Luke 20:33-34: "(The Sadducees who say there is no resurrection asked) 'At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?' (To this question) Jesus replied, 'The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.'"
This passage above has been quite disturbing for many married adults who dread the thought of entering eternity without being married to the love of their earthly life; this passage has been equally disturbing to many single adults who are anxious that they may never have the blessing of being married at all. Some would conclude that heaven will not be as glorious as it's marketed to be, for we'll be denied the opportunity of experiencing heaven as "married." They see heaven as an eternal stag party where everyone wants to be paired up with that special person, but are denied such a privilege. As the heavenly dance music is being played, everyone is standing around without a partner, wondering when the fun will begin.
It must be remembered that the institution of earthly marriage was designed primarily to encourage us and teach us of God's eternal marital relationship with all believers. What an ingenious Lord that we have . . . He knew that we would better understand His unfailing love for us by experiencing a parallel (albeit inferior) covenant relationship with a spouse. Because we are not physically present with our True Husband (the Lord) in heaven, God determined that we would better appreciate what is to come by experiencing earthly marriage. Thus, our experience of marriage here should be quickening our hearts in anticipation of the glorious wedding banquet, when we are finally joined with the Ultimate Spouse . . . Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this analogy between earthly marriage and THE heavenly marriage in Ephesians 5, where husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and the Church is to submit to Christ as a wife "submits to her husband in everything" (Eph. 5:24). What is especially beautiful in the Ephesians 5 passage is the proclamation that Christ has offered His very life for us (His bride), thus giving us the opportunity to be purified of our sin and granting us the ability to shine as a radiant bride before Him (our bridegroom). Now that is true love!
All of our needs for intimacy and love that exist in this life will be completely fulfilled in the blessedness of heaven as we experience the ultimate love relationship with our Lord. No longer will we long for unconditional love, for God will satisfy that foundational longing in our hearts.
And for those of us who have had the earthly blessing of a spouse surrendered to the Lord, we will share with them the blessedness of God's eternal, unfathomable, radiant love. And in our perfected condition, we will be able to love our former spouses MORE than we ever were able to express in this earthly experience. Yes, let me re-emphasize this truth. One will never be able to experience the depths of heavenly love in this life, no matter what one's relational status is here. Although we will not be formally married to another person in heaven, we will love and be loved at levels we could never fathom nor experience here. Our love experience will be heightened exponentially, and we will not be standing around wondering why things can not be like they were on earth relationally.
I think that we must also remember that we WILL in fact be married. God is drawing us as His bride into His glorious abode; and He will transform us as we cross the Heavenly threshhold, so that we are perfected in "holiness . . . without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:26-27).
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
How Can People Know You Are a Follower of Christ?
John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The story of John 13 is not far removed from the events that would demonstrate the ultimate reason why Jesus Christ came into the world. Jesus' death and resurrection proclaimed to the world that He loved His creation so much that He would offer His very life as the only sufficient ransom for its sins. Jesus' advent was to show humanity "the full extent of his love" through His death and His resurrection (see John 12:27; 13:1); and truly, this was the greatest love ever given (John 15:13).
As Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover meal and the Lord's Supper, the disciples were bickering amongst themselves as to whom was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Jesus knew that the time had come to teach His disciples a most important truth of faith: the importance of loving others even before one's self. While the disciples were arguing, Jesus took off His outer garment and knelt down to wash His disciples' feet. Think about it . . . the Sovereign Lord and King of all eternity took a humble position before His disciples to minister to them and to teach them that they should do likewise to others (John 13:15).
Jesus then interjected a new command to His disciples . . . that they should love one another as He had loved them. I'm sure that these power hungry disciples knew that this type of love would necessitate sacrifice on their part to minister to the needs of others. Jesus was sharing with them by his demonstrative act that their purpose in life was not centered on self-actualization and fulfillment but on loving others and being a blessing to them.
Jesus then said to His disciples that the way in which ALL men would know that they were true disciples was by their love for one another. Notice that Jesus said "all" men, not just believers. Thus, unbelievers and believers alike would see the evidential fruit of a transformed life by the manifestation of love that true disciples have for others. Notice too that Jesus did not say that mankind would be able to tell a true disciple by his great oratory skills or mastery of the Scriptures or participation in church activities; rather, it would be by his love for others that all men would know that he was in fact a true disciple.
Whereas we are called to be purveyors of God's truth to a world in need of God's grace, we must examine ourselves to see if we have hearts of love and compassion for others. Are we more consumed with our own needs and desires that we are indifferent to those around us? We must remember that our Lord commands us to love others with a selfless, self-sacrificing love. This love will proclaim to believers and unbelievers alike that we are true followers of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The story of John 13 is not far removed from the events that would demonstrate the ultimate reason why Jesus Christ came into the world. Jesus' death and resurrection proclaimed to the world that He loved His creation so much that He would offer His very life as the only sufficient ransom for its sins. Jesus' advent was to show humanity "the full extent of his love" through His death and His resurrection (see John 12:27; 13:1); and truly, this was the greatest love ever given (John 15:13).
As Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover meal and the Lord's Supper, the disciples were bickering amongst themselves as to whom was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Jesus knew that the time had come to teach His disciples a most important truth of faith: the importance of loving others even before one's self. While the disciples were arguing, Jesus took off His outer garment and knelt down to wash His disciples' feet. Think about it . . . the Sovereign Lord and King of all eternity took a humble position before His disciples to minister to them and to teach them that they should do likewise to others (John 13:15).
Jesus then interjected a new command to His disciples . . . that they should love one another as He had loved them. I'm sure that these power hungry disciples knew that this type of love would necessitate sacrifice on their part to minister to the needs of others. Jesus was sharing with them by his demonstrative act that their purpose in life was not centered on self-actualization and fulfillment but on loving others and being a blessing to them.
Jesus then said to His disciples that the way in which ALL men would know that they were true disciples was by their love for one another. Notice that Jesus said "all" men, not just believers. Thus, unbelievers and believers alike would see the evidential fruit of a transformed life by the manifestation of love that true disciples have for others. Notice too that Jesus did not say that mankind would be able to tell a true disciple by his great oratory skills or mastery of the Scriptures or participation in church activities; rather, it would be by his love for others that all men would know that he was in fact a true disciple.
Whereas we are called to be purveyors of God's truth to a world in need of God's grace, we must examine ourselves to see if we have hearts of love and compassion for others. Are we more consumed with our own needs and desires that we are indifferent to those around us? We must remember that our Lord commands us to love others with a selfless, self-sacrificing love. This love will proclaim to believers and unbelievers alike that we are true followers of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Everyone is Important
I Corinthians 12:18,22-23, 25: "God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be . . . . those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor . . . . There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other."
From chapters 1-4, 9, 14 of I Corinthians, it seems that the Church at Corinth had become enamored with what one might call the "divine sophia" (wisdom). Certain members had become influenced by the secular philosophies of that day which emphasized that one could attain higher levels of wisdom through spiritual gift manifestation. These believers felt that they had reached a “spiritualized eschatology.” That is, they believed they had already experienced the fullness of the divine sophia from the Spirit and were speaking with tongues similar to the angels. They were now experiencing a kind of ultimate spirituality by which they lived above the merely material existence of the present age, and this superior wisdom made them of higher importance in the church and the kingdom of God.
Of course, those in the church that believed that they had mastered the mysteries of spirituality believed that others had not attained such levels of enlightenment and were thus inferior. This arrogant disposition led to numerous quarrels within the church (see I Corinthians 3:3).
Paul instructed the Corinthian church that each member of the body of Christ is gifted and called to specific responsibilities by the Lord, "just as He wants them to be." Therefore, no person within the church has less value than anyone else . . . all are equally important for the purposes of God. Paul commands that the church recognize the "less honorable" in the congregation with special honor . . . as ones indispensible to the kingdom of God. Paul uses the analogy of the physical body to illustrate that each part, no matter its function, is of utmost importance to the optimal functioning of the body as a whole. And he reiterates that God Himself will esteem the parts of the body that may lack respect due to their position and function within the church.
This is a good word for us in the Church of Jesus Christ. We must remember that all members are invaluable for the purposes of the kingdom, and we should never assume ourselves more important due to our positions of perceived prominence within the church. None of us deserve to even be in the family of God, for we have all sinned against the Lord; thus, the grafting in of ourselves into the tree of life is solely accomplished by the grace and mercy of God. No one has the right to boast in his spirituality, as though he has mastered his redemption through his own efforts.
At the same time, each believer CAN boast in the goodness of the Lord to grant him such a privilege. Not only have we been made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), but we have been redeemed by the greatest price possible . . . the death of Christ on a cross (Romans 5:8). For those of us who have surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, we have received the blessedness of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22); and through this impartation, the Lord has set His seal of ownership upon us. Therefore, we ALL can say that God has adopted us into His royal family, and this adoption gives each of us immeasurable intrinsic value (see Ephesians 1:5; John 1:12).
From chapters 1-4, 9, 14 of I Corinthians, it seems that the Church at Corinth had become enamored with what one might call the "divine sophia" (wisdom). Certain members had become influenced by the secular philosophies of that day which emphasized that one could attain higher levels of wisdom through spiritual gift manifestation. These believers felt that they had reached a “spiritualized eschatology.” That is, they believed they had already experienced the fullness of the divine sophia from the Spirit and were speaking with tongues similar to the angels. They were now experiencing a kind of ultimate spirituality by which they lived above the merely material existence of the present age, and this superior wisdom made them of higher importance in the church and the kingdom of God.
Of course, those in the church that believed that they had mastered the mysteries of spirituality believed that others had not attained such levels of enlightenment and were thus inferior. This arrogant disposition led to numerous quarrels within the church (see I Corinthians 3:3).
