Tag: death

The Shepherd's Voice

Conversations With Jesus: A Visit from the Greeks

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Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them (John 12:20-36).

John’s writings–his Gospel as well as his letters–make it clear that Jesus was to be the Savior of the world, not just of the Jews. He often includes details such as this conversation involving some Greeks just for that purpose. The conversation, however, doesn’t go like the disciples thought it would–or we might think it would.

Context

To paint a broad picture, Jesus has just entered Jerusalem in what is often known as the Triumphal Entry. This is at the very height of Jesus’ popularity. The people had heard of the miracles He had performed–including raising Lazarus from the dead. Of course the religious leaders were outraged by His popularity. John tells us, “Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him'” (12:18-19). They were more determined than ever to kill Him.

The Request by the Greeks

John tells us that while Jesus was in Jerusalem, some Greeks wanted to see Him. These Greeks would likely have worshiped the God of the Jews, and were often admitted to synagogues as “God-fearers” (Acts 13:26; 17:4, 17), yet had not submitted to the full demands of Jewish law, such as circumcision. These Greeks made a simple request to Philip: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” (It’s likely that they sought out Philip because of his Greek-sounding name, and possibly because he was from Bethsaida, which had many Hellenistic cities around the area.)

At first glance, Jesus’ reply seems to ignore the request altogether. Yet, it seems that the request itself signaled to Jesus that his hour had come to be glorified (v. 23). He had promised to bring other sheep into the fold (10:16), and the time had finally come to accomplish that. Though it may seem strange to speak of His death as glorification, this was the very reason He came to His people–to die for them and set them free. And thus, because He is fulfilling the Father’s will, He will be glorified along with the Father.

Verse 24 lays down the principle by which He has lived His life. Jesus has laid down His life voluntarily, seeking nothing but the Father’s will–and shortly will literally lay down His life. And in doing so, there will be a great harvest. He takes that same principle and extends it to those who would be His disciples: “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (v. 25). The idea that a disciple must “hate” his life does not mean actual moral hatred. Rather it means that the disciple of Jesus will abandon all for Him, even his very life. This is a common theme in Jesus’ teaching about salvation and discipleship. Those who do so, Jesus promises, will have two rewards: First, they will be with Jesus, where He is–by the Father’s side in heaven. Second, those who serve Him will be honored by the Father (v. 26).

Jesus then lets His disciples know that such a life, such a choice of dying to self-will is not always easy. “My soul is in anguish,” He says, “What shall I say, ‘Father save me from this hour’” (v. 27a)? At this moment He is at a crisis point–the same point that Adam was at in the Garden of Eden. The point of decision, whether to abandon what the Father has called Him to, or press ahead, continuing to live in dependence and surrender. He decides forcefully on the latter. “But for His purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name” (vv. 27b-28a). More than any other scene, this shows Jesus’ full humanity. We have seen indignation, anger, and sorrow. Now we see a struggle to follow God’s will and purpose no matter what the cost. This shows us that temptation itself is not sin, for Jesus was indeed tempted to abandon the plan. Yet, He resisted temptation, whereas Adam gave into the temptation.

The Unbelief of the Jews

The test having been passed, the Father once again speaks on behalf of His Son. His voice came from heaven and declared, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (v. 28b). As usual, there was a division. Some said that it thundered (the rationalists of the group; they probably did not understand the words that were spoken). Some admitted that perhaps an angel spoke to Jesus (v. 29). Jesus quickly corrects that statement, telling the crowd that the voice came for their benefit, not for His. The voice came for their sake because Jesus knew the Father and knew that He was fulfilling the Father’s plan; therefore, He did not need the audible voice to reassure Him. For the Jews, however, the voice could serve as confirmation of all that Jesus had said up to this point, if only they had the ears to hear.

Now the hour has come, judgment has come to the world–all sin will be judged in the death of Christ. Not only will all sins be judged by the cross, but also the ruler of the earth (Satan) will be defeated. Finally, not only will Satan be defeated, when Christ is lifted up (speaking of His crucifixion), all men will be drawn to Him (vv. 31-32).

The Jews of course do not understand His statement at all. They seize on the last statement and ask, “The Law of Moses says that the Messiah will remain forever! How then can the Son of Man be lifted up? Who is the ‘Son of Man’” (v. 34). Though He in this instance did not mention “the Son of Man,” many in the crowd would have heard Him teach about the Son of Man, and it is clear in His teaching that He is referring to Himself. The Jews ask Him once again for a clear statement of His identity, which He has given them on numerous occasions (such as in John 8:58).

