God's Grace in Prayer

  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

(Romans 8:26–27 ESV)

Quite often, in life, we’re at a complete loss. We don’t know what to do in the face of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We don’t know which course of action will benefit us the most. And we don’t know which course of action is within the will of God.

For this reason, as we pray, we don’t even know what we should ask. The only thing we know how to do is to express to God our dilemma. The only thing we know how to do is express to him the way that we feel. And, quite honestly, we don’t feel that this is enough.

We feel that more needs to be said. These prayers seem to us empty and hollow. And we fear that we cannot receive God’s help, we fear that we will not receive his blessing, if we’re unable to find a way to put it into words.

We also struggle knowing our tendency to approach God with the wrong attitude. We struggle knowing that we sometimes approach him with a sinful attitude. We struggle knowing that, quite often, our requests flow from our own selfishness or from our covetous desires rather than a desire for God’s will to be done among us.

God’s grace, however, comes to us in many forms. And we see one such form in the passage above. We see the grace of God even in these times of weakness.

Paul assures us that, as children of God, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Even though we don’t know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit himself intercedes for us. The Spirit of God prays for us. The Holy Spirit brings before the Lord the very prayer that needs to be prayed.

He does so in a way that we cannot. He comes to the Lord with groanings too deep for words. He, in other words, expresses to the Lord those prayers that we’re unable to express.

He intercedes for us rightly. He intercedes for us according to the will of God. He prays the very prayer that God is delighted to answer.

And we are assured that the Lord knows the mind of the Spirit. He knows the mind of the Spirit because their will is One. He knows the mind of the Spirit because they are united in intent    and purpose.

We, then, can be assured that these prayers will be answered. We can be assured that the Spirit’s intercession will be answered. We can be assured that our needs will be met according to the will of God.

This, then, fills us with peace. Even when we don’t know the words that need to be expressed, we have confidence that the Lord will act on our behalf. We know that he’ll provide that which will truly bless us.

The Normal Christian Experience

  “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” 

 (Romans 7:18–19 ESV)

The Christian life can often feel like a struggle. It can feel like an ongoing battle. It feels like a battle as we desire to live for the Lord, and strive to do so. Yet, at the same time, we’re faced constantly with temptation, and we regularly give in to our sinful desires.

We tend to find this discouraging. It causes us to question our Christian maturity. And it can even cause us to question our faith.

We believe that, if we truly trust in Christ, living in obedience to the Lord should be easier. We believe that, if we are mature in faith, resisting temptation should come more naturally. And we believe that, if the Spirit of God truly dwells within us, our sinful nature shouldn’t have such a strong influence in our life.

However, as we look at the above passage, we find that our reasoning is way off base. We find, in fact, that we have it completely backwards. We find that this battle indicates not a lack of faith or maturity. It indicates, rather, that we do have faith and that the Spirit of God is actively working in our life.

Paul, in this passage, is describing his own struggle with sin. And none of us would accuse Paul of being lacking in faith or spiritual maturity. Nor would we dare to call his salvation into question.

He is one of those whom we esteem for his great faith. He’s one of those whose maturity we admire. He’s one of those whom we seek to emulate in our own life of faith.

Yet, even though this is true, he struggled in the same way as the rest of us. He desired to do what was right. He desired to live for the Lord. However, he lacked the ability to carry it out. And he continued to sin. 

It’s clear from this that Paul had the same sinful nature as you and I. And he wrestled with it in the very same way. While he delighted in the law of God, and while he longed to carry it out, he lived in a body of sin that always pulled him in the opposite direction.

This, you see, is not the exception. It’s the norm. It is the shared experience of all who trust in Christ.

I say this not to justify our sin. And I say this not to approve of our wrongdoing. Our sin is still sin, even if it is normal.

I say this to comfort us in the face of this struggle. I say this to ease our doubts as we engage in this battle. It should, in no way, lead us to question our faith or our salvation.

If we had no faith, we wouldn’t struggle with sin at all. If we had no spiritual maturity, we wouldn’t struggle with temptation. And if the Spirit of God were absent from our life, we would have no desire for the things of God.

