The Gospel Demands

I recently read a very useful book by Sam Allberry titled, Is God anti-gay?  He is a Christian pastor who with clarity and grace systematically holds forth a solid biblical perspective concerning those who struggle with same-sex attraction.  He speaks from a place of personal experience and victory through Jesus.  For much of my life homosexuality was seldom discussed in secular or church circles, and it is good to see that changing.  People have questions and these can be engaged graciously with biblical truth.  Besides the relevance and scriptural accuracy, what I like most about this book is the compassionate tone.  There is a balance Allberry expertly maintains to answer pertinent questions about sexuality with the message of hope Christians have through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Often at youth camps I am faced with loaded questions by skeptics like:  "Do you agree with homosexuality?" or "Is being gay a sin?"  Though many questions I am asked could be answered with a "yes" or "no," to answer them so simplistically does not convey the whole truth.  Truth is not complicated, but people are!  Answering the question and not the questioner can shut down all hope of future engagement.  This is something Allberry does very well in that he does not immediately answer the question, nor does he dodge them.  He begins with our great and good God, His designs in creation, and His purposes for people.  After this all-important foundation is carefully laid, the discussion constructively continues.  He brings up very good points about how the church needs to stop marginalising single people, that we ought to recognise the gift of singleness, and cautions pressuring men into cultural norms of masculinity.

After reading the book, one paragraph kept coming back to mind.  The truth contained in it is relevant for all people.  Sam Allberry writes,

Ever since I have been open about my own experiences of homosexuality, a number of Christian have said something like this:  "The gospel must be harder for your than it is for me," as though I have more to give up than they do.  But the fact is that the gospel demands everything of all of us.  If someone thinks the gospel has somehow slotted into their life quite easily, without causing any major adjustments to their lifestyle or aspirations, it is likely that they have not really started following Jesus at all. Allberry, Sam. Is God Anti-gay?: And Other Questions about Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-sex Attraction. N.p.: Good Book, 2015. 12. Print.

This hits at the heart of every person who claims to follow Jesus.  We receive the Gospel freely, but it will always come at a personal cost.  Praise the LORD we can rejoice in the hope of Jesus Christ who has washed us from sin and made us pure and holy by His grace.  No longer do we need to be defined by sins which ensnared us and can walk in liberty.  No matter our struggle or sin, we can have a new beginning with Jesus Christ today.  1 Corinthians 6:11 says about those once defined by various sin:  "And such were some of you. but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."  God loves us no matter our struggles.  When we humble ourselves before Him in faith and obedience, God makes in us the major adjustments required for us to follow Jesus in truth.

Check out a video of Sam sharing here.

Soaring, Running, and Walking

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹ But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:30-31

These verses are a great encouragement to all of God's people who grow weary.  All people on earth have limited stores of energy and enthusiasm.  Being weak, faint, and even falling are common to our human condition.  God promises to renew the strength of all who wait on the LORD, to grant spiritual vitality to those who seek and fix their eyes upon Him.

This order of renewal for a born-again Christian is significant:  mounting up with wings like eagles, running without weariness, and walking without fainting.  When a person repents and trusts in Jesus Christ as Saviour, we are spiritually born again as children of God.  Our bodies remain on earth but in the spiritual realm we are seated with Christ.  Ephesians 2:4-7 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."  We who were once dead in sins have been raised to life in eternal glory, soaring free from sin with unlimited access to God.  Through prayer and the indwelling Spirit of God we connected with the Father through Jesus.

On this earthly pilgrimage we can run without weariness.  There is no drudgery in the Christian life but boundless horizons as we grow in God's love and goodness, all needs supplied abundantly according to His grace.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  It is most fitting our lives as Christians are compared to runners in an important race.  Runners prepare intentionally for competition and focus to expend all their effort once the starting gun sounds to the very end.  Every second is important and counted.  We do not compete against other people but run the unique course God has set before each one of us in such a way to obtain the prize.  The way we think, speak, and conduct ourselves on earth is critical.  Laying aside weights and sin enables us to run with endurance.

