Smile All The Way To Tears

Have you ever had the experience of being so overwhelmed with joy that you cannot help but begin to cry?

I am writing this post while at a funeral for a loved one.  As I am watching the people walk around and say their blessings to the bereaved I am awestruck at the emotional climate.  It is not sad nor is it dark. On the contrary, I find that I am surrounded by something else entirely: joy.

It is clear that this woman was loved and enjoyed by everyone that was blessed to know her.  And yet this funeral seems utterly drenched with joy.  There are most certainly tears but they are tears of glory, tears of exultation. To be quite honest, I find that I am overcome by this and sobbing with a smile so wide.

The woman, one of my wife's aunts, was a devout Christian.  It is this singular fact about her that is the cause for the emotional milieu.  Christians alone live a life based solely upon the hope of the glory of God found in Christ Jesus.  Hope of life eternal.  Hope in the promises of God made secure by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Amen!  Praise be to God!

Oh that my funeral is filled with those sacred tears of joy!

Psalm 119:114–God is the Hiding Place

Psalm 119:114: "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word."

This had been said many times–several times by me in the last month–but life can be overwhelming.  From jobs, to bills, to kids, to volunteering, to being a spouse, and all the other pressures that weigh on us, it is easy to be overwhelmed or to feel like all the strains are continually attacking us at every turn.  Because of this it is a good thing, a necessary thing to remember this verse and those like it.

Our hope is made secure in God and in God alone.  It is always a comfort, then, to be reminded that we are not alone in the muck and mire of this life; we have God as our hope and our hiding place amidst the storms.  Let us then always seek to rest our hope in God and in Him alone!

Psalm 30:4–Joy Comes With the Morning

Psalm 30:4: "For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

 I love this verse.  It is a famous passage but its fame does not overshadow in the slightest its beauty.  This verse speaks of God's discipline in anger but that it is also paired with His awesome and comforting compassion.  It speaks of seasons, of the undulating reality of the human experience.  But it also consoles us to know that this sort of ebb-and-flow was, in fact, by design, His design.  There is, thus, always hope to be found in God no matter the emotional harvest or drought.  Hope with the morning.

No More Wishes

It may seem an odd thing to say but we do not wish upon God.  He is not our wishing well.  Rather, we rely upon God.  We depend upon Him in faith, as sure footings depend upon rungs of the ladder or as deep canyon rely upon a bridge to traverse.  In fact, our lives are contingent solely upon His sustaining grace and the power of His Word, for truly, in Him we live and move and have our being.

A wish is a longing for fulfillment or contentment in circumstances or materials.  To wish is to gaze at the future with an eye of discontent at the present.  When we wish we are simultaneously indicating that a present predicament of want.  We are admitting that we are not content currently but that if our wish be granted then we would be fulfilled.  Truly this is a lie.

Conversely, in Christ our wishes our transformed into expectant hope.  But this hope is not in the determent of perceived deficiencies in the current climate.  Rather, our hope is in the goodness of God, in His steadfast faithfulness and His dependable love.  As our hope in God ferments, we are met with fruit in our lives.  This fruit is God depositing Himself within us.

All of this, ultimately, comes down to faith.  And there can be no grey area, no neutral ground at this point.  Either we are trusting in God or we are trusting in something other than God.  This trust encompasses everything from fulfillment to security, from love to relationships; not the least of these being the whole ordeal of salvation.

Either we trust that God will be our hope or we do not.  Therefore, we do not bring wishes to God; we offer Him no wish.  To do so would be a disrespect to who He is and all that He has done.  Instead, we come to God in faith and in love, made possible because of Christ and empowered by His Holy Spirit.  Let us then think differently as we talk about desire and as we bring theology to bear upon all our lives!

The Source of True Hope

In the most recent Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, the villain, Bane, sets out to torture Batman by confining him to an underground prison while he terrorizes Gotham.  The key to Batman's agony, as told us by Bane, is that this prison is holed several stories beneath surface, totally subterranean save for a skylight, a small opening in the cave-like prison that offers the inmates the slightest hope of escape.  It is this hope that causes the true despair for the inmates of this prison, and it is this hope that is used to torment Batman.

The hope that Bane refers to is a hope of escaping that, barring an incredible physical act of utter will, will never come to fruition.  The chance of hope that strengthens today to crush tomorrow because it fails to followthrough.  This is the sort of hope that can break hearts, ruin relationships, and destroy lives.  But there is another sort of hope, another source for hope, that is sure and true: the Lord God Almighty.