The Final Word on the Ministry

This time, Jesus gives them no answer to their question. Instead He exhorts them to believe and walk in the light, meaning His teachings that He had given up to this point. He had given them all the instruction and information He could. For if they reject the Light that was given to them, they will have no more light. Jesus thus closes His public ministry on the same themes with which He opened it: a command to “Follow Me” (1:43; 12:26) and a command to believe and walk in the light (3:19-21; 12:35-36). His teaching now over, Jesus now departs in preparation for the days ahead.

Takeaways from the Passage

The first and primary takeaway from this passage is what we identified earlier: Jesus is the Savior of all who place their trust in Him. Continuing along that path, the second takeaway is that the disciple of Jesus is called to abandon all for the sake of Christ–even his very life if need be. The disciple’s attitude is to be one of “I have nothing; You have everything. Apart from You, I am nothing.” Finally, all are called to walk in the light that is given. When the Lord gives light, we are to embrace the light so that we might have more light. If we reject the light that is given, we enter a world of darkness where even the light we have will vanish. This was the fate of many of the Jews that heard Jesus teach.

[Some of the material in this post has been adapted from my commentary That You May Believe: A Commentary on John, available here.]

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The Shepherd's Voice

Conversations With Jesus: A Family in Grief

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go (John 11:1-44).

There is nothing that grieves the heart of a person more than the death of a loved one. When someone we love dies, it leaves a hole in our heart that never truly goes away this side of eternity. Even Jesus felt that grief, as we will see in this encounter. As we’ll also mention later, Jesus knows our pain because He has felt it.

Context

Like many of the previous encounters, there is no specific time frame given by John. However, in verse 55 John mentions the Passover is “close at hand,” so we can infer from that this this event took place shortly beforehand. It would be Jesus’ last and most powerful sign given (apart from His own Resurrection).

The family of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived in Bethany. It can be supposed that they were a well-known family because of the number of people that turned out for the time of mourning. John notes that this Mary was the one who would anoint Jesus’ feet with oil and wiped them with her hair. Finally, we can infer that the family was close to Jesus, based on the comments in verse 5, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Though Jesus loves everyone, John does not include such details arbitrarily,.

The Illness and Death of Lazarus

While Jesus is in Perea (having withdrawn from Judea), Lazarus falls ill. Perea being reasonably close to Bethany, the sisters send word to Jesus “The one You love is sick.” The clear implication is that Jesus should heal Lazarus. It’s what we would expect from someone who is a close friend and has that ability. But, look at what John says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (vv. 5-6, emphasis mine).

Did you catch that? The sense of the verse is that because Jesus loved the family, He stayed two extra days! Now, why would someone who loved Lazarus do that? The answer is found in the previous verse, where Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” He was going to use this to display God’s glory–just not in the way we might expect. After two days, Jesus tells His disciples that He is going back into Judea. The disciples are, to say the least, shocked. “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” (I can easily imagine Peter having this discussion with Jesus!)

He reminds them that He was there to do the work of the Father, and that His time was running out. Then He tells them the real reason He is returning: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; I am going to wake him up.” The disciples obviously don’t understand this. They knew Lazarus was sick, so their natural response is, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Let the man sleep, Jesus, so he will get well.

Of course Jesus is talking about Lazarus’ death, not just sleep (Paul uses the same idea in 1 Cor. 11:30, KJV, NIV). He tells them plainly that Lazarus has died, then adds, “And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

Comforting the Family

Jesus and the disciples thus return to Bethany. Once they get there, they discover that Lazarus has already been dead four days. (This is an important detail because the eliminates the possibility that Lazarus was not really dead or that any sort of trickery was used.) Martha hears that Jesus is coming and she runs out to meet Him. We are not told why Mary didn’t accompany her to meet Jesus. However, her attitude can be deduced from verse 32, where she falls at His feet; clearly she is overcome with grief, and perhaps some resentment.

Martha, in her own grief, blurts out, “If only you had been here! Then my brother would not have died” (v. 21). But then, she seems to calm: “Even now, though, I know that God will give you whatever You ask of Him” (v. 22). The implication, of course, is that Jesus should ask for Lazarus to be restored. Seeming to ignore the implied request, Jesus engages her in a dialogue, starting with an assertion that Lazarus would rise again.

Martha admits this to be true, with perhaps a touch of frustration and impatience: “Yes, I know that!! He will rise again–in the resurrection at the Last Day…. but that is not soon enough for me! I want him back now!” Jesus, however, turns the conversation around to Himself, proclaiming that He is the very Resurrection and the Life (i.e., the Source of all true life). Though one who believes in Him may die (i.e. “fall asleep), he will live and never die.

