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Gospel in a Minute: The Spirit Will Lead Us to People Who Are Ready and Open to Believe the Gospel

Gospel in a Minute

After sharing the gospel with the Samaritans, Philip was led by God’s Spirit in an amazing way.

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) 27  So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28  and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29  Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." 30  Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31  And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:26-30 (NASB)

Principle: The Spirit Will Lead Us to People Who Are Ready and Open to Believe the Gospel.

The eunuch was hungering to know more about God and the scriptures. Only the Spirit knew this, and he individually guided the evangelist to him. Philip led this man to receive Christ and baptized him in water on the spot. Luke put this account in Acts to let us know that God’s Spirit is available to guide us in a similar way. The Great Commission is a partnership between us and God. We need the baptism and gifts of the Spirit in order to be as effective as God desires. Our Lord wants us to be able to detect the “still, small voice” of the Spirit as he leads us through the day.

There are people all around us in whom God is working, preparing them to receive and believe the gospel. Are we open to God’s directing and using us as he did Philip?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, use me as your ambassador of reconciliation. I am ready for you to direct me to those you have prepared to hear the gospel. Help me to be alert to your guidance each day. Grant me boldness, compassion, and courage to be Christ’s witness. Help me to properly articulate the Good News. Amen.

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Gospel in a Minute: Pray for boldness to preach the gospel.

Gospel in a Minute

After being threatened and commanded to keep quiet about Jesus, the disciples met for prayer.

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30  Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31  After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-31 (NLT)

Principle: Pray for boldness to preach the gospel.

When we face threats and intimidation, it is time to pray for even more courage and boldness.

Someone once said that there are no “closed” countries, only intimidated disciples. What if those first believers had been shut down? What if they had gone “underground”? We don’t know how the Spirit would have handled that, but thankfully they refused to buckle to pressure. Their boldness eventually cost almost all of them their lives. Jesus knew this would happen, but he called them to be his witnesses nevertheless. He is calling you and me as well. Will we be faithful to this challenge? We can start by praying for boldness to preach the gospel, ask for and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and then be about it. The world is waiting.

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Habitual Thankfulness – Your Key to a Happier Life

 

If you could discover one thing that would guarantee a happier life experience, would you do it?

The Bible shows us that a most important key to joyful living is the practice of being habitually thankful.

Genuine thankfulness is possible when we believe that we have reason for which to be thankful. That is easy to do when we contemplate the good things in our lives or have just received an answer to prayer or some unexpected blessing. If we can learn to be habitually thankful for known blessings, that is a great start for building a thankful and happy life. Many people never even get that far. They take God and blessings for granted, complaining about everything that doesn’t seem to go their way.

Complaining is one of the biggest sins in the Bible. Perhaps that surprises you. If you want to check it out, read through Numbers and see how many times God came down hard on complainers.

When we gripe about our circumstances, we are actually complaining about God’s rule in our lives. Complaining is an overt act of rebellion.

The reason this is so is because the Bible clearly teaches that our Lord is working everything, yes, everything, out for our good and his glory.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)

When we complain, we call God a liar.

Thankfulness is built upon the conviction that God loves us and consistently acts in our behalf in a way that is good, powerful, and wise. It becomes habitual when we surrender to God all our demands and desires, believing that he is generous and will give us everything we need. It is complete when we would rather glorify God than do anything else, which means we let go of our demand to understand why he allows pain to come into our lives.

Thankful people are happy people who bring honor and glory to their Creator and encouragement to others.

The practice of being thankful is simple to grasp but costly to do. It costs us our pride. The gains are well worth it, however.

How about you? Are you willing to lay down your pride and become thankful in all things? I hope so. If so, why not start now?

Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank you for creating me. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for all the good things you have given to me over the years and your promise to provide and care for me forever. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and rise again, so that I could be restored to a right relationship with you. I also give thanks for the difficult things going on in my life right now. (List them out loud.) I believe you are working all things out for my good and your glory. Glorify yourself through my life, Lord, and through the situations and circumstances surrounding me. Let me bring glory to you by modeling trust and thankfulness to others. I believe you love me and always have my best interests in mind. Amen.

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Gospel in a Minute: Preaching the gospel requires great courage.

Gospel in a Minute

The Jewish leaders applied pressure on the apostles to shut down their bold preaching.

“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17  But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18  So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19  But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20  We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:16-20 (NLT)

Principle: Preaching the gospel requires great courage.

Satan and his allies do everything in their power to keep us from believing the gospel, but once we see and believe that Jesus is the risen Messiah and Lord of Lords, their next attempt is to keep us from telling others the good news. Evil spiritual forces use cooperative people to accomplish their agenda, but our battle is never really with human beings. (Ephesians 6:12)

The gospel is God’s powerful means to liberate the captives held by the kingdom of darkness. (Isaiah 61:1 and Romans 1:16)

Satan cannot nullify the gospel’s power, but he does try to keep it from ever being spoken. He mocks, threatens, and persecutes those who proclaim the glorious good news. (2 Timothy 3:12) It is our responsibility to refuse to cower to this intimidation.

God wants us to be like Peter and John who feared God more than what might be done to them. Like Moses of old, they valued the reward for serving God more than the temporary tranquility that comes from making peace with the devil. (Hebrews 11:24-27) The Spirit of God filled them with boldness and courage.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus is God’s plan to bless the entire earth!

Gospel in a Minute

Peter connected the gospel message to God’s promise to Abraham found in Genesis 12:3 and Genesis 22:18.

Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25  You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ Acts 3:24-25 (NLT)

Principle: Jesus is God’s plan to bless the entire earth!

