by Jeremy McKeen

One of the most frustrating things in the Christian life is wanting to change but feeling like you can’t. Have you ever wondered why you’re not growing perhaps as much as you’d like to? You believe the gospel and rejoice in God’s grace, yet you look at the practical descriptions of a Christian in the Bible and it often seems so out of reach. What gives? What’s the solution? The quick fix Christians often turn to is simply acquiring more knowledge. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth” (John 17:17)? The truth will set you free right? So you may think, “I just need to do more bible reading, attend a conference or read a fresh book. Get more truth. That’s it!” And while, of course, interacting with the truth of God’s word is the key to all spiritual growth, it’s how you hear and engage with the truth that really matters. It’s the right approach to the Bible that makes the difference. Let me explain.

The Hearing

In the book of James, he urges his readers to “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). It’s easy to hear a great sermon or read a profound book and deceive yourself into thinking that you’ve been changed by it simply because you know something new intellectually. But James points out that you don’t really “know it” until you do it, until you put it into practice. For example, you don’t really know the sweetness of a piece of candy until you taste it. You don’t really know the wisdom of your coach until you put his strategy into play. You don't really know what it's like to workout until you actually exercise. Likewise, you don’t really know the sweetness of obedience and the wisdom of God until you put his word into practice. An expert in mercy ministry is not the person who just hears and reads about the poor; it’s the person who hears and responds by serving the poor. Now, hearing is not a bad thing. After all, “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). James doesn’t say, “Be doers instead of hearers.” Rather, he says, “Don’t be hearers only.” Hearing is not opposed to doing; it’s just not enough. So why do many people settle for being hearers only?

James compares Gods’ word to a mirror and gives an example of a man who looks intently at himself in the mirror, sees something he wishes he didn’t and purposely goes away forgetting what he saw. The word “forget” is in the active tense. The forgetfulness is an active desire to be better than you really are. It didn’t matter that this man looked intently into the mirror. He didn’t like what he saw, so he purposely forgot it. Studying and hearing God’s word intently is simply not enough if it’s not combined with remembering what you saw and responding accordingly. And this can only happen because of the gospel. Christians do not have to fear seeing their sin and areas that need to change because they know Jesus has already dealt with all their mistakes and areas of weakness on the cross. Because of the gospel, Christians can look into the mirror of God’s word and see the blemishes of their life and seek God’s pardon and power to change. Because of the gospel, Christians can clearly see what God wants them to do and know, by the power of the Spirit, that very obedience can take place.

The Doing

A Christian grows by understanding that God’s commandments and promises are meant to free you, not constrict you. This is why James refers to the Bible as “the law of liberty.” True liberty is living the way you were designed to live, and the secret to experiencing that life is faithfully acting upon what you hear from God’s word. It’s putting God’s truth into everyday practice. This is what the faithful Christians of old would do. It says, “Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). He didn’t study God’s word simply to teach it. He studied to do it and then to teach it. That’s the order. You hear a great sermon on trusting God and giving generously. What should you do? Trust God and give generously. You read about the need to help the poor. What should you do? Start serving the poor in your area. You know that something isn’t right between you and your family. What should you do? Seek reconciliation immediately. Growth happens by taking God’s word serious enough to act upon it immediately. The more you act upon it in the tiniest areas of your life, the more you will grow. You don’t need to be afraid of turning into a legalist by being a doer of the word. God’s grace is opposed to merit; it’s not opposed to works. It’s in this process of hearing God’s word with repentance, faith, and obedience that you are truly blessed. What is obedience? It's a workout. Obedience is working out what God has already worked in. A minor's job is not to put gold into a mine; its to take out what's already there. In the same way, a Christian must apply what he already knows in order to grow. This means that applying what you already know is more important than knowing more. A full pantry doesn't equal a full stomach. Eventually you need to eat what you already have. 

The Blessing

James points out that the person who acts upon God’s word will be “blessed in the doing.” Notice, that you are blessed not necessarily for the doing, but in the doing. Many people are disappointed when they put God’s word into practice because they expect they’re somehow going to get pleasurable results immediately. But what was the immediate result of Joseph’s obedience in resisting the temptation of Potiphar’s wife? He was sent to prison. Yet even though Joseph was physically in chains, his spirit was free. He was blessed not immediately for his doing but in his doing. Obedience doesn’t just bring about blessing; it is a blessing in itself. Putting God’s Word into practice is the blessing that James wants every Christian to experience. This is the way you live a blessed life of continual growth and begin to see lasting change. You become a doer of the word. 

by Tom Brown

A Universal Problem
Sin. What an unpopular word... three little letters, and yet they pack a powerful punch. The Bible says that we are all plagued by it’s curse, complicit in it’s rebellion, and imprisoned under it’s dominion without Christ. To put it bluntly, sin is a massive problem for the human soul. “All have sinned…” says the Bible. And, “The wages of sin is death…” The question at the doorstep of every human being is how are you going to deal with the problem? There are many ways that the world tries to create it’s own cure, to temporarily mask sin with external modifications, or to pretend that the problem simply doesn’t exist. But the reality is that all men will stand before God upon death. How will you stand before him? What will you say to the indictment brought against you for your willful rebellion? Will a muddled concoction of excuses hold up before the omniscient God? Will a comparison to our neighbor excuse our deliberate disobedience? Sometimes the problem of sin is obvious, like a three foot wide hole in our living room wall. Other times the problem can seem elusive and hard to pinpoint, like a a leaky pipe that is slowly rotting the framework of your home. The reality is this, sin is a universal problem and everyone is doing something about it. How are you dealing with the problem? 

