Tag: faith

Am I Good Enough?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

This is the question lurking just below the surface in every human heart. Have I done enough? Do people accept me for who I am? Am I good enough?

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most stunning message in history. It’s the message that God saves us by sheer grace, but it starts by telling us what we don’t want to hear. It tells us that we have come up short. That we came into this world needy, desperate, and hopelessly lost in sin. That we are by nature in rebellion against the God who made us. I know that sounds harsh. It flies in the face of our culture’s messaging and much of what we were told since we were little.

We’re told “You are enough,” “You have what it takes,” and “You’ve got this.” Apparently, we are mind-blowingly awesome in every single way just the way we are. Sound familiar? It’s interesting how often we have to tell ourselves (or be told) we are awesome. 

According to Christianity, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and we need to know how  valuable we are as God’s image bearers. But the Bible never encourages us to look within for a boost of confidence or tell ourselves, “I don’t need outside help.”

I recently saw a school sign that read, “It’s easy to forget, so here’s a little reminder: You’re Awesome!”

Isn’t it a little strange that we are so incredibly awesome, and yet we have to be told that repeatedly? (I also find it a bit ironic that when someone actually seems to believe this and starts boasting about how awesome they are, we call that person a narcissist). 

Brené Brown tells us, “We live in a culture of scarcity, of never enough. There is only one way out of scarcity – and that is enoughness. At some point we need to say: I am enough.” We look at that quote and think, Yes, I am enough. But somehow we struggle to believe it. If I really am good enough, smart enough, and have enough “enoughness”… why do I need to keep hearing this from people like Brené Brown?

The truth is that Brown’s counsel only leads to greater self-obsession, which is ultimately exhausting and joy-sapping. Self-validation is a weighty burden the human soul was never meant to carry.

I have a theory. I think the reason we crave words of approval is that deep down, we know the truth: Something is deeply wrong inside. I’m not everything I should be.

The Bible basically says, “Yes, there really is something wrong with you. Only…it’s worse than you think. But the good news is that if you can believe the hard truth about how bad you really are, you are finally ready to hear the good news of grace.”

The Bible tells us that hard truth we so desperately need to hear. Now, I’ll warn you, it can sting a bit to hear this for the first time. Just remember what Jesus said: “The truth will set you free.” You’ll be ready to receive the cure, only if you’re willing to hear the diagnosis.

On your own and apart from Jesus Christ:

  • You’re not righteous or good. (Romans 3:10)
  • You’re dead in your sins. (Ephesians 2:1)
  • You’re selfish by nature. (Romans 2:13)
  • You’re caught in a web of self-deception. (Romans 3:13)
  • You’re prone to bitterness, anger, and hatred. (Romans 3:14-17)
  • You don’t fear or revere the God who gave you life. (Romans 3:18)
  • You suppress the truth about God, because you don’t want to be accountable. (Romans 1:18)
  • And because of all this, you deserve the just and holy wrath of God. (Romans 1:18; Ephesians 2:3; John 3:36)

Ouch! But as much as that might hurt to hear, remember the Bible doesn’t create sin in our hearts; it simply shows us what’s already there. We will never look for the remedy until we understand we have a spiritual disease called sin, and this disease will kill us unless something drastically changes.

Very often, people new to Christianity and the church will hear this much and tell themselves, “Okay, if that’s true, I better change my act.” This is our default setting. We tell ourselves that if we have gone astray, then we must simply get back on the right path. If we have become morally filthy, then we must clean ourselves up.

The problem is that we are trying to atone for our own sins, and that will never work. What we need is the atonement of Jesus Christ. And until we know what Jesus went through for us, we will never understand how deeply God loves us. Without the cross, God’s love will always seem like a shallow idea rather than a soul-transforming reality.

The gospel explains that we could never be good enough, but Jesus was good enough for us. As the Son of God, Jesus lived the perfectly righteous life we should have lived. And He died the death we deserved in our place as our Substitute. 

The culture is constantly trying to build up my self-confidence, but confidence in myself is not the answer. My confidence is this: At the Cross, Jesus bore all my sins and fully paid for them. He endured the punishment that was coming to me. He paid the debt that I owed because of my sins. My confidence is His blood and righteousness.

Or, as Paul put it:

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[b] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

On our own, we could never be good enough. Only Jesus is good enough. And through faith in His righteous life and substitutionary death, we are forgiven of all our sin and reconciled to a holy God. God declares us to be as righteous as Jesus. This is the doctrine of justification. Faith unites us to Christ, and then His righteousness is imputed to us. Once we are in Christ, God the Father sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 

I am not enough. Jesus is enough.

To be justified by faith in Christ means you are no longer looking to your own moral performance for your standing with God. You can be honest about your personal shortcomings and sins, because you stand righteous (or infinitely good enough) in Jesus Christ. Your confidence isn’t in your awesomeness; it’s in the awesome love of God.

