Grace for the Race

Those who are in Christ are living in the shade of the shadow of the cross.  This is the place where we meet with all the blessings of being in Christ:

• Pardon
• Adoption
• Acceptance
• Forgiveness
• Redemption
• Freedom
• Love
• Eternal life

The list of blessings, of course, is virtually endless.  Indeed, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).  Having been raised up, cleaned off, and brought in, we simply cannot plumb the height and depth of the blessings that we have received in Christ.  But we must remember that the Christian life is not an endless parade of balmy days and delightful, cool breezes.  We will spend days on the other side of shadow of the cross, where the sky is bronze and brittle, and a scorching sun beats pitilessly down on us—on that side of the cross is suffering.  And in that suffering we also need to live, and live well, as a witness to the One who hung on that cross in our place.

To be sure, it is always easier to live in the shade of the shadow of the cross.  This is the place where we find the sky is always blue and the clouds are always fleecy.  But on the other side of the shadow we find suffering . . . and this is part of taking up our cross and carrying it for Jesus.

He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23)

The cross is not only our greatest source of blessing, it is the source of our heaviest burden.  Jesus was a cross-bearer, and all those who would follow Him must be cross-bearers too.  If we will one day receive a crown, it will only be by way of the cross.  The Via Crucis, or the Way of Sorrows, is the only way to the place of blessing; it must be walked by every follower of Christ.  Jesus carried His cross to the Hill Golgotha to be crucified and to die upon it.  Will we not submit and surrender our shoulder to our cross to be purified on our way to eternal life?

If you keep the promise of the glorious life to come in view, your present burden will be greatly eased.  Jesus willingly gave Himself to a cross He did not deserve.  God forbid that we would shrink back from the cross that had our name carved into its side.  To know the Father’s love—a love that gave His only Son to be nailed to the cross to pay for all our sins—is to know enough to receive our cross as a badge of holy honor.  The apostle Paul’s prayer was that he would

. . . [B]e found in [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  (Philippians 3:9-10)

Paul believed it was an honor to share in the sufferings of His Lord, because Paul knew what His Lord did for Him on that cross.  He knew “the incomparable riches of [God’s] grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7-8 NIV).  He stood in the glorious shade of the shadow of the cross on the road to Damascus, and in that moment when Jesus raised Paul from death to life, Paul stooped to surrender his shoulder to the glories of its suffering too.  Paul wanted nothing more than to be like Jesus.  To live like Jesus . . . to suffer like Jesus . . . and to die like Jesus!

The more deeply we understand the Gospel, the more delighted we are to carry our cross.  Both blessing and burden live beneath the cross, and it is the call of every follower of Christ to take it up daily, regardless of the cost or circumstance.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Thanks for hanging in there all this week!  Today we conclude this week’s three-part message, which is based on Psalm 31:24—“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

PART III – His Promise … “And he shall strengthen your heart”

What a wonderful comfort for God’s people to know that God never commands us to do anything without equipping us to actually get it done!  God did not simply say, “All you who hope in the Lord, be of good courage.”  After God tells us what to do, He proceeds to tell us how it will get done: “He shall strengthen your heart.”  It is important to take careful notice what of what is held forth to us in this incredible promise.  The psalmist says the Lord “will strengthen your heart.”  He does not say any of the following will strengthen your heart:

• A better economy
• A new job
• A different church
• More money
• Better health
• Higher education
• A new address
• A longer vacation
• Less rebellious children
• A more loving spouse

The psalmist makes it crystal clear that it is God and God alone who will strengthen the hearts of those who trust in Him in every circumstance.  Make no mistake, a lack of courage is a disease of the heart; there is only One who can cure it: our Cosmic Cardiologist, who delights in showing Himself strong on behalf of His people.  All strength comes from our Cosmic Cardiologist.

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.  (2 Chronicles 16:9)

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:10)

What deliverance do you need today?  What Red Sea are you facing, with an implacable enemy thundering up behind you?  What wall of Jericho is standing in the way of the land promised to you by your God?  What Garden of Gethsemane are you kneeling in, hoping desperately to hear from your God?  What dark night of the soul have you been struggling with, hoping to see the light of the morning star?  Where in your life have you been wrestling with God, refusing to let go until you receive your blessing?

