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Category Archives: Gospel Application

Accepted, Loved, and Wanted

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As we sat in the locker room side by side peeling off our equipment from a hard fought victory on the ice, I could tell something was bothering him. He had 2 goals in the game, I knew hockey wasn’t on his mind. As we began to chat he told me what the problem was. Life wasn’t going his way and he thought if he did enough of the “right things” God would be convinced to give him what he wanted. “Its OK to struggle,” I told him, “and to wrestle through things, we all do.”

Have you caught yourself thinking that God is like karma? If you do enough good things, he will reward you with good things? That’s not the way He works. We have a  tendency to attach ourselves to people and things because we find our identity in them. We are looking for satisfaction and validation in other people and stuff. We feel that we need people to like us respect us, appreciate us, value us, like us, want us, and accept us, because if they don’t then we struggle to like, accept, and value ourselves. We look to define ourselves by our relationships and we find our identity and meaning in life through them. If others accept us, then we feel accepted. If others respect us, then we feel respectable. If others admire us, then we feel valuable. Could this be part of the reason why we spend so much time and energy in the gym working on your physical appearance? Working out in a gym is not wrong. Its great. But think about the reasons why we work out so hard and so long. I know that is tough to hear, but let me assure you, we all struggle with this.

Its easy to do this with God too. Its easy to think that if we do enough good things for God, then he will like us, accept us, love us, and be kind to us. And if we are nice to God, he will give us the things we “need” to feel loved and accepted by others.

So here is the good news. We don’t need a friend, family, or group of people accept, respect, or value us for us to be the person we are. And no matter what you do or how nice you are you can never ever get God to love, accept, or like you.

You see, that is why Jesus came. Because you never could do enough to get God to like you. If you could do things to earn God’s love, favor, and acceptance, then why did Jesus die on the cross? He died on the cross for you so God would wholly, completely, and totally LOVE, ACCEPT, LIKE, and VALUE you ALWAYS. Forever. And there is nothing you can do to ever make him NOT love, like, accept or value you. Even when you mess up. Even when you fail. Even when you blow it big time. Your heavenly Father smiles at you with loving affection. He made you his child. He adopted you into his family. HE IS PROUD OF YOU.

You are God’s child. There is nothing you can do to ever make him love you or accept you more than he does right now. You have all of his love and acceptance. You are fully loved and accepted by him. You are his son, and he loves you forever. He rejected his son, so that you may be accept as his son. THAT is your identity. THAT is where your value comes from. You are a child of God. Fully accepted. You are a son of the King. Totally loved.

Stop trying to earn from God what he has already freely given to you.

What the Gospel Says About the Shooting in Connecticut

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Much ink has already been spilt explaining the events of the shooting in Connecticut this week. Many have used it as an opportunity to advance their own political position on gun control, some have used it aptly as a time of grief and prayer.

Where ever you fall on the spectrum of appropriate or inappropriate responses, there is a question that rises from this tragedy. Where is God? or perhaps a more relevant question, What does the gospel say about the shooting in Connecticut?

One thing that we have to acknowledge, regardless of religious or political position, is that what happened in Connecticut is evil. Allow me to explain. Ancient Greek philosophers believed that all things and people we designed for a purpose or “goal.” To try and explain things, events, or people apart from their created goal is an exercise in futility. The only way to make sense of both triumph and tragedy is in respect to the ultimate Goal of all things. In other words, we need to ask the question, What is the point?

Tim Keller uses the illustration of giving a person from a third world impoverished country a cell phone. That person, who has never seen a cell phone, begins using it to hammer a stake in the ground. As the cell phone busts apart he turns to you and says This thing you gave me is no good! We make judgment calls on things everyday with respect to their value and worth. The reality is, that cell phone was perfectly good, when it is used for the goal and purpose for which it was created. But if we never understand the point of the things that happen in our life and in our society we can easily make a mistake and say that something is bad when it is actually good.

So then, how do we determine what is good and bad human behavior? Aristotle points out that unless you know for what purpose human beings are here for, then you can’t properly answer that question. God created and design his people to live and work for the good of their respective city; toward human flourishing. When tragedies like the shooting in Connecticut happen, we are outraged and hurt because there is something in our fundamental human fabric that says this is not the way it should be. We know, inherently, that this world is not perfect, and yet it should be. The violation of the innocent and defenseless in our society is outrageous to both the Democrat and Republican.

