Unworthy rebels, redeemed by the King of Kings and made servants fit for His use.

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How Paul Viewed Christ As King

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8–11)

The apostle Paul had no issue declaring the lordship of Jesus Christ over all of creation. In 1 Corinthians 6:8, Paul wrote, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Jesus is God and Lord over all that He has created and Paul declares that we owe our allegiance and worship to Him.

Paul also recognized Christ’s authority to judge all persons throughout all of time. In Romans 2:16, he wrote, “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” A judgment he did not exempt himself from, “For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Yet, while Christ is both Creator and Judge, He is also our salvation. Through his propitiatory work on the cross, and by our repentance and profession of Christ as Lord, we are saved from our sins (see Romans 10:9).

Still, even over our salvation, Paul recognizes the lordship of Christ as he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” Furthermore, to the Ephesians, he writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8–9). Paul clearly understood that Christ is both God and Lord. He is King over all things and there is nothing that was outside His reign and rule.

With this as our backdrop, we ask how Paul viewed our relationship with the King who rules not only the whole of creation, our judgment, and our salvation but over the very care of our souls. He reveals this in his letter to the Philippians. Paul begins his letter by writing of his imprisonment for his preaching of the gospel, an imprisonment that has brought the glorious, soul-saving message to the imperial guard itself! Paul not only endures this suffering (one in which he declares he would prefer to depart this life and go to Christ, yet he will remain for the work to be done) but rejoices in it because, through this unjust persecution, the work of God is being accomplished.

Paul recognized that the sovereignty of Christ over the affairs of all mankind included suffering on the part of His beloved people. That, through the ordaining of suffering and trials, Christ accomplished the very works He intended in the lives of His people. Paul’s own arrest and imprisonment not only brought the gospel to members of Caesar’s own military but also emboldened other Christians to proclaim the message publicly. Where some may think their gods negligent or capricious in allowing their adherents to suffer, Paul declared that Christ’s sovereign rule meant that nothing occurred that was without serving His divine purpose.

He then writes to the church in Phillipi to take encouragement in Christ and to be unified in one mind and body. He appeals to Christ’s own work in coming to earth as a man, humbling Himself by stepping out of Heaven, taking on flesh, becoming a servant, and being obedient to the point of death (see 2:5-8). It is this model, this willing service to the Father for the sake of others, that Paul calls to the Philippians’ mind as he tells them, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves”  (2:3). Christians are to model Christ’s humility and willing service on the part of others for the sake of loving and being obedient to God.

Paul reminds his readers that Christ, the One who willingly and humbly served of the will of His Father, is also the One whom the Father, “has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:9-11). The Lord of glory, the King of all creation came as a humble servant but one day, all the nations will bow before Him and acknowledge His sovereign rule. Even those who will be cast into eternal hellfire will confess his kingship and rightful judgment over them.

One would admittedly understand if Paul felt himself a little haughty over those who would reject the one true King of the universe. Paul was personally called to be an apostle of the Lord, the one who would preach salvation through this Christ to the very masses who sought his demise. One could understand a certain sense of privilege in knowing those who persecuted him would get their just reward. Yet, Paul shows none of this. He knows His King came as a humble servant to save a wretch like himself. Paul would not allow himself to be prideful when the model of his Savior was humility.

To that end, in chapter 3, Paul warns the Philippians against those who prided themselves in their outward appearance of piety, those who “mutilate the flesh” (3:2). These would be the Jews who made an outward appearance of their obedience to the law of God, who appealed to their heritage and traditions that they believed made them the people of God. Yet, Paul demonstrates in verses 4 through 6 that he not only had their pedigree, he exceeded it. He had been the top of the class, so to speak, in his adherence to and zeal for the law. If there was anyone who could have earned some kind of divine merit, it was Paul.

But, Paul throws it all out! He declares it rubbish, just worthless garbage in light of Jesus Christ. Paul willingly “suffered the loss of all things…in order that I may gain Christ” (3:8). Paul walked away from the status and pride of being seen as a highly respected Pharisee, a religious leader to be lauded and modeled, to become a humble servant and follower of Jesus Christ. Paul would endure poverty, persecution, suffering, beatings, and arrests to submit to his one, true King in totality. For Paul, Christ as King meant that there was nothing in this world so valuable that it could not be parted with in order to gain Christ.

