"The Already Not Yet" Aspect of the Christian Life

The Christian’s dilemma could be best characterized by the “already not yet” reality of the Christian life. As those who have trusted in Christ for our salvation, we stand before God in a positional state of “grace” (Romans 5:1-2). What this means is that we are no longer condemned, exonerated from wrath, covered by the blood of Jesus, promised an inheritance, and so forth. That’s the “already” aspect of being saved.

But then there is the “not yet.” Here in this life, we still struggle with the flesh, a battle with sin that reminds us that we are not yet perfect, nor ever will be in this life. We must rely on God’s ongoing forgiveness and grace and the empowerment of the Spirit to have any measure of victory over our sin. So as Paul said, we “press on,” we labor and strive to be holy and set apart for God. In Philippians 2, Paul says we should “continue to work out” our salvation. Not work for, but work out. We don’t earn our salvation, rather we are to demonstrate that we’ve received it by faith and that this Spirit-led faith compels us to change and grow spiritually. In other words, we seek to become like Jesus in character and conduct, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, seek to win souls and conform our lives to God’s will.

In sum, we are saved by grace, we stand in grace, and we grow spiritually by God’s grace which we need everyday in our lives. In one sense we are perfect in our standing before God, but still in the practical sense, not yet freed from our ongoing battle with sin. This is why we still need “daily grace” to forgive and cover our sin. Thanks be to God who gives us that abundantly.

Heart and Hands - What I Want to Copy and Paste from Jesus

I have found that after several years of ministry that there is no replacing personal time with God and a personal touch with people. As for the former, there is much to discover within the recesses of God's heart that cannot be discovered by mere experience but only in private consultation. I see his character within the pages of His revelation, but until I have stopped to ponder it over and again in my mind, I no nothing of it in any real tangible sense. It's just knowledge until it sinks deeper into my soul and takes root and shows itself in my consciousness, motives, and intentional activities. Perhaps this is what is meant by "participating in the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). Not merely an awareness of God but a partnership and fellowship within the secret activities of the heart. Perhaps I am never more like God than when I am simply with him, enjoying the sweetness of joy that comes from a conversation that saturates the dry parts of my soul. This is where he reveals to me his heart in such a way that it changes mine. Truly this is what Brother Lawrence meant when he wrote "Practicing the Presence of God." I've noticed that even the Savior himself went up to the mountainside to pray. There's nothing like recharging with the Father. I want to know his heart.

As for the latter, God has been reminding me of what really matters in ministry. Nothing replaces quality time, purposeful interest, active listening, genuine encouragement, and timely follow-up. These are the things that touch the hearts of people. It expresses care and love, and it cannot be substituted in any way. It is the heart of a shepherd that people crave. For whether we pastors know it or not, we represent in some mysterious way the Chief Shepherd in a surrogate sense. We are "under shepherds," entrusted with the flock of God to whom we will give an account. And people can see right through us. They can sniff out a fake. But for the one who is the real deal, they will be quick to entrust their lives to you because they know you care.

How have I represented him? Have I shown others his heart? Do I reflect His compassion and come alongside others with an empathy and sympathy that would communicate His presence? These are the questions I must ponder. They are gripping. And I'm afraid that there are times when I fall way short of His holy calling. Paul said, "who is equal to such a task?" I know what he meant. And I know what Jesus meant when he said, "apart from me you can do nothing."

The temptation to do ministry "in the flesh" is there daily. Pride is a constant battle as I'm sure it is for most people. One must intentionally humble oneself to be used rightly. It's not that one should just pray for humility, but rather one must knowingly seek to place oneself in a humble state, looking for a way to lower oneself. God intentionally came to earth not as a man but as a baby. It was a purposeful choice. He pondered his path and took the low road. That's what we all must do. That, in some slight way, may be what Paul meant when he said that Jesus "emptied himself" (Phil. 2) -- he did not consider his equality with God something to use to his advantage, but became like one of us (except for sin). He went into the trenches with people, touched the untouchable, consoled the unconsolable, listened to those overlooked, gave grace and attention to those who called out for help, and did it all with dirty feet and unwashed hair. He also gave his life away...

That's what a shepherd does, and that's how he should minister to his flock. Lord make me like that. Make me like you in prayer, and make me like you with people.

A Powerful Definition of Christian Counseling

I ran across this definition of what it means to receive counseling in the church by John Piper, and I felt it was instructive, insightful, and encouraging to share with you. May you be the "church in action" today on this weekday -- encouraging each other daily as the Day approaches.

