Like Wool

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Pete

The prophet wastes no time. The vision is clear . . . the indictment is swift . . . the LORD has spoken. They were the children He had reared and brought up, but they rebelled. They had become a “sinful nation” . . . “a people laden with iniquity” . . . having forsaken and despised the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 1:1-4). Though they continued to go through the motions . . . though they continued with sacrifices and sacred ritual . . . God calls them on their “vain offerings” and declares, “I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly” (1:13). In a word, they were a mess. And in that mess, there was a word . . .

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”   (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)

Eighteen verses into this major prophet and you know two things. One, God is pretty much done with Israel’s game playing and their sin . . . He’s hit the wall with their rebellion . . . He’s fed up with their sham sacrifices . . . He will not endure their unfaithfulness any longer. Two, God is NOT done with His people. Even as judgment looms, there is a call to repentance . . . a continuing plea for His people to say no to sin (1:16-17). But should they do that, what about the damage already done . . . what about the stain that has discolored their souls . . . what about the dirt they have ground into the very fabric of their being?

Come, says my God, let’s noodle this through. I would not call you to repentance if there was no means by which to make you clean. I would not plead with you to turn if there was no way back. I would not call you into fellowship with Me if there was no means by which you could stand in My holy presence. True enough, the impact of sin is severe . . . it is contaminating . . . its impurities are wide ranging . . . the discoloration it brings is seemingly permanent. But I am God . . . and I say come . . . and so there must be a way. It is a way that removes the impurities . . . a way that doesn’t just white wash over the sin . . . but a way that takes the fabric of your being and restores to its original undyed whiteness . . . like wool.

This morning I marvel afresh that by God’s grace I am like wool. The stain not just hidden, but removed. The soiled fabric of my soul not replaced but re-born . . . having become a new creation . . . having boldness to approach the very throne of a God who is Holy, Holy, Holy . . . not because of any merit in me . . . but because the stain has been removed by Another.

And I wonder afresh at the gift of the “stain remover.” The blood of Jesus . . . sufficient to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

What price was paid that God might say, “Come . . . listen to me . . . let’s work this through”? What sacrifice was made by heaven that sinners, stained and discolored, might be made white as snow and become again as pure wool?

Praise God for the Son of God . . . come to remove stains . . .

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high . . .   (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)

Praise God that we might be counted as sons and daughters of God . . . like pure wool . . . having attained purification of sins . . . by grace alone . . . through faith alone . . . for God’s glory alone.

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Me Too!

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Pete

So I’ve been working my way through Esther this week as part of my reading plan. And a word has popped out at me a number of times. The word? “Favor.” The object of this favor? Esther.

First, Esther obtains or wins the favor of Hegai, the king’s custodian of the women brought for evaluation to replace Vashti as queen (2:9). And as Esther becomes known in the palace it says that she obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her (2:15). Then, after spending time with her, “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight” (2:17).

The next time we see Esther finding favor is when she enters the kings courts uninvited to start her plea on behalf of the Jewish people. High risk proposition for Esther for she knew that anyone entering into the kings court without being called was to be put to death “except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, so that he may live” (4:11). “And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand.” (5:2).

The last three times we find the word favor, they are spoken by Esther to the King. “If I have found favor in your sight, come to a banquet” (5:8) . . . “If I have found favor in your sight, spare my life and the lives of my people” (7:3) . . . “If I have found favor your sight revoke the edict made by the evil Haman” (8:5).

So in this wonderful portion of Scripture that makes no specific mention of God or anything else religious (except maybe for fasting) there seems to be this theme of “favor”. Seven times the word is found . . . twice it translates a Hebrew word which means “mercy” or “kindness” . . . the other five times it translates a Hebrew word which means “grace”. And I sit back and say, “Yes! Isn’t the record of Esther a record of grace?”

She is part of a group of people who chose not to return to Jerusalem to rebuild when they were given the chance. The absence of anything religious in the account might indicate they were pretty secularized. And yet, God’s hand is so clearly on His people. The “coincidences” in the book can only be seen as the sovereign orchestration of a God determined to protect His people. Why? Not because of their devotion . . . but because of His grace and favor.

