Experiencing Grace

I am passing through Colossians this week and it is a joy.  I have taught through this book a few times and love it each time.  Colossians is all about proclaiming Jesus in life and ministry.  It is all about being focused upon our primary love, Jesus.  We are to be Christo-centric in all things.  “Him we proclaim” (1:28) is what it is all about.

This includes how we battle against sin.  Sin raises is grotesque head daily in our hearts and lives.  There is a place for band-aids in battling this disease, but those band-aids don’t bring victory over a disease.  Legalistic boundaries don’t always lead to godliness.

I have been reading about the 18^th century Non-Conformist in England.  They finally got some level of freedom by the 18^th century and began to join together into denominations in order to advance the cause of the gospel.  As I have read some of their denominational statements they are fascinating how they say some the same things over and over again for decades and it is the same cries that current denominational statements make.  They decry the wickedness of their generation and the fear they have for their children and then lay down what people should not do.  I believe there is a need for the Church to have a prophetic voice and to call out sin our age, but there needs to be more than just a list of “don’ts”.

Paul argues that a list of “don’ts” has “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (2:23).  The only way we can stop the indulgence of the flesh is “Him” (1:28).  A legalistic list of “don’ts” won’t bring victory only a focused love of “Him.”

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s confidence for certain future salvation is in the person and work of Jesus.  This verse is such a blessing because it highlights Jesus’ work in our faith.  Jesus gives us the gift of faith and continues to prop up and deepen and mature our faith all through our lives.  Confidence that we will persevere to the end is not based upon my personal piety but upon Jesus’ piety.  He began the work and will complete the work.  It is Jesus’ work.

Jesus’ work is evidenced by practical “grace” (1:7) that we see in the lives of believers.  Paul knows that Jesus will complete his work because he has seen past evidence of Jesus’ grace.  The Philippian Christians shared in the “defense and confirmation of the gospel” (1:7) thus showing the evidence of Jesus’ grace.  As we mature to becoming missionaries we glare the grace of God.

I praise you today for the hope I have in you to complete your work in me.

I was struck this morning that Paul viewed his work for doctrinal purity as preserving something for the next generation.  He said that when the Judizers came in to add legalistic works to the gospel he battled against them “so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (v5).  I tend to forget that the work we do in our generation will be passed down to the next.  There is always a need to re-teach and re-defend the gospel of grace.  With diligence we must remain faithful to this life-giving message.  Our work today is about holding fast to the gospel in order to pass on its life-giving power to the next generation.

At the close of Paul’s meeting with the Jerusalem council, they are all in agreement regarding theology.  The council rightly wants to make sure that Paul is applying the gospel correctly.  The only charge they give him, once they see they are in agreement regarding the gospel message, is that he serves the poor (v10).  They battle over the message, but there is always a connection to how the message applies to life.  We must always be applying the gospel to our lives.

The greatest contribution that my generation is making to the Church and to theology is regarding the definition of the Church.  In past generations we have defined the Church via essence: where the Spirit dwells, where the Word is found and preached, where the sacraments are practiced.  These are all correct, but our generation is trying to also add mission to that definition.  The Church is not the Church unless is applies the gospel of grace.  We are not the Church if we have just been redeemed by Jesus, and have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and hold fast to sound doctrine, and practice the sacraments; we also need to be accomplishing what God wants to accomplish in our age.  We need to be serving the poor, this is one of the most base applications of the gospel of grace.

Our pastor was in Russia earlier this fall teaching other pastors.  The group of churches we partner with in Russia are an amazing group of believers.  They believe so powerfully in the Scriptures that they apply them to drug addicts in bringing them out of addiction.  The result has been a church planting movement lead by pastors who were former drug addicts!  Try that one on for those who don’t believe in the power of God’s Word.  One of the pastors asked Michael one day, “so tell me about the homeless people attending your church and what you guys are doing to minister to them.”  If you have seen our organ and the $100 neckties floating around our place then you have to giggle.

I pray that Bethel always faithfully defends and preserves the gospel of grace and as a result of preservation that we apply the gospel to all areas of life, especially those with the greatest needs.

Paul boasts in his weakness in order to show how magnificent Jesus really is.  Paul says in II Corinthians 12:1-10 that “a thorn was given me in the flesh” (v7).  This was some sort of weakness that God allowed to persist in his life.  Like all of us with our weaknesses, Paul begged God to take it away.

God sovereignly and even graciously chose not to take away this weakness instead he told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v9).  This meant that Paul quit begging God to take away the weakness, and started boasting “all the more gladly of my weaknesses” (v9).  In boasting in his weakness the “power of Christ” (v9) rested upon him.  He was made strong in his weakness because he rested upon Jesus, and thus Jesus was made the hero of his weakness.

I am blessed by Paul’s testimony of weakness this morning and was blessed by two testimonies yesterday.  I had the joy of hearing the stories of two lovely ladies yesterday.  In the morning I was scheduled to meet one of the true jewels of Bethel and a man she wanted me to meet.  Her friend forgot about our meeting so we sat in my office waiting.  We had some time so I asked her to tell me her story.  The first thing out of her mouth was, “I was a child abuser”!  I thought I heard her wrong and that she meant to say that she was abused as a child.  She shared how as a young and overwhelmed mother she threw her three year old up against the wall.  Fortunately her daughter was not hurt and she doesn’t ever remember the incident.  She deeply loves her daughter and seeing her depravity broke this woman.  She began reading the Bible and learned that Jesus was able to be her help, she cried out for help and He has been with her every since.  In her weakness, Jesus became the hero.

Over lunch I got to hear  Gianna Jessen who survived a saline abortion!  She was born premature and has cerebral palsy as a result.  Ms. Jessen limped up to the podium with the help of one of the event organizers.  She shared her story of how even in the womb Jesus was protecting her.  Gianna said something that struck me to the core.  She said, “my limp is my sermon.”  In her weakness, Jesus became the hero.

Am I letting his grace be sufficient in me?  Am I allowing Jesus to be the hero through my weakness?

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God

What a wonderful little verse.  No one ever has “enough” money, but in reality we all have “enough.”  We all have endless bills, cars break down, hospital bills keep coming, there doesn’t seem to be improvement in the economy, and our nation is facing 10% unemployment numbers!  Even with all the financial uncertainty of today I am finding so much encouragement and challenge in this little verse.

I don’t have to rest upon the ups and downs of the economy to meet my needs.  I need to rest upon God.  This, of course, doesn’t mean I can just sit there an manna from heaven will fall down.  As I rest upon the Lord I will live in a responsible productive manner.  God will “enrich” as he so desires and I should embrace his enriching as sufficient.

This verse is challenging because we should be wise, but never let the winds of the world dictate if we are generous.  Our funds are like our children, gifts from God that we simply steward for his glory.  Others should not describe me as a “rich man” or a “poor man,” but rather a “generous man”.

Finally, we should be generous in “every way.”  We should be generous with our money, but also with our time and our prayers and our speech and our service.  This generosity has the clear purpose of producing “thanksgiving to God.”  God is glorified as we are generous.

In what situation can you be generous today?  Would your spouse or closest friends describe you as generous?  How is God being glorified by your generosity?