A few days ago a reader emailed a question someone had raised in her small group –

How is it not justifiable to worry about a fear that comes true? 

For example, if I fear cancer for years, then get cancer, I feel justified for fearing it because I was right.  Can you speak to that?

I’m sure many have wondered about this, so I thought I’d post my answer here.

Dear Reader

Thanks for sharing this question.  Here’s my restatement of what the person is asking –

I hear that I should not worry or be afraid; that instead of worrying or being afraid, I should trust God.  But why not worry or be afraid if bad things can actually happen to me?

This is a crucial question.  So let’s start here –

Can Bad Things Actually Happen To Believers?

The questioner is right.  Bad things can happen to believers.  Look at these Scriptures –

In the world you will have tribulation. (John 16:33)

… through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.  (Acts 14:22)

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Phil 1:29)

So Jesus promises that those who trust Him will experience bad things — trials and tribulation and suffering.

But if that’s true, then how can we not worry? Why would we not be afraid?

It’s because God gives us three wonderful promises which can fill us with peace and free us from fear.

First — God promises to fill you with joy in Christ now and forever.

Look at how David describes God in Psalm 16:11 –

In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Through trusting Christ you are not only forgiven for all your sins.  You will also have times when God shows you Jesus’ glory so powerfully that you overflow with joy.

This is not joy in health or wealth — those are minor league joys.  This is joy in God as He is revealed in Christ — infinite joy, all-satisfying joy, overwhelming joy.

This is the heart of the Christian life: seeking and experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.  That’s taught in Scriptures like Psa 4:6-7; Psa 73:25-26; Matt 13:44; John 4:13-14; John 6:35; John 7:37-38; Phil 3:8; and 1Pet 1:8.

Second — God promises to use every trial to bring you even more joy in Christ.

That’s what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:17 –

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…

Paul says our earthly trials are momentary and light when compared to the everlasting and weighty joy of knowing Christ.

And — he says our trials here on earth are preparing this eternal weight of glory for us.  Which means that God will use every trial to show us more of Jesus’ glory, so we experience more joy in Jesus’ glory now and forever.

So every trial that comes your way is a gift from God of more heart-satisfying joy in Jesus’ glory.  That’s taught in Scriptures like Rom 5:3-5; 2Cor 12:9; James 1:2-4; and 1Pet 1:3-8.

But what about all the problems created by trials?  That’s the final promise –

Third — God promises to take care of every problem created by every trial.

Take cancer, for example.  That would create lots of problems — decisions that have to be made, suffering that must be endured, bills that must be paid — and on and on.

But look at what God promises –

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)

Every need — including wisdom to make tough decisions (James 1:5), grace to suffer (2Cor 9:8), money for medical bills (Matt 6:33), and strength to keep going (Phil 4:13).

God will fully supply every need brought about by every problem.

Trusting God’s Promises

Can you see how trusting these promises will free you from fear and worry?

Imagine facing a difficult, painful, exhausting 20-mile hike up and over a high mountain.  That might fill you with fear and worry.

But what if it was guaranteed that during the hike you’d receive everything you needed — encouragement, water, granola bars, strength, everything.

And — what if it was guaranteed that at the end of the hike you’d receive fifty million dollars.  Whoa.

Now how would you feel about the hike?  Would you worry?  Feel fear?  No.  You’d want to start hiking.

So here’s the good news — Jesus’ glory is infinitely more satisfying than fifty million dollars.

And — God promises to use every trial to bring us more joy in Christ.

And — God promises to take care of every need produced by every trial.

But there’s a problem.  Sin makes us doubt these promises.

So what we must do is –

Fight The Fight Of Faith

When you are fearful or worried about a trial, that shows sin is making you doubt God’s promises.  So you need to go to war, with prayer and God’s Word, to conquer your unbelief and strengthen your faith.

So here are steps I’ve found helpful.

Start by turning your heart toward Jesus.  Come to Him just as you are — with your doubts, fears, and worries (Luke 18:13).

Confess any known sin and receive assurance that you are completely forgiven through Christ’s death (1 John 1:9).

Ask Him for more of the Spirit’s work to conquer your unbelief and strengthen your faith in His promises (Luke 11:13).

Read and pray over each of the three promises listed above, along with other relevant Scriptures, until you feel the Holy Spirit strengthening your faith that –

• Jesus is your all-satisfying joy now and forever.
• God will use every trial to bring you even more joy in Christ.
• God will take care of every other need you have.

As you fight the fight of faith, you will experience the Spirit strengthening your faith.  You will feel your worry and fear disappear.  And you will be filled with peace — and even joy.

So start hiking.

Questions?  Comments?

More than 40 times the book of Psalms urges us to take refuge in God.  But what does that mean?

The word “refuge” makes us think of fleeing into a castle tower where we are protected from danger.  That’s comforting.

But how do we actually take refuge in God?  And when we do, what dangers will He protect us from?

Tough Week

It was Sunday morning before our worship gathering.  I had been through a tough week — feeling fear, doubt and discouragement.

So I pulled out my packet of memory verses to fight the fight of faith, and started with Psa 36:7 –

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

That sounded encouraging.  But I wondered — what does that mean?

