Jacob - The Christian Blogger

What is Biblical Manhood?

by JacobSeptember 22, 2021September 22, 2021Christian Living

Biblical manhood is sorely lacking in our world today, but what does it mean to be a man of God? We’ll examine the basics in this introduction.

Please note: this article only covers the basics. There will be more articles posted to this site soon that deal with different topics related to being a Biblical man. It's a wide-reaching topic with many different avenues to explore!

As a young man myself, Biblical manhood is a topic that sits near and dear to my heart.

What does it mean to be a Christian man? What is Biblical manhood?

Let us cut right to the point: being a man of God is about putting Christ first in everything you do. That may sound like a ‘well… duh!’ statement, but hear me out.

There are two super-broad callings that God assigns to human beings in adulthood. If you’re female, you’re called to be a woman of God. If you’re male, you’re called to be a man of God.

These two callings have a great deal of overlap. Both men and women are called to submit fully to Jesus. Both are called to love sacrificially. Both are called to respect and honor other people. Both are created with equal worth before God, and both are equally vital in this life.

Without Biblical womanhood, things go wrong. Without Biblical manhood, things go wrong.

Now, while both of these roles are very similar in some ways, they’re also very different in others. Here are a few examples:

Men (as husbands) are called to be the “head” of their households. Women (as wives) are called to submit to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:23-24).
Men are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Women are called to respect their husbands. (Ephesians 5:25-32).
Men are called to provide and protect their families (1 Timothy 5:8).

Obviously, these are not exhaustive. There are many further distinctions made between men and women in Scripture. Suffice it to say that (a) the callings of Biblical womanhood and manhood are equally important and are alike in many ways, and (b) these two callings are also different and distinct in many ways.

The Distinct Calling of Biblical Manhood

Many in today’s culture will take issue with the idea that the callings of men and women are separate. However, you cannot get away from this idea in Scripture. If we’re being true to everything the Bible says, we must admit that Biblical manhood and Biblical womanhood are distinct callings of equal importance and equal worth.

Anyone who teaches that there is no distinction between manhood and womanhood is teaching incorrectly. On the other hand, anyone who teaches that manhood is superior to womanhood (or vice-versa) is also teaching incorrectly.

They’re separate, vital, and equal. Both are absolutely essential. Both are necessary. Both have many things in common.

But they’re distinct.

For men, the calling of Biblical manhood is inherently leadership-oriented. We are called to submit fully to Jesus in all that we do, and out of this submission, we are called to lead sacrificially.

If you’re an adult male who believes upon Jesus Christ, congrats: you’re a leader. You may or may not know it yet, but that is what you’re called to be. You may not feel ready for it yet, but that’s what you’re called to be.

Now, don’t get me wrong – biblical womanhood also involves leadership. But it’s generally exercised in a different way.

When I say “leadership,” I mean that men are called to get out in front and plow the proverbial snow off the roads so that others can walk behind them. Biblical manhood is about bearing burdens so that others don’t have to.

The Nature of Biblical Manhood

A man of God is called to lead. But before we can talk about leadership, we have to talk about the essence – or the nature – of genuine Biblical manhood.

To do this, let’s first look at what it is not.

One of the world’s most common misconceptions of manhood is that it is all about rugged individualism, self-reliance, muscle, and testosterone.

Take the American “ideal” of a man: he is tall, muscular, drinks beer, plays/watches sports, dominates at the office, takes home a big paycheck, has a trophy wife (or girlfriend), drives a sleek and sporty car, and puts his own sensual pleasures above all other things.

He needs no one, and – perhaps by association – no one truly needs him. He’s a free agent who can do his own thing on his own time.

How do I know this? I’ve watched a lot of TV, seen a lot of movies, and met a lot of people. If you’ve been immersed in American culture for any significant length of time, you will have to nod your head in agreement with what I’ve just written.

Our culture subliminally tells men that there is something wrong with them if they’re not muscular, sexually promiscuous, fun-loving, and money-oriented. According to the popular culture, a man ought to be someone who can get whatever he wants whenever he wants.

And that has been our ideal – more or less – since the 1950s. But here’s the problem: it’s wrong.

The American ideal of a man is something birthed out of consumerism. If you read back through the description written above, you will find that you can distill it down to one base essence: a man is defined by what he consumes.

This is why you can watch NFL games on TV and every commercial is about beer, cars, and medicines designed to increase a man’s sexual performance. The message is this: your manhood is defined by what you consume.

Want to be more manly? Drink this beer.

What to be more manly? Buy this car.

Want to be more manly? Take this medicine and have your share of fun.

Pop culture manhood is about consumption. But Biblical manhood stands in sharp relief to this.

Biblical manhood is about what you PRODUCE.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Men of God are supposed to be givers, not takers. They’re producers, not consumers. A man of God should not ask himself, “What can I get out of this?”

Rather, he should ask himself, “What can I give?”

Biblical manhood is about what you produce; it’s about adding value to others’ lives. Therefore, a Biblical man is first and foremost a servant. Nowhere was this more perfectly modeled than in the life of Jesus Christ, who is our ideal for what true manhood looks like.

Jesus, though He was unlimited in power and incomprehensible in intellect, humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross for us. He endured not only physical pain, but spiritual anguish and the mockery of the world.

In fact, if you could go back in time to the day Jesus was crucified, you would find that virtually nobody considered Him a “success.” Instead, they would say He died for nothing. They would label Him at the very most a dangerous heretic, and at the very least a blundering fool whose life was marked by delusion.

How could someone with such power – after all, He claimed to be God – meet such a shameful death? Even in the days of ancient Rome, the popular culture’s ideal of masculinity was corrupt.

Jesus did not die a wealthy man. He did not die a powerful man, except in the eyes of those few who truly followed Him. He did not die a glorious death. His end was met on a cross, at the hands of executioners. The Roman ideal for death would have been one of heroic sacrifice in battle, where one laid down his life for the good of his fellow soldiers.

To the eyes of the world, Christ did not die an honorable or glorious death.

He died in shame, in dishonor, and – though He claimed to be God and claimed to bring a new kingdom to the world – was instead arrested, beaten, and killed. To all who watched, it seemed that this man had a mission… and failed in the most miserable and lowly ways possible.

But you and I know the truth.

Did Jesus really fail in His mission? Of course not! His life was not marked by delusion, weakness, and failure (as the pop culture of His day thought), but rather consistent humility, servanthood, and sacrifice. That is our template for manhood.

Truly, we have some big shoes to fill.

What does the life of Jesus Christ teach us about what it looks like to be a man? It teaches us that we do not define success in terms of dollars signs, possessions, or sexual partners. We do not define success in terms of power or position. We don’t even get to define success by what others think of us.

We define our success as Biblical men by one standard only: are we living for Christ, and in doing so, are we laying our lives down for the good of others?

That is the benchmark by which we measure Biblical manhood.

Biblical Manhood is About Leading Well

Leadership – particularly the leadership that should be embodied by men of God – deserves a long article in its own right. I fully plan on writing one soon. But as we near the end of this post, I’d like to simply touch briefly on the necessity of leadership.

Biblical men are leaders. But this leadership is not about “getting your way.”

Because our culture’s ideal of masculinity is corrupted, our culture’s ideal of leadership is also corrupted. Many people believe that leaders are those who always come first, who get the biggest portions, and who receive the most favorable treatment. They believe that leaders are those who, either by seniority or competence, deserve and receive the “best.”

But nothing could be further from the truth.

That is what our culture says leadership is, but it’s not true leadership. The culture’s view of leadership is one where the leader is being served, whereas Biblical leadership is all about serving others.

Jesus is our foremost example in this area. Just as He perfectly modeled Biblical manhood, He also perfectly modeled the Biblical standard of leadership.

As was shown earlier, Christ’s life was a constant example of sacrifice and servanthood. He was the leader of all leaders, the most perfect leader the world has ever seen.

And what did it get Him?

Well, it got Him crucified. Christ’s leadership was a constant laying down of His own interests for others. Christ did nothing from selfish ambition and nothing for the sake of gaining fame or fortune. He did everything out of sincere love and deep sacrifice.

This is our example.

Christ exemplified Biblical manhood, and – in doing so – Biblical leadership. As a man of God, your call is to die to yourself and use your strength to stand up for others. It’s a call to seek the welfare of your family, your friends, and your neighbors before yourself.

It is a call to imitate Jesus, and while we will never perfectly do this, it is up to us to submit to Him as best we can, trusting Him to empower us to live a life of service and worship.

As a last resource, please feel free to check out Paul Washer’s teachings on Biblical manhood. You can find them on YouTube and on other online sites. Here’s a shorter video that serves well as an introduction:

God bless.

The Lordship of Jesus

by JacobSeptember 15, 2021September 15, 2021Christian Living

Jesus is Lord. What does this phrase mean? In this article, we’re taking a look at the lordship of Jesus Christ, and what it means for our lives.

Jesus is Lord.

We hear that phrase often; it’s painted on roadway signs and plastered on church marquees all over the nation.

But what does it really mean?

Philippians 2:9-11 tells us,

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:9-11, ESV]

Not only is Jesus Lord, Scripture tells us that there will come a day when every person will assent to His lordship.

Clearly, the lordship of Jesus is important. It’s fundamental to who He is, and how He relates to us as human beings.

Here are three aspects of Christ’s lordship over our lives.

1. Jesus is Sovereign

Jesus Christ is God. He is a member of the Trinity, which consists of three separate persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Each is separate, yet also God. They are different, yet the same. The Trinity is a mystery which has been pondered by theologians and scholars of the most brilliant sort for thousands of years. I would venture to say that no human being has ever had a perfectly correct understanding of the Trinity.

The best we can do is approximate.

We can know that there is a Trinity, yet still be unable to fully grasp the nature of the Trinity. It is a mystery that will remain partially hidden to us until we go to be with the Lord.

But I digress. Jesus is God, which means that He is sovereign.

What does “sovereign” mean? From Merriam-Webster, the term ‘sovereign’ is defined as follows:

Possessed of supreme power
Unlimited in extent; ABSOLUTE
Enjoying autonomy; INDEPENDENT

In other words, sovereignty goes beyond merely being “powerful.” A person is sovereign if he or she possesses absolute, unequivocal, unchallenged authority and independence.

Throughout much of the Middle Ages and into the Enlightenment, kings and queens in Europe were often referred to as “sovereigns.” Today, independent countries are referred to as “sovereign nations.” This means they have unchallenged and absolute authority to govern the lands within their borders.

Sovereignty is exclusive. It’s pre-eminent. It’s paramount. If someone or something is sovereign, it possesses the highest possible level of authority.

Jesus, therefore, possesses the “highest possible authority.” Let’s ponder that statement for just a moment.

Today, we have sovereign nations. The United States is a sovereign nation. No other nation – not Mexico, nor Canada, nor Russia, nor India, nor any other country – has the right to govern territory within the American border.

That right is exclusively reserved for the government of the United States.

The government has charge over the land; therefore, it is the highest authority in the land. But does the government of the U.S. truly own the land? Furthermore, does the government own the people?

No.

Can the government compel anyone to do anything it wants? No.

Even if the U.S. were a totalitarian dictatorship, like North Korea or the now-defunct Soviet Union, it would still be imperfect in its wielding of power.

