70 Prompts for Fighting Sin

Lianna Davis

Jude, in his epistle, issues a challenge, a call. He appeals to readers to contend for the faith (Jude 3) or, to stay true to the message of Christ as originally proclaimed by the Lord’s apostles. As believers today, one application of his appeal throughout the book of Jude is to be compelled by God’s holiness and grace to live in greater and greater congruency with what is right.

The prayers below contain 70 principles derived from Jude’s letter about how and why believers fight sin and falsehood—contending for God’s goodness and truth to rule in the inner person.

Father, I want to avoid sin . . .

1. Because I was reborn to serve not myself, but You (Jude 1).

2. Because You, a holy God, love me (Jude 1).

3. Because the grace of being kept for Christ is my joy; sin is not (Jude 1).

4. Through Your kind mercy that upholds me (Jude 2).

5. Through my status of peace with You in Christ, which rightly births actions that are at peace with You too (Jude 2).

6. By Your love that makes me want Your fellowship instead of my sins (Jude 2).

7. By the power of the unchangeable truth of the faith that supports my spiritual life (Jude 3).

8. And not grow complacent; alert me to my sins, I pray (Jude 4).

9. Because those who refuse, in unbelief, to turn from their sins are designated to destruction (Jude 4).

10. Because being ungodly is a contradiction of who I was made by You, my God, to be (Jude 4).

11. In order to progress spiritually by not perverting Your grace into something that gives leniency to sin and digression (Jude 4).

12. Because disobedience to You offensively moves to negate who Jesus is, my Master and Lord (Jude 4).

13. Through knowing I am accountable to the revealed truths of Scripture (Jude 4-5).

14. Through dwelling on the mightiest act of salvation man could know—Jesus’ (Jude 5).

15. Because the prerogative to tell me what to do and how to do it is Yours (Jude 6).

16. Because future judgment means You never condone a casual attitude about sin (Jude 6).

17. Through humble knowledge that, apart from Christ, sinners deserve eternal fire, conscience and unending suffering (Jude 7).

18. By setting all of my dreams, my desires, before Your Word for approval or disapproval (Jude 8).

19. By using my faculties and abilities according to Your holy will (Jude 8).

20. In reverence for You (Jude 9).

21. Through logic and reasoning that help me discern and choose what is right (Jude 10).

22. Because I do not want to be a danger in leading others away from You (Jude 11).

23. In love for my brothers and sisters in Christ, not wanting to wrong and hurt them (Jude 12).

24. Because I never want to be numb to wickedness, sinning without any holy fear of You (Jude 12).

25. In order to be able to bless others—I was not made to feed or help only myself (Jude 12).

26. Because sin leads to more sin—like that of boasting of false insight in order to rationalize wrong actions (Jude 12).

27. Because otherwise, I would be a fruit tree barren of fruit (Jude 12).

28. Through knowing the destruction sin causes to the soul—its path is one that ultimately leads to lifeless up-rootedness (Jude 12).

29. Because wild living based on my own rules rejects the good and purposeful direction of my Creator (Jude 13).

30. Because the shame of sin brings an upheaval of life and circumstance, for me and those I know (Jude 13).

31. Because my spiritual trajectory is intended to be fixed on You; a wandering spirit negates how you made me to be (Jude 13).

32. Because sin is suited to a gloomy, utter darkness—not to a new creation in Christ (Jude 13).

33. Through heeding the warning of condemnation for the faithlessly unrepentant (Jude 14).

34. By thinking ahead to seeing You—how I will hate every second of sin, every denial of You as Lord and Master on that final day (Jude 14)!

35. Through dwelling on the magnitude of the human decision to be faithless; Your judgments will not be altered in the age to come (Jude 15).

36. Because You deserve all honor, not deeds and words of ungodliness (Jude 15).

37. Because sin involves a grumbling spirit that sets self on high (Jude 16)

38. Because sin involves discontentment, a form of disdain for what You have given and vain covetousness for what You have not (Jude 16).

39. Because unrepentant sin is not an isolated act but the beginning or continuance of a pattern (Jude 16).

40. Because unrepentant sin leads to me becoming loudest in my own mind—keeping me from hearing You and others (Jude 16).

41. Because sin makes me see others merely as people to use for my objectives (Jude 16).

42. Through wisely recalling biblical predictions that some who profess to believe will later reject You—my faith need not be displaced and my ears need not attune to hollow reasoning (Jude 17).

43. Through remembering that I live in the last times; this life will soon pass (Jude 18).

44. By a listening spirit that inclines itself toward holiness—and does not scoff at what I do not yet understand about God (Jude 18).

45. Because unrepentant sin keeps my emotions from being devoted first to You (Jude 18).

46. Because I never want to initiate any divisions in Christ’s beloved church through uttering false and ungodly proclamations—since division between true believers and unrepentant false teachers is vital (Jude 19).

47. Because sin is worldliness, and worldliness will pass away with the world (Jude 19).

48. Because sin involves seeking selfish power, dismissive of the power of the Holy Spirit (Jude 19).

49. Through glad expectation that I can be built up in my faith (Jude 20).

50. Through tuning my heart to the most holy nature of the faith (Jude 20).

51. Through prayer in the Holy Spirit—truth-filled and Christ-exalting (Jude 20).

52. In thankfulness that You have loved me before I ever knew to love You (Jude 20).

53. Through highly anticipating the day when mercy will be finalized in glory (Jude 21).

54. Because eternal life awaits, which blossoms from the seed of this life (Jude 21).

55. By trusting that doubts do not disqualify me from returning to the faith (Jude 22).

56. Through a cautious attitude—I am more susceptible to sin and its power than I think (Jude 23).

57. Because Christ in me is a gift I want to cherish (Jude 24).

58. Through confidence in Christ and all of His grace—the One who alone is able to keep me from falling to judgment (Jude 24).

59. Because Christ shed His own precious blood to make me blameless (Jude 24).

60. Through the expectation of one day being in Your presence—glorious (Jude 24).

61. Through hope of an ultimate union of You together with Your people, which will yield a joy like no other (Jude 24).

62. Because You are God of all people, all places, and all times—the only One worthy of my unqualified obedience (Jude 25).