The entire Bible points to one person, Jesus the Messiah. He is its grand theme. He is God’s wonderful purpose. As Paul put it:

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10  And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 1:9-10 (NLT)

When we communicate the gospel message, we have the opportunity to let people know about God’s amazing Son, the eternal Word of God who became a human being in order to pay the penalty for our sins, reconcile us to God, and rescue the entire creation from the chaos of sin and death!

Jesus is God’s plan to bless all the families of the earth. He is the One through whom all blessings flow. For those who receive him as Lord and Savior, he is the fountain of life itself.

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 (NLT)
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Gospel vs. Culture: How the Gospel Confronts the Culture’s Idols and Lies

 

 

 

 

The Gospel

The gospel is a proclamation of truth about God, mankind, Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and the coming judgment. It offers a way of escape from the judgment that has been pronounced upon the world through the cross. It offers an opportunity to join God in ruling over a new creation at the end of time.

By nature, the gospel confronts the sinful status quo – the embedded lies and rebellion against God found in the human soul and the prevailing culture.

The gospel is powerful and is God’s designated means to overthrow Satan’s rule in individual lives and ultimately in nations and cultures.

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NLT)

 

Culture, Idolatry, and Lies

One definition of culture is that it is…

…a shared vision of the nature of reality. This vision must include some understanding of both the immanent and the transcendent orders. It will incorporate unseen actualities and accepted moral verities that are believed to affect the arrangement of both the natural and social world. In short, a culture incarnates and expresses a religion. (From Sharper Iron Blog)

From the gospel’s perspective, cultures and the people who live in them thrive to the degree they embrace the truth about God and put into practice the values that define godly living. We see this historically. Those cultures that have embraced Christianity have thrived; whereas, those who reject the Bible’s testimony about God languish. Those cultures which attack the Jews and Christians descend into darkness, inhumane practices, and depravity.

Cultures degrade in proportion to how much they suppress truth and reject biblical norms. (Romans 1)

Human beings are idolators by default as a result of the Fall. We were designed by God to be dependent creatures, who are programmed to worship and serve him. When we turn away from God, the drive to worship and serve will be transferred to an inferior replacement for him, what the Bible calls an “idol.” Idols are products of the sinful human desire to have a “god” who protects and serves us, while condoning our sinful and rebellious behavior toward the true God.

In other words, idols are gods created in our own image which never confront our sin.

The Bible teaches us that we become like whatever we worship. (2 Corinthians 3:18) If we worship God, we become like him. If we worship something inferior, we degrade from God’s created purpose for us. This is by God’s design. God’s purpose is for humanity to reflect God’s glory as we worship him, but when we bow down to and serve an idol, we are transformed into that corrupt image. Idols are not always images made of metal, wood, or stone. Idols can be as subtle as devotion to the pursuit of wealth, if that pursuit displaces our worship of and reliance upon God who is our Provider. Jesus called this serving “Mammon.” In America, the pursuit and deification of “liberty” has led us to believe that freedom in and of itself is worth putting on a pedestal. Freedom apart from God, however, inevitably leads to slavery to our own sinful desires. True freedom is found in obeying God and always results in worshiping and serving him.

Our modern secular culture has major embedded idols and lies. Here are a few that I will cover in this article.

  • There is no God, and we got here by ourselves. The denial of God’s existence is the chief lie. It is intended to eliminate our accountability to our Creator and elevate us to godhood status, the pursuit of which was the original sin. We want to run our own lives without reference to God. A necessary corollary to atheism is self-creation or spontaneous evolution. This bold lie elevates man to the highest rung on the developmental ladder in a godless and amoral universe, giving him a virtual godlike status. Self-worship is the ugliest form of idolatry. Because of the deification of self, Satan receives our worship, too. Our culture has become grossly narcissistic.
  • Truth, sin, and morality are fluid human constructs. Having thrown out God and elevated man to be the measure of all things, our culture maintains that truth, morals, and laws are human constructs which can be changed or discarded at will. The first domino to fall was the belief that truth is absolute. If there is no God, then truth does not come from him. Once truth falls, everything else is up for grabs. Our concept of sin can no longer derive from what God says it is. Instead, sin is viewed as a violation of a societal norm, something changeable. Morality is the next domino to fall, as man attempts to redefine what it means to be good or right. Once again, self-worship is behind it all, propelling the culture to slide into behaviors and beliefs that ultimately destroy it from within.
  • We are accountable only to ourselves. If there is no God, we not only get to make our own rules, but we are accountable to no one but ourselves. The idol that this lie engenders is pure power. Cultures that reject accountability to God slide into totalitarianism.

How the Gospel Confronts the Culture

The gospel directly confronts each of these lies. The proper delivery of the gospel should challenge and refute whatever idol is being worshiped by the hearers. Remember, the gospel presents Jesus as the Lord of Lords, not simply as Savior.

The devil and the anti-god world system seek to encapsulate the gospel and render it impotent in a way that is similar to how a human body walls itself off from infection. The powers that be tell us that all religions are created equal, and therefore, none can issue a moral imperative. None have the “right” to tell people what to do or believe, since no religion is “right.” We are told that what we believe is a private matter and has no inherent authority in the secular public square.

The culture and ruling powers are not usually too upset with the gospel’s claim that Jesus forgives sins. What it hates and fights against is Jesus’ claim to be God, the sole arbiter of truth, the judge of all mankind, and the ruling eternal king.