Feasting And Drinking

I kept reading, to see if David gave any clues in the next verse –

They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

Hmm.  Feasting on the abundance of God’s house, and drinking from the river of God’s delights, means seeking and finding my joy in God.  But what does that have to do with taking refuge in God?

To see if there was a connection, I read both of these verses together –

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

Reading them together was helpful– it sounded like taking refuge in God means feasting on the abundance of His house and drinking of His delights.

And as I prayed over that truth, God used it to encourage, strengthen, and prepare me for Sunday morning.

Nagging Question

But over the next few days I had a nagging question — do any other verses connect refuge in God with joy in God?

To answer this, I looked at other Psalms which mention taking refuge in God, to see if any of them make the same connection.

What I found surprised me –

Psalm 16:1-2 — Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

So taking refuge in God means seeing that I have no good apart from God.  It means seeing that all my good — all my joy — is in God Himself.

Psalm 34:8 — Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Why should I taste and see that the Lord is good?  It’s because the one who takes refuge in Him is blessed.  Which shows that taking refuge in God means tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.

Psalm 64:10 — Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

Notice how rejoicing in the Lord is linked with taking refuge in Him.  And both of those are summarized as exulting in God, which means having great delight in Him.

Psalm 73:28 — But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

For the psalmist it is good to be near God, which means God Himself is his highest joy.  And he explains that having God as  his greatest good is the same thing as making God his refuge.

Psalm 142:5 — I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

For God to be my refuge means I see Him as my portion, my inheritance, my prize.  It means I am seeking Him as my all-satisfying Treasure.

Putting This Together

These passages convinced me.  Taking refuge in God means seeking and finding my joy in God.

Here’s how this works.

Let’s say I’m seeking my joy in money.  In that case, a recession would threaten me, because it could hurt my money, which would hurt my joy.

So if my joy is in money, a recession is like a thousand Orcs with clubs and swords and spears marching toward defenseless me.  Trouble.

But there’s something I can do.  There’s a massive, fully-stocked tower I can run into  as my refuge — joy in God.

God promises that through faith in Jesus Christ He will fill me with joy in Himself now and forever (John 6:35; John 7:37-38), and He will provide money and whatever else I need in the meantime (Phil 4:19).

So if my joy is in God, and not money, a recession can’t threaten me.  Just like if I was in a strong, impregnable tower with limitless supplies of food and drink and joy forever, a thousand Orcs can’t threaten me.

Joy in God is that strong, impregnable tower.

But knowing this is one thing.  Experiencing it is another.  So –

How Can We Experience This?

Start by turning to Jesus Christ just as you are, with your fears, worries, and concerns.

Confess that you are seeking your joy in things besides Him.  Ask Him to forgive you.  Receive His assurance of complete forgiveness through the Cross (1 John 1:9).

Admit that you can’t change your heart by yourself.  Trust that His power can change you.  Ask Him to help you turn from those other joys so you can experience Him as your all-satisfying joy (Psa 79:9; Luke 18:27; Psa 4:6-7).

Turn your heart from whatever else you have been seeking for joy, and turn to Him.  Set your heart on who He is as revealed in God’s Word.  Pray over Scriptures which describe His love (Gal 2:20), power (Mark 6:41-42), wisdom (John 7:46), and glory (John 1:14).

Pray over those Scriptures until you feel the Holy Spirit strengthening your faith so you once again feel Jesus Christ as your all-satisfying joy (John 4:13-14; John 6:35; John 7:37-38; 2Cor 3:18).  When Christ is your all-satisfying joy — no trial can threaten you.  You are in an impregnable tower.

Pray over God’s promises that He will take care of every need brought about by future trials — needs for wisdom (James 1:5), finances (Matt 6:33), strength (Phil 4:13), and anything else (Phil 4:19).  The tower is fully stocked.

Taking Refuge In God

When we seek our joy in anything besides Christ, we are defenseless, and the Orcs are coming.

But nearby is a massive, impregnable, fully stocked tower.

How can we enter that tower?  By seeking our joy in Christ, trusting His promises to fully satisfy us in Himself, and relying on Him to take care of everything else we need.

When we do, we’ll be safe.  Forever.

So run for the tower.

Comments?  Feedback?

The Great Commission

I just returned from a 2-day Acts 29 Pastors’ Conference.  It was a powerful time of worship, learning, reconnecting with other pastors, and hanging out with three other guys from Mercy Hill.

But my main take-away involves the Great Commission.  Recently I’ve been studying the Great Commission with other leaders at Mercy Hill, thinking about how it’s easily misunderstood, and pondering how we can more faithfully obey it.

And God used this conference to crystallize these thoughts — so I’ll share them here.

Here’s the Great Commission –

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20)

Here are my thoughts –

This is one of the main points of Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew quoted this as Jesus’ final words in this gospel — and the final words of this gospel.  Which means he wants us to finish reading this gospel with the Great Commission ringing in our ears.  When we finish reading his Gospel, Matthew expects us to head out and start making disciples.

Making disciples is not just discipling believers.

As Jesus says, the making of disciples starts with baptism.  And baptism means someone has just come to faith.  So the command to make disciples is the command to go out and find people who are not disciples, and help bring them to faith so they become disciples.  And then we teach them to make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.  And at the same time we head out to make more disciples from those who are not yet disciples.

Making disciples means making disciples.

