When I used to work for a Christian bookstore a few years ago, I would drive home from work and pull into the driveway. At that point, the front door would burst open, and my two young children would come racing out, jumping up and down, crying “Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home!” They were so excited that I was home and with them.
As God’s children we too can’t wait to be home with our Father. And so we cry out, “Your kingdom come.”
I saw a Peanuts comic strip recently. Snoopy is sitting next to one of the girls, and the girl tells him, “My Dad is a better hunter than your Dad!” She walks away with a big grin on her face. Snoopy looks after her and thinks, “My Dad gets fuzzier in the winter than your Dad!”
Many kids (and apparently dogs) think and want others to know that their Dad is the greatest. Their Dad is the strongest. Their Dad is the smartest. Their Dad is the best.
As God’s children, we know and want everyone else to know that our Father is the strongest, the smartest, the best. We want everyone to honor our great Father. And so we pray, “Hallowed by your name.”
Transforming Grace – Jerry Bridges
I have recently finished reading this book again. It was my third time through. Some authors write their own ideas and attach a few Bible verses. Others start with Bible verses and move to their own ideas. Few write immersed in Scripture like Bridges does. In this book, Bridges gives us an in-depth Bible study on God’s grace. He covers God’s grace in saving us from our sins, his grace that makes us holy, his grace that enables us to serve, and his grace in the midst of trials. In the context of this blog, it is God’s grace that both enables and motivates us for three passion living. So grace is an important reality for us to know more and live in more. If you haven’t read this book, pick it up! If you have have, you might find it useful like I did to read it again.
It is difficult for us to see God’s hand of love in the adversities and heartaches of life because we persist in thinking, as the world does, that happiness is the greatest good. Thus we tend to evalute all our circumstances in terms of whether or not they produce happiness. Holiness, however, is a greater good than happiness, so God arranges and orchestrates circumstances to produce holiness before happiness. He is more concerned about our eternal than or our temporal welfare and more concerned about our spiritual than our material welfare. So all the trials and difficulties, all the heartaches, disappointments, and humiliations come from his loving hand to make us partakers of his holiness.
– Jerry Bridges in Transforming Grace
Remember we did not declare temporary spiritual bankruptcy. Our bankruptcy is total and permanent. The only worthiness we have for entrance into God’s Kingdom is in Christ. The only worthiness we have with which to come before God is in Christ. The only worthiness we have to qualify us for ministry is in Christ. If we are to progress in any aspect of the Christian life, we must look outside ourselves and only to Christ. It is is him that the grace of God is so abundantly poured out on us.
– Jerry Bridges in Transforming Grace
In Luke 9:51-56, the Samaritans reject Jesus, so James and John suggest that they might call down fire from heaven to destroy them. Jesus rebukes them. He has come not to destroy but to save.
Are we more like Jesus, or more like James and John? Like Jesus, do we seek to love and serve and save those who reject us, oppose us, are against us? Or like James and John, do we want to destroy them?
I fear the American church often fails miserably in this, for too often we are not known for our love toward those who oppose us. Atheists, cults, other religions – we believe these are wrong, but how do we treat them? With respect, love, and humility, as people made in the image of God?
Or consider the cultural issues of the day. Do homosexuals know us by our love, or are we more like James and John? Could we be losing the culture war because we have made it a war, because we fight like the other side? Our mission is not to destroy them but love them into God’s kingdom. If we follow Jesus, we will treat them with humility. Too often we respond like the Pharisees with pride, an attitude of – “I’m better than you.” Somehow we forget that we are all sinners, and I have nothing in myself to boast in. I am saved by God’s grace alone. That does not mean we shouldn’t stand up for what we believe in, the issue here is how – our attitude.
Closely related to cultural issues is politics. We may disagree with our President on many things, but what is our attitude toward him? Proud, angry, and hateful? Or humble and loving? Jesus calls us to give up our fire from heaven and to love like he did.
Father, make us more like your Son who came in humility and love. Remove the pride and hate from our hearts. Let us treat others with the respect your image bearers deserve. Amen.
“An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest” (Luke 9:46). Can you imagine that? Grown men arguing about who was the greatest! And this, just after Jesus, the truly great one, had spoken of becoming low for us!
To get their attention, Jesus takes a child – with no status, no power – clearly not great. “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great” (Luke 9:48). The child, least in their eyes, is great. Greatness is not about status or power. It is not about being better than others, exalting oneself above others.
If receiveiving a child is like receiving Jesus, like receiving God, then the child has great significance. And so do all of us, for we are all made in the image of God. No one is better or worse than others, we are all equally valuable. So arguing about who is greatest is nothing short of foolish.
