Tag: Christian

Living in the New Covenant

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

In the last two posts, we’ve been discussing the heart of fallen man and the New Covenant as the solution. When we look at the promises of the New Covenant against the needs of fallen humanity, we see that God has given the believer everything he or she needs to live in Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4). 

In this post, we are going to discuss some realities and implications of the New Covenant. As a fan of “theology meeting reality,” what does it mean for the believer? One of my favorite questions to ask is often, “So what?” We’ll take some of the most common and important questions about the New Covenant and see what the Scriptures say about them.

The Reality of the New Covenant

Question: Isn’t the change promised in the New Covenant just “positional” truth?

This is a common question when considering the New Covenant, and in fact, many Bible teachers teach this very idea, that the truth of the New Covenant is only “positional.” What they mean is, “This is how God sees us, since we are ‘in Christ’.” The implication is that the changes we’ve talked about didn’t really happen (as a matter of historical fact); we are to simply believe they did and live them out.

Without getting too technical, most of the debate centers around interpretation of Romans 6-7, particularly where Paul describes what happens to a person who is saved. The thrust of Romans 6 is union and identification with Christ. Because those passages don’t specifically mention the changes of the New Covenant, and because one of favorite phrases to describe Christians is one who is “in Christ,” many conclude that this truth is only positional in nature.

Thus, many (if not the majority of) Christians today live as though the New Covenant is only a truth to be believed, not an actual reality from which to ground their life on. My question to think about is, “Did God do what He promised He would do?” The Scriptures give us the answer:

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19)

The short answer, then, is “Yes! He accomplished what He promised.” In fact, the New Testament has much to say about the new Covenant. (In fact, the term Testament is the old word for Covenant, so when we read in the New Testament, we are really reading all about the New Covenant.) Jesus told His disciples that His death would usher it in, and His blood was “the New Covenant in my blood” (or “the blood of the New Covenant”). The Scriptures treat the New Covenant as a reality, not as an exercise in pretend or make-believe. (For more information, including an explanation of how this is seen in the New Testament, see the article The Nature of Salvation.)

Evidence, Please

Question: How can I know I have the new heart?

When writing to the church at Colosse, Paul said this:

Of this [hope] you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, (Colossians 1:5–6, emphasis added)

Whatever else Paul is saying in this passage, he is saying one inescapable thing: the gospel (the New Covenant) always bears fruit and increasingly so. When one is saved and given the new heart, he or she is changed. Our lives are always producing fruit, whether good or bad. Jesus had something to say about that:

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43–45)

What does this mean for us who are saved? In short, it means that we will begin to produce fruit. Why? Because it’s now our nature to do so. Will we be perfect? No. Will we grow in love, holiness, and obedience? Absolutely. The first letter of John is all about this. The apostle John wrote this letter so that “you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). In this letter, he gives specific marks or signs of a believer. He says, “This is how you can tell a believer.” And the signs all come down to one thing: the fruit of a person’s life.

For the one saved, there will be evidence of the change–sometimes only small pieces of evidence, subtle changes at first. But they will be there.

What About This Sin?

Question: Why do I still struggle with sin?

This is another common question when learning about the New Covenant. A related question is, “Can a Christian live a perfectly sinless life?” Some teach that Christians who struggle with sin just aren’t trying hard enough or haven’t fully surrendered to God, or some variation of those things. Scripture, however, has a different perspective. We’ll start by looking at Romans 8.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:1–11)  

In this passage, Paul is talking about what he calls the flesh. What do we know about the flesh? In short, we see that the flesh is hostile to God and cannot please God (vv. 7-8). Now, do we still have the flesh? Yes. Remember, Paul is writing to believers here. Notice he makes a distinction between being in the flesh and walking according to the flesh. He pointedly says to his readers, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (v. 9, emphasis added). 

However, he also says that it’s quite possible to “walk according to the flesh.” What does this mean? It means that we live in the same manner, with the same attitudes, as we did before we were saved. He defines walking according to the flesh as setting the mind on the things of the flesh. Likewise he defines living by the Spirit as setting the mind on the things of the Spirit (v. 5). Like the Sinful Heart, the flesh desires one thing–to find life through independence, apart from God and His ways.

I like to use the analogy of a mainframe computer connected to other computers. If a virus was to be implanted in the mainframe computer, it would systematically program the rest of the computers with that virus. This is what’s happened with fallen humanity. The Sinful Heart programmed every part of us to live independently of God. When one is saved, the old heart is removed and replaced by the Spiritual Heart (Ezek. 36:26). But, the other computers are not replaced. They have to be reprogrammed. 

This is where Paul’s words about “crucifying the flesh” in Romans 6 and renewing the mind (Romans 12) come in. Theologians call this process sanctification, but it really just means we are becoming more like Christ; we are living according to our new identity more and more and less and less like our old self. This is a lifelong process, Paul told the Philippians,

I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

When will this work be completed? At the day of the return of Jesus Christ. Will it be completed? Absolutely. For those of us who have surrendered to Christ, we have God’s Word on that. No matter how much we stumble or how slowly we grow, we can be sure that He is walking with us and will finish what He started.

[For a more detailed look at these questions read the 5-part blog series How Then Shall We Live?]

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God’s Path or Man’s Party

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” (Isaiah 30:21–22)

There is a lot of talk today about the Republicans, the Democrats, the Independents (well, not so much about them). Such talk is even dominating conversations within parts of the church. Now, don’t worry, this is not a post about politics or political parties or who’s right or wrong. This is a post about walking the narrow path that Jesus defined.

For followers of Christ, our authority is (or should be) the Bible. We accept the Bible as God’s written Word and our authority on belief, faith, and practice. Having established that, the question must be asked, “Why do we see so many Christians violating the fundamental spirit and implications of this passage?” Before we answer that question, though, we need to look at the passage itself.

This passage is a promise originally given to Israel. As we know, Israel consistently failed to keep the covenant that God gave them. Though the Lord was very patient with Israel and continually called them to return to Him, eventually Israel was sent into exile. This promise is part of a larger promise to bring Israel back to the land God gave them. It must have seemed at this time in history that God had hidden His face completely from Israel and rejected His people. Yet, He promised to no longer hide His face. In fact, He promised to hear their cry and be gracious to them, and more. He promised to speak to them and guide them.

What does this passage, spoken to Israel, have to say to us today? There are several things we can take from this passage.

