It is quite easy to think of the Bible as a book of rules — things to DO. Yet, it is far greatest The Story of God, of His coming near to us, and in that way is not primarily about us. The Bible is about GOD. And not just facts, figures and fables — as if God were a science experiment, a idea to be calculated, quantified and categorized. In reality, God has acted in history — in this real world — and as we read Scripture we discover the stories are true, the characters are generally failures, and God is always faithful. That’s step one, reading the Bible as if it’s about God and not just “me.” Of course, it must be experienced, taken into our whole lives, if we are to learn what God says.

There’s another needed emphasis, more likened to a simple priority: know the WHOs before the DOs. Jesus came to show us the way by BEING the way. No five step (or 12) plan for salvation here. He’s the plan, the whole plan. So when we read, we see the what, why, how, and especially the Who of God’s Story.

This “happy tension” of sorts is recognizing the why the Bible is written. Take the New Testament, written in common day (Koine) Greek. The most common mood of the verbs is in what’s called the indicative mood. Stating facts, making declarations (e.g., “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” John 3:16). Later, and less frequently we get into the imperative mood, of commands (”Do this … do that…”; e.g., “Be holy…,” or “forgive one another” Eph. 4:32). I say later because we must recognize that every command of Scripture is rooted in a promise, in the prior work of God with us and for us. A couple examples…

Ephesians 4:32:

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” // a very good command; do it!

But how and why?

“…as God in Christ forgave you.”

We can only forgive out of the resources of the self-sacrificing God who forgives sinners at the greatest sacrifice the world has ever known. We can think of the “other,” because God is all about the “other,” modeled in relationships among the Trinity. Furthermore, as an application, we can begin with forbearance, because Christ has gone before us — the WHO before our DO — throwing away His convenience to suffer as a servant in our place (Phil. 2:1-11).

Digging into the Word: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

Another example of this indicative-imperative correlation is Philippians 4:1:

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

(We just taught this passage to our high schoolers.) Do you see what Paul did there? He could have said it so simply, like: “just stand firm in the Lord. Do it!” Why does he wax eloquent — is it just poetic or is God doing something deep and meaningful here? He’s talking about identity… their true (and new) identity.

That’s the only way to be read the Bible as one alive, and to teach it to others for transformation. Every single command in Scripture is rooted in  God’s prior work, for His commands become His enablements. Just as Paul waited unto the twelfth chapter of Romans to give the very first command in that great letter (Romans 12:1-2), we recognize Christianity is far more about WHO Jesus is than what we DO. Plus, our doing comes out of our being, which comes from being remade into His image (Colossians 3:10) and embracing our new identity.

Below Darrin Patrick, summarizes this necessary approach to reading and teaching the Bible in a 9 minute video. He was asked to collaborate with about 80 other church leaders across the country on a day of training called “The Nines” (on 09.09.09), put on by the Leadership Network and Catalyst. Darrin serves as lead pastor of The Journey Church in St. Louis, a Gospel-centered missional church he and others founded less than a decade ago, and has become a catalyst for church planters and leaders globally.

We used this video to spark a discussion last week with high school leaders and students. Bits of it may have been over their head — there’s those happy tensions — as real growth comes from being challenged. This sparked a great discussion, and spiritual and mental lights were going on all over the place. So, that’s what it means to work from significance and not for it, according to the Gospel (as I seek to remind them).

He covers the ground quickly, so open your Bible to Luke 24, and grab something to take notes. Enjoy!

“My love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be inconsistent with the word of God.”
—Charles Spurgeon (more via Randy Alcorn, Spurgeon’s Theology: Embracing Biblical Paradox)

Here’s the fourth song of this series of reflecting on great God-centered lyrics, Songs of Sovereignty. The last one had the same title, “You Never Let Go.” This second song of the same name is completely different (except for the link of suffering—joy), and comes from the David Crowder*Band.

If I could own only one album it would probably be DCB’s Can You Hear Us? This song comes from their latest release, Remedy, a close second favorite.

I remember first hearing of DCB as simply the UBC Band, that is the University Baptist Church (Waco, TX) worship band. A friend had a cd with songs like “The Heights,” “The Color Song,” “Light my Eyes, ” and one that totally resonates with my soul, “All I Can Say.”

One thing I appreciate about the DCB’s music is the lyrics make you think God’s truth, and the arrangement draws you to know this truth experientially. I don’t know enough about music to tell you if they break the rules, are original, or even play on/off key. All I know is that when Kari asked me last when have I encountered God’s presence the most, I thought back of dozens of times crying in the car as I worshiped through pain to the God-centered words of the DCB. For me, thinking about theology, encountering the words of the Bible, coming as face-to-face with Christ as we can in this life — those are the places I see Christ the most. This broken world makes the most sense when seen threw new eyes. The DCB helps me to see better. How? They point me past themselves, which is probably what I appreciate about them the most. They aren’t concerned with impressing you, me, or God. Christ has already impressed the Father. (The band has a silly side too, as seen in their rockumentary, “twitter_will_kill_you.”)

As for the song, “You Never Let Go,” the part that resonates with my soul the most is near the end:

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You’re the same
Oh, You never let go

Truth satiates our souls and takes us past ourselves to see that more is going on in our trials that we ever realized. God is for us, for if we are in Christ we see that His was all the joy, AND all the pain, He went through the sun and the rain (which perhaps could be a reminder that neither is enjoying to an extreme: the rhythm of seasons makes for life.) Exploring the mysterious union of joy and pain will no doubt become a great part of our learning for all eternity. IN any event, through every event, God the Creator is the same. His Love never fails, His promises always come true, and His hands will hold us through everything.

You Never Let Go

When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go

When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You’re the same
Oh, You never let go

You’ll notes echoes of Psalm 23 even from the first line. This song connects the heart, the mind, and speaks to them both while moving past self to sing to God: He’s the reason He never lets go. We must speak this truth to ourselves repeatedly. Perhaps we tend to think that it is because of our steadfast faith that God doesn’t abandon us. Nope. It is because of His faithfulness to the Covenant with His Son Jesus. Psalm 23 is primarily about Jesus, not us. And since it is about Him, it can be about us.

You Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Chorus

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Chorus (2x)

(Note: this isn’t a book built for just one person. You won’t be able to “fight” alone. So, send the link to a friend, read it together and fight for one another, together, through the Gospel.)

Here’s the table of contents of Fight Clubs:

Introduction

1. Why Fight?: The Call to Fight

2. Fighting for the Church: The Failure of Accountability

3. How to Fight: Motivations for Discipleship

4. Fighting with the Church: The Three Conversions of the Church

5. Fight Club: Practical Gospel-centered Discipleship

Appendix 1: Gospel-centered Questions to Ask

Appendix 2: Gospel-centered Resources

[bio from theResurgence]:

Who is Jonathan Dodson?