I suspect few of us would argue with someone else about who was greater. And yet, how easy it may be for us to act like we are greater than another. How easy to start thinking we are better than another.
I’m better than you because I am a Baptist, a Methodist, a Charismatic, a Calvinist, an Arminian, a Dispensationalist, and the list could go on. I’m better than you because of my spiritual gifts, and I minister this way, and you don’t. I’m better than you because my family does things this way, and your family does it that way, and that seems really odd to me. I’m better than you because I make more money than you, I have a higher standard of living. I’m better than you because you hurt me which makes you a terible sinner. I’m better than you….
Father, how easy it is for us to begin to think that we are better than others. The smallest differences can introduce this idea to our minds, and our pride grasps and feeds the idea. Guard our minds. Throw down our pride. Help us to give up our pursuit of being being better than others. Let us learn from Jesus who, though greater than all, humbled himself and became one of us to save us. Amen.
The Cross-Centered Life – C. J. Mahaney
I recently reread this book, and have included a few quotes in some past posts. It is a short book, but it has an important message. We simply can’t lose sight of the cross, or even more – it must be central to our lives. He shows how the cross destroys legalism and removes guilt. And he gives practical suggestions for living with the cross at the center of our lives. Much worth reading…and rereading.
The summer seems a bit slow in the blogosphere with many taking breaks, but here are a few posts to chew on:
One of my desires is not only to live this three passion life, but to pass it on to my children. This requires me to spend time teaching my children about Christ and our response to him. In that vein, Brian Croft has a helpful blog about fathers shepherding their children.
Humility is essential for true compassion for others. If we love to be first, we simply will not show compassion toward others. With that in mind, consider Scotty Smith’s prayer for humility.
After Jesus came down from his Transfiguration, he cast out an unclean spirit (Luke 9:37-43). “And all were astonished at the majesty of God…they were all marveling at everything he was doing….” In his actions they saw the majesty, the greatness, the glory of God, and they marveled, they were astonished, they wondered, they were amazed. We too should marvel at the glory of God. So why don’t we marvel more? Let me suggest two reasons.
First, we are distracted by idols. Our world is full of stuff marketed in shining wrappings that make it look glorious. The glory often fades as soon as you buy it, and it eventually ends up in the trash heap, and yet it still allures us, attracts us, distracts us. We fill our homes and lives with this stuff that distracts us from the true glory of God.
And it is not just stuff. Power, sex, fame, popularity, and on the list goes. All these things present themselves as glorious. And indeed there is nothing wrong with them in their proper contexts. But we are attracted by the empty promises that these things will satisfy, will fulfill, and they distract us from the one who truly does. They are idols distracting us from the true glory of God.
Second, we don’t marvel more because we fail to see the glory of God. His glory is all around us, but we miss it in the hurry of life. We need to slow down and open our eyes.
We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in the Bible. We get so used to the stories, we miss the glory of the one who is acting in incredible ways. See his glory in the miracles of Jesus, in the proclamations of Isaiah, the glimpse of heaven in Revelation, the praises in Psalms, and on and on it could go.
We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in creation. I love to camp on the shores of Lake Superior each summer. As I see the powerful waves of the big lake, as I see the incredible sunsets over the lake, I am struck with the glory of God. But is his glory not revealed where I live the rest of the year? Of course it is, but I miss it. I miss it because I am in too much of a hurry. I miss it because we have manufactured our own indoor world that keeps me away from his creation. I miss it because I spend too much time on man’s ultimate creation to date – what we are on right now as I write this and you read it. I need to go outside and see the sunset outside my home. I need to open my eyes to the wonder of the towering trees in my backyard, the incredible variety of flowers, and the way the garden grows. I need to see the glory of God’s image in my family, and my co-workers, and my church. I need to open my eyes and see his glory all around me in his creation.
We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in his providential working in our lives. The ways he answers prayer. The ways he guides our lives, protects us, cares for us, strengthens us, provides for us.
We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in our salvation. That he would come to earth as a man. That he would suffer and die in my place. That he powerfully rose from the dead. That the Spirit of God would choose to come into my life and transform me. That my sins are washed away. That I have a new life in Christ. That I am righteous in his sight. That I am his child. That I have an inheritance. That I will spend eternity with God. We just need to open our eyes to see his glory.
Father, you reveal your glory all around us. Help us to topple the idols that distract us. Help us to open our eyes to see your glory. Help us to be a people that marvel at your glory. Amen.