It does not mean talking about making disciples, or teaching about making disciples, or praying about making disciples.  It means going to people who are not disciples, and loving them and sharing the good news with them so they repent of their sin, and trust Jesus as their Savior (Matt 1:21), Lord (Matt 7:21), and Treasure (Matt 13:44) — and become disciples.   It means — making disciples.

This command is for every believer.

Some people think Jesus only gave this command to the apostles.  But note that last promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  The apostles did not live to the end of the age.  So Jesus is not just speaking to the apostles, He is speaking to every believer alive to the end of the age.  So He is speaking to me, and to you, and saying — Go and make disciples.

Jesus commands each of us to make disciples.

This is not optional.  It’s a command from our King.  It’s as weighty a command as “love your enemies” (Matt 5:44).  It’s not that we are to make disciples if we have time, or if we feel like it, or if it’s easy.  He’s commanding us — make disciples.

We must not let anything distract us from making disciples.

There is massive suffering in the world — hunger, poverty, sex trafficking.  And followers of Jesus will do all we can to relieve suffering.  But the infinitely worst suffering is eternal hell.  And the only way we can help someone escape eternal suffering is by helping them become a disciple.  So don’t let anything distract you from this all-important task of making disciples.

We must not let anything excuse us from making disciples.

Jesus’ final command is to go and make disciples.  He’s expecting each of us to focus our lives on making disciples.  So if we are too busy to make disciples, or too tired to make disciples, then there’s something else we need to stop doing so we can start making disciples.

To help us obey, Jesus reminds us that He has all authority.

Jesus always gives us promises to help us obey His commands.  Here, one of the promises is that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth.  So the One commanding us to make disciples is the One who has all authority over us.  And since He has all authority, we have authorization to go everywhere to make disciples.  And — since He has all authority, we have nothing to fear as we step out to make disciples.  No one can do anything to us that isn’t part of Jesus’ good and loving will.

To help us obey, Jesus promises to be with us always.

There is nothing more satisfying than the presence of Jesus Christ.  Here Jesus promises a special outpouring of His presence as we step out to make disciples.  Do you want more of Jesus?  You’ll experience more of Him as you tell your neighbors about Jesus, or as you invite a work-associate out to lunch.

Jesus will help us make disciples.

Do you feel incapable?  Me, too.  But as we step out in obedience, the One who has all authority will be with us.  Those promises imply that He will help us make disciples.  As we pray, He will show us who to pursue.  As we trust Him, He will empower our love and words.  As we pray, His power will change people’s hearts.  So step out and start making disciples.  He will help you.

Making disciples requires going.

We do not wait for people to come to us.  Jesus calls us to go to them.  He calls us to walk out our front doors, go next door, and knock on our neighbor’s door.  He calls us to pick up our phone, call our friend, and invite them over.  He calls us to leave our cubicle, go to the cubicle next to ours, and invite someone to coffee.  Going is usually uncomfortable.  But remember, Jesus promises to be with you in a special way.  So go.

Thoughts?  Comments?

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What Is Faith?

To answer that question, most people immediately think of Heb 11:1 –

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

They conclude that faith means having an assurance and an inner conviction that God will fulfill all of His promises.

And that is absolutely true.  That’s what Heb 11:1 teaches.

But I believe it’s also teaching something more.

One reason is because the Greek word translated “assurance” also has the meaning “substance,” or “reality” (like in Heb 1:3, where it’s translated “nature”).  That’s why the King James Version translated this verse — “faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

This would mean faith gives us assurance by bringing us some of the substance of what we are hoping for.

So faith isn’t just believing that I will experience God someday.  Faith does that.  But faith can do more.

Faith can also bring me a taste of God’s substance, of God’s presence, here and now.  And that taste gives me assurance that God is real, that He is all-satisfying, and that I should fully trust Him.

Death Valley

Here’s an illustration.  Let’s say you are walking in the blazing hot sun in Death Valley, without any water.  And you are thirsty.  Really thirsty.

But then you come to a sign that says “Ice Cold Water, 1 Mile.”  And you think — How can I be sure there will be water there?

And then you see a box below the sign, labeled — “Faith: The Substance Of Things Hoped For.”

So you open the box and inside you see a bottle of ice cold water, and a note: “Enjoy.  And let this give you assurance that there’s lots more water just ahead.”

As we have faith in Jesus Christ, we will have times when God gives us a drink of His presence, His love, His glory — and that will give us assurance that all of God’s promises are true.  So faith is the assurance of things hoped for, because by faith we experience the substance of the God we hope for.

Conviction Of Things Not Seen

But Heb 11:1 goes on to say that faith “is the conviction of things not seen.”  That might just mean that faith is a conviction that the unseen God is real, is true, is all He says He is in God’s Word, and that we can completely trust Him.

I believe Heb 11:1 does mean that.  But I think it also means something more.

The Greek word translated “conviction” can also mean “proof,” or “evidence.”  That’s why the King James Version translated it — “faith is the evidence of things not seen.”

But that sounds strange.  If God is there in heaven, and I can’t see Him, how can faith give me evidence of Him?

I was helped by reading the next verse.  It starts with the word “for” which shows that it gives a reason for how faith gives us evidence of things not seen –

Faith … is the evidence of things not seen, for by it men of old received their commendation. (Heb 11:1-2)

When Old Testament saints had faith, God gave them a personal commendation that they were pleasing to Him, that they were forgiven by His mercy through the Messiah, and that they were counted righteous by faith alone.