Those who realise their new identity in Christ and faithfully run the race set before them will be greatly aided to walk without fainting.  Even as the disciples who walked along the road to Emmaus enjoyed fellowship and conversation with Jesus, so we walk with Jesus through this life.  When I used to run cross-country our warm-up was a slow jog at "conversational pace."  Communion with God should be constant.  Walking may not be the fastest speed between two points, but we are not called to outpace Jesus or the leading of the Spirit.  As working oxen yoked together must walk in step, so we are to labour alongside our Saviour and fellow disciples.  Adam, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham walked with God, and so must we.  It is written to Abraham as well to all who desire to please God in Genesis 17:1:  "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless."  This isn't only for Old Testament saints, for John wrote to followers of Jesus in 1 John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."  God rejoices when His children choose to walk in the Truth.

Do you find yourself faint, weary, or falling?  Realise your new and privileged position seated with Christ in the heavenlies.  Prepare yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually to run with endurance the race that is set before you, looking unto Jesus.  Fulfill the command of Christ to deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus as you progress through this earthly pilgrimage.  God will keep His Word and renew your strength so you might finish your race with joy and be presented before the Father with exceeding joy.

Moving Trees and Mountains

Reading scriptures in context aids greatly in understanding and personal application.  Here are two examples of verses which the interpretation and application is unclear when read alone.  Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says."  Immediately preceding this passage, Jesus had been talking about the hindrance of unbelief in the heart - which is the equivalent to an immovable mountain.  The God who created the world shakes the earth as He wills can remove unbelief from the hearts of men.  Nothing is impossible for God.  It is easier to remove mountains than to changes hearts, but God does both without effort.

In Luke 17, Jesus began the chapter speaking of offenses and how it is impossible for them not to occur.  He pronounced woe on those who caused offenses, yet exhorted His disciples to forgive others.  After they asked Jesus to increase their faith, He responded in Luke 17:6:  "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  Mulberry trees have extensive root systems which extend to the edge of the canopy of the tree.  They do have small vertical roots but they are primarily horizontal.  People talk about a "vertical" relationship with God and their "horizontal" relationships with people.  Interestingly enough, it is in the horizontal relationships with people with whom we tend to have the most unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment.  Jesus says if we have only a small amount of genuine faith in God a mulberry tree can be plucked up by the roots and thrown into the sea.

In context, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples.  I do not believe Jesus said these things because there is a lack of mountains and trees in the sea but there is a great need to remove unbelief and unforgiveness from the hearts of God's people.  Faith in God is the key component of removing these seemingly immovable sins which no man can move himself.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  Massive mountains and ancient trees cannot provide resistance to the transforming power of our great God.  We can have great confidence and expectancy in our God to keep His Word!

Spend Time With Jesus

I was reminded recently of when a friend invited me to go to the San Diego Padres spring training in Yuma, Arizona.  One thing I remember about the hotel we stayed at was how adjoining rooms were connected by two doors.  As we scoped out the room upon arrival, we were surprised how a door led to another door.  If both doors were open guests could pass freely from one room to another.  Because we didn't know who was on the other side of the door the concept was a bit creepy, but we agreed it would be awesome if your neighbour was your best friend.

When a person repents and trusts in Jesus, we have unlimited access to the presence of God.  In fact, we are invited into the throne room of God and can have an audience with God at all times.  Hebrews 4:14-16 says of our risen LORD Jesus, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

In a spiritual sense we have been seated in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:6).  Prayer opens the way to God's presence.  It is like we share adjoining rooms in the same heavenly mansion and the door opened from Christ's side is always swung wide open.  He can knock on our door when we close it, but we can never knock on His because He is always ready and happy to receive visitors.  He is the Door and also the Way, Truth, and Life.  It is we who close our door which leads to His room when we just want to watch TV and are not interested to spend time together.  It is we who become self-conscious and shut our door so we don't bother him.  And when we are troubled we forget that right next door we have a loving Saviour who is the answer to our problems, has guidance for us in our dilemmas, and is wisdom for us.  We are guilty of long periods of silence and isolation from the very one who saved us and desires to share eternity with us.

Keep the door open, believer.  And when a breeze from this world swings that door shut and you hear His familiar knock, open the door to Jesus quickly so you might enjoy uninterrupted time with Jesus once again.  He loves you and delights to hear your voice.