This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://the-emissary1.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://the-emissary1.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Approved in Christ

One of the more encouraging passages in Scripture is a passage that tends to be overlooked by believers. In Romans 16, Paul takes the time to give a list of various men and women who have been very helpful to him in his ministry and in his own spiritual life. The mere fact that these individuals were singled out and added in the scripture indicates the quality of men and women that Paul commends. There is one commendation that Paul mentions that stands out to me- approved in Christ (Romans 16:10). What does it mean to be approved in Christ? It must mean more than simply being redeemed by Christ since this commendation was given to an individual and not the entire church at Rome. This concept- approved by Christ- is used rather rarely throughout the New Testament, but the meaning is essentially the same: one who is tested by trials and overcomes . Paul emphasizes this point throughout his epistles:

For it is not the man who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but it is the person whom the Lord accredits and commends. 2 Corinthians 10:18

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings, so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who examines our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

There is no greater honor than being approved by God. It far outranks any human compliment; a matter of fact, a man or woman who has been approved by God tends to be unswayed by the opinion of men, whether it is glowing praise or harsh criticism. When any believer hears His Father say "Well done, good and faithful servant", every other commentary tends to fade into the background by comparison. But how do we become approved by God? The answer is given by James:

Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

Our approval of God comes from the various tests and trials that He introduces into our life. This also implies that no person is approved by God overnight- God tests the patience and endurance of our walk by testing us slowly over time. Moreover, for many of us, the tests that He presents to us are not obvious, but they tend to be rather small things in our lives. In my short personal life, I have observed that the vast majority of the tests that I've been given deals with the quality of faith. The expectation of our Christian walk is that we grow from individuals who are initially weak in faith to individuals who triumph and overcome through their faith. A man who exemplified this in the Old Testament was Gideon. Much like David, Gideon was the least of his family and had a number of doubts concerning why God chose him. Gideon's faith was initially weak, as it was evidenced through the outward signs that he requested, but Gideon's life was a life of increasing faith.

The first test that God introduced to Gideon involved tearing down the altar of Baal that his father built (cf. Judges 6:25-35). God tested Gideon on whether or not he would fear the response of his father or the people by obeying Him. He also tested Gideon on whether or not he would tolerate the idol of Baal, which represented a constant stumbling-block of sin for Israel that virtually everyone was born into and was accustomed to. The same test applies to us as believers. Are we willing to forsake our ungodly traditions by obeying Christ? Christ made it clear: anyone who loves their father and mother more than Him is not worthy of Him (cf. Luke 14:26).

Moreover, are we willing to tolerate sins in our life just because they are culturally acceptable? In dealing specifically with American culture, there are many aspects of our culture that have been tolerated in our Christian walk that are contrary to Christ. Number one on the list is the pursuit of selfish ambition under the guise of "finding your purpose", whether it's the ambition to have a great career, the ambition to live a well-off life, or the ambition to live life to be honored by men. No believer who still actively pursues their own path in life can ever expect God's approval. Is God's approval worth more to you than pursuing your own plans and your own desires? If it is not, then you should not expect God's commendation over your life.

The next test that God introduced to Gideon involved defeating the Midianites, who had an army of over 100,000, with an army of 300. Since Gideon was tested by the trial of destroying the altar of Baal, God can now continue to test the quality of his faith. Starting off with 32,000 men, God distinguished the men in much the same way that He distinguishes us as believers. The first group of men who were sent home were the fearful (cf Judges 7:3). Fear in our heart usually comes as a result of unbelief; these men who rallied around Gideon to fight saw their enemy and instead of becoming bold in faith, began to tremble. As a result, they could not be used to fight. The second distinction that God made was much more subtle. In getting water, the soldiers who kneeled to drink were sent home, while the soldiers who cupped the water in their hands remained. Those who cupped with water could scan the area for enemies while the drank. This was a subtle test of alertness. As believers, we are to be alert, ready, and sober at all times, unless we are caught off guard by Satan's attack.

