Category: Bible

In the Sunday sermon, we got to see a striking example of Christian humility in John the Baptist. When required to give testimony about himself to the Jews in John 1:19-28, John adamantly confesses that he is no one special, that he is only a voice, and that he is ultimately an unworthy slave of God and of Jesus the Messiah. To stress his lowly position, John asserts that he is not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, a task considered so humiliating and degrading by Jews in those days that only slaves would do it for others. Thus, when John confesses that he is not even worthy of doing this slave-level task for Jesus, John gives us a great example of the attitude we should all have as Jesus’ disciples.

Something I did not mention in the sermon, though, is how John the Baptist’s words find greater significance later on in John the Apostle’s Gospel, for we soon hear about one who actually does undo the sandals for another and even washes his feet. But it isn’t one of Jesus’ disciples doing it for Jesus; it is Jesus doing it for his disciples!

In John 13:1-20, in his last Passover meal with his disciples before the cross, Jesus, the God-man, the eternal word made flesh, does what was culturally unthinkable at the time: the rabbi washes the feet of his own disciples. The disciples are, of course, stunned, and Peter temporarily refuses to let Jesus humiliate himself in this way (Jn 13:8). But Jesus insists, and Peter and the others acquiesce.

Why does Jesus the master take this role of a slave before his disciples? For a few reasons: 1. Jesus profoundly demonstrates his great love and humility, the same love and humility displayed in the entire incarnation and especially the work of the cross (Jn 13:1; Phil 2:5-8; Jn 15:13); 2. Jesus teaches his disciples about their need for continual cleansing from sin (dirty feet) even while they have already been fundamentally saved in Jesus (a bathed body) (Jn 13:10); and 3. Jesus provides an instructive example for his disciples to do as he did to one another:

John 13:13-15, You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

What an amazing God! What an amazing Savior, that no task is too low for him to undertake on behalf of his Father and his own! May we indeed obey his command to wash our brethren’s feet and, thereby, wash the feet of our great Christ (Mt 25:40).

Questions to Consider:
1. What is the significance of Jesus, while knowing of the coming betrayal, still washing Judas Iscariot’s feet (Jn 13:10-11)?
2. Have you ever literally washed another person’s feet? Would you be willing to do so?
3. How might you figuratively wash the feet of your Christian brethren?

There’s something profound about the human face. From our earliest days as babies, we want to look at and understand other human faces. We want to see people’s faces when we talk to them or when they talk to us. Our most treasured art pieces, whether photos, drawings, paintings, or sculpture, are either focused on human faces or prominently include faces. We even can’t help seeing traces of the human face in certain animals (like dogs and cats) and inanimate objects (like electrical outlets).

But why are we so drawn to the human face?

Seeing Is Knowing

I’m sure there are many possible answers, but one answer that stands out to me is that faces provide fundamental insight into the inner person. After all, faces are extremely expressive. A face looks, speaks, snorts, smiles, laughs, cries, grimaces, and much more to communicate. Probably the reason we want to see and understand faces is because we want to see and understand people. God made us relational beings (Gen 1:26-27), and seeing a person’s face is key for knowing and relating to that person. When we cannot see a person’s face, or when we see a face that does not look at all human (like the face of a bug), we feel distance, discomfort, and even outright fear. Even if we come to know someone by some indirect means (like by letter or email), we probably won’t feel like we fully know that person until we see his face.

Seeing Is Forbidden

Considering our desire to know others by seeing their faces, God’s declaration to Moses regarding Gods’ face in Exodus 33:20 is powerful and startling. In the context, Moses has just seen God’s incredible mercy toward Israel displayed in not destroying them for their golden calf rebellion but instead forgiving their sin and continuing to lead them as their God. Moses therefore expresses his desire to know God and even to see God’s glory (Ex 33:13, 18). God graciously grants Moses’ request, yet with one caveat:

Exodus 33:20, 23, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!…You shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses was allowed to see God’s glory, but he wasn’t allowed to see “Me”—he could not know God in a full way by seeing God’s face. This is not God being antisocial; actually, this is for Moses’ protection! God says that no one can see God’s face and live. The bright holiness of God seen most awesomely in his face would overwhelm and destroy any human person, so God keeps his face unseen (cf. Ex 34:30, 34-35). Thus, while necessary, the inability to see God’s face fundamentally distances man from God and inhibits our knowing him fully.

Seeing Is Desired

Nevertheless, the longing to see God’s face—and more specifically, to experience his shining face of favor and grace and not his face of wrath—is expressed many times in the OT (e.g Num 6:25; Ps 27:8; Hos 5:15). Though God’s saints know that they cannot see God’s face, they want to do so, because they want to know him (Jer 9:23-24).

Yet how fearful is the thought of actually seeing the face of God! When Isaiah and Ezekiel are granted their visions of God in heaven, neither can bear to look at God’s face. Isaiah, in simply seeing God’s throne and robe, cries out in holy fear, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isa 6:5), while Ezekiel, in daring to look at God’s burning, outlined form on God’s throne, finds himself on the ground and unable to rise (Ezek 1:26-28).

Seeing Is Promised

However, if we fast-forward to the book of Revelation, we see another vision of God in heaven via the apostle John, a vision similar to previous ones yet importantly different. John reports seeing an awesome being “like a son of man” (Rev 1:13; cf. Ezek 1:26), whose feet “were like burnished bronze, when it was made to glow in a furnace” (Rev 1:15; cf. Ezek 1:27), and who is emanating glorious light (Rev 1:16; cf. Ezek 1:27-28).

