The Sword Room

For those of you who don’t know it, common grace is the two-bit expression used to describe the blessings God showers on all people–believer and unbeliever. Sunshine, rain, the ability to look at the blue sky, green trees, golden fields, and appreciate their beauty. The capacity to enjoy the smell of flowers and the taste of good food. The love and closeness which result from relationships with friends and family. Jobs, money, and homes. All these good and perfect gifts come to us from the Fasther of lights with whom there is no shadow of variation.

This does not mean everyone enjoys all these good things at once, or to the same degree. It might be raining at my house while it is shining at yours. The beauty of nature is everywhere, but it looks different on the Kansas Plains than in the hills of Kentucky or red sandstone formations of Utah.

Then there is the bad stuff: sickness, death, crime, poverty, and natural disaster. For example, I went to a workshop yesterday where several teenage girls told their stories. They had all come from homes in which they had been neglected and physically, verbally, sexually, and emotionally abused. By the time they were in their early teens they were on the street, addicted to drugs, and sexually active. Most of them had been raped and gang raped. They gave testimonials to how they got clean and sober and back into school with the help of caring people.

When I heard the stories of these young ladies I immediately thanked God for the great family I was raised in. But I also thought about how we are quick to attribute the blessings in life to God but then act and think as if He has nothing to do with the bad stuff that comes our way. But if God is in control of the blessings in our lives, who calls the shots when it comes to the curveballs and beanballs life throws our way? To put the question a little differently, why were those girls raised in abusive homes while I enjoyed a loving family? Why have I been spared from the devastation of tsunamis, earthquakes, famines, etc., that have ripped the lives of others apart?

Several answers have been offered. Some would say bad things happen to bad people. That God sent the tsunami to Asia as a judgment against generations of Buddhism and Shintoism. Idiots like Pat Robertson claimed God sent the 911 destruction as punishment for America’s toleration of homosexuality. Others would slightly depersonalize this argument and say that we live in a fallen world. Sin has infected all of creation and suffering goes with the territory of living on this planet. Some would go so far as to suggest a kind of dualism in which God has literally no involvment with anything bad in the world. According to this kind of thinking it is as if Satan and mother nature work independently of God. This is a Christian kind of semi-deism. At the far fringe is pure deism, which I assume needs no explanation for my theologically astute swordroom readers.

Then there is the biblical doctrine of  divine providence. We see this concept in the stories of Joseph and Job. Both had been blessed by the Lord, and both had suffered horrifically through no fault of their own. In both stories we see that Satan and the brothers of Joseph meant it for bad, but God meant it for good. Good according to His definition and in His time. We trust God because He is in control of all which comes to pass in the universe because it is His universe. Everything in it belongs to Him, including us. Ultimately He is responsible for the thorns as well as the roses, for the pits as well as the cherries.

This bitter pill does not always go down easy. But without belief in the biblical teachings of common grace and divine providence, how could we trust God?

———————————————————————————————————————

Now for the rest of the story. No sooner had I finished this entry when my son informed me he had been in a fender bender last night about 11 pm, after I was in bed. Fortunately neither party was hurt and the accident was not his fault. Still, for a young man who has never had a ticket or an accident it was a bit stressful. He was able to drive the truck home, and the other lady’s car had to be towed (she ran a stop sign). It might take more than the truck is worth for repairs, so with the gray clouds God allows into our lives often there is a silver lining.

Paul tells us in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. For Paul the power was in the message, whereas in contemporary Christian culture it seems to reside in the messenger. Maybe this is why we place much emphasis on outward packaging. The messenger has to look and sound just right; he must be articulate and funny; he must be “relevant” and politically correct; the decor of the preaching environment must lend itself to comfort and security; and the message is most effective when primed by a half hour of music designed to soften the emotions.

How different this sounds from the approach of Paul, the man whose letters were heavy but whose appearance was weak. Paul was not discouraged by this. Because he knew the power is in the message itself his job was simple: And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor.2:1-2). Read the book of Acts and you will see Paul presenting a very simple message and never deviating from it. The results were powerful.

