5 Reasons Jesus Was an Introvert

1) He often withdrew to be alone.

2) He didn't talk unless He had something extremely important to say.

3) He had a few, close friends.

4) He did not follow the crowd; He challenged the norm by His life and speech.

5) He was misunderstood by the majority of the world.

Blood Ties

My Saviour redeemed my soul.
Bought me access into the family of God,
Blood ties,
Tied to God forever by the blood of Christ.
He shed it,
gave it,
drowned in it,
The physical manifestation
of His self-sacrificing love,
Poured out not for His own sake,
Given. Given. Given.
A family, a child of God
In life, and death, and life
With blood ties to God, Abba, Father,
Through my Brother, my God, my Saviour
Jesus.

Sanctification

Music is an interesting thing.

There are so many types, styles, and preferences in music. It is such a broad creature, known by all. Composers throughout the years have tried to express in notes what they feel in their soul. Their message is lasting. Music written three hundred years ago can still speak to me.

The process of learning one of these songs takes a long time. When I started playing an Invention by J. S. Bach, I knew I was horrible. I am still horrible, but at least my ability to keep going has improved. My fingers are catching up with my brain. Still, it is slow work. It doesn't sound so great in some places. I get a bit mixed up (Bach was a genius when it came to writing things that are mind-exploding complex). I find that as I have practiced, as I have played it again and again and again, it is slowly becoming the beautiful thing it was composed to be. I look forward to the day when I can play it through, start to finish, at the perfect tempo, with every dynamic nuance just right, every slur slurred and every staccato staccatoed.

I'm not there yet, but I will be.

People are interesting things, too. God works in His people to bring out what He created them to be. Sanctification is always called a process: the process by which God makes us holy and we live in holiness. It is the state of purity and of purification.

The elect exiles in the Dispersion were reminded by Peter of the fact that God had them in a process. Their exile was not the end. It was the time between, the practice period. God was leading them more and more toward the fullness of His purpose. In the Spirit, they were being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (biblos.com calls it "similarity in nature").

As I walk through life, I realize that right now I am not what I ought to be. I do not sound exactly correct. The Composer of my life sees that I play some notes incorrectly, that I slur what ought not to be slurred, that I am loud when I ought to be piano, that I am soft when I ought to be fortissimo. 


I look forward to the day when, in Christ Jesus, I will be exactly what God has created me to be. I will be what He has promised. Until that day, I practice.

"Any notion of our own attainments which could lead us for a moment to speak of what we are with any degree of complacency is only rubbish. For my own part, I desire constantly to stand at the foot of the cross, with no other testimony concerning myself than this -


"I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me." 


Personal holiness is to be sought for with all our hearts, and it can only be obtained by faith in Jesus Christ - by simple faith in him. He gives us power to overcome sin through his precious blood; but, depend upon it, the moment we conclude that we have overcome, and can say what Paul could not say - that he had attained and was already perfect - we are in an evil case. Our pride has overpowered our judgment, and we are fools." ~ Spurgeon

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Six..

Our Condition: Slaves of God

As John MacArthur says in his new book Slave, the Bible talks about believers (in both the Old and New Testaments) in the language of slavery over 300 times. Most modern translations translate the OT word, ‘ebed, and the NT word, doulos, as “servant”, yet the literal translation is slave. Considering this, what does it mean for us as believers? The best answer for that is found in Romans 6:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:16-22 ESV)

When you consider a slave, you think of someone whose whole life is bound up in the will and inclination of his Master. Bought and purchased, slaves had no freedom in regards to whom they served. Unless their Master granted their freedom, they were subjected to the whim of their Master their whole life.

Praise be to God, that He is a kind and gentle Master, full of mercy, abounding in steadfast love! We are slaves of God – and what a gift that slavery proves itself to be! We were bought at a great price – the price of Christ’s death on the cross. He has purchased and redeemed us for His own. He is our divine Master, and we are His slaves.

In light of this, how could He let us go? We are His, bought and sealed by His own blood, purchased and redeemed as slaves of God in righteousness leading to eternal life. Do you think it is possible that He would let us go merely because we wanted to turn away? Would He "sell us back" to the master of sin and unrighteousness? Would He sell us back to the bondage from which He purchased us? Would He take back His redemption price? 


If a slave wanted to go and do something that would harm or kill him, would a kind master let him go? Would that truly be the loving thing to do? Love sometimes means binding the arms that want to cut themselves open. Love sometimes means saying "no". 


The Master Who says yes, no, and go to us is also the Father saying "no" to His beloved children. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Rest in His magnificent power as Master of your life and soul! He is a gentle Shepherd, a careful Sovereign, a gracious King. 


"Blessed be God that Thou hast filled  the soul of Thy servant with joy and peace in believing." ~ Christopher Love

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father

Sometimes God does things in a way I would not have anticipated. He moves in mysterious ways, indeed. It seems odd to me that God would send His people into a dispersion, for instance, but He has purposes beyond my knowledge.

When I reflect on my life, I realize that basically everything about it is different from what I imagined fifteen or more years ago. From the time I could remember, I was certain that by this time my life would look a whole lot different than it actually looks right now. I can look back on old journals and read my prayers, see my focus, and know that I do not know the thoughts of the Lord. I do not understand His plan (Micah 4:12).

Sometimes it is difficult to rest in the knowledge that God has the knowledge. I want to know. I want to proceed in the way that I have determined is the best for me. God says, "Ah, stubborn child..." (Isaiah 30:1)

On a much greater scale, I'm sure that the elect exiles mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1 sometimes wished they knew what was going on, where their life was headed. They probably struggled with being dispossessed, living in a foreign land, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. They may have thought about how different their life was compared to what they imagined it would be. Peter reminded them about the foreknowledge of God the Father. I so need to remind myself of this, all the time!