There Is a God

The Bible declares up front that there is a God who is the Creator. Paul wrote that the entire creation unequivocally declares the existence and power of God for all to see. The only way people can arrive at the position that denies God’s existence is by deliberately suppressing the truth. (Romans 1:18-20) Deep down everyone knows there is a God. The gospel calls its listeners to acknowledge that he exists but that it is to him we owe our existence.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He existed in the beginning with God. 3  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. John 1:1-3 (NLT)

Unless we come to grips with God’s existence and preeminence, we can go no further. The gospel confronts the lie of atheism first of all and calls people back to our obligation to worship, serve, and glorify God the Creator. Our greatest joy in life is experienced in returning love to the God who loves us past comprehension.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)
We Are Dependent on our Creator

Not only is there a God, but everything we see and experience came from him and is sustained by him.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)

This gospel truth strikes a fatal blow at man’s desire to be his own god. As dependent creatures, we are humbled to admit that we need God every moment. Coming back into alignment with the truth about our relationship with God allows us to once again draw life, direction, and wisdom from our Creator – Sustainer – Redeemer. This gives us the greatest joy, freedom, and fulfillment.

Truth Originates in God and Is Absolute

Jesus the Messiah called himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) Truth exists because God is truth. Truth is defined by and comes from God. God is unalterably true in his words and deeds. He means what he says and says what he means. He never lies. The gospel confronts us with the truth about God, ourselves, our sin, judgment, life, and the our eternal destiny. Unless we repent of our lying ways and accept God’s truth, we cannot be saved. This includes accepting the gospel as God’s true testimony about himself, his Son, and his offer of salvation.

He [the devil] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NLT)
Sin Is Real and Produces Death

The Bible clearly teaches that every person born from Adam is a sinner. (Romans 3:23) All sin derives from our inborn rebellion against God, which is demonstrated by our choice to live on our own terms instead of in humble cooperation with and dependence upon God. Separation from God results from sin and always produces death. (Romans 6:23)

When we knowingly align ourselves with that which brings death, it produces a terrible tension and guilt within us. God gave us consciences to help us be aware of our terrible situation. When confronted with the truth, if we refuse to repent, our consciences can become unfeeling and useless. People become hardened in their rebellion against God, which darkens their ability to think clearly and correctly. (Romans 1:21) Many such people develop philosophies and theologies that agree with their sinful position in an attempt to soothe their guilty consciences. None of this works because we do not get to define sin for ourselves. All it does is keep people alienated from God and reserved for the coming judgment. (Acts 13:46)

The gospel identifies and confronts our sin. It calls us to turn away from our sins and reach out to God in faith to receive the complete forgiveness that Jesus died to give us.

Morality Is Part of God’s Order

Morality, the culture’s accepted standards of good conduct and justice, is woven into God’s creation order. We do not get to determine our own versions of what is good and virtuous. One reason God gave Moses the Law was so that we would have a written standard that reflects God’s righteousness. Society and individuals generally adopt a morality that agrees with their sinfulness. The further from God a culture drifts, the more its morals become skewed. The gospel calls the culture back to God’s moral order and gives people the transformative grace to live according to God’s ways.

We Are Accountable to God Who Will Judge All People

The last major lie confronted by the gospel that I will cover in this article is that people have no ultimate accountability to anyone but themselves. This untruth is a logical derivation from the lie that there is no God. Even people who acknowledge God’s existence often live as functional atheists, which means that by looking at how they live you would never know they believe in God.

The gospel directly confronts this lie by announcing that Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31  For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NLT)

The gospel calls all people to repent and receive forgiveness and then live in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Acts 2:38-40 (NLT)

The Second Coming of Christ

The Second Coming of Christ is an integral part of the gospel. When we proclaim that Jesus is coming back again, it enables us to establish several important truths.

  • Jesus, eternal Word of God who created all things, became a man who died for our sins as God’s Lamb and rose again as Lord of Lords.
  • His Second Coming will finally and completely establish is God’s rule over the earth.
  • He is the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel who will judge the living and the dead.

Once he appears in the sky, every aspect of the gospel will be proved true. Then it will be too late to get right with him. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time to repent and believe the good news that in Christ God is offering to reconcile us to himself!

The gospel is not merely a presentation of what Jesus did on our behalf to save us from our sins. The gospel reestablishes who God is so that we can come into proper alignment with him through repentance and faith. The gospel affirms the honor and glory of the risen Lord. The gospel is a declaration of war upon the lies and idolatry of mankind. The gospel is a clarion call to become part of God’s eternal kingdom, which will eventually destroy all opposing kingdoms.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14  He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (NLT)
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How to Deal with Injustice

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most challenging things any of us will face in life is being treated unjustly. Something deep in our souls cries out for justice. Unfortunately this godly desire is easily corrupted into bitterness and a desire for revenge, both of which are anti-God. Left unchecked bitterness will destroy us and those around us, and revenge, according to the Bible, is God’s domain alone. When we go there, we are likely to bring his judgment upon ourselves.

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them. Deuteronomy 32:35 (NASB)

When we we are on the receiving end of injustice, it is important for us to resist the urge to respond sinfully. Jesus taught us not to return evil for evil.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36 (NLT)

The only way a person can follow Christ’s teaching on this matter is if he or she believes that God is just and has everything under control. As the Apostle Peter encouraged us:

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT) 

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. 1 Peter 4:19 (NASB)

The only way to do this is if we believe that God will eventually bring all of us to give an account for what we say, think, and do. A firm belief in God’s justice and judgment is part of the gospel message, as Paul so clearly showed when he delivered the following statement to the people in Athens.

"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:30-31 (NASB)

Without this conviction, we may think and act as if we must personally take action to insure that justice is done.