"What is counseling? The God-centered, Bible-saturated, emotionally in-touch use of language to help people become God-besotted, Christ-exalting, joyfully self-forgetting lovers of people. Biblical counsel does not direct people to esteem themselves – it directs them to esteem God, and doing this means waging war. A Sunday sermon isn’t enough; neither is a weekly small group. To persevere in this fight, we are to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Hebrews teaches us that perseverance is essential in salvation, and that it is a community project. Satisfy your soul in the ultimate Treasure so you move away from comfort and toward need; fight for the salvation of your brothers and sisters in Christ; hold fast to the faith; encourage one another." ~ John Piper

Speaking with Passion on What's Most Important

Recently I preached a series of messages on the Christian’s relationship to the governing authorities. It is not a subject that I am deeply endeared to but felt compelled to preach on as a result of encountering Jesus’ statement, “render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar” in Mark 12. In this statement Jesus legitimized human government, and in Romans 13 Paul expanded on it to teach us that government is something that God has sovereignly established on earth for the purpose of governing society, rewarding the good and punishing the bad, while providing a sense of restraint to evil and order to a sinful world.

His was not a statement of endorsement of all that an earthly government does, but merely an affirmation that God is the One who has established it for his sovereign purposes. Surely though, government exists for our good in the general sense even when it is not operated by godly people or is advocating biblical perspectives and policies.

It seems that on every street corner in this country the subject of politics, postmodern cultural warfare, economic and foreign policy, and health care are on the lips and minds of all who are alive and breathing. Opinions are as varied and strong as ever. The past two elections have seen more participation than in much of recent American history, and the intensity of the conversations and emotional weight that is thrown into them seems to be at all time high. I am a bit jealous of the intensity, to be honest, wishing that all Christians were mimicking it in our righteous living and in our conversations to all about how the cross saves believing sinners.

In a time like this, I believe that Christians have reached some fertile soil for sharing their faith. The firm foundation of absolute truth is a needed ointment to the disease of cultural relativism. People are longing for something stable, something true, something to believe in that is a much needed fix to the brokenness they are experiencing in the world, and they are fast coming to the conclusion that no political entity or process is going to be their salvation any time soon, no matter who is in charge.

We know the real truth however, that there is no salvation to be found in any earthly institution or authority, but rather true salvation is found only in the name of Jesus Christ. We don't need political salvation, but spiritual salvation. And this is where the blindness of Satan has captured many. For they think that if the economy is right, war is eradicated, and their political preferences all line up and are in place, that their lives are going to be profoundly fulfilled. They forget that spiritual matters are more important than anything else. And they don’t see that the personal sin issue is the biggest one of all.

All of what we see in the world comes right back to this. The spiritual nature of these earthly battles cannot be overlooked. There is a spiritual war going on here. The economic, cultural, social, and literal wars we are going through are merely symptoms of that greater spiritual warfare that hovers over them all. And without the right spiritual resolution, these things will only get worse. It could very well be that the common grace that God has used to restrain sin is being lifted a bit so that our world system is all the more in line with that which is described to come at the end.

I am no predictive prophet, but the feeling I have is that the time is short. The ground is fertile, and Christians need to be speaking God’s truth with a little more courage, purposefulness, and intensity than before. Come on Christian! Stand up. Proclaim the truth – speak the Gospel daily. Talk about the cross. Talk about forgiveness. Show unbridled love, a contagious joy, and an excitement about Christ.

Don’t despair. Don’t lose hope, and don’t place that hope in earthly temporal processes and institutions. Should we be voting and talking to our leaders about matters of right and wrong? Absolutely. We should do this as God has given us the miraculous freedom to do so. We should use the resources given to us to speak about matters of truth in areas such as abortion, medical ethics, marriage, and so on. Since these effect areas where we live, we must be engaged. Not consumed, but engaged. God’s truth is timeless and eternal, and is the standard by which all will be judged. So we better be speaking it with regard to all the practical areas of life. And to do this effectively we must also know our Bibles and know what God’s truth is (a plug for more biblical study).

There are some who spend all their days on the computer forwarding emails about political issues that bash this or that leader while their Bible sits on a shelf and their neighbors suffer in silence because no one is relationally loving and reaching out to them. My brethren, these things should not be. Merely making the world moral through political policies is not our ultimate goal – saving souls who are hell-bound without the Gospel of God’s grace is. This does not dismiss us or silence us from engaging on moral issues, it just rearranges our priorities so that the spiritual comes first in our minds before the earthly and temporal. And don't you think it might be important that before we speak one word about political issues in the coffee shop or the workplace, we must have already spoken ten words about Christ to our family members – our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren, and anyone else in our close quarters.

