Isn't it fascinating that our (mankind's) first response to sin is the same now as it was in the beginning? After all of the thousands of years that sin has been with humanity, it seems that we would have come up with a different way to react to it. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, and then were confronted with God Himself, their reflex was to hide (Gen. 3). Today, our reflex is the same. This is what shame does to us. It is easier and more natural for us to attempt to hide our sin and hide from God than to confront our sin and confess to God. And we have made an art of hiding. We are so good at it that we've even invented ways of hiding our sin from ourselves. We keep secrets, we lie, we deny, we wear masks, we blame others, we redefine our actions so as to make them seem not so terrible, we become religiously dutiful, we compare ourselves to others, etc, etc, etc,...
The irony and tragedy in all of this is that, although hiding our sin promises some sort of release or protection from shame, it is particularly in hiding our sin that shame becomes our master. The secret sin harbors shame. It is only the confession of sin that kills shame. But Sin messes with our minds. It causes us to turn things on their heads and to think of things in a skewed way. We are convinced that being secretive about our sin will protect us from shame. We are convinced that if we are truthful about our sin, shame will overtake us. In fact, the Bible teaches us that the opposite is true. If we hide our sin, shame will surely overtake us. But if we are willing to confront and confess our sin, the freedom that we will experience will blow our minds.
But there is an even worse ironic tragedy to hiding our sin than being overcome by shame. It has to do with our perception of God's Grace. This is vitally important because our degree of love for God is directly related to how we perceive His Grace. As Jesus Himself said, "...But he who is forgiven little loves little." (Luke 7:47 ESV) Jesus said this in response to dinner hosts who scoffed at His acceptance of a sinful woman who washed His feet with her tears. He said this, not because the hosts needed less forgiveness than the woman needed, but because they needed just as much forgiveness as the woman needed, but they did not realize it. They had hidden their sin from themselves and others by becoming very religious. Therefore, they could not understand God's grace the way the sinful woman understood it. And since they could not understand God's grace, they could not love God. Here is the point, if we hide our sin, especially from ourselves, we will think that God's grace isn't all that great, so we will not love God all that much. Charles Simeon, a 19th century pastor of the same church for 54 years, understood the indispensability of searching the depths of his own sinfulness. Of his own quest to understand his depravity Simeon wrote, "I have continually had such a sense of my sinfulness as would sink me into utter despair, if I had not an assured view of the sufficiency and willingness of Christ to save me to the uttermost." (The Roots of Endurance, John Piper. pg 107). The greatest tragedy in hiding our sin, especially from ourselves, is that we minimize God's Grace, and as a result, we minimize God's Glory. This is what Simeon understood in a way that we desperately need today. May God grant that we will trust His grace in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and may that trust lead us to confront and confess our sin.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Cursed King
A couple of months ago I started reading through the Old Testament. It's amazing how God's Word seems so fresh and new with every reading. However, it can also be very frustrating, because it's not an easy task to understand the significance of the things we are reading. Sometimes when we read the Old Testament law, the chronologies, or the specifications for building buildings and furniture, it's hard to understand how our lives should be changed by it. So we struggle and work, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to understand the meaning of the text and its implications. It's both exciting and frustrating to know that this is a life-long pursuit. We will continually have more questions answered, but more answers will lead to more questions. So the journey will continue until the day that He returns and we see Him as He is.
But until that day we will continue the struggle, and the excitement of having those "lightbulb" moments will continually draw us back. As our eyes are opened more fully to see what's in front of us, we will grow to love it more and more.
For me, one of those moments came when I read Deuteronomy 22:22-23. At first glance, this passage looks like a simple law placed in the middle of a bunch of other simple laws. Moses has been dealing with a wide range of things from murder to inheritance rights to rebellious children. Then, there is this passage, "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance." (Deut. 22:22-23 ESV). As I was thinking about this verse, I began to think about the Jewish mindest during Jesus' day. Jesus was a man who stirred up great controversy. He could do things that no one else could do. The people watched in great wonder as he healed the blind, commanded the elements, and even raised people from death to life. But it wasn't mainly what He did that caused the religious leaders to hate Him; it was what He said. Jesus claimed to be the annointed One of God. He claimed to be the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited King that would sit on the throne of David forever. This is what it meant to be the Son of God. The Christ had to be chosen by God Himself. He could not be a self appointed king. This is what the religious leaders hated so much. They could not accept that God had appointed Him to be their Christ.