63. Because Jesus Christ has given Himself, that those who believe can call Him ours (Jude 25).

64. In order to worship You above all else—for You are glorious, having radiant worth in all of who You are (Jude 25);

65. You are majestic, with a beauty and transcendence that fills creatures will holy awe (Jude 25);

66. To You belongs dominion, ultimate victory in this world (Jude 25);

67. And to You belongs authority to do and command according to Your matchless, sovereign will (Jude 25).

68. Because You are God above and before me—existing prior time’s start (Jude 25).

69. Because You reign at this moment, calling for my present loving obedience (Jude 25).

70. Because You are King forever, and You see fit to include in Your glory all who choose You now (Jude 25).

Thank You, Father, for the Scriptures that instruct me, Your Holy Spirit who guides me, Your promises that preserve me, and Christ—the prize of all prizes before me. Amen.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/02/70-prompts-fighting-sin/

How to Exasperate Your Children

Erik Raymond

The reality of submitting your life to Jesus, and living under his authority has massive implications. When you become a Christian, all of your relationships are redefined by your relationship with Jesus.

In Ephesians 2-3, we see that people who had substantial personal differences because of the color of their skin or their country of origin were to be set aside in light of their shared relationship in Christ. Being a Christian takes priority. Now in God’s family, we are to be loving, gentle, forgiving, and gracious to one another. Later in Ephesians 5, marriage gets a facelift. A Christian marriage should look much different from other marriages in the world around us. This is because of the relationships the husband and wife have with Jesus.

But this isn’t all. Even the relationships between parents and children are different. They don’t march according to the drumbeat of the world around us but rather according to the tune of heaven. We salute the King, even in our parenting. When the gospel comes to the home, there are changes. God gives specific instructions for the family to reflect his authority. In verses 1-3, instructions for children. And in verse 4, instructions for parents.

Notice in verse 4 that it’s addressed to fathers. The word translated here as “fathers” is the common word for father. (Although, in Hebrews 11:23, it is used to describe both parents.) In light of the revolutionary and counter-cultural way Christian dads were to treat their kids, it is likely addressed to fathers to make the point about their accountability to God and the need for something different to take place.

He says, in Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Pretty straight-forward, don’t do this, do that. In this article let’s think about what not to do. Do not provoke your children to anger. The word here translated “provoke” has the sense of exasperating, instigating, or inciting. It’s the idea of pushing the children’s buttons and getting under their skin. Calvin says parents mustn’t “irritate their children by unreasonable severity.” In a parallel passage in Colossians 3, we read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

Don’t exasperate your kids, lest you discourage them.

How can you exasperate your children? Here are 11 ways.

1. Bullying: Parents are generally bigger, stronger, and more intelligent than their kids. Combined with the authority of parenting, this could be wielded with harsh and intimidating words that greatly discourage children.

2. Showing favoritism: If parents favor one child over another discouragement is inevitable (think about Jacob and Esau).

3. Question their salvation every time they mess up: Saying, “Are you even a Christian?” when your kids do something wrong will reinforce the (erroneous) view that Christians never do anything wrong and that the gospel is not for them.

4. Unclear standards: Kids need to know and understand the standards they are being held to. If not, then they’ll be confused, surprised, and discouraged.

5. Unexplained discipline: Discipline requires instruction. Even in Ephesians 6:4, there is a don’t do this and a do this. There is a need to explain what is right and what is wrong.

6. Inconsistency: Parents need to be consistent with their kids. If something is wrong on Tuesday, it should be wrong on Thursday. Inconsistency sends mixed messages, and, when punished, they lose trust.

7. Excessive or unreasonable discipline: Just as there are levels of rebellion, there should be corresponding levels of discipline. Also, parents can’t discipline for every single thing that the child does that is wrong. (Otherwise, they would never stop correcting.) Be careful of punishing too often or excessively. Discipline should be reasonable.

8. Discipline out of anger: Parents who are out of control and losing their temper will hurt their children and discourage them. Think of how twisted it is to inflict harm in the name of love. It will also most certainly damage the child and the relationship. Be careful, parents. (Sometimes we may need a time out.)

9. Humiliation: Parents are seeking to build up their kids. If they are humiliating them (in public, in front of their siblings, or even one-on-one) with words or discipline, they will most certainly exasperate them.

10. Never admit you are wrong: Kids live with their parents. They see when they mess up. If the parent never admits they are wrong, especially when the offense is toward the child, then they will soon see through all of the Bible talk. Humility is required by parents who don’t want to exasperate their children.

11. Over-protection and smothering: Well-meaning overprotection can cause discouragement and resentment. Remember, kids are people who need to grow. Their wills should be shepherded, but they can’t be controlled absolutely.

I’m sure there are a dozen more ways to do this, but you get the idea. God loves children. And so Christian moms and dads should too. This means not exasperating them.

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/how-to-exasperate-your-children-2/

Bearing Fruit in Christ

 Paul Tautges

When God saves a sinner He begins a new work of transforming grace, which results in the production of good works for His glory. Ephesians 2:8-10 gives this full picture:

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.

The good works that follow salvation are too numerous to list, but they can all be summarized by one word: Christlikeness. This is God’s goal: to conform us into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10).

To be “in Christ” is to be saved. To be “in Christ” is to be a new creature in Him. To be “in Christ” is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. This connection to Christ, as a branch is connected to the vine, results in the production of fruit. All other fruit bearing is simply the temporary result of having enough willpower to change. William MacDonald writes, “Works are produced by human energy. Fruit is grown as a branch abides in the vine (John 15:5). They differ as a factory and a garden differ.”

The life of Christ working itself out in our lives as new creatures in Him is what Jesus teaches us about in John 15:1-11. In this passage, there are four key truths that you need to understand about fruit bearing.

God the Father is the master gardener, and Jesus is the true vine who provides the new life that is essential to fruit bearing (v. 1).

Jesus begins by making it clear that He is the true vine. Why is that? In the Old Testament, Israel is often referred to as God’s vine. However, each time this metaphor is used the emphasis is upon Israel’s failure to be fruitful for God. In contrast to that failure is Jesus, the true vine who is abundantly fruitful for God. Through His sin-bearing death and victorious resurrection to new life, Jesus brings about great fruit for God. Jesus accomplishes this work through the sending of the Spirit, which He promises in the previous chapter. Under the New Covenant, the center point of the love of God is fully revealed in Christ who has sent his Spirit to accomplish His fruit bearing work. Again, this is why it is called the fruit of the Spirit.

