How do I know He is alive?

Very few people have ever asked me why I believe in Jesus, or why I believe He rose from the dead. The devotional writer is a pastor, far more often on the ‘hot seat’ than I am; however, I have thought about this challenge. For me, there are two main answers. One is objective: the Word of God declares it. The other is subjective: what God has done in my life fits with what He promises to do, and almost all of that has been an unexpected surprise.

Piper makes a compelling statement about the Word of God by appealing to the trustworthy characters of those who were with Him when Jesus was on earth. He says:

“I find Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and the writer of Hebrews to be the sort of men I would trust with my life more quickly than a host of secular authorities. And when it comes to making sense out of the world (of guilt and fear and pain), the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection of Christ go a lot farther than viruses or evolution. . . . The witnesses to Christ in the Bible have won my trust. Christ shines through their word with such compelling authenticity that I have yielded to him. No other way of seeing the world answers as many of my pressing questions as the Christian way.”

This is an appeal to logic. The Bible makes sense out of everything else. Yet there are many who think this is a book invented, even though most have never read it. It is in the reading that gives the second answer for this is what many Christians claim: they didn’t believe until God spoke to their hearts when they tried to prove the Bible is wrong by reading it. It is to this that Piper hints as he goes on…

 “There is a spiritual life God has given to me so that I love him and trust him and hope to be with him more than anything else. In this way we give expression to the reality of…” and then he points to a favorite passage of mine:

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:11–15)

Faith comes to Christians in the person of Jesus Christ. God gives us His Son and His reality is marvelously made known by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is with me. I know His presence just as I know the presence of others who live and are nearby. He is as real yet invisible as anyone that I can see. 

I know I have eternal life because of Jesus, but also because of the changes in my life. I know who He is, I trust Him alone for my salvation, my attitude toward sin and the self-centered rule of my own life has changed from me on the throne to Jesus is Lord. I don’t want to sin; I want to live for Him. This did not happen by my power. Ask anyone about their desire to yield all to the Lord; no one willingly does it until He changes their heart.

Add to this the experience of answered prayer and the evidence of God’s goodness and care for my well-being. He wants me to think and act like Jesus:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28–30)

I cannot boast of any change in me because I must admit how much I’ve fought it. God does it anyway. He tells me to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12–13) He makes it happen, like a hand in a glove. My task is to cooperate.

PRAY: Jesus, even with those reasons, salvation is a mystery to minds darkened by sin. Refusing the basics hides logic, personal testimonies, changed lives. If I insisted on running my own life, You could have simply let me. I’m so glad and so grateful that You persisted and in grace brought me to knowing and loving the truth. I am a sinner saved because Jesus is real and  is alive in me. What a wonder!

Alive and Dead at the same time…

At lunch with Christian friends, we discussed the value system of the world, particular some who are often in the news, and the difference between what they want out of life and what we want. Well, most of the time.

That difference mainly amounts to our realization that we “can’t take it with us” so most of what is important to many, like money, power, and fame, is not important to us. Well, most of the time.

This is because of a truth Jesus stated in verses like this one:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:24–26)

Piper puts it this way: “It doesn’t matter what happens to me. . . .  when I am dead, I will not care what they do with my body. It will make no difference to me. I will be home with Jesus. That’s the way it is now, too, if I have died already with Christ, which all Christians have: ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires’ (Galatians 5:24). Crucified means dead. So in a profound sense I am dead on the earth and my life is ‘hidden with Christ in God’ (Colossians 3:3). So it just doesn’t matter what happens to me here on earth.

However, most of us can say what a young missionary once said: “My problem is that a living sacrifice keeps crawling off the altar.” We so easily forget that we are dead, that is, our old nature is separated from God, cannot bear fruit, and is useless. The world and the Liar cannot make appeals to our new nature, but both will attack and mess with that old dead one. It seems odd that dead listens to other dead entities. Our lunch discussion included personal examples of  this battle.

Piper IDs it by pointing out that we are to “hate this life in this world” at least in the sense that we don’t give it much thought or care what happens to us. It doesn’t matter because we are dead to it… like a dead person is not concerned about possessions, being lied about, being famous, having much or little, and so on. 

Instead, our concern is to follow Jesus. And we do, most of the time. When do we crawl off the altar or come down from that cross? I get side-tracked by ordinary stuff. One friend shared how she tends to second-guess what God tells her to do. Another says, “I just want things to go smoothly.” We have I-trouble and our ears sometimes do not hear that still, small voice. Short term memory loss? 