Clearly, the Cosmic Cardiologist is not finished with you yet.  Do you know why I make that statement so confidently?  It’s because you’re still here!  God has more for you to do to advance the cause of His kingdom.  When we keep our eyes on Jesus, no matter what difficulties we are facing, we will, by God’s grace, be able to do what David did—in spite of feeling distressed, dejected, rejected, weak, and not at all courageous.

David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters.  But David strengthened himself in the Lord His God.  (1 Samuel 30:6)

As we close out this three-part message, I hope you will never lose sight of the fact that one of ways God strengthens us is by connecting us to each other.  Yes, we were saved individually, but we were saved to community.  We were called to be members of one body (Ephesians 2:16) and we need each other!

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “God does not work needless miracles.  He will not send an angel when a brother or sister will do.  A brother’s sympathy is more precious than an angel’s embassy.”  Wow!  Who better to help a hurting heart than one who has the scars from the same battle?!  When a brother or sister speaks into our lives it is “like apples of gold in baskets of silver.”  Sometimes it may come in the person of Barnabas the encourager.  At other times it can come in the person of Nathan the confronter.  Either way, it is a great grace the Cosmic Cardiologist gives to all of His patients: He strengthens our hurting hearts.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I related in Monday’s blog that I preached a sermon a few weeks ago, titled The Cosmic Cardiologist. The message was warmly received, and I decided to divide it into three parts—His Patient, His Prescription, and His Promise—to present to you this week on the blog. The message was based on Psalm 31:24—“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Today we’ll look at Part Two: His Prescription.

His Prescription: “Be of good courage”

Charles Spurgeon rightly observed, “They err from the Scriptures who make the grace of God a reason for doing nothing . . . for it is the reason for doing everything.” The Gospel sets the captives free (Ephesians 4:8). We are freed from the dominion of sin, Satan, and death, to be sure, but we are also freed to live the life God is calling us to live. Grace is the reason for doing everything, not because of what we might get, but because of everything we have already been given! You might say we march behind two banners: the first being the finished work of Christ, and the second is the promise of His return to make all things new. His finished work and His promised return combine to give us a glorious freedom . . . freedom to live the life we have been called to live, spurred on by a heart that overflows with thanksgiving.

When the psalmist tells us to “Be of good courage,” he presupposes that there are times when our lives are marked by something less than good courage. We all know times of doubt, discouragement, fear, and frustration. So how are those who hope in the Lord to apply the exhortation to “Be of good courage” in their lives? The Scriptures tell us there is only One who can give to us the courage we need in every circumstance we face:
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

One of the clearest examples in all Scripture that illustrates what happens to our courage when we focus on anything smaller than Jesus is found in the story of Jesus walking on the water:
In the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (Matthew 14:25-32)
I’m sure many read this account and shake their heads indulgently at Peter’s failure. Big talk about walking on the water, but there goes Peter, sinking to the bottom of the sea! I read that story a little differently; Peter was the only one of the disciples who had enough “good courage” to step out of the boat and actually walk on the water! Peter wanted to experience the power of God in his life in a new way, and he was doing just fine until he took his eyes off Jesus and glanced anxiously around at the winds and the waves. When Peter focused on something smaller than Jesus his courage vanished and he began to sink.
So the key to courage is focusing on Jesus. Regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, we need only to look to Christ and we will have all the courage we need to get us through whatever it is we are going through. And let me point out that when Peter failed, and looked at natural things rather than the Master of all nature—He to whom the wind and waves grant immediate obedience—at that moment when the waves were about to swallow Peter and he uttered his despairing cry, did our loving Lord hesitate? Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. What a gracious, patient Savior we have!
But let me utter a word of caution here: don’t wait until you are in the midst of a storm to fix your eyes on Jesus; we must also focus on Him in times of triumph. In spite of overwhelming evidence that God is our only hope, Satan is a master at getting us to focus on self rather than the Savior.
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:1-8)
The account of Elijah running for his life is a great reminder not to forget our God in times of great victory, which is far too often the case with us! Proverbs 27:21 solemnly warns, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” To be sure, Satan comes after us when we are in times of weakness, fear, and doubt. But he also comes after us in times when we might least expect it: in times of great victory.
I’ll complete this message on Friday.