Martha acknowledges His words and her faith shows through in her profession that He is the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27). With a new understanding (it seems), she returns to the house and calls Mary aside, and tells her that Jesus is nearby and wants to see her. Mary leaves the house abruptly–so much so that the people think she must be overcome with grief and is going to the tomb to mourn. Instead, she runs to Jesus, who had remained where Mary had met Him.

Mary utters the same words as Martha upon seeing Jesus, yet with some subtle differences. First, she called Him “Lord,” whereas there is no record of Martha doing so until the end of the conversation. Second, John records that Mary “fell at His feet.” The tone suggests both grief and worship, perhaps the same type of crying out that Job experienced during His own agony. Unlike Martha, who seems to have reacted somewhat coldly to Jesus, Mary is not engaged in conversation. Instead, Jesus is moved by her weeping and the weeping of those who have come with her. John writes that Jesus “groaned” in the spirit, and deeply troubled (v. 33). He simply asks, “Where did you bury him?” He is invited to see the tomb and then, John records the shortest verse in the English Bible: “Jesus wept.”

On a side note, it should be pointed out that the words John uses for Jesus’ weeping and the weeping of Mary and the Jews are different. Jesus “wept” (Greek dakruon), suggesting sadness at the pain he sees around Him. Mary and the Jews “were mourning” (Greek klaiō, indicating “mourning for the dead”).

The Son’s Glory Displayed

Jesus commands that stone should be removed. Martha objects, both because of the odor and probably at the idea of exposing a dead body–some would fear ritual defilement. However, this act will serve as an act of faith for what is about to happen. As with His first miracle, turning the water to wine, He allows man to do what man can do, and then does what only He can do. He reminds Martha that through her belief she would see the glory of God, and she acquiesces.

Jesus prays to the Father audibly, so that the people around Him will have a point of contact. There is no record of Him praying to the Father verbally, but no doubt He is in constant communication with the Father, as He consistently maintains that He does only what the Father wills. After thanking the Father for hearing Him, Jesus calls out loudly, “Lazarus! Come out!” He had previously stated that a time would come when the dead would hear the Son call and come out of the tomb, and this was a demonstration of His words (5:28). Lazarus appears at the entrance still bound in grave clothes, and Jesus tells the people to unbind him and let him go.

Takeaways from the Passage

While we must never forget that this was an actual event in the life of Jesus and should not over-spiritualize or analogize it, there is one striking spiritual parallel. When one is born again (John 3), his spirit is made alive. Yet, it is also necessary to remove the “grave clothes,” meaning the old ways of thinking, and “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (Heb. 12:1, NIV). Failure to do that will mean that a believer will continue to stumble, whereas he was saved that he might be free.

Had Jesus immediately intervened and healed the sickness, much would have been missed. Not only the “teachable moment” with Martha, but also the display of Jesus’ utter humanity as He wept openly, reminding us that He has experienced the same types of loss that we have, and thus can sympathize with us as our High Priest (Heb. 4:15). Jesus did love His three close friends, but He loved them so much that He wanted to give them the best, not just “good.” This is what He wants for all of us–His best.

[Some of the material in this post has been adapted from my commentary That You May Believe: A Commentary on John, available here.]

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The Shepherd's Voice

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

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

[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 Shepherd's Voice

The Cornerstone of Our Faith

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

We talk a lot about the gospel. And well we should. It’s the story of redemption, after all—our redemption. We talk a lot about various parts of the gospel as we try to get the big picture. We tell people, “Jesus died for your sin.” “Jesus paid the penalty for your sin.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His Son . . . .”

It’s true that Jesus died for us. We certainly could never have done that—borne not only our sin but that of the whole world. Without Calvary, there would be no Gospel.

I want to suggest something, however. That’s not the end of the story, and there’s something bigger, more glorious than even the crucifixion. We celebrate it every year, but we rarely talk about it beyond that.

The Resurrection

You see, without the Resurrection, nothing else matters. Without the Resurrection, God’s plan stops dead in its tracks—literally. So what if God did all the miracles in the Bible, and made promises to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and the rest? Without the Resurrection, those promises come to nothing. Paul understood this, when he wrote: 

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied(1 Cor. 15:13-19).

Paul hung his whole teaching of the Gospel on the fact of the historical resurrection of Christ. That’s right, the “fact of the historical resurrection.” Paul wasn’t teaching about some spiritually vague “resurrection.” His logic here is unassailable.

If there is no such thing as resurrection from the dead, then Christ has not been raised from the dead.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead, in precise historical fact, then:

. . . our preaching is in vain.