Yet there is something new in the description, for John records the view of this being’s face: “His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire,” and, “His face was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev 1:14, 16). The effect of this awesome vision is the same on John as it was the previous prophets: “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man” (Rev 1:17). But then something happens that never happened previously: “And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Rev 1:17-18).

Consider the awesomeness of what John experienced! John not only saw God in his glory, but John even looked at God’s face and felt his touch without being consumed!

But there is a further wonder: John will not be the only one to experience such a vision, for Revelation 22:3-4 says of the new heavens and the new earth:

There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

Amazingly, John writes that seeing God’s face and dwelling in his presence will be the inheritance of all God’s bond-servants, that is, all his redeemed believers.

How can this be, in light of what God declared to Moses about the face of God in ancient days?

Seeing Is Granted

The answer is found in what we were looking at together on Sunday from John 1:1-18. God has accomplished a mighty change in history that has enabled his people to see his face, even to truly know him: God sent his Son, his supreme Word, Jesus, into the world. This Word came not only to save us from our sin but to show us God in the only way we could handle: in a human face. Thus, when we look at the face of God in Jesus, we are not overwhelmed and destroyed by the fundamental otherness of God. Rather, we see in Jesus a face we recognize: one of us.

The glorious otherness of God is by no means lost in the humanity of Jesus (hence John’s overwhelmed reaction in Revelation 1), but because the God-man Jesus has fully accomplished redemption for us, we can behold and even dwell with God forever without fear (cf. Rev 1:17-18).

Truly, who is like the Lord our God, working wonders? (Ex 15:11)

Questions to Consider:
1. Jesus did not display the visible splendor of his heavenly glory while on earth (except at the transfiguration, Mt 17:2), so in what sense did John and the other eyewitnesses of Jesus behold the “fullness” of the grace and glory of God?
2. What did it cost God to show his face to us in a way that we can handle? What does this cost show us about God?
3. What would God think of our ignoring or treating with contempt the unveiling of his face in Jesus Christ?

Imagine that someone came up to you and told you that, to be a truly faithful Christian and to inherit eternal life, you needed to give up your job, sell your house and the rest of your possessions, give all your money to the poor, say goodbye to your closest friends and family, and then go serve and suffer for Christ wherever and in whatever way he deems best.

How would you respond to such a person? Would you think him well-meaning but naïve? Maybe a dangerous legalist? Or even someone mentally unstable?

Poignantly, the above is essentially what Jesus asks of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. Jesus’ request is made even more difficult for this young man by the fact that the man “was one who owned much property.” We are perhaps quick to regard Jesus’ demand of this man as simply a special case. We think, “This man was covetous and idolized his wealth, so that’s why Jesus placed such a heavy requirement on him. Jesus is not asking all Christians to make such a sacrifice, right?”

It’s true that Jesus knew exactly how to address this man’s love of comfort and possessions, yet that does not mean that Jesus didn’t or doesn’t give similarly radical calls to others. Consider that Jesus specifically called other disciples the same way, as the twelve even testify (Mk 1:17; 2:14; Mt 8:22; Mk 10:28). Jesus also repeatedly stressed that his true followers are those who give up their earthly wealth to gain treasure in heaven (Lk 12:33-34; 16:9-13), give up their closest relationships to have a saving relationship with Jesus (Lk 14:26, Mt 10:32-37), and even give themselves over to death for Jesus’ sake to find eternal life (Mt 10:38-39; Mk 8:34-38).

As our guest missionary Brian Shortmeier reminded us on Sunday, every Christian life is to be one of simple yet radical faith. In coming to Jesus in true repentance, we have already given over to him every treasure of our lives. Consequently, when his word and Spirit prompt us to lose any of those earthly treasures for the sake of Christ and the gospel, we gladly do so. Jesus is worthy of nothing less! And he promises us a great reward for doing so. After all, how does Hebrews 11:6 describe faith?

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Therefore, whether you are an elder, deacon, missionary, or simple Christian, do not be afraid to live out a courageous faith in your Lord. Such is really what it means to be a Christian, and, whatever you give up for the Lord, know that you will receive many times as much in him (Mk 10:29-30; Rom 8:18).

Questions to Consider:
1. Is something currently preventing you from going “all-in” in serving Christ? What should you do with that hindrance?
2. What is the difference between courageous faith and foolish recklessness?
3. How does the Bible’s commendation of enjoyment of God’s gifts in this life (1 Tim 4:4; 6:17) fit with the call to radical and sacrificial living?

This past Saturday we wrapped up our version of the In His Image: Recovering Human Dignity biblical counseling conference from ACBC (The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors). The conference was a great time of instruction, fellowship, and discussion. For today’s meditation, I thought I would briefly share some of the takeaways from the different conference messages so that, even if you weren’t able to attend, you can still benefit and even have your appetite whetted to join us next time.

Plenary 1: Who Is Man?
Dale Johnson started off the conference by having us consider Psalm 8. Many in our culture would insist that man’s meaning is self-defined; we are whatever we want to be. But Dale Johnson points out that this effort at self-exaltation tacitly grants that man has no objective meaning and, thus, no real dignity. To understand who we really are, we must first understand who God is, and understanding who God is leads us to recognize our dependence on God for everything, including life and salvation. Yet humbling ourselves to accept what God says about us is the only source of true dignity, for we then realize our position as image-bearers of God.

