Hard Pressed Between Two Worlds

    As a pastor, I talk to a lot of sick people (and hear about many more). Praying for them is part of the ministry God has given to me. I admit, though, that I have often struggled to know, exactly, how to pray for each one. The details for all of the sick are different- their circumstances, their spiritual condition- these things and more come in to play when I come before the Lord and make requests. But it's when I pray for fellow Christians that I feel the most tension. I understand that the moment these brothers and sisters pass from this present world, they will be with the Lord forever. I have a desire for them to remain here, but I understand that to be with Him is far better (Phil. 1:23). As the apostle Paul said about his own situation, "I am hard pressed between the two" (v.23). This tension complicates my prayers, but my heart is generally drawn to want to pray that they get that thing which is truly better. In some situations this is right and good. A dear saint has lived many good years; has a bad prognosis; the treatment has been miserable and ineffective, and she doesn't think it best to continue. She looks forward to being with Christ, and this is what I pray for. Amen! However, there are other situations where the prognosis is bad, but this child of God could still live many more fruitful years if healing comes. This person knows what it feels like to be pulled in two different directions. Pastorally, how do I best pray for these sufferers? Thankfully, God's Word casts light on this question.

    There are biblical examples of the sick who have recovered, and God's people rejoice that they remain. I'm thinking primarily of Epaphroditus, the faithful servant from Philippi who ministered to the needs of Paul. The Apostle says that this man "was ill, near to death" (Phil. 2:27). No doubt, if Epaphroditus would have died, Paul would have been able to give thanks that this saint was now with the Lord. There would have been the sadness of loss, a sting of death that remained here on earth, but the people of God who knew him could surely rejoice with this man who would have been currently rejoicing in the presence of God. But that's not what happened. Epaphroditus was spared death. In fact, Paul describes his recovery and continuance on earth as a merciful act of God (v.27) toward this faithful servant. Wouldn't it have been better to think of it as merciful if God just brought him on home? I think yes. It would have been an act of mercy for God to do so, but I know it was an act of mercy for the Lord to allow Epaphroditus to remain. God is telling me so (I also think here of Hezekiah, or of Lazarus. When Lazarus was raised from the dead, we do not read anything that would lead us to think that Lazarus was disappointed to receive more time on earth).

    I have had a number of conversations with those around me- those who aren't currently sick- speculating about what they would probably do if they did become ill, like really ill. Generally, those conversations go in the direction of "just let me go be with Christ. I don't want to suffer through that. This world isn't my home anyway." And honestly, I understand it. But this doesn't seem to be the full perspective of the Bible. The Scriptures speak consistently as they do in the situation of Epaphroditus. There is certainly great blessing in our death. Faith will become sight on that day, but it is also great blessing to continue here. It is a mercy of God. But why?

    The answer to that question rests in our purpose. Why are we here on earth? If my purpose here is all about what is best for me, alone, then of course I should always desire to be on the first train out of town. But I'm not here just for me. God has put you and me on earth to bring glory to Him. I admit that I can lose sight of that. Often, the way I will best glorify Him is to be a tool to help others do the same. I'm reminded here of those in the Old Testament who pleaded with God to spare their lives so they could continue to praise Him (Ps. 88:10-11, 115:17; Isaiah 38:19-19). Their earthly praises would cease as soon as they descended to the pit. Even though it is true that their praises would be able to continue on the other side of the grave, there is something of their current praise that is lost. They won't be able to praise God here anymore. They won't be able to praise God in this world, in the community of the faithful. They can't offer their praise in the midst of an unbelieving world, as a testimony to the grace of God by this sinner to other sinners who will remain. That element of praise truly will disappear from the earth at their death.

    In a similar way, there are things that bring glory to God that can only be done here on earth, by certain people, in a certain allotment of time- acts of service that will reverberate into eternity. We see that perspective in Paul's words to the Philippians as he wrestled with this in his own situation. He knew that it was better for him, personally, to be in the presence of the Lord, "but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account" (Phil. 2:24). He was still able to accomplish much good on behalf of these disciples by staying, so from God's perspective this was the more needful thing, and what would most glorify Him. There would be plenty of time for Paul to stand rejoicing in God's presence, as he is to this day, but for that season, it was better for him to continue to serve the church.

    All of this informs my own heart as I think about my own future, and informs my prayers as I pray for those who are sick and suffering. As for myself, I should be willing, and wanting, to stay as long as I can be useful to others to increase their joy in the Lord. If it be more glorifying to God that I remain on earth, this had better be my desire, because this is what I've been created for. I am not my own anymore. John Newton writes about the goodness of this perspective in the Christian, who, "though he longs for heaven, would be content to live as long as Methuselah upon earth, if, by any thing he could do or suffer, the will and glory of God might be promoted." This should be my prayer, that if possible, may the Lord give me many years, unto old age, allowing me to spend myself for the genuine good of others, to His glory. I am grateful to have eons to be in His presence, but I will rejoice to have forty more years to promote His cause on earth, if I can be useful to others in the Gospel.

    As to my prayers for the sick, (with a few exceptions) I will begin to ask much the same for them. I won't plead for their healing just so they can stick around, but so that they can remain for godly purposes in the service of others. It is a mercy of God that they stay. There are things they can do here, for the good of man, and the glory of God, that they cannot do from the grave. Soli Deo Gloria

Let Marriage Be Held in Honor Among All

This is an excerpt from the Sunday sermon on May 28, 2023 by Pastor Lonnie Atwood.

One of the most basic foundations of society is marriage. It's a bedrock of the created order that God established when He formed the earth- marriage- as God defines it, between a man and a woman. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. When biblical marriage is attacked, so is the family, and so is the created order. This is a pillar that a good and rightly ordered society stands on. It’s the world where children are raised and taught. It’s the primary relationship where love is shown, where future men and women are grown and nurtured, where the biblical mandate to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth," happens. Marriage underpins any well-ordered and good society, but there is also a spiritual element here. Marriage is meant by God to be a living representation of Christ’s relationship to His church.

To represent marriage in a way that God has not intended it, is not only a sure way to destroy a society, it is also a great dishonor to the person and work of Jesus Christ. So, to be clear, culture does not get to define what marriage is. Only God does that. If a society chooses to depart from God’s design, they have created something that is not marriage. It’s a perversion of it, and a gross misrepresentation of the beauty of Christ’s love for His people- the ultimate Bridegroom and His delight for His bride.

So, when the church is told here, to “Let marriage be held in honor above all,” can you see why that is so important? Yes, it has monumental importance for the world  we live in, but marriage also speaks to our salvation. Godly marriage speaks well of our  godly Savior and His bride. No Christian, and no church, can obey this command by rejoicing in a marriage between anything other than one man and one woman. We must, as a people, honor marriage by affirming God’s design, and rejoicing in the work of our Savior for those He loves.

But we are also to honor marriage, practically, in our own homes, and by the way we conduct ourselves in purity with one another in the church. This starts with husbands loving your wives as Christ loved the church. Men are to lead in their homes, and in their marriages, with sacrificial love. They nurture their wives, and care for her like a garden. The man tends to his wife with the love of Christ and the word of Christ, and she bears fruit- physically with children, and spiritually in godliness. This is the standard that is to be upheld in the church, and all of God’s people are to rejoice in that because, again, that says something about Jesus, and His relationship with us. Adultery, and sexual immorality say something anti-Gospel. A husband who lusts after a woman who is not his wife is living out an anti-Gospel. The same for a wife who gives herself to another man. Jesus Christ deals with us in all purity and devotion. Husbands and wives must do the same.