God Still Speaks

As the church, we are also God’s people. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can be assured that God desires to speak to us and in fact does speak to us. There are many avenues through which He speaks to us in addition to the Holy Spirit: the Bible (His written word), circumstance, and others, to name a few. To deny that God speaks to His people is to deny the very desire of His heart and the nature of His relationship with His people.

God Has His Own Way

Notice in the passage above God tells Israel, “This is the way, walk in it.” God has decreed a specific way for us to walk. Isaiah 55:9 tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s ways are not like man’s ways. His ways are spiritual; man’s way is worldly, carnal. As ones called to follow Jesus, we are to walk in His ways and shed (and shun) worldly ways of acting and thinking. 

Not only is God’s way higher than man’s way, but God’s way is straight, meaning in line with His will and decrees. Notice in the passage above that God says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” We can’t miss the implication that we are not to walk either on the left or the right, but walk in God’s path. To take that a step further, walking in God’s path means one does not bow to worldly agendas on the left or the right.

The Heart of the Matter

If you’ve read much of this blog, you know I try to stay away from directly engaging in political discussions, with limited exceptions. And even here, this post is not about any particular political issues. It is, as I said at the beginning, about the gospel and our commitment to it. So, let’s talk about this whole right/left thing. Is this not essentially the same party spirit we see Paul denouncing to the church of Corinth? They were lining up behind their favorite teachers, preachers, and apostles (and many parts of the church continue to be plagued with that).

At least in Corinth, they were lining up behind people who, for the most part, were committed to the gospel. It is often said (or at least asked) in Christian circles how one can be a Christian and vote for or support such-and-such party or so-and-so candidate. The truth is–and this may be a hard truth for many of you to swallow–political parties by and large could care less about advancing the gospel. Yet, the advancement of the gospel–seeing men and women come to Christ and seeing the resulting change in society–is precisely what the Christian is called to.

Former atheist David Brooks defines politics by saying “politics is usually a competition between partial truths.” So, the questions must be asked: Why would a Christian blindly follow a political party that, instead of promoting the gospel, has largely been silent and even sympathetic towards people who committed violent acts toward the government? The Bible has one word for that: rebellion. Now, I know the number one answer most many evangelicals will give–because said political party is supposedly “pro-life.” But can a person or group truly be said to be pro-life (meaning “life-affirming”) in the face of that silence and sympathy as well as other policies that ar far from life-affirming? On the other hand, why would a Christian blindly follow a party that, though they often have commendable compassion for the hurting, needy, and poor (classes of people the Lord cares deeply about), they show outright hostility to the message of the gospel, especially when it comes to certain issues? 

The truth is, as I said above, that political parties have no interest in promoting gospel change–because that requires the gospel. And that requires submitting to God and His authority of their lives. And that is something that fallen man refuses to do apart from an intervention by the Spirit. This, then, is the heart of the matter–a stubborn refusal to life life on God’s terms and instead seek our significance and security apart from Him. The Bible has a word for that also:  idolatry. But notice one final thing in our passage above. God says, “Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’” When is “then”? When we are walking God’s path, not the path of a man or worldly group–including but not limited to political parties.

Let’s face it, every political party has an agenda–a vision, if you will. And that agenda has nothing to do with the message of Jesus Christ. Am I advocating that Christians get out of politics and political discussions entirely? Of course not–at least not yet. There will come a time, as I’ve said, when the Christian voice will be silenced in the nation. It’s coming sooner than many of us would wish. What I am advocating for, however, is that the church be the church, instead of a political arm. We as disciples are called to walk the path of Jesus, neither turning (bowing) to the right or the left. We are called to be disciples of Christ, not disciples of any worldly organization. We can live the two-handedness of the gospel (proclaiming the message as well as living it out) without swerving to one side or the other.

We have the answers that the world needs, church. Why would we embrace worldly thinking, ways, and methods? The answer is in Christ. Not politics.

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The Fall of Nations

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

If you have watched the news recently, you likely have seen the stories of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan after twenty years of conflict. The images that came from the airport at Kabul were as shocking as those from the Vietnam era–and even more so. Desperate people clung to airplanes as they sought to escape the Taliban.

Of course, now we are seeing the Genesis 3 game, “Blame the Other Guy.” President Biden blames the Afghans for “lacking the will to fight” (though in fairness they have been fighting for 20 years–and much longer before we came on the scene). The Republicans blame the President (though in honesty and fairness, the withdrawal was announced by former President Obama and the deal was brokered by former President Trump). In the midst of the wrangling, people have been forgotten about.

This isn’t a post about the Taliban, American politics, or even specifically about the fall of Afghanistan. Rather, this is a post about the bigger and deeper issue that lies beneath–the loss of America’s moral leadership. That statement may shock you, and it both should and should not shock you.

Almost since the founding of this country, America has lauded itself as the great moral leader of the world. America will do what’s right. America will protect the interests of those who are weak. Yet, that moral leadership has been slowly deteriorating. No one event can be said to cause the decline. Though the so-called “religious right” like to assert that America was a “Christian nation,” that has never really been true. Founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Certainly. Christian (as in ‘submitted to Christ’s leadership’)? Never. But I digress…

What we have seen is the result of leadership not submitted to Christ. That is not a political statement. That is a biblical statement. Human nature will always seek life apart from God, and part of that is a loss of a moral compass. It was once said of America and democracy that American democracy was the great hope of the world. Even countries that disagreed with America at least trusted her. Now, America doesn’t keep the promises she made. President Biden said that Afghanistan had lost the will to fight. Could it be rather that America has lost the will to fight? (And not just in a military sense.)

I have long said that there will be a day of reckoning, where the church will have to choose between continuing to Americanize the gospel or be the church and preach the Gospel of Christ. Recent events highlight the fact that this day is coming sooner than perhaps we’d like. Make no mistake, the country that has lost moral leadership on the international level has already lost moral leadership at home. With that, we will see the nation turn against those who claim the name of Christ.

What must the church do? Prepare. We are directed to live our lives in such a way as to give no reason for the world to substantiate any accusations against us. We cannot do this as long as we look to politics to solve problems. We must stop allowing our political viewpoints to dictate how we view Scripture, the church, and others. Instead, we must thrust ourselves onto Christ alone and let Him inform our conscience and our worldview. And I daresay that His worldview will be shockingly different than those who have mixed politics and Christianity. As I wrote in an open letter some time ago, the American church has hitched herself to two horses, the horse of America and the horse of the gospel. These two are fundamentally incompatible with each other. It’s time for the church to decide on which horse she will continue to ride, because to ride on both is no longer possible.