In that case, we would simply sin. We would live lives of sin, thinking nothing of it. We would engage in wrongdoing without any sense of guilt, and with no desire to live otherwise.

Realizing this, when we sin, we should come to the Lord in a spirit of confession and faith. We should come to him, trusting in Christ for the salvation he’s provided. And we must never allow our ongoing struggle to call this into question.

Righteous in God's Sight

 

“And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

(Genesis 15:6 ESV)

 

 

When we think of the saints, men like Peter, John, and Paul, and when we think of the Patriarchs, men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we think of them as a very spiritual people. We think of them as good and moral people. And we think of them as righteous people.

 

For this reason, we are reluctant to compare ourselves with them, believing that we do not measure up to them. We’re reluctant to liken ourselves to them, believing that we cannot compare with them. We tend to think of them on a tier or a pedestal above ourselves.

 

Looking at their lives, however, we find that they were quite messy. We find that they were sinners, just like us. We find, in fact, that they committed sins that, to us, seem unthinkable.

 

We find, for example, that Abraham allowed his wife to be taken by another man, not once, but twice, to protect himself. We find that Jacob was a liar. Paul was a murderer. And Peter, of course, denied even knowing Jesus.

 

It becomes clear in this way that, like us, they were undeserving of God’s blessing. It becomes clear to us that they too were unable to earn God’s blessing. And it becomes clear to us that, if they were to receive God’s blessing, if they were to receive his salvation, it had to result from his grace.

 

We see this clearly as we look at the passage above. It’s for this reason that Paul quotes this passage in his letter to the Romans in defense of the gospel. He tells us that, having received the promise of God, Abraham believed the Lord. And God credited this to him as righteousness.

 

No one has ever been saved because of their own goodness. No one has ever been saved by their own efforts. Even in the Old Testament, prior to Jesus’ birth, they were saved only by the grace of God through faith.

 

The message of Scripture is consistent. We see the same gospel proclaimed from Genesis through Revelation. We see both the consistency and the faithfulness of God as he’s worked for our salvation.

 

It’s this very truth, then, that we must take to heart. We do not deserve, nor can we earn, the grace of God. We deserve and we can earn nothing more than his wrath.

 

Our salvation is dependent upon Christ alone. And it has been provided to us, from first to last, by Christ alone. It’s by his goodness that we are saved. It’s by his efforts that we are saved. It’s by his sacrifice upon the cross that we have been redeemed.

This salvation is available to each and every one. And it is received through faith in him. As we trust in his work of atonement, and as we trust in his promises, we are saved. Like Abraham, God counts this to us as righteousness.

True to Yourself?

 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

(‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

We live in an age where our single ambition is to satisfy our every desire. Our single ambition is to gratify our every urge. Our single ambition is to fulfill our every want.

We reason that, if it’s something that we feel, it must be right. We reason that it’s wrong to deny ourselves that which will please us. And we reason that it’s immoral to deny someone else something that would please them.

This, in fact, has become the greatest virtue of the society in which we live. And not only is it lived out openly. It’s also promoted by the media, taught in our schools, and enforced by our laws.

Sadly, this has become true of much of the church as well. No longer do we acknowledge God’s Word as right and true. It is now secondary to our emotions and our fleshly appetites.

We no longer believe these desires to result from our sinful nature. We no longer consider them a violation of God’s law. To deny our desires, we believe, is truly sin.

We’ve both accepted and promoted the mantra that people should do what makes them happy. We’ve accepted and promoted the mantra that people should do what feels right to them. We’ve accepted and promoted the mantra that truth is determined by what we feel.

When it comes to our faith, we understand that Jesus has forgiven our sin. We understand that, by his death, he’s paid the penalty of our sin. But we fail to understand that, in this way, he has also freed us from sin.

It’s this reality that Paul is addressing in the passage above. Paul had already explained to the believers at Rome that, in Christ, they have died to sin. They died to sin in baptism, and they were raised together with Christ to the new life given them by God. And, for this reason, he told them that they were to count themselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

It’s in this context that the above passage was written. And he told them that they were not to allow sin to reign in their mortal bodies. They were not to allow sin to make them obey its passions. And they were not to present their bodies to sin as instruments for unrighteousness.

