On Misunderstanding God's Sovereignty and the Resulting Loss of Hope

Most Christ-followers believe that God is sovereign. I know I do, and I imagine you do as well.

How we define and understand the sovereignty of God are important. If we make an error in this it can lead to a deep sense of hopelessness.

God is indeed sovereign. The Bible shows us that God controls all things. Nothing happens that is outside his divine omnipotence. This wonderful truth ought to give us both hope and peace. It would be an awful and terrifying thing to think of something beyond God's control. If that could happen, then God would not in fact be God at all.

It is easy to cherish the sovereignty of God when things are generally going well in our lives. However, when the trials come (problems related to family, job, money, etc.) doubts may begin to creep in. This is where the danger exists. If we define God's sovereignty as God answering our prayers in the way we want him to, then we are in trouble. This is because God knows much better than we do what we need. We generally desire for God to take away various unpleasant things in our lives. After all, we like comfort. God, however, often uses discomfort to both train us and draw us closer to him.

When God answers differently from what we ask for this does not mean that he has failed to be sovereign. He cannot do that because his sovereignty is one of his unchanging attributes. God applies his sovereignty according to his omniscience. He knows all things, including what is best for us. We are the ones who fail to fully understand how God works out his sovereignty in our lives for his glory. While he may apply it one way, we sometimes think that bad things that happen to us mean God failed in his sovereignty. We are incorrect.

In Romans 8:28 we read, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." God works to bring about what we need, not necessarily what we want. We must not make the mistake of over applying God's sovereignty to areas of our lives in such a way that limits God; we must avoid putting God in a box. More specifically, we have to avoid thinking, "God has to answer my prayer in such-and-such a way or he is not sovereign after all." That simply shows ignorance on our part.

God is fully sovereign. He will act according to his perfect character, will, and goodness. When he responds to our prayers in ways we do not like, let's not fall into hopelessness. God has not abandoned us. Rather, he is helping our sanctification process.

God's sovereignty is a reason for great hope. Let's avoid defining and comprehending that sovereignty in ways that God has not.

Jesus Christ Is at the Center. Let's Live Like It.

Jesus Christ is at the center of creation in general and the church in particular. This is an objective reality. At the most basic level it is both true and truth.

Paul tells us:

He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)

As followers of Jesus, we face the challenge each day of living out a Christ-centered reality. He has, after all, given us great gifts and also made radical claims upon our lives. We happily submit to his Lordship over salvation. However, in the day-to-day comings and goings of life we may fail to live as though Christ is in fact where he is - at the center.

On a day by day basis what are some of the things that we can and should be doing to display the fact of Jesus' position at the center of our existence?

The joyful answer is that God has not made this complicated for us. We do not have to wonder what his expectations are. The only difficult part lies in carrying them out.

Below are seven simple yet profound things we can do to show the world that Jesus Christ is the center point our our lives:

1. Obey Christ's commands. This one is not generally popular, but it shows that we are his disciples.

2. Encourage other believers to obey Jesus' commands. All disciples of our Lord will obey him (if imperfectly).

3. Love others sacrificially. This one hurts sometimes, especially when we do not receive love in return.

4. Accept suffering as normal. While this point won't surprise many believers around the globe, it continues to shock us residents of the good ole USA.

5. Give generously. Jesus owns it all; let's allow it to flow freely through our fingers to those in need.

6. Make disciples. Closely related to number two above, Jesus expects us to help his followers mature.

7. Encourage an active church. Rejecting passivity, let's exhort other believers to actively follow after Jesus in every area of life.


The above is a fairly basic list. We could add twenty more to it without much difficulty. The problem is that the church here in America is weak in even these seven. Let's do our part to show that Jesus sits at the very hub of our existence by carrying these out. The church has to start somewhere.

Missions in III John

"Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." III John 11

Sometimes we make the Christian life seem too difficult. New believers may be overwhelmed trying to figure out how to live. The above verse provides us with a good summary of the walk of sanctification.

When we share the gospel, the information is primarily about who God is and what he has accomplished. It is only because of God's actions that we can be in a right relationship with him. We are saved only because he has saved us.

