Category: Devotional

Is the Sermon on the Mount for Christians Today?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

By Jason Smith

Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch, 1877 (Wikimedia Commons)
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, ESV)

With these words, Jesus concluded His world famous discourse found in the Gospel of Matthew, now called the Sermon on the Mount.[1]

It’s hard to overstate the impact this sermon has had on the church throughout history. Augustine called it “a perfect standard of the Christian life.”[2] Others have devoted their whole lives to searching out its meaning and understanding its application for today. Regarding the Sermon on the Mount, biblical scholar R. Kent Hughes has said, “Every phrase can bear exhaustive exposition and yet never be completely plumbed.”[3]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who resisted Hitler’s tyrannical rule, based his famous work The Cost of Discipleship on this power-packed sermon. The Sermon is all about what it means to enter the Kingdom of God. It’s an explication of what it means to live your life under God’s rule.

It has even influenced non-Christians, such as Gandhi who came to revere (but not worship) Jesus because of His words spoken here in Matthew 5-7. Nietzsche hated it. He said that the Sermon captures the “slave morality” of Christianity. Apparently, he wasn’t a big fan of loving your enemies. But to be fair to Nietzsche, Jesus’s words here are pretty shocking to all of us, and so we all naturally resist them. Here are some statements found in the Sermon:

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29, NIV)
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:38-45, NIV)

Again, these words come from the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself. The fact that He, the incarnate Son of God, lived out this ethic is incredible, but that doesn’t make them easy to obey. If we really take them seriously, they are indeed jarring.

There are some Christians who have softened the blow by arguing that Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount as a lofty ideal, a virtually impossible ethic that was only for the spiritual elite.[4] Others have proposed that the Sermon on the Mount was only for the old covenant Jew or for the age to come when Christ’s kingdom is fully consummated.[5] For many reasons, I cannot accept that interpretation.

For instance, in this very sermon, Jesus taught His followers to pray for the kingdom’s arrival: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). So how could this sermon be addressing a future era and not today?

Those who claim this ethic is too lofty for the Christian today are forgetting that we now have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts and lives. In fact, it’s worth comparing all that Jesus calls His followers to in the Sermon on the Mount with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” I would also add humility, a trait implied in all of these and one which Paul commonly lists elsewhere (see Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:12).

I’m not arguing for Christian perfectionism. But like Paul I believe we are to strive for holiness through God’s empowering grace. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12, NIV).

Those who claim that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t apply to today’s world remind me of something G. K. Chesterton said: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”[6] Followers of Jesus should never avoid the difficult passages in Scripture. They are there for a reason.

Without a doubt, Jesus has set a high goal for us to aim at. To claim that the Sermon on the Mount’s ethic is too lofty to attain may sound humble. But ultimately such a response ignores what Jesus later told His disciples: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, NASB). He also ended His sermon by saying, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24, ESV).

Jesus is our King today, not merely in the future. And this is His kingly address to us. If we consider ourselves followers of King Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount isn’t an optional add-on. It is something we need to read, cherish, and obey now more than ever. Why don’t you read through Matthew 5-7 right now? It might just change your life.

[1] Matthew 5-7. Portions of the sermon are restated in Luke 6:20-49.

[2] Quoted in Philip Schaff, NPNF1-06. St. Augustine: Sermon on the Mount; Harmony of the Gospels; Homilies on the Gospels, Chapter 1.

[3] The Sermon on the Mount, R. Kent Hughes, 14.

[4] This was Thomas Aquinas’s view. See Charles Quarles, The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church, Kindle edition.

[5] For instance, Lewis Sperry Chafer said, “As a rule of life, it is addressed to the Jew before the cross and to the Jew in the coming kingdom, and is therefore not now in effect.” L. S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1948), 5:97.

[6] G. K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World.

Mothers Are a Gift from God

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

By Jason Smith

“Sweet Lullaby,” sculpture by Alice Heath.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31:31, NIV)

It’s pretty hard to overstate the importance a mother has in her child’s life. Our life journeys begin within our mother’s womb. Moms alone have literally been there from the beginning. The nurture and care flowing from a mother’s heart are irreplaceable. And the love a mother has for her children is simply beyond measure.

I am deeply grateful to God for my mother, Sandy Smith. There are so many times in life that I can look back and reflect on how essential my mother’s love, correction, and care proved to be. She has poured her heart and soul into my life in more ways than I can count.

I can say the same for my wife, Whitney, and the undeniable care she shows to our three boys. That same commitment to her children is also seen in my mother-in-law, Shirleen, and in countless other moms I have met.

Mothers are a gift from God.

Honor Your Mother

I’m thankful that our culture still celebrates Mother’s Day as a day to honor the women who have raised us and helped to mold us into the people we are today. Interestingly, Mother’s Day has only been a national holiday since 1914.[1] But God has been honoring mothers from the very beginning.

Honoring both parents is so essential that God included it in the big Ten Commandments He gave to Moses:

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12, NIV)

Perhaps one of the biggest ways you can honor your mother is through listening to her.

The logic works like this. She has lived longer than you. She’s been through more experiences than you. She was appointed by God to raise you. Without her, you wouldn’t have survived or become the person you are today. So, listen to her.

In the book of Proverbs, we read about the importance that both a father and a mother have in raising children.  

“Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.” (Proverbs 1:8, BSB)

Again, the need to listen and cherish what both parents say is highlighted. In doing so, she can be joyful.

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old… Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.” (Proverbs 23:22, 25, NIV)

The same message is repeated over and over in Scripture: Your wise decisions lead to Mom being happy. And, as you can imagine, foolish decisions have the opposite result.

