How to Overcome Failure

On September 6, 2023September 7, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

We sometimes hope we can run away from past failure instead of facing up to it so that we can move forward. Failure in some form or another is common to us all. “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all have done things we regret.

But how should we respond to failure? Do we let it run our life and define us? Do we run away from it and try to avoid it? Or do we determine to own up to our failure so that we can learn from it and move on?

A lot could be said about the rise and fall of King Saul found in the biblical book of 1 Samuel. It’s a cautionary tale—one that we all should heed. It reveals the danger of failing to obey the Lord’s voice.

God wants us to learn to be overcomers, not be overcome by failure. He wants us to face our mistakes squarely, admit where we have gone wrong, and then receive the grace of the Lord Jesus so that we can press on.

Walter and the Mouse

There once was a boy named Walter. Walter was the kind of kid who was always getting himself into trouble. He thought of himself as a little artist, and he was once caught painting pictures with black tar on the side of his family’s white house. When it didn’t come out, his parents were furious with him. Walter was your typical class clown. He fell behind in his studies, and his teachers often had to scold him for pulling class pranks. In one prank, Walter even caught a field mouse and brought into class with a string tied around its neck as if it were a dog on a leash.

As he grew older, Walter tried many different things—including live comedy. But he was so bad that he once got booed off the stage. Many viewed him as a failure who would never amount to much. And yet, eventually his name would be familiar in every American household after a different mouse made him famous. Today you know him as Walt Disney. Disney is a classic example of someone who didn’t let failure defeat him. He considered his past failures and was determined to learn from them.

When we face our failures, we can learn and grow. But if we ignore them or try to run from them, they will continue to trail us.

The Ideal King

In the early days of Israel, the people wanted a king like all the other nations around them. So, God gave them a king named Saul. By all appearances, Saul was everything the people would want in a king. Saul was “as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else” (1 Samuel 9:2, NIV).

In modern parlance, we would say Saul looked the part. Not only was he tall and handsome, but he was also a natural leader in many ways. He led Israel to victory in numerous military battles. Under his reign, Israel grew more powerful. Saul was the ideal king…or so it seemed.

As I’ve studied Saul’s life, I think it’s possible that because he was given so much success so quickly, he began to credit himself for all those victories. Rather than cultivating a deeper relationship with the Lord, Saul began to act for personal glory and recognition.

In 1 Samuel 13, we see that Samuel had specifically told Saul to wait for him to arrive on the seventh day after a battle with the Philistines, and then Samuel would offer up a burnt offering to God. But soon after the battle, the Philistines regrouped, and a massive army began to surround the Israelite camp. As the days wore on, fear began to settle on the Israelite soldiers.

In fact, fear began to take hold of Saul, and he watched one squad after another start to take off and hide in wells and tombs. So what did Saul do? Instead of speaking up and assuring the people that God was in control and that Samuel would arrive soon, Saul decided to offer up the burnt offering himself.

Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (1 Samuel 13:10-12, NIV)

Here we see first the roots of failure.

The Roots of Failure

1) Human frailty

When things go wrong, it’s easy for panic to set in. The people considered the greatness of the Philistine army and scattered. Rather than show strength in God, Saul acted in weakness.

2) Impulsive action

How many lives have been lost to impulsivity? Wisdom teaches us to think things through before acting. Rather than seek the Lord’s counsel or wait for Samuel to come, Saul went ahead with offering the sacrifice that only Samuel was to offer.

3) Fearing men rather than God

This is the big one. Saul let his fear of men win the day. Offering a sacrifice may have looked like a very godly thing to do, but the reality was that he was disobeying God. He feared the people more than he feared God.

When Samuel shows up, he reprimands Saul for his foolish action.

Interestingly, these three roots of failure continued to haunt Saul’s steps. Soon after this, his men were tired and hungry, yet he impulsively put a ban on all eating until the battle had been won. Such a move was unwarranted and only worked against his men having the energy they needed. Saul was even about to execute his own son for unknowingly breaking this order.

Things only got worse for Saul. In 1 Samuel 15, he is told to execute the wicked King Agag of the Amalekites and destroy all the livestock that has been used in their pagan worship.

But what did Saul do? He thought he had a better idea than God. He knew the people wanted to keep the best of the livestock so he allowed them to spare them rather than following God’s clear commands. Time after time, Saul fails in the same way by fearing men rather than God. Because he never dealt with his failures, they returned again and again in Saul’s life.

Sometimes, our boys will chase each other, and oftentimes the one being chased suddenly is terrified by the thought of being pursued. When they are upset, Whitney reminds them, “He can’t chase you if you stop running.” It’s the same with failure.

It is only those who face their failures that are truly able to walk away from them. Those who run from them or avoid dealing with them will continue to be plagued by them.

So, how should we respond to failure?

The Response to Failure

1) Learn from your failures.

Saul’s most egregious sin was his failure to heed God’s voice. But he fell in the same way repeatedly because he never learned from his failures. He never stopped to review where he had gone wrong

It may sound counterintuitive, but failure is often the doorway to great success.

Jonas Salk failed two hundred times before he discovered the vaccine for polio. 200 failures straight! And yet, in his own words, he merely found 200 ways to not discover polio. When he finally got it right, it was worth every failure. But what if Salk had called it quits on that 200^th failure? Who knows—Polio might still pose a very real threat to us today!

God’s counsel to us is this: “Don’t waste your failures!” They serve a purpose, and we need to learn from them rather than let them drag us down.

Most of us probably failed 100 times before we learned to walk. Failure is something we need to push through before we find the success God has in store for us. It’s how He molds our character and makes us more like Christ.

2) Grow through your failures.

Saul stubbornly ignored past failings and refused to grow through them. Rather than stop to consider a better way, Saul’s heart hardened, and he bristled at the thought that he made a mistake.

“Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.” (1 Samuel 15:10-11, NIV)

When we don’t grow through our failures, we harm others, too. It’s because Saul refused to learn from his failures that he went completely off the rails. It’s as though the GPS of God’s Word kept telling him to make a U-Turn, but he stubbornly refused to make any course corrections.

When Samuel confronts Saul, we find out just how arrogant he’d become. He was so proud of his accomplishments that “he set up a monument for himself” (v. 12). Not only that, but he’s convinced himself that he’s done the right thing.

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:13-14, NIV)

Think of how ridiculous this is. God had commanded Saul to destroy all the livestock, and he claims to have done everything he was told. And Samuel says, “Oh, really? Well, then why are we surrounded by herds of sheep and cattle?”

Saul hadn’t grown at all since his past failures. When we don’t learn from past failure, we tend to rationalize our behavior, convincing ourselves that we are on the right track. Saul’s rationalization cost him dearly. Instead of being the first in a long line of kingly successions, Saul would be the dead end, and his kingdom would be taken away.

We need to grow through our failures. The problem with so many people is that they go to one of two extremes when it comes to failure. Some refuse to ever face their failures and deal with them, so they continue down a dark path to destruction as Saul did. Others focus so much on their failure that they let their failure define them. Their failure becomes their identity; they think, “I am a failure.” But let’s be clear: Failure is not something you are; it’s something you do. It’s not your identity; it’s merely a fact of life.

If you have trusted in Christ, God doesn’t see you as a failure. He sees you as His precious child. He doesn’t define you according to your countless failures; He defines you by your relationship to Him, as His adopted son or daughter.

3) Remember that God understands.

We will never grow from past failures, until we learn the importance of confession. And confession is very simple: it means agreeing with God about where you’ve gone wrong. We come clean to God when we remember that He is a merciful and gracious God.

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, NIV)

Sometimes we fail in life not because of sin, but simply because of human frailty. And God understands that. He’s not looking for a reason to scold us. He knows we are dust. So, remember that failure does not hold the final verdict on your life.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV)

It’s often in response to failure that we see God’s power shining all the brighter. When a church has made the gospel of Christ central, it will have grace and forgiveness flowing freely. People won’t be beaten down for making mistakes. Instead, God will use others to encourage those have stumbled and help lift them up.

I remember seeing one Paralympics women’s running event where a contestant stumbled and fell to the ground. The crowd let out a collective gasp when she went down. But then something amazing happened. The other contestants looked back and upon seeing their fallen competitor, immediately stopped in their tracks and, without prompting, helped her to her feet. They cared more about finishing the race together than leaving someone behind.

When others fail, it’s a chance for us to express the mercy of God.

4) Receive God’s forgiveness.

When we own up to our sins and mistakes, we can experience the fullness of God’s grace.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12, NIV)

God wants us to know what it means to have our failures and sins removed from us. He calls us to look to the cross of Christ, where Christ paid for all our failings and transgressions. He did that so that we don’t have to fear failure. We can face it courageously, knowing that it no longer controls us. We are fully accepted by God because of Christ.

5) Believe that better days are ahead.

Just because you failed God or others in some way, that doesn’t mean God is done using you. Although Saul never actually rose from failure, we have many examples in Scripture of those who failed God in a big way but were still used by God in an even bigger way.