But here’s the radical truth: God loved you and me when we were everything on the list above. You and I were once as lost as can be, and yet God loved us even at our lowest. Knowing this love personally will give you all the confidence you need to face life’s various challenges. God is now for you. Who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

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

Rearranging Deck Chairs or Being Salt and Light?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

Many Christians are disheartened when they look around at how our American culture has become more secular and, in many ways, anti-Christian in everything from its views on sexuality to public policy. In this cultural moment, it’s easy for Christians to not only feel like outsiders, but victims. 

I find it interesting, however, that Scripture never encourages us to play the victim card. Instead, we are called to see ourselves “overcomers,” who are always victorious in Christ (see Romans 8:37).

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:7, ESV)

Some renowned Christian preachers from the past have said things like, “Trying to make a difference in the culture is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” While we are called citizens of Heaven, we are still citizens of our nation. One truth does not cancel out the other.

Thank God that people like William Wilberforce, the Christian abolitionist who was instrumental in ending the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, didn’t take such a view. He believed that the God of Heaven had called him to take a stand for truth, justice, goodness, and beauty in the culture he inhabited. Wilberforce urged his fellow Christians to not shrink into the shadowy margins of society with a private faith, but to boldly and publicly profess their faith in Jesus along with all the implications that come with that.

Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and commanded, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

In his great book, Real Christianity, Wilberforce writes:

“What a difference it would be if our system of morality were based on the Bible instead of the standards devised by cultural Christians.”

Wilberforce was confronting those who want to claim the name of Christ, but deny that Christ’s Lordship has the power to transform both individuals and whole societies. He wondered why so many professing Christians seemed embarrassed by the Name of Jesus and would only be caught uttering His Name in the safety of a house of worship.

As I read Wilberforce, I feel like he’s talking to Christians today–like he’s talking to me! The same struggles with fear and shame that he addressed so boldly are found among churches today. Brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Consider how Jesus called us to take our personal faith in Him public:

“What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27, ESV)

Knowing we would be tempted to keep our faith private, Jesus said:

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33, ESV)

Jesus was speaking to His twelve Apostles, but notice how Jesus uses words like “everyone” and “whoever” to make the point. In other words, speaking about Jesus publicly is not something reserved for trained evangelists or those gifted in evangelism. Jesus is saying that our willingness to speak His Name in public is an accurate gauge of our relationship to Him. I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus to acknowledge me before the Father. These words should motivate us to boldly take the next step of faith in our relationship with Jesus. When we do speak openly of Jesus, the response will always be mixed. Sometimes, we may feel like we did a poor job of representing our Lord or didn’t say everything we could have, but again, speaking of Jesus is something to which “everyone” is called. And we can depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the words we need (Luke 12:11-12).

Unless people hear the message of Jesus, their hearts won’t be regenerated. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV). If we care about cultural renewal, we need to first care about renewal of hearts.

Christians should not intentionally be antagonistic toward others. We should use wisdom and seek to listen well before we speak. At the same time, we should be known for both what we believe and Whom we believe in. Both visibly and audibly, it should be plain to others that we belong to Jesus.

Jesus told Paul, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10, BSB). He told the other Apostles, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20, BSB).

Jesus called us to be salt and light in a culture shrouded in spiritual darkness and decay. We are called to take our faith public, and above all, to live with hope. 

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live with hope in dark days. Help me be the light you call me to be by the power of the Holy Spirit. On my own, I know I have very little to contribute, but with Your enabling power, I can reach others and make an impact in my generation. May this generation experience a reawakening to Your power, wisdom, and love. I ask this in the mighty Name of Jesus.

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

Failure Is Never Final

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional3 Comments

Before Jonas Salk discovered the vaccine for polio, he had to fail 200 times. When he was asked how he felt about those 200 failures, Salk said, “I never failed two hundred times in my life. I was taught not to use the word ‘failure.’ I just discovered two hundred ways how not to vaccinate for polio.”

Just think about that for a minute. 200 times. What if he had given up after that 200th attempt? Or even the 20th attempt? Polio was a deadly disease that afflicted thousands prior to the discovery of the vaccine. The disease claimed the life of 3,000 people in 1952 alone. Thank God, Salk didn’t quit early. Today, polio is almost completely eradicated across the world. Salk had to think of his failures in a way most people don’t in order to move forward to success.

In the Gospel of John, we read about another man with a series of failures. Peter grievously sinned by denying he even knew Jesus three times. But the truly amazing thing is how Jesus responded to Peter’s failures. Jesus didn’t abandon Peter or discard him as no longer useful to him. In fact, He gave Peter a position of extraordinary prominence in His newly launched church. 

This is an important reminder. When you have a God of infinite grace, failure can become a steppingstone to true success. It’s an opportunity for growth, if you’re willing to receive God’s grace. Every time you honestly confess your sin to God, think of it as taking one more step toward becoming the person He wants you to be.

