The Life that is Imminent

On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” (Luke 17:31-37).

What do you think it will be like when Jesus returns? The Spirit inspired Paul to describe the glorious moment like this… “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). On a personal level, what do you think your life will be like when He returns? What will He catch you doing at that amazing moment? After He described the imminence of His return Jesus used three illustrations to compel His disciples to be expecting and prepared for that moment every day. With these and many other words, Jesus exhorts disciples in every day of every age to look forward to and to live the life that is imminent.

Determined disciples are preoccupied with heavenly things. Jesus described the position of many disciples as being “on the housetop” or living over and above the control of material things. As the days of His return approach there will be much temptation to gather and cling to worldly possessions as the culture and economy of the rebellious world threaten the prosperity of Christians. As the adversary increases his pressure on us to renounce the faith by threatening to take away our material possessions, Jesus’s exhortation is echoed in the Holy Spirit inspired words of the Apostle John… “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Evidence of maturing faith is an increasing love for God that replaces our love for things of the world and prepares us to run from this world and into His arms upon Christ’s imminent return.

Diligent disciples are persistent in sharing the gospel. Jesus described the position of others as “the one who is in the field”. His carefully chosen words remind us of His exhortation to pray for and be fully engaged in the work of sharing the gospel among the lost people of this world… “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). Disciples that seek and seize every opportunity to proclaim His gospel in word and deed are naturally and spiritually sensitive to Christ’s presence in every moment of the day and therefore will be more aware of His approaching, imminent return in glory.

Discerning disciples are prepared to leave at any moment. Jesus described the imminence of His return by saying people will be going about their daily business, sleeping, waking, or working when suddenly… “One will be taken and the other left”. His words remind us that despite the false claims of many in every age… “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Although no one knows the exact moment of His return, Jesus would soon exhort His disciples to live differently from the unbelieving world that surrounds us… “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35). The Spirit of Truth inspired Peter to echo this instruction… “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11-12). Discerning disciples live not for today but in eager excitement and anticipation of the imminent day of Christ’s glorious return.

As we grow up into Christ, we are set apart from the distractions of the temporal world as we live…

The Life that is Imminent.

The Days that are Imminent

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

Jesus identified the establishment of God’s kingdom rule on earth here as… “the days of the Son of Man”. He did not reveal the day and the hour of His return to judge sin and establish His millennial rule here on the earth… “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). But in today’s text, Jesus described the approach of His return by drawing comparisons to two familiar historical events where God intervened and delivered true believers from impending judgment. He wanted them and us to know that because of the deteriorating condition of fallen mankind His disciples should live as if His return is always imminent (def.: Literally, shooting over; hence, hanging over; impending; threatening; near; appearing as if about to fall on; used of evils; as imminent danger; imminent judgments, evils or death – from Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828). Christ used this powerful history lesson to prepare the first disciples, and to exhort diligent disciples in every age to recognize the signs of their times and to live and work every day in the light of the days that are imminent.

Christ’s return is imminent because fallen mankind is always concerned with earthly care. In the very shadow of Noah’s preoccupation with building the ark, people were devoted to “eating and drinking“. Jesus warned disciples to resist the tendency of the heart to worry over temporal needs like food and clothing… “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:31-32). When we make a priority of seeking His kingdom, Christ’s providence in our lives raises the world’s awareness of the imminence of His kingdom… “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Christ’s return is imminent because fallen mankind is always captivated with earthly companionship. In the presence of the very real sign of impending judgment, the people of Noah’s day continued to be preoccupied with human relationships… “marrying and being given in marriage”. Earthly relationships are important, but they must not replace the deepest need in the human heart, the need for fellowship with God… “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). When we make a priority of investing in our intimacy and fellowship with God, Christ’s presence overflows from our hearts, grabs the world’s attention, and increases their sensitivity to the imminence of His kingdom… “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

Christ’s return is imminent because fallen mankind is always consumed with earthly commission. In Lot’s day, right up through the warning of impending judgment by God’s angels, people continued… “buying and selling, planting and building”. They were driven to build and maintain their personal and precious but temporary worldly kingdoms. Jesus cautioned disciples to avoid the worldly treasure trap… “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). When we make a priority of pursuing kingdom treasure, our anticipation and excitement for blessings beyond today can redirect the world’s attention toward the imminence of His kingdom… “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).

