The Pastor’s Pen

I wish to encourage you to walk in hope. Christians live with the tension of being created for eternity and reborn for Heaven, while temporarily confined within the mortal boundaries of this earthly life. It is faith, hope, and love which fuel our expectation of being promoted to our intended destination, eternity.

Job, who understood the agony life can bring, explained that you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security (Job 11:18). Spiritual hope is distinct from human well wishing; it’s different from simply longing for the best to eventuate. Hope, as God designed it, is characterised by a very different set of values, values that grow out of Biblical truth. It rises from faith in Christ’s substitutional death, from a desire to grow in purity, and it matures in its security grown from the sovereignty of God.

By faith we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2). God’s glory inspires hope at two levels; First, it values our present character transformation into greater Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Second, it looks forward to the ultimate joyful glory for God when we are presented as perfect in Christ, in His presence (Jude 1:24-25). You see, hope looks forward with great anticipation because according to his (God’s) great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you… (1 Peter 1:3-4). This hope is NOT something we generate, rather, our hope is from him [God] (Psalms 62:5).

This side of eternity, Christ is manifest in believers through faith, hope, and love… (1 Corinthians 13:13). These three components cause us to …toil and strive (persevere), because we have our hope set on the living God… (1 Timothy 4:10). Holy Spirit generated hope is so real that it makes the anticipated truths a present reality. Consequently, as our discontentment with this world increases, so does our hope in God for our eternal home. We …groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8:23-25). Our hope is NOT in earthly assets, pleasures, or achievements. Rather, our hope rises from our citizenship (which) is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Philippians 3:20-21).

Hope evangelistically displays the Lord’s desirability through our lives so that the ungodly will develop envious curiosity. So, in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Today, be encouraged to identify the hope God has given you in Christ.

• Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), stir your heart with the joy of knowing the certainty of your eternal home.
• Encourage another believer with the privilege of this God given hope. Christ is returning that you may be with Him for eternity (John 14:1-3).
• Explain the gospel of hope in Christ to some unbeliever who presently has no hope beyond the grave.

I wish to encourage you to gather followers of Christ behind you. I’m intrigued by the simple yet profound way Jesus called His disciples. Take, for example …Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he (Jesus) said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him (Matthew 4:18-20).

These brothers were working their trade, fishing. Jesus walks up, uninvited, and unannounced. The Lord makes no requests, rather, He instructs them to walk away from their business, abandon their source of financial income, and separate themselves from friends and family. The Saviour promised only one thing; He would personally make them fishers of men.
Here we see divine sovereignty intersect with human volition. Should the brothers choose to follow the Messiah, they would be irrevocably transformed into effective fishers of men for their Lord. There would be no half measures in their transformation, no broken apprenticeship contracts, no compromise, no fooling around, and no turning back. No, these men were singled out to fulfil Yahweh’s irresistible grace. Immediately they followed! The rest, as we know, is history, Praise God!

Can you imagine if Simon or Andrew responded by telling Jesus that they were willing to follow Him, but not become fishers of men? Hmmm, I don’t think so! However, many today do precisely that.

With equal authority, Jesus delivered His great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Our Lord is not appealing to our sense of convenience or comfort. No, this instruction serves as a spiritual character identifier for all who have been born again in Christ, for all who would ever genuinely dare to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

We prove God’s sovereign intervention in our lives when doing what Paul instructed Timothy, by following …the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me (Paul), in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13). The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to follow him, just as he (Paul) was following Jesus Christ. So it is in our lives, we follow the more mature believer’s as they follow Christ. Likewise, we grab hold of others behind us, evangelising, instructing, encouraging, and assisting them to follow Christ as Lord together with us.

Here’s how this looks; whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus… (Colossians 3:17). View your employment, your business, your education, every relationship, every event, every conversation, every activity, including every sporting or leisure activity, as activities to be done on behalf of Jesus Christ and for God’s glory. View the disbelievers in your life as your Lord does. Befriend the unsaved, whoever they may be, live the love of Christ, sowing the light of Christ and the gospel of Jesus as Lord in as many subtle or obvious ways as possible.

