Getting Unstuck

All of us have had the experience of getting stuck. Recently we experienced that in simply assembling a puzzle.  It started off just fine putting together the borders and then we separated some of the colors. We were excited when we found that there were a specific colors and designs that quickly fit together. But then we got stuck. 

Some are up to a challenge of a 5,000-piece puzzle but for others, it’s just too much of a challenge and we find ourselves stuck, We start wondering if we should continue or just put it all back in the box.

Sometimes getting stuck is a bigger issue. Perhaps it’s financial….We lose a job and the next thing we know we are about to lose our car or our home. We go to the doctor for a checkup and he says, “oh oh”….What do you mean oh-oh? Those are words we don’t want our physicians to say.

Perhaps some find themselves in a bad marriage, a bad job, or a bad neighborhood.  God wants us to have peace in these situations and can give us that peace.  Regardless of our situation, the scriptures remind us that we can be content for God has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

But sometimes being stuck ends up becoming a true crisis.  How are we to find peace in the midst of a crisis? The Apostle Paul tells us that first of all, we need to focus on God instead of the situation. That's easier said than done, but that's what Paul means when he says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Paul's not saying that we're happy about what we're going through; he's not even saying to rejoice in our difficulties. He's saying rejoice in the Lord, and that's something altogether different.

It’s possible to have joy in our lives not only when we are stuck but even in the midst of a crisis. True joy is the knowledge that God is in control of our circumstances and allows only that which He permits into our lives.  That's why the Apostle and brother of the Lord, James says to consider it joy when a trial comes our way. (James 1:2) 

It's not that the trial brings joy. Instead, it is what God is doing for us and in us through the trial. He is involved in our lives and is working through these situations. When we truly believe that God is involved, we will consider the trial joy and can find peace and rest in the Lord. In truth, our joy is in the Lord and is completely independent of our circumstances. That is why even in the midst of the worst situations we still worship God. That's what Job did when he lost his possessions and his family; he said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21)

This is Amazing Grace

Most of you are familiar with the song, Amazing Grace. You may have heard as well a little about the song writer.  His name was John Newton.

John was born in 1725, his dad was ship captain and his mom died when he was very young.  While still a very young man, his dad had him became a sailor, serving as just a deck hand but later he became the captain of the ship.  This was not a military vessel, part of the British Navy but a cargo ship.  It had all kids of cargo including loads of human cargo, these were slaves, captured, separated from their families and put in shackles and traded, sold in various ports in South American, North America and England.   

John’s life was a mess, it is reported that at times he was so drunk and destitute that even his crew was disgusted with him.  You have likely heard the phrase, he (or she) cussed like a sailor;  it could easily have been named after John. In fact, it was said of John that he actually created new words, new profanity that exceeded the limits of verbal debauchery.

Once while piloting the ship, for several months with a load of lumber, livestock and beeswax, a big storm blew up, threatening the ship, everyone thought they were going to die.  So severe was the storm that the otherwise seaworthy vessel was in danger of sinking.  A huge wave crashed over the ship and his only friend, who was standing right next to him, got blown off the ship, never to be seen again. John thought his life is over, and he found himself in the moment of his greatest trial and his deepest fear crying out to God, the God that he blasphemed, he called on and said, Lord, have mercy on us all.

Despite much damage to the ship, when they finally reached a port in Ireland, John began a sincere effort to become right with God.

And so this man, named John Newton, started reading scripture, and was transformed by the grace of God. And he put pen to paper and wrote the lyrics in 1772, to the hymn that we now know as Amazing Grace.

So, let’s pause for a moment on the story of the man behind the hymn, Amazing grace and turn our attention to the scriptures, Ephesians chapter two, and this is where Paul pens these passionate verses about the Amazing grace of God:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,  among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:1-10)

Paul is saying something that is actually quite intuitive.   Everyone has a PAST and Paul addresses that in the very first verses of Ephesians 2

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world,

Before you became a follower of Christ, You WERE something you ARE not today.  Can you follow that?  

These verses are a little easier to understand with a more modern translation like the New Living Translation

Paul says, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.”

Sometime people are in denial.   They even deny that they are sinners….following their passionate desires of the flesh.

This is what Paul is talking about. We WERE dead in our trespasses and sins, We were just like the rest of the world, we followed the evil desires of our heart.  That’s who we were.

What about John Newton?