The Lord is a sure hope not because of what He offers (though He does offer hope), rather the Lord is by His very nature, a source of true hope.  God is infinite, omnipotent, wise beyond measure, and limitlessly good.  The reason He is the ultimate source of all hope is because of who He is.  Any source of hope is but a lowly counterfeit compared to the Lord by way of nature.

Hope promises.  The trueness of any particular source of hope is based on whether that hope can deliver on its promises.  For this, only God can fulfill hope's requirements, because only God can actually and definitively fulfill His promises.  It is because of this that we should place our hope in Him and only Him.

The Holy Spirit's Help

Life is hard.  It is full of pitfalls and pains lurking around every blind corner like traps waiting to snare  unsuspecting passersby.  And no matter how aware we may be of our surroundings or how deliberate we may be in decision making or how sure we might make every step, from time to time, everyone falls prey to life's cliffs.  Fortunately, believers have an advocate and comforter in the Holy Spirit, who is able and willing to help us step out of the mire and to firmly plant our feet on the solid ground.

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the parakletos, the comforter who comes alongside to help.  The Holy Spirit is sent to believers, to help and comfort them in times of need (John 14:15-16).  Additionally, the Holy Spirit teaches and guides believers (John 14:25-26).  When we become His, through confession of sin and faith in His Son, God sends His Holy Spirit to indwell within us so as to guide us in the way we should go as well as to help us in our times of trouble.

God has also provided the sound counsel of His Word.  Paul indicates that Scripture is breathed out by God, by the Holy Spirit, and useful for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness in order to equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  Practically speaking, this speaks to the necessity for believers to not only be in the Word regularly but also to engage with it by applying Scripture's truth to life in real ways.

Lastly, the Holy Spirit helps us through the Church, the body of Christ.  A simple examination of Acts reveals that it was normative and expected for the fellowship of believers to care for each other.  We need to rely on the Lord to help us, and He always does.  More often than not, though, He helps us through human agents.  There are two parts to this equation.  Not only do we need to humbly and honestly ask for help from our fellow believers, but we als need to be ready and willing to help others when the opportunity and the compulsion to do so arises.

At the final analysis, God does not leave us helpless.  He loves us.  Moreover, He, in His omnipotence and omnipresence, is able to help us in every possible situation.  For proof of this, a survey of how God helps may serve our good.  The writer of Hebrews writes that Jesus, because of His humanity, is able to empathize and help believers when they are tempted (Heb. 2:18).  Furthermore, God is our ever-present help, our deliver in times of trouble, our strength and shield, and the bearer of our burdens (Psa. 10:14; 28:7; 33:20; 46:1; 72:12).

Because of this, when we fall off of life's unforeseen precipices, we can and should cry out to God, who is more than able to help pick us up and set us on safely on the track again.  More than being merely able, He is willing.  This is awesome and beautifully comforting.  Praise God that He cares so much for us to help us in our need and distress!

Christian Contentment

One of the fundamental quests of life is the search for contentment.  Entire lives could be expended in the longing for contentment.  Plainly speaking, contentment is a state of being, particularly, the state of being content.  The fundamental definition of contentment is dense because it encompasses a litany of simultaneous states: peace, joy, and hope.  All of these states fall under one large umbrella, namely the knowledge of the Lord.

Because of the depth of content in true contentment, the source of contentment must be the Lord.  Any sense of contentment that is not derived from the Lord, is thus but an echo of true contentment.  Instead, to be content requires, above all else, an intimate dependence on the Lord based on trust in who He is.  When we are content, we are fully satisfied and thankful at who God is and what He has done for us.

There are a number of relevant Scripture verses, however, a few warrant particular insight into the nature of contentment.  The first is Philippians 4:11-13, in which Paul describes that he has learned that the source of contentment has nothing to do with the circumstances and happenings of life but has everything to do with the Lord and who He is.  This is the very essence of contentment.

Understanding that the Lord is the provider and securer, the sustainer for all of life is the essential starting point for any discussion of contentment.  Contentment is reliant on the Lord.  To be content is to recognize that the Lord has everything under His control and that all is made secure in Him.  Thus, let us look to the Lord to be our contentment!