In other words, Paul called them to deny these desires. He called them to resist these desires. And he told them that they were not to act on these desires.

Instead, they were to present themselves to God as those who had been brought from death to life. They were to live in the freedom and salvation that God had provided them. And they were to do so by presenting their bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.

They were to do so because they were no longer under sin. They were to do so because no longer were they under the dominion of sin. They were to do so because they were under grace. 

What mattered, then, was not what they felt. What mattered was not what they desired. What mattered is the truth God had declared and the life he had provided.

It’s clear, then, that our bodily appetites are not good. It’s clear that the desires of the flesh are not righteous. It’s clear, in fact, that they are sinful. 

For this reason, we must seek not to satisfy them. We must resist them and live the life given to us by God. We must live the life of repentance and faith to which God has called us.

Small, but Mighty

 

“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 

(Matthew 17:20 ESV)

 

As we consider our faith, and as we live out the Christian life, we often view it on a spectrum. We view it as ranging from that of a new believer, with a young faith, to that of an older believer with a mature faith. And we often tell ourselves that, if only we might grow in faith, then we could do great things for God.

 

We, then, allow this mindset to hold us back from our service of both God and men.  We tell ourselves that we’re not yet mature enough to serve or to be used by God. And we tell ourselves that, someday, we may be able to do more.

 

This seems to be supported by the words of Jesus as we look at the circumstances surrounding the above passage. Jesus had already given to his disciples the authority to cast out demons. In fact, they had already done so. But, in this case, in the case of a man who brought to them his son, they were ineffective.

 

Jesus, when he learned of this, chastised their entire generation for their lack of faith. He referred to them as a faithless and a twisted generation. He, then, cast out this evil spirit himself.

 

When the disciples asked about their inability to do so, Jesus told them that it was because of their little faith. He said that it was because of the smallness of their faith, or the inadequacy of their faith.

 

This, then, feeds our perception that we must become more mature if we’re to serve God.  It feeds our perception that we must become more mature if God is to use us. And this is especially true, we think, if he’s to use us in great ways.

 

We must, however, look at this in the context of his larger statement. As we see in the passage above, he tells them that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. If they had faith the size of a very small seed, they could work wonders.

 

The problem with the disciples, then, was not the immaturity of their faith. Nor was it the size of their faith. The problem was their lack of faith. They were not trusting in Christ to accomplish this work. They lacked faith when it came to the authority Jesus had given them.

 

We know this because, according to Jesus, it only takes a very small faith to do great things. Faith like a grain of mustard seed, which is tiny, is enough to move mountains. The disciples, then, didn’t need a bigger faith. They simply needed faith.

 

This truth, you see, is not meant to discourage us.  It’s intended to do the exact opposite. It’s meant as an encouragement. It tells us that God is able to use us in great ways if we have only a very small faith. And it assures us that it doesn’t take greatness in terms of faith to accomplish great works for the Lord.

 

We, then, must not use this as an excuse for our lack of service. Nor can we use it to excuse our unwillingness to serve. We can trust that God will empower us to serve him, even when our faith is small. We can trust that God will accomplish his purpose through us, even when our faith is immature.

We Need a Savior

 

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”

(Romans 5:12-14 ESV)

 

We all understand and confess that we are sinners. We understand and confess that we’re far from perfect. We understand and confess that we violate the law of God and fail to live up to his standards. 

 

However, this is all that we understand sin to be. We believe that it refers only to our acts of disobedience against the law of God. We believe that it refers only to our violations of the will of God.

 

This certainly is sinful. Sin, however, refers also to something more. It refers to the state in which we find ourselves. It refers to condition in which we are born.

 

What I’m speaking of is commonly referred to as original sin. And what this means is that, from the time we are conceived, we have a natural bent, a natural tendency, to rebel against God. It means that we have a natural desire for those things that are opposed to the Lord and his will.

