What is the Victorious life?

The follow post is an excerpt from a sermon preached on 1 John 5:4-13. You can listen to the sermon here.

1 John 5:4-5

4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

When we think of overcoming the world, we think of a life where the victory is apparent for all to see. If we’re honest, we find ourselves asking: Lord, I have faith, but where’s my victory? And this is why the prosperity gospel is so tempting. It says we’ll have victory right here and now if we just have enough faith.

The problem is that the prosperity gospel defines victory down. The prosperity gospel is a worldly gospel. It’s all about what we can see here and now, about easy relationships and wealth. It’s a self-centered message that leads us to treat God like a means to an end. Prosperity gospel preachers love to promise the victorious life, but they’ve missed the victory. But there are ways that Christians can and should talk about living the victorious life, the life of faith. This victorious life is not a victory we achieve by our own efforts, but Christ’s victory in us.

Trust that God is working (even when we don’t understand)

Christians live the victorious life by remembering we are God’s children, even when the world jeers at us. Do you remember who the crowds jeered at Christ when he hung on the cross? “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” We overcome the world by clinging to Christ’s victory, trusting that we are in the world just as he is. Even when we suffer, we are God’s children. The Scriptures would tell us that suffering is a special sign that we belong to God, because the Lord disciplines those he loves. We live the victorious life by faith that God is working, even when we don’t understand it.

Fight sin

We live the victorious life by fighting sin. We remember that we are no longer dead in our sins and slaves to sin. Christ has freed us in order to fight sin. Sin is powerful and it remains with us, but it is not our master. This means repenting of your sin. Be honest about it to God and to others in order to kill your sin and in order to magnify the grace of God. Few things demonstrate that sin has lost it’s grip on you like confessing your sins and resting in the grace of Christ’s forgiveness. By faith, we repent of our sin.

Obey God

Another way we live the victorious life is by obeying God. If we’re tempted to think that trying to grow in holiness is pointless, we’re believing a lie, we’re following back into worldliness. Remember how John keeps calling us to this supernatural love in this letter? He says we should love others by loving God and obeying him. And this requires faith. Faith and love may lead us into challenging unknown places, like Abraham being led to the promised land. We may love others and be rejected or persecuted. We live the victorious life by following God in obedience, trusting that his way is better than our own way or the world’s ways.

Share the Gospel

Christians live the victorious life by telling the gospel to others. In God’s wisdom, he decided that he will use his children to speak his word to the world. Since we know that those around us will die if they remain in sin, we tell them about how God has provided salvation in Jesus.

Video Devotional on Ephesians 4:31-32

A video devotional by Pastor Geo on Ephesians 4:31-32.

Video Devotional 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

A video devotional by Geo Haines on 1 Corinthians 12:14-27.

Devotional on Isaiah 1:18

by John Young

“Out, Out damned spot I say…”

 This line is from William Shakespeare’s play, “MacBeth.” It is the story of an ambitious man (MacBeth) and his wife, Lady MacBeth. They are hungry for power and have murdered and swindled their way past, around, or over anyone who stood in their way to get what they want.

 This line comes from a point in the play when Lady MacBeth is sleepwalking and she’s lamenting this imaginary blood she has on her hands that she cannot get off no matter what she does.

 I couldn’t help but think of this line as I read Isaiah 1:18:

         “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

It’s hard to understand what’s happening in v18 unless we take a brief look at Isaiah 1 up to this point.

 Israel, as Israel is wont to do in its history, has turned their back on the Lord. The Lord gives Isaiah a vision in which he says of Israel even though he raised them as a father, they have turned their backs on him and don’t even know him, when even oxen and donkeys acknowledge their owners. (v2-3)

 Their spiritual illness is total: The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint. From the sole of their foot even to their heads, there is no soundness in them. (v5-6)

 And as a judgment against them, their country lies desolate and their cities are burned with fire. (v7)

 They are compared to Sodom and Gomorrah (v9-10) and the only difference is that God has mercifully left a few people behind but that doesn’t seem to be based upon those individual’s righteousness as much as it is on God’s mercy.

 And so it seems as though Israel knows a little of their sin and a lot of God’s discipline, so they know that what has happened to them is from God’s hand and they are guilty. So how will they respond?

 They try to sacrifice or “do good” their way out of their guilt. But in v11-15 God says it’s of no use: “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” “I’ve had enough of burnt offerings of rams and well-fed beasts…” “Who has required of you this trampling of my courts?” He can’t endure their feasts, his soul hates their festivals. When they spread their hands in praise he hides his eyes from them and when they clutch their hands in prayer he can’t even look at them for their hands are dripping with blood.

 So the Lord commands them to “…wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds before my eyes…” (v16)

 But what we see here is very frustrating to hear. How can I ever wash myself clean from sin if I can’t sacrifice my way out of it or “offer” my way out of it or praise my way out of it or pray my way out of it?

 But in v16-17 we see how this can be possible: REPENTANCE! Which entails two things: ceasing to do evil (16), and learn to do good (17). So stop sinning and start obeying the Lord. And then later on in 17, he shows us some examples of what doing good looks like: seeking justice, correcting oppression, justice to orphans and widows.

 But it’s not just repentance, specifically it is repentance before the Lord. (V18) “Come now let us reason together. Or, come now to me and let’s settle the matter.  But wait! What motivation does Israel have to come before this God who has brought all of this on them? What hope would Israel have to come before the one who compared them to Sodom and Gomorrah? Why would they come to him who has harsh words for their worship and hates their offerings? What should they expect to receive?

The Lord invites them to come to him, not with their hands full of offerings and sacrifices, nor with a list of good things they’ve done. Rather they should come to him in repentance and faith: leaving behind their sin; and, seeking to learn from him what is good the way a child learns from his father.

 And the reason Israel, or we, have to come to him is because of his promise in v18: “Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.”

 I don’t know about you but I have a horrible habit of spilling things on shirts I love and I frequently seem to ruin shirts. This is the picture here: a white robe or a shirt covered in deep dark red wine stains. No amount of washing will ever get it out, it’s just there and it will be there forever. I talked to a guy I know this week who had a whole can of paint spilled in his truck. I don’t care how much you clean it, that paint is always going to be there!

