The Pastor’s Pen

Contentment in Christ displays itself through peaceful character, rational behaviour, and gracious speech; it’s unmistakable and an obvious work of the Holy Spirit.

While spiritual discontentment begins when your focus shifts from Jesus as Lord to self; contentment begins with Christ being your highest priority. The apostle Paul said; “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:8). Christ comes first. Jesus is NOT a convenient addition to life, He is your life. Christ is NOT some formula which gets added to your way of thinking to guarantee the outcome you want. The Lord is NOT an optional extra you pull out of your spiritual cupboard when life needs sweetening.

The truth is, Christ’s leadership in a Spirit filled life produces the inescapable fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Therefore, when you “walk by the Spirit, …you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Those irritating and shameful parts of your fleshly character will dissolve away under the light of Christ’s influence. There will be a progressive mellowing as your character is reshaped into the image of Christ (2Co 3:18).

Faith tools for contentment

This is why it’s so important to know God’s Word, to trust His providential working in your life, and to cling to His promises. You see, contentment is a choice; a faith decision which exchanges pain and anxiety with the peace of God, it exchanges self for Christ.

Obviously, this does not make the difficulties disappear; rather it surrenders the control of difficulties to God. Faith exchanges self-reliance for Christ dependency. It over-rules frustrations by looking for opportunities to serve as prevention against pride and idleness. Belief prays with thankfulness, even though there may be tears. Trust watches for God’s intervention with expectation, even though there may be questions. Love inserts itself into other’s lives as a worker of peace for Christ instead of seeking isolation.

As a child of God, you increasingly learn to “be content with what you have,” because you have prioritised God’s promise which says; “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). The certainty of security in Christ overshadows all else in life, including fears and unanswered questions.

Even when overshadowed by great stress which may be forced upon you by circumstances and others, the believer can rest in the rock solid relationship they have with God in Christ. Like Paul, the faithful believer says; “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Worldly discontentment

Discontentment easily takes over if self or worldly attitudes persist. “For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:16-17). Faith transfers control from self to God. Faith shifts your purpose from self to Christ’s glory and other’s benefit.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied…” (Proverbs 19:23). Today, seek contentment in Christ because it’s not haphazard. It can be yours for the choosing, through simple faith that surrenders all to Christ as Lord. Live it and share it.

 

Happiness and pleasure is one thing, but to be content is a whole other thing. Much in society revolves around discontentment; advertising drives the continual desire for more and better things. However, no sooner do you get something than you’re bombarded with ideas of getting even more, hoping for greater satisfaction.

Likewise, it’s easy for discontentment to flavour our spiritual lives. The flesh continuously craves more, for better and greater. It longs for greater satisfaction with less effort and less sacrifice. Sinfulness constantly puts the Lord and His Church on review, as if mankind can evaluate God.

The apostle Paul lived in and promoted a level of contentment that challenges our modern values. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Many struggle to accept the painful things in life, never able to say they are content in them.

So, what was it that made the difference for the apostle Paul? What enabled him to possess this unnatural contentment which ruled regardless of circumstances? Paul explains the answer to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter six.

First, Paul explained how the discontented, disgruntled, and agitated false teachers in the church live. These people presented false truth in order to distort Christian reality. They can be men or women of any age in any church as Paul describes in 1 Timothy 6:3-5. Their false beliefs lead to wrong behaviour which obviously damages others and the testimony of the Church, not to mention bringing shame to the Lord’s name. For these people, self must come first.

Second, in contrast to these false teachers, Paul tells Timothy that “there is great gain in godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6). Notice what comes first, “godliness.” Now there’s a misunderstood word. In the original Greek language of the New Testament, “godliness” depicted a life of God-like character which was flavoured by God’s holiness, particularly in relation to the gospel scheme of life.

Paul explains the gospel scheme of life in Romans chapter 6. “For if we have been united with him [Christ] in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom 6:5). This resurrection is the new Christian life of living like Christ at the cost of self. Paul continues; “now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Rom 6:8). But how you ask? Paul answers; you “must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11). Contentment begins with total surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. The attitudes and actions that speak “I, mine, and my” are exchanged for “Christ.”

Now, 1 Timothy 6:6 says; “there is great gain in godliness with contentment.” To experience great gain, which is NOT financial profit, is personal God-like character and is to be accompanied by the decision to be content with living the life of Christ as the best expression of God’s character. This is the Christians highest priority; to allow the gospel scheme of life to be your dominating love in life at the expense of self. This is what it means to be content in Christ.

Next week we shall consider some specifics of how to live contentment in Christ. For today, I encourage you to be content in Christ. Invite Him to invade every part of your life. Explore the wonders of salvation in Christ so that your appreciation of Him will flood your mind and heart with contentment. Live it and share it.

 

Be encouraged to live with a faith that is obvious

As I was standing outside the Savusavu Airport watching the sunrise this morning, my thoughts were drawn to the realities of obvious saving faith compared to false man-made faith.

Dead faith (James 2:14-17), that which is self generated, may have the feelings of authenticity, yet lacks the Holy Spirit’s working of regeneration. This fraud faith deceives it’s victims by saying that your good works are sufficient to win God’s approval for heaven. However, it’s the Holy Spirit’s rebirth which produces behaviour that gives evidence of eternal life (John 3:8), not belief in your abilities.

