Is God waiting upon you?

“We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is more wonderful still, of God’s waiting upon us. The vision of Him waiting upon us, will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting upon Him. It will give us unspeakable confidence that our waiting cannot be in vain. Let us seek even now, at this moment, in the spirit of waiting on God, to find out something of what it means. He has inconceivable glorious purposes concerning every one of His children. And you ask, “How is it, if He waits to be gracious, that even after I come and wait upon Him, He does not give the help I seek, but waits on longer and longer?”

God is a wise husbandman, “who waiteth for fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it.” He cannot gather the fruit till it is ripe. He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive blessing to our profit and His glory. Waiting in the sunshine of His love is what will ripen the soul for His blessing. Waiting under the cloud of trial, that breaks in showers of blessings, is as needful. Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His Son. Our times are in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste for our help, and not delay one hour too long.” Andrew Murray

Repentance

I was made keenly aware of a sin in my life this evening during a sermon preached by Dr. David Hogg. You can click here to be routed to my church’s website where you will find a link to Dr. Hogg’s sermon for September 14, 2008. It is of no consequence to you what the nature of my sin was, as my sin is supremely against God[1]. So, do not tie your mind up in wondering, "What was it?" But, rather, open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin in your own life.

Conviction wrought by the Holy Spirit, when obediently examined in light of Scripture and humbly prayer, is rewarded by God with the gift of repentance[2] in accordance to the riches of God’s grace[3]. And, while the gift is freely given, this gift is only made possible by death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, we are wise to be in daily remembrance that repentance did not come without the greatest of costs. Further, there is a tension concerning repentance that every Christian must realize- repentance is a gift from God, but there is also human responsibility. It is the Christian’s responsibility to be repentant. In other words, the Christian must take action!

At the moment of salvation every Christian receives the Holy Spirit; the very same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus like a dove[4]. Christian, you are equipped[5] to be holy; equipped to take action! God has given you all tools necessary to choose righteousness over sin. Your effort is to utilize these tools, in order that, you might continually turn from your sin and never look back[6].

The Holy Spirit’s conviction this evening nauseated me near to the point of physical sickness. I prostrated myself before the Lord and began praying, asking God to forgive me. In times of repentant prayer I ask God to bring forth spiritual understanding and practical understanding to the dendritic effects of my sin- that is, how my specific sin branches out and effects different areas of my life and the lives of others. The Spirit is always faithful in granting this request. This illumination can be excruciating and is always humbling. O, that I could sink deeper into the carpet and disappear. But then, as God is rich in mercy and love[7], restoration followed[8]!

Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

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[1] David cries out to the Lord this truth in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Bible references unless otherwise noted are from the New International Version.

[2] Acts 5:30-32 ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him (emphasis added).

[3] Ephesians 1:6-8 ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

[4] Luke 3:21-22 ²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

[5] Hebrews 13:20-21 ²⁰ May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Timothy 3:15-17 ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Colossians 2:9-10 ⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Romans 15:13-14 ¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

[6] Genesis 19:15-17, 26 ¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” ¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:30-33 ³⁰ “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

[7] Ephesians 2:4-10 ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

[8] Psalm 71:19-23 ¹⁹ Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? ²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. ²¹ You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. ²² I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. ²³ My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed.

How should we organize our thinking about salvation?

The Bible organizes God’s salvation under covenants. Starting in Genesis 3 there is a promise of salvation. Genesis 12 reaffirms the promise of salvation to every family and is set in the context of a covenant. Deuteronomy 30 looks forward to the new covenant, which is then brought back into view again in Jeremiah. Matthew 26:28 quotes Jesus Christ as saying, “this is the blood of the covenant.” Hebrews 13:20 makes the theological distinction that the new covenant is an eternal covenant. No matter where one looks in the Bible, salvation is under covenant.

There are three types of covenants present in the Scriptures; those made between man and man, man and God, and God and man. A covenant is a promise of unreserved commitment to an end or with respect to some activity. The covenants made between men in Scripture (cf. Gen 21:27, 32; 26:28; 31:44) are those of a mutual agreement. The central principle does not have to be mutually agreed upon, but there is a sworn fidelity. One notices that there is an absence of detail or all of the fine print one would expect in today’s binding agreements. The emphasis is that of solemn faithfulness.

In Scripture there are times when men have initiated covenants with God. These attempts can be better viewed as commitments rather than agreements. For example in Joshua 24:24-25, Joshua appeals to God on behalf of a repentant people stating that they intended to be faithful.

God’s covenants with man are those that are salvific. God initiated covenants are entirely God’s activity- that is, God keeps his promise regardless of man’s actions. God initiated covenants, more specifically the Noaic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and the new covenant, should not be looked at as the end result of God and man working out an agreement. These covenants are established by God and will be kept by God, regardless of the faithfulness of man.

The Noaic covenant is a covenant of God’s pure, unconditional grace. Humanity and creation at large is utterly passive in this covenant. For this covenant is an act of grace rooted in God’s good pleasure and sovereign will that is not time limited and extends to today.