True Hope

Hope, as a word, has become so used that the density and importance of its meaning has been diminished and secularized. For one, the source of hope, its root and foundation, is firmly fixed only the Lord. If hope is found in anything other than God, it is not hope, because hope is more than a longing or a desire for future providence.  Instead, hope is a posture and attitude of security in the face of insecurity and uncertainty.

The security of hope is fixed firmly in the foundation of hope, which is the Lord.  Because the Lord is not moved but is infinitely stable, our hope, which is found in Him, is equally stable and unmoved.  It is this state of hope that has become diminished by usages and understandings of hope that are less than the true definition of hope.

Any understanding of hope that does not take into account the nature of God, the true source of hope, is less than hope.  For instance, God is infinite, true, righteous, holy, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and ultimately sovereign.  Because of this, hope needs to be securely defined in the holy character and divine nature of the Lord.  When it is, our hope is made true and wholly secure in the Lord.

Life is full of situations and scenarios outside of our control.  In these moments, when we feel overwhelmed by circumstance and stress, we can have hope that holds us secure and confident.  This hope, the hope of the Lord, is made sure in the reality of a sovereign Lord who cares for and watches over His children.  Let us then hope in the true hope that is found only in the holy God!

Contentment in Christ

Contentment, the art of being content, refers to an inner state of satisfaction.  It should be understood as an attitude of fulfillment, a posture by which we live our lives.  Christians, like all the world, have times when our contentment is challenged, when our contentment will be pressed and tested.  At these times, when our ability to remain content is tested, how we react can speak volumes of the state and our hearts and the degree of our sanctification.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, talks about contentment (Phil. 4:11-13).  For Paul, as it should be for all Christians, Jesus is contentment's true source.  Because contentment is an inner state of satisfaction, when that satisfaction is found in situation, it will inevitably fail because the contentment is based on the whimsy and tenuousness of circumstance.  Simply stated, contentment that is not founded in God will fail because its source is ultimately perishing.

Think of Job.  He stayed obedient and faithful in the Lord's holiness and goodness even though everything was working against him.  In the end, Job couldn't take it any longer and finally cried out to the Lord for relief and explanation.  God replied in force, admonishing Job for His unbelief.  The point is clear: God and not circumstance is to be the source of our contentment.  When we are dependent on worldly situation and provision to content, we will live life on a roller coaster of contentment that is waxing in waning like the tide.  

Instead, the source and confidence of true contentment is fixed firmly in the Lord, in His sovereignty and infinitude.  When our contentment is found in God's nature and holy character, we will always be able to be content because we will be secure in He who is always sure and true.

Life is full of tempests that toss and turn with tumultuous circumstance and stressful situations.  In these times, we need to remain reliant on the Lord and thus we will be able to be content in every possible dilemma and circumstance.  Contentment is to be rooted in the Lord.  When it is, we will find ourselves content and satisfied in all situations.  This is a beautiful and lovely gift from the Lord.  Let us look always to the God of heaven and earth to be the source of our contentment!

The Mercy of God

Mercy is a major part of God's character.  He is full of mercy (James 5:11).  Mercy, as a word, is charged with theological significance and spiritual ramifications.  To speak of the mercy of God is dense though because to single out God's mercy is to downplay the multi-faceted nature of God's mercy.  As God's mercy is not singular in its actualization, a more accurate understanding would be to think of God's mercy in terms of mercies plural.

First and foremost, salvation is God's supreme act of mercy.  This, the widest use of the mercy, refers to a  holy, righteous, and just God staying His hand of judgment by His own will.  Although God would be fully just and right to condemn the world for its sin, He, in His great mercy, chose to save the world through the work of His son, Jesus, and by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5).  This is mercy at its finest.

However, the Lord's mercy is not a one time only event.  Rather, His mercy is continually renewed (Lam. 3:22-23).  God's mercy is renewed, not because His mercy storehouses are emptied in the slightest.  Instead, His mercies are renewed as His mercy is needed.  Because His mercy is not a static point but serves dynamic uses, His mercy is continually being transferred from divine to the physical for our great benefit.  Thus the renewal does not mean that God is making more mercy but that we are using more of it.

