing praises to God for Jesus and the gospel. If teaching and admonishing comes through this singing, this means that the songs the church sings should declare who Jesus is and what he has done in the gospel. And, in this way—through corporate praise and thanksgiving to God through singing—every member teaches and admonishes one another. Thus, singing Jesus and the gospel in praise to God cultivates a culture where the word of Christ dwells richly. And, where the word of Christ dwells richly, there one finds salvation. There one finds the Holy Spirit working to reveal Jesus and empower saints to walk in him.

Pastor Wil summed up this in his post:

“Remind yourselves in Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs how great our triune God is. How loving our Savior is. Remind yourself how powerful the Spirit of God is within us and of the kingdom in which Christ has made us heirs, ready to fully inherit at His return. Sing with joy in God, knowing that He’s won our victory, He’s with and for us, and He’s using our song as a means through which our enemies camp is plundered.”

Sing to God with thankfulness in your heart for Jesus, and then step back, and just enjoy the word of Christ as it dwells richly in your midst.

Jesus in Every Sphere of Life

In Colossians, Paul administers an antidote to the Colossian Christians who have been poisoned by a false teaching that diminishes Christ’s role in salvation and sanctification. What is this antidote? Just the most breathtaking picture of Jesus the Supreme Son of God we have in all of Scripture (Colossians 1:15–20). The cure for a false gospel and our propensity to legalism and/or licentiousness is seeing more clearly who Jesus is in all his incandescent glory as the Supreme Son of God who reconciles all things through the blood of his cross—and being completely captivated by him, treasuring him, loving him above all else. Only when we treasure Jesus will we actually walk in Jesus (Colossians 2:6). Where should we walk in Jesus you ask? We should walk in him in every sphere of life.

The overarching command Paul gives to the Colossians after displaying Jesus in all his radiant splendor is “walk in him” (Colossians 2:6). Paul then begins to apply this command through a series of instructions that apply to different spheres of life. The structure of Paul’s letter reveals these different spheres. In short, our walk in Jesus begins with our personal union with him, which is intrinsically and intimately linked to our corporate union with him, and expands outward in a series of overlapping spheres. As a whole, we see the following progression: Our walk in Jesus applies to (1) our personal life, (1a) our corporate life in the church, (2) our home life, (3) our formal relationships, and (4) our life in an unbelieving world.

 

Walk in Jesus Personally and Corporately

First, in Colossians 2:7–3:17, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to one’s personal unity with Jesus and personal purity (holiness), both of which encompass right belief (gospel fidelity) and action. And, likewise, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to the local church’s corporate unity in Jesus and corporate purity, both of which again encompass belief and action. Both spheres, personal and corporate, connect intimately. God renews us as individuals into the image of his Son through our personal union with Jesus. And God renews the church, his body, which is made up of individual members united together because of their common union in Jesus. Therefore, God binds our personal renewal and holiness as individuals with our corporate renewal and holiness as the church (Colossians 3:9–11). We must recognize that the natural and normative context of our personal sanctification is the local church. So, if we find ourselves not walking in Jesus in our personal lives, our intimacy and walk in Jesus as it relates to our life in the local church will suffer. And, if we find ourselves disconnected from a local body, our personal walk in Jesus will suffer. And if either of these is the case, there will be a trickledown effect to every other sphere of our life. Therefore, our walk in Jesus will first apply to our personal pursuit of unity and holiness as individuals and as members of Christ’s body, the church.

 

Walk in Jesus at Home

Second, in Colossians 3:18–20, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to the home. It’s easy to see how these spheres continue to overlap. Our union with and holiness in Jesus should directly impact our family life. Here, Paul offers particular ways in which walking in Jesus in the sphere of our home should manifest. But the big takeaway is that our walk in Jesus isn’t only personal and it doesn’t stop at the church doors. Our walk in Jesus should carry over and touch our homes and families.