[Read the full text of “The Church in America: An Open Letter“].

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Who Are We? Christian or American Pt 2

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

In the last post (“Christian or American,” 1/12/20), we asked some hard questions about the church and believers. We suggested that many parts of the American church are losing their biblical identity. We further suggested that this is because many churches have bought into the world’s ways of thinking, and that they have tied themselves so strongly to Americanism that they are now dependent on America’s greatness for their own greatness.

This, friends, is nothing less than idolatry. How do we know it is idolatry? Simple. No man, no political system is perfect, nor is he or it the savior of a nation or the world. When we automatically equate “Christian” with “the right,” “the left,” “Republican,” “Democrat,” or any other earthly label, we have begun to cross that line. Another sign is when our favorite party or politician loses and we believe “the cause of righteousness” has been dealt a blow. No man, no earthly system is perfect enough to be equated with God’s cause of righteousness. There’s only one that carries that banner: the Lord Jesus Christ. Not even the church, Christ’s visible representation on earth, is perfect enough to be idealized.

I asked this question on social media a couple days ago, and I’m going to ask it here. (For those readers outside the US, just substitute your own national parties and politicians here.)

If you are a supporter of President Donald Trump, will you accept President-Elect Joe Biden as YOUR President? Will you commit to pray for him and the incoming leadership over the next four years? Will you commit to pray good for them, that they make wise and godly decisions and come to know the Lord Jesus Christ? Will you release any bitterness, anger, and ill will to the Lord in order that your prayers not be hindered?

If you are not a supporter of President Trump and the Republicans, will you commit to pray for the (soon to be former) President and his family? Will you acknowledge that good came out of the last four years? Will you pray for the good of the outgoing administration, including that they come to know Christ? Will you commit to releasing any bitterness, anger, and ill will to the Lord in order that your prayers not be hindered?

If you cannot honestly answer “yes” to these questions from your heart, then it may be time to ask the Lord, 

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me (Psalms 139:23-24).

Who Are We?

Now we are going to return to the questions at the end of the last post. What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be the church?

In simple terms, a Christian is one who has been born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3). He has repented of his sins and trusted Christ for salvation (Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; 17:30-31). Being a Christian means that one is made new. Not just new in terms of better, but new in terms of something that did not exist before. Totally new. And it’s all of God, from start to finish. Salvation is by faith alone. This is the gospel. It is about sin, repentance, and faith. Any definition of salvation or the gospel that is not based on that is unbiblical.

What does it mean to be a Christian, however? What are the priorities of a Christians? This is really where the rub is, isn’t it? Because so many people say, “A Christian should [fill in the blank].” Whether it’s advocating for social/racial justice, feeding the homeless, witnessing, voting, or whatever, everyone has a thought.

I suggest that this is the central responsibility of a Christian: the gospel. Everything else a Christian does is to be centered around this. Why is this so? Three reasons:

  • Declaring the gospel is the God-ordained means of seeing people come into the Kingdom. God has not chosen to flood the world with angels to declare the message. He has chosen to use earthly, broken vessels to spread and live his message.
  • It is the last recorded command that Jesus gave to His disciples before the ascension. Often, people save the most important things they wish to say until the last. This is no different. And we see that beginning to happen immediately. Jerusalem and the surrounding areas exploded with people telling the good news of Christ. And then the good news spread throughout the known world.
  • No lasting change will ever come to this earth apart from the gospel. The best that can be accomplished is a race of highly educated, self-centered people that strive to outwardly conform to ever changing standards of a fallen society.

Beyond the gospel, a Christian’s first commandment is to love. Love God with all we are, and love our neighbors as ourselves (see Mark 12:30-31). There is little disagreement on this point between Christians. Most of us know on a basic level what these words mean (or at least we think we do).

So, the real questions here are very practical ones.

1) May a Christian engage in social or political activism (or must he do so)? 

My answer to this is, “Yes one may.” But one must not confuse these things with his first responsibility to keep faith and declare the gospel. If we succeed in pushing through a political agenda or feeding the homeless and haven’t shared the gospel, what eternal benefit have we gained? Likewise, if we declare the gospel to a starving person, but do not help him with the basic necessities, are we not simply saying, “Be warmed and well-filled. . . and Jesus loves you”? (See James 2:15-17.)

Is there a must? No. There’s no command in Scripture to actively participate in political or social activism. However, for one who has been changed and called to love justice, mercy, and faith, it is hard to imagine one’s heart and conscience not being stirred.

2) Is it possible for a Christian to support the [fill in the blank] party?

In general, yes. To say otherwise, as I have seen on social media, is to call into question the salvation of a believer, and denigrate him in front of unbelievers. This, for a Christian, is inexcusable. It places a separate requirement for salvation (or at least an evidence of salvation) on the person other than faith. Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love, not by our political affiliation.

A word of caution here (hopefully a balanced word). In supporting a candidate, party, or program, the believer must be willing to critically examine the basis of his or her support. Some Christians think that abortion is the only issue that matters. Thus, if a candidate agrees with 99/100 issues that they do, but is pro-choice, they wil say, “Nope!” Other Christians see other issues just as important and tend to support based on a broader set of criteria (and often those Christians who support a pro-choice candidate are themselves pro-life. Which is right? Both are. For both sides it’s often an issue of conscience. And we are sternly commanded not to judge the conscience of another (Romans 14). Every political party and political system in this world is sin-stained and corrupt because they are led by fallen people.

No System to Work, No Easy Answers

The real problem with these questions and this debate is that Christians assume many of these answers are easy. They are not. How does a nation deal with immigrant children separated from their parents? Can a nation pass pro-choice laws and yet also encourage programs that will have the effect of eliminating abortion? When same-sex marriage is legal in the nation, how is the church to repond to those couples? How can we affirm the uniqueness of individuals without giving in to the LBGTQ+ movement? How do we encourage true multiculturalism in the church without giving into the pitfalls of critical race theory?

The gospel is not a system to work. It is a change of the heart. And that change does not come immediately. It’s possible for one who is saved to not even believe some of the truths that we conservatives hold as “fundamental,” like the deity of Christ and the inerrancy of Scripture. It’s also possible that they don’t immediately change their perspective on issues such as racial justice, abortion, etc. Christians need to think deeply about such issues–that so many often find “easy” answers in Scripture regarding these issues testifies to the fact that their thinking is superficial.

