Grace for the Race

Never before in the history of the Christian faith have we seen so many churches working so hard to fit in with the surrounding culture, rather than stand out for Christ.  Not to be outdone by the culture, we’ve entered into competition with it, and by the looks of the scoreboard, we are losing.  The divorce rates are the same both in and out of the church.  Materialism has a choke hold on the Christian as much as it does on the culture. 

The culture is changing the church.  We have been entrusted with the eternal and we have turned it into entertainment.  Our seeker-sensitive services entertain the senses but do not satisfy the soul.  Preaching to the felt needs of the “customers” we have wooed into the pews, we have watered down the whole counsel of God to the exclusion of sin, judgment, holiness, and the wrath of Almighty God.  More than twenty-five years ago, Francis Schaeffer rightly warned, “The evangelical church has accommodated itself to the world around it.” In doing so, we have become more “market-driven” than Master-directed. 

The Christian community is being shaped more by Hollywood than by God’s Holy Word.  We hear more and more Christians saying, “God’s desire for me is to be happy,” rather than “God’s desire for me is to be holy.”  Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist minister, aptly observed, “He who marries today’s fashion is tomorrow’s widow.”   

Today’s church desperately needs countercultural Christians who refuse to be seduced, swerved, and shaped by Hollywood.  Pastor Tullian Tchividjian wrote in Unfashionable, “Faithfulness to Christ requires foreignness to the world’s trendy diversions.”  To be sure, there is a lot this world has to offer in the way of diversions―which are some of Satan’s sharpest darts. 

Let me ask you: Is the confession of your life being shaped more by Hollywood or God’s Holy Word? 

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).  We live in this world, but we are not to live like this world because we have received the Spirit of Christ.  We are to make an eternal difference in this world because we have been made eternally different.

The world doesn’t need more of this world; it needs more of the next!  No one will understand the things freely given us through the “teaching” of Hollywood, but only through the Holy Word of God―both professed and practiced by the people of God. That is the teaching that will give this world get what it needs most: a Savior who is ready, willing, and able to save sinners.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Have you ever thought of self-denial as a grace from God?  To be sure, Adam and Eve did not see self-denial as grace; they proved that when they opted for self-satisfaction!  Yet Jesus makes it clear that self-denial is a great grace from God: “He said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).  Self-denial, not self-satisfaction, is both the way and the walk of our Savior.  Remember, Adam and Eve got what they “wanted” when they chose the way of self-satisfaction; in doing so, they missed the only thing they truly needed . . . God!

God’s grace of self-denial is the rescue our Redeemer provides from the bondage of self-satisfaction.  When the most important thing in life is satisfying the self, we live only a fraction of the life God intended us to live.  The grace of self-denial leads us to the abundant life because the “stuff” of this world can never really satisfy our deepest need.  Only an intimate personal relationship with Jesus can do that, and this relationship will only be realized through the grace of self-denial.  Self-denial loosens our hold on the things of this world, freeing us to tighten our grip on “all things above,” leading to a previously unimagined life of satisfaction! 

Self-satisfaction is not the key to satisfaction in marriage; self-denial is.  Self-satisfaction is not the key to satisfaction in your job; self-denial is.  Self-satisfaction is not the key to satisfaction in your singleness; self-denial is.  Self-satisfaction is not the key to satisfaction in your church; self-denial is.  So where in your life have you been finding it hard to deny yourself?  And what has seeking your own satisfaction brought you? 

Jesus denied Himself in every way for you.  He who was rich became poor.  He who was a King became a criminal.  He who knew no sin became sin.  He who knew no death became the death of death.  Is there anything you cannot deny yourself for the One who has and will continue to do everything for you?  The pathway of self-denial is the pathway of self-satisfaction.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Blood bought believers in the Lord Jesus Christ generally come first to understand the grace of God as the unmerited and undeserved favor God bestows through His beloved Son.  We recognize the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9―“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  This grace is the power of God to raise dead sinners to life.

More difficult to comprehend is the grace described in various places in the Scriptures, including 2 Corinthians 12:9―“He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  The grace set forth in this context is not the unmerited and undeserved favor of God found in salvation; here Paul is describing the divine enabling “grace,” or power, given to the believer through the Holy Spirit.  In a word, it is grace for your race, the race you are to run by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

When God said His grace was sufficient for the race set before us, He was also saying we were insufficient to run His race by ourselves.  We were never designed to run alone.  Before the fall, Adam and Eve were created dependent upon God for everything.  We are mistaken if we believe our dependence upon God began when man fell in the garden.  We were made by God for God, and the only thing that changed after sin entered the world was our desperate need for rescue by our Redeemer.  The grace that puts us into His race at salvation is the same grace that keeps us in the race throughout our lives.  The Bible makes it clear that we cannot complete in the flesh what began in the Spirit.  Paul rebuked the Galatians for that very notion: “Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3.) No, we are not sanctified by our own power, but by His: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). 