In gaining Christ, Paul is looking forward to the promise of eternal life with his Savior in heaven. It is what drives him to live a life devoted to humble servitude and pursuing righteousness. Paul already had all that the world could have given him as a Pharisee – prestige, honor, position, and more. But, none of it compared to the “goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14). For that prize, Paul was willing to endure the loss of everything and the worst sufferings. There was no question that his loyalty lay with his Savior and King.

This is what it means for Christians to recognize and proclaim, “Christ is King!” It is not a political slogan. It is not a motto by which we seek to advance some sort of cultural change. It is a declaration to the world that Christ is Lord over all and will hold each person accountable for their rebellion against Him. It is a profession that only through confession of our sins, repentance from them, and turning to Christ as Savior and King that we might be saved. It is giving public notice that we are willing to forsake all that we have to follow and submit to the Lordship of Christ, even if we must suffer at the hands of wicked men to do so.

Christians, yes indeed, Christ is King! It is our privilege and honor to serve this King, to humble ourselves as servants before Him, and to call others to not only recognize his kingship but submit to Him completely. It should be for us, as it was for Paul, the driving motivation in our lives in all that we do. Christ as King is our greatest joy because we gain Him and His promise of eternal life. There should be nothing that the world offers us that can compare to this. Therefore, serve your King this day. Proclaim Him to the world around you. Live in joyful obedience to His commandments. Forsake yourself and pursue Christ with all the energy and fervor you can muster. Christ is King and you will be with Him for all eternity. Rejoice!

Podcasts, Blogs, and Being Imbalanced

One of the benefits of our modern age is the wide access to tools Christians have available to grow in the understanding of our faith. Blogs, videos, podcasts, books, and more can give us great tools to assist in our growth and understanding of the Christian faith. However, we must remember they are secondary, or even more accurately, tertiary tools.
 
Despite the wide availability of such tools, God intends and commands that we are to be part of a local body of believers. We are to be under the leadership and submissive to elders that He has called and appointed to be over us, as our primary means of Christian learning and maturity. We are to grow alongside our fellow saints, using our God-given gifts for the building up and edification of the body. And we are to study the Scriptures prayerfully that we might show ourselves approved.
 
These secondary or tertiary tools can be informative, helping us understand and refine our knowledge of biblical truth. But, they cannot hold us accountable if we begin to wander from the narrow path. Paper pages, videos, audio, and pixels on a screen cannot look into our Christian walk to discern if we are rightly practicing what we have learned. Nor can they directly intervene when we falter or dive headlong into sin.
 
Furthermore, some of these tools, either by accident or design, can cause us to be laser-focused on singular issues to the exclusion of other highly important areas of Christian maturity and growth. The net effect of this laser-focus can be us “majoring in the minors” so to speak. Elevating certain areas of Christian doctrine that may be important but neglecting the honing of the rest of Scripture. We become obsessed to the point of making our pet doctrinal concerns a signboard that we scream out at everyone else, demanding they join us in calling the attention of the entire church abroad to it.
 
Imbalance, gracelessness, immaturity, anger, bitterness, and haughtiness can soon follow when such obsession becomes the norm. And the echo chamber effect of social media can only exacerbate the problem. When secondary and tertiary tools become our primary means of doctrinal growth, all of us will suffer the consequences.
 
Therefore, it is imperative that we, as Christians, place these tools in their proper context. Do not let them become all-encompassing in your life. Do not let them take the place of your local church and pastors. Do not let them usurp your times of personal Bible study and prayer. Let them come along and assist you but never let them lead you.
 
Part of the Christian life is learning balance. Not straying off the narrow path to either the left or the right. And the best means of doing so is using the primary means God has given us for our humility, maturity, and growth in the faith. Go to church, read your bible, submit to your elders, and pray.
 
And if anything of what I just wrote irks you, if it causes in you a strong desire to object and then reframe the argument so it favors your take, perhaps, just perhaps, you are imbalanced and are already stepping off the path. So then, I urge you to reread and consider what I have said.
 
God bless.