And when you have faith in Christ, you will have times when you experience the same thing.  God will commend you by pouring His love into your heart (Rom 5:4); giving you a fresh glimpse of His glory (2Cor 4:6); or filling you with His Spirit (Eph 5:18).

This will give you evidence that the unseen God is real, that Jesus is your glorious Savior, and that you have every reason to trust Him.

That’s how faith is the evidence of things not seen.

Some Confirmation

To check my interpretation, I thought I’d read what others have written about this verse.

So I looked at Matthew Henry, whose 1700′s commentary is still in print today.  Here’s what he said about Heb 11:1 –

Faith … gives the soul a kind of possession of those things God has promised, it gives them a subsistence in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them; so that believers in the exercise of faith are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

So faith is not just a mental assurance and conviction that God’s promises are true.  Faith can also give us an actual experience of the substance of those promises.

Then I looked at John Piper’s sermon on this verse.  Here’s what he said –

Faith does not just feel confident that [God’s presence] is coming some day.  Faith has spiritually laid hold of and perceived and tasted that it’s real.  And this means that faith has the substance or the nature of what is hoped for in it.  Faith’s enjoyment of the promise is a kind of substantial downpayment of the reality coming. (6/1/97 p.4)

So faith can actually lay hold of and perceive and taste God’s very presence.

Tasting Heaven Here On Earth

Then I remembered something I had read in David Brainerd’s journal.  David Brainerd was a missionary to the American Indians in the 1740′s.  Here’s what he experienced one Sunday evening –

Lord’s Day, August 15.  Felt much comfort and devotedness to God this day.  At night, it was refreshing to get alone with God and pour out my soul.  Oh, who can conceive of the sweetness of communion with the blessed God, but those who have experience of it!  Glory to God forever, that I may taste heaven below. (p.94)

Every Christian has faith that in heaven we will be infinitely satisfied in God.  That kind of faith is crucial.  But faith can do more.  Faith can give us such communion with God that we taste heaven here below.

Nurture Your Faith

Faith does involve assurance and conviction that God will fulfill His promises in Christ.  But faith can be more.  Faith can lay hold of and perceive and taste God’s very presence in Christ.

So don’t settle for less.

Turn your heart from other satisfactions.  Set your heart on God’s promises.  Ask God to strengthen your faith in Christ.  Pray earnestly over His promises.

Faith can bring the substance of the God we hope for — so we experience heaven on earth.  And faith can bring evidence of the God we don’t see — as He commends us with outpourings of His love.

So open the box, take the bottle of water, and drink.

Comments?  Questions?

My grandfather left orange growing to preach the Gospel through the radio.  But this brought him into a season of trials.

Here’s how he described this to his listeners –

We have come to know God in a new way because of the trials of these past three years.  We have known what it is to have much sickness; financial losses; to have those turn against us and seek to hurt us who we thought were true friends; to have our only child brought down to death’s door on two occasions; and to have gone before the microphone, after sleepless nights, so burdened and cast down I did not know whether I could preach.

But then he concludes –

I want to tell you that after going through all this and much more, Mrs. Fuller and I know that God is able — that His promises are true.

Two months later he faced another trial, and again saw God’s faithfulness.

An Open Door

My grandfather had trouble finding radio stations that would carry his preaching, because many had policies against religious broadcasting.

But God opened the door for him to take the Sunday evening slot on station KNX, “The Voice Of Hollywood.”  This was exciting because KNX planned on increasing its broadcast to cover the entire west coast, Alaska, and Hawaii.

But this Sunday time slot was expensive.  Some of my grandfather’s friends urged him not to move ahead.  But he believed this was God’s calling, so he made the commitment.

Cancel The Station?

But one Thursday it looked like he had made a mistake.  The next day he owed KNX Radio five hundred dollars, or he would need to cancel Sunday’s broadcast.  But he only had three hundred fifty dollars.

So he sat there, eyeing the phone, wondering if he should make the call to cancel.  Finally, with great regret, he decided to make the call.

But just as he reached for the phone, it rang.  A dentist friend, who had come to faith through my grandfather’s broadcast, was calling.

His first words were — Charlie, do you need any money?

My grandfather was shocked, and answered — Yes, I do.

The dentist responded – Well, then, come over and see me.

What God Had Done

So my grandfather drove to the dentist’s home.  When he got there, the dentist asked him how much money he needed.

My grandfather answered — One hundred fifty dollars.

The dentist turned to his wife, with a stunned look on his face.  Then he pulled from his pocket a check he had already made out to my grandfather for exactly one hundred fifty dollars.

And the dentist explained what had happened.  He said his wife had woken him up the previous the night and said — We must give Charles Fuller one hundred fifty dollars tomorrow.

But the dentist explained to his wife that they only had twenty-five dollars in the bank.  But she insisted — I don’t care; we’ve got to do it.

He didn’t know what to say.  So he suggested they talk about it the next day, and they went back to sleep.

The next morning he went to his dental office as usual.  But while he was there, a patient unexpectedly arrived, and said he had come to pay his overdue dental bill — which was for eight hundred dollars.