However, more importantly, the picture of the soldier cupping with the hands is a picture of a believer's relation to the world. Those who kneeled on the ground to drink water only could see the water and the ground around them. This is a picture of the believer who is so distracted by the cares of this world that they become fruitless for Christ. In my view, this is the major test in our day of God's approval of a believer. In the days we live in, there are so many distractions and concerns in our life that have the potential to remove our focus on Christ and heaven so that we become bogged down with the things of the world. The believer who is distracted is also an unprepared believer; this is the believer who misses opportunities for encouragement and exhortation because of their day-to-day concerns. However, the picture of the soldier cupping with the water with their hands is a picture of a believer who never loses their focus on heaven, regardless of their day-to-day activities. It is this person that remains vigilant in all things and remains in constant communion with the Father. The difficulties that come in his life serve as validation and testing of the quality of faith that he has in His Father (rather than serving as a stumbling-block that draw him away from the Father); this believer knows that God will provide for Him as a loving Father does.

So where do you fall? Are you numbered among those who are too fearful and too weak in faith for God to use? Are you numbered among those who are too distracted by earthly things that they cannot be of use to God? Or will you strive to be among those who are "called, chosen, and faithful" (cf. Revelation 17:14)- those who have not only been accepted by God but who have been tested by Him through many circumstances and who have been approved by Him. Let us strive to receive the commendation of being approved in Christ.

Learning the Fear of God

Psalm 34:9 states:

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

When most people hear the phrase “fear of the Lord”, the image that comes to mind usually involves God executing judgment on those who do not properly give Him the respect that He deserves. To others, this phrase usually involves a fear of punishment, of hell, of wrath, and of damnation. For the sinner, this would be the proper way to understand the fear of the Lord because there is nothing but condemnation to those who have rejected Christ (cf. John 3:18, Romans 8:1) and to those who are coming to Christ, this sort of fear is usually the first work of the Law upon the conscience that brings a person to genuine repentance and living faith in Christ. However, for the believer, what is the fear of the Lord? Is it more than the fear of punishment by disobedience? From my meditations on the topic, the fear of the Lord is very much related to our fellowship and relationship with Christ.

Just as much as earthly fathers relate differently to their children when they young than when they are adults, so does Our Heavenly Father relate to us very differently when we are newborn babes in Christ than when we are mature in Christ. The expectation of an earthly father for their children when they are young is quite different than the expectation for their children when they grow older. Most small children cannot relate to their father in a deep, intimate way as when they become adults and since fathers know this, they have smaller and lesser expectations of the children. Our Heavenly Father treats us the same way when we are young in Christ and His major expectation of us when we are young is that we obey His commandments. When we are young, the depth of fellowship with our Father is initially very shallow because we are newborn in Christ and so, as little children, we relate to our Father by following the commandments that He gives us and trusting Him in the small matters that He presents us with. This is verified by the various statements that Jesus made to His disciples.

If you love Me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

He who has My commandments and keeps them, he is it who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My father; and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him. John 14:21

As small children in Christ, we understand what it means to reverence God by obeying His commandments in much the same way that small children please their fathers by obeying their instructions. As young believers, we show our reverence and honor for God by taking sin seriously and abstaining from it. As young believers in Christ, there is nothing wrong with this picture. However, it is our Father's desire that we relate to Him in a much deeper way than simply keeping ourselves pure from sin as we grow older in Christ. The problem is that our Father finds very few individuals who desire to relate to Him on a much deeper level. For many believers, their understanding of God is much more of a servant-master relationship than a father-child relationship and so the only way that they can show that reverence for Him is through obeying His instructions. For this reason, for many believers, living in the fear of the Lord becomes a source of dead works, which God rejects. The reverence that God desires is intimate fellowship. He desires a reverential affection and devotion to Him, not on the basis of impending punishment, but on the basis of loving Him and knowing Him as a Father. He desires a deep reverence that is founded on the reality that our life and our rest is established in Him. David was a man who understood this and to him, the holy fear of the Lord was much deeper:

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. Psalm 25:14

Like as a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those that fear him. Psalm 103:13

