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How To Trust God in Times of Hardship

Maressa Mortimer
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How To Trust God in Times of Hardship

“Oh, I trust him, it’s just that…” Sounds familiar? Trust seems such a basic thing, and in a way it is. How many of us expect the glass of water we dropped to hit the ceiling? Why not? Why do we trust ‘natural laws’? (As an aside, they’re not natural laws, they’re God holding this world in His Hands). So how can we have this same kind of unshakeable faith when it comes to trusting God?

Trust like a Child

One of the things I learned is the importance of the first few weeks and months in a baby’s life. You know, those weeks when they simply, sleep, cry, feed, need cleaning up, and sleep again? Yes, those weeks. Those weeks are essential. And then the early toddler years, where they drop a toy from their highchair, and you pick it up, only for them to drop it again. And again…and again… It’s essential. You see, it builds trust, it builds a picture of this world and it’s ‘natural’ laws. It shows them your trustworthiness, and how they are loved and cared for by you. This means that when they’re older, asking for a snack, you tell them, “Not now,” and they trust you. When you tell them you’ll be waiting at the school gates in the afternoon, they nod and smile, for they trust you.

Trust like a child

We might get tired of the same old games, but children need those games. It is how they learn. When they are little, they simply trust us, but they trust us in small things, asking for small matters. We can be like that too when we first come to know Christ. We have so many needs, so many requests, and big dreams. We can see ourselves turning the hearts of millions of men and women. Like children, thinking they’ll grow up into hero firefighters. And you know, we might, just like our children might become heroes, saving people’s lives. That might not be God’s plan for our lives though, just like our child might become a humble secretary in a humble company, showing kindness, faithfulness trustworthiness and grace to all they work for. We might be called to serve God in small matters, as it’s not the size of the job that matters. Over and over Paul points out that we were adopted, not to conquer worlds, but to the praise of His glory. Do we trust God with the outcome of our lives? Do we feel, like adopted children often do, that we have to earn our rights to belong, to be part of a family? Do we feel we have to prove to God that He made a good choice when He placed us in His family? Or do we trust Him when he says in verse 5 that He predestined us unto adoption according to the good pleasure of His will?

When we’re faithless, God is faithful

When children are adopted, trust is a massive issue. Watching my children, I learned more about being adopted into God’s family. When my children see me dishing out food, they trust me to feed them. When it’s lunchtime, and I’m finishing another task, they are very anxious. Have I forgotten? When I tell them that no, they can’t have chocolate as I’m dishing up dinner, they cry, Nobody loves me, I never get what I want! Aren’t we like that too? When we pray, we acknowledge that we trust God as our Heavenly Father, but we’re anxious, because our prayer doesn’t seem answered, and we expected the answer to arrive Tuesday, and now it’s Thursday already. Has God forgotten us? How often do we find bitter thoughts come into our minds because the answer we were given didn’t match our finite ideas?

We clipped a family photograph onto our children’s bag when they went to school and nursery. That photo had our family on there, as a token of their belonging. We would point at the picture and explain that we would pick them up, we would never forget them, never desert them. After all, we were a family, and the picture was proof of that, like a seal. Paul mentions a similar thing in Ephesians 1:13. We heard, believed and trusted, and we were given the Holy Spirit as a seal, to remind us and assure us of our inheritance in Heaven. The Spirit points us to the Word of God and reminds us of our salvation and the fact that we’re in Christ. My children doubt us, they wonder if we will be there at the end of the day. They look at the photo, and there might be a bit more hope in their hearts… What happens when we look at God’s promises? Do we trust His Word explicitly, or do we say, Well, I can’t imagine a Holy God wanting someone like me in His family?

Why you (yes, you) should care about Church History

Nathan Nwanji
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Why you (yes, you) should care about Church History
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We live in a culture that does not really appreciate history and the people who came before us. We look back at them as primitive, savages and unenlightened people who did not know as much as “we” do today. We use phrases like “it’s 2020”, “you’re stuck in the past”, “are you really going to let a book that’s 2000 years old shape your life?”, etc. Even in our consumerist habits, we’re geared towards wanting what’s new, the new iPhone, the new PS5, the new car, the new trainers, etc. Our desire for new things is endless even when the old and present is perfectly functioning and more than capable of doing its job. It’s a symptom of the wider culture around us but this way of thinking has made major inroads into the life of the church. It may not take the same shape as it does in the world but many Christians in churches today neglect the Christian voices of the past in search of that “new” and “fresh” revelation.

What hath Athanasius to do with how I think about the incarnation of Christ? Or Augustine to do with my view on the interaction between the Christian life and the public sphere? What hath Thomas Aquinas to say about faith and reason? Or Martin Luther on Justification by Faith Alone in Christ Alone? What hath John Calvin to do with my view of Divine Providence? Or Benjamin Keach on how to use creative writing to communicate the Gospel message? Or … I think you get the drift. Why should Christians today pay more attention to the voices of the saints who came before them?

