A Letter to a Friend: What is the Gospel?

A friend of mine asked me to explain the gospel to him. He asked me to explain why God created humanity and specifically, why God created him. This was my response...

First off, I’m glad you sent me that text. It sounds like God is drawing you near to him. The questions you asked are the exact same questions that the Bible sets out to answer. You asked me to explain the nature of the gospel. Interestingly enough, I think you’ll find that the gospel explains why God made humanity and why he made you. “The gospel” literally means, “the good news”. Christianity is not about condemnation; rather, it is about liberation. It’s good news! In fact, the way that the Bible talks about this gospel makes it seem like nothing can compare to it.

I think what we learn from the gospel is that the best “good news” is almost always in response to the worst “bad news”. The worst bad news is that we all have spiritual cancer. We all have individually declared war on God. We have all gone rogue.  The Bible describes this by using words like “enemies” (Romans 5:10) “rebels” (Isaiah 1:2) “haters of God” (Romans 1:30) “hostile to God” (Romans 8:7) to describe us. All of these verses explain the results of sin. Sin is first and formally against God. Even when we sin against others, we sin against God because God is the moral law-maker. Think about it, if you murder somebody, you break the law. Who’s law? Not the person you murdered. You break the United States Government law. The person cannot punish you (because they’re dead), neither can their family (it would be against the law for them to take matters into their own hands). However, The United States government can and will punish you. Why? Because you broke THEIR law. The same is true for God. All moral failures are seen as against God and will be prosecuted in God’s courthouse. Stealing is wrong because it hurts another person and it is a blatant infraction against God’s moral law. Therefore, God will hold you accountable for your moral failures (sins).

Now this is not the way life was supposed to be. God knows best and he created us for his glory. That may sound strange to you but I would like to suggest that it is the greatest news in the world! You were not made for yourself. You were made to be amazed and fascinated by the creator God. I once heard a story about Barry Bonds taking his kids to an empty ball park. He would hit home runs and oftentimes the balls he hit would fly out of the park. His kids would stand in amazement. They loved their Dad. Their Dad was the greatest homerun hitter in the world…and he was THEIR Dad! So when I say that God made you for his glory, what I mean is that God made you to watch him hit home runs! Barry Bond’s kids can’t hit baseballs very far. Don’t get me wrong, hitting the ball is fun. However, it’s not nearly as much fun as it is to watch your Dad clobber a baseball 500 feet in the air. In that moment, Barry Bonds gets glory from his children and his children get joy from their Father. It’s the perfect relationship.

God made you so that you would be fascinated with him. Have you seen those Dos Equis commercials? You know, the one that says, “He IS the most interesting man in the world” You know what I’m talking about? Well, God is the most interesting being in the world. If he had a commercial I think it would go like this, “He created the universe by saying 4 words. He once made a virgin give birth. He tried dying once. He didn’t like it…so he came back to life. When time is running out…he pauses it. He IS the most interesting God in the world.”

God is awesome! He created you to know how awesome he is more and more every day. We call this “increasing revelation”. Since God is infinite in nature, you can never be bored with him. The reason Jesus says that we can have “eternal life” is because that’s how long it takes to know how amazing God is. (Side note: I know this goes without saying but, eternity never ends). You will never know God fully. And that is awesome. He is an ever-increasing reservoir of enjoyment and fascination. He created you so that you could experience him. He is the greatest gift you could ever receive.

However, your sin causes a problem. One of God’s attributes is his holiness. This means that he is completely “other” than us. We are human and God is holy. The holiness of God is his superiority in all things. It is what makes God fascinating. It is also the greatest difference between us and him. God’s holiness transcends all of his attributes. God’s love is a holy love. God’s wrath is a holy wrath. Whatever God does, he does it to the “holy” degree.  Since God is holy, he detests sin. Holiness involves a complete lack of sin. Since God is sinless, sin is a huge deal to him. He takes it personally because he created morality to reflect him. “Thou shall not steal” because God is an honest man. “Thou shall not murder” because God doesn’t destroy life…he gives life! God is anti-murder because he is pro-creation. God has designed the universe to work a certain way. This was his precious plan. God created you and gave you an instructions manual (The Bible & your conscience).