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments. Psalm 110:10

David knew that God's intimate thoughts and ways are with those who reverence Him deeply and furthermore, to the person who honors God in this way, He will show this person His covenant of abundant grace. This is an encouragement to those of us who desire to live in the fullness of the New Covenant. He will reveal to us the New Covenant life that Christ paid for us through His blood when we honor and reverence Him with our life. What is also very interesting is that usually Solomon is credited for saying “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. However, this is first quoted by David, who is Solomon's father. This shows that Solomon probably learned aspects of God's nature and character from his father David and through observing the life that his father lived, Solomon can learn what it means to fear and honor God. I do not view this as a coincidence- Paul states in Ephesians that fathers should raise their children under the instruction and fear of the Lord (cf. Ephesians 6:4). Likewise, older believers should instruct younger believers to fear the Lord based on observing their life in God and not based on simply obeying various commandments.

It is statement worth repeating that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Every aspect of understanding spiritual matters and understanding God rest upon a proper reverence of the Lord. It is the foundation and basis of all spiritual activity and the root and source of our relationship with God. Unless a man understands this properly, all of the spiritual knowledge he gains will amount to nothing. A believer who does not understand the proper reverence of God will live his entire Christian life following Biblical instructions without any revelation of Christ or mature relationship with His Father. However, when one seeks to know and honor God in the proper way, he will discover that His Father will commune with Him and share His life with him. This man will discover God's intimate ways, in much the same way that Jesus knew the Father. Listen to the words of Jesus:

You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

This passage states that before the disciples became mature spiritually, Jesus called them slaves- meaning that Jesus hid many things from the disciples about our Father and gave them only the bare necessity to live spiritually. However, as the disciples began to walk more and more with Him, Jesus shared more and more of His heart to them, until the point where Jesus declares that they are His friends. This is the ultimate compliment to a believer- when God calls you His friend. To this person, God withholds nothing from Him, but freely and lavishly gives Himself to Him (because God has seen this person give all of himself to Him). Are you currently experiencing a spiritual life that appears to be limited in depth, but full of more and more knowledge? Then it is quite possible that you haven't understood how to reverence God properly. Our Father is searching the earth looking for those who will worship and reverence Him properly (cf. John 4:23). Do you still relate to God as a servant who attempts to honor Him only through works of obedience? If so, I suggest that you meditate on the reality that you are His child, not His slave. He desires more than just obedience from you... He desire fellowship with you and a living relationship with you. As the reader, I pray that you understand our Father's desire that you do not become satisfied with a servant relationship with Christ, but that you learn the fear of the Lord.

Submitting to Imperfect Authority

All genuine believers experience the reality of living in a world filled with sin, selfishness, and corruption. For this reason, we are called to pick up our cross, die to ourselves, and follow Jesus daily so that we may escape from the corruption of this world. Many of us pray earnestly, as scripture commands, to keep ourselves unstained from the sin of this world and many of us have experienced personal victories in these areas. However, one of the most difficult situations that virtually all believers find themselves in is having to submit to authorities and leaders who are, at best, imperfect, and, at worst, carnal and hostile towards God. However, scripture is quite clear on the matter

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Romans 13:1

This scripture refers mainly to submission to civil government, but in regards to any work of service, whether we are in the position of servant or employee, Paul states our attitude towards earthly authorities quite clearly:

Urge bond servants to be submissive to their masters, to be pleasing and give satisfaction in every way. Warn them not to be argumentative or contradict, nor to steal by taking things of small value, but to prove themselves truly loyal and entirely reliable and faithful throughout, so that in everything they may be an ornament and do credit to the teaching which is from and about God our Savior. Titus 2:9

Servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. Ephesians 6:5-8 (also cf. Colossians 3:22-24)

and finally

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffered unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 1 Peter 2:18-20

For most of us, the reality and testimony of the Christian life is not experienced as we spend time around fellow believers, but it is spent in our secular profession. After all, if we spend 40+ hours per week at a job, then our witness will be seen mainly by our fellow co-workers, and our greatest chance for evangelism and ministry comes in the simplicity of our daily work. This is not a coincidence, but it is God's specific plan that as believers, we become the light of the world (cf. Matthew 5:14). In a very practical way, the “world” that we engage in daily is our jobs and we are meant to be light there. For this reason, our character and behavior around earthly authorities reveals the true depth of our Christian walk and ultimately, the effectiveness of our witness to the world.