Above all, we must remember that the gospel is not a political system. It is the means by which a holy God is reconciling sinful humanity to himself. The gospel has implications (see above), and believers would do well to think through those implications. But in the end we who follow Christ must place our hope–all of our hope–in Christ alone. Not in the fortunes of America or a political or economic system. Our citizenship in this world is transitory at best. We are aliens and strangers here. This world is not our home. It’s okay to do what we can to make the world a better place (Jer. 29:7), but don’t get too comfortable.

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The Law of the Lord II (Ps. 119:17-32)

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times.
You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

My soul clings to the dust;
    give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
    teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word!
Put false ways far from me
    and graciously teach me your law!
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
    let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments
    when you enlarge my heart! — Psalms 119:1-16

When traveling to another country, we often encounter different cultures and social rules. A traveler from America going to France, for example, might be quite confused with the differences in culture. A traveler from Japan visiting America would definitely be shocked at some of our cultural differences. One can even see differences in culture traveling to different parts of the same country.

A Sojourner in Another Country

If one were only visiting for a short time, such things might only become a nuisance. but if one is planning to live in the new country, many problems can arise. This is the situation in which the Psalmist finds himself in this part of Psalm 119. Notice what he writes in verse 19: I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! The word translated sojourner simply means “a guest, visitor, foreigner.” The Psalmist finds himself in a place that is not home but in which he has to live. It’s the same idea employed by the writer of Hebrews when talking of the saints of old: 

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13, emphasis added).

So, the Psalmist, like the other Old Testament saints is acknowledging that he too is in a place other than home, a place through which he is passing. Notice what he says after that acknowledgment: don’t hide your commandments from me! Translation? “I’m in a strange and unfamiliar place, a place in which I don’t know how to live. Tell me how to live here!”In fact, this part of the Psalm opens with a plea for grace: Deal bountifully with your servant . . . open my eyes . . . (vv. 17-18). He continues to ask God for mercy and grace to understand His ways. 

He wants to know the Lord’s ways for living so intensely that his “soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times” (v. 20). He knows that the Lord rebukes and disciplines “the insolent, accursed ones who wander from your commandments” (v. 21). He reminds the Lord that he longs to know and obey the Lord’s ways, to avoid that scorn and contempt. Indeed, he doesn’t care if the power people of the land sit plotting against him; the Psalmist’s mind will be on the Lord’s ways (vv. 23-24).

Difficulties on the Journey

The Psalmist’s journey is hard, he says. Notice the two examples he gives:

My soul clings to the dust . . . 
My soul melts away for sorrow . . . 

What does he say each time?

Give me life according to your word!
Give me strength according to your word!

The Psalmist says the Lord’s word is what he needs. Can’t you hear him say to the Lord, “When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes” (v. 26)? Not only did he tell the Lord how difficult his way has been but this also has the idea of confession–wandering from the path. Again, he implores the Lord to teach him. 

As the Lord teaches him, the Psalmist changes his position, so to speak. At first his soul was clinging to the dust, now he says, “I cling to your testimonies, O Lord” (v. 31). He has begun to walk in the ways of the Lord, holding fast to His statues and testimonies.

A Word for Today

Like the Psalmist and the saints of the Old (and New) Testament, we are also sojourners, aliens and strangers on this earth. Though we are fallen (and redeemed), we were not created for the fallen world we live in. Thus, we need the Lord to show us how to live in this world. The Psalmist reminds us to cling to the Lord and His Word–not only referring to the written Word, also to the ultimate Word, Christ.

As we do cling to His precepts and testimonies, an amazing thing begins to happen. Notice the last thing the Psalmist says. He is now not walking but running “in the way of your commandments” (v. 32). Though the ESV translates it as “when you enlarge my heart,” it may also be translated as “when you set my heart free.” This is perhaps a preferable translation, and that is exactly what the Lord does for us at salvation. He frees us to know, live in, walk in, and eventually run in His ways.

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Hindrances to the Mission–Money

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

From the title of this post, you “might” conclude that you’re going to read about an encouragement to give to missions. Well, giving to missions is of course needed! “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent” (Rom. 10:14-15). What we give to support missionaries is vitally important.

But, that’s a topic for another day, another blog post. Today’s topic is more personally focused.  As the Christian musician Steve Green put it, our mission is “a call to deepen our devotion to the cross of Christ at any price. . . . The heartbeat of our mission is to love the Lord our God.” One of the hindrances to our mission, then, is a wrong view of the topic of money. Now there are a lot of views on the subject of money in the Christian life. What is the biblical view of money? That’s what we will look at today.

First, the Bible treats the subject of money as both the same as, as well as different from, other earthly possessions (stuff and things). That is to say that money, in one sense, is just another possession that one can accumulate. At the same time, however, on this earth money has power. We see it every day. People with money are treated differently than others. Some people think that economic inequality is the real problem.  However, the real problem is the results of that. When Bill Gates, Tim Cook, and the like are treated better than John Smith from Main Street simply because of their bank accounts and influence, that is the problem.

Contrary to some folks, the solution is not to start a class war and redistribute wealth and try to make everyone equal. The root of the problem is spiritual, not financial. Thus, we must change our view of money and possessions.

The Gospel makes it clear that anything that hinders us from fully trusting in God, whether for salvation or in our daily lives, must be forsaken. Jesus made it even more clear: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Must we actually abandon everything? In some cases, absolutely. Jesus did, after all, tell the rich young ruler to sell all he had and then “come and follow Me.” And we know that the man went away “very sad, for he was extremely rich” (Luke 18:23).

Now, why was he sad? Not just because he was rich, but because he loved his riches more than God. Jesus called the man to part with them, and he could not do so. He will also ask us to part with anything that is preventing us from being fully devoted to Him. In some cases, that means we lose a lot—or everything. But we have Him. And that is exactly how He wants it.

Let’s talk about some common questions when it comes to money, wealth and poverty.

Q: Is wealth a sign of God’s favor?

In the Old Testament, God promised to bless Israel for as she was obedient to Him. In turn, the covenant also contained curses for disobedience. These blessings and curses were primarily directed at the nation as a whole, though they also applied to individuals—though not all the time.  For example, God granted Solomon and David riches and honor. Why? Because they were faithful to Him (in Solomon’s case, at least for the first part of his reign). Yet, the same thing cannot be said of others. The Levites weren’t even allowed to own land, for “the Lord is your portion.”

We cannot say that money is always a sign of God’s favor, especially for those who have become wealthy at the expense of others.

Q: Is poverty a curse?

