A Bait and Switch Resurrection Weekend? No Thanks!

I am amazed. Actually, I am astounded, disappointed, and greatly saddened by those who believe that the way to draw a crowd for their Resurrection Sunday celebrations is to advertise that the Easter Bunny will be in attendance, and that an Easter Egg hunt will be part of the day's celebration.

Do the leaders of these churches really believe the Easter Bunny and hidden eggs prepare the heart for the entrance of the gospel message? or is this really a "bait and switch" tactic? I think it is the latter, plainly.

"Come for the eggs and the bunny, and stay for Jesus!" Wow, who knew that the gospel needed to be propped up. Sure is too bad that the power of the cross and the empty grave aren't enough of a message today. But if drawing the crowd is the measure of success, then we certainly have to surround that old message with some eggs and bunnies. And why not throw in a pancake breakfast while we're at it!

I'm not sure who said it but there is an absolutely dynamite statement that goes like this: "What you win them by is what you win them to." It speaks directly to the means by which we gain a hearing becoming the basis for ongoing attention. If we gain an entrance into people's lives with a syncretistic message that combines a little gospel wrapped in the cultural preferences of the day, then what happens when we throw the wrapping away later? What happens when we finally tell them that the gospel of Jesus Christ requires them to "deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow him?"

Nothing speaks louder than hypocrisy. And it is sheer hypocrisy for a church to appear in support of the Easter trappings of eggs and bunnies, when they they call their congregation to swim upstream against the myths of culture the other weeks of the year. Do we really think our neighbors don't see through this? Do we really think the unbelieving world is saying "wow, they have eggs and bunnies! They must be right about Jesus too!" This is not only silly but just plain ignorant.

The problem with the bait and switch approach to church is that we've forgotten that the message isn't ours in the first place. We don't get to spin it, or wrap it, paint it, or edit it. The message of the gospel began in the mind of God before time began. It was intellectually complete at that point. It came into our world through the prophets and finally was revealed in all its splendor and glory in the person of Jesus Christ. He has all the star power the gospel needs. Trying to add to the story of the Resurrection is like trying to add light to the sun. It is pure folly.

But there is another reason eggs and bunnies as incentives to Resurrection Sunday attendance is silly. It completely dismisses the fact that those who come to Jesus Christ are drawn by the Father, through the gospel. Jesus said as much in John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Do we really thing that the promise of bunnies and eggs has a more powerful "drawing" effect that the Father? Why are we so willing to add some fluff to the message in an attempt to increase our numbers? Don't we trust the gospel to be compelling enough?

No, I am not saying there should be no attempt to make our neighbors feel more comfortable at our services. Of course we want to minimize the obstacles to faith. But this is really my point! Eggs and bunnies don't tear down obstacles; they actually build them! They tell the unbelieving world that the church is willing to dabble in untruth in order to gain an audience for God's truth. And the sad part is this: it doesn't work! All this kind of marketing does is dilute the distinctiveness of the church and the gospel to the place where we hardly have anything to offer the unbelieving world that it can't find elsewhere.

So, to my fellow pastors around the country: Don't do it! Cancel the eggs and bunnies! Spend the time you'd give to those ridiculous events in prayer and preparation to preach the gospel in the power of the Spirit. Stick to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Don't confuse your audience with a quilted message made up of some squares of Bible and some squares of myth. Give the world a message we alone can give them. Give them Jesus, and don't let the eggs and bunnies take up space in your churches, or cloud the gospel message in the hearts and minds of your listeners. Let's join Paul in declaring that we're not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. We don't need the eggs and bunnies. What we need is the courage and humility to preach the truth, in the power of the Spirit, and leave the results up to God.

This Resurrection Sunday let's make faithfulness to the message of Christ be the measure of our success. The world can have the trappings of Easter. We'll stand fast in the power of the resurrection.

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: 18 Uses of the Gospel

The ways in which the gospel can be used in our lives as Christ-followers probably number in the thousands. It would be a worthy discipline for us all to make our own list and in this way keep mindful of the ongoing power of the gospel in the life of the believer.

The following thoughts may be helpful in beginning your own list. I have compiled a compact set of things the gospel tells us about our God, ourselves, and the mission of the church.

The Gospel tells us about the God we serve

1) It Demonstrates the Nature of God: The Gospel teaches us about the nature of the God we proclaim: His sovereignty, His generosity, His sensitivity, His great love, and His eternal faithfulness.

