Praying in Light

I am currently enjoying a free trial of The Banner of Truth magazine.  In my first free issue there was a particularly helpful article with respect to prayer by Peter Barnes.  This brief post is inspired by that article.

Prayer is a constant struggle for the Christian.  Our lives are so busy, our minds so preoccupied, and our world so noisy.  To find time, energy, and (if we are honest) the desire is difficult.  Here are four ways to pray better:

Pray in light of the gospel

As alluded to above, motivation is the key to our prayer life.  One way to ensure we are motivated correctly is to pray in light of the gospel.  As Peter Barnes writes: “We are not trying to climb the ladder to heaven, but responding to the grace of the triune God in reaching down to earth to save sinners.” (BoT, Oct 2016, pg. 5).  Prayer is not something we have to do, it is something we get to do because of Jesus and the cross.  Prayer is not a demand, but a reward for the work of another.  Seeking God in prayer is not our attempt to please, find, or satisfy God; it is the irresistible outpouring of a gratefully renewed heart.  Praying in light of the gospel helps us find and keep our motivation.

Pray in light of the Psalms

The Psalter is a rich book; through them we are “taken into the depths of the human soul and raised to the heights of the glories of God” (BoT, Oct 2016, pg. 5).  The whole gamut of human emotions find expression in the Psalms, and yet through these intensely human poems there is a magnificent theology of God.  Sometimes we face circumstances in life that we do not have words for.  Due to sorrow, fear, or anger we simply don’t know how to address God.  But for those who pray in light of the Psalms they are “helped thus to understand themselves, and also taken out of themselves, to draw near to God” (BoT, Oct 2016, pg. 5).

Pray in light of structure

There is not necessarily anything wrong with impromptu prayer.  Spontaneous prayer is often enlivening and exhilarating.  To pray without preparation reveals our true hearts and minds.  However, this spontaneity can lead to repetition, clichés and mindless babble.  As Barnes illustrates:

Two lovers may sigh at each other, but a relationship consists of more than sighs.  So too with God.  It is too easy for us to resort to set phrases or fill-in words that do not mean much. (BoT, Oct 2016, pg. 5)

It is good to think about the structure of our prayer, to move through our worship and requests orderly.  This is especially true when praying publicly so that others can pray with you as they listen.  Doing this also allows our prayers to differ each time and therefore become more engaging for our own hearts, minds and souls.

Pray in light of others

Being a Baptist my tradition is to avoid liturgy, but I do fear that me and my separatist friends lose something by avoiding liturgy at all costs.  One of the most profitable aids to my prayer life has been the little book The Valley of Vision.  Praying written prays is hugely helpful in widening our horizons, broadening our praying vocabulary and diversifying our topics of prayer.  This is something that the Anglican liturgy does well.  We can indeed be helped by reading the prayers of others and praying the prayers of others.

Top Five Books from Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung is undoubtedly one of the up and coming voices in the world of Christianity.  He is a widely known preacher, conference speaker, author and notably has his blog hosted on The Gospel Coalition website.  He also pastors University Reformed Church, Michigan.  Although I wouldn’t sign-up to DeYoung’s ecclesiology – he is a lucid, winsome and helpful writer.  In God’s grace he will likely be a key voice for many years to come.  Here are the top five books from DeYoung that I have read recently.

1. Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is worth knowing, trusting and loving (2014)

This is an excellent book.  It is a well written, brief, accessible and important introduction to the theology of Scripture.  For anyone wanting to know why we can know, trust and love Scripture – this is the book to start with.  This book also tops my list because the doctrine and nature of Scripture is an important debate now within evangelicalism.  It will be necessary for all Christians to defend the nature of Scripture in coming days.  This book will help us to do this.

2. The Hole in our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness (2012)

This book was an incredibly timely book when first published.  It was vital that this challenge of holiness rung out in the shadow of the ‘young, restless, and reformed movement’.  Even though that ‘movement’ is perhaps a little less pervasive now, this thinking is ever present.  So many Christians claim that freedom in Christ means that we can live however we want, and yet gospel passion is imperative to the pursuit of godliness.  This will be a formative book for anyone who takes the time to read it.