An Old Gospel

Firstly, the Christian faith is not one of innovation, but it is a faith that is passed down from generation to generation. The reason why we are Christians today is because twelve disciples took the Gospel of Jesus Christ which they heard first from our Lord and Saviour himself and proclaimed it to the nations. In 2 Timothy 1:5, we see Paul commending the sincere faith of Timothy first found in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. In Titus 1:5 we see Paul instructing Titus to elect elders in the churches of Crete to shepherd and teach the flock sound doctrine. Also, in Acts 18:27-28, we see Apollos powerfully declaring that Jesus was the Christ. In all these examples, we see the good news being passed from one person to another. The person who shared the gospel which you came to believe is the last link of a long chain of witnesses of the gospel message. You are not the first Christian and you will not be the last.

An Old Gospel

Christ has been building His Church

Secondly, Jesus Christ declared in Matthew 16:18, “… I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Also, he said in John 14:16, “… I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”. This means for the past 2000 years the Spirit has been with the church, guiding her by illuminating the Scriptures in the hearts and minds of believers. From the Roman Persecutions of the Early Church right through to the persecutions faced by Christians around the world today, Christ has been building his church and the gates of Hades have not prevailed.  The church that was birthed in the New Testament didn’t skip over nearly 2000 years of history and land in the 21st Century. No, Christ has had witnesses in every generation.

A hedge against heresy

At times when it looked like the church would be overrun with error the Spirit of God used fallible Christians like you and I, to articulate the truths of the Scriptures once again in the face of heresy. You have men like Athanasius who championed the deity of Christ when men sought to relegate Christ to an exalted creature, or Augustine who emphatically declared the necessity of the grace of God to respond to the gospel in opposition to the view fallen people were able to respond to the gospel unaided by divine grace. Or Martin Luther who helped restore the doctrine of Justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as opposed to Rome’s view of justification by faith and meritorious works.

As faithful believers who affirm the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), we confess the Holy Scriptures to be the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving, knowledge, faith and obedience. Therefore, acknowledging the fallibility of men, we are to weigh the opinions of Christian writers of the past (and our own) under the supreme judge that we are to determine matters of truth by, the Holy Scriptures. Here is an example of that in practice from the 16th Century French Reformed Church having already affirmed the doctrine of Sola Scriptura in Article V:

“These Holy Scriptures teach us that in this one sole and simple divine essence, whom we have confessed [God], there are three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father, first cause, principle, and origin of all things. The Son, his Word and eternal wisdom. The Holy Spirit, his virtue, power, and efficacy. The Son is begotten from eternity by the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeding eternally from them both; the three persons not confused, but distinct, and yet not separate, but of the same essence, equal in eternity and power. And in this, we confess that which hath been established by the ancient councils, and we detest all sects and heresies which were rejected by the holy doctors, such as St. Hilary, St. Athanasius, St. Ambrose, and St. Cyril.”

Article VI – French Gallican Confession of Faith (1559)

As the Preacher of Ecclesiastes says, “there is nothing new under the sun”. A lot of the false teaching we see today are old heresies dressed up in new garbs. Some of these teachings have been dealt with by the church in the past and we will do well to gain from their insights and wisdom.

Creative ways to share the Gospel

The church has always affirmed the truths of the Scriptures in creeds, confessions and catechisms. However, every generation has been faced with how to engage the world around them with the unchanging message of the Gospel. Three powerful 17th-century examples are John Bunyan, Benjamin Keach and Henry Jessey. These pastors were not shy to use creative literature to faithfully communicate the unchanging Gospel to their audience. John Bunyan is well known for his allegorical novel called “Pilgrim’s Progress”, which possibly sold 100,000 copies in its first 15 years. Benjamin Keach also authored an allegorical novel called “The Travels of True Godliness” which taught about the Christian Journey. Henry Jessey wrote “A Catechism for Babes or Little Ones”. He saw the need for the Gospel to be communicated in the simplest of ways for the youngest of listeners. God used men who were faithful in their message yet presented it in a unique way for the edification of their listeners. Who knew Christian creatives could learn a thing or two from church history?

Creative ways to share the Gospel

Much more can be said about why we should pay more attention to the Christian voices of the past. Whilst we can learn from their victories, we can also be humbled as we read of their flaws. Thank God we are part of a body made up of believers scattered throughout history; we are truly “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses”. May we be those who acknowledge his glorious work throughout the history of his church and may we powerfully proclaim the truth of his word for the benefit of those around us, for generations of Christians to come whilst standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before us, to the glory of our God. Amen.

Jesus our City of Refuge

On Mission
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Jesus our City of Refuge

Joke: Q: How do groups of angels greet each other? A: Halo, halo, halo.