2) It Declares the Redemptive Plan of God: The Gospel continually reminds us of God’s greatness in perfectly superintending his redemptive plan. It is right on time and will absolutely reach its intended goal.

3) It Focuses on the Glory of God: The Gospel will keep us ever mindful that God’s glory alone is the grand purpose and goal of all creation. We are saved from the wrath of God, by the grace of God, for the glory of God.

The Gospel Tells Us about Ourselves:

1) It Declares Our Natural Depravity: The Gospel reminds us daily that we were once enemies of God, without hope, destined for wrath, with no power in ourselves to change our condition or our eternal destination. But, now we are beloved children because of His great love and the redeeming power found in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2) It Defines Our New Identity: The Gospel continually reminds us that the greatest and most important thing about us is that we are in Christ! This is our identity. This means that Christ-esteem has forever replaced self-esteem as the primary variable in our well-being.

3) It Describes Our New Position as Servants: The Gospel calls us daily to deny ourselves, identify with Christ in our cross-bearing, and follow Him as joyful servants. In the Gospel we are reminded that Jesus is the both our Savior from sin, and the Lord Master of our new life. 

4) It Reminds Us Of Our New Citizenship: The Gospel is a constant reminder that this world is not our home, its success is not our goal, and its demise will not be our end. The Gospel grabs our chins and forces us to focus on eternity’s promised rewards.

5) It Demands Our Progress: The Gospel reminds us that there is no separation between our justification and our sanctification. Whom God saves, He sanctifies. We are called to grow in the grace, knowledge, and love of Christ.

The Gospel Tells Us About The Mission of the Church

1) It Determines Our Message: The Gospel keeps us planted in the biblical story, and not in the changing whims of culture. It is the Gospel that holds the Scriptures together, allowing them to make sense, and allowing the Church to have a meaningful message to the world.

2) It Clarifies Our Perspective on the World Around Us: The Gospel clarifies the chaos around us, reminding us that the world’s greatest need is not physical or emotional, but spiritual. Sinners are blinded to the truth and alive to their depraved wills, and that salvation only happens when the Spirit rides in on the Gospel, granting regeneration, repentance, and saving faith.

3) It Sets Forth Our Privilege: The Gospel reminds us that, since the Spirit uses the Gospel to change lives, we have the privilege of partnering with the Spirit by putting the gospel in play in the lives of those around us.

4) It Defines Our Measure of Success: The Gospel reminds us that the job of transforming souls is completely accomplished by God, and not by us. Our call is simply to be faithful in sowing the seed, purely, consistently, and lovingly.

5) It Assures Our Confidence: The Gospel reminds us that God is the One we serve, that God is the One that saves, that His plan is right on time, and that when we are on the side of the Gospel, those who reject us are actually rejecting God.

6) It Clarifies Our Doctrine: The Gospel reminds us that not all have been chosen unto salvation. Many will neither understand the truth, nor see the light. This allows us to understand why some will never accept the free offer of salvation.

7) It Defines Our Attitude in Ministry: The Gospel reminds us that God is patient and longsuffering to unruly children, helping us remember to lead and minister with grace and love as well as truth.

8) It Determines Our Philosophy in Ministry: The Gospel reminds us that the mission is to grow the Kingdom, not merely increase attendance. That success is first and foremost faithfulness to Christ and His Word.

9) It Restricts The Programs of Our Ministry: The Gospel keeps us from designing and delivering programs or sermons or devotional talks aimed at the will of man rather than the conscience, that produce emotional decisions rather than true saving faith, and that allow unbelievers to feel better about their lives without Christ.

10) It Rejuvenates Our Hearts for Ongoing Ministry: The Gospel is a spring of fresh, life-giving water every day. We ignore it at our own peril. Whatever fatigue or disillusionment or disappointment you may face, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, the Gospel can be to you Heaven’s great refreshment for your soul. Drink often, and drink deeply.

Hope this helps,

David

What the Gospel Meant to Paul: 2 Timothy 1:11,12(

2 Timothy 1:11,12: for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.  For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.


Paul had responded to Timothy's spiritual fatigue and timidity from a place of personal experience. The obstacles, challenges, and failures Timothy had met face-to-face were not unique. Paul knew them all, inside and out, front and back. Paul was a veteran of the spiritual wars that continually swirled around those champions of Christ who, clothed in his righteousness, were roaming the darkness as agents of light and life. Yes, he had been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God's dear Son, in whom he had redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13, 14). But now, outfitted with the armor of God and the Gospel, Paul had been commissioned back into the realm of brokenness as an agent of rescue. And that commission was the stuff of life-long commitment.