3. What is the Mission of the Church? Making sense of social justice, shalom, and the great commission (2011)

This book was co-written with Greg Gilbert (who has written a few good books too).  This is one of DeYoung’s larger books, but it is no less readable then his other books.  There are several important topics discussed and explained in this book that are imperative for Christians to grasp.  There is an excellent discussion on the nature of the Kingdom of God, profitable exegesis of significant texts for the great commission, and most importantly a very good explanation of the place of social action in the mission of the church.

4. What does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (2015)

This is another topical book by DeYoung, released at the height of the debate, and yet DeYoung enters the debate winsomely and gracefully.  This book surveys the most important and pertinent texts on the issue of homosexuality.  This book does not always go on to apply the teaching of the Bible into the vast array of pastoral situations that one may find themselves, but then that is not DeYoung’s aim in it.  Rather, it simply and straightforwardly sets out what the Bible teaches on the issue.  It is a must read at the moment!

5. Just Do Something: How to make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, writing in the sky, etc. (2009)

The title of this book reveals something of DeYoung’s sense of humour.  Discerning God’s will is one of those things which preoccupies Christians.  What decisions should we make?  Where should we go?  What should we do?  Is this God’s will, or is that?  We are so afraid of making decisions in case it is not the one which God has purposed for us.  DeYoung’s book offers an important and helpful corrective.  This is an excellent book (and very short which aids in getting through it).

If you have never read one of DeYoung’s book I would thoroughly encourage you to make time in the next few weeks to read one of the books mentioned above.  Why not get in contact with me and let me know what you thought about it.

Reflections on The Baptist Confession of Faith 1689: Part 20 ~ The Gospel

After a brief break we return to our weekly reflections here at Gospel Convergence on the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.  I would encourage you to pick up a copy of the confession and read along with me.

Something is Broken

The Confession begins this chapter by once again asserting a truth that we are all too familiar with in this world: something is broken (also see part 6).  We cannot and do not pursue a righteousness which justifies us before God, and in our brokenness we need an outside force to make it right.  Therefore, it was necessary for God to act and not only did he act but he proclaimed and declared that action.  The Confession puts it like this:

The covenant of works being broken by sin and made unprofitable unto life, God was pleased to give forth the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman, as the means of calling the elect, and begetting in them faith and repentance; in this promise the gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed, and [is] therein effectual, for the conversion and salvation of sinners. (pg. 86)

This giving forth of the promise is the thrust of this chapter.

The World is not Enough

My brother can be a little cheesy from time to time, and ‘The World is not Enough’ is one of his cheesy sermon titles!  However, it captures excellently the big idea of Psalm 19 (the text on which he was preaching).  This is exactly the point that the Confession now makes about the gospel – the world is not enough, but the word is…

This promise of Christ, and salvation by him, is revealed only by the Word of God; neither do the works of creation or providence, with the light of nature, make discovery of Christ, or of grace by Him, so much as in a general or obscure way (pg. 86).

Psalm 19 begins with the announcement that ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.’ (v. 1).  The world lets people know that there is a greater and higher power than mere human beings.  Paul makes the same argument in Romans: ‘what can be known about God is plain…God has shown it…For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.’ (vv. 19-20).

Yet there is a limit to what can be understood without ‘words’, and indeed the ‘Word’.  Psalm 19 explains that God’s Word is ‘perfect’, ‘sure’ (v. 7), ‘right’, ‘pure’ (v. 8), ‘clean’, ‘enduring’, ‘true’, ‘righteous’ (v. 9), ‘desired’, ‘sweeter’ (v. 10).  It takes the Word for the gospel to be understood and accepted.  Again, Paul in Romans 10:17 states it explicitly: ‘faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’

Promise & Precept

The Confession proceeds to note that the proclamation comes with both ‘promises and precepts’ (pg. 87).  There are the great promises of salvation, forgiveness, hope, assurance, joy, and there are precepts which we must heed – there is an ‘obedience required therein’ (pg. 87).  This is perhaps helpfully captured by the beginning of Titus 3:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy towards all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (vv. 1-8)

Visible & Invisible

Another pairing that the Confession notes with regard to the preaching of the gospel is that there is a visible aspect (the Word) and an invisible aspect (the Spirit).  Visibly the Word is proclaimed, spoken, preached, and declared.  A message is audibly communicated and visibly written.  However, as Scripture testifies, this message only brings life in conjunction with the work of the Holy Spirit.  The Confession words this truth as follows:

Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God. (pg. 87-88)

This is indeed the good news of the gospel!

