It may be that we are just too content here. We are just fine with the way things are. Money affords us the luxury of living without hunger, thirst, and, for the most part, pain. If there are inconveniences, that's just what they are - inconveniences; most of which only need to be "fixed" before we die. Make that note: get it all in before we die.
But do we really believe in heaven after we die? Do we have hope that there is really a life that, for billions and billions of years, will be so much more familiar to us than this life? Do we live in eager expectation of a time when things don't just get better or get fixed, but when all things are perfectly and gloriously recreated and are in complete subjection under Christ Jesus?
Do we believe that sacrificing things in faith, hope and love for others will really turn out to benefit us in heaven? Does God reward those who diligently seek Him?
Does cancer, back pain, cerebral palsy, depression, bi-polar disorder, ingratitude, brutal persecution, and even unexpected death bring us to long for the day when we are "made perfect in holiness"?
I have to admit that I find myself quite content here, although I am slowly becoming less so. It may be that I am getting older; and that my life as a husband, father and pastor now has more responsibility attached to it. It may be that life is going by much faster than it ever has.
I trust that sanctification is playing a role as well - by His grace of course. More than ever, I feel the loss of this worldly life with every step of obedience; from helping my children brush their teeth, to ministering in a more "dangerous" part of town than I'm used to.
Regardless of it all, I am becoming more aware and more convicted by the call to preach the gospel of Christ to as many as I can. Ironically, going to the dark places (of my own heart as well as the hood) has enabled me to see more light. I have seen the power of the gospel at work. And I really like it. I believe that Christ saves more now than ever.
In short, I am thankful that the Lord is enabling me to believe that heaven is worth giving up everything for. My life is an absolute wreck right now; but I have never prayed more in my life. Nor have I believed this much that Christ, via death, is truly gain.
I was encouraged today by Paul's words to the Thessalonians and I would like to leave those words with you. It is my prayer that as the Lord sanctifies us, that we will be more and more encouraged by the truth of His inevitable return and by our glorious eternity in heaven:
For the Lord Himself will decent from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of GOd. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who hare alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1Thess 4:16-18).
Showing posts with label Glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glory. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
A Few Thoughts On Judgment
The judgment of God, for many, is the proverbial fly in the Christian ointment. Some try and remove it, while others attempt to enjoy the ointment around it. No matter how hard one tries, however, these strategies leave their Christianity incomplete and without significant force. Sure it may be popular; but pragmatism is no substitute for the unadulterated gospel of God's salvation through judgment.
My first thought about all of this is that it should not surprise us that the biblical doctrine of judgment is always being tampered with. The seed of the serpent will always be whispering that sweet but deadly lie, "You will not certainly die" (Gen 3:4).
D.A. Carson, in The God Who is There, states it well: "The first doctrine to be denied, according to the Bible, is the doctrine of judgment...because if you can get rid of that one teaching, then rebellion has no adverse consequences, and so you are free to do anything."
My second thought is that the severity of the judgment is directly correlated to the worth of the offended and not the offender. If a man kills a dog, he gets a few years. If he kills another man, he gets life in prison (or death). And if he attempts to kill God, he gets an eternity in hell.
I mention this because I heard Rob Bell say in an interview that he doesn't believe God would send a seventeen year old to hell for committing sin. The idea is that it would be unfair for seventeen years of sin to be punished by an eternity in hell. The key flaw here is that he is anchoring judgment in the worth of the offender and not in the One offended. Our Lord is so holy and glorious that one transgression, even by a seventeen year old, is punishable by an eternity in hell.
My third and final thought is that judgment becomes unbearable when we do not focus on the Cross of Christ. For the Cross tells us at least two things about God and His judgment. First, until we understand the weight of the judgment we deserve, we cannot fully understand the glory of the the Savior who absorbed all of our judgment. If what we deserve is small, our Savior is small. But if our judgment is great, so is our Savior.
Second, when thinking of the punitive system of covenantal judgment, we must understand that God inaugurated such a system with the Cross of His Son in mind. In other words, when God the Judge freely decided to set Hell as the final punishment for sin, He knew that the severity of Hell would be the punishment His Son would take upon Himself on the Cross for His people.
In summary, in a culture where Jesus is small, we cannot afford to leave the severity of judgment out of our preaching. In thinking lightly of judgment, we think lightly of sin, of God's glory and of Christ Himself. The problem of our culture is that teenage athletes are seen as stronger than the God-man. When such idolatry is identified along with the severe judgment it deserves, then Christ the strong, wrath absorbing Savior begins to grow in our hearts. Leaving judgment out of our gospel is dangerous, unloving and deadly.
My first thought about all of this is that it should not surprise us that the biblical doctrine of judgment is always being tampered with. The seed of the serpent will always be whispering that sweet but deadly lie, "You will not certainly die" (Gen 3:4).
D.A. Carson, in The God Who is There, states it well: "The first doctrine to be denied, according to the Bible, is the doctrine of judgment...because if you can get rid of that one teaching, then rebellion has no adverse consequences, and so you are free to do anything."
My second thought is that the severity of the judgment is directly correlated to the worth of the offended and not the offender. If a man kills a dog, he gets a few years. If he kills another man, he gets life in prison (or death). And if he attempts to kill God, he gets an eternity in hell.
I mention this because I heard Rob Bell say in an interview that he doesn't believe God would send a seventeen year old to hell for committing sin. The idea is that it would be unfair for seventeen years of sin to be punished by an eternity in hell. The key flaw here is that he is anchoring judgment in the worth of the offender and not in the One offended. Our Lord is so holy and glorious that one transgression, even by a seventeen year old, is punishable by an eternity in hell.