There are three basic ways that humanity attempts to deal with sin, and only one way that God deals with it. The world’s approaches can be found in many varying forms, but they all boil down to the same three ideas: Celebrating Sin, Hiding Sin, and attempting to Outwork Sin. All three of these are based on the strength, willpower and determination of men to be their own savior. God’s solution on the other-hand does not depend on men at all, but solely on his own strength, humility, and love. Lastly, before we dive in, take note that even christians can be tempted to turn back to old methods of dealing with the problem, or to try to intermix God’s solution with their own effort. Perhaps as you read through this you will notice some of the world’s attempts intermingled in your own life.

Man’s First Solution: Celebrating Sin
The first, and perhaps most obvious way is the boisterous celebration of beliefs, values, ideals, and actions which are in direct opposition to the truth of God’s Word. This is life on Man’s terms. The only moral rule seems to be that, "life owes me laughter and sex and drink and pleasure, whether by gift or by theft.” Or, the more polite may phrase it less bluntly by saying, “The real purpose of life is to be happy.” A gentler phrase, but the same goal is in view. In this approach nothing is absolutely wrong all of the time, rather the perception of each action is based on the fluctuating benefits it offers to the victim and culprit. For instance, if someone is breaking into your car and stealing your stereo this is obviously wrong in your eyes, but if you get a great deal from a friend on someone else’s stolen radio this is obviously right in your eyes. Morality is based on a comparison of personal costs and benefits, rather than the righteous standard of God. When sin is celebrated, pleasure becomes god, and the true God is quickly forgotten, or even thought not to exist. Thus, all of life is spent in a constant squabble of every man fighting for his own slice of the pie, making and breaking alliances based on the personal usefulness of each. Meanwhile no thought is given to the reality that every human soul will live forever somewhere. If you are wealthy, or brawny, you can usually contort a fallen world to function in your favor through coercion and force, but even if you end up with a mansion on the beach and all the sex and possessions the wicked human heart could desire, the problem of sin has only been temporarily masked. The question remains: How will you stand before God? Dealing with the problem of sin by outright rebellion and celebration can only offer a fleeting comfort at best. You will eventually stand before the omniscient God and your soul will live forever somewhere, either with God in heaven or away from him in hell. 

Man’s Second Solution: Hiding Sin
The second approach is the inverted form of the first, and still life on Man’s terms. This view says, "Morality definitely matters, there is black and white, there is right and wrong, and I will always make sure that the watching world perceives me to be on the side of right.” From the outside looking in, this person’s life is neatly put together. They are a polite and upstanding citizen. They often serve on many committees and boards, coaching little league and running in charity races. They pay their taxes and decorate for the holidays. Everything looks great! But what happens behind closed doors? What are they addicted to in watches of the night? Why do the husband wife seem like they don’t even like each other anymore? Why do neither of the parents have any close friends? Intimacy threatens to expose the true identity of this individual, therefore everyone must be kept at a distance. The fear is ever present, “If anyone knew who I really am I would be ruined…” When sin is hidden, the approval of man becomes god, and the true God is quickly forgotten, or even thought not to exist. They conclude, "As long as everyone likes me and speaks a good word about me I am doing fine.” Man may be fooled by this charade, but God is not. “Nothing is hidden from his eyes…” says the writer of Hebrews, “all creatures are naked before him to whom they must give account.” All the applause and approval of man will not sway the scales of the Eternal Judge. Man’s approval does not equate to God’s. Trying to hide our sin from God is like the child who believes that by putting his or her hands over their eyes they are no longer visible. You may look like the next Nobel Peace Prize winner compared to your neighbor, but how does your life look in the light of God’s Word? You may have the applause of the people with the sinfulness of your heart strategically hidden away, but I ask you: How will you stand before God? Dealing with the problem of sin by hiding it beneath the visible surface of your life can only offer a fleeting comfort at best. You will eventually stand before the omniscient God and your soul will live forever somewhere, either with God in heaven or away from him in hell.

Man’s Third Solution: Outworking Sin
Now we come to the religious approach to dealing with the universal problem of sin. This view masquerades as Biblical, as godly, as wise and true, but it is built on the sand not the Rock. In this view God is said to be loving, but no one seems to feel loved. God is said to be good, but no one seems to be happy. God is said to be forgiving, but no one seems to be forgiven. This view is often rooted in a confession of sin but not coupled with a receiving of God’s pardon. This response to the problem of sin agrees that there is a God, that there is right and wrong, that all have sinned, that all need to repent, but this is where they stop. They say to God, “I have sinned against you, please forgive me. I promise I will do better next time, I promise I will change.” Do you see the wicked nuance in the midst of this otherwise incredible confession? “I promise to do better next time, I promise I will change.” Their dependency is still on themselves. This is still life on Man’s terms. They understand that they have sinned, but now they look at the problem as a deep whole which they can eventually, by well-doing, climb their way back out of. They are looking for the stairway to heaven, that by the determination in their soul they might climb their way back to God and receive eternal life from him. They are trying to deal with the problem of sin by their own strength and by their own righteousness. But I ask you, can a crippled man carry himself to the bath? Can a blind man describe the colors of the sunset? Can a deaf person pick out the notes of the symphony? No. And neither can a sinner cleanse themselves and change their own heart. Confessing sin is only halfway to the truth, and we all know that a half-truth is a whole lie. If you are basing your eternal destination on your own moral ability to pull your life together and start living well before God, you will find a terrible surprise waiting for you upon death. Salvation is not based on your good deeds outweighing your bad deeds. The sinfulness of our hearts will forever outweigh the “good deeds” we attempt to muster. Even Man’s “godliest” solution to the problem of sin falls short. Even our highest religious aims cannot save. And so I ask you: How will you stand before God? Dealing with the problem of sin by trying to outwork your own sinful nature can only offer a fleeting comfort at best. You will eventually stand before the omniscient God, and all the heap of your earthly actions will only stand to confirm the reality that you and I do not deserve heaven. We will all live forever somewhere, and none of Man’s solutions will bring us into eternal life with God. If we would truly deal with the problem of sin we must let go of our own answers and cling to God’s.