Who am I? Identity after diagnosis.

After a few quick questions, the doc looked up from his questionnaire and concluded with some finality, “Rachel, I think you are depressed.”

I was shocked and immediately defensive. I thought the NHS were just fobbing me off with their latest hobby horse – “Pass her a few pills and all will be well”.

Image by Cristiano Galbiati

However, I would be lying if I said it was the first time I had heard a doctor say this. For me, depression was a constant battle but this time was different. For the first time, he was recommending a course of anti-depressants.

“I must be really messed up,” I concluded, inwardly.

I walked home bewildered and crushed. I went to the GP because I was tired and achy; after some research on Google (which is never good!), I had diagnosed myself with an autoimmune disease. Truthfully, I think I would have been content with lupus rather than depression. Why? For many, mental illness = shame, weakness, taboo.

“I should not feel this way,” I argued to myself. “Christians are supposed to be happy, joyful people. We are saved.”

When I went to church that Sunday, I avoided eye contact, afraid that perceptive eyes would be able to sense, as the doctor had done, what was really going on inside. I felt as if a label was tattooed across my forehead: depressed. Depression shaped my actions and thoughts: almost overnight, I became “Rachel Hanna, depressed person.” I distanced myself from people who loved and knew me best, fearing judgment, or worse – pity. I questioned my worth, relationships and, ultimately, the purpose of my life. Who would notice if I was gone anyway? Did anyone really care? Was it really worth going on?

That was June, now it is September. I am still taking anti-depressants and probably will be for some time. But now I am ok with that – why? I realised that, though my brain might need extra help to be positive, basing my identity upon a diagnosis was a form of idolatry. I am first and foremost a child of God – that is who I am. It does not mean that the world is perfectly rosy all of a sudden. Sometimes it feels like a constant battle. I am learning to see myself as God sees me and trusting Him despite the uncertainties and disappointments of life. A few months ago, the last person I turned to was God. Surely, He would prefer if I gave up wallowing and painted on my best Sunday School smile. I couldn’t be more wrong.

He has taught me a lot about His grace through this process and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will choose gratitude instead of despair, practicing love and forgiveness instead of bitterness, contentment instead of comparison. I am freed by Christ from the bonds of sin and death and though I have my bad days, I know that one day all will be well. Until then, I use the truth of his Word as a sword, to fight the ongoing battles in my mind. In Christ, I am born again to a living hope, a hope for today and all of my tomorrows. I have a Father who works all things for my good and for now, He is challenging me to just trust Him. I praise God that He has removed my guilt and shame, teaching me that my identity is rooted in Him and that He is enough for me.

I am increasingly aware that I am not the only one living with depression and that it comes in many forms, I am by no means an expert. If you are struggling, do not be ashamed – please speak to someone about what’s going on. We need to remove the stigma and taboo of mental illness and learn how to better support our friends and family who live with it on a daily basis.

A Long and Tortuous History

Currently I am wading my way through Carson’s tome, The Gagging of God. It is a testing read at times as Carson scans the (then) contemporary religious pluralism scene, poking and prodding at its assertions and exposing faults and errors. The range and volume of both academic and popular writings from this field that Carson has a handle on is truly impressive. However, even in amongst this academic rigor, a pastor’s heart shines through from time to time. The following passage is one such example:

What the Bible says about the love of God cannot adequately be studied by focusing on merely one or two word groups…It turns no less on the entire biblical storyline. The God who made us and could have written us off, chose instead to pursue rebellious men and women across a long and tortuous history – men and women who often show they are fickle and prefer to think of themselves as the center of all things, and who find idols more congenial than knowledge of the living God. (pg. 239)

The phrase which struck me when reading this was ‘The God who made us and could have written us off, chose instead to pursue rebellious men and women across a long and tortuous history’. It is truly incredible to consider God’s redemptive love expressed to a rebellious people over a long and tortuous history. And as I meditated on this incredible thought I considered it’s execution on three planes of history.

