Tag: freedom

The Shepherd's Voice

Independence Day–Our True Freedom

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For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

I rarely write what might be called “holiday posts,” with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. With the division and chaos troubling the United States, this seemed an appropriate time to do otherwise and give us some reminders.

We Americans have long seen freedom largely as the right and ability to do what one wants. In somewhat of an extreme correction, some segments have defined freedom, however, as the right and ability to do what one should. This definition often rings true to people professing faith in Christ. The biblical perspective of freedom, however, differs from both of these.

Slaves vs. Sons

In the New Testament, we see several ideas of what it means to be free. We first turn to a well-known verse in John:

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31–36)

In this passage, Jesus is speaking of two types of freedom–or better yet, two results of true freedom. He speaks of both freedom from the enslaving power of sin and freedom to fully enjoy God as members of God’s family. All humanity is born enslaved to sin due to the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. Since there is no reforming the flesh through education, enlightenment, or psychological treatment, the only way to free us is to kill the sinful nature and remove it. 

Because all are enslaved to sin, none is naturally a child of God. Note Jesus’ words on the difference between a son and a slave. A slave may (and often did) serve in the house, but at the end of the day, he or she had to return to the place where slaves dwelt. It is the children who “remain in the house forever.” In these comments, Jesus is saying that the freedom he offers is the freedom to enjoy God fully as his children (John 1:12-13)

Called to Liberty

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we find some of his strongest words on the subject of freedom. He writes:

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . . For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:1, 13)

In the context of Galatians 5, Paul is talking about freedom of conscience. We are free to live in the way that pleases God without condemnation of the law for failing to do so perfectly (Romans 8:1). This goes far beyond the typical, “free to do as we want/should” argument. This is the freedom to live according to who we are. Since the entire Trinity consists of three self-giving Persons who seek not their own but the good of the others, we also were created to seek the good of others rather than our own. 

And we can live that way because the Son has truly set us free (John 8:36). We have a new heart and a new Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-26). Paul’s words on freedom remind us that it’s okay that we aren’t perfect yet–we haven’t arrived. We are free to grow in love, holiness, and obedience without the law’s condemnation. Will we stumble along the way? Yes. But that is a far cry from not being able to do anything but sin.

We are no longer slaves but children of God. We were seated at his family table and invited to join in the Great Family. We all know what families look like here–loud, messy, joyful (and at times painful). God invites us to bring all of that as we learn to live out our new identity in Christ. That is true freedom, and living in a free country can never compare with that. Because that freedom can never be taken from us.

There is true freedom at the foot of the cross.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Just Who He’s Looking For

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The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound . . . that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations (Isa. 61:1-4)
When Jesus came to earth, He came with a mission. Actually, He came with two missions. He came to set His people free and to set His people free to be used of Him. The type of people He chose only gives greater emphasis to those missions. He told the people, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32, emphasis added). He wasn’t looking for the ‘righteous.’ He was looking for people who needed Him, who were willing to abandon themselves to Him. 
Paul reminded the Corinthian believers of the same thing, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27-28). He got even more specific than that: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you” (1 Cor. 6:9-11a, emphasis added). Those were the people God, in His infinite wisdom chose to call. And then Paul continues: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11b). 
When Jesus proclaimed the start of His earthly ministry, He told us exactly what type of people He was looking for: These are the kind of people Jesus calls:
* The poor. The good news to the poor (both in resources and in spirit) is that there is One who looks down on them with love, compassion and forgiveness, and has an inheritance waiting for them.
* The brokenhearted. “Bind up” is another phrase for mending or healing. In this fallen world, most or all of us fall into this category at one time or another. We suffer disappointment, rejection, hurt, and loss. He knows our pain, and has come to mend our hearts.
* The captives and the bound. Jesus has come to set the captive free of whatever holds him in bondage–whether it be fear, hatred, or addictions. There is healing, forgiveness and restoration in Him.
All of us fall into some of those categories, if not all of them. No matter what we have done, He calls us to Him. Not only to cleanse and restore us, but to use us. He says that He will plant them as oaks of righteousness unto the Lord. An oak is a strong tree that does more than just stand tall; it produces acorns that grow new trees–it multiples. Its branches stretch out to proved shade and places for birds to nest.
Not only will those people who were once broken and bound be oaks of righteousness, but they will rebuild the ruins. For many of us, we spend many years sitting in the midst of ruins. Ruined lives because of sin, hurt, rejection, the fallen world we live in. We wonder if the world can ever be put back together. We can read these words and take courage: “They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations.” With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, what was broken can be rebuilt and restored. What was dead can become alive again.
There is one more thing He says about these once-broken people: “They shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” The people who are the most damaged, the ones who the world will reject and look down upon, those people are the ones who will repair the damage done by previous generations. They will spread the Gospel until all the nations hear His Word, and then the end will come.
If you think God can’t use you because of your past or your brokenness, it’s BECAUSE of your past or brokenness that He will use you.