As we grow up into Christ, living in anticipation of soon His return can make others more aware of…

The Days that are Imminent.

The Days that are Very Near

And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation” (Luke 17:22-25).

What are you living for? Do you really believe that what you believe is really true? Does your faith in Christ give you a vision beyond the demands and distractions of today? The difficulties and trials of today often cause us to look up and echo the words of John the Revelator… “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). I believe the Lord wants us to live with the same kind of anticipation of the days of the Son of Man because they are truly the days that are very near.

The days of the Son of Man are desired by Christ’s disciples. Ever since His departure, believers have longed for Christ’s physical return to establish His earthly rule. As we mature in the faith we learn to live above the temptation and sin of today and more for that glorious day when the fruits of our pursuit of His righteousness are rewarded… “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). Growing disciples share the gospel with greater urgency because we know His return draws nearer every day… “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God… manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus… which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Timothy 1:8-12). Diligent disciples are exhorted to know and proclaim the truth of Christ’s gospel as we seek and sense the approach of the days that are of the Son of Man.

The days of the Son of Man are discerned by Christ’s truth Ever since His ascension men have tried to predict and use Christ’s return for diverse and perverse reasons. At the end time of the world, he will not descend from heaven obscurely or secretly, but with godlike glory and dwelling in the light which no one can approach… “The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time… who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:14-16). The angels promised that Christ’s return would be just like His ascension… “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The Spirit inspired Luke to record Jesus’ promise that his coming will be like the lightning. Matthew was moved to record this discourse in much more detail but He was sure to include Jesus’s same description of His return… “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). Diligent disciples are encouraged to know and trust the truth of God’s Word so we will discern and not be deceived regarding the days that are of the Son of Man.

The days of the Son of Man are delayed by Christ’s suffering. Ever since He left to take His seat at the father’s side men have expected Christ’s return to establish God’s kingdom on earth to be imminent. Jesus tole the first disciples that He first had to suffer many things. He wanted them to know that he was about to abolish death by the death of his flesh, put away the sin of the world, destroy the ruler of this world, ascend to the Father and in due time appear to judge the world in righteousness. In the meantime, He wants His disciples to imitate His life of sacrificial service… “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) as we live and pray… “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Diligent disciples are enjoined to share Christ’s suffering as a reflection of the nearness of the days that are of the Son of Man.

As we grow up into Christ, living for Him brings us and our world closer to…

The Days that are Very Near.

The Kingdom that is Very Near

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21).

The coming of the kingdom of God is so central to what true disciples believe that Jesus included it at the beginning of His model for prayer… “And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come’” (Luke 11:2). Diligent disciples live and labor in full anticipation and excitement of the coming of the kingdom of God. The reality of life in a world that is enjoying the benefits of submission to the rule of our Creator is wildly beyond our limited imagination… “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The Holy Spirit has inspired glorious glimpses of the kingdom to come… “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:3-4). Perhaps in the midst of today’s temporal trials you’ve asked the same question… “When the kingdom of God would come”. I pray you’re encouraged and excited by the powerful truth revealed in Christ’s answer to the Pharisees, that the glorious kingdom of God is closer than you think because it is the kingdom that is very near!

The kingdom of God is revealed when desperate disciples depend on God’s supernatural power. Our trials are God’s opportunity to break into the natural world with the demonstration of His supernatural power. Trials should bring maturing disciples to the end of ourselves, refocus our faith on Christ, and trust Him to act. Jesus promised the kingdom of God comes with supernatural healing… “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). Jesus promised the kingdom of God comes with supernatural deliverance… “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). Jesus promises the glory of the kingdom of God comes whenever His disciples turn to Him in time of need… “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

The kingdom of God is revealed when diligent disciples declare God’s prophetic Word. Jesus was consistent and urgent in His message about the coming kingdom of God… “The people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose’” (Luke 4:42-43). His miracles drew great crowds to hear His preaching about the coming kingdom… “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17). He exhorted His disciples to be diligent and to imitate in words and deeds His prophetic kingdom message even in the face of certain rejection… “Whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near’” (Luke 10:10-11).