Jonathan Dodson is a former window washer from East Texas, happy husband to Robie, and proud father of two children, Owen and Ellie. He is also the lead pastor of Austin City Life church and directional leader for PlantR, an Austin-based church planting network. Jonathan holds a B.A. in Anthropology and M.Div and Th.M degrees in Theology, and has published articles in various journals and webzines such as The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Boundless, Next Wave, and The Resurgence. He blogs at Creation Project and Church Planting Novice. Jonathan likes listening to Midlake and M. Ward, reading, writing, watching sci-fi, and following Jesus.

While some of the songs will be well-known (new and old), let’s start with a yet-to-be-recorded song by one of my favorite bands. (This is also the only band in this “Song of Sovereignty” that I know personally.) Rend the Heavens came out West from Nashville a year+ ago. Aaron (& Jillian), Matt & Sarah, and Luke are awesome lovers of God, and true friends.

Their song “Oh Mystery,” has yet to debut on an album — maybe the next one? Here are the God-centered words, followed by a grainy video of them playing it live earlier this year.

While I won’t try to interpret the intentions behind the song, consider the opening line, “Who could ever know You? Bright as the sun, Invisible One.” Deposit that line in the middle of contemporary spirituality were we are told that each of us has valid claims on truth, that we should empty our minds and label whatever appears as “god.” No, revelation that has come straight from God — in a Book and in a Bod — the Scriptures and Jesus. Who could ever know the Creator? (Only those He discloses Himself to, by special revelation.) It is a mystery how He could invite us to the Story. As if we could wrestle with the depths of the truth, love and beauty the spring from all He is. He has invited us, we can come, and while we tend to come full of ideas and logic, in a true encounter we shall exclaim, “Oh Mystery! Always wanted Your chains holding me. Tell me something that I can’t believe, but fills my heart.” Thanks to Rend the Heavens for writing us God-centered music we can enjoy and sing along. Reminds me of how we will never stop learning of the kindness God has shown believers in Christ — Oh Mystery.

Oh Mystery

Who could ever
know You?
Bright as the sun
Invisible One
The hands that
made the heavens
What can I say?
I’m turning away
But I can see
You reaching out
See the light coming
through that door
Oh Mystery
Always wanted your
chains holding me
Tell me something
that I can’t believe
But fills my heart

Oh Mystery
How can it be?
That the darkness,
the poison in me
Turns to light and tastes
beautiful and free

Oh Mystery
Everything is holy
God of darkness
God of the light
You know what’s
deep inside me

Frozen with fear
I’m trembling here
But I can see
You reaching out
See the light coming
through that door
Oh Mystery
Always wanted your
chains holding me
Tell me something
that I can’t believe
But fills my heart

Oh Mystery
How can it be?
That the darkness,
the poison in me
Turns to light and tastes
beautiful and free

Oh Mystery

I hear the sound
of angels singing “Holy!”
The living creatures joining
I hear the sound
of pardoned
sinners shouting
and every knee
is bowing
I can hear them sing
I can hear them sing

Oh Mystery
Always wanted your
chains holding me
Tell me something
that I can’t believe
But fills my heart

Oh Mystery
How can it be?
That the darkness,
the poison in me
Turns to light and tastes
beautiful and free

Oh Mystery

• My post “A Story of Sovereignty” is up now

It’s a bit longer than a normal blog post. Won’t blame God for that …

(The revised version posted is a bit shorter than the full version I’ll start posting here tomorrow, bit by bit.)

Here’s the heart of my argument:

Again, the problems are many — not for God, needing to explain Himself — but for us in passing judgment on the Creator. Where were we when He set all this in motion? We lack a representative sampling of data to draw conclusions. At least not enough experience from a few decades living in affluent suburbia (or anywhere else). What do we have? God’s Word. Both written and Incarnate. The Designer has left the Story of His glory for us to know, experience and be satisfied with Him. What’s more, He entered this Story, the Designer willing to become part of His design, to experience the full brunt of the brokenness of our existence. Who suffered more evil that Jesus? Who deserved more good than He? Let’s focus this discussion on the primary truth God does.

The crux: God has entered our suffering
So much talk about sovereignty (or theodicy) seems to miss the chief argument. If His attributes were to be aligned (goodness, power, knowledge), we see all three to be all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing. I’m not imposing presuppositions here — for those are the very perfections God asserts Himself (Mark 10:18; Psalm 115:3, Matthew 19:26; Psalm 147:5, Ephesians 1:11, et al). We don’t make a solid case based on our finite (read: tiny) experience; it must come from God’s words, the Scriptures.

If those are the three legs of this 3-legged-stool (that never wobbles), then the intersection at the top — where the world sits — is the greater truth. (Don’t miss this.) God has entered His Story. All stories have depths of conflict and triumphal resolution. In comes the Hero, the conflict and resolution all centered around Him. The worst of the evil? He received it. The harshest rejection? He felt it all. He was willing to empty Himself of glory, to take the lowest place possible — a slave, condemned to die — and walk through this furnace of suffering as we should. In total submission to the Triune God, the second Person of the Trinity became the one worthy of being called the name above every name (Philippians 2:1-11).

This all-good-and-powerful-and-knowing God, who is above all holy (altogether separate, distinct, and well, whole) saw that it was not enough to be outside the suffering and evil overtaking His fallen creation. At an intersection of transcendence and immanence we see a God who cares. Enough to take our place, bear our shame, and reassert His claim as the Sovereign King of the universe. Compelled by love and for His one glory, He must draw near. He must enter this mess, and He must make it beautiful. How? (I state it again, if only for my own reminder.) By entering our suffering. By turning evil on its head. The greatest evil ever devised was used (permitted, designed and caused) to accomplish the greatest good this world has ever known. God did not just overcome evil on the cross. The Creator forced evil to serve the overcoming of itself. He made evil commit suicide in doing its worst evil.

The apex of God’s revelation of Himself is the suffering God-Man on a cross, forsaken, beaten, spit upon, and in our place taking the full wrath of God. Oh what depths of judgment vented on Him! Those present sufferings in the physical realm from human hands were but a drop in the bucket of the cup of the Father’s wrath. Joy and love mingled down in His blood, He took death (the inevitable goal of evil and sin) and threw it away like a rag doll. Death could not defeat Him. He conquered the grave. He is the Man — the God — no one can kill. Jesus is the Hero. The Good, Knowing, Sovereign One — totally free and able — did all this on purpose (Acts 2:23). The Author wrote Himself in the script, right next to us.

God entered not as an unwilling capture, but as the Creator turned Rescuer who designed a world He would rule completely, through love, mercy and justice.

• Read the whole thing: “A Story of Sovereignty”

Let’s together celebrate our independence today through our dependence upon the Sovereign King of all.