There is a teaching in certain segments of the church that says, “If you are poor or struggling financially, something is wrong in your life.”  The teaching suggests that poverty is a curse, and even Christians can suffer from it. Considering the answer to our first question, we must say again, “Not necessarily.”  Jesus was poor. And while He became poor “that we might be rich,” those riches are more spiritual than physical. Again, Jesus did instruct the rich young ruler to sell all he had.

What do we say, then, to a person or a family who is faithful to Christ, gives as they are able out of a grateful heart, and still struggles financially? Do we tell them to repent of some unknown sin? Pray more? Have more faith? Break the curse?

A better counsel would be, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches.” Poverty, when understood rightly, can drive us to seek Christ. We have nothing, He has everything. We are nothing, He is everything.

The idea that poverty is a curse generally comes from the Old Testament (see question above). However, if one applies that curse to the believer, then the other curses apply as well, since the law is a unified whole. To accept one part of the law is to accept all, and to stumble at one point is to be guilty of the law. For the believer, though, the curse has been broken because Christ became a curse for us.

Q: Is money in itself evil?

By teaching “renounce all,” some might wonder if I think money is inherently evil. This is not the case, and it’s not a position supported by Scripture. Money is a possession that, like other possessions, can be used to buy things we want and need. However, Jesus did often comment on “the deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:19). This suggests that, as we said above, in this world money carries worldly power, and that while money is not evil per se, it has an inbuilt corrupting influence. Money, along with many other things, can easily draw a person away from God. Money makes it easy to trust in oneself.

Paul echoes this point when he says the love of money is the root of all evil. And it’s easy to love money, not only because of the status it can buy, but also because it gives us a form of security. It’s possible (and common) for a middle-class or even one who is poor to ‘love’ money.

Implications of This Teaching

First, we must not seek wealth or earthly power in any form. Those things have an inherent corrupting influence. They entangle us in things that believers ought not be entangled in. Along those lines, we must not see money as our security, regardless of our socio-economic status. Our security is to be found in Christ, not anything or anyone else.

While we’re on this subject, this includes the idea of seeking God’s blessing “to bless others.” That is a subtle trap that many fall into, disguising their longing for earthly blessings in spiritual terms.  Blessings are for the Lord to dispense, and that includes the means of that dispensing. We are to seek Him and Him only, leaving the blessings up to His sovereignty.

Second, we should not seek poverty, unless it is special call from the Holy Spirit. (“Leave all you have and follow Me.”) The Lord calls each of us in various stations in life. The Bible teaches clearly that we are to learn to be content in both want and plenty, for He provides all we need. We are to seek Him and allow Him to provide our needs.

Third, we must abandon ourselves to Him. He calls His disciples to renounce all. What does this mean? It means that if He takes something or someone from us, we are to acknowledge that it or they are His. Even if, in His wisdom, He takes all we have, we are to cling to Him—not in the hopes of getting it back, but because He is truly all we need.

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Marks of the Believer Part 2: 1 John 3:1-24

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

[Note: This is part 4 in a six-part series looking at the First Epistle of John. Some of the material is adapted from my commentary That You May Know: The First Letter of John. During this series, we won’t necessarily touch on every single verse, but will look at the major messages that 1 John presents.]

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us (1 John 3:1-24).

Today, we continue our study of 1 John. After pausing briefly to discuss the characteristics of an “anti-Christ” (“Antichrists Among Us: 1 John 2:18-29”), John now turns back to the marks or evidences of a follower of Christ. How can we know that we are saved and in Christ? In addition to being theological in nature, this section has strong practical implications and teachings. (Which is, after all, the goal of good theology—to change us and our behavior to align us with God’s Word.)  It also takes us on a journey, from grace and hope to confidence and assurance before God. Read in its entirety, it’s a great encouragement to continue in the faith.

Grace and hope lead to purity (vv. 1-3).

John’s opening words in chapter 3 are meant to evoke a response of “Wow!” And, in truth, once a believer truly understands what has been done for him, that reaction is quite natural. The guilty are forgiven, but that’s not all. They are called righteous in God’s sight, but that’s not all. The ones who were once guilty and alienated from God are called children of God! And if that weren’t enough, we are promised, as children of God, that one day we shall be like Him, once again morally perfect without any spot or blemish.

Some things that stand out here:

  • Not only are we “called” (declared) children of God, but “so we are” (v. 1). There’s a difference between simply being declared a child of God (in a judicial sense) and actually “being one” (in the sense of nature or identity). We are children of God. We are Beloved of the Father.
  • Because we are in fact children of God, we are no longer children of the world. Thus, John says, the world does not know us (v. 2). In the same way, the world did (and does) not know Christ.
  • The end goal is not to just be with Christ. It is to be like Him. And John encourages us to remember that it will happen. It is a certain hope, not simply wishful thinking. And “everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (v. 3). It is that very hope that enables and encourages us to live pure.

Purity means practicing righteousness (vv. 4-10).

To be pure, according to John, is to practice righteousness (v. 7). As we have said many times over, John refers to “the practice of” righteousness, rather than any single act (the same way he looks at sin). A broken clock shows the correct time sometimes. But a working clock does so consistently. In the same way, a believer will consistently, if not perfectly, practice righteousness. The unbeliever, however, is like the broken clock. He cannot help but live a life of sin. John reminds us that the one who practices sin also practices lawlessness. This is because the unbeliever is living as a law unto himself, rather than doing the will of God.

The implication of this, then, is that one who claims to know God yet has not changed from a life of habitual sin has never encountered or known Him, John says. And one who has truly encountered Christ and abides in him cannot help but change from a life of sin to one of righteousness (v. 6). The change may–indeed will–be progressive, but it will absolutely take place, because one who has God’s seed in him cannot help it (v. 9). The practice of righteousness, then, is one of the surest marks of a believer (v. 10).

Practicing righteousness includes loving the brethren (vv. 11-18).

The message that John is reminding his readers is the same one he taught them “from the beginning” (v. 11). The message is that we should love one another.  He then gives a pointed contrast. We should not be like Cain, who killed his brother Abel. Why did Cain kill Abel, John asks? He gives two answers. First, because Cain was “of the evil one” (v. 12). Cain had no fear of or faith in God. How do we know this? Because of John’s second reason: “Because [Cain’s] deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous” (v. 12b). The Lord confirmed this position when He told Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted” (Gen. 4:7). The implication is that Cain’s offering was unacceptable to the Lord, and the context suggests that it was because of Cain’s attitude. Therefore, John says, just as Cain hated his brother (hatred being the seed of murder), we should not be surprised that the world hates us.