Esther’s position and power were through the favor she found . . . not because of the favor she merited. Her influence was because of the grace extended to her not because of the greatness in her. Esther’s protection was because of the mercy toward her not because of the magnificence within her.

It’s the grace of the King of Kings that holds out the golden scepter in acceptance.

And as I read Esther . . . and see my God quietly working behind the scenes . . . and see His care and protection for those He has made His own . . . I can’t help but fall in love with Him afresh. I can’t help but place myself in Esther’s shoes . . . a sinner who has found favor . . . a person with no rights to be in the King’s court yet who is accepted into His presence by the grace extended to me . . . and so I enter . . . and I love the King . . . because He first loved me.

Oh wondrous King . . . thank You for grace . . . thank You for finding favor in Your sight . . . thank You for the way into the inner courts through the blood of Christ Jesus . . .

When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. (Esther 8:4-5 ESV)

Me too!!!!

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Refresher of Hearts

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Pete

He was known for his love and faith . . . love and faith shown toward his Savior as He sought to live in response to the gospel . . . love and faith shown to his brothers and sisters in Christ as He sought to live out the implications of the gospel. Because he was grasping more and more “the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ” the living of his faith became more and more authentic and effective. And he gained somewhat of a reputation . . . Philemon was a refresher of hearts.

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. . . . Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
                                                                                       (Philemon 7, 20 ESV)

It really was kind of a complicated situation. In addition to being a believer, as well as a being perhaps an elder in the church that met in his home, Philemon was also a slave owner. Master and slaves were kind of a common part of the economy of the time . . . and he was in the master category. And a guy by the name of Onesimus . . . was in the slave category . . . he was Philemon’s slave . . . and he had gone AWOL . . . and there were certain rules and consequences when it came to slaves going AWOL. But this slave who had been lost to Philemon ended up being found by Christ through the apostle Paul. Paul “fathered” this fugitive slave into the kingdom of light . . . and now Paul, “the dad”, was appealing to Philemon, the transgressed against slave owner, on behalf of Paul’s child in the faith, Onesimus, “Receive him as you would receive me.” Like I said, a bit complicated.

And risky too. It’s not like Paul negotiates the terms of return in advance. It’s not like Paul goes one-on-one with Philemon, ensuring that Philemon will be cool with the whole “forgive the slave who betrayed you” thing before he sends Onesimus back to him. No, instead, because it’s the right thing for Onesimus to do, Paul sends him back with the letter making the request of Philemon to not only forgive this traitor slave but to receive him as he would any brother in Christ. Kind of high expectations on Paul’s part . . . but reputation sets expectation . . . and Philemon had a reputation and was known to be a refresher of hearts.

I love that term. At it’s simplest “refresh” means “to give rest” . . . but I like this little more wordy definition . . . “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength”.

Philemon had a reputation for easing the burdens of others that they might be able to catch their breath and rejuvenate. The saints had known respite and renewal through Philemon’s practical expressions of love towards the family of God. And Paul was confident that Onesimus would know it too . . . and Paul anticipated the personal encouragement and refreshing of seeing Philemon step out of his master role and submit instead to the Master as he welcomed into fellowship this former slave as now a sibling in Christ.

The pictures of Christ in this little letter are pretty clear. Paul clearly plays the intercessor role pleading on behalf of this once wayward but now redeemed slave. Paul offers to recompense Philemon for any loss suffered as a result of Onesimus’ defection just a Jesus paid the price for my transgression. And Philemon is a reflector of Christ as well. He models the One who says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” . . . I will refresh your hearts . . . same word.

Oh, that I might too be a refresher of hearts . . . an encourager of the saints . . . a refuge and oasis by which others are able to catch their breath . . . and in so doing, be a reflection, if but a dim reflection, of the Savior . . .

. . . by His grace . . . for His glory.