God will judge all false disciples whose lack of fruit bearing gives evidence to an absence of true faith (v. 2a).

In verse two, the “in me” language is for the sake of the metaphor. From the context, it seems clear that any connection these so-called branches have is superficial. In other words, there are branches that appear to be connected to the vine, but internally do not have the vein of life within them. These will be taken away to final judgment. The context supports this interpretation (see verse 6).

Judas is one example of a false disciple. From all outside appearances Judas was a believer; he had everybody fooled. Everyone except Jesus, of course. Though Judas looked like he was connected to the life of God in Christ, he was actually a dead branch who had attached himself superficially. Mixing metaphors, we could say he appeared to be heading in the same direction as the other eleven disciples, but really he was just along for the ride. And when the rode got bumpy, he jumped off the wagon and sold Jesus to his enemies.

God prunes all true disciples so that their fruit bearing increases (vv. 2b-3).

God is not content for us to remain as we are. He works and works in His garden. Not only does He cut off the dead branches and throw them on a pile to be burned, but He diligently and carefully prunes those branches that truly belong to Him, those that are bearing good fruit. Why? Because He longs to see us become more fruitful. The apostle Paul understood this as the will of God for every believer. So, for example, he prayed for the Colossians this way:

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Col. 1:9-11

God is glorified by the fruit bearing that grows from cultivating a daily relationship with Christ (vv. 4-11).

Spiritual fruitfulness does not occur without our active participation. Biblical sanctification is cooperative sanctification (Phil. 2:12-13). When it comes to bearing fruit for God, the Holy Spirit refuses to do all the work for us. We are fully responsible to nurture a life-giving relationship with Jesus on a daily basis, so that the life of God which was implanted in us at the moment of salvation bears fruit for His glory. Notice the repetition of the word abide. Ten times Jesus tells us that bearing fruit hinges upon our abiding in Him. Jesus tells us that fruitfulness is dependent upon our walking with Him in a growing intimacy of relationship. This requires prayer and time in the Word of God, at a bare minimum.

All of these truths lead to an end: our joy. Staying closely connected to Jesus in dependent relationship and loving communion will lead to fruitfulness. But we cannot do this alone… and Jesus knew that. He sent us his Spirit to perform the inner work of transforming us into his image, but we must abide in Christ. — Watch or listen to the sermon.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/02/17/bearing-fruit-in-christ/

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/

How Do I Humble Myself?

David Mathis

Humility is not something we can achieve. We might consider it quintessentially American to think we could. You can do it. Be proactive. Take the first step. Grab the bull by the horns and be humble.

In other words, humble yourself by your own bootstraps.

But if we come to the Scriptures with such a mindset, we find ourselves in a different world. Genuine humility, as with true faith, is not self-help or a life hack, but a response to divine initiative and help.

God Opposes the Proud

Make no mistake, we do have a part to play in humility. It is not only an effect but a command. In particular, two apostles tell us to humble ourselves. And both do so in strikingly similar ways, adding the promise that God will exalt us on the other side:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10)

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. (1 Peter 5:6)

“When trials come, will we bow up with pride, or bow down in humility?”

So far as we can tell, James and Peter haven’t been inspired by each other on this point, but by the Old Testament. In the immediate context of instructing us to humble ourselves, both quote the Greek translation of Proverbs 3:34 (“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). But before we run off to create our own program for self-humbling, we should consider the context in both passages.

Humbling from Within

For our purposes here, observe that both calls to self-humbling come in response to trials. James refers to quarrels and fights within the church:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. (James 4:1–2)

Conflict among those claiming the name of Christ humbles the church. It serves as a test of pride, and humility. James reminds them not only that they are “sinners” and “double-minded” but he also reminds them of Proverbs 3:34. He charges the church to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God (James 4:7–8). In other words, “Humble yourselves before the Lord.” The church is being humbled from within. Now, how will they respond to God’s humbling purposes in this conflict? Will they humble themselves?

Humbling from Without

So also in 1 Peter, the church is under pressure. Society is mouthing its insults and maligning these early Christians. They are beginning to suffer socially and emotionally, if not yet physically. They are under threat, and tempted to be anxious. And at this moment of humbling, Peter turns to Proverbs 3:34, and exhorts them, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another” (1 Peter 5:5).

“Humility, like faith, is not an achievement.”

Here the church’s humbling is coming from without. Now, how will they respond to God’s humbling purposes in these insults? Will they humble themselves? Will they bow up, reacting with pride and self-exaltation, or will they bow down, humbling themselves before the gracious hand and perfect timing of their Lord?

Self-Humbling as Responsive

Over and over again in the Bible, self-humbling is not something we initiate but something we receive, even embrace — even welcome — when God sends his humbling, however direct or indirect his means. The invitation to humble ourselves does not come in a vacuum but through our first being humbled.

Humility, like faith — and as a manifestation of faith — is not an achievement. Humility is not fundamentally a human initiative, but a proper, God-given response in us to God himself and his glory and purposes.

We don’t teach ourselves to be humble. There’s no five-step plan for becoming more humble in the next week, or month. Within measure, we might take certain kinds of initiatives to cultivate a posture of humility in ourselves (more on those in a later article), but the main test (and opportunity) comes when we are confronted, unsettled, and accosted, in the moments when our semblances of control vanish and we’re taken off guard by life in a fallen world — and the question comes to us:

How will you respond to these humbling circumstances? Will you humble yourself?

Gladly Receive the Uncomfortable God

For Christians, self-humbling is mainly responsive. It is not something we just up and do. We don’t initiate humility, and we don’t get the credit for it. It’s no less active, and no less difficult, but it is responsive to who God is, what he has said to us in his word, and what he is doing in the world, specifically as it comes to bear in all its inconvenience and pain and disappointment in our own lives. Self-humbling is, in essence, gladly receiving God’s person, words, and acts when it is not easy and comfortable.

First comes the disruptive words or circumstances, in God’s hand and plan, that humble us — as it happened for King Hezekiah seven centuries before Christ. God healed him from his deathbed, and yet the king “did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud.” God then acted against Hezekiah’s pride. He humbled him. In whatever form it took, we’re told that “wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 32:25).

“Genuine humility is not self-help or a life hack, but a response to divine initiative and help.”