The gospel tells us that evil acts in society are reminders that all is not as it should be. But the gospel does not leave us there to grovel in despair. The gospel also reminds us that the very Son of God came to earth to identify with the innocent and defenseless. Christ became poor so that both the physically and spiritually poor might become rich in grace. Christ became an abused and rejected outcast of society so that we might be adopted and accepted members of God’s family. Because of Christ, one day, those who are God’s children will walk in a world without tears, pain, suffering, death, cancer, unemployment, foreclosures, poverty, or school shootings. The One who made all things will make all things new. Things are not as they should be, but one day, they will be.

Mario Teaching at Youth Event in Greenville, South Carolina

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Last Sunday night Mario spoke at a youth event in Greenville, SC. It was a great night. He taught on how God’s goodness shows that we can trust God.

God’s goodness has been revealed to us through redemption. Just as God has led Israel out of slavery from Egypt, so too God has redeemed us from slavery to sin. This redemption preceded God’s call to obedience to his rules. The rules did not come until after Israel had already been redeemed! Israel never had a chance to obey or disobey, God redeemed them from Egypt first.

Likewise, we never had a chance to obey or disobey, God redeemed us from slavery from sin first. Obedience to rules did not earn Israel’s redemption, and obedience to rules did not earn our salvation.

God, in his goodness, made Israel his people first, then he gave them the rules. If he had given them rules first and demanded obedience before redemption, Israel would have never become God’s people. The same is true for us.

God’s rules did not come until after we had already been redeemed. If God had given us rules first and demanded obedience before redemption, we would have never become God’s children. His goodness made us his children first. When we were dead in our trespasses and sin, we had no desire to obey God, but God redeemed us any way, in spite of our disobedience. Obedience to rules cannot earn you redemption

You can never obey enough, say the right things enough, do the right things enough, love God enough, be nice enough, be good enough, go to church enough, give away your money enough, to make God accept you. Because you never could, Christ did. Christ fulfilled it all on your behalf.

When God asks you to obey, it is because you already are a son or daughter. Never think that your obedience or disobedience has any effect on your standing before God. God redeemed you first, and now, because of that, he calls you to obey him out of love.

God’s goodness sends his Son to bear his anger so that God could rejoice over you. God did not pour out his anger on Jesus, for you, so he could still be angry with you. God is not just “not angry” with you, he is rejoicing over you! Happy and taking delight in you! Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

God’s goodness has been revealed to us through his rules. This world is not as it ought to be; created perfectly, but plunged into sin and darkness through Adam. God’s goodness gives us rules to show the way things ought to be. We ought to love God by forsaking idols (things we pursue for joy and satisfaction other than God). We ought to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, EVERY PART OF US!

We ought to love our neighbor; with grace (not returning evil for evil, but evil for good); with justice (fairness, kindness, and compassion).

God’s goodness gives us rules to show the way things will be (Revelation 21:1-7) Old things have passed away; no more tears, death, mourning, crying, pain, arguments with your parents, unreasonable bosses, friends who talk bad about you behind your back, boyfriends who mistreat you, husbands who are lazy, wives who are disrespectful. More than this, all things will be made new.

The One who made all things will make all things new. We will love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, EVERY PART OF US! We will love our neighbor as we do ourselves.

God has proved he can be trusted by demonstrating his goodness to us through redeeming us into relationship with him and calling us to obey his rules for our good.

Why I Did NOT Eat at Chick-Fil-A: RP from Stephen Altrogge

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This is a thoughtful post that I think summarizes the issue very well. It puts it in a proper gospel focus and causes us to rethink our attitudes toward the gay community and how the gospel guides our actions. – Mario

 

Yesterday millions of conservative Christians went to Chick-Fil-A in support of the company’s stand against gay marriage. Now, if you got a chicken sandwich or three yesterday, this post isn’t to condemn in any way. But, I think it’s really important that we think about how our actions reflect upon the gospel. So think out loud with me.

I didn’t eat at Chick-Fil-A yesterday. Yes, I believe the Bible teaches that marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman. Yes, I believe that homosexuality is a sin. But yesterday’s mass show of support for Chick-Fil-A didn’t bring the gospel of grace and repentance to homosexuals. It simply erected another barrier. It didn’t display the glory of Christ, it simply demonstrated that we don’t like it when someone attacks our faith. It didn’t glorify the life-changing, sin-destroying power of Christ, it simply said, “We won’t stand for this.”

