Counseling With Psalm 1

By Wendy Wood

Psalm 1 talks about two different types of people and where true happiness (blessedness) is found.  The way of the wicked is contrasted with the way of the righteous.  As you first sit down with a new counselee, keeping Psalm 1 in mind can be a helpful way to assess the needs of the person in front of you.  If your counselee is primarily coming in for a sin issue, how far into their sin are they?  If they are primarily coming to counseling as a sufferer, where are the “roots” of their life planted?  

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stands in the way of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

This first verse describes the way of a wicked person. It’s easy to remove ourselves from the category of “wicked”.  There are so many other people who sin worse than we do, after all!  But God’s definition of wickedness is simply listening to the way of the world. Wickedness is allowing the news, social media, entertainers, friends, teachers, and youtube to be your source of information. Every single one of us needs to take this Psalm seriously. 

First of all, the wicked are not blessed.  “Blessed is the man who…..”   Blessed is another way of saying happy.  Sin entices us and lies and tells us that we will be happy if we sin.  Sin does bring momentary happiness, at times.  Sin may be fun for the moment, but then guilt and difficulty set in.  God is clear that choosing to sin and go our own way will not be blessed.  Proverbs 13:15 and 21 confirm that “the way of the treacherous is hard” and “disaster pursues sinners”.  The negative consequences of sin may be delayed, by God’s word is clear that God will not bless those who choose sin.

Psalm 1 uses three verbs to describe the progression of a sinner choosing sin.  And this is where it can be helpful to assess where your counselee is with their own sin patterns.  The first description is one who is “walking” among the counsel of the wicked.  This person is listening to the “counsel of the wicked” or allowing godless and worldly ideas to be a big influence in his life.  This person is passing by where sin is happening.  They are “dabbling” in sin and checking out what others are involved or maybe seeing how severe the consequences might be.  This person is entertaining thoughts of a sinful lifestyle but it still seems wicked in their mind to some degree.  “Walking” implies that they are casually hanging around for periods of time with sinners and listening to sinful ideas. It may seem tantalizing to hear about sin that is happening but they are not quite involved themselves.  Is your counselee spending a lot of time with unbelievers or watching tv shows that encourage sin?  Is your counselee reading worldly books or being influenced by worldly social media more and more?  A person who is walking among the counsel of the wicked is being influenced by ungodly and unbiblical ideas.

Psalm 1 continues with a second verb that shows a deepening level of involvement with sin.  This person has progressed to “standing in the way of sinners”.  The implication of “standing” is that this person is now spending longer periods of time with sinful influences.  This person has become comfortable with sin and is “welcomed” by the sinners in the group.  Picture someone who is walking by a group of people on the street and greets them but keeps moving.  That’s the first category of being a passerby of the counsel of wickedness.  But this person is standing.  They have joined the group and are beginning to participate more and more with sin.  This person is now engaging in unwholesome talk (Eph 4:29) or is lying or gossiping among others. They may be sneaking a few looks at pornography. They may be trying to fit into the group more by engaging in sinful behaviors. This person is probably still feeling pangs of guilt and shame over the sin, but they are in danger of continuing on further into more evil. The time spent in the “counsel of the wicked” will continue to influence their thoughts, desires, and actions.

The third verb is “sitting”.  Psalm 1 says that a person will not be blessed if they “sit in the seat of scoffers”.  This person is fully involved in sinful actions.  They have become comfortable with their sin to the point where it no longer is bothering them.  This is a huge concern.  The sinner has sinned so frequently that their conscience may not be alerting them anymore to guilt and danger.  Picture the proverbial frog that starts sitting in a pot of cool water on the range burner that is heating up to boiling. As the water heats up, the frog doesn’t notice that the water is getting hotter, and continues to stay in the pot as it begins to boil.  The frog dies in the boiling water because it got used to the water each degree that it increased.  Sinners do the same thing.  As sin continues to get worse and worse, often the person will not notice how severe the problem is until it is too late and they are fully engaged in a sinful lifestyle and have become enslaved to the sin.  This counselee may be shocked to hear that you believe the sin is that serious. Radical amputation of sin is a must.  It’s tempting for a counselee to want to manage sin, rather than slay it.  One who is “sit[ting] in the seat of scoffers” needs to take drastic measures to be free of sin.

Psalm 1a, 2-4: “Blessed is the man who… delights in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”

This blessed man is meditating on God’s law day and night.  Unlike the unblessed man who is listening to the counsel of the wicked, this person is delighting in God’s word and setting his mind to study and devour the truths of God.  God tells us in Proverbs 4:23 to guard our hearts.  What we allow to influence our thoughts matters greatly!  The key to happiness is listening to and meditating on God’s word.  As we see the beauty of Christ in the scriptures, delight grows in our hearts.  Meditating is much more than walking by God’s word.  Meditating is spending time mulling over, praying over, pondering and considering God’s word and seeing who God is revealing Himself to be. Does your counselee spend quality time in God’s word?  Does your counselee filter all decisions through the lens of what God says in scripture or are they more influenced by how other people do things? Does your counselee have a “the end justifies the means” mentality? Are they looking for the practical end they want more than seeking to honor God in the process? A blessed man is rooted or planted in trust in the Lord and His word.  Help your counselee learn to love and meditate on God’s word with specific scriptures to emphasize the beauty, goodness, holiness, majesty, mercy, justice, and truth of God.

This blessed man yields fruit.  Happiness is found in becoming more and more like Christ.  As a person spends time with God, His Spirit grows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.  The fruit of repentance grows as a person delights in the grace and goodness of God.  This is “in season” meaning the growth is steady, not all at once, and in God’s timing of whatever “season” He has us in.  Can your counselee look back over the last year and see growth?  Are their sins that they have become aware of and are repenting of?  Does your counselee have a growing desire for holiness?  Are they hating their sin more? 

