Category: Theology for Life

The Nations Rage, but Jesus Reigns

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments

With the 2024 U. S. presidential election fast approaching, many people are feeling anxious about our nation’s uncertain future. Who will lead our country for the next four years? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? How will this shape our nation’s future, both at home and abroad? Around this time, political opponents amp up their disdain for one another while simultaneously putting themselves forward as the savior this nation needs in order to once more have freedom and justice reign in the land.

During this time, Christians feel a collective longing for the return of our Savior, King Jesus, who will ultimately do what every political figure only attempts to do in their own way but always fails to do.

The Bible lays out the reality that until Jesus’ soon return, there will be two kingdoms vying for our allegiance in the world. The church father Augustine called them “the City of God” and “the earthly city” (or the City of Man). The City of God is marked by those who have centered all their hopes on the rule and reign of the King of kings, who, unlike every human leader, will rule with perfect justice, truth, and grace. The City of Man opposes the rule of Jesus and seeks to establish a kind of secular humanism utopia on earth, undistracted by threats of divine judgment.

As a follower of Jesus in America, I look around at a culture that is sinking deeper and deeper into moral corruption and arrogance. I know that only King Jesus can set things right and rescue His world from the curse of sin and death. I am thankful to be an American citizen and for the sacrifices that have won the freedoms my family and I enjoy. But first and foremost, my “citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:19). Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me,” not Congress and not the person in the White House (Matthew 28:18).

Some Christians, distraught over the state of the culture, have decided to politically disengage and not vote this November. They refuse to vote because they dislike the choice of either candidate. I’ve heard one young man say, “I don’t like either one. What’s the point?”

In some ways, I can understand his frustration. I probably wouldn’t disagree with many points he might raise. However, I believe that Christians should still be politically engaged, even when a vote may feel like a vote for the lesser of two evils.

It’s always been true, not just in 2024, that no political candidate will ever measure up to Jesus. It is for His rule and reign that we long. Nevertheless, until the fullness of His kingdom has arrived, we are left with fallen politicians in a fallen world. Simply by voting, you are not putting your hope in a flawed candidate. But you are seeking to influence the world around you—even in some small measure—by prayerfully voting for an administration with policies that most closely aligns with the truth of God’s Word.

Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light in the world, which means we are meant to have an impact for the kingdom wherever we live. Hitting the eject button and completely disengaging from the culture isn’t an option. As Jesus put it, lamps don’t belong under a basket, but on a stand to give light to all in the house.

Furthermore, many biblical convictions have a direct bearing in the political realm. For example, all Christians should agree that life is sacred and that we must do all we can to preserve the life of preborn babies. This is but one example, but protection of human life should be central to our convictions. For that reason, I intend to cast a vote that most closely aligns with my biblical convictions.

Ultimately, however, the election is a gospel opportunity to give reasons for our hope. For the Jesus-follower, the election is not a time to be anxious; it is a time to point others to the hope and peace found in King Jesus and His coming kingdom, not any earthly government or kingdom.

Psalm 2 speaks prophetically of how every political regime that sets itself up against the reign of King Jesus is destined for destruction.

Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.” (Psalm 2:1-3, NIV)

Notice that the political rulers of various nations are banding “together against the Lord” in a kind of godless globalism. They say, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” For those who pridefully oppose the reign of God, His moral truth always feels like restrictive chains. But Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:4-6, NIV)

Political rulers may set themselves up as the saviors of this world, but God laughs at their folly. This is not the laughter of being pleased. God condemns them for thinking they can rule His world and reject His Messiah-King.

God the Father goes on to promise His Son, King Jesus, the nations as His inheritance (v. 8). As the hymn puts it:

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

The nations rage, but Jesus will reign.

Psalm 2 is a warning to every national ruler who fails to acknowledge the supremacy of Jesus Christ over every nation and people. The nations today are but a drop in the bucket; the kingdom of God is eternal. But make no mistake. The reign of Jesus is not some graceless tyranny. We are called to “celebrate His rule with trembling” (v. 11). Salvation comes to those who bow the knee to the true Lord of the world.

But if you don’t humbly welcome His rule and reign over your life, “He will be angry and your way will lead you to your destruction, for His wrath can flare up in a moment” (v. 12). If you haven’t yet, this is a call to yield your life to the King of kings. The text says to “Kiss the Son,” which is another way of saying, “Give Him your absolute allegiance.” When you do, you will not fall prey to either misguided triumphalism when your candidate wins or overwhelming despair when your candidate loses. Instead, you will pray to God, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

Light in a Dark World

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life1 Comment 

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19, ESV)

This last weekend, the 2024 Olympics kicked off with an opening ceremony that has garnered much attention, mostly negative. I hesitated to write anything about it, because honestly, I didn’t really want to draw more attention to it. But since a couple people have brought it up to me, I felt prompted to reflect on how the gospel speaks directly to cultural moments like this.

I don’t need to get into the details of what was portrayed, but it involved a very gross, in-your-face amalgamation of paganism, drag queens, and disturbing mockery of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting depicting Jesus with His twelve Apostles in their final meal together. The French Bishops’ Conference lamented that the act was a “mockery and derision of Christianity.” Bishop Robert Barron said the scene “mocked a very central moment in Christianity.” Apparently, there was debate about whether the scene was meant to evoke any connection to Christianity, but in the end the producers admitted “that it was in fact inspired by Da Vinci’s famous painting.”[1]

When Jesus walked the earth, He was both loved and hated. On the one hand, people who keenly sensed their spiritual emptiness were drawn to this miracle-working rabbi who proclaimed the kingdom of God’s arrival in and through His ministry. On the other hand, many despised Jesus because He is holy. Simply by being the Righteous One, Jesus exposed the paltry self-righteousness and hypocrisy of others.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20, ESV)

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). By coming into this world, His power and character exposed the darkness of evil and self-indulgence. So when people love the darkness, they hate Jesus Christ. But in Jesus’s first coming, He didn’t come simply to condemn the world. He came to save all who would trust in Him from condemnation (John 3:17).

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18, ESV)

The Bible teaches that it’s not just the world “out there” that has rebelled against God. We have all turned aside and gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We have all fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). We all stand condemned until we look in saving faith on the One who was condemned in our place.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)

Rather than merely accuse or abandon the human race to its deplorable state of moral degradation, Jesus came in pursuit of us. He loved His own to the very end, willingly laying His life down for us and bearing the penalty we justly deserved. In and through Jesus, God was reconciling the world to Himself. On that cross, Jesus was credited with every sin I ever committed (2 Corinthians 5:21). He hung there, stripped and bleeding, because of the sinful and foolish things I have said and done. Scripture is even willing to say that Jesus was made to “be sin” so that I might “become the righteousness of God” through faith in His perfect atonement.

Jesus came to rescue a world caught in the web of satanic lies that have been around since the Garden of Eden. He came to deliver those who have been enslaved to their own lusts. He came to heal those who have been wounded by the pain of a broken world. This is the gospel followers of Jesus must proclaim to a dying world.