God’s Only Solution: Nailing Sin To The Cross
Finally we come to the one true hope, the free gift that God offers to every human being to deal with the problem of sin. God does not celebrate our sin, he does not hide the problem from his eyes, and he doesn’t ask us to pull it together and try to fix it on our own. God acknowledges with perfect clarity that you and I have rebelled against him, that we have done wicked things, that we have turned our back on our Maker. God is fully aware of all our failures. And yet, he has responded to the world in love through Jesus Christ. Long before you and I had any care or concern for God he had already decided to provide everything we would ever need to be saved from our sins by nailing it to the cross. All of our failures, past, present, and future, have been justly punished in Christ. “The wages of sin is death,” and Jesus wrote the check in full with his own blood. And not only did he die for our sins but he also lived for our righteousness. For all the incalculable ways in which you and I have chosen to sin against God, Jesus acted in perfect righteousness. Faith in Christ unites us to his death on the cross, his death is counted as our death. And faith in Christ unites us to his perfectly obedient life, his life is counted as our life. This is God’s one solution to the universal problem of sin, the free gift of eternal life through faith in the work of his Son. 

There are ultimately only two ways to stand before God: as your own representative, or under the perfect representation of Christ.

How will you deal with the problem?

by Jeremy McKeen

Sexual temptation is a tremendously difficult trap to overcome, but it is possible to overcome. Did you catch that? It is possible to overcome! Jesus Christ didn’t just die on the cross and rise again to remove the penalty of sin but to remove the power and practice of sin. Jesus died to set you free, and he lives to give you life as it’s meant to be lived. One of the ways he does this is through the life-giving power of his word. God’s word is full of stories. And God recorded every story in the Bible for your instruction and encouragement (see Romans 15:4). And there’s no better narrative account of overcoming the lies of lust than the story of how Joseph refused the temptations of Potiphar’s seductive wife. This story was written so that God’s people could learn more about Jesus and how to practically overcome sexual temptation. For in this story, you learn three things that will make the seemingly impossible victory over lust, become possible in the Lord.  

Look Away

In Genesis 39, Joseph is sold as a slave, which in his day typically meant being worked literally to death, but by God’s grace Joseph was promoted in Potiphar’s large estate to the second in command and was highly successful. Things were looking very good for Joseph, and then along came Potiphar’s wife who had all along been checking Joseph out with the eyes of lust. And there came a point where she bluntly offered to have sex with him. When she proposed this, Joseph’s reply is very telling. He rattles off all the undeserved favor that he’s been shown and says, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” (Vs.9)? Notice that? Where was Joseph looking? Not upon what he didn’t have, but upon what he did have. Joseph didn’t fall prey to this initial sexual temptation because he didn’t consider his success a result of his own doing, but rather the result of God’s grace. He was looking away in thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving to God in your life and all that he has chosen to give you by grace drives out any form of coveting. It’s like a light-switch. If thanksgiving is on, then coveting is off. If thanksgiving is off, then coveting is on. The light of gratitude blinds the eyes of lust. One of the best ways to overcome temptation is by being grateful for what you already have. But as anyone knows who’s been severely tempted in this area, the temptation doesn’t just go away.

Stay Away

Potiphar’s wife was persistent. She didn’t give up. The Bible says, “And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her” (Vs.10). Apparently, Potiphar’s wife thought she was too direct at first, so she tried something a little subtler. “Just lie down next to me, Joseph. C’mon! Taking a nap next to me isn’t a sin is it? What’s the harm in that?” Day after day this went on, but Joseph stayed away. And he refused to take a nap with his boss’s wife because he was too busy doing what he was supposed to be doing in the first place. Sexual temptation will usually try this tactic. It will try to get you close to the fire and the lure is especially strong when you’re not focused on what you should be doing. Imagine a ship that’s headed for a destination. If the captain of the ship isn’t paying close attention to the task at hand and allows the ship to get off course even just a couple degrees, without any change, before he knows it, the ship is heading in a direction he never thought possible. This is how temptation works, if it can’t get you to immediately change your course, it will try and get you to slowly change your course without you realizing what’s happening. Joseph stayed away by listening and obeying the voice of God. Obedience may sound like death, but it ends in life. Disobedience may sound like life but it ends in death. This is what God’s people need to remember – Jesus fights the fleeting pleasure of sin with the fulfilling pleasure of obedience. But the story isn’t over.

