The Morning After

How Long Oh Lord?

I constantly find myself wishing that my sinful mind and heart were fully destroyed immediately. Oh the joy I would be filled with if this gift were given to me this instant! Yet God found it wise and pleasurable that he might make a Christian’s life one of purification and growth in the Holy Spirit. The reasons I must wait to receive this gift of total sanctification I do not know now as fully as I will, but I suspect it can be our chief motivation to long for the return of Christ. Furthermore, our constant need for additional sanctification can keep us close to the cross of Golgotha.

The Morning After

Since sanctification is a lifelong process, and not an overnight gift, we will find ourselves constantly discouraged by sin, and consequently we need to have a theology that is willing to answer the question, “What now?” when our evil desires lead us to choose evil after being tempted.

Strange Gifts

“Wait Jesus. You want me to drink your blood in communion?” Yes. “Ok, Jesus, so this suffering is a gift that you want me to rejoice during?” Yes. Jesus offers and delivers fantastic spiritual gifts to his disciples by the Holy Spirit. They can be wonderful, powerful, and edifying gifts, but at times they can be downright strange. Speaking in tongues? Strange gift. Martyrdom? Strange that you would call this a gift.

Another odd gift that Jesus gives by the Holy Spirit is the gift of conviction. Many of those who are not regenerated do not have that all-too-familiar pang of guilt that comes after sinning. Some unregenerate have a measure of guilt that is at least manageable. For others, it even drives them to suicide.

First Things First

The only kind of sin that can be conquered is forgiven sin. If your conscience is sharp, but your theology is week, you will try to bargain with God, thinking that maybe you can make it up to him. This is an insult, because Jesus died to forgive sins, so you would be equating some human activity of equal value as Jesus death on the cross. Therefore, rather than making some kind of promise to God, or trying to think of some way to repay him, simply start with confession. Admit to God in prayer that your sin was sin. Do not put a nice construction on it to make yourself look better. The good news is that while we were still sinners, at the right time, Christ died for us. Therefore we can approach God with confidence, bearing full ownership and responsibility for our sins, because we know that Jesus will never turn away a repentant disciple. God did not spare his own Son but gave him up freely for us that we may be forgiven in full for even the wickedest sins.

Kill the Pride

It is brutal irony that Christians can be prideful even in confession. The humblest act imaginable, confessing your sins, can be an oh-so-subtle opportunity to exalt ourselves by taking the edge off of the wickedness of our sins and flatter ourselves. Can we fool God? There is simply not a single excuse for sin, ever. God did not call you to be obedient when you are in the mood, nor does he grade you on a bell-curve to see how you stack up with your church or peers. God did not say, “Love the Lord your God with some of your heart, soul, mind and strength.” God did not say, “If you are suffering or have been sinned against, I will overlook your idols.” Therefore, we must come to Jesus without excuses, explanations, or even an emotional spin that makes our guilt sting a little less.

True Confession

How then should we confess? Like a tax collector. “God have mercy on me, a sinner!” Confess your actions. Confess your motives. Confess your ungodliness. When you are done, confess like a Pharisee. Confess your pride. Confess your tendency to think of yourself as good. Confess your hypocrisy. Confess the judgment of others. Finally, confess Christ. Confess Jesus as Lord, Son of God, perfect sacrifice on the cross, raised from the dead. Confess the Holy Spirit, asking him to purify you, to heal you, to cultivate you. Confess Gods perfect ability to save you, and trust in his power.

Receive Assurance

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Do you believe this? If you don’t, you are not being humble, you are claiming that Jesus is a failure. Jesus was not a failure. If Jesus were a failure, he would not have risen from the dead. Jesus is alive and well. Likewise, as sure as Jesus rose from the dead, he will forgive those who confess to him.

Entering into Joy

When you find yourself forgiven by God, you have no cause for sorrow, only joy. Rejoice that Jesus would take the nail in the hand which you deserve. His head would be sliced open with a crown of thorns because of your sin. This is the way that you are loved, that Jesus would die for you. Rejoice in the wonderful love that has compelled God to forgiven you, and treasure him, in thankfulness.