My biggest concern is that we may win the culture war on gay marriage and yet drive homosexuals away from Christ.

Instead of voicing our disapproval of homosexuality by buying chicken sandwiches, what if we followed Jesus’ example instead, and made friends with homosexuals? Hung out with them, ate with them, listened to them, heard their stories, and then shared the life-changing gospel with them? What if we asked them to tell us about their experiences with homosexuality, then showed them how the gospel meets them at every point in their lives? What if we told them about how Jesus has completely changed our lives?

Consider how Jesus led people to repentance. He hung out with the wino’s so much that people called him a drunkard! He asked the Samaritan woman (an “us” vs. “them” situation if there ever was one) at the well for a drink of water. He ate dinner with Zacchaeus. Jesus demonstrated a beautiful boldness and gentleness.

The cause of the gospel will lose if we ban gay marriage and yet at the same time create an “us” vs. “them” battle. Our ultimate goal should be to win homosexuals for Christ, not win a culture war.

If a homosexual comes into my church I want him to feel welcome. If everyone came into the church carrying Chick-Fil-A bags, I think that would create the opposite effect. It would make him feel very unwelcome. Excluded. Hated. Like no one wanted him around.

I don’t believe homosexuality is right, but if we’re going to effectively reach those in the gay community, we’ve got to find better ways to do it. The only people Jesus boycotted were the religious leaders. With everyone else, he entered into their world. Yes, he called them to repentance, and we need to do that. We can’t back down from what the Bible says about homosexuality. But we need to do it with the love, gentleness, and affection of Christ Jesus. Not with snarky Facebook comments and loud demonstrations.

Jesus was called a friend of sinners. I don’t think that buying chicken sandwiches puts us into that category.

 

You can find the entire article posted at: http://www.theblazingcenter.com/2012/08/why-i-did-not-eat-at-chick-fil-a-yesterday.html

The Supreme Court, Arizona Law, Health Care and the Gospel

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With the recent rulings of the Supreme Court, significant decisions that drastically effect your life have been made. Most people have strong opinions on the subject, but a lot of people also don’t even know what to make of all this. The question that is at hand is, for the Christian, what does all this have to do with the gospel?

The gospel is what transforms people into new creations; it gives them new identities. But believer it or not, one thing that the gospel does not do, is assign people to political categories. Christians do not have to vote Republican or Democrat. They don’t have to be conservative or liberal. Christians don’t have to have a political identity.

What the gospel does do is allow us to see the world from God’s perspective. As it regards the Arizona immigration law, the gospel would call Christians to treat others as they would want to be treated. My wife and I live in China as missionaries, we are always so glad when we think about how the government and people treated us with such kindness. We know that we enjoyed the kindness shown to us in China, we know that other immigrants would appreciate the same kind treatment. While it is true that most immigrants are not fleeing life threatening situations (and therefore, in the opinion of some, do not deserve amnesty), they are fleeing to a better life in America, which are the ancestors of 99% of Americans the descendants of ancestors who fled here simply for a better life?

As regards the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Obama Health Care law, the same principle of the gospel applies. Loving your neighbor as yourself. Whatever political motives may have been behind the passing of the Obama Health Care law, the idea and guiding principle of the law is to provide health care coverage for those who could not otherwise afford it. Now, as to the question of whether or not this law actually accomplished that or not is something political ideologues are still debating. I do not wish to enter into such debate. The bottom-line is, that the gospel calls Christians to live in such a way that promotes the general welfare of society, and not the destruction of it. I think everyone can agree that society as a whole would be better off if everyone had affordable health care; the debate is as to the means.



Here is the bottom line for these political issues and, indeed, all political issues, the gospel calls the Christian to help, love, and serve the poor and unfortunate in our society. It is the Christian who should be at the forefront of these issues crying for and demonstrating kindness, care, and love to those in need. For in showing such kindness, care, and love the power of the gospel and God’s glory is also, and more importantly, shown.

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Nothing Earned

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Our obedience does not produce God’s blessing; his blessing enables our obedience. Because we were not capable of obeying, Christ obeyed for us so we could obtain his inheritance. Paul says in Romans 8:3-4,

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.”

