God is Able to Make All Grace Abound

     I’ve been thinking a lot lately of what it means to be bold for Christ. I remember about twenty years ago going through evangelism training with a group of other Christians. We went out in the community, knocking on doors and sharing the gospel with total strangers. As easy as this was for me, sharing the same message with my roommate or coworkers was grueling. I was consumed with images of hypocrites in my own past who threw the truth at me in grenade fashion. Memories of their graceless presentations left me feeling too frightened that I might come across the same way. And fear, finding its home, kept me from sharing the best news I’ve ever heard with many people who desperately needed to hear it. I reasoned that if I simply lived out the gospel they would see the truth and come to salvation. I was prepared to give a reason for the hope within me, but seldom if ever took the initiative to proclaim it in a way that would bring others face to face with their own hopelessness apart from Christ’s redemption.

     I’d love to say that I’ve radically changed and matured over the years in this area of sharing my faith. But, I haven’t. As I go into classrooms each day, teaching over 150 college students, I’m terrified at the thought of putting my faith out there so boldly that no one can miss the message. I pray for these students in class, and I speak with them about God’s grace in my own life. Most of them would say, if asked, that I’m a Christian. They may even say that I’m a nice person and seem to do kind things. The main problem with this image is that it’s all about me. 

     God is reminding me that I’ve forgotten something essential. Yes, I am called to live out the gospel so that my works bring honor to God (Matt. 5:16). Yes, I’m called to pray for these students that they’ll come to salvation (1 Tim. 2:1-3). But I’m also called to proclaim the good news to them which will be good news to some and bad to others (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Some will embrace it, turning to Christ and putting their hope in him. But others will reject the truth and be highly offended when I say what Jesus said – that they must be born again. Some will hate me, no matter how kind I am, for daring to tell them that their good deeds are filthy rags before a holy God who requires perfect obedience. They may gnash their teeth at me when I tell them that coming to salvation means acknowledging their sinfulness and putting their hope in Christ’s perfect righteousness, trusting him alone to rescue them from the dominion of darkness.
     I’m hearing God call me to step out of the boat and onto the water. I’m afraid of rejection, no doubt, but even more afraid of the blessings I’m missing by not being faithful, of remaining in fear and becoming so accustomed to living in it that I don’t dare to take a risk for God. I want to say with the apostle Paul, and really mean it, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." I can't do it in my own strength or with my own determination but God is able to make all grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). I don't know about you, but by faith I'm believing God!

The Hidden Truth on Suffering

     “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus tells us in John 16:33. He doesn’t mince words; he’s the Lord of all truth and he shoots it to us straight. That’s one reason I enjoy reading John Piper’s works. He doesn’t hedge on difficult doctrine and when he talks about suffering he echoes the words of Jesus, reminding us that we will indeed go through many hardships in this world. Jesus didn’t say might or may, He said that we will have trouble. So why does it come as such a great surprise when we encounter trials of various kinds? And why do we hide this truth like a defect that we hope no one else will see? The doctrine of suffering has become the missing truth in the church, relegated to back rooms and closets where no one has to see it, much less discuss it.

     We’ve bought into the world’s lie of Disney Christianity, as Piper says. And it’s killing the church, wounding its people and undercutting our faith. It’s time for us to rise up and take hold of these truths which are such a vital part of the Christian life. We are living in a spiritual war, not Disney World. And the battle rages on despite our attempts to ignore it. We’re called to take up our armor daily (Eph. 6:11-13), standing upon the Word, and go into the world with a sense of urgency and expectancy. Urgency that the truth be proclaimed; expectancy that in the process of the proclamation fiery trials will come into our lives.

      Jesus closes his message on suffering with the exhortation. "But be of good cheer! For I have overcome the world.” Our calling isn't one of gloom and despair as if we have no hope but to endure hardships and difficulties.We can rejoice and give thanks in the midst of these sufferings – not because we enjoy pain, but because our Savior has gone before us, endured even greater trials, and bought our certain victory through his death and resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3-6). He hasn't left us here alone but has given us his Holy Spirit to empower and equip us (John 14:16-18). In him we have all that we need. He's calling us today to put our hope in him and his kingdom, not the world and its comforts, to live like he alone is our great treasure and reward.