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (Romans 6:11–13)

Excuses aside, it is a choice. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). “Like a grain of wheat, fall into the ground and die.” Choose it. “Hate your life in this world.”

The result is much fruit. Paul said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things” (Philippians 3:8). Most of us know what that means. Yet many are not happy with the idea of suffering loss. This is what makes me less fruitful than Paul. Not that I live in a different era, or place, or am a woman, or need to take care of my home and family. The real reason is that I-trouble.

PRAY: Jesus, this is a sharp reminder that life is short and if any of it will have eternal value, it will not come from the dead old me, only from the new life that exists and is empowered because of You. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7) Make that distinction between dead to sin and alive to You even sharper, and remind me often. I need it, not just most of the time, but all of the time.

Knowing Jesus

  

At the end of a sermon with a gospel invitation, the speaker often says something about introducing a seeker to Jesus. While I know that Jesus welcomes those who seek Him, is this really how it works? Can I say to someone words that open his heart and mind to know the Savior? It seems to me that is not possible. If a person wants to know God, then isn’t God the one who introduces or opens their hearts to know Him?

Today’s devotional says knowing God is essential. Jesus did say that without this knowledge, we cannot have eternal life…

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

However, a few verses later He also says…

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. (John 17:6–8)

He gives the words and the seeker receives and believes them, yet it is God who both reveals and gives what is needed, including the words needed and the faith (that comes by hearing, Romans 10:17) to believe, and all we need to have that life and godliness. I can tell others this good news but it is God who makes Himself known.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:3)

When I encounter someone that I’ve never met, I can ignore them, or I can make myself known to them in conversation. They are able to do the same. Revelation of self to someone else is not up to the someone else, or even to the person doing the introductions. That person can tell the other some things about me, but knowing information is not the same as really knowing.

Today’s reading say we get to know Jesus by studying His life and pondering His words, but I could do that with anyone who has a biography or talks about their thoughts and ideas, yet that is not the knowledge Jesus refers to that pertains to eternal life. It is far more intimate. 1 Corinthians says that He gives us even His mind. No person we meet can do that.

I’ve been married fifty-three years and do not have my husband’s mind. As much as I talk and reveal my thoughts, he does not have my mind either. But we do have the mind of Christ and that gives us a communication level, even a knowledge level, that rises above reading and studying. The only thing we can do to deepen our knowing is… “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3) yet even this depends on His desire to reveal Himself and obedience is the evidence rather than the means that I do know Him.

 For Christians, knowing Christ is a legitimate boast. The OT prophet declares:

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

And the NT writers also knew the wealth and wonder of knowing Jesus:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)

PRAY: Jesus, knowing You is the delight of my life. Do I boast about it and about Your love, justice, and righteousness? I should — far more often than I do. Knowing You is the most important thing in my life just as You are the most important person ever to walk this planet. I’m so thankful that You revealed yourself to me and continue to keep showing me more about You. You are a wonderful Savior!

Saying NO

 

In the past few weeks, demands on our time have delayed my time in devotions. Missing the normal schedule is something like missing a meal. I’m not starving but definitely hungry. I love bread but understand Jesus’ words:

“It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

Much of what we do here on earth is necessary. I must eat, sleep, and so on, but also must spend time with Jesus and His people. If I don’t, it is like missing too many meals. God asks:

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isaiah 55:2)

This is metaphor. It means that if I spend my time and effort on the stuff that is not important to God and to my spiritual well-being, I will not have the satisfaction that He offers in Jesus Christ. His will is that I draw my supply of righteousness moment by moment from the Lord.

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

This means giving up, dying to self, saying no to all efforts to feed the hungers in my heart with anything other than what God supplies. Paul sets the example. He listed those things that may have once been important or could make him higher in the eyes of the world, and then he said:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)

This was no easy decision, at least in his short-range experience. In gaining Christ, he went through trials that most people would totally avoid. Yet he also experienced life in Christ that he would have otherwise missed:

As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)

God told the OT Levites: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20) He would be their possession, their everything.

I’ve been standing on the edge of this, looking at it with understanding, singing words that desire it, yet not certain what it is like to “suffer the loss of all things” yet “possessing everything” in Christ.

PRAY: Jesus, clarify this. I know it is more about attitude than actually selling all and living on the street. I also know it is living without any concern about having stuff or going without. I also know that all my ‘stuff’ can be used to minister to others. You tell me if I need wisdom then just ask for it. I’m asking — and listening.