Thanks to postmodernism, our children today are being assaulted with a host of cultural lies about God, truth, morality, and history. In her excellent book, Mama Bear Apologetics, Hillary Morgan Ferrer writes about the essential role moms have in preparing their children for a world that is often very hostile to the Christian worldview:

“We need to prepare our children so they aren’t left unprotected for the future. The greatest protection we can give our kids is to equip them to face the cultural lies head-on while remaining gracious, loving, and winsome. It is not enough to simply tell them which ideas are raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must train them to understand why those ideas are flawed.”[2]

Cultivate a Contagious Love for God’s Word

For mothers, sound advice, careful discernment, and moral instruction are all certainly important. But for followers of the risen Lord, the greatest joy is seeing your children come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

On his second missionary journey, Paul befriended a young man named Timothy, who was apparently raised by both his Jewish mother and grandmother. His father was a Greek pagan, so it was left to the women who raised him to teach him the faith. Paul notes how important it was that Timothy learned to love the Bible at an early age.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

Notice that phrase “knowing from whom you learned it.” So, who’s Paul referring to here? Who taught Timothy “the sacred writings” (the Bible)? If you flip back a page to chapter one, we get the answer. In his greeting to Timothy, Paul writes:

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” (2 Timothy 1:5)

Although it’s easy for us to read past this if we are reading through the whole letter, I think that it’s worth stopping to consider what Paul is saying here. In chapter 3, he’s telling Timothy to be on guard against false teachers, to rely on God’s Word, and to remember “from whom” he learned God’s Word. It’s significant because Paul can point to both Timothy’s grandma and mom to say, “This faith that you now have that will keep you on the straight and narrow and save you for eternity—this faith—is what you first learned from them.”

I think Paul is showing Timothy—and God is showing us through Paul—just how important a godly mother is. Here we have two generations of godly mothers highlighted and Paul can say, “Look at their lives. Look at how much they depended on God for everything. You want to know that God’s Word is trustworthy and can tremendously help you in life? Well, look at your grandma and mother—the two women who have had the biggest impact on your faith—and consider how God’s Word shaped them into the gracious, loving, hope-filled and pure people they are.”

The Inestimable Impact of a Godly Mother

If you are a mother, my prayer for you is that you would be so committed to reading God’s Word—and so, to knowing Jesus—that your faith would have a tremendous impact on your child’s life and shape how he or she views the God who made them.

The great Baptist preacher of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, wrote this after reflecting on the incredible impact his Bible-reading mother had on him:

“Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother. Certainly I have not the powers of speech with which to set forth my valuation of the choice blessing which the Lord bestowed on me in making me the son of one who prayed for me, and prayed with me.”[3]

In Acts 16:1, the author Luke mentions that Timothy’s mother was a believer. Here’s what John Piper said about this passage in a devotional I read recently:

“The apostle of Jesus Christ in this text bestows on motherhood and grandmotherhood a great honor. You have a calling that can become the long-remembered ground of faith, not just for your children — mark this — but for the untold numbers who will be affected by your children. And that’s in addition to all the other thousands of ripple effects of faith in your life.”[4]

Mothers, here’s the good news. Yes, you have an immense privilege and great responsibility in your calling as a mother. But, praise God, you don’t have to do this alone! You have Jesus, who is present with you and in you by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:20; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). You have the treasure trove of Scripture, which offers us both wisdom and grace to us every time we pick it up to read (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Cor. 9:8; Col. 1:5-8; Eph. 5:26). You have a God who is both faithful and loving, despite our flaws and failures (Deut. 7:9; Rom. 3:3-4; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:13; Titus 1:2). And, by God’s grace, you have others in your life who, while imperfect, are committed to loving you, loving your child, and loving Jesus.

You have been given an incredible charge, and you are also given an endless supply of grace (James 4:6). And, if you ever find your faith faltering, remember to fix your eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-2) and to consider the promise that when we read His Word, our faith is strengthened. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

[1] Although it became a holiday in 1914 thanks to President Woodrow Wilson, it was actually originated with Anna Jarvis, who began holding annual memorial in 1908 to honor her mother specifically and every mother also for their love and support.

[2] Hillary Morgan Farrer, Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies.

[3] Charles Spurgeon, Autobiography.

[4] http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/her-children-arise-and-call-her-blessed

Spirit-Empowered Relationships

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

By Jason Smith

Photo from Shutterstock
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me about how another friend had betrayed his confidence by sharing sensitive information with others. Apparently, this person had even made light of something that had caused my friend a great deal of pain. This caused a rift in their relationship that wasn’t quickly healed.

Former NFL defensive linemen and motivational speaker Joe Ehrmann has talked about how men who are constantly competing and comparing themselves to others can end up feeling very isolated. And with the rise of social media, “friend” has become a verb, but studies have pointed out that it’s becoming increasingly common for men over 30 to have no authentic friends.[1]  

Friendships are precious things. Sadly, most of us don’t take stock of how incredibly valuable genuine friendships are to our overall well-being. However, friendships are also very fragile. They can break if we aren’t careful with them. As my friend Jamie has put it, “The thing about relationships is that my brokenness inevitably bumps up against your brokenness.” You don’t have to live long before you realize that people will let you down. Imperfect people are just that – imperfect. So we need help in our relationships.

The Primary Cause of Relational Conflict

Very often, when a married couple is having issues one spouse will point out all the ways that the other spouse is failing them. The problem, it is said, is that their spouse is too selfish. Of course, what such a person often ignores is that their spouse is usually saying the same thing. Both spouses believe the other is being selfish!

The Bible actually agrees that this is the primary cause of relational conflicts. The problem in each of our hearts is this desire to have our own way. This desire is at the root of every conflict from the minor quarrel to the violent attack.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” (James 4:1-2, NIV)

If relational conflict stems from the desires battling within, then we have to ask ourselves, “How can I change in this area of relationships?” We all know intuitively that humble and selfless people tend to have more fruitful and thriving relationships. Their personalities are so attractive because they are not so self-consumed.

The good news is that Jesus has not left us alone to navigate the rough terrain of human relationships.

Love: The Missing Ingredient

We talk a lot about love in our culture, but I often wonder if we really know what it is. Love isn’t merely an emotion or feelings of attraction. It is a conscious act of the will, where we go out and meet the needs of others. When God loved us, the Bible said that He showed it, not by merely talking about warm feelings, but by meeting our greatest need through real sacrifice, as when Jesus went to the cross.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NIV)

Jesus called His followers to love one another. This kind of love needed to be visible and show up in how we treat one another. It’s what would draw the world to His message of forgiveness. When we as Christians fail to love one another, we are acting no better than the world and implying that we have nothing better to offer.