Plenary 2: The Decline of Human Dignity
In our second plenary session, Denny Burk explained how “expressive individualism” has led to the decline of human dignity. Expressive individualism is the idea that essential human happiness consists of defining your true self (according to your own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings) and then freely expressing that self outwardly. Expressive individualism necessarily leads to the redefinition of sexuality, marriage, and gender in the name of authenticity and self-fulfillment. Yet the Bible makes clear that the self is not a reliable guide, either to what is true or to what is beneficial. Sin has broken the mind and made feelings unreliable (Jer 17:9; Rom 1:21; Eph 4:17-19). One may, therefore, feel a passing satisfaction in going against God’s design to realize felt identity, yet the ultimate effect is self-destructive. Thus, loving others does not consist of permitting self-degradation in the pursuit of self-expression but standing up for what God says in the Bible about identity, sex, marriage, and gender.

Breakout 1: Helping Others through Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption
In our first breakout session, Jeremy Pray gave us very practical instruction about counseling those dealing with infertility and miscarriage. On the one hand, Jeremy stressed the need to listen to and lament with those who are experiencing this kind of profound, prolonged, and personal suffering. On the other hand, Jeremy stressed the need to ultimately direct the sufferer to where true hope lies: not in the changing of one’s situation—in this case, in successfully having children—but in God and in the gospel. Even a good desire, like the desire for children, can become idolatrous. More than satisfying our desires, God is interested in making us more like Christ and in our finding full satisfaction in Christ (James 4:3; Jn 4:13-14).

Plenary 3: Treating Others with Dignity in a World of Partiality
In our third plenary session, Virgil Walker had us consider God’s image in connection with issues of racism and partiality. Virgil urged us to beware of those who would urge us to fight negative partiality with a new positive partiality toward a previously oppressed group (cf. Ex 23:2-3; Lev 19:15). Virgil also sought to counter the idea that biblical justice means that everyone should end up in the same place (so called “equity”) or even start in the same place of life advantages. Not only is full equity in the name of justice impossible to achieve (due to simple differences in our physical makeup) but such a goal tacitly accuses God of wrongdoing, since he clearly did not give the same life advantages to everyone (Ex 4:11). Rather than insisting that we be allowed to run the exact same life race that others run, we are to run the race that God specifically marked out for us (cf. 2 Tim 4:7). Furthermore, we are to embody the same impartiality to externals as God does (Rom 2:11), treating each person we meet with dignity simply because that person is made in God’s image (James 2:1-9).

Plenary 4: Dispelling the Darkness of Abortion with the Light of Christ
In our fourth plenary session, Camille Cates shared her own testimony involving abortion in an effort to help us better understand and minister to abortion-minded and post-abortive persons (you can find another version of her testimony here). Camille stressed that even though she was a Christian and knew that abortion was wrong, she let her own desires and fears as well as the pressure of others move her to choose abortion. Yet not only was the surgical procedure terribly traumatizing, the guilt of what she had done haunted her for years and led her into further sin and self-destructive living. Even when she finally married and had another child, Camille was often anxious and depressed. It wasn’t until someone patiently began to open up the truth of Scripture with her that Camille found true hope and rest in Christ (cf. Mt 11:29).

Plenary 5: The Dignity of Those with Disability
In our fifth plenary session, Joni Eareckson Tada gave testimony about both what it means to be disabled and what it means to minister to families with disability. Joni emphasized how life-shattering disability can be, whether it comes by a sudden accident, birth defect, or botched surgery. Families with disability are strongly tempted to despair over how life will never be the same or to frantically (and vainly) try to put the pieces back together to recover a “normal” life. But Joni stressed how a life of brokenness by disability can actually become more beautiful and courageous than it was before. Joni used the analogy of the Japanese art of kintsugi, in which a well-loved but broken piece of pottery is patiently put back together with gold lacquer. In this form of art, the cracks of the vessel are not hidden but emphasized in order to show the artists’ skill in repair. The vessel ends up being much more attractive (and glorifying to the artist) in its broken-and-repaired state than in its state of wholeness before. So it is, Joni said, in the life of every Christian, but especially those living with disability (2 Cor 12:7-10). A disabled person, in choosing to glorify God and serve others in the midst of brokenness, becomes a powerful testimony of the grace of Christ. This gives the disabled person renewed purpose but is only made possible by a vital relationship with God emboldened by the promises of Scripture.

Breakout 2: Counseling the Dying
In our second breakout session, Tim Pasma led us through the very practical question of how to counsel the dying. Tim stressed that just because someone will pass away soon does not absolve us of our biblical responsibility to minister to that person. We need to help the dying brother or sister continue to grow in Christ, deal with sin and doubt, and prepare to meet the Lord. We therefore cannot afford to avoid the subject of death with the person but must help that person come to understand that his death will be his last act of worship to Christ on the earth. Ultimately, the dying believer should want others to see Christ both in how that believer lives and and in how he dies (Phil 1:20).

Plenary 6: Human Dignity and End of Life Issues
In our sixth and final plenary session, Adam Tyson walked us through the issues of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide from a biblical perspective (you can find another treatment of this topic from Adam Tyson here). Many today argue that human dignity should allow for voluntary termination of life; people should be granted this act of autonomy and freedom from suffering. “Death with dignity,” i.e. legally assisted suicide, has become increasingly popular in Western countries (and is legal in NJ for the terminally ill). Yet Adam showed us from Scripture that the right to life and death are in the hand of the Lord and not to be stolen from him; just as we depend on God for everything else, so we depend on him for our day of death (Ps 139:16; 1 Sam 2:6; Eccl 8:8). Moreover, freedom from suffering is not the ultimate priority for the Christian, rather the glorification of God in whatever situation he puts us (1 Cor 10:31; Phil 1:20). While Satan would love people to think that they gain freedom and dignity by voluntarily destroying themselves, Christians must help people see that true freedom and dignity are found in Christ and in Christ’s way of holy suffering.