“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)

Most Christians will readily agree that confession leads to forgiveness, but do we really believe that Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness? 

There is tremendous freedom in bringing our failures into the light of God’s presence. He is a God who graciously forgives, but like a good father, He calls us to confess where we’ve gone wrong.

If I snap at my wife Whitney in the morning and then later that evening come home and say, “Hey, honey, what’s for dinner?” There’s still going to be a rift between us. Before our relationship can be restored to what it should be, I have to go through the painful experience of saying, “I was wrong for how I snapped at you earlier. Will you forgive me?” That’s how it always goes with relationships. 

We might assume Peter’s leadership career was over after that failure in the temple courts, but Jesus fully restored Peter. Think about that. It’s hard to imagine something more grievous than denying his Lord three times, but Jesus restored Peter and chose him to be the guy to first proclaim the gospel of grace in Jerusalem.

The same kind of thing could be said of Paul. He had a record of persecuting Christians and blaspheming Jesus, yet God used him to first take the gospel to the Gentile world. Paul even says that God chose people like him because they would showcase His grace and the fact that His cross and resurrection set us free from our past and restore us to our true calling (see 1 Timothy 1:16).

This is what makes Christianity so amazing! Because of the gospel, past failure doesn’t disqualify us from the calling God has on our lives.

While it’s important to confess sin to the Lord, it’s equally important to see that the Lord can grow you through your failures. Never give in to the lie that God is done using you because of something in your past. Maybe you’re holding onto something you need to surrender to Him.

So many Christians feel defeated by past failures and feel they can never move on and move forward in their walk with the Lord. If that’s you, please know that is not a word from God. That’s not Jesus telling you you’re disqualified. That’s the devil.

Revelation 12:10 calls the devil “the Accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accused them day and night before God.” This is one of Satan’s tactics. He will urge us to quit when we’ve blown it. Or tell us we’ve tried God’s patience too many times. Watch out for the critics you face in life. The more you say “Yes” to God’s calling on your life, the more critics will attack you.

But every time you stumble and fall, don’t let Satan sideline you.  By God’s grace, see it as another opportunity to rise again in the power of the Lord and get back in the fight.

Theodore Roosevelt said:

“It’s not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena… who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

If you feel like you’ve failed Jesus too many times, see John 21:15-19 as an invitation to sit down by the fire with Jesus. Hear Him asking you, “Do you love Me?” 

And if the answer is “Yes,” then there’s always hope. And that love can drive you to keep following after Him.

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

It Will Cost You Everything

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment 
In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples. (Luke 14:33, ESV)

In the 2001 animated film Shrek, we meet Lord Farquaad, the pompous, proud, and vertically challenged villain. In one of the best lines from the movie, Farquaad sends out his knights on a high-risk mission to rescue a princess from a dragon.

With great feeling, he tells them, “Some of you may die. But that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

The life Jesus Christ calls us to is radically different. Instead of expecting some kind of faux sacrifice akin to Lord Farquaad, Jesus demands a sacrifice that is personal and total. We’re called to surrender ourselves to Him and give our full allegiance to Him as the King who conquered death.

Jesus Himself came to slay the dragon and purchase His bride (the church) with His own blood. Almost every fairytale is just a dim reflection of the greatest story ever told.

Knowing Jesus made that ultimate sacrifice puts His demand on your life in perspective. In a world where you are encouraged to put yourself first, follow your heart, and live your truth, Jesus demands you deny yourself and follow Him. In fact, Jesus even said, “Unless you give up everything you have, you cannot be My disciple.” 

Notice that Jesus doesn’t tolerate the easy-believism so prevalent today that thinks of Jesus as a ticket to Heaven, but not as the Lord of our lives. Jesus asked that searching question, “Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, yet don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). As the risen Lord, Jesus calls us to give up everything for Him, to lay it all down at His feet and say, “Okay, Lord. It’s all yours.” 

This means that we choose to find our identity in Christ, first and foremost. How you understand your identity is so important, because if you know who you are (or better yet, know whose you are), you can know what you should do. To give up everything for Jesus means that every aspect of your day should fit your identity in Christ. How you view your relationships, your career, your church, your money, and where you turn for rest, should all be shaped by Jesus.

If you’ve never thought of your relationship to Jesus as something that requires sacrifice, that should raise a red flag. Jesus emphasized repeatedly that there is a cost to following Him. Yes, there are rich rewards, both in this life and the next, and we certainly don’t want to minimize that. But if you’ve never felt like you had to give something up for Jesus, then you’ve missed something essential.

When Jesus called four fishermen to follow Him, we’re told that “they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11, ESV). While Jesus won’t necessarily call you to leave your career, He does call you to surrender it over to Him. In the same way, Jesus called Levi (also known as Matthew the tax collector) to follow Him as a disciple. This meant leaving behind his tax booth, which represented his livelihood and opulent lifestyle. But Luke tells us: “And leaving everything, he rose and followed him” (v. 28). 