For example, God told Jonah to go into the wicked city of Nineveh and proclaim to Israel’s enemies the amazing truth of God’s grace and forgiveness. Well, Jonah didn’t want to do that, so he went in the opposite direction by trying to sail across the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually, he was swallowed by a great fish and brought back to shore when the fish spat him up.

So what did God do? Consign this sailor to swabbing the deck for the rest of his life? No. God still used him in what ended up being the greatest revival recorded in Scripture.

God can use our failures for good. That doesn’t mean failures themselves are good, but it shows us that we don’t have to let the rainy cloud of discouragement follow us the rest of our days. We can rise from our failures and let God use them for good (Romans 8:28). Aim to have your last chapter better than your first. Better days are ahead.

Are you prone to let your failures define you? How does it affect you to know that in Christ God doesn’t view you as a failure?

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

On August 30, 2023August 31, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

In his book, Christian Living in the Home, Christian psychologist Jay Adams describes a time a marriage counselor sat down with a couple. Throughout their discussion, the counselor noticed how the husband shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The wife, on the other hand, sat with arms crossed in defiance. She slapped down a sheet of paper on the counselor’s desk. “There is why I’m getting an ulcer.”

Listed on the sheet was every wrong the husband had committed in the last 13 years, complete with supporting details. The counselor was taken aback, and the husband seemed to shrink in his seat. The counselor’s eyes rose to meet the woman’s. “It’s been a long time,” he said, “since I have met anyone as resentful as you.” The wife was speechless, and the husband sat up a little.

The counselor continued, “This is not only a record of what your husband has done to you [incidentally, subsequent sessions showed that it was a very accurate record], it is also a record of what you have done about it. This is a record of your sin against him, your sin against God, and your sin against your own body.”

This woman was directly opposing what we read in 1 Corinthians 13:

“Love… keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NIV)

Every relationship requires good communication to remain healthy, but in many cases, a husband and wife can’t communicate well because an icy wall of resentment has been built up between them. Until they deal with harbored resentment, the relationship will continue to suffer.

Every time you recount the wrongs of another, you are violating the principle of love.

We do this in various ways. We may not vocalize all the ways we’ve been wronged, but whenever a certain person pops into our mind, we silently rehearse all the ways they’ve let us down. We are experts at nursing grudges. We remind ourselves why we have the moral high ground and why certain people don’t deserve our kindness or affection.

God tells us to “not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26), because He knows about the destructive tendency of being dominated by anger and resentment. And, yes, it can even cause ulcers when we allow rage to seethe beneath the surface.

Greeting with a Holy Kiss

Many have wondered about the contemporary significance of Paul’s plea to the churches to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (1 Corinthians 16:20). In the first century context, it was a perfectly normal practice to plant a kiss on the cheek of a family member or close friend. Because the church is truly a family,[1] it only made sense for Christians to greet each other in this warm and accepting way. Many cultures still practice this today.

In my American context, a handshake or warm embrace conveys the same message: “You are welcome here.” If this was a normal practice, why did Paul have to urge the churches to do this? Because he knew how hostility can grow even between followers of Jesus, and he saw how out of place this was.

When you are holding a grudge against someone, it’s very hard to want to go up and hug them. The wall between two bitter people might be invisible, but you can sense the tension through their body language, physical distance, and avoidance of eye contact. The rift in the relationship makes physical contact—especially a warm embrace—seem impossible.

So, to urge believers to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” was a reminder to lay aside differences, forgive those who have wronged you, and reconcile when possible.

I have sometimes thought about the first time the letter to the Philippians was read aloud as the whole church gathered. In that letter, Paul suddenly calls out two women by name: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2, NIV). This may have been a church of around 100 people where everyone knows each other. These two women apparently had a disagreement, and it was such a disagreement that even Paul heard about it while in jail over 600 miles away. I imagine them sheepishly looking up at each other as their names are mentioned.

Frankly, it’s a little comforting to know that Christians had disputes and disagreements even in Paul’s day. I don’t know if Euodia and Syntyche’s disagreement was over the color of the carpet or the size of the baptistry or the type of music that was sung. Who knows? Christians can get caught up in disagreements about all kinds of things! Paul, like a gentle father, reminds them both to work for the unity they share in the gospel.

Paul is not belittling them by calling them out here. More likely, these are a couple of very prominent women in the church who hold a lot of influence, and he wants them—in fact, he’s pleading with them—to not let their argument get blown out of proportion. He also mentions they are counted among those “whose names are in the book of life” (v. 3). He’s saying, “Remember, ladies, you are daughters of the King, and your names are written with permanent ink in the Book of Life.”

According to Revelation 21:7, the Book of Life is the massive book that will be opened for all to see on the Day of Judgment listing the names of everyone who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Seeing disagreements through the lens of eternity helps to put things in perspective. Never forget that the very Christian you are now resenting will be with you in Heaven, too.

Complacent about Conflict?

Have you ever been part of an argument that seemed to take on a life of its own? By the end of the debate, both you and whoever you were sparring with are left huffing and puffing and neither of you can remember why you were fighting in the first place. Sadly, many marriages end or are damaged over pointless arguments that get out of hand. God calls husbands and wives to reconcile when there is a difference. Again, Scripture says, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26) because Satan will try to use any and every dispute to split Christians apart. And he especially comes after marriage because it’s the most intimate human relationship. Perhaps you’ve heard this old poem:

To live above with the saints we love,
Oh, that will be glory,
But to live below with the saints we know,
Well, that’s another story.

We should not be complacent when we have conflict with other Christians. It’s not something to just “be okay” with or just ignore. Relational conflicts are like a slow leak in a dam that can drain the life out of you if you try to ignore them. God wants us to be honest with one another, and to reconcile and forgive when we have differences. I’ve spoken with some people who had a conflict with someone in a church, and because of that single conflict they’ve been bitterly holding a grudge for years. That’s not healthy for anyone—not for the church and not for yourself.

But the most important reason we must seek reconciliation is that it glorifies God. Bitterness should have no place among believers, because when we hold a grudge, our actions preach an anti-gospel. How can a church proclaim a message of reconciliation that would attract the world, if such a church is marred by bitterness, hostility, and division?

If you have a conflict with someone, don’t let it fester. Make every effort to reconcile with that person.

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18, ESV)

Paul knows that many times, we find ourselves in pointless arguments and disputes when we are under stress. If we are fretting and anxious about the future or things that aren’t going well, it doesn’t take much for us to snap. Even the branches of a mighty oak will snap under enough pressure.

So, Paul says what we need to do: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Now, we’ve got to remember where Paul was writing this . He wasn’t sitting in a Roman bath or sipping on an espresso at Café Roma. He was writing by candlelight in a dark jail cell in Rome. He was not writing this as someone unfamiliar with stressful and difficult situations. The best way to deal with relational conflict is to remember how Jesus dealt with our record of wrongs.

What Jesus Did with Our Record

For the follower of Christ, the gospel informs every relationship. We can’t understand love without considering how Jesus has loved us. We won’t be motivated to reconcile with others until we recognize that the gospel is a message of reconciliation. We can’t begin to forgive those who have wronged us until we remember how much we have been forgiven.

“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)

Every single one of us has wronged Jesus more times than we could possibly remember. As God, our sin is first and foremost against Him. But did Jesus hold our sin over us? Did He stand afar with arms crossed, or did He draw near with arms extended? Relish these words:

“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 3:13-14, NIV)

Jesus held that record of wrongs and, instead of hitting us over the head with it, He lovingly allowed the nails to be driven through that record and into His hands. Let’s remember how much we have been forgiven. And then go and do likewise. Reconciliation between believers should be priority number one, because love keeps no record of wrongs.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] God is our Father, and we are called brothers and sisters.

The Mission Is to Multiply

On August 9, 2023August 9, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18, ESV)

Every major company in the world today has a mission statement. Mission statements tell us the company’s purpose, the reason they exist in the world, and what they seek to accomplish. For example, Amazon’s mission statement is “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

When the Lord Jesus gave those first disciples the Great Commission, He was giving them a mission statement for the church. That mission is to multiply: to go and make disciples.

Just like every corporation has a CEO at the top calling the shots, King Jesus gets to call the shots for the church. He purchased her with His own precious blood. He is not just a shareholder; He has every right and authority over every aspect of the church’s life and mission.

And lest we forget the obvious: Jesus is alive! He’s not merely the founder from ages past. He is the alive and active Owner, Lord, and King of His church. You didn’t get to decide what the church’s mission is when you became a Christian, and neither did I. We receive our marching orders from our Lord. He tells us what the church is to be about. But the first thing we must recognize is that Jesus is reigning at the right hand of the Father and actively leading His church, even as you read this sentence.

Let’s consider the full context of Christ’s Great Commission.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20, ESV)

It’s essential for us to understand that this is the mission He gave to His whole church throughout history, not just a select few in the first century. We can know this because the mission is comprehensive. The command was to make disciples of “all nations” or people groups,[1] not just those in the Mediterranean world. This is the mission that every disciple of Jesus is called to and has been called to for the last 2,000 years.

