Tag: Christianity

What Is the Gospel?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

The gospel is the story that Christians have to tell the world. It’s the message of salvation for a world that is spiritually adrift. As we speak the gospel to others, we act as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). To remember the basics of the gospel, you can use the basic outline of God, Humanity, Christ, and Response.

God

Who is God? He’s the Creator of all that is (Genesis 1). He is the reason everything exists, and everything was created to bring Him glory. Unlike the gods of paganism, He is not merely part of creation or responsible for one aspect of creation, like the rain or the sun. He is the King over all the universe. The gospel must begin with God, because nothing makes sense apart from Him.

What is God like? God is holy, just, and loving. To be holy is to be set apart as spotless, pure, and perfect. He is unlike us in that He can never make a mistake and has never wronged anyone. And because He is just, God is a perfectly fair Judge who must hold the world accountable. It would violate His nature to sweep sin and evil under the rug of the universe. He must exact a just penalty for every single violation of His moral will. God is also loving, and this is tremendously good news. In fact, not only is God loving, the Bible even says “God is love” (1 John 4:8). As the Bible lays out, God has eternally existed in a perfect relationship of love as three persons in the one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Humanity

Because God is love, we were created for a relationship of love with Him. We were made for Him, and we will never find our purpose in any created thing. We were created to be like Him in many ways, but we have all “fallen short” of His glory (Romans 3:23). Through the cunning deception of our enemy, the devil, we have all missed our true purpose in life by choosing our own way (see Genesis 3).

According to the Bible, the world of humanity is now spiritually lost and broken. That’s why we all see so much evil and suffering in this world, and we all know we’ve done things we knew to be wrong. We each have wanted to do things our own way, and because of that we have incurred a spiritual debt that will have to be accounted for. The worst part is that we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are okay on our own, which has only exacerbated the spiritual darkness that has clouded our thinking (1 John 1:5-10). In short, we have all rejected God as our authority, and because of that, we are destined for a fair and just judgment.

Christ

The glorious good news of the gospel is that God didn’t leave us in our desperate and hopeless state. He promised to send a Savior to the people of Israel, One called “Messiah” or “Christ.” The surprising twist is that this coming Christ would be God Himself. He showed the full measure of His love by entering the very world that had rejected Him. John’s Gospel says of God the Son: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). Incredibly, the infinite Son of God became small, by taking on human flesh and being born of a virgin (Merry Christmas!). Growing up, His friends knew Him as Jesus the son of Joseph. As Jesus grew to adulthood, He lived a perfectly spotless life. His own followers, who knew Him best and wrote about Him later testified that “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

Jesus lived that perfect life and taught some amazing things, but ultimately, Jesus didn’t merely come to give us an impossible example to which we must aspire. He came to give His life. For His claims to be divine, He got crucified. And as He hung on the cross, suspended between Heaven and Earth, He bore the very sin that was separating man and his Maker. The judgment our sins deserved fell on Him, and He was willingly sacrificing His life so that we might live. But that wasn’t the end of the story.

Response

On the third day, Jesus rose to life again and appeared to His chosen followers so that they might testify to His resurrection and proclaim that forgiveness of sins is available. He told them that all that He had accomplished had been written about the promised Christ in their Hebrew Scriptures: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47).

To “repent” is to change one’s mind about who’s really in charge. It’s about doing a spiritual U-Turn, where you stop living first for yourself and start living for God. But this isn’t about changing behavior to earn forgiveness. God has promised to save only by grace those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (see Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 10:9-10). And as you are united to Jesus by faith, you receive a new spiritual life. The Holy Spirit comes inside, and from that point on, we will be transformed more and more into the likeness of God. The secret to repentance is being honest. We have to admit we have gone wrong, that we have done things we know we shouldn’t have, and that our only hope is the forgiveness and cleansing that is offered in Christ. Not only that, but when you trust in Christ, you join the people of God, known as the church. Through fellowship and community, we encourage each other on life’s journey.

This is the story we have to tell. It is a story about reality; it’s an overview of what life is really all about and what God has done to redeem us from our self-deception. It is the hope of the world, because through Jesus, we learn that this life is not all there is. Because of the Cross, our guilt does not have the last word. Because of the Resurrection, death is not the end. There is an eternity before us, and everyone will have to stand before God. My hope and prayer is that you will stand before Him, not dressed in your own shoddy goodness, which will not measure up and will leave us eternally lost, but that you will stand clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and experience eternal joy in His kingdom forever.

Remember Whose You Are

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments
Disney’s The Lion King (1994)
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15, NLT)

Sometimes when I watch movies with my kids, I like to ask them what “gospel themes” they saw in the movie. I do this, because I recognize watching movies is something they love to do (me too, actually), and I want to seize as many opportunities as I can to disciple them in the way of Jesus and help them develop a biblical worldview—even at a very young age.

Now, this isn’t as torturous as it sounds. I don’t pause the movie every five minutes to quiz them. I try to talk after we’ve finished the movie. Sometimes, we only get through half a movie during the evening, so I will try talking with them at bedtime about where they saw things like evil, redemption, hope, and sacrifice show up in the movie. 