Remember this, God is in control of history. And He may be setting this world system up for His return. He is not responsible for evil, man is – but God orchestrates everything for His ordained ends. And He has commanded us to “hold on loosely” to this world and to go preach the Word! Go Christian – get up, get out there, and live and love radically for Christ. Fear not! The Lord is with you. He is mighty to save! (Zeph. 3:17)

An Often Overlooked but Critical Moment

The Reality of the Resurrection
It’s Meaning for the True Believer

1. It means that God is not dead, or that He’s some impersonal force, or simply an idol or inanimate object that I bow to.

Instead, the Christian God is alive, personal, real, knowable, and we are able to relate to Him through repentance and faith.

2. It means that God is true to His promises.

The Bottom Line: I can trust God.

3. It reminds me that I should never fear death.

Someday in the future, I will rise from the dead.

4. God’s power that He used to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that He is using to change me, giving me new spiritual life in through faith in Him.

5. Since God accepted Christ’s perfect life and perfect sacrifice and put His stamp of approval on it by raising Him from the dead, so I can trust that God has made me acceptable in His sight through faith in Him.

6. The reality of Easter Sunday means my life should be filled with joy, with thanksgiving, with worship and praise. It means that I can live victoriously even now over sin.

7. It means that God’s plan of redemption for this world is being brought to intended Goal, and for those who believe this will become a reality that they too will participate in.

Evangelical Christianity, Premarital Sex, and Early Marriage

Through my experiences as a pastor, I have become increasingly concerned about the situation our younger generation of Christians are facing when it comes to marriage, premarital sex, schooling, careers, etc. They are growing up in a culture where the struggle of relationships, and specifically premarital sex is itself a daily battle. But first, let’s get a few operating assumptions and facts out of the way.

1) The Bible says that any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage is not honoring to God – ok, let’s call it what it is – its sin. Why? Because that part of life was meant to find expression in a lifelong commitment to a spouse. It is a natural and healthy part of a growing, monogamous, marriage relationship. Sex is not evil, it is God-ordained and healthy, but like a fire in the fireplace it must be kept in its context or else it can be destructive. Thus we believe in abstinence before marriage.

2) Secondly, we live in a way too sexually explicit culture. Need I say more? It is a battle every day for young people. From every angle, they are pressured and taught lies about sex, and the casual nature of it that is portrayed in the media outlets of television, movies, and the internet has led many down the wrong path. It is sooo tough for so many young people today.

3) Third, couples are waiting much longer to get married than ever before. A recent survey said that the average median age for first marriages in the United States is now age 26 for women and age 28 for men.

Now having said all this – I have a few thoughts to consider. Doesn’t all of the above facts make for the “perfect storm” when it comes to the battle that our younger generation of Christians go through when it comes to sexual temptation and premarital sex?

The pressures are so intense. The hormones are so intense. The battle with what one can do and what one can’t do in a dating relationship and be “technically” honoring to God is so intense. But to be honest, I think there is a greater issue at stake here in all of this. And I think it has to do with our views on marriage in general -- and this is the main intent of this blog.

So the question for consideration is this. Why is it that we insist that they need to be “done with school, financially secure, and on a career path” before they consider the idea of marriage? Can that be defended biblically?

Side note -- this is not to say that people who are in their late 20’s or early 30’s who are single are in any way wrong for being in that spot – it may not be God’s will for them to marry just yet, or at all. But they will be the first to tell you that it’s not easy and that they need God’s grace every day to be patient and focused on God.

In the Bible young people were married much earlier than they are now. The “Virgin Mary” was most likely in her early to mid teens when betrothed to Joseph. (It had much to do with the Jewish view of procreation, blessing, and the ability to have children). I’m not suggesting that this should be the Christian norm today, for certainly we live in a different culture and different time. We don’t need to arrange marriages at age 14. But is there some merit to avoiding all the battles we sometimes face by getting married a little earlier than we currently do?

I think so. I was 25 and my wife was 19 when we got married. My parents were 21 and 19. Now someone may say – “19?!!! Wow, that’s a little young – don’t you think they should grow up a little more and finish school first?”

My answer is this – not necesarily. I think it's possible that we've simply put a strong cultural prerequisite on them. It is true that in some cases it may be wise to wait, but we cannot make that a blanket expectation that is true for every young couple who thinks that God is leading them to marriage. Long engagements are hard, for it is natural for couples to come together emotionally, spiritually, socially, and physically all at the same time. And when we tell them that they have to wait on this one part while the wedding is two or three years away – boy that’s tough!

