Held by God as One (John 17:11) October 16, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Various.Tags: election, God guarding his people, Jesus' prayer, one with God, that they may be one, unity
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“While I am no longer in the world, they are yet in the world and I am coming to you. Holy Father, guard them, which you have given me in your name, in order that they may be one as we are.”
(John 17:11)
Jesus makes a rather sobering statement—even though he has not yet been arrested and sent to the cross, the events at hand are such that he has begun that road in earnest. One might say that Jesus’ entire earthly ministry and life was a pathway on the road to the cross, and indeed, that is so, but here it is as if Jesus is staring down over the great and dark abyss of death. From events that would transpire later, it is clear that the disciples still were not fully understanding what was about to take place—what it must have been like to be in their shoes on this night. Jesus said he was coming to the Father and that means leaving behind the disciples; one can almost feel the sinking feeling that the disciples must have had in their heart when he uttered these words.
The request that believers may be one as Christ and the Father are one is one of those prayers that pastors have lifted before God for generations. Yet, because of our sin, Christ’s church has been fragmented and divided on numerous matters. Sometimes those divisions have been necessary, as Christ commanded us to cut off the limb and pluck out the eye that leads to sin (Mark 9:43-47), yet often, division has been caused by our own sin and stubbornness and unwillingness to fellowship with anyone who does not hold the exact same views or practice worship in exactly the same way as we do. I am not suggesting that it is sin to have different churches that reflect different styles of worship, but when that local or stylistic separation becomes a separation of fellowship, that does enter into the area of sin. Remember how the Council of Jerusalem handled the matter of practice when Gentiles were streaming into what was then a largely Jewish-Christian church:
“For it seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that we did not want to lay upon you a weighty burden except these necessary things: to avoid things offered to idols, blood, strangled food, and sexual immorality. In guarding yourself from these things, you will do well. Goodbye.”
(Acts 15:28-29)
There is no question that we must fight for the truth—yet the thing to remember is that sometimes we fight and divide over non-essentials to the faith and not due to essentials.
The final thing that we need to note from this passage is the reason in which we may “be one.” And that is due to the guardianship of God. Jesus does not say, “help them to be one,” but he says, “guard them so that they can be one.” If we are not being guarded and protected by God then unity is impossible. Now, you might be tempted to ask, “doesn’t God always protect his people?” Well, the answer is two-fold. First we must remember that just because a person is a “card-carrying” member of a church does not necessarily mean that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; there will be many who will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not do these things in your name?” yet, Jesus’ response will be, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7: 21-23). All too often we try and be unified with those who do not know and love Jesus Christ and how often it has disastrous consequences (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). Don’t expect God’s blessed hand of unity if there is nothing for him to unite.
The second element is that when we pursue sin, sometimes God withdraws his hand somewhat. Now, it is true that God never lets go of those who are his elect, but sometimes he can dangle us over the fires to rebuke, discipline, and burn away our sin. And when God is doing this, he tends to remove us from unity with believers—again as a means to bring us back into fellowship and to repentance of sin.
Loved ones, unity is one of those things that we tend to have very little of in this world, mostly due to sin. Pray that God would give you the unity that would point a doubting and a wondering world to the reality that there is an almighty God and that he reigns in this world. Let us mark our lives and our existence by being held by God not only safe from the fire of eternal condemnation, but held in unity as well to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Revealing God (John 17:6) September 21, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Various.Tags: Agnosticism, atheism, Christ, God, Great Commission, hidden God, John 17:6, making God known, Paganism, search for God, seekers, Seeking God, veiled God
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“I have made your name known to the people whom you gave me out of this world; they were yours, even so, you gave them and they have guarded your word.”
(John 17:6)
Jesus has made the Father’s name known. What a remarkable statement this is! Often we find agnostics speaking of their pursuit of God; philosophers of ages past have sought to understand the nature of the invisible God behind the universe—yet these always rely on their own strength. God even goes as far as to pronounce that he will be hidden from his enemies (Genesis 4:14; Matthew 11:25), yet revealed in the Son alone. Thus, John earlier records:
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Path, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.’”
The Apostle Paul even goes as far as to write:
“To me, the least significant of the saints, this grace was given, to proclaim the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ to the nations, and to illuminate that which is the plan of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God who created all things in order that the multi-faceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 3:8-10)
In other words, the plan of God to reveal himself in his Son has intentionally been kept hidden from the world until God revealed his Son, Jesus Christ. In turn, God has also given the church the task of making this great truth known to a world that has been kept in darkness, awaiting the preaching of the Gospel. No matter how hard the philosopher or the agnostic “searches” for God, he will not find God apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But for those who hear the word preached, there is eternal life.