His ministry in Thessalonica is a case in point (Acts 17:1-9). Paul spent three weeks there preaching in the synagogue to a hostile Jewish audience. When he departed that city he left behind a substantial group of gentile converts. A mere six months later he wrote to the church in that city, thanking God for their faith, hope, love (1 Thess. 1:3). He mentions how the gospel had impacted their lives powerfully and how they received it with joy in the face of affliction (vv. 5-6), and how they had become such an example to the believers in the surrounding region that they themselves had no need to report to others about the fruit of the gospel in Thessalonica (vv. 8-9).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Man is still a spiritually dead sinner in need of regenerating grace. And the simple message of Jesus is still the best news available in a world of bad news. You might think you are weak, unimpressive, and ineffective. Maybe you look at the glitz and glamor of the mega churches and realize you could never compete with such a production-quality shtick. Neither could have Paul or any other herald of the true gospel–nor would they want to. In whatever way possible for you, stick to the simple message of the gospel. To many it will stink to high heaven, while to those chosen from the foundation of the world God is pleased to draw to Himself it will be a sweet fragrance. It will always be foolishness to those who are perishing, like that smoldering stub Bill Maher; but to those who are being saved it will be the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18).

The power is in the message–not the messenger. Believe it. Believe God can and will use you. Stick with the simple message of Jesus and let God do what He will. One of the reasons today’s evangelism is so shallow and why we see so few true conversions is that we have replaced the true gospel with feeble substitutes that tickle the ears and tantalize the flesh of depraved sinners. We have, as it were, masked the smell of a rank fart with cheap air freshener

Back when I was in high school the wrestling coach used to say that training that didn’t hurt was worthless. When you are running, wrestling, weight-lifting, etc., and you feel the pain of exhaustion, you must fight the urge to quit and push through the wall to get the real benefit of the workout. You must force yourself past the limit of what you thought possible. You must almost treat the pain as an opponent to be defeated. The result is more mental and physical toughness.

Well, that was then and this is now. I no longer train until it hurts, and I have a big gut to prove it. About the only thing I do now to the point of agony is eating. This will change August 1, 2011 because I plan to cut some weight and go over and gradually get into shape running the track at the high school across the street from our home. My son Jeremy wants to get ready for the strength and conditioning workouts the first month of school over in Couer d’ Alene, Idaho. Of course it is delusional for me to think that forty years out of high school at age 58 I will be a good training partner for him. At least he will have a cell phone at the ready to call 911 if necessary.

OK, here’s the application. I just finished Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I noticed a couple references to struggling or agonizing in prayer. For I want you to know what a great conflict (agony) I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God…Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently (agonizing) for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God (Col. 2:1-2; 4:12).

Why pray for someone with that kind of intensity? To get into better spiritual shape? To try and bend the will of God? I say no on both counts. Then why? Personally I think it boils down to this: you work hardest at what matters most to you. And for most uf us, the spiritual edification of other believers is not what matters most to us. Remember too that Paul was sitting in prison; and since he could not travel to where the other Christians were, praying for them was about all he could do on his end.

There is no guilt trip or even exhortation being offered here. All I can say is that I have so far to go in my love for the Lord and other people. Can I get a witness?

This morning on the way into church we saw an elderly couple in the parking lot, and she had a cast on her arm. Later during the time in the service where people were invited to share prayer requests she jokingly talked about how hard it is with one arm to get your pants down far enough to go to the bathroom. Her husband hinted that he needed prayer too, seeing how he would need to cook for himself for awhile. Then followed the usual litany of requests for traveling mercies, successful job searches, and recovery from various bugs.

Prayer is a good thing, and I believe God is pleased when his children offer up even the most feeble and mundane of requests. I am sure He does not mind hearing general prayers for all the missionaries in the world and requests for Him to be with this person, be with that person, bless this one, and bless that one. No supplication is too big or too small. Aunt Edna is important to Him, and her hangnail has not escaped his notice. Even my pet peeve of prayers uttered with lip-smacking are OK to Him when offered sincerely from the heart.

It’s just that when I read Paul’s letters I get such a different picture of prayer than what we see in the average prayer meeting. I am in Colossians this week. There Paul thanks God on behalf of the Colossian believers for their faith, hope, and love, and the fruit evident in their lives as a result of their trust in Jesus and the gospel (1:3-8). Then he prays that they will be filled with the knowledge if His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that they will walk  in a manner worthy of  and pleasing to the Lord, and that they will be strengthened by His glorious power resulting in patience and long-suffering (1:9-11). In the next chapter he tells them he agonizes over them, to the end that their hearts might be encouraged and knit together in love, and that they might attain to the full assurance of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of Christ–in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2:2-3). When was the last time you heard prayers along this line, either in church or in your own life?

Are we to believe that in all the churches to whom Paul wrote–seven in all as well as the letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon–there was no one out of work, getting ready to go away on a trip, or suffering from a flu or cold bug? Surely there must have been an Aunt Edna with a hangnail in there somewhere. Of course there had to be, but here’s the thing. I am not sure Paul would pray for God to heal the hangnail. To him the hangnail wouldn’t be the real issue, but rather how was God going to use it to draw Aunt Edna closer to Himself and kindle a deeper desire in her to know and love Jesus and His people.

