Your Gospel

Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—  to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27 ESV)

Your Gospel

As Paul concludes his letter to the Romans, he writes some amazing things about God’s gospel.  He calls it a mystery FINALLY revealed.  He calls it something under the direct control of the almighty God Himself.  He calls it attached to God eternal, making God’s gospel a reflection of God’s wisdom, power, and infinity.

But surprisingly, we read one tiny English word in all that articulation that takes my breath away. 

Paul calls that gospel his own.

Not because Paul had just written this book.

But because gospel, the good news of salvation, the mystery and power revealed was personal.

The gospel is not a distant philosophy to be pondered.  The gospel is not a metaphysical truth to be contemplated.  The gospel is not an ungraspable Spirit entwined cloudy concept to be observed.

It is salvation to be experienced.

We are peculiar, it is our gospel, too.

Silence

Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near; (Zephaniah 1:7 ESV)

Silence

I have been known to talk too much.  When I am nervous, sometimes I chatter.  When I am insecure, sometimes I babble.  When I am afraid, sometimes I blather.

But I do not need to do those things when approaching God.

When troubles arise, when pains provoke, when fears loom, when worries overwhelm, I do not need to chatter to God, babble to God, or blather to God.

He hears my silent prayers, too.

In fact, a humble silence might be the right stance.  An awe-filled listening might be the right attitude.  A broken bowing might be the right thing.

We do not need to shout, dance about, wave our arms, yell, or yodel to be with God.

We are peculiar, we can be silent.  He already knows.

Safe

Things are going to get worse before they get better. But don’t worry. I’ll keep you alive through the whole business.  (Jeremiah 45:5 The Message)

Safe

A few years ago, I had a great pair of boots.  They had steel toes, they were waterproofed, they had snug laces, and the treads were fantastic.

I wore them during some work outside while in a storm.  Water was raging around my knees, sharp and blunt objects were buffeting my feet, and I could not see where I was standing.  But I was not afraid.  Because of my boots.

Baruch, a noble scribe for God during Jerusalem’s fall (around 600 bc) lived in terrifying times.  Enemy soldiers had captured Jerusalem, and Baruch was afraid. 

But God promised he would be safe.

God’s promises are even better than my old boots.

And God has told us the same thing God told Baruch.  He says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5 ESV)

We are peculiar, we are safer than boots.

Real Love

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments.  (II John 6)

Real Love

If we believe Romcoms, Hallmark, or modern music, love is a confusing, slippery, and impossible thing.  It would seem that love is an uncontrollable emotion, something that hurts, or a cosmic joke with a sad punchline.

But John describes love as something graspable, doable, and obtainable.  We love, he says, not by cultivating a mushy feeling, finding just the right person, or persistence.  We love by obeying God.

God’s commandments instruct us to put ‘someone else’ ahead of ourselves.  God’s commandments ask that we choose the rights and needs of ‘someone else’ above our own.  God’s commandments direct us use the pronouns you, he, she, them, and y’all more than we use I and me.

As hard as those things are to do… it is understandable and graspable.

And the only way to know that kind of love is through Christ.  He fixes our disobedience and enables our obedience.

In other words, He lets us love and be loved.

We are peculiar, we have real love.

Avenger

Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. (Nahum 2:13 ESV)

Avenger

God saying, “I am against you” has to be among the worst things human ears could hear.  These words are not spoken to Christians, though.

They were spoken to the God-opposing Empire based in Ninevah.  The people and government of Ninevah had historically, regularly, and pragmatically worked against God’s decrees, God’s nation, and God’s people.  Even more, for a time after Jonah’s preaching, they claimed to follow God, but had turned against Him again.

And no one can stand against God.

This is the message of God against His enemies.  He’s going to burn your best weapons, mock your symbols, and remove your sources of income.  Your very voice will be silenced.

Wow.  Do not be in that group.

Today, while we might be tempted to apply this type of declaration to nations that appear to wear Ninevah’s robes, these words and God’s wrath are not aimed there.