When the bill was paid, the dentist immediately wrote a check for one hundred fifty dollars to my grandfather.  Then he drove home to tell his wife what had happened.  And he called my grandfather to have him come over — without knowing anything of how close my grandfather was to cancelling his time slot on the KNX radio station.

They were all stunned and strengthened by God’s merciful, detailed, faithfulness.

So pray.  And trust Him.  He is faithful.

(From Daniel Fuller’s Give the Winds a Mighty Voice: The Story Of Charles E. Fuller, pp.103-105)

Thoughts?  Feedback?

(Picture is from Wikepedia and is used according to their statement.)

In my last post I described the lavish grace that’s ours in Christ — grace which forgives, justifies, frees, adopts, and keeps us persevering in faith until the end.

But then I raised the question — does this grace mean someone can deliberately keep sinning and be forgiven?

And I showed how Hebrews 10:26 answers that question –

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

Two Crucial Phrases

Don’t miss those words “go on” and “deliberate.”  The author is not saying that if you entertained a lustful thought yesterday, then you cannot be forgiven.  Not at all.

If you respond to that lust by turning to Christ, confessing your sin, and trusting Him to forgive you, help you, and satisfy you — then you are not “going on sinning deliberately.”  And you can be assured that you are forgiven.

But if you respond to that lust by anticipating the next lust, planning the next lust — then unless something changes you are “going on sinning deliberately.”

And — unless something changes — you will not be forgiven and you will face God’s judgment.

So — Is This You?

People are different.  Some have tender consciences, and can think every sin means God won’t forgive them.

Others have hard consciences, and are certain God will forgive them even if they go on sinning deliberately.

This passage is directed towards those with hard consciences.  So is this you?

Is there some clear biblical command which you are knowingly and willfully disobeying?  Consider — are you going on deliberately in –

• Sexual sin?
• Lying to someone?
• Not forgiving someone?
• Loving money more than Jesus?
• Racism?

Remember — we are talking about “going on” in sin “deliberately.”  So are you going on in some sin without confession, without repentance, without crying out to Jesus for help?

If so — then unless something changes “there no longer remains a sacrifice” for your sins  (Heb 10:26).

Tenderizing Tough Consciences

God had the author of Hebrews write this warning because He loves you.  He wants you to pay heed to this warning so you will not face His judgment.

And to tenderize your tough conscience, God gives three pictures of what you are doing when you go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth.

These three pictures are given in v.29 –

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

First Picture

… the one who has spurned [literally: trampled upon, stomped on] the Son of God …

God the Son is the radiance of the Father’s glory, and the exact representation of His nature.  The Father loves His Son passionately, exuberantly, joyfully.

But — to save us from our sin, God the Father nailed His own Son to the Cross, had Him suffer on the Cross, punished Him on the Cross.  The only reason we can be forgiven is because God the Father was willing to punish His own Son for our sins.  Oh, we should thank the Father, and honor the Son!

But if we respond to this by going on sinning deliberately, then we are spurning — trampling upon, stomping upon — the Son of God.  Imaging pulling the Son of God down from the Cross, throwing Him on the ground, and stomping on Him.

You don’t want to do that.

Second Picture

… and has profaned the blood of the covenant…

As the Son of God died, He shed His own blood for us.  His blood is the blood of the covenant, which frees us from sin’s power progressively now — and completely in heaven.

There’s nothing as ugly as sin, as hateful as sin, as dangerous as sin.  And it’s glorious news that the blood of the covenant frees us from sin.  Oh, we should love the blood of the covenant!

But if we respond to this by going on deliberately in sin, continuing knowingly in sin, then we are profaning the blood of the covenant — spitting on it, desecrating it, mocking it.

You don’t want to do that.

Third Picture

… and has outraged the Spirit of grace …

Because of the blood of the covenant, the Father gives us the Spirit of grace — the precious Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit loves the Son who has died on the Cross and poured out the blood of the covenant.  And the Spirit’s passion is to glorify Jesus, honor Jesus, magnify Jesus.

He does this by revealing to us the glory of Jesus, pouring into our hearts the love of Jesus, and strengthening our faith in Jesus.  Oh, we should love the Spirit of grace!

But if we go on sinning willfully — trampling underfoot the Son of God and profaning the blood of the covenant — then we outrage the Spirit of grace.  The Holy Spirit becomes furious — angry — outraged.

You don’t want to do that.

Take This Seriously

So if you are going on sinning deliberately, please take those pictures seriously.  You have been –

• trampling underfoot the Son of God
• profaning the blood of the covenant
• outraging the Spirit of grace

And that’s why — if nothing changes — you will face God’s judgment forever.

But It Doesn’t Have To End There

Let’s say you have been going on sinning deliberately.  You’ve trampled underfoot the Son of God, profaned the blood of the Covenant, and outraged the Spirit of grace.

So what if right now you fall on your knees before Jesus Christ and say “I’m sorry.  Help me.  Forgive me.  Change me.”  What will happen?

The One you’ve trampled underfoot will love you — forgive you — embrace you.

The blood of the covenant you’ve profaned will wash you — change you — free you.

The Spirit you’ve outraged will comfort you — strengthen you — fill you.

So turn to Him now.

Thoughts?  Feedback?