To reiterate the cost of following Him, Jesus gives two examples: a building project and a battlefield.

He says to the crowds:

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:28-33, ESV)

How foolish, Jesus says, to start constructing something you aren’t committed to finish. And who would engage in a war without considering what it will take to win?

Have you counted the cost? Are you willing to put everything on the line for Jesus–even your own life?

It’s important to ask yourself some honest, gut-level questions: 

Is there anything I’m not willing to give up for Jesus? 

Is there anything in my life that I’m prizing more than Jesus? 

Is there a sin I’m unwilling to repent of?

Am I giving Jesus time for communion with Him?

To live as His follower is to enter into His joy. Following Him will cost you everything, but the reward for following Jesus is beyond compare.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, following You is the greatest joy of my life. It’s an adventure of faith, and it’s exciting to see all the ways You are at work in my life and the lives of those around me. If there is anything in my life standing in the way of deeper intimacy with You or faithfulness to You, please reveal that to me by Your Holy Spirit. In Your Glorious Name. Amen.

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

What Did Jesus Look Like?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments
Image by Perezrps

Recently, I was reading a Bible storybook to my 5-year-old son, Ryan, that was filled with realistic pictures of Jesus in various scenes from the Gospels. Jesus was portrayed talking to the crowds, holding a child in His arms, and walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

“Is that what Jesus looks like?” Ryan asked.

“Well, He probably looked something like that,” I replied. “But we don’t really know what He looked like.”

Several years ago, I remember talking with a lady at my church who told me she had a portrait of Jesus on her wall that she loved dearly and brought her closer to Him. I wasn’t sure how to respond to her at the time, but it did get me thinking. Why doesn’t the Bible give us a clear description of Jesus’ appearance? 

Naturally, many of us have wondered what Jesus really looked like while on earth. I’ve noticed that artists throughout the last 2,000 years have tended to portray Jesus looking, well, a lot like themselves.

Medieval Europeans depicted a very European-looking Jesus. Indians painted Jesus looking very Indian. Interestingly, the most robust description of Jesus’ appearance is found in Revelation 1 and is filled with apocalyptic imagery. For example, John describes Jesus with a two-edge sword coming out of His mouth (Revelation 1:16). 

In Isaiah’s prophecy, we learn that Jesus had a beard the soldiers tried to pull out and that He didn’t look particularly attractive or majestic while on earth (Isaiah 50:6; 53:2). But that’s about it.

Interestingly, Scripture acknowledges that we don’t know what He looks like and that’s okay.

Peter writes, 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9, ESV)

When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they needed Judas to help them pick Him out with a kiss of betrayal (Matthew 26:48-49). We can conclude from all this that during His days on earth, Jesus looked pretty much like any other first century Jewish man. There was nothing especially appealing about Him. It’s not as though He hovered six inches above the ground everywhere He went. If you were to glance at Jesus, you wouldn’t suspect there was anything special about Him.

After the risen Jesus appeared to Thomas, the previously skeptical disciple cried out, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus not only receives Thomas’s worship, but He pronounces a blessing on those of us who believe in Him without seeing Him.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29, NLT)

If, like me, you have been tempted to think it’s unfair that you aren’t able to see Jesus in the flesh like His first disciples did, you should consider Jesus’ words. There is a unique blessing on us who believe and love Jesus while not seeing Him yet. One day, we will see Jesus face-to-face. And believe me, I look forward to that day! But until then, we can trust that God knew what He was doing in not telling us what Jesus looks like.

At one point in the Gospels, Jesus asked His own disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” There were lots of opinions going around. Just like today. But then Simon Peter stepped up and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:16-17, NIV)

Notice what Jesus says here. Peter was right about Jesus. He is the Son of the living God. He is totally unique and unlike anyone else who has ever walked the planet. But God the Father had to reveal this to Peter. It wasn’t obvious just by looking at Him. 

And that’s good news for us. We might think we are at a huge disadvantage here in the 21st century. We don’t get to see the physical Jesus walking around like those first disciples. But think about it. If God had to supernaturally reveal Jesus’ identity to Peter even when Jesus was standing right next to him, then that means He can do that for us, too. But why did the Father need to reveal this to Peter? Because it’s always a spiritual encounter when you come to know who Jesus is.

Let this truth be emblazoned across your heart: Only God can reveal to us that Jesus truly is the eternal Son of God. 

“All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27, BSB)

No wonder there are more opinions on who Jesus was than anyone else in history. Because until the Father shows you His glory, He’ll just be another guy.

When I talk to others about Jesus, very often they are skeptical to believe He really is divine. And I know that I can’t convince anyone that Jesus truly is God. But as they read His Word, the Holy Spirit can open their eyes, and the Father will reveal Jesus to them. That’s what I pray for, because it’s a supernatural revelation. So, right now, if you believe that Jesus really is the eternal Son of God, you can thank God for opening your eyes.