As cars run on gas so do humans run on God. As air is essential for physical life so is God’s word essential for spiritual life. When we reject God and live differently than the way he created us, we spiritually die. (Ephesians 2:1 – And you were dead in your sins). What this means is that you become numb to God. Not only will you do bad things but you won’t even think it’s that bad. You’ll get used to the darkness. You’ll have no idea what you’re missing. In the end, you won’t even sense your need for God (Romans 3:11).

Another one of God’s attributes is his justice. All of God’s attributes are good. We love justice. There are people who are still upset about the OJ Simpson verdict because they feel as though justice was not served. We can’t stand the idea of guilty people getting off scotch-free. With God, we never have to worry about this. God is the perfect police man because he sees every infraction. God is the perfect prosecutor because he knows the law inside and out. God is the perfect judge because he is full of integrity. He refuses to accept a bribe because he has everything he needs/wants. God is perfectly just. However, since we have committed injustice, God is obligated by his very nature to punish us.

God is the worst person to sin against because he created morality. Not only did he create it but he created it by simply stating his own personal values. It’s like I invite you into my house and I tell you that you may enjoy anything you see: my computer, my TV, my Xbox, anything. You may even help yourself to whatever is in my fridge. However, I ask you not to prop your feet on my glass coffee table. My deceased grandmother gave it to me and it is fragile. I value it. It’s very special to me. I would even venture to say that it’s a part of me. What if in direct rebellion to my request and generosity you prop your boots on my coffee table and break it? I would be livid! And I would be perfectly right to be. So it is with God. He created morality because it reflects who he is…and you and I have broken it. We defame and disrespect him after he invited us into his house (his universe) and gave us access to all that is his.

The punishment for national treason is life in prison. However, the punishment for universal treason is life in eternal prison. Hell. We all deserve this. Even one sin indicts us. Therefore, it’s not about how much good we’ve done. It doesn’t matter how much community service a murderer has done…he is a murderer. We’re not on trial for doing good things; we’re on trial for doing bad things. Good does not outweigh bad. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. If Mother Teresa murdered somebody, she would go to jail. No questions asked. It really wouldn’t matter how good she was.

This is where it gets sticky. We are all in a divine pickle. We’ve sinned, and in so doing we have offended a holy and righteous God. And because this God is holy and righteous, he MUST punish our sins. If he doesn’t, he would be guilty of injustice. Think of it this way, in court, if a lawyer can prove that a witness has lied, that witness’s testimony is discredited and thrown out. It would be rendered useless. Now check this out. How is the Bible labeled? The Old and New “Testament”. The Bible is the “testimony” of God. Now if God is lying about punishing sin, his testimony ought to be thrown out and discredited. He is not a God we can trust if he is lying about punishing injustice. Our situation just got stickier. We are guilty and there is no way around it. God’s very reputation is at stake. He cannot and will not act out of character and let us go scotch-free.

This is where it gets interesting. Remember how I said that the gospel is good news? Remember my cancer analogy? Our sticky situation is like finding cancer in our body. Now remember how I said that the best "good news" is usually in response to the worst "bad news"? Well this is how God gets rid of our spiritual cancer. He decides to be our substitute. This is the very essence of the gospel. We celebrate Christmas because this is the day where God became a human. He didn’t stop being God, rather, he became a holy human. Remember how I said morality reflects him? Well when Jesus is on earth, he never once sins. It’s not so much that Jesus kept a bunch of random rules. Rather, it’s that Jesus is the manifestation of moral rules. He doesn’t steal because he is infinitely generous. He doesn’t murder because he is the creator of the human race. He doesn’t lie because he is infinitely honest. He is the perfect moral example of a human.