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

 There has been tension in the Middle East (ok, that’s not new) with a key Iranian military General killed, a passenger plane shot down and over 20 missiles fired at an American base. World War 3 was trending on twitter! This is part of what the Bible calls ‘Wars and rumours of wars’. As I write the numbers of those infected with the ‘corona-virus’ is sky-rocketing. Poor old Australia have horrific and devastating fires. And when it hasn’t been fires it’s been hail storms. And when it hasn’t been hail storms it’s been flooding. And when it wasn’t flooding it’s been dust storms. The Bible calls these things ‘birth pains’.

Discussion

  • How would we describe 2020?
  • What were some of the most unbelievable things that happened last year?

This message is not however about those things. It is about Jesus as our place of refuge. With all that is happening people rightfully get concerned and many look for a place of safety. God, through His word, has shown where we are to look to find safety, refuge, meaning and hope. And He tells all of mankind to flee to that place and stay there. He has said this in many varied ways but one way that I have been looking at recently is pictured in the Old Testament concept of the ‘Cities of refuge’. No doubt you have heard of these but maybe, just maybe, you may not have taken the time to think about what God is trying to teach mankind through them. If that’s you, well, how fortunate you are because there are some important gems hidden within these cities!1 So we’ll look at:

The historical background (Joshua 20)

Let’s first look at a passage of scripture that gives an overview of these cities of refuge and discuss how they were used historically.

Jos 20:1-9 Then the LORD said to Joshua: (2) Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, (3) so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. (4) When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. (5) If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. (6) He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled.” (7) So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. (8) On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. (9) Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

We see that God instructed Joshua, as he had Moses before him, to setup six cities throughout the land of Israel that would have a special status as a ‘city of refuge’. So what does that mean? Well, in those days Israel lived under the law which incorporated the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’. If you murdered someone, then you would be put to death… plain and simple. But even if you killed someone accidentally the closest relative of the slain person could come for your life. The ‘closest relative’ in this case was known ‘as the avenger of blood’. They would come for justice over the shed blood of their brother or close relative.

So let’s say I’m building a wall and I unintentionally dislodge some large stones which come down, hitting a man and killing him instantly. What do I do? Run. Fast. I need to get to a city of refuge where I can be safe and have my case heard. Or maybe I’m chopping down trees and, having not really maintained my tools, my axe head flies off, striking a man and killing him. I need to get to the city of refuge. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I have added a painting to the right.2 Here you can see one fleeing into the gates of the city of refuge with the avenger of blood, drawn sword in hand, hot on his heels. But the elder or priest of the city is there to meet the one fleeing and say ‘not one step further’ to the one in pursuit. Our accidental man-slayer has made it! He’s safe!

Cities of Refuge – The spiritual picture 

Now all of this is also a picture of the provision ‘in Christ Jesus’ for the sinner who, whether they know it or not, needs a place of refuge. Each city of refuge speaks of Christ in some way. We will look at that but for now let’s first look at some general points from the passage in Joshua.

  • Firstly we see that these places of refuge were from God. He initiated them. He wanted them. Right from the first sin of Adam and Eve God has always been the One who has sought to provide a place of shelter and security for the sinner. Now whether they would take that place is another matter, but the heart of God has always for the sinner to find safety and forgiveness.
  • God placed them so you could make it. From the map on the right we can see that God wasn’t trying to make it hard to reach these cities. You didn’t have to run the entire length of Israel. Yes, you had to make an effort, but it was within reach for those that saw the seriousness of their need to flee. Some cities were in the north; some in the south. Three cities were placed on each side of the river Jordan. So if you were in Judah, you could flee to Hebron. If you were in East Manasseh you could flee to Golan. There was a place that was accessible 3. It’s the same today. A man doesn’t have to flee physically today to find a spiritual place. But they do have to come, in humility and faith in their hearts, to the King of Kings and ask for His refuge. And Christ is not far from those that come in such a way!
  • Note also that it was for everyone. Young, old, male, female, slave, free, Israelite, Gentile. Vs 9 says ‘These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood.’ This is one of those ‘whosoever’ verses. The greatest is John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16)  Whosoever… rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, male, female, king or peasant. The invitation is available to all and all should take advantage of it!
  • When the High Priest died, the perpetrator of the crime could go free and had no fear. ‘The Talmud argues that the death of the high priest formed an atonement.’4 The Jewish Rabbis of old argued that because of the righteousness of the High Priest, his death could act like an atonement that caused those who had fled into a city of refuge to go free. The High Priest’s death atoned for their mistake the said. And how correct they were without seeing what God was pointing to! They saw that but failed to see that the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, is the real One whose death would set us free!
  • It is worth noting that in this passage all of it pictures Christ in some way (apart from one person) – The innocent one killed is a picture of Jesus for he did no wrong. The city of refuge that provides shelter and safety for the one fleeing pictures Christ. The High Priest as previously mentioned pictures Christ in that His death sets those in the city free! Even the avenger of blood is a type of Christ for at the second coming Jesus comes with justice and in righteousness He judges and wages war. He is the avenger of blood for those that have not sought refuge.

