Anger as a means to Holiness

We tend to avoid anger like it's some sort of plague. We have been trained that anger is wrong and that it has no place in the Christian life. If this is true, "reductio ad absurdum" would suggest that Jesus would not be much of a Christian. "Making a whip of cords, [Jesus] drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables." (John 2:15) Also, God the Father would not be much of a Christian either. "And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp" (Numbers 11:1). Our standards ought never to be higher than God's standards. There is clearly a place for anger in the Christian life. In fact, I would venture to argue that anger is commanded.  

"Be angry and do not sin" - Ephesians 4:25

Now I need to be careful because I know that I walk a very thin line when I suggest that anger is commanded. What I do not suggest is a type of selfish and unrighteous anger. On the contrary, the anger that I am referring to is both holy and sanctifying. Yes! Anger is essential in your sanctification! I believe that the apostle Paul is communicating something very important. He is communicating that there are some areas of your life that in order to "not sin" you must "be angry". As a Christian, some things need to incite hositility in you. Some things need to make your heart beat fast and your fists clench. Some things need to make you grind your teeth. Namely, sin. The mastermind behind sin is Satan. Jesus describes him as a "thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Or in other words, Satan desires to sever you from Christ. He desires to steal your joy, kill your passion and destroy your hope. The proper response to this is righteous anger.

In 1775, America was engaged in a war for freedom. Facing Great Britain, victory was an unlikely outcome. However, America used a certain tactic called, “guerrilla warfare”. This proved to be effective against the British soldiers. Americans hid in bushes and ambushed the unsuspecting British soldiers. As a result, America won the war and gained freedom after being in bondage to Great Britain. In the same way, Satan desires to keep you in bondage. The only way to gain freedom is to engage in what I call, “guerilla spiritual-warfare”. Your sin doesn’t fight fair and neither should you! Ambush it, choke it, starve it, kick it while it’s down! Whatever you do, don't compromise with it. Don't play with it. It's not playing with you! It has an ulterior motive: steal, kill and destroy. Do not be fooled. Satan's mission statement is, "To steal, kill and destroy". He is desperately trying to woo you away from Christ. Every temptation to lust, boast, gossip, or seek approval are all subtle attempts to steal your joy, kill your passion and destroy your soul. We need to be angered by this and engage in guerilla spiritual-warfare. 

With that being said, I would like to affirm that while we should be angry, we should not be afraid. The battle is already won. Jesus has won the war by conquering sin and death on the cross. His resurrection has sealed his triumph over evil. Therefore, since Jesus has won the war, it is now our responsibility to fight for joy. Joy in the Christian life does not come easy. It is hard work. It involves intentionality. It involves much prayer, and finally, it involves hostility. John Owens writes, "Strength and vigor in the Christian life depends much on the mortification of sin." Anger is a pre-requisite to joy. Your sanctification depends on guerrilla spiritual-warfare. I pray that you would be angered by evil and in so doing, increase your delight in God!

"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."

Life through Light

There is a uniqueness to Jesus' ministry. There is an equally uniqueness to his claims. One moment he's drawing people to himself and the next he's flipping tables over in the temple. One moment he's describing how he is the Good Shepherd and the next moment he's tight-roping the lines of cannibalism. Just when you think you have Jesus figured out he slaps a weighty truth on you! It's seemingly madness! However, this madness is very much intended. It's desired. It's planned. Or in other words, there is meaning behind the madness. God intends that we never get used to Jesus. Getting used to Jesus is a very dangerous thing. If we stop seeing the madness as madness we will handicap the gospel's effect on our life. If we stop wrestling with God's word we will become numb to God's love. That is a horrible place to be in. That is a place of methodical, halfhearted devotion to Christ that leads to more and more darkness. We need light! You cannot ignore light! There is no getting used to bright headlights obstructing your vision on the highway! It cannot be ignored, rather, it must be dealt with. In the same way, we find Jesus in John 8 proclaiming, "I am the light of the world" (v 12).