 But if we come to the Father in repentance and faith, he promises to do for us what we are utterly incapable of doing for ourselves: he will cleanse our bodies covered like scarlet in sin and our robes of crimson will be made white as wool.

 We are able to delight in this promise more than Israel ever understood! Because of Jesus’ perfect life on our behalf, he has secured for us a righteousness we could never imagine. And through his death for our sins and his resurrection from the dead, our sins have not only been atoned for but they have been cast away from us as far as east is from west and we are able to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” We have been justified by faith. So we can draw near to this powerful, eternal, righteous God as the children of his we are!

My sin, O the bliss, of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part, but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Devotional on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

by Tim Williamson

 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.  

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.                                                                        

1 Corinthians 12:12 - 27 

The culture in which we live tends to have a very highly individualistic nature to it.  Looking back as far as Greek literature, we note that the great epic poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey celebrate the achievements of heroes who overcame their enemies (and in some cases the opposition of the gods) through the use of their intellect, cunning, or strength.  Modernity has only reinforced these cultural norms.  In fact, it was the Enlightenment philosophers that looked back to the Greek philosopher Protagoras and agreed with him that, “"Man is the Measure of All Things".  Of all the people on the earth, Americans seem to have embedded this most completely in their national ethos.  The virtues of “rugged individualism” and “the protestant work ethic” are commonly (and mostly correctly, in my opinion) cited for various historical successes the American people like completing the westward expansion to the Pacific Ocean and building incredible wealth during the industrial revolution.

However, when we read the scriptures, we find that while the Lord loves his people on an individual basis, he has a special love and purpose for his people on a corporate basis as well.  We frequently use the word “corporate” to describe activities or events in the life of the church that occur when God’s people are gathered together.  The root of the word is “corpus” which is latin for “body”.  In today’s devotion, Paul uses the analogy of the body to teach about God’s design for the church, how we are to understand it, and how we are to carry out life together in it. 

One of the first things to note in this passage, is that it forms a bridge between the passage that comes before it, and the one that comes after it.  In the science of interpreting written documents, this is referred to as the “literary context” of the passage.  Understanding the context helps us understand what the author (in this case Paul) is trying to communicate.  The parts of the body tie to the spiritual gifts mentioned in 12:1-11 and the offices or functions mentioned in 28-31.

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledgeaccording to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

                                                            1 Corinthians 12:8 – 10

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

 1 Corinthians 12:28

 Paul is making a larger argument in this chapter that all Christians, regardless of race, ethnicity, or prior religious background, have been united to Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the work of the (one) Spirit that allows the believer to confess, “Jesus is Lord,” and then binds that believer to Christ.  He then bestows gifts upon Christ’s people so that we all may live and work together in unity in the same way that all of the parts of a body work together to achieve a single purpose.  The gifts of knowledge, healing, miracles, etc. exist so that the church would be built up by those appointed to exercise those gifts (teachers, healers, miracle workers, etc.).

However, we can see that a problem may arise as some perceive certain gifts (like miracle working) to be superior to others (like administration or helping).  Paul anticipates this issue and uses the analogy of the body to demonstrate God’s purpose of unity in the church through the diversity of the gifts.

The first thing he warns against is looking at the gifts that have been given to us and becoming discouraged that they are not like the gifts of others.  We may not be a “hand” or an “eye”, but that makes us no less part of the body!  Each are of value and belong to the whole. Do not be discouraged because you lack (in relative measure) gifts that you see in others, like the ability to teach or practice hospitality.  The Holy Spirit has bestowed a myriad of gifts upon his people – and no two are alike! In fact, the gifts mentioned in scripture are just a short list of examples.  There are as many gifts (and combination of gifts) as there are opportunities to build one another up in the knowledge and unity of our faith in Christ.  As a member of Christ’s body you have a Spirit-given role to play in the life of the church!

Next, Paul demonstrates how silly it would be if we all did have the same gifts.  If the body were  all “eyes” it wouldn’t be able to hear.  If it were all “ears” it wouldn’t be able to smell.  Paul’s point is that it would be impossible to sustain life without the diversity of the members of the biological body.  In the same way, God has made it (in a manner of speaking) impossible to sustain the life of the church, Christ’s spiritual body, without the diversity of gifts he has bestowed on its members.  Pastor John indicated this on Sunday morning when he thanked the members for their continued love and support of the elders.  As those charged with shepherding the flock, there is plenty of opportunity to grow weary and discouraged.  But you all are a wonderful encouragement to us in your willingness to listen, receive correction, and follow our lead in the areas where we have been granted authority.  Can you imagine a congregation where only the gift of leading was exercised without the gift of following?  I can imagine that it would not feel like a gift for long!

Finally, Paul answers the flipside of the first argument.  Not only are we not to despise our own gifts, we are not to despise the gifts of others.  It would be sinful to tell members who possess gifts that are unlike our own, or “seem weak”, that we have no need of them.  In fact, it is precisely these weak gifts that are brought to a place of honor among us by the working of the Spirit.  What is God’s purpose in this? “[T]hat there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”  It is for our unity!

This concept of unity in diversity is woven throughout the pages of scripture and into the fabric of existence.  God glorifies himself as one being who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The three persons are never divided either in essence or in will.  They perfectly love and glorify one another throughout all eternity.  We reflect God’s image, fulfilling the purpose for which we were created, as we diversely love one another in unity.  It displays our union to Christ and to one another as His body.  Just as Christ identifies with his people (“Saul why are you persecuting me?”), we identify with each other as well.  Practically speaking, we do this as we exercise our gifts for the benefit of one another and we affirm this truth weekly during communion.

Take some time this week to consider how the same Spirit that called you to repentance and faith in Christ has gifted you to be a blessing to the members of Christ our Savior Baptist Church.  Our gifts are given to us not so that we might be a blessing to God, but that we might be a blessing to each other as we strive along our pilgrimage together.  If you’re having difficulty seeing your gifts, think of the ways in which you have loved and served others recently or opportunities that may exist to love and serve one another soon.

