Charles Simeon was not your typical pastor. Although I wish he were. And his congregation, Holy Trinity Church on the campus of Cambridge University, was not your normal church. And I'm glad it's not. Zoom in and you'll see what I mean. Two hundred years ago, Cambridge students were required to attend church and, periodically, receive the Lord's Supper. Charles Simeon, a 1779 Cambridge freshman, was not a Christian but somehow understood the importance of communion. To prepare himself, he purchased the only religious book he'd ever heard of: Whole Duty of Man. And, before long, he fell to his knees crying out for God's mercy. It was a true conversion from which Simeon would never recover. Upon graduation, Simeon, with an assist from his influential father, was ordained and appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Church at Cambridge. It was Simeon's dream job... but not for long. It's hard to imagine the isolation for an evangelical pastor in the halls of Cambridge during the late 1700's, just three years after his conversion. Alone with his newfound faith, he wrote: "I longed to know some spiritual person who had the same views and feelings. I even considered putting an ad into the papers that would read, 'I'm a young clergyman who feels himself an undone sinner. I've looked to Jesus alone for salvation and I desire to live only to make the Savior known. I'm hopeful there is someone out there whose beliefs agree with mine. But after three years I've found none.'" To make matters worse:
The congregation of Holy Trinity didn't want him as their pastor.
Church members boycotted his services and pew-holders locked their pews.
To provide seating, Simeon placed benches in the aisles but the wardens threw them out.
At times the church leaders locked the doors, preventing him from the services.
Rowdy university students protested Simeon's preaching with obscenities and riots, and Simeon was pelted with rotten eggs as he left church.
The faculty treated him with contempt. They slandered and ostracized him.
Why all this abuse? Because Simeon faithfully and consistently taught the truth of man's sinfulness and the bountiful forgiveness available in Christ. But how much can one man take? Even godly pastors have a breaking point! One day Simeon took a long walk into the woods to offer God his resignation: "I can't take it any more, Lord! I just can't!" Finding a stump to sit on, he randomly opened his Bible, hoping for divine confirmation. Instead, his Bible fell open to one, lone verse: "They found a man of Cyrene, Simeon by name, and forced him to carry Christ's cross." Charles Simeon, an exhausted and defeated pastor, finally saw his situation through different eyes. "Lord, lay it on me; lay it on me! I will gladly carry the cross for Your sake." Gradually the tide turned. Growing numbers of students, impressed by his courage, came to hear him speak. Pew-holders, amazed at his determination, reopened their pews. Fellow professors, curious about his tenacity and intellect, came to learn and admire. For 54 years he remained pastor of Holy Trinity Church. Finally, at age 77, Simeon was called into God's presence. He had become so loved that when he died all shops in Cambridge closed, university lectures were suspended, and mourners lined 4-deep all around the college, waiting to pay their final tribute to their faithful pastor. Some pastorates are more difficult than others. Yours may be one of them. But, like Simeon, be willing to carry the cross for Christ's sake.
måndag 15 november 2010
Carrying the Cross of a Difficult Pastorate
Charles Simeon was not your typical pastor. Although I wish he were. And his congregation, Holy Trinity Church on the campus of Cambridge University, was not your normal church. And I'm glad it's not. Zoom in and you'll see what I mean. Two hundred years ago, Cambridge students were required to attend church and, periodically, receive the Lord's Supper. Charles Simeon, a 1779 Cambridge freshman, was not a Christian but somehow understood the importance of communion. To prepare himself, he purchased the only religious book he'd ever heard of: Whole Duty of Man. And, before long, he fell to his knees crying out for God's mercy. It was a true conversion from which Simeon would never recover. Upon graduation, Simeon, with an assist from his influential father, was ordained and appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Church at Cambridge. It was Simeon's dream job... but not for long. It's hard to imagine the isolation for an evangelical pastor in the halls of Cambridge during the late 1700's, just three years after his conversion. Alone with his newfound faith, he wrote: "I longed to know some spiritual person who had the same views and feelings. I even considered putting an ad into the papers that would read, 'I'm a young clergyman who feels himself an undone sinner. I've looked to Jesus alone for salvation and I desire to live only to make the Savior known. I'm hopeful there is someone out there whose beliefs agree with mine. But after three years I've found none.'" To make matters worse:
The congregation of Holy Trinity didn't want him as their pastor.
Church members boycotted his services and pew-holders locked their pews.
To provide seating, Simeon placed benches in the aisles but the wardens threw them out.
At times the church leaders locked the doors, preventing him from the services.
Rowdy university students protested Simeon's preaching with obscenities and riots, and Simeon was pelted with rotten eggs as he left church.
The faculty treated him with contempt. They slandered and ostracized him.
Why all this abuse? Because Simeon faithfully and consistently taught the truth of man's sinfulness and the bountiful forgiveness available in Christ. But how much can one man take? Even godly pastors have a breaking point! One day Simeon took a long walk into the woods to offer God his resignation: "I can't take it any more, Lord! I just can't!" Finding a stump to sit on, he randomly opened his Bible, hoping for divine confirmation. Instead, his Bible fell open to one, lone verse: "They found a man of Cyrene, Simeon by name, and forced him to carry Christ's cross." Charles Simeon, an exhausted and defeated pastor, finally saw his situation through different eyes. "Lord, lay it on me; lay it on me! I will gladly carry the cross for Your sake." Gradually the tide turned. Growing numbers of students, impressed by his courage, came to hear him speak. Pew-holders, amazed at his determination, reopened their pews. Fellow professors, curious about his tenacity and intellect, came to learn and admire. For 54 years he remained pastor of Holy Trinity Church. Finally, at age 77, Simeon was called into God's presence. He had become so loved that when he died all shops in Cambridge closed, university lectures were suspended, and mourners lined 4-deep all around the college, waiting to pay their final tribute to their faithful pastor. Some pastorates are more difficult than others. Yours may be one of them. But, like Simeon, be willing to carry the cross for Christ's sake.
Blessings,
The congregation of Holy Trinity didn't want him as their pastor.
Church members boycotted his services and pew-holders locked their pews.
To provide seating, Simeon placed benches in the aisles but the wardens threw them out.
At times the church leaders locked the doors, preventing him from the services.
Rowdy university students protested Simeon's preaching with obscenities and riots, and Simeon was pelted with rotten eggs as he left church.
The faculty treated him with contempt. They slandered and ostracized him.
Why all this abuse? Because Simeon faithfully and consistently taught the truth of man's sinfulness and the bountiful forgiveness available in Christ. But how much can one man take? Even godly pastors have a breaking point! One day Simeon took a long walk into the woods to offer God his resignation: "I can't take it any more, Lord! I just can't!" Finding a stump to sit on, he randomly opened his Bible, hoping for divine confirmation. Instead, his Bible fell open to one, lone verse: "They found a man of Cyrene, Simeon by name, and forced him to carry Christ's cross." Charles Simeon, an exhausted and defeated pastor, finally saw his situation through different eyes. "Lord, lay it on me; lay it on me! I will gladly carry the cross for Your sake." Gradually the tide turned. Growing numbers of students, impressed by his courage, came to hear him speak. Pew-holders, amazed at his determination, reopened their pews. Fellow professors, curious about his tenacity and intellect, came to learn and admire. For 54 years he remained pastor of Holy Trinity Church. Finally, at age 77, Simeon was called into God's presence. He had become so loved that when he died all shops in Cambridge closed, university lectures were suspended, and mourners lined 4-deep all around the college, waiting to pay their final tribute to their faithful pastor. Some pastorates are more difficult than others. Yours may be one of them. But, like Simeon, be willing to carry the cross for Christ's sake.
Blessings,
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 5
Of course, the other possibility is that the Bible came to be corrupted at some point after the seventh century. The problem with this is that we have a massive amount of New Testament manuscripts dating as far back as the second century and Old Testament manuscripts dating back even earlier that are virtually identical with our Bibles today. This rules out the possibility of the kind of Biblical corruption that Islam requires after the second century. And of course, for Islam to suggest that the Bible had become fundamentally corrupted after the second century would simply clash with history, causing Islam to fail the Test of Historical Consistency.
So where does that leave us? The Koran does not allow for a corrupted Bible before the seventh century. History itself shows that the Bible could not have been corrupted after the second century. So there is no time left in which the Bible could have been corrupted. And since Islam depends on the notion that the Bible has been fundamentally corrupted, we see that Islam as a worldview cannot fit reality.
What About Tolerance?
With all this talk about different worldviews failing to fit reality, you might wonder what happened to tolerance. It sure doesn't sound tolerant, does it? But what is tolerance?
Our modern notion of tolerance is that you can't say that someone else's beliefs are wrong. If you do, you are being intolerant. But that is not what tolerance has always meant. The historic meaning of tolerance is that you should be willing to live peacefully and respectfully with those you believe, and even say, are wrong.
If you think about it, our modern "redefined" understanding of tolerance doesn't even make sense. If you can't say something is wrong or false, there is nothing left to tolerate.
But even more than this, our modern understanding of tolerance undercuts itself. It does the very thing that it claims ought not to be done. It says, essentially, that it is wrong for you to say that someone else is wrong. This, of course, fails the Test of Logical Consistency, and thus cannot be an approach that fits reality.
The historic meaning of tolerance is actually a reflection of the teaching of Jesus himself, and this is how we ought to approach others and the worldviews they hold.
The Call of Jesus
This leads us, finally, to the call of Jesus. John 1:17 states, "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." One of the implications of this verse is simply that grace and truth must be held together when evaluating different worldviews, and when relating to the people that hold them.
If we hold onto truth without grace, we beat people up with our words and we fail to follow the Jesus who was called "the friend of sinners" and who humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross. If we hold onto grace without truth, we find ourselves no longer in touch with reality, but rather blinded by a pretend world that doesn't match the real world as it actually is.
The Apostle Peter shows the need for both when he says in 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have [referring to truth]. But do this with gentleness and respect [referring to grace]."
May it be so with each of us.
So where does that leave us? The Koran does not allow for a corrupted Bible before the seventh century. History itself shows that the Bible could not have been corrupted after the second century. So there is no time left in which the Bible could have been corrupted. And since Islam depends on the notion that the Bible has been fundamentally corrupted, we see that Islam as a worldview cannot fit reality.
What About Tolerance?
With all this talk about different worldviews failing to fit reality, you might wonder what happened to tolerance. It sure doesn't sound tolerant, does it? But what is tolerance?