What happened during the opening ceremony is a symptom of a world turned away from the light and toward the darkness. Paul wrote of those who “glory in their shame,” whose “end is destruction” (Philippians 3:19). Our message to this lost and confused world is: Look to Jesus—the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. See His spotless character. Watch Him take little children in His arms. See Him reach out and touch the “untouchable” leper. Look at how He takes notice of the man who has greedily lived for money, and He forgives the immoral woman who weeps at His feet. Look at Him hanging between two thieves, dying a criminal’s death for you. See Him gloriously raised to life!

Jesus was the only true Light in a sin-darkened world.

Don’t despise Jesus for coming in weakness and dying a shameful death outside the gate. Instead, “go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured” (Hebrews 13:13). Fall down and worship Him. Because He’s no longer dead! And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. How terrible will be the day of His return for the unrepentant who have mocked Him and derided His authority.

Those who truly love Jesus are willing to bear the scorn heaped on Him. He is the True North for those who have lost their way. And apart from Him our world has no hope and will have to suffer the consequences of moral rebellion.

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

[1] https://www.thewrap.com/paris-olympics-producers-last-supper-inspired-opening-ceremony/

What Is God’s Plan for Jewish People?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments 
“Note then the kindness and the severity of God.” (Romans 11:22, ESV)

Not long ago, my friend Matt and I were on Oregon State’s campus talking to people about Jesus. A Jewish rabbi approached us and asked, “Are you Jewish?” When we said we were not, he explained he was passing out materials for celebrating Passover and then started to move on.

When Matt asked what he thought of Jesus, he quickly declined to answer. I couldn’t help thinking, But Jesus is the One Passover is ultimately about.

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)

Sadly, throughout the years of engaging with Jewish people, whom I love with the love of Jesus the Messiah, I have had very little fruit in even discussing Jesus. His very Name seems to be a conversation killer.

“To the Jew First”

Nevertheless, I remain convinced that I must tell Jewish people about Jesus. I’m not going to accept our culture’s “everyone gets to choose their own brand of spirituality” mantra. For many people, choosing your spirituality is like choosing your own flavor of ice cream. Just go with whatever floats your boat. But spiritual truth is like gravity; you can deny it has any bearing on you, but you do so at your own peril. We don’t get to decide what God is like; rather, we discover what God is like.

Our culture may say I’m being disrespectful and intolerant of my Jewish neighbor by telling him about Jesus. But, at the core of my being, I believe that every person on the planet, irrespective of their ethnic and religious background, needs to hear the gospel.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV)

Americans love to say things like, “My God would never send anyone to hell.” Or even, “My God is tolerant of all faiths and lifestyles.” They have a lot to say about their God. But that’s the problem. Such people have violated the first three commandments and set up a false version of God in place of the real God.

Instead, people need to hear what the true and living God of the Bible has to say about this:

“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)

The truly loving thing is to tell my Jewish neighbor that Jesus fulfilled the Hebrew Scripture that spoke of a Messiah (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 9:9; 12:10), He fulfilled the Temple sacrifices of the Torah, and He is going to return one day soon to judge and to save.

God’s Plan for Israel in Romans 11

I’m also motivated by passages like Romans 11 to keep sharing the good news of the Messiah. Now, fair warning. Romans 11 is a bit dense for those who are new to the Bible. And even learned scholars continue to wrestle through all its implications. Nevertheless, I think it’s a passage worth a careful reading as we think about God’s plan for Jewish people as a whole.

In the eleventh chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul is warning Gentile believers to not presume on God’s gracious character. Throughout this monumental letter, Paul has been carefully explaining the gospel of God’s grace—telling sinners how they can be reconciled to a holy God. He has emphasized both God’s righteous character and His extraordinary mercy. But in Romans 11, he discusses the problem of Jewish people rejecting Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. In other words, if Jesus is the Heaven-sent Jewish Messiah, why do so many Jews reject Him? He asks the rhetorical question: “Has God rejected his people? By no means!” (Romans 11:1).

Paul uses the illustration of an olive tree to say that the Jewish people who rejected Jesus’ right to rule over them are like the “natural branches” that were “broken off because of their unbelief” (Romans 11:20). Gentile believers were like wild olive shoots that were grafted in to the tree in place of the branches that were removed.

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” (Romans 11:17-18, ESV)

So, Israel’s rejection of her Messiah is what led to the gospel going out to the nations? In God’s providence, yes, that’s what happened (see Romans 11:19-20). However, Gentile believers must not grow complacent and presume on God’s grace, thinking they now have the right to the root (Jesus) and Jewish people do not.

“But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” (Romans 11:20-21, NIV)

Natural Branches and Wild Branches

Here’s the point. Many Jewish people rejected Jesus and had confidence in their Jewishness that God would spare them from judgment. John the Baptist directly confronted this mindset (Matthew 3:9-10). However, in the same way, God now gives Gentiles a severe warning. We ought not to presume that because we grew up in church, got baptized, and listened to Audio Adrenaline growing up that we too will be spared from judgment.

Why? Because it is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His substitutionary death for our sins and resurrection from the grave, that we are saved. If we have not surrendered our lives to Jesus, it doesn’t matter what our “Christian” background is—we “too will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).

“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22, ESV)

John Stott writes, “Not that those who truly belong to Him will ever be rejected, but that continuance or perseverance is the hallmark of God’s authentic children.”

Faith in Jesus makes all the difference, because that is how we are united to Christ and get to wear His righteousness before a holy God on the Day of Judgment. To “continue in his kindness” is to demonstrate that our faith is genuinely in Jesus, because genuine faith continues to the end.

“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:14, ESV)

Thus, we should have a holy fear of the Lord and be staggered by the sheer grace of God to save us by hanging Jesus on the cross we deserved.

See, without this warning, we’d miss out on an important aspect of God’s character, that He is holy, just, and righteous. We should revere Him and have an awe for who He is. The warnings in Scripture help us to not lose sight of this.

Warnings are given by God to shake us out of our spiritual slumber that proudly thinks we are better off than others because we were raised in the “right” church or family. Warnings like this also remind us what is at stake for everyone who dies apart from Jesus.

We Gentiles are the wild branches. We aren’t the natural heirs of the promise, but we’ve been adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus. I don’t believe that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan, but that we have been grafted into the root of Israel. No promise of God has been abrogated; instead, our understanding of the original promise to Abraham and his offspring has been expanded (Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 4:13-18). But Paul warns us Gentiles not to be arrogant, because we are nourished by the Jewish root (Jesus).

“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:25-26, ESV)

This gives me great hope! Even though it looks today like Israel will go on rejecting her Messiah, God says that this is only a temporary situation. The hardening is “partial” not total, and it will only be “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” In other words, as more and more Gentiles turn to the Jewish Messiah, eventually it will reach a tipping point. At that providential moment in history, there will be a sudden and powerful inflowing of Jews into the kingdom of God.

“All Israel Will Be Saved”

Paul says, “All Israel will be saved.” This cannot mean all of “spiritual Israel” or the elect remnant of Israel will be saved; otherwise, the statement would be redundant. Paul has to be speaking of ethnic Jewish people, and his statement probably carries even more force in light of the fact that Israel has been a sovereign nation since May 14, 1948. In other words, God is not done with Jewish people. In His sovereign plan, Israel—as a nation—will one day repent and trust in Jesus as their Messiah and God.