But what does this have to do with Deut. 22:22-23? The religious leaders in Jesus' day would have known this law very well. How fitting, that the Jews were under the authority of the Roman government, whose favorite form of execution was crucifixion. I wonder how this played into the minds of those who hated Him. If only He could be charged with blasphemy, then He could be hanged on the Roman cross, and it would be proven once and for all that this man is not the Christ of God. After all, how can someone be chosen by God and cursed by God at the same time?
God's plan is so amazing! It blows my mind. The Chosen One would become the Cursed One for our salvation and for His glory. The religious leaders were right. Hanging on the Roman Cross did prove that Jesus was cursed of God. But they did not know that it was God's plan for Jesus to become the curse in our place (Gal. 3:13-14). Because of His obedience even to death on the Cross, the cursed King was given the Name above all names. He is the Christ!
But until that day we will continue the struggle, and the excitement of having those "lightbulb" moments will continually draw us back. As our eyes are opened more fully to see what's in front of us, we will grow to love it more and more.
For me, one of those moments came when I read Deuteronomy 22:22-23. At first glance, this passage looks like a simple law placed in the middle of a bunch of other simple laws. Moses has been dealing with a wide range of things from murder to inheritance rights to rebellious children. Then, there is this passage, "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance." (Deut. 22:22-23 ESV). As I was thinking about this verse, I began to think about the Jewish mindest during Jesus' day. Jesus was a man who stirred up great controversy. He could do things that no one else could do. The people watched in great wonder as he healed the blind, commanded the elements, and even raised people from death to life. But it wasn't mainly what He did that caused the religious leaders to hate Him; it was what He said. Jesus claimed to be the annointed One of God. He claimed to be the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited King that would sit on the throne of David forever. This is what it meant to be the Son of God. The Christ had to be chosen by God Himself. He could not be a self appointed king. This is what the religious leaders hated so much. They could not accept that God had appointed Him to be their Christ.
But what does this have to do with Deut. 22:22-23? The religious leaders in Jesus' day would have known this law very well. How fitting, that the Jews were under the authority of the Roman government, whose favorite form of execution was crucifixion. I wonder how this played into the minds of those who hated Him. If only He could be charged with blasphemy, then He could be hanged on the Roman cross, and it would be proven once and for all that this man is not the Christ of God. After all, how can someone be chosen by God and cursed by God at the same time?
God's plan is so amazing! It blows my mind. The Chosen One would become the Cursed One for our salvation and for His glory. The religious leaders were right. Hanging on the Roman Cross did prove that Jesus was cursed of God. But they did not know that it was God's plan for Jesus to become the curse in our place (Gal. 3:13-14). Because of His obedience even to death on the Cross, the cursed King was given the Name above all names. He is the Christ!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Presumption and Sovereignty
In an earlier post, I made an attempt at addressing the difference between having faith in the grace of God and presuming upon the grace of God. Looking at Romans 2:4, I tried to demonstrate that trusting in the grace of God leads to repentance, but presuming upon God's grace leads to more sin. It is important to distinguish between the two because presumption pretends to be faith, yet as faith leads to life, presumption leads to wrath. It is fearful to think that someone could have confidence that they have Biblical faith, when all they truly have is presumption. But the evidence of true faith is repentance, and it is only in having a repentant heart that we can be confident that our faith is real.
I began to think about this a little further, and I began to question how presumption might take the place of faith in other areas. When presuming upon God's grace, presumption leads to more sin. But what about presuming upon God's sovereignty? I do believe there is a difference (one that should be noted) between trusting in the sovereign hand of God and presuming upon His sovereignty. I began to ask this question particularly as I was having a conversation with my Pastor about evangelism. I've found that every time the topic of evangelism and God's sovereignty comes up, the same questions are asked. How should we understand God's sovereignty in evangelism? How should we understand our own role in evangelism? Do what I say and do even matter? Is God going to save who He is going to save no matter what? These are legitimate questions, especially for someone who believes that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. I won't attempt to answer them here. What I am more concerned about is the state of mind, or condition of heart that we have when we consider God's sovereignty. If we consider that God is sovereign over all things, is it presumption, or is it true faith? The distinction between presumption and faith is difficult here for the same reason that it was difficult in the previous discussion. Just as presumption upon the grace of God pretends to be faith in the grace of God, so presumption upon the sovereignty of God pretends to be faith in the sovereignty of God. And here too, presumption looks like faith on the exterior. The reason for this is that presumption can easily be mistaken as trust, and trust is a vital part of faith.
