the gate

After posting the excerpt and paraphrase of Jerry Bridges, I just had to point you to finding grace. Emily lists two paradoxes of the gospel, based on Isaiah 30:15. If you’re in need of refreshment and encouragement, you’re just a click away.

HT: Transforming Sermons

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(Since Jerry Bridges does not give a summary of how to preach the second part of the “double cure” of the gospel to ourselves, this is my attempt to put what he says into a summary format. As he says, this second part is just as important as the first. I would also suggest you memorize the following Scriptures, and continue to learn more Scriptures that proclaim the power of the gospel over your daily sin.)

I remind myself that beyond God’s total and complete forgiveness of all my sin, Jesus, by his life, death, and resurrection, has delivered me from the domin­ion, or reigning power, of sin today. (Romans 6:2&8;
Colossians 1:13)

Even though sin still seeks to exert a controlling influence in my life, God’s promise is that if I will walk by the Spirit, I will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

In order to walk by the Spirit, I must live in dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer as I continually cry out to Him for His power to enable me to obey His will. I am responsible and accountable to obey, but I cannot, in and of myself. I am totally dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, that You are at work in me and through me. Thank You for Your promise that You will bring to completion the good work You have begun in me, including the replacement of my sin with Your fruit. (Philippians 1:6; Galatians 5:22-23)

Thank You that even though I don’t understand all the ways You accomplish Your work, You are constantly at work in me to transform me more and more into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Thank You for convicting me of sin in my life, and empowering me to overcome any and every sin You reveal to me. (Romans 8:13, Philippians 2:12-13, Philippians 4:13) You will not repent for me, but You will empower me as I choose to repent of my sin.

Beyond working to empower my repentance, I know You are also working in my life, apart from my conscious involvement, to make me more like Jesus. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

I know You also bring circumstances into my life that are designed to cause me to grow spiritually. Many times these are difficult and challenging circumstances, yet I trust You to accomplish Your purposes through these trying times because I know You love me and only want what is good for me. (Romans 8:28-29) [Perhaps identify some of the difficult circumstances in your life right now, and thank Him specifically for working in and through these circumstances for your good.]

I rest completely in You, and trust in You, as I seek to please You by learning and following Your word and Your will. Apart from You, I can do nothing. (John 15:5)

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How is this helpful for you?

Respectable Sins is a very good book, worth your time and money. There is a lot of valuable and clarifying explanation left out of this two-part summary.

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I’ve said before that I am indebted to Jerry Bridges for introducing me to the concept of preaching the gospel to myself. In his book, Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate, he walks through how he preaches the gospel to himself.

He explains:

We can see, then, that the continuous day-by-day appropria­tion of the gospel, as it assures us of the forgiveness of our sins, is an important part of our dealing with sin in our lives…The good news that God no longer counts my sin against me, that He has in fact forgiven me of all my sin, is so radical, so contrary to our normal way of thinking that, frankly, it seems too good to be true. Especially on a day when circumstances have made you vividly aware of your selfishness, impatience, or resentment, it does seem too good to be true…[But even on our very best days,] the truth is, there is never a day in our lives when we are so “good” we don’t need the gospel.

At this point, you may be wondering, If preaching the gospel to myself is so important, how do I do it? There is no set way, so I will share my practice only as an illustration. I am by nature a methodical person, so my way will not suit everyone, but hopefully it will give any reader some idea of what preaching the gospel looks like in one person’s life. So here is my way.

…I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, word, deed, and motive. If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins in my life, I acknowledge those to God. Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself. I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scriptures that assure me of God’s forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.

I then generalize the Scripture’s promises of God’s forgive­ness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of a right standing with Him that day is Jesus’ blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life lived on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully cap­tured by Edward Mote in his hymn “The Solid Rock” with his words, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness in the Bible.