Disney’s classic animated film The Lion King is one that actually carries a pretty powerful message about identity. I know, I know. There are some pantheistic themes to The Lion King. It’s good to address those, too. But I would argue that the whole “circle-of-life” thing isn’t actually the main theme of the movie. At the core, I think it’s all about how our identity shapes our purpose in life.

The Lion King is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with the whole bit about the evil uncle slaying Hamlet’s father so that he can be king. But in The Lion King, as young Simba runs away in fear, he also ends up running away from responsibility.

He meets Timon and Pumbaa, a lovable meerkat and warthog duo that has developed a philosophy of life called “Hakuna Matata,” which apparently means “No Worries.” They are the classic slackers. They talk about embracing a lifestyle of “no rules, no responsibilities,” and how this leads to a carefree existence. 

Honestly, I think there are a lot of Timons and Pumbaas in our world—those who would rather eat a plate of bugs than embrace any level of responsibility. The two teach Simba how to belch, joke, and sing. With nothing better to do, they speculate about the mysteries of the universe with no true authority or guidance but their own imaginations. Ironically, I think these comical clods are meant to be an indictment of where running from responsibility will take you—looking for satisfaction by eating slimy worms! Notice we never meet a Mrs. Timon or Mrs. Pumbaa.

Simba joins their lot for a time, until he runs into a freaky baboon named Rafiki, who tells him: “The question is… Who are you?” Simba regretfully admits he’s not so sure anymore. 

Then comes the great turning point in the plot—the reason The Lion King is a compelling story, kids’ movie or no. Simba has a vision of his father, Mufasa, who says, “Simba, you have forgotten me.” “No,” Simba replies, “How could I?” Mufasa continues, “You have forgotten who you are, and so, you have forgotten me… Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king.”

That reminder is what makes all the difference and compels Simba to return to his place as king. In the same way, you and I who belong to the one true King need to remember who we are.

When you come to Jesus Christ, you leave your old identity behind, and you find your true identity in Him. Through our union with Christ, God our Father adopts us into His family, and He calls us His beloved children with whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:17; Romans 8:14-17). 

To our great astonishment, God now considers us royalty, destined to be co-heirs with Christ our King. This thought should blow our minds. If we really contemplate what this means, it just might!

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16-17, ESV)

We belong to God our Father, and that means we who suffer in union with Jesus will one day be glorified in union with Jesus. See if your soul can take in the magnitude of that thought. 

What does this mean? Well, for starters it means that we have indescribable value in God’s eyes. We matter more to Him than we could possibly fathom. It means there is a purpose and meaning to our lives beyond “Hakuna Matata.”

Ironically, if your existence is just about a grand “circle of life,” then the “No Worries” lifestyle actually makes sense. We live. We eat. We die. Our bodies become food for bacteria. So, why worry about how you live? Your “life force” is going to keep going around the same circle anyway, so you might as well live it up and enjoy yourself for your brief segment of the circle.

But if we belong to God, we really do have a purpose in this life that will carry forward into eternity. You were made to make a difference—to know God and to make Him known. It also means that God has a calling on your life. Like Simba, we have an enemy who wants to thwart our Father’s plans for us. He lies about our identity. He tells us we don’t matter to God, that we’ve sinned too much to be forgiven or used by Him. 

That is why we have to take up the shield of faith, Scripture says, to protect us from all the fiery darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). Only through faith in what God says about us can we overcome and be more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

Remember whose you are. If you have trusted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you have a new identity. You belong to Jesus Christ. You are clothed in His righteousness. You are forgiven. You are valuable in your Father’s sight. He adopted you as His own child because He loves you, and He is not ashamed of you. He is well pleased to call you His own.

“In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-5, ESV)

Are you interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and what He’s done for you? I’d love to hear from you!

One Thing

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment 
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8, ESV)

The Apostle Paul had one all-consuming passion: to know Jesus Christ more. This one passion fueled everything in his life. He was willing to sacrifice his time, energy, and body. He was willing to go wherever he needed to go and do whatever needed to be done. He was willing to trade everything–recognition, applause for his accomplishments, favor among his colleagues–all for the sake of Jesus.

If you were to boil it down, what is the one thing that is driving your life right now? What is the purpose that defines your life? 

If an alien from another planet was to investigate your life closely to try to determine what you care about, why you get up in the morning, and what you might even die for, what would it be? 

Although there are one thousand and one things we should care about and are important, what if God wants your life to be driven by one thing? And, yes, there are a million and one habits you and I could work on, but if you could name one discipline in life right now that God wants you to practice, what would it be? I think it’s important to focus on that one thing, because otherwise it could be crowded out by the host of distractions that are going to come your way today, tomorrow, and every day after that.

But imagine for a moment where your life might take you in the next five or ten years if you put into practice this one thing on a daily basis. Whatever it is–ask God to empower you by His Spirit to commit to this discipline. And when you do that, you’re living by faith because you’re trusting that God will bring the results if you don’t neglect this daily habit. What is that habit?