Why do totalitarian states set up prison camps?

Because people tend to disobey. Even the most powerful and far-reaching governments the world has ever created cannot enforce perfect obedience on their people.

Thus, the “sovereignty” of any person or any government will be imperfect. It won’t be truly absolute. A king may declare himself sovereign, but he can be disobeyed. He can be attacked by other kings. His authority does not extend perfectly to the furthest reaches of the earth.

But Jesus’ authority IS absolute.

Jesus, being God, is the Creator of all things. Nothing exists that was not created through Him (John 1:3). Therefore, Jesus’ sovereignty is true sovereignty. It’s absolute.

Try as you might, you cannot escape His might.

You can float out into international waters and be free of national government. You can build a rocket, fly to Mars, and declare yourself free from all authority in the world. Odds are, the world will not be able to seriously challenge you from your new perch.

But try as you might, you can never escape God’s grasp. Go to the depths of the ocean, and you’ll find Him. Fly to Mars, and you’ll find Him. Launch yourself to another solar system at the speed of light, and once you arrive, you will be no further from the grasp of God than when you started.

Jesus is sovereign. His authority is absolute. It is based on His ownership of all things.

Nothing – yes, NOTHING – exists apart from His direct creation. Every star you can see, every planet you can visit, every mountain peak and every valley and every prairie you can walk through – all was made by His hand.

He owns all things, including you. You can’t escape Him. You cannot challenge Him. His authority is supreme, never-ending, and all-encompassing.

Jesus is sovereign. This is the basis of His lordship. As the late S.M. Lockridge so eloquently put it, “His lordship is based on His ownership.”

S.M. Lockridge on the lordship of Jesus Christ

2. Jesus is Just

We have established that Jesus, being God, is all-powerful. Nothing exists apart from Him, and nothing is outside the scope of His rule and reign. This is Jesus’ sovereignty.

But what about the character of Jesus Christ? Throughout history, we have seen examples of sovereign rulers and sovereign nations that have abused humanity to extents hardly imaginable.

We have examples of genocide, of mass murder, of exploitation, and of horrendous injustice. The character of a sovereign person or government is crucial. Is Jesus a “just king” or an “unjust king?”

The answer: He is just. In fact, there is no authority more just than His authority.

Jesus is fair. He is just. He is righteous, correct, and perfect. He is infallible. He is the cornerstone upon which all notion of equity exists.

True justice does not exist apart from Christ.

What do I mean by this?

I mean that Jesus sets the rules, and He enforces the rules as they ought to be enforced. It’s as simple as that.

Christ is just. He invented justice.

Any concept that we have of justice is just a reflection – and an imperfect one at that – of the true standard set down by our Lord.

At the end of time, all men and women who have ever lived on the earth will be called forth to give an account of their lives. Hebrews 9:27 and Romans 14:12 guarantee this. It’s also talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:12.

Everyone – male and female, Jew and Gentile, believer and unbeliever – will stand before God and be judged. And this justice will be perfect. There will be no attorney, no jury, and no painstaking gathering of evidence. All the evidence will be held in God’s hands, because God sees and knows everything perfectly. All thoughts and all actions will be laid bare.

And His sentencing will be perfectly just.

There will be no abuse of power. There will be no corruption. The judge, the lawyer, the plaintiff, and the criminal of this life will stand before Christ as equals. Christ is the perfect judge, the “Judge of judges” if you will, and His sentencing is perfectly correct.

Some people will be sent to eternal damnation (Revelation 20:11-15), and others will be sent to eternal life (Matthew 25:46).

What determines one’s fate? It is not his or her actions in this life. Rather, it’s this: did that person repent of his sins and believe upon Jesus?

Herein lies the most wonderful aspect of Jesus’ justice: He freely gives pardon. We are all guilty apart from Him, but if we turn to Him and believe in Him – trusting Him for forgiveness – then we receive forgiveness. We are declared ‘innocent.’

There are men in this world that have done despicable things which no human court could ever forgive. There are men who have murdered, abused, and slaughtered. Many of these men have been sentenced to life in prison or even death.

But let’s just say that the worst of the worst – a killer, a rapist, an abuser – leads a life of crime and is then sentenced to death for his atrocities. Yet right before his execution, he repents of his sins and believes upon Jesus.

That man is going to Heaven.

There are also men who have done great deeds, who have given to the poor and made the service of humanity the entire thrust of their lives, who will be judged and found guilty by God. Why? Because they never repented and believed upon Jesus.

This is the most perfect aspect of the justice of Jesus. It doesn’t work like our justice. We judge based upon deeds – and we should, because society would fall apart if we didn’t – but God ultimately judges based upon one thing: have we given our trust to Him?

Apart from Christ, we stand condemned. With Him, we stand absolved.

This brings us to the third aspect of Jesus’ lordship:

3. Jesus is Good and Merciful

We need not fear, because Jesus is merciful. And He is good.

Ponder this for a second: the Creator of the universe, the ultimate and supreme authority, is a good authority. He’s the best possible authority. We could not have asked for a better God and a better Savior.

Up to this point, we have shown that Jesus is sovereign and that Jesus is just. But Jesus is also merciful, and He is full of love.

This great power – a sovereign king, a just king, far above our ability to comprehend – freely offered His life for our salvation.

Allow me to be blunt, and to ask a question: who in your life would you die for?

If you’re like most people, you might say that you’d die for your kids. You might say you’d die for your spouse, your siblings, or your best friends. Perhaps there is nobody in this world that you would die for.

My point is this: people don’t die for those they care nothing about. Speaking as a typical human, I would not be inclined to die for a random stranger. I would not be inclined to die even for an acquaintance.

But what about an enemy? What about someone diametrically opposed to me? Would I die for such a person?

If someone were to come to you, spit on you, and tell you how worthless you were, would you turn around and sacrifice yourself for that person?

My guess is no. We would have a tough enough time not fighting back. We would have a tough enough time simply holding our tongue and being civil in return. I doubt we’d be filled with such genuine affection for that person that we would freely offer to die for them.

Where am I going with this? Well, Jesus showed His ultimate mercy for us in that He died for us. But Scripture tells us that Jesus Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6-8).

In other words, He died for His enemies. Those who are without God are against God, and those who sin are sinning against Him. When Christ came to the world, He was hated and spit upon and driven out of cities. He was ultimately captured, beaten, mocked, and murdered.

Yet what did He say during his crucifixion? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

That’s right; He was showing sacrificial love to the very men who drove nails into His flesh.

Few of us could imagine even coming close to such a display of sacrificial love and mercy. And we’re humans. We’re flawed. We’re imperfect, and we have all done things that are deserving of punishment.

But as for Jesus? He was the only person who ever lived a perfect life. And He was also the only person who ever offered His life in genuine love for those who hated Him. He deserved that the world would die for Him, but He flipped the narrative and died for the world.

This is mercy. This is love. This is the most tangible, visible, marquee-flashing-on-the-side-of-the-road sign of Christ’s mercy and grace.

He is good. He is merciful. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly just, and impartially merciful. He is entirely good and complete in love.

This is our Savior and our Lord.

How We Respond

The very nature of Jesus’ lordship demands that we respond. We cannot simply file this away in the back of our minds. We cannot pass ‘go’ and collect 200 dollars.

Jesus is worthy of our time. He is worthy of our respect.

And He is Lord.

Therefore, we must submit to Him as Lord of our lives. We must not only acknowledge His lordship in thought, but we must actively submit to Him in deed. Scripture says,

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. [1 John 5:1-3, ESV]

From this, it is clear that we are called to obey God’s commandments. Our first and foremost response to the lordship of Jesus ought to be love, and love for God is keeping His commandments.

There is a lie creeping into the culture – and even into the Church – that we do not have to submit to Jesus. This lie is very widespread. And it is damaging. It is damaging to the faith, to the Church, and to those who believe it.

To put it bluntly, we must submit to Jesus. It is absolutely necessary and absolutely imperative.

We are to come to Christ on His terms, not our own. We are to come to Him with a listening ear, a willing spirit, and a humble heart. We are to come to Him reverently, for He is worthy of all our respect and all our worship and all our honor.

The idea that one can simply believe in Jesus for “life insurance” so that they don’t go to Hell when they die is horribly incorrect. That’s not Christianity; it’s a product of the Western consumer mentality.

Remember: Jesus is all-powerful. He is all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-loving. And that same Christ died for you. That same Jesus Christ died for your personal sin.

What must we do in response? Treat Him as holy. Honor Him as set apart and in a tier all His own. We must submit to Him and take His yoke upon us. Scripture assures us that His yoke is easy, and that His commands are not burdensome.

Not only has our Savior been incomprehensibly merciful towards us, He continues to be so in that He is not burdensome. His yoke is easy! His commands are not unreasonable! He is deserving of all our obedience, and it is not unreasonable and impossible to obey Him.

Today, dear Believer, I encourage you to submit your life ever the more fully to Jesus. We all have areas in which we are not fully surrendered to the Lord. We all have areas which we want to wall off from Christ and declare, “Mine!”

But only trust Him; submit fully to Him. Surrender yourself more and more fully to Christ. He is worthy of it. Christ loves you more than you could ever know, and He desires that you would simply lay down your ambitions, your strivings, your desires, and your fears to embrace Him.

Run to Jesus, who is our Lord and our Savior.

God bless.

Tagged : Bible / Jesus Christ / Lord / Lordship / Salvation / Scripture / Sovereign

Christians and Homosexuality

by JacobSeptember 14, 2021September 14, 2021Christian Living

Is homosexuality a sin? Today, there is a controversial relationship between Christians and homosexuality. How should we view it, and what should we do?

Homosexuality is one of the most hot-button issues in the Church today.

Some Christians believe that homosexuality is an acceptable – and even holy – practice. Others are split on the issue. And still others are vehemently against homosexuality, placing it on a level that is above and beyond other sins.

We have groups who claim to be Christian – such as Westboro Baptist Church – that routinely use hateful language to describe homosexuals. The conduct of these groups is nothing less than despicable and vile.

Truly, the debate over homosexuality rages. Entire denominations are threatening to split apart over the issue. It is a big deal, and we as followers of Jesus need to know where we stand.

Is Homosexuality a Sin?

This is the root issue that must be resolved. As Christians, we are against sin. Therefore, anything that is sin – be it hatred, murder, racism, adultery, lying, stealing, etc. – must be opposed.

We cannot expect to embrace sin and do mighty works for the Lord.

So, is homosexuality a sin?

Yes.

As a follower of Christ and a reader of the Bible, it is my firm belief that homosexuality – and, more specifically, the practice of homosexuality – is a sin. God does not condone or tolerate it. In 1 Corinthians 6, we read the following:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV]

In this verse, we have what amounts to a laundry list of sins that will keep someone out of the Kingdom of God. Among these is the practice of homosexuality.

If we are to take the Bible at its word, then we must conclude that the practice of homosexuality is sinful.

Now, there are many theologians – and many very bright individuals – who would argue with me on this point. Their claim may be that the original Greek doesn’t translate into homosexuality as we understand it today. They may also claim that this was written to a certain people in a certain place and time (as was all of the Bible), and therefore it has no bearing on our lives today.