The Abrahamic covenant is similar to the Noaic covenant in that it was conceived by and conformed to by God. However, this covenant includes a spiritual component, specifically man’s communing with God and enjoying his presence. This covenant therefore is a reciprocal agreement in that divine grace demands a response of gratitude and faithfulness of the recipient. It would seem then that a human could break the covenant, but this is not the case. While a human could choose to not obey the command associated with the covenant, God would nonetheless remain faithful to the covenant. In other words, the very notion of God remaining faithful to the covenant, presupposes the covenant is already in effect. What then should one conclude about Genesis 17:14 (“He has broken my covenant.”)? Disobedience in the context of a covenant is principally unfaithfulness to a relationship established by the covenant and therefore what is broken is not the covenant itself but the promised blessing. This brings into the view the major difference between the Noaic and Abrahamic covenants. God’s promise to Noah was unconditional, whereas for Abraham and his descendants the promise was only given to those who obey.

The Mosaic covenant does not stand alone in that it is actually a partial fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Those who obeyed God in the Abrahamic covenant were freed form Egyptian slavery. It was to this people that God handed down his law. It is not that God’s law eclipsed God’s grace. This covenant was established by God and presented to the people to be enjoined into it. God’s law was given so that those who chose to obey and remain faithful to God would be his procession. Those who were not faithful ceased being among God’s people.

The Davidic covenant found in 2 Samuel 7:12-17 is specifically called a covenant in Psalm 89, which comes on the heels of despair depicted in Psalm 88. The Davidic covenant is salvific; it specifically speaks to the coming of the Messiah (cf. Mal 3:1; Is 55:3-4). By the end of the Old Testament the Messiah and the old covenant are one, in that, through the Messiah, who had yet to appear on earth, God had made the way for human salvation. The Messiah fulfills the covenant of God without the necessity of a response of obedience.

The final covenant of the Bible is the new covenant found in the New Testament. The very birth of Jesus is covenant bound; it is the fulfillment of the promise made in Genesis 3:15. God incarnate is in complete continuity with his grace, mercy and sovereign pleasure. Interestingly, while we have just briefly reviewed 4 covenants, these 4 covenants ultimately make up one covenant- that is, God’s covenant that he established before the beginning of time (Eph 1:3-14, Eph 2:12; Heb 8:13). The new covenant is the greater manifestation of all the previous covenants. Through the blood of the new covenant, Jesus Christ, we see the culmination of God’s grace.

(This post is an adaptation of a lecture given at SEBTS, Christian Theology II, Spring 2008)

Cody

Meet my brother, Cody!

Over the past few years I have taken on a very special mission. During this time, my favorite two weeks out of the year, I become Cody's primary caretaker. Cody is seventeen and was never supposed to live a day. He can't walk or talk, but he can melt your heart. He is an exceptional communicator despite his physical and mental disabilities.

Cody loves the Word of God! Every morning I would go into his room and say, "Heeeey Buddy!" and his whole face would light up with the biggest smile. There is nothing better than his morning smile. We would listen to some jazz while I prepared and administered his first round of medications. I would then change his clothes, put him in the lift, and get him out of bed and into his chair. I always paused him in midair to give him a little back scratch which would make him laugh and smile.

Once he was situated in his chair, I would turn off the music and begin reading Scripture. We worked through Hebrews, 1 John, and some Psalms over the 2 weeks. Cody is always very quiet when I read Scripture; he becomes relaxed and a dreamy smile consumes his face. It is so sweet! But even more praiseworthy is when reading something specific about Jesus Christ; Cody's face would erupt into a huge smile and a joyful noise would burst forth...Oh, at these times I would just have to stop and make a joyful noise with him.

My sanctified imagination runs wild when I think about the relationship Christ and Cody must enjoy! Do you ever think back to the time when you were saved? I am overwhelmed at the loving-kindness and perfect care I received minute by minute as a newborn babe in Christ. No one could ever care for me so tenderly.

It is a wondrous thing to look at the care being given to the body of believers in my life. Whether it is someone from my own family, or a friend, or an acquaintance, perhaps a patient of mine, or maybe even a person I do not know personally at all; it is awesome to see God's care showcased. We are all trophies of grace. We are all different; different talents, gifts, backgrounds, stories, pasts, presents, and futures...yet Christ unites us!

Believer's are united in Christ! I think that is why we love to hear Christian testimonies. "Tell us how you came to know Christ!" "When were you saved?" "What is Christ doing in your life right now?" "How's your relationship with Christ?" "Where are you growing in the Lord?" I cherish hearing the testimonies of believers...it is encouraging and praiseworthy! Christ exalting testimonies make my heart burst with all kinds of emotions that I cannot even begin to write down!

Seeing Christ being made manifest in a life is a heart-bursting blessing, too. I look with eager anticipation at how much Christ I can see in those people who have been walking with the Lord for much longer than me. Oh, how my desire is that people would see more of Christ and less of me! I am so thankful that He continues to care for me...purifying me from the inside out!