Timothy was at the front end of such a commitment, and the inner cry to quit and run was increasingly powerful. For whatever reason, he was losing his courage, and could not see the honor of suffering for a gospel of which he was increasingly ashamed. But not so the Apostle. Paul believed he had a divine appointment. Having been rescued by the Gospel he was now convinced both of its power and his charge to be its messenger. You can hear his voice fill with honor as he shouts "of this Gospel I have been appointed a preacher, and an apostle and a teacher." In great contrast to Timothy's increasing desire to throw off the obligations of such a calling, Paul stands tall and declares the nobility of being a spokesman for Jesus Christ.

Paul knew no greater honor that to be a preacher, a spokesman, a herald. The Greek word translated preacher (kerux) denoted a man employed by a government or military official to whom was entrusted the task of taking official news out to those in the surrounding territory. This herald had a very simple task: take the message of his master, and deliver it without compromise in the authority of the master.

Paul revelled in the fact that, though he considered himself of all men most sinful, he had been called not only to life in Christ, but to a position as Christ's herald. He now spoke for the King who had rescued him from the sin and wrath he deserved. He was now a highly placed recruiter for the very beliefs he once persecuted to the death.

Unlike Timothy Paul saw suffering as part of the package. Did his call as a herald put him in situations where the audience would not appreciate his message? So be it! Paul was neither ashamed of his master, nor the message entrusted to him. Did it invite reprisals and even persecution? Bring it on! No amount of suffering could dissuade him from his absolute commitment to the One whose grace had eternally changed the trajectory of his life. Once bound for God's wrath, he was now saved by God's grace, and was passionate about being used for God's glory.

But there was one more thing Paul wanted Timothy to chew on. The message  Timothy was increasingly ashamed of was the very one in which he had placed his eternal hope. Jesus Christ was the safe into which Paul and Timothy had deposited their lives. And despite all the challenges and heartache and suffering connected with the gospel ministry, Paul needed Timothy to understand one thing: the Jesus they preached was also the Jesus in whom they had invested everything. Is he able to fulfill the promise of eternal life? Is he trustworthy? or was Timothy thinking that maybe another offer held more promise?

Paul finishes the argument with a solid declaration: Jesus Christ can and must be trusted! Paul knew Christ. He didn't just know about him; he knew him. And what he had come to know and experience gave him a rock solid assurance that Jesus Christ was able to keep all his promises. No need to be ashamed of Jesus. No need to look elsewhere for salvation. No need to abandon the gospel to avoid suffering. Jesus Christ, the Lord of All, had their lives firmly in his hands. He is the Able One. And we are to find our rest in him.

And so ends Paul's brief but powerful admonition to young Timothy. From here the letter goes on to encourage the young pastor to be strong, an unashamed workman that cuts the Scriptures straight, fully prepared to stand firm during the bad times which are just around the corner. But all of this was predicated on the renewal of Timothy's soul. To do this, Paul took his cue from the God of Elijah, in 1 Kings 18 and 19.

You'll remember that Elijah came on the scene when the northern kingdom of Israel was at its lowest, most wicked point. The culture had been taken over by idolatry and paganism. God's people had forsaken him for Baal. They had come to worship what Baal allowed them and had left their God behind. To demonstrate their folly, and the validity of Yahweh Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to an amazing duel (1 Kings 18) on top of Mt. Carmel. When God sent fire from heaven Elijah considered that he had won the biggest battle of his life. He had just watched his God accomplish the greatest miracle of the day. It was to be Elijah's finest hour.

But the next day found Elijah running south, all the way to the Negev, afraid for his life. God found him there, and listened to his pathetic wishes to die since he felt he was no better than his fathers. He had failed to unite the tribes. He had failed to rid the land of idolaters. He had failed to incite the people to throw off the wicked reign of Ahab and Jezebel. But God had other plans.

In an amazing demonstration, God took Elijah back to the basics. He took him to Sinai. It was on Sinai that God first revealed to Moses his glory and his truth. It was on Sinai that Moses really came to know God, to see him in all his glory, and power, and grace. It was on Sinai that Moses was transformed from a goat herder to God's leader, the great prophet who would communicate the law of God to the people of God. And so it was on Sinai that God brought Elijah back to the basics, back to a reliance on his power and a commitment to his plan.