Having nothing yet possessing everything

Part of the spiritual gift of teaching is a strong desire to collect information so as to have it to pass along to others. While this means being good at trivial pursuit games and sharing household hints, its main purpose is knowing the will of God and the Word of God so well that cross-referencing and making connections is easy.

The downside or fleshy side of this inclination is collecting useless stuff. I noticed that last month. Some people collect spoons, or mugs, stamps, Avon containers, salt shakers, and all sorts of things that are displayed but without purpose. Today’s devotional points out that some “strive to get possession of certain experiences, some seek after ecstatic feelings, some try to make themselves rich in theological views and dogmas, some store up a long list of works done and results achieved, some seek to acquire illuminations or to accumulate gifts and graces” as if they will enhance their reputation with others and with God.

Paul wrote about events in his life and included his thoughts on collection/possession of stuff:

We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:8–10)

Having nothing yet possessing everything seems like a contradiction. However, at this stage of my walk with Him, I’m beginning to understand. Having nothing means being emptying myself of all that I have, meaning my ideas, skills, wants, burdens, everything — so that I depend on Him for everything. That is, what I have has no value to me and can be released, set aside, useless to me and unable to fulfill any of my needs and certainly useless when it comes to help others or meeting their needs. Instead, He will supply. Paul means having nothing apart from God and relying on Him means I have everything.

Jesus lived by this principle. First He emptied Himself by being in the form of god but “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself the form of a servant… and humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.” He had nothing, but lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Of this, He said: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) He applied this to knowing what we need to know: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) This means I can put information into my head but don’t need to dote on my ‘collection’ for it is the Holy Spirit who brings it out when it is needed.

Paul emptied himself and said of it: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) He knew that loss was a gain for he also wrote: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) and pointed to this attitude with lines like:

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, (1 Corinthians 3:21)

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The Apostle Peter had the same attitude. When encountering a cripple beggar, He said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6) He later wrote: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Not only does God want me to rely on Him but also remember that His supply may come through His family, not collections or any of my means or devices. He says, “All who believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44) Being interdependent is one more way to empty myself.


PRAY: Jesus, You know how independent I can be. I can handle most things, and I do rely on You for much of that, yet tend not to rely on others very much (except my dear hubby) but this idea of having nothing yet possessing everything includes a willingness to be served as well as to serve. You graciously accept the offerings of Your people. I need to be more like You.

Good news is bad news?

 

The gospel is first good news (God exists and He loves us) then bad news (we are sinners) then good news (Jesus died for our sin and rose again to give us new, eternal life). Unfortunately, some will share the gospel leaving out the bad news, yet without believing it too, no one can receive forgiveness and the gift of life He offers.

The good news says we need faith: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

However, the bad news is that we tend to try and earn God’s love and rewards without realizing our best efforts offend Him. He says we are sinners and we try to prove otherwise, but . . .

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)

Paul understood and gladly gave up on his own merits. He wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

Others didn’t understand or said NO to this news. The Jewish people thought they were pleasing God simply because they were descendants of Abraham. When John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:7–9)

Again, apart from faith, we cannot please God. The first step is simply believing He exists. The evidence is plain:  

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (Psalm 19:1–3)

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

But believing God exists isn’t enough to save a person. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19). Obviously the demons have made their choice and are beyond admitting their evil ways and trusting God. For them and for those who say NO to His good/bad news, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18) People may worship nature, evolution, idols, even demons, but not the One who loves them, a love heightened by the realization of our sinfulness!

Without the admission of sin, the good news is not so good and may not even make sense. If I could save myself, why would I need Jesus? Why would He need to die?

PRAY: Thank You Jesus for existing, for loving us and dying for us, for granting faith to us. Thank You also that You make truth plain. Enable those who hear it to believe it, all of it, including the part that says none of us can earn or deserve even the least of Your mercies.

PONDER: In reading Romans 1:18–31, I can see the connection between denying God, and sliding into idolatry, and eventually gross immoral behavior. Blindness is brought on by disobedience and lack of faith, both to the good news and to the bad news. I rejoice that God is real and that He loves me and sent Jesus to die for me. I am also grateful that He reveals sin and how it is harmful to my life and robs me of all the good that He wants to give me. And I am grateful for His mercy and grace, that all He says and does is GOOD and for my good.