Fighting Your Next Fight

After, and only after your sin is confessed, you may now strategize your next battle with temptation. Consider the sinful action you have committed and ask yourself, “What was my heart longing after while I was sinning?” There is some kind of idol behind this longing. Your sin problem is actually a worship problem. If you are a perpetual drinker, go deeper than the alcohol. You’re worshiping the alcohol because it brings you joy, but the real problem is not the alcohol, but your view of God. Alcohol has been exalted to the place that God belongs, your source of joy, and alcohol is making a very bad God. Maybe your problem is self-righteousness instead. You worship your reputation, and find your joy in others thinking highly of you. You love to smugly be satisfied with yourself so that you do not have to worship Jesus. Whatever your problem is, get to the heart of the idolatry. Find out what you sacrificially serve to receive joy or security, and recognize that Jesus belongs in that role. Finally, preach to yourself the good news of Jesus, crucified and resurrected for your sins. Go into detail if you can. Meditate on the fact that Jesus died for you while you were yet a sinner. The Holy Spirit will work and produce tremendous joy in your heart that conquers idolatry and grants true freedom. Bathe this fight in honest prayer.

Win

Prepare to start winning battles with sin. Be quick to confess because confession will bring you joy. Be quick to fight sin because victory will bring you joy. Be quick to pray, because communion will bring you joy. Be a Christian hedonist, fighting for joy, and fighting your sin, and loving the Lord your God. May God’s grace shower these blessings upon you and God’s joy rule in your heart abundantly.

What Do I Need to Be Saved From?

A Stubborn Old Man’s Blunder

There was a stubborn old man who had frequent headaches that were extremely painful. He discovered that taking painkillers, for the most part, would numb the pain. He took the painkillers, and continued on with his life normally. Turns out, he had a brain tumor and it killed him. If he had gone to the doctor and learned about his real illness, the doctor would have applied a different remedy than simply painkillers. Instead, since he did not have an accurate diagnosis, he’s dead.

Tell Me Straight, Doc

When we answer the question, “What do I need to be saved from?” we put ourselves in the same place as the man with the tumor. If we look for salvation from the wrong problem, we will never be saved from our real problem! Let’s go to the physician, Jesus, to find out.

John 3:17-18
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

We know that Jesus is talking about salvation, because he declares it outright: the Son did not come to condemn, but rather to save. The very next verse, Jesus explains that whoever believes in the Son of God is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in the Son is condemned already. These verses are connected to each other. Therefore we can see what Jesus is saving the world from: condemnation. Not only that, but we can see how he is doing it: through faith in Jesus.

If then, the world is under condemnation, two questions come up:

1) Who is condemning us?

2) Why are we under condemnation?

Who am I Condemned With?

We could take guesses and try to figure out who is condemning us on our own, or instead we could listen to the doctor and get an accurate diagnosis. It turns out that John the Baptist, speaking about Jesus elaborates later on in the chapter:

John 3:35-36
35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The wrath of God remains on him. Remember verse 18? Jesus spoke that whoever did not believe in the Son was condemned already. It wasn’t something new, it was already there. Now we have verse 36. The wrath of God remains on him. Again, it wasn’t something new, but something old that remained; specifically, the wrath of God.

That answers the “who” question. It is God that condemns us.

Wait. I Thought God Loves Us…

He does. He loves us so much that he sent his Son to die on a cross so that whoever believes in him will not be condemned.

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is true love. Normal people can have affectionate feelings for others, but only God’s love can pay the ultimate price for people who deserve God’s wrath. God’s love does not motivate him to ignore wrath, but rather to satisfy it.

Why is the World Condemned?

If someone were to fire a gun at me, it would be painful and it would kill me, but it would not be condemnation. If I were guilty of a crime and put before a firing squad, it would be condemnation. What is the difference if the consequences are the same? The first case is merely an event, while the second case is a judgment.

To be condemned means that a judgment has been made. In order for the world to be condemned by God, it must have been judged by God. We’d be on a roll if John 3 addressed this question too. Good news, it does:

John 3:19-21
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Ok. What is the judgment now? Jesus, the light, is rejected by the world because the world loves evil works and therefore hates Jesus when he causes their sins to be exposed. We not only have an evil works problem, but we have a love problem. The rejection of Jesus is a symptom of loving evil. All of this is worthy of condemnation.

Get Me Saved!

We have the diagnosis: the world needs to be saved from the condemnation of God that was earned by our own wicked works and rejection of Jesus. What is the solution?