Faith in God’s justice and sovereign rule over his creation is the foundation for releasing justice issues into his hands.

Is there a place for self-defense? Of course. Is there a time to go to war against those who are trying to annihilate you? Yes. But is there also a time for taking injustice “on the chin,” without retaliating? Yes, especially when that injustice is linked to being persecuted for our faith and allegiance to Christ. It may be quite proper to kill another human being in defense of family or country, but I cannot think of a situation where Jesus taught his followers to kill as part of demonstrating their allegiance to him.

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11 (NASB)

How do we decide what to do in any given situation?

  • First of all, reaffirm our faith in God’s sovereignty and justice.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14 (ESV)
  • Secondly, lay aside any desire for revenge.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NASB)
  • Thirdly, ask the Holy Spirit what is the loving way to respond.
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (NASB)
  • Lastly, act in such a way that blends faith with love and demonstrates our enduring hope in the gospel. This will necessarily include praying for those who mistreat us.
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28 (NASB)

When Jesus was put to death, he asked his heavenly Father to forgive his torturers. (Luke 23:34)  He knew and trusted that his Abba was in control, regardless of how it looked or felt. He released himself into God’s hands and trusted him for a perfect outcome, which, in his case, included the resurrection.

Jesus was able to show mercy to his persecutors because he knew that his heavenly Father would impose perfect justice in his way and his time.

Jesus’ firm trust in his Father’s sovereignty and justice allowed him to lay down his life as the Lamb of God and three days later rise from the dead as Lord of Lords and Ruler over the nations.

Humble faith in God’s justice will elevate us to a place of honor in God’s kingdom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10 (ESV)

Jesus will one day return as the Judge over all the affairs of mankind. God extends mercy to every sinner who directly or indirectly participated in the terrible injustice of killing his Son, which includes all of us, but if we do not repent and accept the forgiveness offered in the gospel, we will eventually encounter the flaming fire and destruction of God’s justice.

For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31 (NASB)

It is important for us to consider that the children of those leaders who put the Messiah to death were annihilated along with the entire city of Jerusalem by the Roman army some forty years later.

God is never mocked. There will always be hell to pay for injustice for those who refuse to repent.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB)

It is one thing to understand these principles, but another thing altogether to live them out when we personally encounter injustice. If we are still on the wrong side of God’s justice, today is the day for us to accept God’s amazing offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. The gospel offers us the opportunity to lay down our rebellion against God, receive forgiveness, and be reconciled to Abba Father. Once we have done that, may these words encourage us to trust in God’s justice rather than try to impose our own.

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How to Have Peace in Scary Situations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warfare results when two wills clash in an effort to gain supremacy. The only lasting solution is the unconditional surrender of one of the parties. Until that happens, there may be temporary cessations of hostilities, but conflict always reemerges. Our life on planet earth is a series of conflicts and difficulties that eventually will terminate in physical death. Because of the entrance of sin, the beginning of hostilities against God’s will, all of life is a battle against hostile forces that seek to destroy us – evil or misguided people, germs, demons, natural disasters, the aging process, etc. Jesus told us that the devil, who is our archenemy and the archetype of resistance of God, seeks to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) Peter wrote that Satan “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Warfare, stress, and difficulties, thanks to Adam’s sin, are a fact of life. We can either be terrified by it, surrender to the devil as a means to gain a temporary reprieve, or surrender to God and become part of his army as he brings final victory to his people. Ultimately, the battle is the Lord’s. It is he who took the initiative to regain what Adam lost. It is he who sent his Son to wrest dominion back from Satan.

The pivotal question is to whom will we surrender? Who will be our lord – God, Satan, or ourselves?

The essence of what it means to become a Christian is to surrender our wills to Jesus. This is what it means when we call him Lord. Surrender to Jesus means we repent from living self-directed lives and come under his authority. This takes place initially when we understand the gospel message and confess with mouths that he is our Lord. (Romans 10:9-10) Over our lifetimes, we will need to continually re-surrender every time we find ourselves resisting or doubting his sovereignty, wisdom, goodness, and love for us. It can be a scary thing to surrender ourselves to the will of an invisible God, whose ways are often confusing to us, and to trust that he is in control and always has our best interests in mind, even when everything around us seems to indicate the opposite. In all of life, and particularly when we are in the middle of a difficult or scary situation, if our wills are battling against God’s, lasting peace can only come through our unconditional surrender to God.

Oddly enough, even though we are surrounded by external dangers, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Our sin and the fear and mistrust in our hearts toward God can sabotage our efforts to be true to Him. God has a plan for our lives, but if we stubbornly and fearfully refuse to go along with that plan, we can end up in an unprotected place outside of God’s best for our lives, in need of His correction and deliverance. Surrender to God and His will requires that we lay down our own agendas and our desire to control our lives and protect ourselves at all costs. It means that we must be open to the possibility that God will require us to go through something we dread.

Unless we unconditionally surrender to God, we cannot have unconditional peace.

By surrendering to God I do not suggest that we become passive. When we find ourselves under attack or in the middle of something scary to us, our first responsibility is to turn to God and acknowledge that he is sovereign over all things, including our current situation.

Unless God allows something to enter our lives, it will not take place. Satan is not in control.

God is not the author of evil, sin, suffering, or sickness. However, God’s sovereignty transcends all these things in a magnificent and mysterious way that is beyond explaining. Wisdom tells us that, no matter what God allows to come into our lives, we are first to acknowledge His sovereignty, seek Him and His will, and then respond as directed and appropriate.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

When the Philistines attacked David, his first response was to seek the Lord, who gave him specific instructions regarding how to proceed. (2 Samuel 5)

God created us to depend on him in all situations.