This blessed man “does not wither”.  A counselee who knows and trusts God’s word will be able to withstand the storms of life.  When trials come, a person who knows God’s word through mediation and knows the God of the bible will endure well.  This is one of our goals for counseling!  Typically a counselee is coming in during a trial needing to learn and grow in how to stand firm in the situation. Perhaps they have been listening to the “counsel of the wicked” and have tried to do things their own way and that has led to more difficulty. Isaiah 40:8 reminds us that “the word of the Lord stands forever”. As we guide our counselees to depend on and trust God’s word, the surety of Truth provides firm ground to stand on.  

Psalm 1:4 concludes with “In all that he does, he prospers”.  This “success” or “prosperity” refers to the difference between the blessed and the wicked.  The wicked will be “like chaff that the wind drives away”. The temporary happiness of the wicked will give way to an eternity of suffering. The wicked are not able to endure trials. Picture the parable of the soils mentioned in Matthew 13.  The rocky soil and the thorny soil represent the wicked person who is not rooted in God’s word and therefore his faith withers and dies and gets choked out by the trials of life. The prosperity promised to the blessed man is the ability to withstand this life with the joy of salvation and the joy of the Lord. The blessed man will stand in judgment and be declared righteous by God because of the word of Christ on the cross.  How does your counselee view prosperity?  Does your counselee have an eternal perspective that allows them to count the trials of this life as “momentary afflictions”?  2 Corinthians 4:17-18 reminds us that “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  Will your counselee delay momentary happiness for the eternal weight of glory promised to those who delight in the Lord and meditate on his word?  As counselors, we need to hold out the scriptural truth of the future grace that is coming in God fulfilling all his promises.

Psalm 1 concludes with the judgment.  “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”  The Lord “knows” his own.  He is intimately familiar with all his sheep. Our counselees need to find hope in being known by God.  There is no greater delight than to know God.

Psalm 1 is a helpful contrast of the wicked man and the righteous man.  Lead your counselee through this Psalm and paint a clear picture of the blessings that come from delighting in God’s word and the difficulty and suffering that are in store for the wicked.

The Most Epic Bible Study of All Time

BY GARRETT KELL

It had been three days since Jesus was crucified and buried. Two former followers packed their bags and began the seven-mile trek to their hometown of Emmaus. There was no need to be in Jerusalem any longer. Jesus was dead—and his kingdom wasn’t coming. Shortly after they set out, an unfamiliar person joined them. “Their eyes were kept from recognizing” that it was the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24:16).

The disciples were baffled that this mysterious man hadn’t heard of all that had happened in Jerusalem. As readers, we’re baffled they can’t see whom they’re speaking with! In mercy, Jesus opened the Scriptures and began what must have been the most epic Bible study of all time, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

Let’s imagine what he may have said.

He may have begun with Genesis by showing himself as the second Adam who resisted temptation and obeyed God’s commands (Gen. 2–3; 1 Cor. 15:45–48). He is the promised seed of woman who crushed the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8) and the greater Ark in whom we hide by faith to escape the waters of judgment (Gen. 6–9; Col. 3:3; 1 Pet. 3:20–21). He could have shown how Abraham rejoiced by faith to see his day (John 8:56; Rom. 4), or how he is the promised lion of the tribe of Judah from whom the scepter shall never depart (Gen. 49:10; Rev. 5:5). Or maybe that he is the greater Joseph, beloved of the Father, betrayed by his brothers, exalted among the Gentiles, and the One who gives bread to a famished world.

Then in Exodus he could have shown that he is the greater Moses who leads his people to escape judgment by hiding under the blood of the Passover Lamb on their way to the Promised Land (Ex. 12; John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 3–4; 1 Pet. 1:19). Or how he is the true manna from heaven (John 6:31–35), and the water from the rock that will never leave them thirsty again (John 4:14; 1 Cor. 10:4).

Then he might have turned to Leviticus to show that he is the fulfillment of the entire sacrificial system (John 1:29; Heb. 4–10). He is the unblemished offering that was a pleasing aroma to the Father (1 Pet. 1:19; Heb. 9:14–27). He is the greater scapegoat on whom the sins of the nation were laid (Lev. 16; Heb. 9–10). He is the greater high priest who not only presented an offering but who offered himself for us (Heb. 7–8).

Then he may have taken them to Numbers where he could’ve shown that he was like the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the wilderness, who would bring healing from the serpent’s fatal bite if looked to in faith (Num. 21:4–9; John 3:14–15). Or that he is the star promised to arise from Jacob to crush the head of God’s enemies (Num. 24:17; Rev. 22:16).

Then he could have gone to Deuteronomy to show how he is the prophet like Moses of whom the Father says “this is my beloved Son . . . listen to him” (Deut. 18:15–20; Matt. 18:5; Acts 3:23). Or how he is the true city of refuge to whom sinners flee in their guilt (Num. 35; Heb. 6:18).

Or how he is the greater Joshua who came to lead God’s people through the mighty Jordan into Canaan and receive their long-promised rest (Heb. 4:1–10).

In Judges, we see glimmers of him as the One whom God would raise up to deliver Israel from the oppression of their enemies and to rule over them in righteousness (Isa. 32:1; Luke 1:71).

Then in Ruth, we see how he is the greater kinsman-redeemer who took a Gentile bride to himself so she could share in the wealth of Israel (Matt. 1:5).

In 1 and 2 Samuel we find that Jesus is the greater David who was after the Father’s heart and who courageously slew the greater Goliath of Satan to deliver God’s people from the shame and slavery of their sin (Luke 1:32; John 6:38; 14:31).

Then he may have gone to Kings and Chronicles to show that he is the faithful King who never compromised God’s law, but boldly leads God’s people to honor and obey the Lord in all things (John 18:26–27; Rev. 19:16).

Then he may have spent time showing how he is the greater Ezra, who served as a priest and wept over Jerusalem because of her disobedience and rejection of God (Matt. 23:37; Heb. 5:7).

Or how he is like Nehemiah, who cleansed the temple of God and rebuilt the walls to protect the worship of God, all while refusing to retreat from the work he came to do (Neh. 6:2–3; Matt. 27:42).