 

Walk in Jesus in Formal Relationships

Third, in Colossians 3:22–4:1 Paul begins to apply the command to walk in Jesus to our formal relationships. Much could be said about the inherent injustice and sinfulness bound up in any system of human slavery. Suffice it to say, while we must be careful to not import our modern ideas of slavery from our different personal contexts into the text, we still must recognize that though first century Greco-Roman practices of slavery were complex and not monolithic, they nonetheless were a horrid manifestation of the sinfulness and fallenness of man. Furthermore, Paul does not endorse it, and he even encourages availing oneself of freedom (1 Corinthians 7:17–24; esp vv. 21 and 24). But here, Paul aims at something else. He applies one’s walk in Jesus to one’s formal, hierarchical relationships (whether they are one under authority or one in authority)—even those that are unjust. For the purpose of this post, the important truth we glean is that our walk in Jesus must carry over into relationships with analogous dynamics where we are either in authority or under authority so that “Whatever [we] do,” in both just and unjust contexts, we do for the Lord and in knowledge that (1) he will bring justice and (2) he is the ultimate authority (Colossians 3:23; 4:1).

 

Walk in Jesus in an Unbelieving World

Fourth, in Colossians 4:5–6, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to our existence in and interaction with an unbelieving world. Paul says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5–6). Thus, our walk in Jesus must expand out beyond ourselves, beyond our homes, beyond our relationships, and radiate into the lives of those who do not walk in him.

 

So Where Should We Walk in Jesus?

Where should you start walking in Jesus, Christian? Paul tells us in Colossians.

Ask yourself: “Am I walking in Jesus in my personal holiness? Am I seeking to put sin to death?” Or, “Are there still particular besetting sins that I keep hidden in the dark? Are there sins that I continue to embrace?” Start here: Walk in Jesus by pursuing personal holiness and embracing your unity, your identity with him.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in the local church? Am I a committed member of a local body?” Or, “Am I hopping from church to church? Am I more of a consumer in the church rather than a serving member?” Walk in Jesus by walking in unity and holiness with a local body.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in my household? Am I honoring my spouse? Am I disciplining my children in love and exemplifying Jesus to them?” Or, “Am I foregoing my privilege of being a gospel witness within my home?” Walk in Jesus by bringing Jesus and the gospel to bear in your home.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in my formal relationships, even in unjust situations? Am I working unto the Lord first and foremost? Do I respect and honor those in authority?” Or, “Do I work for the eyes of man and undermine authority or disrespect others? Do I lord my own authority over others and treat them unjustly?” Walk in Jesus by bringing your faith to bear in your formal relationships.

And, ask yourself, “Do I walk in Jesus toward outsiders? Do I measure my words and seek to make them thirsty for the truth of the gospel by what I say?” Or, “Do I sway with the prevailing winds of culture or of whatever context I find myself in?” Walk in Jesus by being a gospel witness to those outside of him.

Remember, before you can walk in Jesus, you must treasure him. Then you will know where to walk in him. You will walk in Jesus in every sphere of your life.

You Are of Heaven

If I asked you to tell me about yourself chances are you would, at some point, tell me where you were from. You would, most likely, tell me the name of your hometown or the city in which you grew up. You may tell me the name of your state. This is normal. We often associate our identity with where we are from. For the next few weeks, we will be seeing a lot of this type of identity and place association. That’s because, this weekend marks the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

During the opening ceremony, hundreds of athletes from countries all over the world parade into the Olympic festivities. TV hosts, reporters, and personalities will acquaint us with different individual athletes, by interviewing them or by sharing an insightful story of their fight to make it to the games. And when they introduce them to us, they will often say something like this: “This is So-and-So of Kenya” or “So-and-So of Japan” or “Such-and-Such of Czechia” or “Such-and–Such” of the United States of America.” The point is, the prepositional phrase of [Insert Name of Country Here] identifies who the athlete is. Their identity for the next two weeks is bound up with their country perhaps more than it will be at any other given time.