As I was thinking through this, I realized that the answer to this question is the same as the answer to the earlier question. We found earlier that faith in the grace of God leads to repentance, but presumption upon the grace of God leads to more sin. There is a contrast in the evidence concerning God's sovereignty as well. For faith in the sovereignty of God empowers one to obedience, but presumption upon the sovereignty of God leads one to be idle. In other words, the person who truly trusts that God is sovereign over all things, has no need to fear when sharing the Gospel. He is empowered to be obedient in evangelism, knowing that God is the Author and Finisher of faith. He does not need to worry that he might stumble and say the wrong thing, or be too ignorant to share with someone else and so condemn them to eternal Hell. He only has to trust that God has commissioned him to make disciples, and God is sovereign over it. But the person who presumes upon God's sovereignty is idle. He is empowered to laziness, for he says in his heart, "God is going to save who He is going to save, and what I do doesn't matter." This is the heart of presumption, not of faith.
I began to think about this a little further, and I began to question how presumption might take the place of faith in other areas. When presuming upon God's grace, presumption leads to more sin. But what about presuming upon God's sovereignty? I do believe there is a difference (one that should be noted) between trusting in the sovereign hand of God and presuming upon His sovereignty. I began to ask this question particularly as I was having a conversation with my Pastor about evangelism. I've found that every time the topic of evangelism and God's sovereignty comes up, the same questions are asked. How should we understand God's sovereignty in evangelism? How should we understand our own role in evangelism? Do what I say and do even matter? Is God going to save who He is going to save no matter what? These are legitimate questions, especially for someone who believes that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. I won't attempt to answer them here. What I am more concerned about is the state of mind, or condition of heart that we have when we consider God's sovereignty. If we consider that God is sovereign over all things, is it presumption, or is it true faith? The distinction between presumption and faith is difficult here for the same reason that it was difficult in the previous discussion. Just as presumption upon the grace of God pretends to be faith in the grace of God, so presumption upon the sovereignty of God pretends to be faith in the sovereignty of God. And here too, presumption looks like faith on the exterior. The reason for this is that presumption can easily be mistaken as trust, and trust is a vital part of faith.
As I was thinking through this, I realized that the answer to this question is the same as the answer to the earlier question. We found earlier that faith in the grace of God leads to repentance, but presumption upon the grace of God leads to more sin. There is a contrast in the evidence concerning God's sovereignty as well. For faith in the sovereignty of God empowers one to obedience, but presumption upon the sovereignty of God leads one to be idle. In other words, the person who truly trusts that God is sovereign over all things, has no need to fear when sharing the Gospel. He is empowered to be obedient in evangelism, knowing that God is the Author and Finisher of faith. He does not need to worry that he might stumble and say the wrong thing, or be too ignorant to share with someone else and so condemn them to eternal Hell. He only has to trust that God has commissioned him to make disciples, and God is sovereign over it. But the person who presumes upon God's sovereignty is idle. He is empowered to laziness, for he says in his heart, "God is going to save who He is going to save, and what I do doesn't matter." This is the heart of presumption, not of faith.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Who's the Man?
What does it mean to be a human being? What does it mean to be a man or a woman? How do we define ourselves? And who has the authority to give the definition?
It may not seem apparent at first glance, but these are some of the most important questions we could ever ask. And I believe, of all the times of the year, that Christmas particularly begs us to ask these questions. After all, we are celebrating the incarnation. We are celebrating the Biblical truth that God became a man and dwelt among men. Why did He do this? Was it really necessary? If it was necessary, why?
Let's start with this question first, "Who has the authority to define humanity?" This may seem to be a silly question, but I would say that it is more important and pressing than we might think. We live in a world where people have claimed the authority to define themselves. The debate over "Gay marriage," for example, is a definition debate. The mental consensus used to be that the definition of marriage came from beyond us. There was a higher authority who gave the definition, and our role was to hear it and submit to it. If the Bible is the authority that defines marriage, then the term "Gay Marriage" is an oxymoron. It's no different than saying "Married Bachelor." But we are culturally morphing into a people who no longer listens to Biblical definitions, and the only alternative is to define things for ourselves, or beg the State to define things for us. So it is important, first, that we establish who has the authority to define humanity. If we are a people who believe the Bible, then we know that we do not have the authority to define ourselves. Only God has that authority. When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image, and this is where our definition and identity are found.