While closely associated, today it is more philosophies, religions, worldviews, and principles that God will destroy… soon and constantly.

Philosophies lifting up false gods like statism, humanism, and materialism.  Religions denying the Christ and His gospel of Christ Alone.  Worldviews that mock the One True Living God.  And principles that are not based on Scripture and Scripture alone.  These things, and folk attached to them (whether individually or as a nation) are doomed.

But Christians are not.  God is not against us, in fact, Immanuel!  God is WITH us. 

When God declares His wrath we might think WE should be afraid.  Because we might actually deserve God’s anger for attitudes, thoughts, and actions worked against God.  But Christ bears God’s wrath on our behalf. And we are not in the wrong group.  We are in God’s kingdom, the church.

We are peculiar, God’s threats are not against us.

Condemnation

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)

Condemnation

Paul does not say there is no sin, or unrighteousness, or guilt.

The difference between guilt and condemnation is vast.

Guilt arises, in the judge’s eyes, because the guilty party did something wrong.  Our feelings of guilt do not matter.  We might feel guilty, but not be guilty.  We might not feel guilty, but still be guilty. 

But condemnation occurs when authority passes sentence on someone’s guilt.  Because of guilt, authority imposes and declares serious consequences.

For Christians, while we are guilty, God condemned Christ instead of us.

Note that Paul is not saying that no condemnation took place.  He is not saying that God is nicey-nice, and is no longer holy or just.  Paul is saying that our condemnation already took place. So now there is no more condemnation for us.

We are peculiar, Christ was condemned instead of us.

Home

Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land. (Jeremiah 40:6 ESV)

Home

Jeremiah had been unjustly imprisoned, scoffed at for preaching God’s truth, and stripped of authority, position, and possessions.  When finally released by a kind guard after Judea had been defeated and carried off to captivity, Jeremiah would have been justified in giving up and finding a safe cave to live in.  He could have chosen discouragement, thrown up his hands, and given up.

But he knew his job.  He found some remaining Judeans, made his new home, and got back to work.

Jesus did the same thing.  Jesus was more ill-treated than Jeremiah, but never stopped His work.  Jesus, more than merely bringing God’s Word, He WAS God’s Word, was laughed at, derided, and ultimately ignored.  But Jesus never gave up.   Jesus suffered for His message, suffered as God’s message, and suffered through God’s message.  But Jesus endured to the end, through the end, and after the end.

Jesus, killed at the back door of what legitimately could be called His home, finds His people, makes us His home, and never stopped working.

And we can do that, too.  When rejected, scoffed at for our faith, hated for Jesus’ sake, or ignored when speaking the truth, remember Jeremiah and Jesus.

Home is not a building.  It is not even sentimentally, ‘where the heart is.’ Home is where God’s people need us.  And where our work of the gospel continues.  Go home, stay home, find home, and do your job… point people to Jesus.

We are peculiar, we have a permanent home.

Perspective

 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.  So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard (I Samuel 21:12,13 ESV)

Perspective

David had been named King of Israel by Samuel.  David was a military hero of great renown.  David was a young, popular, attractive celebrity of his day.

But he let all those things go in service to David’s God.

He knew that staying alive until God finished establishing his kingship was more important than David’s popularity.  He knew that being laughed at was better than being drawn-and-quartered.  He knew that having his spotlight change from praise to ridicule was better than being captured and killed.

He was willing to give up everything in service to God.

And we can have that same perspective.  Nothing in our lives is more important than pointing people to Jesus.  We have nothing, whether money, vehicles, land, collectables, friends, or our reputation, that is more important than pointing people to Jesus.  Like David, our reputation in God’s eyes is more important than our reputation in anyone else’s eyes.

Let that take the pressure off you.

We are peculiar, we can have God’s perspective.