God knows where you are.
God hears your distress.
God knows the plans He has for you, even when you do not.
God has not forgotten you.
God delights to answer your prayers.

In life, whether exiled or living out a life you didn't plan, rest in God's plan. My life may look different right now from what I would have imagined, but I can see that the Lord guides me in the way that I need to go. He has led me the best way. He has led me in the way that I needed to go.

For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
(Psalm 31:3)

Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
(Psalm 43:3)

Syncopation

The pulse of my life 

is a constant arrangement

The rhythm continuing 

through all the years.

Yet sometimes I find 

there's a sort of estrangement,

A wandering meter 

of sorrows and fears.

The beat does not fall 

where I think it ought to

The strength of the motion 

is oddly sustained.

God puts the emphasis 

where I wouldn't have thought to,

Giving my life 

an intriguing refrain. 

My Perpetual Kitten, Murdock

He is the silliest of cats.

His colouring is black, white, and devious. (There he is in  the photo with the nicest of cats, the great big ball of adorableness, Sifto.)

He sits on my shoulder because he thinks he's a parrot. I have to remind him that parrots don't purr like he does. And they're not quite so utterly pleased with themselves all the time.

He climbs things and looks to see how I react.

His big green eyes can be so evil, or so cute, depending on what he wants.

He mews like a wee bitty kitty when he doesn't want to exert energy. He sits at my feet with sad eyes until I pick him up. When I give in, his tail twitches because he is so delighted that he got his own way.

He loves to fight, and sometimes gets a bit carried away, as the scars on my hands and forearms will attest.

He always acts like he's starving, and then eats half of what I give to him, just so that he looks superior.


He's a superhero and a supervillain. He plays in boxes and loves to be cuddled. He likes jumping onto the piano as I'm practicing just to mess me up.

Sometimes he ignores me when I first arrive home after being away, but as the evening prolongs he cannot help himself, and has to come and say hello and lick my hand. Or my toe, which he knows I hate, but it's his way of showing he loves me.

I love him too.

Notes against sin - how to battle it

Sometimes I leaf through old notebooks. I have a lot of them, so it can become quite the pastime.

I love filling notebooks with words - words that mean something. I love owning notebooks, even if I don't need them. Whenever I walk by notebooks in a store, I have to pull myself away or I will buy one. I especially like leather or fauxleather-bound notebooks. I cannot explain why, because I have always liked them.

In one of my old (non-leather) notebooks, I found this written down:

Sin destroys lives. We must battle it by developing an abhorrence to sin.

1) Get a particular sense of the danger and evil of sin. 

It is life-destroying. It is crippling. It brings forth death. It grieves the Holy Spirit.

2) Reflect on the punishment  your sins deserve. 

Sin deserves the wrath of God. Sin deserves punishment. Marvel at the grace of God in Christ Jesus. He paid the deserved price. He is  your Redeemer. He has atoned. He has propitiated. He has taken the consequences of your sin upon Himself. He has given the consequences of His righteousness to you. Hunger after holiness. Hate even the garment stained by the flesh (Jude 23). Live to righteousness.

3) Be on guard against those situations that are conducive to temptation to sin. 

Fight! Suffer it not. Stand against the powers of darkness. Put on the armor of God. Be aware of what tempts you most. Be watchful of the prowling lion.

4) Meditate on the inconceivable greatness of God. 

Live coram Deo. Live in the light of the truth in Christ Jesus. Rely on Him. Cast your cares on Him. Abide in Him.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

James - The Heavenly and the Demonic

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)

The contrast between the two wisdoms is quite interesting.

Heavenly Wisdom:

Peacable - not seeking strife, willing to overlook differences.
Pure - without wax, not false, not corrupt.
Impartial - not distinguishing one from another on the basis of outward looks (James talks about this when he references the poor and the rich man. To the rich, we say "sit here in a good place!", while to the poor we say "stand over there, or sit at my feet like the dog you are." We look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.)
Sincere - not dishonest, whether in words or actions. Simply letting your yes be yes and your no be no.
Full of mercy and good fruits - "neither do I condemn you; go your way and sin no more", "I forgive you of the incredible debt you owe against me, which you could never repay in a thousand lifetimes", "restore him in a spirit of gentleness". Wisdom also has a practical outworking - it is not bare knowledge, but it is lived out.
Open to reason - not stubbornly refusing to listen to another side, but receiving what is spoken or written with all sincerity. Willing to hash out different ideas.
Gentle - not harsh, not quick to condemn, not breaking the bruised weed, not crushing the dust of men under your feet. Knowing their frame. Being cautious with what you say, or what you do.

Demonic Wisdom:

Bitter jealousy - envying someone else's talent or possessions instead of glorifying God for who they are. Hating another, resenting their ability, resenting their position, instead of celebrating that God has blessed them.
Every vile practice - literally, this means "every worthless work". Not beneficial. Detrimental.
Selfish ambition - going hand in hand with bitter jealousy, this would be seeking to be the best among the rest. Wanting the glory for yourself instead of seeing it given to others. Essentially, this forgets God, that He has given to each according to His will.
Disorder - God is not the God of chaos, but of peace. Confusion. Perhaps instability, such as one who is a wave driven and tossed by the wind.
False to the truth - denying what is right for the sake of pride and self, knowing the truth but refusing to accept it. Earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Boasting - vainglory, building yourself up even when you know that you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.


When I read that, I grieve and I marvel.