Paul instructed the Corinthian church that each member of the body of Christ is gifted and called to specific responsibilities by the Lord, "just as He wants them to be." Therefore, no person within the church has less value than anyone else . . . all are equally important for the purposes of God. Paul commands that the church recognize the "less honorable" in the congregation with special honor . . . as ones indispensible to the kingdom of God. Paul uses the analogy of the physical body to illustrate that each part, no matter its function, is of utmost importance to the optimal functioning of the body as a whole. And he reiterates that God Himself will esteem the parts of the body that may lack respect due to their position and function within the church.
This is a good word for us in the Church of Jesus Christ. We must remember that all members are invaluable for the purposes of the kingdom, and we should never assume ourselves more important due to our positions of perceived prominence within the church. None of us deserve to even be in the family of God, for we have all sinned against the Lord; thus, the grafting in of ourselves into the tree of life is solely accomplished by the grace and mercy of God. No one has the right to boast in his spirituality, as though he has mastered his redemption through his own efforts.
At the same time, each believer CAN boast in the goodness of the Lord to grant him such a privilege. Not only have we been made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), but we have been redeemed by the greatest price possible . . . the death of Christ on a cross (Romans 5:8). For those of us who have surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, we have received the blessedness of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22); and through this impartation, the Lord has set His seal of ownership upon us. Therefore, we ALL can say that God has adopted us into His royal family, and this adoption gives each of us immeasurable intrinsic value (see Ephesians 1:5; John 1:12).
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sickness for God's Glory?
John 11:4: "When He (Jesus) heard this, Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death, No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
Chapter 11 of the Book of John is the story of the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This was an incredible act of Jesus as Lord to demonstrate His Sovereign power to bring physical life again to a man who had been dead for four days. This specific miracle was a demonstrative act of power by Jesus to display that He is the Resurrection and the Life for all who would believe in Him as Lord (11:25).
With the magnificence of the miraculous act, one can miss a rather subtle truth that lay within the text, namely that sickness can be used by God to bring glory to Himself. Now, let me be quick to interject that God is not a misanthropic deity that enjoys the pain and misery of His creation. As one can even see from Jesus' weeping at the sight of Mary's grief over the loss of her brother (11:35), that God is genuinely concerned with our losses. Even so, God also knows that He can use the unfortunate experiences of our lives to bring about greater good for the furtherance of His glorious kingdom. Jesus' delay in responding to the news of Lazarus' illness and Lazarus' subsequent death from that illness, would be used by Jesus to demonstrate His power, thus drawing the crowds into a personal relationship with Him as Lord. As Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the people knew that Jesus was no ordinary prophet, for only God could bring life back to the dead. John 11:45 tells us that many people "put their faith in Jesus." The religious leaders were so alarmed at the popular response to Jesus that they believed that Jesus needed to be killed; otherwise, they felt that "everyone would (eventually) believe in Him (Jesus)" (11:48).
We find a similar response from Jesus in the story of the man born blind in John 9. When the disciples asked Jesus whose sin was the result of this man being born without sight, Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned . . . but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (9:3). Ultimately, the blindness was used by Jesus to demonstrate His power to heal this infirmity; and as with the raising of Lazarus, the healing of the blind man brought many to trust in Jesus as Lord. (See my June 25, 2008, blog "Causes of Pain and Tragedy" for more information on the topic).
As we read the story of Lazarus' victory over death, we celebrate the power of God over our most formidable foe; still, we better understand that God uses our misfortunes (e.g. sicknesses, tragedies, accidents, etc.) to bring glory to Himself and draw people into an intimate fellowship with Him. We are never promised immunity from life's painful experiences; what we are assured of is that God can use these tribulations to further His kingdom. Let us remember this truth as we traverse the painful paths that life often presents to us.
Chapter 11 of the Book of John is the story of the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This was an incredible act of Jesus as Lord to demonstrate His Sovereign power to bring physical life again to a man who had been dead for four days. This specific miracle was a demonstrative act of power by Jesus to display that He is the Resurrection and the Life for all who would believe in Him as Lord (11:25).
With the magnificence of the miraculous act, one can miss a rather subtle truth that lay within the text, namely that sickness can be used by God to bring glory to Himself. Now, let me be quick to interject that God is not a misanthropic deity that enjoys the pain and misery of His creation. As one can even see from Jesus' weeping at the sight of Mary's grief over the loss of her brother (11:35), that God is genuinely concerned with our losses. Even so, God also knows that He can use the unfortunate experiences of our lives to bring about greater good for the furtherance of His glorious kingdom. Jesus' delay in responding to the news of Lazarus' illness and Lazarus' subsequent death from that illness, would be used by Jesus to demonstrate His power, thus drawing the crowds into a personal relationship with Him as Lord. As Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the people knew that Jesus was no ordinary prophet, for only God could bring life back to the dead. John 11:45 tells us that many people "put their faith in Jesus." The religious leaders were so alarmed at the popular response to Jesus that they believed that Jesus needed to be killed; otherwise, they felt that "everyone would (eventually) believe in Him (Jesus)" (11:48).