You’ve had four husbands and the man you are with now isn’t your husband.

. . . bound to drugs, alcohol, sex, power, fame, fear, hatred.

. . . abused, violated, neglected.

. . . lost your whole world because of bad choices.

. . . drunkard.

. . . loser.

. . . swindler. 

. . . depressed and anxious.

You’re exactly the person He’s looking for.

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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

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

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

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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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The Shepherd's Voice

Head, Heart, the Whole Person

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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”  he second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

One of the purposes of The Shepherd’s Voice is to build bridges between various groups in the church. As mentioned in a previous post (“One Body, Many Parts”), the church is under the same Lord, though made up of many different groups. Often, we forget that. In the 21st century, that has continued to manifest in a highly fractured church. One of the most divisive trends in the church is what we might call the battle between passionate faith and doctrinal orthodoxy.

We’ve all probably run across such differences. On one side we have those folks that believe that the death of the apostles and the closing of the canon of Scripture ended the period of healing, signs, and miracles. For the most part, they rely on the Bible to such an extent that it seems (practically speaking) they do not believe in the Holy Spirit at all.  To such people, correct doctrine is all-important. They are quick to correct what they perceive as even the slightest deviation from orthodoxy—but even then this group is fractured, especially when they can’t agree on the correct translation of the Bible.

On the other hand, we have the large segment of the church that has embraced passionate faith, focusing on the Holy Spirit’s continuing work. Like the other side, we also see the extremists. Some well-known churches in the charismatic movement have begun teaching that it’s not necessary to believe in a literal resurrection, that Jesus was not God during His time on earth, and that God is obligated to provide healing and what we ask for as a result of the atonement. People on this side of the spiritual aisle are usually the most socially engaged, believing that love is the key and that the church is here to change the world.

And then…. there are the folks in the middle who waver back and forth between the two camps, or are just plain confused and become disillusioned with the church in general. There’s also the world, watching the church squabble and stay divided. It brings to mind a time in college, when some Christian friends and I were “discussing” some doctrines of the faith at a Wendy’s. It got a little heated at times. Another friend came from another table and quietly suggested that we consider the possibility that an unbeliever might be present and listening. Speaking only for myself, I can say that statement had a profound effect on me.

What is the solution then? Can the church truly come together in more than a paper-thin unity, covering up the deep divisions within? This and future posts will explore that question.

First, one important rule, however:  This is not about name-calling or naming specific people or groups (hence why no churches or people were mentioned in the above paragraphs).

In looking at Mark 12:30-31, it’s clear that Jesus intended to include every part of us. He essentially said, “Love God with all you have and with all you are.” That certainly includes the mind (correct doctrine) and the emotions (passionate faith). So, we must conclude that the answer to the question is, “Yes, it is possible to have both.” The obvious next question one might ask is, “How?”

The short answer to that question is this: There is a third element that is missing, which must inform our doctrine, experience, and emotions. Sound doctrine cannot (or should not) come from passion alone. Likewise, sound doctrine alone cannot produce the passionate faith necessary to spread the Gospel. Like many two-sided issues in the Bible, both are taught and expected. A quest for “balance” often means sacrificing one at the expense of the other.