But here’s my problem with that: if we can claim that this section of Scripture is a mistranslation, then what prevents other passages from being mistranslated? How can we know that any of the Bible is translated correctly?

The same holds true for those who argue that this was written only to certain people in a certain context. If context truly is everything, then couldn’t we simply claim that the entire Bible was written in a cultural context that no longer exists?

If we go down either of these rabbit trails, we can invalidate everything the Bible says. We can reduce it to little more than a “wisdom book” which represents nothing more than one of mankind’s most impactful works of literature.

There is a huge problem with that: the Bible is the inspired, infallible word of God. It is directly breathed by God Himself (1 Timothy 3:16-17), and holds true across all cultural contexts and all times. It is an absolute authority, not merely a guidebook or a fancy piece of literature.

We either accept all of it, or we accept none of it. It is either God’s Word or it isn’t. No in-between.

Now, does this mean that all of the Bible should be interpreted literally, word for word? I don’t think so. There is plenty of imagery and poetry in Scripture, some of which is almost certainly metaphorical. But all Scripture is breathed out by God, and every word of it is true.

Even those passages which are “metaphorical” are expressing a rock-solid truth that should be taken at face value.

Having said all of this, it is clear that the practice of homosexuality is a sin. It is wrong in the sight of God, just like idolatry, adultery, stealing, drunkenness, and so forth (re-read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

How Should We Handle Homosexuality?

This is the second most important issue that must be resolved. Since homosexual behavior is a sin, what should we as Christians do about it?

First off, let’s look at what not to do.

Many of our more “progressive” brothers and sisters in Christ take a very open (and outright celebratory) stance towards homosexuality. Progressive Christians typically respond to homosexuality in the following ways:

Welcoming practicing homosexuality with open arms
Affirming practicing homosexuality’s stance as “good” in the eyes of God
Allowing practicing homosexuals to serve in leadership, including as pastors
Ordaining homosexual weddings

Throughout all of this, one thing is incredibly clear: progressive Christians have gotten very good at being open-minded and hospitable. These are admirable, and they’re things that we are called to as followers of Christ. We are called to welcome and love others.

However, homosexuality is a sin. Therefore, we must not make a practice of accepting it as a “good thing.” It is not a good thing, and it will lead to separation from God. We are called to love those who practice homosexuality, but love is not synonymous with affirmation.

If anything, we are being unloving if we affirm homosexual behavior, since the loving thing to do is to point out and correct sins in the lives of others. The Gospel is about transformation, not stagnation. It’s about growing away from sin, not remaining in sin.

The “progressive” treatment of homosexuality is correct in that it shows hospitality, but incorrect in that it does not preach a message of repentance and turning from sin.

On the other side of the proverbial aisle, we have highly reactionary brothers and sisters who often treat homosexuality as follows:

Actively using strong (or even hateful) language towards homosexuals
Condemning homosexuals without showing love
Shutting out, ostracizing, or even bullying homosexuals
Refusing to reach out to or minister to homosexuals

In a sense, reactionary Christians often run into the opposite problem as their highly progressive brethren. Progressive Christianity shows love without disapproval; reactionary Christianity shows disapproval without love.

I do not mean to paint a generalization here, but this is how the trends usually lie. And both approaches – while common in Christendom today – are flawed.

Here’s what we truly need to be doing: we need to combine genuine love with strong disapproval.

You see, it is a great lie of today’s society that love equals affirmation. It doesn’t. In fact, affirmation is not always loving.

I’ll use an illustration.

Let’s say that my friend is drunk, and he wants to drive home. He asks me for the keys to the car. I give him the keys and affirm his choice to drive, even though he is in no condition to drive.

He drives out onto the road, gets in a head-on accident, and dies. As the person who affirmed and enabled him, I bear some of the responsibility of his death.

The enabling of sin is the same thing.

When we are unwilling to take a firm stance against sinful behavior – such as homosexual practices – we are essentially “giving the keys” to our perishing neighbors and friends. You see, sin has eternal consequences. You don’t just “get away with” sin.

Unless you turn from your sins and turn to Jesus, you will perish.

This is the message we must preach: we love the world (just as Jesus did, per John 3:16), and because we love the world, we are calling others to forsake their sins and turn to Christ. We do not use hateful language, we do not bully, we do not ostracize, and we do not grow bitter.

But we also do not affirm others’ behavior and tell them that they do not need to change.

If a practicing homosexual comes into a church, there are two ways to not love him: we can curse him and throw him out, or we can affirm him and tell him that he does not need to change.

Neither are correct. Neither are loving.

When it comes to our practicing homosexual friends, neighbors, relatives, and so forth, we must be willing to show compassion, kindness, and love. We must also be willing to let them know that their behavior is sinful, and that it is something that must be repented of.

This is how we are to love not only homosexuals, but all sinners – and everyone is a sinner. In a very real sense, we cannot distinguish between “homosexuals” and “other sinners.”

All sin is sin. All sinners are sinners.

And all sinners ought to be treated the same way: with kindness and generosity, yet with a clear and firm call to change and become followers of Jesus.

Moving Forward

It is my hope that all those reading this would gain something from it. It is my hope that this writing would engage and enable us as believers to move in love and in kindness, showing generosity and sacrifice without compromising the truth of the Gospel.

Today’s world is growing increasingly hostile towards Christians. The culture is buying into the lie that “love equals affirmation.” But it doesn’t.

As a result, many are pushing hard against this trend and reacting with a message of exclusivity and coldness. There seem to be very few who toe the line and show both kindness and condemnation.

There must be more of us. Today’s world demands it. And in the showdown arena of the homosexuality debate, this is especially important.

Our call is to sacrifice for others, to love others, and to present others with the clear and honest truth of the Gospel: that there is healing, there is restoration, and there is salvation. But one cannot remain in his sins; he must change and turn to Jesus.

This is how we should respond to all sinners, including those who practice homosexuality. They’re dead in their sins, but can be made alive in Christ.

God bless.

Tagged : Christian / Christianity / Church / Controversy / Homosexuality / LGBTQ / Sin

The Godly Will Experience Persecution

by JacobSeptember 2, 2021September 2, 2021Christian Living

The Bible tells us that all those who desire to live a godly life will experience persecution. Here’s a look at how we should handle persecution as followers of Christ.

I went on a mission trip when I was a sophomore in college. While on the trip, our team took an evening to watch a movie called The Insanity of God.

I don’t remember a whole lot of the film, but I do remember the story of a man named Dmitri.

Dmitri’s Story: a Life of Persecution

Dmitri was a Russian pastor who served the Lord during the days of the Soviet Union’s harsh crackdown on religion. He was arrested one evening when Communist officials broke into his house during a religious service.

The Soviet government had him transported to a state prison 600 miles away. The prison was filled with 1,500 hardened criminals.

The next 17 years would be the toughest years of his life.

During that time, he was relentlessly beaten and tortured by prison guards for his faith. He was also mocked and hated by the other inmates, who were convinced that Dmitri’s continued worship of Jesus was nothing more than a make-believe fantasy.

But Dmitri persisted.

One day, the guards discovered a piece of paper in Dmitri’s cell. On the paper, he had written down every Bible verse and promise of God that he could remember. The guards were irate. They started to drag Dmitri from his cell, fully intending to kill him.

But suddenly, all 1,500 prison inmates came to the front of their cells and raised their hands in worship, singing the same song that Dmitri had sung every morning during his 17 years at the prison.

Shocked, the guards froze in their tracks. They stared at Dmitri and said, “Who are you?”

Dmitri looked them directly in the eye and replied that he was a child of the living God.

Shortly after this incident, he was released.

All Who Desire to Live a Godly Life Will Experience Persecution

Dmitri was, quite simply, a man who desired to live a Godly life. His focus was not on the world.

His focus was on God.

The apostle Paul found himself in the same boat. A fiery evangelist during the time of Rome’s fiercest persecution of Christians, Paul was often arrested, beaten, tortured, and ostracized for his faith.

In 2 Timothy 3, he wrote these words:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. [2 Timothy 3:12-13, ESV]

If anyone was familiar with persecution, it was Paul. In fact, the letter of 2 Timothy was written during a period of imprisonment for Paul, likely from a prison cell. Paul spoke often about his experience with persecution and his time spent “in chains.”

But why, really, was Paul persecuted so intensely?

It’s for the same reason that many of Christ’s followers have been persecuted throughout history: because the world hates them. The world is at enmity with God.

Jesus Himself tells us that the world hated Him first. Therefore, it will hate His followers as well.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [John 15:18-19, ESV]

This is the fundamental reason behind persecution: the world hates God. If we love God and keep to Him, the world will hate us by association.

That is a fact.

When Paul was writing the letter of 2 Timothy, he did not say, “Those who desire to live a godly life might be persecuted.” Instead, he asserted it as an inarguable truth.

All those who desire to live a godly life WILL be persecuted.

God and the world do not see eye to eye. Therefore, there will always be deep conflict between them.

What Does Persecution Look Like?

If you’re a Christian in the United States or much of the rest of the Western world, you are probably unfamiliar with the level of persecution that Paul and Dmitri endured.

You’ve probably never been arrested, beaten, or imprisoned for your faith.

You’ve probably never gone to sleep with the nagging worry that your door would be kicked down in the middle of the night by the secret police.

But even for those of us who live in nations that prize freedom of worship, persecution is still to be expected. It simply changes forms.

Persecution might look like others disliking you for your faith. If you put Jesus first, then you’re likely to become an outcast among many groups in society. You may have others who ridicule you or make fun of you for your devotion to Christ.

People may bash you for your unwillingness to participate in the same activities they do.

Persecution might also look like being discriminated against in the workplace. It is becoming increasingly common for employers and managers to see devoted Christians as “Jesus freaks,” who will try to force their religion on others at every opportunity.

As a result, practicing Christians are often passed over for promotions. Some may even be fired for things related to their beliefs.

In recent times, a worrying trend in the United States (and much of Europe) has been a trend towards restricting religious liberty in the field of business. There are many laws being passed that outlaw “discrimination” against people of un-Biblical sexual lifestyles.

Although these laws may be well-meaning, they have the effect of forcing Christian business owners to cater to lifestyles that they do not support.

If the Christian sticks to his beliefs, he may face severe financial penalties or even lose his business.

Indeed, persecution of Christians in many Western nations is on the rise. Whereas Judeo-Christian morality used to be the expected norm in the West, this morality is fast becoming hated and even persecuted. Our nations are becoming increasingly hostile to Christians because they are becoming more and more worldly.

Simply remember what Jesus said: the world hated Him first, and it will hate us too.

Persecution, in some form or another, is unavoidable.

Standing During Persecution

Thankfully, the Scripture gives us encouragement when it comes to persecution. And our God, being a good Father, does not leave us out to dry.

Perhaps the greatest piece of encouragement comes at the end of John 16.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. [John 16:33, ESV]

From this, we can glean a sort of recipe on how to stand during persecution. Here’s point number one:

1: Be anchored in the Word of God.

If you really want to be able to stand against the insults, hatred, and persecution of the world, you will need to be saturated with the Word of God. Notice how Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.”

If we desire strength to stand, we need to first look at the sayings of Jesus. And where do we find that? In the Bible!

