Look to Christ!

Mr. Kennedy was my History teacher at Emerald Junior High in 1993.  He was a man in control, a seasoned veteran of the classroom.  He was one of those older men who had a gruff persona, but also had that twinkle in his eye.  I liked him from the first day.  My appreciation of his experience, knowledge, and teaching methods only grew as the year progressed.  When graduation from year 8 finally came, I mustered up the courage to ask him to sign my yearbook.  He obliged.  After writing a quick note, he said with a straight face, "I usually don't write half that much."  I received his statement as a compliment, and after reading his message knew it was.

Out of all the messages written in my yearbook by friends and teachers, his meant the most to me.  It still means a lot to me now.  Mr. Kennedy was a man who only knew me as a student in his class for a short time, yet there was a man who believed in me.  Outside of my parents and family relations, I don't know of any others who expressed what he did in a couple of sentences.  He concluded with a sentence at the time I hoped would prove prophetic:  "You will do well in anything you try."  It was an important encouragement at an awkward time in my life.  I had entered into public school after being home schooled for 3 years, and was preparing to transition into high school.  I thank God for Mr. Kennedy and the encouragement he provided.  Twenty-one years have passed, and my appreciation for his care burns undimmed.

Back in those days I could never have imagined where the LORD would lead me.  I had aspirations of being a forensic pathologist or a coroner.  Perhaps a baseball career or my budding golf interest would pay future dividends.  God opened a door after two years of university to go into a construction trade, mechanical insulation.  And after a decade God did the absolute unthinkable:  called me into pastoral ministry.  Then God even went further to lead me to settle in Australia and pastor a church!  When I consider how God has directed my life, it blows me away.  I am most thankful and appreciative of all He has done.

I had a strange series of thoughts the other day, and in retrospect I do not know they were mine.  There were suggestions, statements rooted in doubt that did not spring from a perspective of faith.  The devil can be most subtle.  "Look at all your High School friends," the thoughts began.  "Some are doctors, lawyers, professors, business owners, corporate executives, a commercial pilot, a professional baseball player, well-known people of wealth and distinction.  And what have you done?  You are virtually unknown.  Think what could have been should you have chosen a different path.  You could have done this, done that, been somebody."  I didn't think long before I realised the futility of it.  There was an undertone of discontent, envy, and greed that reeked of sulfur in those thoughts.  I confessed my sin as I prayed:  "Please forgive me LORD for even giving place to those thoughts for a second.  Your way is the right way.  I'm happy right where I am, and my satisfaction is in you."

The path of faith in Christ is the only one worth traveling.  If there is anything I desire to do well, it is to follow Jesus faithfully all my days.  I am not rich in worldly goods, but I have all I need.  I am not well known in this world, but I am known by God as His dear child.  And I am not alone!  Last night I read with great delight a passage of a man who has gone before me.  Moses was a man who was raised as a prince, trained by the very best, and at 40 years old had a bright future.  He had wealth, intelligence, fame, and security.  Yet Moses chose to forfeit it all to serve God, believing only God could supply true wealth.  Hebrews 11:24-26:  "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."  There it is!  Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.  I too have come to the conclusion that the reproach of Christ is greater than all this world could ever offer.  My convictions and beliefs have cost me superficial friendships, but the gain I have through friendship with God and fellowship in the church is of far greater and eternal value.

When you are tempted to look back on what could have been, instead look to the God who was, is, and is to come.  Regret promotes decay and death, whereas faith and hope in God bring light and life.  God is the one who does all things well, and He does not even need to try.  It is a beautiful day when our identity is found in Christ alone:  in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.  God is a Redeemer who provides joy unspeakable and peace that passes understanding for eternity.  Jesus is the One who makes all things new!

Forget Formulas

As Christians, we must take care not to make formulas out of facts.  Scripture is packed with important facts relevant for personal and broad applications.  There is a tendency in people - compared by God as sheep in many instances - for us to walk in the footsteps of whomever we follow.  When we see a result we appreciate, we seek to follow the same steps so we might too have a particular experience or outcome for ourselves.  "How did you make the cake so moist?"  "What product did you use to have such healthy looking hair?"  "Who details your car?  I never seem to get that deep shine."  "How do you stay so positive after all that has happened to you?"  So we follow a recipe, buy product and follow the instructions carefully, call the mobile detailer, or do our best to follow advice.  Sheep tend towards imitation, not innovation.