It is a blessing to be an elder among you.  Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement! 

Kyle and Larry Discuss Psalm 103

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Pastor Larry and Pastor Kyle discuss Psalm 103 with an eye towards learning to pray the Psalm.

Devotional on Romans 14:13-19

A video devotional on Romans 14:13-19 delivered on July 29, 2020 for Christ Our Savior Baptist Church by Geo Haines.

Devotional on Psalm 32:5

By Kyle Newcomer

I acknowledged my sin to you, 
and I did not cover my iniquity; 
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” 
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Psalm 32:5 (ESV)

Admitting we’ve failed has to be one of the most unnatural things we can do. We try all kinds of ways to hide our sin. We may even lie to ourselves and try to convince ourselves we’ve done nothing wrong. We are great at justifying our sin; not so great at admitting it. Maybe you’re like me and one of your strategies for dealing with problems is just to ignore them in hopes that they go away. That’s a really foolish approach for any problem, but especially sin. But again, we’ll try almost anything to avoid coming face to face with sin, won’t we? Somewhere deep down we’re convinced that the good life is one in which you never have to say you’re sorry, where your pride goes untouched. What’s your reason for trying to cover up your sin?

In Psalm 32 David points out a different path. He begins by saying, “Blessed is the one… whose sin is covered.” But as verse 5 makes clear, this sin is not covered by a cover up. In verses 3-4 he says, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away… For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” This image strikes close to home for anyone enduring a Houston summer. When we try to ignore our sin or explain it away, we waste away, we wither like grass under the blazing sun. A sure way to shrivel up spiritually is to spend all your energy covering up your sin. This is all the more true when the Lord brings hard consequences in our lives as the result of our sin. Can you see any ways right now that the Lord’s hand is heavy upon you? What sin is he calling you to address. Certainly not all suffering is a result of sin or a judgment of God. But sometimes we can see clearly the way our sin has led to our present situation. In those times especially, David is pointing us to the path of life.

David leads the way for us. It’s like he’s standing on the other side of the river and saying, “Jump on in. You’ll make it through. Confess your sin. The Lord will forgive you. He will preserve you.” (See verse 6) Confession of sin is an act of faith. It requires us to trust that God is not only righteous, but also merciful. Repenting of sin and resting in God’s grace is the path to joy. The Psalm winds up like this:

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, 
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, 
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32:10–11 (ESV)

The unrepentant wicked have sorrows only. The righteous aren’t free from sorrow, but in the midst of them we can know that the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds. We can shout for joy because the Lord does not count our iniquity against us. One way we can fight sin together is to remind each other of this. Don’t believe the lies your pride is telling. There is no life to be found in covering up your sin. Acknowledge it before God. Drag it out into the light, and know the grace of forgiveness. Look to the Lord as your hiding place when you’re troubled by sin. His steadfast love will surround you.

Prayer
O Merciful Father, you are the God who knows us inside and out. You know our secret thoughts and desires. You know that all that we say and do. How foolish it is when we try to hide our sin from you. And it is all the more foolish because you offer forgiveness to those who repent of sin and trust in Christ. Help us to call on you while you may be found. Help us to be convinced that if we trust in you, the waters of judgment will not overwhelm us. Teach us that the path of joy and salvation lies in repentance and faith in Christ. Amen.

Hymn
His Mercy is More

Devotional on Romans 12:14-21

by Tim Williamson

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

                                                                        Romans 12:14-21, ESV

In his last devotional, Pastor Geo led us through the preceding verses of this chapter in which the apostle Paul lays out for the church in Rome the marks of a genuine Christian.  Romans 12:9-13 focuses primarily on ways in which Christians are to live out the “one-anothers” within the context of the church.  And as Pastor Geo said, this is not simply a check list of things for us to do, but is more about a pattern of life that is the result of the transforming power of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit within us.  

 Verses 14 through 21 continue to develop this pattern more fully within the context of the Christian Life as it relates to the broader world outside of the church.  Certainly these instructions are meant to be carried out between Christians, but the emphasis on scenarios which would generally occur outside the church (i. e., dealing with persecution or how to treat an enemy) give this passage a slightly broader applicability.  Paul uses the same “list” method to describe what the marks of a Christian look like in their interactions with the world.

 Paul provides the following positive instructions: bless those who persecute you, rejoice and weep with your neighbors, live in harmony, associate with the lowly, do what is honorable in the sight of all, live peaceably with all, and overcome the evil of your enemies by treating them well.  He contrasts these positive commands against negative ones: do not curse those who persecute you, do not be haughty, don’t be wise in your own sight, do not repay evil for evil, and do not seek vengeance for yourself.  It would be very easy to treat these commands as a list of “do’s” and “don’ts”.  However, to treat them this way misses the larger point that Paul is commending to the Romans.  Paul’s intent is for these believers to manifest the fruits of the gospel in their lives so that they will be given an audience to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with their neighbors.

In this passage we see three key attitudes, or characteristics, that should mark the life of a Christian in such a way that they will be given opportunities to spread the gospel: empathy, humility, and peacemaking.  First, Paul says that Christians are to be empathetic by rejoicing and weeping with our neighbors.  In times of joy, we are able to point people to the foretaste that earthly joy gives us of the eternal joy to come when we are in Christ’s presence.  When times of sadness come, we are able to tell our neighbors about the God who promises to wipe every tear away from his people’s eyes – and in doing so he will banish sadness forever.  

Next, the apostle commands us to exercise humility.  We are to, “associate with the lowly,” and, “never be wise” in our own sight.  In the First Letter to the church in Corinth, Paul says that God has chosen the what is foolish in this world to, “shame the wise”.  By this he doesn’t mean that we should not seek to use biblical wisdom (there is an entire genre of books in the Bible that are titled “Wisdom Literature”), but rather we should reject the pride that puffs us up when we believe we have superior knowledge or understanding to our neighbors.  Instead, we are to use the knowledge of the gospel, and seek out the “lowly” with whom to share it.  We see in the Gospel accounts repeatedly that Jesus rebukes the proud and self-righteous but gives grace to those who humbly repent and trust him.  Paul encourages us to be humble, like our savior, and bring the message of God’s free mercy to those who are ready to hear it.

