The Offensively Ordinary Steps to Godliness

by Scott Hubbard

If you are in Christ, God has placed in your heart a hunger for holiness. Holiness is no longer the cramped closet you thought it was, but rather a garden of pleasures, an echo from heaven, the beauty of Eden rediscovered. You are not content merely to be counted righteous in Christ (glorious as that is); you yearn also to become righteous like Christ. You want to be holy as he is holy.

But how does holiness happen? How do stumbling, distracted pray-ers begin to pray without ceasing? How do worriers learn to roll even their biggest cares onto God? How does pride turn to poverty of spirit, apathy to zeal for righteousness, stinginess to an open hand, restlessness to relentless calm? How do we come not only to say, but to feel deep down, that Jesus Christ is the sum of all that’s good in life — that to know him is to live, and to die our greatest gain?

God teaches us how holiness happens all over his word, and yet we often overlook one prevalent lesson: very often, holiness hides in small things.

Offensively Ordinary

Consider, for example, how the apostle Paul talks about the pursuit of holiness in Ephesians. Throughout the first three chapters, Paul stretches before us the panorama of God’s redeeming love. In Christ, God has chosen us, forgiven us, and sealed us for eternity (Ephesians 1:3–14). He has resurrected us from spiritual death and seated us with Christ in the heavens (Ephesians 2:1–10). He has loved us with an everlasting love (Ephesians 3:14–19).

“If you are in Christ, God has placed in your heart a hunger for holiness.”

We might think the immediate response to such love would be just as panoramic. But in the next three chapters, Paul applies this gospel to the ordinary, the everyday, the small. For example: Speak the truth to each other (Ephesians 4:15). Reconcile quickly (Ephesians 4:26). Labor honestly at your job (Ephesians 4:28). Give thought to your words (Ephesians 4:29). Cultivate kindness and a tender heart (Ephesians 4:32). Honor Christ as a wife, husband, child, father, servant, master (Ephesians 5:22–6:9).

Though radical in their own way, these steps of obedience rarely attract the notice of a crowd. Many of them happen in forgettable moments and tucked-away places. Well might we say with Gustaf Wingren, “Sanctification is hidden in offensively ordinary tasks” (Luther on Vocation, 73). So ordinary, in fact, that we might just miss them if we’re not paying attention.

Eyes on the Ends of the Earth

In the pursuit of holiness, many of us fall into the fool’s error: “The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth” (Proverbs 17:24). The fool can peer into the distance with marvelous perception — and trip over a rock at his feet. We too can become so interested in the grand steps of obedience we hope to take in the future that we miss the “offensively ordinary” steps right in front of us.

A single man may dream of sacrificing himself for a wife and children one day, and yet fail to do his chores in the meantime. An aspiring missionary may pray to one day plant a church among the unreached, and yet neglect her present small group. A postgrad may aspire to one day start a nonprofit, and yet cut corners in his job as a cashier. A young Christian may long to remain steadfast under future trials, and yet grumble at her roommate’s dirty dishes.

In each case, tomorrow’s obedience has become the enemy of today’s. The alternative, Solomon tells us, is to become like the discerning, who “sets his face toward wisdom” (Proverbs 17:24). And setting our faces toward wisdom will mean, in the first place, setting our faces toward today: today’s responsibilities, today’s burdens, today’s conversations, today’s means of grace — trifling though they may seem.

The wise know that a Christian becomes holy much like a cathedral becomes tall: one stone at a time. And stones are offensively ordinary things.

Whatever You Do

The pursuit of holiness, then, is both easier and harder than many of us imagine: Easier because our growth in grace often happens gradually, one small step at a time. Harder because sanctification has now invaded all of life. Holiness is hidden in offensively ordinary tasks, and those tasks are all around us.

“For now, do not despise the day of small obedience.”

Paul tells the Colossians, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Our spiritual maturity rests in those words whatever and everything: obey God not only in the seen, but in the unseen; not only in the exceptional, but in the mundane; not only in the crisis moments of life, but in the seemingly casual moments strewn throughout our days.

The question we must ask, dozens of times every day, is not what God might have us do ten years from now, but rather “Will I obey God now, in this moment?” Will I stop the fantasy right as it starts? Will I pray instead of checking my phone (again)? Will I refuse my eyes a second glance? Will I speak the loving, uncomfortable word?

If that thought intimidates us, it should also cheer us. True, the Lord Jesus holds us accountable every moment; there is no such thing as “me time.” But he also stands ready at every moment to notice our faltering attempts at obedience and, wonder of wonders, to be pleased. Jesus will not miss the smallest deed done in his name, not even a cup of cold water given (Matthew 10:42), but will make note of it and prepare a fitting reward. For “whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8). And for whatever defects remain in our obedience (and defects there will always be), he has grace enough to cover them.

Begin Where You Are

Where, then, does this pursuit of holiness begin? It begins right where we are. In his Letters to Malcolm, C.S. Lewis offers “begin where you are” as a dictum for prayer. Instead of feeling pressure to open every prayer “by summoning up what we believe about the goodness and greatness of God, by thinking about creation and redemption and ‘all the blessings of this life’” (88), consider beginning smaller, even right where you are: thank him for the tree outside your window, the breakfast you just enjoyed, the child in the next room. For, as Lewis writes, we “shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest” (91).