Sit with that question for a bit. Let it marinate. Imagine what your life might look like if you lived with single-minded devotion for Jesus Christ above all else. What would you need to sacrifice? What would you have to let go of? What would you have to do? Ask God to show you what one thing is critical and might just transform the trajectory of your life, making you into a more loving, joy-filled, purpose-oriented person. Whatever it is, you’re not going to find it in your past. God is holding out to you something in your future.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)

Father, You bring light and life to all who commit their lives to follow You. I pray that both the person reading this and I would be fueled by one great passion: to glorify Jesus Christ all our days. Would you work in our hearts and empower us to live this journey of faith with eyes on Your Son, Jesus. It’s in His Name I pray. Amen.

Are you interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and what He’s done for you? I’d love to hear from you!

The Living Hope of the Resurrection

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

It’s become popular for intellectual types to say things like “the resurrection of Jesus is a symbol of hope.” The problem for many is that it remains just that: a mere symbol, but not reality. 

In the film The Shawshank Redemption, the main character Andy tells his fellow inmate, Red (played by Morgan Freeman), that hope is the only thing the prison guards can’t take from them. Red’s response is memorable: “Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend: Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” Red does have a point. If you are in locked in prison for life and there is zero chance of escape, hope can eventually fade into severe disillusionment. In the end, a metaphorical or symbolic hope is no help at all.

The Apostle Peter discusses hope in his first epistle found in the New Testament:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

He starts this sentence saying, “Blessed be” or “Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” This is the starting point. For Peter, everything begins and ends in worship, because everything begins and ends with God.

And he says this great God of all has shown unspeakable mercy to us, by causing us to be “born again.” In other words, God is the fountain and source of all spiritual life. We were spiritually lifeless and hopeless, but He stooped down to rescue us. In fact, He not only saved us but made us His own child.

Something we never want to take for granted is the fact that, as followers of Jesus, we are privileged to call God our own Father. For some people, this has taken some getting used to. Maybe you doubt you could ever be worthy of addressing God as “Father.” Or maybe you can’t get past the fact that your earthly father failed you growing up. And it’s hard to understand God as a father. 

But let me tell you that there is incredible peace in knowing that, despite all the promises broken and failures of your earthly father, you have a heavenly Father who will never abandon you, never fail you, and will keep every promise perfectly.

God is a Majestic King, a Fearsome Warrior, and Just Judge. But before anything else–for the Christian–God is our loving Father. He loves as only a perfect Father could. He delights in His children and He lavishes us with His love in a way that sometimes seems unthinkable.

Peter says we have been “born again,” meaning we have been given new spiritual life and made a child of God the Father.

“… he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

Our hope is alive. Why? Because our Savior is alive. So many people think that the Christian idea of Heaven is just pie-in-the-sky. They assume it’s just a fairytale for grown-ups, to help us cope with life’s hardships. Some even imagine Heaven to be boring. 

That may be the case for other religions and philosophies out there, but from the very beginning the Christian church has always had its hope rooted in historical reality. And Heaven is about the reconciliation, redemption, and restoration of all that we hold dear in life. It’s about the satisfaction of all our earthly longings: our longing for justice to be satisfied, love without end, freedom from futility, and purpose for our existence.

Remember what Paul said? After listing all these evidences that Jesus really did rise from the dead (the tomb is empty, He appeared to people at many different times and in different contexts, the birth of the church itself), he added that Jesus even appeared to Paul himself, after His ascension!

And then Paul says something pretty radical:

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV)

He is willing to hang everything on the truth of the resurrection. That is something no other religion or belief system is willing to do. But here he says, “If this one event did not happen, it’s all for nothing… and we have no hope. If the stiff corpse that lay in that tomb for 36 hours didn’t miraculously and supernaturally come back to glorious resurrected life, then we have no hope whatsoever.”

Of course, he goes on to say, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Some of my favorite Christian testimonies are of those who, in God’s providence, set out to disprove Christianity and ended up realizing the evidence actually supported the resurrection. 

That’s how it was for Josh McDowell. He was a hardened skeptic who thought Christianity was a bunch of old myths that had no bearing on life. 

And some Christians challenged him on that, to do the research and really investigate everything historians know about the resurrection. And so he did just that. He went all over Europe desperate to prove everything about Jesus was a myth: His claims to deity, His resurrection, all of it. Until one night, he found himself in a library in London. Here’s what Josh writes:

“After several hours of research studying some out-of-print books, I leaned back in my chair, rubbed my eyes, and without remembering I was in a quiet library, I spoke out loud, ‘It’s true. It’s true! It’s really true!’”

He is just one example. Many other skeptics have done the same thing and found the evidence actually works against them. That is not to say that you have to go out and become a historian before you can be a Christian. The point is that even for the skeptic who demands compelling evidence for belief, the evidence is available if you’re willing to look. 

Because Jesus is alive today, Christians have a living hope rooted in history.