Biblical History

I do not wish to separate biblical history from what others may term ‘real history’. Rather, I am seeking to put a bracket around a particular period of history. Within the canon of Scripture we do find a contained history – from the creation of the world to the creation of the church, with an appendix which promises and looks forward to a new creation. Indeed, Carson proceeds to acknowledge God’s pursuit of rebellious men and women on this plane of history:

God’s love is demonstrated in his dealings with Adam and Eve after the fall, in his call and protection of Abraham, in his preservation of this fledgling people of God in a world of polytheism, dubious security, moral failure, and even famine. The establishment of the covenant with Israel is the result of God’s invasive, intervening love; the gift of his Son is the supreme result of that same love. (pg. 239)

Whenever we take even the shortest of time-spans for biblical history, for example Nehemiah 9, we still have a God which in love has pursued his people for thousands of years.

World History

This can then be broadened to consider world history. In this I mean the history of all nations, peoples and tribes, from their beginning until the present day. Whenever we begin to consider world history in this way we continue to see God’s love in the pursuit of his people.

While I cannot rehearse anything close to a substantial history of the world here, what is possible is the noting of God’s pursuit seen in significant developments. Throughout world history we have seen the growth of the visible church; the sending of (millions of?) missionaries to all over the globe; the protection of Christianity through men such as Luther and Calvin, and groups such as the Puritans.

I wish to express some hesitancy about making proclamations about modern individuals and groups, because their impact is yet to be assessed. However, surely God’s pursuit of his people is seen also in the gift of men like Don Carson and John Piper to the church; groupings such as The Gospel Coalition, Nine Marks, Together for the Gospel, Desiring God, 20schemes; the vast array of Bible Colleges, seminaries and training schemes available. If these have anything close to the legacy of the reformers, Puritans and missionaries of previous eras then certainly they have been another expression of God’s relentless love for a disobedient people.

In addition to the above mentioned there are also ‘secular’ individuals and events which could rightly be understood to be part of God’s love for his people over a long a tortuous history right up to the present day. Through all of the visible things we view in world history the Bible teaches that God’s hand is at work in it all for his glory (See the books of Ruth and Esther for examples of this).

Personal History

These two planes of a long and tortuous history then lead to this final plane – personal history.

While none of us have been alive for thousands of years, plenty of us have a long and tortuous history whenever it comes to God’s love for us. We know ourselves to be fickle, often preferring to place ourselves at the centre of life and finding mediocre and passing joy in idols. And all of this since God’s saving of our souls, bodies and minds.

Each of us know that on a daily basis we dismiss God’s will for our lives, we ignore Christ’s love, we neglect a life worthy of our calling and we turn our backs on God – a God who has pursued us, continues to pursue us and promises to pursue us evermore. This is a long and tortuous history and yet God chooses to pursue rebellious men and women like us.

This is a glorious thought which should both rebuke us for our small thoughts about God, and yet comfort us in the reality of his relentless love. Not many of us, I would suggest, would pursue a rebellious spouse for more than a matter of months, or perhaps even years. But God is not like us, and so he delights in pursuing us for each individual day of our own personal lives, which over history translates into the pursuit of his church over thousands of years. Therefore,

What the Bible says about the love of God cannot adequately be studied by focusing on merely one or two word groups…It turns no less on the entire biblical storyline. The God who made us and could have written us off, chose instead to pursue rebellious men and women across a long and tortuous history – men and women who often show they are fickle and prefer to think of themselves as the center of all things, and who find idols more congenial than knowledge of the living God. God’s love is demonstrated in his dealings with Adam and Eve after the fall, in his call and protection of Abraham, in his preservation of this fledgling people of God in a world of polytheism, dubious security, moral failure, and even famine. The establishment of the covenant with Israel is the result of God’s invasive, intervening love; the gift of his Son is the supreme result of that same love. (pg. 239)

International Rescue

Children in Need

Yesterday I had the great privilege and challenge of teaching a group of children, in a local church, on their Sunday School day. Throughout the year they had been thinking and learning about children in Mongolia, who are being reached through AsiaLink. For that reason I had been given the task of teaching on the subject of children. As I considered what I would talk about I began to recollect all the experiences I have had with children across the world. It has been my privilege to visit a few different countries, on a couple of continents. In these countries I encountered many children with great needs.

In 2006 I visited Peru. There I met children from a very dark town, spiritually speaking. In this place there was much evil taking place, and consequently much sadness in many families and individuals lives. The gospel has unsurprisingly brought much welcome relief, but still there are many children there and they need protection, security and love.

In 2008 I visited Morocco. There I did not meet indigenous children, but I did observe them and was taught about them by workers in that country. In this place there were children who were sent to work instead of school and children who lacked adequate food and clothing. These children need schooling, clothing and food.

