Category Archives: Theology

Satisfying Waters

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Elisabeth Elliot once wrote “The Christian life is a process of God breaking our idols one by one.” I believe she is right.

Throughout Scripture we are warned against the danger of idols. In the Ten Commandments we are commanded not to have any idols, nor to make an idol. In the story of Aaron and the Golden Calf we are shown the danger of idols. Through the prophets we are warned about the spiritual degeneration caused by idols. Seeking to encourage the church, the apostle John wrote, “Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen” (1 John 5:21).

Amen, indeed! Idols are to the soul what cancer is to the liver – fatal. Simply put, an idol is anything that has command over our affections. It is the thing (or things) that we desire most.

Idols lead to spiritual destitution because we were created to worship and desire God above all things. At the core of our beings, we all worship something. We were created to worship. There is no getting away from it. Either we worship our God and creator, or we worship something else. Idols steal the worship that rightfully belongs to God. In the process, they choke off the spiritual life we receive through proper worship of God.

Proper worship is essential for spiritual health. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is described as offering all people the waters of life (Rev 21:6). In John 4:14, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “But whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” When we worship the true, living God through Jesus Christ, we are fed the spiritual water that gives life and sustenance to our souls. Without the “waters of life” we die.

The problem with idols is that they promise temporary relief and satisfaction. We all long for spiritual satisfaction; and only God can fill that need. But most people substitute that desire with something else – an idol. In the big picture of spiritual life and death, the satisfaction that an idol brings is similar to the relief that a strong pain killer can bring to a patient suffering terminal cancer. As the pain killer brings relief for a brief time, so does the idol. When the satisfaction of the idol begins to wear off, most people simply substitute the idol for a new one, believing the new idol will bring more satisfaction. This process, unfortunately, is continued until the spiritual cancer destroys the person.

Jesus is the only cure for all spiritual disease. When we replace our idols with the worship of the true, living God through Christ, we discover that the waters of life Jesus freely gives both eliminates the spiritual disease, and brings profound satisfaction to the soul that never ceases.

“Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen.” Amen indeed!

The Joyful Struggle

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“To be almost saved is to be totally lost.” I once had that statement displayed on the marquee in my last church. This morning I heard a young preacher preach a message on the same topic. “Almost” does not cut it in the kingdom of God.

The problem is that genuine faith can be easy to fake. There is a Christian veneer that is easily placed over a darkened heart. It is possible to sing praise songs, pray eloquently and have a nice big smile on your face; but at the same time have a heart polluted with sin and unbelief. Our actions don’t always demonstrate the true condition of our heart.

Yet, in every church and throughout time in every generation, there are those who convince themselves they are genuine when they are not.

Ultimately only the Lord knows who belongs to Him. But don’t you want to know that you do belong to Him? Of course you do! The interesting fact is that the Bible creates a tension at this point. We are told that we can have assurance (Eph 1:13-14; John 10:28-29); and we are also told that there are people who have assurance, but are not warranted in doing so (Matt 7:21-23; 25:11-12).

Fear not. There is really no reason to ever doubt your salvation. People who believe they are saved, but who, in fact, are not, don’t think about such things. Their Christianity is skin deep and carefree. They don’t struggle with personal holiness. They don’t wrestle with sin. Repentance is something that is only an intellectual fancy for them, not an experiential reality. They worship only through outward actions, not through an inward, introspective seeking and communion with God. The idea of witnessing about the death and resurrection of Christ sounds great to them, but they have never done it – in fact, that’s what they pay others to do!

In short, if you ever worry about whether or not you are really saved, have no fear. The genuine Christian understands that he/she falls short of God’s glory. As a result, he/she does worry; but it’s a worry generated from a dissatisfaction with worldly living. This dissatisfaction drives the true believer to have a heartfelt desire to excel in the things of God.

For those who are not truly saved, not so much. They have never experienced any dissatisfaction in their spiritual life. They are happy and carefree – but only for a short time.

Genuine Christianity is a struggle. Those who have labored in the struggle are marked by a sense of humility. They know they are saved by faith. In fact, they have come to a point where they really know, both experientially and intellectually, that there is no good in them and that their salvation is all because of Jesus Christ.

Not only is there a sense of humility with the genuine Christian, but there is also a sense of dependency. The genuine Christian has learned to walk with Christ. They have learned the meaning of Jesus’ words when He said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). They know that everything pertaining to the Christian life – strength, wisdom, faith etc. – all find their source in Christ. They have learned that Jesus alone is sufficient for all their needs (Phil 4:13).