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

Charlie Kirk, Evil, and the Hope of Jesus Christ

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life, Why I Believe3 Comments
Photo courtesy of First Freedoms Foundation

One of the most common objections to Christianity I hear is the problem of evil. How could a good God allow so much evil in His world? I think it’s good to think through this question as believers. It will inevitably come up as you interact with others about spiritual things and seek opportunities to tell others about the hope of Jesus Christ.

Let me first say that there is something very right about that question. It assumes evil is real. That may not sound too profound, but it’s the common ground we all have to deal with. Some things are truly evil. It’s not just that I don’t like certain things or that I get disgusted by certain things. There are some things in this world that are objectively and unambiguously evil, and we all know this, even if our worldview doesn’t have a basis for saying it.

This last week, the world witnessed true evil. Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old Christ-follower and popular conservative with a massive social media following, was murdered with a single bullet. The event shocked the world. In fact, I’ve talked with many people who have said they were shocked, but not surprised. 

I think what people mean is they are morally shocked by the act of cold-blooded murder, but intellectually, they know evil is sadly abundant in the world, so they aren’t all that surprised. I want to affirm the rightness of being morally shocked by the evil of murder. It is sadly the case that we are so inundated with news about murder, war, gang violence, and school shootings, that it would be easy for us to become calloused and forget how heinous each act of murder and violence truly is. 

Charlie Kirk was an outspoken Christian. He was very vocal in his views, so his name and his online presence were well-known. Many people sharply disagreed with Charlie’s views, and he was constantly on the receiving end of mockery, insults, outright hatred, and death threats for him and his family. And he was shot in broad daylight while debating college students in his trademark fashion that made him so popular among conservatives. All of this helps us understand how shocking his murder was. 

But I hope that we can see what is often lost in the noise: every murder is a violation of the sixth commandment. Murder is unequivocally evil, because every human life bears the image of God and has inestimable worth in God’s eyes. The Bible doesn’t offer a pat answer to the problem of evil or give us a clean explanation for the origin of evil. The fall in Genesis 3 explains the origin of human evil and the brokenness of the world, but the absolute origin of evil (Why did Satan rebel?) is not provided. This is likely because evil is ultimately irrational and incomprehensible. 

We aren’t called to fixate on evil, but to think about things that are lovely, pure, true, and beautiful (Philippians 4:8). We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God who so lovingly and graciously gave up His life to rescue a world ensnared in the darkness of our own making. 

So, while the Bible doesn’t offer a thorough explanation of evil, it does give us the resources for calling something evil and then finding hope in a purely good God.

We know evil is evil because of its contrast with a perfectly good God. God alone is the standard of absolute goodness, and it’s only by looking to Him as our fixed reference point for all reality that we can see what evil, by contrast, looks like. Those who say evil makes no sense if God is real need to consider how calling something “evil” could make sense if there is no God. Every time you call something like murder evil, you are assuming a standard of goodness. You are saying, “This (murder) is wrong, because it does not conform to that which is good, true, and beautiful (protecting and honoring each human life as sacred).”

If your worldview has no room for God, then on what basis are you calling something “evil”? If we are just the product of a natural, blind, irrational process with no divine Mind behind it, we can talk about survival of the fittest, but not the arrival of moral absolutes. It is only because there is a transcendent Authority on good and evil that we can step back and call something unquestionably “evil.” But the Christian hope gives us more than a basis to call evil what it is; it offers us Jesus Christ as the redemptive hope for a lost world.

In one talk he gave in 2023, Charlie said, “Here is the gospel in four words: Jesus took my place.” Charlie recognized that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, and that Jesus and His sacrifice are the only hope for forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus, too, was outspoken in His views on God, morality, and truth, and Jesus, too, was murdered graphically and publicly. 

What made Jesus unique, however, is that because He is the sinless Son of God, His death had the power to ransom evil people from their self-destruction and deliver them to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18-19, ESV)

Jesus took our place. He laid down His life to suffer the consequences of the evil you and I have done, but because He is Lord, He took it up again and rose to life. Jesus called people to repent and believe this good news. Outside of Jesus, we each have to deal with the judgment our sins deserve, and it’s only in Jesus that love will overcome hate. 

May the death of Charlie Kirk spark a revival in our nation, with countless turning to Christ in faith. What man intends for evil, God intends for good (Genesis 50:20).

Jesus alone is the only hope for a lost and dying world, and because He is King, a glorious day is coming when all will be set right.

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

Who Is Discipling You?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment 
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Who are you following? Although many cultural analysts have pointed out that the younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials, like me) have a low view of authority, I always feel the need to question that (please note the irony). Jokes aside, it’s largely true that our culture has a suspicion of institutions and authoritative figures. On the other hand, as congenital sinners, we all come into this world with a rebellious aversion to authority–namely God’s (see Romans 1:18-25)! 

