Obeying the Gospel

LISTEN TO HIM (MAY 9)

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"And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is my beloved Son; listen to him'" (Mark 9:7).

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, WE OUGHT TO LISTEN. Other people may say things we have little interest in, but surely, when the Creator of the universe is addressing us, as He does today through the Scriptures, the least we can do is sit up and take notice.

It was an extraordinary claim when Jesus said that His teaching was authoritative because He was God in the flesh (Matthew 11:27; 28:18; John 5:18-27; 8:28; etc.). This was not merely the claim of a prophet, a human being whom God was using as a spokesman; this was an assertion of equality with God and ultimate authority, a status far greater than Moses or Elijah ever had. “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus . . . And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him’” (Mark 9:2-4,7).

It is sobering to realize that our destiny depends on how we listen to God’s Son. Jesus pointed to the problem of those who have heard but not obeyed when He said, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:47,48). In the end, it will be a painful recollection if we have to remember that we closed our ears to the words that could have saved us.

These days, it would be a rare person anywhere in the world who has not “heard” the gospel. Printed Bibles are everywhere, and digital copies of the Scriptures are even more universal. So for most of us, the main question is what we’ve done with what we’ve heard, however much or little that may be. Or perhaps we could put it another way: the question is not whether we’ve heard; it’s whether we’ve listened. We’ve heard enough truth to save the whole world. But are we paying attention? Is the truth sinking in?

"Hearin’ is one thing and listenin’ is another" (William Frend De Morgan).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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THE SPACIOUS FIRMAMENT ON HIGH (MAY 8)

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"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4).

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD. So said David, a man who would have pondered the sky on many occasions, especially in the days of his youth as a shepherd. Every part of the world is full of wonder, obviously, but there is something special about the sky. We need to admire it more — and think more deeply about why it is that the sky moves our hearts as it does.

The heavens do not just declare the existence of God (although that is a point of immense importance in itself); it is His “glory” that is proclaimed. The word “glory” literally means “brightness” or “splendor,” but I want to propose an idea. When we are speaking of God, might we not think of glory as the joining of beauty and power? I think so, and I suspect that the blending of these two is why God’s creation has such an undeniable impact on us.

There are those who are not much moved by beauty. For them, power is of more interest. And then, there are those for whom beauty has more appeal than power. But whoever you are, I predict that in the presence of something equally beautiful and powerful, your heart would melt. If you don’t shut it down, your heart will tell you the truth: the heavens declare the glory of God. God is real.

I used to doubt it, but I doubt it no more. Even though, for me, the “days of trouble” have come (Ecclesiastes 12:1 NIV), my heart has been ravished with Beauty and Power. The Beauty is too powerful, and the Power too beautiful, to resist. The truth is not only true; it is a glorious, magnificent reality. And when I shall have been mended and made whole by the God who became Man, I will thrill to the joy of being a part of His rescued people, forever.

The Spacious Firmament on high,
With all the blue Ethereal Sky,
And spangled Heav'ns, a Shining Frame,
Their great Original proclaim:
Th’ unwearied Sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's Pow'r display,
And publishes to every Land
The Work of an Almighty Hand.
(Joseph Addison)

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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THE HAND THAT MADE US IS DIVINE (MAY 7)

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"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:19,20).

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION “PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE”? It’s a cumbersome string of words, I’ll grant you, but it contains a useful idea. The preponderance of the evidence means “the greater weight of evidence.” Disputed questions are (or should be) settled in this way. When all the evidence has been heard and all the arguments made, on which side does the evidence weigh more heavily? In which direction do the scales tip?

The existence of God is a disputed question, to say the least. And it seems that disbelief is the “trending” position right now. Yet the evidence has not changed; it is what it has always been. And no matter what the social, cultural, and political pressures may be, our task also remains unchanged. We must decide whether the evidence is heavier on the side of belief or disbelief.

Now, it is one thing to sit safely in Starbucks and debate the existence of God. But what if your life depended on it? Suppose you were going to be asked whether God exists, an envelope would be opened revealing the truth of the matter (“May I have the envelope, please?”), and if your answer was wrong, you would be taken outside and shot to death. What would you do? You would ignore the opinion polls and hang your hopes on whichever position had the greater evidence. With your life on the line, you would disregard even your own prejudices. Only one thing would matter: the actual evidence.