I grieve, because I probably have more of the worldly than the heavenly within my heart throughout the day.

I marvel, because Christ Jesus has saved me fully, completely, absolutely. I have done nothing to deserve His love and everything to deserve His condemnation.

"...you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful..." (James 5:11)

I cannot say I am a fan of "life verses". This general un-fan-ness can also be applied to life chapters. That is, chapters or passages of the Bible that people take and apply as the be-all and end-all of what one ought to do in order to be a good Christian, whether as a pastor, husband, wife, child, or anything else. People label themselves according to a particular chapter or passage.

Now, I do not intend for my dislike to mean I believe the practice is utterly wrong. I would not condemn anyone who has a life verse, nor would I tell people to give up on being a "Proverbs 31 woman", for instance. In fact, I like Proverbs 31.

But I hope my life will be ordered by the whole of Scripture, not one passage. God's Word in its entirety is meant for our instruction, that we may be competent, thoroughly equipped for every good work. If I structure the whole of my life around just one passage, I wonder, what will I miss?

Considering Proverbs 31, I have a lot of different questions concerning what is written there. Here are a few: Why does she work hard for her family? Why does she give to the needy? What is wisdom? Why does she teach with kindness? What does she teach? What does it mean to fear the Lord?

To find the answers to these things, I would have to search the rest of Scripture. Scripture answers itself. Progressive revelation shows more and more of what God has spoken to us. We can look ahead, look back, look around and through and upside down to find the answers to our questions. The whole of Scripture is meant to give us competence, not one chapter or passage. We ought to read and study and apply the whole thing, not split it up into fractured lists of what applies to one, and what to another.

Consider also Titus 2, which is an excellent instruction:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

(Titus 2:3-5 ESV)

However, my questions spring up again: how can an older woman teach a younger woman about these things without going into the theological reasons behind them? How can they go into the theological reasons without knowing the Bible through-and-through? Why ought a woman to be reverent in behaviour? What is "good"? Why ought a young woman to love her husband and children? Why ought she to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to her own husband? What does it mean to revile the Word of God?


I am not advocating the idea that all believers ought to be certified theologians before talking about the Bible. If I were, I would have to close this blog down right now. However, I do believe that we ought all to search the Scriptures daily, to be familiar with the whole counsel of God. We shouldn't settle on a single verse or passage, even though every single verse is the soul's thirst-quenching need. Look at the whole of God's Word. Look at the entirety of what God has spoken to us. It is a blessing. It is life.

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

Lead me in the path of your commandments,

for I delight in it.

Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

Confirm to your servant your promise,

that you may be feared.

Turn away the reproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your righteousness give me life!

(Psalm 119:34-40 ESV)

Nearer My God to Thee

It's Not What We Do; It's What He Has Done

If I were to ask you "what is the purpose of Christians?" what would your answer be? Many would say that the purpose behind Christianity is to love God and love others. Even I would say that. That's what Jesus said were the greatest commandments. These were the fulfilling of the Law. These sum up every rule and law that we should follow. So it follows that this is the purpose of Christians: to love God and our neighbours. To obey His word.

What does it mean to "love God"? Are these commandments not the summation of the Law? "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Love is the fulfilling of the Law. (Romans 13:10)

Yet, we have never been able to fulfill the Law. We have always broken it. We have always failed to meet the requirements. So we cannot even love in the way we are supposed to.

I've been thinking about this for a while. I tend to think that my efforts of loving God and loving others earn me something.

 One day I found within my heart

someone who’d been there from the start.

A prudish person—self appointed,

self sufficient—self anointed.

Though I, a true disciple be

I’ve met the Pharisee in me!

(See the rest of the poem here.)

I know that I cannot keep the law. Everything I do, everything I think, every time I love, falls back on the sacrifice of Christ. My ability to love correctly springs from the debt He paid, and the transaction of His righteousness accomplished and applied for my sake. His blood has washed away my sin. My attempts at doing what is right are washed in the blood of my Saviour. He has pronounced me able. He has pronounced me clean. My ability to move forward, to know more, to understand, has been given to me because Jesus paid the price for my sinful, willful ignorance.

Now, I do believe that God gives us purpose as His children. I do believe that He commands us, and gives us the ability to carry out His commands. Yet these follow as a result of what Christ has accomplished for us, which is everything. Believe in Christ and Him crucified. Jesus calls us to rest in Him. He has accomplished everything. He has paid the price.

I have to constantly remind myself of this fact. I can so easily fall into the depths of despair, settling into the bottom of the Slough of Despond, because I fail to do something I felt I had to do. Or I do something I felt I had to avoid.

There is such freedom in realizing that Christ has earned the merit that I call my own. It's more than a breath of fresh air. It's a breath of fresh Spring air on the top of a mountain in Scotland after a rain, just after you spent fifty years breathing around dusty old encyclopedias.

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part five..

Our Condition: Washed; Baptized With the Spirit

And such were some of you. 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. (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV)

To be washed means that we have been made clean of our former stains. Having been plunged beneath the flood of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are cleansed, washed, clothed in pure robes of righteousness. We are no longer covered in the filth of our sin. We are cleansed (cf. Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5-7). We have lost the stains of guilt. This being the case, how can we ever be considered guilty again?