But gritting our teeth and trying with all our might to work up love in our hearts will never work. It’s something that the Spirit of God has to work in your life. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).

So How Do I Change?

I have a tan sweater hanging in my closet that I really like. I have worn it on many occasions. I even wore it on several dates when my wife, Whitney, and I just started dating. I have many fond memories while wearing that sweater.

There’s just one problem. Whitney thinks it looks atrocious on me – something about it clashing with my skin tone. She’s had to remind me of this fact on numerous occasions. It’s in my closet right now, but she would rather I get rid of it. For some reason, I just have trouble parting with that beloved sweater.

Why do I bring this up? Because taking off and putting on clothing is the metaphor the Apostle Paul uses when he describes how we change in our relationships in Colossians 3:

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:8-10, NIV)

Notice Paul says our old habits of relational dysfunction (anger, malice, slander, and filthy language) belong to our old self. And he doesn’t say, “You need to take the old self off.” He says, “You already have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self.” In other places, we learn that our old self “died” and has been “crucified with Christ” (Romans 6:6-8; Galatians 2:20). When you come to Christ, you are given a whole new identity – a “new self.” Or to keep in step with Paul’s clothing metaphor, we don’t just need to get our old clothing resized or patched up. We need a whole new set of clothing, which is really the righteousness of Christ.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10, ESV)

To go back to behaving like our “old self” in our relationships is to contradict the change that has taken place in us. It’s like me putting on that old sweater that shouldn’t even be in my closet. Instead, we need to embrace the new clothing meant to replace the old ones.

But Paul’s point is that this can only happen through saturating our hearts and minds with the gospel and letting “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15-16). The God of love comes inside so that we can extend that love to others.

The Spirit Makes the Difference

It’s not that we need to produce this love in our hearts by our own willpower. Instead, we need to yield to what Christ is already doing in us by the Holy Spirit. Many people look for evidence of the Holy Spirit chiefly in external signs, but the most definitive evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power is a radically transformed character. In other words, you know the Holy Spirit is dwelling within you if your life starts to match Paul’s description.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV)

Again, notice this is all about our relationships with others: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. As forgiven people, we are now empowered to forgive those who wrong us. Paul says, “Because you are God’s chosen people, holy, and loved, you need to dress like it.” Christians need to adorn themselves with the traits that match who they really are now. We need to be on Earth who we already are in Heaven.[2] When we do that, our relationships will take on a radically different shape.

The final overcoat that binds these all together is love (v. 14). When we are yielding to the Holy Spirit and His power, love will be the hallmark our lives. We will care more about the unity that glorifies God than satisfying our own self-centered desires. And differing personal preferences and opinions won’t have to divide followers of the same Lord.[3] Spirit-empowered relationships make unity in the church possible. They are also what will draw those outside the church to Jesus Christ.

[1] See Mark Gaisford, “Why do many middle-aged men like me have absolutely NO FRIENDS – and what toll does it take on our health?” The Daily Mail. ; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/men-friendship-crisis_l_5dbc9aa7e4b0576b62a1e90f ; https://www.menshealth.com/uk/mental-strength/a759609/the-truth-about-male-loneliness/

[2] See Colossians 3:1-4.

[3] See Ephesians 4:1-6.

Wired for Community

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments
Photo by FreePik

From the moment we emerge from our mother’s womb, we crave closeness and connection. New mothers are encouraged to practice skin-to-skin contact to bond with their babies. Have you ever wondered why a baby’s head smells so good? It’s because God designed their scent glands to secrete pheromones which actually make their perspiration smell sweet.[1] Everything about our physiology seems to point to this need for community. Through eye contact, we connect. Through a hug, we comfort. Through body language, we convey emotions.

Humans naturally long to be with other humans. When we are left in isolation, we quite literally start to go insane. Just watch the film Castaway, where Tom Hanks’ character is stranded on a desert island and forced to befriend a volleyball named “Wilson.” Sure, there are days where we tell ourselves, “Life would be great, if it weren’t for other people.” But like it or not, at the end of the day, we crave human contact.

This has everything to do with how God originally wired us. We were created in the image of a personal God of community. He has eternally existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God is by nature a God of relationships. That’s why God said “it is not good that the man should be alone” when He made us to reflect His nature (Genesis 2:18). From the very beginning, we were wired for community!

Many today will ask the question, “Why should I bother with the church anyway?” Perhaps, you can relate to this question. Maybe you were hurt by others in a church, and you feel church is not worth the effort or the risk of being hurt again. After all, they reason, I can have a relationship with God without being part of a church.

It’s this sentiment that has led to the mantra we often hear: “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Although I have an idea of where this statement comes from, that response has always somewhat bothered me. There seems to be a whole bundle of worldview assumptions buried in that simple declaration. The worst part about this is that it seems to draw a solid black line between that which is spiritual and that which is religious (or even church-related). Such a dichotomy seems to fly in the face of so much of what I know personally and what I see in Scripture.

Is it true that we can have a relationship with God without being involved in a church? The answer, according to Scripture, is that at the moment we come to Jesus Christ in repentant faith, we are indeed reconciled to our Creator. We don’t need the church or a leader in the church to establish our conversion; that’s something God alone can accomplish. So the answer to the question above is “yes,” but it is a qualified “yes.”

Here’s what I mean. To be in a relationship with someone implies that you are living with that person — not merely speaking to that person, but also listening to that person. And God, in His Word, has a lot to say about the great importance of regularly gathering with a local church.

For example: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV). So, for the Christian, “meeting together” should be a regular, consistent part of our life. In fact, the emphasis on “encouraging one another,” implies that we will benefit spiritually as we meet together in the context of the local church.

In the past year, with the spread of COVID-19, this has taken a different shape for many who cannot meet for various reasons. Either way, meeting together should be the norm for the church – barring exceptional circumstances. In this past year, many have found ways to “meet” or interact online. Would Paul have this in mind as a form of gathering? Since he lived in the first century, not the twenty-first, the answer is clearly “No.”