God has a plan in all of this. He lives a life of what the Bible calls, “righteousness” so that he can earn our spot in heaven. It’s not enough to be sinless, you must be “righteous” in order to get to heaven. Jesus then, acting as our substitute, goes to the cross and is willingly beaten, whipped, flogged and finally crucified…in our place. He dies…in our place. He is punished for sins…in our place. Three days later he rises from the dead in order to prove that he is God and to assure us that he can pay our punishment in full.

Now in the court of God, this is the perfect solution to our sticky situation. We owe God a debt for our sins and we must pay up. What Jesus does is he pays our debt and then deposits his righteousness into our spiritual bank account. Not only does this take care of our sin but it gives us a surplus of righteousness. Our sin was punished. Jesus took our punishment. That takes care of God’s justice. Our unrighteousness has been replaced with Jesus’ righteousness. That takes care of God’s holiness. Everything can be fixed. Our sins are taken care of, Jesus gave us his perfect record, we have a 4.0 morality GPA, God’s justice is upheld and we can finally be united to God for eternity. “This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God” (John 17:3). The goal of all of this is that we would know God. That’s what you were made for.

However, this good news does not apply to everybody. There is a restriction. God will only apply this good news to those who relinquish control of their life, lay down their firearms, and turn to Jesus to save them. This is an act of humility. Essentially, becoming a Christian is like giving up. It is waving the white flag. It’s admitting moral defeat and accepting God’s peace treaty. God’s peace treaty is simple. It contains only three words. “Trust and obey”. Those who do not surrender will be prosecuted in the court of God. They will be founded guilty of sin and punished in eternal prison. But those who lay down their firearms, who do not seek to justify themselves, but rather seek pardon solely through the sacrifice of Jesus in their place, will receive new life. They will be filled with the spirit of God and know God. They will grow in their relationship with God and learn to love God!

God could have let us die in our sin. He is by no means obligated to give us a way out of our rebellion. After all, WE started it. But one of God’s attributes is love. Because he loves us and wants us to be fascinated by his glory, he created a way out of our condemnation. We are saved from the wrath of God to see the glory of God for the praise of God (1 Thess 1:10, 2 Cor 4:6 Eph 1:4-6). That’s the gospel. It’s good news! However, this news is not like the 7 o’clock news or like ESPN news. This news demands a response. It’s urgent news. It’s the type of news that if embraced, will change your life now and for eternity.

So what do you think?

Why the Bible should frustrate us

I love God's word. I love everything about it. I love the clarity of it, the power of it, and the security of it. I love how God's word can be preached, sang, memorized and discussed.
2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "All of God's promises find their yes in Christ". Of this Spurgeon writes,

It is with you...as it was with Jacob. You know Jacob lay down and went to sleep. And the Lord said to him, "The land on which you lie I will give to you" (Gen 28:13). Now, wherever you go, throughout the whole of scripture, if you can find a place where you can lie down, that is yours! If you can sleep on a promise, that promise is yours!


What a wonderful comfort it is to know that all the promises of God are applied to me! With that being said, the bible is easily the most frustrating book I have ever picked up. And of all of the biblical characters, Jesus is easily the most frustrating one. Take John 4:43 for example. "After the two days Jesus departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown)"
...then why are you going to your hometown? Go to Jerusalem! Don't waste your time in Galilee! Don't you know how tiny and insignificant Galilee is?

I think if I was Jesus' manager, the gospels would look a lot different. I would tell him how inefficient it is to pass through Samaria to get from Judea to Galilee.
"Jesus, stop talking to Samaritan prostitutes. If the Pharisees hear about this, your image will be ruined!"
"Jesus, don't say things like, Let the children come to me. Don't you know that the scribes will take what you say and twist it?"
"Jesus! Don't touch the lepers! If you get leprosy, this ministry will be over!"