While most of these messages are not available for free online streaming, those interested can purchase all of the conference messages (including the 50+ breakout sessions) at ACBC’s store page. The set of conference recordings is currently discounted for pre-order ($60) and will be available November 1.

May the Lord enable us to truly uphold the dignity of every person made in God’s image by ministering his word in truth and love (Eph 4:15)!

(Today’s meditation is a guest post from our brother Mark Twombly. This is a slightly edited version of the original article, which can be found at Mark’s blog, In His Grip.)

If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. (1 Timothy 6:8)

Seriously? How?

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13)

Really? Why?

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.” (Hebrews 13:5)

The how is through Christ, and the why is in Him.

Our family recently completed a lengthy journey of relocation to accommodate the care of my in-laws. My wife, Betty, insists on very little, and is the opposite of a “nag” (see Proverbs 21:9, 27:15-16). So when she is insistent, I have learned that it is most often from the Lord. In this case, we knew that it was our clear obedience to the fifth commandment (Ephesians 6:2-3, quoted from Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16).

While Betty’s parents, Jerry and Dot, are godly and honorable people with a lifetime of consistent faithfulness behind them, that is not the basis for our decision; the foundation is God Himself and trusting in His promises. Having godly parents certainly makes it easier, and I have been stirred by the example of Christian brothers and sisters who have made great sacrifices for arguably dishonorable parents. Their blessing comes, not obviously from their parents, but from God Himself. Their sacrifices pale in comparison to the strength of character, joy, and peace which can only come from Him.

From that perspective, our situation is much easier. While many inside and outside the family have affirmed our decision and been inspired by our example—and I am thankful for that—I don’t regard anything we are doing as particularly heroic or extraordinary for a slave of Christ (see Luke 17:10).

That said, this journey has been far more difficult—and far more sanctifying—than I could have ever imagined. I have stumbled badly along the way. In hopes that it will be an encouragement to you, please indulge me as I share five of the unexpected lessons and the depths of contentment I could not possibly have imagined when we started.

1. Home

My thoughts revolve around the word “home.” The word evokes different emotions for different people, some wishing to run to home as a comforting refuge, others wishing to flee it as a source of great pain. I will be using it in the sense of the transcendent ideal God has placed before us in His word. The image of the returning son in the parable captures this well:

So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

We see that the place isn’t as important as the relationship.

Christian musician Michael Card describes it well in his song, “Home”:

Home is a comfort and home is a light
A place to leave the darkness outside
Home is a peaceful and ever full feeling
A place where the soul safely hides.

2. The World is Not My Home

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20, see also Hebrews 11:16)

Comfort in this life is meant to be uncomfortable for the believer. The Scriptures speak so much of our sojourn here as temporary, our status as aliens and strangers. From the time of my new birth in Christ as a child, I could tell I was on the outside looking in regarding what most people lived for. Yet, that sense of discontent and covetousness remained. “What am I missing out on?”

A better question is, “What has Christ set me free from?”

What started to take sharper focus for me was the reality that:

3. My Home is Not My Home

Their inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.
(Psalm 49:11)

When we moved into our home in Somerset, NJ, I thought I had “made it.” It was much like my maternal grandparents’ home in Manchester, CT. Growing up, I thought only rich folk lived in such homes. Granted, this is not rich by New Jersey standards, but it was very much so for me. I loved my house too much. I loved it for the sense of accomplishment it gave me and for the way it impressed others. While I was happy to be able to provide well for my wife and six children, I was much too comfortable and much too proud.

When Betty suggested that we move to a house more suitable to care for her parents, I knew this was of the Lord and what we needed to do to honor our parents in obedience to the fifth commandment. The reality that obedience requires inconvenience and sacrifice began to sink in.

The reality that this house was an idol in my heart began to be exposed—and so this was necessary for that reason as well. In the process of moving I began to realize that my house was not my house—and neither would the next one be—and that a house is not a home. I began to realize that owners are anxious and stewards are free to serve with all the resources they need. I began to embrace my identity as a steward of God’s gracious resources in a way I never had before (1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV).

4. “I Will Be Your Home”

Thinking back to Hebrews 13:5, the basis for my contentment must be the God who never changes. To be whipped around in the emotions of my heart reveals that I am seeking a “home” apart from Him. The instability of my circumstances drives me to find my stability in God alone.

This was a significant—and I would say unprecedented—redirection of my mind and heart. I praise God that He has caused me to embrace the reality that He is our dwelling place (Psalm 23:6, 27:4, 91:1-2), and, in an unspeakable miracle, if we are in Christ, we are His (Psalm 114:2, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:5).

Michael Card again captures it well in his song, “I Will Bring You Home”:

Though you are homeless
Though you’re alone
I will be your home
Whatever’s the matter
Whatever’s been done
I will be your home.

5. “I Will Take You Home”

While it is wonderful to embrace these realities in this life, God has designed us to live in future hope; for if our hope is merely in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). If we hope for what we do not see, our perseverance in what we do see is assured (Romans 8:25).

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Jesus, John 14:2-3)

The extent to which I want to be where He is—that is, cultivating intimacy with Him and Christlikeness as my singular aim—is the extent to which I am prepared for future glory and equipped to endure present trials.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-3, see also Hebrews 12:9-10)

This is simply stunning. With God’s glory before us, may He open our eyes to His unspeakable generosity.

I’ve been thinking more this week about a connection between our Sunday school lesson on early church persecution and Pastor Babij’s sermon on how The Gospel Makes All Things New. In Christ, people who normally would not have any reason to associate with each other but plenty of reason to hate one another find supernatural fellowship and love together. The gospel indeed totally transforms our relationships!