A similar principle applies to our obedience. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10), Jesus tells us. Indeed, apart from a few exceptions, only those who have first learned to be faithful in little are able to be faithful in much. Little is the best training ground for much.

Trusting God with an afternoon’s ruined plans trains us to trust him with our children’s salvation. Giving sacrificially with a tight income readies us to do so with a comfortable one. Unashamedly speaking of Jesus before a neighbor prepares us, should the day ever come, to speak his name before persecutors. For now, do not despise the day of small obedience.

Today may not hold grand opportunities for obedience, cumulative moments where our character, formed over years, is put to the test. Those days will come if we live long enough. But today, our tasks are probably smaller: Ask for forgiveness. Renounce the shameful thought. Give the kids your full attention. Speak a surprising word of encouragement. Store God’s word in your heart. Begin where you are.

Scott Hubbard is a graduate of Bethlehem College & Seminary and an editor for desiringGod.org. He and his wife, Bethany, live in Minneapolis.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-offensively-ordinary-steps-to-godliness

The Essence of A Calvinistic Life

By Sinclair Ferguson

Calvinistic theology has always placed great emphasis on biblical and doctrinal knowledge, and rightly so. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). This transformation is a prerequisite for our worship, since it is by the Spirit’s illumination of our minds through Scripture that we gain understanding of God and His ways. But Calvinism—at least in its consistent forms—has never been merely cerebral. The history of Reformed Christianity is also the story of the highest order of spiritual experience. Calvinistic doctrine expressed in God-exalting words of praise leads to a distinctive Christian experience. The melody that is composed intellectually in Calvinistic theology and sung enthusiastically in Reformed worship also can be heard in the lifestyle and experience of Reformed Christians.

The seriousness of the Reformed world and life view means that, even when the melody is played in a minor key, it remains a melody. Indeed, to use a metaphor of Calvin, as this melody is played in the church, it becomes a glorious symphony blending the following motifs:

• Trust in the sovereignty of God.

• The experience of the power of God’s grace to save hopeless and helpless sinners.

• An overwhelming sense of being loved by a Savior who has died specifically and successfully for one’s sins.

• The discovery of a grace that has set one free to trust, serve, and love Christ while yet not destroying one’s will.

• The quiet confidence and poise engendered by knowing that God has pledged Himself to persevere with His people “till all the ransomed church of God is saved to sin no more.”

These motifs all conspire to give God alone the glory.

The essence of the Calvinistic life is living in such a way as to glorify God. This, after all, is the burden of the answer to the opening question of the Shorter Catechism written by the Westminster Assembly of Divines: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” Here is the ultimate surprise in Calvinism for many people: the glory of God and the enjoyment of man are not antithetical, but are correlated in the purposes of God.

The view that God’s glory diminishes man and robs him of pleasure is, in the light (or should one say “darkness”?) of Genesis 3, the lie about God that was exchanged for the truth (Rom. 1:25). It is satanic theology that plays God against man.

In sharp contrast, biblical theology that exalts God in His sovereign grace and glory opens the door for man to enter into a quite different order of reality. Here is offered the experience of, and delight in, the rich pleasures of restoration to fellowship with God, transformation into the likeness of Christ, and anticipation of being with Christ where He is in order to see Him in His glory (John 17:24).

Posted at: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/essence-calvinistic-life/

Grace Works Backwards

Jonathan Dodson

I’d been caught in an off-limits room making out with my girlfriend. This wasn’t the first time. I’d been warned over and over about breaking curfew, sneaking out to the pub, and going places I wasn’t allowed.

When Charles Price, the principal of Capernwray Hall, called me to his office I sheepishly made my way, firing off prayers for mercy.

When I arrived, I received mercy, just not the kind I was hoping for. As he expelled me from the Bible School where my parents met decades ago, Charles said, “Jonathan, one day you will thank me for this.”

I stepped out of the castle doors onto the crushed rock drive, turned back to wave goodbye to all my friends, and wiped the tears from my eyes. Shame, not gratitude, was on my heart.

SHAME ON ME

After returning to the States, I got involved in a college ministry where I was discipled for the first time. A staff member took me and my best friend under his wing. I was still a mess.

Although I was earnestly seeking Christ, studying the Bible, sharing my faith, and being discipled, I couldn’t keep my hands off women.

The dating relationship would start off alright: shared attraction to Christ, fellowship over eternal things, fun dates—but then things would get physical. I couldn’t say no. I slept with more Christian women than I want to admit.

“The tension between my flesh and the Spirit was so taut, it felt like just a nudge and my soul would rip in two.

Afterwards, I always felt guilty. The tension between my flesh and the Spirit was so taut, it felt like just a nudge and my soul would rip in two.

Guilt compounded into unbearable shame. One day, I sat in the driver’s seat of my little white car in the university parking lot. I was so weighed down by shame, I couldn’t go to class. Sobbing over the disrepute I’d heaped on the name of Jesus, I pulled out my pocket knife and pressed it to my flesh.

The wrist is where they always do it.

WARRING AGAINST THE FLESH

Then I was seized by a question: What would suicide do to my family and friends? If not for myself, then for them, I should go on living. But what was I to do with this weight around my neck, this war in my soul?