There is only one in this picture that is not a type of Christ and that is the one who has committed the crime and is fleeing. That is a picture of you.

Those who will not flee

So what of those who decide not to flee? They have unintentionally killed a man but decide to just stay where they are. What becomes of them? In these cases there was no safety outside of these cities. If the nearest kinsman was upset and out for blood then justice was coming. Would it be today? Tomorrow? In a week? Next year? Who could tell? But the avenger of blood was coming at some stage and the perpetrator was simply living on borrowed time. What a horrible position to be in.

I remember when I first saw this for my own life. As I read the Bible for the first time in my first year of University I saw that I was in trouble. Big trouble. I saw the need to flee. Not ‘flee’ as in leave the city I was in (though as a city it did give some strong reasons to do that as well!) But like Christian in Pilgrims Progress I saw I was living, spiritually speaking, in the City of Destruction and if I stayed there what would become of me? I might be ok for a day, a week, a year… who knows. But I saw I was living on borrowed time and that I needed to find a place of safety and forgiveness in Christ if I was ever to have rest. It took me 6 months of reading the Bible and agonizing over what I need to do… but I got there. Some people never come to see this. Most don’t. They continue to live like they have forever. They live like the avenger of blood won’t ever come. When is he coming? Who can tell? But justice is coming and no one knows how long they have got.

So what does the Bible say of those that have a place of safety but do not use it? It calls them fools. There is an interesting example of this during the days of King David. As a quick background, after the death of King Saul, David was anointed King but the house of David and the house of Saul continued to battle. David’s general was Joab and Saul’s was a man called Abner. Joab’s brother Asahel (who was said to be as fleet footed as a wild gazelle) chased Abner and wouldn’t turn aside even though Abner told him to several times. In the end Abner, in self-defense, killed Asahel. Joab of course, wants revenge. And so we read:

Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother. (2Sa 3:27)

And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: “Should Abner die as a fool dies? (2Sa 3:33)

David was sad for Abner’s death but he said that he died as a fool. Why would he say that? What was Abner’s foolishness? Well, it is hidden within the text in 2 Sam 3:27. The writer of the passage makes note that Abner was in Hebron. As we have seen above, Hebron was a city of refuge. You couldn’t just go in there and kill someone. So Joab tricks Abner to come to the gate of the city. Outside, Abner is not safe and there he dies at the hand of Joab. Abner’s foolishness was in knowing where the place of safety was but in not staying there. He died as a fool as do many others who have heard of their need to flee to Christ but choose not to.

Conclusion

Have you not fled to Jesus yet? Then see the precarious position of your life! The avenger of blood is coming. God loves you but He is also a God of justice and He cannot leave sin unpunished. Someone must take that punishment. If you will not flee to Christ for refuge then you will pay for your own sin. Be wise, not foolish, and flee to Christ!

Have you fled to Christ for refuge? Then rejoice in all that He is for you and tell and help others! Have strong encouragement as the word says is proper for those that have fled for refuge in Christ:

Heb 6:17-18 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Think also of your role, as a Priest before God, to help others find the way. Remove obstacles where you can. Point the right direction for those wanting to flee. This is right and proper for those that know the way.

Why Every Christian Should Desire To Be Unimpressive

Deborah Asamoah
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Why Every Christian Should Desire To Be Unimpressive
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Pause for a moment. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself as being average. Easily forgotten. Unimpressive. I bet the idea of it makes you squirm so much that you can barely sit with such a thought, can you? In a culture that esteems recognition, what should notoriety mean for us as Christians and how do we reckon with the reality of being unimpressive?

This morning, I stared at my dead cactae in the corner of my room. I watched its contorted frame, bent, lifeless, lacklustre. What was more apparent to me was its irreversible state. There was nothing that could bring my plant back to its former glory. More vividly, I was reminded of my own mortality. My yearning to be recognised and acknowledged was all contained inside this flesh which would, sooner or later, become like my cactae, withered, lifeless, it’s glory forgotten.

For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls.

1 Peter 1:24

Where do you find your worth?

Joseph Solomon, a Christian artist, begins his podcast Flights and Feelings with a powerful statement: ‘Chances are you won’t live a life impressive enough to be remembered in stone.’ 

Nowadays it seems as though being remembered is our never-ending goal. We must either be well-known or known well. We will only ever feel as though we have something valuable to say unless there are enough people listening to us while we say it. We feel as though we won’t be making enough impact unless there are many people watching us while we do it. Social media validates this insecurity. Numbers don’t lie – figures, engagement, analytics have become the bedrock of our worthiness. Fame, recognition, notoriety are synonymous with capital and wealth. We always feel like we need it, and we never feel as though we have enough. Our culture feeds this insatiable longing. More ways for us to build our platform. More ways for us to be seen, have an online presence and become well-known for our efforts. More ways for us to become disillusioned with wanting to be impressive and build a legacy that will ensure we won’t be forgotten.