The kingdom of God is revealed when devoted disciples demonstrate childlike faith. Jesus understands fallen human nature. He knows the spiritual reality of the kingdom of God is foolishness to the heart and mind of natural man… “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus used children to illustrate the gracious gift of faith that enables and empowers devoted disciples to receive and discern the kingdom of God in the midst of this fallen world… “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Luke 18:17).

As we grow up into Christ, and our faith matures, we become more expectant and aware of…

The Kingdom that is Very Near.

The Mercy that Promotes Thanksgiving

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:11-19).

Leprosy is a terrible disease. Beyond the crippling and painful physical symptoms there is the hopelessness and isolation of this incurable and infectious disease. It made its victims outcasts from the community and even estranged them from corporate worship. Leprosy alienated its victims from others and drove them so far from God it’s understandable that many of them gave up on life. But here were ten of them that had heard the good news about Jesus. Perhaps they had been stirred by His own words as He appropriated the prophets’ identification of the Christ to Himself… “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Ten were delivered from a crippling skin disease, but just one was delivered from spiritual blindness, and like the one thankful leper, once alienated from God, sinners who imitate his rightly placed faith in Christ find the mercy that promotes thanksgiving.

Christ’s love was applied. Ten hurting, rejected lepers found a ray of hope. They did not ask directly for healing, but for mercy. Their request for mercy revealed an attitude of unworthiness produced by years of suffering. Jesus knew their hearts. He knew only one would get the message behind the miracle today, but still He responded to the request of all ten lepers, because that’s what loving mercy does… “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God’s law was accomplished. Instead of dramatically declaring them healed, Jesus commanded the lepers to… “Go and show yourselves to the priests” His command fulfilled the law and meant journeying toward the temple where they were required to show their healing to the priests and to offer sacrifices for their cleansing… “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest” (Leviticus 14:2). This journey was a great step of faith because it would begin before the lepers had any evidence of their miracle. In the same way we are saved when our spiritual blindness is healed by God’s grace and our sin is revealed to us by God’s law and we respond by faith seeking the mercy of Jesus Christ… “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

Christ’s lordship was affirmed. Like the nine blind lepers who hurried off to the temple, many believe salvation comes through self-righteous work like obedience to God’s law. But Christ fulfilled the law for us by meeting its righteous requirement of atonement for sin on our behalf… “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Like the thankful leper who saw and praised Jesus Christ as the One responsible for His deliverance, all who come in faith to Christ for mercy and forgiveness find true salvation… “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ confirms Himself as the only God and Savior to those who like the thankful leper have faith in Him… “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).

As we grow up into Christ, our thankfulness and assurance grows because we have experienced…

The Mercy that Promotes Thanksgiving.

The Call that Distinguishes Developing Disciples

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:5-10).

Have you ever had one of those moments when you wondered if you were truly saved? Have you ever doubted that you were a true disciple of Jesus Christ or just another member of the crowd of people following Him? Sometimes this kind of introspection itself is evidence that you are truly born again because it may be the Holy Spirit prompting you to do some self-inventory and to move forward in maturing discipleship… “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). In today’s text Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request for increasing faith presents a threefold call to higher levels of discipleship. His exhortation prompts diligent disciples in every age to keep on growing in the faith by heeding the call that distinguishes developing disciples.

