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Baptism: Your Gospel “Show and Tell”
Just a couple days ago, a middle-aged man who had recently trusted in Christ as his Savior asked me, “Do you think I should be baptized? If so, why?”
As a pastor of a church that practices believer baptism, the question was not a tremendous surprise. Not a week seems to go by without someone asking me, “what is baptism all about? What does it really mean? How do you baptize people? I was baptized as an infant, should I be baptized now that I’ve believed in Christ as my personal Savior?”
The men, women, and children I regularly speak with usually approach the who, what, why, when, and how of baptism with a note of seriousness, recognizing it’s no trivial matter. But many people have heard such a variety of opinions about baptism that they are left rather confused about the biblical meaning and pattern for this important ordinance Christ established for His followers.
Are you unsure about the meaning or practice of baptism? Have you not yet taken the step to be baptized as a follower of Jesus? Were you baptized as an infant, yet now wonder if you should be baptized as a believer?
I’d love to help you discover the answers to your questions. Below is a short walk-through on the meaning, biblical teaching, and reasons for baptism. Please comment below if you have any other questions or would like to be baptized as a follower of Jesus at Mayfair Bible Church!
A New DNA
Baptizo (βαπτιζω) – “to baptize, dip, immerse”
New life in Jesus Christ comes through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection by the grace of God alone. This new life is eternal (John 3:16; 5:24; Romans 6:23) and transformational in the life of the believer. Those who have placed personal faith in Christ are now in union with Him (cf. Eph. 1) and have received a new identity (cf. Romans 6:1-13).
The apostle Paul shouts with joy about our new spiritual “DNA” in Jesus:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”(2 Corinthians 5:17)
There is something intrinsically different about those now in Jesus Christ, who have crossed over from death to life (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14). If you have been born from above (John 3:1-17) through the God-initiated process of the Spirit-drawing, Gospel-hearing, faith-receiving act of conversion to Christ, you are not the same man or woman you once were. You are part of a new family (Eph. 1:5; 2:19). You are completely righteous in God’s sight (Rom. 5:1). You are empowered to walk in a whole new way of life (Romans 6:1-12). You are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1). And you are commissioned for a new mission (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Picture Preaches
The ordinance of baptism is to be performed as an outward, visible sign of God’s indwelling Spirit and the conversion of the person to Christ – their new identity in Him – and should be performed by means of full immersion. It is a proclamation of the faith one has already placed in Christ and is intended to be a witness to the unbelieving world (see Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-42).
Why full immersion? First, lexically, the verb “to baptize” (from the New Testament Greek verb baptizo – βαπτιζω) was used only for “dipping, submerging, or immersing” in every context in the New Testament but also in other pieces of ancient Greek literature. Historically, Jewish proselytes also practiced baptism by full immersion long before John the Baptist and the later followers of Christ began baptizing. The immediate cultural setting of the early Church would only have understood the term ‘baptism’ to connote the act of immersion in water.
The gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism also clearly indicate He was fully immersed in water, not baptized by pouring or sprinkling as some might suggest:
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.” (Matthew 3:16)
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him…” (Mark 1:10)
Second, theologically, baptism by immersion as believers in union with Jesus beautifully and creatively symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. The apostle Paul articulates the theology of our new identity with Christ and its real-life implications today:
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism[1] into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:4-7)
What does this have to do with baptism by immersion (which, ironically, is actually like saying “baptism by baptism”)? The reason why the early church understood baptism in terms of its symbolism in death and resurrection was because the act of being laid down underneath the waters of baptism and then raised again above the waters was to be like a sermon in pictures – a live object lesson and proclamation of our belief in the Christ who was buried and raised for us and for our salvation.
The same is true today for followers of Jesus. The act of being lowered down into the water symbolizes dying to your old life of sin in separation from God. The act of being raised out of the water symbolizes receiving new and eternal life in Jesus Christ. The picture is meant to preach. Sprinkling, pouring, or other so-named modes of baptism fall short of all the brushstrokes intended for the portrait of Christian baptism.
New Testament Baptism Stories
The baptism stories in the first-century church show a clear pattern of one receiving Christ as Savior by grace through faith, followed by baptism as a public demonstration of their identity with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection:
- People in Jerusalem who responded to Peter’s sermon by receiving the Gospel of Christ: “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)
- The inquisitive Ethiopian who received Christ as Savior through Philip’s ministry: “The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture [Isaiah 53:7-8] he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts. 8:34-39)
- The apostle Paul, following his conversion and the healing of his eyesight: “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18)
- The Philippian jailer and his family, through the ministry of Paul and Silas: “And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.” (Acts 16:29-34)
- The new Christ-followers in Corinth: “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
- The new Christ-followers in Ephesus: “And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:3-5)
For Me?
Take time to prayerfully evaluate your desire to receive baptism in order to determine your reasoning and the biblical motivation for baptism.
Bad Reasons for Baptism
- “I think baptism will help me get saved.”
- “I believe baptism is necessary for my salvation.”
- “Everybody else is getting baptized…”
- “My parents really want me to be baptized.”
- “I want to become a church member and baptism is required.”
The Real Reason for Baptism
Christ’s final words before His ascension call every follower to be baptized in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who are all together as One, active in drawing the lost to saving faith:
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Therefore, your baptism is a response of joyful submission and loving obedience to Christ’s command, in light of the great salvation you have received by grace, through faith, on the basis of His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is a public proclamation that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and a wonderful moment for the church to rejoice in what God has done in your life.
If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, the only Way to be rescued from sin and death, and have not yet obeyed His command to be baptized as a believer, we invite you to take this important step. It will be a day of celebration you’ll never forget!
Here’s a short video of me baptizing a man “first century” style in the Grand River (in downtown Grand Rapids, MI):
Further Information (for the extra curious)
“Sticky” Verses
“…born of water and the Spirit” – John 3:5
Edwin Blum outlines 5 major views on this rather difficult passage to interpret:
- The ‘water’ refers to the natural birth, and the “Spirit” to the birth from above.
- The ‘water’ refers to the Word of God (Eph. 5:26).
- The ‘water’ refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration (This view contradicts other Bible verses that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone; e.g. John 3:16, 36; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
- The ‘water’ is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
- The ‘water’ refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit of Christ to an individual,” (John 3:5). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament edition, pg. 281.
