Monthly Archives: June 2016

Faith

Sharing Christ in Face of Opposition.

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A friend recently shared the story of a local college coach having a profound impact on campus by sharing the gospel with many of the students he encounters each day. On hearing this, another friend expressed surprise the school’s administration hadn’t prohibited the man from sharing his faith with others or manufactured an excuse to terminate him, since their hostility to Christianity was well established. I couldn’t help recall a sequence of events in Jesus’ ministry that demonstrated why leadership at this college had failed to prevent the spread of the gospel.

The apostle John tells us that after Christ healed a crippled man, “The Pharisees persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. Then Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:16-18, NKJV).

A short time later Jesus upbraids the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and declares Himself sent from God, infuriating the Pharisees so much “They sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him.” Despite their visceral hatred for Christ and desire to slaughter Him, the Pharisees do nothing, as if prevented by a hidden hand.

On another occasion these religious charlatans are enraged by the crowd’s reaction to Jesus who “believed in Him, and said, ‘When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?’” (John 7:30-31). Their response prompted immediate action from Jewish leaders. John explains. “When the Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Christ, they and the chief priests sent officers to take Him” (verse 32). But nothing came of their effort. “The officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and said to them, ‘Why have you not brought Him?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man’” (John 7:45-46).

After another encounter in which Jesus announced that “before Abraham was, I AM,” the Jews “took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:58b-59, NKJV).

A short time later Jewish leaders demand of Jesus, “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” In response, He informs them, “I give My followers eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” (John 10:28-29, NKJV).

That He claimed to offer eternal life was bad enough for the Pharisees and priests, but His assertion that He and God were one was outright blasphemy. John notes that the Jews sought to seize and stone Him but He managed to evade their evil intentions. (See John 8:22-39).

Time and again this pattern is repeated throughout His ministry. Jesus speaks the truth about Himself, the Pharisees take offense and try to harm or detain Him, and Christ escapes unscathed. How is this possible? How could the chief priests constantly fail in their efforts to eliminate Jesus and end His burgeoning ministry?

John offers this insight: “His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). God had established a time for Jesus’ life to end and His earthly ministry to come to a close. Until that time arrived, nothing could prevent Him from fulfilling His purpose. No amount of scheming or intimidation could undermine His work. All efforts to arrest, incarcerate, or harm Him were destined to fail. Until, that is, His hour arrived. At that time the Jewish leaders would succeed in stopping His ministry and ending His life.

Have those antagonistic to the gospel ever threatened you harm? Ever encountered hostility when sharing Jesus’ good news with others? Do those in positions of power try to terrorize, bully, or shame you into silence about Christ’s love? Has vitriolic opposition to biblical truth paralyzed you from speaking boldly for Christ?

If so, take heart that such efforts will never come to fruition outside of God’s timing. God will prevent the wicked from undermining the fruitfulness of your obedience until your hour has come. Armed with that confidence, I encourage you to preach, proclaim, and share the truth and love of Christ with boldness and conviction.

Faith

Proudly Proclaiming Christ.

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Have you ever been embarrassed to divulge a friendship, share your family heritage, or admit your affiliation with a group? If you’re like the majority of people, you probably haven’t. Most of us speak favorably of our lineage and those we associate with, and are unwilling to allow anyone to diminish that pride. We tend to be intensely loyal to those who share our bloodlines, our memories, and our confidences.

You might think Jesus enjoyed such fidelity from His followers; that they spoke of Him in glowing terms. But surprisingly some expressed shame towards Him, unwilling to admit publically their relationship. In his gospel narrative the apostle John recounts this dichotomy. “Among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43, NKJV).

A few verses earlier John notes that although Jesus performed many signs the crowds did not believe in Him. In contrast, many in the ruling class believed Him but refused to express that belief openly for fear of the Pharisees. They didn’t want to sully their status or ruin their reputation because they cherished others’ approval more than Christ’s. So they concealed their faith in Jesus.

This may not seem like a big deal but Jesus addresses such inconsistency using stark and troubling language. “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38, NKJV). It is not enough to simply ‘believe’ in Jesus. He expects us to proudly proclaim Him and align ourselves with Him without compunction.

On a separate occasion Jesus declares, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33, NKJV).

With those powerful words as a backdrop, ask yourself these questions:

  • Are you ashamed to confess Christ within your circle of friends?
  • Do you withhold your faith from those at work for fear it will cost you a promotion, compromise your career, or yield ridicule from colleagues?
  • Do you speak up for godliness and biblical standards when discussing cultural trends and pop culture with non-believers, or do you hold your tongue to avoid being labeled a religious radical?
  • Do you share your faith with those around you even when they indicate hostility toward the name of Jesus?

If your answers reveal an embarrassment for Christ or your faith, ask yourself why. What’s keeping you from openly and enthusiastically sharing the good news of Jesus with the people God has brought into your life?

  • Is it fear? Then take to heart this truth: “God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity but of power and boldness.”
  • Is it a feeling of inadequacy? Then embrace this advice from Christ: “Do not worry what you will say in that day. The Spirit will guide you and give you the words to speak.”
  • Is it because other priorities demand your silence? Then listen to this warning from Christ. “What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

There are billions of people in the world today in desperate need of the Savior. But how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? (See Romans 10:15). They cannot unless we obey Jesus and fulfill the Great Commission by boldly teaching the message of Christ and unashamedly making disciples of others.

So let’s remember Jesus’ prescient message regarding the overwhelming spiritual needs that exist in the world today. “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest sends out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38, NKJV).

As you go into this weekend ask the Lord for an opportunity to share your faith with someone: family, friend, or stranger. Then be alert for opportunities to appear. As you capitalize on them you’ll develop the habit of proudly proclaiming your faith to people around you and join the ranks of those laboring in the fields for the Lord. What an awesome honor.