Eventually, I began living a sexually pure life. The tension between my flesh and the Spirit eased as the Spirit won out more consistently. I had a “gospel awakening”—I embraced the idea that Christ’s flawless obedience, not my moral performance, was the bedrock of my relationship with God.

“I embraced the idea that Christ’s flawless obedience, not my moral performance, was the bedrock of my relationship with God.

I began to live a moral life, not to measure up to God but because Christ measured up for me. Now I could obey, not to get love, but because I am already wildly loved in Christ. I matured in my faith, began discipling others, and took leadership positions in local churches.

Eventually, I got married to someone way out of my league, graduated from seminary, and became a pastor. But whenever we drove back home to visit my family, the old shame would creep up. Driving down the main street, I saw places where I’d slept with old girlfriends.

Everywhere I looked I saw failure.

GRACE CHANGES EVERYTHING—EVEN YOUR PAST

Then one day it hit me: I hadn’t allowed the gospel to work backwards. Sure, I was forgiven, but I hadn’t allowed God’s grace to seep back into my past. It was like I only saw myself as receiving grace from my gospel awakening forward. No wonder I saw failure everywhere I used to live.

“I begin to grasp that Jesus died not just for pre-Christian sins, but also post-conversion sins.

Then, in a stroke of mercy, I embraced God’s acceptance of the past version of myself. I begin to grasp that Jesus died not just for pre-Christian sins, but also post-conversion sins. I allowed the timeless, eternal gospel to touch down in other parts of my timeline. Redemption began to work in reverse.

The effect was liberating. The old shame lifted. Christ became sweeter. Sin became more bitter. Grace, all the lovelier.

Have you allowed Jesus to redeem your past? Are there places, stories, on your timeline where you need to let grace in?

ACCESSIBLE GRACE

Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). The Greek verb for “have peace” is continuous, meaning we are put right with God through Jesus Christ, which gives us continual peace with God!

God doesn’t wag a finger of shame at us because of Jesus. We are not defined by our failures because of Jesus. We are wildly loved and unflinchingly accepted because of Jesus.

The next verse says, “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:2). The Greek verb for “stand” means “to stand with ongoing effects.” This means there’s grace we’re meant to stand in, to enjoy ongoing peace.

Jesus invites us to stand in his grace and allow it to continually recondition us; to reinterpret the way we see ourselves by seeing ourselves the way he sees us. In Christ, God sees us as beloved, forgiven, righteous, accepted—forever!

BACK AND FORTH IN GRACE

God accepts all of us (past, present, and future) based on all of Christ—crucified and risen—for us. Grace works backwards and forwards.

I thank God I got kicked out of Capernwray. I deserved it, and worse. But God is rich in mercy. That mercy is sometimes stiff, but it’s always good. And the mercy he secured at the cross works backwards, as does his redeeming grace. Now, my heart is filled with gratitude.

A version of this article was first published in the Capernwray newsletter.

Jonathan K. Dodson (M.Div., Th.M.) is the founding pastor of City Life Church in Austin, Texas, and the founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship. He is the author of Here in Spirit; Gospel-Centered Discipleship, and The Unbelievable Gospel. He enjoys listening to M. Ward, smoking his pipe, watching sci-fi, and going for walks. You can find more at jonathandodson.org.

Posted at: https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/2019/7/12/grace-works-backwards

How to Fight When You Fail

Article by David Sunday

I’m not writing for those who think they’ve got little sin problems. If you imagine you’re getting an A-, or at least a C+, in self-sanctification, you probably won’t resonate with what I’m saying.

I’m writing for the Christian who’s reading this a few hours after you’ve fallen sexually. I’m thinking of the deacon who has just exploded in anger at his children. Or the campus ministry leader who went to college with every intention of following Jesus, but is now waking up with a hangover and can’t remember what she did the night before. I’m writing for the pastor who told a lie in last night’s elder meeting. Or the Bible study leader who became Peter-the-Denier when her upper-class neighbor asked her if she really thinks that everyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ will go to hell.

For all who are weary of struggling with sin, I want you to be able to face your most disappointing failures without drowning in despair.

Gutsy Guilt

Let me tell you about gutsy guilt. John Piper first introduced me to this idea — and his teaching on this has sustained and strengthened me for over a quarter of a century of being “tempted, tried, and sometimes failing.” Piper found an example of “gutsy guilt, bold brokenness, confident contrition, rugged remorse” in the words of the prophet Micah, who teaches us how to fight when we have fallen.

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
     I will wait for the God of my salvation;
     my God will hear me.
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
     when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
     the Lord will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord
     because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
     and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
     I shall look upon his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
     and shame will cover her who said to me,
     “Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
     now she will be trampled down
     like the mire of the streets. (Micah 7:7–10)

Do Not Delay

It seems counterintuitive to sin and then immediately to fall on your knees and say, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” We harbor in our hearts the false belief that, somehow, we have to pay for our sins — just a little.

But repentance isn’t groveling. You repent when you agree with God that your sin is wicked and flee to the only one who can do helpless sinners any good. So, what if after you’ve sinned you didn’t grovel for a week, but instead ran immediately to the Savior who “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15)?

Micah shows us that even at our very worst, there remains a God in heaven who will not reject repentant sinners. “Look to him,” Micah says — “the sooner, the better!”