In a similar way Paul took Timothy back to the mountain. In this case, the mountain of beginnings was the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is in the gospel that we first see God revealed in all his glory and truth. It is in the gospel that we really come to know God and his Son Jesus. It is through the gospel that our blind eyes are opened and we come to see the reality of our sin and the unimaginable beauty of grace. It is through the gospel that God's life is imparted and our souls are set on the path of transformation. The gospel is the mountain that clarifies everything. Paul took Timothy to the mountain, and like Elijah, he heard the still small voice of God calling him back to trust, back to diligence, back to the vitality needed to accomplish the mission.

The mountain of the gospel is still standing, still powerful, still available. Take your weary soul up the mountain, and find rest in the garden of grace that is the gospel.

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: Through the Gospel

2 Timothy 1:10: "... through the gospel."

We find now Paul's grand reason for calling young Timothy back to a steadfast position as a Christ-follower. What caused Timothy's timidity is never described. But its effects are clear. Timothy's reticence made it look as though he was ashamed of the testimony of Christ out of fear that boldness would bring suffering. This Paul could not allow to go uncontested. After all, Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus with specific instructions to both teach the truth and confront those who taught otherwise (see: 1 Timothy 1:3-7). Now, five years after he began Timothy is back on his heels and the church is suffering. What is needed is a recovery of the mission, and a rejuvenation of the missionary. This Paul does with great simplicity: Timothy, the very gospel you appear to be ashamed of is the glorious message of Jesus Christ through whom death has been abolished, and life and immortality brought to light! This message is yours to live in, yours to preach, yours to wield as the only cure for sin and death. 


In two short verses Paul gives a stirring summary of the gospel. In fact, it is more than a summary; it is a glorious presentation. In the gospel Paul saw much more than an introductory message to Christianity. He saw it as much more than "first things." The gospel was never relegated to the kindergarten of Christian education as though this essential story, with all of its complexity, could be mastered easily and left behind in favor of greater, weightier issues. For Paul the gospel was the great foundation, fuel, purpose and goal of life. Everything he did was shaped and sustained by the gospel. Nothing else had any purpose for Paul. No other message or motivation moved him. His very life, right down to the daily risk he often faced, was his response to the call of God on his life to own, trust, obey, and proclaim the gospel.

This was the reason Paul's insight into Timothy's life was so penetrating. He saw past whatever presenting problems Timothy described. I can imagine that Pastor Timothy complained about how hard ministry was in  Ephesus. He most certainly had his share of problem people, obstinate mockers, religious persecutors, and financial shortfalls. Like every pastor he surely suffered from weekly bouts of doubt, fatigue, and the sense that none of his efforts were really accomplishing much. But Paul saw through it all. Not for a minute did Paul try to give Timothy ministry advice. That would come later. He didn't point him to the latest book on worship styles or staff organization or mission. He didn't recommend any special conferences or pastoral burnout retreats. What he did do was remind him simply but powerfully that, at the very core of his calling, was the privilege to understand and proclaim the gospel. It was very simple: Timothy needed the gospel to once again squeeze the breath of temporal circumstances out of him so that he could inhale the majesty, beauty, and power of God. He needed the clarity and comfort that only the gospel - rightly known and preached in the heart - could bring.

For all of us living in the jumble of post-modernity there remains an urgent, daily need. We need to know God. We need to focus our hearts away from the pursuit of self-esteem in order to build greater Christ-esteem. We need to recognize the myth that our temporal circumstances are what shape our identity, and rest daily and powerfully in the fact that our identity is found in Christ alone. Our culture won't like this of course. Our neighbors, both in and outside the church, want us to continue with them in a Christianity that makes way for the preferences and formulas of our culture. But this is not what Jesus wants. He wants us for his own. He wants all of us; every part and the whole of us. He wants our attention and our intentions. He wants our thoughts and our ideas. He wants our goals and our strategies, our ambitions and our successes. He wants what is rightfully his, and having been bought out of slavery and transferred into his keeping, we belong to him in our entirety.

I can imagine that Timothy knew all this, and it scared him. After all, he had dreams and plans and ambition. He wanted to do great things for God, but probably like us, also wanted some benefit, some recognition, some applause. We're all like that. We're all prone to think about ourselves even when pursuing what we think is best for God. Fortunately, Paul saw right past the facade and into the core of Timothy's heart. And what he saw needed fixing.