But you will be forgotten. Your work, achievements, your contribution to the world whether public or private will be ‘covered by the dust, hidden by moths.’ If leaving a legacy of art, social impact or cultural change is meaningless vanity (Ecc 4:4), why do we still pursue it all the more? Solomon describes it as a strange almost twisted pursuit of own immortalisation. We seek to have our deeds and achievements outlive us in a way that once we die, our name immortally remains. Jesus objects to the idea, deeming these attempts as being futile;

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

John 12:25

Be forgotten so that Christ is remembered

The idea that a man or woman would deem himself or herself as worthy of being eternally remembered, so much so that he or she spends every waking hour of their brief life holding their flame to the light for everyone to see, is absurd. So absurd because that very flame will be so soon blown out just as quickly as it was lit. As absurd as recklessly losing one’s life despite carefully and lovingly holding it so dear.

The point is, we must be willing to be forgotten so that Christ is remembered. We must desire to be unimpressive if it means that Christ is highly regarded. We must be prepared to hate our own lives and deny ourselves of our desires and longings to recognised and approved of, so that we can enjoy being eternally approved by the One in whom our lives are hidden, until He appears.

The moment our thirst for recognition supersedes our desire of making Christ known in our world today, we will have lost the true meaning of immortality. We will have traded the gift of life eternal in Christ for a few cheap moments of the world’s attention guised in false eternity.

Can I speak things into existence?

On Mission
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Can I speak things into existence?

When God created the heavens and the earth he did so by speaking,  but has God passed this same power and authority to you and I allowing us to speak things into existence? 

Join the discussion online by using the hashtag #ThePulsePodcast. 

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Should Christians take the COVID-19 Vaccine?

On Mission
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Should Christians take the COVID-19 Vaccine?

With the emergence of vaccines to combat the spread of the virus, many questions have been raised about the ethics, testing and development of the vaccine. As conspiracy theories are on the rise, what does the Bible say about whether Christians should take the vaccine?  

Join the discussion online by using the hashtag #ThePulsePodcast. 

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How do I discern God’s voice?

On Mission
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How do I discern God’s voice?

On this weeks episode of The Pulse Podcast, we discuss the all-important questions of how do you know if God is speaking to you? How do you know that you’re not making it up, mishearing the Holy Spirit, or that it was even from God?

Join the discussion online by using the hashtag #ThePulsePodcast. 

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Why Does Being A Christian Take So Much Effort?

Chude Obuaya
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Why Does Being A Christian Take So Much Effort?
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As we read through the Bible, it is clear to see that God asks much of us. This statement might sound confusing since Christianity is mainly characterised by grace. So, the question we are left with is ‘are grace and effort contradicting realities in the Christian life?’. And if they are not, how can we reconcile these two seemingly distinct realities?

Why can’t it be easy?

The Bible is replete with promises for the Christian. Jesus offers us eternal life (John 3:16, John 14:6), freedom (Galatians 5:1, John 8:36), love (John 15:9, Ephesians 3:18-19), joy (John 15:11, John 17:3), peace (Philippians 4:7, John 14:27), comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) and security (Romans 8:35-39, John 17:12). Jesus doesn’t just offer these promises, but so much more, so it is understandable as to why many find it difficult that the Christian life would require effort. There are some that argue that sanctification should be effortless and that faith in God should be unshakeable since, if you’re a Christian, you have been united with Christ. The problem with this line of reasoning is that it undermines two things that have been made available for the Christian; The Church and God Himself – The Holy Spirit. The fact that the Christian life requires effort doesn’t undermine the power of the cross, it confirms it. Christ set His affection on helpless sinners, lived for them, died for them, rose from the dead for them and now reigns supreme for them. Now this resurrected Christ grafts these redeemed sinners into His body (The Church) and empowers them by His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) to live out holy lives (1 Peter 2:9-10). And the scriptures inform us that we need the Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26) and the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)

Why Does Being Christian Take So Much Effort?

We often forget

The scriptures don’t just give us many promises but also has many commands. And if the Spirit of God lives inside each believer then surely obedience should be easy? Experientially and scripturally, we see that obedience is not easy; hence why we have the Holy Spirit who causes us to obey (Ezekiel 36:27) and the Church who is called to bear with its members (Ephesians 4:2). Jesus makes it clear throughout the gospels that obedience to God is evidence of love for God (John 14:15). So, why do Christians fall short so often when upon conversion the love of God has been poured into their hearts? (Romans 5:5). Well, Paul puts it like this :

“For 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 7:18-19

Here we see Paul express the reality that is common with every believer, you have received Christ and your heart has been changed as evidenced by new desires and behaviours, yet you still find yourself drawn to the things antithetical to your newfound faith. And as we are tempted by these former loves we forget the glorious truth of the gospel – Jesus is better. This is why God in His infinite wisdom calls for us to be in community (the local church) so that we are constantly reminded of this and can help each other combat the sins that wage war against our soul (1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 10:23-25).