We find a similar response from Jesus in the story of the man born blind in John 9. When the disciples asked Jesus whose sin was the result of this man being born without sight, Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned . . . but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (9:3). Ultimately, the blindness was used by Jesus to demonstrate His power to heal this infirmity; and as with the raising of Lazarus, the healing of the blind man brought many to trust in Jesus as Lord. (See my June 25, 2008, blog "Causes of Pain and Tragedy" for more information on the topic).
As we read the story of Lazarus' victory over death, we celebrate the power of God over our most formidable foe; still, we better understand that God uses our misfortunes (e.g. sicknesses, tragedies, accidents, etc.) to bring glory to Himself and draw people into an intimate fellowship with Him. We are never promised immunity from life's painful experiences; what we are assured of is that God can use these tribulations to further His kingdom. Let us remember this truth as we traverse the painful paths that life often presents to us.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Repentance Involves Action!
Luke 19:8-9: Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.' Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house . . . '"
The story of Zacchaeus is noticeably distinct from the story of the rich young ruler in the previous chapter. Zacchaeus was one of the CHIEF tax collectors, which means that after he collected what the Romans expected in revenue, he was able to extort a lot more money from the people of Palestine for himself (with the backing of the Roman government). Scripture tells us that Zacchaeus was quite wealthy, but the people hated him for his abuses of power. In fact, the community was quite astonished that Jesus would choose to stay at the house of such a "sinner." No good Jew would think of associating with such a debased person as a tax collector, and Zacchaeus would have been seen as the chief of the reprobate for his position and abuses. Of course, many of us know the story of the short-statured Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree to get a glimpse of the Savior. What is fascinating with his encounter with Jesus was in the way that Jesus responded to him. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, he said that he MUST say at his house. The Greek word for "must" is a strongly emphatic word, suggesting utter necessity. Thus, Jesus was quite intentional at communicating that his staying with Zacchaeus was of utmost importance, and I believe that Jesus knew that salvation was soon to come to this man of such poor reputation.
Zacchaeus was so overwhelmed at this initiatory prompting by the Lord, that he immediately recognized his sins of abuse toward the people and responded to his guilt with corrective action. The chief tax collector gave half of his possessions to the poor and indemnified those whom he had extorted money four times over. Even the law of Moses only required that a person who had stolen money from another give the amount back plus 20% (Numbers 5:7). Zacchaeus was willing to give the stolen money plus 300% extra!
Jesus' reply was declarative . . . He exclaimed that Zacchaeus had received salvation from his sin. Now, this passage does not suggest that Zacchaeus' deeds of restitution saved him, for we know that salvation is solely the work of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9); still, we see from this passage that a truly transformed person cannot help but produce the fruit of repentance through his deeds/works. In other words, though works are not necessary for one's salvation, they are the necessary product of salvation (see Matthew 7:18-20 for further support of this truth).
If one contrasts the response of Zacchaeus with the rich young ruler of Luke 18, one will see a telling difference. The rich young ruler refused the invitation of the Lord for eternal life, for he craved the benefits and privileges of his wealth; in effect, the rich young ruler worshipped his earthly treasures above the Lord. As he turned away from the Savior (most likely for the last time before his judgment), Jesus said that it is quite difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus was keenly aware that people of wealth can fall prey to the personal adulation that affluence affords to the rich, and are therefore unwilling to surrender that "god" to the One True God. Zacchaeus however was different. He knew that wealth had a stranglehold on him, and thus he renounced his allegiance to it by giving much of it away. Zacchaeus was saying to the Lord, "nothing I am or have shall take priority over you as my Lord . . . I surrender it all to you."
May we all reflect upon our lives, and like Zacchaeus rid ourselves of anything that we are apt to worship as our god over Jesus Christ. He alone is to be worshipped. When we renounce our allegiance to the feigned substitutes that have taken priority over God in our lives, we demonstrate by our actions that we have been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing salvation to our souls.
The story of Zacchaeus is noticeably distinct from the story of the rich young ruler in the previous chapter. Zacchaeus was one of the CHIEF tax collectors, which means that after he collected what the Romans expected in revenue, he was able to extort a lot more money from the people of Palestine for himself (with the backing of the Roman government). Scripture tells us that Zacchaeus was quite wealthy, but the people hated him for his abuses of power. In fact, the community was quite astonished that Jesus would choose to stay at the house of such a "sinner." No good Jew would think of associating with such a debased person as a tax collector, and Zacchaeus would have been seen as the chief of the reprobate for his position and abuses. Of course, many of us know the story of the short-statured Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree to get a glimpse of the Savior. What is fascinating with his encounter with Jesus was in the way that Jesus responded to him. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, he said that he MUST say at his house. The Greek word for "must" is a strongly emphatic word, suggesting utter necessity. Thus, Jesus was quite intentional at communicating that his staying with Zacchaeus was of utmost importance, and I believe that Jesus knew that salvation was soon to come to this man of such poor reputation.