This last week, I had the privilege of getting to know a missionary couple with three kids serving in Africa. It was encouraging to hear about their passion for reaching those who don’t yet know Christ, particularly among the Muslim population where they live. It is right for us to praise God for the miraculous work He is doing through them. At the same time, they reminded us that we are all called to this mission.

This calling will take different shapes and forms and require a variety of gifts, but the mission remains the same. As a follower of Jesus Christ, your mission is to go and make more followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Risen Lord of the Universe

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18, ESV)

The resurrection gives Jesus the authority to make every demand of us that He wishes.[2] If You have just conquered death itself, then it’s only right that people sit up and listen to you. And here Jesus is speaking not only as the risen Messiah, but as the eternal Son of God. And God the Father has bestowed on Him all authority. Look at how comprehensive this claim is: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

Who talks like that? Think of this from the perspective of someone who is investigating the claims of Christ for the first time. Wouldn’t this sound like the most egocentric claim you can possibly make? “All authority in the entire universe belongs to Me! I rule the entire cosmos! I am the resurrected King of all reality!” Wow. If you were one of the disciples, wouldn’t you be trembling before Him at this point? Wouldn’t you be in awe of Him? The only other option is to wholesale reject Him.

This is why C. S. Lewis made the case that no one intellectually honest can really conclude that the biblical Christ is just a good moral teacher. Why? Because “good moral teachers” don’t make claims like this. Socrates didn’t make a claim like this. Buddha never made a claim like this. Jesus says everything belongs to Him. We can either utterly reject Him and His claim, or we can fall on our faces and worship Him. Those are the only options for us.

This is the same Jesus who said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35). The great irony with Jesus is that He makes claims that are so audacious that if uttered by anyone else would sound ridiculous. “All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Me.” Have you ever heard your boss talk like that? What about a United States president? No, because in anyone else’s mouth, it sounds ridiculous. If Napoleon or Genghis Khan had said “All authority in the universe has been given to me,” we would immediately know they have a bloated sense of self-importance.

Yet, with Jesus, when He makes these claims, somehow we believe Him. Scripture says that’s because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to the truth that we would otherwise think ridiculous.[3] The great paradox with Jesus is that while His claims were immeasurably lofty, His character was equally humble and compassionate. This is what makes the truth that God has become a man so powerful.

One day every politician, religious leader, CEO, dictator, and citizen will have to give an account of their lives to Jesus. He will be their judge, and they will bow before Him (Philippians 2:9-11). As the risen Lord, Jesus has been given all authority to judge the world (John 5:22; Acts 17:31)

The Mission is to Make Disciples

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20a, ESV)

Now that we know who is giving the mission, we come to the mission itself. Jesus says that this is what His church is to be about. This is the purpose for our existence, and this is how we bring glory to God the Father. It’s all about disciples making disciples. It’s about Spirit-empowered multiplication.

The original Greek can be translated, “Disciple as you go.” In other words, as you are going where God calls you—school, family, workplace, another country, etc.—disciple those you meet. But it’s implied that we will be going into the world, not hiding from it. It’s easy for us to want people to come to us. I sometimes think of how nice it would be if that person I’ve been wanting to share the gospel with came up to me and said, “Hey, can you tell me how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ?” Wouldn’t that be great if it worked that way? But here’s the thing. It usually doesn’t work like that. We must be willing to go.

The moment we surrender our lives to Him, Jesus recruits us for this Great Commission to reach the world for His name. We start where we are, but we’re always to be looking beyond where we are. This is a global mission that includes “all nations.”

Elsewhere Jesus tells His disciples, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Jesus is saying something like this: “This good news of great joy that I’ve been telling you about… this news that there is forgiveness of sins in My name… you are going to proclaim this to the whole world, you and believers who come after you. Together, we are going to reach every dark corner of the world with the brilliant light of hope. Before I come back and bring a final end to Satan’s rule, I’m going to see to it that this good news of a Savior reaches every nation.”

This is how Christ’s kingdom will advance. Not by mighty armies that leave a trail of blood, but by mighty, Spirit-empowered proclaimers that leave a trail of love. Jesus said that the Kingdom would grow, not like a tank that levels everything in its path, but like a little mustard seed eventually blossoming into a beautiful and vibrant tree. It’s a kingdom that will grow out of love, sacrifice, and hope. And it’s a kingdom that will eventually outgrow every kingdom and empire that came before it.

Jesus said we are commissioned for a worldwide discipleship program. Again, we are to start where we are, but we are always to be looking beyond our tiny sphere, because God is up to something much bigger in the world than just what He’s doing in your hometown.

What Is a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

Jesus said to go and make disciples, but just what is a disciple of Jesus Christ? It’s a very Christian word, and by that I mean it’s not often used in other contexts outside of Christian circles. But it’s an important word, used over 260 times in the New Testament. The basic definition of the Greek term disciple (mathetes) is “learner.” A disciple is one who learns, but not just for the sake of learning but to follow in the steps of the master they are learning from.

And we can see this when Jesus says things like, “It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master” (Matt. 10:25a).

So, the idea is that a disciple of Jesus is one who both learns from and follows after Jesus with the goal of becoming like Jesus. Therefore, when we talk about growing in discipleship, we’re talking about growing more and more like Jesus in your character, attitudes, and actions. And that’s the goal of the Christian life: to be molded and shaped by the Holy Spirit at work within you to become more and more like Jesus. To love like Him. To think like Him. To be pure like Him. To care about the things that Jesus cares about. This is all contained in that idea of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

And Jesus says we disciples are to go and make disciples. We don’t just sit on our hands and wait for God to bring people to our doorstep. We are to go. Remember, Jesus didn’t stay in the comfort of heaven and wait for us to climb up to Him. He came down to us. And His going down to us set a pattern for us. We are to go out and engage with the lost world around us. We aren’t to shut them out, ignore them, and pretend they aren’t there. We aren’t called to be a holy huddle cloistered off from the big bad world. Jesus tells us we are to go and make disciples.

To become a follower of Jesus Christ is a spiritual transformation. It can only happen as one puts his faith in Jesus, asking Him to forgive him of all his sin. It’s at that point of conversion—or radical inward renewal—that one first becomes a disciple. From that point a life is transformed, but it’s not automatic. That’s just the beginning point.

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19)

Baptism is meant to be a public declaration that you have begun a life of following Jesus. You’re saying to the world, “I’m His. I belong to Him, and my new aim in life is to live for my Lord and Savior.”

Does baptism save? Going into the water is not what gives spiritual life, since there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves. Salvation is all by God’s grace through faith—not good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s a gift we receive, not a reward we earn. But baptism is often used as a synecdoche—a term for our union with Christ and the public confession that accompanies faith. At a wedding, the bride may say, “With this ring, I thee wed,” but everyone understands the ring to be a symbol of the commitment to love “till death do us part.” If the ring slips off later that day, the marriage is not thereby annulled because the ring was always a symbol of the marriage itself.

Baptism is that first act of obedience where you affirm on the outside what has already taken place on the inside.

When an athlete is first signed by a team, it’s official when the contract is signed. He’s a member of the team from that point on, but to celebrate that, the athlete puts on the jersey and announces to the world, “I’m with this team now.” That’s what baptism is. What God has done with you in the private of your own heart, you are taking public. You’re telling the world what has already happened, “I’m with Jesus now.”

And we are baptized in the name of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—because all three persons of the one God had a part in our salvation. The Father elects and draws you. The Son redeems you with His blood. And the Holy Spirit gives you new life in Christ, sealing you as one of His own.

“…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:20)

Since a disciple is a learner, the follower of Jesus needs to be taught. They need hear the words of God from Scripture. They need to be in the Word regularly so that they are encountering God on a consistent basis, knowing what God envisions them to be.

A follower of Jesus Christ is not a lone ranger. The best way to grow is by becoming a part of a community that lives together under the authority of the risen Lord. When Christ is confessed as the Head, the church functions as His body. That’s why it’s so important for Christians to read Scripture together, study it together, sing its truths together, and be shaped by Scripture in personal devotions. We need the Word of God to cleanse our mind of wrong thinking. We need God to speak into our situation and give us direction. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Mission is Accomplished through the Power of Christ

This is such an important point. We need to see that the risen and reigning Lord of the universe has called us to be world changers. He has called us to make a difference in the lives around us. He wants us to engage the lost, love the unlovable, and be about a higher purpose than our own self-centered desires.

Jesus wants us to have a kingdom mindset, where we look at the world as something that needs to come under Christ’s reign and authority. To be merely concerned with our own personal welfare is to live in disobedience. But—and this is essential—all of this can only be accomplished through the power of Christ.

We can only accomplish the mission that God has given us as disciples of Jesus Christ if we are living in dependence on the Holy Spirit. That’s why I love the way Jesus ends the Gospel of Matthew. He says, “And behold [i.e., now don’t forget this] I am with you always, to the end of the age” (v. 20).