If there was a law we could keep or a righteous act we could perform that could earn God’s favor toward us, then that law would be decreed and that righteous act would be commanded. But as it is, no such law or righteous act exists. As a result, God, on his own initiative and under his own compulsion had to move and act on our behalf if there was to be any hope for a sinful human race. Thereby making salvation totally and completely dependent upon grace. As Ephesians 2:8-9 states,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Because sinful man had nothing to add to Christ’s sacrifice to make himself more acceptable to God, he cannot boast in anything he has done make God act more favorably toward him. God’s favor toward people rests entirely upon the merit of Christ and what he accomplished on the cross.

No one can ever say that God acts favorably toward them or pours out his grace on them because of some act they performed or some law they kept. Because the law and good works could never make us righteous enough before God, Christ had to die to allow God’s favor rest on us. To claim that we can in anyway do anything that earns God’s favor is to render Christ’s death as pointless. As Paul argues in Galatians 3:21, “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” And again he writes to Titus, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

When our minds are armed with this truth, that Christ is our righteousness and we can do nothing to earn God’s grace, and we embrace it by faith, our hearts respond in love and affection toward God for his incredible grace, and our lives live out this love in obedience to his commands.

Blessed in Christ

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Our heavenly, knowing, perfect, and good Father has given us immeasurable blessings, but those blessings are for certain people and came at the expense of a certain person. Not everyone ever born has or will receive the Father’s blessing.  In fact, everyone ever born was born not under blessing, but under a terrible curse. Moreover, the Father’s blessing cannot be imparted through anyone, but only through the one who purchased it, his Son. As Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” The Father’s blessing has particular recipients through a particular person. Only those who are in Christ can receive the blessing that Christ has purchased for them.

Hope In God

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Hope in God who is trustworthy as the only living and true God. He is our Rock, Refuge and Salvation. Our trust in the strength and kindness of God assures us of the hope of our deliverance, and allows our hearts to find its security, rest and joy in the all-satisfying-ness of God.

As bad as the times may be, as desolate as our lives seem, as insulting as are our enemies are, as hopeless as we appear in the sight of man, there is no true cause for despair. There is only one in whom our souls can trust and find rest. We have a promise of restoration; he is as good as he is powerful; hope therefore in God, our great King and Creator, the source of all joy.

Our God Who Satisfies

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The writer of Psalm 42 and 43 desperately wants to be near God. But why? There are very good reasons that he gives for finding his soul’s satisfaction in God. The psalmist opens his song with the following verse:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”
The structure of Psalm 42:1 is type of Hebrew poetry called a “simile.” The first part (a) of the first line indicates a simile (metaphor) and the second part (b) of the first line will employ something literal. So, in the NASB, it reads:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks (a) , So my soul pants for You (b), O God.”

In the same manner that a deer pursues the water brooks for survival and refreshment, so too, the psalmist’s soul “pants” for God. He pursues God for real safety and refreshment.
It is not merely the physical body that yearns for God, but the very soul of man. God’s power and ability to touch the deepest part of a person are described vividly. When we remember the wonders of God, our souls are utterly and completely “poured out,” as it were, “completely spent.” It is God who is ultimately responsible for the waves of trial, so it is to God that the psalmist turns for eternally satisfying relief. As Matthew Henry says,

“When the soul rests on itself, it sinks; if it catches hold on the power and promise of God, the head is kept above the billows. And what is our support under present woes but this, that we shall have comfort in Him.”

Light and Truth (Christ) are what the author longs for; the Word of God alone can bring him into the place of worship. Psalms 42 and 43 communicate a stubborn tenacity on behalf of the author to trust in God regardless of the darkness of the circumstances, remembering his kindness, and thereby trusting in an expectant hope.

The third and final stanza (Psalm 43) concludes with hope and confidence, desiring to return to God’s house for worship, he says,

“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”

This hopeful expectation allows the psalmist to conclude his song with confidence “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God”; rejoicing that one day he will praise God unhindered by his present trials. In the midst of mocking taunts from enemies there still remains a trust in God as deliverer. Whether walking in the day or sleeping in the night, God’s lovingkindness is trustworthy (42:8). It is almost a natural spontaneity to trust in God during this time; an eagerness to return to the joy of true worship of God through trusting him.

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