We live in a very impure world, right? We must be very careful about what we set our eyes, and hearts, on. You must understand that sexual immorality covers a wide range is sexual sin. Adultery deals with those who are married. Christ doesn’t step out on His bride. He is united with us. We do not step out on our spouse either, to break the unity we have with one another. But the term "sexual immorality" includes fornication- two people who shack up, maybe they claim to love one another, but give themselves to each other sexually. This can also include lust, pornography, and any other sexual deviation that occurs outside the confines of the marriage bed. We are called to purity, nothing less, and to celebrate & honor marriage done well. WHY? Because a marriage done well will speak well of the Gospel that we all love...We honor godly marriage because godly marriage honors Christ. 

Young people are apprehensive of marriage, for a variety of reasons. They've probably seen a lot of marriages done poorly. They worry that it will restrict their individuality and might not suit their lifestyle. I was listening to the radio this week, and the thought came into my mind, "there aren’t any songs about marriage love," which shows what the world values. It values the, "I just showed up at the club, saw you for the first time, and want to have sex with you," love. It values dating and freedom, and the “I could have another you in a minute" love. But God, when He chose to put a symbol on earth of His true and eternal love- the kind of love where the God-man went and gave His life, so a people could be happy, forever, love- He chose to represent that in a marriage between one man and one woman. This is what Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5, when he says that marriage mysteriously represents the Gospel. We have to demonstrate this love, in our marriages, to the young people around us, to draw them, not just to have good marriages, but to draw them to the beauty of Christ.

Can we see why, then,  that we’re told here- “God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” It is because those things are an affront to the salvation that He has so graciously worked for us.

As Christ’s church today, people who confess Him as Savior- people who confess that we belong to Him alone as His bride- a few questions are in order.

If you are married, is your marriage reflecting the Gospel? Are you committed to one another? Are you faithful sexually? Are you faithful in the roles God has given you that point to the Goodness of your Savior? Husbands, are you loving your wives sacrificially? Are you leading her in godliness? Wives, do you respect your husbands, and are you faithfully helping Him in His calling to lead well? Is there any repentance that needs to happen, so that your marriage can be more honorable? Most certainly if your marriage bed has been defiled.

For the unmarried...Do you aspire to be married? If so, pray for a marriage worthy of honor. Pray for a godly spouse, a spouse as defined by God’s Word, not as defined by the false prophets on the radio. Read about godly marriage in good books. Read about godly marriage from the ones you see around you. And as you prepare for marriage, purify yourself sexually. Prepare yourself for your future spouse, who must also be a Christ- loving person, like yourself...If there is repentance needed, whether in thought, eyes, or in actions, do that now, and begin living out that repentance today.

Marriage is a pillar of good society, but it is also the physical representation, on earth, of Christ and His Church. We must take this with all seriousness. Honor marriage, and work to have a more honorable marriage. Start this today as led by God’s Word.

Direction in Disturbing Days

I meet regularly with a group of Christian men for discussion and encouragement. Over the last few years, many of our conversations have been geared toward the times we live in, and the proper response of a godly man to the various challenges of our day. Politics and government often come to the fore. There are so many voices in the public square who tell us our duty, but those voices are in such disagreement on the Christian's role in cultural matters. Today I came upon a letter from John Newton to his young friend John Ryland Jr. about this subject, and I appreciated the simplicity with which Newton addressed the matter when, in his day, war was coming from the French revolutionaries, and the British government was prompted to act:

Great things are upon the wheel. But though the Lord's path is in the great waters, my path of duty seems plain enough. I am to preach the Gospel, mourn over my own sins, and the sins of professors and of the nation, and to stir up as many as I can to stand in the breach by prayer. I hope many are thus employed. For the rest, I know that the Lord reigns, that the wrath of man, so far as permitted to act, shall praise him, shall be overruled to the accomplishment of his wise purposes, and that the remainder thereof he will restrain. All the designs of men, which do not coincide with his, shall be frustrated. In the mean time, he will be a sanctuary to them that fear him. He bids his people not to be terrified. They are warranted to trust in him, though the earth should tremble, and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea. Public measures, whether right or wrong, are under his direction, If sword, famine, pestilence, or discord, go through the land, he sends them. If he take wisdom from the wise, or courage from the bold, I cannot wonder that they do not prosper, when the Lord has forsaken them. Sennacherib and Cyrus were God's servants; no less so, than Moses or Joshua. They performed his commission and they could do no more.

 If I were lawfully called to civil office, I would endeavor to acquire proper knowledge, and to use every means in my power to serve my country. At present, I wish to serve it by prayer, and by employing my influence to soothe angry spirits, and to cultivate peace on all sides. Let the dead bury the dead, and the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, I am a stranger and pilgrim among them. My commonwealth is in a different kingdom, a kingdom that cannot be shaken.*

It's not that Newton did not care what happened in his native country of England. He certainly cared a great deal. But he knew that he was not in control of the various happenings in it. The best way for him to deal with the difficulties of his nation was to pray, and find comfort in the sovereign ways of God, whose path was in the deep waters. If trials came upon his countrymen, it was the Lord's doing, and He had a good purpose for it. If repentance came to the people, it was the Lord's doing, and He had a good purpose for it. Newton was fully convinced that a mighty God was very much the ruler of the world. He did not need to thrash about, and be filled with anxiety over every disturbance. God was at work then, and He still is today. We would be better served to take at least this encouragement from John Newton. God's people should be a praying people in the age we live in. We will serve our nation well if we pray hard, trust in the Lord's providential care, and know that He does all things well. We'll certainly be a more peaceful church, and less stressed by the news of the day.

* Quote from Wise Counsel: John Newton's Letters to John Ryland Jr., edited by Grant Gordon, Banner of Truth, 2009.

 

He Remembers that We are Dust

"As a father shows compassion to His children,

    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

    He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14)

The Lord, because He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, deals with His children according to His own nature, and theirs. He sees us, in Christ, with all of our sins, youthful immaturity, and ignorance, and out of His abounding wisdom, deals with us as we are. He does not cast us aside for our weakness. We belong to Him by simple faith in His perfect Son, and He has assumed responsibility for our growth in godliness. He is a perfect Father, giving compassion to His little ones, because He sees us for what we currently are, and will shape us into what we will be. This is such an encouragement for His people, to know that this is the way God deals with His own. It does not mean that His discipline will never hurt. It does, but we can rest assured that He always deals with us in love. All He does as a Father is perfectly measured, with the right intent, aimed at our good...I couldn't help but think, as I reflected on His Fatherly compassion, of my lack of it at times with my own children, especially when they were smaller. This has made me realize that I did not always deal with them as they were, but as I thought they should be. They often acted out of ignorance, because that's what small children do. Instead of being slow to anger and compassionate, I was quick to frustration and demanding. I cannot go back and undo those fatherly failings of mine, but I can move forward with two encouragements from these thoughts from God's Word: (1) Even when I was failing as a father in those moments, God was not failing in His. He was still dealing patiently with me during that time in my weakness and sin. And now, as I see that, I give Him praise and bless the name of Jesus Christ, who brought me into a relationship with such a Father. (2) Seeing who God is to me spurs my heart to repent of my own fatherly sins. My children may not be as small as they once were, but I can take these words to heart, and receive God's transforming grace to become more like Him toward my children in the time while they still are in our home. My Father is currently showing me compassion, because He knows my frame. He remembers that I am dust. But, thankfully, I'm dust in His house, under His care. 