The more we devote ourselves to reading God’s word and knowing Him, the more sturdy and anchored we will be in Him. Scripture tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

To stand during the trials of this life, we first must be rooted in the Word. We must know our God, having gained faith by hearing His Word.

2: Know that persecution is coming.

It is one thing to ride a bike when the training wheels are on. It’s quite another to ride a bike without the training wheels.

Oftentimes, we receive the Word gladly and we share it with others. We love the sweet fellowship. We love to talk about Christ with those who are our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

We need this fellowship – it is vital for our walk in Christ.

How disappointing is it, then, when we try to talk about Christ with someone at work or in public and they call us a religious freak? How much does that let the air out of our proverbial tires?

It’s easy to become discouraged when we expect the Christian life to be a cake walk. Aside from knowing our God, the second thing we have to do is this: we need to expect trials and persecution.

Life as a follower of Christ is not easy. It requires great sacrifice and endurance. Those who tell you that your life will magically get easier once you devote yourself to God are not telling you the whole truth.

Does our life get easier? In many ways, yes. We have the joy of fellowship with our Creator and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we also experience persecution. We will draw the hatred of those who don’t know God.

In many ways, life will get harder… significantly harder.

Will this be uncomfortable? Yes. Will it ever get easy? No. But we need to expect it. We need to know that it’s coming – for all of us. For every Christian, there will be experiences of persecution and difficulty. We should get ourselves used to this and acquainted with this fact.

We will have troubles. But…

3: Take Heart in Jesus

We can read the Word, engage in fellowship, and get acquainted with the fact that persecution will happen. But none of those things will do us much good if we aren’t constantly looking to Christ.

Jesus’ call at the end of John 16 is a call to assurance. It’s a call to rest. We don’t endure persecution on our own.

When you’re called names for your faith, you aren’t standing alone. When you’re excluded from groups or shut out of promotions, you’re not standing alone. You are not an island.

Jesus is always there.

But we have to look to Him.

When things get tough, we must look to Him. We must behold Him, keeping Him always in our sight. We must remind ourselves that He’s there to bear our burdens with us.

And, ultimately, He has overcome the world.

You see, it is easy to let the world get the best of us. Think back to Dmitri. Wouldn’t it have been so tempting for him to renounce his faith? Wouldn’t it have been tempting for him to look at the might of the prison, the guards, and the anti-Christian Soviet government, and simply lay down in defeat?

I don’t know about you, but I would have been tempted. And I’m sure he was as well.

Where is my God? He must have asked. Why have I been in prison for 17 years, away from my family for 17 years, unable to preach and unable to witness?

It is so easy to lose heart during persecution. It is so easy to behold the might of whatever is persecuting you – the government, your business, your friends, your family – and to be deeply discouraged.

But no matter how big the mountain may seem, Jesus has overcome it. He overcame everything when He died and rose again. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, killed, and then resurrected, He defeated the powers of darkness.

Does darkness still have a hold on our world? Yes. But it’s a temporary hold. It’s a slipping hold. Satan is losing. It may look like he’s winning; it may appear that Satan is busy making 1st downs while Christians are being sacked.

But Satan is losing.

And in the end, he will be exposed for what he is. His works will be destroyed and his power will be broken. All the persecution you endure will be compensated for and then some.

If you’re experiencing persecution, dear Believer, please know this: it is not for nothing. It serves a purpose. God has a reason and a plan. God will be with you.

He does not forsake you.

This life is temporary; it’s nothing more than a vapor… and then it is gone.

Your 60, 70, 80, or 100 years of struggle here are nothing compared to the glory that is to come.

So stand strong, Believer, and let us take up our cross after our Lord. Let us “strive on to finish the work that we are in.”

God bless you.

Tagged : Christianity / Experience Persecution / Godly / Jesus / Persecution / Religious Freedom / Worship

Faith Without Works is Dead

by JacobAugust 27, 2021August 27, 2021Christian Living

James tells us that faith without works is dead. But what does it mean to have "works" and what does it mean to have faith?

I consider James to be one of the most practical books of the Bible. I’m in the process of reading through it slowly, and it contains an absolute wealth of information.

That’s not to diminish any other book in the Bible; it’s just to communicate that James is especially packed with practical stuff.

What to do in difficult times? Check.

Putting the Word of God into practice in your life? Check.

How to honor and treat everyone equally? Check.

As I was reading this morning, I came across the passage that speaks about faith and works. This is a famous portion of Scripture. Many of you have probably heard it.

Here it is:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [James 2:14-17, ESV]

Read back through this passage slowly. Notice especially the last line: faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

If you’ve been a Christian for a long time, or you grew up in a Christian household, you have probably heard this phrase before.

Faith without works is dead.

We repeat that phrase so often that we lose sight of its true weight. What does it really mean?

What does “works” mean?

And what does it mean to have “dead faith?”

Faith and Works: A Study

What gets us into right standing with God? Is it our works, or is it His grace and mercy?

Answer: it’s the second one!

There was no way we could save ourselves on our own. Our best works and efforts are not anywhere near good enough to get us into Heaven. But God showed incredible grace to us by sending Christ to die for our sins.

We accept God’s grace by placing our faith entirely in Jesus Christ, and it is this faith which gives us “access” to the grace that God showers down upon us.

That’s how we are saved. God sent us a lifeboat, and it’s up to us to jump into that lifeboat. The “jumping in” is done via faith.

Without faith, we drown.

Contemporary mainstream Christianity has gotten really good at emphasizing this.

The message we are used to hearing is this: Do NOT focus on works. Works don’t save you. Focus on who you are in Jesus Christ. You’re saved by grace, through faith, so just focus on having faith and resting in the grace of God.

Is this a true statement? Yes.

But it’s often distorted.

It is entirely true that we cannot be saved by works. We can’t earn our way to Heaven. That is made clear again and again throughout all of the New Testament.

Anyone who teaches you that works are what get us into Heaven is wrong.

But the contemporary church has leaned so heavily into emphasizing grace that the practical side of our faith is often overlooked.

That brings us to our first question:

What do Works Have to do With Faith?

James tells us that faith without works is dead.

Here’s the deal: works are like a thermometer that measures the health of our faith.

When you’re sick, you often take your temperature.

For instance, I woke up in the middle of the night just a few days ago. I felt like I was radiating heat. This isn’t normal for me, so I got up to take my temperature.

My temperature was normal. This was strong evidence that I wasn’t sick.

Similarly, your works are a thermometer for your faith. Works don’t get you into right standing with God, but they do show evidence that you have saving faith.

That’s why James was telling his readers that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

True saving faith in Christ will result in works. Are these works perfect? Absolutely not! And even the strongest and most mature of Christians can go through “cold seasons” where their works are diminished.

But all those who have true faith will show works.

You cannot have faith without works – they’re a packaged deal. Works originate from faith, and faith will always result in works of some kind.

If you have no works at all, then it’s very possible that you don’t really have saving faith.

This is why James wrote these words to his readers. It is possible to go through life supposing that you have true saving faith, when in reality you lack it. You can be deceived.

This is a harsh truth that is not spoken of much in churches today.

We’re living in an age where a mere one-time profession of faith – a prayer, baptism, etc. – is taken as an undisputable sign of salvation. Even if the person who once professed faith in Christ shows absolutely no evidence of works, he or she is assured of salvation.

But this is incorrect. All those with saving faith will bear works. We should be very concerned for those who claim to be Christian but live exactly like those who don’t know God.

What are Works, Exactly?

James gives us a specific example of “works” in the passage. How he does it is rather interesting: he gives us an example of a failure to do a work.

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [James 2:15-16, ESV]

From this, it can be seen that one of the foremost works which ought to be present in a Christian’s life is generosity. Are you generous with your finances and resources? Are you generous with your time?

Open generosity is a hallmark of the Christian life.

But is generosity the only kind of work there is? Not at all. If we jump over to Galatians, we can read an entire list of the “fruits of the Spirit.” These include:

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control

This is a large list!

Indeed, if we wanted to get out a notebook and write down all of the possible works that could be done as a result of saving faith, there wouldn’t be enough notebooks in all the world to contain the writing.

My point is this: “works” are not specific actions that fit into certain categories. Rather, works are the overflowing of faith.

Whatever good thing is done in faith is a “work.”

But that’s the key phrase: whatever good thing is done in faith.

Just as faith does not fail to produce genuine works, genuine works cannot occur without faith. They’re a packaged deal. They’re two sides of the same coin.

Without faith, it is impossible for us to please God (Heb. 11:6). But if we have faith, every good work we do out of that faith is pleasing to Him. Having true faith flips the entire paradigm on its head.

If we don’t have faith, we won’t please God and we won’t do any truly good works, even if we’re a model citizen. You see, there are men and women in this world who are upstanding people. They help their neighbors, donate to charity, volunteer at shelters, and provide a place of safety for others.

They never break the law and they are what everyone else would consider “moral people.”

Yet if they do not do these things out of a sincere faith in God, then their works are still not “good” in the sense that God requires them to be. They’re doing good works by human standards, but they still do not please God.

But if we do have faith, we will please God and we will do good works, even if we’re still struggling mightily against serious sin issues.

Works are those things that we do because of our faith in Jesus Christ.

What if I Don’t Have Any Works in My Life?

This is a question that every Christian will likely ask at some point in their walk with the Lord. Some may ask it rather frequently.

There are also many people who consider themselves Christians, yet aren’t truly saved… and they may ask this question as well.

So what gives? What if I look at my life and I see no evidence of faith-based works?

If this is you, then congrats: you’re the reason why James wrote this particular piece of Scripture. You see, Scripture is filled with wake-up calls designed to shake us out of complacency. How can we grow if we don’t know there’s a problem?

For this question, I’ll handle two cases: (1) – the person who is a genuine believer, but fears that he or she doesn’t have works, and (2) – the person who isn’t truly a believer.

1 – If you’re Truly a Christian

If you sincerely believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, and you’ve confessed that with your mouth, then you’re a true believer. You have true faith.

But sometimes you doubt.

Perhaps you’re going through a season of life where your works are not showing like they ought to be. At this point, I would prompt you to ask a question: have I ever been in a place where I was truly living for God?

It’s so easy for many of us to go through hot seasons and cold seasons. One month, we’re reading our Bibles diligently, praying regularly, and sharing the love of Christ with our friends, family, and neighbors.

Another month, we’re cold. We’re burned out. We’re still there; we still believe and we still follow Christ, but it’s harder. The fire seems to have gone out of us.

If that’s you, and the “fire” seems to have gone out, then it’s very likely that you’re not showing as many works as you did were when you were crazy for God. This may cause you concern.

I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve experienced this.

One thing you should know is this: every Christian goes through ups and downs. 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be ready both in season and out of season. Just like trees, plants, etc., we will experience times when we’re bearing fruit left and right, and times when our fruit may be much more limited.

But we will always be held to Jesus Christ. Always.

If you’re walking through a spot in your faith right now where things just aren’t as bright as they used to be, then the best thing to do is call out to the Lord.

Call upon Him in faith, and He will hear you. Get regularly into the Word, even if it’s difficult for you to do so.

You know, there is a certain aspect of the Christian faith that is about discipline.

Getting into the Word will not always be easy. Prayer will sometimes be tough; you may need to fight tooth and nail for every moment. Even being around God’s people may not always be what you truly desire to do.