If There Is No Resurrection… – YouTube Edition

This week, Chris walks through 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 as he discusses how the resurrection of Christ is the lynchpin of the gospel, without which, Christians have no hope.

Important Note: For unknown reasons, the audio intro music was not recorded on this video. All other audio is working correctly. Please forgive the initial 30 seconds of silence while the logo is up.

If There Is No Resurrection… – Podcast Edition

This week, Chris walks through 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 as he discusses how the resurrection of Christ is the lynchpin of the gospel, without which, Christians have no hope.

Be Men of God

If you want a perfect example of masculinity in the Scriptures, you need to look no further than King David.

As a young man, he kept his flock safe from predators, killing them whenever they attacked. He fought and killed the Philistine Goliath with just a rock and a sling. While serving under King Saul, songs were sung of the “ten thousands” of men he killed in battle. Later, when on the run from Saul, he amassed a small army of followers. And as king of Israel, Israel never had to fear her enemies. By all definitions, David was a “man’s man.”

Yet, in contrast, David was one who danced before the Lord, he played soothing music on the harp for King Saul, and he wrote poetry in the form of many Psalms. Those today who argue for a return to masculinity do not seem to include such attributes in the manliness repertoire. Such things may tend to be viewed as more feminine.

But, when we look at David, not all is admirable. He was clearly an attractive man as many ladies swooned for him. Yet, David amassed many wives and concubines in defiance of God’s command that kings were not to do so. David was also not a good father as evidenced by his lack of properly disciplining his sons. One was a rapist for which David did nothing. Another son, Absalon, murdered that son and then later deposed David from the throne. David was an adulterer and a murderer, killing the husband of Bathsheba to cover his adultery. These are not the marks of biblical masculinity.

In the end, what was it that made David a man to be modeled by men today? It was his faithfulness. David was called a man after God’s own heart. When David was faithful, when he obeyed God out of a sincere love for his Lord, he was victorious in all he did. When he was disobedient and faithless, he sinned miserably. But, when confronted with his sins, he humbled himself before God, repented, and entrusted himself wholly and completely to the Lord’s hand. In this, we find true biblical masculinity.

Masculinity is not merely feats of physical prowess, the ability to lead, or being fearless in the face of enemies. It is not just loudness and brashness before one’s opposition. It encompasses a great many things more. Men are men when they act like men as God designed them to be. Whether a military commander or a desk clerk in an accounting office, a man is a man when he wholly devotes himself to serving the Lord faithfully, in obedience to the commands of God, humble and without reservation.

Yes, we as men should seek to act like men. And, David can serve as an excellent model of what biblical masculinity ought to be. Yet, a man is no less a man if he writes, dances, or plays music as opposed to building things, fighting wars, or being a public leader. Masculinity is being a man after God’s own heart. One who seeks to honor God in all that he does, recognizing his accomplishments are not his own but belong to God alone who established those works in eternity past. He is one who trusts in God’s design for his life and lives it, as a man, not compromising in any manner. He takes his role in society, in the church, in the workplace, and in the home seriously. He looks to God’s Word to define that role and does not abdicate it because culture defines it as “toxic.”

A biblically masculine man leads his family, if he is so blessed to have one, and takes responsibility for their upbringing before God. He does not waffle and leave that role to his wife, whom God has already provided a role, and the abilities to fulfill that role. He leads the family, not as a tyrant, but as the chief servant, being a model for them to serve God and His church in like manner.

A biblical man trusts God’s plan for his vocation and works, not to please the eyes of others or self, but to honor the Lord alone. He is not lazy, he does not leave work for others, he does not make excuses, but he works hard so that he might please God and provide for his family.

One who is biblically masculine humbly serves his church in whatever capacity he is fit for. Whether he cleans the toilets, teaches in Sunday School, serves in a safety ministry, or simply seeks to come alongside his brethren to pray and encourage, he serves the body with joy. He does not ignore needs in the church because the job is too unseemingly or lacks any public recognition. He serves, not for himself, but because he desires to be used of God to bless the body.

Yes, men need to be men. We are awash in a culture that is trying to erase men, to blur the lines between the genders, and trying to turn everyone into genderless drones. Men of God need to step up and be seen as men, to be a nation of Davids that all may see that God made men to be men.