Or how about John 7,
Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world!" (vv3-4)


"Wow Jesus, your brothers sure do have an unshakable faith in you!" Wrong again. Look what John writes,
For not even his brothers believed in him. (v5)
What do you mean they don't believe in Jesus? They basically just told him to be a missionary!

What about John 6 when Jesus teaches that people must drink his blood and eat his flesh or they will perish. "Jesus, could you perhaps water that sermon down. Tell a few jokes or something. We're losing people."


When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard teaching". (v60)


Jesus! We're losing them! Say something comforting! Say something funny! Say something poignant!

"No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father!" (v65)
Jesus, that is not comforting!

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him (v66)
Dangit Jesus! We lost them! Ok, time for damage control. Make sure the Twelve are still with you.

Then Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" (v67)
JESUS! Did you really just give your disciples the option to leave you? What are you doing?!

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed! And have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God!" (vv68-69)


Thank you Peter. Good answer. See Jesus, we still got some followers. Say something nice to Peter. Thank him for his faithfulness. Encourage him with some kind words. Tell him how much you appreciate his company...

"Did I not choose you, the Twelve?! And yet one of you is a devil!" (v70)
Oh wow...

By the way, I bet that was the most awkward silence ever. You think you've said some awkward things? No. Our Lord and Savior is the King of saying awkward things. Now at this point, I think I would throw my hands in the air and shortly thereafter turn in my two weeks notice. Last one, Luke 8:22-25. The disciples are on a boat with Jesus (who is sleeping) and a storm hits. Luke writes, "A windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger." (v23). Uh oh, a storm's coming. Pause. What are we supposed to do when a "storm" comes? Easy! We turn to Jesus. I learned that in Sunday school! I can tell the disciples never missed Sunday school by their response...

And they went and woke him, saying, "Master Master, we are perishing!" (v24)


Good job, disciples! Well done. When the storm hits, you run to Christ for protection. Now Jesus will wake up and triumphantly save the day!

And Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm (v24)


Boom! Just like we drew it up! High five, boys! Jesus to the rescue! Wait, why isn't this passage over? Oh Jesus is motioning like he wants to say something. He probably wants to congratulate the boys on their great faith. Quiet down Peter, let the Lord speak. He probably wants to give us a gold medal or something.

"Where is your faith!" (v25)
...another awkward silence

Jesus, I give up. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. A storm hit and they went directly to you. They didn't turn to a life jacket or to a raft or anything like that. They went to you. Why are you rebuking them? You asked them where their faith was? It was in you. Did I miss something?

Do you see how frustrating it can be to simply just read the bible? If you run through God's word, Jesus will trip you! But what's the point of all this? Is Jesus just trying to mess with us? No. He wants us to know him. He wants us to know that no ordinary man wrote this gospel. He wants us to know that no ordinary man wrote this biblical narrative. He wants us to know that he is no ordinary man.

Jesus goes to Galilee to prove that he is jealous for the praise of his people. Jesus speaks to the Samaritan adulteress and embraces little children because his love has no racial, gender nor age barriers. Jesus touches the lepers because he has power over illnesses and has compassion on the hurting. Jesus knows that the reason behind his brothers wanting his fame to be spread throughout the world is because what they really want is their small town to be put on the map. They will ride the curtails of their miracle-working brother to fame and prosperity. Jesus refuses to water down his message because it is he who draws people to himself. Jesus is reformed in his theology. He preaches the truth and those whom he foreknew and predestined, he will also call. But he will call them "his way". This is why Jesus was not impressed with Peter's response. It is because Peter's faith did not originate within Peter. "Did I not choose you?" And lastly, Jesus rebukes his disciples for their lack of faith because they failed to realize that he alone is bigger than the storm.