However, it’s also true that everyone still has an authority they look to for guidance. It may be a parent, a professor, a coach, a mental health professional, or whomever you’re following right now on X or YouTube. 

While Christians generally speak of discipleship to Jesus, everyone is a disciple because everyone is inheriting a worldview and way of life from others. To be a disciple is to be a learner or student who sits under the teaching of another. Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40, ESV).

A disciple adopts the thinking and way of life of his or her teacher. Whether it’s subconscious or not, everyone is being discipled by someone. Some people are discipled by their phones or by Google. Some people are discipled by their peer group. Others by their favorite author.

We are all being guided and formed by those to whom we listen and receive instruction. Usually, our discipleship is informal and hardly acknowledged. A teenage boy who constantly listens to music that is degrading to women is being discipled to think a certain way that will lead to certain attitudes and behaviors. 

It’s unavoidable, because it’s part of our wiring as image bearers of God. We were made to live under authority. Contrary to popular thinking, there’s no such thing as a totally autonomous individual. Those who think they are most liberated from all authoritative constraints are generally the most blind to the ways their peers and their culture have formed their life and thinking.

Enter Jesus. When the Son of God visited this planet, He knew how you are wired and that you need instruction for living. He didn’t merely come to heal us (but thank God, Jesus is a humble and gracious Savior).  Jesus came to teach us the truth. 

While standing before Pontius Pilate, He gave the good confession:

“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37, ESV)

Jesus came to open our eyes to the reality of God as a holy and loving Father. He proclaimed an authority that transcended this world: the kingdom of God. He called people to deny any claims to autonomy, take up their cross, and follow Him unconditionally. Most importantly, He was crucified for our sins and rose again, demonstrating He truly is King and the way to eternal life. And He gave His Holy Spirit to all who trust in Him, to unite His people as the church, and empower us to follow Him together as His witnesses.

Jesus said that to hear His words and put them into practice is to build your life on a solid rock (Matthew 7:24). No other foundation for life will do. 

So, are you living as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Have you repented of sin and wrong thinking? Have you yielded your life to Him, received His forgiveness, and embraced His call on your life?

If you don’t follow Jesus, you will follow someone.

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

The Supremely Happy God

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment 
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:21-22, ESV)

In Genesis 1, we read that before God created the first human pair, He created all the animals, in their wide and glorious variety.

As I read the Genesis creation account, something I notice is how much God seems to be enjoying Himself as He creates. Six times, it says He “saw that it was good.” And then the seventh and final time, after creating man and woman, He caps it off by saying creation is “very good” (Genesis 1:31). 

Think of the satisfaction you feel when, after long hours of hard work, you finally finish a project. That gives us a glimpse at how God viewed His creation. He’s like a Master Craftsman who has finished His carefully built project and then leans back and smiles with satisfaction.

The Bible highlights God’s sheer joy in being God and His delight in all He has made.

Just as He was satisfied in His finished creation, Scripture highlights how God providentially cares for His world and gets involved in providing for all our needs.

“He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; 
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.” (Psalm 104:13-15, ESV)

God is not a hands-off God. He shows a deep affection for all He has made.

This helps reframe our understanding of God. So often we think of holiness as being serious or morose. Maybe even boring. And since God is holy, we then make the mistake of picturing God as having a permanent frown on His face, as if it’s His nature to be cold and austere.

But I want you to see from the Bible that creation highlights God’s sheer joy at being God and His pleasure in all that He has made. 

Frankly, to think that the God of this universe is boring is just so absurd! All you have to do is take a look at some of His creatures to rule out that idea. Take a look at the Aye-aye, and remember, God invented the glowing eyes and crazy-long fingers of this fascinating creature. 

Or take one look at the face of the Proboscis monkey and tell me if you think God has a sense of humor.  Then there’s the aptly named shoebill. One of the weirdest looking things is the blobfish. It looks like it’s part pig or something. But it’s a fish!

But this same God also created the beautiful tiger with its stripes and the energetic dolphin that leaps across the surface of the ocean. When we know these creatures are the handiwork of the Almighty, we begin to understand more of His character and nature.

I don’t know about you, but if we’re not careful, it’s easy to think of God as Someone who is constantly annoyed with us. Without question, sin grieves Him, but if you belong to Jesus Christ, you need to know God is not up in Heaven with arms permanently crossed when He looks at you. He’s not just waiting for you to mess up again so He can wag a finger at you. 

No, God delights in who you are as His precious creation! David exulted in how God had made him. 

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:13).

Zephaniah speaks of how glad God is to call you His own:

“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)

When you’re wondering, What does God really think of me? Meditate on passages like this. God, in His very being, is a happy God. He’s not up there pouting all the time. It would be more accurate to say He’s smiling for sheer joy at being God.

Even that idea of God delighting in being God might sound strange to you. But I think that’s because the Church hasn’t always done a great job of emphasizing this truth. At the core of His being, God is ablaze with infinite happiness, and His great desire is that we would find in Him the happiness for which we all long.