My friend, you need to know that, if you’re not a Christian, the evidence for Jesus conquering death is compelling. Investigating the truth about it might just change your life. And if you are a Christian, you need to know that you have a living hope, because you have a living Savior. If Jesus can beat death itself, then what could possibly stop Him? Who else in history has conquered the grave? And just as He promised ahead of time to rise from the dead, He promised to raise us from the dead. The fact that He already did the first guarantees that He will do the second.

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

What Is Your Next Step?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

One of the most familiar metaphors in Scripture is walking with God. From the earliest pages, we learn that Adam and Eve would walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). We read about many faithful people walking with God–including Noah, Enoch, and Abraham. 

Beyond those early examples, we read about this same theme consistently. In Micah 6:8, we are urged to “walk humbly with your God.” Living faithfully in God’s presence is described as walking in His ways, walking in the light, and walking in the Spirit. 

The Apostle Paul writes, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, NIV).

This concept of walking with God teaches us that faith is a journey. Your relationship with Jesus is taking you somewhere; we aren’t meant to live spiritually stagnant lives. If there is a destination, that means there’s a clear path for us to walk on. Granted, not everyone’s journey is going to look the same. And there will be times we will stumble over something in our path, or sin will sometimes lure us off the path in the wrong direction.

The important thing is that this is a journey “with God.” He empowers us to walk by His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16), live faithfully and pursue His glory as our greatest good in life. It also means we need to humbly walk with our God, not run ahead of what God wants to teach us. We never want to forget that life is about enjoying God and embracing His love for us.

Lastly, because our relationship with God is a journey, there is always going to be a next step. And the question you and I need to be asking in our times alone with the Father is: “What is the next step You’re calling me to take?”

Ask the Lord for clarity, wisdom, and motivation to take that next step. 

Maybe it’s serving at church in a new way you’ve never tried before. Maybe it’s intentionally forming relationships with a couple of your neighbors. Maybe it’s making a commitment to lead your family in prayer and worship at home. Maybe it’s choosing to intentionally spend more time with your wife or husband. Maybe it’s about looking for ways to take the next step in your career. Or maybe God is calling you to lead in an area you haven’t before or mentor someone new to Jesus. Maybe it’s about reading a biblically solid book that will challenge you personally. Maybe you need to encourage a friend or family member who is struggling in their faith by taking them out for coffee or lunch.

God is going to lead you into that next step, but it does require something from you: faith. Every next step in your journey with the Lord is a step into the unknown. It requires trust and courage to take that next step and be open to ways God might be wanting to stretch you, grow you, and take you outside your tidy comfort zone. 

At times, our next step is a step away from disaster. It might be getting back on the path with Jesus, which is always just one step away. It could be leaving behind an addiction, a time-wasting habit, or a harmful relationship. Severing old ties can be painful, but if they allow you to get back to walking humbly with your God, they are both necessary and beneficial.

The thing to remember is that as you walk with the Lord and humbly seek His wisdom, that next step is always going to be taking you on a journey of deeper trust and joy in the Lord. 

So, let’s do this! One step after the other. What is your next step?

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

The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Americans are reportedly lacking in joy. A recent survey found that young Americans (under 30) have especially seen a decline in happiness. While nearly everyone would say they want to be happy, most people claim it’s something that seems to be just beyond their reach.

People want to know: What’s the secret to a joy-filled life? People want more than just a hit of dopamine; they want to know how to be happy for the long haul. A number of books have hit the New York Times bestseller’s list in the last several years which try to answer that perennial question, “How can I be happy?” Is it a romantic relationship? Is it success in your life or career? Is it money?

One Harvard professor said, “We think money will bring lots of happiness for a long time, and actually it brings a little happiness for a short time.” Many people have concluded that lasting happiness is ultimately elusive. It’s something we constantly pine after and dream of, but never actually attain. And I’d say if they are looking only to this world for ultimate happiness and joy, then they are right.

C. S. Lewis put it this way, “I cannot find a cup of tea which is big enough or a book that is long enough.” While it’s true that ultimate happiness cannot be found in the things of this world, that’s because we were made for eternity. At the same time, in Scripture God tells us He wants us to know joy in every situation we face in this life, in every hardship and every trial. 

The man who wrote the treatise on joy is the Apostle Paul. That treatise is the Letter to the Philippians. As you read this short letter, you find that when Paul talks about joy, he’s not some schmuck who has it easy, telling people, “Turn that frown upside down!” He’s someone who has been through the wringer. He was horribly treated countless times and was persecuted for the gospel in ways we can barely even imagine. In fact, he wrote this very letter to the Philippians from a Roman jail cell, chained to a Roman soldier. So, he really does have credibility when he talks about having joy in every situation. 

He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, ESV).

Joy in Jesus: that’s the main theme of this little letter to the Philippians. God wants to encourage you to know that there is an unbreakable joy that comes from knowing Jesus. It’s not the fluffy kind of joy or happiness that bubbles up and evaporates. It’s the kind of deep-seated joy that wells up in the soul of the believer who knows their Redeemer well and is captivated by His love. Jesus wanted us to know the fullness of His joy (John 15:9-11).