In 2012 I visited Zimbabwe. This country is home to hundreds of thousands of orphans (if not millions). Here I witnessed poverty unlike I had seen before: children with no parents, food, clothing, housing, care, education, but for the kindness and sacrifice of many Christians. These children need someone to care and provide for them.

Further to these experiences, the sad reality is that I have met children all throughout Ireland in exactly the same situation as those in South America and Africa: children without parents, without food, without schooling, without clothing, and without adequate housing.

A Universal Need

Despite the vast array of physical and emotional needs all across the globe, the Bible tells us that there is one need which affects all of these children. Moreover, this need is not specific to children, indeed it is not specific to any age group, people group, or social group – it is universal.

Scripture is really quite explicit. Writing to the Romans Paul quotes two Psalms (14; 53) in arguing that there is a universal need. He writes:

None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one. (Rom. 3:10-12)

The universal need arises in that no one is good – in more theological language, all are sinners! The need that all people have is to be rescued by Jesus from their sinful nature and its consequences.

International Rescue

I’m sure many of us remember the dodgy puppetry, ‘huge fires’ (which were clearly a match burning) and the very visible strings on the classic show Thunderbirds. It was great childhood Saturday afternoon television. The individuals and their Thunderbirds were the masterminds behind International Rescue, an organisation dedicated to saving human lives.

But this tagline, International Rescue: an organisation dedicated to saving human lives, sums up nicely what Jesus achieves for us. In another letter Paul puts it this way, ‘Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age’ (Gal. 1:3-4). By living a perfect live, Jesus could die for other’s sin, and in the rising again and ascending to heaven he was vindicated. In this way Jesus is capable of an international rescue. This is the gospel, and it is a message which transcends cultural boundaries – it is the universal solution to the universal need.

Which need?

In an era in which social justice has rightly become more central to the discussions concerning evangelism and mission, it necessary to take a moment to pause and consider just what the above paragraphs mean when it comes to children in need.

Standing in front of those children in Peru, Morocco, Zimbabwe and Northern Ireland, the physical and emotional needs are the most obvious in many instances. It is almost impossible to overlook those needs, and it is equally as easy to be content with the ‘help’ you have offered if you can meet those physical and emotional needs quickly.

But have I fulfilled my duty as a Christian if I neglect this universal need?

It is vitally important, imperative that we demonstrate our Christianity (Jas. 2:26). But this must not be where we leave it – the universal need is not remedied by food, clothing, housing, care and love. However, on the other hand, the message of Jesus giving himself for our sins will inevitably find more welcoming ground whenever the messenger has been seen to be giving of themselves in a variety of ways.

I do not propose to give any definitive answers social justice versus evangelism/mission here (I have done this previously on the blog). My intention is merely to remind ourselves that the universal need is rescue from our sin by Jesus’ giving of himself. Nevertheless, this is not a license to ignore the most immediately apparent needs.

 ~

If you wish to pursue this concept of serving the needs of children across the globe by both helping physical and spiritual needs I would encourage you to visit compassionuk.org.

Four Broad Brushstrokes of Gospel Proclamation

Every summer hundreds of Christians, both young and old, from all over our

Image by Vjeran Lisjak

island head of on short-term mission/evangelism teams. These final few months, weeks and days before we embark on this experience can be unnerving, worrying and full of questions. But, no matter where you are going, there are some things that you can be certain off. Matthew 10 tells us what those things are; it offers us four broad brush strokes of gospel proclamation.

Matthew 10 in Context

So far in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus has been fulfilling his ministry, as documented in the previous chapters, in a quite spectacular way. He has been teaching in a unique fashion. This is seen in chapters 5-7 as he delivers the Sermon on the Mount and the people’s response is seen at the end of chapter 7:

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Vv. 28-29)

He then healed many people in chapters 8-9, to which the people say “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” (9:33)

Then at the end of chapter 9 Jesus explains that the labourers for the harvest are few, and so he calls the disciples to pray for more labourers. But little did the disciples know that in chapter 10 they would become the answer to their own prayers as Jesus sends them out. While Matthew 10 documents Jesus’ teaching for his disciples as they go out into the ‘fields’ so to speak, I think it also offers four broad brushstrokes which give us an idea of what the future holds!

