Into the Light of Love

I am currently reading  The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges right now (a book I highly recommend to everyone). On page 80 of the book, Bridges offers the following questions for meditating on and applying the Scriptures:

1. What does this passage teach concerning God's will for a holy life?
2. How does my life measure up to that Scripture; specifically, where and how do I fall short? (Be specific; don't generalize.)
3. What definite steps of action do I need to take to obey?

I thought these would be handy to use in my own study of the Scriptures, so I applied it this morning as I read 1 John 2. In verses 9-10, God says, "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling."

There are some pretty startling statements made here. The Holy Spirit grabbed my attention with these verses, so I decided to apply the questions above, prayerfully asking the Spirit to help me understand and apply it. What follows will be some of my thought process in these verses.

What This Passage Teaches Concerning God's Will for a Holy Life

This much seems obvious: love your brothers (and sisters). But then the question follows: who are my brothers and sisters? Like biological siblings? All of humanity? Someone else?
It's my understanding that John's use of the term "brothers" applies specifically to other believers. These are those who have been born of God and are therefore members of His eternal family. I'm not saying that we aren't supposed to love others, but this passage isn't addressing that specifically. Rather, this is talking about the way I am to relate to other believers who are united to Christ by faith. So this passage is calling me to love fellow Christians and not hate them.
How Do I Measure Up?
I think more highly of myself than I ought. So this is where I needed the Holy Spirit to shine His light into my heart and show me where I really stand. And my standing wasn't nearly what I thought it was.
First, I realized that there are many Christians that I am somewhat contemptuous towards. This exerts itself on social media many times and how I read stuff that people posts. I deem certain people as legalistic and others as not having as great a knowledge of the truth as I do. I typically don't comment on people's posts about stuff like that, but that hasn't stopped me from looking down on them nonetheless. It is wrong, and I found myself needing to repent about the way I have regarded others especially online.
But then something else came to light. Something that I know has been wrong, but I have treated it as "acceptably" wrong. I didn't feel bad about it even as I knew I probably shouldn't be doing it. And I realized that there are at least three people (that the Spirit immediately brought to mind) that I have shown outright contempt for. This has happened in terms of mocking them with a friend of mine. Sometimes I have mocked them with my wife as well. As the spiritual head of my household, subjecting my wife to this is unacceptable. My behavior is shameful in the way I have made fun of these people behind their backs with my friend. Again, I found myself repenting of the way I have been.
Steps of Action to Obey
The first course of action is, of course, repentance and prayer for the Spirit to cause me to be loving towards my fellow believers, not to be contemptuous, judgment, or cruel towards them. I ask that the Holy Spirit would grow me in love for them flowing out of God's love for me. And that love can be described as a gushing love (see Zephaniah 3:17 for an example of God's love for me). Christ died for them, just as he died for me, and I should likewise love them sacrificially, not judge them or mock them self-righteously.
Secondly, I need to confess my sin to my friend. Coupled with that is also "confronting" his sin of participating in the same thing. We have both been in the wrong, and we both need to stop. Both of us need to cease our mockery and instead speak well of those whom God has redeemed.
I also need to confess to my wife. I don't recall her ever participating in my hateful banter, but I must confess to her that I have been wrong to expose her to that.
Finally, I need to walk in love towards my friends. I need to not mock them and instead encourage them and pray for them. I need to give myself in service to them. I need to truly love them as God lays out in His Word. So I would pray for us all to grow in that more and more in our lives. 

I Am Haman

Photo Credit 

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. (Esther 3:1-6)