Feeling a bit like your emotional tank is empty and the orange light has come on this week? Take inventory of your soul. It’s not good to stuff our emotions just so we can keep chugging along. God hardwired us to have emotions. Jesus expressed His emotions. You have been designed to “feel the feels.” So, what’s going on in that heart of yours? Is something weighing you down? Take it to Jesus. Tell Him about your struggle. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of Jesus. 

Lastly, let me encourage you to spend some time reading through Philippians. Read it slowly. Soak in all that Jesus wants you to know about the joy of knowing Him.

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

How Can I Be Sure I’m Going to Heaven?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for LifeLeave a comment

It’s hard to trust every promise you hear these days. Most of us have had the experience of someone breaking a promise they made to us. 

I remember a time early in our marriage when Whitney was away at a women’s Bible study one night, and a man selling vacuum cleaners came to our house. I told him right away at the door that I’m not interested. He said, “Oh, I’m not really needing to sell you anything. All I have to do is get enough demonstrations done, and then I get paid for that.” 

“Really?” I said. “You mean you get paid just for coming into my house, vacuuming my carpet, and then leaving without me spending a dime?” “That’s right,” he said. So, I reluctantly agreed, but I made him promise that he wouldn’t try to sell me anything. 

As it turns out, his demonstration included telling me about every part of the vacuum cleaner. I listened respectfully as he explained the marvels of every brush, wand, and hose. He finally got to the point where he demonstrated the vacuum cleaner’s power, but not before dumping some dirt on our carpet. No, he didn’t ask first. Just dumped some dirt and said, “Watch this.” Apparently, he only planned to clean up the mess he himself was going to make.  

After about 15 minutes into this demonstration, he said, “You know, you seem like a nice guy. I want to tell you about an exclusive sale we’re only allowed to give to a few.” Oh boy, here it comes.  

No, I didn’t buy the vacuum cleaner. And no, I wasn’t impressed with the fact that he broke his promise and tried to sell me something. 

We all know what it’s like when someone breaks his or her promise. It’s irritating in cases like my encounter with the vacuum salesman, but in other cases, it can be devastating. We hear politicians make promises they can’t keep. We hear bosses make promises and then forget to keep them. Husbands and wives make vows and then break them. And so, because there’s a sour taste in our mouth from all the broken promises, sometimes it’s hard for us to believe God when He gives us a promise. 

But not all promises are meant to be broken. Some are so unbreakable that they are rooted in eternity. God is a good Father, and a good Father never wants His children to doubt His love for them. He wants them to know they are His–not just for today, but forever. 

Something every Christian wants is assurance of eternal life, but we will never have it until we learn to look away from ourselves to Jesus Christ as the Author of our salvation from beginning to end.  

The Apostle Paul delivered this promise in Romans 8:

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30, ESV) 

The phrase “those whom” occurs four times in these verses. The reason for that is to emphasize he is describing the same group throughout this whole section. Also, note that God is the main Actor here. God is the One who works all things together for good (v. 28). God foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies.  

Those Whom He Predestined, Called, Justified, and Glorified

Predestination means “determine before” or “mark out for a destination.” In other words, God marked out this group ahead of time. Calling means God supernaturally called you to Himself through the preaching of the gospel. Third, justification means God declares you to be right with Him. That happens at faith (Romans 5:1). The moment we trust in Jesus as our Savior, God wipes out our record of sin. Essentially, God takes your record of sin and puts it through a cosmic paper shredder. And then He burns that. There is no longer any legal record of your sin debt in God’s courtroom. But on top of that, God credits us with the perfect life of Christ. That’s what it means to be justified. To be glorified means to be made glorious, brought into the glorious presence of God. It is to be brought home to glory in Heaven to be with your Creator for all eternity.

It’s essential to understand that God can legally and righteously do all this because of the cross. It’s like this. We were on death row, ready to face execution as a penalty for our sins. We broke God’s Law, and we offended His holiness. But then—glorious good news!—Jesus came and took our place on death row and endured the penalty for our sins. He stepped in and the hammer of judgment fell on Him, not us. So when we put our faith in Christ’s sacrifice, God can legally declare us just, holy, and righteous, because Jesus willingly exchanged our record for His. He got our sin; we get His righteousness.  

Please notice from all this that our legal status as being right with God had nothing to do with how good we were. We all like to say to ourselves, “You know, I’m not perfect, but at least I’m doing better than that guy.”  We love to compare ourselves to others. 

Surveys show that nearly every American thinks that he or she is morally better than average. But, if you do the math, you can’t have 98% of people doing better than average. It just doesn’t work.  

My Only Boast: The Cross

The more you understand the gospel, the more you see that our confidence before God can’t come from looking at ourselves. Our confidence has everything to do with the fact that our sins could only be paid for one way. There was only one way we could escape judgment—not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus could expunge our record of sins. Only Jesus could rescue us. Our confidence is in Him. 

Paul said, “The only thing I have to boast about is the Cross. That’s it! Otherwise, I’ve got nothing!” 