• How God Helps You Overcome Sin
• This Neglected Truth Will Help You Overcome Temptation
• How To Extinguish Every One Of Satan’s Flaming Darts
• How To Resist Temptation

(Picture is from everystockphoto by Faster Panda Kill Kill.)

A Waterfall Of Grace

Imagine that it’s 120 degrees outside.  Hot.

But then imagine that you are standing under a waterfall — cool, clear, and refreshing.  Aaaah.

Through trusting Jesus Christ you are standing under a waterfall of grace –

• All your sins are forgiven — past, present, and future.
• You are seen by God as clothed in Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
• God is your Father — loving you, guiding you, providing for you, satisfying you in Himself.
• God continues to forgive your sins day after day, year after year — forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven.
• God will keep you persevering in faith so you will surely enter heaven.
• God will supply everything you need for the rest of your life.
• God will ordain everything in your future to bring you the greatest joy in Him.

A waterfall of grace.

But This Raises A Question

Does grace mean someone can deliberately keep sinning and still end up in heaven?

One passage that speaks directly to this question is Hebrews 10:26-31.

Verse 26 is sobering –

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

What Does That Mean?

What does it mean to go on sinning deliberately?

“Sinning” means disobeying clear commands of Scripture — which would include unforgiveness, sexual immorality, and love of money.

So — if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, does that mean you can never be forgiven?  Not at all.

Notice that the author is not just talking about “sinning.”  He’s talking about “going on sinning deliberately.”

The words “going on” and “deliberately” mean that you are continuing in this sin without confessing it, without sorrowing over it, without battling it.

So if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, but today confessed that to the Lord and by faith fought to overcome it — then you are NOT “going on sinning deliberately.”

But — if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, and today you are continuing in that unforgiveness without confessing it and without fighting by faith to forgive them — then you ARE “going on sinning deliberately.”

Which means that unless something changes, there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins.

What Does That Mean?

The author explains in the rest of the passage.  If, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, you go on sinning deliberately, then –

• V.27 says you would face “a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire.”
• V.29 says you would face a “worse punishment” than death.
• V.30 says you would face God’s “vengeance,” and that He would “judge” you.
• And v.31 says “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

I don’t see any way around it.  If, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, you go on sinning deliberately, then you will not end up in heaven.  You will face God’s judgment forever.

But Be Careful

At this point you could draw a very wrong, and very dangerous, conclusion.

Let’s say you are NOT going on sinning deliberately.  Not that you are perfect, but you are trusting Christ, which includes fighting sin by faith.  You often overcome sin.  And when you do sin, you turn back to Christ, confess your sin, and return to the fight.

So you are NOT going on sinning deliberately.  But you could let this passage make you fear that someday you might start going on sinning deliberately, which would mean facing God’s judgment forever.

But I’ve got good news for you.  If today you are trusting Christ — then YOU WILL NEVER FACE THIS JUDGMENT.

Because if today you are trusting Christ, which includes fighting sin by faith, that shows that God has saved you. And because God has saved you, He will –

• complete the good work He started in you (Phil 1:6),
• keep you from stumbling so far that you face eternal judgment (Jude 1:24-25),
• not let anything (not even you) snatch you from His hand (John 10:28-29).

So no one who is saved by God will experience the judgment described in Heb 10:26-31.

But you might wonder — hadn’t the people described in Heb 10:26-31 been saved?

Hadn’t they “received the knowledge of the truth” (Heb 10:26)?  Yes, but that does not mean they were saved.  Because the parable of the four soils shows that there is a shallow way to receive the word that does not include faith in Christ (Mark 4:1-20).

And hadn’t they been “sanctified” (Heb 20:29)?  Yes, but that also does not mean they were saved.  Because the word “sanctified” can mean something less than salvation (see 1Cor 7:14-16).

So how can anyone know for sure they have been saved?  We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone (Eph 2:8-9).  So, to be assured of salvation, turn from whatever else you have been trusting to satisfy you, and trust Jesus Christ to forgive you, strengthen your weak faith, help you battle sin, and satisfy you in Himself.

If your trust is sincere, then you will want to fight sin by faith, and you can be fully assured that God has saved you.  Which means He will keep you persevering in faith to the end.  Which means you will never face the judgment described in Heb 10:26-31.  Never.

But What If You Are Not?

What if you are not fighting sin by faith?  What if you are going on sinning deliberately?

Lord willing, I’ll talk about this more in my next blog post.

But for now, understand that if you are going on sinning deliberately, then unless something changes, you will face God’s judgment forever.

But — if you will turn to Jesus now and confess your sin, admit your helplessness, ask His forgiveness, and trust Him to forgive you, strengthen you, help and satisfy you — He will.

And you’ll be under the waterfall of His grace — and kept there — forever.

Comments?  Feedback?

(Picture is from Microsoft Publisher Clipart.)

William Wilberforce was born in England in 1759, and became a member of Parliament when he was 24.  At that time he was worldly, unbelieving, and not interested in biblical Christianity.

But that changed over the next two years, when a former schoolmaster and friend shared the Gospel with him.  As a result, Wilberforce put his trust in Jesus Christ, was saved from his sins, and experienced what he called “the great change.”