“John the Baptist had stirred the nation by his ministry and stress on repentance (Matt. 3:1-6). ‘Water’ would remind Nicodemus of the Baptist’s emphasis. So Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, needed to turn to Him (repent) in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.” (Blum, TBKC, pg. 281)
While numerous interpretations of this verse have arisen, the most probably meaning, in keeping with other relevant passages, is the fifth view presented by Blum.
“…Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you…” – 1 Peter 3:21
Some have claimed that this singular passage teaches “baptismal regeneration,” namely that the act of receiving water baptism is necessary for salvation. There are three key problems with this view:
- The entire message of the New Testament points toward salvation in Christ as completely separate from any human works, including the physical act of baptism. The work of Christ alone, in His sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection, is salvific, not any of our good or righteous-looking deeds.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace [the unearned, unmerited favor/kindness of God] you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Paul repeats the same pivotal idea in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And in Paul’s letter to Titus he again affirms salvation by grace alone: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:4-5). Jesus continually points to the salvation gift as received only through the God-initiated response of faith – belief that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, who has come to save us from our sins: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) And again: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24) See also: John 6:47-51; 12:36; 14:6; 20:31.
- Peter’s own Spirit-inspired writings, in the immediate context, clearly point to forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation as a gift received only through the work of Christ alone, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18)
- The “baptismal regeneration” view ignores the Old Testament parallel drawn by Peter and the analogical picture of what baptism theologically signifies. Peter is giving us a picture illustration (because he’s a preacher): As (type) God provided the ark for Noah and his family so that they could be rescued against the flood of God’s righteous judgment, so in a much greater way (the antitype) God’s provision of Christ the Savior is our rescue from the just wrath of God against sin. How do we receive God’s rescue? Through believing in Christ’s victory: His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3; 3:18, 22). When Peter uses the phrase “Corresponding to this, baptism now saves you,” he is referring to the meaning behind the symbol, the symbolic significance of baptism. And he makes it clear he is not talking about literal water, “not the removal of dirt from the flesh (your physical body)” (v. 21b). Instead, he relates it to the act of repentance – turning to God in Jesus Christ for salvation: “but an appeal to God for a good conscience” (v. 21c). And how is our salvation ultimate possible? Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead (v. 21c). The “appeal to God for a good conscience” is the response of faith to God’s message of rescue and forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ. And this is precisely what is theologically proclaimed when a believer is baptized. So just as God’s rescue provision for Noah and his family was the Ark through the waters of judgment, so God’s ultimate rescue provision for humankind is Jesus Christ (in His death, resurrection, and ascension), who took all our judgment upon Himself so that we could receive His righteousness.[2]
[1] Meaning the union/identity we have in Christ, e.g. Paul is explaining the symbol theologically not literally about the actual act of baptism.
[2] “Peter is using the flood and deliverance of Noah and his family as a loose analogy or type of what is portrayed in Christian salvation and baptism. Just as Noah passed through the floodwaters into salvation from God’s judgment, so believers pass through baptism into salvation from God’s judgment. But, before you leap to wrong conclusions, Peter clarifies – it is not the act of baptism which saves (“the removal of dirt from the flesh”), but what baptism signifies – the appeal to God for a good conscience.” – Steve Cole
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Taking Your Vitamins?
Did you take all your vitamins today? Some of us struggle to remember to take our vitamins….like me. But when I catch a bad cold or virus, it’s quite amazing how I suddenly remember to take all my vitamins with clock-work rhythm each day. At least until I’m healthy again, that is.
Not all our vitamins are pleasant to the tastebuds, but we know they’re good for us. We need the upkeep. Our bodies are susceptible to any number of germs. And all the March-season bugs are just waiting to grab a hold of our sinus cavities.
Similarly, when we’re jogging along in a healthy trajectory of spiritual growth, we can find ourselves gaining an inordinate confidence in ourselves. We gaze back at our past accomplishments with a token note of thanks to God, yet also an encroaching desire for a good ole’ pat-on-the-back. We might ease up on the throttle, subtly believing we’ve crossed a threshold in obvious maturity.
And we might skip a few vitamins… a little less time in focused prayer won’t hurt, will it? Suddenly three days go by without digging into God’s Word. We miss one Sunday of collective worship and service, then surprisingly it turns into three out of five. Not so suddenly, an intentional effort to share the gospel drifts to the back our minds. We find ourselves scratching our heads to remember the last time we showed Christ’s love in a tangible way to someone in need. Our response is less than gracious to people at church who park in our spot, sing to loudly, or irritate us for one reason or another.
Yikes. I know we all don’t want to go in that direction.
So we all must keep taking good, God-ordained vitamins. And the “we” also includes me.
Vitamins are for maintaining and growing in health and that’s just what our new series entitled “Worship… through the Lens of Love” is all about. God’s message for us in First Corinthians is a strong dose, indeed. The needs and issues in first-century Corinth are shockingly similar to the “germs and viruses” we face today.
Our study is not meant to be triage but a good shot of truth-saturated vitamins. Yet just as we don’t like the taste of every vitamin, the truth of God’s Word may seem quite uncomfortable at times.
We might even attempt to dodge the convicting sword of God’s Word through rationalizing our way into believing we’re “just fine.” You and I may even have the gall to disagree with the plain message of the Bible. Oh, not openly, of course. But with a quiet resistance to repentance, we tell God, “I don’t like this. I don’t believe I have to change this. Therefore, I’m not going obey You on this.”
Pastor Timothy Keller shoots a “cannonball across the bow” toward this sort of religious posturing:
“If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.”
Ouch. Sometimes the truth hurts.
So Here’s a Warning Label:
God’s vitamins of truth contained in First Corinthians may result in serious discomfort, conviction, and the acute awareness of one’s guilt and/or spiritual immaturity.
Physical symptoms may include but are not limited to tears, sweaty palms, heart palpitations, racing thoughts, anger, frustration, a pit in one’s throat, and weakness in the knees.
Positive effects of receiving these vitamins include but are not limited to freely and joyfully turning away from the viruses of sin (i.e. pride, selfishness, envy, strife, gossip, bitterness, lack of self-control, anger, violence, immorality, etc.), a renewed spiritual vitality, an overflowing love for others, an experience of greater unity within the church, and a clear sense of purpose for one’s life.