There are many who claim to have the answers we are all looking for.  There are hucksters who sell their wares at the fair, offer free seminars with a "free" gift promised to the first 50 who call, and plenty of folks willing to sell you information to increase your net worth.  The same can be true concerning spiritual matters.  Some have developed plans to increase church size, books have been written outlining how to pray and prepare studies, and some hold seminars on how to pursue religious experiences.  Formulaic approaches may be more entrenched in your life than you might think.  We couple biblical facts with our experiences and figure if someone desires an experience, they can do what we have done.  But the fact remains:  there are no formulas when it comes to knowing God and experiencing all He has for us.  There are plenty of facts and things in common between people who have known God, but God Himself is the only true common denominator.

Man likes to be in control.  He enjoys sitting down at a particular hour, pushing a button on the remote, having the television turn on, and watching the program he expected to be on air.  This is all very predictable, entertaining, and comfortable.  The modern television watcher even has more control than he used to, for he can record, pause, and rewind television with a button.  He can stand up and make himself a proper coffee and not miss a second.  It is in this culture of convenience and ease where God stands in stark contrast.  There is no formula to know God or steps we take in a particular order to have fellowship with Him.  This is no button to push, no convenient time frame provided, no pause button.  There are facts in scripture that teach us of God, His righteous character, reasonable requirements, and our fitting response.  There is no prayer that saves a man from hell.  There is no series of actions we can take in our flesh to accomplish what God does only through the Holy Spirit.  God is consistent in is holiness and righteousness, but the means and methods He uses are widely varied as our experiences and feelings.

We do a great disservice to God when the way of salvation is reduced to a formula, a "repeat after me" statement devised either for convenient use in groups or to quantify results.  "If you just prayed that prayer," I have heard someone say, "you are now a child of God."  That is presumptuous at best, abominable falsehood at worst.  Please don't misunderstand:  it very well may be at that very moment people were justified through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour.  Perhaps you look back to a time when after uttering a prayer you were convinced of your justification by faith.  But it was not the prayer, hand-raising, or coming forward that accomplished the divine regeneration:  it is the power of God that makes a person born again by the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, it is at that moment when some seekers stop seeking.  They have found all they wanted - assurance of salvation - even if from a mere man.  This assurance may be granted after a genuine conversion, but it might be an illusion.  God does not look to see if we have ticked external boxes, but looks upon the heart.

It is the scriptures that teach us the way of salvation and provide ample assurance.  I believe everyone must wrestle individually with God, even as Jacob did.  Whether it is salvation or baptism with the Holy Spirit, it is for each and every one of us to seek God humble, fervently, presenting ourselves as surrendered servants to His will.  We are not alone in our search.  God has given us the Holy Scriptures and other believers to join us along the road in our pursuit of Christ.  God has seen fit to establish the church of which Christ is Head, scattered throughout the earth.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill and come upon us in power.  We must be careful not to adopt the means of Simon, a man spoken of in Acts 8:18-19:  "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit."  Instead of seeking God, Simon sought the help of man.  He offered corruptible money to obtain power only given by God as He sees fit according to His purposes.  Simon saw what he believed to be a formula for people to receive the Holy Spirit, yet this was no formula!  Sometimes the Holy Spirit was given to people without the laying on of hands (Acts 10:44).

The point?  Formulas are no substitute to knowing God in personal relationship.  As they mislead, formulas also disillusion.  "I have prayed that prayer and nothing happened."  "I prayed for healing like a book said and my aunt still passed away."  "I have sought spiritual gifts but I guess those things aren't for me."  What hardness, pain, doubt, and disunity can result!  When our experiences trump God's Word in our minds, we build on a foundation of sand.  Let us renew our desire to seek God with all our hearts according to His Word.  May our desire for closeness and intimacy increase as we grow in grace and knowledge of who God is and all He has done.  When we fall into the trap of formula instead of friendship with God we miss the point:  we miss knowing the One who has revealed Himself.  We should not approach God for experiences, though we will have them.  We should not seek God for power, though He empowers all Christians to perform His will.  God will never be a means to our end.  When God is our end, the best will never end.

Ignorance is No Fix

While driving this morning, I noticed something a bit odd in my rear-view mirror.  The vehicle behind me had what appeared to be a parking ticked tucked underneath the windscreen wiper, flapping madly in the breeze.  I wondered if the person hadn't noticed it before they climbed into their car.  But then again, perhaps the driver had noticed it.  Maybe they thought if they kept driving and the ticket happened to fly out, they could deny all knowledge of being ticketed for parking illegally.  People aren't that silly, are they?