This is a reality that is not only true today but was also true in the early church. In fact, when we consider the first converts and martyrs, we see the wondrous unity in diversity that God designed to exist in his church, a unity which not only causes the members of the church to serve together but even to suffer and die together.

Something to know about the makeup of the Roman empire, and, thus, the makeup of the early church, is that the populace was quite ethnically diverse. To be Roman was not to be a white Italian or even a white European; the Roman Empire included people from the Middle East (Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, Syrians, Persians), Africa (Egyptians, Carthaginians, Mauritanians), the Mediterranean (Greeks, Illyrians, Italians, Iberians), Northwestern Europe (Celtish Gauls and Britons), and even places outside the empire from which people traveled or were taken as slaves (Germans, Nubians, Scythians, Indians).

And the people of these regions didn’t simply stay put within the empire; the prosperity and security of the empire encouraged travel so that there was a great mingling of ethnic backgrounds within the greater Greco-Roman culture. Thus, when the gospel came to different regions of the empire, and people believed, those persons brought their different backgrounds into the church, resulting in the situation Paul describes for the church in Colossians 3:11:

A rewewal in which there is no distinction between Greek [Gentile] and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

As violent persecution broke out against Christians at various times and places within the empire, Christians from each of the above ethnicities suffered and were even martyred.

But the diversity of the persecuted was not simply ethnic; when we study the martyrdom accounts left behind, we find out that Christian martyrs were both rich and poor, masters and slaves, old and young, men and women, educated and uneducated, pastors and laymen, new converts and seasoned saints. Even in the excerpt that we looked at from the Letter from Vienna and Lyons in Sunday school, we saw notable variety in the Lugdunum martyrs. Who was it that perished after suffering many tortures? Sanctus, a deacon from Vienna in the Alps; Maturus, a new convert; Attalus, a church leader from Pergamus—probably the city in Asia Minor; Blandina, an old slave-woman; Blandina’s mistress, left unnamed; and Ponticus, a fifteen-year-old boy. As these dear and diverse believers had lived together in Christ, they died together in Christ, with all outer distinctions fading away and their one bond and hope in the Lord shining through.

Today, as the people of our culture find more and more reasons to be suspicious of one another, to divide from one another, and even to hate one another, we Christians should be different. The gospel makes all things new in Christ. We do not regard people according to the flesh anymore, either in the church or outside the church (2 Cor 5:16-17). God has given us a glorious ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-21). Let us pursue that ministry together, happy to suffer for Christ and both with and for one another.

Questions to Consider:
1. Do you regard others according to the flesh, leading to partiality? What would James say about that (James 2:1-12)?
2. People sometimes claim that Christianity is just a “white-man’s” religion or a European/Western religion. How do the Bible and early church history refute those claims?
3. How does love for your brethren translate into both tangible service and suffering?

On Sunday, Pastor Babij took us through the opening salutation or greeting portion of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Considering the theologically significant language Paul uses in his greeting to the Colossians, I thought it would be interesting to compare briefly the other greetings we see in the New Testament letters to see what we might discover.

Greetings in Paul’s Letters

The apostle Paul wrote most of our New Testament epistles and had a characteristic way of opening and closing his letters. Paul would begin by identifying himself as an apostle and/or as a slave of Christ (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:1), then note the particular “saints” who were recipients of the letter (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2), and then give his formal greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:2; Philemon 1:3). Sometimes Paul included additional words and explanations, but this pattern in Paul’s letter openings is remarkably consistent.

The instances where Paul deviates from his pattern, though, are interesting. Paul does not specifically identify himself as an apostle or slave to Philemon and the Thessalonians, electing instead only to identify himself as a prisoner (Philemon 1:1) or simply “Paul” (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1). Paul does not use the term “saints” to address his recipients in Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, or his letters to individuals (Timothy, Titus, Philemon). And Paul deviates in his formal greeting in only a few instances: to Timothy, Paul adds “mercy” to grace and peace (1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2); to Titus, Paul refers to Christ Jesus “our Savior” instead of “Lord” (Titus 1:4); and in Colossians, Paul only says “Grace to you and peace from God our Father” (Col 1:2). The Colossian greeting’s deviation is perhaps the most surprising since one might expect that a letter concerned with restoring Christ to his proper place of supremacy in the minds of believers would mention Christ as a source of grace and peace alongside the Father, per Paul’s norm! But Paul apparently had a different approach in mind for Colossae.

The endings of Paul’s letters also have a pattern. Paul generally closes his epistles by passing on greetings to/from specific persons (Rom 16:3-16, 21-23; 1 Cor 16:19-20; 2 Cor 13:13; Phil 4:21-22; Col 4:10-15; 2 Tim 4:19-21; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:23-24; but not Galatians, Ephesians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, or 1 Timothy), commanding the recipients to greet other believers in the Lord (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; Phil 4:21; 1 Thess 5:26; Titus 3:15; but not Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, or Philemon), and giving a formal, closing salutation that includes the phrase “grace be with you” (Eph 6:24; Col 4:18; 1 Tim 6:21; 2 Tim 4:22; Titus 3:15), especially the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 16:20; 1 Cor 16:23; 2 Cor 13:14; Gal 6:18; Phil 4:23; 1 Thess 5:28; 2 Thess 3:18; Philemon 1:25). Intriguingly, the “you” of “grace be with you” or “grace be with your spirit” in Paul’s closings is always plural in the original Greek, including for the personal epistles, suggesting that even these personal letters were meant to be read publicly for the whole church’s benefit.