Faith

Sacrificial Love.

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God is love. That truth represents one of the overarching themes of Scripture. It courses through every book of the Bible and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross – to redeem mankind from sin and reconcile us to God.

That act of selfless obedience gave us more than eternal life, however. It also provided us a model for how we are to love others and demonstrated the supremacy of love both in God’s kingdom and in His people. More than that, we learn elsewhere in Scripture that genuine love evidences the presence of Christ in our hearts and the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The apostle John informs us, “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10, NKJV). Take a moment to read that verse again and consider what John is saying. Those who fail to love the family of God reveal His absence in their lives. Said another way, anyone who claims to follow Christ but does not love God’s people is exposed as a liar. They have no part in God’s kingdom and will not experience eternal life. It is impossible, John tells us, to truly know Christ and not love His followers.

So what does love look like? Is it merely expressed in words? Is it enough just to claim love for others? Of course not. The apostle James tells us that words alone are useless in isolation; they prove nothing. Actions must work in concert with words for love to truly flourish.

In his first epistle John tells us, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16, NKJV). Ah, now we’re getting somewhere in our quest to define love. Jesus shows us how to love others. He sacrificed His life for us because His love for us is so great. He wanted to reconcile us with God so we could enjoy eternal life in His presence.

John declares that we ought to love others in a similar manner – especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Just as Christ prioritized our salvation above His temporal needs (safety, comfort, long life), we ought to do the same for others.

Though the form that takes varies by believer, it always mirror Christ’s example in terms of sacrifice and selflessness. John provides one compelling example of demonstrated love in the next verse when he tells us. “Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

The question is rhetorical. You cannot truly love God and allow those in His family to suffer in need. Whoever has this world’s goods, if he or she is a Christian, will share generously with those in need, especially those from the household of faith. How much you ask? Consistent with Christ’s model; that is, sacrificially. Anything less is mere lip service, which John rebukes as inadequate. “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (verse 18).

The apostle James gives the same message in his epistle. “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:15-17, NKJV).

God calls us to love sacrificially, love substantively, and to reveal Him to others as we love on His behalf. There are countless needs in this world, among believers and unbelievers alike. At the same time, our country enjoys an unprecedented level of wealth that could meet many of those needs. But that will only happen when we, as God’s people, set aside our selfish desires and train our resources on meeting the spiritual, physical, and basic needs of those across the globe.

Take time this weekend to consider the following questions. How is God is calling you to love sacrificially. In what ways does selfishness preempt you from following Christ’s model of love? Who specifically is God prompting you to inundate with love? How can you ensure that acts of selfless, sacrificial love become a part of your daily routine?

Faith

Exercising Faith.

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Have you heard about the young man who became an Olympic athlete despite training only fifteen minutes a day; familiar with the entrepreneur who created a global retail empire despite dedicating just a couple hours a week running her business; aware of the renowned brain surgeon, distinguished professor, or avant-garde architect who reached the pinnacle of their professions with little effort and no sacrifice?

Of course, such people don’t exist. Anyone who wants to achieve success or realize their dreams knows that sacrifice and hard work are a critical part of the equation. Any goal worth pursuing makes demands of us, which comes as no surprise to the successful athlete, entertainer, professional, or executive. Those serious about making their ambitions a reality readily accept such sacrifice and dedicate themselves to the task at hand. They do so without groveling about the hard work required. In fact, they revel in it.

I wonder how many of us approach our faith in a similar manner? Do we revel in the sacrifice and dedication required to mature in our relationship with Jesus or do we adopt the perspective of the fictitious individuals above, believing we can grow into mature Christians by investing little into our relationship with God? How many of us hold the view that temporal success requires sacrifice but the pursuit of Christ requires none; that it is reasonable for worldly pursuits to make demands of us but unreasonable for Jesus to do the same?

The apostle Paul rejected that perspective. He told the church at Corinth, “Everyone who competes for a prize exercises self-control in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:25). His point? We all chase after something important – an objective that yields a return we assign value. Secularists pursue crowns of wealth, power, prominence, and success, all of which perish when they leave this world. But spiritual pursuits yield imperishable crowns that God will distribute on our arrival in heaven, and we’ll enjoy them for eternity.

Godliness is one such pursuit that produces eternal rewards. Paul tells us: “Exercise yourself to godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8).

Godliness does not come naturally for us. We must work at becoming like Christ, training ourselves daily in the faith. Just as an athlete exercises regularly to build and strengthen his or her muscles to maximize performance, Christians must exercise their hearts and minds to mirror Jesus’ conduct and thoughts. The belief we can grow to reflect Jesus by allocating just a few minutes a day studying His word, worshipping Him, and communicating in prayer is as ridiculous as the athlete’s belief that he or she can win Olympic gold with minimal training.

In another analogy Paul advises us to “Fight the good fight of faith… to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12, NKJV). He’s encouraging us to go daily into the ring of life, however tired we are, and seek to glorify God and advance His will with our thoughts, actions, and time. It is for this purpose He calls us to live as His followers. If we do that throughout our lives then we can echo Paul’s words when he reached the end of his journey in this world: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7, NKJV).

We have a responsibility as Christians to use our limited time on earth to draw close to God regularly and serve Him through acts of love, mercy, kindness, and humility, sacrificing ourselves for others. That is what it means to fight the good fight.

And after a lifetime of such acts, we too will have finished our faith journey. At that point we can expect to hear the Lord say, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.’ I can’t imagine hearing seven more satisfying words on entering God’s presence.

Take time this weekend to examine your commitment to Christ, the health of your relationship with Him, and your humble service of those in need. Are you fighting the good fight, running the race, and keeping the faith? How might God be calling you to redouble your efforts in these areas?