...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22-23 ESV)

We can come before the Lord God in full assurance, knowing that we have been sprinkled clean. God considers us His righteous children, cleansed and washed free from evil. Look carefully at the reason for holding fast – He who promised is faithful. As we have seen, God’s faithfulness gives us confidence to trust His promises. We  can hope without wavering, for His word stands.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

If we possess salvation, and follow Christ, it seems absurd to suggest that we could lose what Christ has wrought, for we have been baptized with Him into His death, and raised into His life. We are alive in Christ! He is our Lord and Saviour. If we are saved, we are new. This is the theology behind every call and command to put off the old self and put on the new, to abstain from former lusts and proceed in good works. We can walk in righteousness because we walk in newness of life. Our former life is gone! It has passed away into oblivion by the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Christ. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). He has never seemed like the type to be put off. See the grace in Christ’s sacrifice and life anew! In Him we are met with more grace and mercy than we could ever understand, in this life or in the life to come.

Our Condition: New Creation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 ESV)

God has created us anew in Christ. The old has passed away to be seen no more. See the care and detail of the Lord in these terms: as He first created the universe by His word and power, assigning each part and parcel of it to fulfill its task, so He has created us in Christ, new creations. The title of “creation” or “creature” is powerful enough without the addition of “new”. Focus on that for a moment – to be new is to be fresh, novel. Christians, made new in Christ, are something that has not been seen before. 

What a mind-boggling idea – that God cares so much for us, that He makes us into something entirely different. The old has passed away and the new has come. This is a great gift from God, tied in with the reconciliation that we have through Christ. What amazing grace! 

Always.

In Him

With Him

Through Him

Every breath;

By Him

For Him

To Him

Life and death. 

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part four...

Our Condition: Faithful

What is faith? Can we lose it? Essentially, it seems that losing salvation equates losing faith. To answer this question will almost be to answer all. My hope concerning this part of our condition is to show the grace of God, and to cause believers to glorify His name in the light of the beauty of our faith. For truly it is a beautiful thing.

The origin of faith is something that has often been confused. We tend to elevate ourselves and diminish God in the question of our faith. We are very protective of the idea that we are responsible for trusting in Christ. Yet in doing so we lose something of the wonder of our faith – we lose the fascinating detail of Christ’s direct and active presence in and with us from the beginning. Our Saviour has always been concerned and involved in our relationship with Him.   

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)        

This is a passage of Scripture that is both fascinating and controversial. There are, no doubt, as many interpretations of this text as there are words in the verses. I will attempt to explain what I see of the beauty of our faith in God.

First, it is not my intent to suggest we have no part in our faith – certainly it is our own faith, and we cultivate and keep it. And yet, when the emphasis is placed upon our doing God is left out entirely, and this is wrong. We must understand that salvation through faith is by grace, and this grace is a gift of God. Paul brings this up again so that we may not boast – so that the one who boasts will boast in the Lord. We are the workmanship of Christ, created in Him for a purpose – good works for the glory of God. As we see, God does not leave us floundering in confusion trying to figure things out for ourselves – He actively enables and leads us to perform those works. Christ is deep in this relationship with us. He is irrevocably involved in our lives.

1 Corinthians 12:9 says that the Spirit gives faith. If we believe that the Spirit gives greater faith to some than to others, as this passage would suggest, then is it so unreasonable to believe that the Spirit is active in all true faith? Being His workmanship means we are His art, His poetry, His project. He is concerned with every detail and shade, even the detail of our faith. He does not leave us alone in any part. Would you want Him to? (Note: There are other passages of Scripture which talk about God’s involvement in faith. See Romans 12:3, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, and 1 John 5:4.)

The Greek root of the word translated “faith” is interesting. Permit me to delve into that for a moment. The word is “pistis” and means faith, trust, confidence, belief, etc. The root of the word is peithô, which means “to be persuaded” or to come to trust. Faith (pistis) is always a gift of God, not produced by us. I believe we are persuaded by God to trust Him and place our confidence in His power. This faith does involve our belief, but it has a distinct part, that of God’s persuasion. Pistis also historically has meant a warranty or guarantee. In light of that, we can see that the faith given by God as His gracious gift goes along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is Himself our guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:22; cf 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:14). The gift of faith is given with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This given faith enables us to understand and obey God’s revealed will. Faith and God’s will are undeniably related in the Bible.

Do you see the grace in this? Hallelujah, what a Saviour! That the omnipotent Creator and Master of the universe should be so inclined toward us, so involved with us, and take delight in us! It is a mysterious and overwhelming grace.

In Christ we have the gift of faith that perseveres and is preserved by the persevering God. He does not give up or let go. Christ is the Founder and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He leads us in faithfulness and perfects our conviction, solidifying our assurance. He shows and reveals more and more of Himself as our journey toward the Celestial City progresses. He leads us, and we know Him. The more we know Him, the more we trust (have faith in) Him. The more He reveals about Himself, the greater our confidence in Him. As Christ has said in the book of John, His sheep know His voice. His voice never changes. His presence never wanes. His preparation in and for us never ceases – great is His faithfulness!

You see, when it comes to faithfulness it is not just our own in the equation, but God’s as well. Is He faithful to His promises? Is He true to His word? He has promised that He will never lose a single one whom He holds. Can we trust His promises?

Finally, I believe faith has two parts. The first is that God is knowable. He has made Himself knowable. Faith rests on what is known and assured about God. Faith finds conviction in God’s word and trusts His declaration. The second part of faith, the one most often emphasized, is the idea of “blind faith” – acting despite lack of certainty regarding events. Trusting, moving forward, without knowing all the answers in all the circumstances. Things are often unknown, but faith is not interested in these. Rather, it is interested and focused on the Lord, and loves and knows and believes in Him. He remains known and unchanging throughout unknown, blind situations. Faith is not blind belief. It is more than belief. It sees the Lord, and trusts His word. So our faithfulness is not singularly dependent upon our decision to trust what is unknown. Our faithfulness is dependent upon the God who has proved Himself eternally, unchangingly faithful. 