He is the greater Esther, who courageously surrendered her life to save God’s people from the deceitful scheme of Satan, the greater Haman. He is also the greater Mordecai who was despised and headed for the gallows, yet was delivered and exalted to the throne, accomplishing salvation for the people of God.

Then he could have shown himself to be the greater Job who suffered, not because of his sin, but because of his righteousness. And though he was misunderstood, God raised him off the ash heap of shame to intercede for those who’d formerly opposed him (Job 42:1–17; Heb. 7:25).

He may have then given a tour of the Psalms, reminding them how in Psalm 2 he was spoken of as the begotten Son before whom all must bow (Phil. 2:4–11; Rev. 5:13–14), and how his resurrection was foreshadowed in Psalm 16 (Acts 2:24–28). Or maybe how Psalm 22 provides a prophetic picture of the innocent One whose hands and feet were pierced by evildoers (Luke 23:33; John 20:25), yet in Psalm 110 he is exalted at the right hand of Father to forever serve as Priest and King (Heb. 5:1–10:39). Or surely from Psalm 118 how he is the stone the builders rejected that would become the cornerstone on whom God would build his church (Matt. 21:42; 1 Pet. 2:4–7).

He could have kept going to Proverbs and shown himself to be the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18–26), or to Ecclesiastes as the one who gives us abundant life instead of vanity (John 10:10), or to Song of Solomon as the greater bridegroom who showers his bride with steadfast love (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25; Rev. 21:2, 22:17).

Then he could have turned to the prophets and shown in Isaiah that Immanuel was born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23), was indwelt by the Spirit (Isa. 11:2–4; Matt. 3:16), was the anointed root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10; Rom. 15:8–13; Rev. 22:16), and healed the blind, deaf, and lame (Isa. 35:5–6; Matt. 11:2–5). He is the Prince of Peace who rules the everlasting kingdom of righteousness (Isa. 9:6–7; Rev. 11:15), and the Suffering Servant who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isa. 53:3–9; Matt. 27:27–60; 1 Pet. 2:23).

In Jeremiah and Lamentations, he is the weeping prophet who entered into our sorrow and lamented over sins that exiled us from God, as a way to prove the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness (Jer. 13:17; Lam. 3:23; Luke 19:41).

In Ezekiel he is the true Shepherd-King who cares for and feeds the flock who had been neglected and afflicted by abusive shepherds (Ezek. 34:1–24; John 10:1–18).

In Daniel he is the stone who smashes the kingdoms of the world (Dan. 2:34–35; Matt. 21:44), the authoritative Son of Man who will judge all people according to what they’ve done (Dan. 9:7–14; Matt. 26:64), and the Anointed One who was cut off by his own people (Dan. 9:26; Mark 9:9–12).

In Hosea he is the faithful husband who was betrayed by an adulterous bride, yet still loved and pursued her to have her as his own (John 4:1–45; Rom. 9:25–26).

In Joel we see that the promised Day of the Lord’s judgment fell on Jesus on the cross, and that at his ascension he would send the promised Spirit to all who would repent (Joel 2:28–32; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:16–21).

He may have shown how he embodies the message of Amos as he came to rescue the poor and oppressed and bring the justice Israel’s leadership had neglected to render (Luke 4:16–20).

Or how he was foreshadowed in Obadiah as the One who would bring low God’s proud enemies and then lead God’s people up Mount Zion to inherit God’s eternal kingdom (Heb. 12:18–24).

In Jonah we see him as the faithful prophet who won’t run from unworthy sinners but instead was swallowed by the whale of God’s wrath until he came forth alive three days later to call people to repentance. And rather than pouting outside the city in rebellion, his blood was poured outside the city to redeem them (Matt. 12:41; Luke 19:10; Heb. 13:12).

In Micah he was the ruler promised to be born in Bethlehem (“house of bread”) and was himself the bread of life given from heaven to feed a famished world (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1).

His work was foretold in Nahum as the One who took on himself the just judgment God’s enemies deserved in order to make them his friends (Rom. 5:8).

In Habakkuk he was the One whom the prophet pointed to when he said the righteous shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38), and the One whom God used evil for good in a way so marvelous that no one would believe even if they were told (Hab. 1:5; Acts 13:41).

In Zephaniah he is the sovereign Lord who establishes the kingdom by taking the judgment the people deserve and restoring to them all that sin has stolen away (Acts 15:12–17; Heb. 12:13).

In Haggai he is alluded to when the prophet promised the glory of God would come to the temple. He is that glory who entered the temple as the greater Zerubbabel (Matt. 21:12–17).

In Zechariah he is the victorious King who comes humbly riding on a donkey. He is the mighty branch who would spread out its limbs and build the Lord’s temple. And he is the One they should look on and see that they had pierced, and it should lead them to mourn and grieve bitterly over him (Zech. 9:9, 11:12–13; Luke 19:35–37; Matt. 26:15).

And then he would have concluded in Malachi, showing that he is the faithful priest who stood up in Lord’s temple and rebuked the people for their lame and empty offerings—and then offered himself as the perfect sacrifice (Matt. 21:12–13; Heb. 9:14–27). His forerunner, John the Baptist, came in the promised spirit of Elijah to point Israel to Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness who rose with healing in his wings (Luke 1:17, 78; Matt. 11:14; John 1:4; 8:12; Rev. 22–24).

As Jesus walked with those disciples on the Emmaus road, he interpreted for them the golden thread of grace that holds every bit of the Old Testament together. He opened their eyes to see that every prophecy, picture, and promise of God finds its “yes” and “amen” in himself (2 Cor. 1:20).

Reading the Old Testament to find Jesus isn’t meant to be like playing “Where’s Waldo?”—looking behind every tree for a cross or every chair for a throne. We do, however, find both explicit teachings and also implicit themes that push us to know that something, or someone, greater must come to fulfill them. Jesus proved this true that day following his resurrection.

Let us be people who read the Old Testament with eyes opened, anticipating the Christ to whom its pages point.