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The Destructiveness of Pride

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Pete

It’s funny how the Scriptures can “talk to you” sometimes. Through events which occurred thousands of years earlier, and situations which you’d never find yourself in, there still arises a connection to an incident that gives cause to pause and reflect. I’m working my way through a reading plan . . . but the Holy Spirit is seeking to work the reading of Scriptures through me . . . that it might benefit me through “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2Tim. 3:16). And as I sit back and think after this morning’s set of readings I can’t help but think that Haman would have done well to have read Proverbs.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.   
                                                                                     (Proverbs 18:16  ESV)

I read that short verse of wisdom after reading chapters five and six in Esther . . . and it jumped off the page of the warning Haman leaves for those with “ears to hear.”

Esther has a number of storylines that converge through a mysterious set of “circumstances”. There is a king who has, in my opinion, an over the top response to a wife trying to assert a bit of independence. There’s a set of cousins, the older assuming a father role as he brings up his younger female relative — they are Israelites who, rather than choosing to return to Jerusalem to rebuild, stay in the land of exile . . . and there’s an up-and-comer in the king’s courts who’s rising quickly through the ranks . . . gaining power and prestige at a kingdom level. And, though God is not mentioned once in this book, His fingerprints are all over it . . .

And while I have little in common with the setting, the situations, and the players in this drama, there are lessons to be learned from each of them. This morning, it’s the up-and-comer that teaches me a thing or two about the destructiveness of pride.

Apparently Haman’s name literally means “magnificent.” Kind of fits with the guy in this story . . . he was magnificent. Must have been very capable . . . I imagine that he might very well have been quite charismatic . . . a combination of all the right stuff . . . recognized by the king and rewarded with advancement to the top of the food chain of royal officials. Not only blessed with ability and position, you get the sense that he was also a man of means as he offers to finance a small war out of his own pocket. Had it all . . . except one thing . . . an old Jew (as in fatherly cousin above) refused to show him respect. While others bowed before him, this old man kept his seat at the gate . . . and became a festering thorn in Haman’s prideful side.

And Haman recounted to [his family and friends] the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king . . . “Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”   (Esther 5:11, 13 ESV)

Really? It all means nothing because one man won’t bow the knee? How consumed is this guy with himself? Pretty!

And in his insatiable need to serve self he ends up, in effect, opposing God. In seeking to feed his own appetite for magnificence, even to the point of exterminating an entire people within the kingdom, he ends up destroying himself. He will build his own gallows unwittingly . . . he will set himself against the king’s in-laws . . . and even find himself assaulting the king’s wife. Talk about a fall . . . talk about pride going before destruction.

And while I can’t really relate to the extreme circumstances, I am warned about the insidious allure of pride. I’m reminded that promoting self can have a blinding effect. I’m cautioned about lifting myself up and the associated danger of finding myself in opposition to my King.

Oh, that by God’s grace, through the redeeming blood of His Son, and the renewing power of the Spirit, I might keep myself from such destructive arrogance.

For His glory . . .

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Making Jesus Cry

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Pete

The thought of Jesus weeping kind of arrested me this morning. I’m reading the account of His triumphal entry . . . that foreshadowing of His entry into Jerusalem as King . . . accompanied by such an outburst of public praise and worship that it rightly only belonged to God . . . that moment when the stones were queued up, ready to declare His glory, should the mouths of His disciples be silent. And amidst the adulation . . . unnoticed by most during this praise fest . . . Jesus wept.

And when He drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. . . . And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”    (Luke 19:41-42, 44b ESV)

Jerusalem . . . the place of “double peace” . . . the city of God’s choosing that His glory might dwell among His people. The city of peace which tragically did not recognize the Prince of Peace . . . the place of peace which did not see in Him the things that made for peace. A city which did not know the time of its visitation . . . a city so so wrapped up in prideful, blinded, man-made religion that it did not recognize that the Messiah they had been waiting for was entering its gates for one last inspection. And, as Jesus paused before entering Jerusalem’s gates, He wept.

It kind of puts a pit in your stomach to consider that the creation can be so lost that it causes the Creator to cry. Your heart breaks as the Shepherd looks to those who He would have as His flock only to be rejected by them. The Savior is in their midst . . . and they didn’t know it . . . they wouldn’t have it . . .