Christ calls His disciples to increasing faith. Jesus responded to the disciples request for more faith with an exaggerated illustration. With a short parable that promised that faith as tiny as a mustard seed could uproot a mighty mulberry tree and deposit it in the sea, Jesus sought to move the disciples concern away from the size of their tiny faith. He exhorted them instead to accomplish big faith-building things for the kingdom of God. He echoed this lesson in another exhortation to consider potential not by measuring our faith, but instead to imagine the unlimited possibilities that exist because of our position in Christ… “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Developing disciples have increasing faith as we learn to abide in Christ.

Christ calls His disciples to maturing obedience. Jesus took His disciples deeper by placing them inside of another parable. This parable taught the obligation and responsibility of obedience. Just as it was the natural expectation of the servant to fulfill his duty to his master, so disciples are called to a lifestyle of obedience to Jesus Christ our Master… “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Diligent disciples imitate our Teacher (see Luke 6:40), by following His example of obedient servanthood… “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). This kind of obedience is not honored in this temporal world, but is forever remembered in Heaven… “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17). Developing disciples have maturing obedience as we imitate Christ’s servant leadership.

Christ calls His disciples to humbling service. The kind of service Jesus highlighted in this parable is particularly humbling. A compassionate master might throw aside the cultural expectations imposed on masters and servants and reward his hard working servant with a seat at his dinner table, but Jesus proposed that the humility of the servant compelled him to fulfill all of his duty whether his master was compassionate or not. When we imitate Christ by giving ourselves fully to serving others as He did, we are humbled and God is glorified through us… “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Developing disciples are engaged in humbling service, reflecting Christ’s humility to a proud world.

As we grow up into Christ, we become more like Christ as we answer…

The Call that Distinguishes Developing Disciples.

The Strategy that Stops the Spread of Sin

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him” (Luke 17:1-4).

I’m sure Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus stirred up a lot of emotion and not a few questions in the hearts and minds of the crowd of Christ followers. Evidence of the deity of Christ is found in His sensitivity and responsiveness to such stirrings in our hearts when we read His Word. Here we see that Christ was aware of consternation in the hearts of His listeners about how the rich man ended up in Hades while Lazarus landed at Abraham’s side. The only clue is in the word of Abraham to the rich man… “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish” (Luke 16:25). God’s Word promises both good and bad things for everyone in this temporal life… “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). But the difference in our eternal destination depends upon our response to the gospel that is revealed in God’s law, promised by God’s prophets, and sealed by the resurrection of God’s Son. Jesus knows how difficult the search for justice and the battle against temptation is in this temporal world, so He responds to searching hearts with a revelation of the strategy that stops the spread of sin.

Sin is stopped dead in its tracks when true disciples resist sin. Sin abounds because all human beings are sinners… “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We have inherited this sin nature from our ancestor Adam and it leaves us spiritually dead… “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world… among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3). But by His grace, God has quickened our spirits and made us spiritually alive… “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). By His grace God has lifted us up above the temporal world and given us access to His Spirit so we now have discernment, power, and freedom to reject the sin and temptation of this temporal world… “And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). When we resist sin we stop it in its tracks and we become a living encouragement to others to choose righteousness and to seek and discover the grace of Jesus Christ!

Sin is stopped dead in its tracks when true disciples rebuke sinners. Jesus exhorted His disciples to identify and rebuke sin… “If your brother sins, rebuke him”. The Spirit of Truth reveals that everyone has God’s law written on our hearts… “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires… They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts” (Romans 2:14-15). Though it’s not easy or comfortable in a sinful world, sin is stopped in its tracks when we rebuke sinners, exhorting them in love to take the first step toward freedom in Jesus Christ.

Sin is stopped dead in its tracks when true disciples release sinners. Jesus required His disciples to forgive repentant sinners… “if he repents, forgive him”. Sin leaves a lingering offense and pain that must be released through forgiveness for the good of both the victim and perpetrator. That’s why Jesus so often strongly urged forgiveness… “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Sin is stopped in its tracks when we release sinners through forgiveness.

As we grow up into Christ, we overcome evil and advance holiness as we practice…

The Strategy that Stops the Spread of Sin.

The Resurrection that is Convincing

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31).

Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus reminds us that physical death is not the end of our story. We’re created in the image of our eternal Father and we will live beyond physical death... “Just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Jesus’ use of the name Lazarus in this parable reminds us that there were other incredible resurrections in the Bible, but the difference between Heaven and Hell has everything to do with the resurrection that is convincing.

Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled the law of Moses. The Old testament reveals that after physical death the destiny of both the righteous and the wicked is in the hand of God… “But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil” (Ecclesiastes 9:1-2). Jesus’ parable reveals Hades as a place of judgment and torment. Abraham’s side is a place of blessing and comfort. After His death and before His resurrection Jesus descended into Sheol and set righteous captives free… “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?” (Ephesians 4:8-9). He delivered those who strived to obey the law of Moses to a place called Paradise… “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). Since the death and resurrection of Christ, departed souls of true disciples go immediately into the presence of Jesus in Paradise because He fulfilled the law for us… “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled the words of the prophets. Jesus pointed to this truth in His revelation to two disciples on the road to Emmaus… “’Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:26-27). The Spirit echoes this truth through the inspired words of the Apostle Paul… “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: 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).

Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled the promise of eternal life. Jesus promised eternal life to true believers… “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He sealed this promise with His own resurrection… “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

As we grow up into Christ, we confidently look forward to victory over death because of…

The Resurrection that is Convincing.

The Relationship that is Esteemed by God

 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery” (Luke 16:18).

Jesus followed His declaration about the timelessness of the truths of Scripture… “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:17), with a very important example. He used the very first human relationship that He gave to mankind to teach that God’s intentions as revealed in His Word are forever. The relationship between a husband and wife was given before any other earthly relationship or institution, was reflective of the most important relationship to human beings, and was to remain forever a clear and compelling revelation of the character and nature of our eternal God. Despite the fall and resulting corruption of mankind’s understanding of God’s purpose and intention for marriage, it remains the relationship that is esteemed by God.

In God’s eyes marriage is primary. It is the first relationship instituted by God. The relationship between a man and a woman came before the relationship between parents and children, friends, neighbors, or any other human relationship. The institution of marriage was established before God created the church, government, industry, or any other institution. The first marriage was arranged and officiated by God Himself… “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6). Through marriage God intended to establish the primary unit of society, the family, and to empower mankind to fill the earth with Godly children… “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring” (Malachi 2:15).  Marriage is intended to be the foundation of other relationships and therefore it is intended to last a lifetime… “For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress” (Romans 7:2-3). God’s grace is available to willing hearts that will invest in a marriage that will last a lifetime.

In God’s eyes marriage is purposeful. Christian marriage is to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His Church. The Spirit reveals this important truth about marriage through the inspired writing of His servant Paul… “’Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32). The Spirit of truth clearly reveals the connections between husbands and Christ… “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25), and between wives and the Church… “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands” (Ephesians 5:24). A Godly marriage is a reflection of the gospel that invites others to consider trusting Jesus Christ and becoming part of His Church.

In God’s eyes marriage is personal. Christian marriage is supposed to be a reflection of God’s love, forgiveness, and patience to the broken world we live in because these qualities are indispensable for two imperfect people building an enduring marriage… “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). Children growing up in a Godly home will learn about God’s grace, mercy, salvation, and sanctification by observing these important gospel truths as they watch their parents mature in the Christian faith… “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). Godly parents have the privilege and responsibility of leading the children God has entrusted to our care to faith in Christ by word and example as we grow together as one in Christ.

As we grow up into Christ, we enjoy a lifetime of blessings when we make it a priority to invest in…

The Relationship that is Esteemed by God.

The Worldview that is Esteemed By God

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:14-17).