But do these things anyway. Obey, even if you don’t feel like doing so. Take the steps of obedience in faith, even when it feels mechanical and legalistic.

In all relationships, there are seasons where love involves a lot of intentional action and not much good feeling. Ask any married couple who’s been married for longer than a few years, and they’ll tell you that love is not merely about feelings.

It’s the same in our walk with God. It’s not always about feelings. It’s about loving Him and keeping His commandments in faith. We don’t do this to enter Heaven; we do this because our love for Him compels us to do so.

Obey, Believer, even if things feel tough. Stay in the Word and in community, even if these things are incredibly difficult for you.

2- If You’re Not a Christian

If you’re not a Christian, there’s one thing that you should do today: call on the name of the Lord.

Call upon Him in faith, trusting yourself fully to Him. Have you ever done that before? I know that many people have “prayed and asked Jesus into their hearts,” yet come away from the experience no different than before.

I was one of them.

When I was nine, I was led to ask Jesus into my heart. Yet my life did not change. I did not feel different; there was no sense in which my desires or affections changed.

Many of my friends have been this way as well. There was a time in their life – perhaps at church camp, during Sunday services, or at a youth rally – when they repeated the “prayer of salvation.”

Yet many of them saw no change in their lives. There was no change in how they talked, dressed, walked, and otherwise conducted themselves.

None whatsoever.

Why is this?

It’s because their profession of faith was never truly theirs. They professed Christ as Lord, but they didn’t really have faith in Him! It was the same with me. When I asked Jesus into my heart, I did not truly have faith in Him.

It wasn’t until some years later, when I went through a tough time in my life, that I called upon the Lord out of genuine faith.

That is when I was saved and made His.

Today, dear reader, you have within your hands a decision to make: are you going to call upon the Lord in faith, or will you let it slide? You can put this off; you can say that you’ve got the next 10, 20, or 30 years to live it up.

But do you really?

We are not guaranteed tomorrow, let alone ten or twenty more years in this world. The safest, most rational thing you can do is to entrust yourself right now to the Lord Jesus. The safest and best thing you can possibly do is to give your life to Him.

And make no mistake – He wants your entire life.

Jesus wants your finances, your desires, your talents, your actions. He wants all of you. Jesus came and died for you, so that you could be made righteous in the sight of God. There is no other way but Him.

For more in-depth information about who Jesus is and how you can become a child of His, please visit this page.

Closing

As I draw this to a close, remember that – above all – God wants your everything. He wants your efforts, strength, desires, and your faith.

And your faith, if it is genuine, will produce good works.

Works are not what earns our way into Heaven, but they are an indicator that you possess the faith that will save you. Come before the Lord and ask Him to increase your faith, and to increase your love and joy and satisfaction in Him. It is His greatest desire that we would draw near to Him in faith and conform our lives to what He wants.

Let us press forward, doing good works for the Kingdom, earnestly desiring to strive hard after God.

God bless!

Tagged : Bible / Faith / Faith and Works / Fruit of the Spirit / Salvation

Safe Christianity?

by JacobAugust 25, 2021August 24, 2021Uncategorized

Do you have a “safe Christianity?”

What I mean is this: is your Christianity comfortable? Is it tame? Is it neatly compartmentalized, where your time with God is totally separate from work, school, family, friends, or leisure? Is it risk-averse, where you feel the need to keep it “private,” lest you risk offending anyone?

If you’re like most others – including me – this is an all-too-accurate description of your faith.

This faith is tame, calm, beneath the surface, tucked out of sight, and unlikely to do anything big. It’s that special family heirloom which is placed in a box and then hidden on the top shelf of a closet.

It’s something that could be so powerful, yet we relegate it to be just another facet of our busy lives.

Here in Western civilization, we’ve developed a rather unique brand of the Christian faith over the last hundred years or so.

This is what I’m talking about: we’re obsessed with being comfortable.

If a new church is being built, we haggle over minute details.

How many stalls in the bathroom? Where will the speakers go in the worship center? How many lights in the entrance foyer?

Sometimes, debates such as these can cause splits within the church. It can literally drive people to leave because they didn’t get their way.

In our personal lives, we might consider it “bold” to wear a T-shirt with a cross on it, or to listen to Christian music where someone else may just pass by and hear.

We rarely – if ever – share our faith with others. Even with friends, we often don’t broach the subject.

To do so would risk offending them. And we can’t have that.

But guess what?

This “safe” faith that so many of us possess is not only weak; it’s also not what Jesus wants for us.

Jesus did not come to die on the cross for our redemption just so we could tuck our faith away in a corner and live life like everyone else.

Safe Christianity is not really Christianity.

Safe Christianity is NOT Biblical Christianity

In Revelation, Jesus gives seven messages to the seven primary churches at the time. All of the churches had their problems (the church is composed of fallen humans, after all), but perhaps the strongest-worded message that Jesus gave was to the church in Laodicea.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [Revelation 3:15-18, ESV]

When I read this passage, I cannot help but think about the current state of the Church in America (and the rest of the Western world).

We are neither hot nor cold!

This is the essence of “safe Christianity.” Safe Christianity is lukewarm. It seeks to keep one foot in the world and another foot in the Kingdom.

Safe Christianity is noncommittal.

It doesn’t take any risks for the glory of God. It doesn’t hold to Christ when things get tough. It doesn’t truly believe that there is power in our faith!

Safe Christianity dwells among the ranks of the prosperous. It especially relishes air-conditioned buildings, comfortable pews, ornate walls, rock concert worship services with bright lights and smoke machines, and preaching that is all talk and no action.

Now, do I mean that churches that have some of these things are necessarily “lukewarm” churches? No! Not at all.

But if your first focus is on the bright lights, good coffee, or emotional preaching, then a little red flag ought to go up.

What I truly intend to say is this:

Safe Christianity will never push you. It will never challenge you. It is a spectator sport. You get to sit there, eat bagels and drink coffee, and watch a performance.

It doesn’t go any deeper than that.

This is NOT Biblical Christianity. Not even close. Safe Christianity – which is, I daresay, the largest faction of Christianity in America today – is not what Jesus has in mind for us.

It’s neither hot nor cold. It exists among the ranks of the prosperous, those who are more concerned with their bank accounts than with doing the will of God.

It turns church into little more than a social club, something that you just “do” because it’s the “right thing to do.”

Does this sound like your faith? As I look in the mirror, I realize that this sounds an awful lot like my faith.

I have a lot of growing to do, and so do you!

True Faith: What Jesus Wants From Us (and For Us!)

We’ve already talked about the un-Biblical nature of “safe Christianity.” But what does real faith look like?

It’s simple: real faith will throw in with Christ!

What do I mean by this? Real faith is all about following Jesus and joining forces with Him. It’s about following Him no matter where He leads us.

Real faith risks a lot. It risks friendships, job security, and safety. It risks offending others.

Real faith compels you to share your resources generously with those around you. It compels you to put your time, money, effort, wisdom, and gifts to good use.

It compels you to give up your very life for the sake of Jesus. It compels you to die to yourself.

When you commit your life to Jesus Christ – when you become a disciple of His – you are signing away ALL of your rights, privileges, resources, and freedoms.

It’s true. You are giving everything you have to Him.

He died on the cross to save you and redeem you. The Bible tells us that He literally “purchased” us. He bought us.

We’re His. Everything we are is His.

This is not safe, is it?

Think about it. Is it safe to give complete control of your entire life to someone else?

No. In fact, giving your life to someone else is complete foolishness.

Unless that “someone” is Jesus Christ.

As it turns out, giving your entire life to Christ is the single most logical and rational thing that anyone could ever do. You see, this entire world is passing away. In 70 or 80 years, it’s very likely that both you and I will be dead.

Everything we’ve ever worked for – money, power, influence, fame, relationships, etc. – will be gone.

In 200 years, it’s likely that nobody will remember who we even were.

Without Jesus, we will NOT make an eternal impact. Our safe Christianity would tell us, “Keep one foot in the world! Work to make money, to gain power, to show others who you are. Go to church, study the Bible, but make sure that you’re prioritizing you over everything else. Don’t risk anything! Don’t share your faith; stay in your lane.”

Such a line of thinking may seem reasonable, but it’s foolish.

If you keep to comfort, to money, to achievement, you won’t do anything of real eternal significance. But if you yield all you are to all Jesus is, you will. He guarantees it.

It may sound “dangerous” to go all-in with Christ, and it is. It may (and probably will) cost you friendships, promotions, comfort, and an easy life.

But it’s worth it. To do otherwise is to follow a worthless path.

Jesus wants us to be on fire for Him. He wants us out there in the thick of things, winning souls and leading others to Him. He wants us to make disciples of all people. He wants to leverage our resources, skills, strengths, and even weaknesses for His higher purposes.

He wants us to live in radical obedience to Him, even obedience to the point of death.

That is the type of faith Jesus wants from us. And it’s the type of faith He wants for us.

You see, when you’re living life dangerously and “on mission” (and all of us should be), you will be blessed by Him in ways you never would have thought possible.

Your fellowship with the Creator of the universe will be sweeter than you ever thought possible. Your bond with other true Believers will be deeper than you ever felt before.

Safe Christianity has little risk and no reward.

True Christianity has high risk, but with infinite reward.

Today, dear Believer, I challenge you to do this: commit your life fully and totally to Jesus Christ. Throw yourself at Him. Instead of seeking comfort, seek Him. Instead of seeking to have one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom, hop over entirely to the Kingdom and seek Him.

Be radical in your faith and obedience to Jesus.

It will cost you much – in fact, it will cost you everything – but you will gain so much more than you lost.

God bless!

Tagged : American Christianity / Bible / Following Christ / Jesus / Safety / Western Christianity

Why Sharing the Gospel is IMPORTANT

by JacobAugust 23, 2021August 23, 2021Christian Living

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to one monumental task: sharing the Gospel. This is one of the most important calls in all of Scripture.

Jesus is the most important person you will ever know and follow. Everyone and everything else pales in comparison to Him.

Do you know the owner of the company you work for? Do you know the mayor of your town? How about the governor of your state? What about the president or vice president of the United States?

Do you know the Queen of England?

Do you know the Pope?

If you answered, ‘Yes’ to any of those questions, then you know one (or more) pretty important people.

Yet knowing any one of them – or even all of them – pales in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. In fact, imagine you had a time machine that allowed you to freely travel to any time and place in history. Let’s also imagine that it’s your goal to become personally acquainted with every ruler the world has ever known.

If you succeed in your goal, and you personally know people such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill, then you would still know nobody who comes even close to Christ.

Knowing Jesus is everything.

If you truly know Him, you will lack nothing. That is a fact. It is presented to us in Scripture. Psalm 23 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Jesus Himself says (in John 4:13-14), “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

If you know the Shepherd – that is, if you know Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God – then you will lack nothing. You will be filled to the brim with a “living water” that satisfies everything you need.

Does that mean you’ll be free from desires and wants? No. Does it mean you’ll get everything you want in life? No. But it does mean this: if you know Jesus Christ, you will never lack what you need.

He will supply to you all that is needed in your life.