Technology has its limitations, and I don’t think it’s an ideal permanent substitution for the vast majority of Christians who can meet together. But even if it’s not the ideal, at least it allows believers to study God’s Word together, pray for each other’s needs, and talk with one another. Several people have told me how grateful they are that our church has online options available; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to participate in church life at all. I know what it’s like to be encouraged when talking with Christian brothers and sisters on Skype who are halfway around the world. Sure, the fellowship is not as sweet as when we meet in person, but I can still say I’m thankful for the connections that technology gives us. Overall, the in-person gathering is certainly the ideal the church should strive for because there’s a certain level of fellowship or community that technology can’t achieve.

And since definitions are important, by “church” I do not mean that brick building with stained glass windows. The Greek word we translate as “church,” ekklesia, simply means “a gathering or assembly of people.”[2] However, in the Christian sense, it refers to a “gathering of believers in Jesus Christ.”

Too often, men today can think of true manhood as being this solitary, John Wayne-like individual who has no need for friendships. It’s as if being alone and independent of others is the epitome of manliness. But that’s not true! Our Creator says, “It’s not good for the man to be alone.”

In the words of the theologian-poet, John Donne: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

Not only is perpetual isolation unfulfilling, it is also unwise. It can often reveal a stubborn unwillingness to listen to the counsel of others. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Here’s how this can work out. In our pride, we can think, “Of course I know what’s best for me. I don’t need to listen to anyone else.” What about when others are counseling you not to go down a road in life they consider unwise or dangerous? They can easily be ignored, because you don’t consider yourself in community with them. Proverbs says that when you isolate yourself from others who can speak wisdom into your life, you are raging against sound judgment. You are actively choosing the way of destruction.

God calls believers to live in community with other believers, so that they are in a context where others can know them well and speak biblical wisdom, love, and encouragement into their lives. God says, “Don’t isolate yourself. Christian men, unite with other Christian men and seek accountability as a band of brothers, walking together in the journey of life. Christian women, form close bonds with other Christian women as your sisters in the Lord who can share life with you.”

In the dark days of Israel recounted in the sobering book of Judges, we are told: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). It’s a tragic thing to see men and women refuse counsel and accountability to others. Although they imagine they are building up a fortress of protection around themselves, in reality they are cutting themselves off from growth, hope, and the joy of Christian fellowship.

If you are a Christian, God calls you to not neglect the gathering of a local body of believers when you are able. From the moment the church was first launched, the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered group of believers on the Day of Pentecost. Note the way Luke explains this: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, NLT). Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we need one another. We were designed for community.

[1] Rachel Nuwer, Smithsonian Magazine, (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smell-of-newborn-babies-triggers-the-same-reward-centers-as-drugs-58482/  September 24, 2013)

[2] See Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 2nd Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020),), 1048. Grudem points out in footnote 2 that even in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) the word ekklesia “refers frequently to the assemblies of God’s people.”

The Surprise of Christmas

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment
Thomas Cole, “The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds,” 1834

During the Christmas season, my wife, Whitney, and I like to sit down and enjoy a good holiday movie together. Frequently, we turn to the Hallmark channel to watch one of their one million Christmas movies. I don’t want to knock Hallmark movies, because they are generally good, wholesome films with a guaranteed happy ending. Nevertheless, something I’ve found while watching these movies is that after you have watched a few of them, you begin to see some (how shall I put it?) consistency to the plot and character development. Before long, you can’t help but make some surefire predictions in the first five minutes, like “Oh, there’s the guy she’s going to fall in love with” and “That’s the guy who’s about to be dumped… Somebody better warn him!”

But for many of us, this predictability is not a bad thing. If you are watching a Hallmark movie, you’re not looking for a surprising plot twist or a suspense-filled ending. You just want to get into the Christmas spirit with an escape to the land of “feel good fiction.”

Maybe you can think of a time you were reading a book or watching a film, and you assumed the conclusion was well in hand. You can already imagine how everything is going to work out for all the characters involved. But then, in the final minutes, the plot takes a shocking twist, and the ending rocks your world.

As we read the Christmas story found in the Bible, one thing we have to see is that this is a script no one but God could write. Despite how familiar with the story we may be, there is a surprising truth to Christmas. Imagine, for example, what it would be like to be Joseph and to have your whole world turned upside down when you learn that your fiancée is pregnant via supernatural conception.

Or put yourself in the sandals of Mary, a young Jewish virgin probably still a teenager, who is visited by an angel telling her that she is about to give birth to the long-expected Messiah, who is also the eternal Son of God. What do you think was running through her head? She probably already had a life planned out for herself. Although we may know how the Christmas story goes, Mary did not. This was the last news she expected to receive.

Nevertheless, she humbly responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38, NIV). As her belly began to swell in the following months, she must have pondered late at night many times the magnitude of what was about to happen. She was going to give birth to the Savior of the world.

The problem with familiarity is that we can sometimes grow numb to how shocking the gospel really is. It is the news that the angels call “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Because the Creator of all laid aside the glory of Heaven to come as a little baby, we can have joy beyond measure.

The true story of Christmas tells us that God has not abandoned us. He did not leave us to the misery and chaos of this world. He came after us in Christ to redeem a lost and hurting world.

Recently, Whitney and I were with another couple, and the wife complimented her husband by simply saying, “He gets me.” That statement encapsulates what we all truly want: to be fully known and fully loved. Because of Christmas, we can say of God, “He gets me.” Because He has lived a full human life on this planet, He is acquainted with all our sorrows, joys, struggles, and emotions. Because of Christmas, no one can say, “God doesn’t understand me.” He does.

Now think of this. When the Sovereign King of the universe steps into His world, shouldn’t we expect Him to be raised in a palace, reigning over the world empire, and wearing a crown of gold? But what happens instead? When God finally shows up, we can’t even make room for Him in a small town inn. Instead of being wrapped in silk and laid in an ornate crib, He is laid in a manger — a feeding trough for farm animals! If you’ve spent any time on a farm, you know that this a filthy nursery for a newborn baby. This is how the Lord God came to us.

Many have wondered, Why the shepherds? Of all the people that God could have chosen to make His great announcement to, why them? He doesn’t send the angels to make a royal announcement in Caesar’s palace or among the Jewish nobility in the temple. He didn’t come at a time when He could broadcast the announcement on cable news. No, He sent those angels out to the grassy fields outside of Bethlehem to tell none other than lowly shepherds – the guys who spend their whole lives chasing stubborn sheep around.