And the way He uses others to accomplish His will! Is there a better blessing than to be used by God to share the Gospel or to minister to a brother or sister in need? Can I love my friends and family members anymore than when God uses them in my own life to encourage me, to love me, or to sanctify me?!

Cody has touched the lives of many people and I know that God continues to use him to bring glory unto Himself. I praise God for the care He gives Cody. I praise God that Cody will one day be perfect physically, mentally, and spiritually, just as all God's children will be! I cannot wait to hear the testimony of Christ in Cody's life from Cody...I just know it is going to blow me away!!!

Titus 3:4-7 (New International Version)
[W]hen the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

A passion to be changed

John Piper made the statement, “the mark of the new birth is a passion to be changed.” To this I respond, “YES! That is exactly the point.” Many who know about my life before I met Jesus, my Lord and Savior, baulk at my radical transformation. They make comments like, “only one in thousand have been miraculously freed from x, y, z sin.” “Complete deliverance does not happen that often,” they say. Their thoughts are, “whatever your propensity for sin is, you will continue to struggle with that for the rest of your life. Therefore be on guard, for you are one thought away from falling back into the same sin.”

This line of thought is so very frustrating to me. It is sad and defeating. But most of all it is not God glorifying! I abhor this line of thinking. I am moved to anger towards those who would propagate this deceptive and defeating line of thinking to those seeking freedom from the fetters of sin through the power of the cross.

Either the power the of the cross destroys all sin or it destroys no sin. Why? Because ultimately all sin is man not giving God what He is owed; namely, worship and obedience. Murder, adultery, homosexuality, drug and alcohol dependency, gossiping, lying, idolatry, impure thoughts, hating one’s neighbor…these are all manifestations of robbing God of worship and living in disobedience.

Colossians 2:13-15 ¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ⁹ Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Will we ever be perfect? Not on this side of eternity. Will we ever not sin? Not on this side of eternity. Can we change? No. But, we can be changed. True change comes not from self, but from the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Can you hinder growth? Yes. Can you foster growth? YES, just get out of the way!

Ephesians 1:17-2:1 ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰ which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

How do you get out of the way? Die to self daily, crucify your flesh, pray without ceasing, and take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Reflect upon the following passages:

Romans 12:1-2 ¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Galatians 2:20 ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world

1 Thessalonian 5:16-23 ¹⁶ Be joyful always; ¹⁷ pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; ²⁰ do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹ Test everything. Hold on to the good. ²² Avoid every kind of evil. ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it

2 Corinthians 10:5 ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ

Getting out of the way means you place your faith in the unsearchable riches of Christ and the power of the cross. It means you have the faith of child. This is not blind faith, rather it is unimpeded faith. Have you considered the reason God has given us the Bible? John’s Gospel states this;

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name…Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written,” (John 20:30-31; 21:25).

This kind of faith is pure and not given to doubting the efficacy and sufficiency of the atonement. Consider the truths found in 1 Peter 1:3-9.

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Christians-that is all who have been forgiven of their sins, whose slates have been wiped clean, those made clean by the shed blood of Christ, those who are counted as righteous because of the mercy and grace poured out for them because of God’s great love for them, should be passionately committed to being changed by God. If you claim to be a follower of Christ and do not see radical transformation in your life, you need to prayerfully and Scripturally investigate why you are not seeing changes. The Bible does not picture God’s children as people as static. No, friend, the Bible talks of transformation!

God’s children are called to be distressed about the sin in their life, they are called to rejoice in the mercies that fall fresh everyday, they are called to seek after God daily, and they are called to willingly step aside so that the Holy Spirit can conform them into the image of Christ…even when they don’t feel like doing the aforementioned.

Obedience is doing the work you are commanded to do even when you don’t feel like doing the work, even when you feel like God has forsaken you, even when you feel like prayer is not working. What you know, because of God’s self-revelation, namely the Bible, always trumps feelings! Our hope, our faith in the promises of God found in Scripture should guide our actions, because they are immutable (unchangeable) and our feelings are subject and vary from moment to moment. Know that God transforms lives! The more obediently you lay prostrate before King Jesus, open and bare, willing to be transformed the more transformation you will experience.

When God called me to become His daughter, I stepped aside. I knew I could do nothing to change own messy life and so I turned my messy life over to Him. I told Him I would follow Him anywhere and I told Him whatever He wanted me to do, I would do. That was four and half years ago. Today my heart’s cry is no different; “Change me, Oh Lord! Do whatever you must. Take away whatever you must. No matter how painful the process, Oh Lord, conform me into your image, that I may give you more honor and glory!”

Dear one, the process of sanctification is painful, but the One who made your sanctification possible knows your suffering by way of His incarnation and by way of the cross. By His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Peter 2:24). Restoration is found in Him! Remember that on the other side of the pain of conviction is repentance, which is followed by the sweetness of restoration. Oh, how I pray that all who read this are or today will become passionately committed to being changed by God! I can tell you from experience; the more passionate you are about being changed, the more your life will bear the testimony of the life transforming power of the cross!