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:18)
Many are rather uncomfortable with just how “exclusive” the claims of Christ are—Jesus leaves us with no room to suggest that there is any other way to genuinely know God than through Him. Now, it is true that God reveals enough about himself in the natural world as to leave mankind without an excuse (Romans 1:18-20). Yet, as we have been discussing, He remains veiled apart from his Son, Jesus Christ. It is like being caught in a maze. The very existence of the maze points to a creator and the logic of the maze implies that there is an exit; yet the only exit door by which you may meet the Creator and enjoy life is the Creator’s Son, Jesus Christ. Apart from him, you become more and more befuddled and feebleminded by the complexity and darkness of the maze.
Yet, loved ones, note the joy with which Paul proclaims that it has been given to him to preach the good news of the “incomprehensible riches of Christ” to the unbelieving nations. This task, which we call the Great Commission, belongs to you and to me as well. Let us indeed rejoice in this task, but let us also engage the world as we live out this great and wonderful responsibility, for Christ has revealed the Father to a world that is dark and filled with unbelief. Let us reveal Christ so they might have light and hope.
Your Word they have Guarded September 09, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Various.Tags: call of God, Cherishing God's Word, election, God's own, Guarding God's Word, High Priestly Prayer, John 17:6, teaching God's word to children, zeal for God's word
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“I have made your name known to the people whom you gave me out of this world; they were yours, even so, you gave them and they have guarded your word.”
(John 17:6)
Note the emphasis that is placed here on God’s having given the disciples to Jesus. This, of course, is nothing new to Jesus’ teaching, as he has said:
“No one has the power to come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; then I will raise him up on the last day.”
(John 6:44)
Yet, while this is not a new teaching for Jesus, in his prayer, Jesus is explicitly driving this point home. Jesus has not made the name of the Father known to all mankind, but only to those whom the Father has drawn to the Son—and those who have been given to the Son have guarded the Word of God. God has elected people to himself from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4) for the purpose of presenting us to the Son and then for the purpose of conforming us into the image of his Son (Romans 8:29) to be presented holy and upright as the bride of our great redeemer (Revelation 19:6-8). From beginning to end, we are not our own, but belong to our mighty and glorious God—praise be to God Almighty, Amen!
Also, note the logical progression of this line of thought. God gave people out of the world to Jesus—it is to them that Jesus has revealed the name of God. Then, the ones whom the Father has given the Son have guarded, or cherished, God’s word. There is a pretty straight forward linear progression that is being reflected in this language—those whom the Father has given have guarded the Word. In turn, those who the Father has not given, have not done so. There does not seem to be any gap between the giving and the guarding—all who have been given will guard—it is a mark of genuine faith that we cherish God’s word and it is a reminder that the fact that we may genuinely cherish God’s word is given to us as a sign of our assurance of salvation.
But what does it mean to cherish or to guard God’s word? The word that Jesus uses here is thre/w(tereo), which reflects the care of one who has been charged to protect something—in our case, to protect the integrity of God’s word in our lives and in the lives of those of our family, church, community, and world. Just like a guard charged with protecting a famous painting from a thief, it is an active job in which we must not fall asleep. We must also protect the integrity of the whole—it does the curator of the Museum if the guard only protects part of the contents, and not the whole—“Sorry sir, they did get away with the painting, but I saved the picture frame it was in!” Somehow, that does not cut it.
Yet, how often Christians pick and choose what they want to protect out of God’s word and what they willfully will cast aside. Christians are often guilty of saying, I like this grace stuff, but you can have that language that calls me to put to death my pet sins. Loved ones, if we are to guard the good deposit entrusted to us, we must guard the whole—and apply it to our lives as ones who cherish it. We must not become lazy or fall off to sleep in our duty, but must stand upon the Word in truth and with boldness, not allowing a jot or tittle—a yod or a serif, as Jesus would have said—to fall away. Such is what it means to guard the Word that God has delivered to us.
Yet, our failure to guard God’s word is a very old failure. As the serpent approached Eve in the garden of God, we find that she and her husband have not been guarding the word that God has given them. She adds to the command of God by saying that she must not touch, and she also takes away from God’s word by decreasing the intensity of the punishment—“You will surely die” (an emphatic statement) simply becomes, “You will die.” And, given that Adam had the responsibility of teaching the command of God to his wife (she had not yet been created when God gave the command), it shows his lack of attention to the Word as well. It is almost as if Adam said to his wife, “Oh, by the way, here is the rule, don’t break it” and then never went back to it.