When we can say we love the brothers (here John seems to focus on the household of faith), “we have passed out of death into life” (v. 14). For, whomever hates his brother walks in darkness. (This is the same conclusion that he gave in 2:9-11 when he mentions loving the brothers.) Further, the one who hates his brother “is a murderer,” John concludes (again, hatred being the seed of murder). This is clearly equivalent to Jesus’ teaching on murder (Matt. 5:21-22).

John concludes this statement with a blunt observation: “And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (v. 15). How are we to take this statement? Does it suggest that murder is an unforgivable sin? For various reasons, that cannot be the case. John’s point here, as in many other places, is simply that one who continues to allow hatred to dwell in his heart is not a true believer. We are not talking about a single act, but rather the attitude of the heart. The Gospel, according to John, sets one free from hatred.

One might then ask John, “What does loving my brother look like?” His answer is very practical: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him” (vv. 16-17). Love of the brothers consists of generous giving. We place others above ourselves. James would wholeheartedly agree with these statements (see James 1:27; 2:15-16). Love is practical and active. Otherwise it is useless. As John puts it, “Let us love in deed and truth, not just word or talk” (v.18).

Practicing righteousness leads to assurance before God (3:19-24).

A believer who truly practices righteousness and loves the brethren can find assurance before God, John writes. He first addresses an anxious question, that of the one whose heart condemns them (vv. 19-20). We can be assured in two ways: First, if we know that we are practicing righteousness and love toward the brethren as best we know, then we can be assured that we are in Christ. Second, even if our heart should condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows everything (including our heart).

Can a believer’s heart condemn him? Most certainly. Whether it be from an immature conscience, unrealized sin, or simply the ever-present attacks by the enemies of Christ, it is not uncommon for true believers to experience guilt, doubt and anxiety. This is why John gives this encouragement.

The apostle then turns to the rest–those that have clean hearts that do not condemn them. To these he says that they can have “confidence” before God. This distinction is not by accident. The one who is condemned by their heart, though they are truly saved, can hardly have true confidence in the midst of anxiety, guilt and doubt. But when one is in a place of having a clean heart, then such a person can truly step out with the boldness of Christ to do His will, asking what he will and receiving his requests (vv. 21-22). Such a person, John says can have that confidence because he keeps Christ’s commandments.

It’s important to point out that there is no well-defined progression from one who needs assurance to the one who has confidence before God. It is possible (and common) for a believer to be in one state at one time in his life, move to the other state, and then back to the first. This is often the result of spiritual growing pains.

Finally, John summarizes what he has told us so far: The commandment is that we believe in Jesus Christ and love one another (v. 23). And he promises that those who keep those commandments do truly abide in God and God in them (v. 24a). As a final reminder, John tells us that we can know for certain that we are God’s, by the fact that He has given His Spirit to abide in us (v. 24b).

Continue to Part 5 of this series ===>>

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The Realm of Faith (On Faith: Part 2)

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

Last week’s post (On Faith: Part 1) drew a broad outline of what faith means. This week we are going to begin looking at biblical faith. What does the Bible say about faith? In our discussions in this and other posts, we want to be careful not to go beyond what is written. Defining true faith is sometimes like trying to catch the wind. Sometimes we think we have a handle on what faith is, and then something happens to turn those thoughts upside-down.

Nevertheless, the Bible does teach us what faith is like. Sometimes our ‘misunderstandings’ of it are simply due to the fact that we want faith to work the way we think it should! 

The Realm of Faith

Not only is faith something that we have (an intangible concept that we hold onto), but faith is also a realm. What do I mean by this? We often speak of “the realm of politics,” “the realm of science,” “the realm of religion,” etc. Faith in itself is a realm in which we are called to walk. Every area of life has rules or principles that govern that realm. Faith is no different. There are principles and boundaries that we adhere to in order to walk in this realm. What are they?

Biblical faith always has the God of the Bible as its object.

As we mentioned last time, many people just want to “have faith,” without expressing an object of faith. Faith, however requires an object. The realm of biblical faith, then, has the God of the Bible (Yahweh) as the object. The one walking in this realm fixes his or her eyes on God, believing His Word to them. It’s possible for faith to be misplaced. What I mean by that is that we can place faith in a person or thing and then find that our belief or trust was wrong—the chair we sat in breaks, a friend we trusted with a confidence betrays us.

God, however, is the one constant. Our faith in Him will never be misplaced. One of the many words that the Bible uses to describe His character is faithfulness. He keeps His Word. He does what He says. Even when everything or every other person fails us, He will never let us down.

Biblical faith is rooted in the character of God.

When God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burn offering (Gen. 22), why did Abraham choose to believe and obey? Simply because God is God? While it is generally a good idea to obey the Person who holds your life in His hands, there is more to it in this case. God had previously given Abraham a promise: “You’ll have a son, and your son’s descendants will inherit all this land I give to you. They will be more numerous than the sand on the shore and the stars in the sky.”

Abraham judged God to be faithful. God keeps His promises. Thus, Abraham’s faith was rooted not just in the promises of God, but in His character. Biblical faith is grounded in God’s character. That brings up a very important point. In order to have real biblical faith in God, we must know His character. We must know Him. Faith that is not properly grounded in God’s nature and character is little more than wishful thinking.

Biblical faith is submitted to the will of God.

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, the first thing He taught them to do before making requests was to submit. He said, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Modern teaching on this prayer misinterprets these statements. While they are statements of worship, they are also statements of submission. “Not my kingdom come, but Your kingdom come. Not my will, but Your will be done.” We place ourselves under His authority—and thus our faith under His authority as well.

What does this mean for praying in faith? Are we to pray, “Lord please do this if it’s Your will?” I don’t think that is the intent. When James and others tell us to pray, we are not told to qualify it like that. We are told to pray in faith. We are to pray in faith according to our standing as redeemed sons and daughters of God. But—and this is an important ‘but’—our attitude must always remain in submission. If we pray in faith and our request is not granted, there is a reason. His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. I believe we are to keep asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive an answer. But again, our faith (and thus ourselves) must remain submitted to His will. We are to desire that His will be accomplished, not ours.

Biblical faith cannot be increased, but it can be strengthened.