GO

The first brush stroke is a very simple one – the spread of the gospel requires us to GO!

In Matthew 10 Jesus does something which is unheard off for a Rabbi, he includes his disciples in his mission. That which Jesus has been doing the disciples are now given authority to do. In verse 7 we note that the disciples are given authority to teach, and in verse 1 we see they have been given authority to heal disease and affliction.

We too as disciples are included in Jesus ministry, in his mission. Now, it does take a slightly different shape to this work in Matthew 10 – remember we come after Jesus death and resurrection. We are not confined to Israel as the disciples were on this occasion (v. 5-6), and our healing ministry is demonstrated in a different way today. Nonetheless, we are still included in Jesus mission. We are still commanded to go. After all, the message still hasn’t changed: ‘And proclaim as you go, saying, “The Kingdom of God is at hand”’ (v. 7).

As we look to the summer, the teams we will be a part of and the places we will go, we can be certain that this is the ordained way of communicating the good news of Jesus Christ: God’s people travelling with God’s message to those in need of hearing it.

Difficulty

The second broad brush stroke is difficulty – involvement in the spread of the gospel inevitable contains difficulty.

Jesus describes the disciples being sent out as sheep being sent into the midst of wolves (v. 16). Jesus then warns them, in verse 17, to beware of men. Finally, Jesus says ‘you will be hated by all for my name’s sake’ (v. 22). The disciples were going to face great difficulty as they obeyed Jesus’ command to go.

This will be the same for us as we consider the summer ahead of us. There will be great difficulty! Consider your previous experience of spreading the gospel: Think of the disdain that people had for you, of the hardness of heart toward the gospel, and of the point blank refusal of people to enter into any kind of conversation. There will be difficulty in the days that lie ahead.

Help

Nevertheless, we are not without help, and that is our third brushstroke.

Jesus encourages his disciples by reminding them that they have help as the Spirit speaks. He says :

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Vv. 19-20)

The difficulty we face is an opportunity for the Spirit to work, and he will help us through it.

Jesus proceeds to assure his disciples that even though they must beware of men (v. 17), there is no need to fear men, because they only have a certain degree of jurisdiction over us! Jesus states plainly: ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell’ (v. 28).

In the end our acknowledgement of Jesus will be rewarded with his acknowledgement of us before the father. Jesus promises: ‘everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.’ (Vv. 32-33).

While your work of spreading the gospel this summer may be fraught with many difficulties, Matthew 10 reminds us that God cares for us, and has promised his help as we look to the future of mission and evangelism.

Message

The final broad brushstroke to mention is the message we take with us.

All of this is necessary because of the message that we must proclaim. We need to know that Jesus sends us, there is difficulty, but that in that difficulty there is great (in fact divine) help. And we need to know all of this because the message we have to share is a message that divides. It is a message that is hard to deliver and it is a message that is costly.

Surprisingly Jesus begins a summary of his message in this way: ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.’ (v. 34). It is a message that divides between those who are Christ’s and those who aren’t.

The reason that the message is both difficult to deliver and divisive is due to the great cost of being a Christian – Jesus is unequivicol about the commitment he requires:

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Vv. 37-39)

This is the gospel – it is a message that divides, is hard to deliver and is costly to accept. Therefore, it is of vital importance to see the broad brush strokes in this passage. This summer will consist of us going, in going we will face difficulties, but in these difficulties there will be help provided. All of this is necessary because of the message that we must proclaim.

Too Good to be True

The news this past week has been full of reports on scams. Apparently there is a list available to all the fraudsters called the ‘suckers list’. On this list are the details of people who have previously been conned into giving money to a scam. Therefore, those wishing to make a quick buck from scamming others will purchase information of the ‘suckers list’ and target those people first. The advice from the reporter and the experts was ‘If it is too good to be true, then it probably is.’

I am no scam artist, but I have something to offer you that is too good to be true – but it is true! I can offer you life without pain, tears, suffering, death, sadness and end. And I can offer this kind of life to you at no expense to yourself. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?

A dying world

It does not take a scientist to realise that this world is significantly broken! Child abuse is rife, and it seems that only more and more historical cases are going to come to light. War is unending, no wars finish smoothly and each time one nears an end it seems a new one begins or escalates. Famine and drought persist to claim lives, despite all of the effort exerted to defend the vulnerable. Corruption is equally present, if not equally visible, on every continent regardless of their developmental status. Old age takes its toll, all the Botox in the world is not going to keep you alive.

