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Easter: Think Bigger!

The are several problems with the common perception of life after death. Here’s what people think: when we die, our souls go to heaven to float around there forever. This is only partially true.

When we die, our souls do continue to exist (Phil. 1:21), but our ultimate hope is in the resurrection of our bodies. Our hope is that Christ “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). With the ancient church, “we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (The Nicene Creed).

A second problem is that people think it is only our individual bodies and not the whole creation that will be redeemed. But the vision of our destiny in the Scriptures is one of a redeemed world (e.g., Is. 65:17–25). As the Apostle Paul says, “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay” (Rom. 8:21). Continue reading “Easter: Think Bigger!”

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Born Again to a Living Hope

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

The Living Hope for Peter
When Peter was with Jesus, he had hope. He had hope for his nation. He had hope for himself. He had hope for a better world. The long-awaited Messiah had come.

Then, Jesus was put on a mock trial, suffered, died, and was buried. During this time, Peter experienced the biggest failure of his life. He turned his back on Jesus. When people asked Peter if he was Jesus’ follower, he said that he didn’t even know him. In the midst of his suffering, Jesus looked right at Peter that night, and Peter knew how much he had hurt Jesus. He went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus was then crucified, died, and was buried. The disciples lost hope. So the hopeless disciples got together, and they waited, for what they knew not.

Then, some of the women came to them. They had gone to the tomb. They had not seen Jesus. They said that a messenger from heaven had told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. They had a hard time believing them.

But Peter and John didn’t hesitate. They ran to the tomb, and it was empty just as the women had told them. But they still could not believe that Jesus had risen.

Finally, Jesus appeared to the disciples, and they knew Jesus was alive.

But what would that mean for Peter? Peter had denied he even knew Jesus. He had failed Jesus in his darkest hour and greatest need. Would their relationship be over? Would that be the end of his work with Jesus? Continue reading “Born Again to a Living Hope”

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Every Christian Should Memorize This Chapter for Good Friday

Isaiah 53. I think it is probably a favorite for most Christians. This is the passage where we read: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Vv. 5 & 6).

I have enjoyed reading what some famous Christians have said about this passage. I hope that you will find them edifying as well:

“This in many respects may be regarded as the most important in all the writings of the Old Testament, and which is better adapted than any other to lead us to a right understanding of the whole. The partial obscurity which usually accompanies the representations of the prophets seem here to have entirely vanished.” — E.W. Hengestenberg

“Though some things need explanation, this alone is enough, which is so plain, that even our enemies, in spite of their disinclination, are compelled to understand it.” — Augustine
Continue reading “Every Christian Should Memorize This Chapter for Good Friday”

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Loving God the Most: Lovers of God Rather Than Lovers of Pleasures

There are so many good things to enjoy in this life that we can readily make them the focus of our lives: food, sex, alcohol, movies, etc. These pleasures are so powerful that Jesus warned that “life’s worries, riches and pleasures” are like weeds and thorns that choke the good plant of the Word of God in our lives (Luke 8:14). We easily become “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4).

Pleasures easily become our masters. Paul describes the life before Christ as one in which we were “deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures” (Tit. 3:3). People become slaves to pleasures. They sacrifice their health, their relationship with God, their relationship with people, and their fortunes to these things.

Because of the power of these pleasures, some people make the opposite error. They get focused on rules prohibiting these pleasures. The problem is that this often produces a focus on these pleasures just as intense. Religion becomes all about avoiding these things rather than a change of the heart.

In addition, God created these pleasures to be enjoyed. Enjoying the good things of this world is not just an option. It is a commandment. The Apostle Paul wrote that these are things “God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” (2 Tim. 4:3b–5).

How do we learn to receive these pleasures in a good way that doesn’t make us lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God? How do we avoid becoming enslaved by them? Continue reading “Loving God the Most: Lovers of God Rather Than Lovers of Pleasures”

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Loving God the Most: Working for God Instead of Work as God

One of the greatest blessings that humans can enjoy in this world is to be able to do work that blesses oneself and others and glorifies God. When God made Adam, He did not want him to sit passively in front of a beautiful creation. God wanted him to discover its latent possibilities and do work to bring out those possibilities to show forth the beauty and usefulness of creation.

The Bible’s view of work is positive. The author of Ecclesiastes says that in spite of the effects of the fall on work, “[t]hat each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God” (Eccl. 3:12). In the Proverbs, Solomon commends hard work: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (Proverbs 12:11). Work is such a blessing that even slaves can see themselves as doing something unto God when they are working: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters . . .” (Col. 3:23). Even if you don’t get paid what you deserve, the Lord will ensure that you get a reward for your labor.

On the other side, the Bible condemns those who won’t work. Paul warned the Thessalonians against idleness: “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thess. 4:11–12). He also said, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat'” (2 Thess. 3:10).

So, work is a blessing, and it is a necessity. Every human being is called to work, and there is great delight in work. To be able to raise and prepare food for people is aiding people with their most basic needs. The labor it takes to raise a child is crucial to human flourishing. Discovering ways to do things more efficiently empowers more productivity and frees people for greater labor. Cleaning an office makes it usable and a blessing to those who are a part of it. So, it is with all honest labor. It is a blessing and God-approved.

The Right Way to Work
However, we must labor in the right way. In terms of God, we must all learn to work for Him and not human masters. We should work “as unto the Lord.” We work unto the Lord. Continue reading “Loving God the Most: Working for God Instead of Work as God”

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