Let’s be honest. We need this reminder that Jesus is with us. We can’t see Him today. We don’t have Him physically on earth. He’s in Heaven right now. But at the same time, He is truly with us. In fact, He’s closer to us now than He ever was with those twelve disciples on earth.

Jesus told His disciples in the upper room, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

If I’m one of those disciples, I’d be thinking, “What? Jesus, how can it possibly be better that You go away? We want You here. We want You to stay with us. Don’t leave us.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus ascended into Heaven? Didn’t it seem kind of strange that just as His church was just about to really take off, Jesus, quite literally, takes off?

I can’t explain it all, but Scripture teaches us that in God’s plan, the Holy Spirit could only indwell us if Jesus first ascends to Heaven from where He could send Him. So how is Jesus with us to the end of the age? He’s with us through the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes inside, Jesus comes inside through Him. He’s present by the power of the Spirit. That’s why to depend on the Holy Spirit is to depend on Jesus. The two work in tandem.

As long as we are left on earth, our mission is to multiply. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ, and we can only do this through the power of the Spirit at work in us. That’s why we need to plead with Him to do a mighty work in us and through us. We need to plead for God to send out harvesters into the fields. So who is God calling you to pour into today? What part do you have to play in God’s global and local mission?

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] The Greek term is best translated as “ethnicities” or “people groups,” but also generally means “Gentiles” (non-Jewish peoples).

[2] In the book of Acts, Peter says, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:38).

[3] See 1 Corinthians 12:3 and 2 Corinthians 4:4-6.

Experiencing the Reality of the Resurrection

On July 26, 2023July 27, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life, Why I Believe1 Comment

It is remarkable to consider the numerous testimonies of skeptical scholars who set out to disprove the whole story of Jesus and His resurrection, and, like the hotheaded Saul of Tarsus, were knocked from their high horse only so they could gladly bow the knee to Christ.

“The Book that Refused to Be Written.”

One example is Frank Morrison. Morrison was a skeptical historian utterly convinced that the whole resurrection story was nothing but a hoax that had duped a great portion of the Western world and beyond. In his mind, the resurrection could not be true, simply because it proposed the impossible: that a lifeless corpse laying in a tomb had truly come to life. In Morrison’s mind, such an idea was preposterous from the start. It was ludicrous! Evangelical appeals to believe such a tale were an insult to his intellect.

And yet…

It did bother him that so many people had bought into this story—some of whom were no intellectual lightweights.

How is it, he wondered, that so many people could believe something that was so manifestly impossible? It would be one thing if a small crowd in Jerusalem back in the first century had been taken in by the resurrection tale, and that movement had fizzled and died long ago. But how is it that such a vast number of intellectual giants in the last 2,000 years (Augustine, Aquinas, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and C. S. Lewis, to name a handful) have taken the claims of the New Testament seriously?

It was this question that drove Morrison to a detailed study of the resurrection accounts in the Gospels. He set out to disprove it all. But in a twist of providential irony, while he was meticulously seeking out holes in the Gospel accounts, he kept coming away from his study with the strange feeling that it all had the ring of truth. He had imagined himself writing a book detailing all the logical flaws and historical errors on the part of the Gospel writers. Instead, he found himself writing a very different book.

In fact, in his best-selling book, Who Moved the Stone?, which chronicles his investigative journey, the name of the first chapter is “The Book that Refused to Be Written.” In his own words, Morrison said that his historical investigation of Jesus’ resurrection kept taking him “in a new and unexpected direction.” He said, “It was as though a man set out to cross a forest by a familiar and well-beaten track and came out suddenly where he did not expect to come out. The point of entry was the same; it was the point of emergence that was different.”[1]

By the end of his research, it was not the whims of wishful thinking but the stubborn facts themselves that convinced him. Jesus Christ truly had risen from the grave!

The Greatest News on Earth

Can you remember the first time it really registered for you? Jesus is alive! He’s the Lord of the universe because He has defeated death! I remember experiencing something similar many years after I had become a Christian. I was reading a book called The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, and I remember the truth washing over me in a new way. Jesus really is alive. He’s defeated death. That means I have nothing to fear in life or death!

The following Sunday morning I remember tears of joy coming to eyes as we sang about Jesus as the living Lord, and I just kept thinking, Yes! Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty! I live for a resurrected King! Sheer happiness coursed through my veins. I wanted to sing His praises for the rest of the day.

What could possibly be better news than this? Learning your application was accepted at an Ivy League school? Landing the ideal job you’ve been working tirelessly to get? Getting married to the girl of your dreams? As amazing as each of these are, none can compare with knowing deep in your bones that Jesus really has defeated death for you.

I was experiencing Paul’s words in Romans:

“This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5, CSB)

The resurrection really does change everything. All other religions and faith systems are built on the teachings of dead guys. No matter how fancy and pristine their tombs might be, their bodies rotted away long ago. Buddha is dead. Muhammad is dead. Krishna is dead. Confucius is dead. Moses is dead. They’re all dead! But Jesus? He’s alive.

“But the one God raised up did not decay.” (Acts 13:37, CSB)

And what’s more is that from the very beginning of the church, Christians have always claimed He is alive. This is the truth that propelled the early church forward with boldness, declaring that “Jesus is Lord! Above all earthly gods. Above Caesar. Above the most powerful people on the planet. Jesus is Lord!”

It’s no surprise that the book of Acts shows the earliest disciples making the resurrection the hub of their whole message. They claimed they had seen the risen Jesus in the flesh. “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it,” said Peter (Acts 2:32). Peter and Paul called the resurrection a clear fulfillment of what God had promised through the Hebrew prophets (Acts 2:29-31; 13:34-35). Philip said that when you’re reading Isaiah 53, you’re reading about Jesus (Acts 8:30-35). From the start, their message was all about Jesus’ sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins, and how Jesus’ resurrection proves that His death was sufficient.

“Now when David…fell asleep, he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” (Acts 13:36-38, NIV)

No sacrifice for sins is needed after Jesus, because He made the payment in full.

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14, ESV)

And the Father raised Him from the dead because He was satisfied in the Son’s payment.

“Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God.” (Romans 4:25, GNT)

This was no esoteric message about a transcendent Heaven that had no bearing on our lives today. Everyone who encountered the risen Lord suddenly had a new direction in life. And sometimes, this got them into trouble with the local authorities. That’s why wherever the gospel goes in Acts, a mob quickly follows.

Responses to the Resurrection Message

But why would a message of life attract angry mobs? How did various groups respond?

The self-righteous and political elite were threatened and enraged.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:6-7, ESV)

The proud intellectuals debated and mocked the message.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” (Acts 17:18, ESV)

But some, like the Bereans, were noble and humble seekers of the truth.

“The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.” (Acts 17:11, GNT)

But one thing was clear. You cannot hear the full truth about the risen Jesus and then shrug your shoulders and walk away. There is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. How could you ever be neutral about One who has left behind an empty tomb? Whether you love it or hate it, this message will do something to you.

It’s the reason why Paul could say, “To live is Christ! And to die is gain!” He meant something like this: “As long as I’ve got breath in my lungs, I’m living for Christ and sharing the news that Jesus is the Savior. If I get killed, that’s okay with me, because then I get to be with my Lord face to face.” Paul could talk like that because he had met the risen Lord already.

That’s what happens when you are truly gripped by the greatest news on earth.

A. W. Tozer said, “The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful.” I agree, and this can only happen as we experience “the power of the resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). The more the reality of Christ’s resurrection has gripped our hearts, the more we see we can no longer face life’s difficulties without reference to this world-changing event.

If you have not yet surrendered to the resurrected King, I urge you to do that today. Only through trusting in the living Jesus is your eternal salvation made secure.

“If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10, GNT)

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] Frank Morrison, Who Moved the Stone? (1930).

The Coffin Is a Better Teacher than the Crib

On July 18, 2023July 20, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life5 Comments

The Bible’s message could be boiled down to this: Live every day in light of the end. Everyone dies, but most people live in denial of that fact.

God wants us to see how foolish it is to deny our own mortality. He urges us to look death straight in the eye. Face up to it. Because only when we come to terms with the fact of our own death will we be prepared for it.

Better to Be at a Funeral than a Feast

People love to argue about what is better.

We do this all the time. This book is better than that book. This vacation spot is better than that one. This political candidate is better than that terrible one. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher (likely Solomon) gives a list of comparisons, to make us think about our own mortality. It begins this way:

A good name is better than precious ointment,
    and the day of death than the day of birth. (Ecclesiastes 7:1, ESV)

This is a theme that comes up in Proverbs, too, which gives us another reason to think Solomon wrote this book.[1] He’s saying, “Who cares if you smell like a bed of roses, if your reputation stinks!” In other words, far more important than coming into a room smelling like Chanel No. 5 is putting on a character that others want to be around.

So far, so good. This makes sense. But then Solomon says something strange: He says “the day of death” is better “than the day of birth” (v. 1). What could he possibly mean?