"But what does all of this have to do with Christmas?" you might ask. Simply put, we celebrate Christmas because Jesus succeeded where we failed. God defined humanity in a certain way, but due to our sin, we did not live up to His definition. We skewed God's image. I would even say that in some ways we became sub-human because of sin (remember who defines humanity). So when we fail, instead of saying, "I'm only human," maybe we should say, "I'm not quite fully human yet." In this sense, Jesus is the only Man that has ever lived up to the real definition of humanity. He is the perfect image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). The incarnation made it possible for humanity to finally be what it was originally intended to be. So, just as in Adam all have sinned, and therefore all die; Jesus has overcome sin for all who are united to Him (Romans 5:12-21). Therefore, they shall live. In His death for our sins and his resurrection to give us life, Jesus became the firstborn of the new humanity. Colossians 1:18 says, "And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." (ESV)
I hope that in the midst of presents, lights, trees, nativity scenes, carols, and way too much food, we will consider that this baby, born of a virgin, was the perfect Man. He is the true humanity. May we long for the day when we will be like Him. May we long for the day when we will join Him as His brothers and sisters. May we long for the day when we will see Him face to face. Merry Christmas.
It may not seem apparent at first glance, but these are some of the most important questions we could ever ask. And I believe, of all the times of the year, that Christmas particularly begs us to ask these questions. After all, we are celebrating the incarnation. We are celebrating the Biblical truth that God became a man and dwelt among men. Why did He do this? Was it really necessary? If it was necessary, why?
Let's start with this question first, "Who has the authority to define humanity?" This may seem to be a silly question, but I would say that it is more important and pressing than we might think. We live in a world where people have claimed the authority to define themselves. The debate over "Gay marriage," for example, is a definition debate. The mental consensus used to be that the definition of marriage came from beyond us. There was a higher authority who gave the definition, and our role was to hear it and submit to it. If the Bible is the authority that defines marriage, then the term "Gay Marriage" is an oxymoron. It's no different than saying "Married Bachelor." But we are culturally morphing into a people who no longer listens to Biblical definitions, and the only alternative is to define things for ourselves, or beg the State to define things for us. So it is important, first, that we establish who has the authority to define humanity. If we are a people who believe the Bible, then we know that we do not have the authority to define ourselves. Only God has that authority. When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image, and this is where our definition and identity are found.
"But what does all of this have to do with Christmas?" you might ask. Simply put, we celebrate Christmas because Jesus succeeded where we failed. God defined humanity in a certain way, but due to our sin, we did not live up to His definition. We skewed God's image. I would even say that in some ways we became sub-human because of sin (remember who defines humanity). So when we fail, instead of saying, "I'm only human," maybe we should say, "I'm not quite fully human yet." In this sense, Jesus is the only Man that has ever lived up to the real definition of humanity. He is the perfect image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). The incarnation made it possible for humanity to finally be what it was originally intended to be. So, just as in Adam all have sinned, and therefore all die; Jesus has overcome sin for all who are united to Him (Romans 5:12-21). Therefore, they shall live. In His death for our sins and his resurrection to give us life, Jesus became the firstborn of the new humanity. Colossians 1:18 says, "And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." (ESV)
I hope that in the midst of presents, lights, trees, nativity scenes, carols, and way too much food, we will consider that this baby, born of a virgin, was the perfect Man. He is the true humanity. May we long for the day when we will be like Him. May we long for the day when we will join Him as His brothers and sisters. May we long for the day when we will see Him face to face. Merry Christmas.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Giving Thanks
"Anything I cannot thank God for for the sake of Christ, I may not thank God for at all; to do so would be sin." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
This past week I was able to spend some needed time with my family. I have always believed that my family is a unique and special blessing from God, but as I have grown older, that belief has become more real to me. So I want to give thanks to God. Every good gift comes from Him. And it is possible for us to receive from His hand because Jesus has made it possible through the work that He accomplished on the Cross.
But as I give thanks, I want to make sure that I do it the right way. Psalm 69:30 says "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving." (ESV emphasis added) There is a simple truth in this verse that is extremely important and powerful. That truth is, thanksgiving magnifies. Or another way to say it is, thanksgiving glorifies. This is always true. When thanksgiving is offered, the result is magnification, glorification, praise, honor, etc. The question is, "who or what is the recipient?" Bonhoeffer's
statement reminds me that I must be careful to watch my own motives when I pray, because my temptation is to cherish God's gifts in such a way that, even in giving thanks, I magnify the gifts rather than the giver. When I pray, am I simply asking God to take care of the gifts that He has given me? Does my thanksgiving prove that houses, lands, friends, wife, children, career, ministry, security, and reputation are the treasures of my heart? In giving thanks to God, do I really bring Him dishonor? Father, please work in my heart in a way that, whenever I give thanks, it will be to magnify the name of Jesus.