 

We do not enter into the world as innocent beings. Nor are we born into the world as good. We enter this world as enemies of God.

 

It’s for this reason that we’re in need of the salvation of God from the very beginning of life. Even the sweet, cuddly babies that we enjoy are sinners deserving only of God’s judgment. And we know this because they too are subject to the consequences of sin.

 

We see this as we look at the above passage. In it, Paul discusses those who lived between the time of Adam and Moses. He addresses those who lived between the fall of Adam that the law which was given.

 

There was this period where the law had not yet been given. It had not yet been spoken by God, nor had it been written down. And, for this reason, the people could not have been guilty of violating his law as did Adam, who violated a direct command.

 

They, however, remained guilty. We know this because they were subject to the consequences of sin, namely death. Death, you see, would not have been suffered had they not been guilty.

 

So, although sin is certainly a violation of God’s law, we must understand that it is something more. We must understand that it is a state, it’s a condition, in which we find ourselves. And it’s this state that leads us to commit acts of sin.

 

This sinful condition makes us guilty. It makes us deserving of God’s judgment. And this is true of us from even the beginning of our life.

 

We, then, are in need of forgiveness from the very beginning of life. We’re in need of salvation from the very beginning of life. We’re in need of atonement, we’re in need of redemption, from the very beginning of life.

 

The good news, of course, is that Jesus has provided just that. The good news is that his salvation has been provided and made available to all mankind. And it is received by faith in Christ.

 

 

Please, Be Quiet!

 “…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 ESV)

People, today, have an opinion on everything. They seem to believe that they are experts when it comes to each and every subject.  They think they know the best course of action when it comes to politics, world affairs, economics, and even sports. 

They are also nosy. They want to know what’s going on in the lives of those around them. And they seem to think they have the answers to everyone else’s problems.

Additionally, we live in a society where everyone wants to be heard. They want to be recognized. And they want to stand out.

With the advent of social media, it even feels as though this is within our reach. We aspire to be the next YouTube sensation, or the next internet celebrity. We aspire to be the next great influencer. We seek to do so by making our every thought, our every viewpoint, known to anyone and everyone.

We are loud-mouths. We’re blowhards. We’re absolute windbags.

This is true of us, even as believers in Jesus. It’s true of us as churches. We want to express our every opinion, and we do so tactlessly.

The principle cited by Paul, in the above passage, is absolutely foreign to us. It’s one that most of us would never even consider. He tells us to aspire to live quietly and to mind our own affairs.

Rather than expressing every opinion and constantly attempting to be heard, we’re to work with our hands. In other words, we’re to speak less and toil more. We’re to pursue a peaceful existence, seeking only to carry out our duties and vocations.

The result, he says, is that we’ll walk properly before outsiders. We’ll be respected by outsiders. And, as we focus on our responsibilities, we will not find ourselves in need.

So, in this age of opinionated expression, may we learn to keep our thoughts to ourselves. In this age of unfettered assertion, may we mind our own business. May we tend to our responsibilities, seeking to live a quiet and a peaceful existence.

Peace with God

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:1 ESV

 

As we live our lives here in this world, they feel anything but peaceful. If anything, they tend to feel messy and chaotic. The constant problems and difficulties that we face make it feel anything but peaceful. And peace, then, is the one thing we crave.

 

The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. Few of us feel at peace with God. Our faith in him, our relationship with him, feels more like a wrestling match than it does one of peace.

 

It feels like a wrestling match as we deal with questions and doubts. It feels like a wrestling match as we struggle with our sinful desires and tendencies. It feels like a wrestling match as we often find ourselves experiencing the consequences of not only our own mistakes and failures, but also those of others.

 

This, then, causes us to question our faith. It causes us to question our relationship with the Lord. It causes us to doubt our standing with God. It causes us to do so because we don’t think it should be so difficult.

 

What we fail to realize is that having peace with God, or being in a state of peace with God, has nothing to do with our feelings.  And it has nothing to do with our circumstances. Being at peace with God is not subjective in any way whatsoever.

 

Being at peace with God is an objective reality. It transcends our feelings. And it rises above our circumstances.