Our modern notion of tolerance is that you can't say that someone else's beliefs are wrong. If you do, you are being intolerant. But that is not what tolerance has always meant. The historic meaning of tolerance is that you should be willing to live peacefully and respectfully with those you believe, and even say, are wrong.
If you think about it, our modern "redefined" understanding of tolerance doesn't even make sense. If you can't say something is wrong or false, there is nothing left to tolerate.
But even more than this, our modern understanding of tolerance undercuts itself. It does the very thing that it claims ought not to be done. It says, essentially, that it is wrong for you to say that someone else is wrong. This, of course, fails the Test of Logical Consistency, and thus cannot be an approach that fits reality.
The historic meaning of tolerance is actually a reflection of the teaching of Jesus himself, and this is how we ought to approach others and the worldviews they hold.
The Call of Jesus
This leads us, finally, to the call of Jesus. John 1:17 states, "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." One of the implications of this verse is simply that grace and truth must be held together when evaluating different worldviews, and when relating to the people that hold them.
If we hold onto truth without grace, we beat people up with our words and we fail to follow the Jesus who was called "the friend of sinners" and who humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross. If we hold onto grace without truth, we find ourselves no longer in touch with reality, but rather blinded by a pretend world that doesn't match the real world as it actually is.
The Apostle Peter shows the need for both when he says in 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have [referring to truth]. But do this with gentleness and respect [referring to grace]."
May it be so with each of us.
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 4
It should be noted that the Naturalist has a high price to pay for the worldview he embraces. The Naturalist must say that the things that we all value in life—love, relationships, beauty, justice—are mere illusions. A consistent Naturalist will admit this.
But the Naturalist has a deeper problem. How can mere matter and energy have an illusion? Of course, it can't. At this point, we realize that Naturalism fails the Test of Logical Consistency as well, requiring illusions which Naturalism cannot allow.
How to Test a Worldview - Islam
What about Islam? Islam depends on the notion that the Bible has been fundamentally corrupted. Islam has to claim this because, while it affirms that the Bible as originally written is the Word of God, there are core contradictions between the Bible as we have it today and the teachings of Islam.
For example, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, and without this teaching Christianity falls apart. But Islam teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, and without this teaching Islam falls apart. Again, the Bible teaches that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, and without this teaching Christianity falls apart. But Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross and rise from the dead, and without this teaching Islam falls apart. So there are clear contradictions between the core teachings of the Bible as we have it today and the core teachings of Islam. And the only way Islam can maintain that the Bible is the Word of God and avoid these kinds of contradictions is by claiming that the Bible as originally written came to be fundamentally corrupted at some point in time.
So then, the question becomes "When was the Bible corrupted?" One possibility is before the Koran was written in the seventh century. The problem with this possibility is that the Koran itself refers to the Bible as a reliable document at the time in which the Koran was written.
For example, Koran 5:47 says "Let the People of the Gospel [i.e., Christians] judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by the light of what God hath revealed, they are no better than those who rebel." This is a call issued by the Koran in the seventh century for Christians to listen to what God had revealed in the New Testament. This call only makes sense if the New Testament had been faithfully preserved through the seventh century, because only then could they "judge by the light of what God hath revealed."
Likewise, Koran 5:68 says "Say: ‘O People of the Book [i.e., Jews and Christians]! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law [i.e., the Old Testament], the Gospel [i.e., the New Testament], and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.'" Again, this assumes that the Bible is reliable at the time of the writing of the Koran because you can't "stand fast" by what has essentially been lost through corruption.
So, the Koran itself assumes that the Bible had been faithfully preserved, at least through the seventh century when the Koran was written. Of course, for Islam to suggest that the Bible had become fundamentally corrupted before the seventh century would lead to a contradiction, causing Islam to fail the Test of Logical Consistency.
But the Naturalist has a deeper problem. How can mere matter and energy have an illusion? Of course, it can't. At this point, we realize that Naturalism fails the Test of Logical Consistency as well, requiring illusions which Naturalism cannot allow.
How to Test a Worldview - Islam
What about Islam? Islam depends on the notion that the Bible has been fundamentally corrupted. Islam has to claim this because, while it affirms that the Bible as originally written is the Word of God, there are core contradictions between the Bible as we have it today and the teachings of Islam.
For example, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, and without this teaching Christianity falls apart. But Islam teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, and without this teaching Islam falls apart. Again, the Bible teaches that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, and without this teaching Christianity falls apart. But Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross and rise from the dead, and without this teaching Islam falls apart. So there are clear contradictions between the core teachings of the Bible as we have it today and the core teachings of Islam. And the only way Islam can maintain that the Bible is the Word of God and avoid these kinds of contradictions is by claiming that the Bible as originally written came to be fundamentally corrupted at some point in time.
So then, the question becomes "When was the Bible corrupted?" One possibility is before the Koran was written in the seventh century. The problem with this possibility is that the Koran itself refers to the Bible as a reliable document at the time in which the Koran was written.
For example, Koran 5:47 says "Let the People of the Gospel [i.e., Christians] judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by the light of what God hath revealed, they are no better than those who rebel." This is a call issued by the Koran in the seventh century for Christians to listen to what God had revealed in the New Testament. This call only makes sense if the New Testament had been faithfully preserved through the seventh century, because only then could they "judge by the light of what God hath revealed."
Likewise, Koran 5:68 says "Say: ‘O People of the Book [i.e., Jews and Christians]! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law [i.e., the Old Testament], the Gospel [i.e., the New Testament], and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.'" Again, this assumes that the Bible is reliable at the time of the writing of the Koran because you can't "stand fast" by what has essentially been lost through corruption.
So, the Koran itself assumes that the Bible had been faithfully preserved, at least through the seventh century when the Koran was written. Of course, for Islam to suggest that the Bible had become fundamentally corrupted before the seventh century would lead to a contradiction, causing Islam to fail the Test of Logical Consistency.
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 3
This leads to the fundamental question we have to ask when evaluating a worldview, "Is this worldview consistent with reality or not?"
It seems to me that there are at least three tests by which we can determine whether a worldview is consistent with reality. First is the Test of Logical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with itself?" If this worldview represents reality, in order to be consistent with reality it has to be consistent with itself. Second is the Test of Historical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with history?" History tells us what the world has been like up to this point. So if a worldview is going to fit reality, it will have to be consistent with history. Third is the Test of Experiential Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with life as it presents itself to us?" If a worldview is going to fit reality, it is going to have to fit the data that life lays out before us.
Though I do not want to oversimplify the various worldviews in our culture (there is always more to learn), I do want to show that worldviews tend to have core, decisive elements that allow the average Joe on the street to evaluate them in light of the tests just mentioned.
How to Test a Worldview - Postmodernism
Let's take a few examples. First, Postmodernism. Postmodernism is perhaps the most pervasive, fundamental worldview in our culture today. The essence of Postmodernism is the notion that everybody decides for himself what is true and what is right. You hear Postmodernism when you hear people say things like "That's true for you, but not for me," or "You have your truth; I have mine," or "That's just your personal belief."
The core truth claim of Postmodernism is that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody. And this core truth claim, by the way, is the overarching truth that applies to everybody! Of course, in claiming that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody, it is making an overarching truth claim that applies to everybody. This, of course, is a contradiction, causing Postmodernism to fail the Test of Logical Consistency. Thus, Postmodernism cannot fit reality as it actually is.
I find this utterly fascinating! The worldview that governs so much of our culture at a fundamental level could not possibly be true. And you do not have to go very deep to see it.
How to Test a Worldview - Naturalism
Another example is Naturalism. At its core, Naturalism says that matter and energy are all there is (thus, it is essentially Atheistic). You hear this worldview when you hear people say things like "Everything has to have a ‘scientific' explanation," which is often code for "Naturalistic explanation." So everything in life has to be explained in terms of the properties of matter and energy alone.
One of the problems with Naturalism is that it just doesn't fit our collective experience of life. Life presents itself to us as including things like relationships, commitment, love, hate, etc. But Naturalism does not have room for these things. Atoms cannot love; energy cannot hate. Naturalism paints a picture of reality that clashes with the world as we know it. So Naturalism fails the Test of Experiential Consistency and thus cannot fit reality.
It seems to me that there are at least three tests by which we can determine whether a worldview is consistent with reality. First is the Test of Logical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with itself?" If this worldview represents reality, in order to be consistent with reality it has to be consistent with itself. Second is the Test of Historical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with history?" History tells us what the world has been like up to this point. So if a worldview is going to fit reality, it will have to be consistent with history. Third is the Test of Experiential Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with life as it presents itself to us?" If a worldview is going to fit reality, it is going to have to fit the data that life lays out before us.
Though I do not want to oversimplify the various worldviews in our culture (there is always more to learn), I do want to show that worldviews tend to have core, decisive elements that allow the average Joe on the street to evaluate them in light of the tests just mentioned.
How to Test a Worldview - Postmodernism
Let's take a few examples. First, Postmodernism. Postmodernism is perhaps the most pervasive, fundamental worldview in our culture today. The essence of Postmodernism is the notion that everybody decides for himself what is true and what is right. You hear Postmodernism when you hear people say things like "That's true for you, but not for me," or "You have your truth; I have mine," or "That's just your personal belief."
The core truth claim of Postmodernism is that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody. And this core truth claim, by the way, is the overarching truth that applies to everybody! Of course, in claiming that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody, it is making an overarching truth claim that applies to everybody. This, of course, is a contradiction, causing Postmodernism to fail the Test of Logical Consistency. Thus, Postmodernism cannot fit reality as it actually is.
I find this utterly fascinating! The worldview that governs so much of our culture at a fundamental level could not possibly be true. And you do not have to go very deep to see it.
How to Test a Worldview - Naturalism
Another example is Naturalism. At its core, Naturalism says that matter and energy are all there is (thus, it is essentially Atheistic). You hear this worldview when you hear people say things like "Everything has to have a ‘scientific' explanation," which is often code for "Naturalistic explanation." So everything in life has to be explained in terms of the properties of matter and energy alone.
One of the problems with Naturalism is that it just doesn't fit our collective experience of life. Life presents itself to us as including things like relationships, commitment, love, hate, etc. But Naturalism does not have room for these things. Atoms cannot love; energy cannot hate. Naturalism paints a picture of reality that clashes with the world as we know it. So Naturalism fails the Test of Experiential Consistency and thus cannot fit reality.
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 3
This leads to the fundamental question we have to ask when evaluating a worldview, "Is this worldview consistent with reality or not?"
