Trust in the Lord's Plan (June 2023)

“Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.” (rf. Prov. 19:20–21 MEV)

 

“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (rf. Jer. 29:11 MEV)

 

Most of us, to some degree, are planners by nature. We want things to be organized, orderly and to fall into place in a logical fashion. This is the reason we use calendars, planners and other means to keep our lives moving in a direction that represents forward progress. When circumstances do not go according to Plan A, we begin to develop contingency plans (i.e. Plan B, C, etc.). We need to have a path that we can follow that leads to a desired end, thus, we create the strategies necessary to hopefully make that happen.

 

The Lord does not fault us for making plans. Indeed, He makes plans, or shall I say, He has made A plan. For Him, there is only Plan A. For us we have but the ability to make the plans. We have little, if any, capacity to make sure the plan is accomplished, taking into account all known possibilities and distractions. The Lord, on the other hand, is never taken by surprise by circumstance. It is already factored into His plan because He is omniscient, omnipotent and providential in all His actions and ways. Therefore, His Plan A will come to pass without fail, whereas our Plan A may have to morph several times before our plans are fulfilled, if at all.

 

Both Jeremiah and Solomon above encourage us not to get too hung up on our plans. We can make them as needed, but these two Biblical authors remind us that we are very limited in what we know and what we can actually do to pull off our desired end. Rather, we need to rely completely on the Lord’s plans for us as part of His overall plan. In doing this, we will be assured that the best of all outcomes will, in fact, take place which may or may not align with what we had originally arranged.

 

In essence, submission to His Lordship over us and our circumstances is the lesson being taught here. When we do submit our plans to His, we will find a greater sense of peace and contentment, rather than fighting and bemoaning circumstances over which we have no control. Let us rest our hearts and minds in the truth that He knows what is best for us and how that best fits into His overall scheme. Then, we will understand better what it means to follow and serve Him as His people.

 

 

 

Binary Choices (May 2023)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (rf. Jn. 13:34 NAS)

“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean…” (rf. II Cor. 6:17 NAS)

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”(rf. I Jn. 2:15-17 MEV)

 

            We live in a time when binary choices, that is, choices limited to only two options, are frowned upon, if not, outrightly ridiculed or condemned. Our culture and society relish in the belief that, as human beings, we have a plethora of alternatives before us. Indeed, “choice” itself has become the reigning god of the 21^st century. According to the prevailing culture, we should be able to exercise our preferences without any limitations. This pertains especially to the number of sexual partners we have, the ability to deal with unwanted pregnancy as we will, being able to select our own sexuality from a seemingly infinite number of options. It is our society’s belief that our evolution has provided us freedom from any and all limitations. Indeed, a binary perspective is viewed as a relic of the past that is no longer desired and from which we have been freed.

            The Bible, in contrast, provides clear boundaries and limitations for human beings in general. God created us as male or female (rf. Gen. 1:27; Matt. 19:4). We had and have no choice in the matter. Our own personal DNA reflects His decision and purpose for us as referencing our gender. Our feelings on the matter are completely and totally irrelevant to the truth of who He has created us to be. Secondly, we are either married or single. Our sexuality can only be fully expressed within a marital relationship with a spouse of the opposite gender. All other relationships and expressions of sex outside of marriage are considered wrong by God. Indeed, the Scriptures in Ecclesiastes 3 outline a number of different binary alternatives God has set before us as norms in life (e.g. life/death; war/peace; love/hate; etc.). 

            The time has come for Christians to realize our own uniqueness and difference from the culture. We are called by God Himself to “be separate” from the surrounding world, not to seek to be relevant to it. Our difference from the world presents the strongest witness to God’s reality in our lives and the transforming power of the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are to “love one another”, while not appropriating the beliefs of our society. The effectiveness of our witness will be based on our ability to be dissimilar. This, too, is a binary choice for us to make, whether to obey or disobey God’s directive. The greater the difference between ourselves and our culture, the more He can use us to make an impact for Him and His message of salvation to the world.

 

 

True Spiritual Renewal (April 2023)

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will ^draw all men to Myself.” (rf. Jn. 12:32)

 

            When we consider this passage, we usually envisage the cross of Christ, Jesus suspended in mid-air bleeding from the many wounds inflicted upon Him because of our sins. On the surface, this interpretation would be an accurate one. However, there is a more subtle, powerful message at the heart of this text.

            Jesus is stating that if He and His work of salvation (i.e. the Gospel) are “lifted up”, or placed as center focus, then He will “draw all men” unto Himself. He presents to us a cause-effect relationship. In other words, “if” we do this, “then” He will do that. In this case, with the first condition, our responsibility as His followers is to focus all of our attention on Him and His Gospel…nothing else. If we make Jesus the center of everything we do, both inside and outside the church, then He will magnify Himself, glorify the Father, and ultimately “draw all men” unto Himself, presenting to them the truth of who He really is and the gift that He offers. Jesus then takes the full responsibility of bringing people into a saving relationship upon Himself by the power of His Holy Spirit.

            What Jesus is stating flies in the face of much of what is passed off as present-day church growth encouragement and initiative. Today’s theories revolve around the idea that the church must track the trends of the surrounding culture to gauge and follow suit with events and programs that connect with these specific movements. The idea is that if we meet people where they are, they will like what they see and come and join us. The more we can accommodate their tastes, desires, and goals, the more that people will be interested in church, thus, the more the church will grow in number and influence. This effort has been playing out in both conservative churches (e.g. dress down and come as you are to meet Jesus our friend) and liberal congregations (e.g. be affirming and encouraging to individuals regarding their personal choice of behaviors). 

In other words, according to these views, we should “enculturate” the church instead of transforming those who come out of the culture by the power of the resurrected Christ (rf. Php. 3:7-16). By holding to the above, we rely on the “arm of flesh” (i.e. our own efforts and thinking) to influence unbelievers in a positive manner, while avoiding the subject of sin and certainly not seeking to redeem them from it. 

The Spirit of God operates differently. When we truly “lift” up Jesus, focusing our attention on Him in our lives and in the perception of unbelievers, the Spirit does what is necessary in terms of conviction within them to change and renew their hearts and minds (rf. Rom. 12:1-2) and to bring them to confession and repentance of their sin. It is our failure to focus on Christ and to look to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that has us failing to reach the people around us.

            Let us commit as God’s people to return to our “first love” (rf. Rev. 2:4-5). Let us consciously make Jesus the center of our thoughts, worship, music, actions, and the totality of our lives. Then, as we begin to do this consistently and committedly, we will see Him draw people into a saving relationship with Him. That is what true “spiritual renewal” looks like! 

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