When we meet Haman in Esther 3, he is immediately a dislikable guy. We get pretty quickly that he is the villain of the story, the one who will once again challenge God by plotting to destroy his people. So what's his grievance? Mordecai won't bow to him. This guy is willing to commit genocide over one man not showing him the respect he thinks he deserves. So it's easy to see why we don't like him. Why we can't like him. We can also be quick to assume that we are not like him. That is, until this morning.
As I stared into the mirror of God's Word this morning, I saw my reflection in the attitude of Haman. No, I'm not plotting to wipe out all who won't bow to me, but his "I deserve this honor and respect and you'd better give it to me or else" attitude? Guilty. As. Charged.
Working in public services can sometimes be a thankless job. Sometimes people ask for my help by snapping their fingers and calling me to them without a word. Sometimes I ask how they are doing and they ignore the question and make their request or they will just stand there and say nothing. And it bothers me to no end. I complain about it. I sometimes think about offering free "flying lessons" through the windows behind me. I mutter insults under my breath. I whine and complain. It's no less than the same attitude that drove Haman. I think I deserve respect that people aren't giving me. And that just makes me angry.
It sounds immature, but I wonder how many of us are any different. As I saw myself in Haman this morning, I felt broken. I couldn't believe that of all the characters in the story, I was more like the bad guy. And I found myself confessing and repenting.
And I also found myself remembering the One who did it right. Honored by His Father, Jesus came down into our world. Though He well deserve our service, He came to serve us. He deserved our bowing, our willing devotion, and our utmost respect. Instead, He received our unbelief, our insults, and our anger as He was crucified. He did this for you and me, so that if we believe on Him, our sins will be forgiven, and we will be His people.
The Bible tells us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). And so when our old Haman-like attitude creeps in and we are tempted to demand the respect of others, let's turn to our Savior and let His humility remind us of how to respond to others in love and service. I leave you with God's Words from Philippians 2:5-11:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Tools not Toys: The Gift of Technology and the Glory of God

In C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Father Christmas arrives bearing gifts for the Pevensie children, but he cautions them that they are "tools, not toys." This is probably a good reminder, especially since Peter received a sword - one he would later use to kill an evil wolf. Several years ago, I made this same connection between Father Christmas's words with technology. Over the past few years, much ink has been spilled discussing technology addiction and the dangers of too much screen time to the expense of our lives here and now. I, too, have fallen prey to the dangers here. I think many of us have.
This morning, John Piper's podcast Ask Pastor John addresses the question of how John Piper uses technology - iPhone, iPad, laptop, social media, etc. As a huge Piper fan, I always love hearing him weigh in on things, especially as he shares from his seasoned perspective. Piper breaks it down in the following ways:

1. Bible
2. Prayer
3. Reading for spiritual and intellectual growth and enrichment
4. Listening for both entertainment and enrichment
5. Awareness of what is happening in the world in culture and evangelicalism
6. Relationships with family

I would encourage you to listen to or read the transcript here, but there is one part that really struck me from what Piper said. As Piper reflects on the technology before him, he says:

But maybe in closing I should say I regard my computer that sits here in front of me on my desk and my iPad and my iPhone as an incredible gift from God. I mean I could almost come to tears over how precious they are to me.

It would be easy to see the overuse and misuse of technology and leap to the conclusion that all technology is bad. But Piper reminds us taht this extreme is not helpful. We should utilize technology that God has given us, It is a precious gift and can be used as we seek to bring glory to God as we love him and love others. I am still trying to figure out the balance between use and overuse for me. There is no "one size fits all" rule to follow; we must each seek to live with and use our tech for God's utmost glory in our own way. But let us not reject this gift from God; let us embrace and wrestle with it to find how to maximize its potential for good in our lives.

To Ponder

1. How do you use technology to glorify God?
2. How can you better use technology for the glory of God and service of his kingdom?

We Need Each Other

Ethan and I after running the Turkey Trot year before last. He has gotten a little taller since then.

A while back, Ethan and I started running together. Later we began working out together at our local YMCA. And I gotta say, we work well together. Without each other, neither of us would be where we are. You see, Ethan and I both have difficulties in working out. Ethan has a problem with mornings. Well, he probably wouldn't mind them if they started at like noon. So it works well that I make sure he is awake for workouts. I have my own struggle as well. I tend not to push myself. I hold back. But Ethan? He pushes it. Just this morning, he led me to add ten pounds to a lift. It might have been the male competitive spirit or something, but because he pushed himself, I stepped up too. So I get him up, and he pushes me forward.