In my personal experience, no trial or tribulation that I have encountered in my life reveals more of my need for Christ and His Spirit than my interactions with the authorities that I've been called to submit under. As I've had to submit under earthly authority, I've realized that I lack two major elements in my Christian walk: a deep, unconditional love for others and a full repentance from dead works. John states that any person who does not love abides in death (cf. 1 John 3:14). This verse is usually applied to loving the brotherhood, but we, as believers, are called to love even our enemies. Therefore, this verse applies not only to brotherhood, but it applies to all who we come in contact with... even those who are unreasonable. If we say that we love God and lack in this area, then we are as those who walk in darkness and have no spiritual life in us. Secondly, I realized that repentance from dead works doesn't just apply to our devotion to God, but it applies to all areas of service to Him. This also includes the attitude of service towards our earthly authorities. If we merely pay lip service to those who are have authority over us or work in a half-hearted way just to appease our conscience, we are performing dead works to God, since our service to God-ordained authorities is really a service towards God. It is easy to state one's devotion and wholeheartedness to God in words, but it is a completely different matter to prove it through submission to imperfect authority. God does not desire for us to simply yield, acquiesce, and tolerate leaders in an apathetic way, but the challenge offered by Paul and Peter is to serve our earthly authorities earnestly, sincerely, and in a way that honors God. This attitude was exemplified by Jesus, who was under submission to the imperfect and godless Roman authorities. The words of the Sermon on the Mount illustrate this:

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. Matthew 5:38-41

This passage does not encourage believers to be gullible and naïve, but it teaches us not to pursue personal retaliation against those who have acted unreasonably against us. This applies equally as well to earthly authorities who place irrational and unreasonable burdens over our lives. The response of the world is either to retaliate against them or to harbor bitterness toward them; however, Jesus emphasized that we should love and pray for them, knowing that our service to them is service towards Our Father. In the world around us, we see many of our co-workers exercising many of the characteristics that Jesus and the apostles urged us not to do. In our work places, we see hypocrisy, where co-workers smile in their employer's face and curse them behind their back. We see acts of rebellion, half-hearted work, gossiping, jealousy, self-promoting, divisiveness, and all other matters of wickedness among our co-workers. Usually, most of the cursing and criticism towards the leaders are very well-justified, but the real question is- will you conform to the world's standards or will you conform to Christ's standards? Will you patiently endure while being treated harshly or will you respond to the temptations of your flesh and retaliate against such treatment in your heart? Will you honor God with your service to imperfect authority or will you dishonor God by your rebellion to this authority?

A reasonable question that can be asked is what is God trying to produce in us through our submission to earthly authority. Peter sums this up nicely in the context of submission to elders

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may exult you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

Ultimately, through our submission to these authorities, God continuously produces humility and endurance in our lives, and as this humility is produced in our lives, He gives us grace to continue to serve our earthly leaders with a sincere heart. This humility enables the marvelous grace of God to cover our weaknesses and sin; however, when we are prideful and rebellious, we expose ourselves and bring shame to ourselves and to God. Notice here that our anxiety is placed upon Christ after our initial submission to authorities. This means that the anxiety that we are casting on Christ is the anxiety and worry associated with humbling ourselves to these authorities. Our example is Christ who “while being reviled, He did not revile in return and while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” When we humble ourselves to these authorities, we are entrusting Our Father to keep, guide, and protect us, while not attempting to preserve ourselves. The grace needed to be a witness in this area is more than abundant for us so that we may walk as Christ walks. I pray that we are convicted by this because there are few things in our lives that are as great of a witness as the privilege and opportunity demonstrating the love and power of God through submission to our earthly authorities. When our co-workers observe us consistently obeying the commands of the scripture by serving our employers or other authorities with joy and sincerity, our lifestyle serves as a dramatic distinction and witness to those around them and verifies to a dying world the reality and truth of the God that we serve.