As you trek through John and reach chapter 8, you will most likely have the startling realization that John has been setting you up. You realize that he has been secretly preparing your heart for the past 7 chapters. In chapter 1 he laid the foundation of Jesus being life, and that life being the light of men. He tells us that the light shines in the darkness and that the darkness cannot overcome it. (1:4-5) In chapter 3 he builds on this foundation by adding that those who do what is true go to the light. (3:21) Now we arrive in chapter 8 already preheated. It is his crescendo! Jesus tells us that He is the light. We find that light produces life whereas darkness produces death.

I find it important that Jesus identifies himself as "the" light of the world. He is communicating something singular. He is communicating that he is the only light in the world. Meaning, true life is exclusive. Without Christ, you are in darkness. Even worse, it is possible to grow accustom to darkness. Our spiritual eyes adjust to "dealing" with it. However, when Mom flicks on the lights in your room early in the morning, it hurts! You fight it! You burrow under the covers and squeeze your eyelids shut. The light seems unbearable! However, like always, there is meaning behind the madness. That light is good for you. It wakes you up. It produces life in you. We ought to wake up and seek after life!

However, we must be very careful in our pursuit of life. There is a type of pursuit that will cause more emptiness and darkness. This is why we find Jesus proclaiming, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin" (v 21). This should startle us. However, John has prepared us for this. He doesn't intend that we approach this statement unprepared. He's already laid a framework of Jesus being synonymous with life and light. Therefore, what Jesus is communicating to us is this: "What you seek in your idols, your vanity, your money, your relationships, or in whatever your sin of choice may be, is me. You crave life and life can only be found in me. Your pursuits are silly. They're destructive. They will cause more darkness and that darkness will be the death of you." Therefore, if you seek life through anything other than Christ, you sin, and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). This is exclusive. This is offensive. This is the gospel. It is meant for both the nonbeliever AND the believer. The remedy is the same; experience life by following Christ. You don't have to walk in darkness. There is an alternative. Christian, you don't have to walk in darkness. You have the "light of life" (v 12). Redirect your pursuits towards Him and faithfully follow Him. I pray that God would pierce through the darkness with the light of Christ so that you would have life and have it abundantly.

"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it"

Expository Blogging

I realize that this post is a long time coming. I also realize that if you've read a few of my posts, most of what I am about to explain will not be news to you. However, I would like to explain the purpose of this blog.

If you've been following this page, you may have noticed this concept of "Expository Blogging" embedded into my posts. You most likely have not called it that but nonetheless, what I mean by "expository blogging" is that the main point of my writings are always the main point of a passage of scripture. This is not an accident. This is a carefully drawn out attempt to give you a taste for the word of God. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). I do this because I have a conviction that the word of God when properly expounded does a multitude of things:

- It makes one wise for salvation through Jesus Christ (2 Tim 3:15)
- It sanctifies (John 17:17)
- It makes our hearts burn for joy (Luke 24:32)
- It convicts us of sin (Matthew 22:29)
- It convinces us of grace (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This is my aim through blogging, that you and I would know him personally and make him known openly. Biblically, this only happens through scripture and through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything" (2 Tim 2:7). This is why I end with a prayer and with a confidence that, "He who calls you is faithful [AND] he will surely do it." (1 Thes 5:24)

Divine Syncing

Synchronization makes life easier. I recently purchased an android-based smartphone and one of my favorite features is it's autosync. My email, my calendar, my contacts and my iTunes are all synced to my cell phone. I think one reason I like this feature is because of the comfort and security that it provides. I never have to worry about losing information or being out of the know. This is because information is constantly coming in and going out. In the same way, I think God desires that we be synchronized to him. With information coming in and going out. This thought comes from a meditation on John 7.

First, let's take a look at the context of John 7. Verses 1-2 tell us that the Feast of the Booths was at hand and there was to be a celebration in Judea. However, Jesus refuses to go because the Jews were seeking to kill him (v 1). At first glance, it seems as though Jesus reacts out of fear. However, that thought is quickly put to rest when he not only travels to Judea but starts open-air preaching (v 14). We then see that verse 1 is not motivated by fear, rather, it is motivated by a divine schedule."My time has not yet come" (v 6). I find that synchronization to the Father's will produces a boldness and a confidence that is able to stand up to life's greatest obstacles.

