A SAFE PLACE IN JESUS

 

 

I have no problem telling the unsaved that God loves them. However, there is also a place for stronger medicine. In the first two evangelistic sermons in the Book of Acts, Peter went right to the sin issue:

• "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:22-23)

• “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life.” (Acts 3:13)

In both cases, Peter called upon them to repent. He didn’t have to mention faith because faith and repentance are inseparable, opposite but complementary sides of the same coin. Both are the product of a regenerated heart. However, Peter’s focus on repentance zeroed in on the central issue.

This illustrates an important but often neglected principle. Good preaching and evangelism should usually be accompanied by the conviction of sin. In letters to five of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation, Jesus convicted them of their sins and commanded that they repent.

The preaching of many churches often lacks this key element. It is often replaced by unbiblical concepts of “niceness” and “love,” which equates preaching sin with judgmentalness or even self-righteousness. However, this is the very thing that the Church is commanded to preach:

• Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Paul had warned that sin was like yeast. Just a little dab could transform the entire loaf (Galatians 5:9) and also the church. This is particularly the case regarding the Church’s unwillingness to preach against sexual sin. I asked several church leaders regarding the presence of homosexual couples and the transgendered in their church. I was told that instead of preaching against it, “We just want to love them into the Kingdom by providing a safe place for them.”

However, the real safe place for the unrepentant sinner is the place that confronts him with his sin in hope that this will produce repentance and lead him to the only true hope in Christ.

THE DECLINE OF RELIGION, By C.S. Lewis (and me)

 

Apologist and scholar, C.S. Lewis, had foreseen the dire fate of the Church even in 1946:

·       The ‘decline of religion’ so often lamented (or welcomed) is held to be shown by empty chapels. Now it is quite true that chapels which were full in 1900 are empty in 1946. (God in the Dock, “The Decline of Religion” (218)

However, Lewis observed that this change should have been anticipated from the writings of the 19^th century where “only secular and natural values are taken seriously,” even though they might bear a strong similarity to Christian values:

·       But if we judge the nineteenth century from the books it wrote, the outlook of our grandfathers (with very few exceptions) was quite as secular as our own.

Consequently, Lewis noted:

·       The religion which has [now] declined was not Christianity. It was a vague Theism with a strong and virile ethical code, which, far from standing over against the ‘World’ was absorbed into the whole fabric of English institutions and sentiment and therefore demanded church-going as (at best) a part of loyalty and good manners as (at worst) a proof of respectability. (219-20)

Lewis believed that this secular shake-up would be good for the purification of Christianity:

·       The decline of 'religion', thus understood, seems to me in some ways was a blessing. At the very worst it makes the issue clear…The fog of ‘religion’ has lifted; the positions and numbers of both armies can be observed; and the real shooting [accurate Christian argumentation] is now possible. (220)

Nevertheless, Lewis thought that the rejection of Christianity, even in its secularized form, would prove costly for the UK:

·       The decline of religion [secularized Christianity] is no doubt a bad thing for the ‘World’. By it all the things that made England a fairly happy country, are, I supposed endangered: the comparative purity of her public life, the comparative humanity of her police, and the possibility of mutual respect between political opponents. (220)

Lewis predicted that the marginalization of the Christian faith, albeit secularized, would prove costly. However, he doubted that this would negatively impact the true Church:

·       But I am not clear that it makes conversions to Christianity rarer or more difficult: rather the reverse. It makes the choice [between the World and Christ] more unescapable. (220)

The light of Christ shines brighter in the darkness than in the light. However, Lewis was insistent that the Church must also provide intellectual light:

·       If the intellectual climate is such that, when a man comes to the crisis at which he must either accept or reject Christ, his reason and imagination are not on the wrong side, then his conflict will be fought out under favorable conditions. Those who help to produce and spread such a climate are therefore doing a useful work. (221)

This principle of providing an intellectual climate conducive to salvation is seen throughout Scripture:

·       And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. (Acts 17:2-4; ESV)

Lewis believed that cycles of interest in Christianity, followed by acceptance, rejection, and persecution are as inevitable as forest fires, which renew the forest:

·       At first it is welcome to all who have no special reason for opposing it: at this stage he who is not against it is for it. What men notice is its difference from those aspects of the World which they already dislike. But later on, as the real meaning of the Christian claim becomes apparent, its demand for total surrender, the sheer chasm between Nature and the Supernatural, men are increasingly ‘offended’. Dislike, terror, and finally hatred succeed. (222-23)

What does this suggest for us? We must not be overly concerned about these inevitable cycles. We must not follow them, cater and pander to them, and give ourselves over to our fickle culture. We cannot forget our first vocation to love the Lord our God with all our being.

Envisioning the coming apostasy, Paul’s counsel to Timothy was very clear:

·       Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

We too must do the same, no matter how discouraging the times, knowing that even hell shall not prevail against the Church of Christ.

