Obeying the Gospel

DIFFERENT SOILS, DIFFERENT HEARERS (JUNE 16)

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"Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them" (Matthew 13:5-7).

IN THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER, JESUS MADE THE POINT THAT THOSE WHO HEAR THE GOSPEL DON’T ALL HAVE THE SAME KIND OF HEART. He used the analogy of four different kinds of soil — just as the seed sown by a farmer doesn’t always fall on productive soil, the gospel doesn’t always fall into receptive hearts.

(1) ALONG THE PATH (VV.4,19). Some seed is picked up by the birds and never germinates at all. This is the person whose lack of interest in understanding the truth gives it no chance to affect him.

(2) ROCKY GROUND (VV.5,6,20,21). Some seed falls into soil that is shallow, resulting in short-rooted plants that die when the sun gets hot. This is the person who is not a commitment keeper, so when it comes to the gospel, he can’t be counted on to remain steadfast. Hardship causes him to change his mind about the Lord.

(3) AMONG THE THORNS (VV.7,22). Some seed sprouts but the plants are choked by thorns. “The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (v.22).

(4) GOOD SOIL (VV.8,23). Other seed, however, falls into fertile ground. It germinates, grows, and produces a crop. In Luke’s account, Jesus said this soil is like those who “hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). This kind of hearer is obviously the one Jesus sought, and He often found such hearers in unlikely places.

But how often do we, when we think of the Parable of the Sower, raise the question of our own receptivity to God’s word? It may be that for all our talk about the need for honesty and courage, we ourselves do not bow before the truth as receptively as we should. To be frank, it is a rare human being who is willing to follow the truth wherever it goes (and sadly, we preachers are often the least willing). Today, as we contemplate obeying the gospel, let’s challenge ourselves. God does not decide what kind of heart we have; we decide. So let’s make the decision a good one.

"A sound head, an honest heart, and an humble spirit are the three best guides through time and to eternity" (Sir Walter Scott).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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AN INSURMOUNTABLE OBJECTION (JUNE 15)

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"Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, 'We will hear you again about this'" (Acts 17:32).

THERE IS NO PROPOSITION SO COMPELLING THAT EVERYONE ACCEPTS IT. No matter what is affirmed, some objection or other is always possible. So with any idea, the question is not whether anyone can come up with objections but whether those objections are valid. Taking an opinion poll won’t help us much either. Regardless of which way the opinions of the majority may be running, the only question worth asking is always: is this idea true?

In Acts 17, when Paul was asked to speak to a group of philosophers in Athens about Jesus Christ, he first talked about the nature of God. But as his argument progressed, he came to Jesus’ resurrection. At this point, “some mocked,” while others said, “We will hear you again about this.” They all heard the same words — but the response of the audience was a split decision. In the end, the gospel was not received as obediently in Athens as it was elsewhere, and perhaps that is not surprising. But Paul’s preaching was acted on affirmatively by some who heard it: “some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them” (v.34).

Today, we could make a long list of objections that people offer to the resurrection of Christ. Some of these are based on misunderstandings which can be cleared up, while others come from a lack of acquaintance with the evidence. But there is one objection that can’t be overcome by supplying additional evidence: the belief that the resurrection cannot have taken place. If a person approaches the question maintaining that such a thing is inherently impossible, he will not believe it no matter how much evidence there is.

So when it comes to miracles, and especially the resurrection, our presuppositions are crucial. In an age of astonishing discoveries, haven’t we learned to use the word “impossible” very sparingly? It is a strange world, is it not? Let us, then, be open-minded enough to admit the possibility that the resurrection could have happened — and then have the courage to assess the historical evidence fairly.

"If anything extraordinary seems to have happened, we can always say that we have been the victims of an illusion. If we hold a philosophy which excludes the supernatural, this is what we always shall say" (C. S. Lewis).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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ASSURANCE THAT JESUS WILL BE OUR JUDGE (JUNE 14)

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". . . because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

CONCERNING GOD, THE IDEAS OF “ACCOUNTABILITY” AND “JUDGMENT” ARE NOT CONGENIAL TO THE MODERN MIND. Those who believe there is a God do not usually think in terms of being judged by Him, such that their eternal destiny will be dependent on that judgment. Yet God’s judgment is one of the things affirmed about Him in the Scriptures. Consider the text in Acts 17:16-34.

In this passage, there is the account of Paul’s presentation of the gospel of Christ in Athens. Invited to speak to a group of philosophical inquirers, Paul talked first about the nature of God as a personal Creator, and then he spoke of God’s judgment.