Zacchaeus was so overwhelmed at this initiatory prompting by the Lord, that he immediately recognized his sins of abuse toward the people and responded to his guilt with corrective action. The chief tax collector gave half of his possessions to the poor and indemnified those whom he had extorted money four times over. Even the law of Moses only required that a person who had stolen money from another give the amount back plus 20% (Numbers 5:7). Zacchaeus was willing to give the stolen money plus 300% extra!
Jesus' reply was declarative . . . He exclaimed that Zacchaeus had received salvation from his sin. Now, this passage does not suggest that Zacchaeus' deeds of restitution saved him, for we know that salvation is solely the work of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9); still, we see from this passage that a truly transformed person cannot help but produce the fruit of repentance through his deeds/works. In other words, though works are not necessary for one's salvation, they are the necessary product of salvation (see Matthew 7:18-20 for further support of this truth).
If one contrasts the response of Zacchaeus with the rich young ruler of Luke 18, one will see a telling difference. The rich young ruler refused the invitation of the Lord for eternal life, for he craved the benefits and privileges of his wealth; in effect, the rich young ruler worshipped his earthly treasures above the Lord. As he turned away from the Savior (most likely for the last time before his judgment), Jesus said that it is quite difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus was keenly aware that people of wealth can fall prey to the personal adulation that affluence affords to the rich, and are therefore unwilling to surrender that "god" to the One True God. Zacchaeus however was different. He knew that wealth had a stranglehold on him, and thus he renounced his allegiance to it by giving much of it away. Zacchaeus was saying to the Lord, "nothing I am or have shall take priority over you as my Lord . . . I surrender it all to you."
May we all reflect upon our lives, and like Zacchaeus rid ourselves of anything that we are apt to worship as our god over Jesus Christ. He alone is to be worshipped. When we renounce our allegiance to the feigned substitutes that have taken priority over God in our lives, we demonstrate by our actions that we have been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing salvation to our souls.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Effective Praying
Luke 18:1: "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
A lot of Christians talk about the importance of prayer, but few are diligent enough to experience it regularly. Oh, of course there are the trite, perfunctory repetitions that we say before a meal or during a church service, but the powerful prayers that usher us before the throne of God are noticeably absent in our lives.
One main reason for this dearth of an effective prayer life is our lack of faith that prayer really accomplishes anything. When we are faced with an issue of which we are not able to control ourselves, we rush to our knees to offer the petition to the Lord. As soon as the words have flowed from our mouths, we look up waiting for the portals of heaven to open and the very glory of God to appear with the heavenly hosts praising the Lord's immediate intervention for our supplications.
Then, when we see that nothing happens, we quickly lose hope in God answering our pleas. Many of us give up on praying, thinking that God has already made up His mind as to how our life events will unfold, and we then seem to float through life not tasting the fullness of God's provision, simply because we get to the point that we don't even ask Him.
In the passage above, Jesus used a parable to teach His disciples that they should never stop giving up on prayer. The story is of a widow who sought justice for a wrongdoing against her. As she approached the judge, who wasn't righteous and did not care about his subjects, she was relentless in her petitions to him for his intervention. And the more she returned to the judge, the more he became overwhelmed with her persistence. This unrighteous judge got to the point that her presence was wearing him out; therefore, he relented and granted her request although he did not care about the deplorable circumstances that she was facing.
Jesus used this imagery to communicate to His disciples that if an indifferent, pagan judge was willing to change his response, given the persistence of the widow, how much more would the Righteous Judge (the Lord) answer those who "cry out to him day and night" (18:7).
At the end of the chapter, Jesus had an encounter with a blind beggar who heard that Jesus was passing by and knew that He had the power to heal him. As the blind man cried out to Jesus for His mercy, the followers of Jesus rebuked the man for his vociferous comments. They told the man to keep quiet, but their warnings caused the man to be even more determined to get the Lord's attention. Jesus noticed the man's resolve, and He asked the disciples to bring the man to Him. Jesus then asked the man directly what he wanted. Jesus knew the answer already, but he wanted to see if the man was willing to petition Him for such a miracle . . . He wanted to see if the man had the faith to ask the Lord for His divine intervention.
When the man asked for his sight, Jesus honored his request and healed the man, saying "Your faith has healed you." The people were amazed as such a supernatural work and praised God for the miracle.
Now, wedged between these two accounts in Luke 18 of the need for persistent prayer are four essential ingredients to an effective prayer life:
1. Humility: In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, one finds that the tax collector was justified and exalted before the Lord for His spirit of humility. This man felt himself unworthy to even look toward heaven, and cried that the Lord would simply have mercy on him for his sinfulness. This man HAD his prayer answered.