We may criticize Adam for his failure to teach in this case, but is this not the same trap that we sometimes fall into as parents? We pay lip service to the responsibility we have to teach and train up our children in the faith, yet do we actively pursue doing just that? Our children will learn quickly those things that we are passionate about and they will typically pursue them. They will also learn quickly what things in which you are just going through the motions and will discard them. If statistics tell a story about how we cherish God’s word, then the story it is telling right now is that the majority of church-going Americans are simply going through the motions, and not cherishing what God has entrusted to us.
Loved ones, hear the words of Jesus. Guard the word of God that has been given to you. Love that word and cherish it in your life. Keep it in tact and do not compromise it. Then, instill it into the life of your children in such a way that they will see your own love and zeal for the word that God has sent down. It is said that children can spot a phony a mile away, sometimes I am not so sure about that, but they will quickly realize what it is in your life that you are being phony about. Beloved, be authentic in the guarding of the Word given to you so that your children will learn to guard it themselves and so that the world will know that Jesus Christ is alive in you and be drawn to Him because of that testimony.
The Glory of Christ Before Creation September 07, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Various.Tags: atheism, Cosmos, Glory of Christ, Glory of God, Jesus is God, John 17:5, Mormonism, mysticism, Veiled Glory, Who is Jesus?, Who Jesus is, Why mormonism is not Christian
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“And now, glorify me, Father, with yourself, in the glory, which I had with you before the cosmos existed.”
(John 17:5)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word with God, and God was the Word. This one was in the beginning with God.
(John 1:1-2)
In these last days he spoke to us through the Son, whom he established as heir of all things, through whom he also created the ages. Who being the radiance of the glory and the exact image of his essence, also bearing all things in the word of his power; after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
(Hebrews 1:2-3)
The one who was from the beginning, the one we have heard, the one we have seen with our eyes, the one which we have seen and touched with our hands-concerning the Word of life.
(1 John 1:1)
Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God, was with God from the beginning, came to earth to take on flesh, suffer, and die for a sinful people, and was then exalted back into glory to the praise of his glorious name, forever and ever, amen. This is one of those passages of scripture that we need to come back to over and over again, not only for our devotional nourishment, but also to remind us and embolden us against those who reject the spiritual truth that this short verse sets before us.
There are many in this world who like to think of Jesus as a wise teacher and some form of exalted man. The Jews claim that Jesus was a prophet, but nothing more; the Muslims claim he was a prophet who ascended into heaven. The Mormons hold that Jesus was a divine human, one who, by a perfect life, was given the reward of being a god. Many “New Agers” hold that Jesus was a form of mystic, a guru from which wise lessons can be learned, and atheists hold every position possible from that he was a wise teacher to that stories of him were manufactured by the church to gain power—a great conspiracy theory. Yet, the Bible is clear that Jesus is God and he was never created, but has always existed as the second member of the Trinity. Jesus speaks here of the glory he had with the Father (as they are one) before the cosmos began. Oftentimes the term ko/smoß (cosmos) is translated as “world in our Bibles, and such is a legitimate translation, but in the context of this passage, the cosmos is meant to include the whole of the created order—all there is, everything that exists in the universe, the visible and the invisible which came into being through the Son (Colossians 1:16). Here, Jesus is reminding us that when Genesis 1:1 begins with the language, “In the beginning God…” it is speaking about him. Thus, if you deny that Jesus is God or that he was pre-existent, then you are denying the Bible itself as well as what Jesus taught about himself. Such is true of all false religions.
Yet, what does it mean for Jesus to speak of desiring to be glorified with the glory he once had? Is this to imply that Jesus somehow lost his glory during the time of the incarnation and had to gain it back? Not exactly. The Apostle Paul addresses this question to the Philippian church, describing Jesus as having veiled his glory in flesh for the purpose of coming and redeeming his people (Philippians 2:6-8). In turn, God has publicly glorified his Son, not only exalting him above all creation, but in the last days, that exaltation will be public to all of the world and then every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11)—some to glory and some to their own condemnation (John 3:18).