Run Away

Potiphar’s wife was desperate. If only she could put Jospeh in a place where he couldn’t refuse her, then she’d have him. So she waited until no one was in the house and it says, that while he was working, “She caught him by his garment” (Vs.12). Now, this was not like grabbing him by the shirt. What she clung to would have been all Joseph was wearing, as he was stripped down for work. She thought this was the perfect plan. Joseph would have to give in. Surely, he wouldn’t run away naked and leave his garment behind, would he? But that’s exactly what he did. At the risk of his own reputation, he ran away in embarrassment, but he ran away in victory. Many times overcoming sexual temptation will involve some form of social awkwardness or personal embarrassment - phoning a friend for help, putting an accountability program on your computer, or confessing to a trusted friend when you've fallen. Like Joseph, you must be willing to look weird to others for the sake of purity.

A lifestyle of overcoming sexual temptation and turning away from all sexual sin doesn’t just happen overnight; it’s a step by step journey, but in every failure along the way, Jesus is there with open arms not just with new mercy when you fall, but also with new power to get back up and finish the race. No matter where you might be in the struggle against sexual temptation, look away in thanksgiving to Jesus, the true Joseph who died naked in shame on the cross to cover your shame with his righteousness and give us all renewed hope. Look away in gratitude. Stay away in obedience. Run away in embarrassment. In time you will see the power of God’s justifying and sanctifying grace prevail and the temptations of sexual sin overcome.

by Tom Brown

In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus Christ was temped by Satan in the desert. I want to briefly explore his temptation by looking at how each of the temptations came, what each of the three forms meant for him, and correspondingly what they each mean for us. Finally, I will offer a brief answer to the important question of why the Lord Jesus was ever tempted at all. 

1st Temptation — Distrust
To disobey the wisdom of God. 

And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." (4:3)

Jesus' Temptation
It was the Spirit of God that led Jesus into the desert to fast and undergo this trial. Therefore, if Jesus had used the power entrusted to him by God to turn the stones into bread, it would have been rooted in distrust of the path the Father had chosen for him, and in turn, a direct disobedience to what he had called him to do. 

Our Temptation
Our temptation is to live life on our own terms, by our own wits, and according to our own judgments. God’s commands are the proper course of life for every human being. Obedience isn’t the inhibitor of joy, it is the foundation for joy. Nevertheless, we are tempted to disbelieve that God’s ways are better than ours and therefore determine by our own wisdom what is right and wrong. 

Overcoming The Deception
What is perhaps most deceptive about this temptation is the fact that bread is a good and necessary thing for life. Temptation does not always come in the form of clearly evil things, but more often it is intermixed into what we would generally see as something good for us, even useful. We cannot lean on our own understanding when it comes to obedience. We must wholly depend on the wisdom of God provided through his Word. Rash decisions that are based on our feelings are very likely to land us in sin. 

2nd Temptation — Presumption
To make God our servant.

"Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down..." (4:5-6)

Jesus' Temptation
Jesus was being tempted to take advantage of God’s loving kindness. In other words, he was being tempted to use the promises of God as a license for selfish behavior. Some believe that within this temptation, Jesus was also being tempted to put on a show for the world, or to seek fame for himself through self-promoting flare and dare-devil stunts. If Jesus had conceded, God would be reduced to the servant rather than the Master. And did you notice what Satan was using to try to convince Jesus? The Word of God. Satan was using the Scriptures to attempt to sway Jesus to treat God as if he were at his every beckoning call. In short, Jesus was tempted to put God to the test, or to make God subservient to his own desires.

Our Temptation
Our temptation is to live recklessly and presumptuously regarding the kindness of God. We are tempted to purposefully misinterpret the generous promises found in Scripture and use them for our own ends. Take for instance the promise that, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them,” (Psalm 34:7). This does not mean that I can drive 100 miles per hour down the highway with my eyes closed and that I won’t end up in an accident. As you read this, I am sure you would agree, but we must be careful not to assume that this temptation is not close to our own hearts. Every sinful human heart is guilty of presuming on the kindness of God. We must remember that while God is lavish in his love, he is not foolish of our motives. We cannot continue in sin because we know of the depths of God’s grace. Our temptation is to look at the crucifixion of Christ as a license to say yes to our sin because we know that it has already been paid for on the Cross. 

Overcoming The Deception
Romans 2:4 helps us understand the impact that God’s grace is meant to have on a sinners heart, “Do you presume on the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” We overcome this temptation by taking the grace of God very seriously, by meditating upon it, by believing all that the Bible says about our condition in sin, and all that the Bible says about our new condition in Christ. A growing understanding of the depths of the grace of God will conquer the sin of presumption.

3rd Temptation — Exchange
To forfeit a right relationship with God for the things of this world.

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." (4:8-9)

Jesus' Temptation
After showing Jesus all the glory of this world Satan made Jesus a seemingly low-cost offer: "Worship me, and it’s all yours." Jesus was tempted to exchange a right relationship with God for the riches of the world. The path to glory and honor and fame offered by Satan was an easier road than the one offered by God. To receive the glory that Satan could give, Jesus only had to bow down on his knees, but to receive the glory offered by God Jesus had to be lifted up by the nails of the Cross. Satan's path was wider, his gate more broad. But the end of his glory is death, even if the road which leads there is paved with treats and treasures and all kinds of indulgences. Jesus was tempted to take a shortcut to glory through a path of sin.