What Scriptures do I use to preach the gospel to myself? Here are just a few I choose from each day: Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 4:7-8, Romans 8:1, Psalm 130:3-4, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 38:17, Micah 7:19,
Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:13-14, Hebrews 8:12, and Hebrews 10:17-18.

Whatever Scriptures we use to assure us of God’s forgive­ness, we must realize that whether the passage explicitly states it or not, the only basis for God’s forgiveness is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us…

This, then, is the first part of the good news of the gospel; God has forgiven us all our sins through the death of His Son on the cross. To refer back to [Augustus] Toplady’s hymn “Rock of Ages,” this is the first part of the “double cure” — that is, being cleansed of sin’s guilt. But Toplady’s “double cure” also included being cleansed from sin’s power, and that is the subject of our next chapter. (pp. 36-38)

I’ll post the second part next time. In what ways do you find this helpful so far?

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this morning i read an interesting article in the la times about a young couple that has chosen a communal living arrangement with other christians in which they are focusing on becoming increasingly more simple and giving.  some of you will recognize the term “new monasticism” or have thoughts about our very own angel (now pronounced An-Hel) and “the simple way.”

i am not speaking either in defense or support of this lifestyle, that’s not what this blog is about.  but how can i be against people trying to live simpler lives to have more resources to serve others?  then again, how can i say in blanket manner that buying that new alicia keys CD is wrong?  if you choose that lifestyle, then great.  but if you don’t, you should still consider how the lifestyle you do choose will allow you to serve your oikos.

the young couple made references to the early church in acts where the believers sold everything they had and lived together in one accord and singleness of heart.  this is the most beautiful picture of the church offered in the bible.

the article then goes on to talk about how the young couple and their housemates frustrate each other with minimal things (someone forgot to empty the dishwasher, another drank the last of the milk, etc).  yet they speak of this as if the early church never had that.

the story in acts may not address it, but i bet they had their share of drama too.  maybe peter left the toilet seat up or mary parked her donkey in martha’s spot, but i’m sure that they had their share of issues.

what’s my point?  the point is that tension and struggle in a community (in your home or in the Church) does not necessarily equate to people moving in different directions or family fractures.  it simply makes us human…and in a process…hopefully learning to lessen those tensions or not contribute to them as we learn to live in a less selfish way.  the road is difficult at times but the end result, if we remain committed to living the principles of the scripture, is peace.

i can’t tell you exactly what the perfect lifestyle for maximum service looks like.  i can only tell you that our lifestyle reflects our heart and what we find important.

i have been experiencing this over the last year as sonia and i prepare to take in foster children.  i sold my truck.  other luxuries are slowly slipping out of my hands and i become increasingly burdened by that fact…as well as liberated.  it has exposed my materialism and selfishness, as well as my potential and desire to serve people above myself.  they are at war in me even now.  but in the end, i will choose to love these kids that come into my home with everything i have, even if the journey involves me kicking and screaming at times because i know this is what God wants.

steve has been bashing us over the head at gateway regarding “sowing to the flesh” and “sowing to the spirit”.  we reap what we sow.

what are you sowing?  what direction are you heading?  are you moving more and more towards a lifestyle of “me”?  or are you making moves and choices with others in mind?  do you need to check your attitude in your home?  do you need to park your donkey down the road so that someone else can have the choice spot? 

whatever it is…whatever you do….do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.

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A fellow looked pretty worried when he arrived at the doctor’s office for his annual physical. Noticing the patient’s anxiety the doctor asked, “Is anything troubling you?”

“Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes,” replied the patient.  “You see, I seem to be getting forgetful.  No, actually, it’s worse than that.  I’m never sure where I put the car or whether I answered a letter or where I’m going or what it is I’m going to do once I get there, if I get there.  I really need your help.  What can I do?”

The doctor thought for a moment.  “Pay me in advance.”