Sharing the Gospel: a Necessity in the Christian Life

It is necessary to share the Gospel. If you’re a believer, this is something you should – and need – to be doing.

Why?

Because Jesus is everything. Because He is Lord. Because others – your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow countrymen, and fellow human beings – need to hear about Him.

They need Jesus. Without Jesus, they will die. That’s blunt, but it’s true.

A person will perish without Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can redeem us.

Do you know the Lord Jesus? Do you truly know Him? If you do, then you have “springs of living water” welling up within you. You have the Gospel within you!

Translated directly, Gospel means “Good News.”

If you have the good news of Jesus Christ, then you are told (in no uncertain terms) to share it.

This is called the Great Commission. We read in Matthew 28,

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [Matthew 28:18-20, ESV]

If you’re a Christian, you have probably heard the Great Commission preached on and talked about many times. In fact, the Great Commission is preached so often that, for many, its “impact” has worn off.

‘Yeah, I know. Go and make disciples of all nations. Got it. I’ll drop a check in the offering plate for 50 dollars and support the missionaries over in east Asia.’

Too often, our comfortable Western Christianity leads us to simply sit back and throw money at far-away missions. It leads us to put cash in the coffer to prop up nameless faces in distant lands, while we ourselves sit back and discuss who leads the NFL in rushing yards.

Now, is it bad to support missions by giving money to them? No! Absolutely not. It is necessary. Vital. Many forms of missionary work cannot go on without financial support.

We should be supporting foreign missions with financial gifts and time spent in prayer. That is important.

But here’s the rub: when we believe that we’ve done “our part” by simply depositing a monthly check and then walking out the door to go watch football or eat dinner on a Sunday afternoon, we’ve missed the point of the Great Commission entirely.

The Great Commission – the command by our Lord to share Him with the world – does not stop with giving money and expecting a select fraction of Believers to carry out the hard work of witnessing, discipling, and leading others to Jesus.

Re-visit the words of Matthew 28. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Jesus doesn’t directly tell us who is supposed to “go,” but the grammar of the sentence reveals that for us. What Jesus uses here is called an “implied you.”

If I say, “Go to the store,” I’m not telling you who is supposed to go. But I don’t need to. If I’m directing the words at you, then I’m implying that you should go to the store.

That is an implied you.

We have one of those in the Great Commission. Jesus is essentially saying to His disciples, “YOU Go… and make other disciples.”

Are you a disciple of His? If so, the Great Commission is aimed at you.

If you’re a disciple of Jesus – that is, if you know Him and follow Him – then the words spoke in Matthew 28 are words for you.

Jesus’s command is this: You know Me, so go share Me with others.

Share Jesus with people of all nations.

I think we too often have it in mind that the Great Commission is about packing our bags and moving to Africa, where we live for three years in a hut in the jungle.

Could it be that? Yes.

But all nations includes your nation. It includes your neighbor just as much as it includes those on the other side of the world.

Sharing the Gospel is not only for the small sliver of the Church that is called to move overseas. It’s for you and me, wherever we are.

If you’re a disciple, you need to be making disciples. You and I cannot get away from this.

A Call to Action

As I bring this to a close, I recognize that there is so, so much more that could have been said here.

I could have written about how to share the Gospel. I could have analyzed the Great Commission line by line. But that is not what I felt laid on my heart.

What I felt laid on my heart is this: we need to share the Gospel! It’s important. It is necessary.

I myself am as at fault as any one of you reading this. Do I share the Gospel? Do I witness to my neighbors and friends and co-workers and fellow citizens?

No. I don’t. I feel heavily convicted of that.

The truth is, I am afraid. So are many of you.

We’re afraid of rejection. We’re afraid of what others will say. We are afraid of persecution, of the biting words of angry men and angry women who hate God and want nothing to do with Him.

And that fear is natural.

But it must be overcome.

Whether we’re loud or quiet, extraverted or introverted, bold or timid, we’re called to share the Gospel and make disciples.

We’re called to this whether we’re young or old, rich or poor, sick or healthy.

The call to share Jesus Christ does not change depending upon your status. All disciples – that’s me and that’s you, if you know Jesus Christ – are called to make other disciples.

But we’re afraid, and that stops us.

How can we be un-afraid?

Well, just read on to the end of the passage in Matthew 28. Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

You see, our fear is real. We fear being shut down, spit on, cursed at, rejected, and alienated. We fear burning bridges or offending friends and family with the Gospel.

Our fear is real. But at the same time, it’s also an illusion. Why is that?

Because Jesus Himself promises us that He will always be with us.

I can guarantee you this: if you witness to others, you will be hated for it. Many people will not like you. It will be uncomfortable. It will be difficult. You will lose friendships.

But Jesus will draw nearer to you than you ever thought possible. Remember how He gives living water to all those who follow Him?

Go out and share the Gospel to His glory, and see what happens with that living water. Jesus will not forsake you. He will not leave you. There are stories all over this world of men and women who were put through the worst ordeals imaginable for the sake of Jesus Christ.

These are people who were jailed, tortured, beaten, hated, and even killed. They literally gave their lives for the sake of Jesus.

But guess what?

Of those who lived to tell the tale, not a single one of them has ever – EVER – said they regretted it. In fact, the presence of Jesus Christ was sweeter and more real to them in their darkest day than at any other time in their lives.

When we share the Gospel for the glory of Jesus Christ, we may lose relationships. We may be hated. If we live in a nation that actively persecutes Christians, we may even be jailed or killed.

But Christ will not forsake us. He will draw near to us.

Finally, imagine this: let’s say that you witness to a hundred people, and ninety-nine of them hate you.

But one receives the Gospel.

How sweet is the rejoicing in Heaven over that one person! That is a soul saved for all eternity, and God worked through you to accomplish this.

To bring this to an end, my challenge to you and to me is this: let’s get out there and share Christ.

Let’s proclaim the Gospel boldly, no matter who we are or what our personality may be. Let’s make disciples, acting as soldiers for Christ in a warzone. Let’s do battle in the trenches, relying upon Christ the whole way to transform others and bring them into the Church and into eternal life.

Let’s do this to the glory of God, because we are called to give our lives in service to Him.

After all, He gave His life in service to us.

God bless!

Tagged : Christianity / Evangelism / Glorifying God / Jesus Christ / Sharing the Gospel / Witnessing

The Testing of Your Faith

by JacobAugust 20, 2021August 20, 2021Christian Living

Why does God sometimes leave us in painful circumstances? Life is difficult, but Scripture assures us that the testing of your faith produces strength.

Have you ever gone through difficulty?

If you’re human, the answer is likely a resounding yes. Life is full of trouble. Sure, it’s full of joy and full of happiness too, but life has its bad moments.

People get sick. Jobs change. Relationships break down.

In the mist of troubles, it is not uncommon for us to lift our eyes to Heaven and cry out, “God, please fix this!”

We’re human, after all. We don’t like pain. We don’t like it when a friend betrays us, when a job falls through, or when sickness strikes. If we did, there would be something wrong with us.

So we call out to God to fix the situation. We have it in mind that we’re not supposed to be in pain. We’re not supposed to be hurting, grieving, or torn up. Therefore, we appeal to our Creator, to our Father, and our appeal often goes something like this:

Lord, I am hurting. I don’t want to be here. You said that you work all things together for good, so why can’t you just fix this whole thing?

Indeed, when we’re in pain, all we want is for it to end.

But oftentimes, that is not God’s will for us. In all circumstances – even the most painful – God has a purpose for your suffering.

God has a purpose for your pain.

James: The Testing of Your Faith

Just the other morning, I felt led to read from the book of James. I opened it up to the first chapter and began reading. Starting in verse two, it says,

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Right there, in that short passage, is the answer for why God often allows pain in the life of the Believer. This is why God sometimes doesn’t change your circumstance.

He is allowing your faith to be tested.

Why is this?

Let’s take a short detour down Metaphor Lane.

Imagine a bodybuilder. A bodybuilder is strong, muscular, and physically-fit. The strongest bodybuilders in the world can lift hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of weight. How did they get there?

It was through continuous “testing” of their muscles.

You see, you cannot grow strong without going through pain. A weightlifter subjects their muscles to intense resistance. This intense resistance (in the form of heavy weight) stretches their muscles to the limits of their abilities.

In fact, each workout creates small tears in their muscle fibers.

That’s why working out hurts so much. Those who train for strength are literally injuring their muscles on the microscopic level. All that soreness and stiffness? It’s because the muscles are full of tiny tears.

Once the muscles have been torn, the individual muscle cells will grow larger, thus filling in the tears. Larger muscle cells will then translate into more strength.

When you first start weightlifting, even a small amount of weight can feel difficult and painful to lift. But after weeks, months, and years of repeated workouts, each one taking you to the limit of your endurance, you’ll build up muscle. The weight that seems so difficult at the beginning will one day feel light.

It is the same way with our faith.

Like it or not, our faith is like a “muscle.” True, we are granted a measure of faith when we first believe on Jesus for our salvation. That is the faith that saves us. But faith is deepened and strengthened over time by testing it. And this deeper, stronger faith will allow you to be of greater and greater service for the Kingdom.

You will grow nearer to God and more able to stand in the storms of life.

Every time you’re going through a difficult situation, remember that God is working in your difficulty. Is it wrong to call out to Him for healing? By no means! Is it wrong to desire the pain to end? Not at all.

But please understand this: when God doesn’t remove that obstacle, that situation, or that “thorn in the flesh,” He has a higher purpose for it. Your faith is being tested, and being put under load.

There is purpose in your struggle. If you’re a son or daughter of God, you can be sure that He is working everything together for your good. In James, we read that we are supposed to, “Count it all joy… for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Why should we count it all joy? Why is steadfastness (or strength, or endurance) so desirable?

Because it allows you to be, “…perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

You see, there’s reward after the storm. Your struggle, painful as it may be right now, will strengthen your faith. It is forcing you to exercise your spiritual muscles! And what happens after your ordeal is over?

Your steadfastness – that increased strength of your faith – will allow you to be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” The rewards of stronger faith are many. Those with stronger faith live life more abundantly. They walk in closer fellowship with God. They love, serve, and lead more effectively.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Struggles ultimately often turn out to be God’s mercies in disguise. Yes, there’s pain, but that pain serves a purpose. It is being worked for your good and for God’s glory.

Count it all joy, therefore, when you experience the trials and storms of life. Each season of difficulty is an invitation to strengthen your faith and deepen your love for God.

God bless!

Tagged : Adversity / Difficulty / Faith / God / God is good / Love / Testing of faith / Trials

Don’t Quit – Keep Running the Race!

by JacobAugust 19, 2021August 18, 2021Christian Living

The Christian life is like a race. We are all running the race for a prize. Great rewards await us, but we must be careful to not give up!

My chest burned. My legs screamed in pain. My face seemed to radiate heat, and I was convinced that I couldn’t keep going.

This was how I felt when I – as a teenager in the eighth grade – ran a 400 meter dash.

For 60 seconds, I was subject to a great deal of pain and suffering. I, and seven other teens around my age, pushed ourselves to the limits of our abilities.

It was tough, but worth it. I remember winning a prize for that race. It was a race well run.

Did you know that Scripture likens the Christian life to a race?