Grace Greater than Our Sin

Recently, a hymn has been on my mind:


Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
What can we do to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?


As with many concepts of the New Testament, grace is an often used and often misinterpreted word. Most people understand grace in much of the same way that Old Testament individuals understood it- simply God's favor. Most people interpret it as God's forbearance of sin and use it as a reason to overlook various sins. Other Christians look at grace as a vague notion of forgiveness. However, scripture is quite clear: grace and truth only came through Christ Jesus. Look at the distinction that John made

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

As much as the Law was introduced by Moses, grace was introduced by Jesus. Therefore, this grace is understood primarily through the New Covenant introduced by Jesus. It is generally understood by many believers that the Law introduced by Moses is good because it reveals God's holiness and as a result, it produces the knowledge of sin in a believer, demonstrating their need for repentance. However, what many do not understand is that without the Law, this grace from Jesus is not understood. Paul explains this the connection:

And the Law came in that transgression might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20-21

The reality of the Christian life is that without a deep revelation of the power and nature of sin, there will not be a true understanding of the power and abundance of grace. Without understanding the nature of sin, a believer will live their life, declaring that God's grace is cheap and weak. However, the closer one comes to understanding the holiness of God and the more they see their own sinfulness, the more they will understand that the grace of God is costly and expensive. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that Paul considered himself "the chief of all sinners" (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15), yet understood the meaning of grace (cf. 1 Tim. 1:12-14). Personally, I struggled to truly grasp the concept of grace until God gripped me with Romans 5. It was in this passage that I understood the nature and power of sin.

Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned- Romans 5:12

This is a passage worth re-reading slowly. How powerful must sin be if it has such a strong residual effect! One act of disobedience by Adam so fundamentally changed his nature that he hid from God and one of his children became a murderer after his transgression. This sin is so powerful that it caused mankind, who was created in His image, to become so fundamentally corrupt that God repented in His heart for making man (cf. Genesis 6:6). One initial act of disobedience by Adam changed the nature of man to the point where "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". Sin affected mankind to the point where Jeremiah claimed that the human heart is "deceitful wicked" (cf. Jeremiah 17:9). Because of sin, David said that mankind lacks understanding and has no desire to seek God (cf. Psalm 14:2). All of this is the result of one act of disobedience. It's amazing to fully understand that sin has produced such effects.

In many ways, sin is the most deadly virus that has infected mankind and the Law introduced by Moses only excited the virus further. This virus destroyed everyone in its path; no virus in history has claimed as many lives as sin claimed, whether it was the Black Death of the 14th century that killed over 100 million or the current AIDS epidemic. This virus, sin, has destroyed everyone and death reigned over all of man. In reality, because of sin, every person on earth was born with a death sentence on their life because of its destructive effects. In current times, those who have contracted the AIDS virus understand that death is near and out of desperation, they desperately seek doctors who would offer them a glimpse of hope for a cure. However, sin is infinitely more damaging than AIDS, yet so few believers understand its seriousness and seek God for the cure with true earnestness. There was no cure for sin until Christ came and introduced this grace to us.

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ abound to many. And the gift is no like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand, the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. Romans 5:15-16

Despite the great power of our sin, look at what the grace of God has done through Christ! If sin is powerful enough to destroy mankind, how much more will the grace that comes through Christ produce? In our personal lives, we have seen how sin has ravaged our lives, past and present, but the grace of God not only cancels out sin... grace overwhelmingly conquers sin! The above passage states that while the power of one transgression produced death, the power of grace conquers a multitude of sins. So what is a practical definition of this grace? The following verse explains:

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Grace is the power of God to overwhelming conquer the power of sin and death in our lives. We receive our introduction into this grace by faith in Christ(cf. Romans 5:2). So grace is not simply an act of God's forbearance or forgiveness- it is His power produced by the great sacrifice given by Christ. As much as sin produced death and ruled in our lives, grace produces life. Because grace overwhelmingly conquers the power of sin in our lives, sin does not have to be a master over our lives (cf. Romans 6:14). As mentioned in the above verse, because of Christ's sacrifice, this grace is abundant to all believers who will put their trust in Christ. So let us follow the exhortation in Hebrews 12:1; let us fix our eyes on Jesus and receive this grace so that we can lay aside every sin entangles us and causes us to stumble.