And while this too could be surprising, isn’t it only fitting that the God whom the Jews have long called the “Good Shepherd” should send the first invitation to them. Shepherds, after all, picture one who must care for, protect, and at times rescue those who are constantly wandering from the fold.

The Bible says that we are all like sheep who have gone astray. And that, ultimately, this is the whole purpose of Christmas. Jesus came as a baby, but He didn’t stay a baby. Jesus came not only to identify with us in our struggles but to save us from our sin. That is why Jesus came not to wear a crown of gold, but a crown of thorns. And that’s why He came to ascend not a throne, but a cross.

It is at the cross that our ultimate need is met – our need for forgiveness. Because of His great love for you, the Lord God Himself came from the highest realm of glory to the lowest of lows. He bore your burden of sin so that you can be free of your past – totally forgiven and restored to fellowship with your Creator. In the end, that is the surprise of Christmas.

Jesus Was a Fetus

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life5 Comments
Photo by The Olive Press

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” (Luke 1:31, NIV)

In the ancient world, human life was viewed as very cheap. Someone’s value came from what they could offer to others. If you were useful or skilled, you had value in the eyes of others; if not, you were expendable. Babies were often viewed as disposable, and women and children were treated as property. Before Jesus came, human beings almost universally had only instrumental value in the eyes of others, not intrinsic value.

The birth of Jesus Christ changed all that. The Bible says of Jesus, “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Colossians 1:19, NIV). His primary purpose for coming was to accomplish our redemption from sin and make us new. Yet the Creator of the cosmos was not above entering this world through a virgin’s womb. Although He was supernaturally conceived, He otherwise entered this world like you did, growing inside His mother’s belly for most of a year. And like you, after coming down the birth canal, He was totally dependent on His mother’s nourishment and care.

Here lies the greatest enigma of all. The Supreme Creator who spoke everything into being was coddled and nursed by His teenage mother. No wonder the angels look on in stunned amazement at what God has done (1 Peter 1:12). The One through whom and for whom all things exist had made Himself small. Simply put, Jesus was a fetus.

The word fetus simply means an “unborn baby.” Although there’s nothing degrading about the term itself, it is often used as a way to dehumanize the unborn. Not long ago, my wife, Whitney, and I visited OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). One of the most fascinating exhibits is called Prenatal Development. In a circular room, you find preserved unborn babies at every stage of development in utero.[1] What struck me was that from a very early stage, perhaps around nine weeks, the tiny baby revealed features that were so undeniably human. Already at that point, miniscule limbs have sprouted and little black eyes can be seen on the bean-shaped head. I came away from the exhibit agreeing with King David that we truly are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). How incredible to think that Jesus too passed through each one of those stages in Mary’s womb!

Luke records that when the pregnant Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant, Elizabeth’s baby – later known as John the Baptist – leaped in his mother’s womb. And then Elizabeth tells Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:42-44, ESV)

Today, many in our nation are asking, “Why should we care about the unborn?” One abortion rights advocate even mockingly called the pro-life position a “love affair with the fetus.”[2] The unborn child has even been likened to a parasite or blob of tissue.[3] No doubt the dehumanization of these precious little image bearers of God has led to the slaughter of millions.

So, why should we care about the baby in the womb? Here is one very good reason: Because Jesus was once a baby in the womb. And even while unborn, He brought joy to another unborn baby! If experiencing joy in the presence of another doesn’t qualify for personhood, I don’t know what would!

It’s worth noting that the Greek word used for baby here –βρέφος (brephos) – is the same word Luke uses for babies outside the womb elsewhere, showing that God’s Word doesn’t distinguish between babies inside and babies outside the womb (see Luke 2:12, 16; 18:15). Either way, they’re all babies.

It is because Jesus came as a baby and welcomed and loved the little children He encountered that Christians have always made the care of children a priority. In ancient Rome, where babies were often aborted or abandoned, the early Christians were known for saving thousands of babies. They brought them into their homes, adopted them as their own, and taught them the Christian faith.

When the disciples tried to hold the children back as little nuisances, Jesus famously said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them” (Matthew 19:14a, NIV). Those words inspired Christians throughout history to be the first to start orphanages, foundling homes, and eventually start Sunday Schools for children to learn about Jesus at an early age.[4]

Christians today are known for being at the forefront of the pro-life movement and starting the 3,000 to 4,000 crisis pregnancy centers across the United States. These clinics are known for offering free services and demonstrating compassion to thousands of young pregnant women in difficult situations and empowering them to make wise and informed decisions.

Many today view the pro-life movement as an obstacle to the women’s rights movement. However, those who hold this notion ignore the fact that the same Jesus movement that brought about the pro-life position also paved the way for equal treatment of women.

In ancient times, nearly every culture viewed women as having a lower status than men. Aristotle even argued that a woman ranked somewhere between a free man and a slave. Considering that a slave held no more value than cattle in ancient times, you get a glimpse of how poorly women were treated. As you review the accounts from ancient India, China, Rome, and Greece, the widespread consensus was that wives were the property of their husbands. Modern westerners can hardly fathom such a low view of women. So what changed all that? What inspired the now widespread perspective that women and men have equal value, rights, and dignity?

In the words of historian Rodney Stark, the elevation of women has its roots in the “triumph of Christianity.”[5] That is, Jesus Himself elevated women to a level of dignity and respect. He honored the women who followed Him, engaged them in conversation, and was eager to teach them alongside the men, all social taboos at the time. Jesus treated women as equals to their male counterparts. It is the early Christians who taught the then-pagan world that husbands are to love and be faithful to their wives, widows should be cared for, and polygamy was forbidden by God. Stark writes, “In response to the special appeal that the faith had for women, the early church drew substantially more female than male converts, and this in a world where women were in short supply.”[6]

What does all this have to do with Christmas?

By daring to become a human Himself, Jesus imbued all human life with greater dignity than it ever had before His birth. In the Christian worldview, unborn children, women, and men all have equal value as image bearers of God, and consistent followers of Jesus have always stood for the rights of each.