It’s important to note that God’s grace is sufficient for the running of the race to completion―NOT the running of it without challenges!  To be sure, everyone would prefer to run when the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the temperature is a comfortable 75 degrees.  But we are called to run in all types of weather and over all kinds of terrain.  God gives us precisely the amount of grace we need to run our race, one day at a time.

The weaker we are, the more God’s grace works in our lives.  “When I am weak,” Paul said plainly, “then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).  The world glories in self-sufficiency; we are to glory in our Savior.  At this level of living, we receive all the grace we need to face the challenges and struggles of the day.  Trouble at the office . . . grace for the race.  Difficulty in marriage . . . grace for the race.  Rebellious children . . . grace for the race.  Struggles in your single life . . . grace for your race.  Challenges in your church . . . grace for your race. 

Paul understood that God’s grace was completely sufficient to carry him through to the end of his race.  You will remember that Paul was forced to live out his life with a “thorn,” after praying to God three times for its removal.  Whatever this thorn was, it was painful enough that Paul asked God to remove it three times.  Yet God chose instead to provide Paul with the grace he needed to carry this burden while ministering and writing nearly two-thirds of the entire New Testament.  Instead of focusing his painful problem, Paul held fast to God’s providential power, given through the Holy Spirit.

Whatever burden you are carrying today, God has given you all the grace you need―if you will but look to Him.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN! 

Today’s blog is right out of the Sunday school lesson I taught yesterday morning.  The lesson was rooted in Acts 20:35―“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  After class a number of people suggested that the lesson would make a great sermon.  If that is true, the highlights should make for a pretty good blog entry!  I’ll let you decide.   

Let me ask you a question: Where in the Gospels did Jesus say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?  Well, if you were to conduct a word search, the correct answer is: none of them!  Yet the entire tenor of the teaching of our Lord was rooted in this wonderful beatitude.  Remember, all of the beatitudes of Jesus are not confined to the Sermon on the Mount.  Paul suggests that this was part of the oral tradition by using the word “remember.”  Furthermore, John made it clear that not all of what our Lord said and did is recorded in Scripture. “Jesus did many other things as well,” the apostle explained.  “If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

When we fail to see the greater blessing in giving than receiving our, lives are marked by consumption rather than contribution . . . by getting rather than giving.  To be sure, it is the nature of the child of God to give what I like to call the 4 T’s―Time, Talent, Treasure, and Truth (God’s Word).  At this level of living we are ministers of God’s grace, providing an accurate reflection of Him.  When we are more focused on giving than receiving, we become channels of grace in the lives of others. 

So how are you doing in this area?  Do you find greater blessing in giving or receiving?  The poet wrote:

Not what I get, but what I give, this be the gauge by which I live.  Not merely joys that come my way, but the help I give to those astray.  Not the rewards of money or fame, But the load I lift in Jesus’ name.  This is the pay at the end of the day, not what I keep, but what I give away.

Who in your life right now needs your time, talent, treasure, or the truth of God’s Word?  We are never more like Jesus than when we are busily engaged in the act of giving.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!

Today is the third of our 3-part message on Treasure Hunters.  Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).  In this brief but penetrating passage, Jesus sets forth four powerful truths that relate to treasure hunting.  Today we will complete our message with the third and fourth truth.

TRUTH #3

The third truth is framed in the divine “abstain/advance” imperative from Jesus.  Jesus warns us to abstain from pursuing earth-bound little kingdom treasures and to advance in the direction of pursuing heaven-bound big kingdom treasures.  The Apostle Paul passed this truth on to his young assistant, Timothy: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

TRUTH #4

The fourth truth makes it clear that what we pursue and possess ultimately pursues and possesses us.  It is a matter of the heart; “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

It was a matter of the heart for both Adam and Eve.  With hearts made for God, they both sought to satisfy their deepest longings in something other than God, something that could never satisfy them, and all humanity has been on a downward spiral ever since.  Satan promised Adam and Eve something they already had—life, and instead they received something they were never intended to experience—death.  This is always the result of chasing after the wrong kind of treasure.  The promise on the front end is attractive and enticing, but at the end of the day, it inevitably leads to some kind of death. 