I wonder if sometimes I move Jesus to tears. I don’t know. But I wonder if there are times when He desires to reveal His glory but my heads so not in the game that I don’t recognize His entry. If there are times when He seeks to draw near but my face is turned away, distracted by some other “priority”. If there are times when He comes to visit and I don’t even know it. And if, in those times, it grieves my Savior.

But as I consider Jesus weeping, I’m also reminded of His compassion and commitment towards those He has called to be His own. That any tears of His that may fall in heaven over my denseness are reflective of His desire to complete the work He has begun in me. His blood being sufficient to cleanse me from all sin . . . His grace sufficient to cover my failures as I stumble while trying to walk in a manner worthy of the calling . . . His Word living and active and able to transform as it penetrates my thick skull . . . His Spirit powerful and persistent to conform me, more and more, to the image of the blessed Son of God.

I don’t want to make Jesus cry . . . if that’s possible. But how I thank God for a Lord who is compassionate and whose tender mercies never fail. How I praise the Father that the Son longs to dwell within me through the Spirit and, though there are times that I might “miss the visitation”, He will stand at the door and knock . . . and come in when invited . . . and clean house as necessary . . and forgive sins when confessed . . . and continue to reveal Himself as the Shepherd King.

For His glory . . .

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Worth Waiting For!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Pete

I missed one. Last week I was asking, “Who’s Your Savior?” I said that in Titus the term “our Savior” was found five times . . . that three times God was identified as “our Savior” and that twice “our Savior” was declared to be Christ Jesus . . . concluding that if God is our Savior and Christ is our Savior then they must be one and the same . . . evidence of the Scriptures revelation of God as a triune being . . . one God known in three Persons. But I missed one . . . didn’t show up because of the search string I typed into my handy-dandy Bible study program . . . perhaps I should have just diligently read the entire letter. Anyway, there’s one more . . . “hidden” from my search because of an adjective . . . overlooked because what was “implied” about the Godhead through the other verses is stated so clearly here . . . but worth waiting for . . .

. . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . (Titus 2:13 ESV)

Paul’s encouraging Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (2:1). And the teaching being referred to is not the high and mind-stretching stuff of the Trinity but practical, down-to-earth instruction on how those who name the name of Christ are to live on a day-to-day basis. Whether older men and women, young people, or bond servants, there is a character to be developed and manner in which to live which will “adorn the doctrine” of the Savior (2:10). The walk complements the talk . . . the authentic cover of holy character beautifies the call of the kingdom. And the heart of this plea to live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age” (2:12b) is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ours is a call to go against the flow . . . to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” (2:12a) . . . to instead pursue that which is aligned to being the redeemed, “a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works” (2:14). And the great motivator? The appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ! It will be worth waiting for . . .

Jesus is coming again. Having appeared once to bring salvation for all people (2:11), He is coming again to reveal His glory as King of all people. Having come the first time as the Lamb of God, He will come a second time as the Lord of Lords. And mine is to wait for His glorious appearing . . . to anticipate it . . . to look for it . . . to live in light of it. His glorious appearing becomes the filter through which I encounter life. It provides context for my priorities . . . it provides perspective concerning my trials . . . it provides a point on the horizon of the “there and then” which I can fix on, helping me in navigating the “here and now.”

It will be worth waiting for . . .

Oh, that I might live more in anticipation of our blessed hope. That I might more consistently be fixed on His imminent return. That I might adorn the doctrine of Christ with an authentic expression of what is means to be “a people for His own possession”.

All by His grace . . . all for His glory.

Worth waiting for? Absolutely!

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On Climbing Trees

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Pete

If you pause to reflect, he really does kind of capture the imagination. The guy’s a shrimp . . . just a little squirt . . . I also imagine him as being kind of out of shape . . . or in shape if you consider a pear a shape. You know he’s not liked very much . . . and I wonder which came first, being disliked because he was a tax collector, or becoming a tax collector because nobody ever liked him anyway. And I also sense that he’s not someone overly concerned with maintaining the status quo . . . that he had a bit of brass about him . . . not afraid to make a bit of scene if that’s what he felt he wanted to do. And, given the reputation of tax collectors of the day, the irony is not lost on me that this guy’s name literally means “pure” . . . I don’t think he was too pure. But what does surprise me as I form this Zacchaeus image in my mind is that this guy climbed trees.