It seems to me that there are at least three tests by which we can determine whether a worldview is consistent with reality. First is the Test of Logical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with itself?" If this worldview represents reality, in order to be consistent with reality it has to be consistent with itself. Second is the Test of Historical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with history?" History tells us what the world has been like up to this point. So if a worldview is going to fit reality, it will have to be consistent with history. Third is the Test of Experiential Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with life as it presents itself to us?" If a worldview is going to fit reality, it is going to have to fit the data that life lays out before us.
Though I do not want to oversimplify the various worldviews in our culture (there is always more to learn), I do want to show that worldviews tend to have core, decisive elements that allow the average Joe on the street to evaluate them in light of the tests just mentioned.
How to Test a Worldview - Postmodernism
Let's take a few examples. First, Postmodernism. Postmodernism is perhaps the most pervasive, fundamental worldview in our culture today. The essence of Postmodernism is the notion that everybody decides for himself what is true and what is right. You hear Postmodernism when you hear people say things like "That's true for you, but not for me," or "You have your truth; I have mine," or "That's just your personal belief."
The core truth claim of Postmodernism is that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody. And this core truth claim, by the way, is the overarching truth that applies to everybody! Of course, in claiming that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody, it is making an overarching truth claim that applies to everybody. This, of course, is a contradiction, causing Postmodernism to fail the Test of Logical Consistency. Thus, Postmodernism cannot fit reality as it actually is.
I find this utterly fascinating! The worldview that governs so much of our culture at a fundamental level could not possibly be true. And you do not have to go very deep to see it.
How to Test a Worldview - Naturalism
Another example is Naturalism. At its core, Naturalism says that matter and energy are all there is (thus, it is essentially Atheistic). You hear this worldview when you hear people say things like "Everything has to have a ‘scientific' explanation," which is often code for "Naturalistic explanation." So everything in life has to be explained in terms of the properties of matter and energy alone.
One of the problems with Naturalism is that it just doesn't fit our collective experience of life. Life presents itself to us as including things like relationships, commitment, love, hate, etc. But Naturalism does not have room for these things. Atoms cannot love; energy cannot hate. Naturalism paints a picture of reality that clashes with the world as we know it. So Naturalism fails the Test of Experiential Consistency and thus cannot fit reality.
It seems to me that there are at least three tests by which we can determine whether a worldview is consistent with reality. First is the Test of Logical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with itself?" If this worldview represents reality, in order to be consistent with reality it has to be consistent with itself. Second is the Test of Historical Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with history?" History tells us what the world has been like up to this point. So if a worldview is going to fit reality, it will have to be consistent with history. Third is the Test of Experiential Consistency, which asks "Is this worldview consistent with life as it presents itself to us?" If a worldview is going to fit reality, it is going to have to fit the data that life lays out before us.
Though I do not want to oversimplify the various worldviews in our culture (there is always more to learn), I do want to show that worldviews tend to have core, decisive elements that allow the average Joe on the street to evaluate them in light of the tests just mentioned.
How to Test a Worldview - Postmodernism
Let's take a few examples. First, Postmodernism. Postmodernism is perhaps the most pervasive, fundamental worldview in our culture today. The essence of Postmodernism is the notion that everybody decides for himself what is true and what is right. You hear Postmodernism when you hear people say things like "That's true for you, but not for me," or "You have your truth; I have mine," or "That's just your personal belief."
The core truth claim of Postmodernism is that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody. And this core truth claim, by the way, is the overarching truth that applies to everybody! Of course, in claiming that there is no overarching truth that applies to everybody, it is making an overarching truth claim that applies to everybody. This, of course, is a contradiction, causing Postmodernism to fail the Test of Logical Consistency. Thus, Postmodernism cannot fit reality as it actually is.
I find this utterly fascinating! The worldview that governs so much of our culture at a fundamental level could not possibly be true. And you do not have to go very deep to see it.
How to Test a Worldview - Naturalism
Another example is Naturalism. At its core, Naturalism says that matter and energy are all there is (thus, it is essentially Atheistic). You hear this worldview when you hear people say things like "Everything has to have a ‘scientific' explanation," which is often code for "Naturalistic explanation." So everything in life has to be explained in terms of the properties of matter and energy alone.
One of the problems with Naturalism is that it just doesn't fit our collective experience of life. Life presents itself to us as including things like relationships, commitment, love, hate, etc. But Naturalism does not have room for these things. Atoms cannot love; energy cannot hate. Naturalism paints a picture of reality that clashes with the world as we know it. So Naturalism fails the Test of Experiential Consistency and thus cannot fit reality.
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 2
Likewise, if you are a college student, you could say "Professor, I didn't study because I wasn't absolutely certain the test was going to be today. You could have gotten sick and postponed it." Your professor would rightly say, "I told you the test was going to be today. You knew well enough. You are responsible to take it."
The Certainty Principle tells us that there comes a point where you're sure enough about something that you can rest in the knowledge that it is true and thus become responsible to act upon it. So we can't wait until absolute proof is presented before we will believe something to be true, but must be willing to consider the facts and go where they reasonably lead.
How to Test a Worldview
Now that we see a bit about how knowledge works and how we come to know things, let's take a look at how to actually go about evaluating the competing worldviews in our culture. What is a worldview? A worldview is simply a comprehensive view of reality. And there are many worldviews out there such as Humanism, Buddhism, Deism, Naturalism, Postmodernism, Christian Theism, Islamic Theism, and Nihilism—to name a few.
How are we to think about this competition of worldviews? There is a drive in our culture today to affirm everybody in whatever he or she believes. That raises an important question. Why can't we all just be right? Why do we have to say "This is true and that is false; this is right and that is wrong"?
There are two reasons. First, very often different worldviews contradict each other at the core. So it is not possible that they could both be true. For example, take Atheism and Theism. Theism says, "God exists," and without this, Theism falls apart. Atheism says, "God does not exist," and without this, Atheism falls apart. So if it's really true that God exists, Atheism cannot be true. On the other hand, if it's really true that God does not exist, Theism cannot be true. Of course, God either exists or he doesn't. So one of these worldviews has to fail.
The second reason we can't all be right is because there is, of course, only one reality and we all live in it. And our worldviews either fit or fail to fit the nature of the world we live in. Different worldviews paint fundamentally different pictures of reality. But since there is only one reality, only one worldview can match reality as it actually is and thus be true. All other worldviews would be painting pictures different from reality and thus would be essentially false.
For the sake of illustration, let's assume that DaVinci's Mona Lisa represents reality. Now consider Grant Wood's American Gothic. There is much that it has in common with the Mona Lisa (faces, backgrounds, etc.), but it is essentially a different picture. Take Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Again, there is much that it has in common with the Mona Lisa (eyes, hair, etc.), but it is not the Mona Lisa. Now let's consider a replica of the Mona Lisa. Of course, it represents the Mona Lisa (i.e., reality) as it actually is. In the same way, since there is only one reality, only one worldview could paint a picture of reality as it actually is.
The Certainty Principle tells us that there comes a point where you're sure enough about something that you can rest in the knowledge that it is true and thus become responsible to act upon it. So we can't wait until absolute proof is presented before we will believe something to be true, but must be willing to consider the facts and go where they reasonably lead.
How to Test a Worldview
Now that we see a bit about how knowledge works and how we come to know things, let's take a look at how to actually go about evaluating the competing worldviews in our culture. What is a worldview? A worldview is simply a comprehensive view of reality. And there are many worldviews out there such as Humanism, Buddhism, Deism, Naturalism, Postmodernism, Christian Theism, Islamic Theism, and Nihilism—to name a few.
How are we to think about this competition of worldviews? There is a drive in our culture today to affirm everybody in whatever he or she believes. That raises an important question. Why can't we all just be right? Why do we have to say "This is true and that is false; this is right and that is wrong"?
There are two reasons. First, very often different worldviews contradict each other at the core. So it is not possible that they could both be true. For example, take Atheism and Theism. Theism says, "God exists," and without this, Theism falls apart. Atheism says, "God does not exist," and without this, Atheism falls apart. So if it's really true that God exists, Atheism cannot be true. On the other hand, if it's really true that God does not exist, Theism cannot be true. Of course, God either exists or he doesn't. So one of these worldviews has to fail.
The second reason we can't all be right is because there is, of course, only one reality and we all live in it. And our worldviews either fit or fail to fit the nature of the world we live in. Different worldviews paint fundamentally different pictures of reality. But since there is only one reality, only one worldview can match reality as it actually is and thus be true. All other worldviews would be painting pictures different from reality and thus would be essentially false.
For the sake of illustration, let's assume that DaVinci's Mona Lisa represents reality. Now consider Grant Wood's American Gothic. There is much that it has in common with the Mona Lisa (faces, backgrounds, etc.), but it is essentially a different picture. Take Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Again, there is much that it has in common with the Mona Lisa (eyes, hair, etc.), but it is not the Mona Lisa. Now let's consider a replica of the Mona Lisa. Of course, it represents the Mona Lisa (i.e., reality) as it actually is. In the same way, since there is only one reality, only one worldview could paint a picture of reality as it actually is.
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews...Continued from page 1
So it turns out that the Reality Principle is in force, even with things that are often referred to as "matters of faith." Truth is really there, and it is really knowable.
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #2 The Bias Principle
To counter-balance the previous principle, we have to always be mindful of the Bias Principle. The Bias Principle states that how we interpret the facts tends to be influenced by the perspective of the world we already have.
We all grew up in different ways - some Christian, some Atheist, some Buddhist, some Humanist, etc.—and we tend to be convinced that we see the world the way it really is, and we interpret (or misinterpret) the facts in light of that.
The Copernican Revolution is a good example of this. Centuries ago, people believed that the sun revolved around the earth - the Geocentric view. Of course, with the additional facts we have today, we know that this view is not correct. Now, when we today see the sun rise and set, we are looking at the same data that they were, but their geocentric bias caused them to misinterpret the facts and, in that way, they were out of touch with reality. It was only when they recognized their biases, came to be open to additional facts, and were willing to have their perspectives changed by those facts that they came to be in touch with reality in this way.
We also must recognize our various biases in all fields of life and always be open to the facts as they present themselves to us. We must be willing to have our perspectives changed by them.
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #3 The Certainty Principle
Now, there's a myth in our culture that says that you can't know something to be true unless you can prove it with absolute certainty. For example, some might say "You can't know that God exists or that Jesus really rose from the dead or that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God unless you can prove it absolutely." This leads us to the Certainty Principle.
The Certainty Principle says two things. First, it concedes that, yes, you can't know anything to be true with absolute certainty. In fact, you can't even be absolutely certain that you are reading this article! Hypothetically, you could be dreaming.