But, let us not become so enamored with the “manliness” of masculinity that we forget the David who bowed before the Lord, wept over his sin, repented of disobedience, played the harp, danced, and wrote poems praising God, and expressed his love for his Lord and Savior.

Let us be true men of God.

Is Your Speech Corrupt? – YouTube Edition

This week, Chris discusses how Christians should model their speech with others after Ephesians 4:29-32 in our interactions with others.

Show Links:

Blog Article on X – Corrupting Speech

Blog Article on STTK

Is Your Speech Corrupt? – Podcast Edition

This week, Chris discusses how Christians should model their speech with others after Ephesians 4:29-32 in our interactions with others.

Show Links:

Blog Article on X – Corrupting Speech

Blog Article on STTK

Corrupting Speech

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

My hope in this article is to encourage Christians to be mindful in our speech with one another and with the world at large without compromising the truth of Scripture. This is not a call to be winsome and nuanced in everything. Rather, it is an exhortation for us to make use of our speech in the most biblical way possible. This is clearly not an exhaustive treatment on the matter and, undoubtedly, it will not address every possible circumstance. My hope is to give a small framework for Christians to work out from as they consider how they think and speak to people in their lives.

Our Manner of Speech Reveals the Condition of Our Hearts

It ought to go without saying that Christians should be a people who think, speak, and act differently from the rest of the world. We are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our wicked hearts of stone have been replaced with hearts of flesh (Ez. 26:26). As a result, we have new desires whereby we seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. The ways of the world, with its sinful proclivities in thought, word, and deed, should become foreign to us, something to be warred with daily.

It is here, in the matter of speech, that oftentimes Christians can find one of our greater struggles. As we continue to live our lives in our corrupted flesh, though our hearts have been made new, we feel the war with certain thoughts and words as we experience trials, tribulations, and even persecutions. Frustration can build to a point where we want to unleash a torrent of graceless and corrupt speech. It feels like it is the only way we can express how bad life is or how wickedly the world is treating us. We want to be able to express just how vile a world we live in by using speech that the world itself truly understands.

Yet, Christ Himself gives us clear instructions about how we are to speak to the world around us. Starting first in the church, and then expanding out to the world, our speech is a revelation to those who hear (or read in the day of digital technology and social media) the condition of our hearts. It is Jesus who tells us in Luke 6:45, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” It is a dire warning to us that those who are unwilling to cease speaking with evil or corrupt speech may actually not be in Christ, we may yet still be in our sins.

Of course, this is not to say that every Christian who, on a bad or trying day, lets loose a string of invectives has forfeited their salvation. Rather, it is a reminder that it is the evil heart that desires to speak wickedly. And, Christians who fall into sin and speak with an evil or corrupt tongue are giving into the remnants of the sinful flesh in which we reside. Speaking with wholesome speech, fit for those who hear us is not merely being kind to someone, it is honoring Christ who purchased us and obeying His commandments in all areas of our lives, even with our lips. 

“Justifiable” Corrupt Speech

Those reading up to this point may be giving a nod of agreement or even a hearty “Amen!” However, the commandment of the above-listed passage in Ephesians does not merely refer to the most obvious forms of crass, rude, or anger-laden forms of speech. It also addresses cutting language dressed up in biblical form that we can use to tear down others. Or acceptable words used in such a way to convey anger or gracelessness. Remember that our speech flows out of the condition of our hearts. It is all too easy to find ways to justify corrupt speech, ways that we can convince ourselves and others that we really are not being as wicked as we truly are.

One of the more insidious forms of corrupt speech used by Christians today, especially on social media, is how we tend to address the wickedness on display in the world. Let me first start by saying that Christians should not in any way, shape, or form sugarcoat the evil on display in our culture. A nation drenched in the blood of murdered babies in the womb, sexual immorality displayed in the grossest and crassest means possible, and the mutilation of children in the name of “gender identity” affirmation, is nothing but evil. There is no means by which a Christian ought ever to speak in the “nice” terms the world demands of us in these matters. The Bible has plenty to say about such abominable acts and we would do well to speak as it does on these things.