Pastoral Counsel From Old Newton

Countless times I've received pastoral counsel from a man I've never met- at least not face to face. I've met him in the words he wrote to others, and I've sat down with him, in a sense, as he has spoken into my life. I again received pastoral counsel from this old, long-deceased, man, John Newton, today in some words that I read some time ago, but they fit me just as well now as they did before. I have to admit that my heart yearns for the country, and warmth, and trees, and creeks, and fields. About this time every year, coming out of winter, when Buffalo weather just can't let go of yesterday and embrace the inevitable, I get restless. And I need a reminder from pastor Newton that the Lord always knows what is best for me, and He always gives it.

Newton knew the beautiful countryside of England. He pastored in village called Olney for a number of years, where he was able to enjoy the scenery. But in time, the Lord moved him to London, and his work broadened. The scenery was not as pleasing, he felt crowded and wanted to stretch his legs, and he often became restless. In one letter, to a woman named Miss Flower, Newton responds to her about the place she was writing from:

I hope, however, that while you continue abroad you will be happy and easy. How could you tantalize me with mentioning cottages and hills peeping between them? Cottages, hills, woods, birds and brooks, are words which always set my imagination on its tip-toes till sober judgment interposes and commands it to sit down again. Even admitting that Potters Pury far exceeds Windsor or Clifton, and were it June instead of November, neither the place not the company should tempt me to wish myself there when the Lord appoints me to be here. 

My imagination does just as his. In March and April, it stands on its tip-toes trying to see where the grass is already being cut, and the trees have already bloomed. But this is where I need to apply to my own heart what the pastor says. I will not wish myself anywhere but where the Lord has planted me. He knows what is best, for myself, for my family, and for the ministry He has given. I am greatly privileged to serve where I am. My church family has been such a blessing for 8+ years. They are God's good people, who know what grace, and love, and truth are. They have been what I've needed. I'm grateful that the Lord knew that before I did, and planted me where my heart could grow (if not April grass). I'll close with a final word from Mr. Newton, as to the wisdom of God:

I hope, however, as we grow older we shall grow wiser, and be more satisfied, that whether we are placed in town or country, whether we are sick or well, the present circumstances for the present time must be best, because of His appointment.

Whatever Your Heart is Devoted to, You Will Become Like It

I have been picking my way through a book recently called We Become What We Worship, by G.K. Beale (1). The guiding principle throughout is this: "What we revere, we resemble, either for ruin or restoration." Whatever it is that your heart is devoted to...you will become like it. Beale begins his argument in Isaiah 6, where the Lord tells the prophet to say to Israel,

"Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed" (Is. 6:9-10). 

Why would God want Isaiah to prophesy to these people who would not listen? Dr. Beale claims that the people's heavy ears and blind eyes are a judgment against them for worshipping idols who can't see nor hear. They have been made to become like what they worship. Psalm 115 says it plainly:

Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them. (Ps. 115:4-8 ESV)

I was struck by how profound this truth is. As the peoples reject Him, the Lord gives them over to become like whatever they devote their heart, soul, mind, and strength to. Is it any wonder that a person spends all his time listening to angry Fox News diatribes (or CNN if it makes you feel better), that his speech begins to sound like theirs? His heart is being discipled and shaped by the news network he loves. He becomes like what he worships. Do we not also see this principle work its way out in practical ways in our homes? Do our children not begin to resemble whatever culture they start to revere? Do they not begin to behave like those people that they esteem? And make no mistake, that behavior does not come about simply by imitation. Their hearts are being drawn in and shaped, therefore, they genuinely become like those people and ideas they are devoted to.

It caused me to wonder about the current state of the church in America. Couldn't this be the reason why the church looks so much like the world? Could it be that much of what calls itself the church in our nation has a heart that is really devoted to the world, though its lips say otherwise on Sundays? I don't know if faith, hope, and love are the obvious characteristics of the western church, and the simple answer could be that Christ does not have its heart.

As discouraging as this principle is in regard to idolatry, it encourages us to know that the Lord has chosen to remake us into His image, as we revere and worship Him. We are not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2). By God's grace, the Lord has chosen to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29) as we behold Him and love Him, from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). So, just as it is possible to be changed into the image of the idols that a man worships, so it is possible to be transformed into the beautiful image of the Son of God- if we will worship Him alone. If I behold Him, I will become like Him. If our church is beholding Christ, and abiding in Him, we all will take on more and more of the fruit of His nature in community together. This should have a practical impact on the way I (and our church!) choose to spend my time, what I listen to, what I put my eyes on. I need to be aware of devilish draw of the idols around me. These contemporary idols may not be made of wood, blind and deaf, but they have the power to capture my heart, and cause me to become like them. This requires vigilance about my devotion to the One who bought me with His blood. It requires me to "watch," as Jesus so often taught His disciples- to stay awake. It should cause me to press in to His Word, to pray always, and not grow dull. My chief aim then, should be to revere Him, love Him, and worship Him, so I will continue to experience the restoration God has begun (and thankfully complete- Phil. 1:6), to make me into the image of His Son, until I become like Him in glory (1 John 3:2). May the Lord bless your efforts, and faith, as you seek this as well, to the praise of His glorious grace...Do you have an example to share in how you have seen this principle work its way out? How a modern idol has shaped a people to become like it?

(1) G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008)

Satan's Delusions

John Newton wrote many pastoral letters in his lifetime. He was uniquely gifted by God to encourage his recipients so long ago, and still encourage those who read from his hand today. This is an excerpt from one such letter to Captain Alexander Clunie in 1766 about the delusions that Satan seeks to use on those in this world: 

The good Lord keeps us from his delusions; he is always dangerous, but never more so when he pleads for Gospel doctrines in order to abuse them, and when he tries to pass his counterfeit humility, zeal, and sanctity upon us for pure gold. No coiner can equal him for imitation. Where Christ has a church, he will have a synagogue; where the Spirit produces any graces, he, like the magicians of Egypt, will do something like it, and yet as unlike it, as possible. He has something that comes so near the Gospel, that it is called by St. Paul another gospel, and yet in reality it is no gospel at all. He deals much in half convictions, and almost Christians, but does not like thorough work. He will let people talk about grace as much as they please, and commend them for it, provided talking will satisfy them...But, let him look and talk as he desires--he is Satan still; and those who are experienced and watchful may discern his cloven foot hanging below his fine garment of light! He is never more a devil--than when he looks most like an angel. Let us beware of him; for many wise have been deceived, and many strong have been cast down by him. Let us continually apply to him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us spotless in the end.

Conscience and the Covid Vaccine

Over the past several months, I've had a number of conversations with Christians who have encountered conflict in their homes, extended families, and workplaces, over the issue of the Covid-19 vaccine. In some cases, visitation of grandchildren is at stake. In others, it's keeping a job, or a spouse's concern for the other's health (I've been asked to tell someone that they need to get vaccinated, when they wouldn't listen to the pleas from their loved one). Mistrust abounds- for the political establishment, for the media, for government agencies. And now, with the FDA approving one of the vaccines this week, for those 16 and older, more mandates will be coming to an employer near you. For some who are reading this, the issue is as simple as doing what seems best for your own health and for others in society. You hear the messaging that the vaccines work, that this is the way out of the Corona-wilderness, and the only concern you should have is for the minor side effects of a sore arm and a little grogginess. What's the big deal? 

For others, it's not so simple. There are a multitude of concerns holding back, not just Christians, but a decent percentage of the population. Statistics vary, but there is still around 30% of the adult population who have not rolled up their sleeves. And in spite of the prevailing message from many in the popular media, that percentage isn't occupied only by Trump-supporting bumpkins that fit the narrative. See what I mean by watching this. (I had to chuckle a bit that the woman in the video said she was a goat, though the Lord's condemnation fell on those animals at the judgment. Anything, I guess, than to be the wrong kind of sheep.) The vaccine-hesitant, or vaccine-opposed, is made up of all shades, from all places, and from both parties...though yes, the largest concentration does seem to come from warmer climes and redder states. And though I can sympathize with the concerns that any regular Joe from fly-over country may have with being told to do something he doesn't want to do, my main concern is for Christians who understand that every decision they make will be held in the balance and weighed by their righteous Lord in Heaven. 