 Finally, we see the call to live a peaceful life in the midst of a world that is torn by chaos and strife.  It has been far too common throughout church history, even to the present day, for Christians to be identified with the use of the weapons of warfare wielded by the world.  Instead of relying upon God’s provision, we seek to make our own through greedy gain.  Instead of allowing God to exercise judgement on our behalf, we seek to seize political power to punish those we disagree with on moral or religious grounds.  Instead of bearing the insults of the world with dignity and patience, we turn our tongues, pens, and keyboards to the task of inflicting emotional and reputation damage.  These are not the marks of a people saved by grace.  Instead, we are to exemplify with our lives the peace that we have with God through Christ.  In doing so, we reject the world’s methods and create space and opportunity to point our neighbors to the Prince of Peace.

 A consistent theme through Paul’s writings is that Christians are “new creations”.  We are no longer who we were before the Holy Spirit convicted us of sin and righteousness.  This helps us put the commands of the New Testament in context. We are not called to work really hard to do all of these good things and none of these bad things.  We are called to live consistently with who we are in Christ.  We are called to “be” who we “are”.  The change has been wrought in our souls by Christ’s perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.  We have been given the Holy Spirit as our guarantee of the future promises to come.  Our nature and disposition have been changed from one of rebellion to obedient submission.  Though we are still at war with our flesh (and will be until we are glorified), we have the ability to sincerely, though not perfectly, love God and neighbor.  May our lives be marked by empathy, humility, and peace so that the world will see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.

Devotional on Psalm 65:2-4

This morning’s devotional comes from Psalm 65:2-4

2 O you who hear prayer, 
to you shall all flesh come. 
3 When iniquities prevail against me, 
you atone for our transgressions. 
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, 
to dwell in your courts! 
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, 
the holiness of your temple!

I think every Christian goes through stages where we don’t feel like there is any purpose to prayer. We say things like, “I feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.” Prayer just seems pointless. God seems far away. If you’re experiencing a time like that right now, or if you want to prepare for when the next one comes, verse 2 is like a foothold for your faith. David addresses God by this description, “you who hear prayer.” That’s who God is. Whatever it is you feel today, who God is doesn’t change with your feelings. He is always “he who hears prayer.” This is food for our faith.

The fact that God hears prayer is all the more astonishing when David brings sin into the picture in verse 3. Notice that first line, “When iniquities prevail against me.” David isn’t taking sin lightly. He sees himself as being overwhelmed or defeated by sin. If we ever think that we have sinned too much for God to forgive us, these words offer hope. God’s grace is for people who are overwhelmed by sin, whose sins prevail against them. And the second half of verse 3 tells us how this can be. God atones for our transgression. Being reconciled to God is totally dependent on God’s atoning work.

David only ever experienced the atoning or reconciling work God through the Old Covenant sacrificial system. But even so, he doesn’t attribute atonement to the blood of bulls or goats. He confesses that it is God himself who makes it possible for sinners to be reconciled to God. God makes the atonement. David spoke better than he knew. In the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus, God atones for our transgression once and for all. Our iniquities will not defeat us if we have faith in the one who conquered sin and death. Though we are sinners, we are united to God by faith in Jesus.

Verse 4 extols the blessed state of those who are reconciled to God. And it is interesting how this brings us back to where we started. The blessing of being reconciled to God by his atoning work is that the forgiven sinner gets to be in God’s presence. David uses royal imagery, feasting imagery, and then sacred imagery “the holiness of your temple.” Blessed are those who enjoy access to God’s royal throne room, who will feast at God’s table, and who can dwell in his holy presence. The great blessing of the gospel is that God gives us himself. We enjoy fellowship with God because our sins have been covered by the blood of the Lamb. God hears us. Through the cross God becomes for us, “you who hear prayer.”

Because Christ is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for sin, nothing can remove us from God’s presence. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. God will always and be for his people, “He who hears us.”

Prayer

O you who hear prayer, we praise you and thank you because you have come near to us in Christ. You have shown us your grace by covering our sin in the righteousness of Christ. You sought us out and brought is into your family. We confess that in hard and anxious times, we doubt your power and presence. Sometimes we go back to living as if we are far off from you. Please disrupt our comfort with sinful habits. Please stop us when we wander away. And remind us of the blessing of life in your throne room, of feasting at your table. Grow our desire for a holy life in your temple as we live for the sake of Christ’s holy name. Amen.

Devotional on Romans 12:9-12

A devotional on Romans 12:9-12 delivered on July 15, 2020 for Christ Our Savior Baptist Church by Geo Haines.

Devotional on Psalm 34:17-18

Today I want us to spend a few minutes meditating on Psalm 34:17-18:

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears 

          and delivers them out of all their troubles. 

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted 

          and saves the crushed in spirit.

I mentioned in a sermon a few months back that this Psalm is full of different descriptions of the Lord's salvation and the kind of people the Lord saves. It's encouraging to go look at all of those. But in these two verses we see two main descriptions of salvation and those who are saved. I've bolded the salvation words and underlined the descriptions of those the Lord saves:

1) the Lord hears and delivers the righteous.

2) the Lord is near to and saves the brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit

First, think about these descriptions of those the Lord saves: At first glance, the fact that the Lord saves "the righteous" isn't good news. None of us fall in that category, so can any of us be saved? But then when you see that the Lord also saves the brokenhearted and crushed and spirit, the prospects begin to brighten. The very last verse of the Psalm says this:

The Lord redeems the life of his servants; 

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

(Psalm 34:22 (ESV))

All of these descriptions expand our definition of who the righteous are. They are those who realize that the only refuge for sinners is God himself. At least part of what has broken their hearts and crushed their spirits is a realization of their own guilt of sin. They are those who submit to God as his servants, who find their refuge in him. 

And these verses expand our definition of who the crushed in spirit are. Suffering alone doesn't save anyone. Being sad about sin doesn't save anyone. Salvation comes to those who repent and believe. Those who are saved are the brokenhearted who fear the Lord (see verses 8-9).