For Timothy and for us the solution is always the gospel. When the circumstances of life start trying to mold your identity or sense of worth, the gospel reminds you where your true worth lies. When the successes of this world inflate your self-importance the gospel reminds you who you really are. And when opposition or fatigue or disappointment whisper in your ear and you start to listen, remember that in the gospel your true story is still being told by the One who has saved you and called you to holiness in order to demonstrate through you the grandeur of his power and grace.

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: And brought life and immortality to light ...

"... the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus ... (has) ... brought life and immortality to light ..." (2 Timothy 1:10).

In some ways the "dark ages" is a fitting label for all those years preceding the birth of Jesus Christ. The people who lived between Eden and Calvary lived in a pretty dense fog. While they lived with a knowledge of God's great redemptive promise, they saw it only in the shadows. The watched the great sacrificial system, seeing in it some nuanced previews of God's promised reality, while still wondering just how God would punish sin while redeeming sinners.

They understood that One would come with heavenly authority to reclaim and reform what sin had polluted, but just who He would be, and how the task would be accomplished was beyond them. Peter understood their longing as generation after generation lived and died without realizing the promise. He described it in 1 Peter 1:10:

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.


He followed that declaration about the prophets with another incredible assertion that the marvels of Messiah and the redemptive plan were "things into which angels long to look" (vs. 12). The prophets and the angels, and the people as well, kept staring longingly into the future but only saw the mists of promise. The reality of fulfillment was all too elusive.

Think of a time when you were looking forward to something. Maybe it was a long awaited vacation, or a visit from an old friend, or even attendance at a concert or other event that you had decided on long in advance. As the time drew near did your excitement and anticipation heighten? Now imagine that you had been promised this great event, but not given any details either as to the process or the date it would happen. You would have all the hope, all the excitement, all the longing as it grew and grew. But you would not know for certain that you would ever actually come to enjoy the fulfillment of the promise.

Throughout the Old Testament the people of God held onto the promise. Their prophets carefully studied each progressive layer as God unfolded His Messianic plan. And apparently the mystery was so engrossing that even the angels were captivated. The whole story of God's promised Messiah and His redemptive plan was like the best novel ever written. It was spellbinding. It grabbed your heart and your mind and just wouldn't let go. But it also was elusive to all but the last generation of Old Testament saints. Hebrews 11:39 reminds us that "all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised ..." 


Perhaps Paul was intending to remind Timothy of the privileged position he occupied as one who had at last seen the promise fulfilled. Perhaps Paul wanted Timothy to remember those who, having far less knowledge than he had, still remained steadfast and faithful. They had persevered through much worse circumstances than those confronting Timothy in Ephesus. And perhaps Paul wanted Timothy to remember that others, failing to see God act as they had hoped, gave in to their selfishness and fell into the sins of complacency and despair. Just like Timothy.

Whatever the case, Paul considers the fact that Timothy has lived to see Messiah to be a huge privilege. No longer does he have to live each day with the hope of redemption; he now possesses the undying assurance that he has been redeemed. Someday has become today, and today has become the assurance that all the tomorrows can be lived before the face of God as a loved child, fully at home and at rest.

The coming of Jesus Christ in heavenly authority and power was akin to the creation of the sun. The light broke into the darkness, and hope was fulfilled. All that God had promised he had now made real. The darkness of death would no longer dominate the spiritual landscape of humanity. Now the light of life had come, bearing witness through an empty grave that life as God intended it was now an eternal reality. Jesus turned on the heavenly spotlights, focused on himself, and Paul is shouting to Timothy that he must stop focusing on the situations that surround him and get back to being enthralled with the Savior who has saved him.

Like Timothy, we are all prone to find our identity in our circumstances. We become the challenges we face, the losses we sustain, and the heartaches we carry. But this is actually to go on living in darkness. As Christ-followers our identity is no longer shaped by the things of this world. We are new creatures, born again to eternal life. We are not our own for God has purchased us, and made us his own. Our lives are "in Christ" and in him alone will we find our true identity. And nothing is more rejuvenating than this!

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: Who Abolished Death ...

In response to Timothy's spiritual fatigue and timidity Paul has taken his student, friend, and fellow preacher  back to the garden of grace we call the gospel. Using "the gospel" as a set of bookends (see vs. 8 and 10) Paul gives him a beautiful reminder that the gospel story - "God at his best" -  is necessary for the believer's soul is to be refreshed and rejuvenated for the work of ministry. Paul preaches the gospel to Timothy and in so doing reminds us all that preaching the gospel to our own hearts is both a privilege and a necessity.