"Who then is this?! That he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" (Lk 8:25)


Clearly, the "Master Master" of verse 24 is not the same Jesus of verse 25. Their view of Jesus had changed. They knew he could get them out of sticky situations but they had no idea that sticky situations are actually subject to him. "He commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" (v25)

Not only can Jesus calm the storms in your life, he is the one who endorses and prescribes them. Jesus is greater than your circumstances. Where was their faith? Their faith was in a weak Jesus. Perhaps Christ might ask us the very same question, "Where is your faith?" The goal of the bible is that you would say, "Wow. Who is this Jesus?!" Who is this Jesus, that even my sinful heart obeys him. Who is this Jesus, that even my wallet loves him? Who is this Jesus, that even my anxieties are cast upon him? Are you in a storm? Is Jesus with you? Good. I would rather be with Jesus in a Tsunami than without Jesus in Hawaii on the beach. I pray that you would be frustrated with God's word and in so doing, have your view of Jesus stretched.

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

What is God's Love Language?

Let's face it. No Christian friendship is complete without some sort of reference to the 5 love languages. We're curious to know the specific love language of our friends and potential significant others. We're so curious in fact, that we devote time and energy into figuring it out. Have you ever played the guessing game? Have you ever caught yourself making complex theories based off of random observations? Guilty. We could just ask, but it's far more fun to figure it out on our own. Perhaps that's just the detective in us. We love the mystery! If only our subjects, I mean, our friends, were easier to read, we would know how to make them feel special! If only their actions and words lined up perfectly. Then we could follow that trajectory into a crystal clear understanding of what their love language is. Unfortunately, people aren't that easy to figure out. I admit, this makes the quest all the more exciting but why don't we apply this endeavor to God? Have you ever wondered what God's love language is? It's actually much easier to figure out. God's word and God's actions always line up. Our God is consistent (Heb 13:8). 

So what is it? Is it touch? No, can't be. God is spirit (John 4:24). Quality time? Well, he does tell us to seek his face (2 Chr 7:14). Words of affirmation? The Psalmist does seem to shower the Lord in praise (Ps 103:1-5). Gifts? God does tell us that he loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7). Ah, it must be acts of service. Wrong. Deuteronomy 28:47 seems to suggest that God is more concerned about our hearts than our acts of service. So what is it? I'll give you a hint. Read this next sentence very carefully. God loves and is loved the exact same way. Let's look at his word and see if it becomes clear.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life" - John 3:16

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" - 1 John 4:9

"This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his only son to be the propitiation for our sins" - 1 John 4:10

"Abraham, now I know you love me, seeing that you did not withhold your son,  your only son from me" - Genesis 22:12

"Husbands, love your wives, like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" - Ephesians 5:25

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us" - 1 John 3:16

Do you see it? Do you hear this theme beating like a drum throughout all of scripture? It's there. Ever-present, unwavering and absolutely breath-taking! God's love language is sacrifice! 

Only until we have a deep grasp of the gospel will we have a proper understanding of love. To put it in the negative, we will be incapable of producing genuine love and affection until the cross has become the central force in our life. "We love because he first loved us". How has he loved us? By sacrificing his own son for all who would turn to him in faith. Surely Abraham understood this. When asked by God to take his son, his only son, the son whom he loved, and offer him up as a burnt offering on the mountain of Moriah, Abraham answered the call with obedient faith. Surely, God is trying to show us something. Have you ever wondered why Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only son? I think it was because Abraham had a greater treasure.

So what is your Isaac? What do you hope in? What good thing competes for first place in your heart? Watch out. God tells us to be willing to sacrifice that. The litmus test for idolatry is sacrifice. If you didn't have "x" would God be more than enough for you? If not, I would encourage you to look to Calvary. I would encourage you to pick up the pages of scripture and read how the Kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Now look at what the man did..."in his joy he sold (sacrificed) all he had and bought the field" (Matthew 13:44). There are some things we need to love less. However, idolatry simply reveals that we need to love God more. I pray that you would understand the love language of God and be changed by it.