The picture we get of those who are saved is that they have come to see their sin and hate it. It grieves them, not because it wounds their pride, but because it is against their good God. They have come to see the Lord as the only refuge for sinners. Those who avoid condemnation are the crushed in spirit who seek refuge in the Lord. They can be called righteous because the Lord doesn't condemn them. And because they are saved by their good God, they now fear him by seeking peace.

These verses also expand our understanding of what salvation is. To be saved is to be heard by God. Instead of being exiled enemies of the Lord, he draws near to us. Salvation and Deliverance are power words. And knowing the power of sin, we need a powerful salvation. But the Savior is pictured as gentle and compassionate. He draws near. He hears our cries for help when we're in deep trouble.

Does "crushed in spirit" describe you this morning? We've felt like that in our home this last week. We're trying to sort through the news about how school will start next month for our kids. We're dealing with sick kids. We're dealing with sinning kids. And too often my response to these stresses is a sinful one, which only compounds the trouble. The question I face, and maybe you're facing today, is this: will I look to the Lord for refuge? In the middle of soul-crushing experiences, will we look and see how Christ has come near to save us? Will we take comfort and joy in the supernatural reality that Jesus, enthroned in heaven, hears our cry? Or will we settle for some fleeting pleasure of sin? Will we "taste and see that the Lord is good" (v 8), and "seek peace," or will we be ruled by our own desires and pride?

This is the battle with sin that we face every day. Pray for me that I will see the goodness of finding refuge in Christ today. I will be praying for you.

Prayer
O God our Refuge,
We come to you today because there is no salvation or lasting comfort apart from you. You are the only one who is powerful enough to deliver us out of the troubles we get ourselves into. You are the only one who can save us from our sin. And we come to you because you are the gentle Savior. You have drawn near to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. He paid the price of our sin, so that those who trust in you are not condemned. You hear us when we cry to you.
We ask you to help us lose our taste for the ways of pride. Help us turn away from speaking caustic or false words to those around us. And help us to taste and see that you are good.
In the name of Jesus who is the bread of life we pray. Amen.

Hymn
Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07ujatGDBo&t=2s

2 Samuel 8 Devotional

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A devotional message on 2 Samuel 8 for Christ Our Savior Baptist Church by Kyle Newcomer.

Discussion Questions

1. Why does Pastor Kyle keep calling 2 Samuel 5-10 a mountain range of the Old Testament? Why are these events important for what the Scriptures have to say about God’s plan to save through Christ?

2. Look at the gifts the exalted Christ gives to his church in Ephesians 4. How do these gifts bless you and equip you to do the work of the ministry?

3. In your own words, what is the work of the ministry Paul is describing in Ephesians 4:12? How are you taking part in this work? In what ways do you need to grow?

4. What’s the biggest hindrance for you serving the Lord the way Paul describes in Ephesians 4?

5. Choose one of David’s penitential psalms to read through (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, or 143) How does David’s example of repentance influence your understanding of the Christian life?

6. If the church is the fellowship of the repentant, how should this play out in our life together?

7. Who has helped you mature in Christ? How could you do this for a fellow church member?

Hymns: It is Well & The Sands of Time Are Sinking

Devotional on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

by Tim Williamson
  

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thess. 1:1-10, ESV) 

My family and I have recently started reading through 1 Thessalonians as part of our regular devotions.  This is a wonderful letter that Paul sent to the church in Thessalonica to commend them and to encourage them to continue in faith, hope, and love.  Unlike other churches where he was able to spend an extended amount of time planting and teaching (e. g., Ephesus), Paul was only able to spend a few weeks with the Thessalonian believers before he was forced to flee due to the outrage of the Jewish religious leaders in the local synagogue (Acts 17:1-8).  His letters to this church reflect a desire to affirm them both in their doctrine and in their practice.

The Spiritual fruits of faith, hope, and love appear together in this text as they do in other places throughout the New Testament.  In fact, outside of 1 Corinthians 13, these virtues appear together as closely in the text only two other times – both in 1 Thessalonians (1:3, 5:8)!  Given that Paul finds it important to tell the church that he continually thanks God for the manifestations of these virtues in their lives, it is worth us giving some consideration to them and how they apply to us. 

First, Paul writes of their, “work of faith.”  By this does Paul mean that faith itself is a human work?  May it never be!  As we read in v. 4, “For we know brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.”  The Thessalonians were the recipients grace by faith that had been given to them based on the free choice of God.  Instead, he is referring to the works that have been produced by the faith that the Thessalonians have received.  What works?  We read that the Thessalonians, “became imitators of [Paul, Silas, Timothy] and of the Lord,” by receiving the word of God even in the face of persecution and by turning, “to God from idols,” (v. 9).  These works were evidence that the Thessalonians had truly believed in Christ and was evidence of salvific faith.

Next, Paul commends the Thessalonians for their “labor of love”.  Compare this with Paul’s declaration in the next verse that the they were, “loved by God”.  How are we to understand this kind of love?  I believe we are meant to see two things.  First, love is a sacrificial act that requires effort on the part of the one who is “loving”.  Second, that the love that Christians are to have for one another flows from the love that God has shown us in Christ.  This kind love goes beyond the example that Christ gives us in his ministry (although we should imitate the Lord as Paul has already said!).  The love of God makes us right with him by taking away our sin, and giving us Christ’s righteousness.  Our hearts of stone are replaced with hearts of flesh that can sincerely (though not yet perfectly) love both God and neighbor in a way that pleases him.

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19, ESV)

In chapter 4, as Paul is providing additional instruction on Godly living, he tells the Thessalonians, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,” (v. 9).  May we be so taught by the Spirit that brotherly love would mark our congregation in this same way!

Finally, Paul thanks God for the Thessalonian church’s, “steadfastness of hope.”  It is their hope in Christ’s promises that causes them, “to wait for [God’s] Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (v. 10). Their hoping and their waiting are closely connected.  While waiting for the return of Christ, it is easy for us to become discouraged.  A look at our present circumstances could certainly cause us to begin to doubt the power and goodness of God.  But unlike human hope, we have a Spirit-given hope that produces steadfastness even as our faith is tested.