But the second and more important thing that the Certainty Principle states is that absolute certainty is not required for you to know something to be true. Sufficient certainty is all that is required. This is just how knowledge works.
For example, as I write this I am sitting in a coffee shop and looking out the window at my car. I parked it there about thirty minutes ago, I remember where I parked it, and I am looking at it. Now, it is remotely possible that, while I wasn't looking, a drunken tow truck driver pulled up, hauled my car away, and then replaced it with a car just like mine. That is possible, but as I look out the window I have a sufficient amount of certainty that allows me to rightly say, "I know that's my car."
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #2 The Bias Principle
To counter-balance the previous principle, we have to always be mindful of the Bias Principle. The Bias Principle states that how we interpret the facts tends to be influenced by the perspective of the world we already have.
We all grew up in different ways - some Christian, some Atheist, some Buddhist, some Humanist, etc.—and we tend to be convinced that we see the world the way it really is, and we interpret (or misinterpret) the facts in light of that.
The Copernican Revolution is a good example of this. Centuries ago, people believed that the sun revolved around the earth - the Geocentric view. Of course, with the additional facts we have today, we know that this view is not correct. Now, when we today see the sun rise and set, we are looking at the same data that they were, but their geocentric bias caused them to misinterpret the facts and, in that way, they were out of touch with reality. It was only when they recognized their biases, came to be open to additional facts, and were willing to have their perspectives changed by those facts that they came to be in touch with reality in this way.
We also must recognize our various biases in all fields of life and always be open to the facts as they present themselves to us. We must be willing to have our perspectives changed by them.
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #3 The Certainty Principle
Now, there's a myth in our culture that says that you can't know something to be true unless you can prove it with absolute certainty. For example, some might say "You can't know that God exists or that Jesus really rose from the dead or that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God unless you can prove it absolutely." This leads us to the Certainty Principle.
The Certainty Principle says two things. First, it concedes that, yes, you can't know anything to be true with absolute certainty. In fact, you can't even be absolutely certain that you are reading this article! Hypothetically, you could be dreaming.
But the second and more important thing that the Certainty Principle states is that absolute certainty is not required for you to know something to be true. Sufficient certainty is all that is required. This is just how knowledge works.
For example, as I write this I am sitting in a coffee shop and looking out the window at my car. I parked it there about thirty minutes ago, I remember where I parked it, and I am looking at it. Now, it is remotely possible that, while I wasn't looking, a drunken tow truck driver pulled up, hauled my car away, and then replaced it with a car just like mine. That is possible, but as I look out the window I have a sufficient amount of certainty that allows me to rightly say, "I know that's my car."
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews
truth - Why Should I Care?
Why should I care about truth? There are many reasons. One is because it is often detrimental to be out of touch with reality. Let's say you were standing in front of an oncoming bus. If oncoming buses can't hurt you, then it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that standing in front of an oncoming bus would likely hurt or even kill you, you probably need to know that.
Likewise, if sticking a needle in a power outlet can't hurt you, then it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that sticking a needle in a power outlet could hurt or even kill you, you need to know that.
Take the case of failing to embrace your Creator who determines your eternal destiny. If God isn't there or doesn't determine your fate, it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that there is a Creator who determines our destinies, you need to know that.
Truth matters. It's not the only thing that matters, but it does matter. To live out of touch with reality is detrimental to our well-being. But as the following poem illustrates, people sometimes choose to ignore the truth…
My face in the mirrorIsn't wrinkled or drawn.My house isn't dirty,The cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovelyAnd so does my lawn.I think I might neverPut my glasses back on. 1
For those who don't want to see it, there's not much you can do. But for those who want to see and know the truth (that is, the basic nature of reality), I believe it is easy to get to. Although higher education can be a great tool, you don't have to have an advanced degree to get a basic handle on the nature of reality. It is truly accessible to the average person.
To understand the basic nature of the world we live in, it is helpful to start with three foundational principles that I like to call the Reality Principle, the Bias Principle and the Certainty Principle.
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #1 The Reality Principle
The Reality Principle simply states that truth is really there and is really knowable. This is important because it means that it's not all just a matter of opinions and viewpoints (the impression we often get in our world). Now, I'm not claiming that we can know truth exhaustively, but I do mean that we can know it genuinely. In fact, to deny this principle is self-defeating. To say "truth is not there" is to make a truth claim, which of course undercuts the statement being made. Likewise, to say "truth is not knowable" is to claim to know something to be true, which again undercuts the claim being made. The moment you try and deny this principle, you affirm it. So we can't say that everything is just a matter of personal perspective, but must maintain that truth is really there and is really knowable.
Now, some might say "You can say that certain things are true in the realm of science and history and things like that, but when it comes to things pertaining to God, that's just a matter of faith." I would respond in two ways. First, the idea that faith and truth (i.e., fact) are somehow divorced and reside in two different realms is an idea that we got from the Enlightenment and is not shared by most of human history. Secondly, the notion that "you can't know truth about matters pertaining to God" is itself a self-defeating notion. Such a notion makes a truth claim about matters pertaining to God, namely, that you can't know truth when it comes to matters pertaining to God.
Why should I care about truth? There are many reasons. One is because it is often detrimental to be out of touch with reality. Let's say you were standing in front of an oncoming bus. If oncoming buses can't hurt you, then it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that standing in front of an oncoming bus would likely hurt or even kill you, you probably need to know that.
Likewise, if sticking a needle in a power outlet can't hurt you, then it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that sticking a needle in a power outlet could hurt or even kill you, you need to know that.
Take the case of failing to embrace your Creator who determines your eternal destiny. If God isn't there or doesn't determine your fate, it really doesn't matter. But if it's really true that there is a Creator who determines our destinies, you need to know that.
Truth matters. It's not the only thing that matters, but it does matter. To live out of touch with reality is detrimental to our well-being. But as the following poem illustrates, people sometimes choose to ignore the truth…
My face in the mirrorIsn't wrinkled or drawn.My house isn't dirty,The cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovelyAnd so does my lawn.I think I might neverPut my glasses back on. 1
For those who don't want to see it, there's not much you can do. But for those who want to see and know the truth (that is, the basic nature of reality), I believe it is easy to get to. Although higher education can be a great tool, you don't have to have an advanced degree to get a basic handle on the nature of reality. It is truly accessible to the average person.
To understand the basic nature of the world we live in, it is helpful to start with three foundational principles that I like to call the Reality Principle, the Bias Principle and the Certainty Principle.
Principles for How to Know What's Really True - #1 The Reality Principle
The Reality Principle simply states that truth is really there and is really knowable. This is important because it means that it's not all just a matter of opinions and viewpoints (the impression we often get in our world). Now, I'm not claiming that we can know truth exhaustively, but I do mean that we can know it genuinely. In fact, to deny this principle is self-defeating. To say "truth is not there" is to make a truth claim, which of course undercuts the statement being made. Likewise, to say "truth is not knowable" is to claim to know something to be true, which again undercuts the claim being made. The moment you try and deny this principle, you affirm it. So we can't say that everything is just a matter of personal perspective, but must maintain that truth is really there and is really knowable.
Now, some might say "You can say that certain things are true in the realm of science and history and things like that, but when it comes to things pertaining to God, that's just a matter of faith." I would respond in two ways. First, the idea that faith and truth (i.e., fact) are somehow divorced and reside in two different realms is an idea that we got from the Enlightenment and is not shared by most of human history. Secondly, the notion that "you can't know truth about matters pertaining to God" is itself a self-defeating notion. Such a notion makes a truth claim about matters pertaining to God, namely, that you can't know truth when it comes to matters pertaining to God.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 4
A. I admit I did wrong.B. I feel sorrow over my sin.C. I confess my sin to God and to others.D. I resolve to make restitution where possible.E. I walk in the path of new obedience.
Our greatest need is for a holy dissatisfaction. Not a morbid introspection. Not a self-conscious recital of every sin we have committed. But a holy hunger for God to reveal himself in a new way. Where do we go from here? We need to have a time of prayer and personal commitment. I think many of us are somewhere on a downward slide spiritually. Many of us are conscious of being so busy that we hardly have time for the Lord anymore. That’s the first step in a bad direction. Now is the time to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness and cleansing.
One final word. The Gospel invitation begins with repentance. The first step in becoming a Christian is changing your mind about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” It would be terrible to go to hell because you never repented of your sins. Terrible because God has already done everything necessary for you to go to heaven. He sent his own son to die on the cross, bearing your sins, taking your place, paying your penalty. A hymm written in 1759 by Joseph Hart contains a verse that says it well:
Let not conscience make you lingerNor of fitness fondly dream.All the fitness he requirethIs to feel your need of Him.
If you go to hell, don’t blame anyone but yourself. The way to heaven has been open for 2,000 years. Jesus died that you might enter God’s presence forever. No one else could have done what he did. No one else would have done it. The same hymn contains this message of gospel hope:
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,Lost and ruined by the fall;If you tarry till you’re better,You will never come at all.
The refrain promises that Christ will welcome us when we come to him:
I will arise and go to Jesus,He will embrace me in His arms;In the arms of my dear Savior,O there are ten thousand charms.
Do you feel your need of him? If you do, I urge you to come to Christ and put your trust in him. Do it today and enter into the salvation God has prepared for you. Amen.
Our greatest need is for a holy dissatisfaction. Not a morbid introspection. Not a self-conscious recital of every sin we have committed. But a holy hunger for God to reveal himself in a new way. Where do we go from here? We need to have a time of prayer and personal commitment. I think many of us are somewhere on a downward slide spiritually. Many of us are conscious of being so busy that we hardly have time for the Lord anymore. That’s the first step in a bad direction. Now is the time to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness and cleansing.
One final word. The Gospel invitation begins with repentance. The first step in becoming a Christian is changing your mind about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” It would be terrible to go to hell because you never repented of your sins. Terrible because God has already done everything necessary for you to go to heaven. He sent his own son to die on the cross, bearing your sins, taking your place, paying your penalty. A hymm written in 1759 by Joseph Hart contains a verse that says it well:
Let not conscience make you lingerNor of fitness fondly dream.All the fitness he requirethIs to feel your need of Him.
If you go to hell, don’t blame anyone but yourself. The way to heaven has been open for 2,000 years. Jesus died that you might enter God’s presence forever. No one else could have done what he did. No one else would have done it. The same hymn contains this message of gospel hope:
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,Lost and ruined by the fall;If you tarry till you’re better,You will never come at all.
The refrain promises that Christ will welcome us when we come to him:
I will arise and go to Jesus,He will embrace me in His arms;In the arms of my dear Savior,O there are ten thousand charms.