I ask the reader a simple question: have you received a deep understanding of God's holiness and sin in your life? Have you sought God to reveal this to you? If you haven't, then it is probably true that you haven't understood the meaning of God's grace and its abundance. When you read through the scripture about the holiness of God, I would ask for you to read it slowly that your eyes may be open to the seriousness of sin. Then, as you seek God for the cure for sin, the words of the popular hymn will ring true to you:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Reflections and Ambition

This is my first blog of the year and as most people do, I spent a good deal of time for the past month reflecting on my life and my walk with Christ. In the past year, there have been a number of great victories given to me by the grace of God and a number of failures that God is still working on. In many ways, God has demonstrated His faithfulness to me over the past year and His faithfulness has caused me to remain continuously grateful to Him. His kindness towards me has radically changed my life from being an ungrateful Christian who lived on the basis of entitlement to a believer that honors God in all things and trusts in Him, despite life's difficulties. During this year, many scriptures that I've never experienced came alive like never before. There are two passages that come to my mind to describe last year:

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:19

Much of my Christian life in my earlier years were characterized by inconsistency. There were some days where I experienced God's glory in a very real and definite way, and then there are other days where I would spiral into old sins and old religious habits. This up-and-down relationship with Christ was something that I never questioned in my earlier Christian life because I never saw an example of a person who lived consistently in the face of God. However, last year, this scripture gripped me because its truth is inescapable. According to this passage, the righteous man (the man who lives by faith in Christ) should not have such an unstable life, but his life in Christ should grow greater and greater. The righteous man should not live his life, waiting to revive an old Christian experience, but should live his life, expecting a more glorious day in the future. Each day, his walk with Christ should grow brighter and become much more clearer. At the beginning of last year, my life was still very much up-and-down spiritually. The reality was that I was not secure in my foundation of Christ, and as a result, my Christian life flowed based on how my circumstances were. However, when I understood and grasped this scripture, I pursued God that this scripture may become real to me and by the end of the year, I could say that the Word proved itself to be true in my life. I could finally sing the popular refrain without lying: "Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul." My Christian walk was truly growing brighter and brighter each day.

The second passage that came alive to me this past year is from Lamentations:

The Lord's lovingkindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion" says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him. Lamentations 3:22-28

The conviction of the passage comes with a question: Is Jeremiah exaggerating or is he describing his personal experience with God? How can a man who saw the devastation of his people declare that His lovingkindness never ceases and His compassion never fails? I was faced with this question in my life last year as I saw my mother, from a distance, go through various difficulties with her illness. I didn't understand why this was occurring and why I was in a position to do nothing, but this passage is nevertheless true: His faithfulness is great, His lovingkindness never ceases, and His compassions never fail. He changed my heart about the situation when I placed my trust in Him to have His perfect will in her life and I began to see gradual change in her, both spiritually and physically, as the year went on. Although the illness is not gone, the work that God produced in spiritually far outweighed the pain of the physical illness.

The second half of the passage came alive in my life when God placed the burden of building the Church in my heart. Honestly, this was not something that I personally wanted in my life because I knew the difficulties involved in building the Church, but when God told me that this is the purpose of my life, He gave me a great sense of peace about the matter. However, as I began to sit down and meditate on this, I realized that this calling is not a burden, but it is a privilege. It is a honor to serve God as a young man and I remain grateful to God that I have the health of my youth to serve Him and to build His Church. After yielding and rejoicing in His will for my life, He began to surround me with a body of believers who I love dearly and so we, as a body, rejoice in the privilege of serving God and building the Church. As the new year has begun, I have reflected on all of these matters and I can agree with Jeremiah: The Lord's faithfulness is great.