Biblical faith should not be thought of a huge container of liquid to be filled up, drained, and then filled again. Rather, faith is more like a muscle that needs exercise. That’s why we see passages regarding strengthening your faith (Acts 16:5; 2 Cor. 10:15; Jude 1:20), but we see Jesus correcting the disciples’ when they asked Him to increase their faith (Luke 17:5-6). Faith even as small as a mustard seed is counted as true faith.

How does one exercise and build up his faith? It’s similar to weight training. You start with a little weight at first, then begin to slowly push yourself to lift more and more. It causes pain at first, but as your muscles strengthen, the pain goes away, and your strength increases. So it is with faith. We exercise our faith in small things, and then as it grows we exercise it more toward bigger things (mountains). What is the resistance to faith that causes it to grow? Doubt. When we have doubt, we are to push through it, and hold onto God and His promises. Without doubt, faith would become just another easy thing, and would not have the opportunity to grow.

Walking in the Realm and Having Faith

It’s possible to exercise our faith from time to time and not truly be walking in the realm of faith. When we walk in the realm of faith, our eyes are constantly fixed on God, our lives submitted to His will, and we view everything we do and say as an act of faith. While we may start out in single acts of faith, we are called to grow and begin consistently walking in the realm of faith.

As we exercise our faith, let’s remember that faith is not arrogant, but is humble in confidence toward God and His love for us. He calls us to exercise great faith for the sake of His Kingdom. We are to trust Him, no matter the outcome, for He is good, and His love endures forever.

(Go to “On Faith Part 3”)

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Marks of the Believer Part 1: 1 John 2:1-17

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

[Note: This is part 2 in a six-part series looking at the First Epistle of John. Some of the material is adapted from my commentary as.That You May Know: The First Letter of John During this series, we won’t necessarily touch on every single verse, but will look at the major messages that 1 John presents.]

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

    Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

    I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:1-17).

As we continue our study of 1 John, we start to look at the marks or evidences of a believer. Having set his purpose, John now begins to list these evidences. As we said last week, it’s important to remember that John’s emphasis is on consistency and growth, not a single act of obedience or disobedience.

An Encouraging Word to Start

John begins this section with another word of encouragement. He tells them why he is writing these [particular] things: “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (v. 1). The attitude is almost like a teacher preparing his students for an exam. “Here is what you need to know in order to pass the test. This is what will be looked for.”

Now, lest his readers discover they have sinned (and think they have already failed the test!), John reminds them: “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (v. 1b). We have One who will speak to the Examiner (the Father) on our behalf. What gives Him the right to do that? Verse 2 tells us: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word propitiation means “an appeasing of God’s wrath.” Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf paid the penalty and satisfied God’s just demands against us. Thus, we can rest in His grace.

Evidence #1: Keeping His Commandments (vv. 1-6)

John begins with a simple statement: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (v. 3). It’s like an equation: 

We have come to know him = We keep His Commandments

Now, as pointed out many times, that equation can’t be reversed. We keep His commandments because we have come to know Him. Reversing the equation becomes trying to know Him through simply keeping His commandments.

Next John gives us one of the many contrasting statements that his writings are known for. They are often written almost like a proverb:

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments
        is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 
but whoever keeps his word,
        in him truly the love of God is perfected (vv. 4-5).

This description contrasts strongly with 1:5-10 (which we looked at last week). Here, the idea that “the truth is not in him” suggests that such a person is not a believer. In 1:5-10, however, he uses the phrase “does not practice the truth,” in the context of a believer refusing to acknowledge he has sinned, leading to a hindrance of fellowship with Christ.

The believer who keeps Christ’s Word (lives in it, practices it), however, is one who has the love of God perfected in him (v. 5). This word “perfected” does not mean morally perfect without sin. The Greek word is teleioo, which means “to make perfect, complete; to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end.” The idea is one of completeness or wholeness.

As Jesus did, John also equates keeping Christ’s commandment’s to “abiding in Christ” (v. 6): “[W]hoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” This is really a summary of this passage. He is saying, “Therefore, if we claim to be in Christ, we should walk in the same way He did, by keeping His commandments.”

Evidence #2: Loving the Brethren (vv. 7-11)

The words of verses 7-8 can be a little confusing.  John first says that what he is about to tell them is not a new commandment, but the same which they have already heard. Then he says it is a new commandment. It is both old and new. The commandment to love the brethren (vv. 9-11) is taught in the Old Testament (for example, Deut. 19:18). At the same time, however, Jesus clarified what that love actually looks like. He practiced sacrificial love, ultimately giving His life for us, and in fact taught that “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

John returns to a theme already introduced to explain love for the brethren, that of walking in the light. With another series of contrasting statements, John tells his readers:

Whoever says he is in the light 
     and hates his brother is still in darkness. 
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light,
     and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 
But whoever hates his brother
     is in the darkness and walks in the darkness,
and does not know where he is going,
     because the darkness has blinded his eyes (vv. 9-11).

Why is there “no cause for stumbling” for the one loves his brother? Because as he walks in the light, he can see anything that might cause him to stumble, and love removes those things from within him that would cause him to stumble. For the one who harbors hatred in his heart, however, that is not true. He is in darkness. The hatred within him causes him to not be able to see those things which cause him to stumble. Hence, we are commanded to walk in the light.

Evidence #3: Growing in Faith (vv. 12-17)

At first, verses 12-17 might seem to be out of place in John’s writings. However, once we consider the context, they are quite natural.  In these verses John is talking about the cycle of growing in Christ. We start as “little children” (the young in the faith), and progress to “young men [and women],” finally maturing into fathers [and mothers] in the faith. We start out as disciples, learning at the feet of another, and now as fathers and mothers we are able to teach and disciple others, continuing the cycle.

The point of this is that growth is natural in the life of the believer. While it does require effort on our part to be disciplined, it is not something that is forced. If one is a believer, he or she will grow. The claim of salvation by one who has had no spiritual growth may be suspect. Jesus mentioned much the same thing in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:1-9). The one who grows in his faith in 1 John is like the good soil who produces a harvest. Note that it is not the size of the harvest that counts, because Jesus did indicate that different people bring forth different harvests.  The point, however, is that all true believers grow and produce fruit.

In this context, how does one continue to grow and produce fruit?  John gives this explanation: “Do not love the world or the things of the world” (v. 15). This is the same idea that Jesus taught when He cautioned against storing up earthly treasures. As the believer focuses his life on the things of God, it will be natural that he grow. Believers are not to love the world for two reasons. First, the things of the world (“lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”) are not from God, and we should be focused on things of God. Secondly because the world “is passing away.” It is temporary. But, as John reminds us, believers will abide forever.