With that said Christians need to temper our words with the commandments regarding our speech in Scripture. Paul’s commandment above, while written in the context of the church body, gives a clear indication of what the heart of the Christian should be when we speak. He specifically contrasts corrupting speech against speech that builds up, fits the occasion, and gives grace to the hearer. In other words, when Christians speak, our hearts should be inclined to convey grace toward others. And this is by no means a contradiction when we address sin, whether inside or outside the church.

The kindest and most loving thing a Christian can do is call out sin and point to the only hope of salvation and reconciliation in Jesus Christ. The late R. C. Sproul called sin a “cosmic treason” against God. I can think of no better explanation for the vile and treacherous nature of sin. Sin puts us at war with God, a war we will absolutely lose, and for which we will be eternally condemned. Therefore, Christians must show the greatest love possible by calling sin what it is, telling people to repent, and calling them to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. To, in any way, water down Scripture’s warnings against sin is to harm the hearer because we can give them false comfort that they are not really that wicked and will be just fine in the end. Truly loving speech is that which reveals the ugliness of sin and the beauty of salvation in Christ.

Yet, as we watch the debauchery of the world unfold around us, and the quite obvious efforts to demonize the Christian church, there is a temptation to not only speak with passion and firmness against sin but to add fire of our own to the words. We may justify adding crassness and vile speech to our words by telling ourselves, that if we do not do so, we really just do not hate sin enough. This is one of those acceptable lies we tell ourselves because we lead ourselves, and others, to believe our added salt is necessary to make people feel and see how wicked is a thing or people. 

How can we know the difference between speaking passionate truth and corrupting speech in these situations? It can show itself in the manner in which we engage in such speech. When we see a people awash in sexual immorality, for example, do we call that sin what it is, an abomination to God, with the explanation that God judges all sin and will condemn them to Hell unless they repent and turn to Christ? Or do we gnash our teeth and take glee in using the most offensive terms we can find (even the biblical ones) so people can see just how tough we are willing to be in calling people evil? Both situations may rely on biblical descriptions of sin and sinners but only one speaks in such a way to reveal love for the sinner by warning them of the judgment to come and the grace of salvation found in Christ. 

Another thing we must always be on watch for is using well-known curse words of the day. This article does not need to list out what are considered curse words and the reader would be a bit disingenuous if he or she demanded a fully vetted list of “acceptable“ terms we can use. Any mentally competent adult with a functioning mind and vocabulary understands there a words considered crass and vulgar enough that they should not be used in mixed company. And Christians, being a people who desire to speak as one transformed by our Savior, should avoid using such curse words in order to add a little more seasoning to their engagements with our modern culture. Jesus modeled firm, passionate, unyielding, and biblical speech. He did not need to resort to the vulgar terminology of His day to be understood. We should conform ourselves to that very model.

Remember, Christ taught us that our words reveal the condition of our hearts. Speech that lacks graciousness, humility, and a desire to lead people to reconciliation with Christ reveals much about us. It is not by accident that Paul followed his commandment regarding speech with, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice“ (v. 31). Hearts that are consumed with merely with anger against a wicked without simultaneously being filled with the love of Christ who saved us can fall prey to corrupt speech.

”But What About…?”

I would be quite remiss to finish this article without addressing examples of very fiery speech found throughout Scripture. Any honest reader of the Bible knows that a commandment against corrupt speech does not equate to saying everything must be “nice” speech. There are multiple instances of fiery speeches against the enemies of God throughout Scripture, words that were not at all nice and would have burned in the ears of their hearers. The question then becomes, can Christians also speak in such a manner, and, if so, when?

In 1 Kings 18:25-27, Elijah mocks the prophets of the false god, Baal. The prophets had prayed, danced, and even flagellated themselves trying to get their god to respond to their calls to consume their sacrifice. This had gone on for the bulk of the day without the slightest hint of a response. Elijah mocked Baal, telling the prophets to cry louder because he might be sleeping, or on vacation, or maybe was busy “relieving himself.” Elijah demonstrated nothing but contempt for the false god and the false worshippers in his speech. There was nothing “nice” about what he said to them.