Love in Truth

All through the three epistles of John, there is a theme that I see every time I read them.

John is motivated to speak of the grandeur and grace of Christ. He deals with mind-blowing theological concepts and instructs concerning the practical outcome. In all three epistles, he consistently mentions love and truth. They often go together in the theological framework.

John has been called "the disciple of love". It is easy to see why, as he constantly brings it up. Yet, he is also the disciple of truth. He emphasizes truth as much as love. I think the reason for that is, love must be true in order for it to be loving. There is no love without truth. Love loves truly, or it is false. Right? Confusing? I am...

And truth is shelled in the outpouring of love throughout the Word of God.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady - not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning - that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. (2 John 4-6)

John deals patiently with the people to whom he writes. He encourages them. He is gentle. And yet, when it comes to untruth, he deals swiftly and emphatically with it. He rebukes deceivers. He is not afraid to stand up to tyrannical leaders in the church, such as Diotrephes.

John upheld truth so firmly, because he loved Jesus so wholeheartedly. He stood for the foundation of the gospel because he loved the God Who declared Himself through the gospel. John defended doctrine because he was sold out to the God  showcased in the theology. Truth is never meant to be merely an intellectual exercise. Truth, like love, is lived out every single day in the life of the believer. John knew truth. He was dressed in it. We live and we act and we speak because of the truth in Jesus. John never talked about godly ideas without living them and encouraging others to walk in the same way. We should never think of truth as separate from love, from action, from service, from devotion. After all, the truest example of love I can think of is seen in the sacrificial, atoning death of Jesus:

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11)

To me, it seems that part of what it is to walk in the truth is to recognize daily the fact that God loved us enough to send His Son into the world. I think it is recognizing that we live only through Christ. We walk in truth because of Christ. We are reconciled to God in Christ. We are able to love others because of Christ's love (1 John 4:19). He tells us that we ought to love one another. Such a thing would be hopeless without relying on Jesus! He gives us life and breath and everything.


Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV)

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Three..

Our Condition: Set Apart

Being set apart means essentially that you have been picked up from your original place and set in a new place. It has to do with being chosen, being selected and singled out from among others. In Scripture, being set apart is always for a purpose (Acts 13:2; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:21). Being set apart is not just a vague concept about our position. It is an emphatic statement from God Himself. God is saying I have picked you up out of your former state; I have placed you for my purposes; I have chosen you for a task; I have formed you for a new existence. In being set apart, we are both declared holy and prepared for proving it. That is where the purpose comes in: we are set apart for good works and righteousness. God’s purpose in setting us apart will endure to the end.

Our Condition: Clothed in Righteousness

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

Christ Jesus declares in Matthew 5:20 that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. We might ask ourselves how this is possible, and come to the swift conclusion that it is not. Or, perhaps you might be persuaded that you are indeed more righteous than Pharisees. Be aware of your pride in evaluating yourself as better than self-righteous sinners. We cannot be righteous by our own power. All our righteousness, as it says in Isaiah, is filthy in the worst way. Our righteousness is not righteousness at all. It is detestable and sinful.

We must in light of this entrust ourselves to the righteousness of Christ. We can see in the Scriptures that righteousness is tied to faith (Romans 4:5). If we have faith that Christ’s sacrifice covers us, and if we repent and believe in Christ as Saviour and Lord, and commit our lives to Him, our faith is counted as righteousness. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and His blood covers us. We are made clean and righteous because of Christ (Zechariah 3). It is important to realize that what has been given is not our own doing. It is Christ’s righteousness that has been placed on us. We did not put it on ourselves, and we cannot take it off of our own accord. The robes of righteousness have been fixed upon us by Christ. We have His perfection. We are seen by God in the same light as our perfect Saviour.

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17 ESV)

Righteousness is a free gift given by God to those who receive the abundance of grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Righteousness depends on faith (Philippians 3:9).

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18 ESV)

What does it mean to be a slave? In essence it means your rights are not your own; you are owned, bought and purchased by someone else; you have no will outside the will of your Master; no say in your life. This knowledge of ourselves is, of course, tempered by the fact that we are children of God, but we must take into account the language of slavery. We are slaves of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ. We will go into more detail concerning slavery at a later time.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10 ESV)

Listen to the one stipulation; if Christ is in you. If you truly have Christ, if you are truly indwelt by the Spirit, then you have life because of the righteousness of Christ. This is eternal life, because Christ’s righteousness is eternal. What great comfort can be taken from this passage! We have no need to worry about falling from grace, because God indwells us and clothes us with the righteousness which lasts forever in perfection! This is joyous news for dying sinners. 

And because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV)

Let us take this to heart with all sincerity and devotion. It is in the Lord we boast, and not ourselves, because Christ is our righteousness, wisdom, sanctification and redemption. We boast in Him, for we have done nothing on our own; we boast in Him, because we are in Him.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV)

Listen to the fascinating before-and-after dialogue; we were straying like sheep, but now have returned to the Shepherd. There is a past standing and a present emphasis. We were something, now we are something else. We are healed by Christ’s wounds, dead to sin and alive to righteousness (Romans 6:11).

Saved, we have been given a righteousness that is not our own. Christ has clothed and cleansed us from our former sin. We are no longer filthy, but refreshed. We no longer wear robes full of human waste (Zechariah 3), but have been made clean through the sacrifice of Christ. In light of that, is it possible to lose the righteousness that we did not even place upon ourselves? The question leads to another, for I have mentioned briefly that righteousness is tied in to faith. If that is so, then can our faith be dissolved? Can our faith be lost? We will answer that next.