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Dr. Gordon Fee has written what many consider to be the preeminent book on Paul’s teaching about the Holy Spirit, entitled God’s Empowering Presence. Writing in regard to Galatians 5:13–6:10, he says:

Second, quite in contrast to how this material is read by the most of us—and is presented in many of the commentaries—the concern from beginning to end is with Christian life in community, not with the interior life of the individual Christian. Apart from 5:17c, which is usually completely decontextualized and misread, there is not a hint that Paul is here dealing with a “tension” between flesh and Spirit that rages within the human breast—in which the flesh most often appears as the stronger opponent. To the contrary, the issue from the begin­ning (vv13-15) and throughout (vv19-21,26; 6:1-4,7-10) has to do with Spirit life within the believing community. The individual is not thereby brushed aside: after all, one both enters and lives within the Christian community at the individual level. But that is where the indi­vidual believer fits into the argument. Within the context of the church each one is to live out his or her freedom by becoming love slaves** to one another (v13). The imperative “walk by the Spirit” does not emphasize “the introspective conscience of the Western mind,” but rather calls for a life in the Spirit that does not “eat and devour” one another (v15) and which does not through conceit provoke and envy others (v26). The “fruit of the Spirit” engenders “love, joy, and peace” within the com­munity, not primarily within the believer’s own heart (v22). Such a Spirit person will be among those who restore an individual who “is overtaken in a fault” (6:1). And the final expression of “sowing in the Spirit” is “to do good to all people, especially those of the household of faith” (v10). (p. 425)

I’d like to highlight two things from this paragraph:

1) The inseparable connection between new life in the Spirit and life together in God’s new community

2) The rampant theological distortion caused by Western individualism

The sickness of the American Church is in large part due to missing #1, and being consumed with #2.

**For any of you who need to have your mind washed out with a bar of soap, Dr. Fee is not talking about sexual love when he uses the term “love slaves”.

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Last year at this time, we were just wrapping up our trip to India. It was an amazing experience in which we saw God work in powerful ways – not the least of which was in our own lives. Actually, that is the norm for these trips … we go expecting God to change others, and he changes us.

I didn’t have a blog then to tell you about India, but Pastor Rick Thompson took a trip to India last October. He does a great job of describing India, and giving a glimpse of some of the things God is doing there. If you can read only one of his posts, read this one (click here).

Lord willing, we’ll be going back soon. Wanna go? Have any questions I can answer? Any of you who went with us last year have any comments about the trip?

Here’s Rick’s whole India series:

the smell of India

rain for the mind

this is ‘global action’ not ‘global sit on your butt’

Jesus power, awesome power- satan power, powerless power

out of india

seeing christianity for the first time [if you’re only going to read 2 of these, this should be number 2, imho]

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today we celebrated the life and work of martin luther king probably by sleeping in and maybe catching cloverfield at the renaissance theatre. but hopefully, sometime today (or in the coming days) we will think a little more about the work of MLK. he was a great leader and led this country to where we are today, no matter what hillary says!

i wish i could have been around to march with him. to take a club to the knee or a water hose to the face with him, maybe even share a cell with him. that would have been an honor.

last night at house church, we read the book of philemon together. we talked about the theme of reconciliation and forgiveness in that book and how paul had given his heart to this new believer in Christ onesimus, formerly a slave who stole from philemon and ended up in jail with paul. paul calls on philemon to forgive onesimus and to take him back, this time as a brother. what a great message of forgiveness!!

paul closes his letter to philemon with shout-outs from the others in jail with him, his “fellow workers”.

can you imagine what it must have been like? jailed for the simple fact that you are sharing a message that can set people free from slavery (in this life) and damnation (in the next)? but there they were together, having fellowship and encouraging each other even in this nasty jail cell.

paul could have been bitter. instead he was full of joy.
he could have pitied himself. instead he gave glory to god.
he could have done his time in silence. instead he used his imprisonment as an opportunity to share the gospel yet again, to the benefit of onesimus.

we all have to stand up for what we believe in. the Bible tells us clearly that the world will hate us because of Jesus, that it will turn against us. it hated Jesus too. and when the end comes, if not for the mercy of God all of His people would be killed.

