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Wandering Christian, Please Come Home

WanderingChristian

Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:6-7).

Dear Christian brother or sister who is wandering in sin,

Will you please come home?

Listen, we are family. It’s not just that we miss you when you aren’t at worship and Bible study, though we do miss you there. It’s deeper than that. We miss the encouragement that we get when we see your smiling face. We miss working alongside you at church activities.

What was it that caused you to get to this point? Was it charismatic false teaching that carried you away? Was it a misunderstanding with someone here? Was it the ceaseless struggle with sin that burdened you down and caused you to be weary? Whatever it is, want you to know that none of it is stronger than Christ. He loves you, and so do we.

Satan will try to tempt you into thinking that nothing is wrong with your current situation. He will tempt you to believe that we are reaching out to you out of pride and self-righteousness rather than out of love. Don’t listen to that. We are concerned for your soul. Don’t you remember the reason why you became a Christian? Do you remember the gratefulness you felt for God’s grace, and the awe you felt for the cross of Christ? Do you remember how good it felt to finally have your sins washed away in baptism? None of us here are sinless. We’re forgiven. Please, my brother or sister, come home.

We are praying for you to return. In fact, many of us mention you specifically by name every day. Sometimes it even brings tears to our eyes because we have been praying for a while now. Please know that we want you to come back. Please know that God wants you to return. He, your Heavenly Father, is the Father portrayed in Jesus’ story of the lost son. When that son returned home, his father was waiting with open arms. The father initiated a celebrating at his son’s return. Jesus said that it will be the same in heaven if you will return. Won’t you come home?

Let’s wrap it up: I hope you will consider coming home to Jesus and to His church. I know there are probably several hurtles that you will have to clear for that to be possible. It may even seem overwhelmingly difficult. Is there something that we can do to help ease that burden? We can’t claim that it will be easy, but we can assure you that it will be worth it.

Acknowledge the sins in your life before God. Cease all activity that is sinful in His sight, and ask for His forgiveness in prayer. Know that He loves you. Know that we love you, too.

Love, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Redeemed

Redeemed

Redemption is an important concept in the Bible. In fact, you can find the theme of man’s salvation – sometimes called “the scheme of redemption” – throughout the entire Bible. As you read throughout both Old and New Testaments, it’s a healthy exercise to look for passages that show God’s plan for man’s redemption through Christ.

To redeem is to release (or liberate) by paying a ransom price. The Bible says that with God is abundant redemption (Psa. 130:7), and that our redemption “is costly” (Psa. 49:8). That’s why Peter says,

… you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

So Jesus paid the ransom price by shedding His blood on the cross. In so doing, He liberated us, breaking us free from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:18). Jesus paid the price that brought about our redemption. Now, we can take hold of eternal life through our obedience to the gospel call.

Redemption changes my outlook on life. It causes me to look differently at life’s circumstances. In Romans chapter eight, Paul fleshes out that idea. Addressing a group of redeemed Christians (Rom. 3:24), he admonishes the Christians in Rome to focus on their redemption.

Because of redemption…

… I can bear today’s burdens.

Paul says, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

… I long for something better.

We realize that we live in a sinful world. At best, this physical realm is temporary. James says that life here is like “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). To that point, Paul says that the whole creation yearns for something better than what we have here (Rom. 8:19-23). It’s not that redemption has caused me to be discontent. Instead, redemption has helped me to focus my life in preparation for eternity.

[W]e also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23).

… I endure.

Paul wrote, “If we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Rom. 8:25). We can endure whatever life throws at us because of the hope that we have before us.

… I know everything will be ok.

That familiar passage, Romans 8:28, assures us that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Redemption liberates us from the shackles of sin, making it possible for us to take hold of eternal life. When we cross life’s finish line, we can know that everything will be great. Things will work out. We may suffer here, but we will rest in the hereafter.

Let’s wrap it up: Isn’t redemption beautiful? I’m thankful for a friend who helped me to recognize again the beauty of redemption. That friend recently passed from this life. His glory awaits him, he knew eternity would hold something better, he endured, and he knew everything would be ok as long as he walked God’s way. What about you? What about me? Will we live the life of the redeemed?

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Just Be a Good, Moral Person?

GoodMoralPerson

Somehow, someway, people got this notion that all one needs to do to go to heaven is to be a good, moral person. Maybe it’s because of the “feel good” type preaching that so many people are hearing these days. Don’t get me wrong, preaching should make us feel good, but gospel preaching can also challenge us to do God’s will.

I’m afraid this mentality might also exist in the Lord’s church. Some people may rationalize: “I don’t have to be at every worship service to go to heaven, I just need to be a good, moral person.” Sometimes, whether we really come out and say it or not, our actions reflect this type of thinking. Apparently some Christians think that they don’t need to tell others about Jesus in order to go to heaven as long as they’re “good, moral people.” Still others may reason that they aren’t required to stand up and be different in the world in order to go to heaven as long as they’re “good, moral people.”

Ultimately, it comes down to our definition of being good and moral, doesn’t it? I think we understand how our culture views these terms. To our society, the idea of being good and moral would include avoiding things that might put us into prison or that might single us out for something that everyone else would find distasteful. Basically, it’s all about keeping up appearances and maintaining the status quo.

The problem is, that’s not true Christianity.