That said, believers bear fruit in keeping with righteousness. Since we are new creations, we are able through the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives that please God. But what do these lives look like?

The scriptures certainly provide us with much information about how to live out the specifics of our walks with Christ. For example, I Corinthians gives the church all sorts of information about unity, law suits, the Lord's Supper, marriage and divorce, etc.

All this information may seem a bit overwhelming at first to new followers of Jesus. That's where III John 11 is helpful. New Christians need to know that their lives should look different from that of the world. They must strive to imitate good because it is from God. All evil is not.


To read any of the posts in this NT missions series, click here.

Are We Headed in the Right Direction?

"For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured." Hebrews 13:11-13

Sometimes I wonder whether or not I'm headed in the right direction and to the right destination. I'm not referring to salvation, but rather the walk of sanctification. The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus suffered outside the gate. Because we are in Him, we are expected to go outside the camp to Him. Although we cannot and do not die for the sins of others, we still must expect that this journey outside to the cross will lead to persecution.

How easy it is to remain inside the camp. Or at least sort of stand at the gate of the camp. The author of Hebrews, however, calls us to "go to him outside." This includes bearing "the reproach he endured."

We cannot and should not seek persecution. If we are living for Christ outside the comfy confines of American values, the persecution (in various forms) we come on its own. I wonder if in this country of relative luxury we have embraced this biblical truth.

A life with Christ is a life outside the gate and outside the camp.

On Colossians 4:12

My friend Alan Knox has begun blogging through his study of Colossians.  I encourage you to read it.  It is sure to be good.

His writing reminded me of something that happened this past Sunday during our church gathering.  I wanted to encourage everyone to understand that we all need to teach one another and be taught by one another.  This may happen is various ways, but the key is that teaching is mutual and reciprocal in nature.

In order to do this, I read Colossians 3:16, which says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (emphasis mine)

After reading this, I decided to quietly read through the remainder of Paul's letter. I noticed something I had never thought about before. In 4:12, Paul writes, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God."

It Doesn't Take a Village...It Takes a Family

About fifteen years ago, Hillary Clinton famously said that it takes a village to raise a child. Liberals loved it while conservatives hated it. Not surprisingly, many conservatives responded to Clinton by disagreeing and saying that it takes a family to raise a child.

I'd like to throw my "two cents" into this equation.

First, Clinton is simply wrong. It is absurd to think that it takes a village, by which she means the broader community, to raise a child. As a Christian, there is no way that I would allow the village to be significantly involved in raising my children. Most of the village does not know Christ and is therefore dead in sin. They have hearts of stone. Their minds are blinded to the things of Christ. In light of all that, the village is not raising my kids.

So who should raise children? Primarily it should be Dad and Mom. This is God's plan and is therefore the ideal. This is the best situation. However, there are certainly real families out there who do not fit the Dad-and-Mom pattern. Due to death or sin, single Dads and single Moms are raising their kids; many are doing a very solid job of this. We also see grandparents actively involved. Sometimes aunts and uncles act as parents. Additionally, adoption is one of the most beautiful examples of parenthood (In case you are wondering, the two-dad and two-mom families are not beneficial).

We should, however, ask ourselves whether or not this is enough. Are the families mentioned above enough to raise a child? I think the answer is, "Yes, but..." Yes, they can raise their children well. But, there is an important addition that can help immensely.

What is this addition? The answer is simple: the church family.

The church should be a family. Because of this, everyone in the family ought to know everyone else. They should be familiar with each other's strengths and weaknesses, interests, talents, hopes, struggles, etc. In this setting, adults have a tremendous opportunity to positively influence children. This happens through both word and deed. Parents may be wise, but they don't hold all the wisdom in the world. They need help and can benefit a great deal from the wisdom of their brothers and sisters in Christ. An encouraging and/or challenging word from an adult can edify a child a great deal.

In order for this to happen, churches must come together in a way that leads to people really getting to know one another. This requires families meeting with families. It means people letting down their guard and being real with one another.

Let me be clear about what I'm not talking about. I'm not referring to many of the church programs we see today. These programs, which split families apart, do little for the building up of the family or the individual. They are based on man's ideas, not on scripture.