. . . your faith is in vain.

. . . you are still dead in your sins.

. . . those who are already asleep (dead) have perished.

Think of it. We have all this hope of justification and eternity. Yet, if it’s not true that Christ was raised from the dead, “we are of all people most to be pitied.” The world should not think us crazy, the should pity us, because we are foolish to have such hope without the Resurrection. Those who teach that “It doesn’t matter if Christ’s resurrection is a fact or not, only that you believe it,” are selling snake oil. Because if you believe and teach that Christ rose from the dead when in fact He did not, then that makes the teacher a false witness against God (v. 15).

But, because of the actual Resurrection, everything changes. God raised Christ from the dead to prove that the mission Christ came to do had been accomplished.

We can be forgiven! No matter the sin, no matter the mess we have made of our lives.

We can justified by faith, apart from keeping the law. We are declared righteous in His sight.

We can know God personally, directly, without going through any human mediator.

Those who argue against Christianity are right when they focus on the Resurrection. For without it, the whole Bible is in question. If, however, the Resurrection is true, then it’s all true.

The next time you are about to tell someone “Jesus died for you.” Don’t forget that He rose for them also. The tomb is empty.

For some information on the truth of the resurrection, read “Seven Undisputed Facts: Decide for Yourself“

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Slaughter of the Innocents—Then and Now

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Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men (Matt. 2:16).

In the wake of the recent passage of an abortion bill that will legalize abortions past 24 weeks, we in the church are right to be heartbroken. No society can long survive when the murder of infants and children become acceptable and commonplace. History shows us that time and time again. Abortion was allowed in Ancient Rome and Greece, and look where those societies are now. The ancient cultures that practiced child sacrifice are gone. America and other countries that allow, practice, and encourage abortion will fare no better, for God is impartial as well as just.

I have often asked the question, and I ask it again, “What more can we expect from the unregenerate?” We have men and women in leadership that, even though they may claim Christ, their actions show different. The church must shed the long-held myth that America is a Christian nation and embrace the truth that America is run by those who oppose Christ and His teachings. For too long, the church has made America its home, getting comfortable in, and thus being conformed to, a society that shows less and less regard for the truths of the Bible.

Jesus warned us that it must be so: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). When the nation as a whole (through its leaders) supports the murder of the innocent, is that anything other than cold, hardened hearts? God has and will continue to use America for His purposes, that is certain. Those purposes now seem to be moving quickly toward the end of the age.

This is no call for revolution on the part of the church. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). This is rather a call to do what the church was created to do—spread the Light. Not by angry picket signs, yelling and screaming at women who have abortions and the medical staff who perform them. Not even by writing your elected representatives—there will come a time (soon, I believe) that the Christian voice will be silenced. No, we are to spread the Light by praying for those people and counseling them in the light of His love. Yes, love. Though they are guilty of the most heinous crimes against God, we must remember this: So were we. I’ll repeat that.

So were we.

You might object, “I’ve never murdered anyone!” To which I reply, “Murder begins with hatred in your heart and words that tear down instead of build up” (Matt. 5:21-22). And again, I remind you, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10-11). In God’s eyes, any stain is worthy of hell. And we were all stained with sin. Yet, when we trusted Christ, He put our sin away from us, washing us white as snow (Isa. 1:18). Therefore, we are no better than they. The only difference is that we have found the freedom of forgiveness.

We will not see lives changed, people set free, crime decrease, abortions stopped, by the force of law or political solutions. We will only see those things change when the heart of stone within people is replaced by the heart of flesh through the Gospel. They need no more condemnation, for they are already under His condemnation. We must be the church. We must be His hands, feet, and voice.

Our hearts must break, yes, for the innocents who are slaughtered. But, until our hearts break for those who are caught in the grip of sin—even this sin—we have no idea what it is to love like Jesus loved.

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Other 60% of the Bible

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If you have read or followed this blog for any length of time, you probably have noticed a strong emphasis on salvation by faith. Almost every post. “Salvation by faith. Salvation is by faith alone.” And that is the truth of Scripture. Law-keeping has no place in the life of the believer (by “law-keeping,” we mean observing external regulations in the hope of obtaining favor or right standing with God). In fact, some might wonder if I’m against law in general. It is possible to slide so far into the “by faith” category that we dishonor the Law.