Soon after this he became convinced of the evils of the slave trade, and started what made him so well-known — his personal crusade to make slavery illegal in England.  And after 46 years of prayer, hard work, massive opposition, and many defeats, Wilberforce saw his dream fulfilled, and the slave trade was outlawed in England.

Personal Evangelism

But what is not so well-known is his commitment to personal evangelism.

As he studied God’s Word he saw that humanity had been ruined by sin and faced God’s judgment.  But he also saw that salvation is offered to all through the death of Jesus Christ.

God used these truths to give him deep sympathy towards the lost, and a passionate conviction that he must do everything he can to bring others to faith.

Compassion For The Lost

Here’s how Eric Metaxas describes this in his book on Wilberforce –

As far as Wilberforce was concerned, faith in Jesus Christ was the central and most important thing in life itself, so it can hardly surprise us that sharing his faith with others was central and important to Wilberforce too.

And so, everywhere he went, and with everyone he met, he tried, as best he could, to bring the conversation around to the question of eternity. 

Wilberforce would prepare lists of his friends’ names and next to the entries make notes on how he might best encourage them in their faith, if they had faith, and toward a faith if they still had none.

He would list subjects he could bring up with each friend that might launch them into a conversation about spiritual issues.

He even called these subjects and questions “launchers” and was always looking for opportunities to introduce them.

His efforts to draw his friends into conversation about “first things” sometimes failed, and the objects of his kindness may on occasion have felt more like his quarry.

But in many cases Wilberforce’s conversations bore great fruit.

(Eric Metaxas, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, pp.167f)

What This Teaches Us

Evangelism starts with seeing and feeling that unbelievers are desperately lost, and that Jesus Christ offers a full and complete salvation.  This will fill our hearts with sympathy for the lost, and a conviction that we must do all we can to save them.

So if you lack compassion or conviction — start here.  Pray earnestly for the Spirit’s work in your heart.  Pray over passages describing the plight of unbelievers (Matt 10:28; Mark 9:47-48; 2Cor 5:10; Rev 6:15-17; Rev 14:9-11), and passages describing Jesus’ full and complete salvation (John 3:16; Rom 3:21-26; 1Cor 6:9-11; Eph 2:1-10; Heb 10:12-14), until you experience the Holy Spirit changing your heart.

As our sympathy and conviction grows, we will care about every unbeliever we meet.  And we will do all we can to point them towards Christ.

Be cautious about this next step.  We never want to see people as projects on a to-do list.  So if you take this step make sure it’s motivated by love and compassion.  But since it helped Wilberforce, I recommend you try it.

Here’s the step: write down the names of unbelievers you know, and start praying for their salvation.  Then ask the Father to give you wisdom as to how you can best encourage them toward faith.  Ask Him to give you “launchers” — subjects you can bring up with them that could launch the conversation in a Gospel-direction.  And jot down the wisdom He gives you.

And then — with much prayer and love — start using these approaches in your everyday conversations.

And let me know what God does.

Comments?  Feedback?

• A Different Way To Share The Gospel
• Jesus Promises That You Will Be A Fisher Of Men
• How God Saved A Hardened Atheist
• An Atheist’s Surprising Response To Receiving A Bible (5-min video)

(Picture is from Wikipedia and is in the public domain.)

I Was Angry

I mentioned in my last post that someone made me angry.

So I asked — How should Christians view anger?  And I saw from Matt 5:22, Eph 4:31, and Col 3:8 that I should see my anger as wrong.

Then I asked — Why is it wrong?  And I saw that anger means trying to satisfy my pain by getting back at the person who hurt me — by thinking bad thoughts about them, giving them the silent treatment, slandering them, and so forth.

But that’s wrong, because God tells me not to get back at people, and because only Jesus Christ can fully satisfy my heart-pain.

OK.  But that leaves one more question –

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

This is something God calls Christians to do –

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So God calls me to put away all my anger.  But how?

Many of us try will-power or psychological techniques, like –

• Taking a deep breath.
• Counting our blessings.
• Letting go of what is troubling us.
• Focusing on positive thoughts.

These might bring temporary relief.  But the relief won’t last, because none of these techniques deal with the root cause.

What Is The Root Cause?

In 1 Samuel 18 we read that Saul became very angry –

And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  And Saul was very angry. (1Sam 18:7-8)

Why was Saul angry?  It’s because David’s victories, and the women’s song, had taken away Saul’s fame.  This loss of fame caused Saul pain.

At this point Saul could have turned his heart to the Lord, confessed his desire for fame, and sought his heart-satisfaction not in fame but in knowing God, beholding God, and worshiping God.

If Saul would have done this, God would have met him.  Saul would have been filled with fulness of joy in God’s presence (Psa 16:11), and his heart-pain would have been fully satisfied in God Himself.

But that’s not what Saul did.

Saul turned his back on God.  Saul tried to satisfy his heart-pain by being angry at David — by getting back at David.  So Saul nurtured bad feelings toward him, entertained evil thoughts about him, planned ways to hurt and even kill him.

So what’s the root cause of Saul’s anger?  It’s that Saul had turned his back on God and was seeking to satisfy his heart-pain by getting back at David.

Is That What I Was Doing?

Yes.  To my shame, it was. Someone had caused me pain.  But I was not bringing that pain to God.

Instead, I was seeking to satisfy my pain by getting back at this person — by thinking of how wrong he was, grumbling about him to my wife, having imaginary conversations where I told him off.