2. Faith: In the next story, Jesus is approached by several little children. The disciples rebuked these children for bothering the Savior, but Jesus reprimanded His disciples, saying that true believers must "receive the kingdom of God like a little child." We know that children will readily put their trust in someone or something quickly. They don't sit back and process through the information wandering if something is in fact worthy of their faith. When children pray, they believe that God hears them and that God will answer them. They don't have a fatalistic perspective, thinking that their prayers are worthless.
3. Surrender: The next ingredient introduced for an effective prayer life is surrender. In this story, Jesus is approached by a rich ruler who wants eternal life. Jesus, knowing that the man loved his wealth so much that he idolized it, instructed the man to sell everything that he had and follow Him. The man needed to remove everything in his life that had a higher priority than the One True God . . . tragically he refused to surrender.
4. Power of God in Salvation: Lastly and most importantly, the essential ingredient for an effective prayer life is the power of God working redemptively for our salvation. This work is accomplished solely through the love and power of God through His death and resurrection. As Jesus was raised on the third day from the grave, He demonstrated that He has power over sin and death, and is able to now open the channels of communication between His once estranged people and Himself. This is why the writer of Hebrews can write in 4:14-16: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Jesus' victory over sin gives us the privilege of approaching His throne with our requests, knowing that we will not be repelled by His Holiness. As we seek His mercy with a humble, trusting spirit, He promises to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). What a tremendous blessing it is to even have the opportunity to talk with the Lord.
What a tremendous word we have on prayer. To recap, let's be reminded of what we must do:
1. We need to be persistent in our prayers. God will hear us and answer us. To give up on prayer is to close the blessings that God desires to pour out upon us (see James 4:2).
2. We need to demonstrate humility, trust, and surrender to the Lord as we pray. God will not answer us if our prayers are intended to bolster the idol of "self" within us. This is clearly addressed in James 4:3: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
3. We need to remember that prayer is an awesome privilege, afforded to us through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection. To stop praying is to say that Jesus is not able or willing to intervene . . . we in effect say of God, "God you are not powerful enough to do that which we ask or you are too aloof to care about what we're going through." Neither conclusion is true, and in reality is a brazen criticism of His sovereignty and love for us.
Let's be a people of prayer . . . knowing that effective prayer is possible through obedience to His Word.
A lot of Christians talk about the importance of prayer, but few are diligent enough to experience it regularly. Oh, of course there are the trite, perfunctory repetitions that we say before a meal or during a church service, but the powerful prayers that usher us before the throne of God are noticeably absent in our lives.
One main reason for this dearth of an effective prayer life is our lack of faith that prayer really accomplishes anything. When we are faced with an issue of which we are not able to control ourselves, we rush to our knees to offer the petition to the Lord. As soon as the words have flowed from our mouths, we look up waiting for the portals of heaven to open and the very glory of God to appear with the heavenly hosts praising the Lord's immediate intervention for our supplications.
Then, when we see that nothing happens, we quickly lose hope in God answering our pleas. Many of us give up on praying, thinking that God has already made up His mind as to how our life events will unfold, and we then seem to float through life not tasting the fullness of God's provision, simply because we get to the point that we don't even ask Him.
In the passage above, Jesus used a parable to teach His disciples that they should never stop giving up on prayer. The story is of a widow who sought justice for a wrongdoing against her. As she approached the judge, who wasn't righteous and did not care about his subjects, she was relentless in her petitions to him for his intervention. And the more she returned to the judge, the more he became overwhelmed with her persistence. This unrighteous judge got to the point that her presence was wearing him out; therefore, he relented and granted her request although he did not care about the deplorable circumstances that she was facing.
Jesus used this imagery to communicate to His disciples that if an indifferent, pagan judge was willing to change his response, given the persistence of the widow, how much more would the Righteous Judge (the Lord) answer those who "cry out to him day and night" (18:7).
At the end of the chapter, Jesus had an encounter with a blind beggar who heard that Jesus was passing by and knew that He had the power to heal him. As the blind man cried out to Jesus for His mercy, the followers of Jesus rebuked the man for his vociferous comments. They told the man to keep quiet, but their warnings caused the man to be even more determined to get the Lord's attention. Jesus noticed the man's resolve, and He asked the disciples to bring the man to Him. Jesus then asked the man directly what he wanted. Jesus knew the answer already, but he wanted to see if the man was willing to petition Him for such a miracle . . . He wanted to see if the man had the faith to ask the Lord for His divine intervention.
When the man asked for his sight, Jesus honored his request and healed the man, saying "Your faith has healed you." The people were amazed as such a supernatural work and praised God for the miracle.
