Fight for Joy! Blog
Where Jesus Changes Everything
I am ready to see Jesus face to face! With that in mind, today's verse is Hebrews 10:35-36: "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised."
The bottomline here is we must set our minds and hearts on the future grace that is coming and we must follow in the footsteps of Jesus who came to do God's will...in other words, we must do and live out God's will until we see Jesus face to face. Treasure Christ. Live the Word. Make Disciples. Finish Well. We've all heard the phrase, "Nobody's perfect!" It is a true statement. Only one person has ever lived who fits the biblical definition of perfection. His name is Jesus--the God-man. Writing of his all consuming passion for and pursuit of Christ, Paul wrote, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but on thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12-14). A.T. Robertson, longtime Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (he's now with Jesus) discusses Paul's pursuit of perfection in his Word Pictures in the New Testament series. He writes, "Paul pointedly denies that he has reached a spiritual impasse of non-development. Certainly he knew nothing of so-called sudden absolute perfection by any single experience. Paul has made great progress in Christlikeness, but the goal is still before him, not behind him." What about you? Are you gaining in your pursuit of Christlike perfection? Like Paul, we'll never arrive this side of glory but it is a worthy pursuit in the present. The goal remains before you! Henry Scudder, a devout Westminster Presbyterian Puritan, whose famous work, The Christian's Daily Walk (it's available as a free eBook over at Google Books / warning: it's in Old English), suggests six principles for pursuing Christlikeness. I offer them here for your consideration and as an additional help in your Fight for Joy! 1. Convince the heart that we ought to be perfect in Christlikeness. 2. Understand we are not already perfect. 3. Forget the past. Look only to the future. 4. Mortify sin daily. 5. Be immersed in the Word of God daily. 6. Give all diligence to press forward toward the goal and prize! Remember, we're not there yet. But we ought to give all diligence as we continue on our journey to glory and ultimate Christlikeness. "We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2). Keep looking up! “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). When we think about treasure we usually think about something of significant monetary value. The Bible references treasure numerous times. In so doing, the biblical writers almost always refer to something other than earthly treasure. Such is the case in 2 Cor. 4:7. Paul begins, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” The treasure mentioned here is the greatness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the glory of God revealed through that gospel. It is “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). The earthen vessels are the vault in which the treasure of the greatness of the gospel is stored. In this case, we are the vessels. The word means clay pots and by using this description Paul seeks to capture the fact we are lowly, common, expendable, and replaceable. Yet, it is into such lives God chooses to invest His gospel treasure. Why did God choose such a risky approach? Because perfect vessels are safe but bring glory only to the vessel. By risking the gospel to imperfect earthen vessels God gets profound glory—“so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” The great power of God in the gospel overcomes and transcends the clay pot so that people are drawn to the gospel rather than to the clay pot. Jesus said as much in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” There is an Old Testament story that I believe points forward to “this treasure in earthen vessels.” In the story of Gideon, it was the breaking of clay pots that made the light shine forth and bring victory to God’s people (see Judges 7). In much the same way, God “breaks” His clay pots, “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be God and not from ourselves.” He does this through what Paul describes as, “momentary, light affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17). In other words, God allows us to be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Yet, in all this, He sustains us so that we are not crushed, despairing, forsaken, or destroyed (2 Cor. 4:8-9). To put it another way, our weakness does not cripple us but actually strengthens us with “the surpassing greatness of God’s power.” Many Christians today try to avoid suffering. They get caught up in the bad theology of the false gospel known as the prosperity gospel and its health, wealth, and prosperity message. It is also known as the word of faith movement and it almost always misinterprets and misapplies key passages dealing with suffering. They fail to realize that when we avoid suffering we actually cheat ourselves. Notice what Paul says, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). Three things can be said of the surpassing greatness of momentary suffering. First of all, it is momentary. This means that present suffering will last no longer than a lifetime. Secondly, it is light. The idea here is something that is a weightless trifle when compared to the third thing that can be said of momentary suffering. Such suffering is doing something on our behalf. It is “producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” The Greek word for “weight” means a heavy mass. Paul is saying the future glory Christians will experience with the Lord far outweighs any suffering we might experience in this world—the greater the suffering the greater the glory. Elsewhere Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). So, whether your suffering is physical sickness and disease or persecution for the cause of Christ, do not lose heart! Make it your goal to make much of Christ in your suffering, “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16). Today is a sad day for America. I must confess, although I fully anticipated today’s ruling by the Supreme Court legalizing so called same gender marriage in all fifty states, I never thought I would actually see something like this in my lifetime.
The response from the left has been predictable. President Obama Tweeted, “Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry just like anyone else.” He included the hashtag, #LoveWins. On the right, and I do mean the right, Al Mohler predicted, “The threat to religious liberty represented by this decision is clear, present, and inevitable. He enjoins, “We cannot be silent, and we cannot join the moral revolution that stands in direct opposition to what we believe the Creator has designed, given, and intended for us. We cannot be silent, and we cannot fail to contend for marriage as the union of a man and a woman.” Love has not won. Moral relativism, on the other hand, now rules. We are witnessing a modern day retelling of Judges 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The words of the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,” (5:20) are being drowned out. Instead of a big step in our march toward equality, America has taken a big step in her march toward Divine judgment. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21). When I focus more on the world and less on Jesus, discouragement and disillusionment soon follow. I am reminded of this today as I consider seemingly meaningless suffering and the inequities of the world system.