In a public confrontation with the Jewish leader of His day, Jesus, in Matthew 23:27-28 calls them “hypocrites” and “white washed tombs…full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” Jesus also slams them, saying “you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” This was not a polite exchange, Jesus was not interested in making them feel comfortable or accepted. He was fiery and blunt, without apology.

While writing to the Galatians who had fallen under the lies of the Judaizers, a group who demanded professing Christians must keep the law of Moses, Paul did not mince words. These false teachers who troubled the Galatians required circumcision as stated under the law, to which Paul writes, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!“ (Gal. 5:12). Paul made it clear that if the Judaizers really wanted to see the literal cutting of flesh as some kind of requirement to be right with God, then he would prefer they cut the entire appendage off. Paul had no problem calling out wicked false teaching and expressing what he believed should be done with such teachers.

The above three examples are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fiery action and speech in the pages of Scripture. And, since all of Scripture is for our benefit and meant to conform us to Christ, even these examples can, and indeed should, influence how we think and speak. The challenge is knowing the when and how.

In all of the above-cited examples, there is a consistent theme found: that the receiving hearers, or those written of, are genuine enemies of Christ. The prophets of Baal were leading Israel in the false worship of a false god. The Jewish leadership laid heavy burdens on the people of Israel through their traditions and even nullified the law in some places. The Judaizers sought to lead the Galatians away from justification by grace alone through faith alone and return them to the law which could never deliver them. In every instance, these were not merely people dead in trespasses and sins but actively engaged enemies of Christ who sought to corrupt people and lead them into condemnation. 

For such persons, Scripture often has some of the most heated and passionate language. While all sinners are indeed at war with God through wicked works, some rise to the top to be leaders and preachers of the worst kinds of blasphemy. For their hubris, Scripture takes great pains to reveal who they are with the fieriest rhetoric so that those who hear or read it know there is no mistaking how God views them.

Therefore, the Christian does have an example to follow, a manner of permissible speech to be used in certain kinds of circumstances. Harsh language aimed at those who would be the modern-day examples of false prophets and teachers who seek to lead people into blasphemies against God is within the realm of Christian speech. But, simply because there are people, places, and times that such speech is permitted is not blanket permission to use the harshest or most derogatory verbiage without restraint. 

Be Balanced 

The Christian must always look to the whole counsel of God in matters such as these. There are indeed examples of inflammatory speech that can serve as models for us when addressing wicked people in our modern culture. However, Scripture is replete with not only examples of but with specific commandments against corrupt and crass speech. Therefore, it is the duty of the Christian to study and inform oneself on what, how, and when we engage in certain means of speech.

We must also be committed to being conformed to the image of Christ. To be humble servants who live, not to promote ourselves or our preferred ideologies, but to proclaim and glorify the Savior who purchased us by His shed blood. This should cause us to view ourselves as undeserving wretches who had once been enemies of Christ ourselves but are now redeemed trophies of His grace. This not only reorients our view of ourselves but requires us to rethink how we view those with whom we are interacting.

In the end, Christians must be balanced in their speech. We must ultimately care about God’s glory, His plan, and His commandments to us over and above our own fallible desire to speak as freely as we would prefer. If we do this, putting God and His Word above ourselves, then we will find our hearts, thoughts, and speech naturally being guided by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

That is my encouragement to all of you and an admonition to myself as well. May we seek to be biblical in all that we do and let us leave the results to Christ. 

Is Anyone Else Tired of It?

Perhaps one of the most aggravating and disheartening aspects of Christian social media is the inevitable “Us Versus Them” mentality that develops between various doctrinally sound groups. By this, I simply mean that Christians who hold to particular doctrinal beliefs and practices that are orthodox yet differ from others who hold different biblical views will end up going to war with one another.

Differing views within orthodox views of Christian practice have existed since the birth of the church. Over the centuries, those views have resulted in various denominations that are most certainly Christian but have distinctives that set them apart from other Christian churches. That is simply a fact of life, one that will never change until Christ returns and ushers us all into glory. And, at that point, all of us will discover where our theology was deficient.

In the past, you might have ecumenical councils addressing deep theological questions of the day. You would have books upon books written in support of and in response to various doctrinal beliefs. Lectures and sermons abounded on these topics. Now, this is not to say that Christians never spoke with barbed tongues “back in the day,” they certainly did, often regrettably so. Yet, the manner and frequency in which this occurred was quite different given the lack of immediate access to the entire world that exists today.