G.R.A.C.E. by Brett Marlowe

Hey friends! A friend of mine posted this on his page and I wanted to share it with you. The picture you see to the left is the picture he is talking about in his writing...I just couldn't figure out how to get it on the bottom. Enjoy!

G.R.A.C.E. by Brett Marlowe

In the summer of 2007, I was blessed to travel around the world. I began in Atlanta, Georgia, and then stopped in Hong Kong for two days. I then went to Bangalore, India for eight days. Upon leaving Bangalore, I flew to Frankfurt, Germany, and then back to Atlanta, Georgia. When working with a team of programmers in India, we finished work early one day. One of the programmers on our team suggested taking me sight-seeing to a beautiful waterfall. Barra Chukki Falls was a 3-hour drive south of Mysore, India. Of course, a 3-hour drive in southern India is not like a 3-hour drive down Interstate I-95. I thought I was going to need a donut cushion by the time we got back!

When we finally arrived, it was absolutely breath-taking. As I was standing there taking pictures and watching everyone trying to squeeze their way through the crowd to get a look from the observation deck, there were several thoughts that began to invade my mind.

A reading of the Gospel accounts reveals that Jesus often had crowds of people following Him. Many translations use the term multitudes. In fact, Luke 12:1 reads, “After so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another…” Matthew 4:25 reads, “Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.” Unfortunately, the argument can be made that many of those in the multitude followed Jesus out of curiosity of seeing another miracle, rather than being a sincere disciple. Nonetheless, there where multitudes who flocked to see Him.

Every now and then we read where an individual pushed their way through the crowd to get to Him; the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:28-34) and the leper who came bowing down before Him (Matt. 8) are just two examples. While standing there taking pictures and observing the multitude pushing their way through to get a glimpse of the falls from the picture spot, I thought to myself; “How many of those people would push their way through the crowd to get a glimpse of the Savior?” At that moment, I was terribly convicted. Had I been on the streets in Galilee, would I have been pushing my way through to get a glimpse of the Savior? Would I have been just part of the curious multitude?

I continued to ponder this thought as I put my camera away and headed back to the car. We made several other sight-seeing stops on our way back to Mysore, but the day was coming to a close. I got back to where I was staying and began to download the pictures to my laptop. As I was scrolling through the many pictures, I noticed one in particular. I had no idea I had snapped this picture. Look very closely at the picture at the bottom of this article and see if you see anything unique. Once you’ve examined the photo, come back and read on.

I want you to notice the dead-looking tree in the middle of the picture. Did you see it? Look at the picture again. In the midst of the lush greenery, vibrant waterfall, and majestic display of God’s splendor, there stands one dead-looking tree. Please look again and take in the scene.

As I look at this picture, I am reminded of the amazing grace of God. While I am a filthy, rotten, sinner, I am also surrounded by the majesty and the splendor of Almighty God. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” What an amazing picture of grace! I’m aware of the acronym G.R.A.C.E.; God’s Riches At Christ’ Expense. However, the notion of being received by God is an even greater picture of God’s grace. Therefore, I have come up with another acronym for G.R.A.C.E.; God Receives At Christ’ Expense. God already owns everything, so it is understood that His riches are available to me. The overwhelming truth is that God receives me as His own adopted child. In spite of my fallen nature and rebellious heart toward Him, He receives me and welcomes me into His presence. This is possible because He came to earth wrapped in human flesh, lived a sinless and miraculous life, and died upon a dead-looking tree for my sins. The very tree that once stood as a symbol of my sin and death now stands as a symbol of my life in the Savior. What an amazing picture of grace!

While Jesus was nailed to the tree, there were multitudes who gathered around. Again, there were those who were curious. Perhaps, they were curious to see how He was going to get out of this one. Yet, there were those who were sincerely trying to get a glimpse of Him before He died. Had I been on the streets in Jerusalem, would I have been pushing my way through to get a glimpse of the Savior? Would I have been just part of the curious multitude gathered at Golgotha or would I have been a sincere disciple seeking to get a glimpse of the Lord Jesus?

Today, are you seeking a glimpse of the Savior? Do you see yourself as a dead-looking tree in the midst of the majesty and splendor of God? Ephesians 2:1-10 paints a vivid picture of the before and after. Before coming to know Christ, we are dead in our sins and even called children of wrath. Being a child of wrath means that if we die apart from faith in Christ we will stand subject to the wrath of God; you don’t want that to happen to you. The after scenario is the beautiful contrast. Verse 4 uses the greatest conjunction in all of Scripture; “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…” In Christ, we no longer live under the curse of the dead-looking tree. Christ has bore the tree as our substitute, and therefore, He has paid the penalty of our sins and satisfied the wrath of God. What an amazing picture of grace!