So often Christians struggle with assurance, because they look first at their own life. They think, I haven’t lived the life God wants me to. I haven’t lived up to all the things that the Bible calls me to be. My life doesn’t always perfectly show the fruit of the Spirit. So am I really saved?  

There is a place for considering your own life. The Bible does say to examine your life and consider whether you are loving Jesus and seeking to honor Him as Lord of your life (2 Cor. 13:5). Because if you have no signs of repentance, that’s a serious concern. James says, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

But the problem is that your works were never meant to be the basis of your assurance. If they were, you would never be confident of salvation. You would always see there was work to be done and changes that needed to happen. Because we aren’t perfect. No, the ground of assurance is not in looking to yourself but looking outside yourself to Christ on the cross and then the empty tomb and then seeing Him right now at the right hand of the Father interceding for you. It’s about letting the truth of the gospel wash over you again and again. 

Those with true, saving faith don’t become bored with the gospel. If you’re bored with the gospel, then the fullness of the gospel hasn’t sunk in. Because the glory of God’s grace, the beauty of Christ’s personal love for you, and the joy of forgiveness are never boring. 

Take this promise of Jesus to heart.  

“Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40, NLT, emphasis added) 

Let me encourage you to come back to this promise over and over and plead with the Holy Spirit to drill these truths into your heart until you can say, “Yes! That’s true of me! I have come to Jesus in repentant faith, so God has promised eternal life to me.” 

This same security is found here in Romans 8:

"And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.”  (Romans 8:30, ESV) 

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

Why Does Jesus Call Us “Sheep”?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment 
“The sheep follow the shepherd, for they know his voice.” (John 10:4)

One of my spiritual mentors who has discipled me while I was still in seminary is my good buddy, Matt MacCollin. He and I went through a book together called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. One of the things that stands out from that little book is a danger unique to sheep called being “cast” or “cast down.” He described it this way: 

“….even the largest, fattest, strongest and sometimes healthiest sheep can become ‘cast’ and be a casualty. The way it happens is this. A heavy, fat, or long-fleeced sheep will lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that the feet no longer touch the ground. It may feel a sense of panic and start to paw frantically. Frequently this only makes things worse. It rolls over even further. Now it is quite impossible for it to regain its feet.” 

As you read the book, you get the sense that sheep are pretty pathetic creatures! Without a shepherd, they really are helpless. Particularly when you think of flocks of sheep in the first century context.  

Shepherds spent all their lives with their sheep. In many ways, it was a lonely existence—just you and these wooly creatures 24/7.  

Today, shepherds generally agree that sheep are both stubborn and jumpy. They can be frightened by the smallest thing. And yet, they also can be stubbornly resistant about moving when they need to. 

God as Shepherd

In John 10, Jesus identifies Himself as the “Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep.” That’s a powerful image. 

God knows that we need pictures in our mind. God is invisible. And sometimes when we just rattle off God’s attributes, like “God is all-powerful,” “God is holy,” “God is love,” we can struggle to fit it all together. So God gave us pictures or illustrations of what He is like. 

One of the most pervasive themes in Scripture is this concept of God as Shepherd.

Jacob, whose name was later changed to “Israel,” was a shepherd. And he was the first to call God his “shepherd.”  

Probably the most famous psalm, Psalm 23, begins: 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3, ESV) 

My dad encouraged me to memorize this psalm when I was still a little guy. I can remember reciting it over and over. And for that reason, this psalm has probably spoken to me more than any of the others. I can still remember a time when I was off at camp and feeling homesick, and I just started quoting Psalm 23 over and over. And it gave me peace. The image of the Lord as our Shepherd is powerful. 

Sheep Know Their Shepherd’s Voice

There are many other times we see this same image of God as our Shepherd: 

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11, ESV) 

In Ezekiel 34, when God uses this image of a shepherd as an indictment. He says that He made the kings of Israel to be like shepherds over His people. But instead of being faithful shepherds who cared for the ill or hungry sheep, they instead fed themselves and ignored the sheep entrusted to their care. 

So how does God respond?  

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12, ESV) 

Think about how this image of a shepherd seeking out his sheep captures the heart of Jesus for lost sinners.

And of course, if God is our Shepherd, then we are His sheep. That might not be the most flattering image for us. If you’ve been around sheep for any length of time, you’re not really struck by how intelligent these creatures are. Nevertheless, it seems to be one of God’s favorite descriptions for us.

Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3, ESV) 

We have to ask ourselves not only Why is the Lord compared to a Shepherd? But also Why are we compared to sheep? In John 10, Jesus explains how vulnerable sheep are and how they need protection. 

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (John 10:1-2, ESV) 

In ancient times, a sheepfold was basically an area enclosed by a rock wall. Because the gate to the sheepfold was usually guarded, the thief would have to sneak in over the wall to snag a sheep. So the thief had to be sneaky under the cover of darkness, but Jesus makes it clear that a shepherd is known by his sheep. 

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:3-4, ESV) 

In ancient times, a shepherd spent so much individual time with each of his sheep that he really did name every one of them. There was this intimate bond between them. 