Satan loves to tempt you, trap you, and then taunt you with your guilt. He loves to watch you wallow in the mire of your misery. He wants you to embrace failure as your identity. Micah says, “Don’t listen to those lies. Call on the Lord. Do not delay. Fight when you fail.” And he shows us how in verses 8–10.

Talk Back to the Enemy

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
     when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
     the Lord will be a light to me. (Micah 7:8)

Here is a vivid and dramatic rebuttal to Satan’s prosecution — a complete reversal of his accusatory strategy. The heart of faith defies despair. Faith refuses to believe that our sin is the end of God’s story for our life.

The tempter is a cruel tyrant who wants to terrify you with the greatness of your sins. Learn to turn his own weapon back on himself, like Martin Luther did:

When you say I am a sinner, you give me armor and weapons against yourself, so that with your own sword I may cut your throat and tread you under my feet, for Christ died for sinners. As often as you object that I am a sinner, so often you remind me of the benefit of Christ my Redeemer on whose shoulders and not on mine lie all my sins. So when you say I’m a sinner, you do not terrify me, but comfort me immeasurably.

Submit to God’s Discipline

I will bear the indignation of the Lord
     because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
     and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
     I shall look upon his vindication. (Micah 7:9)

Gutsy guilt doesn’t shrink from the real-life consequences of sin. The fiery wrath of God’s holy condemnation of our sin has been extinguished at the cross, but the fatherly anger of God’s displeasure at our sin is a sign of our adoption into his family. When God disciplines us, he treats us as his sons and daughters (Hebrews 12:7). His anger is bathed in love, aimed at restoration, and results in what is good for us.

God’s discipline is also temporary. Notice the hope-filled word until in Micah 7:9: “until he pleads my cause.” Here’s where Satan’s theology and the gospel collide. Satan says, “See how God is disciplining you? That’s proof he’s against you.” But the gospel says, “He will champion my cause and establish justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see his salvation.”

Yes, God is able to keep you from stumbling when you look to him for strength in the face of temptation. But when you do stumble, he is able to keep your stumbling from destroying you. He will “present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 24).

In the end, the enemy is going to witness the vindication of God’s blood-bought children. By grace, through faith, we will be righteous and shine like the sun in our Father’s kingdom (Matthew 13:43). And we will look upon the enemies of our soul, and see them trampled down like dirt and mud on the streets — it doesn’t get any lower than that. That’s Satan’s destiny (Micah 7:10).

Fuel for Our Fight

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
     and passing over transgression
     for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
     because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
     he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
     into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18–19)

When you fail, fall on him. He won’t resent your repeated returns to his throne of mercy. He’s not sighing or sulking when he sees you trembling at his feet. He delights to show mercy. As Richard Sibbes writes, “He is more ready . . . to forgive than you to sin; as there is a continual spring of wickedness in you, so there is a greater spring of mercy in God.”

Imagine being with Moses and the children of Israel on the far shore of the Red Sea. You’ve just watched Pharaoh and his army disappear into the depths of the sea, never to torment you again. Someday that’s what’s going to happen to your sin.

Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore,
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more. (“His Mercy Is More”)

Many a preacher has repeated this memorable saying — but when you’ve failed, it will do you great good to preach it to yourself: When God throws your sin into the sea of forgetfulness, he puts up a sign that says, “No fishing allowed.”

David Sunday is the senior pastor of New Covenant Bible Church in St. Charles, Illinois.

When the Lord Sets His Shears on You

James Williams

The cold grasp of Winter was losing its grip and being overpowered by the warm embrace of Spring.

My yard was transforming from brown to green and the eerie stillness morphing into buzzing insects and the smell of freshly-cut grass. Evenings spent near the fireplace were giving way to sunny outings in the garden planting veggies and pulling weeds.

Spring gardens require many tasks to thrive, one of which is pruning. I recently took a pair of scissors and went through the row of onions cutting the newly developed seed pods on the top of the plants. Then, I went to each tomato plant and cut off side shoots and "suckers."

If I don't prune these unnecessary growths, they will take nutrients and energy that would otherwise go to developing bigger fruit and healthier plants. While cutting off parts of the plant may look like I'm destroying it, I'm actually improving its health and ability to thrive because I know precisely what needs to be cut.

Sometimes we feel like life is “cutting” us unnecessarily; like the pain we experience is arbitrary. But behind those cuts, there’s a Master Gardener who knows exactly what he’s doing.

THE MASTER GARDENER

Jesus teaches in John 15, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

“For reasons I cannot comprehend, the Lord has a plan for my life to bring glory to his name.

For reasons I cannot comprehend, the Lord has a plan for my life to bring glory to his name. He takes a wretched sinner like me, gives me a new heart, and then begins the life-long process of sanctification. He intends to use all his children to carry out the works he has prepared for us to do, for we are his workmanship (Eph. 2:10).

To be fruitful branches, we must abide in the Vine for sustenance, as Jesus teaches in John 15:4: "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." Those who abide in him bear much fruit (v. 5).

SIDE SHOOTS AND SUCKERS

However, like the side shoots and suckers that show up on my tomato plants, sin and unnecessary weight (Heb. 12:1) threatens to distract and keep us from abiding in Christ.