Moreover, His mercy is given to those who earnestly seek Him (Deut. 7:9; Isa. 55:6-7; Psa. 103:17; Luke 1:50).  This is remarkable and the defining feature of God's mercy: He bestows mercy on all who come to Him seeking it.  There would be no need to give mercy to those that don't think they need it, so the essential components of the reception of God's mercy are confession, repentance, and belief.

Also, God gives mercy generously, but He does so for the purpose of relationship, not religion.  If we are glib to God's mercy, we are entirely missing the pont.  When faced with God's mercy, we should strive to be penitent and sincere, understanding the utter gravity of His mercy in reference to the absolute weight of our sin.

Lastly, it is by God's great mercy that we may enter into a right and redeemed relationship with Him (Psa. 5:7).  Therefore, when we are in moments that we feel separated from His presence, we should prayer with fervor and in faith that God would stretch His mercy upon us as to return us to His right and perfect presence.  The beauty is that He extends His mercy on all who ask.  Additionally, He delights and desires to show His mercy to us (Mic. 7:1-8).  Ergo, we should make it a habit to praise Him for and ask Him for mercy.  Praise be to God for His great and perfect mercy!

Piece of Peace

Peace is an interesting word.  Its meanings range from quiet to solitude, from tranquility to contentment. The breadth of peace's place in the believer's life is huge.  This peace, divine peace, is a gift from God and is to cover our hearts and lives.  We are to live in the peace that God bestows upon us.

The peace that Christ gives to believers surpasses all understanding and is to guard our hearts and our minds (Phil. 4:7).  Peace serves a purpose, it is not just an attitude but is a state of being that keeps and protects believers from sin.  When we let the peace of Christ rest over our hearts, it acts as a protectant that prevents us from things like malice and envy, sin that can taint.

When peace is our state and how we handle the waves of this life, we will not let the fickle and mercurial nature of the world hinder our ability to live godly lives.  Jesus gives a peace that is dependable.  We can rest upon it.  This becomes crucial when we are constantly pushed to not be peaceful.  When life throws curves we should rely on the peace that God bestows to carry us through the toughest of situations with grace and dignity.

Being full of peace, peaceful, is also a way to live, an attitude to handle all of life's struggles.  Living in a state, an attitude, of peacefulness can be invaluable because we will become not be able to be overly-encumbered or overwhelmed by the world but will be in a place of contentment grounded in the Lord.  If the root of our peace is the Lord, we will not be shaken for the peace that passes understanding will help us to maintain a life of satisfaction.

The reality is that God desire for us to delight in Him and to only seek our satisfaction in Him.  This is what peace is all about: having our contentment and satisfaction met in Him.  When we truly rely on the Lord as the source of our strength and fulfillment, then we will understand what peace is all about.

Submission

Submission means relinquishing authority to another to the denial of self.  Needless to say, this is so intricately woven into the tapestry of the Christian life that it warrants discussion.  There are three basic authoritative forces that Christians are to submit to: God, church leadership, and the state.

The most obvious and central object of submission is and should always be God.  Submitting to the Lord and to His will is the foundation of all Christian life.  The Lord requires obedience and submission to His holiness in our lives: sanctification.  When, as we are reading and meditating on the Word and/or praying, He speaks to us, we are to listen and submit.  This is true submission.

After God, the next authority that we are to submit to is the leadership of the church: elders, deacons, wise teachers, etc.  Those that God has blessed with sanctification and wisdom are spiritual elders, divinely-gifted to guide and train believers.  This does not, however, mean that we should unequivocally and unabashedly accept any and all teaching that our church leaders give us.  Instead, we should weigh every teaching against the Word and the Holy Spirit.  Again, submitting to God should never be usurped by submitting to the church.  The church submits to God, His Word and the Holy Spirit, not ever should that hierarchy be overturned.

The other authority that we are to submit to is political authority.  Both Paul and Peter exhort believers to submit to civil leaders and authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17).  The important point here is that believers should never submit to the civil authorities of government and leadership if it goes against the Will and Word of God.  Again, any authority that warrants submission is secondary to submitting to the Lord Almighty.

Submission is a challenging activity.  It requires denying the self in order to acquiesce to the commands and wills of another.  This stands in direct contrast to our natural inclinations of self-determination and manifest destiny.  However, when we submit to God, we enter into His kingdom as heirs.  Submission to the Lord should be pursued.  In a real sense, we should strive for opportunities to devote ourselves in submission to the Lord.  The beautiful thing here is that when we submit to Him, He promises to bless us.