Do you feel your need of him? If you do, I urge you to come to Christ and put your trust in him. Do it today and enter into the salvation God has prepared for you. Amen.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 3
On the other hand consider Judas who betrayed the Lord for the price of a slave. When he realized his error, he returned the money to the high priests and tried to cancel the deal, but it was too late (Matthew 27:1-10). The older versions say Judas repented, but the newer versions more accurately record that he was filled with remorse. Later he ended up committing suicide.
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance AppliedRepentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks LikeWhat does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance AppliedRepentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks LikeWhat does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 3
On the other hand consider Judas who betrayed the Lord for the price of a slave. When he realized his error, he returned the money to the high priests and tried to cancel the deal, but it was too late (Matthew 27:1-10). The older versions say Judas repented, but the newer versions more accurately record that he was filled with remorse. Later he ended up committing suicide.
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance AppliedRepentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks LikeWhat does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance AppliedRepentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks LikeWhat does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 2
Only God Can Grant RepentanceIt’s also crucial to point out that repentance is a gift from God. We are all born with a sin nature that leads us constantly away from God (Ephesians 2:1-2). Left to ourselves, we will always walk in the wrong direction. No one will ever have the slightest desire to change directions — and no one will have the power to make the change — unless and until God touches that person with the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why both Acts 11:18 and 2 Timothy 2:25 speak of God granting the gift of repentance. Without that gift, no sinner could ever turn from his sin and find the Lord Jesus Christ.
In passing, let me say that there are two things that repentance is not. First, repentance is not mere sorrow for sin. Repentance is not measured by the number of tears you shed. Judas, we are told, regretted having betrayed Christ. He was genuinely sorry but he did not repent. There is a place for weeping and agony of soul, and we would all be better off if we took our sin more seriously, but sorrow in and of itself is not repentance. Second, repentance is not merely a promise to do better. I’ve already said that repentance is not self-reformation. It’s not a spiritual New Year’s Eve resolution. Yet repentance includes both ideas. When I truly change my mind about the way I have been living, there will be sorrow for sin because I will see my sin the way God sees it. It will grieve me the way it grieves God. And repentance implies a decision to make a break with the past and to live a life pleasing to God. So those two things aren’t wrong; they just don’t go far enough.
The first step in changing the direction of your life must come from within. You’ve got to want to change. If you don’t want to change, no one can make you change. And you must be willing to do the hard work of repentance. Most of us change slowly and often only under great pressure from within or without. That explains why Christians often continue in sinful patterns of conduct even when we know we are hurting ourselves and others. It’s easier to keep on doing what we’ve been doing. Real change is hard work. But if there is no real change, there is no real repentance. Until you can say, “I was wrong,” you will never be able to repent. If you never admit your faults, you can never be healed. Until you admit that you are traveling down the wrong road, you can never change the direction of your life.
Once when preaching on this topic, I asked the congregation to say "I was wrong" out loud with me. With more than a few sheepish grins, we all said it together. Why not stop reading and say it out loud wherever you are? As you grow spiritually, it ought to become easier and easier to say those words.
II. Repentance IllustratedIt’s not hard to find many examples of true and false repentance in the Bible. On the positive side we have the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who took his share of his father’s inheritance, left home, went to the “far country,” and wasted it all on riotous living and sexual immorality. When the famine came (as it always does sooner or later), he found himself broke, hungry, friendless and penniless, far from home. He ended up hiring himself out to a farmer where he fed the pigs and dreamed of eating the husks himself. Finally he came to his senses, he realized what a fool he had been, and resolved to return to his father’s house. He mentally rehearsed what he would say: “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” Then he got up and began the long journey home. But when his father saw him coming, he ran to him, embraced him with tears, and welcomed him back with joy. The son repeated the words he had rehearsed and his father responded by putting a robe on his shoulders, a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. He called for a great celebration because his son who had been lost at last was found — as if he had come back from the dead.
In passing, let me say that there are two things that repentance is not. First, repentance is not mere sorrow for sin. Repentance is not measured by the number of tears you shed. Judas, we are told, regretted having betrayed Christ. He was genuinely sorry but he did not repent. There is a place for weeping and agony of soul, and we would all be better off if we took our sin more seriously, but sorrow in and of itself is not repentance. Second, repentance is not merely a promise to do better. I’ve already said that repentance is not self-reformation. It’s not a spiritual New Year’s Eve resolution. Yet repentance includes both ideas. When I truly change my mind about the way I have been living, there will be sorrow for sin because I will see my sin the way God sees it. It will grieve me the way it grieves God. And repentance implies a decision to make a break with the past and to live a life pleasing to God. So those two things aren’t wrong; they just don’t go far enough.
The first step in changing the direction of your life must come from within. You’ve got to want to change. If you don’t want to change, no one can make you change. And you must be willing to do the hard work of repentance. Most of us change slowly and often only under great pressure from within or without. That explains why Christians often continue in sinful patterns of conduct even when we know we are hurting ourselves and others. It’s easier to keep on doing what we’ve been doing. Real change is hard work. But if there is no real change, there is no real repentance. Until you can say, “I was wrong,” you will never be able to repent. If you never admit your faults, you can never be healed. Until you admit that you are traveling down the wrong road, you can never change the direction of your life.
Once when preaching on this topic, I asked the congregation to say "I was wrong" out loud with me. With more than a few sheepish grins, we all said it together. Why not stop reading and say it out loud wherever you are? As you grow spiritually, it ought to become easier and easier to say those words.
II. Repentance IllustratedIt’s not hard to find many examples of true and false repentance in the Bible. On the positive side we have the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who took his share of his father’s inheritance, left home, went to the “far country,” and wasted it all on riotous living and sexual immorality. When the famine came (as it always does sooner or later), he found himself broke, hungry, friendless and penniless, far from home. He ended up hiring himself out to a farmer where he fed the pigs and dreamed of eating the husks himself. Finally he came to his senses, he realized what a fool he had been, and resolved to return to his father’s house. He mentally rehearsed what he would say: “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” Then he got up and began the long journey home. But when his father saw him coming, he ran to him, embraced him with tears, and welcomed him back with joy. The son repeated the words he had rehearsed and his father responded by putting a robe on his shoulders, a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. He called for a great celebration because his son who had been lost at last was found — as if he had come back from the dead.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 1
But our text is perfectly clear. If you want to go to heaven, you must repent of your sins. This is not only God’s desire; it is also God’s command. As all good soldiers know, when a command is given, you don’t discuss it or debate it. You have but one choice — to obey. If you don’t, you are guilty of insubordination.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of RepentanceBefore going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of RepentanceBefore going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 1
But our text is perfectly clear. If you want to go to heaven, you must repent of your sins. This is not only God’s desire; it is also God’s command. As all good soldiers know, when a command is given, you don’t discuss it or debate it. You have but one choice — to obey. If you don’t, you are guilty of insubordination.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of RepentanceBefore going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of RepentanceBefore going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
Please see Acts 17:30.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
Please see Acts 17:30.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
Please see Acts 17:30.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical TopicEven a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
tisdag 9 november 2010
The Good News
I've got great news--I just saved a bundle on my car insurance. This pop-cultural punchline might just expose a real problem we have in our Christian sub-culture: we don’t know what the good news is.The confusion, from one perspective, is understandable. God is good. God is gracious. We move from grace to grace, receiving gifts from Him all the time. God is in turn sovereign. He controls all things. When He tells us, therefore, that all things work together for good for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28), we can learn that it’s all good news. His coming, that’s good news. His dying, that’s good news. His ascending, that’s good news. His sending the Spirit, that’s good news. The Spirit applying all these things to His people, that’s good news. Even the trials we go through here and now, they are good news as well. We are, after all, to count it all joy.That everything is good news, however, does not mean that everything is the good news. The authors of their respective gospels were not merely publishing everything they came upon. While each had their own peculiar focus, each of them together, on the other hand, were seeking to make known the good news. These four men, however, were not the first. Two other men before them labored diligently to make known the good news. One of those two was called the greatest man born of a woman by the Lord (Luke 7:28). The other was the Lord of glory Himself. If we would understand the Gospels, we would be wise to understand that the good news they were reporting was the good news proclaimed not just about Jesus, but by Jesus. The good news is that the kingdom has come. This is the message of Jesus: the kingdom of God is here.On the other hand, the bad news is that the kingdom has come. The life, death, resurrection, ascension and return of Christ is to us who have been called, the very aroma of life. To those who are still outside the kingdom, it is the stench of death. It is the same kingdom either way, but for the seed of the woman (Christians) it is blessing, and for the seed of the serpent it is cursing. That this one kingdom can mean one thing for one group and the opposite for another can help explain how we have come to conflate some terms over time. That is, the difference between seeing the coming of the kingdom as an event of joy or of dread is found in one simple distinction--do we trust in the finished work of Christ alone or not? The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent began in the same place, as enemies of the kingdom. We are all by nature children of wrath. But it is as we are gifted with repentance and believe that we move from darkness to light, that we are adopted into the very family of God. That’s good news. Better still, the king who has adopted us, He is now king indeed. That’s very good news.Our gospel is a truncated shell of this great reality if the good news is merely that we don’t have to go to hell. It gets only slightly better if it means that our souls go to heaven. The fullness of the gospel is found in the fullness of the kingdom. Jesus is about the business of remaking all things. He is, after all, the first-born of the new creation. He is remaking all the created order that groans under the burden of our sin. He is remaking all the political order, as all kings everywhere learn to kiss the Son, lest He be angry (Ps. 2). He is remaking the church, His bride, removing from us corporately every blot and blemish. And He is remaking every one of us, reshaping us pots into vessels of grace.We are a part of this good news precisely because He came and lived a life of perfect obedience in our place. We are a part of this precisely because He suffered the wrath of the Father that is due to us for our sins. We are a part of this because He has given us each a new heart that responds to His calling with repentance and faith. We bring nothing to the table but our need. Jesus has done it all. We are His workmanship, judged innocent by His death, judged righteous by His life. There is still more good news. We are not merely by the good news of His atonement made citizens of that kingdom we are called to seek. We are not merely judged righteous by His righteousness that we were called to seek. We are by the same Spirit made kings and queens with Him. We are not just subjects but rulers. We are seated even now with Him in the heavenly places. Our calling is to believe these promises. Our calling is to be of good cheer, for He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). We do not wait for His kingdom to come, for it is here. Instead, we strive to make it ever more visible, as we make all things subject to His glorious reign.
Why Aren't Our Churches Growing?