Does this mean that every Jewish person alive at that point will be saved? F. F. Bruce explains: “’All Israel’ is a recurring expression in Jewish literature, where it need not mean ‘every Jew without a single exception’ but ‘Israel as a whole.’”[1]

That makes good sense, because even today while there is a “partial hardening” on the Jewish people, there are still a great many Jews who love and worship Jesus.

Okay, so what’s the big takeaway from all this? Be not discouraged as you encounter Jews who reject the gospel today. Yes, it is sad when any person (Jew or Gentile) rejects the offer of eternal life. Paul said he was willing to go to hell for the sake of his fellow Jews (Romans 9:3)! His heart’s desire and prayer was that his countrymen would see their need for the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 10:1-4).

But God has a purpose and a plan, and we can always trust what God is doing in the world today; He told us it would happen this way. For myself, I’m committed to continually honoring Jewish people as those whom God has used mightily throughout history. We must roundly condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, including weaponizing the Bible as a tool of denigration. We must thank God for how He has blessed Abraham’s descendants and, in turn, allowed us who love and follow Jesus to be grafted on to the Abrahamic olive tree. The Bible I read every day is very Jewish!

And I’m also committed to sharing the good news of Jesus the Messiah with every Jewish person I meet.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, ESV)

I pray this encourages you to be bold in the gospel. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] Romans, 209.

Is the Bible Still Relevant Today?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe1 Comment 
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

An objection I often hear on college campuses is the charge that the Bible is just an ancient book written by men. Sure, some say, it claims to come from God,[1] but why give it special authority? Think about that question. How would you respond? Well, one thing you could do is show them some of the archaeological evidence or fulfilled prophecy. Those are both very powerful pieces of evidence for it being a divinely given book.

That can be a great approach, but it also can be hard to have all that evidence ready at your fingertips when you’re in a brief conversation with a skeptic. So, another approach I like to go with is to first point to the evidence all around them for the Bible’s uniqueness.

For instance, you can turn this objection around and say, “You’re right: the Bible was written thousands of years ago. Now, isn’t it incredible that the Bible is still the best-selling book of all time? What does that tell you about the Bible that so many people live their lives by its teachings after 2,000 years?”

See, you’re using their very point about the Bible being old and leveraging it to show the uniqueness of the Bible. After all, what other ancient book has 40 different authors yet one consistent story, was written across 1,500 years, and has had so much influence on the way we live and think today? The Bible has stood the test of time. In that sense, its ancient origin is a point in its favor.

Many people in the last 2,000 years have tried to stamp out the Bible’s influence. Some have even tried to destroy the Bible. But God responds:

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29, NIV)

Military generals, pagan rulers and emperors have tried to destroy the Bible. But it seems that the more that people try to silence the Bible, the stronger it grows. In the 16th century, Mary, queen of England, also known as “Bloody Mary,” ordered that anyone owning a copy of the Bible should be burned at the stake. Five years after that edict, Bloody Mary was dead and her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Not only did Elizabeth repeal her sister’s nasty edict, but under her reign, more Bibles were published in England than ever before.

The fact that the Bible, though written thousands of years ago, still has enduring influence in countless societies demonstrates its supernatural origin.

Today, influential thinkers like Jordan Peterson and Jonathan Haidt have increasingly drawn their insights from the wisdom of the Bible. They’ve recognized that while in one sense the Bible is ancient, there’s another sense in which it speaks with a timeless and transcendent authority on all the perennial issues of the human condition. Ironically, most people who have mocked the Bible as outdated don’t realize just how indebted our society is to the Bible.

For example, our society loves the idea of freedom and equality for everyone. But where did this idea that we are all equal come from? It didn’t come from Darwin. If you trace it back, it came from Genesis. Even secular historians have frankly admitted that we owe this idea of equality to the Bible and its teaching that we are all made in God’s image.

One area where we see the powerful influence of the Bible is in our laws.

Sociologists have long recognized that if a society doesn’t have some kind of law by which to live, it will end up self-destructing. We humans need to live under a code of ethics. Without a law to govern us, anarchy and violence is the result.

The historian Will Durant, who is not a Christian, has recognized that many of our laws in Western civilization are derived from the Ten Commandments. For example, the sixth commandment forbidding murder is the basis for all the protections against taking life. The seventh commandment forbidding adultery was designed to protect marriage and the family, and so many of our laws protecting the family are derived from that. The eighth commandment forbidding stealing gave us the concept of private property and our need to protect ownership with various laws.

Professor Israel Drapkin even said:

“The Ten Commandments [are] the moral and legal foundations of Western Civilization.”

But how did the Ten Commandments come to have so much influence across so many countries? Historians are compelled to say that it’s primarily through the spread of Christianity and its high view of Scripture.

One example of this is the Christian Roman Emperor Justinian who came along in AD 482. Justinian ended up taking the Roman law that then existed and throwing out a good portion of it so that he could bring about a new set of legislation that was based on the Law of the Bible.

Will Durant and other historians argue that Justinian’s Code of laws was based on the Bible. And virtually every nation of Western civilization is largely indebted to Justinian’s law code. So, what does that tell us? The Bible is at the root of every major legal system in the Western world.

In fact, have you ever wondered why we have a court system of trial by jury? It’s because Christians witnessed kings presiding over cases and acting as corrupt judges, and they recognized that this contradicted the Bible.

“In righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.” (Leviticus 19:15, KJV)

And in view of that verse, they recognized that a plurality of judges—which we call a jury—is more likely to root out arbitrary convictions. The whole reason for placing your hand on the Bible in a court room was to remind people that they were answerable to a higher authority when giving testimony in a human court.

So, is the Bible relevant today? One of the most powerful pieces of evidence that we’re dealing with a supernatural book is the way countless people have had their lives turned upside down by a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ in its pages. In the words of Hebrews, it is “living and active” and discerns even “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”[2] Which is why the best case for the Bible’s divine origin is the Bible itself. Countless skeptics have had their eyes opened to its power and authority through finally reading it.

Personally, I’ve experienced this in my own life. The Bible has shaped the way I understand God, myself, and the world I live in. Time after time, I’ve had my priorities reoriented, my perspective challenged, my desire for God fueled, my love for others revived, my soul sustained through trials, and my passion for reaching the world with the good news of Jesus reignited through submitting my mind to the Word of the Lord, and to the Lord of the Word.

I’ve only scratched the surface looking at all the incredible ways the Bible has transformed our world. So, when someone says the Bible is irrelevant to our modern world, they are revealing their ignorance about how powerfully this book has shaped every aspect of life. To push the Bible to the margins is to the push away the basis for freedom, equality, justice, love of neighbor, and everything else good in our society.

And at the level of the individual, the Bible tells us the truth so that we can finally understand ourselves. We were made for a relationship with God, but things have gone badly wrong—not just in the world, but within our own hearts. First and foremost, within our own hearts. And apart from God revealing Himself through this precious Word, we are utterly lost and without hope. Mark this. There is no substitute for the Bible. Though the hubris of man may imagine otherwise, nothing outside of Scripture can ever replace it.

The Bible is more to be desired “than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings from a honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5, NKJV). Applying the biblical book of Deuteronomy, Jesus taught, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

The Bible doesn’t just tell me about God’s standards and reveal how I’ve failed to live up to those standards. It shows me that there is hope of forgiveness, new life, and peace with God through the good news of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death for sinners like me and His glorious resurrection.