Subjects

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. (I Peter 2:13-15 ESV)

Subject

Yes, the Romans had great roads, but the civil government was corrupt, violent, and selfish.  Yes, the Romans unified Europe for a time, but the empire oppressed minorities, silenced disagreement with a sword, and never let anyone leave.  Yes, the Romans provided a peace of sorts, but the Emperors and their minions tortured and executed legions of Christians.

I would not have enjoyed living in the Roman Empire.  Unless I had been the Emperor…

But Peter reminds those living under Rome, that they are subject to Roman authority.  Unlike Paul, Peter does not point out that God is the puppet-master of nations, but instead Peter tells us that obedience to our government, even oppressive governments, is an opportunity for witness by submission.

Sometimes we Americans think our government is oppressive (compared to Rome it was not.)  Sometimes we Americans think we live in danger (compared to Roman Christians, we do not.)  Sometimes we Americans think our government hates Christians (compared to most of the emperors, they do not.)

But whether Rome was worse than Washington, or vice versa, does not really matter. We have a chance to display Christ favorably to our co-citizens.  Peter does not require us to be doormats, to blithely watch our fought-for rights disappear, or to obey unrighteous commands.  But he does tell us to remember that we are subject… for evangelistic reasons.

Peter did not have the opportunities we do for peaceful, constitutional, legal overthrow of any present government.  We can vote, he could not. And Peter’s words do not prohibit that.

But he puts things in a different light.  Even living under oppressive governments provides opportunity to display a righteousness of obedience.  Even living with a threat of persecution provides an opportunity to point people to the provider of freedom.  Even living with a million reasons to fear provides an opportunity to embrace and be embraced by the solution to all fear:  Jesus, the real king.

We are peculiar, we can suffer as subjects for Jesus’ sake.

Rejection

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, (I Peter 2:4,5 ESV)

Rejection

I liked my first truck.  It was an ugly green, sported a rusty bumper, smelled like old plumbing parts, and was not a popular model.  When other folk saw my truck, they laughed, frowned, or ignored it.  It was rejected by nearly everyone.

But I knew what was under the hood, and more importantly, in the transmission.  Not that I raced, but I was rarely beaten when the light turned green.  I had umph and kapow when I needed to pass on a highway.  It never failed to start on a cold morning or hot afternoon.

It was also, simply, mine.

Rejected by men, but to me it was precious.

If that can taste true with a mess of metal, rubber, and plastic, how much more true is it when it comes to the Christ, and we His people.

The world looks at Christ and laughs, frowns, or ignores Him.  But to God Christ is chosen and precious. 

And we become precious when we latch on to Him. 

When we sense that the world’s rejection of Him affects us, rejoice!  Because perhaps we are, too, rejected.  But we are also chosen and precious, because of Jesus.

We are peculiar, though rejected, we are also chosen.

Safety

You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates. (Deuteronomy 16:21,22 ESV)

Safety

We do not generally let our children play on busy streets, even if the pavement makes a good kickball infield.  Warning labels stop us from consuming rat poison, even if it looks delicious. Speed limits prohibit me from pushing my engine beyond it’s limit, and my vehicle beyond safe operating limitations.

We do not like rules, laws, or the Law.

But God knows what He is doing.

These rules keeping Asherah trees and poles far from God’s altar are a good example.  Asherah was a popular false religion.  The worship was fun, the ceremonies were attractive, and the peer pressure was intense.  Some might have considered Asherah-worship a harmless diversion.

But it was devastatingly dangerous.  The Asherah religion destroyed families, eventually and inevitably took lives, and pulled individuals, communities, and even nations away from the only true way to salvation, Jahweh God.

His rules, law, and Law were given to protect us.  He proclaimed them for His people’s safety.  He loves them because He loves us.

We are peculiar, God and God’s way keeps us safe.

Individuals

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  (Romans 12:4,5 ESV)

Individuals

WARNING:  STAR TREK REFERENCE

We are supposed to hate the Borg, and we do.  Not only do they wield terrible weapons, but they threaten what seems to many of us to be our greatest possession:  our individuality.

If the Borg defeat you, they absorb you into their ‘collective,’ and you are an individual no more.