Now, wedged between these two accounts in Luke 18 of the need for persistent prayer are four essential ingredients to an effective prayer life:
1. Humility: In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, one finds that the tax collector was justified and exalted before the Lord for His spirit of humility. This man felt himself unworthy to even look toward heaven, and cried that the Lord would simply have mercy on him for his sinfulness. This man HAD his prayer answered.
2. Faith: In the next story, Jesus is approached by several little children. The disciples rebuked these children for bothering the Savior, but Jesus reprimanded His disciples, saying that true believers must "receive the kingdom of God like a little child." We know that children will readily put their trust in someone or something quickly. They don't sit back and process through the information wandering if something is in fact worthy of their faith. When children pray, they believe that God hears them and that God will answer them. They don't have a fatalistic perspective, thinking that their prayers are worthless.
3. Surrender: The next ingredient introduced for an effective prayer life is surrender. In this story, Jesus is approached by a rich ruler who wants eternal life. Jesus, knowing that the man loved his wealth so much that he idolized it, instructed the man to sell everything that he had and follow Him. The man needed to remove everything in his life that had a higher priority than the One True God . . . tragically he refused to surrender.
4. Power of God in Salvation: Lastly and most importantly, the essential ingredient for an effective prayer life is the power of God working redemptively for our salvation. This work is accomplished solely through the love and power of God through His death and resurrection. As Jesus was raised on the third day from the grave, He demonstrated that He has power over sin and death, and is able to now open the channels of communication between His once estranged people and Himself. This is why the writer of Hebrews can write in 4:14-16: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Jesus' victory over sin gives us the privilege of approaching His throne with our requests, knowing that we will not be repelled by His Holiness. As we seek His mercy with a humble, trusting spirit, He promises to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). What a tremendous blessing it is to even have the opportunity to talk with the Lord.
What a tremendous word we have on prayer. To recap, let's be reminded of what we must do:
1. We need to be persistent in our prayers. God will hear us and answer us. To give up on prayer is to close the blessings that God desires to pour out upon us (see James 4:2).
2. We need to demonstrate humility, trust, and surrender to the Lord as we pray. God will not answer us if our prayers are intended to bolster the idol of "self" within us. This is clearly addressed in James 4:3: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
3. We need to remember that prayer is an awesome privilege, afforded to us through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection. To stop praying is to say that Jesus is not able or willing to intervene . . . we in effect say of God, "God you are not powerful enough to do that which we ask or you are too aloof to care about what we're going through." Neither conclusion is true, and in reality is a brazen criticism of His sovereignty and love for us.
Let's be a people of prayer . . . knowing that effective prayer is possible through obedience to His Word.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
What Is Faith After All?
Luke 17:5, 10: "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' (Jesus later replied) So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
Having attended church my entire life, I have heard some interesting explanations of "faith" by teachers and preachers. Many have cited Hebrews 11 as the "faith chapter," and they specifically focus upon Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Whereas I believe that Hebrews 11 is a wonderful passage that can be used to better understand the concept of faith, I believe that people have erroneously misinterpreted what faith is from this chapter. For example, I've heard people say, "You just got to believe in God and that is faith" or "You just have to trust God as much as you trust the chair in which you are seated." It seems that people have relegated "faith" to a cognitive assent to the existence of God without any responsive action on their part. Many believe that we just need to know the tenets of the faith without truly practicing them; James 2:17 speaks to this kind of faith as being a "dead faith" (which in reality is no faith at all).
For me, the "faith chapter" of the Bible is Luke 17, for it is here that our Savior defines for the apostles what faith actually is. As the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, the Lord replied with a story of a servant who had been working for his master, plowing the fields and tending the sheep. When the servant arrived at the master's home after a long day of working in the master's fields, Jesus said that the master would not ask the servant to sit at the table to eat; rather, the master would tell the servant to prepare the master's meal and serve it. Only after that could the servant attend to his own personal needs. Jesus concluded the story by saying that the attitude of the servant should be one of unworthiness at being given the privilege of serving such a great master. Thus, the servant would not begrudge the numerous responsibilities that the master expected of him; rather, he would be honored to do what was considered to be his duty for his lord. This servant was humble, grateful, and surrendered to his master.
Soon after this word of instruction, Jesus encountered 10 lepers who wanted to be healed from their infirmity. Jesus healed them and instructed them to see the priests . . . an instruction that they quickly obeyed. However, only one returned to the Savior shouting praise to Him and falling at His feet in worship and thanksgiving. Jesus noted that this response of surrender and humble praise was the "faith" that saved the one leper who returned.
Afterward, Jesus began a discussion of the coming of the kingdom of God. As He warned His disciples not to worry about when the Son of Man would return in His glory, He mentioned that the world would be quite "faithless" when He returned. Jesus specifically referenced the days of Noah and Lot as the parallel disposition of the people at his second advent. The people of Noah and Lot's era were self-consumed with "eating and drinking, marrying, buying and selling, (etc.)". They were more consumed with their own personal wants than surrendering their wills to the will of God. Jesus warned His disciples to "Remember Lot's wife!" He did so to remind them that this woman was so longing of her selfish appetites that she was willing to defy the commands of the Lord in order that she might reclaim her right to her sensual desires. Jesus continued this warning by telling the disciples, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Jesus was reminding His disciples that being a disciple of the Lord necessitated sacrificing "self" on the throne of surrender to the One True God!