If you’d like to learn more about how to read the Old Testament through the lens of Christ’s fulfillment I commend the following works:

• How Does the Old Testament Point to Jesus? by Bryan Chapell (video)

• How Jesus Fulfills the Law by Don Carson (audio)

• Developing the Skill of Seeing Christ in the Old Testament by Nancy Guthrie (audio)

• Jesus on Every Page by David Murray (book)

• The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund Clowney (book)

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/epic-bible-study-time/

The Greatest Need in the World

By Brad Wetherell

In the first paragraph of his classic book, Preaching & Preachers D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes:

“The most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and the most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also.” [1]

Is Lloyd-Jones right? Of all the needs in the church and in the world today, is faithful preaching actually the greatest?

Yes. And here’s why:

What is humanity’s deepest need?

Humanity’s greatest need is sight. We are all born blind. Not physically, but spiritually. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul makes a sweeping statement about our natural human condition. He writes:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Think about what he’s saying. The god of this world (note the small “g”) has blinded the minds of unbelievers. Satan’s greatest victory on planet earth is the blindness he has brought into the lives of every fallen human since Adam and Eve. What are we incapable of seeing? The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. From birth, the eyes of our minds and hearts cannot see the truth and the goodness and the beauty of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation and the Savior of sinners. And if we remain unable to see him and believe in him, we will go to hell. No one comes to the Father, except through Jesus (Jn. 14:6). “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Therefore, avoiding an eternity of wrath, and enjoying an eternity of glory, depends on the ability to see the truth about Jesus. And since everyone is naturally blind to this reality, what greater need could there possibly be than to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ?

The illuminating power of true preaching

Lloyd-Jones was wise to modify the word “preaching” with the word “true.” There is plenty of false preaching that will not do any church or any person any good. Preaching that proclaims a “gospel” reducing the blessing of Jesus to health, wealth, and prosperity in this life is false, and worthless. Preaching that proclaims a “gospel” calling men and women to work their way into a right relationship with God is false, and worthless. Preaching that proclaims a “gospel” promising the favor of God to all people of all religious persuasions regardless of their faith in Christ is false, and worthless.

But true preaching of the true gospel cures satanic blindness and imparts spiritual sight. Again, in 2 Corinthians 4 Paul writes, “What we proclaim [preach!] is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:5-6). When the true gospel is preached, in the same way that God said, “let there be light” at the beginning of creation, he opens the blind eyes of men and women to show them the light of the glory of Christ. Paul experienced this first hand, and the entirety of his ministry was focused on the kind of work that allows others to experience this miracle of grace, as well. “Him [Jesus] we proclaim [preach],” Paul writes to the Colossians, “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

In God’s grace, and by his power, true preaching opens blind eyes to the glory of Jesus and matures believers until the day we stand in his presence. There is no greater need on planet Earth than this.

You know this

Preacher, you know these things. You’re giving your life to proclaim the glories of Jesus because you know that his gospel is the power of God “for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). And yet, as the years pass and perhaps you don’t see as many blind eyes opened as you desire, it can be tempting to divert from the course. Resist this. Resist the pull toward novelty for novelty’s sake. Resist the pull to tweak your teaching that it might better align with the contemporary mood. Resist the pull to water the message down. Don’t lose heart. Renounce underhanded ways. Refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word (2 Cor. 4:1-2). Preach the gospel, and leave the results in God’s sovereign hands.

Christian, you know these things. You see the glory of Jesus because someone preached the gospel to you. Pray for your pastor, asking God to keep him faithful to this task. Pray for his preaching, asking God to use it to open the eyes of many more and to mature you in your own faith. And proclaim Christ yourself, whenever the opportunity comes, that more people might see what you see.

The day is coming when every eye will see Jesus (Rev. 1:7). For those who see him in this life, that day will be full of joy, leading into an eternity of glory. For those who do not see him in this life, that day will be full of sorrow, leading to an eternity of shame. Seeing the glory of Christ now, and responding in faith, is the most urgent and important matter we face. And that is why preaching the glory of Christ, and calling people to faith, is the most urgent and important and greatest need of the world.

_____

1. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching & Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 17.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2021/01/greatest-need-in-the-world/

Memorizing Scripture

H.B. Charles Jr.

He was in the wilderness. He was exhausted. He was hungry and thirsty. He was alone. He was attacked by the Devil. He was armed with the word of God. He was victorious. With confidence in the sacred scriptures, Jesus prevailed against the tempter’s deceitful schemes (see Matt. 4:1-11). The Lord defeated Satan with three verses from Deuteronomy. How much more can you and I resist temptation, live obediently, and endure hardship if we get the word of God into our hearts and minds through scripture memorization?

There are very few spiritual disciples that are more beneficial than scripture memorization. It arms you with truth to resist temptation. It renews your mind as you meditate on scripture. It shapes and strengthens your prayer life, enabling you to pray the scriptures back to God. It makes the wisdom of God readily available for decision-making. It arms you with biblical authority for counseling fellow-believers or witnessing to lost people. It gives comfort in times of grief, sorrow, and persecution. And it fills your mind and mouth with truth to offer as grateful praise to God in worship.

Here are seven steps you can take to begin and stay on track down the narrow but life-giving path of scripture memorization.

1. Have a plan. When left alone, good intentions suffocate spiritual progress. Godly desires must have the fresh air of practical commitments in order to breathe and live and grow. So establish a definite plan for scripture memorization – a plan that works for you. Decide when you will do it. Select what verses you are going to memorize. Have a plan and establish measurable, challenging, attainable goals.

2. Start small. Don’t begin by telling yourself that you are going to memorize a chapter a week. No you’re not. And your failure will only discourage you in the future. Remember, each victory will help you another to win. So start small and build on your successes. One or two verses a week is a good place to begin.

3. Select verses that are meaningful to you. The Bible is filled with hundreds of verses worth memorizing. Many profitable Bible memory systems are also available. And pastors and teachers may encourage you to memorize certain passages. Draw from all of these sources for ideas. But also select your own memory verses. Choose passages that are meaningful to you and that you find helpful.