Greetings in Other NT Letters

Was Paul the only NT writer to send salutations in the way outlined above? Well, when we look at the other NT letters, we find, on the one hand, that each writer had his own stylistic preferences, and, on the other hand, that there are many parallels to Paul’s general pattern.

Though not all the other NT letters feature introductory greetings (see Hebrews and 1 John), those that do usually introduce the writer as an apostle and/or a slave of Christ (James 1:1; 1 Pt 1:1; 2 Pt 1:1; Jude 1:1; and Rev 1:1). John uniquely refers to himself in 2 and 3 John as “the elder” (2 John 1:1, 3 John 1:1), which probably is a reference to John’s advanced age at the time of writing—and his being the only apostle still alive near the end of the first century.

Furthermore, we see formal greetings reminiscent of Paul’s “grace and peace” in several of the letters: “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure” (1 Pt 1:2); “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pt 1:2); “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 Jn 1:3); and “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you” (Jude 1:2).

As for closing greetings, not all of the letters have a closing greeting at the end, but we again see several letters that pass on greetings (Heb 13:24; 1 Pt 5:13; 2 John 1:13; 3 John 1:15), command greetings (Heb 13:24; 1 Pt 5:14; 3 John 1:15), and then express a closing salutation similar to “grace be with you:” “Grace be with you all” (Heb 13:25), “Peace be to you all who are in Christ” (1 Pt 5:14), “Peace be to you” (3 John 1:15), and “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all” (Rev 22:21).

Some Suggested Application

While all this represents some fascinating data, is there any point to it? Is there anything we Christians can take away as practical help for us? I submit that studying the greetings of the NT should lead to our application in at least three areas:

1. Recognize Your Need for God’s Grace and Peace. There is something instructive about all these greetings wishing for grace and peace on behalf of believers in all sorts of places and situations. What’s the lesson? That no matter what, all of us are in need of God’s grace and peace! As has been said, no success puts you beyond the need of God’s grace, and neither does any failure preclude your access to it.  As in the NT letters, from beginning to end, we need God’s grace and peace—not that we don’t already have enough or are running out, but that we need to experience afresh, grow in, and rely more upon the grace and peace of God we have already received abundantly in our Lord Jesus (Rom 5:17). So, practically speaking, how might you grow in appreciation of God’s grace and peace?
2. Be a Giver of God’s Grace and Peace. If you are in need of God’s grace and peace, then certainly your brethren are, too. These greetings that we’ve looked at are, really, prayers that God’s grace and peace will be more realized in the lives of fellow believers. It is good and right, not only to pray for our brethren’s grace and peace in Christ, but to speak to them and serve them in a way that we might be agents of God’s grace and peace to them ourselves. After all, God has called us to steward the manifold grace of God that we have received (1 Pt 4:10). So how are you giving God’s grace to others in your speech and actions?
3. Be Purposeful in Greeting Believers. Clearly, the NT writers put thought into how they would greet fellow saints, with most writers eschewing the normal Greek greeting of “Chaire!” (literally “Rejoice!”) or normal Hebrew greeting of “Shalom!” (literally “Peace!”) for something more meaningful. Even when the NT writers use the customary terms, the writers use them in a way that emphasizes the sincerity of the speaker and the actual theological reality of the terms (e.g. compare James 1:1 and 1:2). Consider also how many times the NT writers command believers to greet fellow believers, even with a “holy kiss” of love (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pt 5:14). Kissing generally means something different in modern American culture than in first century Hebrew/Greco-Roman culture, but the principle of our need to express genuine familial affection to one another in Christ persists. So how might you use even your greetings toward your brethren to manifest the grace and peace of God?

On Sunday, we finished our investigation of the spiritual discipline of the church, and I hope the study has spurred you on to pursue further mutual upbuilding. There are a few other construction-related thoughts I wanted to share with you, though. Rather than one midweek meditation today, we have three mini-meditations.

Let’s Build While We Can

Yesterday, the Lord called another of our brethren home. Even though we will greatly miss our brother Randy, we are glad that his rest has now been won (cf. Rev 14:13). However, though his work is done, ours continues, and we ought to be diligent and make the most of our opportunity to build up Christ’s church on the earth while we can (Gal 6:10).

You may remember that not long ago we studied this scripture together from Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 9:10, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [i.e. the grave] where you are going.

As Solomon warns us elsewhere in Ecclesiastes, most work on earth is vapor and will not make a difference in the end (Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23), but work that is done in obedience and gratefulness to the Lord will both bring joy now and provide a lasting reward later (Eccl 11:9-10; 12:13-14). But the time to do that work is limited. Let us, therefore, make the most of our quickly passing days and build up our brethren while we can. As British missionary C. T. Studd once wrote, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, / Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Let’s Build the Right Way

I mentioned on Sunday how homebuyers do well to beware of “flipped” houses, houses that have been renovated quickly to look attractive and make a profit but which actually end up being a bad deal. Someone pointed out to me how such is often true of local churches. There are plenty of churches that have beautiful outward adornment, impressive ministry activity, or thousands of attendees, but which, on closer examination, are little better than flipped houses. These churches rely on man’s wisdom instead of God’s to build up the church. Shortcuts may seem to produce a splendid house for a time, but God is the true judge of building quality, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

If we want the work at our church to last and obtain a reward, let’s make sure to build God’s way, even the way we’ve studied together over the past four Sundays.