I preached a sermon a few weeks ago, titled The Cosmic Cardiologist, for our covenant partners at New Horizons Church in Deerfield Beach.  The message was warmly received, and it was suggested that I present it on this blog.  So here it is, divided into three parts for this week.  The message is based on Psalm 31:24—“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord”—and is laid out in three parts: His Patient; His Prescription; and His Promise.  Today we’ll look at Part One: His Patient.

“All you who hope in the Lord . . .”

It is important to notice at the outset what this verse does not say.  It does not say, “All you who hope in their good works” or “All you who hope in their religiosity” or “All you who hope in your baptism” or “All you who hope in your repentance” or “All you who hope in your church.” In short, wasn’t written for “All you who hope in yourselves” . . . like the Pharisee in the temple.

[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  (Luke 18:9-14)

Scripture succinctly spotlights the Pharisee’s problem: Jesus told the parable for those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.  The Pharisee was not hoping and trusting in the Lord and His righteousness; he was hoping and trusting in himself!  Self is a miserable substitute for God, the only One who is worthy of our hope and trust.  The Word of God has nothing to say to those like the Pharisee, who trust in themselves.  Any hope smaller than God is not a hope worth having.  It is hope-less!

The Bible identifies others who put their hope in places smaller than God.  Some trust in chariots and horses (Psalm 20:7), which is another word for the strength and power of military might.  Others trust in the government (Psalm 146:3), banking on rulers and governing bodies to fix the world’s problems.  Still others trust in their money (1 Timothy 6:17).

So . . . what have you been hoping for and trusting in lately?  What is the confession of your life?  What would those who are closest to you say?  Remember, if your hope is anything smaller than Jesus, Psalm 31:24 does not speak to you.  But if your hope is in the Lord, as I trust it is, you will know hope in the way that the writer of Hebrews described it:

By faith [Abraham] made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  (Hebrews 11:9-10 NIV)

All those who hope in the Lord have a divine dissatisfaction with life today.  Like the apostle Paul, we have learned to be content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12), yet we recognize that something is radically wrong with ourselves and the world around us. We look with forward with positive anticipation to a better future, groaning inwardly in our longing to walk the streets of the sparkling city of God.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

If you are anything like me, you struggle with holy living.  (If you are not anything like me, please let me know how you are doing it!)  As a minister of the Gospel, the reason I don’t mind confessing that I am far less than perfect is because another minister of the Gospel, who was far, far more sanctified than I, confessed the very same thing.  Here the apostle Paul sets forth the ongoing experience of every Christian:

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate . . . I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

(Romans 7:15, 18-19)

There are lots of books written and sermons preached that outline a plethora of “things-to-do” and “how-to’s” for living a holy life.  They range from trying to get us to do more, pray better, serve smarter, or try harder.  The problem with all of this advice is found in the focus: that focus is on ourselves!

When we focus on ourselves and our need/desire to get better, we are looking to the wrong place for strength.  We focus on getting better; perhaps we do for a while.  But before long, we mess it up again and begin to doubt ourselves and despair of succeeding at holy living.  And this is precisely the dreary district where the devil wants every Christian to be living: at the intersection of doubt and despair.

The best way to get better is to quit focusing on getting better and fix our eyes instead on the One who has already made us perfect in the eyes of God.  That’s when we will actually start getting better . . . sometimes!  Here’s how Charles Spurgeon, known to many as “the prince of preachers,” profoundly explained it more than a century ago:

When believers say, “I cannot grow in grace as I would, and therefore I doubt,” do you see what they do?  It is as though they said, “Here is a plant that will not grow and therefore it shall not have any water.”  It is impossible for any one of us—for you—to get sanctification through doubts!  Your doubting takes away the water which alone can nourish the roots of your sanctity.  If, in the teeth of all your sins, you still believe in Christ—believe over the head of all your shortcomings and your negligence—then your belief will breed love and admiration!  And then your love of Christ and your admiration of Him will breed imitation—and so there will come holy living to the glory of God.  Love is the forceful mainspring of a gracious life, but doubt makes it grow limp and feeble.  Doubt snaps the string of your bow, takes off the edge of your sword, makes you languid and powerless and causes all your Divine Graces to flag.  Therefore, keep to it, Christian, keep to it and let not the devil himself drag you from it!