A time has been appointed, Paul said in v.31, when the world will be judged by God. And this will be done “in righteousness,” which is to say, God’s verdict will be exactly the right verdict in every case, rendered in perfect justice. What is more, Paul said that God has entrusted this judgment into the hands of “a man whom he has appointed.” This is Jesus Christ, and “of this [God] has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The resurrection established the truth of many things, not the least of which is Jesus’ deity: His identity as the Son of God. But Paul shows that Christ’s resurrection also verified His role as the One before whom we must stand in judgment. If someone wanted proof that judgment is coming — and that Jesus will be the Judge — no greater proof would be possible than His resurrection.

This, then, is one of the Messiah’s roles. In addition to being our High Priest and King, He is our Judge. “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:26,27). For those who have accepted the gospel faithfully, the coming judgment holds no fear, only love. But one way or the other, judgment is coming. Of that we may be sure.

"Paul does not refer directly to the human figure -- the 'one like a son of man' -- of Daniel 7:13; but this is "the man" whom he has in mind, the one in whom God’s eternal purpose finds its fulfillment, the one to whom the Father has given 'authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man' (John 5:27)" (F. F. Bruce).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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DOES JESUS' RESURRECTION REALLY MATTER? (JUNE 13)

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"And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised" (1 Corinthians 15:14,15).

THERE IS A VERSION OF “CHRISTIANITY” IN WHICH ALL OF THE MIRACLES ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE SCRIPTURES. Many people today take it for granted, based on their philosophy and worldview, that such a thing as a miracle is simply impossible, so the scriptural accounts of Jesus’ miracles are assumed to be fictitious.

In particular, the resurrection of Jesus is held to be a legend — an idea created by later Christians and injected into the accounts of Jesus’ life and death. Many ministers who occupy pulpits on Sunday morning may preach on the resurrection, but if you ask them privately, they will tell you they don’t believe it literally took place.

But what do we have left if we leave the resurrection out of the gospel of Christ? Not much. We may have a positive-mental-attitude system of emotional uplift and benevolent motivation, but we do not have the Christian message of salvation, for originally that gospel promised the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Paul spoke with remarkable candor when he wrote to the church in Corinth that if Christ was not raised from the dead, “our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We [the apostles] are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ.” Some seem to think that it is only in modern times that people began doubting the resurrection, but as Paul indicates, many people doubted it from the start. And he is very clear as to the choice we must make: either we accept that the resurrection occurred and obey the gospel that is based upon it — or we deny the resurrection and dispense with the gospel as nothing more than a myth whose believers are “most to be pitied” (v.19).

Like it or not, sin is real and we are lost. But no alternative to Christ is available for our forgiveness. “If Christ has not been raised . . . you are still in your sins” (v.17). To be sure, wishful thinking must not make our decision. If the gospel is false, we must face the facts. But let’s not water down what’s at stake here: hope vs. no hope.

"The resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of apostolic preaching and upon it rests the truth of the gospel" (Paul Earnhart).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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THE APOSTLES: DOUBTERS WHO BECAME EVANGELISTS (JUNE 12)

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". . . who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:3,4).

PHYSICALLY, JESUS WAS A DESCENDANT OF DAVID. But that does not tell the whole story about Him. He was also, as Paul said, “declared to be the Son of God . . . by his resurrection from the dead.” Even if a person had not been convinced by the other miracles Jesus performed (John 20:30,31), His resurrection could not be explained in any other way. If that took place, He was indeed the Son of God — and His gospel is to be believed and acted upon.

Jesus’ own disciples, especially the twelve apostles, are an interesting case. They had seen all of the miracles, and they had heard all of Jesus’ preaching. On some level, they had become believers (Matthew 16:13-16). But when Jesus was crucified, their hopes were dashed: He was dead, so how could He be the Messiah? But when they saw Him with their own eyes after His resurrection, they understood what the resurrection meant.

Thomas (who has often been called “Doubting Thomas”) was perhaps the hardest to convince. Not present when the Lord first appeared to the apostles after His resurrection, Thomas declared that he would need to see Jesus for himself. But later, when Jesus appeared and Thomas was present, Thomas drew exactly the right conclusion: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

If the resurrection took place, there is simply no other conclusion we can reach. And we can’t argue that the stories of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were made up and later added to the records of His life. There simply wasn’t enough time for this myth-making process to occur. The New Testament documents began to be written within 20-30 years after the resurrection. Those who wrote them knew beyond a doubt whether the resurrection had taken place — and rather than deny an event which they knew had actually come to pass, they were willing to die for their testimony. Having been doubters, they became evangelists. And it was the resurrection that turned them around.