So, here’s my encouragement. Treasure your Bible by committing to study it regularly, expecting to encounter the living God Himself in a real and powerful way. And what could be more relevant than that?

I pray this encourages you to read the Bible. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

[2] Hebrews 4:12

What Does It Mean to Walk with God?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments
Saddle Mountain, Oregon. Photo Courtesy of Ben McBee

One of the best ways to get to know someone is to go hiking together. I mean, really, what better way to bond than trekking through the Oregon wilderness together? When you go for a hike, you aren’t just taking a quick stroll. You’re on an adventure! You’re crossing brooks, stepping over fallen logs, snapping pictures of stunning sights, gaining elevation.

That last one is important. My wife Whitney recently took our boys for a “hike” with some other moms and kids, but the boys later told me, “That was a walk, not a hike.” The event had been dubbed a “nature hike,” but there was no elevation gained. I must agree with my boys.

The best hikes always have as their final reward a grand vista where you can look out and see the wonders of nature—a lush valley, a snowy mountain range, or the Pacific Ocean glimmering in the sunlight. Throughout the journey, there is time to get to know your fellow travelers and discuss subjects that can’t be explored in brief, ordinary conversations. All the while, you are experiencing the beauty of creation together; shared experiences are nearly always exponentially better than solo experiences (that’s why watching a movie is far better with a friend, despite the fact that all you are doing is sitting and staring at a screen).

The Bible often uses the metaphor of someone “walking with God.” From the very beginning, it is implied that God often walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). We are told that the antediluvian[1] Enoch—a guy who avoided death through his own private rapture into Heaven— “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). “Noah walked with God” (6:9). God called Abraham to “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). On numerous occasions, God even tells all the people of Israel, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26:12). The idea of walking with someone implies intimacy. It’s not me running ahead of God or me fighting to keep up with God, but me walking with God.

And if you’re walking with God, you’re not running away from Him (like Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned), but seeking to be with Him continually. Rather than trying to push thoughts of Him away from your mind, you’re seeking to “practice the presence of God”[2] by regularly reminding yourself that all of life is meant to be lived before His face.

“If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7, ESV)

The blood of Jesus cleanses us and through trusting in that blood, we begin a new journey of walking with Him by the light of His Word and filled with the energy of His Holy Spirit.

I am no Hebrew scholar, but from what I gather, there isn’t exactly a word for “hike,” in contrast to “walk” in ancient Hebrew. One word would basically be used for both. So, while the word “hike” is not in the Bible, when I think about “walking with God,” I like to think about this in terms of hiking. Maybe it’s my personal bias; I love hiking. But a hike suggests a journey, one that will be marked by both challenges and delights. I also like how hiking gives us a picture of an upward goal we are progressing toward. Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

A long and arduous journey shared by companions with a common goal serves as the backdrop for many literary classics, including Lord of the Rings and Pilgrim’s Progress. Our walk with God is a lifelong journey, one in which we don’t always know what is ahead, but we are comforted by the fact that our Guide knows about every step along the way. In fact, He’s marked out the trail for us.

Like a challenging hike, our walk with God won’t always be easy. There will be moments of testing, new difficulties to overcome, and times when exhaustion will set in and the temptation to turn back will be very strong. From a distance, it may look like we are wandering in the proverbial forest, lost and confused. Others may question our motives and criticize the path we’ve chosen, maybe even claiming they have found a more “practical” or wider trail with fewer bumps along the way. But if we faithfully follow our Guide and stay on the trail, He will lead us to new vistas of His glory and His grace that we never dreamed possible when we first began the journey.

Our walk with God is not a brief stroll, but it is a shared experience. To use an old-fashioned (but good) word, life is meant to be lived in communion with God: He continually shows us more of His heart even as we open more of ours to Him. When we do wander off the trail, we quickly get tangled in those painful blackberry bushes of sin that tend to leave a mark, reminding us how foolish it was to try to carve a new path on our own. Thankfully, He’s always willing to wash us off when we come back to the Way. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV).

To walk with God is to daily surrender yourself to Him, letting Him teach you how life is meant to be lived. Jesus said that if you want to save your life, you first need to lose it so that it can be truly found in Him (Matthew 16:25). We were made for Him, so life will always be hollow until it is filled by His life. Whereas before God’s purity, goodness, holiness, and love were abstract ideas, as we walk with God, we begin to experience more of God Himself.

The psalmist cries out, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8). It’s one thing to believe your friend who tells you of a new dish that is to-die-for delicious, but it’s something else entirely to actually taste it for yourself. Similarly, while sound doctrinal statements about God are vital and give us a necessary map for our journey, they can never replace the intimacy of actually knowing God and experiencing the warmth of His love flooding your soul.

As we are drawn into the life of God, we sometimes pause in our walk and think about how far we’ve come together. We briefly wonder, Where would I be if it weren’t for God? But only briefly. Because our eyes are on the goal ahead. We are traveling together with a destination in mind.

This alone is what can satisfy our hearts—tasting the Lord’s goodness and seeing His glory.

The church father Augustine had this to say:

“So what should we do in sharing the love of God, whose full enjoyment constitutes the happy life? It is God from whom all those who love Him derive both their existence and their love; it is God who frees us from any fear that He can fail to satisfy anyone to whom He becomes known; it is God who wants Himself to be loved, not in order to gain any reward for Himself but to give to those who love Him an eternal reward—namely Himself.”

Have you begun your journey with God? Walk with Him and enjoy the endless fruit of delight in knowing His love for you.

I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] That’s an old school word for “pre-Flood” or “before the biblical Flood.”

[2] Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God.

Praying Like Elijah

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments 
“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20, CSB)

Prayer is powerful. I don’t say that to be cliché; I say that because Jesus taught us this. Time and time again, He called us to pray boldly and passionately in His Name.

I also cannot deny the ways my wife Whitney and I have been wowed by God’s grace and perfect timing in answering our prayers in incredibly specific ways. There are too many to count but let me just give a few examples.

Before we met, my wife Whitney prayed for the wisdom to find the right man to marry and that this fellow would arrive at her church’s college group with several others so that she wouldn’t know immediately who that man would be. A short time later, I visited that college group with a handful of others, because I was invited by the pastor who led that group while I was working at Applebee’s. The rest, as they say, is history.

Another time, I was in a Bible study, and one man shared that his very young grandson had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. For several weeks in a row, we prayed for healing each time we met. One morning, he came to our study with amazing news. The tumor had not only shrunk—it was completely gone. Not a trace of it. In fact, I know of numerous cases where someone plagued with life-threatening cancer has been totally healed. Just yesterday, I heard of another answer to prayer of a dear woman who received the glorious news that the latest scan revealed she is cancer free.

I can think of another time when Whitney and I were raising money for a short-term mission trip to Guatemala, and we were a little short on the green stuff. We prayed passionately and specifically that God would supply the money we needed for the trip in whatever way He saw fit. He came through in various ways to provide us with exactly what we needed. I remember my heart swelling with joy as I thought about how God had so lovingly answered our sincere requests so that we could go on this mission trip together as a young married couple before we had any kids.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. I really could go on and on with examples of how God has provided answers to prayers—often in ways we never saw coming.