…for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4, ESV) 

The biblical idea of steadfastness is one of unwavering perseverance in obedience and trust in the Lord.  Since our first parents fell, we are prone to unbelief.  Regardless of what God tells us in his word, or how he demonstrates his faithfulness in his providence, or in his special saving love for his people - we are doubters!  But the hope we have in Christ fights sinful doubt and replaces it with confidence.  Once again, this is not wishful thinking, but is a blessing we obtain as we receive the Holy Spirit by faith.  We have the future certainty of the return of Christ to anchor our hope.

In the Christian life faith, hope, and love are first and foremost gifts from our kind Father.  May we receive them with thankfulness, and then put them to use in building one another up as we wait for the return of Christ and the resurrection to new life!

Hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Unintended Consequences

by John Young

Good morning, Beloved!

My favorite book in the Bible is the book of Ephesians. It seems to be the book that always pops into my mind, with its rich theology, its succinct analogies that serve to boggle my mind with God’s eternal purposes in choosing us, and the way that Paul shows our relationships in the church and among other Christians are informed by, and built upon, these deep theological truths and divine actions.

One of the prominent themes of the book of Ephesians is unity. It could be said that 2:11-22 is Christ’s Accomplished Unity, and in chapters 4-6 we see the Christian’s Active Unity. It’s interesting to me that Paul speaks to these Ephesians about the unity we have—that he has with them! I think this is a very important thing for us to consider as a church these days. We tend to think that the only way for us to grow in unity is for us to physically be together…that unity is, by and large, geographical. I would admit that this is the most obvious way for unity to flourish. But I wonder if sometimes we take that privilege for granted and assume that if we’re together then we must be growing in unity. But we talk all the time about how if our conversations are only focused on the Astros or the barbecue we just had or something from the school, then we really aren’t growing together in Christ. Anyone can have those conversations. I wonder if God is not providing us with an opportunity to rely on Christ and his work and to strip us of our normal means of connection so that we may truly grow in unity, even when we’re not together.

That’s why I believe Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is so good for us. So much of it is focused on the church’s unity built upon Christ and what he’s accomplished in us and among us (and you can trace Paul’s argument for this in Ephesians 2). But for our purposes today, I would like to consider how Paul’s unity with these Ephesians is fleshed out in the letter, especially since he’s not physically with them, so how is this unity realized or practiced? We see evidence of the unity Paul has with these Ephesian Christians in a couple of ways: Prayer and Connection.

Prayer

There are two prayers that I direct your attention to: 1:15-23; and, 3:14-19:

1:15-23

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

3:14-19

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Observations:

1. Both of these prayers begin with “for this reason.” Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians are rooted in the glory of God: God’s glory is displayed in your salvation…and God’s glory is displayed in your unity and faith.

2. Paul is continuously praying for the Ephesians. In 1:16, he “does not cease to give thanks, remembering them in his prayers.” The NIV says that “I keep asking…” And what is he asking for?

3. Paul prays that the Father may give them the ability to know him better. (1:17)

4. Paul prays that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened to know the hope which he has called them to. (1:18). That their hearts would be encouraged with the certainty of faith that what is promised would become known to them.

5. Paul prays that they would also know the riches of the glorious inheritance. (1:18) So that the things of this earth would grow strangely dim to them and their hearts would be captivated by all that is theirs in Christ.

6. Paul prays that they would also know the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. (1:19-23) The very same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that is being exerted in your life today which enables you to live for him, submit to him as King, delight in him as King, and trust that he is ruler over all.

7. Paul prays that they would be strengthened with that same power so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you may know the love of Christ. (3:14-19)

Application:

1. Do Paul’s prayers sound like your prayers? If not, why not? What greater things could we pray for those we love than things like these?

2. How frequently during this time apart are you praying for your brothers and sisters by name in the church? Wouldn’t it be great if we made it a point to pray through the directory just 3 times a week during this time? Think about it, if we were all doing it, you would be specifically prayed for over 150 times per week by our church alone! Might it be that the Lord is using this to turn us into more of a praying church? Think of the web of prayer entangling, interweaving, and bonding us together for his glory.

3. Use Paul’s list of things he prays for, it doesn’t have to be long. And these are great things to pray for…and incredibly meaningful! For instance, it is no small thing to pray to the Lord that they would know him better. It’s a prayer that the Lord desires to answer! I’m reading a book that I strongly recommend, “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortland, where he talks about how Christ is our friend…a friend! (See John 15:15). “Not only does a true friend pursue you; he allows you to pursue him, and he opens himself up to you without holding anything back.”(p.117) “God, in the person of his Son, means that he approaches us on our terms and befriends us both for his and our mutual delight.” (p.119)

Connection

Look at the end of the book at 6:21-22:

21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Observations:

It wasn’t only that Paul prayed for them. He knew they were a relational people. On at least three different occasions Paul speaks in his letters of longing to see his brothers and sisters, but he simply couldn’t do it as they were constrained by time and space. Paul seeks to overcome those constraints here by sending his beloved co-laborer, Tychicus, to them for the purpose of: letting them know how Paul and his friends are, and so that they may be encouraged in heart.

Application:

I can’t tell you how encouraged I have been by having some of you pick up the phone and call me just to see how I am doing, or write me a card, or send a quick text. It has truly been like a refreshing cup of water in a dry desert.

What if, as you worked your way through your membership directory (and if you don’t have one and need one, there’s no shame in asking for one, we can either put it in your mailbox or send you one electronically), you called a person or texted a person on that page you just prayed for or are in the process of praying for? It doesn’t have to be someone you’re closely connected to nor does it have to be a long call or text, just reach out!

Just maybe one of the unintended consequences of this time apart is God is doing for his glory what we thought could only happen if we were together: make us a praying church and a more united church. I’ll pray to that end, will you join me?

Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Eph 6:23-24)

jy

PS: Book recommendations: In addition to the recommendation above, if you would like to think more about Paul’s prayers, I’d invite you to read D. A. Carson’s book, Praying With Paul.