The Seal of the Spirit

In the ancient world, letter writing was the primary form of long-distance communication.  In order for a person in Rome to communicate with someone in Palestine, they had to write a letter and have it delivered by a confidant.  Military communications were handled by professional couriers, but there were very few if any privatized mail couriers, just friends of friends delivering private letters.

Because the risk of forgery was so great, a method for ensuring the authenticity of authorship was needed.  The method that was used involved sealing the messages with official seals, like signet rings and familial seals, pressed into wax.  In this way, authorship of letters was authenticated and the message therein was guaranteed.

In Ephesians 1:13-14 as well as 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Paul applies this method of securing long-distance communications to the spiritual life.  Paul says that God has put His seal on believers; the seal is the Holy Spirit.  Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit seals believers, as a guarantee of the Promise given by and through Christ, which is salvation.  This is remarkable.

Believers are in the world but not of the world.  We are given a taste of the heavenly realm through confession and belief, but we are not wholly removed from the earthly realm.  We are promised total salvation, but while living in the world, we only get a part of that salvation.  The Holy Spirit seals, guaranteeing that we will receive the whole of salvation promised.

Additionally, seals pronounce that the one who seals is the owner of that which is sealed.  Therefore, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we belong to God.  This is a beautiful thing and a theological landmark: we belong to Him.  This is confirmed throughout the Scripture, that we are to be slaves to His righteousness (Rom. 6:14-19).  This means that the seal itself (the Holy Spirit) not only guarantees the future perfect fulfillment of salvation, He also guides us in how we are to live.

Ultimately, the presence of the Holy Spirit is the true indication of faith as He is the seal of our salvation.  Christians who do not exhibit the Holy Spirit or struggle to ascertain His presence in their lives should examine themselves; it could be the mark of a deeper issue.  In truth, believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit will be present in the lives of believers.  All this glorifies the Lord.  Praise be to God, for He is steadfast and faithful to keep those that cling to Him!

Required Repentance

Repentance is one of the requirements of belief.  Without repentance, true belief is impossible.  In many ways, repentance is the first step in belief.  Repentance is best defined as turning away from something and towards something else.  In spiritual terms, repentance means turning from sin to holiness, from flesh to spirit, and ultimately, from self to God.  Simply put, repentance is about truly facing God at the downplay of self.  It is a two-part process: turning from our self and turning towards Him.

God rejoices at repentance.  At the end of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus reminds us that God takes great joy at the sincere repentance of sinners (Luke 15:7).  When repentance happens, the repentant see themselves in light of God's holiness.  The focus is not on the repentant person but on the holiness of the Lord.  This is a joyous experience.

Although repentance can happen in one bursting moment, there are stages to repentance.  First is realization; the person recognizes their own shortfalls and missteps.  This is analysis done in reaction to the revelation of God's holiness.  When we truly see our sin in light of God' perfection, the value of who we are is weighed against the value of Christ.  Without fail, we cannot compare to the worth of Christ so when we honestly see the uselessness of our righteousness it prompts us to the next step: facing God.

In facing God, we come before the Lord acknowledging that we are sinners and incapable of any righteousness apart from Him.  Thus, we turn to Him as the source of our righteousness.  This is repentance.  To add to this, when we turn to God, we expect Him to cleanse and save us from ourselves. This is the most profound stage and purpose of repentance, belief.  Repentance is useless if the One who we repent towards is not able and faithful.  Yet God in His infinite mercy and desire for us to draw near Him is always faithful.

Both Isaiah and Ezekiel touch on this, that God will provide and care for those who repent from their wickedness (Isa. 55:7; Eze. 18:21).  There is a promise built into repentance that is only fulfilled upon repentance's follow through.  It is not enough to merely assess and confirm one's wickedness.  True repentance requires that the repentant turn in faith to God.

Repentance is the impetus for belief and salvation but it is also not a one-time use action.  Instead, repentance is intimately tied in the lifelong, ongoing process of sanctification.  If we are not in a near constant state of repentance that propels us to greater levels of devotion and relationship, then we are not being sanctified, or at least not being sanctified enough.

Instead, the Christian should never feel comfortable with their state of sanctification but should rather be always striving for greater, more, and deeper levels of devotion to God.  We should be focused and energized to continually repent of that which inhibits our fidelity to the Lord.  In this, we will be serving and praising the Lord with our very lives.