Beloved, how clear it will be on that day, yet, do not think that it is so unclear today. God has given us his word and plainly taught us that no man can be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:23). And God has testified as to the truth of his word through signs and prophesies all fulfilled in history. And to we who believe, the Spirit testifies in our hearts (1 John 5:7). If such is true, why are Christians so often timid in sharing that which we know is true? Some will say, I suppose, that they don’t wish to offend, yet will not be concerned about offending if a conversation about politics arises. Others will say that they don’t feel equipped enough or knowledgeable enough to speak on these matters, yet never pursue that knowledge through a study of God’s word. Loved ones, let us not make excuses, but prepare ourselves well to engage the culture and speak of what we know to be true. It will only be in doing so that this culture will be turned from its wicked ways and will repent; will you not be a part of God’s great work of salvation by sharing truth with an unbelieving world, one person at a time?
Seeking Your Good August 15, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 122.Tags: benevolence, fellowship, Grace, I will seek your good, on behalf of God, Psalm 122:9
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“On behalf of the house of Yahweh, our God,
I will seek out good for you.”
(Psalm 122:9)
Do you intentionally seek out the good of those in your Christian fellowship? This does not mean that you do them a favor now and again when they ask, but do you intentionally go out of your way to bless those around you even apart of their asking. Such is what the psalmist is stating. The Hebrew word that he uses in the second clause is the word vq;b” (baqash), which means to diligently search something out—to hunt it down or to demand of yourself that you find what you are looking for.
One of the things I love to do is to rummage through stacks of old books looking for those rare treasures that often get buried and forgotten. I have been known to haunt the shelves of used book stores, happily spending hours looking for books. It is granted that different people find their interest in different things, but I think that most people like hunting for treasure in one sense of the word or another. Some enjoy bargain hunting at yard-sales, some online. Some enjoy combing the beaches with a metal detector and some love reading a good mystery novel, searching the pages diligently for clues. The recent popularity of pirate movies and stories in American culture is once again a testimony that we enjoy hunting things out.
Yet apply this to the life of the church. What would it look like in a congregation if the members were as diligent in seeking ways to bless each other as they were in seeking bargains for themselves. What if, instead of being students of the value of worldly goods, we became students of one another, doing so with the intention of bringing good into another’s life. Understand, too, that the motivation for doing good is not so that others will do good to you, but simply to bless another individual and by doing so, honor God. How different our churches might be.
Beloved, on behalf of the house of God—our God—let us diligently seek to do good to one another and to those who visit with us. Indeed, how different our fellowships would look if our members were going out of their way to bless each other—even to the point of demanding of themselves, I will make sure that I bless this person or that person today.
Peace be with You August 15, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 122.Tags: peace, peace be with you, peace within your walls
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“May there be peace within your walls—
peace in your palace.
On account of my brothers and of my companions,
I will now say, ‘Peace be with you.’”
(Psalm 122:7-8)
Indeed, how important the blessing of peace is. We have already discussed the value of peace in connection to freedom from one’s enemies—the ultimate peace coming from God himself who sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer and die to bring us freedom from the great and final enemy, death (notice too how God connects his “peace” to his people with his covenant faithfulness and mercy—Jeremiah 16:5). In light of that, let us reflect for a moment on how often the blessing of peace is offered by the authors of the New Testament:
“To all those in Rome who are beloved of God and called holy: Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 1:7)
“Therefore, having been justified as a result of faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 5:1)
“But may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in the believing, that you may abound in the hope that is in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13)
“Grace to you and peace, from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 1:3)
“Peace to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 6:23)
“And the peace of God, which exceeds all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7)
“Now, may the God of peace wholly sanctify you himself—and the whole of your spirit and soul and body be kept blamelessly—until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
“Pursue peace with all, and the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
(Hebrews 12:14)
“But the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown by those who make peace.”
(James 3:18)
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord.”
(2 Peter 1:2)
“Peace to you. The friends greet you, greet the friends according to the name.”
(3 John 15)
“May mercy be to you and may peace and love be multiplied.”
(Jude 2)
“John, to the seven churches in Asia. Grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is coming and from the seven spirits in front of his throne.”
(Revelation 1:4)
These are only a sampling of the promises and blessings of peace that are found in the New Testament—again, a peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we would commit ourselves to the task of praying for peace for our churches, but also that we seek to work out peace in the lives of those around us—for indeed, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). As Jesus reminded his disciples on the night that he was arrested:
“Peace I leave you; the peace which is mine, I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you; do not let your heart be troubled nor be afraid.”
(John 14:27)
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem August 15, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 122.Tags: Christian rest, Church, peace, Peace for Jerusalem, Psalm 122:6, Rest, rest in Christ
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“You must pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you rest at ease.”