 

We have peace with God not because we feel at peace. We have peace with God not because life is easy. And we have peace with God not because our faith seems easy in the moment.

 

We have peace with God because of Jesus. We have peace with God because of what he has done for us. We have peace with God because of the blessings he has provided to us.

 

Paul explains, in the verse above, that it’s because we’ve been justified by faith that we have peace with God. Because we have received justification, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God. Because, by faith in Christ, we have received his forgiveness and salvation, we have peace with God.

 

What this indicates is that we are no longer in a state of hostility with the Lord. We’re no longer in a state of enmity with God. While we were once enslaved by sin, facing each of its consequences, this is true of us no more.

 

We are now the people of God. We are now the children of God. We are now his redeemed.

 

For this reason, even if our life seems messy and chaotic in the moment, we know that we have peace with God because of Jesus. Even if questions and doubts are assailing us, we know that we have peace with God because of Jesus. And even if we’re struggling with sinful desires and tendencies, we know that we have peace with God because of Jesus.

 

This peace that we have has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with him. It has nothing to do with our feelings, and everything to do with him. And it has nothing to do with our circumstances, but everything to do with him.

The Source of Assurance

 

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…”

(Romans 4:16 ESV)

 

Although we know the gospel, that we are saved by the grace of God alone through faith in Christ alone, we revert to trusting in the law for salvation. We begin to depend, again, upon the works of the law to attain for ourselves the forgiveness of sins. Our sinful nature leads us to depend upon ourselves, rather than Christ, to gain the mercy that we need.

 

The result of this is that we have no peace. We have no assurance of salvation. We can never know if we’re good enough, or if we’ve done enough, to satisfy the righteous requirements of God.

 

And this leaves us in a state of doubt. It leaves us in a state of uncertainty. It leaves us in a state of worry, concerned that we may be found to have fallen short.

 

We see from this why the gospel is truly good news. We see from this why it is essential. It alone can provide for us the assurance of salvation.

 

This is what Paul is addressing in the verse above. He tells us that the promise of God, given to Abraham, depends not upon law, but upon faith. And the promise to which he refers is that he and his descendants were to be heirs of the world.

 

He points out in verses 14-15 that if it’s the adherents of the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. Faith and the promise are empty and meaningless because law brings only wrath. Because of our sinful nature, we will always fall short. And, in this way, our dependance upon the law brings only condemnation.

 

In that case, there is no assurance of salvation. Worse yet, there is the assurance of only judgment. There is the assurance only of condemnation.

 

However, because it depends upon faith, the promise of God is guaranteed. It’s guaranteed to all who share the faith of Abraham. And it’s guaranteed because it depends not upon us, but upon God.

 

For this reason, no longer are we left in a state of doubt. No longer are we left in a state of uncertainty. We know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we are inheritors of every blessing promised to us by God.

In Christ

 “This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:25-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are two common objections put forward by those who do not believe in the God of the Bible or who, at the very least, refuse the message of the gospel. Some object that God is not loving. And others tell us that he is not just.

The first struggle with the fact that God will not accept their chosen lifestyle, or that of a loved one. They struggle with what he declares to be sinful. And they struggle with the fact that God will not simply overlook our wrongdoing. This, they tell us, is not loving.

The second struggle with the fact that some seem to have somehow escaped the consequences of their wrongdoing. It appears to them that God has left those, deserving of condemnation, off the hook. And this, they say, is not just.

Some struggle with this, believing that these two character traits are mutually exclusive. They don’t believe it’s possible for one person to be both loving and just. They don’t believe that it’s possible, at the same time, to be equitable and tenderhearted.

We see in the above passage, however, that God is both loving and just. We see that he is both fair and merciful. And we see this in reality in Jesus himself.

Paul tells us that God is both just, as well as the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. He tells us how, in Jesus, the Lord demonstrates both qualities. He reveals to us how, in Jesus, he fulfills both roles.

In Jesus, we see that God is just. And we see his justice in the fact that he has not allowed the deserved consequences of our sin to go unpaid. He ensured that the righteous requirements of the law were fully satisfied.