As these come to mind, I sometimes wonder why I don’t pray more often or more passionately. It’s not as though God has ignored me in the past. Lately, He’s been really challenging me to lead from deep, heartfelt prayer, as opposed to only praying with passion when something goes wrong. The Lord wants me to admit my shortcomings and acknowledge my great need for His power in every aspect of my life.

Jonathan Edwards said that when we ignore prayer, we “live like atheists or like brute creatures,” and “live as if there were no God.” Why would we ignore our direct line to the One who reigns over all?

If anything is worth doing, it must come by God’s power, not my own strength. Therefore, I need to be drawing power from the Lord in everything I do if I want to have an eternal impact. The Bible reminds us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). Our prayers have “great power” because they are directed to a God who is known for doing what is humanly impossible (Luke 1:37).

I’m reminded of the story of Elijah. He prayed fervently for God to send the rain when Israel was enduring a drought while the wicked King Ahab was on the throne. In 1 Kings 18, we read:

And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” (1 Kings 18:42-44, ESV)

Elijah didn’t just pray once, see there was nothing, and then give up. No, the text emphasizes how he prayed fervently seven more times for the rainclouds to show up. He understood that God wants us to pray with passion, expectancy, and repetition. At the very first tiny sign that God had answered his prayers (after all, a hand-sized cloud seems like a bit of a letdown), Elijah confidently sent word to Ahab, “Get in your buggy and go, because the rain is a-comin’!” God answered his prayers in such a way that no one in Israel could chalk up the sudden change in weather to mere happenstance.

Imagine an Israelite saying, “Finally! We’re getting rain after three-and-a-half years. How lucky are we!”

Elijah’s prayers made the difference.

Through this prophet’s prayers, God turned the rain off and then back on 42 months later, raised a widow’s son to life, and shot down fire to engulf a thrice-soaked altar to vindicate Elijah’s claims about Yahweh, not Baal, being the one true God of the world. Clearly, we’re meant to see that Elijah’s prayers were powerful. God can change the weather conditions whenever and however He wants. He’s sovereign over this world. But, as in our lives, He chose to change the circumstances in response to the prayer of one of His faithful followers.

When we read about Elijah’s ministry, we are rightly in awe of how the Lord worked through him. However, before we lionize Elijah as a biblical superhero and assume we could never pray like him or see God work wonders before our eyes, we should consider what James says about this.

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:17-18, ESV)

James is reminding us that the situation is not so different for us today. At the end of the day, Elijah was just a man; he had a nature like ours. And God Himself hasn’t changed, because He never changes (Malachi 3:6). If Elijah prayed to the same God we pray to today, why should we expect our prayers to be less effective? The whole reason James brings up Elijah as an example is to say, “You too can pray with power.”

So go to the Lord today and pray with passion, boldness, and expectancy like Elijah did. There is no telling what massive changes God will bring about through your prayers. After all, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.”

I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

The Bible’s Enduring Authority and Our Perennial Questions

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life, Why I Believe1 Comment

Picture the scene. A seasoned fisherman has labored all night, but he and his team have come up empty. Out of the blue, an itinerant rabbi tells this blue-collar worker that he will catch some fish if he lets down his nets one more time. The fisherman, named Simon, doubted this rabbi knows what He is talking about. After all, Simon is the experienced, no-nonsense fisherman. But the man is a rabbi, so it’s probably best to comply out of respect, even if it’s a pointless exercise.

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5, ESV)

Then, the impossible happened. They caught so many fish that the nets began to break. Simon quickly realized his boat simply couldn’t handle this much weight. He called his partners over to help him out. It was the greatest fishing story of Simon’s life.

In that moment, Simon recognized that he was in the presence of pure holiness.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8, ESV)

Self-assurance was replaced by awe. Reluctant compliance was replaced by humble trust. After this, Peter left everything to follow Jesus. How could he turn Jesus down now? And Peter would continue to learn just how much he didn’t know.

“The Word of Our God Endures Forever”

If you study the Bible long enough, you will always have questions. Sometimes a passage just doesn’t seem to make sense. We may even wonder aloud, “Why would God do it that way?” Sometimes our cultural distance from the events in the Bible make it hard for us to grasp what was really going on. At other times, we understand the context well enough, but God’s plan or design for human life just seems weird or confusing—maybe even flawed.

Sometimes, people invoke the ancient cultural situation of the Bible’s human authors when they want to relativize Scripture’s teaching on things like generosity, self-control, and sexual ethics. “That was then,” people often say. “But things are different now. This is the 21st century after all.”

The fallacy of that argument is that when God speaks clearly on a matter, He speaks for all times.

“The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.” (Psalm 119:160, BSB)

Unlike your smartphone, the Bible never needs updates.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, NIV)[1]

The Bible is the only flawless thing on earth.[2] When God speaks, He doesn’t stutter or fumble for words. God gave Scripture through men for our encouragement and edification.[3] While their historical and cultural situation matters, God is not limited by human cultures to say what He wants to say. Without the Bible, we are spiritually lost, like a submarine without a navigation system.

The French intellectual Voltaire is reputed to have quipped, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.” The ironic twist of Providence is that Voltaire’s own house in Geneva, Switzerland, later became a storehouse for Bibles by the Evangelical Society of Geneva (pictured above).[4] Those who try to mock the Bible end up making a mockery of themselves.

The Apostle Paul clearly believed the whole Bible was still relevant and authoritative when he wrote:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

He said that to Timothy, even though much of the Scripture available at that time (the Old Testament) was written some 1,400 years earlier and in a different culture.

“Come Let Us Reason Together”

It’s never a good idea to think you know better than God. At the same time, God is not opposed to questions. The psalms and prophets are filled with God’s people asking Him why certain things must be so. God even welcomes our frustrated pleas for understanding and our laments over why the world is in the sordid mess that it is.

“Come let us reason together,” God invites us (Isaiah 1:18). Questions are good; they indicate thoughtfulness and engagement with what God has said. But questions should always be tinged with humility. Those who want to sit in judgment on God’s Word are following the plan of the serpent, who asked, “Did God really say?”[5]

We need to remember that God is infinitely holy and majestic. We are finite human beings with a three-pound brain who have only been around for about two seconds compared to the eternal God. To assume we know better than God is the height of arrogance. We should admit that we know almost nothing next to our all-knowing God.

Whenever I come across a passage that confuses me or seems to paint God in a negative light, I should start with the assumption that I am missing something significant.

For instance, many people might ask, “How could God kill everyone on earth in the Genesis flood? That seems so extreme!” or “How can God command Joshua to utterly destroy those Canaanites?”

But God is holy, and His ways are perfectly just. What people often forget is that, as our Creator, He is in a category all by Himself.

“The Beginning of Knowledge”

As we grow in our understanding of God’s holiness, we begin to see things with a better perspective. When people say, “I would never do it that way!” I would agree and add, “That’s because you and I are not God. He alone is the holy and good Ruler of all.”

As the Lord and King of this world, God has every right to judge sinful people who rebel against Him and blaspheme His Name. The real question the Bible pushes us to ask is not “How can God judge?” but “How can God be so incredibly merciful to those who persist in atrocious deeds against their fellow man and moral rebellion against His perfect will?” Solomon reminds us:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)

Notice what this verse says. We can’t even begin to have a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and the world we inhabit until we develop a right fear of the Lord. Jesus reminded us that while we often fear corrupt men, we should be fearing the incorruptible God who can send people to an eternity in hell.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, ESV)

When we lack a healthy fear of God as the all-powerful Judge that He is, we begin to think that we get to put God in the dock and accuse Him of wrong. And those who slander God tend to slander their fellow man who has been made in His image.