Then comes the question that presses against our souls, as it did for the king: Will I receive God’s humbling or resist it? Will I try to explain it away or kick against it, or will it serve to produce in me genuine repentance? And if I do not humble myself, then, further divine humbling will follow in time. God’s initial humbling leads unavoidably to some further humbling. The question is whether it will be our self-humbling or further (and often more severe) humbling from him.

For Hezekiah, he acknowledged the divine wrath as opposition to his own pride, and he “humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah” (2 Chronicles 32:26).

When God Humbles His People

To be sure, we are not left without some postures we can cultivate and means to pursue. Daily humbling ourselves under the authority of God’s word, and humbling ourselves by obeying his words, and humbling ourselves by coming desperately to him in prayer, and humbling ourselves in fasting — these all have their place in our overall response as creatures to our Creator. But first and foremost, we need to know humbling ourselves is responsive to God.

He is the one who created our world from nothing by the power of his word (Hebrews 11:3). He is the one who formed the first man from the ground (Genesis 2:7) and the first woman from his side (Genesis 2:21–22). He is the one who chose to reveal himself to us, to speak words into our world through his prophets and apostles, to make known himself and his Son and his plan for our redemption. And he is the one who, through the gentleness and merciful severity of his providence, humbles his church again and again, from without and from within, and in his humbling brings us to the fork in the road: Now, how will you respond to my humbling purposes in this trial? Will you humble yourself?

When the next humbling trial comes, will you bow up with pride, or bow down in humility? God has a particular promise for you in these moments. The God of all power will exalt the humble in his perfect timing.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is a husband, father of four, and author of Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-do-i-humble-myself

A Letter to My Sons about Pornography

Liz Wann

My Dear Sons,

The eye beholds much good and evil in this life. Beholding leads to becoming. What we continually put before our eyes and minds will shape and determine who we are. Images either tell the truth or lie, but they all speak. On top of this, our natural eyes are lustful things not easily satisfied (1 John 2:16). One lustful look can change us. One look can feed the monster within so that it rears up its ugly head looking for more.

“Feed me,” he says. His appetite is fierce and unsatisfied. One look leads to another, and then to many more.

This is the kingdom of sexual lust — a world of soft porn and free porn — and secrets contained in cleared web browsers. What you behold, boys, you become. If you steep your tea too long, it becomes bitter. Likewise, if you sit and soak in pornographic fantasies, your life will have a bitter taste. At first the flavors might taste sweet, but bitterness will always be the end result. And the bitterness will be shared someday in your interactions with girls: how you think about girls, talk to girls, treat girls, and pursue girls.

A Wicked Education in Sex

Pornography misshapes your vision of girls, whether you realize it or not. And one day, pornography might affect your future wife. The women gleaming on the computer screen may not directly feel the effects of your lust, but they will indirectly, as you fuel the industry that enslaves and trafficks them.

“What we continually put before our eyes and minds will shape and determine who we are.”

But the images cannot feel the painful grief and loss a wife feels when her husband’s hidden sins are inevitably revealed. I plead with you to not let the tea steep that long — to not let one look turn into thousands of looks over the course of years. If this happens, you will taste the bitterness, my sons, and you will want to spit it out.

Lust distorts the glory of both biblical manhood and womanhood; it goes against the divine mandate in the garden of Eden. Men are to care for women — and provide and protect with humble strength — not exploit and dominate. Women are strong, capable, and your equal, not objects to be used and discarded.

But the porn industry diminishes both men and women, and reduces them all the way down to simple actors of animal lust for pixilation, instead of celebrating them as complex and glorious image bearers of their Creator. This is the consumer society we live in, devaluing human beings as they’re offered up for consumption. The porn industry is lining online aisles with a sexual zoo for viewing pleasure.

A Far Better Place to Look

You, my sons, are called by God to reject sexual consumerism. You are called by Christ to seek pleasure in him, and to pour out your life in selfless giving to God and to others.

Jesus Christ is the opposite of pornography. Jesus lived a life of denial and sacrifice. No lust, ever. Sex for him was unnecessary, even as he imaged God perfectly. He became the least and the last in order to put us first. Pornography is self-exalting. It is putting your pleasures and desires first, before the glory of God and the good of others. Since Christ is the opposite of pornography, then look to Christ in your fight against sexual temptation and sin. When you behold Christ, you will become like him.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Look upon his face, and pornography will begin to look strangely dim.

A Safe Place After Sexual Failure

“Lust distorts the glory of both biblical manhood and womanhood.”

When Moses asked God to show him his glory (Exodus 33:18), the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ had not yet been fully revealed. How much more glorious is it for you, when you ask God to show you his glory now after the cross and resurrection? You only have to read about this glory in God’s word, and meditate upon it in your hearts and minds. You will be changed. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

And if you are drawn into the illicit pleasures of the internet, remember the words of Robert Murray McCheyne: “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” One look at your sinful self calls for ten looks at Christ nailed to a cross for you. Being in Christ is the only qualification we need to behold his glory, even after we have sinned. He alone is the cure and the prevention for your sin.

Be Thou My Vision

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:22:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”

A healthy eye connotes clear vision, and you will have a spiritually healthy way of looking at things (like the gift of sex). But your eyes can lie to you if you only see with them and not through them. The eye can distort your heart and mind if you are using it only to see what is directly in front of you. When your eyes are filled with the glory of God in Christ, you will clearly see through the distorting lies of lust.

“One look at your sinful self calls for ten looks at Christ nailed to a cross for you.”

Before Daddy and I had you boys, we planned our wedding. I wanted to play my favorite hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” before I walked down the aisle. My prayer was that Christ would always be my vision in marriage, but now that prayer surrounds you both as well. I pray Christ would be your vision in all of life — that your eyes would be filled with glory leading to truth and life and joy. What you put before your eyes will change you. May it fill you with light, and not darkness.

Love,
Your Mama

Liz Wann (@liz_wann) lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two sons. She is a stay-at-home mom and editor in chief of Morning by Morning and writes at lizwann.com.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-letter-to-my-sons-about-pornography

Why is My Theology Not Changing My Life?