4. Make memory cards to keep with you. Write out the verse on a card that you can take wherever you go. And when you have spare moments – on a break, in a waiting room, or between activities – you can read, review, and recite your memory verses.

5. Get a Bible memory partner. Do you have a prayer partner? If not, you should. A good prayer partner can give you support, hold you accountable, and celebrate victories with you. A good Bible memorization partner can do the same. Iron sharpens iron. So consider partnering with someone for mutual support in memorizing scripture.

6. Keep practicing your verses. Scripture memorization does not come easy for most of us. But don’t be too quick to blame it on a poor memory. Scripture memorization is spiritual warfare. But our spiritual enemy cannot prevail against the word of God. So keep practicing your verses until you get them down. Then constantly review them. Remember, repetition is the key to memorization.

7. Pray for God’s help. Do you fear that you cannot memorize scripture? Tell God about your fears. Do you need strength to remain focused? Ask the Lord for it. Do you need wisdom for selecting verses or managing your quiet time? Pray with confidence for these things. God is glorified as you learn to think and behave biblically. So labor and pray and trust the Lord to help you to make the word a treasure in your heart, so that you might not sin against him (Ps. 119:11).

Posted at: https://hbcharlesjr.com/resource-library/articles/on-memorizing-scripture/

Parents, the Bible is God-Breathed for Your Teen

Dennis Colton

Do you remember when you got your first Bible? I received mine in kindergarten, at church. It was a big deal. But by the time I reached my teen years, the Bible had lost some of its luster. I knew I was supposed to read it, but it just felt overwhelming and confusing. It was more exciting to play a video game than to read a book I barely understood.

Parents, does this sound like the teenager living in your home? Teens need help with their questions and understanding of the Bible. Yet, the Bible can come alive for them, and parents can lead the way.

Key Questions to Help Your Teen Find Life in Scripture

1. What is the Bible?

Your teen may have questions about the Bible. This comes with growing and maturing. They have to learn for themselves that the Bible is God’s word—not just a book of stories. Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Strike up a conversation with your teen about how we can know God without the Bible. God is invisible, and we don’t hear his audible voice. We can catch glimpses of his glory in nature, but only through the Bible can we know who he is or what he is like. God chose to reveal himself to us through the Bible. This is how we can know him.

Teens also may wonder if they can really trust the Bible. The answer is key. In addition to archeological and historical evidence that continues to support the Bible, believing that the Bible is God-breathed helps us gain trust in its words. 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us that God spoke through human authors as they were “carried along by the Holy Spirit.” God worked through human authors to reveal himself. As we read the Bible, it is like reading no other book. It is God’s words to us.

As teens grow and develop, they need to make their faith and beliefs their own. Parents, you can help them in this process by initiating conversations about the Bible as the primary way to know and trust God.

2. Why is the Bible important?

The “Why?” question is critical for teens.  Why does the Bible matter? Just as they might ask “when am I ever going to use this in real life” as they study algebraic equations, they also want to know why reading the Bible is worth their time.

Many teens know the Bible is a source of truth about right and wrong—and that is important in our age of relative truth. However, your teen needs to know the Bible is far more than a rulebook.

The Bible teaches us how to know God personally and how to be with him for eternity. Paul says the Holy Scriptures can make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). The Bible is able to lead your teen to eternal life through faith in Jesus.

Have you ever read a passage of the Bible and found God was speaking directly to you in that moment? The words leapt off the page and penetrated your heart. Maybe you had read the same verse a hundred times before, but on this day God spoke to you. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

God speaks to teens today, through his word. Teens not only need to hear this, but they need to see it. So, don’t just talk about it generally. Get specific about what you are learning about God from his word. Share how you are being changed by reading the Bible. If teens see fruit in their parents’ lives, they will be motivated to pursue that for themselves. Teens want to hear God’s voice, and it will be helpful for them to see, in your life, that the Bible is God’s primary way of communicating to us.

Teens and parents often ask me, “How do I know what God wants me to do?” To really hear God’s voice, we have to read his word. Of course, God can use other people as a means of speaking to us what he wants us to know or think about. And God uses his Spirit to instruct us as we pray. Yet, how do we know if what we learn from other people or from prayer is truly in line with God’s will for our lives? We can only know by measuring it against his word. God will never contradict his own, eternal word. Your teens want to hear from God, so help them understand the Bible’s importance as the primary way that God speaks today.

3. How can I understand the Bible?

My wife recently ordered a table on the internet. It came in a small, well-packaged box. Inside were dozens of parts and a single instruction page, with sketchy pictures and poorly-worded steps of assembly. It didn’t take long before I wanted to give up, box it up, and send it back to Amazon! Sometimes the Bible can feel like this. Teens will struggle to read the Bible if they don’t feel like they can understand it. Here are three simple ways you can help your teen persevere in reading the Bible.

a. Remind your teen of the purpose. Reading the Bible isn’t an assignment to check off. The goal is to hear from God. There is no need to rush through it. The Psalmist says, “I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Ps. 77:12). It is more fruitful to ponder one verse, meditate on it, and let God speak to you personally than to read a whole chapter and forget everything you read. Teens are learning to hear God’s voice, and this takes time.

b. Encourage your teen to make a commitment. Help your teens approach Bible reading with a goal. Maybe they commit to reading and meditating on God’s word each day before school. Maybe your family decides to read through a certain book of the Bible at the same time. Parents and teens can hold each other accountable by talking about what God is saying to each of you through his word.

c. Guide your teen in making a plan. It can be helpful to adopt some structure in reading God’s word. While read-the-Bible-in-a-year plans are well organized, they are often overwhelming for teens. It may be more helpful to focus on one particular book of the Bible that is easily accessible, such as Proverbs, Philippians, Acts, or one of the gospels. If your teens have specific questions or needs, you can guide them to additional passages of Scripture that address these areas.