We need each other in life. You and I have weaknesses and blind spots, and we need people who will help us see and deal with those areas. We also need to be in the lives of others, challenging them to grow and make progress in the faith. Without others, we will drift. The author of Hebrews says:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

This speaks to our need to be in the lives of others, so that they will not drift from the faith. But we must be aware even of our own tendency towards drift. Again, the author of Hebrews nails it: 

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV)

You and I are prone to drift. Sin is deceitful and blinds us to the reality of our condition. That's why we need people speaking into our lives and challenging us to keep pressing on. The Christian life is meant to be lived with others. Alone we cannot do it. We need people building into us and we need to be building into others. That's how we grow as followers of Christ. 

Who is building into you?

Who are you building into?

Turning Anger Into Action

When the news broke about Penn State and Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing boys he met through his charity, The Second Mile, I was livid. My anger burned hotter as the story and the cover-up surrounding the scandal unfolded. How could so many people turn the other way? How could people not do something? Earlier this year, I read the book Silent No More about Aaron Fisher's (victim one) fight for justice. Thankfully, in this story, justice was served and Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison.
But story after story floods the news nightly. Teachers seducing students. Pastors preying on children. Each incident is met with outrage and public cries for justice. And yet it still continues.

Would you Turn Your Back on Your Own Daughter?

King David was a man after God's own heart. Yet he was far from perfect. Fresh off the heals of his sin with Bathsheba being exposed, his son Amnon rapes his daughter Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-22). Verse 21 reveals David's reaction:

When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.

And rightly so. Stuff like this should anger us. Especially when it happens to our own children. What's curious is that the Bible says nothing else about David's response. Some versions include the words "But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn." So here we have the king, having the authority to see that justice was done, who then does nothing. Maybe it was because he cared about his son (as some versions indicate). Maybe he still felt guilt over his own episode with Bathsheba (which likely involved coercion as well). Maybe he just didn't want people to think less of him and his family. But the fact remains the same. He. Did. Nothing.

Joining David in Passive Anger

Turning a blind eye to abuse of any variety is to join David in his failure. But it is not much better if we do nothing to prevent it in the first place. Often times we see the news, we are outraged, justice is served, and then we go on with life as usual. It's now a thing of the past.
But abuse is very real. And it's happening everywhere. Schools. Sports. Churches. Homes. Nowhere is exempt. No one is exempt. Abuse is nondiscriminatory - it happens in all classes, races, genders, etc. Yet so often, we see it on the news and think that's an isolated incident. That couldn't happen in my family or community. So we do nothing to prevent the crime from continuing.

Moving to Action

The stories we see on the news are a call to all of us. Will we sit idly by while abuse destroys lives? Will we, by our silence and inaction, let it continue? How are we going to protect our children from it? What are we doing to end it?
The Church of God should lead the way in this area - in protecting and fighting for justice. After all, we have the command of the Almighty God to lead us in this fight in Micah 6:8:

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God? (emphasis added)

We know that God is a just God. He is righteous, and he will do what is right. God will let no sin go unpunished. Even when God shows mercy to sinners, he does not compromise his justice. Jesus died for the penalty of sin so that we could be forgiven. God is just in everything that he does, even when he forgives.  As his image-bearers on the earth, we should likewise seek to live justly in the world, even as we show mercy.
Let us be angered when we hear about abuse happening in our communities, and let that anger drive us to action. Let's work together wipe out abuse.

Facing the Epidemic

In my college days, I frequented Waffle House. A lot. They generally knew my order when I walked through the door. So it made sense that when I had to do a survey for my evangelism class that I would likely be able to ask one of the waitresses there. It was a short list of questions, but I only remember the last two, and her answers to them.

Q: What would you tell a family member who was dying how to get to heaven?
A: I don't believe in God or any of that stuff.

She was the first atheist I remember meeting (or at least the first who admitted to atheism). So naturally, I was interested in what her next answer might be (and also planning to defend the existence of God).

Q: Why do you believe what you believe?
A: Because too many bad things happen to innocent people.

And in that moment I knew something. She hadn't said anything about herself at that point, but she didn't have to. She had been abused. I could just tell by her answer and the way in which she said it. I didn't know what to say next, so I thanked her and she went and did other things. I told my friend who was with me what I thought, and we both silently prayed that she would come back and talk to us (we were the only customers in there).