All this because of Christmas. When you trace the roots of all these changes back far enough, you will find that they all began in a little manger in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago.

[1] According to the display, all of the unborn children died as a result of “natural causes or accidents,” not abortion.

[2] Joycelyn Elders, quoted in The New York Times Magazine. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/30/magazine/joycelyn-elders.html

[3] Randy Alcorn, Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1992, 1994, 2000).

[4] George Grant, Third Time Around: A History of the Pro-Life Movement from the First Century to the Present (Franklin, TN: Legacy, 1991, 1994).

[5] Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2011), 121-135.

[6] Ibid, 135.

Every Reason for Gratitude

On By Jason SmithIn DevotionalLeave a comment
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1, NIV)

We are entering the season of gratitude, but, if we’re honest, many of us feel anything but grateful right now. We have lived through 2020, and much of it has not been fun. We’ve seen the entire globe caught up in the spread of a pandemic. We’ve seen injustice, civil unrest, wildfires, hurricanes, and a heated presidential election.

Many of us have been caught off guard by this year and are more focused on getting the ground back beneath our feet than looking for reasons to be thankful. Having an attitude of gratitude suggests there is something to smile about, yet we might find more reasons to be sour-faced this year. You and I are probably more concerned with getting this year behind us than reflecting on all we have to thank God for these past twelve months.

For myself, I can say there’s definitely been times this past year when I’ve found it easier to complain than praise God.

If you had to guess, would you say that there’s been more expressions of anger or gratitude on your lips lately? More irritation or elation? Gloom or glee?

Someone might suggest it’s oxymoronic to try to “count your blessings” in a year that feels so cursed. If that’s you, it might surprise you to learn that “cursed” is precisely the word that the Bible uses to describe, not just the year 2020, but the present condition of our world.

Very early in the story of Scripture, God creates a beautiful world and fills it with living creatures. At the apex of creation, God creates human beings to be His close and personal friends. Perfect harmony exists. But then the first human pair make the terrible decision to rebel against their Maker and go their own way. In the aftermath of their mutiny, God pronounces judgment. “Cursed is the ground because of you,” God tells Adam (Genesis 3:17, NIV). However, God promises a Savior who will one day rescue them from the evil that has overtaken them, but the plot takes many twists and turns before He even shows up.

According to the Bible, our world today is cursed. And this account is meant to be read as sober history. Although many today want to write this story off as a myth, I find it interesting that Jesus and the biblical authors always refer to Genesis as genuine history.[1] But, really, is it so hard to believe? In fact, doesn’t the Genesis account make sense of the fact that our world is both beautifully and intricately designed and also filled with tragedy and suffering?

The Apostle Paul explains it this way: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22, NIV).

There’s no doubt about it: this year and every year since humanity’s fall has been tarnished, damaged, and spoiled by sin. Our world is broken; we are afflicted on every side by death, disease, and disaster. Life on earth is not everything God meant it to be.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration,” (v. 20). Frustration. Can you relate? And yet the thought doesn’t end there. “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21, NIV).

Although right now creation groans and aches under the brokenness of sin, God will one day redeem creation itself. The natural world will be set free from the cycle of decay and disorder along with all the children of God.

Our world is fallen. Picture a beautiful sports car right after it’s been through a head-on collision. The beauty and design is still there, but it’s badly distorted. Such is the case here. We have never seen this world as God originally created it, but all those who know God will one day see this creation reclaimed, refined, and renewed. Speaking of this future state that the Bible calls the New Heavens and the New Earth, we are told: “No longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3, NIV). Don’t miss this promise: No more curse! Cue the angelic choir singing “Hallelujah!” The curse will be reversed.

And, like the account of the curse, this is no fairytale. This is a genuine promise of a coming restoration, and thus a cause for celebration.

Because God is rich in mercy, He has promised to not abandon this beautiful-yet-bruised planet. Heaven itself will invade and restore this world to be a place free of pain, disease, tears, and, yes, even death (see Revelation 21:1-5). God will take what is best about our incredible world and purify it of all that makes this world unbearable. Most importantly, God Himself will dwell with His children when creation is made new: “God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3, NIV).

Maybe we have trouble thinking of things to be thankful for because all our focus is on the “groaning” of this current world rather than the glorious future God has in store for it. When the anxieties and challenges of life seem to multiply, it’s very easy to find reasons to grumble. But when we put our confidence in God’s Word, we have every reason for sheer gratitude. On those days when life seems dreary, look with the eyes of faith on the future that God has in store for His own, and then thank Him in advance.

As you adopt this future-oriented perspective, you’ll find it easier to thank God for the countless smaller blessings in life today. Don’t let them slip by without noticing. They will remind you to persevere — with gratitude.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6, NIV).

[1] See Matthew 19:3-6; 24:38-39; Mark 10:5-9; Luke 11:50-51; John 5:45-47; Romans 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:5-6.

The Secret Sauce for Happiness

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment
Photo by Chris Collins

You are on a quest for happiness. From the moment you entered this world, you’ve had this impulse. Deep within your soul, you have a powerful urge — an unquenchable thirst — for joy. Whatever the good life is, we don’t want to miss it.

The philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal once said: “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”[1]

That’s a bold statement. But it’s impossible to argue with, isn’t it? Some of us seek happiness through political power or professional success; others through material accumulation or limitless sexual excursions; and even others try the route of popularity, likability, or athletic accomplishment.

The only problem is that our quest for contentment often leaves us frustrated. The road we thought led to delight often turns out to be a dead end.

If I only had my dream career, I’d be satisfied. If I only found my soul mate, my life would be complete. If only I had children, I know I’d be happy. If I could just reach a point of financial security, I’m sure I would be content.

Certainly, such things can bring a type of happiness, at least for a time. Then we find a new longing growing in our heart — one more ingredient for lasting joy that we hadn’t considered before. We begin to ache until that one more thing is ours. Once we finally have what we thought was the final ingredient, the cycle repeats itself. A new emptiness begins to swell inside, and we are back to square one. Lasting happiness seems tantalizingly out of reach.