He did so through the death of his Son. He did so by allowing Jesus to die on the cross. In this way, he served as the propitiation, or as the atoning sacrifice, for the sin of all men.

This reveals to us, also, that God is loving. Rather than allowing us to bear the consequences of our sin, he did it for us. And, in this way, he’s made forgiveness and salvation available to all mankind.

This blessing is available to all people through faith in Jesus. It’s received, it’s obtained, by trusting in him. It’s received by trusting in the salvation he has provided for us and by believing his promises.

By Which Means Are We Chosen?

 

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

(Romans 2:28-29 ESV)

 

When we think of the Jewish identity, we tend to think of an ethnic identity. Although we realize that a particular faith was held and practiced by the people, we continue to think of them in terms of their race. And knowing that the people of Israel were both called and used by God, we tend to believe that they are his chosen people.

 

We believe that they are his chosen people regardless of their faith, or lack of faith, in Jesus. We believe that they are his chosen people regardless of our understanding of the gospel. Even knowing that we are saved only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus, we maintain our belief that they will receive God’s salvation.

 

They certainly believe this about themselves as well. They believe that their ethnicity, they believe the fact that they are descended from Abraham, makes them part of God’s people. They trust also in their ceremonies, believing that, because they are circumcised, they are part of God’s people.

 

As Christians, we sometimes believe the same about ourselves. We look not to the gospel for the assurance of our salvation.  And we look not to Christ. We look instead to outward factors.

 

We count ourselves Christian, we count ourselves as part of God’s people, because we have Christian parents and were raised in a Christian household. We count ourselves Christian, and count ourselves part of God’s people, because we are members of a church. We count ourselves Christian, and count ourselves part of God’s people, because we attended Sunday School as children.

 

We do so regardless of our faith, or our lack of faith, in Jesus. We do so regardless of our understanding of the gospel. And we do so regardless of the clear teaching of Scripture.

 

As we look at the passage above, Paul crushes this belief in no uncertain terms. He says that no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly. And he says that circumcision is not merely outward and physical.

 

A Jew, he says, is one inwardly. In other words, it’s a matter of faith. Circumcision, likewise, is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit.

 

So, a person is not a Jew merely because of his heritage. And he is not a Jew merely because he is circumcised. It’s his faith that makes him a Jew, and his faith that makes him part of the people of God.

 

The same principle, then, applies to us. Our standing before God is not a matter of birthright. Nor is it something that comes to us by mere ceremony. It’s a matter of faith. It comes to us, as the free gift of God, through our ongoing trust in the Savior.

 

 

Keep On Keeping On

 

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

(1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

 

This was the confirmation verse assigned to me by my pastor on the day when I publicly confessed my faith before the congregation. And I believe that he assigned it to me knowing my calling. He assigned it to me knowing that I was being led by the Lord into the pastoral ministry.

 

This verse certainly does speak to me, it certainly does minister to me, as I carry out this calling. It’s been a good reminder to me throughout the years. However, it’s a verse that speaks to all of us.

 

It speaks to all of us because, as we serve the Lord, we often become tired. As we seek to serve the church, we often become worn down. And as we deal with not only the people of our society who surround us from day to day, but also the children of God, we often become frustrated.

 

We are often left feeling unsatisfied. We are often left feeling unfulfilled. And we are often left feeling like our efforts are accomplishing nothing.

 

For this reason, we wonder if it’s worth it. We feel like throwing in the towel. In fact, we feel like giving up altogether.

 

And many times, we do just that. In our fatigue, we pull back. In our frustration, we give up. In our exasperation, we resign from the role we’ve been filling.

 

This can happen whether it’s a role we’re filling at church, at home, on the job, or in the community. We simply cease doing the things we’ve always done. And we no longer try to fill the needs that we once satisfied.

 

It’s in these circumstances that the words of the apostle Paul, in the passage above, speak to us. He encourages us to be steadfast, to be firmly based. He encourages us to be unmovable. He encourages us to be always abounding, always over and above, when it comes to the work of the Lord. And we’re to do so knowing that, in the Lord, our labor is never in vain.