Grace is not something you earn; it’s a gift that you receive (Eph. 2:8-9). There is nothing that you and I could ever do to earn God’s love and forgiveness. If we could do something to earn it, then by definition it would not be grace. Grace is undeserved favor with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It knows that apart from Him we are nothing, and apart from Him we can do nothing. It recognizes that apart from the work of Christ on the cross, we would be hopeless forever. Look at the picture one more time. In one way it looks like two arms raised high in surrender; in another way it looks like a cross. Grace enables us to live surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Grace also acknowledges that Jesus surrendered to the will of the Father and bore the sins of humanity on the cross.

Have you been received by this amazing grace?

Sitting in the rain.

There is nothing better than sitting in the rain, especially after a run. Today, God afforded me this pleasure. He filled the clouds with water and then wrung them out upon the earth. He sent a breeze that was slightly cooler than the air that had been still all day. A breath of air floated across my skin wet with drops of rain and sweat. The wind and water did not cause me to be chilled, but relaxed me into a dreamy state of consciousness. Jazz in my ears and God in my mind…

John Piper will forever go down in history for his statement, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” A summer void of classroom work and a twenty hour a week job has left me with the feeling of stretched hours and even minutes. I have been reading and writing and studying the Scriptures. With much time to reflect, I have found myself reviewing the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life. And while I have just this past week finally penned my own salvation history, my review has been more focused on recent victories, namely contentment.

Being content to me has always conjured the feeling of ho-hum-ness. However, as I continue to view all things through the lens of Scripture I have found contentment to run much deeper. Contentment in Christ is being satisfied, peaceful, joyful, grateful, and humble. It is not worried or fearful. It is not lonely, but full. Contentment does not cancel desire for good things but it arrests the idolatry that can grow out of desires.

For the past two years I have actively been pursuing contentment and satisfaction in Christ alone. During this quest I have put a fine point on certain biblical truths as I have applied them successfully to my life. The result, friend, is that I am becoming more and more satisfied in the Savior. Taking pleasure in Christ; desiring Him above all things is a transforming task. It is not a task you can do yourself, but is one spurred along and accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a task that demands you take every thought captive and MAKE it obedient to Christ. Consider for a moment 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

How then are you to MAKE your thoughts obedient to Christ? You must first have knowledge of God. Where do you find knowledge of God? In God’s self revelation; namely the Bible. A true follower of Christ- that is to say one of the assurances a true believer will posses is the thirst to study the Scriptures. Why? Because a person who has been saved by the blood of Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit (And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14), who bears witness to Christ, who brings conviction, and who illuminates the meaning of Scripture (“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” – John 14:26, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” – John 15:26).

Does it make sense that the One who testifies to Christ can sit dormant on the heart of a human? No! The Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of the children of God (But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth – 2 Thessalonians 2:13). God promised the Holy Spirit to the Son once His (Christ’s) work was accomplished on earth. Christ is the primary recipient of the Holy Spirit! Once Christ received the promised Holy Spirit, He then, out of His love for us, poured out the Holy Spirit (God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear – Acts 2:32-33) to minister to His brothers and sisters, His co-heirs to the kingdom of God, by teaching them, convicting them, and testifying Christ to them (For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory – Romans 8:15-17). The Holy Spirit is not a quiescent being; He is active! The only way to imitate Christ is to know Christ (Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God – Ephesians 5:1-2). The only way to know Christ is by reading the Bible (Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” – Matthew 22:29; And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself – Luke 24:27).

Christ was most satisfied in the Father. His will was that of the Father’s will.(Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven – Matthew 6:9-10; “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” – Luke 22:42). Christ did not act on His own accord, but sought the will of the Father. Christ did this perfectly, so that He could say to the disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him,” (John 14:6-7).

You must keep in mind that God is a God (Himself) glorifier; He most certainly is not a man glorifier. God did not need to make man; He was not lonely. He made man to enjoy His presence. Man was made in the very image of the triune God (Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them – Genesis 1:26-27). God, knowing the fall would happen, made man anyway with a plan for redemption already set. (And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring  and hers; he [the Messiah] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel – Genesis 3:15). Knowing that we would be God-haters (They [speaking of mankind] have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless – Romans 1:29-31), He created us anyway. He created us and purchased us at the most costly price ever known (“You [Christ] are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” – Revelation 5:9). Christ laid his life down and took on the weight of the sins of the world, so that man could be redeemed (This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us – 1 John 3:16)!

Christian…how does this not satisfy you? How do you not give God praise and honor? How do you not believe in His promises that are held in His own writing? How do you find fault in the One who loves you perfectly?

The question to myself, “How can I not find contentment in Christ?”

Upon reflection…pride. It is pride that keeps my satisfaction at bay. Pride quenches the Spirit. Taking each thought captive, means I must search my motives, I must examine my heart, and I must view each thought through the lens of Scripture. Making each captive thought obedient to Christ, means I must conform it Christ. How? By dying to selfish motives and attitudes of my heart, mind, and soul. By putting on the armor of God everyday. By keeping a clean heart. By desiring to rid myself of pride. By putting off the old man and putting on the things of Christ. “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” (Philippians 4:8).