Paul argued that God’s “eternal power and divine nature” are clearly seen “in the things that have been made.” Many have agreed, including Joseph Addison, who was no fool when he wrote, “The Hand that made us is Divine.” It is reason (based on thoughtful observation and not childish simplicity) that urges this conclusion.

What though, in solemn Silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial Ball?
What tho’ nor real Voice nor Sound
Amid their radiant Orbs be found?
In Reason’s Ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious Voice,
For ever singing, as they shine,
The Hand that made us is Divine.
(Joseph Addison)

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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MEMBERS OF HIS BODY, NOURISHED AND CHERISHED (MAY 6)

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"For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body" (Ephesians 5:29,30).

HUSBANDS ARE EXHORTED TO NOURISH AND CHERISH THEIR WIVES “JUST AS CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH.” As the head of the body, Christ is deeply concerned about the body’s healthy functioning. It is more than a minor interest of His. He died to make the church possible, and having done that, there is nothing He wouldn’t do to provide for the ongoing needs of the church. His nurturing of those who are His special people is without measure.

Paul made this point in Romans 8:32 also. Speaking of God the Father, he wrote, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” As the CEV words it, “If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?” The cross proves everything we need to know about our Lord’s benevolent intentions toward the saved.

As those who have obeyed the gospel and been saved from our sins, we are, as Paul says, “members of his body.” This is one of many ways that Christians are described in the New Testament. In other passages we are spoken of as a kingdom, a household, a vineyard, and so forth. Even “church” is a metaphor, comparing the Lord’s people to an assembly or gathering. But to speak of the Lord’s saved ones as His “body” is a very special way of speaking. Every time we Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, we are reminded that His body was broken for us in order that we might become His body. And again, if He would make such a difficult sacrifice, should we doubt that He desires to nourish and cherish the body that He has brought into being?

Christians have been saved in order to serve. Whatever blessings we’ve received, we are to view those as resources to be used rather than treasures to be hoarded. Similarly, we can say that the “nourishing” and “cherishing” of the church by Christ are not meant to be enjoyed selfishly but evangelistically. How could a cared-for people not care for others? How could they fail to serve — and sacrifice for — the spiritual needs of those around them?

"The church was not designed to be a reservoir, ever-receiving and retaining for itself God’s spiritual blessings, but rather a conduit, conveying them on and out to others everywhere" (Robert Hall Glover).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR THE CHURCH (MAY 5)

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"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25).

HERE, WITHIN THE SPACE OF JUST A FEW WORDS, WE HAVE ONE OF THE PROFOUNDEST STATEMENTS OF THEOLOGY EVER MADE. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Here is the heart of the truth about Jesus Christ and also our main motivation for obeying His gospel. And since the statement is part of Paul’s discussion of husbands and wives, we should add: if husbands are to love their wives with anything close to the love Christ had for the church when He went to the cross, they’ve got their work cut out for them.

CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH. When Jesus said to His disciples, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), He spoke of a future event. Even when He died, the church He said He would build did not yet exist. So how can it be said that He gave Himself up because He “loved the church”? We can say that He loved the church prospectively, knowing it would soon come into existence, but it was not the church in the aggregate that He died for. He died for individuals who needed to be saved. So when Christ died, those whom He loved were the individuals who would obey the gospel and receive the forgiveness His death would make possible. We all need to see ourselves in this picture. Even if I am one who has not yet obeyed the gospel, I need to envision myself coming to be a part of the church that Christ loved so much. How could I not want to do so?

AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER. None of us could have been saved without Christ’s sacrifice. It was His death that atoned for the guilt of our transgressions and opened up the door of God’s grace to us. Surely no one in the history of the world has ever made a greater sacrifice for others than Jesus made when He put Himself in our place and was executed. And for whom did He do this? His church.

When all is said and done, it is sacrifice that shows the extent of love. Christ did more than speak words of love; He gave Himself up for us. So let’s celebrate Christ’s sacrifice. And let’s not be reluctant to celebrate the church which, by His love, became His bride.

For Christ, our dear Redeemer,
For Christ, the crucified;
For the church His blood hath purchased,
The church, His holy bride.
(E. E. Hewitt)

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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CHRIST AND THE CHURCH (MAY 4)

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"For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands" (Ephesians 5:23,24).