So, what do we do with that whole body of biblical literature called the “Old Testament,” which contains the Law as given to Israel? Some people don’t even read it, some preachers avoid preaching from it, for fear of becoming “legalistic.” Yet, the Old Testament (and even the Law) has a valuable place in the life of the believer. It may seem obvious, but when the church in Acts 15 was debating whether Gentiles had to keep the Law, they only had the Old Testament to look at! The New Testament, of course, was not written. The same goes for Paul’s letter to the Galatians, often called the “Magna Carta of Christian Liberty” for its emphasis on salvation by faith alone. The quotes and examples Paul used in that (and his other letters) come from the Old Testament. How, then, do we view the Old Testament and the Law?

We learn about God and man.

The Old Testament has a lot to say about God. In fact, in terms of the Bible, the Old Testament is where we get most of our knowledge of Him. We learn about Him from His own pronouncements (example, Exodus 20:1-2; 34:6-8) and from the statements of others (for example, many of the Psalms). We learn of His character, love, holiness, and justice. In learning about Him, we also learn about ourselves through the lives of others. We see men and women fall, though they sought to obey Him. We see God forgive and cover sin. We see people rise up against God and His people only to be judged. In short, we learn that God is holy and righteous, and we learn that man is by nature sinful and unrighteous. Thus, the stage is set for the New Covenant and the ministry of Christ.

We are taught attitudes to avoid and to cultivate.

Throughout the Old Testament, we learn that God looks with favor on those who walk before in Him humility and seek wisdom. In contrast, He disdains the proud and arrogant. By studying the people and events of the Old Testament we gain an understanding of how God wants His people to walk with Him.

We are inspired to believe God.

David and Goliath. Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Samson, Abraham, Gideon, Deborah, Ruth. The list could go on and on of the men and women in the Old Testament who believed God and because of their faith saw their world change. God gave them a word, a promise, and they acted accordingly. Even though they were under the Law as Israelites, it was their faith that made them righteous, just as their father Abram, who “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). We can learn from them, that when God gives us a promise, He will be faithful to keep it, no matter how long it takes.

The next time you are tempted to think of the Old Testament as irrelevant, think again. Open it up, and read some of the Psalms or Proverbs, or read of the faith of men who believed God, or read of God’s faithfulness to His promises, and you’ll change your mind.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Mature Faith: 7 Marks of Faith That Endures

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And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:10-12).

Few in the Christian community would doubt that we are seeing the fulfillment of these words of Jesus. Not only the United States but the world is in turmoil in too many places and ways to count. Without sounding like a doomsday naysayer, let me say that it will only get worse from this point. While there are exists some who believe “the Kingdom Now” theology, Christ and the writers of the New Testament (not to mention Old Testament prophecies) make it clear that the world will be in chaos when He returns.

No, this isn’t a post about the end times, arguing a particular point of view on when Christ will return and a detailed time table. Will there be a time of great tribulation? Yes. Old Testament prophecies, Christ’s prophecies, and the other writings of the New Testament specific ally point to such a time. Will it be worse than now? Yes. We Christians in the west just think we are persecuted for our faith. To quote a quite ungrammatical saying, “We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Will Christians go through the Tribulation? I don’t know.

Wait…. what? You don’t know? No. I don’t know. There are good arguments on both sides of the question. For several years, the Lord has been speaking to my heart (and the hearts of others) to “Be ready.” Though I questioned, “Ready for what,” I only received the same answer: “Be ready.” I believe it is a warning that the time is fast approaching. So, how do we prepare?

I prefer an approach that I believe the Lord in His Word approves. What is called for, instead of deciding if we will go through the Tribulation, is to live as though we will. What does that mean? It means developing a faith that will endure. Christ warns that many will “fall away.” We must not be in that group. What kind of faith will endure the tribulation? A faith that:

* is grounded on the holiness, love, and goodness of God. It’s quite easy to say that our faith is based on God’s holiness, love, and goodness. But, is it? When a loved one dies before our eyes, is He still good? Does He still love us? When we don’t get the promotion we have been praying for, is He still good? When we are faced with the choice of compromising our standards for the sake of a temporal pleasure, is He still holy? It often seems that we compartmentalize God. When good things happen to us (what we call “good,” anyway), it’s His doing. But when “bad” things happen to us, we put Him away, and assume Satan got the upper hand, or maybe we misunderstood God, or maybe we don’t know Him at all. Mature faith—the kind that endures—has hit those questions head on (or rather has been hit with those questions) and is now more sure of God’s character than before. By the way, this doesn’t come from studying a book—not even the greatest Book. It only comes from living.