Sweet sibling, ask God in prayer to help you become most satisfied in God. All glory is due to God. Giving Him what He is owed will make you content, not in a ho-hum manner, but in a manner that will fill you with praise! His plan for you is that you glorify Him. Glorifying God will not harm you, but will prosper you. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can lead a horse to water

I was out jogging the other day listening to a sermon on Psalm 1:

¹Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

²But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

⁴Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish,

when the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,” ran through my mind. My first reaction was, “Why in the world did this come to my mind?” But, the saying was resounding in my thoughts and was persistent, so I paused the sermon and allowed my mind to run with the thought.

The thought ran between the two doctrinal paths of soteriology and sovereignty. These two doctrines are so intriguing to ponder together. I have found you cannot stuffy these two doctrines a part from one another and yet I find at their intersections the mystery of God Scripture speaks of in passages like 1 Corinthians 4:1, Colossians 1:27; 2:2, 4:3, and Revelation 10:7. Further, I find myself thinking of 1 Corinthians 2:11 along with Isaiah 40:28 and Romans 11:33.

So, for an interlude I settled into these thoughts. I thought of Christ, the Living Water. I thought of how I find myself planted like a tree by the streams of still waters. I thought of the truth of verse 3, how even when the scorching heat of daily life surrounds me, I do not wither. I thought of how I through grace alone had been offered refreshment in the cup of the new covenant.

I thought and lingered here…Oh, how it is true, In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. ²Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” ³With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:1-3)!

And then I thought, “Why doesn’t everyone drink from the well of salvation?” For Scripture teaches every man thirsts. But fallen humanity does not look to God for drink, rather he tries and fails to quench his thirst with wickedness. The Lord Almighty declares, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water, (Jeremiah 2:13).

And oh, don’t I know the truth which is that all men do cup of a cup. For some it is the live saving and giving water of new birth, but I cannot forget the cup of wrath. The cup of judgment and condemnation. I am filled with humble fear when I think of Jesus’ own prayers before laying His live down for me; ³⁴“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” [Jesus] said to them… ³⁵Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will,” (Mark 14:34-36). It was the silence that followed that rings of the truth found in Romans 8:32, “[God the Father] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.”

I was moved to think of the cost of the cross and my thoughts shuddered at the thought of the cup of wrath. That cup is not refreshing; it leads to eternal unquenchable thirst. I felt sick thinking of the rich man and Lazarus, because I know the rich man is my own father. “ ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ ²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us,’ (Luke 16:24-26). “Oh,” I cried in my head, “Why won’t my father drink?”

That thought brought me back around to leading a horse to water. I thought only the Father can create a thirst for Christ, only Christ is sufficient to quench the thirst, and by faith alone given of the Holy Spirit will a God-hater be drawn into the baptismal pool of new birth. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day,” (John 6:44). You may be able to lead a horse to water or plant a tree near water, but Jesus said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots,” (Matthew 15:13).

Praise to you Christ Jesus, lover and Lord of my soul, who drank the cup of wrath meant for me, so that I would drink from the cup of the new covenant!

My thoughts ended with my taking heart in His complete sovereignty and plan of redemption. I will continue to pray earnestly for the lost. I will continue to share the live giving Gospel. I will continue to lead those who cross my path to the Living Word and Water, but I will not force any man to drink. Instead, I will rejoice when the Lord draws one unto Himself.

Grace and peace be with you.

Atonement is whose problem?

Atonement is whose problem[1]?

The primary reason the atonement is God’s problem is because of who God is. It is the very nature of God that makes sin heinous. God set the standard, “be holy because I am holy,” (1 Peter 1:16)[2]. Sin is not measured quantitatively or even by the act of sin itself. Sin is wretched because God’s nature that demands perfection. Sin is an affront to God. God set the bar or standard that we cannot achieve on our own. The expectation of righteousness is perfection[3].

God’s justice demands punishment for unrighteousness. People through out the ages have pondered, “Did God have to send Jesus to the cross? Was there another way?” The answer is, “No.” Romans 8:32[4] states that He did not spare his own son but gave him up. The truth behind this statement is this; if God could have spared His only Son, he would have. This speaks to the seriousness of sin, the holiness of God, and God’s justice.

One may be tempted to ask, “What about mercy? Could not mercy substitute for just punishment?” The answer again is, “No.” God’s whole nature has been affronted by our sin. All of who God is must be satisfied. Calvary is where mercy and justice met. Christ’s blood shed for the guilt of men satisfies the requirement of punishment and displays the mercy of God. To be cleansed by the blood does not mean blood is a cleansing agent. Blood is sticky and gross. The efficacy of the cleansing is grounded in the efficacy in the substitution. This is why the blood of animals was useless.

Luke 24:26[5] asks, “Was it not necessary?” The necessity is clear; the punishment must be fulfilled, because if God overlooks sin, then God is not to be taken seriously. From the beginning it was God who provide reconciliation. Jesus’ death on a cross was the only way for God’s wrath to be placated[6]. For only a human could represent humanity and only God is righteous and able to be an effective substitute.