"The fact that Jesus did arise from the dead was the only thing that brought absolute conviction to the hearts of even his disciples that he was the Son of God. His resurrection from the dead left in their minds no trace of doubt" (Robertson L. Whiteside).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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NORMATIVE NATURE OF THE APOSTLES' TEACHING (JUNE 11)

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"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:1,2).

WHEN WE ARE ADRIFT, WE NEED AN ANCHOR. But when it comes to the gospel of Christ, it is extremely important what anchor we choose to employ. Changing the metaphor, we might say that our standard of measurement is important. If we need to know whether a particular belief or practice is valid, we won’t get a helpful answer if we measure by the wrong yardstick.

For Christians, the Scriptures are the definitive standard by which beliefs and practices are to be judged. Starting with Genesis and culminating in the writings of the apostles of Christ, these documents are normative. That is, they define what is and what is not  an authentic part of the “Way” (Matthew 7:13,14; John 14:6; Acts 24:14). The Bible is, in effect, the “constitution” of Christianity.

In the late first century, several decades after the beginning of the gospel, many began to abandon the teaching of the apostles and promote progressive views of discipleship. Against this departure, the apostle John wrote a heartfelt plea to his brethren urging them to ground themselves in what they had been taught by the apostles (1 John 1:1-4; 2:24; 4:1,6). If they left this teaching, they would have departed from Christ (1 John 2:18,19; 2 John 9-11).

The crisis in John’s day was the beginning of a trend that continues today. At present, it is fashionable to say that there is no norm — Christianity is whatever we wish it to be. If there is any standard, it is our own subjective feelings. As for the Bible, it is viewed as a “living” book whose meaning changes over time.

Yet this goes against the way the apostles themselves viewed the gospel. There was, for example, no hope that the problems in Corinth would be solved if the Corinthians didn’t remember what Paul had taught them as an apostle. “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached.” And what if they did not hold fast? Paul left no doubt that they would have “believed in vain.”

"A Christian cannot live by philosophy. Only the light of Christian revelation gives the end as well as the means of life" (John Jay Chapman).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE APOSTLES (JUNE 10)

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"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

IN GOD’S PLAN TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS, THE APOSTLES HAD AN IMPORTANCE THAT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD. The entire message of the gospel depended on the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:13-17), and the apostles served, first and foremost, as eyewitnesses of that event. Each of them had seen Jesus after He had been raised (Acts 1:21,22). And while the apostles were not the only eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8), their testimony was invested with nothing less than the authority of Christ Himself (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). In addition, the apostles could perform miracles that guaranteed the truthfulness of their account (Hebrews 2:3,4). So the apostles were not just disciples or followers of Christ; they were the definitive, authoritative emissaries of Christ. They could regulate the practice of the church in its foundational period. And what we have today in the New Testament is the written record of their definitive teachings. These documents provide the permanent, unchangeable “constitution” of the Lord’s church.

In the first century, of course, many people claimed to be apostles who were not. So to separate the false apostles from those actually appointed by Christ, the true apostles were able to miraculously confirm their authority. Paul wrote to the Corinthians (some of whom were questioning his apostleship), “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works” (2 Corinthians 12:12).

Jesus said that after His resurrection the Holy Spirit would finish revealing to the apostles the things He had only just begun to teach them (John 14:25,26; 16:12-15). So to get all of Jesus’ teaching, we have to study not only what He personally taught, but also what was revealed to His apostles. Taken together, this body of teaching is definitive. It is authoritative and foundational. So we must not say, as many do, that we should ignore the apostles and only study the teachings of Jesus. The truth is, we can’t have Jesus without the apostles. They were His designated, not-to-be-ignored spokesmen.

"Jesus chose the twelve apostles for a unique, unrepeatable role in the history of redemption" (John Piper).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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SAVED FROM, SAVED FOR (JUNE 9)

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". . . by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:4).

THE QUESTION 'NOW WHAT?' IS ONE OF LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. Unfortunately, many of us who have sought salvation from our sins do not understand what salvation is for. Like ancient Israel, we’ve been rescued from “Egypt,” but we don’t have a good grasp of the goal God had in mind when He set us free.