When I first read that, I was confused. The day of birth is filled with rejoicing and gladness. But the day of death? That’s always marked by emotional pain and mourning because you’ve lost someone rather than gained someone.

So, what does Solomon mean? It’s probably a good idea to keep reading.

It is better to go to the house of mourning
    than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
    and the living will lay it to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2, ESV)

Solomon says, “It’s better to be at a funeral than a feast.” But why? “For this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” That’s another way of saying, “Attending a funeral reminds you that one day it will be you in the coffin, not someone else.”

Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. (Ecclesiasts 7:3-4, ESV)

At first, this sounds so morose, something akin to the cute little star in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, who spouts nihilistic statements like, “The only hope is the sweet relief of death.” But Solomon is not a nihilist. Here’s the key: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.” What’s the point? When you’re at a funeral, you’re coming face to face with reality. This life doesn’t go on forever. All who came before us have died. And—unless Jesus returns first—you reading this will one day die. That’s not being morbid. That’s simply the truth.

Death, Our Teacher

So why would the day of death be better than the day of birth? Let’s think about this. The day a baby is born, it’s exciting, but no one really knows anything about that little one. No one knows what kind of person they will be. There’s not a lot to say about the baby herself other than, “Look at how cute she is” or “She looks just like her mother.”

But on the day of someone’s death, you have an entire lifetime to reflect on. You can consider what the person’s character was like. You can think of all the memories you shared, their laugh, their personality, their accomplishments, their failures, and whether they lived for their Maker.

The coffin is a better evangelist than the crib.

Solomon’s point is that the man at the funeral has an opportunity to stop, look death in the eye, and consider his own end—where everything is leading. When you’re at a party, you’re just living in the moment. You’re having fun. That’s not bad in itself. Celebrations are a gift from God. In fact, God is supremely happy and wants His children to be happy.[2] We are even commanded to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4). But parties don’t prepare you for what comes next.

Death can be our teacher, reminding us to live in light of the end.

The thought of death focuses the mind. It forces us to think about meaning – what is it all for anyway? It compels us to ask the question, “What comes next?” and “How can I be sure of where I’m going?”

If you’re going on a rock-climbing expedition, the time to learn how to climb isn’t when you’re there on the edge of the precipice. You must learn ahead of time and prepare yourself.

And Solomon’s point is this: “If we always avoid the thought of death, we won’t be prepared when it comes for us.”

The coffin is a better evangelist than the crib.

Why Deny the Obvious?

Ernest Becker wrote a book called The Denial of Death. As far as I know, Becker is not a Christian, but he observes that people tend to deny the reality of death in their daily lives.

He says:

“… the idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else: it is the mainspring of human activity—activity designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny of man.”

He goes on:

“All culture, all man’s creative life-ways, are in some basic part of them a fabricated protest against natural reality, a denial of the truth of the human condition, and an attempt to forget the pathetic creature that man is.”

He’s starting to sound a bit like Ecclesiastes, isn’t he? What’s he saying? When you consider human culture and behavior as a whole, you see that man is constantly trying to distract himself from the thought of death. Why? Because he’s afraid of death.

Becker is actually agreeing with the Bible. Jesus came to rescue us from this fear.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15, NIV)

When Jesus came to bear our sin and guilt on the cross, He was allowing death to do its worse to Him. And by dying in our place, He broke the power of death and the devil, so that we would no longer have to live like slaves haunted by the thought of death.

People deny death in a myriad of ways. One of the ways we do that is through our self-made “immortality projects.” These “immortality projects” are ways people try to live on—symbolically—apart from Jesus.

For some, the whole idea is to live on through children. They figure, “Even if I can’t live forever, I can live on through my kids.” Or some people will try to leave a big enough mark on the world by writing books, running for office, or building a corporate empire. Even atheists long to live on in some way.

That’s why so many long for fame and fortune. In the back of their minds, they’re thinking, “I can’t live forever literally. But I can at least become so famous that people will remember me.” Even during their lives, celebrities are worshipped. The hope is that if they can just get people to know and remember their name, it’s a way for them to live on.

P. T. Barnum, of circus fame, was often criticized early in his career. His response was: “I don’t care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.”

People long to be remembered, but the big question is Why?

Their Deeds Follow Them

Every one of us has this desire to be immortalized, to know our lives count for something greater and longer lasting than 70, 80, or 90 years.

This is one reason people think so much about their legacy—how they will be remembered—especially when they’re getting older. People hope to be thought of well by others after they’re gone.

This idea is at the heart of A Christmas Carol, the little book by Charles Dickens. Scrooge has lived selfishly for much of his life, but then the Ghost of Christmas Future leads him to a graveyard and points a long finger at the headstone that reads “Ebenezer Scrooge.”

Scrooge shutters and says, “Hear me! I’m not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been.” It is only when Scrooge faces up to his own impending death that he suddenly realizes he has no legacy. And from that moment onward, he vows to change and live a generous life.

That is the effect of facing up to our own death. And that is one way we live wiser in light of our own death. But leaving a good legacy still doesn’t change the fact of death.

Here’s the point. If you reject the God who gives you eternal life, you still try to live on in other ways. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “eternity” is still in your heart. You still long for immortality, even if you turn away from the God who can give it to you.

Wanting to leave a good legacy isn’t wrong. The problem is that it can put the emphasis on the wrong thing. When we care about leaving a worldly legacy more from self-preservation than from love, then it won’t last. Along with the worldly trends, it will eventually be forgotten.

Consider what the Apostle John writes in Revelation:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:13, ESV)

For those who die in the Lord—who have trusted in Christ as Savior—their deeds follow them. The world will eventually forget them, but they aren’t forgotten in Heaven. God keeps a record of what you do for His glory.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] Proverbs 10:7; 22:1

[2] See Nehemiah 8:10

Photo from the Jim Carrey’s 2009 film A Christmas Carol.

The Right Time to Pray Is Now

On June 28, 2023June 28, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

Our world tends to think of prayer as the last resort. We go to prayer when we are desperate. It’s amazing how tragedies drive even the most irreligious to prayer.

For instance, after the tragic school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, everyone from politicians to news anchors to celebrities all said, “Pray for Newton.” When a co-worker or friend gets diagnosed with cancer or tragedy strikes, even secular people will start talking about the need to pray.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s right to pray when things get rough—I believe our innate sense of God tells us that sometimes prayer is our only hope. And I’m thankful that there are still times when our national leaders will direct people to pray. But let’s remember that prayer is not the last resort. It’s not the thing we only turn to when all other resources are spent. Prayer is something we want to be doing all the time. Why? Because there is never a time in life when you don’t need God. Prayer is our lifeline to Him. The Apostle Paul urged the churches to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

What does that mean? It means we never hang up the phone with God. This doesn’t mean we are literally praying out loud or even in our heart every waking moment. But it means our whole life should be based in prayer. We are encouraged to take everything to Him. Take your decisions in life to God. Talk to Him about even the little things in life. Tell Him how you’re feeling about your circumstances.

And this is the glorious thing: an infinite God never runs out of time for you. As our perfect Father, He is eternally available to His children.

This is what makes Him so incredible. He never tires of hearing from you! So, share your heart with Him.

The right time to pray is always NOW.

Sanctified through Prayer

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16, ESV)

God cares about your holiness. He wants you to live in accord with His Word. The moment you trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior, you became God’s child and were made secure in His hands. God’s wrath is no longer hanging over you because your sins are under the blood of the Lamb. That being said, there are still times you have to face consequences for your sin in this life. Scripture tells us: “God cannot be mocked. Whatever you sow, you will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Because God is a loving Father, there are times when He won’t respond to our petitions, simply because we are living in unrepentant sin. It’s a form of discipline, not unlike times that I send my son to his room because he’s disobeyed. But the goal is always restoration.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV)

That’s why it’s so important that we be willing to confess our sins to each other, too. God wants His church to live free from the entanglement of sin. We can know that grace and forgiveness will flow freely when we admit to one another where we are struggling. In fact, the deepest relationships can happen in a church where people feel the freedom to talk about their battles and can ask for prayer in areas of personal hurt.

It’s only our own pride that gets in the way of freely sharing struggles. But remember, no one is immune to the effects of a fallen world!

A Daring Prayer

You know what a daring prayer looks like? It sounds like this:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

Search me, God. Uncover what I’m trying to cover. Show me where I’ve gone wrong, and then bring me back to the way of righteousness and holiness, so that I may walk closer to You.

Something that God has been teaching me is that when I pray, the most important thing I need to do is bring my true self before Him. He doesn’t want us to put up a front or think of prayer as some kind of performance. He just wants us to be real with Him.

This is why the gospel is essential to a vibrant prayer life. If we know deep in our heart that God is absolutely for us in Christ and that He has wrapped His robe of righteousness around us, we will be able to freely confess sin. He doesn’t want us to reduce prayer to a charade.