I disagree with the simplistic notion that to get vaccinated is the only right thing to do- that it is naturally the obvious, and only, fulfillment of the Lord's command to love your neighbor- and that anyone who doesn't do so must, then, receive a leery eye (or lashing tongue) reserved for such neighbor-haters. I've met some Christians who are genuinely motivated by the desire to take care of their neighbor's health, and this was their reason for getting the vaccine. I find that admirable, and a beautiful application of the Lord's command. But I don't see that, then, as an imperative for all to get the needle. There is plenty of room for disagreement among brothers and sisters in Christ as to what is right and wrong. The New Testament has nothing direct to say about vaccinations and herd immunity, though it does give guidance about matters that fall under matters of opinion. Like us, the early Christian community had their disagreements. Some of it involved foods, and what was appropriate for a Christian to eat ("Can I eat meats that have been involved in some sort of idolatrous ceremony?"). Others saw some days as more worthy of honor than others ("Since I came out of Judaism, I still want to keep the Sabbath. Shouldn't everyone honor that day like I do?"). The Apostle Paul's solution to these issues of dispute was to appeal to the individual's conscience. Each person, Paul said, "should be fully convinced in his own mind" (Rom. 14:5). One man could eat, but his fellow Christian refrain from doing so, and each believe that he was doing what honored the Lord. Both could have a clean conscience about his conviction and decision. And make no mistake about it, one of these men would have believed it to be a grave sin to have eaten that meat (or to have not kept the Sabbath). The other man might have thought nothing of it. And though Paul would have had his own opinion as to what was best, his command was aimed at keeping unity, and unstained consciences, in the church despite differences. 

Final judgment over questionable concerns would be left to the Lord of the conscience. It was not the duty of the Christian to judge his brother in these matters. A man who knows he will have to stand at the judgment seat of Christ one day, maybe in the near future, and have all of his intentions, thoughts, opinions, and actions laid bare, will put the judgments of others in the appropriate category (or wastepaper basket)- whether personally (in churches, in the workplace, on social media, or in your home) or broadly (from the news media, government spokespersons, etc.). The key in this section of Scripture, is that the Christian's motivation is to honor Christ. So, concerning the issue whether one should partake, or not partake, of this particular vaccination, each Christian needs to see his/her decision in light of one's life belonging to Christ and His Kingdom. "Am I seeking to honor Him in this?"

Later in that same chapter, Paul makes a couple of other statements that have application here: "Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God" (Verse 20). Our salvation does not hinge on what we choose to eat or not eat. Neither does it hinge on a person's vaccination status. One has a right to get it, or refrain from it, as he/she sees fit & wise under the government of Christ. Let us not, for the sake of medicine (or however else it might be framed), destroy the work that God has done in the salvation of His church, to unify a people in His love, under the blood of His Son. Keep Christ the main thing, and maintain the unity of peace and the bond of the Spirit.

And finally..."But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Verse 23). Paul envisions a man whose conscience tells him that he should not eat certain foods...and having been convinced that it's fine for him to do so, takes a bite. In that moment, his doubts are confirmed by an accusing conscience. He did not act in faith, and therefore has sinned. Coercion, in its varied forms, is the tool being used to bring the hesitant to the nearest vaccine clinic. Money and lottery tickets are distributed by municipalities. Shame and ostracism are levied from individuals and platforms. Mandates are coming down from state and federal governments. My concern, as a pastor, is for the people of God to make decisions because they are "fully convinced" and can "proceed from faith," not by being coerced into sin. Sometimes, loving your neighbor will mean not coercing him to go against his doubting conscience.

Everyone wants to move on from the cultural moment (well, I hope that's true anyway). For those of you who are facing pressure to make difficult decisions, you have my prayers right now. This is a challenging moment that affects your family, your finances, and your faith. I don't know what's motivating you to take this paritcular position, or that one (or one of indecision), but my hope is that you will do what you truly believe best honors Christ, and as much as can be possible, that you will be fully convinced of it, and maintain a clean conscience before Him.

Slowing Down for a Few Minutes on Sunday

 Yesterday, I was sitting in the balcony as people began coming in for the Sunday worship service. I saw an older man come in and hug two boys who need encouragement and love from a male role-model. There was joy on their faces, and his. Then a younger man snuck up behind a teenage girl and playfully startled her. I appreciate a good scare. I'm not sure this one counted as one, but I liked his effort. As I moved down to the floor toward the front stage, I looked back, and an older man and woman were dancing together to the worship music that was playing, like this was completely normal, right in the middle of a group of others coming in...I don't take time to watch the people each Sunday as they come in for worship, but on this particular day I was thankful I did. It reminded me that God is doing something wonderful among regular people, who love Jesus, and call themselves Caz Church. This particular group of people would have never been brought together in any one place at the same time, except by the grace of God. The thing that draws us to one another is Jesus, and He is leading us from what we were to what we will be...Currently, we are not buttoned up. We're a bit messy. I would say that a good number of the folks are not well-practiced at hiding their problems (or their personalities). They are who they are, and it's colorful, and it's beautiful, as seen from the right lens. We are not a tightly run organization, for better or worse, with catch-phrases and slogans. Paid professionals don't lead all of our ministries. Gifted volunteers, who believe the truth of God's Word, drive most of what gets done, to the glory of God. We're a simple, loving group of people that Jesus has brought together to teach the Gospel, and pray, and serve in the city of Buffalo. There's a great deal that we (and me especially) could do better, but whatever we are that's good, and pure, and admirable, and holy, has come directly from the hand of the Lord. I thank God for the people here, and pray that He will bring more, as He calls them from out of the world into gatherings like ours; and I'm thankful He gave me a few minutes to slow down on a Sunday morning and take note of His love that is in the midst of these people in South Buffalo. It was a gift of His grace and kindness, and it was just what I needed.

Disappointment with God?

Are you discouraged, or struggling with disappointment? Do you ever turn that disappointment toward God, and express frustration toward Him? In his commentary on the book of Romans (and on chapter 8 in particular), James Montgomery Boice writes some encouraging words that I hope will lead you to rejoice in your Savior, and in His work in your life, as you are wading through waters that will, at times, seem overwhelming.

Someone sent me a book by Philip Yancey, a free-lance author and editor-at-large for Christianity Today, titled, Disappointment with God. It grew out of counseling sessions the author had with young Christians, all of whom were disappointed with God and whose complaints boiled down to three accusations: (1) God is not fair; (2) God is hidden; and (3) God is silent- he does not answer prayers.

I am sure these accusations are genuine, and I appreciate Yancey's answers. He replies that "fairness" would send each and every one of us to hell; that God unveiled himself as fully as possible in the person of the historical Jesus Christ; and this it is out of his periods of silence that God draws forth the precious perfume of human faith.

Yet what stuck with me most about the book is its title; Disappointment with God. For I found myself reflecting, particularly since I was beginning at the same time to work through this great eighth chapter of Romans, how any Christian could possibly be disappointed with God.

Disappointed with God? When He sent Jesus Christ to die for us so that we might escape His just wrath and condemnation? 

Disappointment with God? When He sent His Holy Spirit to free us from our own sinful and debilitating natures and join us to Christ? 

Disappointment with God? When He has made us His very own daughters and sons, with all the privileges that come from it? 