What’s even more interesting is that some of these athletes may be from one country but compete for another. That’s because, of course, it is possible to become a citizen of another country. That is, an athlete may have emigrated from one country where they were a natural born citizen to live as a citizen in another for which they now compete. You may be “So-and-So originally from the United States” and yet compete as “So-and-So of Mexico.” So it’s possible, then, to change your identity relative to your country. But identity is bound up with one place that cannot be changed.

What place can you be identified with beyond your country? Well, the next logical step would be planet Earth, right? So, in a very true sense, I am Jacob Smith, of Earth. In fact all of us, every human is of Earth. So you are, “[Insert Name Here] of Earth.” In one sense, this is our most fundamental identity as humans. We are humans of Earth. There is no gaining citizenship of another planet. There is no changing your earthly identity. Or is there? Well, the Apostle Paul has something to say about that.

Paul tells the Colossians that a change in their earthly identity is exactly what happened to them when God saved them. Consider what he says to them in Colossians 2:20:

 

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations…(Colossians 2:20).

 

By way of question, Paul essentially says to the Colossians, “You have died to the world.” Paul goes on to expound on this idea in Colossians 3:1–3:

 

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1–3).

 

Again, by way of question, Paul says, “Colossian Christians, you have been raised with Christ, made alive with him, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” And in light of this—their dying to the world and being made alive with Jesus—Paul says, “Seek out and set your mind on heavenly things, not earthly things” (Colossians 3:1–2). Paul’s goal here is to convince the Colossians and ultimately us as Christians that our citizenship, our identity has fundamentally changed.

It’s obvious enough that our dying to the world would warrant our no longer seeking out and setting our minds on the things of earth. Having died in Christ, we are no longer citizens of the world and no longer bound by earthly things. Well, if we’re not citizens of Earth, where is our citizenship? What is our new home? Colossians 1:13 tells us:

 

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).

 

We are now citizens of the Kingdom of God. And even though we don’t see the fullness of that kingdom on earth right now, spiritually, we are fully in the Kingdom of God. We have been raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1). Our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). And where is Jesus Christ right now? Jesus is in heaven seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). And what Paul alludes to here in Colossians, he makes explicit in Ephesians 2:4–6:

 

God…raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4–6).

 

Spiritually, we are in Heaven right now.

As Christians, the place most associated with our identity is no longer the world or even our planetary home, Earth, that is destined to pass away. The place our identity is most bound up with is Heaven.

If you are in Christ, You are [Insert Your Name Here] of Heaven. And because we are of Heaven we should seek out and set our minds on the things of Heaven.

The first command Paul gives the Colossians is to walk in Jesus (Colossians 2:6). The only way, we as Christians can walk in Jesus here on Earth with all that entails is to first realize that we are no longer first and foremost of Earth. We are of the Kingdom of God. We are of Heaven. Recall the example of Olympians above. They come from over 200 countries. And, to be sure, they will make known where they are from. Athletes proudly wear their national colors, wave their country’s flag enthusiastically, and perhaps even shout over and over the name of their nation. Every athlete brings their nation with them. Well, Christian, you are of Heaven. Don’t be outdone by Olympians. Make it your aim to wear the colors of Heaven and wave the flag of Heaven, as it were. Shout the gospel that is of Heaven. Christian, make it your ambition to bring Heaven to Earth wherever God sends you, for you are of Heaven.

No Fear

What makes one susceptible to believing a false teacher and embracing a false gospel? More specifically, what would make a Christian susceptible to believing a false teacher and embracing a false gospel? What is the entry point for a false gospel? What door does it sneak through? Paul’s letter to the Colossians gives us some insight.

Paul gives three parallel warnings, by way of three commands, to the Colossians about the danger of the false gospel that false teachers peddle in their midst.

  1. First, in Colossians 2:8 Paul commands the Colossians, “See to it that no one takes you captive” with a false gospel.
  2. Second, in Colossians 2:16 Paul commands the Colossians, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you” with a false gospel.
  3. Third, in Colossians 2:18 Paul commands the Colossians, “Let no one disqualify you” with a false gospel.