John Piper

Audio Transcript

Why is my theology not changing my life? Or at least, not changing me as fast as I thought it would? Anyone who regularly plunges into the riches of Scripture and of the Reformed tradition will eventually face this very sobering and probing question. The topic was taken up by Pastor John and by the late R.C. Sproul at a Ligonier National Conference back in 2011. The conversation was on stage. There the dialogue turned toward how the mind and heart relate to the discovery of biblical truth. We jump into the conversation, beginning with Pastor John.

Behold and Be Changed

John Piper: I totally agree that the primacy of the affections is in terms of the mind serving the affections so that they’re not emotionalism, but real fruit of knowing. God is not honored by emotions based on falsehood. He’s only honored by emotions that are rooted in truth.

Now, here’s the practical issue: Lots of people know things and don’t get changed. Some of you are just discovering the doctrines of grace, and you’re just as crabby this year as you were last year. What’s wrong? Knowing leads to right affections and doing, but not quickly for everybody, or not immediately, or sometimes not at all. The devil knows quite a bit of theology and hates all of it. And he’s maybe more orthodox than most of us, but he can’t abide it. The reason is because he doesn’t know it as glorious. He doesn’t know it as beautiful.

I’m just going to add: to know something aright is not just to get the theological pieces in order and have the right quotes in the Bible, but to go to 2 Corinthians 3:18: “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” Now, I would say the implication is that the veil is lifted by the Holy Spirit. This is Reformed, sovereign grace, lifting the blinding veil, so that now we don’t just see five points; we see five stunningly glorious, beautiful things about God. And it’s the beauty of them that changes us: beholding the glory, we are being changed.

‘Open My Eyes’

They asked me the other day in our little roundtable at Bethlehem College & Seminary, “We’re students here and we’re faculty here. What can we do so that we don’t just become academically big-headed and get it all right and not be changed or help anybody?”

The most practical thing I can say is that as you study from morning till night, pray at least every ten minutes that God would not let that happen, and would reveal himself to you as beautiful in the part of Scripture that you’re working on or the theological issue you’re working on. Ask him over and over again: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Open my eyes. I’m staring at it right now. Nothing’s happening. Ask him, “Open my eyes.” Because I need to see not just truth, but beautiful truth, glorious truth, and that’s what changes. So, prayer, I think, would be the key.

You look like you’re ready to say something.

Beauty in the Heart of Worship

R.C. Sproul: No. I’m just sitting here eating that up, John. One place where I have felt so much alone in the ministry that I am involved with is I find so few people who have a passion for beauty. God is the foundation for the good, the true, and the beautiful. And you can distinguish among those three things, but you better never separate them.

And I love it when you sit here and talk about it, because you’re articulating what I’ve been trying to articulate for years. I’ve usually said that it’s not just enough to understand the truth; you’ve got to see the loveliness of it. You’ve got to see the sweetness of it. You talk about the glory of it, but you’ve added to it the beauty of it. And that’s it.

Our worship is supposed to be for beauty and for holiness. God went to such extremes in the Old Testament to communicate that principle of beauty in the heart of worship. That’s one of the great weaknesses of our tradition is that we seem to think the only thing that’s virtuous is ugliness and we have to get away from beauty. But everything that’s beautiful, even paintings painted by pagans, travesties — sometimes in spite of themselves — they call attention to the character of God, because everything beautiful bears witness to him because he is the source of beauty.

And that beauty is not just in the eye of the beholder. It’s there essentially in the character and the being of God himself. When you talk about it here, it just thrills my heart because we have to see how beautiful the truth is and how beautiful the God of the truth is.

I think that the enticement to sin is that sin promises pleasure. That’s the bad kind of hedonism. But it never delivers; it’s a lie. And that’s where our great deception is. We think that we can’t be happy unless we’re sinning. And sin can be pleasurable for a season, from one perspective. But it can never be joyful — ever. It can’t possibly bring joy because it’s not beautiful. It’s ugly. And we have that attraction to ugliness. Our basic makeup is to prefer the darkness rather than the light.

We live in a world that has been marred, seriously marred. It’s been vandalized. The glory of God is everywhere in the beauty of creation. The whole world is full of his glory. But we have vandalized that glory.

Escape Through the Promises

John Piper: It seems to me that the way Jesus argues is that the kingdom of God is like a man who found a treasure hidden in a field, and in his joy — from his joy — he went and sold everything he had and bought that field (Matthew 13:44). That’s the paradigm for how you get freed from the bondage to the world and sin and the devil. If you see the kingdom and the King as a treasure more valuable than your grandfather’s clock, your car, your computer, your books, your fame, and whatever, then it all becomes rubbish and you’re freed.

Before then, it had tremendous power. It held you. Sin has the power of pleasure. And the Bible breaks that power with the power of a superior pleasure. It severs the root of it.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

How do you escape from the corruptions in the world? Precious and very great promises of the glory and excellence of God. The sequence of thought in 2 Peter 1:3–4 is this: escape from corruption comes through a superior promise.

I think that the beauty of holiness, the more it goes deep and satisfies — really, really satisfies — the freer you become from pornography, and from the pleasures of resentment and bitterness that you want to hold on to, and from fear of man. These sins have their talons in us, and those talons are dislodged, not so much by duty — yanking them out like this — but by pushing them out.

Someone asked once, “What’s the easiest way to get the sin of air out of a glass?” Should you put a vacuum on it and suck the air out? No, just pour water in the glass. If you want to get the air out of the glass, just fill it with water. That would be the way I want to build holiness into my people’s lives.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-is-my-theology-not-changing-my-life?fbclid=IwAR30ITDOXhc-VyZbCr99i6bsApb_D2rsd0PR5bTnXE-_FA57vexpMx5hQYM

Can You Repent If You Were Caught?

Three Signs of Godly Sorrow

Article by Chad Ashby

In recent years, we’ve sadly seen some popular Christians fall into ministry-disqualifying sins. Often, the revelation of a double life is followed by a public statement of regret.

It’s hard not to be cynical about the purity of the motives behind such acts of repentance. After all, wouldn’t a truly repentant Christian confess the truth about their sin before being caught? But if we’re honest, I wonder whether what unsettles us most on these occasions is how familiar it all feels — offering rushed apologies in an effort to mitigate sin’s consequences. It’s one of the most worn pages in our own playbook.

Is true repentance even possible when we’ve been caught in the act?

“A repentant sinner pleads guilty to all charges, trusting Jesus Christ the advocate to secure our forgiveness.”