John Newton, former sea captain, slave trader, the man with the foul mouth knew who he WAS.   Before we become a believer, it’s important to know who were ARE

It’s said that it’s difficult so save a man from a burning house when he doesn’t smell the smoke or feel the heat

And Paul says there is a “BUT” coming

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

The key here are the words, “BUT GOD” You were dead in your sins BUT GOD.   You were lost, you saw no way out BUT GOD, Your marriage was in trouble, your life was a mess, you couldn’t kick the habit that was destroying your life BUT GOD

Let me tell you why PAUL is using this type of language.  Why Paul says, “BUT GOD”.  This is PAUL, formerly SAUL who before he was follower of Christ hated CHRISTIANS so much that he got papers from those in authority, so he could kill them.  

SAUL fortunately had a BUT GOD moment.   He was on the way to Damascus to go and kill some Christians when suddenly Jesus comes to him as a bright light, and it knocks Saul off his horse.  He is blinded and hears Jesus speak to him and say, “SAUL SAUL, why do you persecute ME”

Saul, also called PAUL is then baptized and begins to preach Jesus.  Suddenly Paul understands for the first time the true meaning of all of the Old Testament traditions, the yearly sacrifices, the feat of the Passover…they all pointed to JESUS.

Paul was lost, BUT GOD….Rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made Paul, made US alive together with Christ

John Newton not only had the BUT GOD moment, but John Newton went on and became a preacher.

And he penned the words:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers toils and snares

I have already come

'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home

When we've been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun 

 

 

Five Evangelical Preachers Highlight ‘Solas’ of Reformation

From Proclaim 17 ORLANDO, Fla. (NRB) 

Five evangelical preachers highlighted the five “solas” of the Protestant Reformation to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses at Proclaim 17, the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Orlando.

Dr. Tony Evans, Senior Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, preached on “Sola Gratia” (by grace alone); Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago, addressed “Sola Fide” (by faith alone); Dr. Mac Brunson, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, preached on “Solus Christus” (through Christ alone); Dr. R.C. Sproul, Founder and Chairman of Ligonier Ministries, spoke on “Sola Scriptura” (by Scripture alone); and Dr. Barry Creamer, President of Criswell College, addressed “Soli Deo Gloria” (glory to God alone).

By Grace Alone

Evans preached from Ephesians 2:1-10, noting that the Roman Catholic Church had been trying for centuries to get people to atone for their sins through indulgences and other means, but Luther proclaimed that biblical acceptance with God was by grace alone.

“At the heart of grace is unmerited favor,” Evans said. “Grace can be defined as the goodness of God to people who do not deserve it, could never earn it, and could never pay it back. For it is the God of grace that offers His goodness to undeserving mankind.”

Knowing that man would sin, God “had to come up with a plan for His attributes to get along,” Evans said, meaning justice and wrath would have to be at peace with the expression of love and mercy.

“Since He could not look to His creation in order to resolve the problem because the creation was the problem, He had to come up with an answer to address the conflict within the attributes given the sinfulness of man combined with the desire of God expressing His love, and so He came up with a plan to resolve the problem in Himself, by Himself, for Himself to benefit mankind who could not help themselves because they were stuck in a graveyard,” Evans said.

By grace, Jesus says to believers, “‘You’re with me, and the rights and privileges of grace get transferred to you, not because of who you are but because of who I am,’” Evans said.

By Faith Alone

Luther, Lutzer said, struggled with a sense of alienation from God. “Imagine the freedom that Luther was finally able to have when he said, ‘My sin doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to Jesus,’” Lutzer said.

“What Luther discovered was the Gospel itself buried under centuries of traditions and prayers and candles and all of those things,” Lutzer said.

“The truth was there,” he later added. “The Catholic Church believed in Jesus Christ as God, they believed in the Scripture, though tradition usually trumped the Scripture. But the fact was it was all there and the reformers came along and weeded the garden.”

Lutzer noted five characteristics of saving faith: It involves the acknowledgement of personal sin; it involves the understanding that Jesus died to take our penalty; it involves a transfer of trust to Jesus Christ alone; it involves a growth in faith; and it results in good works.

“The Jesus who saved you is just as strong and just as trustworthy as the Jesus who saved me or anyone else,” Lutzer said.

Through Christ Alone 

Brunson noted that Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of his nature,” and, as Brunson said, “That doesn’t happen with anyone else.”

He pointed to the exclusivity of Christ’s redemptive activity recorded in Hebrews 10:4, which states, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

“All of that sacrifice for all of those years never dealt with a single sin of the Jews,” Brunson  said.

“Christ came in not only as High Priest to offer up the sacrifice,” he added. “He offered Himself up as the sacrifice because Christ and Christ alone can die for sins. Nobody else has ever tried.

“You don’t read that in the Koran,” Brunson said. “Allah doesn’t give that a shot. Neither does Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha, Shiva, any of the Hindu gods. Not even Shirley MacLaine. Nobody can die for sins but Jesus Christ, and He makes purification of them, and to show how complete that is, He sits down.”