“The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126:3, ESV)

In 1 Timothy 1:11, Paul calls God the “blessed God,” which is probably better translated as “the supremely happy God.”

Later in that same letter, Paul talks about certain religious guys who have made up all these rules about things you can’t eat and can’t do. It’s like they feel the need to put caution tape around God’s good creation. And Paul’s response is:

Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5, ESV)

The gnostics of Paul’s day believed that the physical world of matter was the creation of a lesser god. They saw the body as something to be escaped. But God delights in His creation, and He designed human beings with physical bodies that can interact and enjoy the world He created. 

Certainly, there are rules in the Bible, but the Bible is not primarily a book full of rules. Rather, God’s Word helps us enjoy God’s good creation more, because it teaches us to trace the enjoyment of His creation back to Him, who is the Fountain of all joy.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for being a God of supreme happiness who delights in all He has made as a Master Craftsman. Help me take joy in your creation with fresh vigor, recognizing all that I see has been made by You with purpose and beauty. Help me to seek to live more joyfully in line with Your purposes. You are the God who gives me joy! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

If you have thoughts on this post, I would love to hear from you.

God, the Bible, and Miracles: For My Skeptical Friends

On By Jason SmithIn Why I BelieveLeave a comment

In the last couple months, I have been preaching from the Book of Joshua. Joshua is a book full of epic battles and miraculous events. Ultimately, it’s a book about the character and nature of God. It’s named after Israel’s military leader, Captain Joshua, but Yahweh is the true Hero who drives the story forward. And His majesty and power is what should captivate us.

In Joshua, we learn that Yahweh is a God who does not tolerate injustice and is unshakably committed to His word. His promises are rock solid and worthy of building your life upon. He is a God who demands our total allegiance, but He also is a God that is full of grace toward those who have failed Him countless times. He can destroy an entire army with a single blow, but He is also a God who notices and takes thought of individuals who are fearful, lost, and hurting. Yahweh, the God of Joshua, invites us to share in His victory over evil.

“Have I not commanded you?” God says to Joshua. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NIV).

One takeaway from studying Joshua is that you need to have a big view of God. A small god lacks the power to rescue you from your biggest fears. A small god has no ability to give you hope and meaning in life. But a big God–the God of Joshua–can save. He has the power to help you overcome all your fears, insecurities, and doubts. He is the God who walks with you in your pain. A small and shallow god abandons you when things get rough. But the awesome God of the Bible has a love for you that is deeper than the ocean, and He will not abandon you.

As you walk through Joshua, you get the most vivid and soul-stirring picture of God fighting for His people and granting them an inheritance in the Bible until we come to Jesus. Before the cross and resurrection, the walls of Jericho came down. Before Jesus promised us a kingdom, God promised Joshua the land of Canaan.

Can Modern People Believe in the Miraculous?

Critical scholars stumble in many places in the Book of Joshua. They say that it’s a myth, that it’s unhistorical, that the incredible events recorded could not happen. Why? Because there are some pretty astounding miracles in Joshua. When was the last time you saw the sun stand still in the sky all day? And if you know anything about our culture, you know there is an antisupernatural bias–especially in academia. 

While a student in college, I had a conversation with a girl who had adopted this skeptical worldview. When I asked her why she didn’t accept that the miracles in the Bible were possible, she told me, “People in ancient times used to dream up these amazing stories of gods and miracles because they lacked any real understanding of the world. They attributed things like hurricanes and lightning to the gods, simply because they didn’t know anything of science.” That narrative is pretty firmly ingrained at a secular university.

I responded that the God of the Bible is not just one god among many. He’s not just responsible for the rain or the wind. He is the God over all of nature. He authored all of it. The whole universe lies in the palm of His hand. The mythical gods were all so humanlike. They warred against each other, lusted after women, and behaved like bigger, grumpier versions of us. But Yahweh–the God of the Bible–is in a category of His own. Perhaps her real issue wasn’t that she didn’t believe in miracles. Maybe she just had too small a god in mind.

What many often forget is how much evidence there is for one great and infinite Creator God. For example, we all enter this world preprogrammed to believe that there is an objective standard of justice to which we are all beholden. Even at the age of three, my boys were saying things like, “That’s not fair!” Why, if we’re just animals with instincts, do we all seem compelled to follow this higher moral order? It only makes sense if there is a moral Lawgiver to whom we’re all accountable. It’s easy to explain away the mythical pantheon of gods from ancient cultures, but what you can’t so easily explain away is the one eternal Creator God of the Bible–the reason nature exists in the first place.

If you struggle to believe in miracles, ask yourself, Is it possible that there is a God who created everything? Does the world look more like the product of design or unguided chaos? Does it seem like we are here without rhyme or reason, or does it seem like we were made for more than a mere 80 to 90 years, then nothing? If God is the reason for our existence, what would prevent Him from performing miracles in the world He created, especially if He had a special, redemptive purpose to overcome human evil?