Though we might be jaded by our contemporary experiences, a survey of Scripture finds numerous examples where true repentance followed a sudden exposure of sin. Only after Abigail’s courageous public confrontation did David realize he had let pride nearly drive him to murder (1 Samuel 25:23–35). Later, David remained blinded to his heinous crimes against Bathsheba and Uriah her husband until Nathan raised a pointed finger and pronounced, “You are the man” (2 Samuel 12:7). Both exposures are followed by David’s sincere repentance. Likewise, the city of Nineveh expressed sorrow only after God sent Jonah to bring public outcry against her sin, yet her repentance is lauded by Jesus himself (Matthew 12:41).

Although repentance after the humiliation of uncovered sin may appear contrived, the fact remains that one of God’s patterns in Scripture is to use human agents to expose sin and bring about repentance. The question, then, is not whether true repentance after being caught is possible, but what this true repentance looks like.

True repentance accepts full responsibility.

Repentance is a matter of the heart, and a truly repentant heart turns away from sin not in part but in full. Consider this question: When you have been confronted about sin, do you try to admit the least amount possible, or do you confess it all? In his first epistle, John writes, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). When a brother begins to shine a light in a dark corner of your life, is your impulse to confess quickly to get him to turn off the flashlight? Or do you realize it’s all or nothing? A repentant heart will seize the moment to step completely into the light.

Often, the temptation in confrontation is to play the lawyer. We justify ourselves by trying to share the blame with others. For instance, when Samuel confronted Saul for disobeying God’s command to destroy the entire camp of the Amalekites, Saul kicks into blame-shift mode: “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. . . . But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen” (1 Samuel 15:20–21).

“The sin God is seeking to root out and destroy in us is the same sin that drove nails through his Son.”

When we try to defend ourselves, we betray a disbelief in the truth of the gospel. “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). In the courtroom of God, sinners try to plead their own case on the basis of technicalities, comparison to others, or self-righteousness. However, a repentant sinner pleads guilty to all charges, trusting Jesus Christ the advocate to secure our forgiveness on the basis of his righteousness — not ours. He also admits that his sin has harmed others, and pleads with Christ for mercy and healing for those offended.

When you are confronted about sin in your life, is your response, “Yes, I did it,” or is it, “Yeah, but . . .”? You’ll know immediately if you are willing to take full responsibility.

True repentance relinquishes control.

An unrepentant heart is a savvy politician; it wants to get out in front of the issue so it can control the narrative. Panic, embarrassment, shame, and guilt can cloud our judgment. The pride that blinded us to the dangers of sin is the same pride that wants to remain in control through the repentance process.

This is why true repentance demonstrates a willingness to let go and admit the truth: I do not get to choose the consequences of my sin. We see this attitude modeled once again in David, who, after hearing the consequences of his sin from the prophet Nathan, did not try to negotiate, but simply acknowledged, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

Often, we want to manage our sanctification, but that’s not how it works. The sin God is seeking to root out and destroy in us is the same sin that drove nails through his Son. It’s deadly stuff. When God brings a spouse, friend, or church member into your sin, it may be because you don’t take your sin as seriously as you should. You need help. In that moment, true repentance says, “You know what, you are right. I have sinned. What do you think I should do?”

Sanctification is a team effort. Oh the depth of God’s mercy and the liberty of Christ’s love to be able to entrust the care of our souls to others — and not to disinterested parties but to brothers and sisters who seek to love us unconditionally! God is going to use others to root the old man out, if we are willing to relinquish control.

True repentance treasures discipline.

A third sign of repentance in a believer is a proper understanding of God’s discipline. We are reminded in the Scriptures, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6). The brokenhearted believer will not seek to escape the discipline of the Lord, but will treasure it as a gift from the Father.

“The brokenhearted believer will not seek to escape the discipline of the Lord.”

The author of Hebrews pulls no punches; discipline “seems painful rather than pleasant” in the moment (Hebrews 12:11). However, a repentant heart trusts that “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Depending on the seriousness of sinful behavior, discipline may mean the loss of a relationship, a career, or a pastorate. It may even involve prison time. The repentant heart receives even these painful consequences as from the merciful hand of God, who by his very discipline spares us from eternal wrath (1 Corinthians 11:32).

Discipline certainly means restitution for past wrongs, but it can also mean training for future righteousness. This means enlisting the help of brothers and sisters who have been solemnly charged to “see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God” (Hebrew 12:15). A local church, spouse, and friends are essential in helping to take concrete steps to prevent sin’s temptation in the future. Once again, this may mean difficult life changes or drastic measures. For instance, a convicted sex offender may never be able to walk onto church property without being escorted by a fellow church member, but a repentant believer will receive this discipline as a gift from God.

The Spirit works in this way to cultivate humility, interdependence, and unity in the body of Christ. While you may be helping a brother in one area of weakness, he is helping you in another. While he is confronting you about your sin today, you may be the one confronting him about his tomorrow. In this way, the Spirit empowers the church through true repentance to “[build] itself up in love” as we “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Ephesians 4:16; Galatians 6:1).

Chad Ashby (@Chad_Ashby) is the pastor of College Street Baptist Church in Newberry, South Carolina, where he lives with his wife and three boys. He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and blogs at After Math.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/can-you-repent-if-you-were-caught?utm_campaign=Daily+Email&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=83139110&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9RdXVaG5d2axnYSAyM-hQjSAnAotxApykvWiGRzWC6dIhAzdsNBT1EO9vf99KRbRBwBKF2Cme7R7-7N0LnyJDEjTu_ZA&_hsmi=83139110

We Must Work Out Our Own Salvation

Paul Tautges

Philippians 2:12-13, “12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

At some point in our Christian walk, we all ask questions like these: “How can I overcome this stubborn, sinful habit?” or “Will I ever change in this particular area?” Asking these questions of ourselves and God can be a positive indication that the life of God has been planted in our soul. In other words, since the Holy Spirit breathed new life into us, by means of the gospel, we long to be more like Christ. But some days we wonder how much progress we are really making. Therefore, it’s imperative that we have a biblical understanding of cooperative sanctification, that is, embracing our responsibility while also relying upon the power of God at work within us. Without a right grasp of progressive sanctification, our longing for godliness may tempt us to gravitate toward one of two extremes.