Living a holy life never happens because we are pursuing holy living.  It only happens when we understand that Jesus is in hot pursuit of us.  It is His love for us, not our living for Him, that produces holy living.  When we keep our focus on what He has done for us, we can begin to live the life He has called us to live without fear of messing it up.  The more we focus on the truths of the Gospel, the more the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with admiration for Jesus.  And, as Spurgeon explained, it is this admiration that will ultimately lead to imitation.

His love for us, not our love for Him, grows us up in our faith.  When we confuse these two, doubt will have its way with us.  It is only when we keep the love of Christ before us—whether we are in seasons of plenty or want or health or sickness—that doubt will depart and holiness will begin to appear.

In his new book, Three Free Sins, my good friend Steve Brown writes, “Christians, by and large, are neurotic about purity, obedience, and holiness.  It is probably the main reason we’re not very pure, obedient, and holy.  And in order to maintain our witness, we have learned to fake it.”  WOW!  Or perhaps I would do better to say OUCH!  That’s a pretty piercing observation!

Sure, we all want to get better.  None of us are happy with the way we are.  But the way to getting better and living a holy life is not to focus on getting better and living a holy life.  It is to focus completely on Christ.

• On the perfect life of Christ
• On the sacrificial death of Christ
• On the supernatural resurrection of Christ
• On the miraculous Ascension of Christ
• On the promised return of Christ

The more we focus on Him, the less we focus on ourselves; and the less we focus on ourselves, the more we begin to imitate Him.  You see, God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much just to leave you there!

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  (Colossians 3:1-4)

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Most readers are probably familiar with the television sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994-2004.  The series revolved around a group of friends in Manhattan who spent considerable time at the “Central Perk” coffee house; Friends consistently rated in the top ten in the primetime ratings.  Can you guess why?  Friendships strike a chord that runs deep within every human being, because God made us for relationship—both with Himself and with others.  In fact, the first time God declared that something was “not good” was when man was alone.

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

God has hard-wired us for relationship.  We were made for community, and that is why shows like Friends and the still-syndicated Cheers, which are built upon the theme of community and friendship, are among the highest ranking of all time.

Rev. Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) was asked the secret of his productive life; he referred to scholar and educator F. D. Maurice and said simply, “I had a friend.”  Many Americans still prize the idea of “rugged individualism,” and many American Christians are missing out on one of God’s great gifts to His people: close friends in the family of faith.

I rejoice in the great gift of friendship that God has given to me, which begins with my beloved wife, Kim, but doesn’t end there.  God has also given Clark, who has been a faithful and fabulous mentor for more than a decade, and a several other men who have walked alongside me for years.  The words you read in every “Grace for the Race” blog are edited by my best friend, Dan, who, like the rising tide, lifts all boats in his vicinity—including me!

I long ago lost track of how many people have told me they don’t need the church or the people of God.  They insist that they “just need Jesus.”  OK, I’ll grant that at the deepest level of understanding, it is true to say Christ is our most important need.  But Jesus has called us out of isolation and placed us within His body to live and work and pray with other members of His church.  Another man who has played a huge role in my life as a pastor is my beloved friend, Tullian Tchividjian. Tullian frequently quotes the late Frank Colquhoun, who wrote that one of the Gospel’s “most thrilling notes” is that “when Christ saves a man he not only saves him from his sin, he saves him from his solitude.”

If God thought it was good for man to be alone He would have stopped after forming Adam and simply kept him in a vertical relationship with Himself.  But God didn’t do that; He created Eve out of Adam so that they could begin to expand their vertical relationship with God into a horizontal relationship with each other.  And that is His perfect plan for us, as well!

Steve Brown tells a story about a friend of his who got into a terrible dispute with another friend over a $3 million contract.  It happened a long time ago, Steve says, but its effects still linger.  He said his friend told him recently, “I got a bad deal.  I would give up the money to have my friend back.”