The following vitamins are imperative and repeated throughout First Corinthians:
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:13-14)
God’s Word read, studied, preached, and taught is like a full-order of vitamins, whereby we grow and remain healthy. So we’ll you join me in prayer as we gather again to come under the convicting work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God? Please pray with me that we all come ready to receive from the vitamins of God’s Holy Word. Thank you!
In Christ Alone,
Below are a few of the audio messages from our 6 part series (currently continuing) entitled, “Worship…through the Lens of Love [A Series from First Corinthians], delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday mornings in March and April 2016.
You can listen to the full audio message by clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
“The Cross as Our Compass” (1 Corinthians 1:14-25) – Part 1
“Body Parts” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) – Part 2
“The Litmus Test of Love” (1 Corinthians 13:1-7) – Part 3
“Unfailing Love” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) – Part 4
“Worship Wars and the Love of God” (1 Corinthians 14:1-19) – Part 5
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A Sermon From My 16-year-old Self
A few days ago I uncovered an old spiral-bound notebook from my high school days. “Aha! This should be humorous!” I thought. “What sort of peculiar ideas was I scribbling down at that age?”
As I thumbed through various notes from my landscape business, exam preparation material on American government and economics, backpacking food recipes, and other random jots, my interest perked up when I happened upon a sermon I wrote concerning prayer and the status of our country. Interestingly, all the dates in this notebook are from 1999, which indicates I penned this sermon-essay a little over 16 years ago, when I was 16 years old (I’ll be 33 this coming May).
Just what was I thinking about when I was 16 years old? Well, that is for you to determine as you read my short “sermon” below. But as I reflect on this message from my 16-year-old self, I recognize my biblical and theological understanding is now (hopefully) deeper, clearer, and more nuanced. With all the grammar and syntax pounded into me during 9 years of college and seminary education, I now see obvious gaps in my 16-year-old self’s writing style.
However, what I pray never fades is the passionate fervor for God’s truth and the “fire in my bones” (Jer. 20:9) to preach with His authority and power. The calling of God to “preach as a dying man to dying men,” as Richard Baxter put it, has been woven into the fiber of my being from the time I was a small boy. I pray this flame is never dampened with age but ever increases to the praise of God’s glorious grace.
I again echo the words of the legendary missionary, Jim Elliot:
“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”
On Prayer: A Sermon From My 16-Year-Old Self
Prayer is communication with God. What is communication? It is talking and listening. The need for prayer in our nation is very great. God is longing for people who will hear His voice and obey, people that will hunger after God, long to speak with Him and desire His will in their lives. I’m talking about a praying spirit or for lack of a better word, a praying attitude.
We hear people complain about the moral decay and the corrupt society we live in. We hear politicians, preachers, and the like condemn this act and blame this person and that person (which might be all well and good), but do we hear people praying? I believe if God’s people long to see this nation turn to Christ, they must pray.
Jesus, the blood-shed on Calvary, is the answer. But the only way we can get to know Jesus is by talking and listening to Him. We all know how God has changed our nation in the past through prayer and action. From our nation’s birth to the great revivals of Edwards, Moody, and Azusa Street, prayer to the Lord God Almighty is what started it and prayer is what kept it going.
If prayer stops, revival stops.
Our time is now. It is time to rise to the occasion, to take the torch and run with it. For the prayers that have gone before us will not carry us any longer. We must long to know God and do whatever He wills.
The reasons to pray are enormous.
Based on 1 Tim. 2:8; Luke 19:46; Acts 1:14; 6:4; 12:5; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Jam. 5:15-16:
Through Prayer…
- God sends revival.
- God casts out demons.
- God breaks down principalities and powers, “rulers of darkness,” etc.
- God gives us victory over sin.
- God gives life and joy in life.
- God mends relationships.
- God changes lives.
- God gives comfort.
- God gives us love.
- God grants salvation.
- God heals.
- God gives wisdom.
- God gives strength.
- God changes cities, states, and He can change this country.
- We enter God’s presence.
Through prayer… God is changing my life and He can change yours!
Prayer is vital, for if we do not pray, we will not see lives changed, relationships mended, and lives saved. Prayer is the backbone of revival, and oh how we need a church with a strong backbone!
It is time for soft Christians to get tough, for weak Christians to become strong, for lukewarm Christians to turn back to the Lord. And this can only happen through prayer — through knowing God intimately.
Let us pray. Let us humble ourselves, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways, and He will heal our land.
1999 – from a 16-year-old Michael Breznau
_________________________
Let us all rivet our attention on these striking words from the late Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994):
The two prerequisites for successful Christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer. The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer – the highest ministry of all human offices – is open to all.
Spiritual adolescents say, “I’ll not go tonight, it’s only the prayer meeting.” It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching. Yet, past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God’s people praying. God is not prodigal with His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God.
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Dear Pastor Michael… My Heart Aches
Several weeks ago, I received a note from someone in our church, which held a very important question I surmise many of us might want to ask. Unfortunately it’s one of those questions we may be too afraid to say out loud. Some of us might wonder, “Is my question going to bring a lightning strike? Or am I speaking in contradiction to God’s Word? Will someone think I’m not a good Christian if I ask this?”
So with the permission and encouragement of the person who wrote me, I’ve included their note and my response. The personal information of the member has been changed or removed to protect their anonymity.
Pastor Michael,
Thank you for your sermon today and the elements and reminders that give us believers such Hope. The thing I struggle with is not being able to say, “Jesus, Come Quickly”. What about all the people that believers might know who don’t know the Lord Jesus as their Savior? One of my close relatives, for instance, is living a life separate from God. There are many more I could think of.
My heart aches for what the day would look like for the unsaved when all of us that are saved are rejoicing. It is a picture that I don’t like to envision often. Would there be any kind of help you could give me for this? I’m just pretty confused. Thank you for how you serve so diligently at North Park. I am thankful for your biblical leadership in the church.
___________________
Dear North Park family member,
The joy and delight in God’s Word that I see in you deeply encourages me! You and your family are such a blessing to North Park Baptist Church.