MLK probably knew that his quest for equality for black people in this country could eventually cost him his life. without a doubt, Jesus knew his quest would cause Him His.

bravery, perseverance and conviction are the things that we must find, not within ourselves but through the power of the Holy Spirit. we must commit ourselves to obedience to a faith that can, and most likely will, bring us a lot of hard times. but our example in Jesus was that of perseverance for the sake of the end goal. the will of God. when we take a stand for the truth of the Gospel, it is always worth the price we pay.

i have a dream too. i have a dream where people don’t set oranges at the feet of a god that is deaf and mute, a fashioned piece of wood. i have a dream where my country looks on its streets and sees hungry people, not a burden on an economy. i have a dream where christians stand in unity, not divided over politics. i have a dream where the kingdom of God becomes reality in our midst as we raise our hands in worship together and love our neighbor.

i’m sure that this dream is the same dream that Jesus had when he looked over jerusalem and wept.

we all have dreams. but draw near to God and you will find that your dreams become His.

God gave MLK a dream. what do you dream about?

“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” MLK

rest in peace brother.

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Did you see the USA Today story last week about unchurched people in America? They reported some of the findings from a study done by Lifeway Research.

Most unchurched people believe the church is full of hypocrites (nothing new there). Most of them believe Christianity is more about organized religion than it is about loving God and loving people (they’re just being honest about what they see).

But get a load of this — the overwhelming majority of unchurched people say they’d enjoy having honest conversations, with Christians, about the faith.

Eighty-nine percent of people who aren’t part of a church have friends who are. We don’t have to search for them…we already know them, and they already know us. They’re just waiting for us to open the door to an honest (that’s a key word) conversation (another key word) about our faith.

So, try this conversation starter. “I was reading this really interesting article in USA Today (go here and read it) about people who don’t go to church. It said most people who don’t go to church say it’s full of hypocrites and stuff like that, but they still think believing in Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life. What do you think?”

Once you open that door, you can take it from there. [Ask more questions. Tell them about the difference he’s made in your life. Tell them you know some other people he’s made a difference for.]

I’d like to know what you think (yes you, the one reading this right now) — percentagewise, why are less people in America today involved in a church? (Click comments below, and tell me what you think.)

click graphics to enlarge

For more info, read what Ed Stetzer, Director of Lifeway Research, says about the study here, here, and here.

Listen to the “Inside LifeWay” podcast interview as Ed Stetzer and Scott McConnell discuss the findings here.

UPDATE: Ed Stetzer was asked about this research on CNN. This is a good, short video.
(I have no control over the content of the surrounding YouTube page.) Click here to watch the video

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“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise worthy - think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

I have to admit that this passage is very hard to live by. We live in a day and age when bad news sells, and gossip is gospel truth. We have shows like Extra, Access Hollywood and TMZ that sell this smutt. People drink it up like water, and some of these people are Christians. The bible clearly tells us what we need to think, meditate, and focus on. Whatever is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praise worthy should fill our thoughts. Why because God has shed his love in our hearts by the Spirit He gave us (Rom. 5:5) The scripture also tells us that

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Do we look for the worst in our brothers and sisters? Or do we believe and look for the best? God’s love is always redeeming. God in the flesh didn’t bring condemnation to the woman at the well, but hope. Jesus didn’t say to her, “You know what people are saying about you?” No, He offered her living water that springs forth and quenches the thirst of death, bringing new and eternal life. We are conforming to the world when we don’t see things through redemptive eyes and spew out the bitter water from our heart.

Paul continues with a beautiful promise. If we put into practice what Paul says and what we have seen in his life, the God of peace will be with us.

So let us be transformed by renewing our mind and applying this verse (Philippians 4:8) everyday.

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