Blasphemy

The Lord's name is sacred.  His name is not just a moniker but is an indication of His nature and character.  When we speak God's names we are in fact asserting its meaning.  God, Elohim, speaks to His role as creator and sustainer of the universe.  Lord, Yahweh, reveals His covenant keeping faithfulness.  Adonai pronounces His supreme and sovereign rank as the divine master.  The Holy Spirit defines His spiritual and holy nature.

The names of the Lord should not be taken or spoken lightly.  Flippant, glib, or obscene uses of the names of God are blasphemous.  Blasphemy is serious.  However, in our secular society where sin and the sacred have become diminished and personally assessed, blasphemy is not only glossed over, it is considered acceptable.  

When we speak the name of God without fear we are in fact asserting that He is not worthy of reverence.   Thus, blasphemy in every form is sin.  The Lord is to be exalted and praised with every breath and every thought.  Christians are to live lives that are examples of the Lord on the earth.  Therefore, when Christians blaspheme they are affirming what the world believes, that God is not worthy of the utmost reverence.

The name of Jesus means "God (Yahweh) saves."  There is meaning and theological import to the name of Christ.  Moreover, He is the Messiah, the holy and spotless lamb of God who, by His work, saves all of mankind.  Therefore, when we sing of Jesus' name(s), we are truly recognizing in reverence of who He is and what He has done.  This should be the only way that His named should be spoken or uttered.

God is God, the Lord of all creation.  He, and His name, should always and only be praised.  The challenge to this is the world, which stands in opposition to reverence of God.  When we blaspheme and speak the name of God in an unworthy manner, we are in fact acquiescing to the in-deference and irreverence of the world.  This should not be so.  Believers need to be disciplined and focused in their speech and thought as to always deal with the name of God in the manner that He deserves.  The Lord, Yahweh, God, Elohim, Jesus, we should speak these names as often as possible but always in reverent reference to the divine reality that the names refer to.

The Work

Work and working is a part of life.  It is inescapable.  Work is defined as any effort, physical, mental, or otherwise, that is exerted in order to achieve a specific purpose or end.  Often we define work as a means to an end.  For example, in contemporary terms, we work at jobs as a means for payment in the form of a check, etc.  Although true, this view of work could be short-sighted and sparse, for work is more than merely a means to an intended end.

The biblical notion of work is broader and considers the effort and activity of work as valuable as its future result.  Practically speaking, this means that the paycheck is not and should not be the sole function and purpose of work.  Solomon, the author and main character of Ecclesiastes, says that man should strive to find satisfaction and joy in the toilsome labor that is life's lot (Ecc. 2:24; 5:18).  In a real sense, we are called to enjoy our work; the work itself not just work's end.

Additionally, Christians are called to work hard, with diligence and zeal (Rom. 12:11; Tit. 3:14; Col. 1:9-10).  There is a reason that we should work hard: because the source of our strength is not of the strength of this world.  No matter how strong or stubborn a person may be, inevitably, their strength will fail and endurance will betray him/her.

However, a Christian's strength is rooted in the omnipotent God.  Ergo, we work as an example of God's power.  In a very real sense then Christians should work harder and longer than unbelievers, not for themselves or for their own gain but because the ethic of their work, the very cause of their vigor is the Lord.  The source of strength and endurance for believers is the Lord.  Thus, when we work by the strength of God, we are an earthen example of the Lord.

This should not seem radical.   It is quite logical.  We are a testament to Him in everything, not just His grace, mercy, and love.  His power and His strength, these are also important parts of His character that we, His children, are to point to with our lives as well.  Therefore, we should always strive to overcome the sloth and pride of our natural selves.  These sinful traits compel us either not to work or for us to work beyond hard but for our own glory.

Instead, work itself, the manner in which it is done, should be an example of God's character.  This is why we take joy in our work, because our work is a way that we give glory and praise to the Lord.  What a beautiful gift that work is!  God created us to praise Him.  He also created us to work.  The fact that He created our work to be praise points all the more to the majesty of His divine creativity.  What a wonderful Lord we serve!

Holiness

God is holy.  More than any other trait, His holiness is espoused and confirmed in the Bible.  Jesus, as the second member of the trinity, is holy.  Man is, because of sin, not holy.  In truth, the flesh of man is opposed to holiness.  Jesus, in His perfectly sinless life and atoning death, makes the unholy holy.  Our holiness is found solely and only in Christ.  