Here’s what I wrote then, and swim in now:

[Fall '08] Greek has seemed to be a little disjointed until we arrive in the relative deep-end of participles this semester. I am certainly still wading around in the shallow end, but being pushed further into learning how to swim in this new language (but still with those orange arm-floaties!). Last week I read a couple fascinating notes about the participle of means (”by means of”) while reading Wallace’s Greek Grammar (p. 630).

Humble yourselves … by casting your cares upon Him

The first illustration comes from the oft quoted passage in 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God …” Many times I’ve heard the next clause quoted in isolation: “Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” Do this! Yes, how needed and true it is, for He does care for us. But “cast your cares upon Him” is not an imperative clause (casting is a participle, not a verb). We miss the point when we think of the phrases separate as “Humble yourselves.” [And] “cast your case upon Him.”

The point of the Apostle seems to be that the specific way we humble ourselves before God is to cast our cares upon Him. We show humility by casting our cares upon Him. Dependence and submission in all of life — even the small stuff — reveals an attitude of humility (and creates it too).

He emptied Himself … by taking on the form of a servant

The next illustration came right underneath, where the famous kenosis passage is in view (Phil. 2:6-8). Specifically, in verse 7, where the participle should be translated “he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant.” Debate has gone on for at least the last two centuries as to what it means that Christ emptied (ekenosev) Himself. Wallace notes the typical pattern of this specific participle, that it follows the verb, and that the verb is vague, even needing (’begging’) to be defined. “By taking on” shows the means of Christ’s emptying Himself. He did not subtract His deity, but rather added the form of a slave, willingly, becoming a man, suffering and dying — even death on a cross (v. 8).

But wait, isn’t emptying normally thought of as subtraction, not addition? Wallace notes that as well, and points out the poetic features of the whole passage (most likely it was used as an early hymn). Earlier in verses 1-4 he commanded them to think and do “nothing from selfish ambition and vain conceit.” The word for conceit (kenodoxian or “empty glory”) is used by Paul to remind them of what not to do. Then Jesus comes along and shows them what to do — what it means to empty His glory (the words almost rhyme) — they are to have that same mind towards one another. Brilliant and powerful insights, Dr. Wallace!

The opposing directions in view in both passages are startling. We receive God favor by humbling ourselves, and specifically by casting our cares and burdens upon Him. (He opposes us directly even second if we go the other way, which is revealed in our not taking our cares to Him.) The antidote to seeking empty glory is to stare at the One who emptied His own glory to reveal His infinite worth in the lowliest form of all, a slave unto death. He will change us. Let this mind be in us, continually, Lord Jesus.

Read Jonathan Dodson’s excellent post, "Confessions of a Failing Disciple ." Here’s an excerpt from the middle:

The Gospel is for Disciples Not Just Sinners

Fortunately, Jesus is big enough for my misunderstanding of what it means to follow him. As I continued to “disciple” and read the Bible, I was struck by the fact that the disciples of Jesus were always attached to other disciples, that they lived in community. This community was authentic. They confessed their sins and struggles alongside their successes. But they also seemed to continually come back to Jesus, not merely as their example, but also as their identity, their entire sense of self. The New Testament is filled with exhortations to keep Christ at the center of our discipleship, not only for instruction but also for transformation. I began to realize that Jesus is not merely the start and standard for salvation, but that he is the beginning, middle, and end of my salvation. He is my salvation, not just when I was six, but every second of every day.

Contrary to the unforgiving demands of religion, Jesus forgives us when we fail. He doesn’t kick us when we are down, but dies to lift us up. Unlike the deception of worldly pleasure, Jesus offers true satisfaction and joy. Instead of wooing me into death, he leads me into life, his resurrection life. It slowly became apparent to me that the gospel of Christ was where I was meant to find my identity, not in impressing God or others. Refusing to share my life with others, especially my failures, was a refusal to allow the gospel of Christ to accomplish its full breadth of redemption in my life. Very simply, God was leading me into a kind of discipleship with the gospel at the center, a constant, gracious repetition of repentance and faith in Jesus, who is sufficient for my failures and strong for my successes. Jesus frees me from trying to impress God or others because he has impressed God on my behalf. I can tell people my sins because my identity doesn’t hang on what they think of me. I can be an imperfect Christian because I cling to a perfect Christ. As it turns out, the gospel is not just for sinners; it’s also for disciples, disciples who sin.

Re-read that last part (emphasis added):

Very simply, God was leading me into a kind of discipleship with the gospel at the center, a constant, gracious repetition of repentance and faith in Jesus , who is sufficient for my failures and strong for my successes. Jesus frees me from trying to impress God or others because he has impressed God on my behalf. I can tell people my sins because my identity doesn’t hang on what they think of me. I can be an imperfect Christian because I cling to a perfect Christ. As it turns out, the gospel is not just for sinners; it’s also for disciples, disciples who sin.

Is there a link between doctrinal understanding and passionate devotion?

It’s simple. Know God and know theological doctrines and out of that flows an ardent, fiery, zealous, passionate and loving pursuit and walk with God. Clear understanding corresponds to a burning devotion and embracing. Greater light shining in our minds leads to a greater kindling of heat in our hearts. Doctrinal understanding and passionate living are friends. They are kin and they work together in cooperative relationship. Here’s why doctrinal understand is linked to passionate living.

Biblical evidences that doctrinal understanding promotes passionate living

1. The greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37)

What is clear from this verse is that God desires His people to love Him with the entirety of their beings. This includes knowing God with our minds, and using our minds for His glory. It also includes embracing God and His plans with our hearts, as well as serving God with our hands. The different aspects of loving God (head, heart, and hands) are not in contradiction to each other. Rather they are complementary avenues through which God is supremely loved and treasured with everything that we are.

2). Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 is probably the most important verse written by the apostle Paul on the subject of spiritual growth and transformation. Here, Paul combines the ideas of:

1. a total and continual submission to God (12:1),
2. an exercise of our mental and cognitive faculties to think and reflect upon God’s truth (which Paul calls the renewing of the mind ), and
3. the result of spiritual transformation (literally, spiritual “metamorphosis”).

Genuine biblical transformation includes both a surrendered and devoted life and a renewed mind. The surrendered life is the basis for spiritual growth, and the mind is a primary means for spiritual growth. God’s design in Romans 12:1-2 is for spiritual transformation to take place by means of the renewed mind. So, it is not more holy, nor is it even consistent with the biblical pattern, to suggest that we should circumvent the mind in the process of Christian growth. There is a biblical union between thinking and establishing sound doctrine and igniting and fanning spiritual fervor; between understanding with our minds and embracing with our hearts; between developing a sharp and critical mind and cultivating a warm and affectionate heart.