By nature all humans are children of wrath. All fall short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, not one (Romans 1-3). Sin against the Holy God is what separates humans from God and it is impossible for a human to reconcile himself to God. Therefore, God had to be the active participate in reconciling humans to Himself (2 Corinthians 5). Although it is not as obvious in the English translations, it is extremely important to realize that humans are passive in this process. God does the reconciling; man is a passive participant. The objective view of the atonement holds that no amount of human sorrow or word by a human can atone for sin and that the atonement is solely achieved by God. For this reason, only God is due praise and glory!

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[1] This essay is a compilation of lecture notes given by Dr. David Hogg, SEBTS and supplement references as so marked.

[2] But as he who hath called you, etc., v. 15, 16. Here is a noble rule enforced by strong arguments: Be you holy in all manner of conversation. Who is sufficient for this? And yet it is required in strong terms, and enforced by three reasons, taken from the grace of God in calling us,—from his command, it is written,—and from his example. Be you holy, for I am holy. Learn, (1.) The grace of God in calling a sinner is a powerful engagement to holiness. It is a great favour to be called effectually by divine grace out of a state of sin and misery into the possession of all the blessings of the new covenant; and great favours are strong obligations; they enable as well as oblige to be holy. (2.) Complete holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. Here is a two-fold rule of holiness: [1.] It must, for the extent of it, be universal. We must be holy, and be so in all manner of conversation; in all civil and religious affairs, in every condition, prosperous or reverse; towards all people, friends and enemies; in all our intercourse and business still we must be holy. [2.] For the pattern of it. We must be holy, as God is holy: we must imitate him, though we can never equal him. He is perfectly, unchangeably, and eternally holy; and we should aspire after such a state. The consideration of the holiness of God should oblige as to the highest degree of holiness we can attain unto. (3.) The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian’s life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way. (4.) The Old-Testament commands are to be studied and obeyed in the times of the New Testament; the apostle, by virtue of a command delivered several times by Moses, requires holiness in all Christians. Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991), 1 Peter 1:13.

[3] Suggestion for further study in regard to personal holiness is Holiness, by J.C. Ryle.

[4] 8:31-32. It is astounding to realize that God’s plan of salvation for people is a program that reaches from eternity past to eternity future which God will carry out perfectly. Recognizing this, Paul asked and answered (in vv. 31-39) seven questions to drive home the truth that a believer’s eternal salvation is completely secure in God’s hands. The first question is general, What, then, shall we say in response to this? (cf. 4:1; 6:1; 9:14, 30) The obvious response to 8:28-30 would be to say “Hallelujah,” or to stand in open-mouthed amazement.

This leads to a series of six more specific questions. The first is, If God is for us, who can be against us? Obviously, Satan and his demonic hosts are against believers (cf. Eph. 6:11-13; 1 Peter 5:8), but they cannot ultimately prevail and triumph over believers. God is the self-existent One and the sovereign Creator and, since He is for believers, no one can oppose believers successfully. He is for believers to the extent that He . . . did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. The word “spare” (epheisato, from pheidomai) is the same word used in the Septuagint in Genesis 22:12 where the NIV translates it “withheld.” God said to Abraham, “You have not withheld your son.” Then God directed Abraham to spare Isaac and to offer a ram as a substitute (Gen. 22:2-14), whereas God offered His own Son as the Sacrifice for sin (John 1:29). In view of this supreme act of God’s grace, How will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Since God gave the greatest Sacrifice of all, His own Son, He will certainly not hesitate to give believers all other things pertaining to and leading to their ultimate sanctification (cf. 2 Peter 1:3). John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:474.

[5] That was the problem with most of the Jews in that day: they saw Messiah as a conquering Redeemer, but they did not see Him as a Suffering Servant. As they read the Old Testament, they saw the glory but not the suffering, the crown but not the cross. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Lk 24:13.

[6] Reconciliation of the warring parties is needed, but this can occur only if God’s wrath is somehow absorbed and quenched and man’s anti-God heart, which motivates his anti-God life, is somehow changed. In mercy, God the angry Judge sent his Son into the world to bring about the needed reconciliation. It was not that the kindly Son acted to placate his harsh Father; the initiative was the Father’s own. In Calvin’s words, “in an inconceivable way he loved us even when he hated us,” and his gift to us of the Son as our sin bearer was the fruit of that love (John 3:14-16; Rom. 5:5-8; 1 John 4:8-10). In all his mediatorial ministry the Son was doing his Father’s will. J. I. Packer, Concise Theology : A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993).

How ought Christians react to the shifting moral values of culture?