The Lord says:

“These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Psalm 50:21-22, ESV)

When we have a low view of God, we will misinterpret His actions. If we want to honor God and be blessed by Him, we should consider that God blesses those who revere His Word.

“But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2, ESV)

Every time we open the Bible, we should ask God for a humble attitude that is ready to learn and an open heart ready to be transformed more and more into His likeness.

Once we recognize where we have arrogantly flouted God’s Word (we all have), we need to come back to Him in humble repentance, falling on our knees as Simon Peter did before the Lord Jesus (Luke 5:8). When we do that, we get to experience His forgiving mercy and grace.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV)

I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] Also see Psalm 111:7-8; 119:89.

[2] Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 12:6; 18:30; 2 Samuel 22:31.

[3] 2 Peter 1:21.

[4] https://bellatorchristi.com/2019/03/18/voltaires-prediction-home-and-the-bible-society-truth-or-myth/

[5] Genesis 3:1

Suicide and the Serious Business of Heaven

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe3 Comments 
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV)

Jesus wants us to experience joy. The Bible is all about finding joy from the true Fountain of Joy. It’s not about faking a smile so that everyone thinks you’re okay. The Bible emphasizes the kind of joy that wells up from deep within, because we have found the reason for our existence.

God did not make us to live as bored and miserable creatures. Every one of us longs to experience a meaningful life. Deep down, we know that we were not made for a dreary, barren existence. We were made for a bigger joy than anything this world can give us. Our hearts are deeper than we know. Only God Himself is big enough to fill them with lasting joy.

C. S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”[1] Where you find joy says everything about you. In fact, I think it’s one of the clearest ways to know if you are a genuine follower of Jesus. Because if you are, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside you, and the Holy Spirit changes everything He touches. He brings warmth and life to what is otherwise cold and dead. He is the Source of true joy. Just like a branch draws sap from the trunk, we receive life-giving joy from the Spirit who dwells inside us.

Just think about this. Does it make sense to have the Fountain of everlasting joy live inside you, yet always be gloomy and miserable? Certainly, Christians get sad, too. But the true Christian still has the wellspring of everlasting joy living within, and that will buoy them when nothing else can.

Running on Empty

Our society today demonstrates that material possessions and economic wealth cannot make us happy. In the United States, we are one of the wealthiest countries in the world—not only today, but in all of history—and yet we are also one of the most anxious and depressed nations in the world. Advertisements today promise us happiness through purchasing a certain product, such as a car, or taking a vacation. And we have bought the lies that leave us empty.

Sociologists tell us that suicidal ideation is at an all-time high today—even higher than during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the next hour, more than five Americans will take their own life. By the end of the day, that number will reach roughly 130 people. In the course of 2024, an estimated 47,000 people will have committed suicide. These numbers should astonish us, but it’s impossible to calculate the amount of pain caused by even a single suicide.

Many people today pay little attention to the Bible. Frankly, they don’t care what a bunch of Jews wrote two thousand years ago. And yet, this book claims to offer the joy that our world is desperately craving.

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV)

The same Holy Spirit that indwelled Jesus and indwelled the Apostles indwells His followers today. The Holy Spirit closes the gap so that everything in our Bibles is relevant to us today, because the deep truths they talked about 2,000 years ago remain true for us today. Jesus is just as relevant.

People were sinners in need of a Savior back then, and people are sinners in need of a Savior today. People were hurting, miserable, and lacking joy back then, and people today are hurting, miserable, and lost.

Why Do People Commit Suicide?

Dr. Matthew Sleeth is a medical doctor who saw countless patients in the emergency room who had attempted to take their own life. Dr. Sleeth is now a follower of Jesus, but for most of his medical career, he was an atheist. During that time, he observed the protective effect of belief in a personal God when it comes to suicide.

In his book Hope Always, Dr. Sleeth notes how suicide doesn’t really fit with the theory of evolution, a theory that teaches all of life owes its existence to the principle of survival of the fittest. In fact, in study after study, it’s been shown that suicide is unknown in the animal kingdom. So, the question is: Why do we commit suicide?

Dr. Sleeth writes:

“…for most of my medical career, I was an atheist. Nonetheless, in the course of seeing some thirty thousand patients, I couldn’t help but notice the positive role faith played in my patients’ ability to cope and recover from both mental and physical illness. In fact, faith seemed to be the crucial factor in most of those who successfully recovered from long-term addictions.”[2]

If we were made for God and joy really is the serious business of Heaven, then it makes sense that a wholesale rejection of God—as we are seeing in our culture today—will lead to tragic increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

He adds, “God helps when it comes to suicide. It’s a fact. Yet the current sixty-one-page report published by the CDC on suicide expunges God and faith from the discussion of suicide and depression.”[3]

 Jesus alone can give you the joy your soul is craving.

His joy can be in you today, in 2024, because Jesus is alive today. That’s what the story of Easter is all about. He defeated all our enemies—sin, death, and the devil—so that we can be restored to union with Him that we were made for.

In other words, you can’t be united to Jesus by faith and not have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). That doesn’t mean every day is easy and filled with laughter for the follower of Christ. But it does mean that from the bottom of your soul, you can know that friendship with Jesus is the only way to true joy. And it means you can have the confidence that Jesus is greater and more satisfying than anything this world has to offer.

No career will give you this kind of joy. No house or car will give you this joy. No relationship or marriage—no matter how amazing it might be—can possibly give you what Jesus can give you. That’s because He offers a supernatural joy. Again, this was Jesus’ promise for His disciples, and that includes us today:

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV)

The Extraordinary Life of Following Jesus

As our friend, Jesus is giving us another motivation to follow Him. The life of discipleship is the context for the above statement. He is saying we’ll know deep joy if we abide (or make our home) in Him. This is not how the world thinks. The world thinks that if we turn from what the Bible calls “sin” and start following Christ, then our life will seem so dull and restrictive. But the truth is the very opposite: Living as Christ’s disciple is liberating and invigorating. I get to walk hand-in-hand with the Creator of the stars! He wants to talk with me from His Word, guide me by His ever-present Spirit, and hear from me. He treasures me more than the birds of the sky or the flowers of the field. And I am His. What could possibly be better than this?

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.” (Psalm 30:11, ESV)

Living in sin might be pleasurable for a season, but it will actually choke out all sense of joy. In the end, sin is always a joy-killer, not a joy-giver. Because sin always disrupts good and right fellowship with our Lord. And He is the One that can fill us with joy.

I can say I used to think like the world about this. When I was in high school, I simply thought of obeying Jesus as “the right thing to do” and there were even times I resented the fact that, as a Christian, I didn’t get to have all the so-called “fun” that other teenagers were having. And though I wouldn’t have said it, I sometimes even felt a little deprived. But today I see things far better. I recognize how nothing can compete with the joy of knowing Jesus.

It’s not what you’d expect, but there is deep and profound joy in surrendering every part of your life to Christ.