Our Temptation
Our temptation is to base our lives on the short view and pursue the best of this world. We are tempted to behold the glories of this world, whether possessions, positions, or popularity and to cling to them through disobedience to God and worship of idols. Any time we make something other than God central to our lives, or the basis for our decision-making, we have exchanged a right relationship with God for the things of this world. And in our capitalistic society we need an extra measure of sobriety in this area. Every day we are bombarded with advertisements and seemingly good deals. We have been trained by the world from birth to find the low-cost, high output, quick-fix solution to every problem. This can be a very slippery slope. 

Overcoming the Deception
If we are to overcome these constant schemes we need more than a surface analysis of the propositions presented to us, we need prayer and the Word of God. The offer presented to Christ looked flawless, as do many of the offers presented to us, but hidden in the fine print was the reality that by saying yes to the glory of the world, we would be simultaneously saying no to a right relationship with God. Carefully consider the things you are committing yourself to, and always read the fine print of life. 

But Why Was Jesus Ever Tempted At All?
The fact that Jesus was tempted is often very troubling for people because James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted with evil.” So if Jesus is God, and Jesus was tempted, how can the Bible be true? The answer is actually incredibly simple and at the same time infinitely profound. John 1:14 helps us gain a glimpse of what theologians call the incarnation; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Or take Colossians 2:9, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily...” Jesus is God, and Jesus is Man; Jesus is the God-Man. In Christ, God took on the likeness of men so that he could function as our eternal representative before God. Paul wrote this glorious truth in 2 Cor. 5:21, “For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

Jesus was tempted so that where you and I have utterly failed, he could represent us in perfect victory.

Rest in the finished work of Christ, and fight the fight of faith by grace. 

by Tom Brown

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Psalm 118:24)

We see it on t-shirts, coffee mugs, Facebook status’ and wall plaques, but what does this verse really mean? Most commonly this Scripture is associated with hard times in our lives, as if to say, “Even this difficult day is a day from God, so I should be happy.” There is truth to that statement, and it is certainly a good thing to remember God’s sovereign love in stressful times, but this text is actually not about how we ought to deal with bad days. This verse isn’t talking about your trials, your troubles at work, or your unhappy outcomes. This Scripture is talking about God’s decisive action to save underserving sinners through Jesus Christ. This is the root of our call to rejoicing, this is foundation for our abundant gladness.

The Lord’s Stone (v.22)
The “day” that is spoken of here is the day of Christ’s rejection, the day of his crucifixion. We can see this truth from verse 22 of the psalm, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” We know from several new testament passages that Jesus Christ is the "stone" that is spoken of here. The imagery of stones can be confusing to modern ears but here is what we are meant to understand from it: Stones were the only sure foundation for ancient structures, and as the foundation they determined the strength and quality of everything that was built upon them. The world looks at Jesus and rejects him saying, “Not this stone! Give me something else…” But he is the only sure foundation for salvation, the true cornerstone from God for anyone who will be saved. In other words, if anyone, anywhere desires to be made right with God, their relationship must be built upon the work of Christ.

The Lord’s Doing (v.23)
We see in verse 23 that Jesus’ rejection wasn’t something that happened to him by mere happenstance or by the cunning of man, but rather by the perfect plan of God. “This is the Lord’s doing…” Jesus was crucified by the hands of men according to the foreknowledge of God. “…this is marvelous in our eyes.” Why? Because as all the might and pomp of humanity was gathered against the Lord at the very height of our sinful rebellion, God used the full momentum of their wickedness to amplify and infinitely display his perfect righteousness. God used their derision and rejection of Christ to offer the sinful world full acceptance and adoption through Christ. Jesus was not a victim, he was not overpowered, he was not outwitted, he was not defeated… he was laying himself down as a sacrifice for the sins of undeserving humanity, becoming the eternal cornerstone of salvation for anyone who will believe.

The Lord’s Joy (v.24)
Now we come to verse 24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad an rejoice in it.” What day? The day of God’s decisive action to save sinners through the blood of his Son. This Scripture is written for the fainthearted, for the despairing, for the feeble and anxious. Sadly there are so many people who doubt God’s love for them. They doubt his desire to save them, to help them heal and grow. But we cannot continue to make our own conclusions about the willingness and ability of God to save. We cannot rely on our own reasoning. We see that by the reasoning of men Christ himself was rejected and crucified by the most religious and devoted people in all the world! No, we must let the Lord answer for himself. Does God love you? Is he willing to save you? Is he willing to put up with your failures and shortcomings? Yes! How do we know? Because, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” What day? The day of salvation for every repentant sinner who believes. So, “let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Let God decide how much he loves you, let him determine how far he is willing to go to save you… and behold his answer on the Cross. 

I am a sucker for a great treasure story. Apparently I’m not alone. Treasure hunting films like The Goonies, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and National Treasure keep on being produced. Yet the popularity of these movies is not simply due to good acting. It seems people love to identify with the hidden treasure plot. It doesn’t matter that you know the main character will find the lost treasure in the end; you’re gripped by the tale of that one great treasure that’s been lost for centuries and the possibility of finding it. Why is that? Why do people dream of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Why do you love watching people make sacrifices to find that chest of gold or lost city of Atlantis?