I am talking about real communication, real relationships, real accountability, and real family.

So as parents, let's protect our kids from the world's influence. Let's at the same time look for positive influence from our church families. Let's get to know one another intimately enough that we can say and do things that will be meaningful to others' children. Let's all build one another up in the faith.

It takes a family. Dad + Mom + church = a good formula for Christian growth.

Do You Ever Feel This Way About Church?

Most of us love the church. We love the community of followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We desire that the church glorify God in all it does.

However, many of us also struggle with how the church should function. Include me in this. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am going through a time of transition in how I think about the church. You may be in this situation as well.

Although this is uncomfortable (what change isn't?), I believe it is also healthy. The reason is that I desire that what I think about the church and how I act as part of the church come more in line with scriptural teachings.

One problem we face in this country is that so few people actually give thought to what the church ought to be and ought to do. Many people never question the way the church operates, but instead simply "go to church" and do what they have been told to do.

I suggest that we have a holy discontentment with the church. I'm not suggesting that we become a source of complaining or division. I am suggesting that we work to bring our own lives and the life of our church more in line with scripture.

This can be a difficult task. I've read stories of people trying to do this, but being told to basically "knock it off" by their pastors or others in leadership positions. Despite this, I encourage you to ask questions and keep asking them. Pursue holiness and stir up one another to love and good works.

In light of our indwelling sin, I highly doubt that any of us will ever think about or act like the church in a perfect manner. Because of this, there is always room for improvement (biblical fidelity). Let's strive for it.

Are We Fruit Bearers?

Matthew 13:1-9 -- That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear." (ESV)

As we think about the above parable of the sower and the seed, it forces us to ask an uncomfortable question about our lives. That question is, "Are we fruit bearers?" This question forces us to take a hard look at our attitudes and actions. This is something we would probably rather not do.

Our churches usually let us get away with avoiding this question.

In the modern American church, it is quite possible, maybe even probable, to be in "good standing" in the church while at the same time bearing absolutely no fruit. Nowhere in scripture, for example, can I find anyone being commended for solid church attendance.

The reason so many churched people can get away with bearing little fruit is that most churches are devoid of real community. We do not get involved in people's lives and they don't get involved in ours. We have little fellowship, except for eating. We have no accountability. We live extremely individualized lives.

When a church functions as it should, with its body living together, caring for each other, building one another up, and holding each other accountable, then the people are forced to ask themselves whether or not they are fruit bearers.

This is not a small issue. Rather, it is of primary importance. We are discussing salvation. In the parable of the sower, the first three soils bear no fruit. They represent three kinds of unfruitful people; none are saved. Only the good soil bears fruit, and only it represents those who are in Christ.

A non-fruit bearing Christian is an oxymoron. Simply put, all followers of Christ bear fruit.

The church has the duty and joy of making sure that its people all ask whether or not they are bearing fruit.

Words to Live By...

After we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, how are we to live this Christian life?

How does my own effort in living a holy life interact with my reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit to enable me to live this way?

If I rely on God's sovereignty, how much am I responsible for? If I work hard, is this an insult to God or is it pleasing to Him?

These are healthy questions for all of us to ask as we strive to honor God in all of life. We can be thankful that God has answered the above questions in a succinct manner in several different locations.

My favorite passage that answers the above questions is Philippians 2:12-13. Paul has just shown us, in the Christ Hymn of 2:5-11, the ultimate example of humility. Immediately after this, in 2:12-13, Paul instructs us to humbly work hard for God while relying on God to accomplish His perfect desires.

Paul writes:

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (ESV)

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (NKJV)

It is clear that we are to "work out" our salvation. This does not mean that we work for our salvation. It means that after we are saved we have hard work to do in the process of sanctification. We are to accomplish this with a humble attitude in the presence of holy God ("fear and trembling"). James speaks much about this issue when he discusses the connection between faith and works.

The great blessing for us is that even our ability to work hard in sanctification is a gift of God. We see in these verses that it is actually God who works in us to accomplish what He desires. It is encouraging that He does this for His own pleasure.