Disappointment with God? When He has drawn us into a great cosmic drama of redemption, in which the heavens and earth have a part? 

Disappointment with God? When the Spirit intercedes for us, conforming our ignorant and incomplete prayers to the good, pleasing, and acceptable will of God?

Disappointment with God? When He has set in motion an invincible chain of saving action, beginning with His affectionate choice of us in eternity past, proceeding through His predestination of us to be saved from sin and conformed to the image of His own blessed Son, His effectual calling of us to faith in Jesus as the Savior, and justification, and ending with glorification in which all the blessed purposes of God toward us are fulfilled? 

Disappointment with God? When He has fixed such a lasting love upon us that nothing in all creation can separate us from it? 

Disappointment?

Brothers and sisters, what are we thinking of? Or is it that we are not thinking? Or thinking only of ourselves? Perhaps our disappointment (if we have it) means only that we are unhappy because God has not done exactly what we wanted Him to do when we wanted Him to do it, regardless of the fact that He has a much better plan for us and is actually working it our day by day, and will until the end of time.

Quotation from: James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Volume 2: The Reign of Grace, Romans 5:1-8:39 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1992)

The Year of Fallow Ground and Hidden Fruit

This is a (modified) message I sent to our church family today, that I hope the Lord will use to encourage the flock at Caz, but also anyone else who needs it during these pressing, but providential, days..

Church Family,

It has been such a blessing to see a good number of you back in worship on Sunday mornings. As thankful as I am for that, I also look forward to a time when our entire congregation can gather together again- not only for worship, but for Bible study, for children's ministry, for service to the community- to be a whole family again. And though I lament these times, I am also strengthened in the knowledge that the Lord has a purpose in all we are experiencing as a church. In the Old Testament, there were years where the ground was to rest according to the will of the Lord. Every seventh year, there was a "Sabbath" year, and then one year after seven of those had occurred there was the fiftieth year called the "Jubilee" (Leviticus 25:1-22). During those "Jubilee" years, the people were released from certain debts and requirements, and the ground wasn't tilled and worked as it normally was. I'm sure there were a good many people who, during those years, didn't see that as the greatest wisdom. They would have wanted the normal routines of business and agriculture to continue as usual, for the sake of the "economy," or for the personal comforts that those routines provided. But God was teaching them to trust in Him during those years- that He would provide and care for them, since they were His people, not the world's. A good Father cares for His children, and there is no Father like the Lord. Now, I don't claim to know exactly what our God is doing during these difficult days with great detail and prophetic insight, and I do understand that the year of Jubilee (and the Sabbath year) is no longer mandated, or in effect, for God's people. However, I can see this as something akin to a Jubilee in the wisdom and purposes of God, because I know that He is teaching me (us) to trust Him during a year when normal routines are broken, and where the economy is restrained by people forced to rest. He will provide for His people, and teach them to depend on Him. This year may not have been on our calendars, but it was planned on the Lord's. Satan has a great deal of power in this world as its "prince" (Eph. 2:2), and, no doubt, he plays a part in all of this, but the "earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therin" (Ps. 24:1). All economies, all nations, all governments, and all peoples are His. He has a purpose on the earth and will work all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11)- not according to my timeline, or anyone else's. I may want to charge forward with the regular routines of ministry (and I do), but I willingly and joyfully submit to the Master who is so much higher and holier than a lowly servant like me. He is not required to tell me all His plans or His timelines. I am grateful to know I simply belong to One as good and wise as He, and am loved more than I deserve. His grace is enough. Yes, I look forward to something more "normal," but I also look forward to a time when I can see these days with a little more perspective, in the life of our church and in our home. Surely what is now hidden from my sight will become plain, and what was left fallow will, in His wisdom, have proven fruitful. Greater insight may not be mine until I'm with Him, but I will have learned, in the meantime, that He is my Sustainer, my Deliverer, and my Rock, similar to those who were faithful to keep, and celebrate, those Sabbaths and Jubilees so many years ago. And knowing Him more deeply through it all will be more than enough for me.

The Small Voice of God

The Truth of God is a Pillared and Jeweled Palace

I have often sat, studying a passage of Scripture, and it is as if a world has opened up to my eyes and heart that I had never visited before, and could not have, unless the Holy Spirit gave me passage. In those moments, truth became an overwhelming delight, and my desire was to be able to express what I saw, though no one was around to see it with me. Reading today from Charles Spurgeon's comments on Galatians 1, he wrote beautifully, about experiences like this, what I couldn't have said myself.

Have you not often been surprised and overcome with delight as Holy Scripture has opened up, as if the gates of the golden city had been thrown open for you to enter? I am sure that you did not then gather your knowledge from men, because it was all fresh to you as you sat alone with no book before you but the Bible, and yourself receptive, scarcely thinking out matters, but drinking them in as the Lord brought them to you. A few minutes’ silent openness of soul before the Lord has brought us in more treasure of truth than hours of learned research. The truth is something like those stalactite caverns and grottoes of which we have heard, which you must enter and see for yourself if you would really know their wonders. If you should venture there without light or guide, you would run great risks; but with a blazing torch, and an instructed leader, your entrance is full of interest. See! your guide has taken you through a narrow winding passage, where you have to creep, or go on bended knees! At last he has brought you out into a magnificent hall; and when the torches are held aloft, the far-off roof sparkles and flashes back the light as from countless jewels of every hue! You now behold nature’s architecture; and cathedrals are henceforth toys to you. As you stand in that vast pillared and jeweled palace, you feel how much you owe to your guide, and to his flaming torch. Like this the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, and sheds light on the eternal and the mysterious. This he does in certain cases very personally. Then he fills us with complete forgetfulness of all our immediate surroundings, and we commune only with the truth. I can well understand how philosophers, while working out an absorbing problem, have seemed lost, and oblivious to all the world besides. Have you never felt a holy absorption in the truth while the Spirit has filled you with its glorious vision? It has been so with many of the saints while taught by God. They are not likely to give up to popular clamour what they have received like this.

God's Ways Do Not Change

I came across this today, and wanted to share...It's a quote from J.I. Packer's well-known book, Knowing God. I'm thankful for the God who hasn't changed in the way He deals with man.

He continues to act toward sinful men and women in the way that he does in the Bible story...Still He blesses those on whom he sets his love in a way that humbles them, so that all the glory may be his alone. Still he hates the sins of his people, and uses all kinds of inward and outward pains and grief’s to wean their hearts from compromise and disobedience. Still he seeks the fellowship of his people, and sends them both sorrows and joys in order to detach their love from other things and attach it to himself. Still he teaches believers to value his promised gifts by making them wait for those gifts, and compelling them to pray persistently for them, before he bestows them. So we read of God dealing with his people in the Scripture record, and so he deals with them still. His aims and principles of action remain consistent; he does not at any time act out of character. Our ways, we know, are pathetically inconsistent-but not God’s.

Marks of the Spiritual Man

There is good wisdom here from A.W. Tozer
concerning the marks of a genuinely spiritual Christian. Which of these is most challenging for you?

True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires. These are ever-present, deep-settled wants sufficiently powerful to motivate and control the life. For convenience let me number them, though I make no effort to decide the order of their importance.

1. First is the desire to be holy rather than happy. The yearning after happiness found so widely among Christians professing a superior degree of sanctity is sufficient proof that such sanctity is not indeed present. The truly spiritual man knows that God will give abundance of joy after we have become able to receive it without injury to our souls, but he does not demand it at once. John Wesley said of the members of one of the earliest Methodist societies that he doubted that they had been made perfect in love because they came to church to enjoy religion instead of to learn how they could become holy.