By Scripture Alone

It’s customary, Sproul said, for historians to indicate two chief causes of the Protestant Reformation: the material cause and the formal cause.

“We know that the material cause of the Reformation, or the question of what was the matter at the time, focused on the issue of the Gospel and the answer to the question, ‘How are we as unjust people justified in the presence of a holy God,’” Sproul said. “So the central material aspect was the debate over the issue of justification by faith alone.

“But throughout that discussion of the material principle of the Reformation, there was always just beneath the surface – and quite frequently bubbled to the surface – of the controversy the issue of the formal cause of the Reformation and that issue was the question of authority,” Sproul said. “By what authority did Luther declare his doctrine of justification by faith alone?”

Luther said he had been captured by the Word of God. “My conscience is bound by sacred Scripture, and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me,” Sproul said, noting the great reformer’s famous assertion.

“What Luther said in the 16th Century and what we say today is – as important as the instruction that we received from the great theologians of the past, from the commentaries, from the creeds, from the confessions – there’s only one source that has the authority absolutely to bind our consciences. It’s sacred Scripture,” Sproul said.

If believers want to realize an awakening or a sort of new reformation in this day, Sproul said, “what we’re going to have to see are Christians whose consciences have been captured by sacred Scripture and can say, ‘Here we stand. We can do no other.’”

Glory to God Alone

The five solas, Creamer said, declare that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, revealed through Scripture alone to God’s glory alone.

The fifth sola “is actually unique for a couple of reasons,” Creamer said. “The other four are all means to salvation itself. This one is different. The glory of God is not the means of salvation. It is the purpose of salvation, and to that extent, it applies to all the others together.”

Creamer cited “an objective sense of God’s glory that is in Him. That is, the attributes of God that lend to His gravity are His glory. They just belong to Him. But then there is a sense in which we use the word ‘glory’ to talk about the appropriate response we have to that truth about God. … Our praise is of His glory.”

The glory of God is independent of man and is eternal, universal, objective, and absolute, Creamer said, “but it’s not fully realized until we participate in it.”

Referring to Psalm 8:5, which says God crowned man with glory and honor, Creamer said God “bestows it on us, but He expects it to come back to Him. The fruit of our lives is only when we are consumed by Him.”

By Erin Roach (here's a link to the NRB and Proclaim 17

About NRB

The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. Our mission is to advance biblical truth, promote media excellence, and defend free speech. In addition to promoting standards of excellence, integrity, and accountability, NRB provides networking, educational, ministry, and fellowship opportunities for its members. Learn more at www.nrb.org. 

Educated beyond their own intelligence

The university I attended for business school had a very large and obviously popular Early Education Major for undergraduates and a popular MS program in Early Childhood Education as well.  

The philosophy of what some may call ‘modern’ or ‘progressive’ early childhood education was apparent to many of us.   Many of the Early Education Majors became fully indoctrinated into this philosophy and were convinced of some of these modern educational ideals.  For example they believed and taught that competition was harmful to child development, or that saying ‘no’ somehow wounded the little tyke’s spirit, and that all toys should all be ‘unisex’.

One of my friends that already had children remarked that some of these students and graduates had become ‘educated beyond their own intelligence’.  As a first-time dad a few years later I learned that there were indeed many competing philosophies in child rearing. Some worked, some did not.  Many were just the ‘new thing’ that typically had disappointing results.

Religion can often be similar.  First of all, Christianity isn’t supposed to be a religion but a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  However, there are a lot of opportunities for philosophy to become a guide in our spiritual practices and just like the disappointing results that can be consequences of bad child development philosophies, the same is true with many philosophies that are called Christian.

In Colossians 2:8 the Apostle Paul warned us, “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.” (HCSB)

Notice that in the above warning Paul combines philosophy, deceit and human tradition.  The Apostle Paul was the one that told us that the truths of the Bible can only be ‘spiritual discerned’ (1 Cor. 2:14) so we have to be careful adding to what God starts off with His Holy Spirit and taking it to its illogical extreme.

One of the trends I’ve seen in the church today is that which has a theological term called, “antinomianism”.    The word antinomianism is combination of two Greek words, anti meaning ‘against’ and nomos meaning ‘law’ or Against Law or Lawlessness.

Because grace is such a major topic in the New Testament many struggle with the Christian’s obligation to adhere to moral law.  Antinomianism is found when the Biblical teaching of “Grace” is taken to an unbiblical extreme.  

In many ways antinomianism is the opposite of legalism.    While I abhor legalism in the Church and I am quick to quote that, “Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:2 HCSB), I also teach that Christ fulfilled the law --He did not do away with it.   