You have raised a very good question. How can we rejoice and look forward to the second coming of Christ, when the “day of the Lord” will mete out judgment and eternal condemnation to all the unrighteous? As you point out, all of us are close to those who show evidence of being spiritually lost and apart from Christ. Our relationships make the heartache all the more palpable. And what of those who have never heard or responded to the Gospel all over the world?
First of all, I believe the love, compassion, and concern you have for those outside of a relationship with Christ is no accident. God has filled your heart with love for the lost because this reflects His heart for the lost. Relating directly to “the coming day of the Lord” the apostle Peter described God’s heart this way,
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 (see the prior context, too).
The same reflection of God’s heart for the lost is described in 1 Timothy 2:3-4,
“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Paul then immediately conjoins God’s desire with God’s provision for salvation:
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
God has provided the Way of rescue through Christ alone. From the deep well of God’s love, the Father ordained for the Son to die in our place, suffering the death we all deserved and bearing the just wrath of God, so that all who place their full trust in His provision will receive new, eternal life. The beautiful hope all believers have is summed up in John 5:24,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
All who trust in Jesus Christ will never face judgment. We will not be condemned. We are forgiven full and free because of the saving work completely finished by Christ. And yet, as you can easily see, we all must hear and believe. Those who do not believe the Gospel are already destined for judgment and nothing they do or don’t do can reverse their course. Only saving faith in Christ will save and change their eternal destination.
But here’s what we must remember…
1. God’s desire is on display in His provision of His perfect Son… who bore all God’s just wrath against sin so that all who receive the Son as their Savior will receive the righteousness of God in Him (cf. Rom. 3:21-26).
The Bible tells us no one is born in right-standing with God (Rom. 3:9-18, 23). Every human who has ever lived after the Fall of Adam has been born “in sin” (Psa. 51:5; Rom. 5:12) and bears the weight of God’s holy judgment against all sin, deserving death. This means that our children, our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and everyone else across the globe are born already condemned. But in great contrast with the judgment of God is the gift of God:
“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one [Adam], much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. . . . so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:18, 21)
So your heartache over what God’s judgment means for those you love is not wrong at all. In fact, your heart is reflecting God’s heart for the world.
2. God’s patience is on display every day through the provision of His Church… commissioned and empowered to herald the good news of His perfect Son.
If all people everywhere throughout all history are born sinners and thereby deserve God’s just judgment, the bottomline question is: so why hasn’t it already happened? And the answer is: God’s incredibly patient love for the people He has made. The “day of the Lord will come like a thief [unexpected, announced, suddenly]” (2 Pet. 3:10), but God’s patience is currently offering many the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel.
Violence and immorality had completely overtaken the world during the days of Noah. But year after year went by before judgment arrived. Why? The patience of God. Peter paralleled this to God’s offer in the ultimate ark of safety, Jesus Christ,
“…when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, that is, eight persons were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Just as God provided the ark built by Noah as the rescue from judgment, so now God has provided the good news of Christ as the rescue from ultimate judgment.
At any given moment God has the just and righteous prerogative to consume every sinner and send them to their place of eternal torment: hell. But He doesn’t. He is patient, full of compassion, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (cf. Isa. 30:18; Jonah 4:2). In Jeremiah’s Lamentations he wrote, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail” (Lam. 3:22 NIV).
Our grace-giving, patience-loving God has now sent you and me and all the rest of His people into the world to share the message and mercy of Christ. He hasn’t provided the Church with salvation so that we may can it in jars, store it in the church pantry, and keep it all for ourselves. God is showing His patience to the world by sending His Spirit-empowered people into the world, equipped with the Gospel.
But this age will not last forever… which give us a very real sense of urgency to live for God’s mission.
3. God’s people don’t rejoice at the judgment of sinners but in the justice of God. Just as we shouldn’t rejoice or salivate over the execution of a murderer (no matter how evil they may be), we should never be gleeful over the impending judgment coming to earth.
We (aligned with God’s character) are thankful for vindication, justice, and freedom from the oppression of evildoers, but not at all happy that so many have rejected God’s provision of rescue and eternal life. We can be grateful that God is the one who will seek vengeance for His people, and therefore, we don’t have to take vengeance into our own hands.
Throughout Scripture, we find heaven rejoicing over lost sinners coming to repentance (see Luke 15:10), but judgment is always accompanied not with rejoicing but with sobriety, deep grieving, and humility. Our posture should reflect the position of heaven toward repentance and judgment.
We are to “love His appearing” (2 Tim 4:8), “looking for and hastening the coming day of God” (2 Pet. 3:12), because for those “in Christ” it will mean unending joy, peace, justice, and righteousness in the presence of God for all eternity. But we also look on the day of the Lord with an attitude of humility, contriteness, and urgency for God’s mission.
I hope this rather looooong reply helps you balance the two sides of “the day of the Lord” and yet also guides you to worship the Lord through the words, “come, Lord Jesus.”
Let me know if I’ve made this as clear as mud or if it helped at all.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Michael
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Our Ruler-Creator and Personal Savior
On this beautiful, sunny winter day, let’s call to mind a central, life-changing truth that sets Christianity apart from all other world religions: The great, magnificent, one-and-only God is not only the transcendent Lord of all, but also the immanent, personal Lord. Ponder these words from Psalm 104 with me:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,
Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.”
(Psalm 104:1-2)
Transcendence meets immanence. Did you miss it? Look again at the second line. The psalmist declares His praise to our Creator using the most revered name of God (YHWH, signified by all caps), but then says that this most revered One, is also his God – “my God” (v. 1b). In praise to the LORD, we speak as people in personal relationship with the omnipotent One. Yet the psalmist also does not diminish the “holy other” nature of God in his words of direct, personal communion. With all enthusiasm and reverence, he speaks of the Lord’s greatness, majesty, unapproachable light, and His work of cosmic creation. Psalm 104 continues these themes in specific, beautiful detail.
In God’s immeasurable power, He is not only the ruler and Creator over all things but also the personal Savior of all who trust in Him. The God who has the power to make all things also has the power to make personal, real contact with those whom He has made. Herein is the heart of the Gospel!
His Journey (Not Ours)
God is not a divine watchmaker who spun the world into existence and left us to merely keep on spinning. God is not an unapproachable judge hovering like a hidden monster on a mountaintop. God is not a disinterested or unloving Creator who has no care for His creation. God is not befriended or appeased by us climbing a twenty-seven step ladder or making an arduous pilgrimage.