With the advent of digital technology and social media, we cannot only read what someone around the world just posted, but we can engage in immediate communication with them. Truly a wonderous ability, yet one laden with dangers to those of us who cannot seem to control our wicked tongues.

What has often resulted in this age of immediate access is the ability to find those who think exactly like ourselves and to identify those who are not in our particular bubble. We create Christian camps and set watchmen at the gates (i.e. we surround ourselves with those who agree with us and will pounce upon those who dare intrude with differing views). While that might seem overly dramatic, it far too often becomes the reality when we become focused on what makes us different while, simultaneously neglecting what unites us, that we are all in Christ.

Please, do not misunderstand what I am saying. Firstly, I am not saying that all who claim to be in Christ genuinely are so. False converts and wolves among the sheep are common and we must be discerning to identify them. Also, I am not saying that those things that make us different are unimportant. As Christians, we are duty-bound to study the Scriptures and rightly divide them so that we might know Him and what He commands us to do. Rigorous discourse and debate with our brethren help us refine our understanding and practice that we may be unified in Christ and His Word.

Yet, as we engage in these discourses, that we are often dealing with our actual brethren in Christ is a necessity that we must not overlook. These are fellow sinners who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus and redeemed by His grace just as we once were. They are not less deserving of His kindness and mercy than we are. In fact, none of us were deserving of such grace. As it has been said, we are all blind beggars helping other beggars find a crust of bread.

The problem is, when we so often form our Christian enclaves online, we can forget this very important truth. We become so focused on the what (doctrinal differences and practices) that we fail to remember the who (our fellow heirs with Christ) we are engaging. When we become laser focused on defeating opposing arguments, what can result is a lot of back and forth shouting at one another, failure to rightly understand an argument, wrongly representing each other’s arguments, and even responding with attacks that do not address the actual argument made. And we do this because we are not dealing with people but our own perception of their arguments which we feel we have to “defeat.”

When we neglect the truth that we are dealing with fellow Christians, it becomes all too easy to become uncharitable. We see a post, an article, or a video that posits a doctrinal belief with which we disagree. The overwhelming concern becomes defeating the position and making sure everyone knows that position is something they should never practice or believe. Rather than recognizing the person behind the post is a fellow Christian making an argument consistent with their denominational beliefs, we view them as an opponent or enemy that must be fended off at all costs.

Charity and grace are left inside our camps as we wage virtual warfare with fellow Christians. We feel no need to remember Christ’s commandment to love one another because the debate over doctrinal distinctives is far too important. We might even justify our behavior by saying that it is loving to correct bad doctrine (a very true statement that can be twisted to excuse ungracious behavior). Someone could be swayed to their beliefs if we fail to act right now. So, into battle we go forgetting just how gracious Christ is with us in our own theological ignorance. Such behavior is unbecoming those truly in Christ.

Therefore, it is my encouragement to my fellow believers to flip the script just a bit. Yes, by all means, let us engage in discourse and debate. Let us respond to doctrinal beliefs and practices we find troublesome and concerning. Let us build up one another in the truth of Scripture that we may actually be unified in Christ and His Word. Yet, let us do so in a gracious manner that extends patience and lovingkindness to one another.

When we engage, let us listen to what someone actually says instead of assuming we know what they really mean. Do not look for ways to assault one another’s character instead of responding to the argument itself. Let us not pretend we can read minds and know someone’s motivations, rather, let us draw out someone’s intended meaning and purpose through charitable discussion.

To do this, of course, means that we must humble ourselves and remember that we are not better than those with whom we debate. We are all servants of Christ whom He has called, equipped, and placed us where we are in this place and time that we might serve and bring glory to His name. We all deserved Hell but Christ redeemed us and made us His own that we would spend eternity with Him. We are brothers and sisters through Christ’s blood and we are to love each other as we love our Savior. That change in perspective reminds us that, as we engage one another, we are addressing family we will spend our eternal lives with.