But the genuine Christian is also marked by a stubborn joy. Because they understand that salvation is all the work of Christ, they have learned to enter the Sabbath rest of God. In so doing, they no longer seek to earn God’s approval. They understand what it means to be accepted in the beloved. Further, they are joyful because they have learned be content in whatever state they are. Their joy is stubborn, because the world cannot take it away from them. Because they are content, they no longer worry about tomorrow. Because they are accepted, they are able to enjoy the love and grace of God today.

To be a genuine Christian is to live between two worlds – almost, but not yet. It is to have a dissatisfaction with worldly living while seeking to grow in heavenly graces. It is to understand that too much of the world is in me and not enough of heaven; yet, it is also to recognize that all of heaven is mine – its joys, victories and satisfaction. Praise be to God!

Here’s to the struggle and joy of being a Christian!

Set Free!

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“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners …” (1 Tim. 1:15). If the message of Easter could be summed up in one sentence, this is it. Easter is about God saving sinners through the sacrifice of His precious, sinless Son.

But what does it mean to be saved? We use the word, but sometimes lose sight of its meaning. To be saved is to be delivered from the wrath of God (Eph 5:6; Col 3:6; Rev 14:19). In: John 3:18 Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him (referring to Himself) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already.” Notice the words, “Condemned already.”

God gave the judgment that “The wages of sin is death.” This judgment is past tense. This means that the sentence for sin has already been reached. The wrath of God which is coming against the world is not the verdict against our sin – that has already been given – but the sentence which follows the verdict.

When a man on death row is waiting for his day to come, his attorney seeks to have his sentence commuted. Biblical salvation is like that. But from our perspective, our sentence isn’t simply commuted, it is altogether erased. Through Jesus Christ we are given the ultimate pardon.

Because we are pardoned when we leave the prison house, our past does not follow us. When God pardons us through Christ, our record is completely erased. There are no labels that follow a pardoned sinner like those that follow an ex-convict. We are truly given a new life.

But of course, this pardon isn’t free. It comes at a great cost to God Himself. He sent His only Son into the world so that He would receive God’s wrath in our place. The reason we receive such a wonderful pardon is because the sentence of death was, in fact, carried out against our sin. When Jesus hung on the cross, all our sins were placed on Him; and as a result He experienced the wrath of God in our place.

Therefore, God hasn’t simply overlooked our sin. The verdict of death was not commuted. The sentence was carried out to the letter. Jesus paid it all. His blood was shed so that ours would not have to be. By His blood, we are saved (Rev 1:5).

The Bible says, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9).

Easter is about Jesus coming into the world to save us sinners. There is much joy when a condemned man has his sentence commuted. Even as he is led to another prison he has a smile on his face. How much more should we rejoice and thank God for His indescribable gift that has set us free?

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Christ Didn’t Die at the Mall

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I’m not much of shopper. I like shopping almost as much as I like going to the dentist. But one thing I do appreciate is how comfortable a good store can make me feel when I do buy something. There is the nice music in the background and the pleasant sales representatives who makes your shopping convenient and hassle free. At the cash register the sales rep’s smile has a way of taking the edge off as you leave all your money behind.

However, unlike our convenient and comfortable department stores, when God purchased our gift of salvation there was no comfort or convenience available. When God purchased our gift of redemption, He did so at the cost of His Son’s life on the cross and at the expense of His blood. Instead of the smile of a sales rep to collect the price of the purchase, there were the cold, hard walls of a grave to receive His battered body. Yet the Father, driven by His love for the World, willingly paid the extravagant price so we could have the gift of salvation and eternal life!

When Jesus was on the cross, just before He died he exclaimed, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The word “finished” in the Greek is a commercial term and it literally means, “The debt is paid.” When he breathed His last and died, He was making the purchase that would guarantee your forgiveness and eternal salvation.

The love of God is staggering in its magnitude. Look to what lengths He went to make sure we can receive the gift the salvation. When God loves He holds nothing back.

As Easter approaches we need to be mindful of God’s bountiful gift given through the Son.

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).

The Heart of the Matter

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What is worship? Is it the act of being at church? If someone were to ask you about your worship experience how would you respond? “Well, I sang a couple of hymns, put some money in the plate and heard the preacher.”

That would qualify as attendance, but does it qualify as worship? Attendance does matter (Heb 10:24-25); but worship is so much more.

Speaking to the issue of attendance without worship God says, “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My altar!” (Malachi 1:10).

We need to remind ourselves that we have an audience when we worship. God is watching and rejoices in our worship. Speaking about the relationship between God and His people when they worship, the bible says, “But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). When we worship, God inhabits our praises and is given the rightful place of honor in our presence.

The great privilege that Christians have is to worship the living God. When it comes to worship, God desires heartfelt substance over style. God does not want us to simply go through the motions. And of course, it stands to reason; He went through an awful lot of trouble for us to be able to worship Him.