Why Does Being Christian Take So Much Effort?

Not by works alone

The danger with acknowledging that Christianity requires effort may result in both Christians and non-Christians thinking that their effort somehow merits their righteousness before God. It doesn’t. We are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8). We are also kept by grace alone (Jude 24). The effort we produce to live right is by grace (1 Corinthians 15:10), furthermore the desire to initially want to do what is right is also by grace (2 Thessalonians 1:11). We can take no credit for any act of righteousness we do because all righteousness ultimately comes from God.

Final Encouragement

Paul lets the Christian know that God is willing and working within our efforts for His glory. In other words, our effort is energised by God’s grace for God’s glory and our good.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, 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

The undergirding of our Christian efforts is the God who works in our efforts for His glory. The God who calls us to obey gives us the heart to want to obey and delight in obeying (1 John 5:3). This should cause the believer to have great joy because the Christian walk does not rely on our strength but on God. Therefore we can trust that God will grant us the grace to empower our Christian efforts for His glory and our good.

















Faith: Real Heroes

On Mission
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Faith: Real Heroes

Joke: Q: Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A: Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once

Discussion

  • Who are some of your heroes in life?
  • Why do you look up to them?

As a society, we like our heroes… we like to hero-worship. We’ve moved on from cowboys and Indians today. We’ve turned it up a notch and now our heroes are super – Super heroes! Batman, Superman, Ironman… and recently Hollywood has been pushing that giant of a superhero, Antman! What’s next? Slugman? Snailman? Slothman? We also hero worship actual real people… when Obama won his first Presidency the journalists wrote of him like he was literally the long awaited Messiah. Years later in 2013 Barbara Walters, the respected American journalist and broadcaster said of Obama:  ‘He made so many promises…We (the media) thought that he was going to be – I shouldn’t say this at Christmas time, but – the next Messiah.’  

Today people are oohing and aahing over the Pope. Late last year the Guardian newspaper had an article entitled:  ‘Why atheists love Pope Francis – The pope ignites unprecedented secular excitement’.  So here we go again. Movie and sports stars get the same treatment because everyone knows that if you can catch and throw a ball or if you are handy at pretending that you’re someone that you’re not, then you are pretty special indeed!

Now when you come to the Bible, it’s not without its own list of heroes. It has its hall of faith. But it’s fair to say these were a different breed of character to those popular today. Lets talk a look at God’s hall of faith – His heroes if you like. It is a study of Hebrews chapter 11. It is the ‘faith’ chapter.

Brief chapter overview

Hebrews chapter 11 contains a list of people that God says are noteworthy. See if you can name who these people are from these small clues:

Guess the people

  • There is the lowly shepherd boy who became a king.
  • There is a would-be king who gave it all away and became a shepherd.
  • There is the despised brother, hated and sold into slavery… or the one who was, quite literally, left for dead at the hand of his own jealous brother.
  • Then there is the reluctant hero, the one who was least in his family and whose family was least in their tribe that God used to save the nation of Israel;
  • Or the preacher of righteousness who saved no one outside of his own family.
  • And let’s not forget the harlot who put her life on the line to help God’s people and defy her own nation.

They are a list of stars whom God places His stamp of approval upon saying ‘The world was not worthy of them.’

The American author and poet Henry David Thoreau wrote the following and I want you to think about this quote… He wrote:  ‘If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however, measured or far away.’  That sums up the characters we will read about in Hebrews 11. They listened, and marched, to a different drum beat. But hopefully, that should be said of all of us.

Discussion

  • Do you feel out of step with this world that you live in?
  • Do you see a lot of things differently than many others do?

The faith that we hold and the life that we live should reflect something of the heavenly music that we listen to, and God’s people should be marching to the beat of a different drummer! If that means we are out of step with the rest then good. So be it. This study is just a starter as we will examine 

Hebrews 11:1-3. It touches on an initial definition of faith and introduces the first aspect of our faith that hopefully, we can all put our name next to. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:1-4 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (2) For by it the men of old gained approval. (3) By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

In Hebrews 11, the faith described is more practical than theoretical. It is not so much trying to define what faith is through a verbose theological discussion but is more focused on how that faith is outworked in the life of God’s people. It lists what people did by faith… how faith affected their lives. But it does start, in the very first verse, with what is the only place in the Bible (that I know of anyway) where a definition of faith is given.