The Pharisees had a hard time understanding and receiving the things Jesus was teaching about stewardship of earthly things like money and material things. They were enslaved by a temporal worldview that kept them from grasping spiritual truth… “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The freedom from such blindness and slavery to deception lies in God’s Word… “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). That’s why Jesus responded to the Pharisee’s ridicule with an admonition to renounce the foolishness and deception that is exalted by the world and to seek the truth that is exalted in God’s eyes, that is revealed in His law, the word of His prophets, and the good news proclaimed by His Son. The Spirit of Truth echoes this important truth through the inspired words of the Apostle Paul… “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). For culture shaping, kingdom building disciples everywhere, abiding in His word promises to grow our faith and empower us with the worldview that is esteemed by God.

Loyal disciples are obedient to God’s law. Here Jesus said “The Law and the Prophets were until John”, but we know He did not mean the law had come to an end because He also said… “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void”. For Christ’s disciples God’s law is an everlasting standard of holiness and perfection… “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). As we study and strive to obey God’s law we discover and reflect the amazing mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, the One who fulfills the law for us… “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and world are confronted by the increasing presence of Christ’s grace in and through us as we learn to love and strive to obey God’s law.

Learning disciples are hungry for the word of God’s prophets. Jesus also said He came to fulfill the word of the prophets. God inspired the prophets to describe the life and ministry of Christ in such revealing detail that people would recognize Him… “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Devoted disciples that desire to know Christ more intimately are diligent in their study of the scriptures… “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). As we gaze intently into the face of Christ revealed by the prophets, the Holy Spirit transforms us into His image… “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 3:18). Our families, friends, coworkers, and even strangers will take notice as we become more like Christ and we are set apart by the word of God’s prophets.

Loving disciples are consistently sharing God’s good news. Transformed disciples become culture transformers as we share the transforming gospel of the kingdom of God… “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also” (Acts 17:6). Our world and everyone in it will be eternally impacted as we seize every opportunity to share the soul saving gospel of God’s kingdom.

As we grow up into Christ, we become more effective culture shaping kingdom builders as we adopt…

The Worldview that is Esteemed by God.

The Stewardship that is Faithful

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:10-13).

Maturing disciples are always learning to live this temporal life in the shadow of eternity. Everything we see here is incomparable to the reality that awaits us in Heaven… “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). But the things of this world are a vital part of God’s plan to prepare us for eternity. The people, places, victories, and trials of this life are the tools God uses to refine and sharpen our faith… “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). This means every person, every thing, and every circumstance in our lives is God’s investment in us. Whether little or much, righteous or unrighteous, self-inflicted or caused by others, our sovereign God uses everything in this life to refine our faith, conform our will, and prepare us for Heaven… “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). This important spiritual principle shapes the attitude of true disciples toward the temporal, transient things of this world and exhorts us to serve God above everything else. Today Jesus reinforces this truth with an insightful word for truth seekers about the stewardship that is faithful.

Determined disciples are becoming managers, not misers. Jesus reminded His disciples in this lesson that we are eternal beings living in a temporal world, and we own nothing here. God’s plan from the beginning was for us to care for and manage HIS creation… “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Fallen people have a fallen view of God’s world that corrupts and compels them to earnestly pursue the accumulation of material things, until the truth hits them squarely in the face… “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). As we learn to hold loosely the things of this world we become more fully surrendered to the holy purpose and work of the Lord.

Diligent disciples are becoming generous, not greedy. Jesus was intentional in beginning this brief but powerful lesson with an exhortation to be faithful and honest with little. He knew the difference between the little we have and experience here on earth compared to the much that awaits us in Heaven. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to reinforce Christ’s encouragement to invest everything today to produce a lasting, righteous harvest tomorrow… “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10). As our faithfulness and honesty grows we sow seeds of righteousness in an unrighteous world.

Disciplined disciples are becoming sanctified, not selfish. All we touch here reveals the Glory of God… “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20).  In the beginning, mankind was given the ability to glorify and honor God by caring for and managing God’s creation… “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). When we are born again we are set free to renounce slavery to worldly things and to freely serve God wholeheartedly through holy stewardship of everything He has created… “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16). As we let go of worldly things we become more set apart and available for Godly things.

As we grow up into Christ, He gets the glory as we trust and practice…

The Stewardship that is Faithful.