That third element from which the other two must come is a changed heart. This isn’t referring the heart as the seat of emotion. Rather, the heart is the seat of being. When one is saved, he receives a new heart (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-29). A saved person is a different person. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the heart longs to know and obey God in every way. Thus, the heart finds guidance in illuminated study of Scripture and an outlet for expressions of gratitude and love.

In the next two posts, we’ll look at how this might look in the life of the believer.

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The Shepherd's Voice

One Body, Many Parts

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

Continuing in our series on the fundamentals of the faith, we’re going to talk about the church.

The Church (also known as the Bride and Body of Christ) consists of all true believers who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. While local congregations may vary in size, makeup, and style, the worldwide church is one in spirit and is to strive for unity in the truth of the Gospel. The mission of the church was clearly defined by Jesus: to spread the Gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).

Many people today often think of the church in terms of two things: buildings and denominations (the latter is much more the case for a group that thinks they are the only “true” church). The Bible, however, paints a much different picture of the church, one that we would do well to reexamine in the 21st century.

First, we must say without hesitation that the church is people. Specifically, the church consists of all who have trusted Christ for salvation. In the book of Acts, references to the church were always in the context of people (there were no church ‘buildings’ back then, and often the believers might meet outside for worship, prayer and teaching). In saying that, though, we must be quick to add that the church is always thought of in corporate terms–a group of people, not single individuals. You individually are part of the church if you are saved, but the church is made up of groups of the redeemed (hence why Jesus said wherever two or three are gathered He is with them, see Matthew 18:15-20). We in the west have often turned faith into a highly private affair with our democratic ideals, but that is not the picture we see of the church in Scripture.

Second, those groups of people are bound together in Christ to form the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16). That means the church is to be the visible symbol of Christ’s work here on earth. It also means that the Body has many parts, just as a human body does. Not all have the same gifts or callings. But each part does have a purpose and gifts to equip him or her for that purpose.

Third, since the church is made up of redeemed people who still battle the flesh, the apostles were wise to appoint “elders” or “overseers” (plural) for each church. A church led by a single individual is a dangerous thing. The role of the elders is to oversee the church completely, and in the words of Paul, to care for the flock. He warned the Ephesian elders that even among them some would stray and seek to draw men to themselves instead of Christ (Acts 20:17-35).

Fourth, the church was given one and only one specific mission–to make disciples of all nations (that is, spread the Gospel). The role of the church leadership, then, is to help train the believers to do just that. While God may and does call individuals into the realms of politics, business, and/or social activism, that call is always to be interpreted in the context of the Gospel. Neither Jesus nor Paul, for example, engaged directly in any of those things (even though both spoke to kings and governors). To entangle itself in affairs of this world risks weakening the mission and bringing the world into the church (2 Timothy 2:4).

Finally, though the Body of Christ is made up of many different cultures, races, and backgrounds, the Body is still one Body. Christ prayed that the disciples would be “one” (John 17:20-21). Paul echoed those words, saying that the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers were given to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13). We are called to be one in Christ. Therefore, let us strive to attain unity in Him, setting aside nonessential differences, willing to engage with other parts of the Body, and so fulfill Christ’s prayer.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Faith Alone–Start to Finish

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

Salvation is secured by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. No other act (including baptism or keeping the law) can save a man, and failure to perform any single act (including baptism) will not condemn a man. Salvation includes forgiveness of sin, the reception of a new heart and spirit, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee or deposit of final salvation.

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (Gal. 2:17).

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The majority of the Christian church at least gives token assent to the idea that salvation is by faith apart from works. There is, however, a dangerous undercurrent in much of the church that seeks to add “works” back to the mix in a way that is reminiscent of the dispute in Acts 15 and the book of Galatians. As an example of that, it used to be taught (and still is taught in many quarters, either expressly or implicitly), “You are saved by grace, but kept by works.” Only one problem with that theology (well, many problems, really): Jesus never taught such a thing. Jesus said He would keep the believer, not their works. Paul gave a stinging rebuke to the Galatians for believing the same type of idea:

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:1-6).