It is not uncommon for teens to struggle with reading the Bible. Yet, with a parent’s gentle instruction and active modeling, they can move past some of the common roadblocks that hold them back from finding life in the word of God. The Bible can be a light for their path through the challenging teen years.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/10/bible-god-breathed-for-your-teen/

Psalm One And The Ideal Bible Reader

David Bell

In the book of Psalms, the reader finds that by mixing poetry with lyricism, the psalmist seems to have a line for everything. The first psalm is my personal favorite. This text is rich and the vivid imagery helps the reader understand the point the psalmist is making. Psalm One lays out what the ideal reader of the Bible is like through each of the six verses. This ideal Bible reader is one we can aspire to be like.

The book opens in Psalm 1:1-2 by stating that the blessed man is the one who does not walk with the wicked, stand with sinners, or sit in the place of scoffers. Here we see three actions that the psalmist exhorts the reader to avoid. First, avoid behaving based on the advice of the wicked. Second, avoid giving too much honor and respect to the journey of the sinner. Third, avoid dwelling in the habitation of the scoffer. Overall, the believer is called to avoid living as the world does and avoid the influences of those who are wicked, living in sin, or scoffers.

The blessed person instead delights in God’s law and in following God. The result is found in verse three and the psalmist states that it is like being a tree planted by streams of water. The imagery here tells of a tree that is right near its source of nourishment. For the believer, our main source of nourishment must be scripture. The person who is rejoicing and delighting in God’s way is planted right by the very nourishment that they need which means that this person will never run dry. This also means they will never have to wonder from where their satisfaction will come. Furthermore, this person yields fruit at the appointed time. Not only is this individual right by the nourishment they need, but they are also fruitful in their life.

Contrasting this person in verse four is the wicked who are described as being like chaff that the wind drives away. I think of a tumbleweed here. While the tree is immovable because of its roots, the tumbleweed floats wherever the wind takes it. Not only is the wicked person moving from place to place by the movements of the wind, they also do not share the same future as the righteous person. Verses 5-6 state that the wicked will not stand in the same place as the righteous and that the Lord knows the way of the righteous. The question that arises from the text is “Which person am I?”

Do you rejoice in God’s Word or is it a burden to you? Do you enjoy following God or is it sometimes a hindrance? Christian, we must rejoice in the Word. This is the way the sovereign God has chosen to reveal Himself to us and we must take full advantage of this medium.

David Bell

David Bell is the Student Associate at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He is also an M.Div student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can follow him on Instagram at @davidkbell_

posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/psalm-one-and-the-ideal-bible-reader/

Context Matters: Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing

 BY RYAN HIGGINBOTTOM

Perhaps you’ve heard that no one can do anything apart from Jesus. You may have been told this saying refers to our complete reliance upon God. Or, you may have read this phrase during leadership or evangelism training, urging your frequent communication with Jesus.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible in context—not just as a collection of memorable phrases—we’ll find that some familiar verses take on richer and deeper meanings.

The Vine and the Branches

The phrase “apart from me you can do nothing” is just a portion of John 15:5. This is part of a long conversation Jesus has with his disciples on the evening of the Last Supper, after Judas departs (John 13:30). Jesus tells them he is the vine and his father is the vinedresser (John 15:1); God takes away branches that do not bear fruit, and he prunes every fruit-bearing branch (John 15:2).

Because of their parallel nature, we need to read John 15:4 and John 15:5 together.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

In the immediate context, “you can do nothing” is related to “bear[ing] fruit” and “apart from me” stands opposite to “abide in me and I in him.” We cannot know Jesus’s full meaning in John 15:5 without understanding “abiding” and “bearing fruit.”

Abiding

In one way, the metaphor of the vine and branches makes clear the meaning of “abide.” Branches draw nourishment and life from the vine; without that connection, they die.

Abiding in Jesus is not an extra level of discipleship—it is essential! He is life itself; anyone who does not abide in Jesus is thrown away like a branch from the vine and burned (John 15:6).

Abiding in Jesus is also connected to both Jesus’s words and his love. If anyone abides in Jesus, his words abide in them, and their prayers will be answered (John 15:7). Jesus tells the disciples not just to abide in him but to abide in his love (John 15:9). He then explains what this means—if the disciples keep Jesus’s commandments, they will abide in his love (John 15:10). Jesus teaches this not as a burdensome duty but so their joy will be full (John 15:11).

We should also notice the similarity between the words “abide” and “abode,” or dwelling. Unfortunately, some translations obscure this link. Jesus is going to prepare a place for his disciples in his father’s house (dwelling); he wants them to be where he is (John 14:2–3). He speaks of his connection with the father as “the father abiding in me” (John 14:10, NASB). Throughout this discourse, Jesus’s relationship with his disciples shares many features of his relationship with his father.

Any disciple that wants to bear fruit must abide in Jesus and Jesus must abide in them (John 15:5). This mutual abiding, along with the other context summarized above, points to a unity, knowledge, obedience, and love that is life-sustaining and supernatural.

Bearing Fruit

As with abiding, bearing fruit goes hand-in-hand with following Jesus. Jesus says that bearing fruit is the way a person proves to be a disciple (John 15:8). In the metaphor of the vine and branches, bearing fruit is what normal, healthy branches do.

If anyone loves Jesus, they will keep his commandments (John 14:15), and thus we see a connection between bearing fruit and keeping Jesus’s commands. Jesus knows that we need help in this calling, which is why he promises to send “another helper”—the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). The Spirit abides with the disciples and will be in them (John 14:17, NASB).

We see this essential link between love, obedience, and the presence of God in John 14:23.

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23, NASB)

So bearing fruit is a Spirit-powered yet normal part of being a disciple of Jesus. And it happens as we abide in, love, and obey Jesus.

Abide in Him

Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. When we read this verse in context we see that Jesus is not primarily warning against self-reliance nor dismissing the contributions of non-Christians. Yes, he is drawing a sharp line between those who follow him and those who do not. But this is a call to life.

Those connected to the vine are animated by the life-giving Spirit, and they are fruit-bearing by nature. Apart from the vine, there is no nutrition, no life, no fruit.