The question, “How ought Christians react to the shifting moral values of culture?” has been posed. First, I believe the question to be moot because the Bible describes Christians as strangers in a world (cf. 1 Pe 1:1)[1] of cultures whose moral values have been shifting since the beginning of time. However, the Holy Scriptures are timeless and sufficient. If one operates on the presupposition that the Bible is the timeless, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God, then one will find that the Scriptures exhort believers to live a holy life and makes no adjustment for how the moral values of a culture shifts. Further, believers ought not to succumb to nor be swayed by evil desires (2 Timothy 3:6), as they have been called by the Father (cf. Ro 1:7; Jud 1), are made holy through the blood of Christ (cf. He 10:10), and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures command believers to put on the armor of God (Eph 6:13) and to prepare themselves so that they will not wilt like blades of grass and fade like flowers (Isaiah 40:7-8), but rather they will run the race (Hebrews 12:1) and persevere to the end (1 Timothy 4:16).

Unfortunately, in churches across America we see the exact opposite. Today we find anemic churches; churches that refuse to preach about sin and the depravity of man, churches that preach blasphemy stating, “Christ is not the only way for salvation,” churches which breed tolerance, churches teeming with unregenerate church members, in short, we find the church of Revelation 3:16. But all is not lost, because God will carry out His plan using the elect and the non-elect. For the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15) and the Gospel will be proclaimed and the Gospel will transform lives! It is this picture that drives my next reaction to the question, which is to turn to the pages of the Holy Scriptures and seek out the answer to this question, “How ought Christians act?” Christians are to be the salt and light to a world of blandness and darkness, namely, tolerance and evil. The Bible offers much instruction as to how Christians ought to act.

First Peter 1:15-16, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” is a concise summation of how Christians ought to act. However, the question then becomes, “How does a Christian ‘be holy?’” In the two prior verses, 1 Peter 1:13-14, we find the starting point for this task of pursuing personal holiness. First “prepare your minds for action.” Second, “be self-controlled.” Third, “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” And finally, “as obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

As with any task, one must begin with some amount of preparation. The pursuit of holiness begins with the Word of God. For, “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Ti 3:15-16). Christians have been called “to be imitators of God” (Eph 5:1), to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Ga 5:25), and to be regarded as “servants of Christ” (1 Cor 4:1). Christians can only imitate the character of God if they have knowledge of God’s character. Therefore, in order for Christians to be holy like God is holy, they must turn to the Bible, God’s self-revelation to humanity. When reading Psalm 111 and 112 one reads: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise…Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” Preparation, specifically studying of the Scriptures, is foundational. But, “To what end?” one may ask. The answer is this- “prepare your minds for action…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pe 3:13, 15). It is the command of Jesus that Christians to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20; cf. Mt 24:14; Mk 13:10; Ac 1:8; Ac 16:10; 1 Co 9:13; 2 Co 9:13). Part of holiness is one’s personal witness, both in words and deeds.

Being self-controlled is the second part of being holy. God is our model of self-control as God is shown throughout the Scriptures to be immutable (cf. 1 Sa 15:29; Jas 1:17). God does not act rashly, or unjustly, nor does he does show favoritism (cf. Ac 10:34; Ro 2:11; Eph 6:9). Rather, God is patient, merciful, compassionate and gracious (cf. Ex 34:6; No 14:18; Ps 103:8; Jon 4:2). James chapter 3 brings into view the tongue of a Christian; albeit a small organ it is most difficult to control. Part of being self-controlled is controlling the tongue. However, self-control does not stop with words uttered but rather it dives deep and forces us to consider every thought and attitude that enters the heart and mind. Scripture reveals to us that the heart of man is wickedly deceptive (cf. Ge 6:9; Ps 64:6; Je 17:9), so Christians are commanded to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Co 10:5).

Setting “your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed,” brings two things into view that motivates the Christian to be holy. One, the future and two, grace. Christians are exhorted throughout the New Testament to live with a heavenly perspective and not an earthly perspective because the things of this earth will pass away (cf. 1 Co 7:31). “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Is 65:17).

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Rev 21:1-4).

But, as a Christian looks to the future with longing, he should also remind himself daily of the grace that has been extended to him. Scripture is so very clear “there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Ro 3:10-12). All humans are born condemned to suffer the wrath of God. But for some, God’s grace is made manifest, and through faith in Christ these are saved from death and receive eternal life. Because God loves to bless his children, he has designed the salvation process to include his children- that is Christians are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Co 5:20) and are to share the Gospel as commanded by Christ when he said “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mk 16:15). I believe there is no better way to glorify God today then by sharing the Gospel.

Finally, “as obedient children, [Christians are] not [to] conform to the evil desires [they] had when [they] lived in ignorance.” For, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Co 5:17) and “the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God…And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Co 6:9, 11). Therefore, the Christian is to be holy, because he has been washed, justified and sanctified.

The pursuit of personal holiness is evidence of a regenerate heart. For “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Ga 5:22). These fruits are made manifest in the life of the believer who is being sanctified (cf. 1 Th 5:23; 2 Th 2:13) and conformed into the image of Christ (cf. Ro 8:29). “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

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[1] All Scripture references are from the New International Version.