How many reading this right now does that story resonate with?  I know I cannot be alone.  Perhaps it was nothing like a $3 million deal, but something came between you and a friend, or even a family member.  We all have pasts littered with broken friendships and damaged relationships; this happens for one simple reason: we are broken and damaged people.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  (Proverbs 17:17)

So . . . what kind of friend have you been to those around you?  How would those closest to you answer this question?  Do you have relationships in your life that could stand for a little upkeep?  Maybe they are not broken or even badly damaged . . . but they could use a little extra TLC?  The power of the Gospel frees us to go to work on all of our relationships.  It frees us to forgive everyone because we have been forgiven.  It frees us to try to reconcile with anyone, regardless of the outcome.

All of us will do well to remember the saying, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.”  The silver and gold we have been given in friendship is worth more than all the silver and gold coins this world has ever seen.  We can stand to lose a business deal.  We can stand to lose some money.  We can stand to lose some of our pride.  But we simply should not stand to lose a single friend.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I learned the term “pain reflex” while I was in seminary; it refers to the witness of the early Christian church.  It is said that some of the most powerful Gospel preaching came through the “pain reflex” of the early church.  For many in the church today, especially in the United States, this term is somewhat foreign; we don’t have to deal with much pain regarding our faith!  But the early church certainly did, as have many throughout the world during the past 2,000 years.  Here are just a few examples of how the early church suffered under the Roman emperors Nero and Domitian, as recorded by the first-century Roman historian Tacitus:

• Christians were thrown to voracious wild animals to be torn apart while crowds of thousands watched and cheered the mauling
• Fully alive and alert, Christians were covered with pitch and set on fire to provide lighting for nightly parties at Nero’s gardens
• Christians were crucified by the hundreds and sometimes thousands along the main highways in and out of Rome as a lesson to all those observers who might desire to claim any lord other than the emperor

The horrific stories of the affliction of the saints are as numerous as they are atrocious.  The extent of their persecution was only limited by the depraved imagination of their persecutors.  But it was not the suffering that drew unbelievers to the claims of Christ; it was the way they suffered that did.  It was their pain reflex that preached a clear, compelling message and caused the watching world to take notice of their claim of a crucified and risen Christ.

Christians could be heard singing hymns and spiritual songs as they were being torn apart by snarling beasts.  As they were brought to the stake to be burned alive, Christians were overheard telling their executioners there was no need to tie them to the post, because their faith in Christ would keep them there.  One of the most remarkable biblical stories regarding the pain reflex of the early church is recorded about the death of Stephen.

When they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at [Stephen].  But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.   And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”   But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.   Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.   And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”   And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.  (Acts 7:54-60)

Here we read the biblical account of the first Christian martyr, who followed the model of his Master, who, as He hung on the cruel cross, prayed: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” Jesus prayed (Luke 23:34).

What does all this have to do with you and me?  After all, it’s not likely that you or I will ever be thrown to the lions; what should we take away from the sterling faith of the early Christians?  The answer is that you and I are given many opportunities to preach Christ to a watching world through our own pain reflex.  Though we don’t face violent persecution here in America, we do deal with a great deal of pain on this side of the grave.  With every trial and every season of suffering, we are given the opportunity to testify to the truth of what we say we believe—very much like our first century brethren.

We always have two different ways to respond to the struggles of life.  We can shrink back from them and demonstrate a pain that points to the self.  Or we can embrace our trials and demonstrate a pain reflex that points to the One who suffered for us and with us.  This is the pain reflex of the redeemed.  Is it yours?

This is the truth of what it means to preach the Gospel with both our lips and our lives.  This is the truth of what it means to preach the Gospel with both the profession of our faith and the practice of our faith.  And this truth shouts the loudest when we find ourselves in the furnace of affliction; we demonstrate to those who are watching a confident faith that points straight to Jesus!

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

To be sure, we all wrestle with doubt from time to time.  The Bible shows us that even God’s strongest servants struggled with doubt.  Here are just a few examples.