That’s the root cause of our anger.  Someone causes us loss, but we turn our backs on God, and seek to satisfy our heart-pain by getting back at those who caused it.

So What Can I Do?

When I saw the root cause I could see what I needed to do.  I needed to stop trusting that getting-back-at-someone would satisfy my heart-pain, and I needed to turn to Jesus Christ and trust Him to satisfy my heart-pain.

That was not going to be easy.  But Jesus has already put my anger to death on Cross (Rom 6:6).  Which means that now, by His Spirit, He can put it to death in my heart (Rom 8:13).

So I turned to Jesus Christ just as I was — angry, upset, and bitter.  I confessed that I had turned my back on Him, and was looking elsewhere for heart-satisfaction.  I asked Him to forgive me through the Cross.  And He assured me of complete forgiveness (if you struggle with this, pray over 1 John 1:9, Isa 53:4-6, and Rom 4:7).

Then I prayed and asked for more of the Spirit’s work in my heart.  I asked the Father to strengthen my faith so I could see and feel Jesus once again as my all-satisfying Treasure.  I prayed verses like Luke 11:13, 2Cor 3:18, Jer 2:12-13.

Then I set my heart on God’s majesty, power, glory, and love — using verses like Gal 2:20, Rev 1:5, Psa 138:5-6, and John 20:30-31.

I prayed over these verses until I felt the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith, and change my heart.  Slowly my hard, bitter heart softened.  I started to see, and then feel, the glory of Jesus Christ.

And as I worshiped Jesus Christ my heart-pain was healed.  I felt peace and even joy in Christ.

And my anger was gone.

Comments?  Thoughts?

Recently someone did something which made me angry.

It was something they should not have done, which I had asked them not to do, but which they did anyway.

And I was frustrated, bothered, and fuming.  Angry.

So What Is Anger?

I’ve heard people say that anger is just a natural response to pain.

But if anger is natural, then it sounds like it’s OK to be angry.  It sounds like there’s nothing wrong with being angry.

But is that true?

What Does The Bible Say About Anger?

Here’s what Jesus says about anger –

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. (Mat 5:22)

Whoa.  Notice that word “everyone.”  That includes me.

So my anger deserves God’s judgment.  Which means it’s wrong.

And here’s what Paul says –

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So when I am angry, Paul wants me to put it away — get rid of it — stop being angry.

Which must mean there’s something wrong with my anger.

But why is my anger wrong?

What helped me was to ask –

What Is Anger?

The reason we get angry is because someone has caused us some loss or pain.

Let’s say someone is in the fast lane of the freeway in front of you, putting along at 45.  Why does this make you angry?  It’s because they are taking from you the convenience, pleasure, and freedom of going faster.

Or let’s say someone lies to get promoted instead of you. Why would that make you angry?  It’s because they are taking from you the income, recognition, and satisfaction of being promoted.

See how that works?

Every time we feel anger it’s because someone has caused us some loss.  And when we experience loss, it hurts.  And when we hurt, we want to comfort that hurt, make up for that hurt, satisfy that hurt.

So how can we do that?  We think it’s by getting back at the person who hurt us.

We think that will make us feel better.

And so we –

• say something insulting like “the gas pedal’s on the right, idiot!”
• feel bitter towards them
• slander them to other people
• have imaginary conversations where we put them in their place
• give them the silent treatment at work
• pass them in the right lane, shaking our head
• sabotage their work

So anger is the desire to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me.

That helped me see why anger is sin.

Your Rich Uncle

Imagine you have a rich uncle, who said that if someone ever stole money from you, he would give you ten times the amount that was stolen.  That’s right — ten times.

So then imagine that someone steals $10,000 dollars from you.  That’s a loss.  That hurts.  And so you want to do something to comfort that loss, make up for that loss, and satisfy that loss.

So how can you best do that?  By calling your rich uncle.  Ten times $10,000 dollars is $100,000 dollars.  And when you receive that $100,000 dollars, you would definitely feel comforted.  You’d be at peace.  You’d feel no anger.

You would still feel that what the person did was wrong.  That’s called righteous indignation.  And you could still press charges — not to satisfy your loss by getting back at them, but to uphold justice.

But you would not be angry.

Why Anger Is Sin

Take my anger.  Someone had caused me loss.  It hurt.  Badly.

So I wanted to comfort my loss, make up for my loss, satisfy my loss.

And I have a rich uncle — God my Father.  He has promised that the joy of knowing Him will more than make up for any earthly losses, now and forever  (John 6:35; Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17).

But what did I do?  I ignored God, and chose anger.

I tried to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me –

• I thought about how wrong his actions were,
• I grumbled about him to my wife,
• I had imaginary conversations with him in my mind.

So can you see why my anger is wrong?  It’s because when I’m angry I’m not trusting God’s promise to satisfy me.  Instead, I’m trusting that I will be most satisfied by getting back at someone else.

So when I’m angry, I’m turning my back on God as my all-satisfying Treasure.

And that’s sin.

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

I’m going to turn my heart back to God, and seek Him.  I’m going to trust Him to comfort my loss with His glory, His majesty, His goodness in Christ.

Lord willing, I’ll let you know how it goes in my next post.

Comments?  Feedback?