It's a terrible thing to be out of sync with the Lord. You feel rebellious. You feel lost. You feel powerless. You don't feel the "immeasurable greatness of his power" (Eph 1:19) but rather, "burdened and heavy laden" (Matt 11:28). If this is you, take heart. Syncing to God's will is not a complex process. Let us then ask the question that confronts so many believers. The question being, "How do I get synced to God's will?" This is a fair question. However, I'm pleased to find an answer in Jesus stating, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know..." (v. 17) This is a tremendous promise! We don't need to trouble ourselves over the specifics of God's will. Rather we are to rejoice in that the requirement to knowing his will is passionately following, obeying and serving him with the tools and opportunities that he's provided. This is the blueprint for divine syncing and the pathway that leads to peace and comfort.

God desires that we seek his glory (v. 18) and not our own. How? Through prayer, through his word and through the proclamation of the gospel! This is how we seek his glory. We seek his fame! We count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing him AND making him known! Let us not seek our own glory and in so doing, alienate ourselves from Him. Rather, let us seek his glory by seeking his face, praying, studying his word and sharing the gospel. I pray that you would be synced to the Father's will and passionately complete the work that he has given you to do.

"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."

Feeding on the gospel

We love food. We live in a culture that bows down before food. Our weekly meetings usually involve food. We eat when we're hungry, we eat when we're sad, we eat when we're bored and we eat when we're happy. We eat before we eat (appetizer) and we eat after we eat (desert). We love to eat. However, eating is dynamic. We eat because it's enjoyable and yet we eat to stay alive. Food is both a necessity and an indulgence. Fully aware of this, we find Jesus in John 6 proclaiming, "I am true food" (v. 55)

 First, let's talk about false food. Better yet, we can call it fast food. Fast food is that cheap stuff that satisfies you in the moment but can leave you with the pains of a stomachache or a clotted artery later. Fast food is easy to get, convenient, and requires little to no preparation. However, many of us spend our lives bouncing around from one spiritual fast food joint to another. Let's get a little more practical. Here are some examples of spiritual fast food: relationships, the approval of others, beauty, a sense of accomplishment, power, or lustful indulgences. If none of these seem to land, allow me to press a little further. Spiritual fast food can also include your sanctification, your bible study, your ministry and your fellowship. Yes, we can experience all of these things and still be spiritually malnourished. How? "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." (John 5:39) There is a type of religious devotion that will cause you to be fat rather than strong.

So what is true food? What is this food that is both a necessity and an indulgence? Simple. Jesus Christ crucified. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (vv 6:53-54) I believe Jesus is going for shock value here. Like any good teacher, he is saying something that will resonate in the minds of the hearers. Surely the Jews were thinking about the Levitcal law which strictly prohibits the drinking of blood. "I will set my face against that person who eats blood" (Lev 17:10) I imagine they were grumbling among themselves saying, "Surely he can't be speaking literally. Is he commanding us to disobey God's law?" However, the same sun that melts the snow hardens the clay. "...for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" (Lev 17:11)

This food that Jesus is talking about is his atoning life, death and resurrection. Because the saviors blood was spilled, you stand justified before a holy and righteous God. Because the saviors flesh was torn, all your sins have been blotted out. Because of he who knew no sin becoming sin, you have been made the righteousness of God. There is no way to improve righteousness. There is no way to improve justification. There is no way to improve on what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. This is true food! What Jesus is telling us here is "Come! Eat of this food." To eat something is to acknowledge that it is edible, nourishing and real. Jesus Christ came on a search and rescue mission for you. He gave his flesh and blood for you. This is applicable, this is nourishing, this is real! Feed on this! Meditate on this! Allow this to be of first importance in your heart! Don't waste your time laboring for the food that perishes. Rather, labor for the food that endures to eternal life. I pray that God would draw you every day to feed on the gospel as both a necessity and an indulgence.

"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."