Because when you consciously give yourself to Jesus, you experience more of His love, His goodness. There’s freedom in knowing your sins are forgiven, and you can gladly say, “Not my will, but Your will be done in my life.”

And what’s the alternative? Do you really want to look to yourself to be the one manufacturing all your joy? Do you really want to carry every burden in life on your own shoulders? How much better to let Jesus lift all your burdens and listen to Him. Because His Word has greater wisdom than this world can offer.

The Joy of Your Salvation

For a time, King David thought he could find joy outside of God. He looked for it in the arms of a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. But though he had pleasure for a night, that adultery led to the sin of lying, which led to the sin of murder. And then even more deception. And as his heart hardened into concrete, all the joy was sapped out of him. In Psalm 51, he talks about how he was a tormented soul; his own guilt was crushing him.

It took a prophet of God to confront him, just like the Word of God confronts us today. And then David, broken as he was, poured out his heart to God:

“Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love.” (Psalm 51:1-2, ESV)

God responded to his repentance by lifting his weight of guilt. And then David could pray:

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12, ESV)

Forgiveness was no longer an abstract idea for David. He had experienced it on a level he never knew possible. He was washed completely clean, and then he once again knew the sheer joy of being loved and known and cherished by God. What a gift! He didn’t deserve it. But God is abundantly merciful and loves to extend forgiveness to all who cry out to Him just like David did.

It took a humble surrender on David’s part before he experienced the “joy of salvation.” Such is always the case.

You want to know what can steal your joy? Thinking too highly of yourself (see Romans 12:3). Thinking everyone owes you. That you’re always in the right and that everyone else is in the wrong.

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. True humility means having no sense of entitlement, no sense of God owing you, but instead having an overwhelming sense of gratitude that God has given you so many extraordinary gifts you simply don’t deserve. True humility comes from learning to delight in God Himself.

Think often of how gracious God has been to you. God has loved you while knowing everything about you. And He loves you more than anyone else ever could or would.

Abiding in Jesus comes from humbly recognizing just how much we need Him in every part of our lives. It’s 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 your soul is behind the wheel. Because He can give you fullness of joy.

If you have any questions or thoughts about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, 93.

[2] Dr. Matthew Sleeth, Hope Always, 44.

[3] Ibid, 45.

The Danger of Delayed Discipleship

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

Throughout my life, I can think of several dates when the plans for my day were totally upended. The death of a relative. An unexpected phone call. 9/11. A co-worker tragedy. In most of these examples, when the plan for the day was totally canceled, someone died. Death has a way of intruding into our life, changing plans, and unexpectedly causing shock and grief.

In ancient Israel—as is true for many Jewish people today—the first thing the faithful do is recite the Shema, the confession found in the Torah: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, ESV). The one exception that put all prayers on hold is when your parent died. In that case, burying your father or mother takes precedence over everything, out of reverence for the one who raised you.

This helps us understand a passage in the Gospel of Matthew when a man pledges to follow Jesus after he first buries his father. We expect Jesus to say, “Of course, you must first give your father a proper burial. But then come follow Me!” Instead, Jesus gives this jarring response: “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury the dead.”[1]

For those who have derived their image of Jesus from the culture, this statement is always puzzling. They picture Jesus as a nice guy who walks around with a lamb on His shoulders and a nice smile, hugging everyone He meets simply because He is so full of niceness (trust me, that’s a word).

Now, don’t get me wrong. Jesus was and is the most loving person to ever grace the planet. But quite often Jesus showed tough love—which is the kind of love that says things we don’t think we need to hear, but desperately do. In the words of 1 Corinthians 13:6, it’s a love that “rejoices in the truth.”

Jesus didn’t always say what sounds “nice” and affirming, but He did always tell us what we need to hear. And in this instance, He was teaching about the danger of delayed discipleship. His point was that no matter what else we may think is urgent and essential, nothing can take priority over following Him. In light of the Bible’s strong emphasis on caring for one’s family, Jesus’ statement here is all the more surprising.

Jesus knows that sometimes people will look for excuses for why they can’t follow Him today. Sometimes, people will use family as an excuse.

To such people, Jesus says:

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”[2]

Stop and consider for a moment how insanely self-centered this would sound on the lips of anyone else. Do you still think Jesus was merely a good teacher of moral ideals?

Offensive? Maybe. But necessary for each of us to hear.

At another time, Jesus gave a parable (which is a story meant to illustrate the kingdom of God) about a man who decided to host a great banquet at his house. He sent out invitations to all his close family and friends. “But they all alike began to make excuses.”[3]

Some claimed they were too busy. They had purchased fields or oxen that demanded their care and attention. Another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”[4] Each person seemed to have a good and reasonable excuse. It’s not as though they were all at home playing video games or binge watching Netflix. But they were excuses nonetheless.

Jesus said the master of the house became angry when people rejected his generous offer. After all, he was providing a sumptuous feast, free of charge. Because those who were supposedly closest to him rejected his offer, the master sent his servant to go and “bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.”[5] After all, those who had less in life would recognize the generosity of this invitation.

After his dining hall is filled with everyone from “the highways and hedges” far and wide, the great banquet can finally begin. Then, somewhat disdainfully, the master of the house says of those who turned down his invitation, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”[6]

The message is pretty clear. Those who put off Jesus and His invitation into life in the kingdom of God are missing out on the joy He is offering.

To say it again: Nothing is more urgent or important in your life right now than discipleship to Jesus.

We might imagine that while we can’t follow Jesus today, we will certainly square things up with Him later. We might even think it’s better to live for ourselves today so that we will better appreciate grace later. But here’s where people need to take care. Sin has a way of hardening the heart that puts Jesus off. How do you know you aren’t hardening your heart against Jesus today? If you don’t have time for Jesus today, what makes you think you will suddenly have time later in life?

The spiritual sage J. C. Ryle offered this warning:

“Habits of good or evil are daily strengthening in your heart. Every day you are either getting nearer to God, or further off. Every year that you continue unrepentant, the wall of division between you and heaven becomes higher and thicker, and the gulf to be crossed deeper and broader. Oh, dread the hardening effect of constant lingering sin! Now is the accepted time. See that your decision not be put off until the winter of your days.”[7]

In reality, no matter what excuse we might come up with for why we are delaying discipleship to Jesus, that very excuse might be the roadblock that keeps us from ever coming to the party. Beware of excuses in your own heart. Take warning from Jesus’ parable. What a tragedy it would be to miss out on the very thing that gives our lives meaning not only for this life, but for all eternity.

In the words of Jesus, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”[8]

If you have any questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] Matthew 8:22, ESV

[2] Matthew 10:37, ESV

[3] Luke 14:18, ESV

[4] V. 20

[5] V. 21

[6] V. 24

[7] J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 16.

[8] Matthew 16:26, ESV

God Invented Romance

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Marriage is central to the storyline of the Bible. From its earliest chapters, we see that God created the man and the woman for each other and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply.” The marital union of two becoming one flesh has been there from the beginning, and it has a special purpose in God’s world.

The story of the Bible both begins and ends with wedding imagery (Genesis 2:22-25; Revelation 21:1-5). Marriage is God’s living illustration for His covenantal union with His people, which will one day be fully realized in a restored creation when Heaven and Earth unite.