That the world is broken, and ultimately dying, is self-evident. The reason for this is debated. However, the Bible explains that it is a result of the first sin. The Apostle Paul writes ‘sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man’ (Rom. 5:12,17).

The Victorious Answer

What brings the change then? Where is this too good to be true life found? How is a dying world resurrected? Jesus Christ is the answer to these questions.

After explaining that death came into the world through sin, and that sin came into the world through one man (Adam), Paul changes tact, ‘But the free gift is not like the trespass’ (Rom. 5:15). This free gift is not like the trespass because instead of bringing condemnation (and the associated consequences seen above) the free gift brings justification (5:16). This is when is becomes too good to be true:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Rom. 5:18-19)

By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous and, Paul continues, this grace will ‘reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (v21)

The one act of obedience that Romans 5 is referring to is Jesus’ crucifixion. This one act of obedience was carried out by Jesus because it was the will of his Father (Mt. 26:36-46). Jesus who was not tainted by original sin due to his conception by the Holy Spirit, who did not join in the rebellion of man by sinning, bore the consequence of being tainted by original sin and joining the rebellion of man. On the cross Jesus endured pain, tears, suffering, death, sadness and an end. He did this so we could be offered something too good to be true; so we could be offered grace, righteousness and eternal life; so we could be offered a life without those things he endured.

Jesus final words before his death were ‘It is finished!’ (Jn. 19:30). This is why I can offer you life without pain, tears, suffering, death, sadness and end. And why I can offer this kind of life to you at no expense to yourself. Jesus has won it for you.

Grateful Christianity

As Christians we must constantly remind ourselves that we enjoy something too good to be true. We enjoy the certain hope of life without pain, tears, suffering, death, sadness and end. We know that this kind of life has come to us at no expense to ourselves.

Therefore, as you embark on this new week do so with gratefulness in your heart, knowing that no matter what lies before you Jesus has won something too good to be true on and through the cross. This victory means that whatever this week has in store for you, it is not the final word.

Christmas Meditation #5: Christmas Bells

In 1863, during the American Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet, penned the words that for many of us may be more familiar as the carol I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. The poem, Christmas Bells, which appears below, was originally written on Christmas Day (1863). The inspiration for Longfellow’s poem was born out of the recent loss of his wife, Frances, and the impending possibility of losing his eldest son, Charles, who after having ran away to become a Union soldier had been severely wounded in combat.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

It is a poem composed in the midst of immense sorrow and suffering but which climaxes on a jubilant note of hope. It is reminiscent of many of the psalms of lament such as Psalm 13 (NIV),

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

Both of these poems, Christmas Bells and Psalm 13, remind us in the midst of profound sorrow and suffering that God has not forgotten us, nor does he hide from us, but has in fact been good to us. They encourage us to drown out the voice of despair with words of hope:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

They remind us that our hope is in God’s unfailing love towards us in Christ. During this Christmas season, which can be replete with sadness as much as it is with joy and food and gifts, let’s rejoice in God’s salvation, singing praise to him, as we celebrate and remember the first Advent of our Lord Jesus and eagerly anticipate his second.

“How Should The Church Respond To Homosexuality?” by Gordon Walker

The Church’s Position on Homosexuality

How the Church should respond to homosexuality is a question that can only be answered once the Church has taken a position on homosexuality. However painful, clarity is a necessary prerequisite for compassion.

The Bible’s message about sexuality is wonderfully positive. The Bible teaches that marriage is the lifelong union of a man and a woman combining companionship, mutual support, and faithful affection, all crowned with the closest physical intimacy of which the human body is capable.

“a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 NIV)

 It is only after enshrining that positive ideal that the Bible goes on to make clear that, consequently, all sexual behaviour outside such a marriage is morally wrong. That means that homosexual practice, along with all other kinds of extra-marital sexual conduct, is prohibited de facto. But, as if to avoid ambiguity, homosexual practice is also explicitly condemned, particularly in Romans 1 where it is described as an abandonment of this natural ideal.

The Church’s Response to Homosexuality

But it’s not enough to take a position on this issue, because homosexuality is not just an ‘issue’ – it’s people, it involves people’s lives, their hopes, their desires. So when we ask how should the Church respond to homosexuality, we are actually asking how should the Church respond to people who are attracted to others of the same sex.