The Treasure Of Knowing God

Deep down everyone inherently knows they have somehow lost a great treasure. Because of Adam’s sin, all of humanity lost the one thing that will satisfy the soul of man, but it isn’t a pot of gold; it’s the person of God. The great treasure is not a thing or a place; it’s a person. Knowing God is the treasure. Think about it. Why is it that for a sports fan it’s not enough to go to the game and have your team win? There is a deep desire to know the hero of the game, to get close, to get his autograph, to get your picture taken with him. There is a strong longing to know a person of greatness, a celebrity. Why is it that people like listening to up close interviews after some big event? Why do you want to hear what the participants have to say? To know what they were thinking and feeling when such and such happened? It’s because we all want more than objective information; we want personal information, personal knowledge from somebody important. That somebody is God. This is why God says, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). This is why Jesus said, “This is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Getting to heaven is not the main point – knowing God is. Heaven is just the by-product of personally knowing God. The essence of Christianity is personal knowledge of God. The greatest treasure is knowing God. But many people find it extremely difficult to get any real sense that they personally know God.

The Difficulty Of Knowing God

You may read or hear about having a personal intimate relationship with God, but are you experiencing it? Are you convinced that God even wants you to know him? Have you ever had this moment where you’ve thought – “God if you really exist and you want a personal relationship with me, why don’t you just show yourself?” This is exactly what Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, asked for and Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me?” Jesus pointed out that God had already granted that request. God had already shown himself in Jesus Christ. One of the best moments in every great treasure story is the reaction of the main character when he or she discovers that the secret to the treasure or the map has been right there the whole time, buried in the backyard or hidden behind a photo in the attic. When that happens the possibility of finding the lost treasure grips you. And its knowing you actually have the real treasure map in your hands that gives you the confidence to take risks and sacrifice everything to follow it. It’s the same when it comes to knowing God.

The Process of Knowing God

You already have the treasure map. The disciples didn’t need something more; they needed to maximize what they already had. They needed to fully trust that Jesus was the only way to know God. A great treasure hunt always seems to involve a wrong path to avoid and a right path to take. Like Philip, the path to avoid is demanding more revelation from God in order to believe. You may think, “If only I could actually see God then I could really know him.” The path to avoid is demanding something you don't have instead of capitalizing on what you already do have. Jesus is the path to take. This is why he said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). This means he is the only map to finding the treasure. Jesus is the only way to God because he’s the only one who’s cleared away what’s in the way. How do you know you have a right relationship with your phone company? Only when your bill is paid. This is what Jesus did at the cross. He took on the debt of sin so that you can experience the treasure of God. The process of knowing God starts with faith in Jesus, but to personally know someone you need two-way communication. This is what prayer and reading the bible is. Prayer is primarily you talking to God, and the bible is God speaking to you. And if knowing God is the treasure, then the first question to ask is, “What does this passage teach me about God? You also learn about God through his works. You can learn a lot about an artist by the things he or she creates. It’s the same with God. And remember, how does any relationship grow? Through regular visits. Through ongoing personal interaction. So let faith in Christ, and frequent time in God’s word and works become the map that you follow to know God. For knowing God is everything you’ve ever wanted in every treasure tale every told.

by Tom Brown

I have met many people in my life who felt as though the sins they had committed were too many to be forgiven, too dirty to be cleansed. Many of these people were attenders of a local church; with no hesitation they would have been lumped into the title, “Christian.” But when it boiled down to it, they were guilt-ridden and ashamed, not forgiven and redeemed. They went to church, they heard the gospel, they maybe even read their Bible from time to time, but they did not yet understand the grace of God. 

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations, one of the shorter books in the Old Testament. In it he captures the horrific realities of a rebellious people whom God had given over to their sin. These people had done it all, every kind of wickedness, every kind of evil, every vile practice. God had sent Jeremiah to plead with them but they refused to listen. They continually demanded that God would leave them alone and let them go their own way, and eventually he did. The result is articulated with spine-tingling clarity in several of the verses of the book. These were dark days, terrible times in history, days when humanity seemed too far gone to be redeemed. 

But then, there it is, right in the middle of the story, in the center of the depravity, as the backlash is in full swing, Jeremiah finds hope:

“But this I call to mind, 
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
(Lam. 3:21-23)

When the streets are filled with blood, families separated, some taken as prisoners, thousands starving to death, young babies unable to nurse… when sinful humanity had run in the complete opposite direction of God, Jeremiah calls to mind these precious truths. Even these people were not too far gone for grace, not too rebellious to be forgiven, not too dirty to be cleansed, not too adulterous to be redeemed. Notice the three absolutes that Jeremiah mentions: 1. God’s love NEVER ceases. 2. God’s mercy NEVER ends. 3. Our opportunity to receive them is new EVERY morning. If we take these things to heart it is no wonder at all why the Prophet’s next words are, "Great is God’s faithfulness!” 

When we look to our own faithlessness we will always conclude that we are too far gone. When we look to our own unrighteousness we will always reason that we have no hope. When we look at ourselves, our own performance, our failures, our sins, our weaknesses, our bad decisions, our lack of love for others, our lack of devotion to God, our carelessness for his glory, our unrelenting desire to make life all about ourselves… when we look at these things we will remain trapped in them and defined by them. If we measure the saving love of God by our own shortcomings then we will never know the power of the gospel, nor the freedom of God's free grace. 

It is HIS steadfast love that never ceases, HIS mercies that never end, HIS faithfulness that we must look to and cling to, as we entirely forsake our own. Jesus Christ is the Savior of sinners, the Savior of failures, the Savior of people who are unworthy and undeserving. He represents them with HIS record, and by HIS cross he cancels all the debts of their own. Jesus only saves those who have gone too far, and no one, absolutely no one, is outside of his ability and willingness to save. 

Take your sin to the cross of Christ. 