So what can we learn from this faith chapter? If we are desirous of an increased faith in our lives, we must be willing to see that we are unworthy servants before the Lord, and that it is a privilege to serve Him in obedience. We must be willing to fall at the feet of the Lord like the cured leper and worship Him above all other persons and things (including ourselves). We must not fall prey to the philosophy of this world that pursues the vanity of self-indulgence; rather, we must "lose our lives" in submission to the Lord as our Master and Savior.
This is faith at its core. It is so much more than mere intellectual awareness to the existence of God; it is capitulation, humility, obedience, and surrender all wrapped up into one. The way that we are able to increase our faith is by examining our heart's disposition to these truths and see if we are following them as an expression of worship to the Lord. If we need to increase our faith, we will start by seeking forgiveness for our not living lives of submission to the Lord. What we are assured is that the Lord is "Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). This is when our faith begins to grow . . . and this faith pleases the Lord (Hebrews 11:6).
Having attended church my entire life, I have heard some interesting explanations of "faith" by teachers and preachers. Many have cited Hebrews 11 as the "faith chapter," and they specifically focus upon Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Whereas I believe that Hebrews 11 is a wonderful passage that can be used to better understand the concept of faith, I believe that people have erroneously misinterpreted what faith is from this chapter. For example, I've heard people say, "You just got to believe in God and that is faith" or "You just have to trust God as much as you trust the chair in which you are seated." It seems that people have relegated "faith" to a cognitive assent to the existence of God without any responsive action on their part. Many believe that we just need to know the tenets of the faith without truly practicing them; James 2:17 speaks to this kind of faith as being a "dead faith" (which in reality is no faith at all).
For me, the "faith chapter" of the Bible is Luke 17, for it is here that our Savior defines for the apostles what faith actually is. As the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, the Lord replied with a story of a servant who had been working for his master, plowing the fields and tending the sheep. When the servant arrived at the master's home after a long day of working in the master's fields, Jesus said that the master would not ask the servant to sit at the table to eat; rather, the master would tell the servant to prepare the master's meal and serve it. Only after that could the servant attend to his own personal needs. Jesus concluded the story by saying that the attitude of the servant should be one of unworthiness at being given the privilege of serving such a great master. Thus, the servant would not begrudge the numerous responsibilities that the master expected of him; rather, he would be honored to do what was considered to be his duty for his lord. This servant was humble, grateful, and surrendered to his master.
Soon after this word of instruction, Jesus encountered 10 lepers who wanted to be healed from their infirmity. Jesus healed them and instructed them to see the priests . . . an instruction that they quickly obeyed. However, only one returned to the Savior shouting praise to Him and falling at His feet in worship and thanksgiving. Jesus noted that this response of surrender and humble praise was the "faith" that saved the one leper who returned.
Afterward, Jesus began a discussion of the coming of the kingdom of God. As He warned His disciples not to worry about when the Son of Man would return in His glory, He mentioned that the world would be quite "faithless" when He returned. Jesus specifically referenced the days of Noah and Lot as the parallel disposition of the people at his second advent. The people of Noah and Lot's era were self-consumed with "eating and drinking, marrying, buying and selling, (etc.)". They were more consumed with their own personal wants than surrendering their wills to the will of God. Jesus warned His disciples to "Remember Lot's wife!" He did so to remind them that this woman was so longing of her selfish appetites that she was willing to defy the commands of the Lord in order that she might reclaim her right to her sensual desires. Jesus continued this warning by telling the disciples, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Jesus was reminding His disciples that being a disciple of the Lord necessitated sacrificing "self" on the throne of surrender to the One True God!
So what can we learn from this faith chapter? If we are desirous of an increased faith in our lives, we must be willing to see that we are unworthy servants before the Lord, and that it is a privilege to serve Him in obedience. We must be willing to fall at the feet of the Lord like the cured leper and worship Him above all other persons and things (including ourselves). We must not fall prey to the philosophy of this world that pursues the vanity of self-indulgence; rather, we must "lose our lives" in submission to the Lord as our Master and Savior.
This is faith at its core. It is so much more than mere intellectual awareness to the existence of God; it is capitulation, humility, obedience, and surrender all wrapped up into one. The way that we are able to increase our faith is by examining our heart's disposition to these truths and see if we are following them as an expression of worship to the Lord. If we need to increase our faith, we will start by seeking forgiveness for our not living lives of submission to the Lord. What we are assured is that the Lord is "Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). This is when our faith begins to grow . . . and this faith pleases the Lord (Hebrews 11:6).
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