Faith – A definition

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

I’m not sure how you would define faith. You may have heard, or possibly even feel, like the little girl who was asked to define faith and said “Well, faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” That may raise a smile but actually, faith isn’t believing what ‘you know ain’t so.’ But that is how the world often sees it. Faith isn’t positive thinking (‘everything is going to be alright, things are getting brighter, I’m feeling better’) or just a vague wishful hope that things will work out somehow. Here is what the Bible says about faith:

‘The assurance of things hoped for’: Now that sounds pretty certain! We see first of all that faith is linked to hope. Now, this is not a wishy-washy hope. Biblical hope is based on certainty. Faith is not just hoping that things will be ok and work out alright in the way we would say ‘I hope it doesn’t rain today’. It is based on the certainties of the promises of God – which are based on the very character of God. That’s why it says that faith ‘is the assurance’. It means that the promises of God, the very things that we place our hope to become so real that they impact how we live today. Hebrews 11 doesn’t try to define this further but instead gives various examples, such as Abraham who was able to leave his home and live as a stranger and an exile in this world because he was looking for a heavenly city. His assurance of what is still to come changed how he lived today. And faith can bring light to the darkest of times. It gives great optimism!

Faith is an essential part of our relationship with God. It is a prerequisite to beginning the conversion process, which is a necessary step on the road to salvation and eternal life.

Without faith we can’t please God (Hebrews 11:6), essentially because if we don’t believe in Him and believe Him, we won’t really be trying to please Him! In the New Testament, both faith and belief are generally translations of the Greek word pistis. People who live by faith as followers of Jesus Christ are called “believers” (Acts 5:14).

“The main sense of the word ‘faith’ in the NT is that of trust or reliance… [Pistis] bears the sense not of faithfulness alone, but of the reliance and trust that is the basis of man’s faithfulness, i.e., the faithfulness that expresses confidence in the faithfulness of God” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 1982, article, “Faith”).

An illustration from a great missionary

Read

I read a story recently about Adoniram Judson, the American who served as missionary to Burma for nearly 40 years. In the early years of his work in Burma he was respected and even held favour with the king of Burma. However, in 1824, with the impending war between Burma and the English based in India, all the white foreigners were viewed with great suspicion and Judson was arrested and thrown into infamous, vermin-ridden death prison of Ava. His feet were shackled with chains and all the prisoners in this death prison had their feet bound to a long bamboo. Along with this they had no ventilation in the prison and were in extreme heat. At night the guards would raise the bamboo so that their feet were in the air (with the chains handling off them and weighing them down!) while their shoulders could rest upon the ground. That was how they would spend the whole night till the guard came in the morning. Judson was in this prison for 12 months. At one point a fellow prisoner said, with a sneer on his face, “Dr. Judson, what now about the prospect of the conversion of the heathen?” Judson’s instant reply was, “The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God… .” Goodness! What faith!

‘Conviction of things not seen’ : Hebrews also tells us that faith is the conviction of things not seen. The believer is one who is aware that there is more to this world and life that what can be seen with the natural eyes. We walk by faith and not by sight. There is an inner knowledge and conviction that is hard to explain to an unbeliever but it is one that can lay hold of the things that are invisible and possess them today. A staunch atheist wrote in to the website asking me to give him the best evidence for the existence of God. He saw the Bible on the same level as myths and fairly tales. I discussed my testimony, my experience of God as a Christian and also spoke of the amazing fulfilment of Bible prophecy. I tried. No luck. He just responded with ridicule. It is difficult for someone that only goes by their natural senses to see past that. Actually, as a related side issue, I read of an atheist who said to a Quaker,  “Have you ever seen your God? Have you ever touched your God? Have you ever smelt your God? And you say you have a God!” The Quaker thought for quite a while and after a long pause, replied, “Hast thou ever seen thy brains? Hast thou ever touched thy brains? Hast thou ever smelt thy brains? And thou sayest thou hast brains!” 

But we understand what the atheist is getting at. If you said to an unbeliever that you have received forgiveness and had been given a gift of righteousness by God, they may well say ‘ok well, where is it? Where is this forgiveness, where is this gift of righteousness?’ What would you say? You don’t receive a certificate from God that you can pin up on your wall when you become a Christian. The fact is, the spiritual blessings of God cannot be seen. They cannot be touched, smelt, licked or sniffed. And yet the eyes of faith apprehends them, the hand of faith receives them and the heart of faith appropriates them and receives the peace and joy that accompany such great gifts of God. And God commends us for it! But without faith, it is impossible to see these things and please God.

Conclusion – Faith: More precious than gold

To conclude, let’s look briefly at another great passage about faith.

 1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6)  

In this, you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, (7) so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (8) and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (9) obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 

This is a great passage and we can’t do it justice here but I just want to end with three points from this passage:

  1. You faith will need to be proved . It will be tested. Faith is not theoretical. Yes, it based on truth but it has to be proved. I remember my first big test when I got really sick back in 1997. Boy did I flunk. It was like it was the end and I didn’t want to go on. I was like Peter sinking fast while he looked at the waves! I’m not sure what would have happened had Jesus not extended His hand and lifted me up. Do not think it a strange thing when your faith is tested.
  2. Your faith is precious. It is precious to you and it is precious to God. Do not let anyone steal it. And listen up – everything, everything, that is precious to God will come under attack from the enemy who hates God and hates those that love Him.
  3. Your faith will end in sight. Someone once said  ‘Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.’  That’s true of today but even more so, how great shall it be at the end of our days or at the end of this age (whichever comes first!) when our faith is rewarded by seeing Him whom we believe? ‘Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.’ Our faith will be rewarded. At the moment we walk by faith and not by sight but our faith will end with sight. We will see, with our eyes, Him who currently cannot be seen.