TWO UNBIBLICAL EXTREMES: QUIETISM AND PIETISM

First, there is the “Let Go and Let God” approach (also known as Keswick theology). According to an article written by New Testament professor Andrew Naselli, entitled “Why ‘Let Go and Let God’ Is a Bad Idea,” Keswick theology comes from the early Keswick movement, named after the small town in northwest England which has hosted an annual weeklong meeting on the deeper spiritual life since 1875.

Keswick theology is “one of the most significant strands of second-blessing theology. It assumes that Christians experience two ‘blessings.’ The first is getting ‘saved,’ and the second is getting serious. The change is dramatic: from a defeated life to a victorious life; from a lower life to a higher life; from a shallow life to a deeper life; from a fruitless life to a more abundant life; from being ‘carnal’ to being ‘spiritual’; and from merely having Jesus as your Savior to making Jesus your Master. People experience this second blessing through surrender and faith: ‘Let go and let God.’”[1] This theology is “appealing because Christians struggle with sin and want to be victorious in that struggle now. Keswick theology offers a quick fix, and its shortcut to instant victory appeals to genuine longings for holiness.” Naselli writes, “You can tell that Keswick theology has influenced people when you hear a Christian ‘testimony’ like this: ‘I was saved when I was eight years old, and I surrendered to Christ when I was seventeen.’”

This kind of theology is sometimes put in the category of Quietism. Quietists believe that the will of the Christian is quiet, or passive in sanctification. Concerning Quietism, John MacArthur writes, “Quietism tends to be mystical and subjective, focusing on personal feelings and experiences. A person who is utterly submitted to and dependent on God, they say, will be divinely protected from sin and led into faithful living. Trying to strive against sin or to discipline oneself to produce good works is considered to be not only futile but unspiritual and counterproductive.”[2]

A second extreme is Pietism. Advocates of this approach to spiritual growth are “aggressive in their pursuit of correct doctrine and moral purity. Historically, this movement originated in seventeenth-century Germany as a reaction to the dead orthodoxy of many Protestant churches. To their credit, most pietists place strong emphasis on Bible study, holy living, self-discipline, and practical Christianity….Yet they often stress self-effort to the virtual exclusion of dependence on divine power.”[3]

Pietism, as a movement, emphasized many good things in the area of spiritual disciplines and the mutual encouragement and exhortation of believers. However, it also has its downsides. It often gives birth to legalism, which is a false measurement of spirituality stemming from the dependence on one’s adherence to the law, in place of resting in faith. Pietistic tendencies also tend to feed what I like to call “The New Pharisaism,” which is an over-emphasis on externals, and the addition of extra-biblical rules and regulations to the neglect of the internal issues of the heart. This is also characterized by a hyper-critical spirit toward believers who fail to conform to the Pharisee’s demands.

Both Quietism and Pietism fail for the same reason: They place importance upon only one side of the process of sanctification.

• Quietism places more emphasis upon resting in God by faith.

• Pietism places more emphasis upon the diligent, unrelenting pursuit of holiness.

But growing in Christ requires both personal responsibility and dependence upon God in faith. In this regard, I am personally indebted to Jerry Bridges, who helped me to understand the importance of keeping these two equally-true priorities in tension with one another. In his first book, The Pursuit of Holiness (1978), he emphasized every Christian’s personal responsibility to be diligent in godliness. God expects us to wage war against the remaining sin in our lives and run the Christian race with great effort. We are not to flirt with sin, but fight against it. In a later book, Transformed by Grace (1991), he wrote of the energizing power of God’s grace to transform us into Christlikeness. In that book, he warned believers to beware of the “Performance Treadmill,” the never-ending tendency to base our relationship with God upon our personal, spiritual performance. Then, in 1993, he wrote The Discipline of Grace, which combined personal responsibility and divine empowerment into one. The book’s subtitle says it all: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness. It’s these two truths which the apostle Paul lays, side by side, before us:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13)

TWO ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF COOPERATIVE SANCTIFICATION

In order to make progress in holiness toward the goal of being conformed to the image of Christ, we must grasp two essential truths that are always working together in the growing Christian.

First, we are 100% responsible for our spiritual growth (v. 12). Verse 12 begins with the word “therefore,” which links the exhortation that immediately follows to the apostle’s prior emphasis on the lordship of Christ. No one makes Jesus, Lord. He is Lord. The response of saving faith is to recognize this reality and submit to His rightful rule over our lives.

For this reason, he is thankful to be able to commend them for their past obedience. When they heard the gospel, they responded in faith, repentance, and obedience. Now, in the apostle’s absence, they are to continue to make progress in the obedience of faith by working out their own salvation.

Clearly, this Scripture is not telling us to work for our salvation but to work out [or outward] the inward change of heart that the Spirit has wrought. In other words, we are called to make every effort toward the completion of our faith “with fear and trembling;” that is, with a concern for doing what is right. This points to our need to be serious about our Christian walk. The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battlefield. It is a race to run. It is a fight to fight. It is a war in which we are called to be good soldiers. Numerous other Scriptures emphasize our personal responsibility in the pursuit of holiness (Matt. 5:27-30; Eph. 4:17-24; Heb. 12:1-2; James 1:21-22; for example).

Second, we are 100% dependent upon God for our spiritual growth (v. 13). Though we are responsible to discipline ourselves for godliness, it’s also true that we are incapable of making last change. However, the good news is that God “works in [us]” in two ways: both “to will and to work for his good pleasure.” As the Spirit of God works in us, our will is conformed to God’s will; that is, we want to become holy because God created that desire within us. This “sanctified willpower,” so to speak, enables us to work for God’s glory and pleasure. Numerous other Scriptures emphasize God’s work in our sanctification (John 15:5; Gal. 5:16, 22-25; Eph. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:3, 5; 1 Cor. 15:10; for example).

Conclusion

In the bringing of these two essential truths together, 2 Corinthians 3:18 echoes the message of Philippians:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Our personal responsibility is to behold the glory of the Lord. We do this as we consistently meditate on Scripture, since the living Word, Jesus, is exalted in the written Word. Consequently, as we do this, the Spirit progressively (from one degree of glory to another) transforms us into the image of the One whom we are beholding. Ignoring either truth will undermine our spiritual progress. So, let us not be spiritual sluggards who put forth little effort to become godly. But let us also not assume that our progress is completely dependent upon us, for ultimately it is the Spirit of God who bears fruit in us for God’s glory.