And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for He was about to pass that way.   (Luke 19:2-4 ESV)

Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. This small statured rich guy hoisted up his garment and shimmied his pudgy little body up one of the large branches/trunks emerging from the ground. This enemy of the people who had been lost in the crowd draws attention to himself as the leaves fall and the bark flakes off. He climbed a tree . . . because he wanted to see who Jesus.

That’s what Zacchaeus wanted . . . he wanted to know who Jesus was. From a human perspective, that set the ball rolling . . . that was the starting point to an encounter with Jesus which would change his life forever. And it occurs to me what a disservice we do this portion of God-breathed holy writ, if we think of it as only a kids’ story or we apply it only to salvation.

Now to be sure, it is a great salvation story . . . the coming together of one wanting to know Jesus and the Son of Man coming to seek and save the lost(Luke 19:10). It’s a great illustration of Jesus’ promise that for those who seek they will find (Matt. 7:7). But why would we think that this stops at salvation . . . that once we’ve seen Jesus, we don’t need to seek to see Him more? Shouldn’t the saved be climbing trees too?

Shouldn’t I continually be like Zacchaeus, seeking to see Jesus? Shouldn’t that be one of my priority life pursuits . . . to want to know the Son of God more and more? Couldn’t Zacchaeus be a daily inspiration? Even though I may be “too short” to see Him on my own, my desire to want to know Him should propel me to climb whatever tree I can find to see Him and interact with Him. And if I have the seeking heart of a Zacchaeus wouldn’t I expect that Jesus would be just as faithful to me as He was to ol’ Zach . . . that if I ask, and seek, and knock, then Jesus will answer and reveal and open . . . and the Jesus I seek to know more and more, I actually will know more and more?

How can I comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of Christ . . . if I don’t, like Zacchaeus, seek Jesus? Why wouldn’t I make the effort to “go out on a limb” every so often in order to seek to know the one who personifies that love which surpasses knowledge? Why wouldn’t I take God at His word and pursue knowing the un-knowable because God promises that He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Eph. 3:17-20)

That’s what happened to Zacchaeus that day. He climbed a tree in pursuit of knowing Jesus . . . and, it turns out, Jesus already knew him . . . and they connected . . . and they communed . . . and that pudgy little guy was never same from that day forward. And it all started with climbing a tree . . .

Who knows what encounter I’ll have with the living God, manifest in His Son, residing in me through His Holy Spirit, if I but seek to see Jesus . . .

Maybe I’ll climb a tree today . . .

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Who’s My Savior?

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Pete

It was put on my radar years and years ago. And like a familiar landmark, every time I’m “in the neighborhood” I look forward to taking note of it again. It’s kind of like Mt. Rainer around here, when it’s out (that’s we call it when the clouds aren’t covering it) you can’t help but cast a glance at it and marvel afresh at its magnificence. So, when I get to Titus, I anticipate running into this familiar truth . . . and it never disappoints . . . queue the awe-o-meter . . .

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in His word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Titus 1:1-4 ESV emphasis added)

There’s a lot packed into this “how-do-you-do”. The saints are “elect” . . . godliness is tied to the knowledge of the truth . . . the hope of eternal life is a promise of God . . . the God who never lies (attribute of God to note) . . . a promise made before the ages began — not some “Oooops, what do I do now?” type of Plan B. But what was pointed out to me . . . and gets my heart pumpin’ every time I visit this “Titus neighborhood” is “Who’s Your Savior?”

Which is it Paul? Is God our Savior or is Jesus Christ our Savior? Answer: Yes! O’ blessed, amazing, blow your mind YES!!!

Kind of surprising, but you actually don’t find the term “our Savior” a lot in the NT. Only 9 times . . . twice in 1Timothy, once in 2Timothy, five times here in Titus, and once in Jude. Six times God’s our Savior . . . three times Christ Jesus is our Savior. In Titus it’s a three / two split.