This past week I was able to spend some needed time with my family. I have always believed that my family is a unique and special blessing from God, but as I have grown older, that belief has become more real to me. So I want to give thanks to God. Every good gift comes from Him. And it is possible for us to receive from His hand because Jesus has made it possible through the work that He accomplished on the Cross.
But as I give thanks, I want to make sure that I do it the right way. Psalm 69:30 says "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving." (ESV emphasis added) There is a simple truth in this verse that is extremely important and powerful. That truth is, thanksgiving magnifies. Or another way to say it is, thanksgiving glorifies. This is always true. When thanksgiving is offered, the result is magnification, glorification, praise, honor, etc. The question is, "who or what is the recipient?" Bonhoeffer's
statement reminds me that I must be careful to watch my own motives when I pray, because my temptation is to cherish God's gifts in such a way that, even in giving thanks, I magnify the gifts rather than the giver. When I pray, am I simply asking God to take care of the gifts that He has given me? Does my thanksgiving prove that houses, lands, friends, wife, children, career, ministry, security, and reputation are the treasures of my heart? In giving thanks to God, do I really bring Him dishonor? Father, please work in my heart in a way that, whenever I give thanks, it will be to magnify the name of Jesus.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Faith and Presumption: What's the difference?
A few weeks ago I started teaching Romans to our youth group. I am going verse by verse through the letter, trying to answer questions, and trying to explain in a way that is true to the text and understandable to teenagers. It's difficult.
I have studied this letter for years, but it is amazing how each time something different will catch my attention and demand special focus. Last week this happened with Romans 2:4. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV) When I read this, a thought came to my mind, and as it did I became a little nauseous. The thought was, "presumption mascarades as faith." I became sick because I began to sense the weight and horror of this thought. The line between faith and presumption is a line that divides life and death. For those who presume, Paul says, "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5 ESV) So it is clear. To have faith is to live. To presume is to die. But presumption pretends to be faith. That's what is so scary.
Presumption can mascarade as faith because it talks like faith, it quotes scripture like faith, and it even lives like faith in some ways. After all, faith at it's core is trust. It is a specific kind of trust that believes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient to satisfy God's wrath, bring forgiveness, and make possible our adoption as God's sons and daughters. We are called to a total abandonment of our own attempts to please God and to rest in the finished work of Jesus. Paul was so confident in the Grace of God in the Gospel that some even accused him of a kind of presumption (Romans 3:8). So the line between faith and presumption, though it is a line between life and death, is not an easy line to see.
However, there is a simple principle that will help us determine whether we are presuming upon God's grace or we are trusting in God's grace. Another look at verse 4 will be helpful. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV emphasis added) God's grace given to us in the Gospel is meant to lead us away from our sin. It is not meant to empower us in our sin. In other words, this is a primary difference between faith and presumption: Faith will lead us to repentance. Presumption will lead us to more sin. If I am going to take my faith seriously I must ask myself this question, "When I consider God's kindness toward me in the Gospel, does it lead me to repent of my sin, or does it make me more comfortable with my sin?" If I repent, then I have true faith. But if I become comfortable with sin, I can be sure that what I have is not faith, it is presumption.
I have studied this letter for years, but it is amazing how each time something different will catch my attention and demand special focus. Last week this happened with Romans 2:4. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV) When I read this, a thought came to my mind, and as it did I became a little nauseous. The thought was, "presumption mascarades as faith." I became sick because I began to sense the weight and horror of this thought. The line between faith and presumption is a line that divides life and death. For those who presume, Paul says, "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5 ESV) So it is clear. To have faith is to live. To presume is to die. But presumption pretends to be faith. That's what is so scary.
Presumption can mascarade as faith because it talks like faith, it quotes scripture like faith, and it even lives like faith in some ways. After all, faith at it's core is trust. It is a specific kind of trust that believes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient to satisfy God's wrath, bring forgiveness, and make possible our adoption as God's sons and daughters. We are called to a total abandonment of our own attempts to please God and to rest in the finished work of Jesus. Paul was so confident in the Grace of God in the Gospel that some even accused him of a kind of presumption (Romans 3:8). So the line between faith and presumption, though it is a line between life and death, is not an easy line to see.