[1] Andrew Naselli, “Why ‘Let Go and Let God’ Is a Bad Idea.” Ligonier.org.

[2] John MacArthur, Philippians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 2001), 152.

[3] MacArthur, 152-153.

Posted at: https://servantsofgrace.org/we-must-work-out-our-own-salvation/

GODWARD DECISION-MAKING

George Luke

Just like that, it’s over.

You cross the stage, finally exiting the roller coaster of the American education system, amazed you made it out alive. Tearful goodbyes, fervent pledges to greet old friends in new places, packing four unexplainably formative years that you loved and hated into boxes bursting at the seams. And then, finally, home. You’re home.

As I stumbled towards the exit gate of the wild ride of upper education, I didn’t expect the decisions I would to make. My friends were no longer a quick walk across campus; should I even make new friends? My church was near my campus; where would I worship? The familiar home where I’d grown up felt small now; where would I live?

Out of one roller coaster and into another. I had my degree, but what did God want me to do next?  

Get Me Off This Thing 

It might not be graduation, but have you ever felt this? Stumbling off of the ride of life through a door, squinting at what looks like the exit, feeling dizzy. It’s paralyzing. 

If not graduation, maybe your “door” was a promotion. Maybe it was marriage. Maybe it was dating. Maybe it was having a baby, your kids moving out, or your decision to retire. You made your life about pursuing that door, and now you’re through. Now what? Where will the baby go to college? What will your kids do? Where will you spend your retirement?

As one Harvard professor writes, “I observed … people habitually acquiring options. They just get so used to the process of acquiring options that they never really execute on this larger vision of what they want.”[1] 

How do we narrow down our next move? How do I figure out what I want? 

Godward Gravity 

Indecision often flows from a lack of Godward gravity. In the same way that gravity orients planets to keep their courses, so our delight in God causes the meteors of different desires to stop streaking across the sky of our souls and settle into orbits around the Son of Righteousness, Jesus.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps 34:7) 

“Seek first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all else will be given unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Delight yourself in the Lord. Seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness. Trust in the Lord. And only then does God promise to: give you what you want, “all else,” and a straight path to walk on.

But if the promises are so clear, why are our hearts so muddy? My experience doesn’t always feel like those promises. With Paul, “we do not do the thing we want, but we do the thing we hate.” That is, we’re sinners even when we’re saved, and our hearts often feel like dark wells that we can’t get to the bottom of; who can understand them? We say we want to follow God in a particular decision we’re making as Christians, but the overflow of our wells splashing into our actions shows a different motivation lurking underneath the surface of our confession.

Some of our confusion comes from sin. Others come from our confused subjective expectations. Should I expect a level of constant clarity in my desires through a voice directing me to eat the Cold-Cut Combo at subway? Or does clarity feel more like a tincture in a painting — a confidence flowing through the decisions you make? How do I know what to expect?

Just Nike That Thing

Let’s head back to the rollercoaster, and strap ourselves in. How do we know which path is the one God wants for me? Does God care about the minutia of our lives? Does he want us to be paralyzed so that even our order at subway becomes part of his passion for his glory? 

Yes and no. Yes, God cares about your Subway. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (Colossians 3:18) Whatever means whatever. There are no moral-grey-areas in God’s world. God cares about every stage prop he’s written into the story of your life, and every action you take. But, no, he probably doesn’t give you this information to paralyze your heart, but to free your pursuit.

When you have multiple paths that can glorify God in ways that seem equal, that’s a gift, not a curse. You shouldn’t be paralyzed by a good conscience, but you should recognize the fallibility of it (see 1 Corinthians 4:4). God gives you the gift of seeking your joy in God in good options. “Anything that doesn’t come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23). Faith is in God —you’re free to choose whichever option flows from faith, delightful confidence, in God.

Just as the sun’s light doesn’t eliminate our earth’s life but fuels it, Godward gravity doesn’t destroy our desires for other things. It gives them new life and makes them reflect righteousness—divine Sonlight. 

You and your desires were made to be crucified with Christ, and then raised with a new Godward orientation and delight.

How To Pray 

Will God always give me one subjective type of clarity? Will it be a burning desire? Will it be an audible voice? The Bible promises such a clarity that you’ll have confidence to delight in a given path; it doesn’t specify the nature of that clarity— and Scripture is full of different examples of faithful actions and subjective impulses. What we do know is that when the clarity of Godward happiness is the fountain of the other streams of your desires, you seek his way. As a man delighting in someone he wants to pursue is irresistibly drawn to buy her flowers, our delight in Jesus causes us to freely and irresistibly pursue him in everything we do. We’ve seen that this is simple when the options before you are mutually good things. But we also have acknowledged that our hearts are dark wells; we don’t always have right motives. Therefore, much of our prayer for clarity comes from humbly asking God for help in killing sin and seeking righteousness (cf. 1 Thess 4:11).

Therefore, acknowledge that God alone can give you direction. Commit your way to him. Seek the Kingdom and his righteousness. Bring your uncertainty to him.  Pick up the Sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and kill sin. Then, act in faith and do what you want, as you patiently gather data and wait for that subjective push; He’ll be fueling your new, prayer-shaped wants with his own.

It could take moments, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years (Luke 18:1). The safety of wise counselors (Prov 11:14), listening to different voices in the church (Heb 3:14–15), and killing sin that keeps his voice from you (Isa 59:2)— but above all, plead to God for a confident delight in him. He’ll increase your confidence in what you want. He may restrain a general good with a specific impression (Acts 16:6). He may speak through a prophetic utterance (1 Thess 5:20). He may give you a burning desire to do one good thing over others (Romans 15:20). But, He will definitely give you eyes to see what path to walk, and the desire to walk in paths of righteousness. And He will work all things together for the good of those called to the purpose of magnifying Jesus — for the good of every child of God. (Rom 8:28)

“Until now you have asked for anything in my name. Ask that your joy might be full.” (John 16:24).

  “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him “(1 John 5:14–15).

[1] “Latest College Graduates Enter a More Optimistic Economy,” (http://www.npr.org/2017/05/27/530393095/latest-college-graduates-enter-a-more-optimistic-economy).

Posted at: https://godandthegospel.com/articles/godward-decision-making-god-and-the-gospel