When we hunt for treasure outside of the only treasure that was meant to satisfy us, we are never satisfied. “The Preacher,” author of Ecclesiastes, is considered by many scholars to be none other than King Solomon, whose vast accumulation of wealth eclipsed that of any other Israelite king, yet his heart was led astray from God. His testimony is illustrative:

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

Apart from God, everything is hollow, empty, and woefully less than God’s best for our lives.  Settling for something smaller than God is settling for a life smaller than God intended for us to live.  It is living a life for nothing bigger than life itself.  C.S. Lewis rightly observed in Mere Christianity:

If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought most of the next.  The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who build up the Middle Ages, the English who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.  It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have becomes so ineffective in this one.  Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’; aim at earth and you will get neither.

 It all comes down to identifying what we are living for in this life.  When we seek the treasures of earth, we live for nothing more than the life we are living.  When we seek the treasures of heaven we live for something so much more than the life we are living.  Living in the light of eternity causes us to pursue treasures that create eternal investments.  This is living a life shaped by Christ and His kingdom, which brings a satisfaction that transcends anything we could ever find in the pursuit of anything smaller than God Himself.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today is the second of a three-part message on Treasure Hunters.  Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

In this brief but penetrating passage, Jesus sets forth four powerful truths that relate to treasure hunting.  On Monday I outlined the first truth―that everyone is a treasure hunter. Jesus assumes treasure hunting as a mark of all humanity; we are all seeking value. Today we will confine our focus to the second truth.

TRUTH #2

The second truth is found in the two different classes of treasure we may pursue: earthly and heavenly . . . carnal and spiritual . . . important and unimportant . . . little and big . . . temporal and eternal.  We always have two choices in treasure hunting; we can hunt for the stuff we want or the stuff God wants for us.

It’s important to note that we could, in fact, be pursuing the treasure God wants us to pursue, but for the wrong reasons, like personal power or self-centered glorification.  A church elder, for example, who enjoys the prestige of authority rather than the fulfillment of serving is pursuing godly treasure, but with the entirely wrong motive!  Another wrong (but not uncommon) motive for pursuing godly treasure is found in the Christian who is seeking the applause and praise of man for his charitable deeds.  The ultimate goal here is status, not service―shrinking your life down to the size of your life and nothing more. 

As treasure hunters we not only need to be pursuing the right stuff, we must be pursuing it for the right reasons.  At this level of living, we are being shaped by the Savior in all we desire, decide, and do.  We have been created to seek treasure that truly matters, treasure which is rooted in a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  We simply cannot deny the powerful pull of both classes of treasures, earthly and heavenly.  The one that rules your heart will ultimately shape your life.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!   

Today is the first of a 3-part message on Treasure Hunters.  The adventure film National Treasure has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it in 2004.  It is loosely based on the myth of a secret code inscribed on the back of the Declaration of Independence by its signers.  The deciphering of this secret code would lead the treasure hunters, led by Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage), to the discovery of a fantastic collection of treasure that had been protected and passed down by the Knights Templar and Freemasons for centuries. 

I am convinced that films like National Treasure and the hugely successful “Indiana Jones” series are so popular because they connect the viewer with the “treasure hunter” inside of all of us.  If, indeed, we are all treasure hunters, the question that must be asked and answered is: “What kind of treasure are we spending our lives to discover?”

Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).  In this brief but penetrating passage, Jesus sets forth four powerful truths that relate to treasure hunting.  Today we will confine our focus to the first truth.

TRUTH #1

The first truth is found in the fact that, yes, everyone is a treasure hunter.  Jesus does not leave room for any other option.  He assumes treasure hunting as a mark of all humanity.  Anything of value is a treasure, and we are all seeking value.  It may be the value of a certain amount of income.  Perhaps it is a style of living that indicates you have “made it.”  Maybe it is a position of power and prestige in your company, community, or church.  In his book, A Quest For More, Paul Tripp writes, “If I watched the video of your last year, what treasure would I conclude you’re after?”     

So, what is the answer to this penetrating question?  What is the confession of your treasure hunting life?  Take some time to prayerfully consider both your personal and professional life and check back in on Wednesday for our second truth…

We have all heard the phrase “Coming to Christ.”  Rightly understood, we realize that it is the enabling grace of God that calls us to come to Christ.  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,” Jesus said. “And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).  By nature, we will always choose our own way of salvation and not the way of salvation through Christ.  Our minds are too fickle, our hearts are too hard, and our wills too stubborn.  It is only by a supernatural work of God’s grace that anyone comes to Christ and receives the gift of eternal life.  Salvation is all of grace, from beginning to end.