* is committed to the absolute authority of Scripture. Whenever the Bible lays out standards for attitudes and behaviors, they are unyielding. Absolute. End of discussion. Those standards don’t change. It’s as wrong now to commit adultery, fornication, gossip, slander, or have hatred in my heart as it was back then. When Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5), it’s as valid now as it was when first spoken (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

* is willing to go beyond the surface and allow Christ to heal the heart. It’s very easy to see the outward sins and confess them. “Oh, I lost my temper today. I shouldn’t have done that Lord.” We seek forgiveness, and move on. Yet, we so rarely go beneath that to see the sin lurking underneath. The demand to make life work for me apart from God—and our anger when He and/or others don’t cooperate. The faith that has matured and endures is one that invites the Spirit to “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). The enduring faith is committed to vulnerability before God, knowing that God is good.

* is more concerned with being transformed than blessed. The heart that has enduring faith knows that it was saved and kept here to be transformed into the image of Christ and to spread the hope and light of the gospel. The blessings of this life mean nothing to the Transformed Heart. This heart seeks the glory of God in the life of the believer, shunning anything that might get in the way of that mission. The believer with the Transformed Heart is content in whatever station of life the Father places him.

* willingly embraces the pain and hardships of this life, letting them become tools for growth. Mature faith is one that, instead of avoiding or minimizing the pain and hardships, embraces it. Mature faith does not seek out pain, but neither does it shrink from it. The mature faith sees the hardships of this life as God’s tools for transformation. One cannot possibly know the true unconditional love of God until confronted with the depths of his sin. One cannot truly know the peace of God until that peace is needed. One cannot truly learn to trust God, abandoning all other hope, until trust in God is all that he has left.

* is more concerned with  citizenship in heaven than on earth. Though we reside here on earth, in a specific country and town, our true citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21; Eph. 2:19). The mature faith knows that this world is temporary, so while living each moment as a gift from the Lord and carrying out His mission, the eyes of faith are fixed firmly on the Savior and the end. With spiritual eyes fixed on the end, the mature faith, at the same time, sees others along the road that need help and pulls them along if at all possible.

* can echo the words of Job, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. “Even if he slays me I will trust Him” (Job 13:15). “Even if he doesn’t [deliver us from the furnace], we still will not serve your gods or worship your golden image” (Dan. 3:18). There is a common belief among Christians today. Either God will deliver you from the fire, or he will save you through the fire. But… what if? There were many times when Paul and Peter were indeed rescued. But at the end, both of them died for their faith. Many more over the centuries have met the same fate and done so with a faith that proclaims, “I’ll still worship Him! I’ll still trust Him!” The gospel calls us to lay down our very lives if necessary. The mature faith sees that and does not shrink from it. This last point was put last on the list because one truly cannot get to that point until he has begun to walk in the other six concepts. It is, after all, the final exclamation point on our faith to die with a hope-filled heart.

Is this type of faith possible today in the 21st century? Absolutely. Will it be easy to obtain? No. While faith cannot be “increased,” it can be strengthened like a muscle. Just as building up muscle requires exercise, strengthening faith requires exercise. And as with the muscle, exercising our faith can be painful—especially if it’s not been really exercised in awhile! Yet, this kind of faith is the inheritance of every believer, and can be obtained by every believer. it is this kind of faith that will endure any tribulations, and the kind of faith that Christ will be looking for (Luke 18:8).

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Gospel—Or Not? 7 Ways We Pervert the Gospel

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Recently I witnessed several conversations on social media between believers and those who either might be considered “liberals” or out-and-out unbelievers. I was, to be honest, shocked by the behavior and words I saw—mostly from the Christians. I shook my head, and felt as hurt as the Lord must feel. Judging by the words, I find it little wonder why so many people either reject the faith outright or leave the faith. But then I realized that there is more at stake than just whether one is “nice” or not. The issue revolves around our portrayal of the Gospel itself. If you have read much of this blog, you realize that the focus has been on the Gospel of Christ.  Paul tells us that even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8). To Paul, preaching the correct Gospel was so important that he would rather face condemnation instead of leading others astray.

Preaching the correct Gospel, however, goes far beyond the mere words that we say. There are many ways that we can pervert the Gospel, and not even realize that we are doing so.  Here are seven ways that we pervert the Gospel.

We pervert the Gospel when….

#1: We add anything to faith in Christ as the requirement for salvation. 

This should be fairly obvious to us evangelicals. The Bible teaches that Christ alone is the ground of salvation (Acts 4:12), and faith alone is the requirement of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10). Since salvation is both an initial event and a continuing process, though, both of those statements apply throughout our lives. That means no work that we can do will make us “more holy,” or earn favor with God. Is God pleased when we obey? Absolutely!  We are behaving as He intended us. But the works that we do are not the basis for our salvation; they are the evidence of our salvation.

#2: We teach grace and forgiveness to the exclusion of holiness and sanctification. 