3. The nature of the human soul that includes the faculties of the mind and heart (Gen. 2:7; Ps. 39:3; Luke 24:32)

The nature of human persons is such that we are composed of a material body and an immaterial soul (Gen. 2:7). The human soul is multi-faceted and includes the heart (Matt.15:19-20), the mind (Rom. 12:2), the conscience (Rom. 2:15), and the will (Rom. 6:12-13).

Two primary functions or operations of the soul are (1) understanding and (2) being affectionately inclined or disinclined . These two operations normally work in this order. Through our soul’s operation of understanding, we are capable of perceiving, discerning, categorizing, and clarifying. After the understanding is exercised, the soul can then be either affectionately inclined or disinclined toward the object of understanding. We are not unaffected spectators with a passive indifference towards the things that we know and understand; but we either like or dislike those things, we approve or disapprove of them, we are pleased or displeased with them. With the affections of our soul we either like or dislike the thing that we understand, but we are also capable of liking or disliking it with different degrees and measures of intensity. For example, it is possible for me to grow in my perception and knowledge of my wife. It is also possible for me to grow in my appreciation, affection, and lively love for my wife, so that my heart is more favorably and zealously inclined towards her. As we grow in our perception and understanding of God, we position ourselves to then be able to better enjoy and vigorously incline ourselves to like and delight in what we have clearly perceived. We must then take care then, to pass on what we (1) know in our understanding, (2) onto our affections, so that we can enjoy, embrace, and take increasingly delight in the God and the truth that we are learning. God is particularly glorified when we (1) further understand Him and (2) increasingly embrace Him.

4. The example of the Book of Psalms

The Psalms are unique in that they, like no other biblical genre, combine human experience and emotion with rich theology that centers upon God and His revelation. The Psalms strike the balance and capture the dynamic combination between intense human emotion (both good and hard) and God-centered theology. The Psalms are far from being classified as containing cold and sterile intellectual concepts; but by no means do they plunge into mindless emotional whirls void of doctrinal truth. Rather, they uniquely and dynamically combine God centered theology with heartfelt deep emotion and expression to God. What an example to us!

- Tremper Longman III & J. Alan Groves (foreword) in George M. Schwab, Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2006), x.

The problem with such reasoning is three-fold (at least):

1. First, it makes Jesus merely a good person
2. Second, it rests on the notion that we are good people too
3. Third, it makes Jesus sacrifice in our place merely incidental

We must walk in Jesus’ steps (1 John 2:6), and abiding as God’s children (John 1:12) and Christ-followers is the pathway of a disciple. Because He suffered, we will too (John 16). We are not above our Master. This road will not be easy, even if His burden is light (eternally, Matthew 11:28-30). Following Him is a non-negotiable. He cannot be your Savior if He does not call the shots as your Master.

But Jesus did something you and I cannot do. He satisfied God’s wrath once-and-for-all. No other sacrifice is needed (Hebrews 10:30). In fact, if we come to God with our own good works in our hands we will leave rejected and condemned. We are not good enough, and our motives are mixed. It is not just a record of wrongs, it is a deeper issue. We prefer anything more than God. Our sin runs to the core of who we are. Only the One Son perfectly obeyed the Father and willingly died. Only Jesus was in perfect harmony with God. That is why His death was no accident, for He came for that very reason (Luke 9:51; Luke 18:31-33).

The cross was not a unique experience. Thousands of others have died as common criminals in the horrific Roman way of execution. Jesus’ physical pain in the flogging and scourging, the nails driven through His wrists and feet, was nothing compared the great anguish and pain He would experience from His Father (Matt. 26-37-38).

Today on Good Friday we consider a man who was the Good-est. He was the Best Man Ever. He was pure and innocent. Perfect. God came as a Man.

Our sin condemned Him. He willingly endured the rejection of His friends, the religious and government leaders, and the desertion of His closest followers. But the real pain He was to endure was the fierce cup of His Father’s wrath. This cup of wrath (Isaiah 51:17) was meant for us — disobedient, arrogance, anything-other-than-God-choosing, rebels — but willingly taken by Jesus Himself. It was my cup. It was yours. You killed Him. So did I.

But in the end, the Father crushed His Son. For our sake and for His. To welcome us enemies as friends, us strangers as family. In the Garden Jesus reversed the curse that came upon us in the first Garden. He not only made atonement for our sins (as acts), He made possible a reversal of our identity as sinners (our bent and depraved nature).

Jesus joyfully endured the cross, despised the shame and sat down victorious over sin, death and Satan. He rose again in triumph, the killer of all His enemies. The joy of His Father compelled Him to endure all things (Hebrews 12:1-2). To Him, it was worth everything. The joy of our Father must compel us too. Our good works must be rooted in The One Good Work. More than doing-what-Jesus-would-do, we need WHAT JESUS DID . He did it all, He paid the price. We cannot add to it. Any addition on our part would be subtraction, for we would be assuming that God needed our help to make all things right. Even in all our doing, we must never forget what He Did. We must never stop believing. Flee yourselves; trust in Him alone.

Jesus drank the cup we deserved, so we can freely drink the cup of salvation — offered free and all of grace. Drink His cup to the full. He drank yours, all of it.

He has done it. There was no other way (Mark 14:35).

"Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:11)

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all …" (Romans 8:32)

"Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer." (Isaiah 53:10)

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

(These are not terms I’ve invented. Nor did Tim Keller, but he has been so instrumental in our day on reminding us that every problem in our lives is really a Gospel problem.)

In this audio message from the 2007 Gospel Coalition, Pastor Tim Keller speaks on "Gospel-centered ministry" from 1st Peter 1-2. Listen up, it’s well worth your time.

[download mp3]

In this message Keller points out that the Gospel is …
all about Jesus: Who He is, and What He has done
The Gospel also is:

1. Good News (not good advice)
2. Doxological — bring people to full-flourishing through glorious worship (which is our purpose)
3. Christocentric — it’s all about Him (see below)
4. Personal (individual) — we cannot make ourselves Christians; we must be converted & regenerated, each of us. Substitutional atonement and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Jesus died the death we should have lived, and lived the life we should have lived. Thus, the Gospel is everything, from A-Z, our only basis of relationship with God.
5. Cultural — the Gospel creates a culture: the Church. It motivates by joy, and makes us as people relate to the culture around us. Creates a counter-culture that seeks the common good, loving people and the community (Jer. 29). It is so massively transformational that it produces a distinct worldview, through which we see everything.
6. Wonderful — the angels long to look into it — they love it — and never tire of it (1 Peter 1:12). The Gospel is not the ABC’s, it is the A-Z; it is everything. It must be at the heart of everything we do and think.

It’s All About Him

"Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." Luke 24:27

"Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible’s really not about you — it’s about Him."