It’s no different with human relationships. Obviously, if you only have a conversation with someone once or twice a year, you’re not going to feel very close to them. Even if you see someone regularly, but conversations never go deeper than the weather or the latest sports scores, you won’t truly know them.

On the other hand, the person with whom you freely share your convictions, express your deepest struggles, and speak with raw honesty is likely your best friend. Why? Because you haven’t brought a fake version of yourself. You’ve been absolutely real with them.

That’s what it means to bring your true self before God. It means being utterly truthful with Him and asking for His cleansing power to renew you. And remember, God already knows all about your dirty laundry. The purpose isn’t to inform Him; it’s to relate to Him.

And when we are “confessed up”, first and foremost to God, but also to one another, we can know that our prayers will be powerful.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b, NIV)

Righteous and God-honoring prayer is effective. It’s powerful. Prayer accomplishes things. It changes the story. It unleashes God’s powerful work in the world as few things can. God is sovereign over all things. He certainly doesn’t need us and didn’t have to set things up this way. But He has chosen to accomplish His will through the prayers of the saints (and by saint I mean “believer in Christ”).

Maybe you haven’t thought of prayer like this before. But as a Christian, know that you have an unlimited supply of spiritual dynamite at your disposal. It can blow away the biggest worries, the most fearsome disasters, and the toughest obstacles. The prayer of the righteous is powerful! You may feel most powerful when you are standing tall, but you are actually most effective when you are on your knees, because that’s when you’re tapping into God’s power.

The Grace Opportunity

On June 22, 2023June 23, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Many are familiar with Jesus’ famous words: “First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5, NIV). His point was that we tend to see the faults in others before we see them in ourselves.

For example, when you’re on the freeway, have you ever noticed it’s always the other guy that doesn’t know how to drive? Those who drive faster than you are the maniacs that are trying to get themselves killed. Then, there are the slowpokes. It’s always their fault for making you late! But notice from this example that everyone is judged by you. You are the gold standard of good driving, and everyone else is measured by you.

That reminds me of the woman at an airport who, while waiting for her plane to arrive, sat down with a book and a package of cookies she’d just purchased. After she’d become engrossed in her novel, she suddenly noticed the man sitting next to her fumbling to open the package of cookies on the seat between them. She was so astonished that a stranger would help himself to her cookies that she wasn’t sure what to do. So, she grabbed a cookie and ate it. The man said nothing but reached for another cookie himself. Well, she wasn’t going to let this guy eat all of them, so she grabbed another. When they were down to one cookie, the man reached over, broke the cookie in half, and got up and left. The woman was appalled. Where did this guy get the nerve? The announcement came to board the plane, so she gathered up her purse. Still angry at the man’s audacity, she reached in to grab her ticket. It suddenly dawned on her that she really shouldn’t judge others too harshly—for there in her purse lay her still-unopened package of cookies.

What is your gut level response when you’ve been wronged? How do you respond to derisive comments about your appearance, ability, or beliefs?

The greatest example of all in this respect is the Lord Jesus Christ. How did the One who reigns supremely over the entire universe respond to insults?

“Indeed this is part of your calling. For Christ suffered for you and left you a personal example, and wants you to follow in his steps. ‘Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth’. Yet when he was insulted he offered no insult in return. When he suffered he made no threats of revenge. He simply committed his cause to the one who judges fairly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23, J. B. Phillips Translation)

Seek Reconciliation, Not Retaliation

When Saturday Night Live comedian, Pete Davidson, crudely mocked Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw because of his eye patch and glibly remarked, “I know he lost his eye in the war or whatever,” no one anticipated how Crenshaw would respond. Instead of firing back in anger, Crenshaw showed incredible humility and compassion for his mocker. A torrent of comments came in from SNL fans who criticized Davidson, calling his remark “disgusting” and chewing him out for his disrespect for a modern war veteran who had been injured in the line of duty defending the country.

In response to the backlash, Davidson spiraled downward into a pit of depression and self-loathing, even to the point of contemplating suicide at one point. Davidson wrote on Instagram, “I really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last. All I’ve ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so.”

Many might have expected Crenshaw to join in the criticism and even say something like, “Serves him right for mocking a veteran.” Instead, Crenshaw did the unexpected thing. He reached out to Davidson in a friendly and encouraging way. He told the comedian that everyone has a purpose in this world and that “God put you here for a reason. It’s your job to find that purpose. And you should live that way.”

Instead of firing back, Crenshaw built a bridge. And instead of getting defensive, Crenshaw showed humility. Crenshaw, the Navy SEAL trained in military strike and defense seized the grace opportunity. He put Davidson’s own well-being before his pride and chose to show unconditional love. Interestingly, when Crenshaw reached out to Davidson, he learned that Davidson’s own father was a firefighter who had been killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when Davidson was only seven years old. When they later appeared on SNL together, Crenshaw offered high praise for the sacrifice that Davidson’s father had made. When the segment was over, the humbled comedian leaned over and whispered, “You are a good man.”

When we seize the grace opportunity, we can actually win over even our enemies. It all begins with not retaliating when someone belittles us.

Confront without Condemnation

“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” (James 4:11, NIV)

Isn’t it interesting? James says that when you retaliate by verbally tearing someone to pieces—especially your own Christian brother–you are not just judging that person, you’re judging the law! You’re becoming a critic of God Himself, because you’re essentially telling Him, “You need help in judging the world!” But God never needs our help in judging others. He can do it just fine on His own.

This doesn’t mean there’s no place for confronting someone caught in sin. But when you condemn others, you’re essentially putting yourself in the Judgment Seat reserved for God.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” (Romans 14:9-10, ESV)

Paul’s argument works like this. Have you died and returned to life? No? Then who are you to make any kind of final judgment about a person? Never forget that it’s not just the person who wronged you, but you too who will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

So even when you confront others in sin, don’t condemn them with your words or actions. Do you really want to be the one who says, “God’s judgment isn’t severe enough”?

If you study human history, it is remarkable when you consider how much bloodshed, battles, and wars have been caused by this deep personal desire to get even—to settle the score. Because of vendettas, the Capulets war against the Montagues, and the Crips war against the Bloods. When the mighty Samson was bested in a game of riddles, his desire for personal vengeance sent him into a fit of rage, in which he slaughtered 30 Philistines and torched a grain field. And today, we are tempted to torch one another with our words, instead of taking the opportunity to show grace.

The cycle of retaliation and slander can even happen in the microcosm of a family, where one brother is always seeking to one-up another.

Romans 14:4 says, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.”

Honor Your Opponent

The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody once had his own grace opportunity when preaching the gospel to a large crowd. One young, headstrong theological student in the crowd began to publicly challenge the things that Moody, the veteran preacher, was saying. The student rudely interrupted him several times and tried to trip him up. Finally, Moody got fed up with this ill-mannered student. The evangelist, who was well-known for his eloquence, used his gift with words to punish the young man, sharply putting him in his place in front of everyone.

Thinking that the young man got what he deserved, the crowd applauded. However, later in his talk, Moody stopped himself and said, “Friends, I have to confess before all of you that at the beginning of my meeting I gave a very foolish answer to my brother down here. I ask God to forgive me, and I ask him to forgive me.”

In that moment, Moody could have chosen to go home satisfied that he had soundly defeated the insolent opponent. Instead, he chose to take the grace opportunity. Even though his was the lesser sin, he was the first to repent and ask for forgiveness. Moody recognized that too often it is easier to tear someone down because it gives us a momentary victory. But the real victory is to lay aside our pride and not sit in judgment on someone. Otherwise, their arrogance becomes our arrogance, and we haven’t really won anything more than the applause of men.

It’s not always the case, but sarcasm is often deployed to cut an opponent down. One area I want to grow in is responding to those who mock me with gentleness and warmth. In one sense, I want to score more grace points than put-down points. How many times am I choosing to show grace when a quick put-down feels more natural? If I’m calling myself a follower of Jesus, I better look like He did when He was mocked and attacked by others (see Luke 23:34).

A quick word of clarification: There is a difference between making moral judgments and making a judgment of condemnation on someone else. Christ never discourages us from making moral judgments. While we cannot totally separate the sinner from their sin, there is a way to say, “I am utterly opposed to what you are doing, but I am totally for you as a person made in God’s image.” To say “abortion is evil” is a moral judgment, and it’s right to make that judgment because I’m agreeing with God’s condemnation of murdering innocent humans as stated in the Bible.[1] But what God forbids is slandering or condemning our neighbor, because only God has the right to pronounce final judgment on our lives. This means I can refute the arguments of an advocate for abortion choice, but I can also show that very person dignity as someone created and loved by God.