How do these three commands relate to one another? How do they inform one another?

The overarching command here is Paul’s command for the Colossians to “See to it” or we might say, “Watch out!” or “Beware! that no one takes you captive!” (Colossians 2:8). Paul sees a very real possibility that the Colossian Christians could be taken captive by a false teacher among them with his false gospel. This might be surprising to us, but it doesn’t surprise Paul. The next two commands Paul gives unpack this general command and reveal to us what he means by a false teacher taking them captive.

Paul commands the Colossians to let no one pass judgment on you and let no one disqualify you. The Greek word for judge here can have a fairly wide range of meaning (semantic range). It can describe anything from simply expressing an opinion, to rendering a decision in a legal or civil case, to divine judgment. How should we take it here? Well, in this case, the Greek word for disqualify, which Paul parallels judge with, informs our understanding. The Greek word for disqualify conveys the idea of robbing of a prize. Well, what is the ultimate prize for Christians if not the prize of eternal life and joy with God in Christ? Given the immediate context of this passage with the presence of a false gospel and Paul’s articulation of the true gospel, what Paul essentially exhorts the Colossians to by saying (1) See to it that no one takes you captive, (2) let no one pass judgment on you, and (3) Let no one disqualify you is let no one condemn you with a false gospel. Paul doesn’t want the Colossians to be condemned. This likely has a twofold meaning.

First, how can the Colossians keep people from hurling condemnation at them because they refuse to accept and embrace a false gospel? They can’t. But what Paul means by issuing the Colossian church this command is, “Colossian Christians, don’t let that condemnation stick. Don’t take it to heart.” Second, what Paul means by issuing the Colossian church this command is, “Colossian Christians, don’t come under eternal condemnation by accepting and embracing a false gospel.” Now, with the our refined knowledge of Paul’s command to the Colossians in hand, let’s get back to our original question.

What is it that would tempt a Christian to accept and embrace a false gospel? We find the answer in Paul’s warning. A Christian could be tempted to accept and embrace a false gospel because of fear of condemnation even in Christ. Let’s explore.

The Colossians find themselves tempted to accept and embrace a false gospel because, by taking their eyes off of Jesus and his gospel work, they have allowed fear of condemnation to creep in. In other words, why would the Colossians embrace a false gospel? Because the false teacher tells them that even though they are in Christ, they still stand guilty and condemned before God. And what does the false offer? The false teacher prescribes the false gospel as a means to solve the problem. If the Colossians take this condemnation pronounced over them to heart, if they fear that they still stand under condemnation even in Christ, then they will not hold fast to Jesus and instead cling to a false gospel (Colossians 2:18–19). And then, the Colossians will find themselves actually condemned. This is true for you and for me as well.

We cannot take the possibility of believing and embracing a false gospel lightly. This is because the person who is most likely to peddle a false gospel to us is ourselves. In our ongoing battle with sin as Christians there is always the live possibility that, because of our clinging, sinful flesh and because of the spiritual warfare that rages, we will find ourselves tempted to fear that we remain under condemnation even in Christ. And as a result, we will find ourselves tempted to preach to ourselves a false gospel. That false gospel will look a lot like the false gospel that tempted the Colossians. It offers to remedy the situation by prescribing legalistic, manmade regulations and the pursuit of empty religious experiences (Colossians 2:16–19). This prescription may look wise and productive but it doesn’t actually solve the problem of sin and our embrace of sin (Colossians 2:23). The bottom line is, when we fear condemnation in Christ we diminish who he is and what he has done for us in the gospel. We release him, our only hope of salvation, and we begin to cling to false hopes that will actually lead to our condemnation. But the true gospel says, “Fear not! There is no condemnation in Christ! And nothing will separate you from God’s love when you are in him!” I can’t say it better than Paul does to the Romans.

 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:1, 31–39).

 

Fear of condemnation in Christ is the open door to believing and embracing a false gospel. But in the gospel of Jesus, there is no fear. Fear not, Christian, there is no condemnation for you and nothing will separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.