Let’s All Do Our Part

One of the stereotypes about construction workers you might pass on the road is that, while one guy is working, four or more others are just standing around. While puzzling, this collective waiting has good reason in many cases, reason involving safety regulations and a necessary order in getting a multi-step job done. However, in the church, there is less good reason for Christ’s workers to be idle. According to Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16, God’s basic design for the church is for gifted teachers to equip each saint for the work of ministry, so that, ultimately, Ephesians 4:16…

…The whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

A body can get by for a little while without each part doing its work, but the longer the situation continues, the more other parts of the body have to compensate and the more the whole body suffers. We want better for Christ’s body at Calvary. So let us each do our part so that the whole body might be built up in love.

Questions to Consider:
1. How much more time has God given you to build his church? Are you using the time well?
2. What is the difference in spiritual experience for someone part of a “flipped” church versus someone part of a well-built church?
3. How are you contributing to the upbuilding of your local church right now?

Yesterday, our dear sister Aprel passed away. Though older in age and experiencing severe cancer, she was a Christian woman with a vibrant love for Jesus and an eagerness to put his word into practice. Even while on her deathbed, she was listening to the Bible/sermons and exhorting her sisters to trust in the Lord. On the basis of her genuine faith in Christ, we have every reason to be confident that she is now in the presence of the Lord in heaven.

But how should we feel about our sister’s passing? What emotions should Christians feel in response to the death of a fellow believer? Should Christians be happy, sad, or both?

Reasons to Rejoice

On the one hand, Christians have many reasons to find comfort and even rejoice at the passing of a fellow saint: the departed believer is now free from the pain, sin, and death of this world (Job 3:17-19; Rom 8:19-23); she was able to live well for many days on the earth, experiencing the Lord’s goodness and testifying of him to many people (Eccl 5:18; Ps 71:17-18); in her passing, the Lord has accomplished his good will and answered prayer perfectly, just as he always does (Rom 8:28; Mt 7:7-8); she is now safe in the paradise of heaven, a place so wonderful it cannot be described (Lk 23:43; 2 Cor 12:4); she is now seeing her Savior face to face, faith becoming sight, worship no longer inhibited (1 Cor 13:12; 1 Jn 3:2); she is now experiencing the reward and rest of a life lived for Christ (2 Tim 4:7-8; Rev 14:13); she is now reunited with a community of beloved, departed believers (Lk 16:9; Heb 12:22-23); and we shall join her also when we depart this world ourselves or when Christ comes to raise his church at the rapture (1 Cor 15:51-53; 1 Thess 4:16-17).

The Scriptures many times treat the prospect of departing this world to be with Christ as a wonderful reality. Paul says “to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” and that, while it is more necessary to stay on earth to minister for Christ’s sake, it is preferable to be with Christ in heaven, “for that is very much better” (Phil 1:21-24; cf. Ps 16:9-11). Therefore, in a believer’s passing, we have much cause to rejoice in the good that God has done and in all that our brother or sister has gained by death.

Reasons to Mourn

On the other hand, Christians have many reasons to be sorrowful and even weep at the passing of a fellow saint: the departed believer is gone because futility, death, and the curse of sin are still at work in the world (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:20-21); in the circumstances of her passing, the Lord’s will remains inscrutable, and he does not answer all our questions (Eccl 3:11; 2 Cor 12:8-9); the departed believer is no longer able to serve Christ or give praise and testimony to lost persons in the world (Eccl 9:4-6; Ps 30:9); and, most grievous of all, we are no longer able to fellowship with her, minister with her, or share life with her (cf. 2 Sam 1:25-26; Acts 8:2). We all know the pain of separation that exists in life when you cannot see or be with a loved one for a long time (Acts 20:25, 36-38); how much more the pain of separation that takes place with a loved one’s death (cf. Jn 16:16-22)!

While it’s true that, in Christ, death is no longer the crushing weight it otherwise would be, the Bible still treats death as a sorrowful reality for Christians. In the same book in which Paul testifies that dying in Christ is joyous gain, Paul also declares that God had mercy on Paul’s friend Epaphroditus and on Paul himself—sparing Paul “sorrow upon sorrow”—by not allowing Epaphroditus’ to die from sickness (Phil 2:25-30).

Even more instructive is Jesus’ response to his friend Lazarus’ death. Though Jesus is God and knew that he would shortly raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus still became “deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” when he encountered the mourners in Bethany; Jesus cried so much that the visiting Jews remarked that Jesus surely must have loved Lazarus greatly (Jn 11:33-36). Even when approaching the tomb to raise Lazarus, Jesus was “again being deeply moved within” (Jn 11:38). In his grief, then, Jesus not only testified of his love for his people in their suffering but also to the truth that death itself is not good. Death was not part of God’s original design for this world, and, as Jesus even foreshadowed in his raising Lazarus from the dead, God is determined to one day destroy our enemy, death (1 Cor 15:26; Rev 20:14). Until that time, there is still good reason for us to mourn a believer’s passing.

Sorrowful yet Always Rejoicing

So which is it? Should Christians rejoice or mourn over the passing of a fellow believer? The answer is that Christian should do both, never rejoicing to the point of forgetting the fundamentally painful reality of death but also never mourning to the point of forgetting the sure hope we have in Jesus Christ. It is indeed possible both to rejoice and mourn at the same time. Such, really, is fundamental to being a Christian, as Paul says in 2 Cor 6:10, “Sorrowful yet always rejoicing.”

Paul famously writes about Christian death in another place, 1 Thess 4:13:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

Paul is not saying here that, because Christians have hope unlike the rest of the world, Christians should not grieve about departed loved ones at all. Rather, Paul says that Christians should not grieve in the same way as others do. We grieve in hope, we have confidence through the questions, and we have comfort through the pain because we know that we belong to Christ and that both we and our departed loved ones have eternal life in him (cf. 1 Thess 4:18). When one day we are made absent from the homes of our bodies, we know that we will then be made at home and present with the Lord until he prepares new, glorified bodies for us in the resurrection (2 Cor 5:6-8; 1 Cor 15:20-26).