2. A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss. Such a man prays Hallowed be Thy name, and silently adds, at any cost to me, Lord. He lives for God’s honor by a kind of spiritual reflex. Every choice involving the glory of God is for him already made before it presents itself. He does not need to debate the matter with his own heart; there is nothing to debate. The glory of God is necessary to him; he gasps for it as a suffocating man gasps for air.

3. The spiritual man wants to carry his cross. Many Christians accept adversity or tribulation with a sigh and call it their cross, forgetting that such things come alike to saint and sinner. The cross is that extra adversity that comes to us as a result of our obedience to Christ. This cross is not forced upon us; we voluntarily take it up with full knowledge of the consequences. We choose to obey Christ and by so doing choose to carry the cross. Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to the Lordship of Christ and obedient to the commandments of Christ. The man who is so attached, so committed, so obedient is a spiritual man.

4. Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God’s viewpoint. The ability to weigh all things in the divine scale and place the same value upon them as God does is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. God looks at and through at the same time. His gaze does not rest on the surface but penetrates to the true meaning of things. The carnal Christian looks at an object or a situation, but because he does not see through it he is elated or cast down by what he sees. The spiritual man is able to look through things as God looks and think of them as God thinks. He insists on seeing all things as God sees them even if it humbles him and exposes his ignorance to the point of real pain.

5. Another desire of the spiritual man is to die right rather than to live wrong. A sure mark of the mature man of God is his nonchalance about living. The earth-loving, body-conscious Christian looks upon death with numb terror in his heart; but as he goes on to live in the Spirit he becomes increasingly indifferent to the number of his years here below, and at the same time increasingly careful of the kind of life he lives while he is here. He will not purchase a few extra days of life at the cost of compromise or failure. He wants most of all to be right, and he is happy to let God decide how long he shall live. He knows that he can afford to die now that he is in Christ, but he knows that he cannot afford to do wrong, and this knowledge becomes a gyroscope to stabilize his thinking and his acting.

6. The desire to see others advance at his expense is another mark of the spiritual man. He wants to see other Christians above him and is happy when they are promoted and he is overlooked. There is no envy in his heart; when his brethren are honored he is pleased because such is the will of God and that will is his earthly heaven. If God is pleased, he is pleased for that reason, and if it pleases God to exalt another above him he is content to have it so.

7. The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments. By faith he rises above the tug of earth and the flow of time and learns to think and feel as one who has already left the world and gone to join the innumerable company of angels and the general assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in heaven. Such a man would rather be useful than famous and would rather serve than be served. And all this must be by the operation of the Holy Spirit within him. No man can become spiritual by himself. Only the free Spirit can make a man spiritual.

From chapter 34, "The Marks of the Spiritual Man," in A.W. Tozer's book, The Incredible Christian

C.S. Lewis on Friendship

There are a handful of authors who could write on almost any topic, and always be interesting. These men and women possess a rare ability to articulate, describe, and teach, making their subjects come to life. They provide color when others can only muster black and white. C.S. Lewis belongs in this rare company. He has written on a wide range on subjects, and even the most obscure of his pontifications can possess a vein of gold. I recently read one of his non-fiction works, The Four Loves, and it instantly became a favorite. In it, Lewis distinguishes between the four different loves in the Greek language. Each of these has its own chapter, eventually concluding with the greatest of loves, the gift-love of God, Agape. The most thought-provoking, though, was the chapter on friendship, where the author's clarity of thought shined throughout.

Lewis begins by demonstrating how little attention this love is given in modern culture. Affection and Eros (romance) are two the world delights in, but he says, it would be very difficult to find a poem today expounding the beauties of friendship. "To the ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it." Everyone understands a parent's natural affection for her child; also the beauty and usefulness (for multiplying and filling the earth) of romantic love, but it seems that very few moderns recognize the value of genuine friendship. "Friendship is- in a sense not at all derogatory to it- the least natural of loves; the least instinctive, organic, biological, gregarious, and necessary."

Lewis also takes note of evolutionary thought, and its influence on how society thinks of friendship. There is little need for this love, in the estimation of the biologist, for the development of the species. It doesn't promote survival, and is not necessary for the propagation of the human race. Why then, should we place any real emphasis on it? And if it is not valuable for survival (or biologically necessary), how could friendship not really be a veiled expression of romantic (even homosexual) love? Could a man truly delight in the company of another man without erotic impulses? The ever quotable Lewis responds:

"Those who cannot conceive Friendship as a substantive love but only as a disguise or elaboration of Eros betray the fact that they have never had a Friend. The rest of us know that though we can have erotic love and friendship for the same person yet in some ways nothing is less like a Friendship than a love-affair. Lovers are always talking to one another about their love; Friends hardly ever about their friendship. Lovers are normally face to face, absorbed in each other; Friends side by side, absorbed in some common interest." 

This last point is something Lewis spends time to expound- that friendships are not founded upon an affection that two people have for one another. The interest isn't in the person for who he is, but for a shared interest in something outside of his personality. Careful attention is paid the what he calls "the matrix of friendship." This is explained as the pre-history of modern friendship. In ancient days, men would necessarily have to hunt with one another for the survival of the community. That men participated in this activity together did not necessarily form a friendship. It was more instinctive, "something which is going on at this moment in dozens of ward-rooms, bar-rooms, common-rooms, messes, and golf-clubs. I prefer to call it Companionship- or Clubbableness." Companionship, though having a particular value of its own, is not friendship. "Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share...The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." Men were companions if they must hunt together. They would become friends if they began to see "what others did not; saw that the deer was beautiful as well as edible; that hunting was fun as well as necessary, dreamed that his gods might be not only powerful but holy."

Friendship inevitably sets men apart from the herd, and they gladly welcome others who would take interest in the object as they do. Because this love isn't simply for the person, friendship is not jealous of others who might join company. These additions enhance the love, not detract from it.

"The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance can be our Friend. He need not agree with us about the answer...The Companionship was between people who were doing something together- hunting, studying, painting or what you will. The Friends will still be doing something together, but something more inward, less widely shared, and less easily defined; still hunters, but of some immaterial quarry...still traveling together but on a different kind of journey. Hence we picture lovers face to face but Friends side by side; their eyes look ahead." 

And here, Lewis makes one of the more remarkable observations on the subject, one that anyone familiar with friend-making has seen in some time and place, but was probably incapable of putting his observation into words:

"That is why those pathetic people who simply 'want friends' can never make any. The very condition of having Friends is that we should want something else besides Friends. Where the truthful answer to the question Do you see the same truth? would be 'I see nothing and I don't care about the truth; I only want a Friend,' no friendship can arise- though Affection of course may. There would be nothing for the Friendship to be about; and Friendship must be about something, even if it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow travelers." 

Who hasn't seen the person (or been the person) who wanted what she called a "friend," though in Lewis' terms, may have simply been longing for Affection- a person to admire her, rather than a common interest. If, according to his explanation, you have interests in things other than yourself, you will make genuine Friendships. You will have someone to journey with; someone to stand alongside. What better then, to have a romantic love who is also your friend- two people who admire one another for the qualities they possess, but can also enjoy common pursuits over the course of a lifetime spent together (in marriage)?

Because Lewis has presented the point that friends stand side by side and not face to face, it may stand to reason that a friend does not have deep admiration for his fellow traveler- that he is staring so intently at the common object of interest that he has never looked over to appreciate the friend next to him. Lewis answers:

"The common quest or vision which unites Friends does not absorb them in such a way that they remain ignorant or oblivious of one another. On the contrary it is the very medium in which their mutual love and knowledge exist. One knows nobody so well as his 'fellow.' Every step of the common journey tests his metal; and the tests are tests we fully understand because we are undergoing them ourselves. Hence, as he rings true time after time, our reliance, our respect and our admiration blossom into an Appreciative love of a singularly robust and well informed kind. If, at the outset, we had attended more to him and less to the thing our Friendship  is 'about,' we should not have come to know or love him so well."