THE PAST. It is not a good situation if the Christian has “forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (2 Peter 1:9). Now that we follow Christ, the dominant note in our lives should be gratitude: “thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (Romans 6:17). But we dare not define ourselves solely in terms of the things we don’t do anymore.

THE FUTURE. Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, and the gospel was meant to do more than subtract the evil from our lives (Luke 11:24-26). The question is, why did God want certain things removed from our lives and what does He now want to put in their place? We are not what we used to be, but what comes next?

Having forgiven us, God wants us to “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). His plan is to repair the damage of sin (Peter described it as “corruption”) and transform us into people who think and act as creatures made in His image. In fact, He plans to makes us into people who have the same character as His Son, Jesus Christ. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).

So a glorious destiny awaits us in Jesus Christ, and even now, we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And it’s not just our character but also our conduct that is being renovated. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). So let’s be frank: are we participating in God’s plan . . . or not?

"We have been holding the letter of truth while at the same time we have been moving away from it in spirit because we have been preoccupied with what we are saved from rather than what we have been saved to" (A. W. Tozer).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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WHAT WE NEED TO BE SAVED FROM (JUNE 8)

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"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew 15:19).

THE CANCER THE GOSPEL WAS MEANT TO CURE IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN MANY PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO ADMIT. If we want any help at all, it is usually just with our outward behavior or our external circumstances. But the gospel proposes to help us with our character — which in the Scriptures is often called our “heart.” It is our character that produces our conduct, and so the gospel works on the cause of the problem and not just its symptoms.

Sin is any transgression of the will of God, but sin may occur at different levels, some more basic than others. We may sin by doing things “on the surface” that are not right, but these sins are the symptoms of a deeper problem: our hearts are in rebellion against God. Looking back at Matthew 15:19, Jesus said that it’s “out of the heart” that evil thoughts and sinful deeds arise. That’s where the real problem lies, and that’s where we need the most help.

One of the most fascinating of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures is Ezekiel 36:26,27, where God said, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Jews in the first century who were looking for the coming of the kingdom of the Messiah could not have done better than to be longing for the new hearts the Messiah would make it possible for them to have.

One of the most important things in life is to take responsibility for our faults. In the gospel of Christ, we are asked to take responsibility at the deepest level. If we are to be saved from our sins, we must humbly acknowledge not just that we have done sinful deeds, but that we are sinful people. Whatever sins we have done outwardly, it is from our hearts that such deeds have come. We need to be saved not just from the penalty for our sins, but from the sinfulness of being the kind of people who would do such things to begin with. Recognizing this is the first step toward repentance.

"Christ's definition of sin penetrates far deeper than a list of sins on a membership card. It goes to our inner desire, motivations, and secret thoughts" (Erwin W. Lutzer).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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FROM GOD, FOR OUR PROFIT (JUNE 7)

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"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

MANY OF US, LIKE TIMOTHY, HAVE BEEN ACQUAINTED WITH THE SCRIPTURES SINCE WE WERE CHILDREN. But we, also like Timothy, need to be reminded of the extraordinary nature of these books that comprise the sacred writings. In 2 Timothy 3:16,17, Paul points to several fundamental facts about these documents.

SCRIPTURE. The Jews, and later the Christians, recognized a very special body of writings which they knew as “Scripture.” The word basically meant “writings,” but when referring to this unique collection, it meant writings that came from God. Of all the writings in the world, these are the most treasured and the most authoritative.

BREATHED OUT BY GOD. The uniqueness, and hence the authority, of the Scriptures derives from their having been “breathed out by God,” as Paul says. We do not know precisely the process through which this took place (indeed, the writer of Hebrews indicates, in 1:1,2, that it was not always in the same way), but the end result is clear: the books that can be called “Scripture” originated in the mind of God. In the words of Peter, “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

PROFITABLE. The Scriptures are not merely for our study; they are for our profit. God has revealed Himself for the purpose of our betterment. When mankind departed from God, one of the most tragic results of this alienation was the loss of the knowledge of God. But God reached across the gap and progressively reintroduced mankind to the truth about Himself. So the record in the Scriptures of this revelation is extremely profitable to us: “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

We are right to say that the Scriptures are unfathomable. That is not to say they are mysterious or impossible to understand, but simply that they are inexhaustible. No matter how many years we study, there is always more to learn — and more to profit from. Indeed, the inexhaustible nature of the Bible is one of the clues that it was not produced by merely human wisdom.

"God's Book is packed full of overwhelming riches; they are unsearchable -- the more we have the more there is to have" (Oswald Chambers).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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