• Plead for God’s mercy to work regeneration in the unbelievers of your life.
• Live Christ beloved! Always speak well of the Saviour!
• Patiently and lovingly call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32)
• Be an unashamed reconciliation ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
• Always be thankful to God for his inexpressible gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

I wish to encourage you to walk in wisdom. The word “wisdom” occurs some 200 times in Scripture, obviously it’s significant to God. Most of us realise that this world’s idea of wisdom is very different to God’s wisdom and that it’s far too easy for us to make the same mistake that Israel did, where everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).

Consider how that God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure… so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east… For he was wiser than all other men… (1 Kings 4:29-31). Solomon possessed an unnatural wisdom, an out of this world wisdom, it was gifted to him from Yahweh. Now, Solomon tells us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (Proverbs 9:10).

Often, we think of wisdom as doing that which is most expedient for ourselves, resulting in the greatest pleasure. However, God looks for a wisdom that expresses our fear, our reverence for Him. Godly wisdom seeks to duplicate the Lord’s reasoning, seeking outcomes that express God’s glory, God’s character, God’s satisfied justice in Jesus Christ, God’s mercy, and God’s love. This reverential fear of God is the constant starting point for God-like wisdom, and it invariably turns away from sin. This is why Solomon instructed, be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:7).

James, Jesus brother, assures us that If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:5-6). James is not giving a magic formula that guarantees the outcome we want. Rather, he appeals for humble self-examination that leads to the obvious conclusion, we lack God-like wisdom. Upon this realisation, we turn to the ultimate and unchangeable source of divine wisdom, God. And He gives wisdom generously to the one seeking it.

Make no mistake; James is not promoting a formula for health, wealth and popularity. Rather, the humble person of reverent dependence (faith), seeks God’s mercy to change the way they think (repentance), so they ask for God’s wisdom to be implanted in them. Two things are inherent in this request; 1) They’ve had enough of being tossed around by half-hearted, pretend faith, that is self-dependant. 2) They obey the wisdom they receive from God. Consequently, having already humbled themselves, they would hardly go out and do the opposite of what God says. Resulting from their surrendered faith, they will have a heightened sense that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick… (Jeremiah 17:9). They would endeavour to trust in the LORD with all (their) heart, and lean not on (their) own understanding. In all (their) ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight (their) paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I leave you with Solomon’s reassuring exhortation, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5).

I wish to encourage you to persevere in Christ’s clarity. The arch enemy of the Lord seems quite effective at clouding mankind’s thinking, even blinding the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Even the Beloved in Christ can easily become foggy in their understanding of God, leading to grey beliefs, and undistinguished living. On the other hand, the wonder of Scripture is the clarity with which Christ and His gospel are portrayed. The simplicity of language used to set forth the truth in the Holy Spirit’s authored Word (2 Peter 1:21) exposes us to immutable spiritual realities.

Make no mistake, Satan is a well experienced craftsman, messing up our lives in ways that are uniquely designed to capitalise on our weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and fears. This highlights our need to unceasingly be looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Clearly, God concurred His enemies in Jesus Christ at Calvary, He (God) disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Christ), Colossians 2:15. Likewise, clear thinking that shatters the enemies’ attacks should always start with giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12). PRAISE GOD!

That devious old serpent understands that the supernal beauties of Christ can only be seen and appreciated by those who have apprehended the gospel. The father of all lies knows that he needs to water down, to make cloudy, and to popularise the gospel message in order to achieve his dark plans. However, we believe that which is …of first importance… that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

While darkness delights in spiritual experiences and masquerades, deceiving light shows of all things grey, we who believe in Christ will not be distracted from the unparalleled, life-giving Word of the Lord. Why, because the law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; (8) the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalms 19:7-8).