No, the all-powerful God was powerful enough to journey to us, come to our home – Earth – and bear our sin, die as our substitute. Why? “…to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18b). He made the journey we could not make. He won the battle we could not win. He carried the cross for all our sins “so that we become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
As the ancient psalmist rejoiced in his personal communion with God, looking forward in faith to the Promised One who would come, so we look back in faith to the Promised One who came… and through Him we, too, can proclaim, “O LORD my God, You are very great!”
I am looking forward with great anticipation to our gathering tomorrow as we glory in God through collective worship at North Park Baptist Church. Would you join me in prayer for continued renewal, revival, and spiritual awakening in all our hearts?
May Jesus Christ be praised!
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Post-Holiday Season Hope
“Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…”
All our young children, no doubt, had gingerbread men and toys galore dancing in their heads as they went off to sleep on Christmas Eve (since children don’t know what “visions of sugar-plums” are anymore). Yet for us adults, those feelings of excitement and anticipation may feel like a faraway memory.
Just pause for a moment. Can you remember what that felt like? Maybe for you that elation is no longer in receiving gifts galore, but in the thrill of seeing how your children or grandchildren respond when they open the gifts you give them. Perhaps that sense of excitement is now more closely paralleled in adulthood by events like:
“I’m getting married next month!”
Do you remember that feeling? Or maybe for you it is…
“I’m closing on a new house tomorrow!” or “We’re finally going on our long-awaited vacation!”
Christmas… Post-Taste
I’m fairly certain we all looked forward to Christmas this year. Yet now that it’s past – the wrapping paper is in the trash, the batteries are already dead, and the seasonal sales are no more – what’s next? New Year’s Day, the Super Bowl… Next Christmas? Well, sure.
But many of us may feel and look sort of like my son Hudson’s Advent calendar, which he quickly chowed through two weeks before Christmas. Behold:
All our time and energy goes into “that one day” and when that day is done, many of us might be happy but a lot of us feel wiped out, burned out, let down, or downright empty.
But what if the biggest thing you and your family looked forward was something more, something that would never let down?
Is there a hope that never dies…
that sustains you,
motivates you,
inspires you,
energizes you…and even dramatically changes your focus about everything?
Yes, indeed.
Post-Holiday Season Hope (that lasts)
God, the Creator of all things, Sustainer of life, and Savior of mankind offers us joy in this life. But even more so, a hope – THE BLESSED HOPE – beyond this present, fractured world.
Over and over again throughout the Old and New Testaments, God was and is pointing His people to hope, to hope for the consummation of His plan of redemption. However, it is not a fly-by-night hope, a “I hope so” attitude that matters very little in everyday life. No, God’s message of hope for His people changes everything… about our future and about our present.
God’s message of hope is ringing like a song throughout every book of the Bible.
We could go to nearly any page in the scriptures to hear the anthem. But let’s just turn to several key passages from Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation, which paint the surprising landscape portrait of hope for Israel, God’s chosen nation (who He still has a specific future plan for) and for us, the believing Gentiles, who have been grafted in by His grace and “made heirs according to the promise of the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7; cf. Romans 8:17).
Let’s turn first to Daniel 7:13-14, 27 for our first glimpse of the consummation of redemption. At this juncture, we’re not going into the specific timing of end-time events, but instead focusing on the centerpiece of the whole event… at the overarching theme and finding it in One person, One King, who is returning…
For Post-Holiday Season Hope (that lasts) we’ll journey toward 3 hope-giving truths and one central call-to-action as as we move from Daniel 7:13-14 to Zechariah 3:8-10; 6:13; 14:9 and wrapping up with Revelation 22:1-5.
You can listen to the full audio message by clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
This sermon entitled “The Heart of Christmas (Part 4): Consummation” was delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday morning Dec. 27th 2015.
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The Song of Christmas: A Poem
A wicked king ruled o’er the land
Darkness and dread poured from his hand
A thick gloomy mist draped over the people
Weary and worn, there was no sign of a steeple
This evil king was not heir to the throne,
His path was crooked and cruel, “so let it be known!”
He usurped authority, overturned the law,
Coerced to the place where he now sat sneering with set jaw
“How long!?” the countrymen cried.
Toiling under his heavy hand
They tried to revolt, but to no avail
Victory seemed utterly futile on their worn, torn trail
The civil unrest and growing distress stretched higher
Yet all this drove the insidious man to squeeze his grip even tighter
Crushing taxation…
Religious oppression…
Murderous schemes…
Immoral regression…
The people wondered and wandered and worried:
“Who can save us?”
“Is there hope?”
“Will a righteous one ever ascend the throne?”
“Is there one to make everything right
To mend our shattered lives,
Wipe our tear filled eyes?”
“Will we ever stop living amid this king’s lies?”
Then a promise sounded from the ancient past
A message from the Father of the Promised One, at last
His words shot with blazing light into the shadows of night:
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light!”
Like a young sapling, He will grow from the lonely root
He will be the Branch that bears good fruit
He will be the Shepherd who cares for all the sheep
He will be the King who rules with perfect peace and equity
The promise rang like a signal bell across the land,
Its song was singing from mountaintop to timber stand:
“He is arriving! Be ready! He is coming!”
The sad chorus of oppression turned to hymns of anticipation
Hope was returning, Love was restoring
But the refrain of a Savior…
Made the incredulous king recoil as a viper
Ready to inflict and poison like a sniper
Alluring with lies, scheming their demise
His tactics of torture, deception, and theft hushed the song
Spreading sad silence once again far and long
The power of fear rose each year
The promise of freedom seemed to disappear
Year after year their burden increased
They buried their loved ones
Their hope seemed deceased
Yet then in the silence and sorrow and tears
A heavenly messenger appeared…
“Strike up the song! For your King is here!”
Like the dawning light of a fresh spring morning
The news crossed the sky and went soaring
The Child, the Promise, the Savior is born!
Life, peace, joy is restored!
But the lies of the wicked king were chanted so long
Many believed his pathetic, unhappy song
They ignored the promise
Continued in darkness
Yet across the countryside…
Many weary remembered the Promise,
They believed the Truth, received Him as Savior with, “glory to God in the highest!”
His arrival? Not with trumpets.
His mission? Misunderstood.
His crown? Twisted thorns.