Though there are challenges and some cons to the argument for early marriage, I believe that there are some definite pros that we are overlooking.

1) Sometimes being dirt poor is a good thing. And young couples who get married early are not usually rolling in the dough. They are forced to make sacrifices. They are forced to cling tight to one another, make important decisions together, battle their tendencies to be materialistic, etc. And all of that is a good thing. You may have to live off of borrowed furniture for a while, eat off paper plates, drive an old Honda. This just might be the situation God wants for them in order to develop in that young couple a deeper conviction about God, money, and trusting in Him for what they need rather than what they want all the time?

2) I think when we get older we get more stuck in our ways, and perhaps even more selfish. Getting married early can help with that problem, for it forces us to grow up together. We learn to compromise, making sacrifices for each other. There is no doubt that maturing socially, spiritually, and relationally together brings a bond to the relationship that sets it up for surviving the long haul. Many older couples who married early can attest to this benefit. Growing together spiritually at an early age has tremendous benefits. Biblical convictions can be cultivated together and most young students in their early 20's can catch on fire for God as they are in the midst of considering their life calling.

There is something to be said about a young couple getting married in school, working and paying for their education, growing together, being dirt poor for the first couple years, growing together, learning to live within their means, growing together…oh, did I mention growing together? Yes, that's what they do.

Don’t misinterpret this. No one should rush into marriage. Some who do, regret it later. One must be fully convinced of discerning God’s will before doing so. And like I said before, those who are single in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s can surely be blessed by God. Not all need to or should marry. Each one must consider their own giftedness and unique calling or place in life. And Paul did in fact commend singleness, saying that it can be a gift. So I’m not saying the early marriage or marriage in general is the ideal for everybody.

But what I am saying is that we should be very careful about the cultural prerequisites that we put on young Christian couples when a relationship gets serious and seems to be heading towards marriage, being especially mindful of the sexual temptation our young people face today. Sometimes early marriage is a better option, even if it means life is tough for a while. They may not be as tempted and they may grow up faster because of it.

No, we should not get married just so we can have sex. That’s crazy. But when we get married much later in life, get ready for an emotional and physical battle until that day comes. To be sure, with God’s grace it can be done, but perhaps much of the struggle can be left behind if we are willing to consider the alternative and leave our biases behind.

Another topic for consideration -- Where are the men? We have lots of godly young women who are looking for godly young men? But where are they? I think in some sense the church has utterly failed in this. To be sure, men themselves have failed in this. I have intense compassion for the women in our church who are bright, spiritually strong, single, who wish to get married but who look around and find nothing. But that’s another topic for another blog.

If one some point you think differently than I do on these things, then please see Philippians 3:15b. I’m not being contentious, but I see the battle every day in the lives of our younger Christians. Let’s pray for them, shall we?

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While writing this blog, I discovered a recent article about this, and it argues my point much more thoroughly and better than I do. Might I encourage you to read Mark Regnerus’ recent article in Christianity Today magazine (August 2009) entitled, “The Case for Young Marriage.” It, in my opinion, is a powerful read. You can read the article here:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/16.22.html

In reading it, I feel affirmed in what I was thinking. And for further critique and comment on Regnerus’ article and early marriage, see also Al Mohler’s commentary at…

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=4161

What Faith IS and What it is NOT

How much do we really live by faith? Do we live the kinds of lives that really require us to exercise a certain amount of faith or do we base our goals and lifestyles on goals that are very achievable on the human level, within our own power? And further, can faith be merely equivocated with risk taking?

The most important aspect of faith is its object. If God is the object of faith, then it is faith. Why? Because God is fact. God is certain. God is absolute. If an educated guess or risky living is the definition of living by faith, then we are operating under an unbiblical definition, because the Bible says,

HEB 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

So under that definition, ideas like "confidence, assurance, and certainty" are necessary components to faith. This is only possible if God is the sole object. So that is why we can “live by faith” and not by sight, because we know that God is the author of life, the sustainer of life, is sovereign over all of life, and is the goal of life. So in the end, to live by faith is to trust God with all of life.

Therefore, “taking chances,” “risky investments,” and "counting the odds" are not what it means to take “a leap of faith.” Because in those things, there is no assurance and certainty of anything. Maybe it will work and maybe it won’t. But that’s not faith. Faith involves certainty. We would be much better to call those things “educated guesses.” Nothing wrong with educated guesses – just don’t call it faith.

So practically speaking, to live by faith then is to be certain that God will provide everything I need that He has promised. Not everything I want, but everything I need. We can be certain of that.

MT 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?