• Adam & Eve doubted God’s goodness and ate the forbidden fruit.
• Abraham doubted God’s protection and said his wife Sarah was his sister—twice!
•  Gideon doubted God’s wisdom in shrinking his army down to 300 from 32,000.
• Threatened by Jezebel, Elijah doubted that God had any further purpose for him.
•  Languishing in prison, John the Baptist doubted if Jesus was the expected One.
• The apostles doubted God’s provision in feeding the 5000.
• Peter doubted that God could protect him from the accusation of a servant girl . . . and denied Christ.
• Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus.

Have you ever wondered why the Bible is chock-full of stories about God’s people doubting God?  I believe these accounts are there to remind us that doubt is a part of the human condition.  So when you and I are wrestling with doubt, we know that the experience is not unique to us.  We are not freaks or losers or second-class Christians because we doubt; we are simply human—sinful humans, to be sure—which puts us in the same company as some of the greatest heroes of Scripture!  The universal cry of God’s people should echo the prayer of the father of a demon-possessed son, who said, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24 NKJV).

From the beginning, Satan has done his best to get God’s people to doubt His goodness and His grace by causing us to doubt His Word.  Our enemy, the devil, is relentless, always whispering slyly, “Did God really say . . . ?”

• “Did God really say you were to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s?  What’s the harm of ‘fudging’ a bit on your taxes?”
• “Did God really say you are to love those who hate you and pray for those who persecute you?  Isn’t it true that revenge will make you feel a lot better?”
• “Did God really say marriage was to be between one man and one woman for one lifetime?  Aren’t we free to ‘hook up’ however we please?”

Satan uses the “wisdom” of the world and the weakness of our flesh to cause God’s people to doubt their God.  But when has doubt ever delivered you?  Granted, a little skepticism would have served Adam and Eve well back in the Garden of Eden; if only they had doubted Satan instead of God!  With all of God’s goodness on display and the charge given to them to care for God’s creation and have dominion over it, our first parents doubted God and trusted the devil.  And that has plunged all mankind into an appalling downward spiral of doubt and despair ever since.

So how do we resist our inclination to doubt the only One who is worthy never to be doubted?  We must remember our past deliverance!  Think about all that God has delivered you from in your past.  Every time you were under attack, He came to your rescue.  Every time you were struggling through a season of suffering, He came to your rescue.  Every time you put yourself in the middle of a miserable mess, He came to your rescue.  Every time you found yourself with one foot in the Word and one foot in the world, He came to your rescue.  Every time you were ready to give in and give up, He came to your rescue.  Based on His past performance in your life, does God not deserve your most confident trust, regardless of the circumstance you are facing?

God has never done anything that would cause anyone to doubt Him, and He never will.  He who began the good work in you has promised to finish what He started (Philippians 1:6).  Doubt is no deliverer—it never has been and never will be.  We must simply fix our eyes upon Jesus and never forget that He has promised to bring us home.  We don’t know whether the road will be long or short, but what we do know that road will be marked by tests and trials and troubles.  But through it all, we can trust in the One whose footsteps we walk in every step of the way.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today is the Fourth of July, a time for food, fellowship, and fireworks.  But for the Christian, it is a time for so much more!  Today is a day to reflect on the fact that we are a nation that was founded, rooted, and established on Christian principles.  Don’t take my word for it; read the words of our founding fathers.

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.  John Adams

May every citizen . . . have a proper sense of the Deity upon his mind and an impression of the declaration recorded in the Bible, “Him that honoreth Me I will honor, but he that despiseth Me shall be lightly esteemed.” Samuel Adams

The 1^st Amendment has created a wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one directional wall, it keeps the government from running the church, but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.  Thomas Jefferson

Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [July 4th]? . . . Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the corner stone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. . ?  John Quincy Adams

Regardless of what we hear from politicians or liberal media or historical revisionists, our great nation was founded on Christian principles and religious freedom—not to worship whatever god we want, but rather, the God who is: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Our founding fathers not only pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, they pledged allegiance to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  They echoed the inspired and infallible words of the apostle Paul:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