Well, the New Year has officially begun. With the New Year come new resolutions. Some of us have decided to lose weight, get in shape, or whatever we didn’t do last year. The New Year gives us hope that things can change for the better. The New Year gives us an excuse to do what we didn’t do last year.
Just as individuals look to start fresh with the New year, churches do, too. One of the questions on the minds of many a church leader this planning season is “Why aren’t we growing?” Many answers will be proffered. We’ve got the wrong worship style. We need a different evangelism program. We should change our name. We were growing when we had such and such a ministry. On and on the excuses go. Some are good. Some are valid. Most are incomplete.
I’d like to suggest another reason for the fact that most evangelical churches aren’t growing. Our people aren’t evangelizing!
In many churches, the congregation expects the Protestant priesthood — the staff — to be the ones reaching out to the lost. They should be. But, they shouldn’t be alone. On the flip side, our ministers expect their people to be sharing their faith with the lost. They should be. But, they shouldn’t be alone. Nearly everyone in the church seems to expect that the next great evangelism training program will solve this problem. It won’t because it can’t.
The problem is much bigger than flawed expectations and far more systemic than most admit. Our churches aren’t growing because our people aren’t evangelizing because:
They are sinning. The church has been given a clear, non-negotiable directive to reach out to the lost with the Good News. By referring to Matthew 28:19-20 as the “Great Commission” we may have unintentionally blunted the force of Christ’s message. In this passage the church is commissioned as Christ’s missionaries but Christ’s words are more than an inauguration of the missionary few. Christ commands His followers, all of them, to make disciples as they go out into the world. Our people have seemingly missed that point. This is the “Great Commandment” not the "great suggestion." To disobey the command of the Master is a sin and needs to be treated as such.
They are insenstive. Many in our pews aren’t sharing their faith because they really don’t care about the spiritual fate of their neighbors and co-workers. “Oh, yes, I do,” they’ll protest. But, if they really did, they’d be telling more people about Jesus. Instead, they wave as they walk by. They pay for their groceries. They pick up the children from school. And, they say nary a word about the only hope for mankind. Remember, actions speak louder than words. The actions of most Christians say, “I’ve got mine. You get yours.”
They are sinners. Back in the evangelical church’s heyday, those halcyon years of the 40s and 50s when our churches were exploding, church growth came easy. New people flooded through the doors. They came. They joined. Their children grew up. And … our churches grew stagnant.
What happened? Some “experts” point to the changing culture. Others blame changing theologies. Maybe we need to blame ourselves. Maybe, we were so passionate about seeing our churches grow that they grew with the wrong kind of people. Maybe, we admitted into membership people who were interested in religion but weren’t really Christians. Maybe, our church rolls and our church pews are filled with people who aren’t regenerate. Maybe that explains why they’re not sharing their faith. They don’t have a faith to share.
After all, real Christians ought to be concerned about the spiritual condition of those around them. When they are, they’ll do something about it. And, real Christians don’t want to disobey their Lord and Savior. They seek to be obedient. They repent when they’re not. They change their ways not once a year but immediately. Real Christians share their faith because their faith is real.
So, this New Year, let’s make some churchwide resolutions. Let’s resolve to be faithful to Christ’s commands. Let’s resolve to be more compassionate toward the lost and more passionate about their salvation. Let’s resolve to reach out to the unbelieving beginning with those in our pews. Let’s resolve to glorify our King by telling everyone about Him.
Just as individuals look to start fresh with the New year, churches do, too. One of the questions on the minds of many a church leader this planning season is “Why aren’t we growing?” Many answers will be proffered. We’ve got the wrong worship style. We need a different evangelism program. We should change our name. We were growing when we had such and such a ministry. On and on the excuses go. Some are good. Some are valid. Most are incomplete.
I’d like to suggest another reason for the fact that most evangelical churches aren’t growing. Our people aren’t evangelizing!
In many churches, the congregation expects the Protestant priesthood — the staff — to be the ones reaching out to the lost. They should be. But, they shouldn’t be alone. On the flip side, our ministers expect their people to be sharing their faith with the lost. They should be. But, they shouldn’t be alone. Nearly everyone in the church seems to expect that the next great evangelism training program will solve this problem. It won’t because it can’t.
The problem is much bigger than flawed expectations and far more systemic than most admit. Our churches aren’t growing because our people aren’t evangelizing because:
They are sinning. The church has been given a clear, non-negotiable directive to reach out to the lost with the Good News. By referring to Matthew 28:19-20 as the “Great Commission” we may have unintentionally blunted the force of Christ’s message. In this passage the church is commissioned as Christ’s missionaries but Christ’s words are more than an inauguration of the missionary few. Christ commands His followers, all of them, to make disciples as they go out into the world. Our people have seemingly missed that point. This is the “Great Commandment” not the "great suggestion." To disobey the command of the Master is a sin and needs to be treated as such.
They are insenstive. Many in our pews aren’t sharing their faith because they really don’t care about the spiritual fate of their neighbors and co-workers. “Oh, yes, I do,” they’ll protest. But, if they really did, they’d be telling more people about Jesus. Instead, they wave as they walk by. They pay for their groceries. They pick up the children from school. And, they say nary a word about the only hope for mankind. Remember, actions speak louder than words. The actions of most Christians say, “I’ve got mine. You get yours.”
They are sinners. Back in the evangelical church’s heyday, those halcyon years of the 40s and 50s when our churches were exploding, church growth came easy. New people flooded through the doors. They came. They joined. Their children grew up. And … our churches grew stagnant.
What happened? Some “experts” point to the changing culture. Others blame changing theologies. Maybe we need to blame ourselves. Maybe, we were so passionate about seeing our churches grow that they grew with the wrong kind of people. Maybe, we admitted into membership people who were interested in religion but weren’t really Christians. Maybe, our church rolls and our church pews are filled with people who aren’t regenerate. Maybe that explains why they’re not sharing their faith. They don’t have a faith to share.
After all, real Christians ought to be concerned about the spiritual condition of those around them. When they are, they’ll do something about it. And, real Christians don’t want to disobey their Lord and Savior. They seek to be obedient. They repent when they’re not. They change their ways not once a year but immediately. Real Christians share their faith because their faith is real.
So, this New Year, let’s make some churchwide resolutions. Let’s resolve to be faithful to Christ’s commands. Let’s resolve to be more compassionate toward the lost and more passionate about their salvation. Let’s resolve to reach out to the unbelieving beginning with those in our pews. Let’s resolve to glorify our King by telling everyone about Him.
Your Turn
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)
God has provided an open door. A conversation with a friend, an acquaintance, or a family member turns to spiritual questions, and suddenly you find yourself with an opportunity to explain what having a relationship with God really means.
What should you do now?
If you've ever been in this situation, you may have:
Eagerly explained the gospel using the "Romans Road" or the Four Spiritual Laws.
Offered a watered-down, cliché-filled explanation of the gospel so as not to offend their beliefs.
Told them that you'd ask your pastor to call them at his earliest convenience.
Run.
No matter where your comfort level rests in terms of personal evangelism, the reality is that God has opened this door of opportunity and He desires to use you to change someone's life. Incredible thought, isn't it? How can you do that? Formulas, techniques, and strategies aside, perhaps the most valuable way for you to share the best thing that's ever happened to you is to tell your own story. Share candidly and personally with your friend or family member how your life has changed since you gave your life to Christ.
TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORYA testimony is simply a firsthand account. When you tell someone your testimony, you open your life to them in a non-threatening way—you explain who Jesus Christ is and the personal difference He has made in your life. When you give evidence as to how the power of God has transformed your life, you illustrate one instance of the miracle of salvation. Even if your testimony isn't filled with fireworks and tragedy, it's a miracle.
People are looking for evidence that God exists and that He is personally involved in individual lives. Your story proves that God wants to know you . . . and them. More than a formula or technique, evangelism is a way of living—of being available to God in the opportunities He gives us.
PREPARING YOUR STORYWhen the time comes to share your personal testimony with your friend, you can be certain that the Holy Spirit will be working in your mind and heart, giving you discernment in what to say. However, long before that conversation begins, you need to organize your thoughts. Just as a lawyer would not walk into a courtroom unprepared, you shouldn't approach your testimony on a "wing and a prayer." Plan your story with these three points in mind:
Remember your purpose. You want to let others know what Christ has done in your life. Edit out personal details that nudge your audience in ways you think they need to change or that offer pat answers to life's critical questions. Focus on how God changed you and what He's done.
Build common bridges. Explain your story so that the person can identify with your past and present experiences. Give examples of how God has fulfilled His promise that "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV) Admit openly that God is still working in your life, still changing your life for good.
Keep it simple. You might tell your story by sharing about three life moments—before Christ, the birth of Christ in your life, and after Christ. The last thing you'd want to do is make a simple message unclear or difficult—a person's attention span usually lasts about three minutes. So, keep it short and focused.
LESSONS FROM YOUR STORYEven if an opportunity to share your testimony doesn't present itself soon, the practice of reflecting on how God has been at work in your life will yield wonderful benefits. It's easy to forget how faithful God has been, isn't it? Too often we forget that God's story is continuing to unfold in our lives. When you remember His goodness in directing your life path, you'll be moved to a lifestyle of gratitude, worship, greater intimacy with God, and greater trust in God. People are bound to notice how different you are, and they'll be drawn to ask you, "What's your secret?"
The New Testament describes the ministry of evangelism in a number of ways. When you share your faith with others, you are "telling [them] the way to be saved" (Acts 16:17 NIV), and that you've come "to preach good news" (Luke 4:18 NIV), "to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV), and to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5 NIV).
God has provided an open door. A conversation with a friend, an acquaintance, or a family member turns to spiritual questions, and suddenly you find yourself with an opportunity to explain what having a relationship with God really means.
What should you do now?
If you've ever been in this situation, you may have:
Eagerly explained the gospel using the "Romans Road" or the Four Spiritual Laws.
Offered a watered-down, cliché-filled explanation of the gospel so as not to offend their beliefs.
Told them that you'd ask your pastor to call them at his earliest convenience.
Run.
No matter where your comfort level rests in terms of personal evangelism, the reality is that God has opened this door of opportunity and He desires to use you to change someone's life. Incredible thought, isn't it? How can you do that? Formulas, techniques, and strategies aside, perhaps the most valuable way for you to share the best thing that's ever happened to you is to tell your own story. Share candidly and personally with your friend or family member how your life has changed since you gave your life to Christ.
TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORYA testimony is simply a firsthand account. When you tell someone your testimony, you open your life to them in a non-threatening way—you explain who Jesus Christ is and the personal difference He has made in your life. When you give evidence as to how the power of God has transformed your life, you illustrate one instance of the miracle of salvation. Even if your testimony isn't filled with fireworks and tragedy, it's a miracle.
People are looking for evidence that God exists and that He is personally involved in individual lives. Your story proves that God wants to know you . . . and them. More than a formula or technique, evangelism is a way of living—of being available to God in the opportunities He gives us.
PREPARING YOUR STORYWhen the time comes to share your personal testimony with your friend, you can be certain that the Holy Spirit will be working in your mind and heart, giving you discernment in what to say. However, long before that conversation begins, you need to organize your thoughts. Just as a lawyer would not walk into a courtroom unprepared, you shouldn't approach your testimony on a "wing and a prayer." Plan your story with these three points in mind:
Remember your purpose. You want to let others know what Christ has done in your life. Edit out personal details that nudge your audience in ways you think they need to change or that offer pat answers to life's critical questions. Focus on how God changed you and what He's done.
Build common bridges. Explain your story so that the person can identify with your past and present experiences. Give examples of how God has fulfilled His promise that "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV) Admit openly that God is still working in your life, still changing your life for good.
Keep it simple. You might tell your story by sharing about three life moments—before Christ, the birth of Christ in your life, and after Christ. The last thing you'd want to do is make a simple message unclear or difficult—a person's attention span usually lasts about three minutes. So, keep it short and focused.
LESSONS FROM YOUR STORYEven if an opportunity to share your testimony doesn't present itself soon, the practice of reflecting on how God has been at work in your life will yield wonderful benefits. It's easy to forget how faithful God has been, isn't it? Too often we forget that God's story is continuing to unfold in our lives. When you remember His goodness in directing your life path, you'll be moved to a lifestyle of gratitude, worship, greater intimacy with God, and greater trust in God. People are bound to notice how different you are, and they'll be drawn to ask you, "What's your secret?"
The New Testament describes the ministry of evangelism in a number of ways. When you share your faith with others, you are "telling [them] the way to be saved" (Acts 16:17 NIV), and that you've come "to preach good news" (Luke 4:18 NIV), "to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV), and to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5 NIV).
Personal Evangelism 101; Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Jesus would have failed personal evangelism class in almost every Bible college and seminary I know. Matthew 19:16-22 describes a young man who looked like the hottest evangelistic prospect the Lord had encountered so far. He was ripe. He was eager. There was no way he would get away without receiving eternal life.
But he did. Instead of getting him to make a decision, in a sense Jesus chased him off. He failed to draw the net. He failed to sign the young man up. Should we allow our ideas of evangelism to indict Jesus? I think we need to allow His example to critique contemporary evangelism. Christ's confrontation of this young man gives us much-needed insight into reaching the lost.
Turmoil of the HeartThough rich and a ruler while still a young man, he was undoubtedly in turmoil. All his religion and wealth had not given him confidence, peace, joy, or settled hope. There was a restlessness in his soul-an absence of assurance in his heart. He was coming on the basis of a deeply felt need. He knew what was missing: eternal life. His motivation in coming to Christ was faultless.
His attitude was right as well. He wasn't haughty or presumptuous; he seemed to feel his need deeply. There are many people who know they don't have eternal life but don't feel any need for it. Not this young man. He was desperate. There's a sense of urgency in his question, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life?" He did not have a prologue; he didn't warm up; he just blurted it out. He even allowed such an outburst in public and risked losing face with all the people who thought he was a spiritual giant already.
A lot of people, in seeking to understand this passage, have taken the young man to task for the question he asked. They say his mistake was in asking "What good thing shall I do?" But he asked a fair question. It wasn't a calculated bid to trap Jesus into condoning self righteousness. It was a simple, honest question asked by one in search of truth: "What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"
The Issue of SinBut here's where the story takes an extraordinary turn. Jesus' answer to the young man seems preposterous: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments" (v. 17). Strictly speaking, Jesus' answer was correct. If a person kept the law all his life and never violated a single part of it, he would have eternal life. But no one can. Since he had come with the right motive to the right source, asking the right question, why didn't Jesus simply tell him the way of salvation?
Because the young man was missing an important quality. He was utterly lacking a sense of his own sinfulness. His desire for salvation was based on a felt need. He had anxiety and frustration. He wanted joy, love, peace, and hope. But that is an incomplete reason for committing oneself to Christ.
Our Lord didn't offer relief for the rich young ruler's felt need. Instead, he gave an answer devised to confront him with his sin and his need of forgiveness. It was imperative that he perceive his sinfulness. People cannot come to Jesus Christ for salvation merely on the basis of psychological needs, anxieties, lack of peace, a sense of hopelessness, an absence of joy, or a yearning for happiness. Salvation is for people who hate their sin and want to turn away from it. It is for individuals who understand that they have lived in rebellion against a holy God and who want to live for His glory.
Jesus' answer took the focus off the young man's felt need and put it back on God: "There is only One who is good." Then He held him against the divine standard so he would see how far short he fell: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." But the young man ignored and rejected the point. He was utterly unwilling to confess his own sinfulness.
Evangelism must take the sinner and measure him against the perfect law of God so he can see his deficiency. A gospel that deals only with human needs, feelings, and problems is superficial and powerless to save since it focuses only on the symptoms rather than sin, the real issue. That's why churches are filled with people whose lives are essentially no different after professing faith in Christ. Many of those people, I'm sad to say, are unregenerate and grievously misled.
A Call for RepentanceThe rich young ruler asked Jesus which commandments he should keep. The Lord responded by giving him the easy half of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother." Then He adds, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (vv. 18 19).
Scripture says, "The young man said to Him, 'All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?'" (v. 20). That demonstrates his shallow perception of the law. It's possible that on the surface he did all those things, but God looks for an internal application. There was no way he could honestly say he had always kept that law. He could not have been telling the truth-he was either lying or totally self-deluded.
And so there was no way the rich young ruler could be saved. Salvation is not for people who simply want to avoid hell and gain heaven instead; it is sinners who recognize how unfit they are for heaven and come to God for forgiveness. If you are not ashamed of your sin, you cannot receive salvation.
At this point, Mark 10:21 says, "And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him." That statement paints a pathetic picture. The young man was sincere. His spiritual quest was genuine. He was an honestly religious person. And Jesus loved him. However, the Lord Jesus does not take sinners on their own terms. As much as He loved the young man, He nevertheless did not grant him eternal life merely because he requested it.
Submission to ChristJesus lovingly tried to help the young man see another essential element of salvation: "Jesus said to Him, 'If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me' (v. 21). Challenging him, Jesus was basically saying, "You say you love your neighbor as yourself. OK, give him everything you've got. If you really love him as much as you love yourself, that should be no problem."
Jesus was simply testing whether he was willing to submit himself to Christ. Scripture never records that He demanded anyone else sell everything and give it away. The Lord was exposing the man's true weakness-the sin of covetousness, indulgence, and materialism. He was indifferent to the poor. He loved his possessions. So the Lord challenged that.
Verse 22 says, "When the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property." He wouldn't come to Jesus if it meant giving up his possessions. It's interesting that he went away grieved. He really did want eternal life; he just wasn't willing to pay the price of repenting of sin and submitting to Christ.
The story has a tragic, heartbreaking ending. The rich young ruler came for eternal life, but left without it. He thought he was rich, but walked away from Jesus with nothing. Although salvation is a blessed gift from God, Christ will not give it to a man whose hands are filled with other things. A person who is not willing to turn from his sin, his possessions, his false religion, or his selfishness will find he cannot turn in faith to Christ.
But he did. Instead of getting him to make a decision, in a sense Jesus chased him off. He failed to draw the net. He failed to sign the young man up. Should we allow our ideas of evangelism to indict Jesus? I think we need to allow His example to critique contemporary evangelism. Christ's confrontation of this young man gives us much-needed insight into reaching the lost.
Turmoil of the HeartThough rich and a ruler while still a young man, he was undoubtedly in turmoil. All his religion and wealth had not given him confidence, peace, joy, or settled hope. There was a restlessness in his soul-an absence of assurance in his heart. He was coming on the basis of a deeply felt need. He knew what was missing: eternal life. His motivation in coming to Christ was faultless.
His attitude was right as well. He wasn't haughty or presumptuous; he seemed to feel his need deeply. There are many people who know they don't have eternal life but don't feel any need for it. Not this young man. He was desperate. There's a sense of urgency in his question, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life?" He did not have a prologue; he didn't warm up; he just blurted it out. He even allowed such an outburst in public and risked losing face with all the people who thought he was a spiritual giant already.
A lot of people, in seeking to understand this passage, have taken the young man to task for the question he asked. They say his mistake was in asking "What good thing shall I do?" But he asked a fair question. It wasn't a calculated bid to trap Jesus into condoning self righteousness. It was a simple, honest question asked by one in search of truth: "What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"
The Issue of SinBut here's where the story takes an extraordinary turn. Jesus' answer to the young man seems preposterous: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments" (v. 17). Strictly speaking, Jesus' answer was correct. If a person kept the law all his life and never violated a single part of it, he would have eternal life. But no one can. Since he had come with the right motive to the right source, asking the right question, why didn't Jesus simply tell him the way of salvation?
Because the young man was missing an important quality. He was utterly lacking a sense of his own sinfulness. His desire for salvation was based on a felt need. He had anxiety and frustration. He wanted joy, love, peace, and hope. But that is an incomplete reason for committing oneself to Christ.
Our Lord didn't offer relief for the rich young ruler's felt need. Instead, he gave an answer devised to confront him with his sin and his need of forgiveness. It was imperative that he perceive his sinfulness. People cannot come to Jesus Christ for salvation merely on the basis of psychological needs, anxieties, lack of peace, a sense of hopelessness, an absence of joy, or a yearning for happiness. Salvation is for people who hate their sin and want to turn away from it. It is for individuals who understand that they have lived in rebellion against a holy God and who want to live for His glory.
Jesus' answer took the focus off the young man's felt need and put it back on God: "There is only One who is good." Then He held him against the divine standard so he would see how far short he fell: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." But the young man ignored and rejected the point. He was utterly unwilling to confess his own sinfulness.
Evangelism must take the sinner and measure him against the perfect law of God so he can see his deficiency. A gospel that deals only with human needs, feelings, and problems is superficial and powerless to save since it focuses only on the symptoms rather than sin, the real issue. That's why churches are filled with people whose lives are essentially no different after professing faith in Christ. Many of those people, I'm sad to say, are unregenerate and grievously misled.