We have all heard the phrase “Going for Christ.”  Rightly understood, we must realize that this too is the enabling grace of God.  Without the same enabling grace that raised us from death to life, we would always choose to go our own way.  We would go where we want to go, when we want to go, and get there in the way we think best.  Without grace, we would be going for ourselves and for the advancement of “the kingdom of one,” in which we consider ourselves to be the sovereign ruler, lawgiver, judge, and jury.  So whether we are coming or going for the glory of Christ, it is because of God’s grace that is at work within us. Paul confirms this in the following verses:

COMING:   “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). 

GOING: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

As Christians, we should be every bit as comforted as we are challenged to grow into the person God is calling us to be, knowing that it is all of grace.  Yes, we strive, but we strive in His strength.  Yes, we work, but we work in His wisdom.  Yes, we participate, but we participate in His power.  In His strength, His wisdom, and His power we are able to engage in the advancement of His kingdom with all the joy and confidence imaginable.  If God began this work in our coming to Christ, and it is all of grace even after we are saved, we can rest assured that God will complete His work in our lives, providing all the grace we need in our “going” for Christ wherever He sends us.  Paul wrote that we can be “sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

It is important to understand that “going” for Christ is not synonymous with foreign missionary work—as important as that work is in advancing the cause of Christ.  Think mission right where you are:  mission in marriage; mission in the marketplace; mission in the mundane;  mission in every ministry you have been called to serve in—right where you are!  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have been a coach for more than twenty years and currently serve as the middle school baseball coach for Westminster Academy. I understand the importance of practice.  Contrary to the old homily, practice never makes perfect, but it certainly helps make progress!  There is an important principle regarding practice which we attempt to instill in the minds of the players: the way we practice will determine how we perform in the actual game. An individual or team who practices in a lackadaisical manner will not suddenly transform into a focused, powerful champion when the actual game begins.

What is true in the practice of sports is also true in the practice of spirituality—what we might call practicing the presence of God.  The way we practice the presence of God will determine how we perform in the life God has called us to live.   

Paul made this crystal clear when he wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).  Practicing the presence of God begins and ends at the cross.  It is at the cross that we find the meaning of life, the message of life, and the Master of life.  And because practice never makes perfect, we must continuously return to the foot of the cross, where grace renews us for practicing the presence of God.

So, what does it really look like when we are practicing the presence of God?  In the words of Jack Miller, we are to “preach the gospel to ourselves every day.”  This is the most important discipline in practicing the presence of God.  Sinners are the only ones in need of the Gospel.  So preaching the gospel to ourselves every day continually reminds us of two incredibly important truths:

1. We are sinners.  Even the good works that we do are so stained by our sin as to be nothing more than “a polluted garment” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

2. Our sins are forgiven.  When you practice the presence of God by preaching the Gospel to yourself daily, you reinforce this glorious truth, that God has removed our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).  This gives you both the permission and the power to go on.  Only sinners who know they have been forgiven can continue practicing the presence of God, even in the presence of our own sin. Practice was never intended to make perfect on this side of the grave, only progress.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!   

Today Americans commemorate all the men and women who paid the ultimate price to protect and defend our freedom while in the service of our great nation.  Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, and was first observed on May 30 of that year, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  Memorial Day is now celebrated on the last Monday in May as an established time for our nation to honor those who gave their all for all of us. 

There was another who gave His all for all of us; His name is Jesus Christ.  He gave more than anyone could ever give when He willingly and without reservation went to the cross on Golgotha’s Hill so that men and women would be set free from sin, Satan, and the judgment to come.  Scripture declares this glorious truth: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:8-9).

Whenever Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper, it is Memorial Day, for our Savior commanded us to “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).  Yet every day should be a day of remembering for all those who were bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Every day is a time to remember the work of Christ, which was nothing less than an all-out assault against sin, Satan, and the judgment to come . . . a time to remember the work of Christ for people who were desperately in need of rescue and totally incapable of rescuing ourselves . . . a time to remember that every aspect of our existence is to be shaped by His claim on our lives. 

Remembering what Christ has done for us provides us with the ultimate purpose to go further up and further into the Gospel of grace.  Every thought, every desire, every word, and every deed is to be shaped by the cross.  Vertically our lives should be marked by a sold-out love for God and horizontally they are to be marked by a sold-out love for others.  The grace we have received is designed to make us communicators and conduits of grace in the lives of others.  Along the way, the King who has sought us and bought us gets all the glory.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!