Our founders’ ultimate allegiance was to the Almighty.  They were devoted to Him.  They were dedicated to Him.  They were committed to Him.  Their entire existence was rooted in their right relationship with their Redeemer.  Patrick Henry, the fiery “Give me liberty or give me death!” orator of the Revolution, said simply, “This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”  And that, beloved, should be the confession of the lives of all those Christians who pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America . . . and every other Christian around the world, regardless of the flag that flies over their land.  The greatest gift we possess, and the greatest gift we can pass on to our posterity, is faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

On the day that we Americans commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, let us meditate on our declaration of dependence upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His sovereign rule in our lives.  Jesus is to be our first priority in both life and death.  He is to be our safety in the storm.  He is to be our peace in times of trouble.  He is to be our portion in times of need.  He is to be our All in all.

There is no greater declaration for the Christian to make and honor than the one made to the King of kings and Lord of lords.  When we declare to be His, we declare that we are no longer our own.  We have been bought at a price no man can measure.  The very Son of God was crucified and nailed to rough wooden cross beams, hung between two thieves to pay our penalty for every one of our sins—past, present, and to come.  We are His—we belong to no other—and He will tolerate no rival.

So today, as you enjoy your Independence Day celebration, pause to remember and give thanks to the One who purchased your freedom from the kingdom of the prince of this world.  Jesus has brought you out of darkness and into His marvelous light to remain with Him forever and ever, world without end.  By God’s grace, may we live lives that confess both our pledge of allegiance to the republic for which our American flag stands . . . and to our triune God in heaven—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

What comes to mind when you read the phrase “growing in grace”?  Most Christians immediately think of growing in Christlike character and displaying the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  And those same Christians would likely state that “growing in grace” further consists of consistent participation in the disciplines of grace: Bible study, prayer, church attendance, service, Christian fellowship, and so on.  These answers have great merit, and we all desire to see these actions and character traits increasing in our own lives and the lives of our Christian brothers and sisters.

But there is something more fundamental that lies behind all of this visible growth; “growing in grace” is growing in our understanding of the truths of the Gospel.  We grow in our understanding of the sinfulness of man.  We grow in our understanding of the holiness of God.  We grow in our understanding of the price Jesus Christ paid on the cross for our forgiveness and redemption.  As our understanding of the working of God’s grace in our lives grows, we are said to be growing in grace.

What we believe about the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is far more important than how we behave.  Remember, the Pharisees were always on their best behavior when it came to obeying the Law of Moses . . . yet that did not “score points” for them with God; instead, they were confronted by the wrath of Jesus.  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” He thundered.  “You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness”  (Matthew 23:27).  The Pharisees imagined that they were made righteous by what they did; but the truth is that we are declared righteous because of what we believe.

As we walk further in and further up into our understanding of our own spiritual bankruptcy and fallen condition, the more we find ourselves growing in grace.  Growing in grace is understanding the fact that we are sinners by nature and by habit.  And as we comprehend our awful moral bankruptcy, we are drawn more fully into our understanding of the unearned and undeserved mercy, favor, and blessing of God.  This is what it means at the deepest level when we are said to be growing in grace: when we have a deeper appreciation for His amazing grace!

So . . . how much have you grown in grace over the past few weeks, months, and years?  As our understanding of the Gospel grows, our motivation for new obedience also grows.  The more we rejoice in what Jesus has done for us in the past and promises to do for us in the future, the more we are motivated to walk by faith and not by sight, living in gratitude and thanksgiving.  This mindset is crystallized by Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.  (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV)

This is life.  This is liberty.  This is growing in grace!  Paul is telling us that growing in grace is growing in our gratitude and reverence for God.  Simply because God is who He is, He is worthy of our praise and obedience.  Let me ask you a question: when you meditate on who God is with all that He has done for us in the past and all that He has promised to do in the future, could there be any greater motivation for doing what God has called us to do?  I think not!

When the grace of the Gospel has seized us, we are motivated purely out of a sense of reverence and thanksgiving.  We are not driven by what we hope to receive from God, but rather because of all that we already have received in promises fulfilled and those which will be fulfilled in the future.  God has never broken a promise in the past and He will not break any of them in the future either.  “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 15:29 NIV).  And this is the greatest motivation the world has ever known to live a life that is pleasing in His sight.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!