The band’s name Rend the Heavens comes from Isaiah 64:1:

"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence"

It is an audacious prayer, asking to see and partake of God’s glory. Asking to participate with the Godhead is a deathwish, unless we are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus the Son. He had to come to us, and for that reason Christianity can never be rightly called a "religion" (as those are our attempts to gain God’s favor). He did it all. He is all.

Because God the Son has come, we can say that Love has come, with His eyes of fire, face of light, heart of love, throne of white, hands of pain and tears of blood. No description can do the One of infinite worth justice.

But to sing from the depths of our hearts and minds, is to echo the angelic chorus that Jesus Christ is everything, for all things come from Him, by Him, and exist for Him (Colossians 1:15-21). Some people probably think that Jesus fits into our tiny little lives, like the lucky rabbit feet us silly kids used to keep in our pockets. The opposite can only be true: we fit into His life and story, and nothing can contain His worth. As John’s Gospel notes in the epilogue, if we were to write down all the things He did while on earth it would fill all the books on the planet (John 21:25). And that was just three decades of earthly existence, and roughly three years of public ministry. He has forever been God, having no beginning and no end. Forever we will learn of the greatness of His worth and grace, never arriving at the end of exploring them (Eph. 2:7).

It is utterly amazing to me that God came as a Man. That He humbled Himself to our level, not striving for empty glory as we do, but rather emptying His glory to take the form of a willing servant, giving His life for us (Phil. 2:5-11). Does that not astonish you? If it doesn’t, then you’re not alive; even if you can feel the pulse in your arm, you’re still dead in your sins (Eph. 2:1-10). A heart and mind that can now seek God wants Him more. He came to purchase us back from sin, Satan and self, and with that comes a new identity and new affections. Since we’re His, we can seek Him. Since we are His, we want to seek Him. Come, enter in and enjoy God to the fullest. Forever we will sing of how great the Son is; let’s join in today. We have no idea what we’re missing.

Son of God (title track from their 2006 EP )

Love has come here
Lift up your hands, receive
Hope is free
Just believe
Eyes of fire, Face of light
Heart of love, Throne of white
Hands of pain, Tears of blood
Son of God

Love is in Your Eyes

Lift up my face to see
Hope is free
Just believe
Eyes of fire, Face of light
Heart of love, Throne of white
Hands of pain, Tears of blood
Son of God

Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come

Thy Will be done
Thy Kingdom come

You bore my pain, You wore my flesh
And in Your Eyes is nothing less

Than perfect Love, Tears of blood
Son of God

“The redeemed have all their objective good in God. God Himself is the great good which they are brought to posses and enjoy through redemption. He is the highest good and sum of all good which Christ purchased. God is the inheritance of the saints. He’s the portion of their souls. God is their wealth and treasure, their food, the tree of the paradise of God, their life, their dwelling place, their ornament, their diadem, their everlasting honor and glory. They have none in heaven but God. He is the great good which the redeemed are received to at death and which they are to rise to at the end of the world. The Lord God, He is the light of the heavenly Jerusalem, and is the river of the water of life that runs, and the tree of life that grows in the midst of the paradise of God. The glorious excellencies and beauty of God will be what forever entertains the minds of the saints and the love of God will be their everlasting feast. The redeemed will enjoy, will indeed enjoy other things. They will enjoy angels and will enjoy one another but that which they shall enjoy in angels or in each other or in anything else whatsoever that shall yield them delight and happiness will be what they see of God in them.”

- Jonathan Edwards

The Scottish Scougal (1650-1678) (whom I’ve mentioned before) died of tuberculosis at 28 years old, yet his enduring legacy through from his most well-known book: The Life of God in the Soul of Man. The book is a description of Christianity to a friend with additional spiritual counsel for daily life. The title alone — that God’s very life can live in us people — is the best summary I’ve found of what it means to be “in Christ.” Few books affected the Puritans like this one, and our generation deserves to mine the riches of what it means to experience God’s life at work in us. We settle for so little of Him and so much of ourselves.

Here’s another great quote from Scougal deep in theology, but practical enough to apply to daily life: “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.”

“In Christ” the change is so radical, for we are not just tweaking lives. We become enabled to love God first and completely. God doesn’t just do things for us (forgiveness), He actually shares with us His nature, residing in His Church (indwelling). In the process He “ruins” us for His glory. This change, though gradual, is God overwhelming our old nature with His, for we experience this:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Or, as we will study this weekend in our church:

“8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 3:8-15).

We have been made alive, by God’s power, and live today in the energy of His glory (Col. 1:29).

The short video below beautifully illustrates life change — metamorphosis — from one form to another. In Christ we change from dead beings to completely alive, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Metamorphosis from Glenn Marshall on Vimeo.

While many want to be God’s instrument to accomplish great things, as D.L. Moody said over and over, God is looking for those people who are willing to do the little, unnoticed things for His glory.The value of something done rests in its source and goal (how and why). Since all things come from Christ and exist for Him (Col. 1:16-17), He alone is the worthy source and goal of our life’s work (see also Col. 3:23).

Kari is studying the life of Therese of Lisieux , to speak about her next Wednesday night at our high school group in a series called "Inspired." She’ll be sharing some more reflections about this true saint, but for now consider an ordinary hero who emphasized the "little way," doing mighty little things for our glorious Savior.

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son].
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

(I grew up saying it every week in church, but only in the last decade have my eyes been open to realize the significance and truth found in the words of this creed. Thankful the words were memorized from a young age, and are becoming to me more colorful and beautiful now.)

Athanasius (c. AD 296/98 – 373) has long been my favorite figure in church history, and he may be the single most influential person in church history since Christ and the Apostles. Not as well known as so many others — Augustine, Jerome, Luther, etc. But beloved by God and greatly used by Him. I’ve learned in studying church history that  those who are the most used by God for the sake of the Gospel of His Son, are (1) not lazy, and (2) realize their life’s work does not depend upon them. This is one of those great "happy tensions," where the influence is supernatural and beyond the finite limits of a single life — like Paul writes in Col. 1:29 — all of God’s energy at work in us. Our story is part of His.

We owe so much to Athanasius and his writings, that through great weakness of body and five trips into exile he persevered to give us a deeper vision of the Worth, Work and Ways of Jesus the Christ than the church was swimming in during his days. Oh, the purity and others-directed service of his life! He simply thought about himself less, and made much of Jesus while providing for the poor and widows, preaching about the worth, work and ways of Christ, and even praying for and reaching out to Arius. Arius is the poor theology student who while 42 years Athanasius’ elder — and fellow pastor in the same city and church — was greatly confused and left the biblical vision of Christ. He taught that if Jesus were a Son, then He must have had a beginning, and since there is only one God — who eternally Is — that must be God the Father alone and the Son and Spirit must be secondary creatures. He denied the mystery of the Trinity, because he wanted to worship a God he could fully understand. Arius did not deny Christ, he simply dethroned the Savior, saying he was created (against the clear teaching of passages like Col. 1:15-23 and John 1:1-16). He was in essence the original Jehovah’s Witness, and so many of the church leaders in that day were swayed to this heresy.