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (1 John 2:29 ESV)

If we truly practice the righteousness that comes from God, then we have been born of God. As we have already seen, those born of God are adopted children of God, declared heirs by a legal, irrevocable arrangement. Now, we know that it is possible for evil to conceal itself as righteous (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). However, this does not mean that true righteousness by faith in Christ can be lost. It does not mean that those who are disguised were ever saved. In fact, by implication we can see that though they were disguised as servants of righteousness, they remained Satan’s slaves throughout. Satan twists truth and makes evil look appealing. This is a warning for us to heed: we must be faithful to devote ourselves to the Word of God and to prayer, to guard against false truth that looks beautiful and innocent.

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. (1 John 3:7-10 ESV)

Let us take a moment to comment on 2 Peter 2:20-22. It would seem to suggest that those false prophets once knew true righteousness, and fell away. However, a careful reading of the context would prove that they never knew righteousness. They only lived among the righteous and claimed it for themselves, without truly being partakers in Christ. They were always false, always slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19), the unchanged dog, the sow trusting in her own cleanliness. They were deceivers and deceived, never truly changed by true faith in Christ. They were apostates and bringers of destructive heresies. This passage is not a defense for a belief in the ability to lose one’s salvation. Rather, it is a warning for us to remember that there are false teachers who will seek to lead us astray. It is a call to faithfully study the Word of God for ourselves and not follow after every leader who claims to have the truth without testing his words against the True Word.  

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Two..

Our Condition: Adopted Children of God; Born of God

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 ESV)

By God’s grace we are born of God, made children through Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. Most parents would tell you that as soon as they lay eyes on their child for the first time, or even before they lay eyes on them, there is a connection, a promise of loyalty and protection and care and love that cannot be revoked.

And yet, we have all heard stories of parents who give up their children, who do not care for them; so we must go deeper than using parenthood as an example, though God does make the statement that even if nursing mothers reject their babes, He will never reject His people. That said, let’s look into the term “adoption”.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23)

...to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:5)

...he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)

Adoption was a serious thing in Greco-Roman times. The law of adoption was rather complex, public, and irrevocable. Being adopted meant that you lost all ties (and all debts) that were connected with your former relations. You took on the inheritance of the family into which you were adopted. You were treated no differently from natural born sons. Essentially, adoption meant you changed loyalties from one party to another.

In light of this, we can surmise that adoption into the family of God, being freed in order to call God “Abba, Father”, means that all ties to our former life of sin and bondage have been severed. We are children of God, adopted sons. God has effectively signed a contract in front of witnesses that He has taken us into His family as His children. Would He revoke such a contract? We have been given the same inheritance as Christ in God's family, since we are co-heirs with Him. It is amazing to think of this. 

Allow me a moment to comment on the above verses in more detail. If you’ll notice, the first two verses from Romans 8 seem at first glance to contradict one another. The first says that we have received the adoption as sons through the Spirit; the second states that we are waiting for adoption. Which is it? I believe it is referencing the idea of the “now and not yet”; much like sanctification, where we are sanctified right now in Christ, and yet we are being sanctified, and will be sanctified in glory. They are not contradictions, but additions building up from the foundation. We are adopted right now, and we are waiting for the culmination of the adoption - that is, the redemption of our bodies. The adoption is not nullified in the waiting. Rather, it is enforced by future hope and longing.

The last two verses make it plain that it is through Christ’s redemption that we receive adoption. Ephesians touches on predestination - that is, that God has predestined believers for adoption - which we will not go into too much detail about. Suffice it to say that God planned from before the foundation of the world to make sinners sons. That is grace indeed. 

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)

Are you not fascinated and overwhelmed by the grace of this word? Everyone - read again, everyone - who has been born of God overcomes the world. Do you see it? Our faith - true faith - is victory! We have overcome the world, with all its sinful desires and bondage to Satan. We are no longer under the power of the ruler of the earth, the prince of the principalities and powers, the leader of the demonic hosts against us. We have overcome. Our faith has found its resting place in Christ. Our faith is finalized and victorious in the death and resurrection of the Son of God. We can sing hallelujah without restraint when we consider this glorious grace by the mercy of God.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18)

A small note here: true faith, the faith that overcomes the world, shows and proves itself. As the book of James says, faith without works is dead - and true faith necessarily leans away from sin. Of course, this does not mean that believers never sin; but believers have lost their taste for sin. It is bitter and unpalatable. Besides this, we are protected by Christ; the evil one does not touch us, even when we dwell in the mire. Satan has no more hold on us. The chains have been broken. The bonds are loosed. 

...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (1 Peter 1:23)

Those born of God – who have a living, abiding faith – overcome the world. We have victory in Christ. The world can no longer reach us, for we have been born of God. We are heirs of heaven, co-heirs with Christ, and victorious in His power. We are born of imperishable seed! That is, the seed of Christ and His righteousness. The seed of Christ’s blood and victory. The seed of Christ’s resurrection and glory. We have been born again into newness of life. It appears to me impossible to return to the old life, which has passed away. As long as God’s word is living and abiding, the seed of our newness of life is imperishable. Christ has said His words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part One...

The end then of learning is to repair the ruins of our first parents

by regaining to know God aright

and out of that knowledge to love Him, to imitate Him, to be like Him,

as we may the nearest by possessing our souls of true virtue,

which being united to the heavenly grace of faith

makes up the highest perfection. ~ John Milton

Christendom is divided over this question. What is salvation? Can we lose it? If so, how can we lose it? If not, why not? The following will be an attempt to answer some of the questions. 

There are three points I want to make as a preface. They shall take up very little space, but I hope they will set the groundwork for what will come later on.