An outsider coming up on his flock might think that they all look and act the same. It just looks like a bunch of random sheep. But the shepherd knew his sheep. He could tell you each of their names. If one was falling behind or had wandered off, the shepherd knew which one was missing. He knew the traits and temperament of each one.

Sheep Are Dependent on the Shepherd

Keeping in mind that Jesus is really talking about Himself here, this image helps us understand the heart Jesus has for us individually. To Jesus, you’re not just one more face in a crowd. Jesus knows everything about you. He knows what causes you fear. He knows every hair on your head. Our Savior is our Shepherd. 

Jesus says, “The sheep follow the shepherd, for they know His voice.” 

And sheep really are dependent on their shepherds. Especially back then, there was the constant danger of predators rushing in and dragging off one of your sheep. A shepherd had to be vigilant. I remember one professor saying that sheep are irrefutable proof that Darwinian evolution isn’t true, because they never could have survived on their own. In any case, the fact that sheep are so helpless without their shepherd teaches something about us. 

The image of sheep pictures how dependent we are on the Lord who knows each of us intimately. 

And as we hear Christ’s voice in Scripture, we know it’s His. We can follow Him, because we recognize His voice. How are you doing at listening to the Shepherd’s voice? 

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

Why Are Matthew’s and Luke’s Genealogies So Different?

On By Jason SmithIn Why I Believe1 Comment

Modern Americans aren’t as fascinated with genealogies as ancient Jewish people. It’s true that many have done ancestry research. My Grammy Smith did some pretty extensive research into our family’s ancestry, and I learned some cool things about my ancestors from her. But the majority of Americans can’t even name all of their great-grandparents.

Ancient Jewish people, by contrast, kept meticulous records of ancestry. Part of this has to do with the laws regarding tribal distinctions and inheritance (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7).

Many Christians are tempted to skip right past the genealogies when they come to them in their Bible reading. After all, we figure, what could all these hard to pronounce names have to do with me? That’s a fair question. However, every word of Scripture is God-breathed and recorded for a purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So, even if there is no apparent reason for a particular passage in Scripture, it’s good for Christians to assume that there is a less obvious reason for it that might require some investigation. 

For one thing, Jesus’ genealogies demonstrate He was a real man in history and that His contemporaries could even trace His lineage back thousands of years. Just imagine if you could trace back your ancestry that far. Suddenly, those unknown names might carry more significance for you!

Careful readers of the Bible have noted discrepancies between Matthew’s genealogy for Jesus and Luke’s. Some have wondered, Why do they seem to contradict each other? Did one of them make a mistake?

Matthew was a former tax collector who was accustomed to keeping careful records of names and dates. We shouldn’t assume he blundered in his genealogical research. And Luke was a medical doctor and careful historian. When put to the test, even skeptics have been brought to faith through their historical inquiries of Luke.

The one-time skeptic, Sir William Ramsay, a highly decorated historian in his own right, was originally skeptical of Luke. He thought the miracles recorded in Luke’s Gospel ruled it out from being true history. But then he investigated all the people, places, and events in Luke and Acts (the two books penned by Luke). It slowly dawned on Ramsay that Luke was no amateur historian.  

On every point, Ramsay found Luke to be completely accurate. Even in the areas where he initially doubted Luke’s accuracy, he later found that it was him not Luke who was mistaken. Ramsay eventually concluded: “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regard to its trustworthiness.” This led Ramsay to give his life to Jesus. 

But is it possible Luke fouled up Jesus’ genealogy? For many reasons, the answer must be no. First of all, the discrepancies between Matthew and Luke primarily come between David and Joseph. The differences are too vast to attribute to a scribal error or minor mistake. For example, they even list a different father for Joseph, something that would have been very easy to track down (Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23). In his genealogy, Luke works backwards, beginning with Jesus (a practice common with ancient Greeks like Luke). Matthew, a Jew chronicles his genealogy beginning with Abraham, the first Jew, and ends with Jesus (the common practice for Jewish people).

Luke makes it clear that he was aware of previous records of the life of Jesus, and he’s likely including the Gospels of Matthew and Mark in that reference (Luke 1:1-4). So, let’s give Luke the benefit of the doubt that he wasn’t a complete buffoon who couldn’t spot the differences between his genealogy and Matthew’s that modern day reader spot right away.

Furthermore, Luke had his own reasons for creating a more expanded genealogy, not just a facsimile of Matthew’s genealogy. He wanted to trace Jesus’ genealogy not just back through David and Abraham, like Matthew did, but all the way back to the very beginning. To Adam. And that’s Luke reminding us that Jesus came for the whole human race, not just descendants of Abraham. Jesus came for you! 

The genealogies especially diverge between David and Joseph. Biblical scholars have come up with all kinds of possible reasons for the differences.

Some have argued that Matthew gives the physical descent for Joseph and Luke gives the royal descent for Joseph. On this view, the discrepancies are due to the fact that Joseph was a legal descendant of Heli, but a physical descendant of Jacob. This view invokes the law of Levirate marriage, that allows for a deceased man’s brother to father children for him through his brother’s widow (Deut. 25:5-10).