Context matters.

Posted at: https://www.knowableword.com/2020/04/13/context-matters-apart-from-me-you-can-do-nothing/

What Does It Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth?

BY SAM STORMS

Many Christian are familiar with the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4. But not everyone can explain what Jesus meant when he said the Father is seeking men and women who will worship him “in spirit and truth” (v. 23).

To say that we must worship God “in spirit” means, among other things, that it must originate from within, from the heart; it must be sincere, motivated by our love for God and gratitude for all he is and has done. Worship cannot be mechanical or formalistic. That does not necessarily rule out certain rituals or liturgy. But it does demand that all physical postures or symbolic actions must be infused with heartfelt commitment and faith and love and zeal.

But the word “spirit” here may also be a reference to the Holy Spirit—there’s disagreement among good Bible scholars. The apostle Paul said that Christians “worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).

It’s the Holy Spirit who awakens in us an understanding of God’s beauty and splendor and power. It’s the Holy Spirit who stirs us to celebrate and rejoice and give thanks. It’s the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see and savor all that God is for us in Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit who, I hope and pray, orchestrates our services and leads us in corporate praise of God.

Don’t Omit Truth

This worship, however, must also be “in truth.” This is easier for us to understand, for it obviously means that our worship must conform to the revelation of God in Scripture. It must be informed by who God is and what he is like.

Our worship must be rooted in and tethered to the realities of biblical revelation. God forbid that we should ever sing heresy. Worship is not meant to be formed by what feels good, but by the light of what’s true.

Genuine, Christ-exalting worship must never be mindless or based in ignorance. It must be doctrinally grounded and focused on the truth of all we know of our great Triune God. To worship inconsistently with what is revealed to us in Scripture ultimately degenerates into idolatry.

Both/And

Some prefer to worship only “in S/spirit” but couldn’t care less about truth. In fact, they think focusing on truth has the potential to quench the Spirit. The standard by which they judge the success of worship is the thrills and chills they experience.

Now, make no mistake, worship that doesn’t engage and inflame your emotions and affections is worthless. Jesus himself criticized the worship of the religious leaders in his day by saying that whereas they honor God “with their lips,” their “heart is far from” him (Matt. 15:7–9). True worship must engage the heart, the affections, the totality of our being. But any affection or feeling or emotion stirred up by error or false doctrine is worthless.

Any affection or feeling or emotion stirred up by error or false doctrine is worthless.

Others prefer to worship only “in truth” and are actually offended when they or others feel anything or experience heightened emotions. Not long ago I heard one evangelical pastor say, “I often wish that we wouldn’t sing or have music, but that I could simply see and say the words or the lyrics that express biblical truth. I don’t like being distracted by the emotions that rise up in me when we sing to musical accompaniment.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. By all means, let us sing only what is true. But to do so without affection and feeling and heartfelt emotion is unthinkable. Perhaps you’ve seen this statement by John Piper, one worth seeing again:

Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full . . . of artificial admirers. . . . On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the disciple of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship.

Heat and Light

Many would insist this is simply impossible. The human soul, they say, can’t simultaneously hold such seemingly conflicting realities. You’ll eventually default to one side or the other.

Some insist you can’t focus on the truths of God’s Word without turning into an hyper-intellectual, arrogant elitist, while others argue you can’t cultivate heartwarming, emotionally uplifting celebrations without deviating from Scripture and succumbing to unbridled fanaticism.

I beg to differ.

Better still, Jesus begs to differ. The Bible itself begs to differ. God forbid that we should ever find ourselves individually or as a church failing to worship God in both S/spirit and truth. Genuine, Christ-exalting worship, after all, is the fruit of both heat and light. The light of truth shines into our minds and instructs us about who God is. Such light in turn ignites the fire of passion and affection and the heat of joy, love, gratitude, and deep soul-satisfaction.

Some will inevitably conclude that there’s too much emotion at Bridgeway, where I serve as pastor, while others insist there’s too much doctrine. Some will say we’re too experiential in our worship, while others contend we’re too theological. Personally, I don’t think you can be too much of either, so long as both are embraced and God is honored.

None of this means you have to worship the way other people at your church do. If the truth of God’s Word moves you to lift your hands, dance, or shout aloud, God bless you. If the truth of God’s Word leads you into solemn reverence, as you remain seated and immovable, God bless you.

But let’s make certain that in either case we are worshiping in both S/spirit and truth. For it is just such people the Father is seeking.

Sam Storms (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, The University of Texas) is lead pastor for preaching and vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, founder of Enjoying God Ministries, and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He has authored numerous books, including Practicing the Power. He and his wife, Ann, have two children.

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-does-it-mean-to-worship-god-in-spirit-and-truth/

Big Brains and Diseased Heart

Paul Tripp

Has your personal study of the Word of God informed and enlarged your brain without convicting and transforming your heart?

When I was a younger pastor, I was exegeting my way through Romans, engulfed in an intoxicating world of language syntax and theological argument. I labored over tenses, contexts, objects, and connectors. I studied etymologies and the Pauline vocabulary.

Countless hours of disciplined private study were represented by page upon page of notes. It was all very gratifying. I felt so proud that I had filled my notebook with copious notes on Romans.

Then one evening, it hit me. It was a sweet moment of divine rescue by the Holy Spirit. I had spent hours each day for months studying perhaps the most extensive and gorgeous exposition of the gospel that has ever been written, yet I had been fundamentally untouched by its message.

My study of the Word of God had been a massive intellectual exercise but almost utterly devoid of spiritual, heart-transforming power.

You may never exegete an entire book of the Bible, but God does call you to be a diligent student of his Word. But here’s the danger: because of remaining sin and self-righteousness, our study of Scripture could leave us with big theological brains and untouched and diseased hearts.

Could I be describing you? Here are three signs of an untouched and diseased heart that I have experienced, even after studying passages that speak directly to these symptoms!