Satan is often at work to tempt us and throw us off-course, and all too often our gullible and sinful hearts are obliging. Once God-centered desires become me-centered. Actions done for the good of others slowly morph into opportunities for personal gain.

Slowly but surely, these extra growths begin to thrive and jeopardize the possibility of healthy fruit. Recognizing this danger, the Master Gardener gets his shears and begins to cut away.

WHEN THE LORD SETS HIS SHEARS

The pages of Scripture illustrate the Lord's pruning in the lives of his children:

• Abraham's faith was pruned through years of waiting for the promise.

• Although he thought he hid his sin well, David learned the joy that comes through confession and repentance when the Lord brought his sin to light.

• Through loss and hardship, Naomi saw firsthand the provision of the Lord that turned her bitterness into worship.

• Peter learned the unconditional love of the Master through his denial and restoration.

• The Lord kept Paul humble and dependent by giving him a thorn in the flesh and denying Paul’s requests to remove it.

During Jesus's earthly ministry, he didn't avoid potentially awkward conversations but rather spoke directly to the person's sin struggle with truth and grace. He knew exactly what needed to be pruned and masterfully made his cuts.

“Reading about such pruning in others in encouraging, but it’s not so enjoyable when the Master Gardener sets his shears to my heart.

Reading about such pruning in others in encouraging, but it's not so enjoyable when the Master Gardener sets his shears to my heart. Pruning hurts, and I'd much rather avoid it. I see the Lord pruning through the everyday challenges, and I feel the shears pressing in when the demands of life seem too much to bear. But it might be that these cuts are leading me to Christ.

When bank accounts are red, relationships feel like war, and expectations are tossed like paper plates after dinner, it may very well be the Lord snipping away. He's cutting out my impatience by putting me in situations I can't control. He's chipping away at my anger through children who don't always obey. Difficult people in my life are perhaps the very shears God is using to prune the unloving growths in my heart.

WHEN THE LORD KEEPS CLIPPING

Knowing that the Lord is using such difficulties to prune me provides long-term hope, but it sure is painful in the moment. There are times the Lord keeps clipping and I’m not sure how much more I can bear. I don't always see the beauty in the midst of it because being pruned often feels like you're under attack.

But I know an experienced gardener doesn't prune the plant to hurt it, but to help it flourish. Because I desire more tomatoes and larger onions, I make the necessary cuts now. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5) are brought about by the needed cuts of our Master Gardener.

“An experienced gardener doesn’t prune the plant to hurt it, but to help it flourish.

He's given us the Word to show us who he is and how he's at work in this world. He gives us the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and lead us to holiness. He gives us the church to teach us and to lovingly confront the sin that we are blinded to. He put us in situations where we cannot rely on our own strength or wisdom, but solely on his. He's provided all we need for life and godliness.

At times, we can see the Lord at work and, even through the pain, understand the cuts he's making in our life. Other times, the Lord's pruning is beyond our understanding and mysterious to us.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PRUNING

Whether we understand or not, our call is to trust. We are not always aware of the unfruitful areas of our heart, but the Lord who knows the very hairs on our head also knows exactly where the pruning is needed. So he keeps cutting.

The beauty of it is that if the Lord continues to prune, then he hasn’t given up on us. How do we know? Well, the proof is in the pruning. Dead or fruitless plants are pulled up and thrown in the compost pile, not pruned. Each cut, though it hurts, is a reminder of the Lord's gracious work in our lives and the truth that he will continue the work he began in us (Phil. 1:6).

God is still working in his children to bear fruit for his glory; His cuts are not flippant and unnecessary, but precise and needed. The Master Gardener knows exactly what he is doing.

James Williams serves as  Associate Pastor at FBC Atlanta, TX. He is married to Jenny and they have three children and are actively involved in foster care. He is in the dissertation stage of a PhD in Systematic Theology. You can follow James on Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.

Posted at: https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/2019/6/5/when-the-lord-sets-his-shears-on-you

Spiritual Fruit Grows Slowly

By David Qaoud

I have braces. As a result, I must see an orthodontist every month. My conversation with her goes something like this:

She asks me how’s it going. I tell her it’s not going well. She asks me why. I tell her I’m not seeing any results. She affirms me that I am. I affirm her that I’m not. She points out areas of growth, and tells me to be patient. “See you next month,” she says. I leave.

Next month arrives.

She asks me how’s it going. I tell her it’s not going well. She asks me why. I tell her it’s the same as last month — I’m not seeing any results. She affirms me that I am. I affirm her that I’m not. She points out areas of growth, and tells me to be patient. “See you next month,” she says. I leave.

Next month arrives.

She asks me how’s it going. I say — you know, I think I’m starting to see some results, to which she replies, “I told you so!”

Is this the exact wording of our conversation? No. I am exaggerating to make a point, and my point is this: growth in life often happens at a frustratingly slow pace.

Such is the case with the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Those of us with fruit gardens know that fruit grows slowly, and often takes much time and thoughtfulness. When Paul uses this metaphor, he is reminding his audience that spiritual fruit is similar to physical fruit: both grow slowly.

As others have pointed out, your growth in the spiritual fruits should not be measured day-by-day, but year-by-year. Consider your growth, for example, with the fruit of patience. Do not ask yourself: “Am I more patient today than I was yesterday?” If you do, you are bound to be frustrated.