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

Does Grace make us Lazy?

Thinking is crucial in the Christian life. Pondering, meditating and mentally wrestling with complex concepts can be some of the most enlightening and worshipful times with the Lord! One of my favorite subjects of meditation is the course of my life. If God would've told me 3 years ago that he was going to send me to DC to share the gospel with college students, I probably would have never prayed the patented, "Lord, I want to be the person you want me to be" prayer freshmen year. I didn't think God would actually take me seriously! I thought perhaps he wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or maybe even a...oh I don’t know, small-business owner. But a missionary? An evangelist? A full-time minister of the gospel? No way. That wasn't my plan. That's not what that prayer was about! Yet, 3 years, 2 disciples and 3 majors later, here I am raising support to go into full-time ministry in Washington, DC. Moral of the story: be careful what you pray for, God may actually take you up on it. My life will never be the same because of that prayer.

As a young, single guy in my 20s I realize that I have an awful lot to learn. We young people (particularly us men) radiate youthful ignorance. So I'm thankful for older men who provide wisdom, support and often times rebuke when needed. Funding your ministry by Scott Morton has been incredibly helpful in thinking through the support raising process. Near the back of the book, Morton has included a great deal of scripture to help us young guys (and perhaps some older/more experienced guys and gals) develop a biblical understanding of support raising. The one that has recently captured my thoughts is 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10.

Perhaps a little background of this church might be helpful. Have you ever noticed how much this book is preached in America? ...neither have I. Why not? I hear a lot of sermons on Romans and John but not much love for 2 Thessalonians. I think it's because the premise of the letter is something that we Americans cannot connect with. Matter of fact, they struggle with the very thing we need to embrace. The Thessalonians were under the impression that Christ was coming back, like...tomorrow! Chapter 2 begins with Paul writing,

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed...for that day will not come until the rebellion comes first"

 Or in other words, "Relax guys, put away your pitchforks and take a shower...Christ isn't coming back for a while." Perhaps it could be said that the Thessalonians had an over-realized eschatology whereas we have an under-realized eschatology. All that means is that they think about the end times too much whereas we think that Earth is our permanent home and as a result we give very little thought to eternity.

Now why highlight this? What's the point of all this eschatology talk? ...and what in the world does this have to do with support raising?! Well it seems that in the bible there seems to be a biblical principle stating that our beliefs dictate our behavior and our behavior demonstrates our beliefs. Therefore, if our dear friends in Thessalonica believe wrong, they will in turn behave wrong. Next question: How are they behaving? One word: Lazy. They figure, "If Christ is coming back tomorrow, why work? Why be financially responsible? Why take a shower? To heck with hard work, I'm ready for heaven!" Unfortunately, Paul bursts their bubble by challenging their belief system in chapter 2. Now in chapter 3 he addresses their behavior. Verse 7 says, "We were not idle". Verse 8 continues, "With toil and labor we worked night and day". Finally in verse 10 he exclaims, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat!"

Easy Paul! What about grace? What about the gospel? What about the Acts 2 community that we learn about at every single Christian conference? I mean, one of the reasons I love being a Christian so much is because of all the free stuff I get!

However, I think this stems from a false view of grace. Grace does not negate personal responsibility nor does it contradict the Acts 2 community. As a matter of fact, I think Paul is striving to protect the Acts 2 community in this passage. How can you have all things in common if you can't afford to buy anything? How can you sell your possessions if you can't buy possessions in the first place? Deeply embedded in the Acts 2 grace philosophy is the necessity of hard work. This is why Christians ought not to be lazy. Laziness ruins community! Now here's where support raising comes in. Ministry is now my job. Support raising is part of my job and in a very real way, if I am unwilling to work, I cannot eat. I'm challenged to view writing letters, making phone calls, setting up meetings and making appeals as "going to work". This is how God intends for me to provide for myself and Lord-willing a family someday. Through the gospel we learn that grace produces an attitude of devotion to hard work. I pray that you would work hard in response to God's grace.