Self generated faith attempts to mimic Christ’s peace, but fails. Instead, it produces an artificial peace “as the world gives” (John 14:27). This only confuses the person with conflicting thoughts and feelings. Realise that it is only “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this [faith] is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). This is what Jesus said would cause your hearts not to be “troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

Jesus explained the obvious evidence this faith produces; “whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). There is no half-heartedness, no turning back, no isolation. The Holy Spirit determines you to produce lifelong fruit which are also dependent upon Christ alone through faith.

Genuine faith agrees with the apostle Paul; you “must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). There is no self in this faith. This new Christ centered mindset lives in an ever present Lord Jesus Christ culture. But how you ask? Because “we know that our old self was crucified with him [Christ]…” (Romans 6:6). So, “you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

One thing which is true for all of us; “you are slaves of the one whom you obey” (Romans 6:16). Even the pursuit of self centered pleasure in Jesus name makes you a slave to personal pleasure seeking. But Spirit energised faith says that you “have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Here Christ is the object of your deepest devotion with Him being the destination of your affections, not self. Every facet of life is to be enjoyed and aimed at living His righteous character.

This new faith life is purpose built by God for “the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6). Your faith in Christ gives evidence that God has been working from eternity past “according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). He does this in all believers “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10). Lives centered around faith in Christ speak a loud testimony to all spiritual forces, both good and bad, about the many facets of God’s merciful wisdom worked out through saved sinners.

Today, I encouraged you to live with a faith that is obvious. Let the world know that Christ lives in you. Encourage another believer with these truths. Inform some non-believer that Christ wants to do this work in their lives also. The Saviour will be glorified, your church will be strengthened, others will be inspired, and you will be blessed.

 

I encourage you to serve Christ in building His precious Church

As I’ve had the privilege of sharing God’s Word in Fiji over the past few days, I’ve been reminded of the uniqueness of Christ’s body. There is simply no other organism on earth like the Church, with such a diversity of members which come gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do a humanly impossible job. Not only so, but the faithful members are equipped to encourage one another as well as communicate the good news of Jesus Christ effectively to those yet to be saved.

Consider the apostle Paul’s remarkable relationship with the Church in Thessalinica? He explained how they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1Th 1:9-10). These Christians were the real deal. They had grasped the fullness of what it meant to be those “who did receive him, who believed in his name…” It was to these people that Christ “gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12-13).

I feel like Paul as I’ve preached the excellencies of Christ and received such wonderful love and hospitality from the believers of Narere Community Church and Samabula Gospel Chapel. Like Paul, I “give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Th 1:2-3).

I’ve been refreshed as I’ve seen how God gives new life to people of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Indeed, it’s as the Samaritans said in evaluation of Jesus; “we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world” (Jn 4:42). It really is true; Jesus Christ is “God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Ti 2:3-4).

As this body of Christians form the Church which is the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1Ti 3:15), they have the privilege of displaying “the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph 3:10). “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (Jas 3:14-15).

Beloved, be encouraged to serve Christ in building His precious Church. Keep it clean; encourage and grow it’s members through humble service done in love. Engage in Christ centered worship with heart felt passion for the Saviour. “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour”(Rom 12:10). Invite others into it through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, and “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Co 10:31).

 

Be encouraged to recognise God’s Spirit in salvation

The apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 1:13 the life changing work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. “In him (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him (Christ), were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” As always, God’s Spirit is active in people’s lives bringing them to saving faith in Jesus Christ, then sealing their salvation as complete and irreversible.

Salvation brings many changes, but no change would occur without God’s Spirit indwelling and proactively ministering Christ within the new believer. This infiltration is the beginning of the new Christian’s life. “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9). Every new believer needs to know that there is no secondary indwelling’s to be had. The new child of God gets to experience the entirety of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation. The first and most obvious evidence is the shift in attitude from being sin and self-centered, to being Christ centered.

One truth leads to another

As we have already learned; the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to promote Jesus Christ as Lord in all things. So, this same purpose should be evidenced through every Spirit filled Christian also. Of course, this can only happen at the exclusion of self. Selfishness is the greatest expression of a sin controlled life, just as selflessness gives evidence to a Spirit controlled life where Christ is Lord.

Paul explained to the Galatian believers how to further identify evidence of Holy Spirit activity in their lives. The positive proofs are visible; as “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Equally, the negative proof is also visible; for those who “walk by the Spirit …will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

It’s incredible, as Christians, to consider that “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).  Without God’s Spirit there is only enslavement to sin in its various forms and with differing expressions in our differing lives.

Holy Spirit freedom in Christ

With all that said; the Holy Spirit sets the believer free to grow in ever increasing Christ-likeness. Obviously, this does not happen within a day or two. This is a life-long activity which God the Spirit is committed to in every believer’s life. Upon attaining to a new level of Christ’s glory through sanctified living, the Spirit sets about moving the believer towards the next level of Christ-like character. Neither the Holy Spirit nor the believer are ever stagnant in this ongoing business of ever increasing glorification of Christ.

Understanding these truths shines a whole new light on the impact salvation has; because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Today, be encouraged to recognise God’s Spirit in salvation by recognising His purposeful activity in your life.