Our world is characterized by outrage, anger, and retaliation. “Getting even” and “Giving people their due” is even encouraged. But God wants us to rise above the selfish response. He calls us to treat others better than they deserve. Jesus has treated us infinitely better than we deserve, and He calls us to seize the grace opportunity.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] https://lampandlightdevotionals.wordpress.com/2022/03/03/what-does-the-bible-say-about-abortion/

How Humility Leads to Joy

On May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3, ESV)

Recently, I was talking with an atheist friend about our different views of reality. Rather than pointing to more objective evidence, I asked him if there was ever a time when he had been in awe of the sublime grandeur of nature. After a brief pause, he said he had indeed felt overwhelmed by the vastness—and even beauty—of the universe. I pointed out how, whether we claim belief in God or not, we humans seem wired to take joy in something greater than ourselves.

At its core, humility is the ability to take joy in something or someone outside yourself. Some people think of humility as a posture of self-degradation (“I’m not really good at anything”), as if running oneself down all the time is a sure sign of a humble spirit. But that’s incorrect. Humility is not self-focused at all; it’s a willingness to be so invested in others that the joy of others becomes your joy.

Count Others More Significant

No wonder that a New Testament letter on joy in Christ gives one of the clearest teachings on true humility:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4, ESV)

Paul says that when the Philippians do this, his joy is complete.

Many have pointed out how strange it is that while Americans are among the wealthiest in the world, we are also a nation where anxiety and depression are steadily on the rise. We also live in a nation where individualism and self-esteem are prized far more than most cultures of the world. Could it be that our me-centered mindset is directly linked to this general decrease in happiness?

Of course, this isn’t a uniquely American problem. Even in first century Rome, the Apostle Paul could speak of the coming problems of the last days:

“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:2-5, ESV)

Two things stand out to me about this passage. First, this parade of qualities is a perfect description of our ungodly 21^st century world. Second, I find it interesting that every single one of these traits seems to be directly opposed to a humble spirit.

Worldly wisdom says that happiness is found in putting yourself first. Your needs. Your desires. Your appearance. Biblical wisdom says that thinking too highly of yourself actually steals your joy.

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." (Romans 12:3, NIV)

Who Am I?

Self-centered thinking leads you to believe everyone owes you. That you’re always in the right and that everyone else is in the wrong. But true humility leaves you in awe of how truly blessed you are. The humble person can look at all they have in life and say, “Who am I, that I get to have all these blessings in life?”

Some of the most miserable people in this world are those who have either forgotten or maybe never known how precious it is to walk in true humility. To have no sense of entitlement. No sense of God owing you. And what can change all that unhealthy thinking is humbly recognizing just how extraordinarily gracious God has been with you. Yes, you! God has loved you while knowing everything about you. He loved you even when you were weak, even when you were His enemy (Romans 5:6-10). Think of what kind of love this must be! And He loves you more than anyone else ever could or would.

Jesus told His followers, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), because He wanted us to humbly recognize just how much we need Him in every part of our lives. It’s about admitting that if we are in the driver’s seat of our lives, the car always ends up in the ditch. Life is far better when the true King and Captain of our soul is behind the wheel.

Without Grumbling

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” (Philippians 2:14, ESV)

This is one of those verses that convicts me the more I contemplate it. It’s so easy for me to complain about things in life. I can complain about circumstances, relationships, the weather, the government, high prices, and all the God-denying aspects of the culture. What about you? How easy is it to complain to co-workers about things at home? And then to come home and gripe to your spouse about co-workers? I don’t know about you, but complaining is something that comes way too easily for me.

But it happens more than just at home, doesn’t it? If someone was to look at how people talk about national leaders or what is said on social media, you’d think that grumbling was America’s favorite past time. It reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness. God does so many amazing feats for them, like rescuing them from enslavement in Egypt, splitting the Red Sea for them, and causing water to gush forth from a rock in the desert.

God even invented the first store-to-front-door delivery system, with delicious cakes and fresh quail arriving outside their tents faster than an Amazon Prime van. God took care of them, and He commissioned Moses to lead them. And what happened, over and over, in that wilderness? They grumbled about Moses and God (I counted no less than 14 times the Bible records Israel grumbling in the wilderness!).

There’s a scene in the film Saving Private Ryan, where Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, is asked if he has any gripes about their mission. He responds, “Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on.” Gripes always go up says Captain Miller. If that’s true on the cosmic scale, then think of how much griping God must hear daily.

But imagine what it would look like if Christians were known, not for our complaining, but for our joyful acceptance of difficult circumstances. Paul calls us to do all things without bitterness, resentment, and grumbling. Why?

“…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:15, ESV)

Radiant Joy

Paul says, that because of the joy of the Lord, we can live as true children of our God. When Paul says we can be “blameless and innocent,” he’s not talking about Christian perfectionism here. He’s speaking about humbly recognizing that, as grace-drenched children of God, we really have no reason to grumble. We can say, “Who am I, that I should be called a child of the living God?” When we live with a confidence in God’s hand guiding us through every trial, instead of being known as complainers, we’ll be known for our radiant joy, even in difficult circumstances.

Just yesterday, Dennis, one of the elders at my church prayed something like this, “Father, we really don’t know just how good we have it. Help us to see that we have nothing to complain about.” Amen!

All of this can only happen when we regularly apply the power of the gospel to our lives. As we humbly submit our thinking to what God has done for us in Christ, the Holy Spirit fills us and leads us into songs of joy and thanksgiving (see Colossians 3:12-17). Grace is always best received by the empty hands of those who most recognize their need for it.

When we refuse to bitterly complain even in the midst of hardships or mistreatment, we’re telling the rest of the world that we have a hope they need to get in on!

Here’s a question to consider for personal application. Do you look at difficult situations or dark times as a chance to grumble to others or be humble toward others?

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

Strangers in Our Own World

On April 27, 2023April 28, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

In October 2019, the Pew Research Center released a major new report called “In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” The research said that while 65% of Americans still nominally identify as Christian, the alarming thing is that this was a 12% decrease in only ten years.

This may be hard for Christians to hear, but it really will be to our benefit when we face up to the reality of how hostile our world is to biblical Christianity. When we downplay this, we are only making it harder for ourselves to know how to respond. The simple fact is, we may enjoy certain legal protections as Christians still, but our world is increasingly hostile to our faith, the values we stand for, and the Christ we proclaim as Lord. Rather than putting our head in the sand like an ostrich, we want to be like the men of Issachar who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32, NIV).

Strangers and Exiles

In the Book of Hebrews, the author recounts the incredible faith of godly men and women who stood out from the world around them because of their serious commitment to God. He then sums up their lives like this:

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13, ESV)

When he calls them “strangers and exiles on the earth,” he’s not only talking about the likes of Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. He’s talking about all who belong to the one true God. Similarly, the Apostle Peter uses the word “exiles” to describe all his fellow believers scattered throughout modern day Turkey (1 Peter 1:1; 2:17).

So this is not a designation for a select few. This is us. As followers of the risen Jesus, we too are strangers and exiles in our own world. The Greek term for “exile” (παρεπίδημος, parepidemos) usually referred to a traveler from a foreign land, only staying in a certain place for a limited duration. So Peter calls Christians “elect exiles” (1:1) and “sojourners” (2:17) to remind us that we are not permanent residents of this world.

As the old hymn goes, “This world is not my home. I’m just a-passin’ through.” Some Christians might object, “But aren’t we destined to live on a restored earth in real resurrected bodies?” Absolutely, we are! But Peter’s point is that the world as it now is—fallen and corrupted by sin—is not our home. This is an identity statement.

When Christ sets you free through faith, you come to see that your new identity in Him will never be embraced by the world. You’ll never fully fit in with the world. You’ll never be totally at home here. We are strangers. It’s essential for us to recognize this because too often we can forget our calling. We can forget why we’re here. We’re not here primarily to soak up as many worldly pleasures as possible. God has a much bigger view of joy than we do.

Citizens of Heaven

So what does that mean for us? We shouldn’t let our roots go too deep. We should keep a loose hold on the things of this world. We need to remember and embrace the truth that “this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31, NIV).

If we think of this world as our permanent residence, we will begin to live like citizens of the world rather than citizens of Heaven. We’ll start to live like the world, embrace the world’s values, and forget our purpose here is not merely to “live it up because you only live once,” but to live for Christ.

I want to encourage my Christian brothers and sisters to be mindful of this and not be caught off guard. Following Christ makes you different in this world—you are a sojourner and an alien in a world that rejects Him.

We tend to think that if we are living faithfully for Christ, people will automatically be drawn to us. The sober truth is that when you live for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit and faithfully obey His commands, you will be at odds with the world around you. On the night before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples:

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19, NIV)

What was true of the disciples then is true of us today. “In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12, CSB).

Between Two Worlds

Peter calls the church “God’s elect exiles” (1 Peter 1:1, NIV). In other words, believers have been chosen and set apart by God. That is something to marvel at: that God would graciously choose us who were once His enemies. On the other side of the coin, being God’s elect—or God’s chosen people—inevitably estranges us from the world around us.

To live as an exile means you’re living between two worlds—the world you are inevitably enmeshed in and the world to come, the world to which you now belong.

But what does it mean to live between two worlds?