This is my encouragement to my fellow brethren. I have no illusions that this will be a swift and final resolve to all the discouraging infighting we see. However, if each one of us resolve to change our perspective in this way at least once per day, I believe we may see more fruitful discourse begin to develop.

He Gets Us and the Social Justice Jesus

Welcome to the He Gets Us version of Jesus. This is their message that manipulates Scripture to justify their social justice version of Christ. They say he “washed the feet of friends and enemies.” But, is that correct?

We see the one instance of foot washing by Christ in John 13: 1-5. This was done at the last supper specifically with the disciples of Christ. So, yes, he washed the feet of friends. What about enemies? Those opening verses tell us that Judas was already led by Satan to betray Jesus. So, in this instance one enemy, one who chose riches over Christ was present. And it appears his feet were indeed washed.

So, in the most technical sense of the tweet itself, Christ did wash the feet of his friends and one particular enemy. But, as the He Gets Us ad suggests, was Jesus so loving that He would essentially overlook the sins of His enemy? That washing the feet of Judas meant He did not judge or hate the sin of His betrayer?

In Matthew 26:24 Jesus says, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!” This is a clear statement of judgment on Judas who was about to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus openly identified the sin of Judas and pronounced grave judgment upon him for it.

Yet, in the He Gets Us ideology, Jesus did not judge. He did not hate sin and sinners. He only demonstrated humble love to those who would openly rebel against Him. This is an insidious redefining of the Son of God who stated, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

Why is it such a redefinition? Because, as Christ Himself stated, there is a division between those who follow Him and those who follow the world. Those who are of the world hate Christ and hate His Word. Why? Because Christ proclaims judgment on sin. And because only by repenting of sin (Matthew 3:2) and following Him (Matthew 16:24-26) can there be forgiveness and eternal life. The true Christ of Scripture hates sin and judges those who live in unrepentant sin to eternal condemnation. Yet, in His love, He makes a way of salvation from that judgment through His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection.

He Gets Us rejects this message and would have its ad viewers believe there is no judgment of sin with Christ. How can we know this? By looking at the ad itself. In at least two instances that are immediately notable – images of an abortion clinic and an LGBT person – their “Christians” are washing the feet of the persons present. Their tagline is that Jesus did not hate but washed feet.

So, in the ideology of He Gets Us, to proclaim abortion is the sin of murder, that LGBT is a sin of sexual immorality, and that both will be condemned to Hell eternally, is hateful. The only message He Gets Us will tolerate is that we should “serve” the unregenerate by “washing their feet” to make them feel loved.

But, as we see above, Christ condemned the sinner Judas and pronounced that his judgment would be so severe it would be better if he had not been born. The loving Jesus called out and condemned sin. Therefore, the most unloving thing a Christian can do is not call sin out for the vile rebellion that it is. It is actually a work of hate to leave someone unchallenged in their sins so that they feel better about themselves and you.

True loving service does meet the needs of those around us but never is that service to be absent the loving message of the gospel. True love tells people their sins put them at war with God and they face His righteous wrath. And true love points the sinner to Christ, who died on behalf of sinners to take that wrath upon Himself in their place. Who rose from the grave to give us a promise of eternal life if we would but turn from sin and trust in Him alone.

He Gets Us doesn’t want that Jesus. They want the social justice “Jesus” that doesn’t care about anyone’s sins (well, except those of “mean” Christians who are not washing feet, i.e. being activists for the “oppressed” in society). They want a “Jesus” that never tells anyone they are wicked rebels who need forgiveness but instead makes them feel that they are just great the way they are. They want a “Jesus” that institutes societal reforms so all the “victims” of culture’s oppressions are lifted up while all the “oppressors” are brought low. This is the “Jesus” they want, one made in their own image.

The He Gets Us campaign is not about the Jesus of Scripture. It is not about the gospel. It is not about repentance from sins and forgiveness through Christ. It is a multi-million dollar campaign to make people fall in love with an idolatrous version of Jesus that people can feel comfortable being around. A Jesus that worships them rather than the other way around.

Christian, reject the Social Justice Jesus™️ of He Gets Us. Instead, turn to the Scriptures and know the one, true Christ as revealed to us in His Word. Then, go and proclaim His way of salvation to those around you. That is your mission and calling, do not neglect it.

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