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

The Perfect Gift

"Do not be deceived my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" - James 1:16

Giving is two-fold. We don't tend to see giving as two-fold because of our culture. Our culture suggests that giving is simply between one person and another. However, scripture would suggest something deeper. Scripture would suggest that all giving is a reflection of God's dealing with man. There is a reason behind Jesus saying, "it is better to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Jesus doesn't use empty words. When he says giving is better than receiving he means it. Why? Because throughout scripture, God is continually seen as a giver with man being the receiver. So in essence what Jesus is saying is, "It is better to be like God than it is to be like man"

But what is this deception that James talks about? "Do not be deceived.." Have WE been deceived? I don't FEEL deceived. Unfortunately, we have been deceived. The evidence is everywhere. One way that we've been deceived is in our vernacular. The word "lucky" is commonly found on our lips but it is surprisingly absent from scripture. None of the Bible's authors use any form of the word "luck". You simply will not find it anywhere in scripture. You will however find the word, "blessed". In fact, you will find this word close to 300 times throughout the bible. (That's around 4-5 times on average in every book) I don't mean to overstate my case but it seems as though this concept of "blessing" is somewhat of a theme in the bible. The reason why the word "luck" is a deception is because it only fits into an atheistic worldview. Luck stems from chance. Chance stems from disorder. And if God is a God of order, he has no dealings with luck or chance. God and luck cannot coexist. However the word "blessed" fits perfectly into a biblical worldview. "Blessed" suggests purpose. It suggests intentionality and love. It also suggests that there are at least two parties involved. One who is the blesser and one who is blessed. The word "lucky" dishonors God because it reduces his grace to a product of chance. Therefore, "luck" should be removed from our vocabulary and replaced with "blessed".

Also, we find James making a distinction between a "good" gift and a "perfect" gift. While there is a distinction between the two, they both descend from a common source. Namely, the Father of lights. But why the distinction? Perhaps it could be that a good gift is something that one could USE whereas a perfect gift is something that one desperately NEEDS. May I suggest that there are an infinite amount of good gifts but there is only one perfect gift. There is one gift that is elevated above all other gifts. All good gifts merely shadow and imperfectly mirror this singular perfect gift. This perfect gift is Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son". Romans states it this way, "For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). This verse is a little more clear. We see our need as well as our solution. The need is an escape from the death that our sin has earned. Jesus has taken the death for believers and given them his perfect record. The reason we give gifts on Christmas is to symbolize the perfect gift of Jesus' life for all who would turn to him. He literally is the "perfect" gift. He is completely without sin and yet freely gives this "perfect" record to those who would receive it.

I"ll end by suggesting that we ought to see every good thing as from God. Even the things we take for granted ought to be reflected back to God in praise "since he gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25). Note the order of the words. Life and breath come first. The fact that you are breathing right now (and I assume you are) is evidence of God's grace. The very fact that you are able to read and follow a pattern of thought is an unbelievable gift from God! However, these are all to prepare us for the perfect gift of Jesus Christ. All other gifts tank in comparison to this perfect gift. Our deepest need is the need for a Savior. Not only is Jesus a savior, but he is also a treasure. I pray that you would recognize the hand of God in all good gifts and be incredibly grateful for the perfect gift of Jesus Christ.

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

Joy in times of stress

Life is stressful. Life is infamous for suffering, hardships and trials. However, as followers of Christ we are told to rejoice in these sufferings. We are told to consider it "pure joy" when we face trials of various kinds (James 1:2). How could this be? How are we to rejoice in the loss of a close family member or the loss of a friend? How are we to glory in the injustice of crooked politicians, crooked professors and crooked people? Surely the apostle Paul doesn't have our trials and our difficulties in mind when he exhorts us to "rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Of course this argument falls apart when you take into account the life of Paul. We find Paul's suffering résumé in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. He writes,

"I am talking like a madman-with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked...in danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city...in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches"

For the sake of clarity, let us recap. Paul has experienced physical pain (vv 24-25), emotional pain (v 26), the pain of betrayal (v 24) and the pain of anxiety (v 28). This is the résumé of the man who has told us to "rejoice always". Could it be that he has learned the secret to possessing unwavering joy? Philippians 4 would assume so.