Adam’s first sin was to reject this divine order in an attempt to make his own decisions without reliance on God. A little knowledge can be dangerous. When Christians learn principles of authority and Christ’s victory, we sometimes think we no longer need to receive our directions from the Spirit any more. We think we can go it alone. This is wrong and dangerous. Too often we Christians, when we find ourselves in a scary situation, start rebuking the devil and claiming the promises, rather than seeking the Lord.

It may never occur to us that God has actually designed our situation in order to do a deep work in us. After all, God’s goal is to transform us into Christ’s image, not keep us comfortable.

When Jesus stood before Pilate, our Lord declared that the Roman ruler could only do to Him what God allowed. (John 19:10-11) The passion and crucifixion of our Lord was a time that God temporarily allowed darkness to rule. 

Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53 (NLT)

Just prior to this, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus first did business with His heavenly Father – the real Ruler in every situation. His prayer was a model for us:

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)

When we are about to enter a trial or are in the middle of one, we should first go to God and be sure our hearts and wills are submitted to him and what He wants to accomplish in our lives through the difficulty.

It is only against a backdrop of trust and submission that we can know more perfectly what other actions we must take.

This takes faith and humility.

If instead we simply begin to engage in what we might want to call “spiritual warfare,” we may find ourselves unhappily resisting God Himself. Imagine if Jesus had rebuked Satan instead of surrendering to death as God’s Lamb! This is what Peter earlier advised Jesus to do, but Jesus rebuked his misguided friend by telling him that he did not have the things of God in mind. (Matthew 16:21-23) Imagine how foolish it would be for us to fight against a situation orchestrated by God that is the avenue of our knowing Christ as Provider, Healer, or in whatever other way we need to know Him! Check in with God first. Find out what He wants to do; then, join His program. This is what it means to have Christ as Lord.

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7 (NASB)

A severe trial or difficulty will often cause whatever rebelliousness and fear we still may have deeply buried in our hearts to bubble to the surface. God knew it was there all along, but we may be surprised to discover what is hidden inside of us.

The fire of affliction tests and reveals our hidden motives and the nature and strength of our faith.

If we believe that God is completely in charge of our lives and every situation and loves us enough to expose these things in order to deliver and transform us, we will better be able to cooperate with the process. Unless we go through the fire, we will never know for sure what is inside us. Until we face our fears, the strength of our faith is somewhat of a mystery. Soldiers who have never been in combat wonder what they will do under fire. No one can know for sure ahead of time. Once we go through our first battle, however, we know.

That which we fear can become for us a gateway into great growth and victory after we have faced it in faith and found that God’s grace enables us to overcome.

Job had to endure what he feared so that his subtle self-righteousness and proud indignation against God’s apparent lack of justice would bubble to the surface. God was far more interested in revealing Himself in a greater way to Job than in keeping him pain free.

When we realize that character transformation is a higher priority than our comfort and ease, we will begin to better understand God’s ways.

If we embrace God’s ways, we will be pliable in His hands for Him to mold us however He wishes.

As long as our peace hinges on a certain set of conditions or a certain answer to prayer, we will always be subject to our circumstances and miss out on experiencing real and lasting peace.

Being enslaved to our circumstances is a terrible way to live because we can never be completely at rest. What we dread could be just around the corner…and then what? It is no use trying to insulate ourselves from what we fear by “having enough faith.”

Faith was never designed to protect us from trials: rather, it keeps us while we are in trials.

Ponder Christ’s words:

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage — I have conquered the world.John 16:33 NET

If we believe that trusting in Christ is our ticket to a trouble free life, we are in for a shock. Nothing could be further from the truth. God actually appoints us to tribulations.

We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 NET

Trials, afflictions, suffering and tribulations work for us. They teach us perseverance and build character. Here is what Paul wrote to the church in Rome.

Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5 NET

It is only when we reconcile ourselves to the fact that life will contain many difficulties, and only when we choose to surrender to God in the midst of them, trusting in His love and power to accomplish in us His desire through them, that we are able to have peace that passes understanding. I call this “unconditional peace” because it does not depend on any outward circumstance or condition. Whether we live or die, we have peace. Whether we get the answer we want or not, we have peace.

Peace resides in a Person, and His name is Jesus. As we fully surrender to him, we receive all  he has and is. One of His titles is the Prince of Peace. His peace becomes our peace, a peace that can never be shaken.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. John 14:27 NET

Moses wrote about this place of surrender and peace. It is a secret place hidden from life’s storms and the threats of the enemy. It is a place where God’s peace and presence reign undisturbed. We have access to that secret place by surrendering unconditionally to God’s will for our lives.

As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One, and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty king — 2 I say this about the LORD, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1-2 NET

Surrendering to God’s will and plan for our lives will not make us passive door mats. In fact, we will find that, as we unconditionally surrender to God, great faith will rise up in our hearts – faith to overcome.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)

 

If you want to read more about having peace in every situation, you can purchase my book, Seeing God’s Smile When Life Is Difficult, from Amazon.

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Dealing with Disappointment in Friendship

I suppose all of us who have lived for very long have experienced disappointment in friendship – anything from failure to keep a promise or a confidence to outright betrayal, from unkind words to slander and lies.

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)

Every follower of Christ will be faced with relational disappointment because we are fallen people living in a sin-scarred world.