THESE VERSES OCCUR IN A PASSAGE THAT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE HUSBAND-WIFE RELATIONSHIP. There is certainly an analogy between this relationship and that of Christ to His church, but Paul is clear that the Christ-church relationship is the primary idea, and the other is the one serving as an illustration. “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (v.32). So while we could profit from studying God’s will for the marriage relationship, let’s think today about Christ’s relationship to the church, which is His bride (Revelation 19:7; 21:2,9; 22:17).

First, Paul emphasizes that Christ is the “head” of His church. In fact, He is its only head. He has no vicar on earth. His will for the church was recorded in the New Testament writings, and if His headship is to be respected, those writings cannot be disregarded.

Next, notice that the church is the “body” of Christ. Many practical lessons can be drawn from this, but one is that if the body ever becomes disconnected from the head, it dies. In John 15:5, He used a different analogy (vine and branches), but the point is still the same: “apart from me you can do nothing.”

Finally, meditate on Christ being the “Savior” of the church. In its universal sense, that is what the church is: those who have been saved by Christ. But the danger is that the church will forget that it has been saved, or even that it needed to be saved. Surely, we ought to sing more often the great hymn “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

All of this should impress us with Christ’s preeminence in all things relating to His people. He is “first” in every sense of the word. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). But it is in grace and benevolence that Christ’s authority is exercised, at least toward those who have laid down their rebellion and received His amnesty. To those individuals — His church — His rule results in their highest good. If we are “in Christ,” there is no rightful need that He does not gladly supply.

"Christ is full and sufficient for all his people. He is . . . a Foundation to support, a Root to quicken, a Head to guide, a Treasure to enrich, a Sun to enlighten, and a Fountain to cleanse" (John Spencer).

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GOD’S GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS (MAY 3)

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"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20,21).

PAUL’S WORDS HERE CONSTITUTE A “DOXOLOGY.” From the Greek doxa (“glory, honor”), a doxology is an expression of praise to God. To God be glory, Paul says, throughout all generations.

IN CHRIST JESUS. Everything about Christ results in God’s glory. On the evening before He died, Jesus prayed, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (John 17:1). So we may certainly pray that God will be glorified in Christ.

IN THE CHURCH. Because it deals with human beings, this part of the passage is hard for some to understand, and yet it is no less true. The work of Christ in accomplishing the Father’s purposes resulted in a people saved from their sins. God is glorified by the very existence of these people. Even prior to their perfection in heaven, those saved “in Christ” are those by whose redemption God is greatly glorified.

Our prayer should be that God will receive glory “in the church and in Christ Jesus.” Yes, we do need to resist sectarian, institutional, and “party” concepts of the church, but we must not be so preoccupied with false doctrine that we fail to emphasize important truths that should be preached positively. I fear that some can’t even hear the mention of a passage like Ephesians 3:21 without hastening to remind hearers of what it does not mean. But surely, what the passage teaches is extremely important, and we shouldn’t be hesitant to proclaim it. May God be glorified in Christ Jesus. And may He be glorified in the church, as Paul teaches us.

God chose that Christ’s glory would be closely related to the glory of His people, people who have been saved from their sins by His own blood. These people — broken, fallible, but forgiven people, growing in holiness as they learn from their mistakes — are the people who “embody” Christ and glorify God the Father. If you have obeyed the gospel of Christ, you are a part of Christ’s body, His church. In your new relationship with God, you are not alone. You are part of a people, each of whom it glorified God to rescue.

In Your church, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.
In Your church, Lord, be glorified today.
(Bob Kilpatrick)

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

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WHAT GOD HAS GRACIOUSLY REVEALED TO US (MAY 2)

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"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHICH GOD HAS NOT REVEALED TO THE HUMAN RACE. In fact, it seems likely that only a small portion of what God knows has been revealed to us. We can think of many reasons why God has not spoken of some things. Some would be beyond our ability to understand even if He should tell us. Others are none of our business, which is to say, we have no need to know them. Other things are more than we could bear — it is in mercy that He has not spoken to us of these. But whatever the case may be, “the secret things belong to the Lord our God.”

Yet the main point of Moses’ statement in Deuteronomy 29:29 is about the things that have been revealed. These, he said, “belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” God would surely be pleased if we paid more attention to the “do-able” and “obey-able” aspect of His revelation. He has not revealed Himself merely to inform us or to satisfy our curiosity. It is, instead, for the purpose of our obedience. If the problem of sin boils down to our refusal to obey God, that problem can’t be corrected until we’re brought back to a wholesome sense of the goodness of God’s law. Even in the revelation of His character, God is wanting not just to correct our intellectual misunderstandings of His nature or improve our emotional responses to Him. He is wanting to bring us back to the blessings of a creaturely will that is conformed obediently to its Creator (as reflected in Psalm 19:7-14).