"In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:12-13) 

This verse was never meant to be plucked out of context and plastered onto the back of church league baseball jerseys promoting some sort of underdog mentality. The immediate context suggests that Paul's realization occurs in the midst of suffering. However, it is in the midst of this pain that God will usher in a deeper understanding of the sufficiency of Christ. Joy will flee from us until we realize that Jesus Christ is our treasure. I pray that you would be satisfied in Christ alone as the source of your strength and your joy.

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

3 Glorious Truths

How are we to cope with stress? What is the secret path to joy that Paul talks about time and time again? I believe Jesus gives us a very applicable blueprint in John 14. "Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me" (v 1). 

Keep in mind, this blueprint occurs directly after Jesus reveals four devastating truths to his disciples.

          #1: I am going to be crucified (12:32-33)

          #2: Some people will never believe (12:39)

          #3: Judas is a betrayer (13:26)

          #4: Simon Peter will deny me three times (13:38)

In the midst of this, Jesus has the audacity to tell his disciples "Let not your hearts be troubled". The next sentence is very important. "Believe in God, believe also in me".  Following this command are 3 glorious truths that Jesus intends for us to set our minds on daily. He desires that we set our minds on these daily so that we might glorify him by having his joy overflowing in us. No believer can be unaffected or unmoved by these 3 glorious truths. The burden of this passage is to believe. You must believe not only on an academic level but also on a heart level. You need your heart, soul and mind all to be engaged in order to believe these truths. This word "believe" ought to be synonymous with "trust" or "eat" or "follow".

Glorious truth #1

- Jesus is taking you to heaven

"In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am  you may be also" (vv 2-3)

Most of our stress comes from being overly-attached to the things of this world. The implication of believing in our heavenly destination will cause us to detach our source of joy from the things of this world and find our joy in being co-heirs with Christ. Are you worried about living situations? Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven. Are you worried about relationships? Jesus wants to be with you in heaven. Are you concerned about your academic performance? Jesus has given you his perfect righteousness. The list goes on but the truth stays the same. You are meant for life with Jesus in God's heavenly kingdom.

Glorious Truth #2

- Jesus knows where he is going

"Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (vv 5-6)

A lot of our stress comes from uncertainty about the future. The implication of believing this promise is trusting the Holy Spirit to lead you into your God-ordained future. Even in times of uncertainty we need to believe that God has a definite plan for our lives. He knows the way. Therefore, let us follow him. Jesus makes three claims in verse 6. He claims to be the only way to God, the ultimate standard for truth and the only source of true life. Therefore, although you may not know what the future has in store, Jesus does, and he is taking you there. In the midst of your confusion and anxiety he quietly whispers, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow" (Matt 6:34)

Glorious Truth #3

- Jesus plans to use you for great and mighty things

"Truly truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the son." (vv 12-13)

Stress can be caused by the feeling of worthlessness. Or perhaps you regularly feel bored. If so, what you are feeling is the beginning of something incredible. You were not created to sit on the bench and watch life pass you by. God has carefully crafted you in his image. Go out and live! Find a passion like Nehemiah did and surrender your life to it! God has personally given certain spiritual gifts specifically for you. He wants you to use them in ways to glorify him. Herein lies the best part, you will never feel more alive than when you are operating out of one of your spiritual giftings. We ought to spend much time in prayer asking the Father to reveal to us what his passion for our life is. I pray that you would have the joy of Christ at all times and in all circumstances.

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