While possible, it should be noted that Levirate marriages were somewhat uncommon based on historical records, and it would seem odd for this to be the explanation for so many generations, and for these to all happen between David and Joseph.

I think a better explanation is found in the more traditional understanding that Matthew provides Jesus’ royal ancestry through Joseph, and Luke provides Jesus’ physical ancestry through Mary. By adoption, a more common method of becoming someone’s father, Joseph became the legal father of Jesus. Thus, the royal line was continued through Jesus, the firstborn of Mary, his wife. This fits with Matthew’s emphasis on Joseph in his birth narrative. 

On this view, Luke, who has been focusing on Mary, is giving us Mary’s ancestry through her father, Heli. Luke can call Joseph “the son of Heli,” because if a father had no sons of his own, he would often adopt his son-in-law as his own son. Alternatively, Luke could be just calling Joseph the “son-in-law” of Heli, because genealogies typically focused on the males only (Matthew’s genealogy is an exception for including several names of women). This makes sense, too, because there was no Koine Greek term for “son-in-law,” so this would have been the best way for Luke to record Mary’s ancestry while only including male names. 

Interestingly, this conclusion fits with other historical records, as even the Talmud mentions that Mary’s father was Heli. So Matthew traces Joseph’s royal ancestry, and Luke traces Mary’s royal ancestry. Either way, Jesus is the Son of David, both biologically and by royal adoption. 

Jesus was the head of a new humanity, redeemed by God, set free from the curse pronounced on Adam, the former head of the human race.In this way, Jesus fulfilled every promise of a coming Messiah.  Jesus came as the descendant of David who will sit on his throne, the Ruler promised to Judah, the Seed of blessing promised to Abraham, and the Snake-crusher promised to Adam (2 Samuel 7: 12-13; Genesis 49:10; Genesis 17:7; Genesis 3:15). 

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

Why Your Words Carry So Much Weight for Your Spouse

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments

In our busy, technology-saturated, and fast-paced 21st century world, we need clarity on what to prioritize in life. Sometimes, we have to say “No” to good things that are simply not the best things for the moment. When we let God set our priorities, we see from Scripture that God expects us to prioritize our family relationships, and if you are married, the marriage relationship must rank first.

A great place to glean wisdom on family systems and relationships is the timeless book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 31, we learn about the quintessential hard-working woman and how her kids call her blessed and her husband praises her.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:28-29, NIV)

How are you doing at praising your spouse? Words have power. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” says Proverbs 18:21. And in chapter 31, the author, King Lemuel (Proverbs 31:1), discusses not only how amazing this particular woman is (possibly his wife), but also that her husband praises her. The husband does not take his wife for granted. He recognizes all that she is and all she’s done, and he’s saying to his wife, “You know, you really are an amazing woman.” 

Author Gary Chapman calls this “words of affirmation.” It is something that can easily slip off the radar for a married couple, but it’s essential for a thriving relationship. Both men and women need to hear words of affirmation from others, but when you’re married, your spouse’s words carry the most weight. Because the couple lives together and they see one another’s flaws unlike anyone else, a spouse’s heartfelt praise carries tremendous power. 

A wife needs to hear how much her husband adores her.  A husband needs to know that his wife values and respects him. And if you want to strengthen your marriage, there’s no better place to start than building one another up with words. A wife needs to hear her husband say things like, “Sure, there are many amazing women out there, but you stand out above the rest. I only have eyes for you!”

Some men respond, “I don’t know how to praise my wife… I’m not a words guy.” That is something we call a lame excuse. If you don’t know how to do something, you’re not off the hook. Put in a little effort. Watch your wife’s favorite movies with her, and you’ll figure out what she likes to hear. Or better yet, just be more observant of her and simply express some appreciation. But don’t make excuses for not building up your wife with words.

I once heard a husband refer to his wife as “the old ball and chain.” I’m guessing that their intimacy level is not red hot.

In the same way, wives, your words have tremendous power to build up and encourage your husband. Your words will either build him up in the best possible way or they will tear him down in the worst way. Your husband needs to hear words of affirmation and affection from you, too. He needs to know you respect and value his leadership in the marriage.

But since husbands are called to be leaders, you husbands should be leading the way in this practice. Speak life into her when she wakes up. At night, let her know what she means to you. Praise her at the dinner table in front of kids or grandkids. Leave a love note on the bathroom mirror. Make a point of telling her just how grateful you are.

Your words have tremendous power to either build up or tear down your spouse.

So many marriages would be improved if husbands and wives committed to letting one another know just how much they appreciate each other for all they do. This is important.

All married people recognize they are married to an imperfect person. And that’s exactly why you need to bring Jesus into every aspect of your marriage. Because if you have two imperfect people committing to do life together for the rest of their days, you should expect the need for a lot of grace and a lot of forgiveness going both ways.

But when you bring Jesus into your marriage, you have two imperfect people and one perfect God. And He can redeem your marriage. He can change the way your marriage looks. He can make it into a living display of His covenant love for us. That’s a supernatural thing. And God can do it when you commit your marriage to Him.

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