The salvation granted to us in Christ has come about through the plan and purpose of God,  put into play long before human history began. Paul wants this to wash over Timothy, and bring him the  peace only an assured security in God's arms can bring. His own works have not brought about this peace;  it has been the work of Christ, comprehensive and complete, that has rescued and reformed him, and granted him full status as a child of God.

This plan of God, long promised and described in the Old Testament, has at last come to light through the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Savior has appeared, and now the world knows just how the promise of God to reverse the curse will be accomplished. Through the cross and the empty grave, death has been abolished, and life and immortality have been brought to light.

One of the great theological writings of all time is John Owen's great "Death of Death in the Death of Christ." This magnificent treatise on the death of Christ, while wordy, is a treasure that many believers today have never found. It is worth finding, and reading, and even re-reading. The title gives the main point: On the cross, death died. The writer of Hebrews sums it up beautifully in Hebrews 2:14:

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,  15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (emphasis mine)


Paul understood that Jesus' death was really the death of Satan's most powerful weapon. With death being the "wages of sin"  it was a debt that had to be paid. God's law demanded it while his justice required it. Death was the great unassailable mountain that stood between the sinner and any hope of reunion with God. The sentence must be carried out in full. Yet, God's love determined to redeem those sentenced to this death. And just when his justice and love seemed at eternal odds, God's wisdom stepped in with the perfect plan, designed, initiated and revealed in the perfect man ... Jesus. 


When Jesus cried "it is finished" it was. Sin's bondage, maintained by the chains of death, was forever broken. In one of Paul's most famous passages he explains this joyful circumstance: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans 8:2).  Paul forces Timothy to remember this, to focus on it, and to rest in it. The Gospel, like a most comfortable feather bed, receives the repentant, believing sinner and enfolds him with the comfort of eternal forgiveness and acceptance. All because Jesus Christ, on the cross, has abolished death.


I don't know if Timothy understood Paul's writing here. I don't know if it set his heart on fire with thanksgiving and praise. I don't know if his soul gained any uplift at all. What I do know is that the Spirit determined to preserve these God-words for us, carruing them down through the channels of time. He has done this for a reason.  Like Timothy, we all need a daily dose of remembrance. And there is nothing like knowing that death - that great enemy of the living - no longer need be feared. Its power has been drained out, and it no longer can hold us. We have been freed by Christ to live an eternal kind of life that happily begins here and now. 


Hope this helps,


David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: But now has been revealed ...

Anyone who knows me well thinks I am a soccer fanatic. I love the game and everything about it. And while many Americans think soccer is boring given the low scores most matches produce, the truth is that it is this built in sense of delayed gratification that makes the emotional side of soccer so fulfilling. We watch, and wait, and get our hopes up, as the ball is passed with precision down the field. The opportunity for a goal is getting nearer and nearer and then ... well, maybe next time. But each buildup after buildup, with increasing tension as the games wears on, creates a slowly expanding desire for success in us. And then, finally, when the centering pass is made, and deftly handled by the striker who calmly fires the ball into the back of the net, our pent up hopes explode in noisy, fist-pumping, exclamation! Okay, sorry. I got a bit carried away just thinking about it.

So there you have it. The longer hope sits brewing, the greater the joy when at last it is fulfilled.

Perhaps Timothy had forgotten his history. Maybe in all of his pastoral work he had gotten too focused on the present, and had left off marveling about the great faithfulness of God in fulfilling the epic promise of Messiah, the Savior. Paul doesn't mention the reasons this young pastor had fallen prey to spiritual fatigue, timidity, and burn out. He doesn't even ask Timothy to give him reasons. He just dives right into the water of Timothy's theological heart and demands that he recognize once again the majesty of the gospel. He puts it between Timothy's eyes that the good news must wash over him every day, in manifold ways, lest he become weary, lose heart, and maybe lose his way.

I think Paul would have made a good soccer announcer. He's really good at explaining the buildup. Notice that in verses 9 and 10 Paul carefully explains the "buildup" of God's saving work. It starts with God, of course, who has saved and called Timothy with a calling that is holy and demands holiness. This great rescue from sin and Satan hasn't been fueled by Timothy's grand abilities or personal merit. He can't take any of the credit simply because the whole of it has been designed in the mind of God, and carried out fully through his own grace. And it has been a long buildup! Since before time began, God has been working his plan, deftly passing the promise from generation to generation, from Abraham through Jacob, through Judah and David, and on down the field of human history to a field just outside Bethlehem.