It might seem to some that Christianity is like the Borg.  We emphasize unity, community, Oneness, and following along behind One Man.

But Paul points out that we are no Borg.

Our unity in Christ does not diminish our individual gifts, abilities, and personalities.  God created us individually, trains us individually, guides us individually, and loves us individually.

Christians, unlike the Borg, retain every bit of our individuality even while having Unity in Christ.

It is unique in the universe.

We are peculiar, we are both the one and the many.

Praying

But neither (King Zedekiah) nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” (Jeremiah 37:2,3 ESV)

Praying

No matter how bad our situation is, there is prayer.  Even King Zedekiah, rebellious against God, stubbornly deaf, falsely hopeful in false hopes, knew enough to pray.

Because God is patient, so very patient.

Because God keeps His promises, in His time.

Because God is the One true living God of the universe.

Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to pray.

We feel pretty hopeless at times.  Pray.

We feel abandoned sometimes.  Pray.

We feel lost.  Pray.

We are peculiar, we can pray.

Eventually

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Eventually

I am not a good gardener.  When I observe that my tomato plant needs water, I am impatient to see the effect of rain.  When I notice that my apple tree needs pruning, I am impatient to find luscious apples immediately after the excess branches are cut away.  When my calendar informs me that it is time to plant, I am impatient to see sprouts by the end of the day.

Sometimes I treat my inheritance from God in the same way.  I want an end to sin yesterday.  I want absolute proof of God’s mercy right now.  I want faith to be unnecessary, hope to be unnecessary, and love to be overwhelmingly present immediately.

But my inheritance is absolute and secure because it is not primarily here… or now.  It is in heaven. 

We can have faith that even invisible to us, it is real.  We can trust that God’s Word describes it accurately.  We can love and be loved now, as a foretaste of the love we will live with in heaven.

But the inheritance is still coming.  Otherwise, we would not call it an inheritance.

We are peculiar, our inheritance is grand, and is in heaven.

Permanence

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Permanence

One of the tools I received from my father was a sturdy, comfortable, and reliable screwdriver.  I suspect it was manufactured in the 1940’s, and it was a perfect fit for my hand.  It was my go-to screwdriver when Phillip’s head screws needed to be driven.

And last week the handle broke.

At first, I was devastated.  But then I remembered that all things around here will not last.  In a way, the screwdriver was a part of my inheritance, but it barely lasted twenty years since I received it.

But the new life God has given us will not break, bend, rust, decay, or disappear. 

Peter tells us that the life we received from God is imperishable.  Because it is primarily in that eternal perfect universe we call heaven, it is not subject to this creation’s pesky broken rules that cause screwdrivers to break, weeds to grow, batteries to corrode, and fenders to rust.

Peter tells us that the life we received from God is undefiled.  Because it is primarily in that eternal perfect universe we call heaven, it is not affected by sin.  Everything works as God intended, before Adam (and we) messed it up.  Relationships are harmonious, united by Christ.  Our bodies will be healthful, healed by the Father.  Our emotions will be untainted and appropriate, in tune with the Spirit.

We are peculiar, our inheritance is permanent.

Born Again

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Born Again

It is time to reclaim the phrase, “born again” from a common misunderstanding.  Being born again has come to mean, even among Christians, as  having a religious experience that results from a decision, involves a lot of tears, and makes saintly aunts rejoice.

But being born again, while perhaps leading to those things, is actually something God does for us.

When my grandfather was teaching me to play chess, he had a strange rule.  At any point in the game, I could ask to start over.  It seems like an odd way to teach anything.  But it helped me overcome the despair that arose when I became hopelessly entangled in the effects of a poorly chosen move.

That is why God causes His people to be born again.

When we reach the point of despair, knowing how our bad decisions and actions have ruined everything, God says we can start over, in His eyes.

It happens through clinging to Christ, it happens through acknowledging and hating our old self, it happens through Christ’s love… but we get to start over.