Anxiety

In Matthew 6, Christ asks his followers, “Why are you anxious?” He explains that it makes sense for the Gentiles (unbelievers) to be anxious because they don’t have a heavenly Father, then reminds us that we have a Father who knows what we need and is committed to delivering it.

As you study the Word of God and see evidence of his past, present, and future provision splashed across every page (Phil. 4:19, 2 Pet. 1:3, etc.), does it give your heart rest? If this theology informs your brain but does not capture your heart, the anxieties of life will likely influence how you live.

Control

I am convinced that rest in this chaotic world, submission to authority, and a willingness to give and share control all arise from a sure knowledge that every single detail of our lives is under the careful administration of One of awesome glory.

As you memorize verses like Daniel 4:35, Psalm 135:6, and Isaiah 46:10, does it create peace in your heart? When the theology of God’s sovereignty moves beyond your brain and transforms your heart, you won’t have to be in control of everything and everyone in your life.

Addiction

Whenever you ask creation to do what only the Creator can do, you are on your way to addiction. I’m not talking about life-destroying addictions that require a rehabilitation center, but anything (however small) that provides a temporary retreat or pleasure or buzz that you return to again and again. When the joy of Christ isn’t ruling your heart, you are rendered more susceptible to some form of everyday addiction.

As you study the Word of God, are you searching for heart and life-transforming pleasure? (The pleasure of knowing, serving, and pleasing Christ: see 2 Cor. 5:9, 1 Thes. 4:1, Eph. 5:10) Some Christians get way too much pleasure from being theogeeks!

I am not suggesting at all that your Bible study cannot include any scholarly components. But whenever you search the Scriptures, it should be a time of worship and not just education.

Each time you open the Word of God, you should be looking for your beautiful Savior, whose beauty alone has the power to overwhelm any other beauty that could capture your heart.

God bless,

Posted on Paul’s Tripps Wednesday’s Word email.

The Image of God: Three Important Questions

Colton Tatham

Genesis is a word that simply means beginning.

Here in chapter one, we find both the beginning of the Bible and the beginning of Creation. We learn that we have a God who can create energy, matter, waves, time, life, and us by his very words. I find this to be an awesome truth about God! Our God is the glorious Creator. And out of everything God could have created, it is incredibly humbling to think that he created you and me.

In verse 27, God reveals to us a truth that should shape our entire view of humanity and his creation: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The God who created the heavens and the earth tells us this: We are made in his image. This is a very beautiful, complex reality, so let’s unpack three important questions that arise from this truth in Genesis chapter one.

Q1: What does it mean to be made in the image of God?

There are several ways that I think Christians can faithfully answer this question, but before we do, follow along with me in Genesis 1:26-27:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

First, to be created in God’s image means that we have been given a unique status, a divine dignity as human beings. It means that God has set us apart and made us a very special creation in this world. As Christians we cannot forget the significance of this special honor that God has bestowed upon all humanity.

Secondly, to be created in God’s image means that God himself has determined how we ought to live. It means that God has made us to live his way rather than our own way. J.I. Packer once described this word “image” in Genesis as “representative likeness.” In other words, God created human beings to represent himself through us on earth.

What do these truths mean for us as Christians? We must remember that all people, since the fall of Adam and Eve, have abused the privileged status of being called God’s image bearers. Our fallen sin nature can thus make it difficult for us to walk in holiness and love other people. But as Christians God is using us to restore his image among his fallen image bearers, whom he loves! These verses from Genesis should compel us to love all people as God’s creation, as we share the good news of powerful healing that is found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This should also compel us to live as Christ, in true righteousness and holiness.

Q2: How can God’s broken image bearers be restored?

Before we answer this question, it is important that we emphasize something about our created nature as human beings. When man became sinful, human beings did not stop being God’s image bearer. Though our ability to reflect God’s image is tainted by sin, we can still reflect God’s glory through our lives.

This is why by God’s common grace, evil people can still do good things. Reflecting God’s image is hardwired into how we were created, and it is fundamentally what makes us human. To be human is to reflect God’s glory, to be unhuman is to sin against God. Like a mirror that cracks, a cracked mirror doesn’t stop being a mirror. It just becomes a distorted reflection of what it’s supposed to be.

I think that most of us deep down know that we are spiritually broken. The danger we face is that we look in all the wrong places for restoration. Some of us are deceived into thinking that we can fix ourselves if we just live a good enough life or right enough wrongs. Others of us know we can’t fix ourselves so we try to live life to the fullest, indulging in all this world has to offer us.

How can God’s image bearers be restored? Not by themselves, or by the world, but by Christ alone. Through God’s grace we no longer belong to this fallen world, because in Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The reason why Jesus can restore us is not only that he was in the beginning of creation, but that he lived the perfect life as the incarnate Son of Man, fully human and fully God. In doing so Jesus became the purest reflection and example of God’s glorious image on earth. In other words, he was the perfect mirror without any scratch, crack, chip, or smudge.

Q3: If I’ve been restored, then what next?

Our last question has to do with the process of sanctification. This is the way we honor God by pursuing holiness with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is full of ways that we should respond to the gospel and reflect God’s glory.

One way is to pursue obedience to God. God wants us to conform our will to his will, so we turn from former sins and put God’s interests ahead of our own. We also spread the good news of salvation, whether that take us to our neighbor across the street or to the unreached across the globe.

Another way we honor God is by relying on him for spiritual nourishment and fellowship. For this, God has given us his Word and Holy Spirit to help us grow in our relationship with him. He also gives us the Church, the Body of Christ, to grow relationally with other believers who have been transformed by the gospel. Image bearers must also rely upon God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ during times when we go astray.

We should also respond to God in worship. Praise him for the grandeur and goodness of his creation that reflects his handiwork. Praise God for making light to see, and night to rest. Praise God for making water, land and sky. Praise God for every sunny day and starry moonlit night. Praise God for filling this world with birds and fish and animals of every kind. Praise God for making you after his likeness.

And best of all, praise and thank God for restoring you in Jesus Christ.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/02/the-image-of-god-three-important-questions/