We’re like the puppy who chases after every bird he sees only to find that every time he nearly catches it, the bird takes flight. Genuine joy always seems just beyond our grasp. Perhaps this is why many feel bored, listless, and empty inside. They’ve become cynical about life – even happiness itself.

In our more honest moments, we recognize how little we know about where to find true happiness. We are like explorers hiking through the wilderness, unaware that the compass in our hand is broken. We know that joy is out there — it must be! — but we are clueless on how to find it. Oh, there are times when we think we’ve found it. Most people would say that when they finally accomplished something great they had been working toward for many years, they were suddenly on cloud nine.

However, just as suddenly, this thing we thought would give us happiness vanishes before our eyes in a puff of smoke.

In a revealing interview on 60 Minutes, NFL quarterback Tom Brady expressed his surprise that despite reaching the pinnacle of athletic success (a three-time champion at the time), he was still unsatisfied. “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me?” Many have told Brady that considering where he’s at in life — having all the success, loads of cash, being married to a supermodel —he must feel like he’s on top of the world. His response: “Me? I think, there’s gotta be more than this.” When asked what that missing thing is, Brady replied, “I wish I knew… I wish I knew.”[2] I wish I could sit down and talk with Brady.

In the book of Jeremiah, God pleads with His people to not seek that happiness our soul is craving apart from Him. Trying to find happiness apart from Him is like trying to slake your thirst by running to a well that looks good on the surface, but is actually broken and can hold no water. Instead, God urges Israel (and us!) to return to Him, “the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13, ESV).

Your soul thirsts for something far more real and lasting than the hollow and fleeting joys of this world. That inner sense of emptiness is like a fuel gauge for your heart, telling you of your need for God and the fulfillment only He can give.

C. S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”[3]

After Jesus fed a massive crowd by multiplying loaves, many were drawn to Him. In fact, at that point the fickle crowds “were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15, ESV). Interestingly, Jesus would have none of it. He knew that they weren’t seeking Him as the Savior who came to satisfy their souls, but as a compliant king who could satisfy their earthly desires. Jesus warned them about trying to fill the infinite hole in their souls with things that are destined to perish.

He told them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35, NIV).

Jesus was teaching them the secret sauce for happiness, which none of the sages throughout ancient history understood. Supreme happiness cannot be achieved by aiming first at happiness; it is found only as a result of first finding Jesus – through having a personal relationship with your Creator. When you look at the chasm within your hungry heart and then at the eternal life Jesus can give, it’s a perfect match. In Jesus alone, the abundant life – not just the good life, but the very best life! – is found.

Here is Jesus’s promise for you: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full” (see John 10:10).

[1] Blaise Pascal, Pascal’s Pensees, trans. W. F. Trotter (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1958), 113, thought #425.

[2] This interview can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HeLYQaZQW0.

[3] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 1952), 136-137.

Balancing Grace and Truth

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

As an evangelical Christian in 21st century America, the constant challenge I find myself in is learning to balance grace and truth. As followers of Christ, we know that both of these are equally essential and mutually reinforcing. The Gospel of John says that Jesus came as “the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

In a practical sense, this means we must never shy away from holding on to our Christian convictions, namely those derived from the Bible. But on the other hand, we are to always be sharing this truth with openness, love, and empathy. If I was to guess, I’d say that Christians have historically known what it means to proclaim the truth about God, what He expects of us, and what He has done to rescue us. However, grace is a concept that has often befuddled people, both religious and irreligious.

I remember being taught in Sunday School that grace means “unmerited favor.” Sounds pretty good, but what does that look like? Of course, the chief example of grace from the Bible is God’s far-reaching love for those who have rejected Him, even to the point of being willing to come as a human and die for their sins. Again, this helps to fill out what we’re talking about when we use the word grace, but what does it look for us to show grace to others? After all, I cannot die for the sins of my neighbor, and they certainly cannot die for mine.

I think for starters we have to consider ways we can follow Christ’s example, such as the way He warmly embraced and unconditionally loved those who were considered spiritually and morally inferior. Jesus showed acceptance for people of every political stripe. For example, among His twelve closest companions was a former tax collector employed by the Roman Empire (Matthew) and a member of the Zealots (Simon), a group committed to dismantling Roman rule through guerilla warfare.

Jesus’ radical love for social outcasts even earned him the nickname “Friend of tax collectors and sinners,” a label the religious elite intended as an insult. At the same time, Jesus never downplayed the significance of repentance, costly discipleship, and the need to commit ourselves wholly to Him as both Savior and Lord. He called people to leave their sin behind, even while He embraced them in their sin.

A distinguishing feature of grace is not merely to show love toward those who don’t deserve it, but especially to show unconditional love and forgiveness toward those who have wronged you. Grace doesn’t hold a grudge in silence or seek to get even openly. Instead, it is the third option of accepting the one you would more naturally be inclined to disdain.

Both truth and grace are essential, but if I had to guess, Christians today are known less for their gracious attitudes than their willingness to stand for the truth. Many who have recognized this deficit have made the equally egregious error of sacrificing biblical truth on the altar of good public relations. However, I believe there is a far better way to show the world both of these necessary, Christ-like qualities.

One recent example I read about involves American pastor Tim Keller. Keller is known for his remarkable ability to communicate the relevance and beauty of Christianity within a secular culture. In 2017, Keller was given the highly esteemed Kuyper Prize at the Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary – that is, until it was abruptly taken away. Keller was well-deserving of the award for his leadership and ministry. In fact, he was even named among Fortune magazine’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” in 2018.[1] Nevertheless, when word got out that Keller would be the recipient of the Kuyper Prize, several students and faculty objected that Keller was unfit to receive the award, citing his conservative views on marriage, sex, and women’s ordination.

The incredible thing is that while the award was taken away, the Kuyper Center asked Keller if he would still be willing to speak at the conference where the Kuyper Prize would be given to someone else. Instead of harboring resentment, Keller gladly accepted the offer.