The world and the church are full of people who are “broken” or at least still “under construction,” who will disappoint us at times or maybe quite often. Rather than becoming embittered or disillusioned when this happens, Jesus wants to teach us how to handle these disappointments in friendship properly. Our own spiritual life and growth is at stake. Our Lord was thoroughly and completely betrayed by one of his own disciples, and even Peter, who was one of his closest three followers, publicly denied knowing Jesus at the time of his most severe testing. How did our Lord handle these “disappointments” and what can we learn from him?

Understanding Our New Covenant Relationship with Father God

Before looking in more detail at the idea of friendship, let us consider what a covenant relationship is. Today, when we talk about covenants, we usually mean some sort of business contract. In the Bible, covenants were much more relationally pervasive and meaningful.

A Bible covenant is a solemn promise made before God between two or more persons that is often sealed in blood, usually has some sort of sign or token attached to it, and stipulates a punishment for those who violate it.

In Genesis 15, when Abraham asked for “proof” that the promises God made to him would come to pass, the Lord had Abraham kill and divide several animals and lay them out on the ground. In the evening, God appeared in the form of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch and passed (walked) between those pieces. The slain animals represented what would happen to whomever violated the covenant. Since God alone walked through the pieces of the slain animals, it meant he took upon himself sole responsibility for keeping the covenant. This made it a unilateral or one-sided covenant. Normally, in bilateral (between two parties) covenants, both parties would walk together, illustrating their commitment to keep the terms of the covenant or face the fate of the slain animals for violating it.

It is powerfully encouraging that God represented himself by two symbols. The New Covenant is a covenant between the Father and the Son (Jesus). Jesus took full responsibility for keeping the covenant with his Father upon himself (carrying us on his shoulders, so to speak), and even paid in advance the penalty of our violation of the Old Covenant by dying in our place on the cross. Did I hear you say, “Hallelujah?”

Both the Abrahamic Covenant and New Covenant are unilateral, unconditional covenants of grace.

God, the covenant maker, by walking between the slain animals, said to Abraham (and us) in symbolic form, “May it be done to me as has been done to these animals, if I fail to keep the terms of this covenant.” The author of the Letter to the Hebrews mentions this:

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18  So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. Hebrews 6:17-18 (NLT)

Covenants can be between equals, between a sovereign and his vassals, between a husband and wife, or between God and his people.

The New Covenant was inaugurated when Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us. We enter into a relationship with Father God as his child through the New Covenant with Jesus having paid in advance for all of our sinful breaches of covenant faithfulness to God. We are completely secure in God’s love because we no longer relate to him on a performance basis. We have nothing more to prove. We have been given Christ’s very own righteous standing before our heavenly Father! Ours is now to live out what Christ has provided for us. We have been given a new nature. We are inhabited by God’s own Spirit. We now have the ability to live as covenant sons and daughters through the power of the indwelling resurrected Christ.

Our heavenly Father is not waiting for us to “mess up” so he can terminate the relationship. (Hebrews 8:7-12)

Rather, he knew ahead of time that we all would fail on our end; so, he sent his Son to pay the penalty for our failure in advance; so that we can enjoy the privileges and pleasure of being God’s children forever. This is the basis of our eternal friendship with God, which was provided for us at a tremendous price by Someone who was and is absolutely committed to us.

Covenant Commitments and Friendship

Friendships may come and go, but covenant bonds remain. Let that sink in. This is why marriage is traditionally launched by a covenant ceremony in which each partner pledges exclusive fidelity to the other until death.

Friendships are broken by some people for relatively trivial reasons, but covenant bonds, like marriage, should never be treated so lightly.

Friendships may crash upon the rocks of unmet expectations, but covenant relationships are built upon a vow of faithfulness, regardless of how things may turn out – for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.

In covenant relationships, personal happiness or fulfillment is never the highest good. Faithfulness to the other person is. This runs counter to our pop culture, but lines up perfectly with God’s ways.

People today are often unfaithful to the promises they make. Instead many live in a foolish pursuit their own interests and desires, regardless of how that may affect others. Divorce has become widely acceptable for the flimsiest of reasons. Many choose to avoid the drama and cost associated with divorce by refusing to make a covenant commitment in the first place. They opt to live together as long as it suits them, keeping open the option of abandoning the other, claiming that this encourages a healthy relationship.

This lack of commitment pervades society and has profoundly affected the church, too. It is not surprising that the USA leads the world now in the percentage of children living in single parent homes. People come and go in their relationship to local churches, feeling no sense of “belonging” or “commitment.” For those who have drunk deeply of our culture’s abandonment of covenant commitment, church is just one more consumer offering. Whichever church best suits my needs for the moment has my temporary allegiance and, perhaps, financial support. Some people, who have been previously hurt or disappointed by church, in order to avoid being hurt again, refuse to commit at all and just hang out on the periphery. This creates a huge loss for the individual and the kingdom of God.

Not much good happens in life without commitment.

Handling Unmet Expectations

One of the greatest friendship destroyers is when one friend fails to meet the expectations of the other. Despite having been saved by grace, we may still measure other people in a “tit for tat” manner. This is how the world operates, but is a far cry from what Jesus taught his followers. Take a look at the following verses from the sermon on the mount.

Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:31-36 (NLT)

Jesus challenges us to love on a higher level than comes naturally to us. Instead of passively accepting violations of friendship or retaliating in kind, Jesus teaches us to counter punch with love.

What would happen if we handled our disappointments in friendship this way?

All of us are “broken” by sin in some way. Unhealed brokenness promotes a dysfunctionality in which we try to fill up the “hole” in our souls with another human being. We consciously or unconsciously hope they will be for us what only God can be.