Way, way back in Arithmetic 101 I was taught that if two expressions are equal to the same thing, then the two expression are equal with each other. So, if God’s our Savior . . . and Christ Jesus is our Savior . . . than God is Christ . . . and Jesus is God. Can anyone say, “Trinity?!”

This is one of those indicators in Holy Writ of the mystery of the Godhead . . . God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit . . . that God is one and yet subsists in three distinct Persons. That Jesus Christ is fully God . . . that He came as Immanuel, that is God with us (Matt. 1:23) . . . that “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:3) . . . that to see Jesus is to see the Father (John 14:9-10) . . . that Jesus the Son, and God the Father are one (John 10:28).

Do I fully grasp it? No. Do I believe it? Absolutely! Does it is send a shiver down my spine to meditate on it? . . . to consider the awesome constitution of God in that He is one and yet He is three? . . . to consider the approachable-ness of God as He who lives in unapproachable light has determined to enter into abiding communion with me through the blessed Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit? . . . to consider the love of God that would He would come to the earth as the Lamb of God and personally and intimately redeem my soul for His pleasure and glory? Does it send a shiver down my spine? Yeah . . . kinda’!

Who’s my Savior? Almighty God . . . He who is enthroned in heaven . . . surrounded by a heavenly chorus of “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” . . . He who is worthy to receive all “glory and honor and power” (Rev. 4:8,11). Who’s my Savior? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, One with God . . . He who was slain and by His blood ransomed people for God . . . He who is worthy to receive “power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:9-11).

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior   (Titus 3:4-6 ESV)

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”   (Revelation 5:13 ESV)

He’s my Savior! Amen?

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Going for Gold!

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Pete

I’ve been enjoying watching some of the Olympics on the television. There’s something kind of inspirational in watching some of these athletes compete. I’ll be honest, I’m still not a fan of professional’s competing in what were once “amateur games.” Not too interested in the “dream teams”. It’s the “no names” pursuing a dream that capture my attention . . . those who sacrifice for four years, some to the point of hovering in poverty, for the hope and privilege of competing against the world’s best on the world’s stage. They are those who dedicate themselves wholly to being ready for that prize which comes available to them once every four years . . . for many, coming available only once in their lifetime. They are those who are focused on the prize . . . those who order their lives around going for gold . . .

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.   (2Timothy 4:6-8 ESV)

As I finish up my reading in 2Timothy this morning it’s evident that Paul is coming to the end of his life. He has poured out his life as an offering to God . . . his “departure” is at hand. Yet you can’t help but pick up on the fact that Paul is “sprinting” the home stretch . . . still going strong. Having fought the good fight . . . having finished the race . . . having kept the faith . . . his spirit soars with the anticipation of receiving the prize . . . of gaining the crown. It’s been his goal since he was “recruited” by the Lord Jesus on that road to Damascus. For Paul, to live was Christ, to die gain (Php. 1:21). He would count all things loss in order to pursue “the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:14).

Like going for gold four years out, sometimes you need to hang your hat on some future vision to prompt you to order your life aright now. So if I want to “go out” as Paul did, then how should I be living now? Paul looked forward to receiving the “crown of righteousness” and said that it would not only be given to him, “but also to all who have loved His appearing.” So, it’s available to me . . . the question being do I love His appearing?

Do I long for that day when I will see Jesus? Are the words, “Come, Lord Jesus” frequently on my mind? I remember years ago a preacher saying that the opposite of love isn’t hate, but that it’s indifference. That has stuck with me for years . . . and it came to mind as I was meditating on this verse this morning. Do I love His appearing . . . or am I kind of indifferent? So often the “prize before me” is obscured by the distractions around me. All too often my concern with the “here and now” results in complacency about the “there and then.”

I do love His appearing — both of them!!! The first appearing when He came as the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, to pay the price to redeem my soul. And I long for His next appearing . . . whether that be as I go to Him . . . or He comes for me in the sky . . . as the King of kings, and the Lord of lords . . . to call His church to Himself . . . to set up the new heavens and new earth. I do long for it . . . but so often it can be “outta’ sight, outta’ mind.”