Thus the nickname of our hero, "Athanasius Contra Mundum " (against the world). There is a great irony in God’s providence of greatly using a man and his writings — Athanasius — while he was exiled five times by various Roman Emperors. Without those banishments (much like the Apostle Paul in prison), this world would be a less glorious place — and the Gospel would not have spread so well. The emperors had no idea what they were doing, thinking that banishing him would led to the spread of the politically expedient Arianism. Instead, the people of Alexandria considered Athanasius their bishop for 45 years, especially the 17 he spent in the deserts as a fugitive. From the desert his writings sounded forth with the accuracy and weight of scholar and the pastoral tone of of a man who possessed deep love of Christ and truth. The sufferings were worth it: for him, for them, and for us. Young Athanasius came against Arian and his views with the patience of a true saint, and the endurance of a man set on fire by Christ and by truth. I’ll post some links to good summaries and some of his writings when my talk is complete.

He is of course, the source of time, though He lives outside it. He did step into our world, the fulness of God dwelling in bodily form (Col. 1:19). Which got me thinking about the New Year, and how this one-second holiday leads to 31,535,999 more seconds full of opportunity after it — in 2009.

Every. Second. Counts.

Then one of Edwards’ resolutions comes to mind. Number five is:

Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Which leads me back to God and the Scriptures. In the final chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he exhorts them to:

" Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Col. 4:5-6)

Knowing how to answer everyone as we "ought," echoes back a few verses — to prayer and thanksgiving:

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak." (Col. 4:2-4)

Two descriptions of one type of person: a praying and thankful person. Have you noticed that thankful (and joyful) people are quite attractive to others. People are magnetically drawn to speak with joyful people who speak in thankful tones, and see hope in every circumstance.

Praying and thankful people also see God as the Source of everything. The source of every second. And this reality leads them to pray, seeking Him, with enjoyment, for prayer is not a duty when you delight in God. He takes great pleasure in our asking. Plus, thankful people don’t spend most of their time in prayer simply asking. They are more content to utter praise and thanks, which then leads to asking the One we adore to do more, so we can praise and thank Him.

Paul writes about the same in a parallel letter:

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:15-16)

Since our good God is the Source of all things, and Jesus came to purchase us the opportunity to live God-centered lives in 2009, let’s resolve to allow Him to be the Source and Object of every second this year. He’s worthy.

“As God, Christ is the destination to which we move; as man, the path by which we go.”

- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , 3.2.1 (via OFI )

Missional is missionary used as an adverb — an adjective-verb. I believe it aims to connote the what, why and how of being the Church in our culture. (I like the word, although I don’t want to overuse it. Much like "love," we want to be wise with our words, for we should not "love" a hamburger as much as our child. Although, come to think of it, enjoying Burgerville with my son makes us both happy.) (grin)

The Scriptures are replete with God’s commands and enablements to be His sent people in His world, for the sake of show His worth, work, and ways. Open up a passage and if you read it in context, you will find the concept of being missional there. If not in our being sent at least in God sending Himself, the great Initiator and Lover of His people. God is the Hero of every text, revealing His promises and promise-keeping nature.

The mission of God (Missio Dei ) centers on Jesus Christ. He is not only the Example of how and what to be, He is the One who alone is able to show us God breaking into our world. All things will be put together in God-glorifying ways in Christ (Eph. 1:7-10; Eph 3:8-12). He is the Word, the Light, and of His fullness we have receive, grace and truth, grace upon grace (John 1:1-16 ). We will never exhaust exploring His worth, in this life or the ages to come. He is the fullness of God’s aims in the universe, and under Him all things will be brought together in the vastness of their expression.

Considering this great truth takes up much of my mental capacities, and while I won’t be able to blog for at least the next week (it’s finals in seminary), I’ll leave you with a some missional thoughts to ponder.

At our church we focus on "loving God, loving people and serving the world." We aim to be known as a caring community that embodies those three simple directions.

The first is vertical, the second two are horizontal, and while in mathematics the x- (horiz) and y- (vert) axis are each considered independent, in the real world our love for God is incomplete (in not absent) if do not love others (see 1 John for a healthy dose of this reality). We cannot claim to have the vertical without being diligent on the horizontal.

We are to be God-centered, Gospel-driven and people-directed. Those hyphens mean something significant, and figuring how the connecting in those coupled-words is now my life’s work.

1. To love God He must be first in our affections (which does not happen by default);
2. To love people we must relate to others on the basis of the Gospel, which involves being candid about our own weakness and shortcomings;
3. To serve the world our God-centeredness and Gospel-drivenness will take shape in intentional service and sacrificial giving (of our talents, treasure and time), directed towards meeting needs and redeeming circumstances. (In short, to merely talk about God and the Gospel is not enough.)

Are we doing this perfectly? No. Are we on a trajectory towards uniting these three? I believe so. This involves moving outside our comfort zones, relating to God on the basis of Christ’s work alone (always, continually), and adapting ministry by taking risks. In my first up-front interaction with our people I noted that I will probably sound like a broken record to some, because I will emphasize these core things over and over. We do not need to know and do everything. Rather, we must know a few things so deeply that we are gripped by them, send by God into action. I hope we sense a willingness to risk much (and probably fail a thousand different ways) rather than be content to "succeed" in things that don’t matter.

Here are the top five lessons I (think I) have learned over this past 50 month journey and beyond. All are interconnected:

1. People are more important that what they do. Personalizing it: I am not what I do . That is, my identity is rooted in Christ, not my performance. I work from significance in Christ, not for it, as the Gospel would have it. (Repeat that last sentence with me! This message never grows old, and must be the cornerstone of a daily life. We must preach that application of the Christ’s glorious grace to ourselves every day.) In this season, I had to learn to do a few things well. To be fine with not being a perfectionist (okay, I am a recovering one). To release myself from forming a tiny view of life, all centered on me and what I am doing. I was a chronic do-er five years ago, and will never be that again, by the grace of God. Reality is, I work harder now, more efficiently, and am more content to simply BE, motivated by the Gospel.
2. Life is meant to have rhythm. Walking in step with the Spirit is a relationship worth fighting like heaven to keep vital. He is the One working in me to fulfill God’s ultimate purposes. Some people like to refer to life as being in "balance," and I probably should like that word as an engineer-type. It sounds so mathematical. Yet, it fails to see life in proper perspective, for we are not weighing things against one another (the definition of balance), but seeing them come together in harmony. Some like to pit propositional statements of faith against the story of faith. Jesus against Paul. The Bible against the Spirit. Truth versus experience. That’s utter foolishness. They are not against one another, but serve one another in love. Inexplicably connected. For example, in the Gospel rhythms, my job does not compete with my family.They are interwoven in a beautiful work of art by the Father, Son and Spirit.
3. GOD is the Gospel ( tag | search ). If there is one message I hope to bring to the local church, it is this one (along with the view that the Gospel is for all of life, even for Christians). I read the book by that title in 2006 while on hiatus from seminary (Kari was pregnant, I focused on working to provide for us). Lightning struck my soul. It is essentially 180 pages of meditation on two primary verses: 2 Corinthians 4:4,6 . Wow. All things exist and move towards the public display of God’s infinite worth (His glory). Since God Himself is the great good of the Gospel, entering into relationship like Him is like diving into a pool, not just off a diving board. As God is meant to permeate all of life, the Gospel is meant for all of life (like a living room, as opposed to simply the doorway to new life).
4. All of life is preparation. God will, as a loving Father, use every means possible shape us into the image of His Son ( Romans 8:28-30 , Hebrews 12 ). This process of sanctification (purifying) is deep and lasting, and cannot happen without pain, tragedy, relationships (including conflict and resolution) triumphs, and dependence. As a single man I began to see the need for Lamentations 3:25-33 and Habakkuk 3:17-19 become reality in my own life, asking God to shape me into the kind of man who praises Him no matter the circumstance. Doing that deep work requires preparation, which requires suffering. From a broken vertebrae that remains today, to relational brokenness, to physical pain in my feet, to disappoints of various sorts, there is no end to the design of God’s good for us through these experiences.
5. My life is meant to be wrapped about God’s story, not Him around mine. This couples with the others, and specifically #4, as God’s story is simply bigger than teeny, tiny me. That is because the Gospel is not merely good advice. It is the Good News — check that — the best news possible, that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all His enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe in Him, but only everlasting joy in God. Thus, God and His Word are the ultimate reality. I don’t apply the Bible to my life, I rather press my life into His Word, applying my life to Him. This is more than semantics, for each of us is prone to by default live for the glory of ourselves, to seek to further our own kingdom. I am a servant of King Jesus. I am part of His Kingdom. He holds the keys to the future, and I gladly submit to His leading, whatever that entails. As all good story feature conflict and resolution, the Grand Story of the Bible being played out in the universe by the Triune God is the best possible mixture of both.
6. (Just like yesterday there are six. Forgive me.) Faithfulness is our part, fruitfulness is God’s. Actually, our faithfulness is enabled by His ( Phil. 2:12-13; 1 John 5:3 ). Kari and I remind one another weekly that our home and family is the first ministry. Being faithful starts here. For whatever "success" I find in vocation, in being a pastor, in whatever, it is worthless if I fail as a faithful husband and loving father. That is the definition of success.

From these lessons I formed the chief objective of my life: To help everyone breathing know the one and only Triune God, in Christ, better than they know anyone or anything else, and to love and enjoy Him together more than anyone or anything else in all the world.

Ever a life-long learner (through all eternity), swimming in the depths of the Gospel and seeing how necessary these truths are, and looking for more to discover.

“Salvation is wholly of grace, not only undeserved but undesired by us until God is pleased to awaken us to a sense of our need of it. And then we find everything prepared that our wants require or our wishes conceive; yea, that He has done exceedingly beyond what we could either ask or think.

Salvation is wholly of the Lord and bears those signatures of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness which distinguish all His works from the puny imitations of men. It is every way worthy of Himself, a great, a free, a full, a sure salvation.

It is great whether we consider the objects (miserable, hell-deserving sinners), the end (the restoration of such alienated creatures to His image and favor, to immortal life and happiness) or the means (the incarnation, humiliation, sufferings and death of His beloved Son). It is free, without exception of persons or cases, without any conditions or qualifications, but such as He, Himself, performs in them and bestows upon them.”

- John Newton, “The Consolation”, Works of John Newton : Vol III (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1985), 32.

How do you think about your Creator? And what do you feed your mind?

"… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ( 1 Thess. 5:18 )

What is God’s will for my life? That has always been one of most frequent questions I’ve heard, and asked. How can I know what He wants me to do, who He designed me to be?

God’s will is multi-faceted, yet He is strangely easy to please, as our caring heavenly Father. He has given some specific instructions as to what His will for us is. Trusting wholly in His Son is His direct command for all of us ( Acts 17:30; 1 John 5:13 ). Abstaining from sexual impurity, keeping our bodies for His good pleasure alone is specifically His will for us ( 1 Thess. 4:3-4 ). Add to that the heralding of His Good News everywhere by the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-30), which of course is enabling power of God to obey the Great Commandment (love the Lord Thy God fully, more than anything else). And here in this passage we see it is God’s will that we being a praying people, continually pour out words from the depths of our being (we have incredible access!, v. 17).  Couple the next verse (v. 18): always being thankful , with always rejoicing ( Phil. 4:4 ), and we have a lifestyle that reveals God’s worth and can receive His grace.That is truly an others-directed (not me-first) Christianity.

When we think about it, that’s not too much for God to ask. In fact, He enables what He commands. This is not debtor’s ethic at play. For remember, His commandments are His enablements , just as they are not burdensome ( 1 John 5:3 ). As we continually trust in the Son, by the Spirit, we are changed into the kind of people who live out His will and purpose for us ( Phil. 2:12-13 ). We live in these commands as His people working from significance, not for it. Our performance is a measure of Christ’s ability to rescue and transform us, not something we simply have to do on our own.

Today, as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow, the will of God is for us to be thankful in all things . To specifically "give thanks" to God. Thanking Him for pain that proves we are alive, for His discipline which shows He cares as a Father, for happy times that are unearned, for frustrations and for triumphs. For a million seemingly little things. Can you join with me in doing today what — if we have been captivated by Jesus — we will love doing forever?

Our destiny is to say these small words forever

Related to giving thanks, this reminder from Of First Importance is worth re-posting…

“I have often wondered, perhaps in part simply because the term is so rarely used today, what it might mean to ‘glorify’ God forever. It will undoubtedly mean a great many things, but one of them surely must be that we will continually thank him.

We will thank him for his graciousness and goodness to us, and for inviting us into conversation. Along this line, I would think that we anticipate our ‘chief and highest end’ every time we behold something beautiful and find that after we have exclaimed, ‘Ah, how wonderful!’ we are almost compelled to say ‘Thank you!’

Our destiny is to say these small words forever and so experience the gratitude that is the perfection of happiness.”

—Craig M. Gay, Dialogue, Catalogue & Monologue (Vancouver, BC: Regent College Publishing, 2008), 48-49.

How simple, true, and profound.

Seeing that giving thanks will be our forever practice and joy for all eternity, how do we practically do that, on a day to day basis here and now?

As Warren Wiersbe reminds us:

"Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny!"