This is becoming quite a trend in many parts of the American church. We teach on God’s love so much and to such an extent that we forget that 1) He calls us to be holy as He is holy; and 2) true salvation imparts a new nature that changes us. In many of Paul’s letters, for example, he addresses the believers as those “sanctified, called to be saints” (1 Cor. 1:2). He means that Christians are to be set apart from the world. Throughout his letters, he gives practical commands on what living as a believer should “look like.” One cannot dismiss these teachings. Finally, even Jesus taught, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 2:3-4).

#3: We teach holiness to the extent that it becomes legalism. 

This is another extreme that is common in many parts of the church. Many teach and preach the Old Testament to the extent that one would think we are still under the Mosaic law, no different than the nation of Israel (of course many pick and choose the commands that we are to follow, not teaching that the whole law is either applicable or not). As we mentioned above, law-keeping or works can never make one holy. Neither is it a measure of spiritual maturity—“not by works, lest anyone should boast.” Let’s repeat that: the Gospel arrangement means that no one has the right to boast. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. Each person’s journey differs from the other. We have nothing to contribute to our salvation.  Now, as with many things in the Bible, grace and holiness are not really at odds with each other, and there’s no “balance.” The Bible teaches both. Therefore, we should believe both.

#4: We make God into our own image. 

What do we mean by this? It means we paint a picture of God that is not biblically accurate. Some examples of this include: “If God is who He says He is, He will heal my child.” “God would never use [fill in the blank] for His purposes.” “I am a child of the King, therefore I deserve [fill in the blank].” “God is to busy to worry with my petty concerns.” God is never obligated to us for anything. It indeed pleases Him to answer prayers, but He is not bound by anything to do so. God can use anything and anyone for His purposes in our lives. Look back at the history of Israel? How many times do we see God using a pagan nation as a rod of correction? So it is with us today? He may use an unbeliever to make us reexamine things that were not carefully considered, or to smooth our rough edges. He may use things are by all rights totally evil, but yet bring good out of them. And, if God knows the very names of the stars and how many hairs are on your head, He is certainly concerned with whatever is in your heart.

#5: We use “stand up for your faith” as an excuse to attack, dismiss, or simply be rude to someone. 

We are the salt and light of the earth. The disciple’s job is not to judge, malign or otherwise abuse those in the world. Whether they know it or not, they already have enough on them. They don’t need our condemnation. The witness’s job to quote Peter and John, is simply to tell what he has seen and heard (Acts 4:20). While it is true that Peter instructs us to always have a defense for the hope within us (1 Pet. 3:15), he wasn’t referring to studying apologetics. He was referring to why you have the hope inside you—that is to say, your personal testimony. If you say, “I have no testimony,” then perhaps you should study the Gospel message again. While we must not be afraid to engage with those who do not believe, we must, in the words of Paul, have a gentle spirit in answering them (2 Tim. 2:24). And we must answer them honestly. God is big enough to handle the hard questions. There is no place in the Gospel for presenting anything other than the absolute love of Christ—even in the hard truths.

#6: We expect the unregenerate to be able to think and behave as Christians. 

Often we in the church expect the unbeliever to just “live right.” We are shocked when the unregenerate person thinks or acts in a way that we would find contrary to the Bible. Especially since, “This is a Christian nation.” (We won’t discuss this here, but just one thought, half of the forefathers of this country were Freemasons and/or Deists.) Let’s examine two facts about the unregenerate person: 1) He is blinded to the things of God, unable to understand spiritual things, fully controlled by the Sinful Heart (1 Cor. 2:14); and 2) He is dead—repeat, dead—spiritually speaking (Eph. 2:1-3). Dead men cannot change their ways. They are dead. We must speak life into them. The life of Christ imparted by the Holy Spirit.

#7: We proclaim either by word or action that Christians are supposed to have it all together. 

Let’s face it. Living life today is hard—whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, [fill in any other religion], or atheist. Living for Christ is yet harder still (we say “harder” because as a believer we expect to be persecuted for our faith, in addition to all the “normal” pressures of life).  We in the American church, however, have decided that life actually isn’t that hard—at least we pretend it isn’t. We have our act together. We confess our sins of taking a cookie from the cookie jar and the occasional angry response to someone. Yet, those close to us and the world know differently. If I have my act together, then there’s no room for God’s grace or forgiveness in my life. The fact is, John reminds us that we do not have it all together, and we must not claim to. We must walk in the light. We must be honest with ourselves and others. It’s okay to say, “Hey, you know my life is a struggle right now. But, I am holding onto Christ as tightly as I can.” What freedom might result if we took that attitude! Most of the time, when a fellow believer asks how we are doing, we give the “I’m blessed!” or “I’m doing good” or some variation, and the relief on the other person’s face is often evident. On the other hand, when someone ventures something different and admits a struggle, we are terrified and give the Pentecostal shrug: “I’ll pray for you brother!”