Instead, ask yourself: “Am I more patient today than I was five years ago?” If you walk with and obey Christ, the answer will be yes. The Holy Spirit is the One who grows these attributes in you; growth is inevitable as you obey him.

God is 100% committed to your sanctification. Play your part by appropriating the means of grace; healthy fruit does not grow with an irresponsible gardener. But don’t become restless when your growth doesn’t happen as soon as you’d like. The best fruit often arrives from a long season of tenderness, care, and patience on the part of the gardener. But the end result is worth it. Growth takes time.

10 Questions for Examining Yourself

Colin Smith

Examining your life is essential to your growth as a Christian believer. Seeing your own sins and failings will make it possible for you to confess, repent, find forgiveness, and grow in grace. These are the steps by which we move forward in the Christian life. If you can’t see your own failings, you can’t make progress.

Self-examination is also a dangerous business. Satan will try to subvert your self-examination by pulling you down into self-condemnation and despair. So be careful. While you have one eye focused on your sin and failure, keep the other eye focused on God’s grace given to you in Jesus Christ.

God has given two gifts to help you examine yourself successfully. These are his Word and his Spirit. The Word will show you sins and failings. The Spirit will open your eyes to see them.

Self-examination, rightly pursued, will bring great benefits to your Christian life.

Three Guidelines for Self-Examination

1. Be intentional.

Set aside a specific time to examine your own life. Find a place where you can be alone. Bring your Bible, a pen, and some paper. Expect God to show you things that need to be confessed and changed. You may choose to tell a friend that you have set aside time to examine your life. You might ask them to pray for you, and commit to share what God has shown you.

2. Be specific.

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see what is going on in your life. Read the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Work through the ten questions that follow, noting what God brings to your mind.

3. Be a believer.

Bring what God shows you to him in confession as a believer. Pray, believing in the blood of Jesus Christ shed, so that the sins you are confessing should be forgiven. Pray, believing in the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling you to change. Pray, with confidence that God is gracious and loving towards you, and that he is working in your life.

10 Questions for Examining Your Life

1. First Commandment: God

You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

What disappointments has God allowed in your life? How have these affected your love for him?

Pain and disappointment often reveal the degree to which we love and desire God’s gifts more than we love and desire him. Your confession will begin here.

2. Second Commandment: Worship

You shall not make for yourselves an idol. (Exodus 20:4)

In what ways would you want God to be different from who he is?

The desire for God to be different is idolatry. It shows discontent or dissatisfaction with who he is or what he does. This is sin and will be part of your confession.

3. Third Commandment: False Religion

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. (Exodus 20:7)

In what ways do you least reflect the image and likeness of God?

Being a Christian means that you bear the name of Christ. People make judgments about Christ by what they see in those who bear his name. Use this part of your confession to ask God for growth in areas where you need to better reflect his character.

4. Fourth Commandment: Time, Work, and Rest

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. (Exodus 20:8-9)

How could you improve what you offer in your working life? How can you better order your life so that you complete your work and preserve time for God and for other relationships God has entrusted to you?

God has set a pattern for your work and rest in the way that he created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The pattern of God’s work gives us a template for work, reminding us that God calls us to be productive and to find joy in the work that he has given us to do. Take a careful look at the vigor of your work and the balance of your life.

5. Fifth Commandment: Authority

Honor your father and your mother. (Exodus 20:12)

Who has God placed in a position of authority in your life? What are they saying to you? How are you responding?

Father and mother are the first authority figures God places in your life. Difficulty in submitting to others often indicates difficulties in submitting to God’s authority over your life. Examine yourself carefully here.

6. Sixth Commandment: Peace

You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

With whom are you most angry and frustrated at this time? Is there someone with whom you are looking to get even? Are you harboring resentment in your heart?

Our Lord traced murder back to its roots in anger (Matthew 5:22). You may not be able to bring healing to every relationship, but you can guard your own heart. Confess any bitterness in your heart to God. Ask him to cleanse it from your soul.

7. Seventh Commandment: Purity

You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

In what ways have you given expression to lust?

Jesus traced adultery back to lust in the heart (Matthew 5:28). Lust will destroy your soul if you feed it and allow it to grow in your life. Your thoughts reveal who you are in your heart. Make an honest confession to God as you examine this area of your life.

8. Eighth Commandment: Integrity

You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

How can I take less and give more?

God gives. Satan steals. The essence of stealing is that you take what God has trusted to someone else, but do not give what God has entrusted to you. Use this part of your self-examination to look at what you are taking from others and what you are giving back. Look especially at what you are receiving from God and what you are giving back to him.

9. Ninth Commandment: Truth

You shall not give false testimony. (Exodus 20:16)

What has God trusted to me?

In the ninth commandment God calls you to be a person who can be trusted. Make a list of what God has entrusted to you. Take an honest look at how you are being faithful or unfaithful with that trust. Ask God to prepare you for what he will entrust to you in the future.

10. Tenth Commandment: Contentment

You shall not covet. (Exodus 20:17)

What are the greatest desires of your heart right now? How do these relate to God’s purpose in your life?