Blaise Pascal made a good point when he said, “Instead of complaining that God has hidden himself, you should give him thanks for having revealed so much of himself.” Given our rebellion against Him, the wonder is that God has spoken to us at all. And if we are thinking rightly, we will drink in every bit of truth about Himself that God has shared with us, eagerly wanting not only to know it but to act on it, hoping always to respond to God with a more perfect blend of reverence and gratitude.

"Faith instructs us in the depths of God. Faith stands above any human system, no matter how valid; it is concerned with the revealed data, with that glory which cannot be named by any human name, yet has desired to make itself known to us in words which all may understand" (Jacques Maritain).

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EZRA’S GODLY SORROW (MAY 1)

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"O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).

EZRA DID NOT DOUBT GOD’S READINESS TO FORGIVE, BUT NEITHER DID HE DOUBT THE REQUIREMENT OF REPENTANCE. His grief was an indication of his deep reverence for God, coupled with a recognition that sin is never a trifling matter. It must be dealt with boldly, bravely, and with a commitment to return to God’s will.

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul contrasted “godly sorrow” with the “sorrow of the world” or mere self-pity: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (NKJV). While selfish sorrow will certainly produce misery, it does not produce repentance. Only godly sorrow does that. When we recognize the seriousness of our transgressions against God and how much He loves us, we are strongly moved to lay aside our sin and come back to obeying Him.

A lack of godly sorrow is one reason the “repentance” of many people disappears so quickly. Never having pondered how seriously their sins affected their Heavenly Father and His work in this world, they are not powerfully motivated to repent. If they make any commitment to repentance at all, it is little more than “I guess I’ll give it a try.” But godly sorrow is a more potent force. It produces, as Paul says, “repentance leading to salvation.”

In an age when feeling good is the highest priority, the process of godly sorrow is often short-circuited. Many of us know the value that God places upon “a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17), but we rush past that stage pretty quickly. Eager to be happy again, we fail to grieve our sins in a way that would put us on the path to a true and deep reformation of our character.

If repentance is an essential part of God’s plan of salvation (and it certainly is), then the godly sorrow that leads to repentance is critically important. It requires humility, certainly. But if we are willing to bow before God in the honest recognition of our sins’ seriousness, we may be sure that He is ready to help us and heal us.

"It does not need to be a formal prayer: the most stumbling and broken cry -- a sigh, a whisper, anything that tells the heart's loneliness and need and penitence -- can find its way to God" (Phillips Brooks).

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THE GOSPEL: WORDS AND POWER (APRIL 30)

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". . . our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

PAUL’S ENEMIES IN THESSALONICA WERE PROBABLY SAYING THAT HE WAS A FAKE. The gospel of Christ was false, they would have said, and what is more, Paul knew it to be false. He was deceiving people deliberately, for reasons that were purely selfish. So Paul was anxious about those who had obeyed the gospel in Thessalonica. Knowing of their persecution and that they were hearing hateful charges against him, Paul was concerned — not about his reputation but about their steadfastness. The last thing he wanted was for their faith to be overthrown by doubts about him personally.

To these brethren, Paul wrote, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers . . . For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5).

Paul wanted several things to be clearly understood. (1) Although the gospel is communicated by words, it was far more than the reasonableness of the words that had moved the Thessalonians to believe. (2) In addition to the words, there had been “power.” This is a reference to the miraculous powers by which the apostles guaranteed the truth of their message (Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:4,5; Hebrews 2:3,4). (3) The Thessalonians also needed to remember that the gospel had come to them “in the Holy Spirit.” This may be a second way of referring to the miracles, but it probably also points to the source of the gospel. The message had come from the Holy Spirit and not merely from Paul’s intellect (1 Corinthians 2:11-13). (4) Finally, the gospel had been presented “with full conviction.” Paul believed the gospel deeply. He and his coworkers might be many things, but they were not charlatans or liars. “You know,” he said, “what kind of men we proved to be among you.”

This text merits our careful attention. Even though the apostles are no longer preaching in person, the foundation has been laid and the record stands firm. The gospel, as preached and confirmed by the apostles, is just as powerful for us as it was for the Thessalonians!

"The world has many religions; it has but one gospel" (George Owen).

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