I still have no answer, so far as cause is concerned, for the fire that rages in my extremeties. The medical professionals call it small fiber neuropathy but they have no idea what is causing it and I am growing quite tired of it. It is easy to become discouraged. But then I am reminded of Paul's words that faithful suffering here equals glory there. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). Then there are the inequities of the world's economic system. I don't mean money here but how the world system works. For example, hard work and years of dedicated service do not necessarily lead to recognition and greater responsibility. In fact, some don't necessarily seem to have to put in years of hard work and dedicated service. The whole system can cause one to become disillusioned in short order. But then I am reminded of Paul's words that loss here equals Christ there. "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3:7-11). So, as the song says, you can take this world and give me Jesus. Clearly, this present suffering and loss is God's will for me in Christ Jesus. And both are temporary in light of eternity. By God's grace I'll keep my eyes on Jesus, I'll keep fighting the good fight, knowing that one day soon I'm going to see Him face to face. On that day all the suffering and all the loss will have been worth it all. Think about these things! "Let us run with endurance the race set before us" (Heb. 12:1). The Greek word used here for "endurance" (hypomonē), means the steady determination to keep going, regardless of the temptation to slow down or give up. After years of running the race--and running hard most of the time--I am tempted to slow down and give up. But I am reminded there is a reward waiting at the finish line, and like Paul, I want to finish well. Do you want to finish well? Then commit to running with "endurance" the race God has set before you! “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4) I must admit, the title of this article reflects the way I felt last Monday. It’s amazing the difference a week can make. Last Monday, I was ready to throw in the proverbial towel. Life was hitting me from all directions—family responsibilities, work responsibilities, trying to rear my boy to love Jesus, and personal health challenges. The “good fight of faith,” aka the “Fight for Joy,” just wasn’t in me. I definitely needed an extra measure of God’s sufficient grace.
We all encounter problems, or what the Bible calls trials or tribulation. Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation.” (John 16:33) In other words, Jesus was testifying to the fact that in this life we will encounter much difficulty. “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:12-13). Beware of Satisfaction—that probably seems like an odd title to most. The position of some, after all, is to pursue satisfaction no matter the cost.
Let me just say up front, we should be—no, we must be—satisfied in Jesus alone. In other words, Jesus is enough. The Psalmist asks, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25-26). The writer of Hebrews states very clearly Jesus is better than anyone or anything we could ever desire or imagine. We are to be satisfied in Jesus. Indeed, He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. So what do I mean by beware of satisfaction? John Owen mused, “Sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still.” Commenting on this, John MacArthur writes, “Satan is likely to attack when a believer is most satisfied with his spiritual life. That is when pride, the chief of sins, easily sneaks into our lives unnoticed and leads us to believe that contentment with ourselves is contentment with God.” Are you satisfied with your spiritual life? If so, beware! And, I might add, beware of anyone who tells you God wants you to be satisfied in anyone or anything other than Jesus. And, as long as we’re on the subject, don’t fall into the trap of, “I was born this way.” Every time I hear that I want to say, “Tell me something I don’t know.” We were all born sinners. We were all born spiritually dead and with hearts hostile to the things of God. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:4-5). So what do I mean by beware of satisfaction? Simply this—don’t get too comfortable in your spiritual life. Sin has a way of creeping in and taking over. Instead, make it your aim to put to death the deeds of the body, or, as in the King’s Vernacular, “Mortify the deeds of the body.” John Owen asked, “Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” In other words, don’t get too comfortable. Don’t get too satisfied in your spiritual walk. If you are satisfied, one of two things is true: Either you’re foolish or you don’t know Jesus, and it may very well be the latter. Why? Because putting to death the deeds of the body is a characteristic of God’s children. John MacArthur notes, “The person who gives no evidence of the presence, power, and fruit of God’s Spirit in his life has no legitimate claim to Christ as Savior and Lord.” To put it another way, if you’re habitually in a lifestyle of sin with no concern for holy living, you’re not in Christ. Are you satisfied with your spiritual life? If so, beware! “Be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:3-4). I am running a little late on my annual prophetic year in review. I have been busy with life— Christian’s health, family and work responsibilities, and working on my Doctor of Ministry.
I'll be the first to admit I don't read my Bible often enough. This sad fact never ceases to amaze me yet I seem almost powerless to do anything about it. The Bible claims to be God's Word to us yet far too many Christians fail to read it regularly. Why is this? I was just pondering this question today as I dealt with a difficult ministry situation. The one thing that God is sure to use to sustain me--reading and meditating upon His Word--is so often neglected. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. In the meantime, here are a couple resources that might help you in your journey. First of all, Andy Naselli offers Three Tips for Better Bible Reading on the Desiring God Blog. He offers three suggestions, (1) Listen to audio Bibles, (2) Read entire books in one sitting, and (3) Read a Bible without chapter and verse numbers. There are also links to related resources at the bottom of the blog entry. Secondly, Professor Grant Horner of The Master's College, has designed a Bible reading plan using a book mark system. Basically, you read 10 chapters a day but you're never reading the same 10 chapters together again. Personally, I have been using a modified version of this system for awhile (when I actually read my Bible). I say "modified" because Grant's system has you reading through Proverbs and Acts every month. I decided I'd rather read through Daniel, Romans, and Revelation each month so I adjusted the book marks accordingly. By the way, for you Facebook people, he even has a Facebook Page dedicated to his system. Thirdly, whether you use a formal plan or your own plan, remember, what's important is that you and I regularly read and meditate upon God's Word. There is no substitute for regular Bible reading and feeding. The Psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Jesus said, "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (John 5:39). Let's all renew our commitment to read God's Word regularly. |
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