WHAT SHOULD GOOD PREACHING LOOK LIKE?

I used to hate the “try harder, do better” sermons. I didn’t find them uplifting, but condemning. I found that I was never able to “do better.” Instead, I would leave church feeling like a loser, a spiritual failure, barely acceptable to God.

Slowly, the Lord began to open my eyes to a deeper understanding of grace – what Christ had accomplished for me on the Cross, taking all of my sins, inadequacies, and failures upon Himself. Consequently, the Gospel set me free.

However, I continued to disdain the slightest whisper of an obedience-oriented message.  I knew that my fruit fell far short of what the preacher was requiring from me. Therefore, I convinced myself that grace had replaced the need to be obedient and to bear fruit.

However, I also began to see that it was not just the preacher who was making demands of me; it was also Scripture. Even the One who had died for me and who had directed me to just believe (John 6:29; 8:24) was requiring fruit from me:

·       For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

·       For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:46-48; ESV)

How could I possibly be perfect? I couldn’t, and, once again, I felt like a spiritual failure. I also began to see that repentance was not an option:

·       “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3-5)

In fact, so many of Jesus’ parables seemed to demand a high degree of righteousness as the ticket to enter into heaven. Right after His teaching about the need to repent, Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that didn’t bear fruit. After fertilizing it, if it still didn’t bear fruit, He would have it cut down (Luke 13:6-9). Gulp!

I struggled with the idea that perhaps Scripture was hopelessly conflicted and that all of my hope was for naught. How could salvation be a free gift and still be something that we earned through our good deeds?

My confidence in the Gospel hit bottom. I was in despair once again until the Spirit opened my eyes to the fact that, while the Good News of the Gospel still stands, a real faith along with a real new life will bear fruit as Jesus taught about a good tree:

·       “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:15-19)

If we are a good tree, by the grace of God, and have a real living faith, based upon the new life He has given us, then we will bear fruit as does the good tree. If we continue to bear bad fruit as the fig tree had, then we are not a good tree and should be cut down.

What then must biblical preaching look like? The Bible! It must include Gospel and law (obedience). Although the law, even the law of Christ, is not the Gospel, the two are inseparable. Faith and obedience always go together, and they should. If we trust God, we will do what He tells us to do. We will abide in His Word and keep His commandments. If we do not, we do not have a real living faith, the faith that comes to us as a gift from God:

·       And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. (1 John 2:3-5)

While obedience does not save us, it gives us the assurance that we are in Him. If we do not obey Him, we do not know Him savingly.

In fact, obedience is also necessary for growing in grace. They are interdependent. How? While trying to obey the Gospel, we reap blessings, but also frustration. Our failures to live obediently cause us great distress, knowing that we must conform our lives unto Christ (1 Peter 1:15:16). Even more troubling, we begin to see how unworthy we are of anything that comes from God (Luke 17:10).

This can throw us into crisis mode, where we see that our only hope is in the mercy of God. We therefore confess our sins and repent in brokenness. Through this humbling process, our Lord lifts us up, so that we can again see His mercy in neon lights. Encouraged, we recommit ourselves to the Lord and to obedience to His teachings.

This cycle is something we continue to experience. Each time, it deepens our appreciation of our incredible Lord and His Gospel.

Please note, that without pursuing obedience, we are not adequately humbled. Without the humbling, we will not be lifted in order to receive a more vibrant portrait of the Gospel and recommit to the Lord with ever-increasing vigor.

What does this suggest about biblical preaching? We need to preach both the law and Grace, the Gospel and our complete obedience to it. We must preach to expose and indict all sin and to comfort with the all-sufficiency of the Gospel.

PREACHING GRACE ALONGSIDE OF THE LAW AND OBEDIENCE

What should a good sermon look and feel like? One Christian scholar and Reformed brother answered the question this way:

• Sermons and Bible studies that focus on “law” (the demands of Scripture for our obedience), no matter how accurately biblical in context, tend simply to add to the burden of guilt felt by the average Christian. A friend of mine calls these sermons “another brick in the backpack” – you arrive at church knowing five ways in which you are falling short of God’s standards for your life, and you leave knowing ten ways, doubly burdened. In my experience such teaching yields little by way of life transformation, especially in terms of the joy and peace that are supposed to mark the Christian life.

There is truth in this. To understand the Bible is to perceive its Christo- grace- and Gospel-centricity. It’s all about Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross. Because of this, all the promises of God are fulfilled in Christ:

• For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Cor. 1:20)

Jesus also repeatedly pointed back to show how Scripture is about Him (John 5:39; Luke 24: 25-27; 44-48). Peter (1 Peter 1:10-11) and Paul did likewise (Acts 26:22-23).