Moreover, believers are called to holiness, commanded to be holy (2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 1:3-4; 5:27; 1 Thes. 4:7; 1 Pet 1:15-16).  Holiness is not to be taken lightly.  As God's people, He calls us, "be holy, for I am holy."  This immediately begs the questions: "what is holiness? and, what does it mean to be holy? and, how do we become holy like God"

In a very real sense, because He is holy and we are His, we are to be holy.  We are the representation of God's character on the earth, therefore, we are required to be holy.  This is daunting.  To simplify, we should remember that apart from Him we cannot be holy.  The awesomeness of this reality is that if we are in Him, we will be holy.  But what is holiness?

Holiness is a trait of God, a divine characteristic.  Only God is holy.  Above all other descriptions of God, none carries with it as much theological import as holiness.  God is wholly and outright different from us.  He is transcendant and sovereign.  To say that God is Holy is to speak of His supremacy, His sovereignty, and His righteousness.

When Christians strive for and pursue holiness, we are tapping into the character of the divine.  Because holiness is God's alone, any pursuit of holiness must first seek after Him.  Therefore, when God commands that we be holy as He is holy, He is asking us to draw close to Him as He is the sole source of any and all holiness.

Jesus is the source of our holiness.  Once we convert through confession and belief (Rom. 10:9), we are made holy due to the work of Christ.  The story of holiness doesn't end there, though.  Our holiness is a steady and constant process of (re)fixing our gaze on He that is holy and who is the origin of all holiness.  Only in and through Jesus are we able to be holy in any regard.  Ergo, we should live in a constant pursuit, not of holiness, but of the One who makes us holy: Jesus.

The Power of Quiet

We live in a world where quiet and stillness are a priceless commodity.  We are constantly bombarded by noise and dissonance, distraction and diversion.  Finding time to be quiet or to enjoy the quiet is all the more important today than it has ever been.  Quiet.  Stillness.  The sense of liberation from urgency and freedom from the rush of this life to a place of quiet is essential.

Psalm 37:7, 46:10, and 62:1 speak of the importance of silence, of the quiet.  Quiet is not so much an environment as it is a state of mind.  It is easy to turn off the television and the phone, it is much more difficult to turn off our minds.  Quieting our thoughts is more than challenging, for some, it is nearly an impossible endeavor.

The focus should not be on completely silencing our thoughts to nothingness.  Simplification is the focus of the quiet.  Instead of grabbing hold of every thought that enters our minds, we should reduce the thoughts to one, simple, irreducible thought: the Lord is God.

This seems simple enough but it is the irreducible, perfect assertion that is the key to achieving biblical quietness.  Thinking is like building.  One thought adds on to another and to another, until an idea is formed.  These ideas then build upon each other in interrelation and the richness of the mind.  This is the noise and dissonance that biblical quietness seeks to overcome.  The goal of quietness is to tear down the building of thought in order that it may be remade on the firmest of foundations: God.

Quiet then is not based on the cacophony that is the external world.  Instead, biblical quietness is the noise of thoughts and ideas that fill our minds and cloud our ability to sense that irreducible, irreplaceable, and self-evident truth: that God is God.  Apart from this assertion, all life is useless and worthless.  It is this basic building block idea that goes on to inform and guide every thought that makes up our lives and our world views.  

The cornerstone, laid as the surest of foundations, is Christ (Psa. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Eph. 2:19-20).  When we seek out the quiet, we are intentionally seeking to (re)assert that Christ is the cornerstone, not just of the church but of our lives.  Quiet does not happen passively.  Our fleshly selves is unable to achieve the quiet.  In reality, our fleshly selves is wholly opposed to the quiet because it is spiritually attained.  Therefore, seeking quiet is invaluable in the life of the believer.  Because it is in the quiet that we are reminded of that which is most important, God.

Taming the Tongue

The tongue is a tool, a small one at that.  But, like any tool, it can be used for good or bad.  Taming our tongues is one of those distinct challenges to Christian growth and sanctification.  James, in his epistle, spends a good deal of time discussing the immense importance that taming the tongue has for believers, especially teachers (James 3).  James describes the tongue in three basic ways: a bridle, a rudder, and a fire.