(Psalm 122:6)
Beloved, how do you pray for the church? The word that we translate as “pray” in this passage is the Hebrew word, la’v’ (shaal), which more literally refers to the way someone might plead or beg for something. There is a sense of desperation in its tone. Beloved, is this the way in which you pray for the church? Do you plead with God for her purity and for her peace? Are you committing yourself to intercede on her behalf, not just for her witness, but for her genuine peace as well. Just as the psalmist is commending ancient Israel to do this for Jerusalem, how desperately important it is for us to do so for the church—both for our local congregations and for the witness of evangelical churches throughout the world.
But what do we mean by “peace”? The term ~Alv’ (shalom) means more than rest from war or personal comfort without oppression, though certainly those elements are included and those elements should be at the heart of our prayer life. Indeed, we should long for the day when the scoffers and nay-sayers who mock the church are brought into judgment and they can no longer tear down God’s people. At the same time, the call for peace, in the Hebrew tongue also anticipated the coming of the Messiah (for the Hebrews today, it still does—at least in their mindset). It is a longing for the great redeemer that God had promised to send to his people…though the Jewish people rejected Him. And praise the Lord that the Jewish people rejected Christ, for this rejection made way for the Gospel to go out to us, the gentile believers! When we see the mighty plan of God unfolded in this way, all we can do is to say with the Apostle Paul:
“Oh the depth of riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unfathomable are his judgments and inscrutable his ways!”
(Romans 11:33)
Thus, when we pray for peace, we pray with the knowledge that God has already sent his Messiah in Jesus Christ and assured for us, his people, the peace that “passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) which will “rule in our hearts” (Colossians 3:15) and be a testimony of a mind that is set upon Jesus Christ (Romans 8:6). Indeed, our Lord, said, “my peace I leave with you” (John 14:27) and it is because of this that our hearts need not fear or be troubled by the things of the world. We have a confidence that the peace of God has been offered in part to us already and that there is a guarantee given to those who are trusting in Jesus Christ that such peace will be enjoyed in its fullness in the world to come, thus as we pray for that peace here and now, we also pray to hasten the day of our Lord’s return. Indeed, “come Lord Jesus, come!” (Revelation 22:20).
Beloved, let us pray for the peace of the church so that our minds and hearts might rest assured. There are many trials and difficulties that must be faced in this fallen world and there are many challenges that must be met, yet the church of Christ has been promised victory; let us be a part of that mighty day and engage the world’s lies with Truth, knowing that the Messiah has come and his name is Jesus Christ.
The Testimony of Israel August 15, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 122.Tags: attendance, faith, psalm 122:4, Testimony, Witness
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“Which is where the tribes go up—the tribes of Israel—
as the testimony of Israel;
to give praise to the name of Yahweh!”
(Psalm 122:4)
Have you ever thought of your church attendance being part of your testimony? I am not simply referring to a testimony of praise to God, but a testimony before the nations that God is living and active in your life. It is easy for us to nod some level of agreement to this statement, for the fact that we choose to attend church rather than do other things on Sunday is a constant reminder to unbelievers of our faith, but let us take it one step further…how about the demeanor or attitude that you take about going to church with your non-Christian acquaintances? Do you make it seem like you would rather be out goofing off with them, but you have to be in church? Do you fall over yourself apologizing for not being able to do the things that the others are doing? What message does such a stance send regarding the desires of your heart for the Sabbath day?
Loved ones, what a contrast the Biblical model presents to our more modern practice! Our joyful attendance upon the Lord’s worship is to be our testimony. We are not to grumble, but we are to shout to the world that Christ is alive and that he is the only source of salvation for mankind! We are to proclaim that there is only one name by which mankind can know salvation and that he has given us the great privilege of knowing him in that way. Beloved, we have been given a wonderful and awesome gift, why be silent about it? Why grumble and mutter about obligation? Our worship is the place wherein which we gather with those of the redeemed to enter into the greatest wonder and joy that life can ever bless us with—the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord! What a wonderful opportunity to testify to the nations by testifying to our neighbors that one can find life and life abundantly in Jesus Christ the Lord!
My prayer for you this day is that you see your worship as part of your testimony and that you become intentional about how you come into the gathering of the faithful. Do you come in with a shout of joy or do you come in with a groan and a whimper? How you come in communicates a world of truth about your heart’s state. Loved ones, do not fall into the traps that the world sets for us—never apologize for your faith, but boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord and that you look forward to the day wherein God’s people gather to make a public testimony of the greatness of our God.
The splendor of the king, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice; all the earth rejoice.
He wraps himself in light, and darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, and trembles at his voice!
How great is our God!
Sing with me—
How great is our God!
And all the world will see,
How great, how great is our God!
-Chris Tomlin