Now, on the faith side of life, Paul tells us that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For 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 8:37-39). The apostle John emphatically affirms that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:5, 7). Such clear truth of belief in Christ heightens our sense of security in Him. Our assurance of salvation is validated as we walk in obedience with the Lord, while our earthly fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord is sweetened as we live the sanctifying power of Christ’s blood which was shed for us. Our growing realisation that God is light is deepened and made more resolute as we walk in ever increasing purity and Christ likeness. Don’t allow yourself to become stagnant in the apathy of grey, wishy washy belief. Live Christ!

Today, be encouraged to keep in the forefront of your thinking the beautiful truths of Christ our Saviour. Cling to the certainty that we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. …rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2). The apostle Peter wrote …exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it (1 Peter 5:12). Hold tenaciously to Christ as Lord. Find someone to share these clear truths of Christ with today. Be uncompromising in Christ’s grace, be generous in living Christ’s mercy, be eager to speak well of the Saviour, and rejoice as you live expecting the soon return of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

I wish to encourage you to live for the excellence of Christ. It’s an immutable fact that Yahweh is an excellent God, and the God of all excellence. For those who have put repentant faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, His (God’s) 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). As Christians, we’ve not responded to some second grade or wishy washy calling. Ours is not a general invitation with multi-choice options as to the degree to which we may or may not respond. Ours is not some half-hearted, vague request that accidentally fell from the heavens, or that we dreamed up. No, we are called to the highest of Heaven’s divine aspirations, to live the very glory and excellence of our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

The zenith of our Lord’s excellence is seen at the cross and in the gospel, bringing salvation into unbelieving sinners lives. At the very least, mankind was created for the purpose of manifesting the Image of God (Genesis 1:27), of which humanity has failed miserably at every level. God didn’t simply send an invitation to us, then sit back and wait for a response. No, He called (Like 5:32) us sinners, He implanted faith (Ephesians 2:8) within us so that we could believe in Christ’s substitutional death (1 Peter 2:24), He generated the necessary repentance within us (2 Timothy 2:25) so that we could turn from sin to Christ as Lord. Paul and Barnabas record that …as many as were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). Our Saviours sovereign excellence is seen and experienced by we believers, who are the evidence that what God determines comes into being and for the primary purpose of us becoming the living manifestation and mouthpieces of His praise and glory. Salvation is all about God, not us. We are simply the blessed recipients of His gracious mercy. Surely, this is the greatest, the highest; the most excellent of reasons any human being could have for living in surrendered obedience to their creator.

Now, here’s the implication. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9). The redeemed have been translated out of spiritual darkness to specifically become proclaimers of the infinite, multi-faceted (Ephesians 3:10) excellencies of God’s character and deeds. Paul, explains, …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). We are to replace frivolous, juvenile, and foolish thinking (Romans 12:1), worldly thinking that is selfish and tends to revolve around fleshly pleasures and pursuits, with thinking that is directed by the values learned from God’s Word. We think of the activities of life with Christ centred values, looking for opportunities to live out His love, His truth with His grace in the strength of His Holy Spirit. We correct ourselves by exchanging habitual thoughts of self, sinful motives and desires, memories of sinful activities, sinful responses to others, with thoughts that arise from our reading of Scripture, thoughts of God, of Christ, of Heaven, of Calvary, of ambitious opportunities to serve our Saviour.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Beloved, to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). We worship purely for His pleasure, not ours. We grow through the metamorphosis of our beliefs for His glorification in the truth of His Word as it permeates our beliefs. We serve for the betterment of others. We fellowship for the encouragement and edification of fellow Saints. We evangelise the lost to witness God’s will being worked out in unsaved sinners, for His glory. We disciple the young in Christ to see Christ mature them in developing His holy character in them. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our experience during this walk is of little significance, but our Lord must be glorified with excellence!

Be encouraged today, to surrender every molecule of yourself to beholding the glory of the Lord, (to) 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 3:18). Find ways today, of sharing this wonderful privilege with others. And always speak well of the Saviour.