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from the world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Generations Will Reap What I Sow

     Repetition envelops us each day as we weave life patterns. Without even realizing it, we choose colors and threads that form the tapestry of our future, our children’s and their children’s. Abraham wove a pattern of deception when he chose to lie about Sarah being his wife. And we see the same choices in his son, Isaac, when faced with similar challenges. Jacob’s choice of threads was unmistakably woven into his wife’s and sons’ lives. And Esau’s decision to harbor bitterness toward his brother formed the tapestry of destruction for many generations.

     How do we break these sin patterns so our children can start afresh, free from the entangling cords that have bound us and our parents? Does God desire to see us break free from them or are we destined to repeat them? And how do we begin to find freedom when we’re blind to most of the sins that define us? When I was in seminary I took a counseling course which forced us to step back and look at three generations of life patterns in our families. We were assigned a genealogy project that required interviews with our parents and grandparents with the intention of finding common threads of choices that led to everything from greatness to destruction. The goal wasn’t to discourage us, but to take us on a journey of reflection so that understanding could help us in the future.

     We’re often blind to our own sin patterns unless we’re forced to examine them in the light of truth. It’s much easier to gaze upon someone else’s life and find everything that’s wrong. That’s why Jesus was always rebuking the Pharasees whose skill seemed to be the art of fault finding with others while they committed the same sins with even greater intensity. Their precision in scrutinizing other’s ugliness kept them afloat in the journey of self righteous living, enabling them to further exalt themselves with each new discovery. Jesus rebuked them flatly, saying that they needed to get the plank out of their own eye before they even began the process of removing the speck from another’s.

     Just the other day one of our daughters called, crying because of someone's harsh criticism. It wasn't shared in such a way to build her up, but rather to point out her shortcomings while they called attention to their own adherence to the rules. I reminded her that legalistic rules and regulations (don’t touch, don’t eat, don’t drink) are much easier to adhere to than righteous living that comes from an abiding relationship with Christ. God isn’t interested in our rule laden existence. In fact, he hates it so much that he sent his own Son to die so that we could have genuine righteousness that flows from a pure heart and mind.

     When God calls us to self-examination, he’s not calling us to the kind that we conjure up ourselves as we pull up our bootstraps, determined to make our lives better. No, the self examination he calls us to is directed by Him, led by his Spirit, based upon his Word and accomplished through his power, not our own self will. Looking at Abraham’s, Isaac's, and Jacob’s lives has reminded me of just how vital it is. Though they often walked by faith and followed God, their sins impacted future generations as they repeated the same bad decisions and actions which waylaid them and their loved ones. 

     I’ve been asking God to gently (and slowly, please!) show me some of the sin patterns in my life that are affecting my family. It’s painful to look at these oozing sores, but the healing ointment of his grace can’t be applied until they’re brought into the light, washed and cleaned. God's kindness and patience are leading me to this awakened desire for change. He hasn't forced it on me like I'm prone to do with others, but is showing me the truth and allowing me to come to a place where I hate my sin so much that I'm willing to call out to him for help. 

     One of my favorite musicians is Sara Groves who sings folksy, yet deep, songs about the Christian life. One of her best is a song called "Generations" which speaks to my heart each time I hear it. Hope it inspires you as well.

I can taste the fruit of Eve
I’m aware of sickness, death and disease
The results of our choices are vast
Eve was the first but she wasn’t the last

And if I were honest with myself
Had I been standing at that tree
My mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit
Things I shouldn’t know and things I shouldn’t see

Remind me of this with every decision
Generations will reap what I sow
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
To those I will never know

She taught me to fear the serpent
I’m learning the fear myself
And all of the things I am capable of
In my search for wisdom, acceptance and wealth

And to say that the devil made me do it
Is a cop out and a lie
The devil can’t make me do anything
When I’m calling on Jesus Christ

Remind me of this with every decision
Generations will reap what I sow
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
To those I will never know

To my great, great, great granddaughter
Live in peace
To my great, great, great grandson
Live in peace