As we read the story of God's promise in the Old Testament for the first time, there are many instances when we are sure the promise is being completed. First we see Noah. Certainly here is the "he" of Genesis 3:15, the one through whom the whole world has been cleansed from the toxin of sin by the waters of the flood. But turns out his  shot went wide! Noah wasn't the Savior; he needed a savior. Then comes Abraham, running with great promise only to show his own human frailties on so many occasions.  And so on with Jacob, and Samuel and even the great King David. Time after time the hearts of God's faithful are hopeful only to have fulfillment deferred.

And then, finally, it happens. One day in Jerusalem John sees a man named Jesus walking across the square, and through the Spirit he recognizes the One who alone is the fulfillment of the promise. The buildup is happening again, but in a way never before seen. "There he is, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

It was to this buildup that Paul pointed Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:9b, 10a: "...which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus ..."
Timothy, don't you realize that we've been privileged to see the promise fulfilled? All those who came before had hope but we have experienced the joy of fulfillment!

As we read Paul's words today it has been almost 2000 years since the goal was reached, the promise fulfilled. We have to admit that the luster, at times, seems to have been worn off by the passage of time, and the frequent celebrations of that singular event. We've read about it, preached about it, written about it, celebrated it, and all too often familiarity, while not breeding contempt, has certainly created complacency.

With Timothy we may need a fresh engagement with the miracle of the Incarnation. In the simplest terms it demonstrates God's great wisdom, his sovereign power, and his absolute faithfulness. Who but our God could design and accomplish such an intricate plan as God in the flesh? And who but our God could orchestrate human history so that the Incarnation happened in just the right way, through just the right people, in just the right place, at just the right time? And who but our God has proven himself faithful over the entirety of human history? His plan has never been derailed, either by the opposition of his enemies or the disobedience of his friends. Our God is unimaginably wise, unassailably strong, and unfailingly faithful. The incarnation of Jesus has revealed the very nature of God to us even as it has brought into the light of reality the promise of rescue first given in Eden. God's entire buildup of the redemptive plan has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus.

Timothy needed to be reminded of this. You and I need to be reminded of this, every day. May the Lord grant us faithful eyes to see the goodness of his grace in the gospel, for his glory and our daily good.

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: From All Eternity

We are born with an innate sense of fairness, at least if you are fortunate enough to be born in the United States of America. We come into this world with freedom and liberty infused into our individual DNA, or so it seems. It doesn't take long for this addiction to fairness to manifest itself. We don't have to teach our children to say "mine" or to insist that their rights have been stepped on. We earnestly believe that we have all been created equal, and we believe this equality means  we're all good, and valuable, and possessors of inalienable rights. And with this all, I agree, as long as we're talking about who we are as citizens of this world, of this great country.

But when we talk about ourselves as citizens of the spiritual realm, we simply can't see things the same way. In the spiritual realm, while we all come into this world in the same way, it isn't true that we are good and valuable and possess a set of rights. In truth, we have inherited a toxin called sin that has pervasively ruined our nature in terms of any ability to please our Creator. This means that any rights we may have had have been ruined. According to the Bible, we are dead spiritually, blinded to the truth of God, unwilling and unable to remedy our situation, and are on the path to eternal judgment. What's more, unless something from outside of ourselves comes in with the power to radically change the trajectory of our lives, we are powerless to escape the eternal judgment we all deserve from the hand of Almighty God.

And it really doesn't matter if we think this is unfair. What matters is that it is true, and that the Almighty God and Judge of All will act in perfect justice and holiness to render to us just what our rebellious lives and attitudes deserve. After all, fairness is always defined by justice, and God is unfailingly just. All our rights are defined by him.

Pastor Timothy was toiling in the pagan city of Ephesus, and the work was taking its toll on him. Five years earlier Paul left him there with a charge to establish the church on the platform of truth. Now, having battled the culture for five long years he was back on his heels, timid, even ashamed of the testimony of Christ (see 2 Timothy 1:6-8). Paul felt compelled to help right his young partner and pens a letter intended to encourage and rejuvenate him. But instead of suggesting a vacation, or some sort of therapeutic exercise, he simply reminds him of the Gospel (1:9,10).

The gospel is the good news of God at his best. He is the one who has saved and called Timothy to live and move in holiness. This great rescue and reformation from sin to righteousness wasn't effected or merited by Timothy's own works or even his highest aspirations. Rather, God's actions toward Timothy were fueled exclusively by his own grace, according to his grand purpose, which was granted freely and without strings or addendum, to Timothy. And to amplify the sovereign nature of this wonderful, life-giving gift, Paul declares that all this was granted to Timothy in Jesus Christ from all eternity.