Each of us – if we are believers in Jesus Christ – is running in what amounts to the biggest race we’ll ever participate in. No matter how many 5k’s, half marathons, iron mans, or marathons you run, you’ll never run a race bigger or more consequential than the one you run for God.

Ever.

You’ll also never run a race with a greater prize than the race you run for God.

Think about this: Olympic athletes compete for the ultimate prize – a gold medal. If you win Olympic gold, your name will go down in the history books. You’ll be honored on television worldwide. Your newfound fame might even allow you to become rich.

These athletes spend their entire lives training.

Nobody just walks into the Olympics and wins gold. Nobody just walks into the Olympics period – everyone who competes in the Games is there because they spent a huge amount of time and effort to do so.

It is the same way with our Christian lives. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I should be disqualified. [1 Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV]

In this section of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is likening the Christian life to a great race. His metaphor is far-reaching – we’ll unpack it below.

Running the Race

What does it mean to “run the Christian race?” Paul shows us through a combination of metaphor and strongly-worded writing.

Here are some examples of this “strong wording:”

Only one receives the prize

I discipline my body and keep it under control

Lest after preaching to others I should be disqualified

If you really stop to think about it, these are potent phrases. What does Paul mean when he writes, “Only one receives the prize?” If we take this outside of its proper context, we might be given to think that the Christian life is a competition – and only the best of the best get the rewards.

This is not what Paul has in mind.

Instead, when all of these things are considered, a picture starts to come together: the Christian life is TOUGH. Commit to it with ALL you have. Don’t tire out; keep going!

Run to Get the Prize

To start the passage, Paul asks us a question: ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?’

He is awakening us to a truth: a race is difficult. Just think back to my story earlier on in this article. That 400 meter dash was tough. If you’ve ever run a race – especially a long-distance race – you’ll know the feeling. Your muscles burn, you huff and puff for air, and the sweat streams down your skin.

Running a race is no easy task. But winning the race?

That’s even tougher.

Running a race requires commitment. If you want to finish first, it requires all-out dedication. It requires strength. It requires you to press on, despite all the pain your body may feel.

I am convinced that the winner of a race isn’t always the most physically-fit or talented of the group. Rather, he or she is often the one who wants it the most.

Do you want to “win” this race, Believer? Do you want to cross over that threshold at the end of your life and hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant?”

Then you must run in such a way as to obtain the prize.

This does NOT mean that you’re competing against fellow Christians for who can be the holiest, the godliest, the most disciplined. Not at all. Notice that Paul says, “Run THAT you may obtain it.” Some other translations say, “Run in such a way as to receive the prize.”

You are not in a brutal battle for first place among your fellow Christians. Rather, you’re living the Christian life with the same spirit and the same vigor and commitment of the winner of a race.

In other words, you’re all in.

You’re like that person who wins the 5k or the marathon. You want to win. You’re willing to do anything it takes. This race is your life. You’ve devoted all you have to running it well.

That is what it means to, “Run that you may obtain the prize.”

How to Run the Race

Verse 24 showed us what it means to run the Christian race. But how do we go about doing this?

Verses 25, 26, and 27 show us the practical side to this lifelong commitment. Let’s re-read them:

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control..." [1 Corinthians 9:25-27, ESV]

The truth of the matter is this: the Christian life requires work. It requires discipline. It requires endurance and perseverance. It’s an all-out commitment, and all-out commitments come with all-out obedience and devotion.

If you want something really badly, you’ll do whatever is necessary to obtain it.

Now, does this mean that we are working to earn our salvation?

Absolutely not. Our salvation was a gift granted to us by God the moment we believed on Jesus Christ.

This ‘Christian race’ is what follows. We’re not running this race because we are seeking salvation; we’re running it because we’re already saved. Your ticket to entering this race was your status as a born again child of God.

God saved you through His only Son Jesus Christ. Now that you’re saved, you’re in this race. And you should want to run it well, because you will be rewarded for doing so.

We run this race well by doing the following: being intentional and exercising discipline and self-control.

To be intentional, we must be actively and consciously setting our sights and efforts on the Lord. That’s why Paul says that he does not “run aimlessly” or “box as one beating the air.” These are things that will lead you nowhere. There is a certain degree of strategy and active living required both for athletics and for Christian living.

Intentionality might look like blocking out a time every morning (or evening) for Bible study or prayer. It might look like memorizing Scripture. It might look like regularly getting together with a group of other Believers to fellowship and grow in the Lord.

Intentionality is all about being active. It’s about choosing where to invest your time and resources. It is the opposite of passivity and inaction. There is a beneficial way to invest yourself, and there is a detrimental way to invest yourself.

Intentionality chooses the beneficial.

To be disciplined, we must pursue strength in the Lord. What is discipline? It is nothing less than controlled behavior.

Discipline is founded upon conviction. It is founded upon a bedrock desire to behave rightly and do the proper thing. Discipline is what keeps you from eating ice cream during a diet. It’s what keeps you from spending your hard-earned money on something you don’t need.

It also serves as the backbone of your running in the Christian race. Notice what Paul says: every athlete exercises self-control in all things.

In other words, discipline is the engine that powers your self-control. If you have discipline, you’ll have the ability to control yourself. This goes hand-in-hand with intentionality. Intentionality is about being proactive and choosing to do things that will benefit you.

This is undergirded by discipline, which ultimately reveals itself in the form of self-control.

Are there books that you know you should not be reading? Are there movies you watch and songs you listen to that will damage your faith or tempt you to behave in a way that’s not honoring to God?

If there are, having discipline and self control will allow you to cut them out of your life. This may sound legalistic, but it’s necessary.

Now, it is necessary to include a word of warning here: you MUST go into this process being submitted to the Lord, and you must go into it with a genuine desire to please Him. You cannot approach this from the angle of, “doing something for God so that you’ll get something out of it” or, “earning good graces with the Lord.”

That won’t work.

Your obedience, discipline, and self-control are not your attempts to get on God’s good side. Rather, they’re your services of worship to the Lord. They’re designed to allow you to experience closer and sweeter fellowship with Him. And they’re designed to strengthen your running in this great Christian race.

If you lack these qualities – if you lack discipline and self-control – then you know that you have someone you can go to: the Lord. Remember, you’re not saved by your obedience and rule-keeping. You’re saved because He provided the way to be saved, and you believed upon Him.

If God gave you His only Son, what makes you think that He won’t give you the discipline and self-control you need to run the race well?

Ask God for these things. Ask Him to increase your measure of these things. He will hear you!

It is God’s desire for you to be able to run the race well. Ask Him in faith for intentionality, for discipline, and for self-control. Work with Him. Strive to obey Him. Strive to please Him. Strive towards Him in love and desire for Him, and He will strengthen you.

The Cost of Quitting (or Being Disqualified)

The last words of our passage in Corinthians are rather dire ones.

“…Lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

What does this mean? Can we be “disqualified” from the race?

The answer must be ‘yes,’ otherwise God would not have inspired Paul to write it. A couple important questions are therefore raised: What does it mean to be ‘disqualified?’ And how do we become disqualified?

Here is my interpretation: when Paul speaks of being ‘disqualified,’ he is not speaking of losing salvation or falling out of God’s favor. Rather, he is talking about losing the rewards that come from running the race.

What are the rewards?

It is impossible for us to truly know that answer. Scripture teaches us that ‘all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).’ Therefore, we are not running to receive eternal life. That is granted to us the moment we cast ourselves fully upon the Lord for our salvation.

However, we do have other Bible passages that might allude to what Paul means here. One of the beautiful things about Scripture is that it serves as its own translator.

Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. [1 Corinthians 3:10-15, ESV]

Although the metaphors are different (in chapter 9, Paul speaks of a race; in chapter 3, a building), the principles are similar.

In this life, we are laboring for the Kingdom of Heaven. We’re serving God. When Paul likens our walks with the Lord as a race, he’s trying to impress upon us the seriousness and dedication with which we must approach the Christian life. When he likens it to a building, he’s impressing upon us the lasting consequences of our actions.

As we are laboring – that is, running, building, etc. – for God, we can do many different things. Every action has consequences.

Some of our actions are good ones that have eternal rewards. Discipling people, leading others to Christ, building one another up, and obeying God’s commands are works that are eternally good. They are the gold, silver, and precious stones that Paul speaks of in chapter 3.

Some of our actions don’t have eternal consequences, and some may even have negative consequences. Needlessly fighting over worship styles, seeking to increase church attendance for more prestige and money, and serving ourselves would fall into these categories. These are the wood, hay, and straw that are talked of.

When the Judgement Day comes – the day when all people will be judged and all actions will be brought to light – everything that has been done upon the foundation (that is, in the name of Jesus Christ) will be burned.

What survives? Only the gold, silver, and precious stones. Actions not truly done for God will be burned up and cease to exist.

For those who labor to please God, a great reward will be presented. Those who sow for His glory will receive much in the next life. But for those who labor to please themselves, their works will be burned up. They will still be saved, though Paul says that this salvation will be, ‘only as through fire.’

I believe the same principle applies in the metaphor of the Christian race. You cannot be disqualified from receiving eternal life, but you can be disqualified from receiving the “imperishable wreath” presented at the end of your life.

How do you become disqualified?

It’s simple: hypocrisy. If you’re a Christian, you must be careful to walk humbly. You must exercise self-control and discipline. You must handle issues within yourself before you try to handle the very same issues within others.

Now, does this mean you must be perfect? Absolutely not. But it does mean that you must have the humble mindset of submitting to the Lord. You must be fully committed to God, all-in on Him. If you preach Christ out of selfish ambition or for selfish gain, you cannot expect to receive the prize at the end of this life.

You’ll be saved, of course, but you will not obtain the reward you wished to obtain.

This is, for all intents and purposes, a warning against being hypocritical and superficial as a Christian. Such things do not honor God. They do not honor the Word. We must seek to be genuine, humble, and fully reliant upon the Lord.

If we do that, being sure to submit entirely to Him, we will experience an outpouring of reward in Heaven that is like nothing we can imagine.

Closing Thoughts

Believer, we are in a race. Paul shows us what it looks like to run this race. We must be all-in, fully dedicated, fully in love with the Lord. This life is hard work, and the Christian race is not easy.

But it is worth it.

Cast yourself fully upon God, seeking Him in all things. Seek to please Him in everything – not because we’re earning our salvation or earning His favor, but because He has already given these things to us freely.

At times, this race will feel difficult. It’s exhausting. As I’ve alluded to several times, running a race of any kind is not easy. Do you think that marathon runners feel fresh and fully energized when they cross that finish line after 26.2 miles of running?

Probably not.

There will be times when we’re tempted to just quit. There will be times when we’re tempted to give up and just turn in our resignation.

But press on. Don’t give up; keep running! When you’re tired, ask God to strengthen you. Keep coming back to Him. The more painful things get, the more you ought to press on into Him.

He is our source of strength. Implicit in Paul’s description of the Christian life is this: you cannot run this on your own strength. You’re not enough!

But God is enough. And God will see us through. Surrender to Him, seek Him in prayer, ask Him for the discipline, self-control, and intentionality that you lack.

He will be faithful to provide these things to you.

God bless!