We are all guilty of some or all of these because we are not perfect. Thank the Lord we have His grace to not only forgive our failings but also empower us to repent, forgive ourselves and move forward in change. The world is watching, and needs true, genuine Christians, not those wearing the spiritual masks.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Biblically Informed Passion

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

In the previous post, we affirmed that there is something more needed in the believer’s life than correct doctrine. We said that the Spiritual Heart (the new heart received at salvation) longs to engage God and others in ways to show a new passion for Him. It’s the Holy Spirit who guides and directs the believer, but it’s the heart that operates according to the passion for God. Both are necessary.

In this post, we are going to flip the coin to the other side (in case you didn’t know, many issues in the Bible are often two sides of the same coin). Just as correct doctrine cannot stand alone, neither can the passionate faith that often accompanies correct doctrine. Why is this so? Because while the believer has the Spiritual Heart, he also still has the flesh. The flesh can confuse us, causing sinful passions to appear godly, and vice versa. The flesh can cause illegitimate means of meeting an otherwise legitimate need to appear okay (and vice versa). We have to remember that, before salvation, our whole mind and body was programmed by the Sinful Heart that we had. Though it has been replaced with the Spiritual Heart, the flesh still lingers.

So, then, what is needed is biblically informed and Spirit-directed passion. We must not sacrifice truth for passion, just as we must not sacrifice passionate engagement for truth (though if one must be sacrificed, it is far better to stick with truth—truth guides, but passion consumes). We must engage Scripture and the Holy Spirit, asking the Spirit to illuminate the truth of Scripture even if if doesn’t jibe with our experience. We must allow the Spirit to help us decides what are Spirit-led urges and what are not, and then how best to engage those Spirit-led urges. To put it another way, the Lord wants us to step out of the boat in faith, but keep our soul anchored in His truth.

These posts are designed to draw us together in engagement. We must not be afraid to engage with others around us whose faith-lens looks slightly different than our own. We just might learn something. And so might they. In the end, we will be a step closer to seeing Jesus’ prayer answered: “May they be one just as You and I are one.”

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The Shepherd's Voice

More than Just Truth

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In the last post, we suggested that it’s indeed possible to have both sound doctrine and true heart-felt passion in our faith. We also suggested that what makes that possible is a changed heart guided by the Holy Spirit. In this follow-up post, we will consider how segments of the church can move from what many see as “dead orthodoxy” to a living faith.

We must agree, of course, that sound doctrine is extremely important. The Bible plainly teaches that believing “something” is not good enough. The right thing must be believed. Is it necessary to believe that Jesus was God-in-the-flesh? Consider this: Jesus accepted worship while in the flesh (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38). If He was not God at the time, if He were able to give up that identity, then He had no right to accept worship. He was only a man. He also, as a man, claimed to be God-in-the-flesh by taking the sacred name of God (John 8:58). It’s clear that the Jewish leaders knew what He intended by their reaction (a reaction that would have been righteous if Jesus were not in fact God at the time). Is it necessary to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead as a point of history? Paul seems to think so in 1 Corinthians 15.

Doctrine is important. There are core beliefs that define what it is to be Christian. The most central of these, however, is the one that is often the most overlooked. When Jesus saved me, He changed me. Under the New Covenant, I am not the same as I was before (2 Corinthians 5:17). He saved me from a fate worse than physical death. How does one who truly understands the reality of that NOT feel it in his very soul and wish to broadcast it? Of course, our feelings have nothing to do with whether we are saved. But there must be more than correct doctrine. The Lord did call us to love Him with all our heart and soul, in addition to the mind and strength.

How do we develop that heart-faith? By engaging with the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Our times in Scripture must be the springboard by which we ask the Lord to speak to our hearts and change us into His image. From there, it’s okay to let the change in our hearts show forth in worship, in engagement in others, in our whole lives. Our engagement, of course, must be directed by the Holy Spirit, but it can also be informed by forms of worship that are different from our own, such as dramas, worship/interpretive dance, and worship music that focuses on what God has done in our hearts. We must not be afraid to engage our heart and emotions in worship (and by this we don’t mean just yelling for yelling’s sake).  What we are seeking is biblically and spiritually informed passion. Doing this will move us closer to that time where we are truly one with our more expressive brothers and sisters.

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