A Call for RepentanceThe rich young ruler asked Jesus which commandments he should keep. The Lord responded by giving him the easy half of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother." Then He adds, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (vv. 18 19).
Scripture says, "The young man said to Him, 'All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?'" (v. 20). That demonstrates his shallow perception of the law. It's possible that on the surface he did all those things, but God looks for an internal application. There was no way he could honestly say he had always kept that law. He could not have been telling the truth-he was either lying or totally self-deluded.
And so there was no way the rich young ruler could be saved. Salvation is not for people who simply want to avoid hell and gain heaven instead; it is sinners who recognize how unfit they are for heaven and come to God for forgiveness. If you are not ashamed of your sin, you cannot receive salvation.
At this point, Mark 10:21 says, "And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him." That statement paints a pathetic picture. The young man was sincere. His spiritual quest was genuine. He was an honestly religious person. And Jesus loved him. However, the Lord Jesus does not take sinners on their own terms. As much as He loved the young man, He nevertheless did not grant him eternal life merely because he requested it.
Submission to ChristJesus lovingly tried to help the young man see another essential element of salvation: "Jesus said to Him, 'If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me' (v. 21). Challenging him, Jesus was basically saying, "You say you love your neighbor as yourself. OK, give him everything you've got. If you really love him as much as you love yourself, that should be no problem."
Jesus was simply testing whether he was willing to submit himself to Christ. Scripture never records that He demanded anyone else sell everything and give it away. The Lord was exposing the man's true weakness-the sin of covetousness, indulgence, and materialism. He was indifferent to the poor. He loved his possessions. So the Lord challenged that.
Verse 22 says, "When the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property." He wouldn't come to Jesus if it meant giving up his possessions. It's interesting that he went away grieved. He really did want eternal life; he just wasn't willing to pay the price of repenting of sin and submitting to Christ.
The story has a tragic, heartbreaking ending. The rich young ruler came for eternal life, but left without it. He thought he was rich, but walked away from Jesus with nothing. Although salvation is a blessed gift from God, Christ will not give it to a man whose hands are filled with other things. A person who is not willing to turn from his sin, his possessions, his false religion, or his selfishness will find he cannot turn in faith to Christ.
Telling Others the Gospel, Even When It's Difficult
Telling others the gospel isn't easy. I know -- as a young man, I was convinced I didn't have the gift of evangelism. It was obvious. No matter how hard I tried, no one was coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing I did seemed to make a difference. I was inspired by the things I read and heard about Billy Graham's ministry, but I knew I didn't have his gifts.I remember giving God a deadline: If I don't see any converts by the end of the year, I'm quitting. Oh, I would still be an active Christian, but I planned to resign myself to simply teaching other believers.The end of the year came and went. No converts. My mind was made up: Now I was sure I didn't have the gift of evangelism.On Saturday about four days into the New Year, the small church I attended in Argentina held a home Bible study. I didn't feel like going, but went anyway out of loyalty to the elders.The fellow who was supposed to give the Bible study never showed up. So the man of the house said, Luis, you are going to have to say something. I was completely unprepared. I had been reading a book by Billy Graham, however, based on the beatitudes. So I read Matthew 5:1-12 and simply repeated whatever I remembered from Dr. Graham's book.As I was commenting on the beatitude, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, a lady suddenly stood up. She began to cry: My heart is not pure. How can I see God? Somebody tell me how I can get a pure heart.I don't remember the woman's name, but I will never forget her words: Somebody tell me how I can get a pure heart. Together we read in the Bible, The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin (1 John 1:7). Before the evening was over, that woman found peace with God and went home with a pure heart overflowing with joy. How delightful it was to lead her to Jesus Christ!When you win someone to Christ, it's the greatest joy. Your graduation is exciting, your wedding day is exciting, your first baby is exciting. But the most thrilling thing you can ever do is to win someone to Christ.Yet today, in an effort to be sophisticated and contemporary, many Christians have stopped trying to persuade others to follow Christ. There's an underlying feeling in our society that nice people just don't go around persuading other people to do things. We don't want to offend people, appear strange, or lose our newfound status. So we do nothing.I, too, have been guilty of this. When I lived in Mexico City, my next-door neighbor was a young television personality. We would chat from time to time, and he even mentioned that he listened to our radio program occasionally. But I didn't share the Gospel with him. After all, I thought, he seems completely immune to the problems of life.Eventually, though, my neighbor changed. The joy seemed to have left his face. He and his wife started driving separate cars to work. I could tell their marriage was souring, and I felt the need to talk with him, but I didn't want to meddle in his life. I went about my business and headed off for an evangelistic crusade in Peru. After all, that was the polite thing to do.When I returned home, I learned my neighbor had killed himself. I was heartbroken. I knew I should have gone to him and persuaded him to repent and follow Christ. But because of false courtesy, because I followed a social norm I didn't do it.It's very convenient to make excuses for not persuading others to follow Christ. We may say we don't want to be overbearing or offensive. We may think we can't possibly witness to someone because he or she will become angry.Not Closed At AllBut over the years I have learned that some of the people I thought would be most closed to the Gospel often are the most receptive. Although they may outwardly fear it, in their hearts they welcome the message of the Gospel.I saw this attitude clearly during a visit to the Soviet Union. Christians there were persecuted for decades. Now, evangelism is permitted. I've traveled all over the world, and I've never seen a place as hungry and desperate to hear the Gospel. But many Soviet Christians are just beginning to realize the fields are white already to harvest.Just before my evangelistic team's Soviet campaign was over, a Baptist pastor brought an acquaintance to one of our meetings in Moscow. The friend, head of an academic department at the university and a leading scientist, listened as I preached the Gospel. Then, to the pastor's surprise, this scientist prayed out loud to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. And then, with tears, he came forward to confess Christ publicly.The Russian pastor was astonished at his friend's response to the Gospel. He was equally surprised by the phone call he received at 7:15 the next morning. I would like to express my gratitude to you, the scientist said. You invited me to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. I didn't sleep the whole night. I just prayed. I asked God whether He would accept me, whether He would pardon me.So the pastor asked, Well, do you think God pardoned you? And his friend replied, Yes, I'm absolutely sure that God accepts me as His prodigal son. Later the pastor told me, I never thought a scientist would accept the Lord Jesus as Savior. But now I've seen it with my own eyes. What a great experience!Having a part in leading a friend or acquaintance to faith in Jesus Christ is exciting. But actually praying with someone who wants to make that decision is even more thrilling.Yet I've seen Christians lead someone to the point of decision and then panic. A Christian woman was witnessing to a Hungarian businesswoman sitting in front of me on a flight from Budapest to London. At the same time our team's European director and I were discussing the evangelistic rally we had in Budapest the day before.While we were talking the Christian woman stood up, turned around and said, Excuse me. Are you talking about the rally yesterday with Luis Palau? I said yes. Do you know where brother Palau is? I said that was me. Then she said, I've been talking to this Hungarian lady, and I think she's ready to be converted. But I don't know how to do it.I told her, I've been listening to what you've been saying and you've done a terrific job. But she felt afraid of doing something wrong when it came time to pray with someone who was ready to receive Christ.I agreed to talk with the Hungarian businesswoman for a minute. Did you understand what this lady said to you?Yes.Are you ready to trust Christ and follow Him?
Yes.At that, I asked the Christian woman to lead her in a prayer. I could have done it myself. It would have been great. But I just sat back and watched as the Christian woman in front of me at first hesitated, then turned to this Hungarian woman, put her arm around her, and for the first time led someone to Christ.A ChallengeI challenge you to pray: Dear God, I want that experience. I want to know what it is to win someone to Jesus Christ.Why be ashamed of the Gospel? It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). It changes lives here and now, and for eternity!The Dutch evangelist Corrie ten Boom had a God-given desire to win others to Christ. One of her poems says, When I enter that beautiful city / And the saints all around me appear, / I hope that someone will tell me: / It was you who invited me here.Whatever our place in the Body of Christ, let's actively and prayerfully invite others into God's kingdom. After all, God doesn't have a plan A, a plan B and a plan C for evangelizing the world. He has only one plan and that's you and me.
Yes.At that, I asked the Christian woman to lead her in a prayer. I could have done it myself. It would have been great. But I just sat back and watched as the Christian woman in front of me at first hesitated, then turned to this Hungarian woman, put her arm around her, and for the first time led someone to Christ.A ChallengeI challenge you to pray: Dear God, I want that experience. I want to know what it is to win someone to Jesus Christ.Why be ashamed of the Gospel? It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). It changes lives here and now, and for eternity!The Dutch evangelist Corrie ten Boom had a God-given desire to win others to Christ. One of her poems says, When I enter that beautiful city / And the saints all around me appear, / I hope that someone will tell me: / It was you who invited me here.Whatever our place in the Body of Christ, let's actively and prayerfully invite others into God's kingdom. After all, God doesn't have a plan A, a plan B and a plan C for evangelizing the world. He has only one plan and that's you and me.
Christian Giving ...Continued from page 1
3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said "When you give to the poor . . . ." (Matthew 6:2,3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?
4. The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said "When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?
5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's word's "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?
6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?" Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?
7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12). Put another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?
8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." About this matter J.A. Beet once said: "They who in giving think, not how little they can give, as they would if self-enrichment were the aim, but of benefits to be conferred, will receive back on the same principle. As they do to others, so God will act to them." Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:4, where He teaches that our reward in giving comes from our heavenly Father. As someone once said: "The desire to be generous and the means to be generous both come from God." Do you realize that the Lord has given you much, so that you can give much?
9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving. We learn this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion." But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is, of course, no. True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?
10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver." This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers. Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a "cheerful giver?"
We have not come close to reaching our potential for giving. Won't you pray that we will give as we ought? That we will give for the right motives? That we will give joyously? And that we will give extravagantly.
4. The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said "When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?
5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's word's "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?
6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?" Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?
7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12). Put another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?
8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." About this matter J.A. Beet once said: "They who in giving think, not how little they can give, as they would if self-enrichment were the aim, but of benefits to be conferred, will receive back on the same principle. As they do to others, so God will act to them." Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:4, where He teaches that our reward in giving comes from our heavenly Father. As someone once said: "The desire to be generous and the means to be generous both come from God." Do you realize that the Lord has given you much, so that you can give much?
9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving. We learn this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion." But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is, of course, no. True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?
10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver." This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers. Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a "cheerful giver?"
We have not come close to reaching our potential for giving. Won't you pray that we will give as we ought? That we will give for the right motives? That we will give joyously? And that we will give extravagantly.
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