The mercies of God never end, they are new every morning.  

by Jeremy McKeen

Doing good for others can grow old. Doing the right things can become tiring, especially when you don’t see any tangible results, and especially when it seems like the people who don’t do the right things are the one’s actually achieving success. In the final chapter of his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote to Christians who were tempted to go back to their old way of doing things and give up doing the right things. They were growing tired of supporting the church, helping the weak, bearing with one another’s burdens and doing good in the lives of those closest to them. It all seemed like a waste of time. So Paul wrote to encourage their hearts by giving them an ordinary agricultural metaphor to understand how to achieve extraordinary biblical success.

Reaping A Harvest

Paul compared success in life to reaping a harvest, and the every day choices, decisions and attitudes of Christians to seeds being sown in the field of life. And he uses the metaphor of sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting to teach and encourage the church to persevere in doing good. So how do you reap a harvest in the field of work that you’re in? You remember that the little things matter. After all, what are seeds? Small things that make a big difference. And farmers don't plant the seeds one day and then reap the crop the next day. The farmer can be as obedient and as faithful as he needs to be, plowing the field and planting the seeds, but he never instantly sees the harvest. It takes time. Paul’s point is that Christians, like farmers, will reap a harvest by not growing weary and not giving up.

Do Not Grow Weary

Everyone gets physically weary, but nothing compares to the weariness of spirit. This is why Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary of doing good.” The Greek word that Paul uses for being weary means to lose spirit. It means to lose the spirit of joy and hope that you once had in the beginning. And what’s the reason for not growing weary in well doing? He continued, “…For in due season you will reap if you do not give up” (Gal.6:9). Notice, Paul didn’t say, “Instantly you will reap,” but rather, “In due season, you will reap.” Doing good often doesn’t produce immediate results. This is where weariness can set it – in the waiting. There was once a desperate mother who came to her Pastor and said, “Where did I go wrong? I tried to set a good example and be the best mother I could, but I’m afraid my son is lost. He’s living a reckless life and no longer believes in the Bible. What can I do?” “You can pray,” the Pastor said. “But, I do pray! I pray for him every day, and I have prayed for him since he was a baby. What more can I do?” “Pray and wait,” he said. And she did, but things only grew worse. Her son soon became one of the leading critics of Christianity in their city, and no Christian theologian or scholar could match her son in a debate. But the mother followed the Pastor’s words. She kept praying and waiting. And then one day at age 33, the son who had publically fought against the Christian faith, came under the power of God’s Word and was instantly converted. He confessed his sins in tears, and believed that Jesus Christ had died for his sins and rose again to forgive him. He ran to tell his mother, “I’m a Christian! I believe!” But no one in the city could believe it. There was simply no explanation for what had happened. But there was - the sowing of a mother’s prayers. The simple seeds of prayer had come into the season of harvest. The year was 386 AD. The city was Milan, Italy. The Mother was Monica, and the son was none other than St. Augustine. St. Augustine, who would become one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith. Like a farmer who sows seeds and then waits for the harvesting season, the Christian must sow the seeds of love and good deeds and wait for the due season. That season may come here on earth or in eternity, but it will come. The end of weariness is not the end of waiting; its understanding that the waiting is an important part of the process. In our culture that demands instant gratification, waiting can be a challenge to achieving biblical success, but like a farmer, you must work with faithfulness and wait with patience.

Do Not Give Up

The second thing that Paul says is to not give up. And what’s the motivation for not giving up? The promise of reaping. Paul doesn’t say, “You may reap;” he says, “You will reap if you do not give up.” This is the promise-driven life – a life driven by God’s promise that you will reap what you sow. Often that proverb is taken to be just a warning, but it’s also meant to be an encouragement. It’s a good thing that you reap what you sow, if you’re sowing good things. All the prayers, love, mercy, patience, and good deeds that no one else sees may seem meaningless, they may seem in vain, but they’re not. The harvest is certain, and the harvest is coming. Paul was writing about the relationship between your work and God’s promise, between your responsibility and God’s sovereignty. Your work is to sow the good; God’s promise is to grow the good. You sow it, and God will grow it. The harvest is not based on what you know; it’s based on what you sow. Keep going, and keep sowing! Do not grow weary, and do not give up!

Prayer is extremely important. But you probably already knew that. Most people don’t need to be convinced that prayer is one of the most important practices in a believer’s life. What seems to elude a lot of people is the “how” of prayer. How do you maintain a healthy prayer life? How do you pray with any sense of satisfaction and effectiveness? Prayer is important, but prayer is hard. Yet, it can look like prayer comes easy for some people, but it doesn’t. Not right away anyway. An effective prayer life is developed over time through a series of habits or key characteristics. So how does the Bible characterize an effective prayer life?

Honest

It takes a child-like faith to pray effectively, and children speak their minds. Prayer is taking both your burdens and joys and instead of burying them, bringing them honestly before God. Prayer is pouring out your soul to God. Prayer is not meant to be a formal business presentation full of big theological words. A Christian cries out, “Abba, Father!” That is what it means to pray “in the Spirit.” It’s to pray with a sense that God is your heavenly Daddy who wants to hear what’s on your heart. The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” That request in itself was an honest prayer. One of the best ways to get your prayer life off the ground is to tell God that prayer is coming difficult for you or that you don’t even feel much like praying today. Now you’re beginning to really pray. You’re being honest.