Jesus makes it clear that He wants us to be good (in the sense that our society uses the term), but He wants us to be more than that. We are to be servants who are anxiously watching for the time when our Master will return (Luke 12:43). When He returns, we are to be found doing what He has asked us to do.

Jesus said that only those who do the will of the Father will be permitted into heaven (Mat. 7:21). He proceeded to describe good, decent, moral people who would be shocked that they weren’t allowed entrance (verses 22 and 23). They were good by society’s standards, but they hadn’t obeyed.

Let’s wrap it up: The Lord asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Christianity is about goodness, love, hope, joy, and, yes, feeling good about our souls. But it’s also about obedience. In fact, our reception to and obedience of God’s grace (Titus 2:11-12) is the very reason why we can feel so great about being a Christian. We have God’s promises that those who are faithful will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

Be a good person – by God’s standards, and look forward to heaven.

[divider]

TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Paul’s Resolution

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).

Are you interested in taking steps toward spiritual improvement in 2015? I’ve been making some personal plans over the past several days. In Philippians chapter three, we see a wonderful pattern for spiritual goal setting.

Here are five observations from Paul’s resolution statement in Philippians 3:13-14.

1. Prioritization

Some things are more important than others. Paul had his priorities right. He says, “one thing I do” (Phil. 3:13). He was focused on the spiritual things first. Will your 2015 (Lord willing) reflect that same focus?

2. Progression

Paul said that he was forgetting the past and reaching forward to the future. There were some things in Paul’s past that I’m sure brought shame to his mind. Conversely, there were perhaps some parts of Paul’s more recent past that may have made him proud (in a good kind of way). However, those things were behind him. The fact that he had a past meant that he had made progress, right? Be sure that you are making progress – and that you’re making it in the right direction (Mat. 7:13-14).

3. Pressure

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” Paul said (Phil. 3:14). The word “press” means to put in rapid motion; to pursue. There was a time when Paul put pressure on the cause of Christ (Acts 9:4-5; 22:4). Following his conversion to Jesus, Paul pressed toward the finish line of a life well lived. In what direction are you pressing?

4. Prize

Paul was pressing toward the prize. There’s a reward, a rest, that awaits those who faithfully run the Christian race and cross that great finish line. John was instructed to write,

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

It’s important to remember why you do what you do. There was a heavenly home upon which Paul was focused. But it was about more than just the prize. The prize’s value was found in Who resides in heaven. Back up to Philippians 3:8-11 and you see that Paul was fully focused on heaven because of his focus on Christ. Notice that, in those verses, Paul expresses his desire to…
* … Gain Christ (Phil. 3:8).
* … Be found in Christ (Phil. 3:9).
* … Know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10).
* … Attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:11).

It’s important that we maintain our motivation in living for Jesus.

5. Planning

Paul had clear goals. He lived with the end in mind, focusing always upon his promised prize and on the One who had given Him that promised hope. This doesn’t happen by accident, does it? And it won’t happen by accident for you or me, either. We won’t grow by osmosis through hearing sermons on Sundays and sitting through Bible classes on Wednesdays. We will have to focus our hearts and employ our hearts on studying and practicing the truth.

Let’s wrap it up: Prioritization, progression, pressure, prize, and planning: these are all elements that accompanied Paul’s resolution statement. These five elements will undoubtedly be included as you and I make plans for spiritual improvements.

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Why I Won’t Preach Your Funeral

 

“Well that’s a little presumptuous,” you may think as you read today’s title. “Who asked you to preach my funeral anyway?!” Touché, my friend.

I want to begin by noting that it is an honor to be asked to “preach” someone’s funeral (eulogize). I recognize those opportunities as tender moments for a grieving family in which I have the honor of sharing God’s comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-7), and discussing fond memories. Though that is the case, my statement above still holds true.

[highlight]I won’t preach your funeral because you are already preaching it yourself.[/highlight] In the way you live and in how you love, you are writing your own eulogy.

Some people view this kind of thinking as morbid. I don’t have a problem thinking about death. The truth is, we all have an appointment with death (Heb. 9:27). The only thing that could interrupt that appointment would be when Christ comes on the judgment day (1 Cor. 15:50-58; 1 Thes. 4:13-18). Even still, there will be a change from the physical to the spiritual; there will be a transition from time to eternity.

This week I was privileged to have a part in a godly woman’s funeral. We celebrated her life and were challenged by her stellar example. She had already preached her funeral. All I had to do was report the facts. As I prepared my remarks for that service, I read through 2 Peter 1:5-8, the “Christian graces.” It struck me as I read them that this dear sister exemplified each quality that Peter lists.

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:5-8).[/box]

On Tuesday, as I stood before the family and friends who gathered to honor her memory, I mentioned that this sister in Christ was a true picture of Christianity. I also mentioned that she would not have wanted me to say that about her. Instead, her sentiments would echo the apostle Paul’s: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

So what about you? What legacy will you leave to your family and friends? What are you doing now that will make people want to be better in the future?

I don’t know who will preach your funeral. Maybe you don’t know, either. Here’s what I do know. After you die, someone is going to remember you for who you were. What will they preach or recall about you? Are you providing them with good material?

As a closing thought, I want to emphasize that we don’t live to be men pleasers. The fact is: people will remember you for something. But even more important than that is what you’ll have to say for yourself before the judgment bar.

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).[/box]

Thanks for reading.