So, no matter what pops into your mind when you hear the word “marriage,” the first thing to know is that God invented it.

“Then the Lord God made a woman... and he brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22, NIV)

This has some important implications. If marriage is God’s idea, then that means romantic love is His idea, too.

Every Good Gift

That first spark of interest a boy has for the cute girl that sits across the classroom. The feeling you get when your song comes on the radio. The dinner by candlelight in that perfect setting. The couple that has been married for 50 years taking a walk, hand in hand. The electricity of a first kiss. The love note that a wife puts in her husband’s lunchbox. All of that is part of God’s grand design. God is a romantic. If you doubt me, I encourage you to take up and read the biblical book Song of Solomon.

You may be thinking, “Okay, Jason. It seems like you’ve got rose-tinted glasses on. Don’t forget marriage can also be pretty hard.”

True. But it’s important to begin here when we think about romance, because all that is good about marriage, romantic affection, and sexual intimacy comes first and foremost from God.

Many today bemoan God’s restrictions on sex and marriage laid out in the Bible. But what they don’t realize is that everything that makes those romantic moments in life beautiful, good, and right comes from God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 
(James 1:17, NIV)

Without God, all the joy and excitement of romance is reduced to random neurochemical reactions. Modern progressives like to claim that monogamy is drab and boring. Don’t buy that lie! You know what really takes the magic out of romance? Imagining there is no God behind it all.

Fit for One Another

If we’re going to get marriage right, we need to go back to the beginning when God first created man and woman.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 
(Genesis 2:18, ESV)

Don’t think that this term “helper” is meant to be demeaning. This is not code for “man’s servant for cooking and cleaning.” The point here is that the man needs help. He can’t take care of God’s world without her. More than anyone else, this very word “helper” is used of God in Scripture. But the Bible says God created woman with the intention of finding the right fit for man.

In God’s design for marriage, one man and one woman complement each other perfectly. Men and women are equally valuable, but different. There is a fittedness between a man and a woman that you can’t find in any other combination.

After God parades all the animals before Adam, Adam recognizes nobody here is a good fit. Not that kangaroo. Not that horse. Definitely not that hippo! Nothing from the animal kingdom matches and complements him perfectly.

No matter how many times you’ve read this passage before, I encourage you to ponder what is said here:

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 
(Genesis 2:21-25, ESV)

Before there was any sin in the world, this is what marriage looked like. The perfect combination of trust, vulnerability, and intimacy. This was God’s design and intention. So, no matter what you think of marriage, you can’t fault the design. You cannot improve on God’s design.

Be Intoxicated with Her Love

So, when you think of God, think of Him as the One who invented the beauty of marriage and designed our bodies with the special fit of a man for a woman. The joy of a wedding ceremony is just a slice of the great joy God has over marriage itself.

Because marriage is something God thought up, we don’t get to change it. And because it is from Him, we can know it is an intrinsically good institution.

In our bizarro world, people (especially young people) often assume that getting married will take all the romance out of the relationship. As if, committing to one another in a one-flesh covenantal union will kill the embers of love. But in God’s economy, it is in marriage that the fire of romance should finally be stoked.

May your fountain be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love. 
(Proverbs 5:18-19, NIV)

According to the Bible, marriage is a covenant not merely between husband and wife, but one that includes God, too (Proverbs 2:17). It is God that joins the two together, and thus God blesses the marriage union. As if he was making a toast at a wedding, the author Solomon says to his son, “May you ever be intoxicated with her love.”

However—and this is important—only those who honor this covenant get to experience its greatest blessings. When people dishonor marriage, let me assure you, it will eventually come back around to bite them.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of heeding these loving warnings from God:

“Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
    and he examines all your paths.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.
For lack of discipline they will die,
    led astray by their own great folly.” 
(Proverbs 5:20-23, NIV)

When people toy with their marriage vows, it is like taking a pile of burning wood on to your lap or walking across hot coals, hoping not to be burned (Proverbs 6:27).

People may say things like, “The Bible is an outmoded text. Marriage can be a relationship for any two people who truly love each other and are committed to one another.”

But why say only two people? And what about if those two people are already in the same family? And why say they must love each other? What if they have other reasons for getting married? And why does it matter that they are committed exclusively to one another?

As it turns out, everyone has restrictions on what they think marriage should be. Elton John jokingly drew the line at goats when someone pressed him.[1]

Honoring Your Spouse Is Honoring Marriage

Unless you get your definition of marriage from Genesis, marriage becomes this elastic thing that you can shape any way you want. And when we shake off God’s definition and trade it in for our own man-made definition, we cheapen and dishonor marriage. It is no longer the sacred thing God intended it to be.

Even secular psychologists understand marriage is worth protecting.

Marriage expert John Gottman writes, “One of the saddest reasons a marriage dies is that neither spouse recognizes its value until it is too late.”[2]

Gottman goes on to tell us all the incredible psychological and health benefits that come from taking your marriage seriously. And one of the most important ways to protect your marriage is to pursue your spouse romantically (husbands, I’m especially talking to you here).

Pay attention to her (or his) needs. Listen well. Make time for date night. Look for activities you can share together. Go out of your way to make sure your spouse feels valued simply for who she (or he) is.

You may have been told that Christians are just as likely to get divorced as non-Christians. However, that hasty conclusion was based on flawed research, because it was based on people just taking the label “Christian,” without any inquiry into whether subjects actually lived a life committed to Jesus Christ. New research done by Brad Wilcox found something very different. Wilcox discovered that committed Christian couples—which he defined as those who regularly attend worship together and read their Bibles regularly—are much less likely to get divorced.

Not only are committed Christians more likely to stay married, but they report greater satisfaction in their marriages. Wilcox concluded, “It turns out that the happiest of all wives in America are religious conservatives… Fully 73 percent of wives who hold conservative gender values and attend religious services regularly with their husbands have high-quality marriages.” Another study found that “When it comes to relationship quality in heterosexual relationships, highly religious couples enjoy higher-quality relationships and more sexual satisfaction, compared to less/mixed religious couples and secular couples.”[3]

Nancy Pearcey adds, “Churchgoing men are also less likely to cheat on their wives. Research has consistently shown that religious attendance is the most important predictor of marital stability.”

In other words, even sociological research shows that when men love Jesus, love the Bible, and take their families to church, the marriage tends to do better. And when marriages are stronger, families are stronger, children have better well-being, society flourishes, nations are stabilized, and God is honored.

So, no matter how you may feel on any given day about marriage, I encourage you to see the value of upholding the sacred beauty of the marriage covenant and of loving your spouse as the sacred image bearer he or she is.

Thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] In context, Elton John said, “There’s nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex. Who cares! I just think people should be very free with sex… They should draw the line at goats.” Rolling Stone magazine ran this interview with Elton John as its cover story on October 7, 1976.

[2] John Gottman, 7 Principles for Making Your Marriage Work, 5.

[3] Brad Wilcox, Jason Carroll, and Laurie DeRose, “Religious Men Can Be Devoted Dads, Too,” New York Times, May 18, 2018; Jeffrey Dew and Brian Willoughby, “Are Religious Faith and Sexual Satisfaction Mutually Exclusive–or Surprisingly Mutual?,” Institute for Family Studies, May 16, 2019.