Understandably, the above scholar warns against the do-better-try-harder sermon as unbiblically burdensome, tending “simply to add to the burden of guilt.” After all, since He is the One who has secured our grace and forgiveness through the cross, shouldn’t our teachings be Christ-centered, focusing on His mercy and not the moralistic, death-dealing requirements of the law? Yes! However, I think that this assessment requires some modification.

Christ is not only the mercy of God; He is also the righteousness of God. He is the all-in- all, embodying the fullness of God (Col. 2:9-10):

• But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22)

• It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.(1 Cor. 1:30)

However, the gift of Christ’s holiness does not let us off the moral hook. Instead, we too must be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Jesus taught the very same message:

• Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
  

Paul claimed that we must follow God’s unchanging moral dictates, even though no longer under the law:

• Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31)

Having been freed from the Covenant of the Law doesn’t mean that we are now free to murder and steal. Instead, we are now freed so that we can live under Christ and bear moral fruit by the Spirit:

• So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code [the Covenant of the Law]. (Romans 7:4-6)

Under the headship of our Savior, we have been reconciled to God, have received the Spirit, and He has His laws upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). And these laws are there for a purpose. They not only instruct us but they also guide us into moral obedience, and our teaching should reflect the Spirit’s plan.

Consequently, although Paul’s Pastoral Epistles are Christ-centered, they also law-centered. They require that our teaching and preaching demand moral holiness. In line with this, Paul insisted that all Scripture “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), not just the parts that emphasized God’s mercy.

He instructed Timothy to ”Teach these things” (1 Tim. 4:11). Which things did Paul think that Timothy should teach? Just things of grace? No:

• For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Tim. 4:8)

Paul taught about how servants and masters should treat one another. Then he instructed Timothy to teach “these… things”:

• These are the things you are to teach and insist on…If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. (1 Tim. 6:2-4)

Understandably, it would have been difficult for servants to obey a harsh master, and so this command would have provoked feelings of guilt and possibly disdain. However, this should not be the last word for a Christian. Instead, the guilt should continue to lead us to Christ, forgiveness, and restoration.

Paul then instructed Timothy:

• Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Timothy 6:17-18)

These commands were not to simply be expressed on a personal level but also through teaching and preaching. It is unthinkable that these moral teachings could not be expressed in sermons or Bible studies.

In his next letter to the young pastor Timothy, Paul instructed:

• And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Tim. 2:2)

Paul didn’t simply teach Timothy about grace, but also the need for grace in the face of ubiquitous moral failures. Teaching adherence to the requirements of the law was central to Paul’s message to Timothy:

• Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen… Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly… Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 22)

Paul then instructed Timothy about the lawlessness in the last days when people would no longer be interested in hearing moral teachings. What was the answer? Teaching a message consisting only of “God loves you?” No! Preaching Scripture in its fullness would be required:

• Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Tim. 4:2)

This would be a message that would not only embody encouragement but also moral correction and rebuke!

Paul’s instruction to Titus about the substance of his teaching was similar – it had to include moralizing:

• You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. (Titus 2:1-3) 

It is the teaching of the law – the commandments of God – that serves to highlight grace. Moralizing and preaching obedience must not be isolated from grace. They should work inseparably:

• For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. (Titus 2:11-12) 

“Grace… teaches!” What does grace teach? “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness!” The law should not be taught without the hope of grace; nor should grace be taught without the requirements of the law and our failures in light of them.

In light of this, theologian Iain M. Duguid wrote:

• To put it simply, he [Paul] never preached Ephesians 4-6 (the ethical imperatives) without connecting them to Ephesians 1-3 (the Gospel indicative.) (Is Jesus in the Old Testament? 12)

Law (requirements) and grace (the gift) should not be separated in our teaching and preaching. They are partners that complement each other. The law highlights the exceeding beauty and necessity of grace, while grace is the necessary answer to our ubiquitous failures in light of the teachings of our Savior.

Paul observed that the law was instrumental in leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:22-24). I think that the convicting and humbling power of the law continues to show us the relevance of Christ:

• Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

God continues to humble us so that He might also exalt us:

• Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:9-10)

Good preaching should grieve us, but it must also lift us! Okay, we are no longer under the law. We are under Christ, but even His teachings still humble and provoke guilt. However, these difficult teachings serve to lead us back to the mercy of Christ where we again grasp what He accomplished for us on the cross.  It is when I am overcome with the sight of my own sins that the cross appears in its glorious splendor.

Without this, the God-loves-you message can become insipid and uninspiring. Instead, we need constant reminders of how much we need His love and forgiveness. Without these reminders, our preaching might be casting God’s precious seeds upon hardened ground unprepared to receive them.

I therefore think that the law still leads us humbly to the cross, while the cross gratefully and confidently leads us back to the law – a functional and growth-producing marriage.