It wasn't long before she came and sat with us and asked us where we were from and why we were doing the survey. I explained that we were from CIU and that the surveys were part of our class we were taking. Then she began opening up. She told us that her father had abused her and then asked a question that was a shock to me: Why do you believe in God? I began to tell my own story, how God had used sexual abuse in my life to bring me to him. We talked to her for a long time, and I did my best to portray the gospel to her as we conversed. I don't know what ever happened to her, but I still think of her often. I hope that the Lord softened her heart and claimed her as his own. I hope that she found hope and healing at the foot of the cross.

We Are Not Alone
This young woman's story is not an isolated case. My own story is not an isolated case. Consider the following statistics from ChildHelp.org:

• A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds
• More than five children die every day as a result of child abuse.
• Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.

Abuse has become an epidemic in our society. As Christians, we are called by God to not put anything in the paths of children that would hinder them coming to Jesus (Matthew 19:14). For this young woman, and for many children and adults, abuse is just such an obstacle.

A Call To Action

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. While many of us are caught up in the busyness of life or in the political arenas, children are suffering abuse and neglect. Let's work together to act against this epidemic in our country and in our world. Let's work together this and every month to end child abuse.

Here are some links that will help you get started in preventing abuse:

• Child Welfare Information Gateway
  
• ChildHelp
  
• Stop It Now!

Promise Promotes Practice

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

I was raised thinking that, even though salvation was a free gift, it was something I had to work to keep. And if I didn't obey Jesus, didn't do things right, then I would lose my salvation and go to hell forever. As a teenager, this led to a very insecure view of my standing before God. I would constantly find myself begging God not to cast me away, but to have mercy on me and forgive me. I promised him all the time that next time I would do better. Next time I would try harder. Next time I would obey, if he would just give me the chance.

I didn't believe in eternal security back then. I was always told that people who believed in eternal security (or once-saved-always-saved) made lazy Christians. They would live however they wanted because they couldn't lose their salvation. I've come since to see that believing eternal security in fact promotes the opposite - because God has saved me and will not let me go, I cannot continue living how I want to. The passage above from 1 John is one of such passages that have helped me see how this works.

Our Position Before God
Verse 1 tells us that, as Christians, we are God's children. This is not so for everyone. Only those who have received Christ, who have trusted in Him alone are called children of God (John 1:12). We are children, adopted by the Spirit, who have the right to call God, "Father" (Romans 8:14-17). God has called me his child; through Jesus Christ, He has made me his son.

God's Promise to His Children
Verse 2 points us to the tremendous promise that God has made to us: we will see and be like Christ. When Christ returns in glory, we will become like him. How? John says that it will happen by our seeing him in his glory, we likewise will be transformed. This same idea is what Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he says that as we behold his glory, we are being transformed into the same image.

John tells his readers that we will be like him when we see him. This is God's promise to his children: we will be glorified. We will make it to the end. And though we do not know what that will look like, we can know that it is sure for us as believers. Paul tells us that all those who are justified, and therefore saved, will be glorified (Romans 8:30).

How the Promise Affects the Way I Live
This is a tremendous promise, but it's not something that John says so that I will not change. John means for this promise to impact how I live my life. John says that everyone who hopes in this should be changed by it. Now when the Bible speaks of hope, it's not an uncertain thing, like saying "I hope it doesn't rain today." The Bible speaks of hope as a confident expectation. It's something we bank on.

So, what should I do if I expect to be glorified like Christ at his return? John says that since we know that we will be made like him then, we should purify ourselves like him now. Believing in the surety of my salvation in God's hands should encourage me to continue to break free from the sin that seeks to destroy me and to pursue living a life of love towards all.

How Does This Work?
Today, I was tempted to get angry and yell at someone. But in that moment, I recalled these verses, and reminded of these truths, I turned away from anger and responded rather in a more appropriate way. The Spirit reminded me of the promise and moved me to respond with God-honoring practice.

We must strive to keep God's truth before us. When we firmly hold to his promises to us, we will be better equipped to glorify him with our beings.