C.S. Lewis speaks out of his own deep experience on this subject. It is well-known that he was part of a friendship known as the Inklings, a group of men who gathered over the course of years, to share their love of literature and writing. It is out of this friendship that the classics, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia sprung onto the pages in the hands of millions today. He gives us a picture of what He experienced alongside his fellow travelers in these pages.

I cannot help but relate his words on this subject into the life of the local church. Is it not a common interest in something (Someone), that has brought congregations of disciples together? Not to spend time in mutual admiration (or even to form a club), but to admire our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? If not for Him, we would have no reason to gather, and nothing to mutually praise. This doesn't mean we don't develop admiration and affection for those we journey alongside, but it is He who bonds us together in the first place, and He who presses us forward in step with one another over the course of a lifetime, sharing our burdens and joys. God gives us these friendships as a gift, not just to sweeten life (and they do), but to provide strength and encouragement for us to live it well. I'll close with a final word from Lewis on the subject:

“(I)n Friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting – any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say 'You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.’ The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others.They are, like all beauties, derived from Him, and then, in a good Friendship, increased by Him through the Friendship itself, so that it is His instrument for creating as well as for revealing. At this feast it is He who has spread the board and it is He who has chosen the guests.

Heaven, a Miserable Place to an Unholy Man

I know of no other book that has challenged and encouraged me more than Holiness, by J.C. Ryle. It is the one volume that I have returned to again and again, and I can't help but think that I will continue to do so until Jesus calls me home. In a chapter titled "Holiness," he sets out to answer the question, "Why is practical holiness so important?" He gives eight reasons, and in the last he says this:

We must be holy, because without holiness on earth — we will never be prepared to enjoy Heaven.

Heaven is a holy place. The Lord of Heaven is a holy Being. The angels are holy creatures. Holiness is written on everything in Heaven. The book of Revelation says expressly, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful — but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27).

How will we ever be at home and happy in Heaven — if we die unholy? Death works no change in our essential character. The grave makes no alteration. Each will rise again with the same character in which he breathed his last. Where will our place be in eternity — if we are strangers to holiness now?

Suppose for a moment, that you were allowed to enter Heaven without holiness. What would you do? What possible enjoyment could you feel there? To which of all the saints would you join yourself, and by whose side would you sit down? Their pleasures are not your pleasures, their tastes not your tastes, their character not your character. How could you possibly be happy, if you had not been holy on earth? 

Now perhaps, you love the company of . . .the light and the careless, the worldly-minded and the covetous, the reveler and the pleasure-seeker, the ungodly and the profane. There will be none such in Heaven. 

Now perhaps you think the saints of God too strict and particular and serious. You rather avoid them. You have no delight in their society. There will be no other company in Heaven. 

Now perhaps you think that praying and Scripture reading and hymn singing — are dull and melancholy and foolish work, a thing to be tolerated now and then — but not enjoyed. You reckon the Sabbath a burden and a weariness; you could not possibly spend more than a small part of it in worshiping God. But remember, Heaven is a never-ending Sabbath. The inhabitants thereof rest not day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty," and singing the praise of the Lamb. How could an unholy man find pleasure in occupation such as this? 

Do you think that such a one would delight to meet David and Paul and John — after a life spent in doing the very things they spoke against? Would he take sweet counsel with them and find that he and they had much in common? Do you think, above all, that he would rejoice to meet Jesus, the crucified One, face to face — after cleaving to the sins for which He died, after loving His enemies and despising His friends? Would he stand before Him with confidence, and join in the cry, "This is our God . . . we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isaiah 25:9)? Do you not think rather, that the tongue of an unholy man would cleave to the roof of his mouth with shame, and his only desire would be to be cast out? He would feel a stranger in a land he did not know, a black sheep amid Christ's holy flock. The voice of cherubim and seraphim, the song of angels and archangels, and all the company of Heaven — would be a language he could not understand. The very air would seem an air he could not breathe! 

I do not know what others may think — but to me it does seem clear that Heaven would be a miserable place to an unholy man. It cannot be otherwise. People may say in a vague way, that they "hope to go to Heaven," but they do not consider what they say. There must be a certain "fitness for the inheritance of the saints in light." Our hearts must be somewhat in tune. To reach the holiday of glory — we must pass through the training school of grace. We must be heavenly-minded and have heavenly tastes in the present life — or else we will never find ourselves in Heaven in the life to come!

For a book on the life of Ryle and a copy of the first edition of Holiness, click here.
You can also read an online text of the book here.

The Loss of Life's Comforts

There is a great book on contentment by the Puritan, Jeremiah Burroughs. In a section called "The Mystery of Contentment," he looks to answer the question of what God might be doing behind the scenes as a person loses some of the outward comforts in his life. What appears to be great harm could actually be a great kindness:

...it may be, that is the reason why your outward comforts are taken from you, that God may be all in all to you. It may be that while you had these things they shared with God in your affection, a great part of the stream of your affection ran that way; God would have the full stream run to him now. You know when a man has water coming to his house, through several pipes, and he finds insufficient water comes into his wash-house, he will rather stop the other pipes that he may have all the water come in where he wants it. Perhaps, then, God had a stream of your affection running to him when you enjoyed these things; yes, but a great deal was allowed to escape to the creature, a great deal of your affections ran waste. Now the Lord would not have the affections of his children to run waste; he does not care for other men’s affections, but yours are precious, and God would not have them to run waste; therefore he has cut off your other pipes that your heart might flow wholly to him. If you have children, and because you let your servants perhaps feed them and give them things, you perceive that your servants are stealing away the hearts of your children, you would hardly be able to bear it; you would be ready to send away such a servant. When the servant is gone, the child is at a great loss, it has not got the nurse, but the father or mother intends by sending her away, that the affections of the child might run more strongly towards himself or herself, and what loss is it to the child that the affections that ran in a rough channel before towards the servant, run now towards the mother? So those affections that run towards the creature, God would have run towards himself, that so he may be all in all to you here in this world.

In a world where it seems that men will always desire more and more, never satisfied with what they have, it could be said that for the people of God, to have material comforts removed could be a gracious (and generous) gift from their Lord, as He directs our hearts more fully to Himself.

Racism is a Gospel Issue

When I came to Caz Church to serve as pastor, one of the things I wanted to do in my first year was to just get to know the people. I had the opportunity to sit down with many and hear their story- where they grew up, what their families were like, and how they came to know Christ. And a story I heard more than once was about the culture of South Buffalo in generations past. If you were a good Irish kid, you had certain boundaries in the community that you were careful not to cross at certain times. If you went beyond that road, or that bridge, you entered into the Italian section- you had to be careful there- and the same could be said the other way around, because these two cultures didn’t always get along

My story isn’t altogether different, though it was in a place hundreds of miles from Buffalo. I grew up in middle Tennessee, close to Nashville, a generation after the civil rights movement, about an hour and a half from the place where the KKK was established. There were two African-American kids in my grade until I got to high school. The year before I entered 9^th grade, there was a race riot, black against white at that school, and everyone in the community knew about it. They had to dismiss school for a time because of the simmering tension.

If you grew up somewhere else, in a place where there were people who were different than you, chances are there was some tension between those two different cultures, not for any other reason than that their people were different than your people. No one necessarily had to do anything sinister to anyone else- it was “us” and “them” just because “we” looked differently than “they” did. Now, we might not have thought about it this way then, but if we could be perfectly honest with each other today, I think we could say that racism, or some form of it, was alive and well in those communities we grew up in.