All of our sins flow from the root problem of sin that lies in the human heart. Being a sinner, you desire the wrong things. You don’t find joy or satisfaction in the right things. That is why God gives you his Spirit to change and renew your heart. Use this final part of your self-examination to look beyond sins you have committed to sins that may be growing undetected in your heart. Ask God to cleanse your heart of wrong desires and to keep you from future sins.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2019/06/10-questions-for-examining-your-life/

God Invites You to Delight Yourself in Him

Randy Alcorn

Psalm 37:4 is a great but often misunderstood verse: “Delight yourselves in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Some people take this to mean that God will give us whatever we think we want. But the key part is “delight yourself in God.” When we delight in the Lord He often changes our heart’s desires to what most honors Him, then grants them to us. It’s not that we always get what we want, but that He teaches us to value and even want what He—in His sovereign and loving plan—gives us.

As we contemplate God, and ponder who He is, we will want what He wants. The desire of our hearts will be to hear Him say to us, “Well done.” And when that day comes, He will flood us with more joy than we can imagine. He will say, “Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21, 23).

But we don’t have to wait until we die to know how He wants us to live! He commands us, for His glory and our good, to delight in Him not just in Heaven forever, but also on this present earth, here and now. 

To delight in God is to be happy with Him and in Him. To do that, we must cultivate our relationship with Him just as we do with other people by spending time with Him, bowing our knee before Him as our Lord, and also spending time with Him as our friend. That’s how we get to know Him, by learning and meditating daily on what’s true about Him. (I recommend these great books: Knowing God by J. I. Packer,  The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, and Trusting God by Jerry Bridges.) 

In Bible study it’s always helpful to think about what the text says in contrast to what it does not say. It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” It doesn’t say, “Sit there and wait for the Lord to come and delight you.”

It’s active, not passive.  God doesn’t spoon-feed us His pleasures; we need to go to His banquet, reach out our hands, and select that delicious cuisine. As surely as it’s our responsibility to put good food in our mouths, it’s our responsibility to move our bodies to open His Word and move our minds toward God, and to seek to delight in Him!

While it’s true that God and His Word are nourishing, just knowing that won’t bring us to the table. We need to turn from our self-preoccupied thoughts and instead seek to cultivate our appetite for God: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!”(Psalm 34:8, HCSB).

When I contemplate Christ—when I meditate on His unfathomable love and grace—I lose myself in Him instead of in my hurts and disappointments and fears. When He’s the center of my thinking, before I know it, I’m happy.

Here’s the Good News Translation’s rendering of Psalm 37:4: “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire.” This corresponds to the words of Jesus: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33, NLT).

Augustine said, “Love God and do as you please.” At first this sounds shocking, but it fits perfectly with “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will grant you the desires of your heart.” When we find our happiness in God, we will naturally want to do what pleases Him. But it’s up to us to go to Him and ask for His help and empowerment to delight in Him.

God placed just one restriction on Adam and Eve in Eden, and when they disregarded it, the universe unraveled. On the New Earth, that test will no longer be before us. God’s law, the expression of His attributes, will be written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). No rules will be needed, for our hearts will be given over to God. We will always delight ourselves in the Lord and He will always give us the desires of our hearts.

Whatever we want will be exactly what He wants for us. What we should do will at last be identical with what we want to do. On God’s New Earth there will never by any difference between duty and delight!

But we don’t have to wait, and we dare not, to discover this. Let’s delight ourselves in Him so that we can enter into His happiness now, not just after we die.

Browse more resources on the topic of happiness, and see Randy’s related books, including Happiness.

Posted at: https://www.epm.org/blog/2019/May/31/god-invites-you-delight-yourself-him?mc_cid=f3b0f4c0d6&mc_eid=3c0fdc7348&fbclid=IwAR0Zn0kNzr8mSLFJTXH7CebxrJ52nVfD0YKaKno48CZXnIVMA-MU5Q1aB3g

With God All Things Are Possible Part 2

A Guest Post by Pat Quinn 

A Word from Bob: You’re reading Part 2 of a two-part blog mini-series by Pat Quinn. You can read Part 1 here: What You Signed Up for Is Impossible!

Hopeful and Liberating Truth 

In my last blog we looked at the story of the rich young man in Mark 10:17-27 to show that the kind of change that needs to take place in biblical counseling is simply beyond our power. We cannot move hearts to love God more than the world or radically change the direction of people’s lives. Jesus said:

“With man it is impossible.”

This is sobering but necessary truth. But he also said:

“All things are possible with God.”

This is hopeful and liberating truth. We’re going to look at the life and teaching of the apostle Paul to show how God does the impossible to change lives.

The Life of Christ in the Life of Paul 

Paul had all the advantages a Jewish man could want to seek acceptance with God: ritual purity, ethnic heritage, tribal status, political correctness, religious zeal, and legalistic blamelessness (Philippians 3:4-6). But as is so often the case, Paul corrupted these advantages by trusting in them as his righteousness (Romans 10:3). His self-righteousness led to an entrenched pride and fierce hatred for Jesus and his followers:

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).

Could there be a less likely follower of Jesus imagined? Could change ever seem this impossible?

What happened? Paul met Jesus on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-19).

The resulting change was so profound that later, this once violent persecutor, said:

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:7-9).

Jesus and the gospel had the power to do the impossible: change Paul from a hater and persecutor to a lover and missionary.

“All things are possible with God.”

So what might this look like in ordinary lives?