His throne? A cross.
But the story was not yet complete…
For His death marked the evil king’s defeat
He rose from the grave conquering
Sin and death no longer triumphing
We, the believing, are yet in Christ’s glad kingdom
Still the defeated enemy rasps to diminish our freedom
Yet the King’s First coming is proof for the Second.
So our song will not be silent!
His light is spreading across the land:
“He is coming. Be ready! Our King is arriving again!”
So in the heaviness of these days
Let anticipation frame your ways
For just as surely as the King’s first arrival,
So He will be arriving again
And His kingdom will have no end.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)
This Christmas… God is inviting those lost in darkness, under the rule of sin and death, to come home to His love in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way of rescue.
Will you repent and trust in Him alone today?
__________________________
From our family to yours… we deeply appreciate all the wonderful friends and family members God has given us! Thank you for loving and encouraging us in the Gospel.
May God bless you with abundant grace and peace today as you celebrate and sing of Christ the Incarnate Son.
May you continue to greatly delight in Christ as you walk in the Light.
And here’s a pic with all of us smiling at the same moment, too. 🙂
Merry Christmas!
From the Breznau Family…
Merry Christmas ~ From the Breznau clan (2015)
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The Heart of Christmas
We love all the festive decorations, candles, lights, trees, and ribbons of Christmas around our house. In fact, Christmas music has been ringing and singing through our place since the beginning of November… or maybe even October. Memories of snowball fights, goofy red sweaters, sleigh rides, and hot chocolate warm my soul. How about you?
My wife, Stephanie, is always so creative and witty about our decorations. Here’s a picture of our living room right now:
Christmas 2015 at the Breznau Home
Yet through all the warm memories, shopping, and decorations, let’s recall the heart of Christmas. The Bible, God’s grand narrative of redemption and the coming kingdom, is a story most of all about Him.
Sure, there are many interesting men and women woven into the storyline of God’s Word. Kings and queens, small shepherd boys, villagers, carpenters, priests, and tax collectors all have intriguing parts in the Bible. The decisions of Abraham, the leadership of Moses, the perseverance of Ruth, the choices of David, and the courage of Esther teach us important lessons of wisdom, truth, love, and justice.
However, the Bible is primarily (and wonderfully) directing all readers toward one central character: Jesus the Christ. He is the heart of Christmas. The Bible beckons us to behold the glories of God’s love in the Good News of Jesus. Foretold in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, all those lost in darkness are called to come home to God’s love.
As we move toward our celebration of Christmas Day and just beyond, we here at North Park Baptist Church are going to journey home through four key trail-markers in Scripture:
- The Promise (Jer. 23:1-8; Isa. 9:2-7) – THIS Sunday at 10:30am
- The Anticipation (Zech. 3:6-10; 8:1-8, 22-23; Micah 4:1-7) –Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9:00am and 10:45am
- The Fulfillment (Matt. 1:1-25; Luke 2:25-38) – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 9:00am and 10:45am
- The Consummation (Dan. 7:9-14; Rev. 5:6-14; 19:1-6) –Sunday, Dec. 27 at 10:30am
Would you join me in praying for personal revival in all our lives as we return to the heart of Christmas together? Would you pray with me that men, women, and children will come home to God’s love through saving faith in Jesus Christ as we communicate the Gospel at North Park Baptist Church? Thank you! 
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)
Upcoming Sermons Here:
As we progress through The Heart of Christmas series, I’ll be posting the audio podcasts below, so that you can listen in or share the messages with a friend.
You can listen to these four messages by clicking the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
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The Word on Refugees
To listen to the full audio message entitled “God’s Word on Refugees,” click on the play button at the bottom of this post or go to our iTunes [Grace Exposed] podcast channel. This message was delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday evening, Nov. 22, 2015.
Last Wednesday evening, Hudson and I arrived home just as the late autumn sun was gently setting across the horizon. All day long a pattern of dreary weather wore on with cold drizzle and wind. But just before dusk, the heavy ceiling of nimbostratus clouds pulled back like the opening of grand theatre curtains. Bright red, orange, purple, and yellows hues danced across the sky. The stark backdrop of lofty clouds created beautiful yet strange looking formations…
Hudson peered up at the sky with a look of wonder and worry, “Papa! Look at the clouds…at the sky! They look different. It’s looks weird…I’ve never seen it like that before!” Hudson paused for a moment, then shouted out, “I’m scared!”
You and I would probably not be scared about an unusual cloud formation (unless it was a tornado). Yet seeing something new, different, out-of-the-ordinary, outside-our-creature comforts often brings up a bit of fear or worry within us.
Falling Apart
Over the past several weeks the news headlines have been ripping into our society with volley after volley of tragedy, terror, and devastation. The terrorist attacks on Paris. ISIS advancement. Jihadists trickling into American society. Governmental unrest. And perhaps loudest of all: The Syrian/Middle Eastern refugee crisis.
Yet for me, grief gripped my soul several months earlier when I encountered this picture of a little boy dead on the seashore.
3-year-old Aylan drowned at sea when the boat carrying his mom and 5-year-old brother capsized off the coast of Bodrum. Only his father survived. Justin Moyer provided the details in the Washington Post. This young Kurdish family’s hopeful destination was Canada, where another family member was attempting to sponsor their immigration.
A following picture shows the Turkish policeman carrying little Aylan away from the waves. One can’t help but notice one Velcro strap on his shoe has come undone, just like my own son’s small sneakers. And as Moyer points out, “though we can’t know what the policeman is thinking as he carries a dead child from the ocean, one thing is clear: He is looking away.”
Thousands more are attempting to flee their native homelands of Syria and Iraq as ISIS continues to leave a wake of destruction and terror.
Amid the firestorm of debate over the last two weeks about the refugee crisis certain questions rise to the surface:
Is it natural to have some feelings of fear about the idea of refugees coming in mass numbers to America? Certainly.
Should our country carefully screen all refugees via a thorough immigration process? Absolutely. (Note: it’s already quite exhaustive, see HERE)
Would it be difficult, hard work to assimilate refugees into our society? Definitely.
Will some of the people be dangerous or criminally-minded? Yes.
How many refugees should the USA welcome to our shores (if any)? Well…
With all these questions swirling around, we viewed this short film from Samaritan’s Purse about what some Christians are doing to provide love and care for refugees:
I can still hear their muffled cries. The sound won’t leave my ears.