The great command that Jesus taught was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

The Bible teaches that we to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us; we are to be truthful in all of our dealings; we are to be honest, we are not to lie, we are not to covet, we are to not murder.  Further, we are to forgive “as we have been forgiven” The Ten Commandments highlight these as well as other aspects of the moral code.  These are not just mere suggestions for Christians that are covered under God’s grace.

This can be confusing for many as indeed there are many Old Testament Laws that seem to be not applicable.  Many of these laws were ceremonial laws designed to point the nation of Israel to Christ or they were civil laws for the nation that were appropriate for the times.   Christianity’s focus is on the Kingdom of God.  While we live on this earth, both for our own sake as well as the sake of others, Christ taught us to live a life of integrity, virtue, and of love for our neighbor. 

While Jesus Christ accepts us into His Kingdom “just the way we are” he doesn’t expect us to stay there.   One of the ways of looking at this is that we trust fully in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary as well as the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

Becoming a Christian is as easy as accepting a free gift.  God’s gift of salvation is said to be to ‘everyone’ and ‘whosoever will’.    At the same time, Jesus continually challenged the Jewish people that knew the law to go beyond what was minimally required and live a life that was exemplary.

We have to be careful to make sure that our moral standards and objectives don’t become absolute moral imperatives, nor can we require that these moral imperatives are fully met before God's grace is extended.  That is legalism.   In the same way, we need to make sure that the grace that has been freely given doesn’t become a license for sin.   Christian maturity is the process that accepts the Grace and rejoices in being reconciled while at the same time understanding that this is the beginning of a journey that demonstrates that we become more and more like Jesus and less and less like our old self.

Almost Perfect

‘Mature’ is one of those words that has a lot of different meanings depending on the context.   For example, while teaching at Florida Atlantic University I was asked to speak to the “Mature Student Association” and found out that the university defined ‘mature’ as over twenty-five.

Here in Florida we have a number of ‘Mature Residential Communities’ that feature swimming pools, athletic facilities, gated entrances and people that are all 55+ years old.

Sometimes a television show will come on with a warning, “Recommended for mature audiences”.  This typically means it is a movie that the spiritual mature probably have learned to avoid.

In the Bible maturity is considering something altogether different.  It really has nothing to do with age.  The writer of the New Testament Epistle entitled “To The Hebrews” wrote:

"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment," (Heb. 6:1-2).

What I find interesting about these elementary teachings is that for many of us they aren’t elementary at all but things that theologians and even entire denominations have argued about for years.    Historically we know that the early church that received this letter called “To the Hebrews” also had questions with regard to some of these doctrinal  issues.  This leads us to the conclusion that being spiritually mature is not about having doctrinal certainty.

However what I find even more interesting is this encouragement to go on to ‘maturity’.  This word in the original Greek is teleiotes, which can be better translated as ‘perfection’.  Here is another example of the same word, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect (teleiotes) it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6)

So we are being told to become---perfect!  Likely you don’t consider yourself perfect.   While we may not be perfect, we all need to grow.   One of the ways to look at this is to look at what happens when we don’t grow spiritually.  

Perhaps you can relate to these common characteristics of the spiritually immature:

1. The spiritually immature is focused on themselves rather than others.  We all can relate.  These people believe prayer is their connection to their own lottery; they ask God to get them out of trouble and fix the problems that they themselves have created.   When they select a church its all about the church meeting their needs.
   
   
   
   
2. The spiritually immature is trying to hold on to the ‘old self’.  As a pastor I often end up talking with people that are still struggling with the old self. In Galatians Chapter 5 it mentions some or these struggles, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”
   
   
   
   
3. The spiritually immature compares and measures themselves according to people rather than Christ.  While the Apostle Paul was able to say, “I urge you to imitate me” (1 Cor 4) for most of us we need to encourage others to look to “Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2)

So, we may be able to spot the immature, but how do we go onto maturity, or better yet, “perfection”?  

Here are three nature steps:

1. Know God.  This includes the practice of prayer and worship and the knowledge of God’s Grace. 
   
2. Know His Word. The Bible says we need to study to be approved (2 Tim 2:5), and we are to keep God’s word in our heart (Psalm 119:11)
   
3. Know His Family.  We all need to be under some authority.  The same book of Hebrews says that we shouldn’t “forsake the assembling of yourselves (Hebrews 10:25), and then Acts 2:42 we see just how committed we can be: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers".

I have found that just as it takes years for us to grow to adulthood the journey to spiritual maturity often takes years as well.   The Bible often refers to mature Christians as fruit.   Fruit, like people, only becomes reproductive when it ripens….it takes time. 

However, like fruit, we don’t want to get too ripe, perhaps you’ve met some Christians that have matured but are a little too ripe…..ripe fruit is rotten and stinks.