The Gospel of Christ in the Teaching Of Paul 

Ephesians 2:1-10 is Paul’s beautiful exposition of the power of the gospel to change lives. Notice how it flows from his own experience and how it gives great hope for personal change in our own lives and in those we counsel.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

7 Gospel Reminders 

How does Paul explain the impossible change God brings about in peoples’ lives?

1. In his rich mercy and great love He raises people who are “dead in trespasses and sins” to new (not merely improved) life in Christ. New Life.

2. He redirects people from following this corrupt world and its dark prince unto destruction in order to follow Christ Jesus the King unto eternal life. New Lord

1. He transfers our destiny from this present destitute world to the riches of the coming ages. New Destiny.

1. He liberates us from the slavery to our sinful passions and desires by His sovereign grace to walk in Christ-like obedience. New Freedom.

1. He transforms our identity from children of wrath to future rulers. New Identity.

1. He replaces our former misdeeds with good works that He has prepared for us. New Behavior.

2. He rescues us from proud self-sufficiency to humble gratitude. New Orientation.

Total transformation of heart and direction and identity and lifestyle and destiny. All by sovereign, free, irresistible, invincible, God-exalting, Christ-treasuring, Spirit-empowered grace.

“All things are possible for God.”

And He chooses to use us as His agents, ambassadors, instruments, and co-workers. This is profoundly humbling yet deeply encouraging:

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7).

Questions for Reflection

1. Which part of Jesus’ saying do you more resonate with as a counselor: “With man it is impossible” or “All things are possible with God”?

1. Why are both statements necessary for effective counseling?

Posted at: https://www.rpmministries.org/blog/

With God All Things Are Possible

Pat Quinn

8 Biblical Counseling Insights from Mark 10:17-27

1. The rich young man was eager for “counsel” from Jesus. He “ran up and kneltbefore him.” Sometimes people eagerly seek our counsel as well.

1. He had a clear counseling goal: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” His goal was not only clear, it was intentionally spiritual and he was ready to get to work! This makes counseling so much easier, right?

1. Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, met the young man where he was at: “You know the commandments,” although Jesus clearly had a deeper agenda for him. It also says that “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” This has all the makings of a successful counseling encounter.

1. Jesus saw into the young man’s heart and revealed the one thing that was keeping him from eternal life: his wealth. Jesus wanted to free him from his idol—“sell all that you have and give to the poor”—and to unite him to Himself—“And come, follow me.” Jesus knew that the freedom and fullness the young man desired could only be found in relationship to Him. How wonderful to so quickly get to the true issue and set forth a truly helpful and hopeful goal.

1. As the counseling conversation unfolds, we see both a harmony between the young man’s and Jesus’ counseling goals and a profound dissonance. Both wanted the young man to have eternal life. But the terms were radically different. The young man wanted to keep what he felt were doable commandments and also keep the wealth he found his identity and security in. Jesus wanted to free him from self-righteousness and love of wealth and give him true riches and abundant life. What happens when there is a clash of preferred outcomes?

1. Now comes the climax of the story: confronted by Jesus’ demand of radical discipleship, the young man “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” It’s striking and instructive that Jesus didn’t go after him or lower His demand. He let him walk away sorrowful. Has this happened to you, that what you offered as a biblical counselor was not what the counselee wanted?

1. Here’s where the title of this devotional comes from. Twice Jesus exclaimed “how difficult it is” for those who are rich to enter the kingdom. His disciples were dumbfounded and cried out, “‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’” What you signed up for is impossible.

1. There we have it. If we are aiming at the same things Jesus is in our counseling— a new heart orientation and life direction—we will find it humanly Humbling and sobering. But possible with God. Encouraging and hopeful.

Why is biblical counseling “impossible” for man and only “possible with God”?  John Piper says it well:

“This is the hardest work in the world: to change the minds and hearts of fallen human beings, and make God so precious to each other that we count it all joy when trials come, and exult in our afflictions…. The aim of our ministry to each other is impossible. No techniques will make it succeed. ‘But with God all things are possible.’”[1]

Paul Tripp has called biblical counseling “the counseling no one wants.”

I would add, “and the counseling everyone needs.”

God has called us to the glorious and messy work of changing hearts and lives for the glory of Christ. What we’ve signed up for is impossible for us but gloriously possible for God.

The Rest of the Story 

In my follow-up post, we’ll look more closely at how this is possible for God.

Questions for Reflection 

1. What have you learned about God, yourself, and others from your counseling experience?

1. What would you say to a young overconfident counselor?

1. What would you say to a weary disheartened veteran counselor?

Pat Quinn: Pat is the Director of Counseling Ministries at University Reformed Church, where he applies his love for the gospel to counseling, training counselors, serving as an elder, consulting, preaching, and occasional worship leading. He has degrees from Michigan State University (BA) and Calvin College (MAT) and received counseling training from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Pat has been a member of URC since 1974 and has been married to Judie since 1976. Pat and Judie have two grown children and six grandchildren. He is a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and part of the blogging team. In addition to his responsibilities at URC, Pat leads the Mid-Michigan Biblical Counselors group.

[1]John Piper, “Counseling with Suffering People,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, 2003, p.19.

Posted at: https://www.rpmministries.org/2019/05/what-you-signed-up-for-is-impossible/