That is often thought of in a pejorative sense, as in what you sow you shall reap — badly! (see Gal. 6 ). But it also conversely true, for sowing a thought of thankfulness, does lead to action, which done repeatedly and intentionally forms a habit. This habit no longer remains merely "habitual," but becomes second nature — becoming part of our very character — and thus the trajectory we will live on. This is no positive-thinking mantra (always aimed at self). Rather, this is turning from self over and over again to see the beauty and grace of God, and reflecting his joy towards others.

(Please chime in on this…)

A few thoughts on cultivating thankfulness as a lifestyle:

• Sit down and think . We will not be grateful automatically (this depravity thing holds us back from looking outside ourselves).
  • Is there anything "big" that you’re thankful for?
  • Anything relatively "small"?
  • How do those "small" things add up — a lot of grace and undeserved kindness, huh?
• Ask someone else, "What are you thankful for?"
  • Gratitude and joy are contagious (as are negativity and self-absorption).
• Tell God what you are thankful for.
  • Go ahead, He’s listening! ( Eph. 3:13 )
• Preach the Gospel to yourself every day.
  • Can you articulate the grace of God in Christ, who is the substitution for Your sins and the only way to God?
  • We never outgrow our need for the Gospel. It is for Christians too .
• Tell someone why you are thankful for them .
  • We are each blind to our own fruit and daily need encouragement.
  • A hand-written note is a small item that can sustain a burdened soul through trying times. Take the time to show them you care, because you do. (see here )
  • God often puts different people on your heart to pray for and encourage – directly.
  • Call, write, even text (don’t "superpoke") others for to display God’s worth, their being made in His image, and for their good.
  • They might choose to return the favor, but who cares if they don’t. Be a free-grace-giver.
• Why are you/me/we generally un-thankful? (if you are not bent towards joy and gratitude, as a lifestyle or at this particular moment)
  • Remember that all problems are Gospel problems. They all stem from a lack of proper orientation to the Gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts, our thinking and our approach to absolutely everything.
• Repeat…

Any to add?

1. The church’s mission–in both belief and practice–should be grounded in the biblical theology of mission.
2. Reflection on the church’s mission should be predicated upon the affirmation of the full and sole authority of Scripture.
3. The church’s mission should be conceived primarily in terms of the church’s faithfulness and responsiveness to the missionary mandate given by the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Scripture.
4. The church’s understanding of its mission should be hermeneutically sound.
5. The church’s mission is to be conceived ultimately in theocentric rather than anthropocentric terms.
6. The church’s mission, properly and biblically conceived, is to be trinitarian in its orientation, but not at the expense of neglecting the distinct roles of the three persons within the Godhead.
7. The contemporary context of the church’s mission, while important, ought not to override the church’s commitment to the authority of Scripture, its need to be grounded in the biblical theology of mission, and the understanding of its task in terms of faithfulness to the gospel.
8. The church is the God-ordained agent of his mission in this world today.
9. The way in which the kingdom of God is extended in this world today is through regenerate believers acting out their Christian faith in their God-assigned spheres of life: the church, their families, their workplace, the societies in which they live (Eph 5:18-6:9; 1 Pet 2:13-3:7 ).
10. There is no true lasting social transformation apart from personal conversion through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
11. Human organization does not necessarily entail a lack of acknowledgment of God and his initiative in mission.
12. The church’s task today is to nurture, renew, and plant churches composed of a spiritually regenerate membership and constituted in keeping with the biblical teaching regarding church leadership.

Read the whole thing for Dr. Kostenberger’s explanation of each point.

[HT: JT ]

Also read Al Mohler’s commentary, "Are We Promised Prosperity ." His is related to the U.S. economy (not Osteen), but the message is quite relevant for the times we find ourselves in. A concluding remark, Mohler writes:

"Perhaps we should remember our own history lesson — that far more believers in Christ have been and are now among the poor, rather than among the wealthy. We should hear Jesus warn against materialism and Paul remind us that we are to be content when we have plenty and when we have little. We should know that the Christian virtue of thrift is incompatible with the lies of those who push consumer credit.

We are not promised prosperity. When we do enjoy prosperity, we should be thankful stewards — not peddlers of our own prosperity theology."

A friend of mine says one of his biggest day-to-day fears is that he will get bored. Perhaps some people are more apt to need constant motivation to pursue new things, to thinki, to serve, to be un-bored.

Christ is the cure to all boredom. Don’t get me wrong, solving our boredom issues is NOT the primary reason Jesus came. He came to satisfy the wrath of God and redeem a people who treasure God as the fountain of all joy. In Him is infinite pleasure, at His right hand forevermore ( Psalm 16:11 ). He satisfies. Therefore, there is no reason to ever be bored.

Dare I say that when we are bored we are tempted to sin, perhaps even sinning already? That is because sin is not just doing evil things; we also sin when we make good things into ultimate things. The sin of idolatry, the most prevalent of all, is to fashion a god after own preference, to worship a false god. When we are not satisfied with God, we produce and chase after thoughts and dreams that are a substitute. Sin is what we do when we are not satisfied with our Creator.

In Christ we have every reason to be happy, full of life, and on this grand adventure with Him. We do not, however, have any reason to be bored.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Phil. 4 )

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Update: this post was already drafted and scheduled to publish, but then moved up in response to Jake’s discussion question: Is boredom a sin?

He likewise makes the point that the theology on your doctrinal statement is essentially of no effect if you sing something different on Sunday mornings. We do actually sing our theology, and that is what people take home with them — the daily theology of your local church. The power of words. The power of music. The wonder of the two mingled together. That is what can fill a mind.

How true it is that we often thoughtlessly throw together "worship sets," and even more thoughtlessly enter them corporately as God’s people and just sing along without having a mind for God and for the words we sing. We truly can attend a worship service without ever worshipping. Do you think about the words you are singing? Do you have any gracious feedback, and not just "I like this song, _____. Can we play that one?" Rather, pointing out that perhaps some of the words are not in-line with Scripture, or are true-but-shallow, and doing so with a humble, gracious tone. (Plus, doing it infrequently, and probably not every week, or for every song!) I know, it’s not en vogue to be discerning like that, but if we come with hearts of grace, and especially also affirm what the worship leader is doing right , we can perhaps help shape the theology we sing and thus by default are (actively or passively) filling our minds with.

• If you are a worship leader, how would you respond to this criticism? Do you welcome it? Would you receive it?

I find myself sometimes when the theology is poor or too me-centered in a song, closing my eyes and substituting better, more God-centered, creative language to move me past myself. Perhaps we don’t know our Bibles enough to notice, or simply don’t care. Inclined to think it’s both.

(John Wesley has some words for us.)
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Here’s an unedited brief interview with Bob Kauflin, given just after his talk:

Interview with Bob Kauflin from Mike Anderson on Vimeo .