The tongue as a bridle.  Horses are mighty creatures, capable of remarkable feats of strength and of great endurance.  However, horses, in all their majestic strength, are controlled quite simply by placing the horse's head into a bridle and a bit in its mouth.  Thus a horse can be reined by its master.  Interesting that James would use a bridle as an indication of taming the tongue because, if we are the horses that are bridled, logically, we cannot simultaneously be the rider of the horse.  The master is God, the bridle is His Word.  Bible study and the Holy Spirit are to be the bridle that guides our tongues, taming them to be godly and true.

The tongue as a rudder.  When James describes the tongue as the rudder of a ship, he is rightly giving the tongue its due importance.  Although a ship can be massive and its rudder relatively small, the rudder  guides the ship, turning it to and fro.  In this way, the tongue is not the entirety of the ship but it can serve immensely important purposes.

Think of a ship just off harbor whose rudder chain is detached.  It will not be able to complete its mission.  Moreover, the rudder mechanism must be repaired and, if not done with urgency, the ship raises the risk of running ashore or adrift because it is unable to steer itself.  Similarly, the tongue has usefulness but if not connected properly to the Word and the Holy Spirit, can more often lead to disaster.  In this is it is so important to keep watch over the tongue because it is the wheel that steers the ship of our lives.  God is the one to turns the wheel and steers the ship but if our rudder is damaged or faulty, He cannot very well guide us to our intended courses without serious rudder repair.

The tongue as a fire.  Fire has definite uses.  However, fire has a tendency towards consumption and destruction.  James is quite clear that fire lends itself more towards destruction than building, although this is not fire's intended purpose.  Fire is intended to bring warmth and light to places of cold and darkness.  Similarly, our tongues are meant to bring warmth, healing, and light to a cold and dark world.  We can use our tongues to illuminate and refresh those around us or we can use our tongues to burn and destroy people and relationships.  Our tongues were given to us by the Lord for the former though the latter is our fleshly bent.

Acknowledging the enormous responsibility and power that our tongues yield is overwhelming.  It is a significant challenge to tame the tongue but one commanded by the Scriptures.  The hope is to form good habits that avoid slander, flippancy, insincerity, and rudeness while striving for grace, kindness, and gentleness.  Jesus is our example.  He was kind and gentle even unto death.  Although He often called the unrepentant to the task, He maintained a sense of grace and gentleness throughout.  This should be our intention in taming our tongues: to be honest and honestly gracious.

Struggle for Sanctification

Sanctification is hard.  Sanctification is the process of growth by which believers are made into the image and likeness of Jesus.  It is a life-long journey, one in which we assess who we are in light of His Word, repent of that which is not inline with it, and fix our eyes upon Jesus' example.  What makes sanctification so challenging is that we start to see ourselves clearly and honestly.  This can be utterly devastating.

Getting face-to-face with those parts of ourselves that are opposed to Christ is what sanctification is all about.  Unfortunately, this means that we have to confront what is most undesirable within our own depths.  More than unsettling, this is terrifying.  In each of us, behind the layers of propriety and pretense, each of us has a root sin nature.  It is this sin nature that tugs and pulls us to make poor decisions.  Sanctification seeks to strike at the root of sin with the axe of the Word, cutting out the parts of ourselves that are at odds with Christ's desires.

Sanctification is God's work.  He does it by the power of His Word and the action of the Holy Spirit (John 15:3; 17:17; 1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Thes. 2:13).  Practically speaking, there is a two-part method in dealing with the Word.  First, consistent reading and disciplined, guided interpretation is essential to mine the wealth of riches that is the Word.  Second, the principles and truths of the Bible must be applied to our lives.  In both of these steps, the Holy Spirit guides and causes everything to occur.  However, we do play a role in the process.  We are to be obedient and active in the process.

The process of sanctification is what separates mature Christians from immature Christians.  Apart from  sanctification, no believer can grow into the person God intends them to be.  It is this process that helps us develop beyond our current state and past the stumbling block that is our sin nature.  The Lord wants so much for us and He promises to deliver us from our lowly states.

He wants us to devote ourselves to Him, hook, line, and sinker.  The difficulty is that it requires us to address the reality of ourselves in light of what God wants of and for us.  This tough and crippling.  Luckily, the Lord heals us by His Word and helps us to overcome our shortcomings.  Praise be to God, for He is the plumb line to guide our ways!