So then, as we consider our sister’s passing, let us respond appropriately. Let us grieve with hope: sorrowful yet always rejoicing.

Last Sunday, we were reminded from the Bible about how much we need the precious mystery that is God’s church. Yet there is a way of overreacting to the Bible’s teaching on the church to the point of becoming too emotionally and spiritually needy toward people in the church. Like Peter who went from wrongfully refusing to have his feet washed to wrongfully asking for his whole body to be washed (Jn 13:8-10), so Christians can easily move from undervaluing the church to overvaluing the church. Both stances are spiritually harmful.

The Church Is a Gift, Not Gain

When we went through the book of Ecclesiastes together last year, one of the truths we encountered repeatedly is that, though God has given us many good gifts in life, none of them should be treated in themselves as ultimate profit or gain. One of these gifts to be treasured but not overvalued is the gift of people or companionship.

In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon powerfully teaches that life is better when lived together with companions. Solomon says that it’s better never to be born than to suffer oppression without comforters (Eccl 4:1-3), and those who settle for selfish slothfulness or lonely labor don’t really enjoy life (Eccl 4:4-8). Rather, there is comfort, power, and protection in facing life’s troubles with companions (Eccl 4:9-12). Indeed, the wisdom that comes from good companions can even turn a poor lad into a king, while refusing to seek or heed advice can cost even an old king his throne (Eccl 4:14-16). Such wise observations about life find ready application in the church: there is much comfort, power, wisdom, and blessing to be found by going through life together with God’s specially redeemed people.

Yet there is a limit on the benefit that people, even the people of the church, can provide in a fundamentally vaporous world. “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart,” yet that cord is still not invincible (Eccl 4:12); people come and go in life, and your friends won’t be able to stay around forever (Eccl 4:16); and even wise persons can fail in wisdom—either due to their own weakness or simply due to factors beyond their control (Eccl 7:7). The church truly is God’s place of blessing, yet the church is not and will not be perfect until Christ comes to collect her (1 Thess 4:17). Those, therefore, who look for ultimate happiness, security, or fulfillment in the people of the church will be thoroughly disappointed.

Christ, Not the Church, Is Our Life

But life was never about the church itself, rather the church was simply designed as a means to grow in, serve, and experience more what life really is about: God. As has often been said, we must not fixate on the gift but on the Giver, who is greater than any of his gifts. Real happiness, security, and fulfillment come only by knowing God in Jesus Christ (Jer 9:23-24; Jn 17:3; Phil 3:8; Col 3:4).

Consequently, when the greatest treasure has already been secured, we can be content with whatever circumstances of life in which we find ourselves (Phil 4:13), including in the church. To say it another way: if our life is ultimately found in Christ and not in the church itself, then we can enjoy and give thanks for all the good we do find in his church without complaining or despairing about the good we don’t find.

Paul’s Contentment amid Church Disappointment

The apostle Paul provides a good example of this kind of contentment in Christ even when the people of the church seriously fail. Near the end of 2 Timothy, Paul relates some sad circumstances related to his imprisonment, an imprisonment that Paul was convinced would end in martyrdom. In 2 Timothy 4:16-18, Paul writes,

At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul begins here by noting a pretty serious disappointment: when he was put on trial for his life, no one came to help or defend him. Rather, “all deserted” him. Who might Paul have expected to support him? Certainly not unbelievers but believers, since the believers that Paul ministered to would have had ample reason to want to see Paul delivered. In fact, as one who had sacrificed himself so much on their behalf, Paul might reasonably have expected some in Christ’s church to do good to the one who did so much good to them. But it turns out that no one stood up for Paul, probably due to fear for their own lives. So, now, Paul was facing a death sentence.

But what was Paul’s attitude toward this painful failure to love from his brothers in the church? Bitterness? Self-pity? Revenge? No, rather Paul prays that God would not count their sin against them. You see, Paul was able to respond to the failure of his brothers graciously because he knew, just as he writes in these verses, that even if all his brethren abandoned him, the Lord himself would not abandon him (compare Jesus, Mt 26:31-32; Lk 22:31-32). Paul reports that the Lord indeed strengthened Paul to accomplish faithful gospel proclamation in the midst of the trial and imprisonment. Paul also states his confidence that, no matter what people in the church did or did not do, Christ ultimately would rescue Paul and see Paul brought safely into Christ’s eternal kingdom.

All this, of course, does not mean that Paul was unmoved by cowardice or ministry failure. Actually, the letter of 2 Timothy is an exhortation from Paul to his young protégé so that Timothy would not do as the others did but instead boldly suffer with Paul for Christ’s sake (2 Tim 1:8; 2:3). So it’s not as if sinful failures among the brethren do not need to be addressed (cf. Mt 18:15-20). The point, though, is that our spiritual strength and contentment should not ultimately depend on our imperfect brethren but on our perfect God and Savior.

Conclusion

The church is truly a gift from God, one to which God even commands us to devote ourselves for our own good. Yet we are not to make more of this gift than is proper. Though the church is an important means of serving and enjoying Christ, the church is not a replacement for Christ. Only when Christ has proper and chief place in our affections can we then worshipfully enjoy the lesser gift he has given us in the church.

Questions to Consider:
1. Why is it important to have realistic expectations about the church?
2. What is the best way to minister to those who come into God’s church with extra emotional and spiritual neediness?
3. Do you rejoice in and thank God for your local church despite its imperfections?