How I need to, by His grace and through His indwelling Spirit, strive to keep His appearing always before me . . . to be my daily anticipation . . . to be my daily motivation . . . to be my daily celebration!!

His appearing . . . that’s what I’m in training for . . . that’s why I seek to run the race . . . to fight the fight . . . to keep the faith. That’s the gold I’m going for . . . by His grace . . . for His glory!

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Keep On Keepin’ On!

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Pete

He wasn’t flashy . . . but he was the real deal. Not some nuclear physicist, but a pretty good truck driver with a down-to-earth wisdom that caught your attention. Not a university trained man, but one who had buried his nose faithfully in the Scriptures daily . . . one whose hunger and thirst for the things of righteousness drove him to study the inspired Word of God . . . one, who as a result of what he found in the Word, had set his gaze firmly on the prize and sought diligently the kingdom. Not someone who would necessarily stand out in a crowd, but someone who had a profound impact on this guy at the keyboard. And one of his favorite encouragements . . . one that I’ve claimed for my own . . . was, “Keep on keepin’ on!” And this guy from my past was brought to mind as I was reading in 2Timothy this morning . . .

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it . . . (2Timothy 3:14 ESV)

Paul knew better than anyone that the Christian walk isn’t really a walk or a stroll but that it’s a race . . . a pursuit of an ultimate goal. And that this race isn’t just a sprint but a long, enduring marathon. It was important to Paul that those who came to faith, would pursue the faith . . . that those who started well, would finish well . . . that those who sang Sunday School songs as a kid, would still be singing the praises of God as a “senior saint.” And, I’m thinking, that part of the “secret sauce” to finishing well has got to be the daily determination to keep on keepin’ on.

And the secret to keepin’ on? You continue in that which you have learned and have come to firmly believe. If I believe, or am assured, that something is true, trustworthy, the “real thing” . . . then I am far more likely to seek it . . . and desire it . . . and live for it. Would it be safe to say, “Show me a Christian who’s struggling with living for Christ and I’ll show you someone who’s not really convinced that Christ is living in them or worth living for?” Staying power is heavily reliant on being convinced that Jesus and the salvation He offers is truly “the way, the truth, the life” . . . the only way . . . the whole truth and nothing but the truth . . . demanding our whole lives and nothing less than our lives.

Timothy learned and became convinced of the truth of the gospel. He was a student . . . studying not only the Scriptures but also those who modeled how to practically “seek first the kingdom of God”. And Paul commanded him, “You MUST continue, in that which you’ve become convinced.”

I know I’ve said it before . . . again and again . . . but being saved is about so much more than just avoiding hell. It is about so much more than just waiting for heaven. Being saved is about pursuing salvation. It is about learning and then continuing in that which we’ve learned. It is about desiring to live godly lives in Christ Jesus (2Tim. 3:12). It is about knowing and then living out doctrine . . . about a way of life . . . about purpose, faith, longsuffering, love and perseverance (2Tim. 3:10). It is about continuing . . . or as my friend Wynn would say so often, it’s about “Keepin’ on, keepin’ on!!!”

And I think the reason so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are struggling with continuing is because they really haven’t learned and they really aren’t convinced. They have not learned the truths of the faith and thus have not embraced the truths of the faith. They have not been taught “to observe all things” which is just as much a part of the Great Commission as is “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matt 28:19-20). Poorly taught . . . poorly walked. Little investment in the Scriptures . . . little staying power in the world. Lack of concentrated consideration of God’s Word and ways . . . lack of desire to take up the cross and follow Christ.

The more convinced I am of the truths contained in the “God-breathed Scriptures” (2Tim. 3:16), the more likely I am, by God’s grace and the power of the Spirit within me, to continue in the God-ordained way of life He has called me to.

Oh, that we as the people of God would know a revival of “firmly believing” . . . and that we would know the power of the Spirit in continuing . . . that we would keep on keepin’ on . . . by His grace . . . and for His glory . . . amen?

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