And we have to acknowledge that there is still a problem today…Unless we’ve buried our heads in the sand, we know that, as a country, we’ve not moved past it. In recent days, we’ve watched the news from Charlottesville, VA, just like we watched the news in in Ferguson, MO; or Baton Rouge; or Dallas, or Tulsa…and if we think that it doesn’t exist where we live, we’re kidding ourselves. These tensions are high, and it’s important on a foundational level, for us to acknowledge that racism exists, not just nationally, but locally, and that we, as followers of Jesus need to be a part of the discussion.

Because I’ve used the word, racism, it’s important that we start with a general definition of what it is: Racism, at its core, is the mistreatment of another person (or group of people), based on their ethnicity, or the color of their skin.

There’s a lot of back and forth out there about the difference in racism, prejudice, and discrimination. I’m not getting into all of that, because they all have the same root…”I see your skin- your culture- something that makes your people different than my people- and based on that, I form a negative judgment in my mind about you that will keep us separate, maybe even antagonistic, toward one another.” That root can exist in any culture or race, because it’s ultimately not a skin problem, it’s a sin problem.

In our country, it was a sin problem that led white people to enslave blacks, based purely on the terrible idea that to be born one color was better, or superior, than another. The same could be said for the laws that then kept these two races separate for another hundred years after the Civil War. Education and integration may have given people a better understanding of each other and forced them to live in community together, but neither of those things in the last 50-60 years has gotten rid of the problem.

It’s because racism is a Gospel issue- not just a cultural one, not just American, and not just black and white. This problem goes back as far as race and culture have existed. When people began to look different (race) and act different (customs, dress, talk), the sin in the human heart used those differences to divide, to try to oppress others, and to justify why that was good. This is why the church needs to be involved in the discussion., because God made cultures to be different. He made skin color. In His eyes, the differences are good. They are to be celebrated, not separated.

We (speaking as a white American to other white Americans when this message was delivered) need to be honest with ourselves, to realize that because I come from a particular culture, I’m blind to the experiences of my black neighbors. We may live in the same city, even on the same street, but have completely different experiences.

            And (again, as a white man, speaking to a predominantly white congregation), you might have a hard time understanding what you’ve been seeing on television. You may struggle to relate to all the anger from black people. You think, or say, “what’s so hard about doing what the police officer says?” And, “this is what free speech is all about.”…Because you’ve probably never been pulled over, or questioned, or accused because of your skin color. We need to acknowledge that being white has given us a different experience of living in America than what someone of color has had.

I was talking to another pastor who ministers on the west side of Buffalo, where there is a large African-American community. There are people in his church who talk about how they have to worry about being pulled over every day, and then are afraid of what might happen when they are. He wasn’t telling me that to condemn the police. This isn’t just a police issue. It’s a cultural issue that black people experience every day, and people like me don’t. And we don’t help anything by dismissing it, or trying to rationalize it.

           

So, when something larger happens in the culture- like racist groups rallying in Virginia, police shootings, or other injustices- the collective experience of black people identifies with Michael Brown, and Terence Crutcher, and Trayvon Martin- and they see how it’s possible that these men could be them, or their children, and they want change.  Again, as a follower of Jesus, I don’t think rationalizing or being dismissive is helpful, nor does it give us an opportunity to have meaningful conversation. The only thing that will is genuine compassion.

So, we have to acknowledge the problem. Then, we must look to the Scriptures and the Gospel. We need correction for wrong, sinful, thinking, and then encouragement to see, think, and feel more like God does.

The Bible starts out by telling us that man was made in the image of God. There is something different about mankind (all people) that separates him from everything else that was made- He has a likeness to God. Because of that, all men and women are worthy of honor and respect. We all are made in God’s image, and we all came from the same two people. So, for anyone to use their whiteness or brownness, their culture, or nationality to gain superiority over anyone else is non-sensical. This way of thinking is sinful, divisive, and opposed to the heart of God.

There is evidence of racism from very early in the biblical account. Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians by the hundreds of thousands, by the time we get to the second book; and there was a deep racial divide between Jews & Samaritans and Jews & Gentiles (anyone not Jewish) before Jesus steps onto the scene. Because these were such critical issues in the 1^st century when the NT was written, we should expect for the writers to address them with the only thing that brings lasting, true, reconciliation between races and people groups- and they do.

I think we can describe what God has done in the Gospel, especially as we talk about racial division, in one word- Reconciliation- the ending of hostility and the making of peace. In Christ, God has brought an end to the hostility and division that was, first of all, between Him and us. At the cross, sin was crucified, forgiveness was purchased, wrath was satisfied- so that we could be reconciled to God; and the effect of that in day to day life was not only a new ability for anyone from anywhere to love God; but for anyone from anywhere to love one another. God actively sought to crush the division between Him and me. He hated that and pursued peace. He gives it to me through His Son. What does He now expect for me to seek with others? Hostility? Division? No! The exact thing that the Gospel gives me: reconciliation & peace.

            Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

            Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

(Colossians 3:5, 9-14 ESV)

The Gospel is restoring and re-creating one people into the image of their Creator. And who is their Creator? Jesus. Our identity in Him gives meaning to everything else that makes us who we are- Bills fans, Irish background, from the First Ward, etc. These aren’t the priority now. My new life in Christ defines me, and shapes everything else.

           

Yes, I’m white. Yes, I’m an American. But I have a greater connection with black believers in Nigeria than I do with white, non-believing, Americans, because our connection in Christ is more important and eternal. The Gospel ends any hostility we might have had as we experience the recreating power of the Gospel. You’ve probably heard the statement that blood is thicker than water…Jesus gives us a new bloodline that is thicker than race.

            …in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:25-28 ESV)

            And they sang a new song, saying,

            “Worthy are you to take the scroll

                        and to open its seals,

            for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

                        from every tribe and language and people and nation,

            and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

                        and they shall reign on the earth.”

(Revelation 5:9-10 ESV)

We are being made into the image of the Son of God. You are not growing into this image if you are harboring divisive thoughts about people of another race. These thoughts need to be surrendered to, and crushed by, the Gospel.

As followers of Christ, we are to engage in racial reconciliation. I could point you to a number of passages that will support what I say here, but each one of these application points reflects the flavor of the Gospel. You can judge that for yourself.

1. Be humble and listen compassionately- Understand from the start that you have been shaped by your culture just like others have been by theirs, which means you have blind spots. You might not know what they are…that’s why you’re blind to them. So, it’s important that you start from a place of humility, not looking to correct someone else’s thinking, but asking God to use the Gospel, and other people who are different than you, to shape your thinking.

2. Be patient with one another- Some of you have been thinking on this issue for a long time. Some of you haven’t. We’re all in different places. So, those who seem to be really pressing others to listen must not get impatient or have a judgmental attitude toward those who aren’t where they are. And those who feel like they’re getting pressed to do or say something can’t get impatient and judgmental with those they feel are pushing them to move too fast. Bear with one another in love, keeping unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace.

3. Expose racism with the light of the Gospel- Wherever you are with this, don’t let racism, or prejudicial thinking stay in the darkness. It might mean that you have friends who talk a certain way about blacks or whites. Engage those people graciously with the Gospel. It might mean that you work with someone of a different skin color that you’ve always felt uncomfortable speaking to. Overcome that division and build bridges to get to know them and hear their experiences.

This content has been modified from a sermon given on October 9, 2016 at Cazenovia Park Baptist Church in Buffalo, NY by Lonnie Atwood. To listen to that message, click here