Such dysfunctionality can lead us to place unreasonable expectations on our friends and spouses. Few things are so devastating to a relationship.

No human being is capable of measuring up to such demands. Healthy people run away from these kinds of dysfunctional expectations, but unhealthy individuals allow themselves to become entangled in destructive relationships. Until Jesus heals us, we cannot discern what is wrong, since we are part of the problem. Jesus wants us to love dysfunctional people without being sucked into their dysfunction, if they will allow us.

Betrayal

But what about when a relationship is shaken by betrayal? Betrayals are woven into the fabric of life because people are inherently sinful. Everyone has been or will be betrayed eventually, and, even worse, we may betray someone who deserves far better from us.

Does betrayal require the termination of a relationship? It certainly can be legitimate grounds, as our Lord demonstrated when he taught that the marriage covenant can be terminated if one party commits adultery against the other. (Matthew 5:32)

Betrayal is first and foremost a breach of trust.

Once trust is broken, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to restore. Someone once said that trust is like a rose. A betrayal is similar to taking that rose and crushing its petals. A heartfelt apology and repentance go a long way to mending the damage done by a betrayal, but it cannot restore the rose to its former beauty. Thankfully, with God, all things are possible. I have seen couples rocked by adultery rebound over time with an even stronger relationship and marriage than they had before the betrayal. But trust takes time to mend. Never abandon hope.

A great example of God’s power to restore is Peter’s denial or betrayal of the Lord. Peter imagined that he was the most loyal of all Jesus’ band. He openly affirmed that even though everyone else might abandon Jesus, he never would. Peter imagined that his close relationship with the Lord was built upon his own faithfulness. Jesus, however, is never fooled by appearances. He understood Peter’s weaknesses, even to the point of publicly prophesying that Peter would deny him three times.

Can you imagine the scene? Peter had just boasted that he would always be faithful, even unto death, when Jesus looked him in the eyes and told him that he would betray him that night. What must Peter and the other disciples have thought?

Jesus knows exactly what is in each of us and loves us anyway. Our relationship with Jesus is grounded in his faithfulness, not ours. That is the essence of the New Covenant.

My folksy definition of a true friend is someone who knows what we are really like and loves us anyway. Jesus certainly is such a true friend. He was Peter’s friend, even in the aftermath of betrayal. Peter’s denial did not surprise or offend Jesus. He knew it was coming and realized it was part of Peter’s development as a disciple. Peter had to learn that he could not trust in himself, but only in the Lord. Many leaders would write off a person like Peter, who failed miserably under pressure. How could one possibly trust such a person again? Jesus, however, not only continued to love Peter, but he kept him in his leadership role, giving him pastoral responsibilities toward the rest of the disciples. Amazing!

History tells us that Peter never again abandoned his faithfulness to Jesus and eventually died as a martyr, being crucified upside down.

One of the most powerful life changers in the world is encountering unconditional love, especially after we fail in some significant way.

God’s love “never fails” according to First Corinthians Chapter Thirteen, but unfortunately church people often do.

Covenant Christians are called to demonstrate unfailing love toward one another and toward a lost and hurting world. The basis of our salvation is that God loved us despite our treachery toward him. He asks us to pass on the blessing to others.

Conclusion

When we enter into a friendship with another person, it is always “risky,” but, since true friendship is worth it, we take the risk in the hope that things will end well. Friendships can grow, remain steady, or can wither away. Sometimes they end abruptly because of some offense or disappointment. One reason our friendships are so up and down is because they are riding upon our expectations rather than our commitment to love the other person. A wise person enters every relationship cautiously, realizing that it is necessary to periodically evaluate the true nature of a relationship. This helps us to guard against placing unrealistic expectations upon the other person.

Unlike us, Jesus knows in advance all our weaknesses and failures. When he chooses to befriend us, it is without any misplaced hopes or expectations. Because of this, he is never surprised and remains constant regardless of our ups and downs. He never wavers in his love and commitment to us.

I suggest that we enter into friendships and covenant relationships with the understanding that we certainly will be disappointed at some point along the way. Go ahead and get that behind you from the start. Then start building a redemptive friendship that remains true in the face of adversity. Be one of those friends who “sticks closer than a brother.” Let’s show the world what real love looks like.

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The Dark Side of Following Christ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once when Jesus forewarned his disciples that he would suffer, die, and rise again, the apostle Peter objected and gave Jesus what he felt was some much needed counsel.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:22 (ESV)

Jesus’ response to his words must have shocked everyone present.

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:23-25 (ESV)

Why did Jesus react so angrily to Peter’s words? Our Lord actually addressed Satan, which we might find strange, unless we realize that Satan was using Peter as a mouthpiece at that moment to tempt Jesus to turn away from his God-given mission to die as the Lamb of God. How could Satan so influence Peter without his being aware of it? I believe it was because in this matter Peter’s human desire for his and his Lord’s self-preservation meshed perfectly with Satan’s desire to manipulate Jesus away from the suffering and glory awaiting him. Our Lord came to give his life away, not to protect himself from harm. Peter could not fathom how it possibly could be advantageous for the leader of the movement to die, but going to the cross was the key to everything God had in mind. Our Lord knew that the cross was absolutely necessary and the only route to victory over sin, Satan, and death. Without the cross there could be no resurrection, and, without the resurrection, there would be no salvation for us or the restoration of the creation to God. Peter unwittingly asked Jesus to forsake his mission and disobey the Father’s will, all the while thinking that he was being considerate of Jesus’ best interests. It was a powerful temptation, which accounts for why Jesus reacted so strongly. No one wants to die an agonizing death, not even the Lamb of God.