 

No matter how things may seem, our labor is never meaningless. No matter how it may feel, our labor is never empty. No matter the apparent results, or lack of them, we can be assured that our labor in the Lord is always accomplishing something, even if we cannot see it.

Unashamed

 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

(Romans 1:16 ESV)

 

We often experience feelings of shame. And, at times, these feelings are legitimate. They are experienced rightfully.

 

We feel shame, for example, when our sin or wrongdoing is exposed. We are embarrassed because of what we’ve done.  We’re self-conscious because of the fact that our sin has become known. And we are humiliated because others are now aware of our specific shortcomings.

 

Other times, however, the sense of shame that we feel is unwarranted. It’s unjustified. And it is needless.

 

An example of this is brought out in the passage above. Many of us, although we are believers, are ashamed of the gospel. We are ashamed of the message of Jesus.

 

We’re ashamed of it because it’s at odds with the society in which we live. We’re ashamed of it because it’s not well-received by the people among whom we live. We’re ashamed of it because the gospel is rejected by those deemed wise, and because it’s not the popular view of our day.

 

For this reason, although we continue to trust in Christ, we keep our faith private. Although we have been called by Christ to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation and to make disciples of all nations, we fail to reach out. We speak of our faith, and we live our faith, only among those who share it.

 

However, if we rightly understood the power of the gospel, could we do so? If we rightly understood the power of the gospel, would we feel such shame? I believe the answer to these questions is “no.”

 

I say this because of the words of Paul in the passage above. He tells us, there, that he is not ashamed of the gospel. And he presents to us the reason for his lack of shame.

 

He was not ashamed of the gospel, he says, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. In this way, he’s referring to the fact that we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. And he’s referring to the fact that we are brought to faith, that we are enabled to believe, by the gospel (Romans 10:13-17).

 

Apart from the gospel, this is not possible. Apart from the gospel, we are unable to believe. And, apart from the gospel, we are not able to be saved.

 

This, then, leads us, as believers, to share the gospel with the whole creation. It leads us to make disciples of all nations. And it leads us to do so unashamedly.

As we’ve been led to faith by the gospel, we share it with others. As we have come to know the work of the Lord through the gospel, we share it with others. And as we’ve come to trust in Christ through the gospel, we share it with others.

 

We do so as we come to share the heart of God for the lost. We do so as we are led to desire the salvation of our neighbor. We do so, as we desire that none should be condemned.

A Mutual Encouragement

 “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

(‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

As we choose a church, and as we participate and interact with our church, we typically have one goal in mind: We want to be fed. We want to receive from the church. We want to be blessed by the church and its ministries.

We look for a church that checks off all of the boxes. Does it have a men’s ministry? Does it have a women’s ministry? Is there a Sunday School program? Is there an active youth ministry for our kids? Is there a nursery? Is there a music program? Are their small groups? And the list goes on and on.

If the church can’t fill all of our needs, we leave. If we don’t feel that we’re being fed, we leave. And we go off in search of a new church that will better do so.

Please don’t misunderstand where I’m going with this. We should be fed by our church. We should be blessed by it. If we have kids, and there is absolutely nothing for them at the church, it’s understandable that this might concern us.

The problem, however, is when we seek only to receive, and not to give. The problem is when we seek only to be served, and not to serve. The problem is when we seek only to be fed, and not to feed others.

We see in the above passage that, as Paul sought to visit the church at Rome, he desired to bless them. He wanted to impart some gift to them. He wanted to encourage them in their faith.

However, we see that he expected to receive from them as well. He sought their encouragement for his own faith. He desired that they might be a mutual blessing to one another.

You might object to what I’m saying, noting that Paul was an apostle. He was called by God to serve and to minister. And, for this reason, it’s only natural that he would desire to be a blessing to this congregation.

We must realize, however, that even if we aren’t an apostle like Paul, and even if we aren’t a pastor or a missionary, we are called by God to serve the church. We are called to be a blessing to others in the body of Christ.