So let’s be very practical. You have a friend who is attracted to people of the same sex: what do you do?

Response to a Christian with same sex attraction

If they are Christians (and there are more in this situation than you may imagine), then above all else, they need our support.

If you are a Christian, and are attracted to people of the opposite sex, I want you to ask yourself: what kind of sexual sins have you committed? Fantasising? Going ‘too far’? Actual sex outside marriage? If we’re honest, we’re all on that scale somewhere, so let’s be clear – they’re all sinful. We cannot permit ourselves any excuse – it was wrong.

I’m saying this because we’ve got to be clear about our own sexual morality, before we can be of any help whatsoever to our friend. Because, when they stumble, what kind of sins do you expect them to commit? The same kind you do, except with different kinds of people. The object of their sexual sins may be different, and in that respect it is a different kind of sin, but it is as natural for them, and as enticing, and as difficult to resist, as your own opposite sex sins are for you.

That’s the attitude we need when they talk to us: whether they’re blissfully unaware they’ve done anything wrong, or whether they’re wracked with guilt. If they ask us, we need to be able to tell them that it was wrong … as wrong as our own sins. That’s the first and critical element in the Church’s response – remembering that we, too, are sinners and that we are all required to come before God humbly and repentantly.

The second element is an awareness of just how hard it is for a Christian to talk about this. We need to make it easy for them to do it – so don’t be in the habit of making cheap jokes about homosexuality and, no matter how provocative the more militant wing of their community is, don’t allow yourself to go off on a hateful tirade. You don’t know whose faith you are burying with those words. And, if someone does tell you about their struggles, thank them for the trust that they have placed in you, be aware of the courage that it took, and then live up to that trust.

Because, for a Christian with same sex attraction, even a kiss is wrong, any romantic relationship is tainted. That means that a Christian who is attracted to people of the same sex may be facing terrible loneliness, a sense of isolation and sexual temptation. Our friendship and support are critical. They need us to help them obey Christ.

Response to a non-Christian with same sex attraction

But what if your friend is not a Christian but is considering, or actively pursuing, a gay or lesbian lifestyle?

If they aren’t Christians they need to hear the good news about Jesus Christ – not because they’re attracted to people of the same sex, but because they’re human beings. All human beings need to hear the gospel because all human beings are sinners. Gay and lesbian people live in a culture that often tempts them to define themselves by their sexuality, the last thing they need is the Church reinforcing that message. That last thing they need is you and I acting as if the first conversation they need to have is about their sex life, as if that is all that separates them from God.

The subject is going to come up, it has to, but it’s not the first conversation we need to have, because what Paul describes as being of first importance is this,

“… that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV)

The starting point of the gospel is Christ’s cross and we shouldn’t act as if it’s their bedroom.

The bottom line is that there is no special gospel for homosexuals, there is no special way to share the gospel with homosexuals. Jesus didn’t die to save them from their same sex attraction, he died to save all of his people from all of their sins, whatever they are.

Conclusions

The position the Bible takes on sexuality is unpalatable to our society, that much is obvious. What we often forget, however, is that the Bible’s teaching about sexuality is difficult in our society. In a culture as sexualised as our own, the stark choice between heterosexual monogamy and celibacy seems not only arduous but laughable. The Church has a huge part to play in restoring the place of sex as a good thing, but not an essential thing. It’s not enough for us to just say that, we have to live as if it were true.

We need to restore the mangled image of friendship, restore the value of celibacy, cherish the value of sacrifice, and, above all, undermine the lie that without sex, life is not worth living. We need to refute that by the lives we lead, and the relationships we build. That means that we need to be a community where Christ and his glory are paramount, where the wounded are welcome, where the fallen are restored, where the purposeless are given hope, where sins are overcome in an atmosphere of honesty and mutual support, and where we tell one another the truth whether it’s easy or not.

In other words, the Church’s response to homosexuality … is to be the Church. That’s where we have failed most conspicuously in the past and where we must focus our repentance and our passion in the future.

~

Gordon Walker is married to Suzie. He also has three daughters. Currently Gordon serves as the pastor of Carryduff Baptist Church and guest lectures for the Irish Baptist College.

 ~

Administrator’s Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this post all comments will be carefully monitored and will be subject to removal should the content or tone be deemed inappropriate.