Takeaways from This Passage

The takeaways from this passage are the evidences we have discussed. If we claim to know and be in Christ, we should see the fruit of His transforming work in our lives. We should endeavor to keep His commandments, love the brethren, and seek to grow in the knowledge of Him, His love, and grace. He gives us these guidelines not to condemn us but to keep us from stumbling as we walk in the light with Him.

Continue to Part 3 of this series ===>>

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On Faith: Part 1

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

There is a lot of talk about faith these days, both inside and outside the church. We speak of, “having faith,” “having enough faith,” “faith-based [instruction, care, etc.],” and others. It seems that much of the general population believes that faith is an okay word to talk about. It also seems that working definition of faith would including having faith in faith.

As believers, we are called to live in the truth. That certainly includes a right understanding of faith. What exactly is faith? Is it some mystical force? Is it something we can measure? What can it do in our lives? In this post, we’ll begin to look at some of the answers to these questions.

Defining Our Terms

I’m always a proponent of defining terms, so that everyone knows what I am talking about. The same is true when discussing an idea such as faith. The dictionary defines faith as: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Synonyms of faith thus include trust, belief, confidence, conviction, credence, reliance, dependence; optimism, hopefulness, hope, expectation. Do any of those words sound familiar? They should. Many of them are found in the Bible when speaking of faith.

Let’s look at this definition a little closer. Faith means that we have trust in someone or something. Faith always has an object. We place our faith in someone or something. Those who say, “You just have to have faith,” without identifying the object are not teaching true faith. They are trying have faith in faith itself, and to quote a series of popular commercials a few years back, “That’s not how this works!”

The other part of the definition says complete trust in someone or something. Ideally faith is perfect, without doubt. In our world, however, that is rarely the case. Such is the nature of a fallen world. But, incomplete (or “weak”) faith is still faith.

Faith is Real

From this definition, we can conclude that faith is not some mystical, impersonal force that’s just “out there.” Faith is real and objective. In fact, faith can be measured. How do we know that we (or someone else) has faith? Let’s look at a couple examples, first an everyday example, and second an example from the Bible.

Example 1: My chair

This is an often overused, but just as much overlooked and dismissed, example of faith.  When I go to sit in my chair, I have faith that the chair will support me without breaking. I have some evidence that it will (past experience, maybe the weight limit of the chair shown on a label or in the instruction sheet, etc.). But in truth, that’s not 100% proof that the chair will hold me. It’s a very reasonable basis on which to believe the chair will hold me, however. How am I to know for certain that it will? I must sit in the chair.

Now, I have two choices. I can choose to sit in the chair, or not sit. If I choose to not sit in the chair, then I don’t trust the evidence (and thus, at the very least my faith is not strong enough). On the other hand, If I believe the evidence, I will have faith, and thus I will sit in the chair. Now, if I choose to sit in the chair, two outcomes are possible: the chair either will or will not support me. Is it possible that the chair fails to support me even though I have evidence to believe it will support me? While it’s unlikely to happen, it’s entirely possible. Faith is not, as we have said, 100% proof, but a reasonable basis for my belief (we’ll come back to the implications of this in a bit).

Example 2: Peter and the lake

Our second example comes from the life of Peter, the well-known time when he walked on the water (at least for a short period). This is often held up to people as an example of a lack of faith on Peter’s part. However, it’s in fact a perfect example to use in understanding faith.

To refresh our memory of the story, we are told that after feeding 5,000 men (plus women and children), Jesus had the disciples get into a boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while He dismissed the people and went to pray by Himself. While the disciples were rowing the boat to the other side, night fell, and along with it came a storm. Suddenly, the disciples spotted something on the surface of the water. They thought at first it was a spirit, but Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, it is I.” (Matt. 14:22-27). Matthew picks up the rest of the story:

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (vv. 28-33).

Let’s break this down a little bit. Peter decides to test the “It is I” statement of Jesus. If it’s Jesus, Peter must have thought, then He can call to me and I can in faith walk on the water to Him. Imagine such a thought! He had seen the evidence of Jesus feeding the 5,000 earlier—and the other things that Jesus had done previously. He had a reasonable basis to believe that Jesus could grant His request (I’d say more than reasonable, actually). I daresay few others would have tried such a thing, even in light of the evidence (and as we know, Peter was the only one to attempt it).

Peter exercises His faith when the Lord called out, “Come.” He begins to walk on the water toward Jesus. I often wonder what that must have felt like for Peter. After a bit, though, Peter looks around and sees all the wind and the waves. He begins to sink! Of course, we know that he cried out to Jesus and Jesus grabbed him up and brought him to the boat, with just a question: O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

So, what happened to Peter there? Did his faith fail him? Not at all. His faith was strong in the beginning, as we see. How do we know he had faith? Because he acted. He put out a test: If it’s Jesus, then He will call to me and I will walk on the water to meet Him. Jesus did in fact call to him, and thus Peter had a choice: Get out of the boat or stay. We know he had faith because he got out of the boat! What happened to his faith? Was it misplaced? His faith was not misplaced. He simply began to believe the other evidence—the evidence of the wind and the waves that said, “You can’t do this! You’ll drown!” Like in the first example, if I didn’t believe the evidence that the chair would hold me, I wouldn’t sit. In Peter’s case, he believed at first, but then he doubted.

Lessons of Faith

What do we learn about faith from these examples? Our faith can be weak or strong. As we exercise our faith and it is confirmed, our faith grows. (That is to say, the more I sit in the chair and the more it supports me, my faith in the chair’s ability to hold me grows.) Peter had faith because of the evidence he saw. Yet, his faith wasn’t quite strong enough to counter the other evidence.

But….but…. he got out of the boat! He exercised his faith. Even though he doubted and began to sink, keep this in mind. In order to sink, he first had to get to the water. And his faith DID grow, based on that and other evidence, culminating in the resurrection. His faith grew so much that he walked up to a lame man in the temple and said, “What I have I give you. In the Name of Jesus, rise up and walk,” and the man jumped up and started walking! And…and…. His faith grew even more. We are told that as Peter walked around, people “even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them” (Acts 5:15). That’s faith!

Do we have misplaced faith? When we place faith in anything or anyone but God and His Word, our faith can be shaken. People and things of this world will let us down. The chair breaks, the friend hurts us. God, however, will never reject us. His Word is a solid foundation on which to place our faith.

Next week, we’ll continue talking about faith, as we examine what biblical faith is and how it works. (On Faith Part 2)

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