Regular

To pray most effectively, you need a regular time, place, and list. This might be one of the most challenging aspects of prayer because it takes a lot of self-discipline. In the Bible, men like David and Daniel prayed regularly three times a day. And for Jesus, the Mount of Olives was his designated place of prayer. Paul had a list of churches and people that he would pray for. Prayer is like anything else, if it’s not planned for, it probably won’t happen. So, imagine you plan this all out. What do you do when you just don’t feel like praying? Well, what does a faithful employee do when he’s not in the mood to work? He shows up anyway. What does an athlete do when he doesn’t feel like practicing? He shows up anyway. Everyone knows the discipline of keeping important appointments even when you don’t feel like it. Just do the same thing with God. Make regular appointments, and then keep regular appointments with God.

Specific

It’s easy to just “say your prayers,” but it’s not as fun. Praying in generic terms is the “safe” way to pray because you don’t have to be confronted with not getting what you asked for. Yet Jesus asked specifically, “Remove this cup.” Like Jesus, ask for specific things with specific timelines. Pray for people by name. Be specific. The more specific you are about your requests, the more definite the answers will be.

Thankful

The Bible is full of reminders to pray with thanksgiving. Giving thanks is the secret recipe of effective prayer because it gives you a better perspective on life. Thankfulness is more than just recounting all the good things in your life, although that’s important. A prayer of gratitude also takes into account God’s sovereignty in your life. Effective prayer is coming to the place where you can say like Jesus did, “Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” Prayer is not just God’s means for changing things; prayer is God’s means for changing you. God wants you to be honest about what’s really going on while acknowledging that you don’t see the whole picture. Thankfully he does. There’s a big difference between making your complaint to God (being honest) and complaining about God (being ungrateful).

Confident

It’s hard to pray when you don’t think it does any good. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that God will answer you on the very day that you pray? Well, David wrote, “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased” (Psalm 138:3) Think of it this way. Imagine that you are on a raft heading down a narrow raging river and suddenly in front of you there is a wide rock sticking a few feet above the water. Either the rock must somehow be removed, or the water must somehow rise and take you above it. On the day David prayed, God didn’t remove the rock; he raised the water. You see the same thing in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed, but the cup wasn’t removed. Instead, “An angel appeared strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). Sometimes God removes the rock, but other times God raises the water. Be confident that through Jesus you have access to God, and your prayers do make a difference.

Scriptural 

One way to pray with more confidence is to let God’s promises and purposes in Scripture motivate your prayers. This is what it means to pray “In Jesus’ name.” It’s not a superstitious magical formula tacked on at the end. Praying in Jesus name is praying according to his revealed will and kingdom purposes. Use God’s word to motivate and inform your prayer life.

Continual

Finally, Paul reminds Christians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess.5:17). This doesn’t mean that you need to pray every minute of the day. Rather, it’s like a hacking cough that could flare up any minute of the day. It’s being ready to talk to God at any moment. A strong marriage involves both sit-down dinners and also passing conversation. If it’s just dinner, then the relationship becomes too formal and rigid, but if it’s always casual conversation, then the marriage lacks intimacy and fellowship. It’s the same with prayer; you must have concentrated time, which the Bible calls, ‘supplication,’ but also casual time, which the Bible calls, “all prayer.” It’s always a great time to pray.

by Tom Brown

What do you do in the face of the unknown? Fret? Panic? Meltdown? The honest answer for all of us is that when the outcome of something important to us is uncertain we often assume the worst and fill our hearts and minds with worry and fear. I want to offer a very brief glimpse at another way to live. I want to be clear, this is not an easier way to live, or a less painful way to live, but it is better.

You may already know that many of the letters in the New Testament were written by the Apostle Paul. Something that is a little bit less known is that most of these letters were written while he was in prison. Philippians happens to be one such letter and it is this fact that makes many of Paul’s statements in it so outlandish. He is locked up, under the boot of the Roman Empire, powerless within himself to alter his circumstances in any way. What will become of him? Will he be executed? Will he be exiled? Will he sit in prison and rot? Will the guards bust in and beat him tonight? Will he get sick from the poor conditions of his cell? Will anyone come to visit? Will his labor for the gospel bear fruit? Will he be forgotten? Will the churches he has helped start fall to pieces? Every answer to these questions, and many more which must have been bombarding his mind, are the same: Unknown. And yet he penned these words to the Philippians with joy and confidence in his heart,

“… what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (1:12)
“… this will turn out for my deliverance” (1:19)
“… it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed” (1:20)
“… I know that I will remain and continue with you all” (1:25)
“… and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.” (2:24)

Although there are many more examples in this letter, I will stop there. Do you see the way Christ is renewing Paul’s heart and mind? In the midst of the unknown his heart is set on something entirely different than what most of us set our minds on. We often think of the uncertainty of our circumstances, but Paul has matured in his faith to think instead on the unchangeability of God’s loving character. We often set our minds on what we don’t know, but the lesson for us to learn through Paul is that the Christian is called to set their mind on what they do know. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4).

Hope is the calling of the Christian. We are called to faith and hope, not doubt and anxiety. What do we have to fear if we know that our God is good? What do we have to fear if we know that our God is on the throne? What do we have to fear if we know that Christ has won an eternal inheritance for the children of God? As someone else has said so well, “Don’t measure God by the size of your problems, measure your problems by the size of your God.”

In the face of the unknown, set your hope on the loving character of God who has made himself known through Christ.

May you and I trust in the Lord at all times.