I can still see their mud-stained tears. The sight won’t leave my mind.
I can almost smell the faint aroma of the seashore…
The Best Question
While we may have myriad questions about the politics and economics involved in this refugee crisis, as Christians the most important question is not if they come but when they come, how does God want us to respond? Wherever they are in the world, how should we respond to the sojourner, the refugee?
DEFINITION: ref·u·gee noun
Political pundits on both sides of the refugee debate tend to ignore God’s Word. But we’re not going to do that. God spoke on this issue long ago and His truth still rings true today. As followers of Jesus let’s carefully, prayerfully, and biblically wade into the choppy waters where American Christians, politicians, bloggers, and refugees seem to be drowning in a swirling riptide of anger, sadness, fear, and compassion. Yet let’s anchor the conversation in God’s Word, which I firmly believe will guide us to a safe and peaceful shore.
Our guide for all of life, faith, and practice is not Fox News, CNN, or USA Today, but God’s Holy Word… which always cuts right to the heart of the issues we face. So let’s journey together in God’s Word to see five guideposts along the trail of how we should respond to refugees.
God’s Word on Refugees
1. We show our love for God by loving what He loves.
God instilled a heart to care for sojourners in His people. Here’s how He explained His character and His command to the Israelites:
His Character: “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”
His Command: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:17-19)
Now be careful, just because we are Christians under the New Covenant does not mean we are to forget about displaying the character of God, as detailed in the Old Testament. God’s heart for the refugee-sojourner is replete across the Old Testament (see also Exodus 22:21-22; 23:9; Lev. 19:33-34) and God’s command to love and care for refugees isn’t merely a guideline buried in that particular historical context with no bearing on how we are to live today.
The church isn’t Israel nor is America the church. But God’s law for Israel concerning His love for the foreigner has a timeless truth for the church. Just as Israel was to be a light to the nations, so the church is now to bear Christ’s light to all nations. God’s people across all time are to display God’s love for refugees.
2. We express God’s compassion when we give refuge to refugees.
The righteous man, Boaz, followed God’s love for refugees when he welcomed, protected, and provided for Ruth, the Moabitess. After Boaz initiated specific care for Ruth as she gleaned from his fields, Ruth responds:
“Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?’
Boaz replied to her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” (Ruth 2:10-12)
Ruth considered herself a nokria (“foreigner”), the lowest of the low – even perhaps considered a harlot, an outcast from Jewish society. Yet Boaz viewed her the way God saw her: one seeking refuge under His wings. Boaz didn’t just communicate truth about God, he expressed the compassion of God by giving refuge to Ruth.
At a different point in history but declaring the same truth, the nation of Judah was to provide refuge for Moab against the constant attacks of Assyria:
“Let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer.” (Isaiah 16:4a)
Why should a good and godly Israelite do such a thing? Because it not only expresses God’s compassion but also displays a foretaste of the coming kingdom, ruled by the Davidic King, Jesus Christ:
“When the oppressor is no more, and destruction has ceased, and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:4b-5)
One day Christ the King will bring perfect justice and righteousness to earth. But until that day comes we, as followers of Christ, are to demonstrate the character of that coming kingdom.
3. We are most like our God when we love people who hate God (and us).
Even ISIS! Yikes. Even refugees who may or may not be “safe”? Yes. Jesus makes this point strikingly clear:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-45)
Now just so you know that I’m not going doctrinally liberal or crazy, the strongly conservative pastor John MacArthur said nearly the same thing, in reference to the passage above: “[Christians] are most like God when they show love to people who hate God.”
Jesus ups the ante. To follow His path of discipleship means we love (in tangible ways) and pray for those who may label us their enemies. To “be sons of your Father” doesn’t indicate we earn our way into the family of God through loving our enemies but that we show we’re in God’s family by loving our enemies. We look like our Father! For this is precisely what God in Christ did for us:
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10)
4. We demonstrate the righteousness we’ve received in Christ by showing the righteous reign of Christ in our lives.
Jesus Christ gave His disciples a glimpse of the judgment line between the righteous and the unrighteous:
“Come…inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. . . . Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me. . . . Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:34-46)
When Christ returns to make all things new, His reign will proclaim justice and righteousness, grace and truth. So when we feed, clothe, house, and visit the refugee we are showing the reign of Christ in our lives. These actions are evidence of God-given righteousness by grace through faith, not the method of obtaining righteousness (cf. Rom. 3:20-23; Gal. 2:16; Tit. 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore, God’s people should be mobilizing not weaponizing to prepare to display Jesus Christ (i.e. glorify God) to those coming in massive migration from Northern Africa and the Middle East. Let’s give them a foretaste, an appetizer of the coming kingdom…
5. We find true life when we lay down our lives to live out Christ’s life.
When we die to our safety, reputation, and desires we find life as it was meant to be lived: glorifying God by enjoying God. Our initial reaction to this might be somewhat like Peter’s response to Jesus’ talk of “suffering many things…being rejected..and being killed” (Mark 8:31). Peter pulled Jesus aside and rebuked the Messiah (see v. 29) for saying such outlandish things. This talk of suffering and dying wasn’t in the plan! Was it?!
Peter didn’t know the meaning of life. He was flat wrong. His mind was not focused on “God’s interests, but man’s” (v. 33b). Jesus then turned to all the disciples and called the whole crowd together to tell them about true life as it is meant to be lived:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:34b-35)
We are not promised an easier, safer life than Jesus, our Master and Teacher (Matthew 10:24-26; John 15:18-25). But His life is real, abundant life. His life alone satisfies our deepest longings and needs.
So don’t be afraid. Live by faith, not by feelings or fear. Fear cripples faith but faith motivates mission. Fear is driven by self and a focus on self drives out compassion. Yet our God calls us to the path of faith. His way provides strength, courage, tenacity, and boldness to stare into the faces of refugees and our enemies… and to reach out with love.
Here’s a note from someone loving refugees right now:
“[I] just read an update from a friend that said they offered a blanket to a refugee in the name of Jesus. The man said, ‘Who is this Jesus? Since I left home he has given me food, a place to stay and now a blanket. I want to know him.” (via Chuck Wade)
Faith or Safe?