Temptations to avoid God’s appointed suffering must be firmly rejected.

God’s Puzzling Ways

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

God’s ways are very unlike ours. One of his ways that is hard for us to wrap our minds around is that God often makes his most dedicated followers pass through what some have called the “death of a vision.”

Between the mountain top experience of receiving a promise from God and the exhilaration of seeing its fulfillment there may be a period of contradiction and waiting, which is very difficult to endure.

We can call it “the cross” or the “valley of the shadow of death,” or, as it is described in Genesis, “a horror of great darkness.”

God tells us what he will do, and then requires us to wait. Only God knows for how long. As we wait for God to fulfill his promises, the Lord may allow something to come against us that seemingly threatens to destroy the promise, something we cannot run from or otherwise avoid. In such cases, God requires us to face down such adversity and contradiction by faith, go through the darkness of delay and disappointment, and come out the other side into victory and the fulfillment of the promise. We can only do this if we completely release the outcome to the Lord and fully trust in his faithfulness and love.

God asks us to place everything in his loving hands in order to gain the promise.

Some Biblical Examples

Abraham

After God promised that he would make him, a childless man, into a great nation and inherit the land of Canaan, he told our forefather of faith to divide some animals for a covenant cutting ceremony. As Abraham waited, the Bible says that a “horror (or terror) of great darkness” fell upon him (Genesis 15:12). Abraham fought off the birds of prey which attempted to steal the sacrificial animals, and God appeared in the darkness to seal the unilateral covenant and validate the promise. Abraham is a great example of fighting through every form of resistance in order to “press into God.”

We too must be prepared to be “horrified” by God in order to receive his wonderful promises.

Later God required him to endure the horror of surrendering his only begotten son to God as a human sacrifice. By faith he was willing to give back to God the one whom he had waited so long. It is one thing to wait patiently for a promise to be fulfilled, but quite another to surrender the promise back to God. Abraham, the father of our faith, did both.

Jacob

Jacob is one of my favorite people in the Bible. If God could use this deceptive rascal, there is hope for us all. God promised him all that he had pledged to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. After Jacob fled from Canaan out of fear for his life and after having lived with relatives for years, God told him to return to the land of his inheritance. One major obstacle stood in his way – his estranged brother Esau, who had previously promised to murder him for stealing his birthright and inheritance. When Jacob and his family and all his possessions arrived at Canaan, Esau came with a party of 400 armed men to “greet” him. Jacob was terrified as he expected the worst. He wrestled with God all night (Sounds like prayer to me.), as he prepared to confront his worst fear. God blessed him at the end of that struggle. The next morning he faced Esau and found that God had given him favor with his brother and safe passage into Canaan. We learn from Jacob’s story that we can only run from our fears for so long.

For Jacob, receiving the promises required him to endure the horror of facing his fears with faith and courage.

Joseph

This great man of faith received the promise that he would have authority over his brothers and parents, but he had to endure the horrors of false accusation, betrayal, abandonment, and imprisonment for years before the promise was fulfilled. He never seemed to lose heart during the ordeal. The psalmist wrote: “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.” [Psalm 105:19 (NLT)]

The “horror of darkness” and testing reveals our character and our faithfulness toward God, which illustrate whether we truly believe that He is faithful and loving.

Our faithlessness is an indictment against God’s character, as much as it is against our own. Unbelief is an insult to God and a disgrace to us. God is glorified when people hang on to their promises in the face of great contradiction.

David

King David received the amazing promise that God had ordained him to be the next king, but he spent the next several years of his life in a living “horror.” King Saul made it his goal to ferret him out of hiding and kill him. In addition, God did not permit David to take matters into his own hands. Instead he had to patiently wait for the Lord to act on his behalf.

The time of testing, the terrible interim between the promise and the fulfillment, forged David and his followers into mighty men of faith.

David is a great example of patiently waiting for God to work, in the face of external pressure to take matters into our own hands.

The Principle of the Resurrection

Each example above illustrates that before resurrection life can emerge, death first must take place, which is the principle of the resurrection. Jesus taught this to his disciples.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24-25 (ESV)

God sometimes tests our faith because allegiance to him in the midst of suffering glorifies and pleases him and opens the door to amazing blessings.

If we choose to run away from the terror of the cross, we may miss out on experiencing the fulfillment of his promises that waits on the other side. This can interfere with our being able to share in God’s glory as we could have.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17 (ESV)

Since Jesus’ main goal in life was to please his Father in heaven, it is no wonder that he was so upset with Peter in our opening passage. Peter was voicing Satan’s attempt to derail Jesus and keep him from obeying God’s will and experiencing the resurrection with all the glory that would follow.

Application

Practically speaking, what does this mean for us? Has God promised to be your provider? Then you may go through a dark time of having no apparent provision. Has God promised to be your healer? Then you may be required to endure sickness through which you will experience healing.

Everyone likes the idea of resurrection, but few are volunteering to die. No death… no resurrection. No test… no testimony.

If God has given you some wonderful promises, and you find yourself in a situation that seems to contradict everything God has said, rejoice! You are in the midst of the cross. Hang on to God, be patient, and watch how he comes through for you. If you have the promise, but have not yet encountered the test, be patient. It is surely coming, and in Christ God has already given to you the necessary faith and courage to endure.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-7 (ESV)

If you have received the promise, endured the test, and experienced the resurrection side of things, encourage your brothers and sisters who are in the middle of their “horror of darkness.” We and God are in this together.

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