Whatever your opinion of Keller’s convictions, no one could deny that Keller exhibited remarkable humility in doing this. Because of Keller’s trademark graciousness, many spoke out in his defense. In an op-ed piece, Katherine Alsdorf, the co-founder of New York’s Center for Faith and Work, even had this to say about Keller:

“We partnered in the establishment of the Center for Faith and Work, which may have done as much as any church in decades to honor Abraham Kuyper’s vision of humble, respectful engagement in a world of many faith perspectives. His teaching combines a deep confidence that the gospel can change everything from our hearts, making us more humble and generous, to the institutions and society around us. While he would never have sought a “Kuyper award,” I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of it. Like some of the women who have objected and instigated the withdrawal of this award by Princeton Theological Seminary, I do not share Tim’s complementarian views. However, I am deeply saddened by the tone of these objections, more so by the final effect.”[2]

What I love about this is that Keller’s response allowed him to have a far greater impact on his detractors than any act of retaliation would have. There are many times when it is easy for us to want to tear down our opponents for some scathing remark made about us. But how much more effective – and more importantly, how much more like Jesus – it is to “turn the other cheek.” To allow ourselves to be insulted, if only that will mean we can have an opportunity to put both grace and truth on display. Because in doing this, we will be putting Jesus on display.

Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[1] Fortune Editors, “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Fortune, April 19, 2018, http://fortune.com/longform/worlds-greatest-leaders-2018/.

[2] Katherine Leary Alsdorf, “OpEd: Tim Keller Hired Women in Leadership,” Journey Through NYC Religions, March 29, 2017, www.nycreligion.info/oped-tim-keller-put-charge-train-men-women-leadership/.

The Self-Giving Love of God

On By Jason SmithIn DevotionalLeave a comment
Niagara Falls, beautifulworld.com

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, KJV)

It is impossible to fathom the depths of the humble, self-giving love required for the God of the galaxies to limit Himself to the workbench of a Jewish carpenter. At the same time, knowing that Jesus, the God-man, stooped to such a level out of love for us should get our attention. Too often, because we are such fickle creatures, we are in awe of things that are destined to pass away — inspiring films, beautiful buildings, a sports victory — while at the same time hardly affected by the most sublime truth in all reality. You have an enemy who would love to steal your attention away, with countless daily concerns and distractions, from that which matters most.

Can I encourage you to do something right now in the midst of all of life’s pressures? Reflect on the passion of Christ for a moment. Perhaps the story of the Crucifixion is something you have heard countless times. But the truth of God’s love for you is no less powerful after hearing of it one million times.

Even now, as I consider Christ hanging there like a common criminal of His day, I have to ask: How much must God love me if He was willing to go through the unspeakable torment of the cross in order to bring me to Himself? I encourage you to ask the same question. Peer back through the centuries to that lonely figure on the cross. Take some time to gaze at His nail-pierced hands. Consider His humiliation before ever getting to the cross. Trained torturers whip Him and beat Him and mock Him. One particularly brutal Roman guard grabs hold of His beard — a symbol of honor for a Jew — and rips it out by the roots (Isaiah 50:6). “So, you want to be known as the King of the Jews, do you?” one soldier sneers, as he firmly presses a crown of razor sharp thorns onto His sacred head. By the time they have finished with Him, He has been reduced to a mangled mess. Even His closest friends could hardly recognize Him when He stumbles pass them under the weight of the giant beam of timber they’ve forced Him to carry.

When they reach Golgotha (“Skull Hill”), the soldiers strip Jesus of His clothing, His only earthly possession. The idea was to maximize His experience of shame before all the jeering crowds. After driving the nails through His hands, they hoist Him up on the wooden cross so everyone can laugh at how pathetic this would-be Messiah looks now. He has never felt more alone. Even His own Father, too holy to look on the sin-bearing sacrifice, has turned His back on Him.

The eerie mid-afternoon darkness is environmental evidence that the judgment of God is being poured out. In a hoarse and cracking voice, the bleeding and battered man screams at the heavens, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). I cannot think of a more excruciating, painful, and humiliating experience than what Jesus went through that Friday afternoon.

Now think on this: Jesus freely submitted to all of this for you. He looked over His Father’s plans from beginning to end, then looked up and said, “I’m in.” Even if you were the only sinner in the whole world who needed saving, Jesus would have endured every bit of just for you.

At the same time, this was no easy decision for Jesus. Picture Him in the Garden of Gethsemane the evening before the crucifixion. Jesus is laying prostrate before the starry heavens, crying out to His Father in agony. Already, the darkness of night has enveloped Him. As He contemplates what He will endure in the next twenty-four hours, beads of bloody sweat begin to dot His face. A tear rolls down His cheeks.

Jesus prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” The cup Jesus spoke of was the cup of God’s wrath, and it could not be taken from Him. The only way for us to be spared from God’s righteous wrath was through a sin-bearing substitute taking our place. So Jesus prayed, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, NIV).

Perhaps the most shocking thing of all is that we were in no way worthy of saving. We hadn’t sought God out. We had turned and run from Him. Each one of us – in no small way – have rebelled against God. We’ve heard His footsteps behind us. We’ve heard Him calling out to us. But we’ve run to hide in the bushes.

Like a loving Father earnestly seeking His missing children who have run away, knocking at every door in the neighborhood, God has passionately pursued us. But we stayed hidden in the shadows. The Bible says that even while we were running down the path of self-centered pursuits, God did the most selfless thing of all.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8, NIV)

At the very point where all hope for us had faded and it would only be fair and just to leave us alone on our way to hell, God stepped in. He sent His own Son ahead of us to bear the punishment meant for us. As one grabbing the coattails of a blind man headed over a cliff, Jesus reached out to rescue us and give us sight. Because Jesus broke through the death barrier, we too can experience newness life.

One of my favorite hymns, “And Can It Be?” by Charles Wesley, captures this truth perfectly:

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?“

Let this truth sink in anew: The God who made you loves you more than you ever dared imagine. His love is like a massive waterfall or ever-flowing fountain that never runs dry. No matter what you have done, His love for you has not diminished one bit. He’s offering you a fresh start. Full forgiveness for all past wrongs. He’s longing for you to let Him love you as a Father. He wants you to know that life can look beautiful again. Turn your life over to Christ today, perhaps for the first time. Surrender your everything to the God who loves you with all that He is.

Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!