Psalm 27:4 Devotional

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A devotional on Psalm 27:4 by Geo Haines for Christ Our Savior Baptist Church

Devotional on 2 Samuel 7

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A devotional on 2 Samuel 7 for Christ Our Savior Baptist Church by Kyle Newcomer

Here are some discussion questions to help you reflect on the message:

1. How are you learning to trust more in God's word?

2. What passages of Scripture or doctrines seem least intuitive to you? What would it look like for you to grow in trusting God in these areas?

3. In what ways are you tempted to trust in the good things you do for God?

4. How do God's promises to David connect with God's great works of salvation in Scripture?

5. Pick two or three of the Scripture passages from this list, and spend some time meditating on them and praying through them.

6. What practical steps can you take this week to more consistently feed your soul on the good news of what God has done for you in Christ? Who might encourage you and keep you accountable to set your mind on these things?

Devotional on Acts 4

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A devotional on Acts 4 by Jeff Berkhose

What is God Doing Through the Coronavirus?

By John Young

Good morning, Beloved! 

I hope this email finds you well and healthy. Instead of giving you some devotional thoughts on a passage of Scripture this morning, I thought I would summarize a portion of a book I commended to you last week by John Piper, entitled, Coronavirus and Christ. By clicking on the link, you can download it for free either to read a pdf, or for your kindle, or as an mp3 to listen to. It’s a very short book; I read it in my devotional time on Sunday morning.

The second part of Piper’s book is entitled, “What is God Doing Through the Coronavirus?” I think this is a very good question for us to consider as we may encounter unbelieving family members that may think this shows that God is on leave or he is not good or he is not powerful or he doesn’t exist! Or we may ourselves may be confused as we trust that God is sovereign over it but don’t understand how we relate to it. This is a valuable exercise for us because if we consider God’s ways, we can be strengthened even in these frightening, disconcerting circumstances.

I don’t believe I am ruining the book for you by doing this…it may actually convince you to read it. Consider it a brief synopsis of a part of the book that will enable you to possibly summarize 6 ways that the Lord is working through the coronavirus.

Now that last part is a very egotistical statement in itself. How can man know what God is up to? How can man search the hidden motivations and mysteries of God. We can be sure that God is accomplishing an immeasurable number of things and purposes.(p.57) For we know that God is sovereign and he isn’t running around after the fact trying to turn things into good…he intends them for good, he means them for good for those who are called according to his purpose. So he allowed the virus, he created the coronavirus, for our good and for his glory. (Read the first half of the book to understand this argument.)

But back to how can we know what God is up to. God has spoken through the Christian Scriptures; he is not silent in what he’s doing in this world; Eph 1:8-9 says that God has lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will.(p.56) So this isn’t man’s idea about what God may be up to. Rather, this is taking Scripture in context and seeing how God might be making connections to the coronavirus in our day. As Piper says, “I will point to what the Bible teaches and then make connections. Yours is to judge what is right.”(p.59)

What is God doing through the Coronavirus?

1. Picturing Moral Horror. God is giving the world in the coronavirus outbreak, as in all other calamities, a physical picture of the moral horror and spiritual ugliness of God-belittling sin.(p.61)

“Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and death spread to all men because all sin.” (Rom 5:2) And because of this all of creation has been subjected to futility (Rom 8:20-22). And yes, even Christians are subject to this futility…death is an earthly judgment against sin. Except for the person who is trusting in Christ, this is not punishment, this is purification.(p.64) For the Christian there is no more condemnation for Christ took it on himself. (Rom 8:1). However, this pandemic is a helpful reminder to us all, both believers and unbelievers of the absolute horror of sin.

We need to see this, and feel this, or we will not turn to Christ for salvation from the ugliness of sin. We may cry out to escape the penalty of sin. But will we see and hate the God-demeaning, moral ugliness of sin? If we don’t, it will not be because God has not provided vivid portrayals of it in physical misery—like the coronavirus. Therefore, God is mercifully shouting to us in these days: Wake up! Sin against God is like this! It is horrible and ugly. And far more dangerous than the coronavirus.(p.67)

2. Sending Specific Divine Judgments. Some people will be infected with the coronavirus as a specific judgment from God because of their sinful attitudes and actions.(p.69)

This does not mean that all individual suffering is a specific judgment for personal sins, consider Jonah who “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”(Job 1:1) (p.70) Yet, in Acts 12, Herod did not give glory to God but exalted himself and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. (p.71)

The coronavirus is, therefore, never a clear and simple punishment on any person. The most loving, Spirit-filled Christian, whose sins are forgiven through Christ, may die of the coronavirus disease. But it is fitting that every one of us search our own heart to discern if our suffering is God’s judgment on the way we live.

If we come to Christ, we can know that our suffering is not the punitive judgment of God. We can know this because Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). It is discipline, not destruction. “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6).(p.72)

3. Awakening Us for the Second Coming. The coronavirus is a God-given wake up call to be ready for the second coming of Christ.(p.73)

From the very moment Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1:11, we have been hearing of the promise of Jesus’ return, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” And Jesus himself said that when he returns, he will judge the world. (Mt 25:31-32)(p.74)

Romans 8:21-23 suggests that these are the contractions, the labor pains of the coming kingdom. We elders have talked in the last week about locusts infestations, earthquakes, volcanoes, pandemics that we’ve read about in the news…all of which are talked about in Luke 21:11. These are all God’s kindness to us to stay awake!(p.75) You must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Mt 24:44). But we stay awake not in fear but in expectant hope (1 These 5:4-10)

4. Realigning Us With the Infinite Worth of Christ. The coronavirus is God’s thunderclap call for all of us to repent and realign our lives with the infinite worth of Christ. (p.77)

We have considered in the last few weeks how we are exiles and how we weren’t created for this and how fleeting its pleasures and certainties are. We have placed our hope in things that not only will not satisfy us but serve as a millstone around our necks dragging us to idolatry now and damnation for eternity. And not only that, but this pandemic shows us that life itself is fleeting and we are unable to master it. And so this provides us with a fresh chance to repent and see our sin.