How Big Is Your View of God?

If you are willing to accept the first statement of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” there’s no reason not to accept that miracles are possible. And suddenly the book of Joshua doesn’t seem so far-fetched. There are about 120 miracles recorded in the Bible, and I believe they really happened. But here’s what you need to know: the miracles of the Bible are always recorded in a sober, restrained way. They are given in the context of actual historical and factual accounts. They aren’t like Aesop’s Fables or Homer’s Odyssey. The Bible was written as history. And if you have a big view of God, you can accept the reality of miracles.

Furthermore, the best part is that you can actually know this God through committing your life to His uniquely divine Son, Jesus Christ. Despite what you may believe, God is not only real, He loves you and has made Himself available to you. But are you willing to open your heart and life to Him? When your life has been transformed by the God of the Bible, miracles aren’t so hard to believe. 

After one alcoholic became a follower of Jesus, a skeptical friend asked him how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles. “You don’t believe that Jesus changed the water into wine do you?” The former alcoholic replied, “I sure do, because in our house Jesus changed the whiskey into furniture.” 

The question is: Just how big is your view of God? You know you have a big view of God when reading sober and historical accounts of miracles doesn’t bother you. It encourages you!

If you have thoughts on this post, I would love to hear from you.

Why Jesus Prayed for Unity

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional3 Comments 
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21, ESV)

Unity is hard for Christians. I’m not saying it should be hard for Christians. We have the deepest things in common with one another, and we are indwelled by the same Holy Spirit. So, unity shouldn’t be such a challenge, but because we are not going to be everything we should be this side of Christ’s return, unity is hard. It takes work. It takes faith and recognition of what we have in common.

But it’s not just Christians. Unity is hard for everyone. It’s challenging to get everyone on the same page, working toward a common goal. We live in a nation called the United States of America. I love that this was intentionally at the bedrock of what it means to be an American. It means we are in some sense united to every other American. We are fellow citizens of “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

But does that mean unity is easy in this country? Sadly, no. In fact, in many ways we don’t look like the United States at all. We are a very divided country right now. 

So, unity is very difficult to achieve, but essential for a nation to thrive. But for the church of Jesus Christ, it is even more imperative. The world, the flesh, and the devil threaten to divide and destroy Christians. So, Jesus prayed that we–His followers–would be “one” just as He and the Father are one. Stop and consider what Jesus is praying for. That’s an extraordinary request. He prayed that the same eternal and unbreakable unity found among the members of the triune God would mark His Church. 

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21, NLT)

This prayer is instructive on many levels, but it teaches us three important things:

  1. Unity doesn’t come easy, or else Jesus wouldn’t have to pray for it.
  2. Unity among His people will draw others to faith in Him.
  3. Unity will ultimately come about because Jesus did in fact pray for it.

I have to ask myself, Do I desire the same kind of unity for the Church that Jesus desired? What would that say about the Church of Jesus Christ if Christians in particular were known for their remarkable love for one another, their lack of selfishness, and their desire to build one another up rather than tear each other down. 

Paul urged believers in Ephesus to work for unity among themselves. He gave them a clear prescription. It requires “all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3, ESV).

So, Jesus prayed for unity in the church. Paul urged us toward unity. And the Holy Spirit is the basis for unity. Clearly, unity should matter to us. It should be a top priority for the church. But how is it achieved?

In that same context of His prayer for the Church, Jesus prayed, “sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17). This reminds us that while in many ways truth divides, truth is also the eternal basis for unity.

1,700 years ago, in AD 325, followers of Jesus battled controversy and heresy that threatened to split the church apart. More than 300 bishops met in Nicaea to answer the question, “What does a Christian need to believe?” And they came up with the Nicene Creed. 

I think Jesus’ prayer for unity points us to the power and beauty of the local church. Consider that all over the world, Christians of different political stripes, backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities gather at a local church to worship their Savior, Jesus Christ. Each individual walking through the door has his or her own personal goals, desires, preferences, and opinions. Each person has his or her idiosyncrasies and thoughts, so there could be a million ways one might disagree with the person sitting in the next seat. But because they are gathered as one church to honor their one Lord, the varying opinions can start to fade into the background. The focus is not on the self; it is on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Together, they sing to Him. They hear His Word preached. And they, as one, pray for Him to intervene in their lives.

Here’s my encouragement. Never take for granted the power of the local church and the way in which–however imperfectly–the power of Jesus Christ is put on display when we gather as one body.

If Jesus prayed for unity, so should we. I encourage you to do that now.

Lord Jesus, You prayed for unity among Your followers, which tells me how much You love Your Church. And, lest we forget, it is Your Church. May our witness grow and may a supernatural love mark Your people who gladly worship You and eagerly await the perfect unity we will enjoy at Your soon return. I ask for You to do this by Your Holy Spirit and the power of Your Name. Amen.

If you have thoughts on this post, I would love to hear from you.