Let me illustrate this principle. When Whitney and I had our firstborn, Logan, our world became very different. In one sense, we still lived in the old world. We were still married. We still had the same friends and other interests. But, on the other hand, we had just entered the very new world of parenting. We now had a new schedule, with much of our time and interests wrapped up in the eating, sleeping, crawling, and babbling of our little bundle of joy. Oftentimes, new parents find themselves a bit alienated from their other friends who don’t yet have children, because they suddenly have less in common and their schedules are totally different from what they used to be. You are still you, but your life has totally changed.

Peter was writing to former pagans who worshiped dozens of gods who have now become followers of the one Lord, Jesus Christ. And that is a much bigger change than entering the world of parenting. Peter is writing to assure them that their new identity as followers of Jesus will set them apart from the world they inhabit.

In chapter 4, Peter will tell them, “You used to live like pagans, but you’re different now.”

“You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:3-5, NLT)

Those first Christians Peter is writing to had entered another world. And because they had committed themselves to Jesus, their worldviews were now diametrically opposed to their pagan friends. In the same way, your old party buddies might wonder the same about you. “What’s with you now? Why don’t you like to get drunk with us anymore? Why do you take sexual purity so seriously? And why have you become a Jesus freak? It’s like you can’t stop talking about Him!”

Every follower of Jesus should come to terms with this. It doesn’t matter what your upbringing might be. There are certain practices, groups, and lifestyles we are called to leave behind. There are many things where we must, in personal conviction from the Spirit, say, “I can’t be a part of that anymore.” As strangers in our own world, there are times we have to say, “I won’t entertain myself that way.” We must never forget that we have been set apart because Jesus shed His blood and atoned for our sins.

What about you? What is Jesus calling you to leave behind? Let me encourage you, whatever it might be, if it’s contrary to the faith, give it up for Jesus. There is blessing in embracing your new calling. While many will reject you, God will use your living testimony to draw others to Himself.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

Photo of Portland, OR taken by Matthew Bacher.

Press On

On April 19, 2023April 21, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional4 Comments

“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, ESV)

The Bible regularly calls followers of Jesus to a humble realism—a humble recognition that we have not yet arrived. In Philippians 3:12, the Apostle Paul has the humility to say, “I’m not yet everything that I one day will be.” And this humility itself is a sign of his spiritual maturity.

I remember listening to a radio talk show several years ago (this was an allegedly Christian radio station), and being shocked to hear the host claim to have reached a state of sinlessness. I had a double take, and I remember thinking, Did I hear this guy, right? I played the sequence back a second time and confirmed that I had indeed heard him correctly.

The guest he was talking with seemed equally puzzled. He asked, “So, you’re saying you have no sin?” “That’s right,” he replied confidently. “I have a new nature. Praise the Lord!” Then the guest said, “Well, what about 1 John 1:8?” 1 John 1:8 says: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The host continued to try to argue for his position, but his arguments seemed weak and unconvincing.

We need the humility to say with Paul, “I haven’t already arrived, but I’m pressing on!” The Christian life is much more akin to a marathon than a 100-meter dash. But let’s not miss something key in Paul’s statement. Paul’s confidence didn’t come from his pursuit of Christ. His confidence was rooted in the fact that “Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Nothing compels us to pursue Christ more and more like knowing more deeply that He has already taken hold of us.

One Thing

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14, ESV)

I love the way Paul boils down for us his great motivation in living the Christian life. He says, “I’ve learned to simplify my whole life by focusing on this one thing that matters most.” This is a word we all need to hear. It’s so easy for us to get caught up in all the clutter of busyness in our lives that we forget to focus on the eternal things.

My older two boys have birthdays coming up. Recently, they each told me the “one thing” they desperately wanted for a present. They were emphatic that this one thing is all they cared about; they didn’t need any ancillary presents. This one thing (in this case, a Lego set) would most assuredly be all they needed. Undoubtedly, they understand that if they narrow down their birthday wish list to only one thing, they are more likely to get it.

Paul understood the beauty of simplifying life to one tremendous pursuit, one glorious ambition. In our digital age, we can let so many distractions pull our attention away from what matters most. The urgent overshadows the essential. Our phone is constantly buzzing, dinging, and chiming. Our watch is telling us we’re running behind. Our calendars are chock full. And after a busy day, it’s so easy to want to just plop down in front of the tube, isn’t it? Paul knew that if you want to be effective in this life for Christ, then you can’t be driven by worthless distractions which are constantly vying for our attention. Instead, we’ve got to lock on to the “one thing” that matters above all.

Selective Amnesia

Notice Paul says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on” (vv. 13b-14a).

Paul says he’s learned to forget what lies behind him. There were many things Paul could have looked back at that could have slowed him down, or even tripped him up. He could have let the guilt and shame from his past in persecuting the church drag his feet. But he chose not to look back. I’ve heard my dad say, “If you’re always looking in the rearview mirror, you won’t be able to see where you’re going.”

Paul understood the beauty of self-forgetfulness. He wasn’t caught up with all the “what ifs” of life. He was in hot pursuit of Christ. Christ was his goal and his aim. He wanted to know Christ better. That’s the one thing that mattered most to this great man of God.

Believe it or not, God calls us to have “selective amnesia” and forget about our shame in the past so that we won’t lose our stride in the race of life. Keep your eyes looking straight ahead on the goal. Nothing matters more than crossing that finish line with eyes on Christ!

Whether it feels like it or not at this point for you, Paul wants us to understand that there is nothing in all reality that compares with knowing Christ. And yet, millions of people every day consider this idea foolishness. They hardly even think about Christ. But He is the reason we are here. Our life comes from Him, and He is the purpose for our existence (Colossians 1:16-18). It’s all about knowing Jesus.

In 1923, a race took place involving runners from Scotland and France. The best from each nation were there to compete and to win the title. Then came the famous 440-meter race. The gun fired, and all the runners took off. The runners were bunched together, shoulder to shoulder, and then came the first turn, where one runner was shoved to the ground just inside the track.

The crowd gasped and hopes were dashed, as the well-known runner hit the dirt. It looked like it was all over for this young Scotsman. But he had different plans. A moment later, he was flying down the track again. After only a few seconds, he was already catching up to the pack. The leaders continued to sprint hard. But there he was: “the Flying Scotsman!” With knees high and head back—Eric Liddell somehow managed, against all human odds, to cross the finish line first! This astonishing come-from-behind win was memorably captured in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. That race catapulted Liddell on to the international stage as a living legend.

What do you think most runners would have done after falling on the first turn? Shake their fist in anger? Maybe kick the dirt and storm off the track? Not Liddell. Perhaps he was motivated by this very passage. After all, he was a passionate follower of Christ who would later go on not only to win an Olympic medal, but also go on the mission field in China.

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on” (Philippians 4:13-14).

Press On

Paul urges us here to “press on,” even when things look bleak, even when it looks like it is time to throw in the towel. Paul says, “Don’t give up and don’t look back! Press on, because the goal that awaits you is worth every ounce of your sweat!”

In Paul’s mind, success in the Christian life is not about never getting knocked down. It’s about what you do after getting knocked down—with knees skinned and mud splattered across your face.

In 1941, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a famous speech during a perilous time for England. He knew he needed to spur on every British citizen if they were to outlast the Nazis. As he stood before the captive audience, Churchill said, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

In the same way, Paul urges every one of us—wherever we are at in life and no matter what we’re up against—press on! Press on in the strength the Holy Spirit supplies.

I ran in the Cascade Lakes Relay back in 2010. The race covers some 216 miles divided up among 12 runners who run either two or three legs each. In the race, you get a breathtaking view of lakes, mountains, and golden sunrises. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also exhausting because, aside from running a total of 22 miles or so, you also get very little sleep. Runners are given the opportunity to sleep in a school gym filled with cots. So you can imagine that if one guy in the middle is snoring, everybody can hear him.

After getting maybe two hours of sleep, it was my turn to run again. The bracelet was handed to me, and I took off running into the darkness. I had probably gone about a mile down the road when I came to a course ribbon pointing me off the road to a trail that ran through the forest. Before long, I came to another fork in the trail. This time, there was no ribbon. I decided on the trail to the left, which took me up a very steep trail.

Before long, I realized I was completely lost. I later found out that the ribbon actually had a little sign attached to it pointing away from that first trail, but I didn’t see it in the darkness. In case you’re wondering, I don’t have great night vision. You can probably guess that my team teased me for being that lost runner off on a forest trail by myself. As it happens, our team’s name was “Press On,” taking the phrase from Philippians 3.

It’s possible that you are one who has gotten caught in the devil’s trap by only focusing on your failures. Maybe you have a past that is riddled with times when you went off the right path. If that’s you, then you need to know something. If you’ve turned from that sin and come to Christ for forgiveness, then God has already moved on. And it’s time you do, too.

Scripture says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Hear that, Christian. In God’s eyes, the banner over your life says “No Condemnation.” He no longer sees you as guilty, but pardoned. Now stay on the path marked “Forgiven.” Live as one who looks forward to the future with hope. Press on!

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