John 3
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

God sent fiery snakes as condemnation against the Israelites when they sinned. Upon repenting, God had them look to a bronze snake that he had Moses lift up and he removed his wrath from all who looked upon it. Likewise, Jesus was lifted up on a cross and died such that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Confess your sin and believe in the Son of God: Jesus, and your sins will be forgiven and the condemnation of God will not remain on you, but you will have everlasting life!

Not Being Calvinist, Part 2: Evangelistic Methods

Introduction

This is part two in a three part series about avoiding spiritual pitfalls that may arise from Arminian theology. As I stated in the first part and will state again, I truly believe that Arminians are brothers in Christ and that as brothers we have responsibilities to love one another that reach across theological lines. Out of love for Arminian Christians, I have dedicated this series to help them guard from spiritual vulnerabilities that Calvinists can be less sensitive to due to our differences in the understanding of predestination.

Why Evangelize?

One of the most common objections I hear when discussing predestination is that it removes the call to evangelize, since people are already predestined to be saved or not. In other words, the accusation is that it creates grounds for Calvinists to make excuses for not evangelizing or that it would mean that evangelism would have no purpose. These are good concerns to have, because it shows a love for evangelism, the lost, and fruitful labor. They will be addressed before I challenge some of the ways Arminianism or non-predestination theologies influence evangelism.

Obedience and Joy

First of all, the Bible commands Christians to preach the good news. Whether you believe in predestination or not, disobedience is disobedience. God will never respond positively to active disobedience under the guise of theological nuance. That being said, there is more to evangelism than cold, hard obedience. Predestination creates an entire perspective shift concerning evangelism that, when brought to fruition, yields a thrillingly joyful missionary life.

In Calvinist theology, God sends the missionary as a mouthpiece to preach the word of Christ, which the Holy Spirit uses to cause sinners to be born again and have their sins forgiven, and this word is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, the missionary is an instrument that God uses to redeem sinners. God accomplishes this by nurturing the missionary through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within the heart of the missionary. When the missionary opens his mouth to preach the doctrines and news of the gospel that he found in the Bible, the Holy Spirit works in the heart of some listeners causing them to be born again and thus enabling them to believe in Christ for their salvation. Predestination becomes significant in every instance where God is involved, and God is thoroughly involved in every portion.

When predestination is properly understood, it is clear that it does not destroy the work of the missionary, nor does it leave any excuse for not evangelizing (except, perhaps, that the Holy Spirit is not in you).

The Arminian believes that God has granted enough grace to every person alive to be able to exercise a free-will choice in which he may accept or deny Jesus, so the evangelism process looks something like this: God works in a missionary, sends a the missionary to sinners, the missionary communicates the gospel in a way that stimulates the sinner to choose to accept Jesus rather than deny him, then the atonement for sins is applied to the new believer upon his acceptance.

Not Responsible for Results

As you will notice in the Calvinist explanation of evangelism, the missionary is only involved with two parts of the salvation experience. The first is his own spiritual growth, where he is led by the Holy Spirit to the Bible, and the second is the preaching of the gospel. Neither of these actions are easy to accomplish, but they are at least not complicated to understand.

Notice though that there is an additional burden on the Arminian missionary: he must also convince the sinner to make the correct choice. This is where often the high calling of evangelism is blended with human salesmanship. Naturally, with all types of salesmanship, those features that are particularly attractive to people are exaggerated and those features that are difficult or unpalatable are ignored or under-emphasized. This will cause a natural tendency to speak less about sin, repentance, crucifixion, taking up the cross, and counting the cost of being Jesus’ disciple and instead emphasize secondary side-thoughts like God’s plans for your life, cures for your emotional pain, and finding peace from overbearing stress. In such cases, the purity of the gospel is compromised due to an artificial need to convince.

The Danger: It Works

The dangerous thing about applying the marketing method to evangelism is that it is highly successful in generating decisions of acceptance of Jesus, but highly unsuccessful at making true disciples. In the heat of apparent revival, the marketing methods will seem to be working well, but after a season of trial the missionary will discover that many of his converts never deeply believed in the true gospel and the church is full of people who seemed to be converted, but were really just attracted to the side-orders that come with the Christian life.

We must battle against this type of pragmatism, knowing that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, not techniques and salesmanship.