Tagged : Athlete / Bible / Christian race / Christianity / Endurance / Olympics / Race / Running the race

Cultivating Excellence

by JacobAugust 17, 2021August 16, 2021Christian Living

Christians are called to excellence. But what does cultivating excellence look like? And how can we avoid being prideful when doing so? Let’s take a look!

Did you know that we are called to cultivate excellence?

This is a much-overlooked aspect of the Christian life. We hear often about cultivating Godliness, and rightly so! We hear often about cultivating Christ-likeness, and rightly so!

We hear often about cultivating love, peace, joy, steadfastness, self-control, and maturity… and rightly so.

These are all tremendous virtues that we as Christians are called to cultivate with everything we have.

But in addition to all these things (and perhaps in conjunction with all these things), we are called to cultivate excellence. We are called to pursue excellence in all we do, from the smallest action to the biggest decision.

There are two main Bible passages that we’ll be taking a look at today which talk about excellence. The first of these is found in Proverbs:

Do you see a man skillful in his work?
   He will stand before kings;
   he will not stand before obscure men. [Proverbs 22:29, ESV]

The second is located in Colossians:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. [Colossians 3:23-24, ESV]

When we examine both of these verses, it becomes clear that we are being called to excellence. We are called to give our very best in everything we set out to do. We’re told that, whatever we find to do – whether in the home or in the workplace, whether in the family or by ourselves – we are to do it well.

Pursuing excellence: that’s what we’re going to be examining today.

What is Excellence?

The first part of our journey here will begin by simply asking a question: what is excellence?

Google Dictionary gives the following definition: ‘excellence’ is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.

To take things a step further, ‘excellence’ implies standing out. When Christians are called to excellence, we’re called to stand out. We are called to show something that distinguishes us from the rest of the world.

Re-read our passage from Proverbs. It says that a man skilled in his work will stand before kings. If you’re skilled, you will find yourself standing before the most important people.

If you’re set apart, people will notice. That is the basis of Christian excellence. Just as we are to be set apart in our lifestyles and our affections, we are to be set apart in our commitment to hard work and honorable duty.

Now, to be excellent – that is, to stand out and to perform our actions with distinction – we must have two things: a conviction firmly rooted in Christ, and a strong work ethic which grows out of that conviction.

Cultivating Excellence: a Conviction Rooted in Christ

In the Christian life, everything we do ought to be done from a place of love and obedience to Jesus Christ. Our pursuit of excellence is no different.

We HAVE to be rooted in Christ, and Christ alone.

You see, the world has its own ideas of what it means to be excellent.

In our schools and colleges, for instance, we rank students by GPA (Grade Point Average). The students who study hard and devote their time to school work will earn top marks. They will distinguish themselves. They will receive rewards and accolades aplenty.

Such students often get the best scholarships, the highest awards, and the most prestigious honors.

But sadly, most students do this for themselves. They get a strong sense of pride from their achievements, and from setting themselves apart from their peers.

I know this because I once lived it.

I worked hard, achieved top grades, and enjoyed my place of privilege among my classmates. It gave me such a glowing sense of pride and satisfaction to be at the “top of the class.”

This is the world’s meaning of excellence. It is an exaltation of yourself, a setting apart of yourself, for your OWN glory. Think of the businessperson whose wall is covered in golden plaques, the professional athlete who brags about his accomplishments, or the politician who gloats about his achievements to all who will listen.

Pride. That is the root of worldly excellence.

That is precisely why you must – read: MUST – be grounded in a Christ-centered conviction of excellence.

The Bible calls us to give it our all, to pursue the position of being set apart and being excellent. But the Bible also strongly condemns pride, and shows us that we are not our own.

To be prideful is to assert ourselves above God. We should never pursue excellence out of pride.

Instead, this is how we ought to be chasing the Biblical standard of excellence: start with Christ, move in Christ, and end with Christ.

When you go to work, you are going to work for the Lord. When you do your homework, balance your accounts, make business decisions, or play in the band, you are working for the Lord.

You’re not working for yourself.

You must be grounded in the conviction that Christ is everything. In all things you do, submit to Christ. Before you go to work, fall on your knees in prayer and ask God to take charge of your day.

Before you go to school or college, ask God to take charge.

Before you write that paper, submit that report, file that claim, or fix that fence, go to the Lord and ask Him to take charge.

You need to be going into everything with the conviction that Christ is the center and the reason. That is the only foundation from which you can pursue excellence and not become overwhelmed with pride.

This is why Colossians tells us to, ‘Work heartily, as for the Lord…’

The foundation upon which this Christian pursuit of excellence is built is nothing less than the fact that we are serving Jesus Christ whenever we work.

Now, this is the foundation, but we must have something else to carry us through our work. That ‘something’ is nothing less than a Christ-centered work ethic.

Cultivating Excellence: a Christ-Centered Work Ethic

Something largely lost in today’s society is a strong work ethic. Now, not everyone lacks a work ethic – there are still plenty of people who work hard every day – but there is an increasing trend towards prioritizing comfort and even laziness.

Christians would do well to avoid laziness. Scripture strongly implores us to avoid laziness and idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).

However, we cannot adopt the high-strung work ethic of the world, which teaches you to pursue success at all costs. It teaches you to pursue excellence for your own exaltation.

This is poison to the Christian life. We must seek deeper dependence upon God, not greater independence.

We cannot seek the world’s style of work ethic.

Instead, we must seek to cultivate a work ethic that grows out of our Christ-centered convictions.

Pursuing this Christ-centered work ethic comes in the same way as pursuing a Christ-centered conviction of excellence. The deeper we delve into Jesus, the more naturally it comes.

Let us return to Colossians to get a clearer glimpse of what this means.


Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. [Colossians 3:23-24, ESV]

From this, we can see the basis of our Christ-centered work ethic: work heartily, as for the Lord… you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

In other words, no job is done in vain IF you’re doing it for the Lord. You can expect a reward. You are not serving your employer; you’re serving God.

You’re serving Him directly.

Believer, do you suppose that your work is in vain? I think that is probably the number one killer of a solid work ethic.

You show up to work every day and do the same things. If you’re a restaurant cook, you cook food. If you’re a cashier, you handle money. If you’re an accountant, you balance books. If you’re a construction worker, you build things. But day by day, your job is the same. It can breed monotony.

Inherent in most jobs is this danger: that you will begin to grow numb and dissatisfied in the routine. You will begin to believe that your job doesn’t really mean anything.

And if your job doesn’t mean anything, why does it matter if you do it well or not?

The world will teach you the lie that you can just sluff things off. It will lie to you, telling you to just do “the bare minimum” to get by.

Isn’t that amazing? There are two modes of operation that the world will try to shoe you into when it comes to the work ethic.

On one hand, it will encourage you to be a workaholic who seeks glory and self exaltation. But on the other hand, it will teach you to shirk your responsibilities and do the bare minimum.

Neither of these positions is Christ-centered.

The Christ-centered position is this: in everything you do, devote your best effort to it. Seek excellence. Do it not for your boss, your company, your school, your parents, or even yourself. Do it directly for God. Do it as though God is watching you at that very moment, because He is.

Are you taking classes at college? Seek to get top marks! Are you employed? Seek to do the best you possibly can!

If you’re a janitor, seek to be the best janitor the world has ever seen.

If you’re a cashier, seek to be the best cashier the world has ever seen.

If you’re a banker, seek to be the best banker the world has ever seen.

If you’re a car salesman, seek to be the best car salesman the world has ever seen.

But in your pursuit of excellence, be sure that you are weaving Christ into every moment. Be resolved to never pursue your own glory. Be resolved to never pursue your own exaltation.

When you really step back to consider the issue, you’ll actually find that the world’s approach to the work ethic is always self-centered. If you’re a workaholic, you’re pursuing your own glory. But if you take the “bare minimum approach,” which seems to be the exact opposite, you’re also pursuing your own glory.

The bare minimum approach is simply this: This job isn’t giving me enough (money, recognition, entertainment, etc.), so therefore I will do just enough to get by.

Both the workaholic and the bare minimum modes of work ethic are selfish and cannot look beyond the question, “What’s good for me?” They’re simply two sides of the same coin.

The worldly work ethic (or lack thereof) leads nowhere. It cannot look beyond the self. It is self-centered and short-sighted.

But a Christ-centered work ethic? That CAN look beyond the self. And it DOES lead somewhere.

When you go into work, consecrating your every task and duty to Christ will provide you with a surprisingly strong work ethic. When you aren’t burning yourself out trying to do everything in your own power, you will experience freedom.

Does this mean that work will always be a piece of cake? No. Work will still be tough. You’ll still have days you simply don’t want to be there.

But you will see freedom. You will see strength. You will be carried along by the Lord.

You’ll be carried along by the Lord because of this: everything you do is for Him. Not for you, not even for your employer, but for Him. He designed the world, and He knows that all types of labor are needed to make it function.

The clerk, the cashier, the stocker, the farmer, the banker, the CEO, the pilot, the doctor, the teacher, and the scientist… all are necessary. All have a place.

God can be honored in each of them.

Seek to honor God in your every action at work, and you will have locked into what it means to have a Christ-centered work ethic.

Working For a Reward

Scripture tells us that, when you work for God, you’re working for a reward.

Are you getting paid at work? Yes. Maybe you feel like you’re not earning enough, but that’s neither here nor there. If you’re employed, you’re working for a wage.

Are you getting knowledge at school? Yes. You might feel like it’s simply in one ear and out the other, but some of what you read and learn and hear will find its home in your mind. One of the foundations of a successful life is proper education.

Even work that doesn’t pay – that is, work around the house or work for a good cause – still yields a reward. Once you’ve fixed the staircase, the stairs don’t groan anymore. Once you’ve helped your elderly neighbor trim his bushes, he can see out the front window.

Money, knowledge, or progress – these are the rewards of work, right?

Yes. But there’s more.

If we go back to Colossians 3:23-24, we’ll read that we will receive “the inheritance” as our reward.

Do we really expect to work for God Himself and not get a reward!?

You see, God has great treasures stored up for those who serve, love, and seek Him. If you’re serving God in your work, you are working for an inheritance.

What’s an inheritance?

It’s something that you inherit from another person. It may be money, property, or some other valuable thing. If you’ve got a wealthy grandparent, for example, you might receive a large sum of money when they pass away.

God is promising us an inheritance here. What might this inheritance be?

We can be rest assured that it will be far more valuable than earthly money. Think of the largest sum of wealth you can, and then imagine something a million times more valuable than that.

That only begins to scratch the surface of the inheritance spoken of here.

In truth, we know that our God is vastly more wealthy than anyone on this Earth. He has created all things, including wealth. He knows you more intimately and personally than you know yourself.

Who better to receive an inheritance from?

Whenever we work, whatever we do, we ought to work heartily. We are not working for ourselves or our employer; we’re working for God Himself. And God promises us a reward for this hard work. We will not see the fullness of this reward this side of eternity, but we can be assured that our hard work will not go unnoticed or unrewarded.

This is why we should cultivate excellence. We are laborers for the Lord, and we should seek to reflect Him in all that we do. We should seek distinction and excellence, but not for our own sake.

Because of who God is, and what He has called us to do, let us seek excellence and work heartily in all things.

God bless!

Tagged : Bible / Christian work ethic / Cultivating excellence / Excellence / Serving God / Work ethic / Working for God