Paul’s prayers teach me that in my own life I am too caught up in my own little mundane problems, that I miss what is really important for what seems obvious to my senses. The kingdom of God is not hangnails, job searches, journey’s mercies, or recovery from owies, but righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the day the content of our prayers tell us where our heads are at spiritually.

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always concerning all of you, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope set aside for you in the heavens (Colossians 1:3-4).

First Ephesians, then Philippians, now Colossians–my Bible reading itinerary over the past two weeks. Just started Colossians this morning and was reminded by the above verses of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 that of the three greatest Christian virtues–faith, hope, and love–love is to be the most sought after. It would seem that the context there qualifies Paul’s meaning to the effect that these three virtues are the greatest in terms of our effectiveness in bringing edification to the body of Christ. After all, the great love chapter is sandwiched between two chapters on the use of spiritual gifts in the corporate assembly.

In this Colossians passage Paul thanks God, having heard of the presence of faith, hope, and love in the lives of the believers there. Faith is simple trust alone in the person and work of Christ alone. Love is a self-giving commitment to unconditionally seek what is best for your brother in Christ through concrete actions of service–after the example of the Savior Himself. Hope has a forward look toward those treasures in heaven which await the believer. After many years of life and ministry I have come to see hope as a great motivator. When a person sees light at the end of the tunnel he will take action to move toward that light. Sometimes, in the absence of immediate hope, all we have to go on is the hope we know is laid aside for us on high. Read Hebrews 11 and you will see the close connection between faith and hope.

In verse six Paul says that the good news of Jesus is bearing fruit and increasing among the Colossians and across the Roman Empire. My first inclination is to conclude that Paul is referring to the verbal proclamation of the gospel; and of course he must obviously have this in mind, since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). But I can’t help but think that when the gospel proclamation is backed up by the testimony of lives characterized by genuine faith, hope, and love, the effect is really powerful.

My prayer for me and you is that we will grow in our trust for Christ and Spirit-filled love for God’s children, and that we will place our hope where it rightly belongs–in the hope God by His sovereign hand reserves for us in heaven, where moth and rust cannot reach, and thieves cannot break in and plunder. May we live the gospel today and demonstrate these virtues in our lives to where the unbelievers and believers around us see a genuine difference in us. And as the good news grows and increases in us may His grace spill over and touch the lives of many.

Stay tuned for more out of Colossians over the next few days.

As a postscript I wish to dedicate today’s post to a man named Eldon. Eldon was/is a pastor I knew a few years back (1984-86). What I remember most about him was his faith in Christ and commitment to the Word of God. He was a loving husband, father, and shepherd of God’s people. I was honored to sit on his ordination council, and I can remember to this day how he shed tears of gratitude to Christ as he shared the testimony of what Jesus had done in his life. What a joy to know that after these years he is still trusting and serving the Lord. Eldon, if you shoud be reading my words, this one’s for you, brother. Keep you hand to the plow.

No more talk radio or cable “news” for me until after the next presidential election. Both sides are in full campaign mode. For those whose minds are already made up there is no reason to watch the talking heads spout their bullet points.

This time it is dangerous. Not just because the future of our nation seems to be at stake, but because professing believers have mistaken the real issues and misidentified the true enemies. God is neither Republican nor Democrat, and Jesus Christ cannot be exclusively owned or claimed by the Tea Party Movement or any other gaggle of voices clamoring for attention.

In Ephesians 5:9 Paul tells us that we were once darkness but now we are light and we are to walk as children of light. He goes on to explain that as children of light we are to approve in our lives what is pleasing to the Lord (v. 10). We are to walk wisely, making full use of the time God has entrusted us with (v. 15-16). Enlightened by His Word and indwelling spirit we are to know God’s revealed will (v.17), as opposed to being drunk.

When Jesus came to earth He was the light of the world. But the religious rulers and the political zealots alike hated the light and refused to come to the light because of their own sinful pride. Today we in America have a sense of entitlement that says we deserve peace and prosperity just because we are us. News flash–Jesus is still the light of the world and He is in absolute control over our present economic and political situation. When He stood before Pilate it did not seem any more so than it does now, but we must be clear on this point. And we must stay awake and alert through prayer and diligent attention to the sound teachings of Scripture lest the philosophies of the world pull us into their orbit.

You see from now until the election candidates in search of your vote will suddenly become devout Christians. They will say whatever they think will make you believe them. In the end you will be voting for the lesser of two evils. If you already know which party you will be casting your vote for–as I do–then be done listening to all the propaganda. Let God’s word be the lamp that illuminates your path. Stay awake and smell the coffee.

And the BS.