1. “Can We Lose Our Salvation” is the wrong question to ask. It comes from a perspective that raises us to the forefront. The emphasis is on us, and it is rather humanistic and arrogant to put forth a question concerning something of the utmost importance - such as salvation - without bringing God into the equation. Rather than asking, “can we lose our salvation”, I propose we ask instead “Will God let us be lost?” 

2. Personal experience should not sway our minds in matters concerning the message of Scripture. To say “I can’t believe that so-and-so, whom I knew as a wonderful, pious person, was never saved. Therefore I must believe, based on my experience, that we can lose our salvation.” But that argument comes from a foundation of emotion, not necessarily one of truth. Whether or not you have a personal tie with someone who renounces Christianity while formerly embracing it should not cloud the issue. The question, naked and plain, is not dependent upon our emotional experiences, but on Biblical fact. If Scriptural truth contradicts our experiences, it is not Scripture that must change, but our perspective.

3. A brief comment which ties to the previous point: if we know someone who seemed to be a Christian and then fell away, we may concern ourselves with two options: (a) they are an apostate, never having truly owned and accepted the free offer of Christ, only living in such a manner as to deceive others and themselves. Not for nothing does Jesus remark that there will be those who cry “Lord, Lord”, who think they have done great works in the name of Christ, who have cast out demons, etc., who will hear Jesus say “depart from me, I never knew you”. (b) They are backslidden, not lost; and believing friends have a responsibility to chastise and exhort them through the Word of God, leading them to repentance afresh and a redoubled knowledge of their standing in Christ.  The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things. Not only can we deceive ourselves concerning someone’s salvation, but we may also deceive ourselves concerning his or her loss of it. While they live there is hope for restoring them in a spirit of gentleness. We have the opportunity and responsibility to thunder forth afresh the gospel of salvation, which is the only thing able to awaken dead men’s hearts. I pray we never fall back into despair or apathy when souls are at stake.

Let me now seek to answer the question, “will God let us be lost”. In no way will this be the definitive answer, but I hope it will be a God-glorifying answer. I hope, by the end of this, that believers will be strengthened in their faith. 

Our Condition: In the Light

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

In Christ, the Word of God, God Incarnate, our Propitiation, our Sacrifice, our Resurrected Lord, we have life. This life, according to the passage in John 1, is the light of men. Jesus calls Himself the “light of the world”, and says that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness. His followers have the light of life – that is, they have Christ Himself. Now, pay close attention to what the passage says: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Darkness cannot lay hold of nor seize the light. Light and darkness are incompatible.

Now, if God is represented by light, what does darkness represent? Does it not represent the darkness of wickedness and unrighteousness, the demonic host, the Deceiver himself? God is not bound by Satan any more than light is bound by darkness. Turn a switch, and the shadows flee before the light. Satan is subject to God. There is no eternal battle between the two. God is victorious, Satan is the ultimate loser. It is not a contest. Considering this, does it not seem absurd to suggest that God could give any of His people, whom He has brought into the light and made children of light (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5), back into the darkness? We do not illumine ourselves. We are lit by Christ, and He is not extinguished, nor will He ever be. 

Even in this, we can see that as children of light, we abide in the light. We are kept by the Light of the world. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. In Him, we are lit eternally. Darkness cannot overcome us, for it cannot overcome Christ. 

Stuck in my head

I listened to a repetitive song for about a minute today while reading an article, and now it is rehashing itself through my mind on automatic repeat.

It's amazing to me how easily some things can latch themselves into your mind. A phrase, a song, a lyric, a sound. A picture. An idea.

Often the sort of thing that sticks is just the sort of thing you'd sooner be rid of, especially where songs are concerned. Like the one in my head, although it is catchy enough that I have not yet bashed my head against the wall.

Every so often you have the joy of having something stuck in your head that you actually like. Don't underestimate these times. They are few and far between. Cherish them.

And if you have a method of getting rid of recurring jingles, let me know.

Talking Beyond Myself

I say a lot of things on this blog.

In none of them am I an expert. Except, of course, for the various acceptable uses of "so's your face". (Answer: any time is acceptable. So's your face.)

However, the majority of what I write about here are thoughts about God and life. I know neither of these things as well as I should like. I often feel that I am talking beyond myself - writing beyond my capability. I try my very best to communicate what I want to say. Sometimes I fail at it. Hopefully, sometimes I succeed. I know that, at best, my attempts, my thoughts, are weak.

Yet, I know that God works through the weak, showcasing His own power. 

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

It is the power of Christ in me that makes me able to do anything, let alone write a coherent post from time to time. And so, it is my continual prayer that what I post here is a blessing to someone. If I can be nothing more than a messenger, hardly seen, I would be glad, so long as the message I deliver is this:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to Him.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He has suffered as we have, so He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.

If I can only know these, and tell other people about the wonders of God, then I will be glad to talk beyond myself for as long as I am able. 

Are We the Elder Brother?

One pastor I heard said that the parable in Luke 15, normally titled "The Prodigal Son", is better titled, "the Parable of the Two Lost Sons".

There are two brothers in the story. The younger son, the more famous of the two, demands his inheritance from his father. Upon receiving it, he goes away and squanders all that he has in reckless living, ending up as a pig feeder, desiring to eat the pods that the pigs are eating! He gave up everything that he had - security, rest, love, respect - and settled for hunger and the company of swine.

What a picture of our own lives. Instead of being filled by the Bread of Life, we are content to live out our lives in desperate hunger, all the while knowing where to be filled, all the while refusing to do so, just like the dwarves in The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis. They sat and ate less-than-delicious food, refusing to open their eyes and see what was truly around them, what was truly possible.