However, there is a simple principle that will help us determine whether we are presuming upon God's grace or we are trusting in God's grace. Another look at verse 4 will be helpful. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV emphasis added) God's grace given to us in the Gospel is meant to lead us away from our sin. It is not meant to empower us in our sin. In other words, this is a primary difference between faith and presumption: Faith will lead us to repentance. Presumption will lead us to more sin. If I am going to take my faith seriously I must ask myself this question, "When I consider God's kindness toward me in the Gospel, does it lead me to repent of my sin, or does it make me more comfortable with my sin?" If I repent, then I have true faith. But if I become comfortable with sin, I can be sure that what I have is not faith, it is presumption.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Conformed to Christ?
I have to continue just a little further with the thought on Romans 8:28. Previously, I tried to make the point that it is absolutely crucial that we understand that the "good" to which Paul refers in verse 28 is a specific good. Our own sin-tainted, skewed definition of good for ourselves is not the same good that Paul is talking about. We define "good" for ourselves as more peace, greater contentment, better relationships, more purpose, greater success, etc. But Paul has something else in mind. If the truth of this verse is going to bring us peace in this life, it is necessary that we understand that verse 28 is bound to verse 29. In fact, verse 29 defines the specific good that Paul is speaking of when he says that God causes all things to work together for good. "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:29 ESV. Our greatest good, for which God is working, is that we be conformed to the image of Christ. There is nothing better. There is nothing higher. And there is no greater purpose. This is the greatest act of love that our Father can do in our lives. It is the work that the Cross is accomplishing in us. And until we understand that this alone is the goal, we will continue to live in disappointment as we battle to reconcile the tragedies in our lives with our own definition of "good." This is the love of our Father for us; that He calls us His own children, and in doing so, He molds us into the likeness of His only begotton Son.
But I began to think of what exactly it looks like to be conformed to Christ's image, especially in the context of these two verses. Paul is encouraging us that God especially uses persecution, tragedy, loss, etc. in His good purpose to conform us to Christ. So I began to ask myself, "What specific work does God accomplish in our lives in the midst of our distress that causes us to be more like Jesus?" My mind immediatley went to the place where Jesus Himself was under the most duress. In the garden, before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed in agony because He knew that the cup of God's wrath was about to be poured upon Him. In this moment, the nature of His relationship to the Father is clearly seen. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42 ESV. This Christ who was the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were created, and in whom all things find their being, who was literally God in the flesh, submitted to His Father's will. In John 5:19 Jesus told the people that He could do nothing on His own accord, but He could only do what He saw His Father doing. Jesus fully trusted the word of His Father. Because of this complete trust, He lived a life of total surrender to the will of His Father, even in the midst of bearing the wrath that was due to a sinful humanity. What does it look like to be conformed to the image of Jesus? And why does God use tribulation and loss to bring that conformation about in our lives? Because in the midst of tribulation we cannot trust in ourselves. We are stripped of any false idea that we are capable of defining our own purpose and destiny. We are sobored to realize that we are powerless and completely dependent upon the One who we call Father. It is in this dependence, in this submission, in this trust that we are most like Jesus. And in becoming like Jesus, He is immeasurably glorified, because He is the firstborn of many brothers.
But I began to think of what exactly it looks like to be conformed to Christ's image, especially in the context of these two verses. Paul is encouraging us that God especially uses persecution, tragedy, loss, etc. in His good purpose to conform us to Christ. So I began to ask myself, "What specific work does God accomplish in our lives in the midst of our distress that causes us to be more like Jesus?" My mind immediatley went to the place where Jesus Himself was under the most duress. In the garden, before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed in agony because He knew that the cup of God's wrath was about to be poured upon Him. In this moment, the nature of His relationship to the Father is clearly seen. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42 ESV. This Christ who was the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were created, and in whom all things find their being, who was literally God in the flesh, submitted to His Father's will. In John 5:19 Jesus told the people that He could do nothing on His own accord, but He could only do what He saw His Father doing. Jesus fully trusted the word of His Father. Because of this complete trust, He lived a life of total surrender to the will of His Father, even in the midst of bearing the wrath that was due to a sinful humanity. What does it look like to be conformed to the image of Jesus? And why does God use tribulation and loss to bring that conformation about in our lives? Because in the midst of tribulation we cannot trust in ourselves. We are stripped of any false idea that we are capable of defining our own purpose and destiny. We are sobored to realize that we are powerless and completely dependent upon the One who we call Father. It is in this dependence, in this submission, in this trust that we are most like Jesus. And in becoming like Jesus, He is immeasurably glorified, because He is the firstborn of many brothers.
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