Can this be? Is Paul really suggesting that before time even began, God determined to grant Timothy the grace of an effectual rescue from his bondage to sin and a calling to share his holiness? Is Paul suggesting that the doctrine of Unconditional Election is a good thing, and is part of the rejuvenating aspect of the gospel? The answer is simply "yes" that is exactly what Paul is doing.

Notice first of all that Paul states it clearly, without any attempt to shave the edges. He also doesn't stop to explain or apologize. He simply states that God chose Timothy to be a recipient of his saving, sanctifying grace even before the first molecules came together to form the earth. And this isn't an isolated theme for Paul. He had already taught this doctrine to the Ephesians (Eph 1:3,4) reminding them that every Christ-follower had been "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world."

Second, we need to be reminded that Paul includes this idea of God's electing love as part of the rejuvenating aspect of the gospel. In the face of spiritual fatigue Paul reminds Timothy that his place in grace is not at risk. Neither his strength nor his weakness can bring about an adjustment to  his standing in Christ. Why? Because the matter has been settled, completely, from all eternity. After all, this whole salvation thing is about God, not us. Our salvation, as well as our sanctification, is a tribute to his power, his love, his wisdom, his gracious disposition toward ruined sinners, and his unfailing love. If any part of our salvation and eventual glorification were dependent upon us it would only diminish the brightness of his glory.

Lastly, it is important to understand that Paul wasn't concocting the idea that God's actions toward us were intellectually complete before time began. While the actual accomplishment and application of redemption would take place in time - at the cross, and when we repented and believed - the plan of God was complete, determined, and therefore, guaranteed from all eternity. And this wasn't Paul's idea. It first comes to the public realm in the teaching of Jesus himself.

In John 6 Jesus is very bold in his explanation of the miraculous feeding of the 5000. Having manipulated the molecules of the bread and fish as only the Creator could do, he goes on to explain the truth behind the miracle. He says that he has gone one better than Moses, who gave them bread in the wilderness. He has given them bread that will bring about eternal life. This bread of heaven will give life to the world.

But - believe it or not! - some would rather argue than believe. They have seen the miracle, and even eaten the bread, but they still see Jesus as an enemy rather than the friend they all need. And to their face Jesus gives the only explanation for such unreasonable behavior on their part: All that the Father gives me will come to me ... This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I lose nothing ... (John 6:37a, 39a: you should read the whole context). The reason they don't believe is because they are not part of the group that the Father has given to the Son. Jesus goes further in vs. 44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ... At this many of the crowd leave him. Jesus turns to his disciples and asks if this teaching causes them to stumble as well. He asks if they want to leave off from following him as well. Peter speaks for the group stating that leaving makes no sense since Jesus certainly is God's Son, possessor of the words of eternal life (vs. 59-69).

Even in that day the idea of fairness was rampant. Yet, their concept of fairness  was radically disconnected from the greater ideal of divine justice. Jesus went on to describe the sovereign, electing love of God in Christ in even simpler terms in John 10:14,15, 25-28:  “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,  15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  25 Jesus answered them,  “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.  26  “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.  27  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. To believe was to give evidence of being "of his sheep", among that group chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), to whom grace in Christ had been granted from all eternity (2 Tim 1:9).


Paul had to remind Timothy that the work of God in salvation was God's alone. He planned it, he purchased it, he applied it, and Timothy was the recipient of it. But the question remains in our minds: how is this rejuvenating? Doesn't it rather lead to the idea that, since it is all of God, then I am free to live anyway I want to? 


The answer is, surprisingly, yes! You are free to live however you want to. But, if you have truly been overwhelmed with the grace of God in Christ, and his spirit is in you, your "want to" is changing. Through the Spirit and the Word you are coming more and more to hate sin and love righteousness. You are transitioning from a self-centered consumer to a joyful servant, intent on pleasing and magnifying the glory of the One to whom you owe everything, and from whom you have gained everything. To be in Christ is to be free to love God as you were originally created to do! And I know what you're thinking: it just doesn't seem fair that you could receive from God all that Christ has to offer given that you just don't deserve it. I know ... it doesn't seem fair, but God's love and justice have been satisfied in Christ, and in him we have it all, fair and square!


Hope this helps,


David