If you have been struggling, hold on and set your eyes on Him who is unseen once again. If you have been getting complacent in your walk, think again as to what is important and precious in this life. God says it is your faith. If you have been running well, don’t get proud but keep living in a constant relationship with your creator and finish well!

In Hebrew 11:13, after speaking about some of the ‘heroes’ of the faith it says this:

 All these people were still living by faith when they died. (Heb 11:13) 

That is why they are heroes!

Faith in God isn’t just how we start the Christian life. It is how we walk in this life and how we want to finish it.

Are You More Satisfied With Your Device Than You Are in Christ?

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Are You More Satisfied With Your Device Than You Are in Christ?
Prefer to listen? Listen here!

The impact of social media and the internet on our everyday lives is visible. We are constantly looking at screens, spending hours in front of a computer or phone screen in conversations through instant messaging or Twitter. Amidst this, we must not allow our time with God to fall to the background.

The aim of this article is not to force you to get rid of all your devices or delete your social media accounts. We know they can be a tool to share the gospel and stay connected with others. However, if the time on your devices is more than the time spent with God, then it is time to re-evaluate.

Identifying the problem

We can spend all week engaging with online content yet spend only 40 out of those 10,080 minutes on the things of God. Although there is nothing that can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39), God still requires us to draw near to Him (James 4:8). A quick sound bite on Sunday is a great appetiser, however, it is not enough to nourish the depth of our souls. If we do not go deeper, eventually, we will find ourselves far from God and left on empty. We then try to fill our God-sized holes of loneliness and dissatisfaction with items that do not fit when we seek escape in YouTube vlogs, laughter from memes and validation from likes on our feeds. We are seeking everything but the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

In the last lockdown, I found myself endlessly searching for entertainment to pass the time. In my seeking for a distraction, my attention drifted from Christ to vices that will never leave me satisfied.

social media and christianity

It is easy to drift when we focus our attention solely on the things of this world as opposed to God. Who can blame us with these organisations competing for our attention? They demand it and will do anything to capture it. All these social media apps need from us is continuous engagement and they have designed specific algorithms to ensure we remain engaged. We are tempted by new alerts, notifications, and the promise of a new feed after clicking refresh. They make sure we always come back. And the more time we spend with these apps, the more attention they demand. This is the problem.

Finding Satisfaction

Our attention is important to God, where we spend our time and what we spend it on. But what can we do when we feel dissatisfied and in need of replenishment?

Ultimately, when we are tired and seeking rest, instead of turning to social media and the internet for fulfilment, we should find comfort in Christ. He is the source that will never run dry. The only one that can truly satisfy. Jesus says: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Jesus can fulfil the fundamental desires that will keep us alive in this life. He calls us to Him when we are weary because He alone can provide us with the rest that we need. 

Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me

Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus offers us something completely different to what the world offers. While the world offers us distractions from with our devices, Jesus offers us complete satisfaction. When we receive this type of rest, we must remove anything that does not benefit the soul.

Reassessing the content

There are things in our lives occupying our attention and time but not providing us with the rest and satisfaction Jesus fulfills. To ensure that we are not seeking satisfaction from any other source, we should assess what we are consuming. We can do this with the living and active word of God. Through the word, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, we can discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Not out of conviction but for contentment. To discover if we are more satisfied with our devices than we are in our Saviour.

Resisting social media

Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

When a tv show is influencing us more than the word of God or our behaviour is being conformed to online trends rather than the life of Christ, we should ask ourselves of the content:

  • Is this true? Is the information I am consuming true and aligned to biblical knowledge?
  • Is it honourable? Does this content bring honour to God?
  • Is this just?
  • Is it pure? Does this content lead me to sinful patterns that are against God?
  • Is this lovely? Is the content alluring me for the right reasons?
  • Is this commendable? Would I recommend this to my friends, my pastor, spiritual leaders?
  • Is there excellence in this content?
  • Is there anything worthy of praise? Can I shout about the quality of this programme or how edifying it is?

We must pray that we do not become numb to the type of content we are consuming and the time we are spending on our devices. A momentary pause can reveal the true intention of the heart. Paul writes, “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23). We need to know when to draw the line between enjoyment and purity. To know when programmes are entertaining but ultimately do not glorify God. We need to know when to disconnect.

This lockdown will be different. As we seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1) and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we will see that in all things Christ is more than sufficient for us (Philippians 4:19).

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