So what does this look like in real life? Rather simply, as we trust God to accomplish what He wants and as we rely on His power and strength, we are to live holy lives in loving service to other people.

The twin truths of relying on God's power and putting forth our own effort do not conflict in the process of sanctification. Rather, they go hand-in-hand.

A Word for Sunday - and Every Day

Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (ESV)

Some of the Most Important Verses in the Bible

Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV) says the following:

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Our culture is not one that champions humility. Pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness reign supreme.

When we strive for and live lives of humility, we look far different than the world. This is when we look most like Jesus Christ. The above verses show us this. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to humbly look out for the interests of others before ourselves. These are very important verses for the Christian life.

We must be careful, however, not to sever 2:3-4 from 2:5-11. If we separate these passages and only teach 2:3-4, then we run the risk of teaching moralism. We are danger of suggesting that we must live lives of humility under our own power and ability.

When we teach 2:3-4 in connection with 2:5-11, then we rightly show that our very ability to live humbly is based on the gospel itself. We can only display humility because of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is discussed so beautifully in the Christ Hymn of 2:5-11. Only because of Christ's work can we care about the needs of others before ourselves.

Jesus is our model in 2:5-11. He is also our salvation in 2:5-11.

Let's display humility in all we do, understanding that it is only because the the gospel of grace that we can do so.

The "One Anothers" of Romans 12-16

In his epistle to the church in Rome, Paul discusses in much detail (chapters 1-11) what God has done for us in salvation. Paul concludes this section with a mini-doxology in 11:36, "For of Him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." (NKJV)

Paul then moves into the "application" section of his letter. Basically, he is saying that since God has saved us, we should live in a certain way. He begins chapters 12-16 with a very familiar couple of verses, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Paul goes on in this letter to emphasize that one of the primary ways we present our bodies as living sacrifices is by serving one another.

In reading these five application chapters, it is interesting just how much Paul emphasizes the concept of "one another." In fact, in the NKJV the phrase "one another" appears 10 times in chapters 12-16 (after having occurred just once in chapters 1-11):

Romans 12:5, "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

Romans 12:10, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another."

Romans 12:16, "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."

Romans 13:8, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."

Romans 14:13, "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."

Romans 15:5, "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus."

Romans 15:7, "Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God."

Romans 15:14, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

Romans 16:16, "Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you."

It is clear from Paul's writings that we do not please Christ and grow in Christ while living in a vacuum. We mature in Christ while serving others both within the church and out in the world.

If we want to grown in sanctification, we will be active in the life of the church by doing for one another. This does not mean being involved in numerous church programs. Rather, it means that we will get to know one another better by spending time together. We will challenge and exhort one another to live godly lives. We will encourage one another when we fail.

Paul is telling us in plain terms to be living sacrifices by serving others.

Accountability

Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

I Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification..."

I don't know why it has taken me as long as it has, but I have finally entered into an accountability partnership with another man in our church. I am really looking forward to this partnership because we will grow closer as friends and, more importantly, grow closer to the Lord through this process.

I have to admit that I am, in my flesh, not looking forward to answering hard questions (especially if I have knowingly sinned during the week). I am, however, looking forward to having this safeguard in place to help me sin less and glorify God more during the week.

Today my partner and I sat down with the goal of coming up with a list of questions we will ask each other every Monday. I've listed the 13 questions below. Please tell me what you think. Do you think there is anything either unnecessary or repetitive? Is there anything that I have left out? What have you done or asked in this type of relationship that has been helpful?


Accountability Questions:

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere that might be seen as compromising?

2. Have you had any inappropriate communication with a woman this week?

3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually inappropriate or explicit material?

4. Have your financial dealings lacked integrity?

5. Are you living within your means and avoiding debt?

6. Have you spent adequate time in bible study and prayer?

7. Have you given priority time to your family?

8. Have you spent too much time on the computer or TV?

9. Have you given your body enough rest?

10. Have you consistently shown godly patience and speech?

11. Have you pursued a life of sanctification?

12. Have you given God all the glory for your accomplishments?

13. Have you just lied to me?