We don’t see any thoughtful person saying our government shouldn’t carefully screen all refugees through the process of immigration. One role of government is the protection of its citizens, “both foreign and domestic” (cf. Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15). However, as followers of Jesus, our primary motivations are not derived from the government but from the Word of God. We are not called to what is safe but what is of faith. This doesn’t mean we throw wisdom to the wind. But it does mean we must set our minds on God’s interests not man’s. We must deny ourselves (even all our earthly comforts), take up our crosses, and follow Jesus.
We are not called to what is safe but what is of faith.
Many people told the missionary greats of the past that they were throwing wisdom to the wind, i.e. Hudson Taylor, William Carey, Amy Carmichael, Adoniram Judson, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, etc. Yet history proves who was really speaking the true words of wisdom.
The fruit of the gospel is not found in a life of earthly ease, comfort, safety, and modest respectability, but in laying down our lives to live out Christ’s life here on earth.
May His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
Key Action Steps:
When was living by faith ever promised to be safe? Never. God has always called His people to do out-of-the-ordinary actions to usher people toward his extra-ordinary grace. Let’s not wait for them to come to us, let’s go to them.
- Ordinary Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching churches (like North Park Baptist Church) who believe the life-transforming truth of the gospel may prepare to welcome 1-2 refugee families into the community with food, clothing, education, and housing.
- Our city, Grand Rapids, is 4th in the USA for cities equipped and active in settling refugees.
- If you’re a pastor or church leader and interested in joining together on this mission, I want to talk with you! Please go to the contact page and your message will be sent directly to my email inbox. You can also go to North Park Baptist’s Facebook page and send a message: https://www.facebook.com/NorthParkGrandRapids/
- Directly support Samaritan’s Purse International Relief as they minister to refugees in Greece and other locations right now.
- Directly supporting ABWE’s GAP Ministry through George and Deb Collins, which has team members on the ground working with refugees to provide medical care, food, clothing, and gospel witness: GAP MINISTRY #0820013
- Be involved in encouraging and supporting missionaries like Jon and Kris Shepherd (and family) with Global Gates, who are touching unreached, unengaged people groups in major USA cities (currently in NYC). These people groups are predominantly immigrants from West Africa, the Middle East, and SE Asia.
Let’s take the faith-step, not necessarily the safe-step. Let’s show them Jesus.
For Further Information:
Chances are if you’ve read all the way to the bottom of this post, you’re a person who enjoys reading and researching. Here are some links to other helpful, biblical articles written by pastors and theologians you can trust (a couple of whom are friends of mine):
- Building His Church in a Refugee Crisis by David Crabb at www.DesiringGod.org
- Stop Pitting Security and Compassion Against Each Other in the Syrian Refugee Crisis by Dr. Russell Moore
- Immigration Policy Must be Based on More than an Appeal to Compassion by Kevin DeYoung at www.tgc.org
- Eight Words from Jesus in a World of Refugees by D. Glenn at www.DesiringGod.org
- John Piper: 20 Principles for How Christians Should Relate to Muslims (and those of other religions) by Justin Taylor at www.tgc.org
- Why Evangelicals are Torn about Admitting Refugees to the US by Trevin Wax
- Something Christian Millennials “Don’t Get” by Klinton Silvey
If we are genuinely pro-life and living out Christ’s life, then we must genuinely care about these lives:
A terrified child clings to a rock on the shore as a group of Syrian refugees arrive on the island after travelling by inflatable raft from Turkey. The Eastern Mediterranean route from Turkey to Greece has overtaken the central Mediterranean route, from North Africa to Italy, as the primary one for arrivals by sea. From January to June this year, 68,000 people arrived in Greece, compared with 67,500 in Italy, accounting for nearly all the arrivals in the period.
This is Syria. Families are fleeing their native homeland because the conditions created by ISIS are utterly unlivable.
Samaritan’s Purse International Relief guides Syrian families to safe refuge on the coast of Lesbos, Greece.
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Transparency: A Four-Letter Word
Transparency: a four-letter word.
A four-letter word? Really? Perhaps you read that and raised your eyebrows. Maybe your lip curled in disgust that I would dare liken a harmless word such as transparency to a cuss word.
Regardless, we often treat transparency and all that comes with it, with an attitude of disdain and fear. Why? We need it, yet we dread it. We are afraid of it or of what it may bring. So we treat transparency, in it’s raw and honest form, as taboo. Genuine, relational transparency seems like unnecessary or awkward territory to traverse, not only in our churches but in our personal relationships with people every single day.
Here’s a window inside…
When a friend comes to you and wants to share how she is struggling, she is afraid. She’s scared that when you realize there are cracks beneath her perfectly built fortress, you will discard her as quickly as you did your empty Starbuck’s cup this morning.
Or it could be you are shriveling up inside, dying to be able to share with someone about the hurts you are facing, yet you cannot bring yourself to share with anyone because of the possibility of rejection. The fear of vulnerability keeps you trapped in a web of insecurity.
Or maybe you know someone going through a miscarriage, the death of a loved one, depression, or divorce and you don’t know what to say?
Have we ever stopped to think that when we keep silent and face our struggles alone, we are ignoring God’s command to carry each other’s burdens and have our burdens carried? Here’s how God inspired Paul to write about this:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:2-3)
We cannot deny that He has asked this of us, but we daily ignore it! We become so crazy busy with our lives, that the focus is on us, not on how we can be a community of believers loving and living life with each other.
Why do people fear honesty? When we are honest, we are opening up ourselves to growth and deeper relationships. We have to consider that we need to be ready to listen, not just share. There are others who need us to hear them.
Mother Teresa said: “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”
So lift up your mask and let the facade crumble.
We are at a crossroads where we need to ask ourselves these questions:
Can we be real?
Can we be brave?
Can we be true to who we are as children of the one and only King?
Most importantly, can we be women (and men) of faith who truly believe Jesus knows what He is taking about when He told us to bear one another’s burdens?
Say yes and launch off the ledge. He is strong enough to catch you and only in the falling will you find your freedom.
What to say to your hurting friends? Just listen as they share and be there for them.
When we realize we’re not enough is the moment we begin to learn He is enough.
When we turn the page beyond our own self-reliance is the moment we enter a new chapter of learning the love of Christ and His people…we need each other.