Entering this new year, the Holy Spirit asked me one question and told me to meditate on this before answering: What is my true ambition? Of course, the simple answer would have been to know Christ, but as I began to give an answer, I was stopped because I realized that I did not count the cost for such a statement. If knowing Christ is my true ambition, then every other ambition must be counted as insignificant compared to Him. This includes a great reputation among secular and religious leaders, a great outward ministry, a great professional career as a scientist, and a long list of other ambitions that I previous had. If knowing Christ is my true ambition, how is it reflected in my life? If God changes my life in such a way that none of my ambitions in life ever occur, will I be satisfied in Christ alone or will I harbor bitterness towards God? Will I pursue Him with a deeper fervor than I pursued my academic pursuits or is my response merely lip-service to God? Can I say truthfully as Jeremiah stated "The Lord is my portion"? I pondered these questions and gave God the same answer: to know Him. I will ask the reader the same question: What is your true ambition? In an honest assessment, what is the center of your life? Is it Christ alone or Christ + another ambition? If God strips your life down to the bare minimum so that your personal ambitions are never met, will you rejoice and be satisfied with Him or will you resent Him? Is Christ your portion and your expected hope or is your heart expecting another inheritance?

Let the answer to this question be the start of the new year for you.

Building the Body Through Love

In the previous blog, I discussed how important the body of Christ is and how building the Church should be the ambition of our heart. I discussed how we should reject the notion of living as isolated individuals as Christians and enter into the Church of God. Now, we must discuss how we must build the body. Ephesians 4:1-3 states:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

What is this unity of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in this passage? Colossians 3:14 describes love as the "perfect bond of unity". What manner of love unites the Church of God? From my experience, most believers exercise fraternal love or "philia" in Greek. The idea is of cherishing and refers to the union of the soul of one with that of the other. It is a love based usually on similarity of intellectual and emotional outlook. It means more than physical love but it can still be self-centered, for its satisfaction often comes from the feeling that one is wanted, or that one is a benefactor or a protector of that other needy person. This is the best type of love that man can exercise apart from the Holy Spirit and we see this love exercised in many fraternal societies and organizations. It is a tragedy that many of us accept this fraternal love as God's best and build our fellowship based on it. However, there is a deeper love that comes directly from God- agape. This is the love that defines the Church- it is the unique signature that distinguishes the Church from every other fraternal organization on this earth. This sort of love ultimately defines whether or not a person is truly a disciple and whether a local body is the true Church (cf. John 13:34-35). This is the love that God imparted to us by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5) and refers to the union of the spirit of one with that of the other. It is a self-giving love - the love of Calvary's cross.

William Barclay in `More New Testament Words', says, "Agape is unconquerable benevolence, invincible goodwill. It is not simply a wave of emotion; it is a deliberate conviction of the mind issuing in a deliberate policy of the life; it is a deliberate achievement and conquest and victory of the will. It takes all of man to achieve this love; it takes not only his heart; it takes his mind and his will as well. It is impossible for a man to have this love unless the Spirit takes possession of him and sheds abroad the love of God in his heart." A Greek lexicon referring to agape says, "It chooses its object with decision and self-denying compassion. This is love in its fullest and highest form. It has its source in God. The verb-form stands for kindliness towards its object and has reference to the tendency of the will." Another definition of agape is: "It is slow to suspect but quick to trust; slow to condemn but quick to justify; slow to offend but quick to defend; slow to expose but quick to shield; slow to reprimand but quick to forbear; slow to belittle but quick to appreciate; slow to demand but quick to give; slow to provoke but quick to conciliate; slow to hinder but quick to help; and slow to resent but quick to forgive".

We are able to know this love only through our fellowship with Christ. Jesus is our forerunner and the love that He expressed is the love that we all should strive to emulate. 1 John 3:16 says:

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Jesus gave the definition of love through His sacrificial life and it is through this self-sacrificial love that the Church is built. Paul continues to describe how the Church is built up in Ephesians 4:11-16