Our concern, then, as we search for a church, our concern as we participate and interact with our church, should not be only what we might receive. We should concern ourselves also with what we might give. We should concern ourselves with being a blessing to others. And, in this way, we will be mutually encouraged. We will be mutually built up in faith.

Believing the Unbelievable

 “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

(Genesis 15:1-6 ESV)

We live in a society rooted in logic. We want everything to make sense to us. And we struggle with things that don’t fit that mold.

This is true not only in matters of practical life. It’s true also when it comes to our faith. We want the things of God to make sense to us. We desire to understand them. And if they don’t make sense, if they don’t seem rational, our tendency is to dismiss them or to ignore them completely.

Really, this is nothing new. Abram struggled with this in the passage above. He struggled with it as God made him a wonderful promise.

God told Abram that he was his shield, that he was his protector and defender. He told Abram that his reward would be very great, or that he was his very great reward. And, on the surface, most of us would love to have God say the same to us. We would love to receive such a promise from God.

However, as he looked at his life, it didn’t make sense to Abram. He was lacking one of the greatest, and one of the most basic blessings desired by men. At his advanced age, he remained childless. He lacked an heir.

It didn’t make sense to him that he could lack this blessing and be blessed by God. It didn’t make sense to him that he could lack this blessing while God was his shield. If God’s Word was true, he reasoned, he would have a child. If it was true, he would have an heir.

God then reassured him that he would have an heir. He reassured Abram that his very own son would be his heir. And God promised him that his offspring would be as many as the stars of the sky.

Again, logically, this didn’t make a lot of sense. But Abram believed God. And God credited that faith to him as righteousness.

We know how the story played out. God miraculously provided a son to Abram and Sarai in their old age. Even though they were past the age of childbearing, together they bore Isaac. And their family grew into the nation of Israel.

When things don’t make sense to us, when the things of God don’t make sense to us, it need not destroy us. Even then, we can trust God. Even then, we can believe his promise. And we can do so because God is God.

He is not limited as we are. He isn’t bound by the laws of nature. He isn’t in bondage to sin and its consequences. He doesn’t lie. He doesn’t change his mind. What he says, he can do. And what he says, he will do.

We, therefore, can believe him. Regardless of what our mind tells us, we can believe him. And we can have the assurance that, like Abram, God will credit this to us as righteousness.

The Pleasure Principle

 “And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

(‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

We, in the United States, live in a very prosperous society. We live in a place where even our poor have an abundance compared to most others in the world today. And, with our wealth, we tend to pursue pleasure.

We buy the biggest and fanciest homes. We buy the most luxurious cars. We buy the most expensive clothing. We buy toys, with which to entertain ourselves. We go on lavish vacations. We buy excessive amounts of alcohol. We pay to be entertained and to have our desires satisfied.

This, we believe, is why we work so hard. This, we believe, is why we pursue success. We want to live the good life. And, as we’re able, we seek to appease our every whim and to satiate our every lust.

We are not satisfied with a simple existence. We are not satisfied with our needs being met. We’re not content with the monotonous, and find no happiness in the day-to-day. 

However, as Solomon discovered and recounted in the above passage, this is vanity. It’s meaningless. It’s nothing more than a striving after the wind. 

He recounts how he denied himself nothing that he desired. He tells of how he kept from himself no pleasure. This, he said, was his reward for his toil. But, in the end, there was nothing to be gained. 

This is only one aspect of life that Solomon found meaningless. His point, however, is that we pursue so many things that are just that. And we ignore the source of true meaning.

After pursuing meaning and lasting satisfaction in so many aspects of this life, he brings us back to the Lord. He encourages us, in chapter 12, to remember our Creator in the days of our youth, before life becomes hard. And he reminds us to fear God and to keep his commandments, which is the whole duty of man.

This, you see, is a good lesson for us. We learn from Solomon that the Lord is the only place where satisfaction may be found. We learn that he is the source of all that is meaningful. 

I’m not suggesting that it’s wrong for us to experience pleasure, or that pleasure itself is sinful. But it must not become an idol. We must not pursue it above all else, seeking from it satisfaction and relief from our distress.