My third and final thought is that judgment becomes unbearable when we do not focus on the Cross of Christ. For the Cross tells us at least two things about God and His judgment. First, until we understand the weight of the judgment we deserve, we cannot fully understand the glory of the the Savior who absorbed all of our judgment. If what we deserve is small, our Savior is small. But if our judgment is great, so is our Savior.
Second, when thinking of the punitive system of covenantal judgment, we must understand that God inaugurated such a system with the Cross of His Son in mind. In other words, when God the Judge freely decided to set Hell as the final punishment for sin, He knew that the severity of Hell would be the punishment His Son would take upon Himself on the Cross for His people.
In summary, in a culture where Jesus is small, we cannot afford to leave the severity of judgment out of our preaching. In thinking lightly of judgment, we think lightly of sin, of God's glory and of Christ Himself. The problem of our culture is that teenage athletes are seen as stronger than the God-man. When such idolatry is identified along with the severe judgment it deserves, then Christ the strong, wrath absorbing Savior begins to grow in our hearts. Leaving judgment out of our gospel is dangerous, unloving and deadly.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
No Thanks God. I'd Rather Stay Here.
I am not one to write polemically about things. I believe that the differences Christians have with one another should give us an occasion to weep more than to write. That is not to say we shouldn't write about truth and confront error. It is to say that if we haven't wept over the error, maybe we are writing for the wrong reasons.
I say all of this to say that I am deeply troubled over the current climate of the American church. Most of us are. When the most famous preacher in our country publishes a book titled "Your Best Life Now," and when that book makes the NY Times Best Seller List, it is definitely a time to weep and write.
That book is history. And it is not my aim now to confront it head on. But it is my intent to bring to our attention a passage that ripped my heart out this morning. It was Numbers 32.
In this passage, Israel is on the plains of Moab, about to enter the Promised Land. The the people of Reuben and Gad approach Moses and tell him that they desire to stay in the land of Jazer and Gilead. They do not want to go across the Jordan, into the land that the Lord promised!
Were they afraid of the Canaanites? No. They were willing to fight for the people of Israel across the Jordan so that the tribes of Israel could take their inheritance. Reuben and Gad, however, simply desired their present land more than the Promised Land. Amazing!
But then I began to think about it. How often do we think about the Promised Land? I hardly do. And there are many, (myself included) who love this present land very much - so much that they are scared to die for fear of loosing its luxuries. In short, we are very content with having Our Best Life Now, and we want to stay here.
The saying is true - there is nothing new under the sun. God's people have always been tempted to be content with life now and have therefore given little consideration to the life of glory in the land of promise. Consequently, we have shown that what our God has for us is nothing better than a mere wilderness. We communicate to all around us that our treasures now are not worth sacrificing in order to accumulate treasures in heaven (Num 32:6ff).
Here is your encouragement Christian. Glory is something to hope for. Earthly treasures are nothing compared to heavenly treasures! Earthly treasures satisfy for a time then leave us. Heavenly treasures are ours forever and ever. And in Christ, we have the down payment of this inheritance. We will be with the saints, in light, for ages upon ages. We will see and savor Christ forever!
Christian, love this truth. Hope in this! And trade your rags now for riches. Show yourselves and others that there is Someone who is worthy of losing it all. Show them that you are free.
I will end with a quote from Bonhoeffer - "The poverty of the church is the proof of its freedom." Are you free? Or have you told God "No thanks. I'd rather stay here."???
I say all of this to say that I am deeply troubled over the current climate of the American church. Most of us are. When the most famous preacher in our country publishes a book titled "Your Best Life Now," and when that book makes the NY Times Best Seller List, it is definitely a time to weep and write.
That book is history. And it is not my aim now to confront it head on. But it is my intent to bring to our attention a passage that ripped my heart out this morning. It was Numbers 32.
In this passage, Israel is on the plains of Moab, about to enter the Promised Land. The the people of Reuben and Gad approach Moses and tell him that they desire to stay in the land of Jazer and Gilead. They do not want to go across the Jordan, into the land that the Lord promised!
Were they afraid of the Canaanites? No. They were willing to fight for the people of Israel across the Jordan so that the tribes of Israel could take their inheritance. Reuben and Gad, however, simply desired their present land more than the Promised Land. Amazing!
But then I began to think about it. How often do we think about the Promised Land? I hardly do. And there are many, (myself included) who love this present land very much - so much that they are scared to die for fear of loosing its luxuries. In short, we are very content with having Our Best Life Now, and we want to stay here.
The saying is true - there is nothing new under the sun. God's people have always been tempted to be content with life now and have therefore given little consideration to the life of glory in the land of promise. Consequently, we have shown that what our God has for us is nothing better than a mere wilderness. We communicate to all around us that our treasures now are not worth sacrificing in order to accumulate treasures in heaven (Num 32:6ff).
Here is your encouragement Christian. Glory is something to hope for. Earthly treasures are nothing compared to heavenly treasures! Earthly treasures satisfy for a time then leave us. Heavenly treasures are ours forever and ever. And in Christ, we have the down payment of this inheritance. We will be with the saints, in light, for ages upon ages. We will see and savor Christ forever!
Christian, love this truth. Hope in this! And trade your rags now for riches. Show yourselves and others that there is Someone who is worthy of losing it all. Show them that you are free.
I will end with a quote from Bonhoeffer - "The poverty of the church is the proof of its freedom." Are you free? Or have you told God "No thanks. I'd rather stay here."???
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