The prodigal comes to his senses eventually, and decides that he can move home and be a slave at his father's house. Better to be a slave where you are treated decently than to be a slave, going hungry, who feeds pigs for a living. He wants to move from terrible slavery to better slavery.

However, the father sees him coming, and has compassion. He runs to him, embraces him, kisses him. The son begins to say that he wishes to be a servant, but the father cuts him off, declaring that his son was lost and is now found. The father wants to throw a celebration for the return of his son, whom he loves.

All that is preliminary to what hit me most in this chapter.

The elder son comes in from working in the field. This son has never left the father. He hears that his younger brother has returned, and that they are celebrating with the fattened calf.

He is angry, and refuses to go in.

Why? Because the prodigal son does not deserve this! He has taken his inheritance which the father so graciously gave to him, and squandered it! He has done nothing - not one single thing - to merit such grace.

Indeed, he has not.

So the elder brother refuses to celebrate his return.

The father comes out and entreats the elder brother: won't you celebrate his return?

The elder brother says, look, I have done so much, I have obeyed you, I have followed the rules. He says, "that son of yours". The message is clear: I am not affiliated with him.

In response, the father says, all that I have is yours, my son. Then he says, "this your brother". The message from the father is equally clear: Yes, you are.

My question today: are we the elder brother?

So often, in desiring to serve the Father, we do, do, do. We make mental lists of what constitutes appropriate behaviour. Often these things are noble, as we desire to follow the Word of God, to bring glory to God by our obedience, stemming from our desire to love God to the best of our ability.

Yet, because of our own sin, we turn these actions, this obedience, into something arrogant. We see other Christians who do not have exactly the same list as us, and we think, I am not affiliated with them.

We follow one denomination, one ancient creed, and we see those who do not follow the same and think, I am not affiliated with them.

We see those who believe speaking in tongues means something different from what we would define, and we think, I am not affiliated with them.

The list goes on, and on, and on. We refuse to celebrate with those who are, to our mind, lesser Christians. They have done wrong. They have this or that wrong. Their theology is wrong. Their orthodoxy, their orthopraxy is off. And so we are angry that they celebrate with the Father. We are angry that they receive the same grace that we do.

Yet the Father says, no, you are affiliated. You are equal to me for one reason: Christ Jesus. No matter our disagreements on doctrine or practice, we are one in Christ Jesus. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ because of the grace to be found in our Redeemer, Mediator and Propitiator: Christ!

There is nothing that we have done to deserve the feast that is laid out for us. There is nothing we have done to merit the Father's love. Christ has done it all for us. Our denomination, our creed, our practice, all of these things are done and believed according to our utmost desire to serve God in the best way we can. By no means should they be ammo with which to shoot our fellow believers. Our brothers. Our family. We ought to say, "I believe this, and you believe that, but thanks be to God in Christ Jesus, we can both celebrate with the Father at the table, brought there by grace in Christ Jesus. Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!"

My pastor always talks about remembering grace, and he has often said something like this:

If a prostitute walked into church on Sunday, what would your response be? I should hope that we would say, praise God she is in church where she can hear the message of grace, rather than saying, get out of here and dress appropriately and change, and then maybe we'll accept you!

 By all means, hold to sound doctrine. Live according to the glory of God. But celebrate Christ. Celebrate the grace of God that finds us and makes us alive.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

(Luke 15:32 ESV)

A righteous man - Q&A

The Bible often talks about the righteous man, what God will do for him, how things will go for him, etc. But what really is a righteous man?

The answers to all of these questions can become sort of confusing. The reason for that is that they all have two parts. The answers are paradoxical, but beautiful, because these questions-and therefore the answers-concern God's character, and the gospel itself.

What really is a righteous man?

The Bible says that no man is righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10). That being the case, we could say the righteous man is non-existent. Yet, Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness". So there's a mysterious presentation of grace toward believers. God favoured Abraham. Abraham did not do anything to merit God's love and affection. God simply placed His favour upon this man.

In Christ we are seen as righteous, for He is the Righteous Man. Emmanuel, God Incarnate, Love-in-the-Flesh. He has provided the way for us to be seen as righteous.  He has paid the price for our unrighteousness.

How can you be righteous so you receive favour from God? 

You cannot, by yourself. Outside of Christ, we can do nothing. All our self-invented righteousness is nothing more than dirty rags constructed in the idol factory of our hearts. We are tainted by and with sin. We cannot hope to please God by doing anything righteous.

And yet, in Christ Jesus, there is nothing that we could do to lose the favour of God! He sees us through Christ Jesus, washed in His blood, clothed in His pure garments. We are loved by God so much. He forgets our sin. He casts our unrighteousness into the depths of the sea. He has separated us from our sin as far as the East is from the West. This is marvelous grace. It can hardly be fathomed.

Is any Christian righteous? 

In himself, no. In Christ, though, we are seen by God, as righteous as we can be. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. This means that we are viewed right now, at this moment, as perfectly righteous, even while we as yet struggle with sin.

But he certainly doesn't always do righteous things? 

No indeed! We cannot escape our sin while we live on this earth. Yet there's the beauty of grace: it has never been up to us to earn our salvation in any way. God has brought us, saved us, adopted us, clothed us, fed us...Jesus has done all things for us. We have only to rest in Him. We ought to battle sin, and I think that as we grow in grace we grow in the desire to escape sin, and grow in the hatred of it, but we can praise God and rest in the fact that even while we do unrighteous things, Christ has paid the full price. We have no more debt. He has paid it all. It is finished!