We can worship today because Jesus died on the cross to make it so. Without His death and resurrection we would never be able to enter God’s presence. However, because Jesus made the way open for us, the bible tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with boldness! (Heb 4:16).

So what is worship? It is the act of seeking God in spirit and truth while ascribing to Him the immeasurable value of His person. (John 4:23-24; Psalm 145:3).

If you study the verses in John you will notice that what is at issue in worship is the condition of the heart; and God wants – no jealously demands and deserves – 100 percent of it.

Is your heart prepared to worship the living God?

Clarity in Vision

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The bible says that “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). I have always found this to be an interesting verse, especially in light of the fact it seems to be a definition of faith. Faith, we are told, is the assurance and conviction of things not seen!

I don’t know about you, but I generally like to see where I am going. I don’t walk in the dark very well. In fact, I have a bad track record in that area. At this point I have lost count of the number of times I have gotten up in the middle of the night to use the rest room only to slam my toe on either the bed frame, corner of the wall, or the bathroom door. I know my children have woken up in the middle of the night believing that they are experiencing a nightmare only to discover that the madman howling like a lunatic is their pitiful dad who just broke his toe for the umpteenth time!

No, I really like the light, and so do my toes. The ironic thing is that Scripture teaches us that when we walk by faith we are in fact walking in the light, and when we choose to walk by sight (versus faith) then we are actually walking in the dark.

I remember when JFK Jr., was killed in a plane crash. Apparently he flew into bad weather. As a result he could not see the horizon and became disoriented. It was speculated that he crashed because he thought he was going up when in fact he was going down. Experienced pilots said that he was trying to fly by sight, but had he used his instrument panel to navigate then he would have most likely survived the storm.

The bible tells us that we are to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Walking by faith is like using the instrument panel on an airplane. Though a pilot may not be able to see past his windows for the clouds and rain, his instrument panel will always give him a clear picture of where he is and where he needs to go. In that regard it can be said that the pilot has an assurance and conviction about his situation.

When we live our life seeking to be guided only by what we can physically see, then we are not unlike JFK Jr., who was flying in a storm. As he was flying in the dark, so we are then living in the dark. Faith leads us to look to the instruments and tools God has given us so we can see clearly and navigate successfully.

With eyes of faith we are able to see the vital gauges of God’s manifold promises, warnings, and directives. The psalmist said “Oh, that my ways were directed to keep your statutes! (Psalm 119:5). God does seek to direct our ways. He desires to be our compass in life and to lead us through the storms so we may find rest and peace (Psalm 23, Prov 3:5-6). It is for that reason that the psalmist said, “Your word have I hidden in my heart…”

The instrument panel for daily living is the bible. When we learn it, believe it, and begin to live it, we will discover a whole new level of vision that brings clarity, assurance and conviction in the direction God is taking us.

Hunger Pains

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Speaking to the church Peter encouraged them, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

There is a form of dairy product that I am quite fond of, it’s called ice-cream. My love for ice-cream began a long time ago. Once I had that first taste, and tasted that it was good, I never looked back. Peter is essentially saying the same thing about God. He tells us to “desire the sincere milk of the word.” That desire comes about when we have “tasted that the Lord is good.” When we taste His goodness we want more.

Many people have no desire for the Word of God. I suspect it’s because they have never really tasted the goodness of God. It’s addicting – the goodness of God. Once you have had a taste you want to keep going back for more. And unlike ice-cream, there are no adverse health effects, nor will you see a sizeable change in your waist line, if you seek to indulge in the goodness of God.

When someone desires something they essentially have a craving. I remember when my wife was pregnant; she would have cravings for certain foods at the most bizarre times. And much to my dismay she would never crave ice cream; but the craving was something that had to be satisfied ASAP!

Peter tells us that we are to crave the Word of God much as an infant craves his milk. Have you ever seen a hungry infant? They are inconsolable until their appetite is assuaged. When my son was a baby he would wake up at two in the morning – every morning – and scream until he got his bottle. That little bundle of joy could not be consoled until that bottle was firmly ensconced under his little lips.

As soon as he was sucking down that little baby elixir he would sigh a deep sigh of relief – whew finally some satisfaction! And that’s how Peter says the children of God are to desire the “sincere milk of the word.” My son wanted his milk because he was hungry. Those hunger pains are healthy signs of a growing boy. Peter says we are to desire the milk of the word so “we may grow thereby.”

Do you have hunger pains for God’s Word? If my son never had hunger pains and had no interest in eating I would conclude he was sick and take him to the doctor. If you never crave the “sincere mild of the word” perhaps you need a physician – a spiritual one. Without hunger there can be no growth; and perhaps it is an indication that there is no spiritual life.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the great physician of our souls. If you don’t have those badly needed hunger pains, Jesus invites you to come, taste and see that the Lord is good! You’ll never look back once you do.