This is what it means to repent: to experience a change of heart and mind that treasures God in Christ more than life. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Ps. 63:3). This was Paul’s faith. It was true in life and death. In life, because Christ is the sweetness of every pleasure, and better than them all. And in death, because “in [God’s] presence there is fullness of joy; at [his] right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).

The coronavirus pandemic is the experience of loss— from the smallest loss of convenience to the greatest loss of life. And if we know the secret of Paul’s joy, we may experience the loss as gain. That is what God is saying to the world. Repent and realign your life with the infinite worth of Christ. (p.86)

5. Creating Good Works in Danger. The coronavirus is God’s call to his people to overcome self-pity and fear, and with courageous joy, to do the good works of love that glorify God.(p.87)

In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells his disciples to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”(Mt 5:16) Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but what is often overlooked is that these good works were to be done even in the midst of suffering. 

Jesus has just said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:11–12). Then, without a break, he says, “You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13–16). 

It is not mere good deeds that give Christianity its tang and luster. It is good deeds in spite of danger. Many non- Christians do good deeds. But seldom do people give glory to God because of them. (p.88)

We can serve and love others without regard for our lives or our possessions because we have something more certain and lasting: Christ. We can be generous and giving, seeking to illustrate God’s kingdom and his righteousness because all of these things he will provide to us as well. (Mt 6:27:33)

6. Loosening Roots to Reach the Nations. In the coronavirus God is loosening the roots of settled Christians, all over the world, to make them free for something new and radical and to send them with the gospel of Christ to unreached peoples of the world.(p.95)

This may seem odd: how can we reach the nations if we can’t leave our houses or travel anywhere? But we see the Lord act through unimaginable events to cause his word to go forth. Consider the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7 and the persecution against the church in Jerusalem that arose in Acts 8 that scattered believers out of Jerusalem throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, exactly as Jesus predicted in Acts 1:8.

Jesus says, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18) “This gospel of the kingdom WILL be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations’ (Mt 24:14). Not MAY be proclaimed but WILL be proclaimed. (p. 97) God’s ways often include apparent setbacks that result in great advances.(p.97)

Piper offers a story about Pastor Hristo Kulichev, a Congregational pastor in Bulgaria, who was arrested and put in prison. His crime was that he preached in his church even though the state had appointed another man as pastor whom the congregation did not elect. His trial was a mockery of justice. And he was sentenced to eight months in prison. During his time in prison, he made Christ known in every way he could.

When he got out, he wrote, “Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and it turned out that we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free.”

This is often God’s way. The global scope and seriousness of the coronavirus is too great for God to waste. It will serve his invincible global purpose of world evangelization. Christ has not shed his blood in vain. And Revelation 5:9 says that by that blood he ransomed “people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” He will have the reward of his suffering. And even pandemics will serve to complete the Great Commission. (p.97-98)

May the Lord do all He intends through this trial for his glory and may we be patient and faithful, giving glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Spurgeon on the Sweet Uses of Adversity

by Kyle Newcomer

A fellow pastor recommended a good COVID-19 reading strategy: find Spurgeon's sermons on Scripture texts having to do with trials and illness. Looking through some of his sermon collections, I stumbled upon this one on Job 10:2. After reading it a couple of weeks ago, It's been coming back to mind quite often. Here's the text:

"I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me." Or as the KJV has it, "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me."

Pastor Spurgeon offers five reasons that the Lord might contend with the believer. I think you'll find them challenging yet encouraging, but before he gets there, he says this in his introduction:

"You will all perceive at once that there must be love even in this apparently angry word. This contention must, after all, have something to do with contentment, and that this battle must be, after all, but a disguised mercy, but another shape of an embrace from the God of love. Carry this consoling reflection in your thoughts while I am preaching to you. And if any of you are saying today, “Show me wherefore you contend with me,” the very fact of God contending with you at all, the fact that He has not consumed you, that He has not smitten you to the lowest hell, may thus, at the very outset, afford consolation and hope."

Here are brief snippets of his five reasons:
"1. My first answer on God’s part, my brother, is this—it may be that God is contending with you that He may show His own power in upholding you. God delights in His saints. And when a man delights in his child, if it be a child noted for its brightness of intellect, he delights to see it put through hard questions, because he knows that it will be able to answer them all. So God glories in His children. He loves to hear them tried, that the whole world may see that there are none like them on the face of the earth and even Satan may be compelled, before he can find an accusation against them, to resort to his inexhaustible fund of lies....

"2. Let me give you a second answer. Perhaps, O tried soul! the Lord is doing this to develop your graces. There are some of your graces that would never be discovered if it were not for your trials. Do you not know that your faith never looks so grand in summer weather, as it does in winter? Have you not heard that love is too often like a glowworm, that shows but little light except it is in the midst of surrounding darkness? And do you not know that hope itself is like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity and only to be discovered in the night of adversity?...

"3. Another reason may be found in this. It may be the Lord contends with you because you have some secret sin which is doing you sore damage. Do you remember the story of Moses? Never was a man better beloved than he of the Lord his God, for he was faithful in all his house as a servant. But do you remember how the Lord met him on the way as he was going to Egypt and strove with him? And why? Because he had in his house an uncircumcised child. This child was, so long as it had not God’s seal upon it, a sin in Moses. Therefore, God strove with him till the thing was done....

"4. I have now another reason to give, but it is one which some of you will not understand. Some however will. Beloved, you remember that it is written, that we “must bear the image of the heavenly,” namely, the image of Christ. As He was in this world, even so must we be. We must have fellowship with Him in His sufferings, that we may be conformable unto His death. Have you never thought that none can be like the Man of Sorrows unless they have sorrows too?...

"5. To the child of God I shall give only one more reason. The Lord, it may be, contends with you, my brother, to humble you. We are all too proud. The humblest of us do but approach to the door of true humility. We are too proud, for pride, I suppose, runs in our very veins and is not to be gotten out of us any more than the marrow from our bones. We shall have many blows before we are brought down to the right mark. And it is because we are so continually getting up that God is so continually putting us down again...."

Read the rest here: http://www.spurgeongems.org/sermon/chs283.pdf