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head even Christ, from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by that which ever joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Here, Paul emphasizes how the gifts that God gives sovereignly to each individual member of the body is used to build up the Church. What is important to emphasize here is that love of the brethren precedes the operation of the gifts in the true Church. This theme is found in several passages (cf. 1 Cor. 12-13; Romans 12:4-10; 1 Peter 4:8-11) because love for the Church outranks the exercise of gifts in the Church. Unfortunately, we live in a day where the gifts are emphasized much more than love among the Body. Jesus mentioned that this is a sign of a church primed for deception. In Matthew 24, Jesus said that there would be two characteristics of the end-time world: the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12) and false prophets will perform great signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24). Many people chase after gifts instead of love because gifts do not cost a person anything. It is in man's nature to offer God things that do not cost them much; however it is a godly man (and a godly Church) who refuses to offer God anything that cost them nothing (cf. 2 Samuel 24:24). To have the love of God in our lives and in our fellowship, it will cost us all of ourselves because this is the love that is selfless to its core. However, gifts are given by God in His sovereignty and require nothing of us except faith. This demonstrates that it is quite possible to have multiple gifts in operation in the church, yet still fail to be a true witness for Christ. Consider 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Consider a church with a testimony like this! Imagine a church where all members prophecy correctly, understand every mystery of God, and have unshakable faith. Yet, because love is not abundant among the members, this church is nothing. Furthermore, consider a church that gives all of its possessions to feed the poor, which is a appearance of self-sacrificial love. The description of this church appears to be no different than the Macedonian church that Paul commended (cf. 2 Cor. 8). What was the difference between the Macedonian church and this church? The answer is found in 2 Cor. 8:7

But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also

Paul is correcting the churches in Corinth by pointing the example of the abundance of love in the churches shown by the Macedonian churches. This is the type of Church that God honors and approves of. When God establishes His Church, He establishes it on the foundation of Christ and protects it through the love He pours out by His Spirit. Any other foundation will prove itself not to be the church that God establishes. Consider the warning given by John:

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 1 John 3:14

This is a clear and obvious warning that many, including myself, have ignored in times past. A church without the love of God among the brotherhood is a dead church. No number of gifts, wealth, or talents among members can resuscitate a church that is dead because of the lack of love. Emphasizing spiritual gifts over love is analogous to trying to convince someone that a dead person is alive by putting more clothes on him. When a person has been dead long enough, the stench from his body confirms that he is truly dead, no matter how much we attempt to resuscitate him. The same is true for the church. The stench, so to speak, from the church that everyone can detect is a result of the lack of love in the church. However, just as Jesus raised Lazarus after he was dead for three days, any local body can be raised back to life if God pours His Spirit of love on the church. The love of God among the Body is our protection. A church that has many gifts and ministries in operation without love is analogous to a large, magnificent city without any walls. Without protection, any city is subject to sieges from their enemies. The same is true for the church. Our great adversary, Satan, devises many schemes to make sure that the true Church is never built. However, when the love of God is abundant in the church, God Himself will be a "wall of fire in our midst" (Zechariah 2:5). The fire of God's love is our protection and we, as believers, should endeavor to protect it at all costs.

Finally, what is the result of building the body in love? As stated previously in Ephesians 4, "we are no longer children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming". So, what distinguishes children from adults: stability and maturity. As the body begins to build up itself in love, the Church becomes more stable and more mature. The stability of the Church increases in the sense that we are not shaken by the many attacks that inevitably come to the Church. As love continues to grow among the Body, we become more rooted and established in Christ. The maturity of the Church increases in the sense that we are no longer gullible and easily deceived. One characteristic of a Church that is growing is its increasing ability to avoid various distractions. Many churches demonstrate their lack of maturity by following everything that has the appearance of godliness. In this way, churches lose their primary witness by chasing after secondary pursuits. However, a mature Church looks beyond the appearance and uses discernment to weigh the actual substance. This sort of Church avoids many distractions because it has built itself up based on what God desired for them.

Therefore, as Paul warns us, we should be careful on how we build upon the foundation of Christ. There are many good works that a church can do that will prove to be worthless, unless love is first established among the brotherhood. Let's remember the example of the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2. This church had outstanding ministries, but because they left their first love, they were in danger of losing their witness (cf. Rev. 2:1-7). Let us not fall into the same example of sin, but let us build the body of Christ through the love of God.