I wondered.  Every driver with a reasonable amount of sense knows when they are ticketed, their details have been recorded by the governing body to enforce legal parking.  The loss of the paper ticket does not erase their infraction, nor will it wipe the fine they owe from the record.  It would be utterly foolish to ignore that ticket, watch the wind pry it loose from the wiper, shrug the shoulders and ask with a grin:  "What ticket?"

There is no doubt in my mind this is a similar approach some take with God and His righteous requirements.  They drive around (so to speak) with little scraps of paper flying from their vehicle they hope will slip away to litter the ground as they speed along.  Some think they do themselves a favour by ignoring their debt of sin before God.  Perhaps they believe that when they stand before God on the Day of Judgment they can "play dumb" and by pleading willful ignorance they can escape the enormous, compounded fine they owe for a life of sin.  Ignorance does not provide freedom from the Law and its righteous demands.  The only way to "fix" a ticket is to deal with it with the governing body and meet their conditions in the time permitted.  In similar fashion, the only way our sins are forgiven is when we own up to it before God, humbling ourselves according to God's conditions.  Our sins need not hang over our heads because atonement and forgiveness has been provided to all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ as LORD.

Ever so often it is reported on news stations a sting has been carried out to arrest people who have outstanding warrants for all manner of crimes.  These home arrests are typically carried out when the lawbreakers would not expect it, usually before the light of day when they are asleep in their beds.  We know that God often requires the souls of people at a time they do not expect.  Every word and deed will be brought under His righteous judgment.  Both Christians and non-Christians will be brought before God and will be required to give an answer, either of the quality of our stewardship or the denial of Christ.  When God brings it to our attention we have transgressed, let us take that slip of paper and own it, choosing repentance over willful ignorance.  Praise God He has provided the means of our atonement, forgiveness, righteousness, and reconciliation!

The Blessedness

When Paul wrote his epistle to the church in Galatia, he did not waste much time before going straight to the heart of the matter.  After a brief introduction, he launched into the purpose of his letter with grave concern.  The growing church in Galatia had initially responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ with great joy.  But after Paul left them, others came to the body of believers and perverted the message of the Gospel.  The people in the fellowship abandoned the simple grace of God and adopted a legalistic approach - that as followers of Christ, they were compelled to keep the ordinances given to Moses.  They had come to God through grace, yet they were deceived to think they were justified through their works.

The issue Paul dealt with severely in the Galatian church is not unfamiliar today.  There are many people who make a joyful acceptance of the Gospel yet it is not long before they are turned aside from the simplicity of it.  They heap upon themselves doctrines of men taught as the commands of God.  Some align themselves will Paul, Apollos, or Cephas instead of Christ!  Like the Pharisees before them, they work to measure up to an arbitrary standard and forget their calling to follow Christ and make disciples who follow Jesus too!  Christ drew them with His love, mercy, and grace, yet some professing believers do not demonstrate the same simplicity of heart.  How many have shipwrecked through devilish deceptions disguised as piety!  How many have become twisted, angry, frustrated souls, trying to accomplish through the flesh what Jesus has done through the Spirit!  My heart breaks for those who are turned aside from the Gospel through their revelations and knowledge.

The Galatians did what is common for all men:  they followed mere men.  They were fickle and easily fooled, not having a strong foundation in the Word of God.  God used Paul to expose them to the truth of the Gospel, but it was not long until they saw him as an enemy!  Paul wrote in Galatians 4:13-17:  "You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? ¹⁷ They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them."  Paul did not come to Galatia as a grand orator, nor did he have any manipulative motives.  He was deeply burdened by the possibility they were not even born again, for their lives had no evidence of Christ's love or good fruit.

Beware the day when we trade the blessedness of the Gospel for anything less!  If any doctrine or emphasis begins to trump the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His love and grace, it is only a matter of time before we will begin to alienate ourselves from those who truly love us.  It is so tragic when Christians see fellow believers as enemies, reconcilable only if they choose to agree with their pet doctrine or emphasis.  People will know we are Christians by the love we have toward one another.  When we keep in clear view the blessedness of Christ's Gospel, His love will be evident and fruitful through us for God's glory.