Paul’s argument here is unmistakable. Salvation begins by faith and continues by faith. Law-keeping as a means of righteousness or obtaining favor with God has no place in the life of the believer. In fact, Paul even makes a stronger statement on the subject. He warns that:

if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace (Gal. 5:2-4).

In plain language, Paul is teaching that if you turn from faith as your source of righteousness to trying to keep the law, you are obligated to keep the whole law. Since that is an impossibility, you have then placed yourself under a curse and have been cut off from Christ (we won’t explore the implications of this now). It is impossible to walk in the realm of faith and the realm of law at the same time. You must choose.

Now, before the more practically-minded of you hit the delete button, let me hasten to add that “works” have a legitimate place in the life of the believer. As Paul says in Ephesians 2, salvation is by faith alone, but faith is never alone. Christ saves us not so that we can sit on the sideline waiting for Heaven’s Train, but so that we might go out and display His grace and love to others. Salvation involves change. The new heart and spirit that the believer receives desires to love, obey and serve God–and love and serve others. If that desire is not present, then a claim of salvation just might be suspect. James rightly said, “Faith without works is dead.”

BUT, we must maintain that our works do nothing to secure or improve our spiritual standing. They flow from, are a result of, our new identity. Thank God for answering David’s prayer in us!

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.   (Psalm 51:10-12)

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Heart of the Matter

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

So far in our series on the fundamentals of the faith, we have examined God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Now we turn to the nature of sin.

Sin exists in the world because of the fall of Adam and Eve. Sin is more than outward behavior or disobedience to God’s commandments. At its core, sin is the desire of humanity to live independently of God. At the core of the unregenerate person lies the Sinful Heart, a heart turned from God and turned toward self. At the core of the believer is the Spiritual Heart, a heart inclined to God and desiring to obey Him.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it (Jeremiah. 17:9).

And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after (Numbers 15:39).

What is sin, and where does it come from?  Ask a child, and he or she will tell you plainly, “Sin is when you do bad things.” For many years, this understanding of sin has pervaded the church. Sin is any violation of God’s law, whether intentional or unintentional. While sin is certainly that, the Bible paints a much broader picture than that.

First, sin begins in the heart. Jesus made it clear when He told the Pharisees that out of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12-34-35). Likewise, the act of hatred, murder and adultery all begin in the heart (Matthew 6:21-28). The implication of that, of course, is that sin doesn’t stay in the heart. Sin will find it’s way out, to dwell in our thoughts, words and actions.

Second, if what Jesus said about the heart and trees bearing fruit after their kind is true, then it follows that the heart of sinful men is sinful. At the core of the unregenerate man is a heart turned toward self. Self seeks its own good, not the good of others, and certainly not the things of God. Paul has another phrase for this: “being in the flesh” (Romans 8:8). He makes it clear that such people cannot please God. To use a well-known saying, they just don’t have it in them.

Under the New Covenant, God has promised to give His people “a new heart and a new Spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Further, He promised that this new heart would cause His people to walk in His way. He described the transformation as replacing the heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Thus, God was talking about a fundamental change in the nature of His people.

“If that’s true,” you may ask, “then shouldn’t the believer with the new heart be able to walk in God’s ways?” I’m glad you asked that question. We know that our new heart is indeed inclined to obey God. That is one of the strongest personal evidences for the assurance of salvation. If a person says, “I’m a Christian,” yet has no desire to obey the Lord, what might Jesus say about that? Something to ponder.

The answer to the earlier question, though, is a word we mentioned earlier: the flesh. Though the Sinful Heart has been removed and replaced with the Spiritual Heart, what’s left behind is the flesh. The flesh is that part of a person programmed to live independently of God. The flesh, as Paul defines it, resides in the mind (hence the instructions in Romans 12:1-2). The mind has been thoroughly programmed by the heart, so much so that “when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Romams 7:21). The question then becomes how one overcomes sin (which we’ll get to in the future).

At its core, sin is far deeper than flouting God’s laws and decrees. Sin, in its most basic form is embracing the lie that independence from God is freedom and life. As believers, we must reject that lie and embrace the truth that Jesus Christ is freedom and life.

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