We are peculiar, we can be born again.

Mercy

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Mercy

It is time to reclaim another word from the world.  Today, it seems that MERCY simply means being nice. 

But mercy is a rich concept in God’s Word.  God is merciful to us when He does not treat us as our actions, words, and thoughts deserve.  Mercy does not refer to salvation (that would be grace), but rather to the present effects of our disobedience.

God, being merciful, has brought salvation to remove the present effects of our sinfulness.  He is not only offering heaven, but He fixes what is broken here, too.

In a way, God mercifully breaks the laws of cause-and-effect on our behalf.  Our sins, even eternally removed through the cross, still could be expected to have adverse effects.  But God does not treat us as we deserve.  He treats us as if we were Jesus.

So, when bad things happen, we can find hope in the knowledge that God is not troubling us because of justice.  He already punished Jesus.  He might be teaching, or guiding, or helping someone else through our troubles. 

But we are peculiar, God is merciful to us.

Endurance

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  (Hebrews 12:3 ESV)

Endurance

A fire can burn in two ways.  When the campfire blazes, the logs burn hotly and brightly.  But later, even though the flames are not visible, the log can continue to burn… slowly and quietly.  But both are burning.

We also have two kinds of tired.  We might be tired from extensive exertion.  The kind of tired we become after hot, sweaty, painful work.  Or we might be tired from a long slow exertion.  The kind of tired we become when we perform a behind-the-scenes work.  Low energy, but still tiring.

But I contend that both kinds of tired are usually felt because we are noticing our own work, our own exertions, our own sacrifice, our own pain. 

And, of course, we notice such things.  If we did not, we might fail to respond to our bodies, minds, and hearts.  We might cause harm to ourselves or others though exhaustion.

But this verse reminds us that we have a neglected solution to tiredness.  When the work must be done, when relief will best be granted through completion, when our self-focus is more distraction than helpful diagnosis, remember these words.

Consider Him.

He endured both kinds of tired.  So that we may not grow weary or fainthearted.

That can be an example for us, yes.  We are His followers, after all. 

But more than that, endurance becomes possible when our eyes are not so focused on ourselves.  And our hard work is not an end to itself, but is given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.  Our exhaustion is given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.  Our struggles are given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.

We are peculiar, we can endure through Jesus.

With Us

And when the hour came, He reclined at table, and the apostles with him.  And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Luke 22:14,15 ESV)

With Us

The second person of the Trinity, whom we know best as Jesus, reveals something precious here.  He, who had celebrated every Passover feast in heaven, really yearned for this particular Passover feast on earth.  It seems that Jesus knew His death, resurrection, and ascension… and thus the fulfillment of the Biblical Feasts was imminent.  This is what every feast had been aiming at.

And now it was all about to be made physically real, as well as intellectually, emotionally, and Spiritually.  And it was best done in person, with representatives for all of Christendom. 

And His presence continues now, every time we eat the bread and drink the cup.

In a way, Jesus earnestly desired OUR feasting with Him in that same way.

He eats with us… and earnestly desires it.

We are peculiar, He eats with us.

Promises

Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He had said. (Romans 4:19-21 The Message)

PROMISES

I like optical illusions.  Like those fun pictures that look like the two squares are different sizes, but actually are the same. 

My senses, while reliable enough to get by on, are actually not reliable enough to live well.

I see circumstances, current events, political upheaval, economic troubles, weather inconsistencies, the effects of age, illnesses, and I might think, “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?”

But I actually do know what is going on.  God is at work.  And in this world, in the world in which Christians live, His promises are more reliable than our senses.

Abraham learned that the hard way… or the easy way!  Sarah had a baby.

So when God’s promises do not seem present, remember that His Words are more real than your senses.  His promises are true truth.  Promises like: He always does what is good for His people, even when it does not seem like it.  Promises like:  He will never leave you or forsake you, even when it seems He has.  Promises like:  the home He’s prepared, even when we can not see it.

We are peculiar, He has promised.