On Meekness

Nobody wants to be called meek because its commonly acknowledged definition is “a deficiency in spirit and courage.” Not many would consider that a blessing. Yet it is. Our Lord said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth“ (Matthew 5:5), just one of His teachings that run contrary to what society deems “admirable” traits.

A.W. Tozer wrote, “A fairly accurate description of the human race might be furnished someone unacquainted with it by taking the Beatitudes, turning them wrong side out and saying, ‘Here is your human race.’ For the exact opposite of the virtues in the Beatitudes are the very qualities which distinguish human life and conduct.”

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that those who follow Christ are to be meek-minded because that’s how He described His own countenance. Now, that’s not to imply Jesus never displayed anger. He did. He once violently tore into those who’d turned the Jewish temple into a commercial marketplace, not because He was offended, but because they were openly desecrating His Heavenly Father’s house of worship. He wasn’t having any of that.

However, His outbursts of ire were the exception, not the rule. He was remarkably calm, collected, thoughtful and patient when dealing with people. He made His attitude crystal clear when He preached, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I’m gentle and lowly in heart, and you’ll find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light“ (Matthew 11:28-30).

Dane Ortlund wrote, “His yoke is kind and His burden light. That is, His yoke is a non-yoke, and His burden a non-burden. What helium does to a balloon, Jesus’ yoke does to His followers. We’re buoyed along in life by His endless gentleness and supremely accessible lowliness. He doesn’t simply meet us at our place of need; He lives in our place of need. He never tires of sweeping us into His tender embrace. It’s His very heart. It’s what gets Him out of bed in the morning.”

Christ could’ve also labeled being tender and compassionate blessings, as well. In Brennan Manning’s excellent book, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, he wrote, “The Jesus of my journey, the way He’s revealed Himself to me, is as the Compassionate One. Compassionate not because He’s the Son of God, but Son of God because He’s compassionate beyond mortal possibility.”

Manning added, “Therein lies His divinity for me. He’s the image of the invisible God. Should you choose to call Jesus goodness, He’ll be good to you; should you choose to call Him love, He’ll be loving to you; should you choose to call Him compassion, He will know that you know.”

Our Savior expects us to be more caring and compassionate than anybody around us. Matthew Fox commented, “Compassion is a spirituality of meat, not milk; of adults, not children; of love, not masochism; of justice, not philanthropy. It requires maturity, a big heart, a willingness to risk, and imagination.”

The meek never consider themselves holier or wiser than anyone. For every Christian is a work in progress, learning life lessons by studying God’s Word. Spurgeon preached, “If the meek are really meek, they’re always willing to bend. They don’t imagine what the truth ought to be and then come to the Bible for texts to prove what they think should be there. Rather they go to the inspired Book with a candid mind, and they pray with the psalmist, “Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in Your law“ (Psalm 119:18).”

Spurgeon explained, “When, in searching the Scriptures, they find deep mysteries they cannot comprehend, they believe where they cannot understand. …The meek in spirit are like a photographer’s sensitive camera. As the Word of God passes before them, they desire to have its image imprinted upon their hearts. Their hearts are the fleshly tablets on which the mind of God is recorded. God is the Writer, and they become living epistles, written not with ink, but with the finger of the living God. Thus, they are meek toward God.”

Spiritual meekness isn’t the same as weakness, insecurity or cowardice. Tozer opined, “The meek man isn’t a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he’s stopped being fooled about himself. He’s accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he’s as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he’s in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything.”

Behaving consistently compassionate, tender, gentle, forgiving and merciful doesn’t come naturally. Left to our own instincts we’re self-centered, ungrateful brats who think we deserve a stress-free life involving little concern for anybody else. Therefore, we must consciously strive to be more like Jesus every second of every day, praying constantly for His guidance and inspiration. It’s only then we’ll receive the rest He promises we’ll find.

Tozer wrote, “The rest Christ offers is the rest of meekness, the blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend. It’ll take some courage at first, but the needed grace will come as we learn we’re sharing this new and easy yoke with the strong Son of God Himself. He calls it ‘my yoke,’ and He walks at one side while we walk on the other.”

As for inheriting the earth, say what? No sane person would want this sin-filled planet. But, thankfully, this isn’t the one we’ll inherit. Spurgeon clarified, “After this earth has been purified by fire, angels will descend with new songs to sing, and the New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven in all her glory.” We’ll inherit paradise. Bring it, Lord Jesus. I can’t wait.

Meek, Not Weak

The first two Beatitudes point inwardly. Once a Christian admits they’re spiritually empty a sacred grief over their sinfulness arises in their soul. After they concede their inability to please the God who graciously adopted them into His eternal family, their sorrow over that inability increases. However, Jesus declared that those who experience both conditions are blessed. That alleviates the guilt and shame that would otherwise rob them of the joy that comes with being redeemed.

The third Beatitude is aimed outwardly. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth“ (Matthew 5:5). Accordingly, it’s of a higher order than the two preceding it. Spurgeon explained, “The man mourns; that is, he laments over his state of spiritual poverty. But now there’s something given to him by the grace of God – not a negative quality, but a positive proof of the work of the Holy Spirit within his soul. He has become meek.”

Meek doesn’t mean weak. Sinclair Ferguson wrote, “The word meekness is notoriously difficult to define. It’s certainly not a lack of backbone. Rather, it’s the humble strength that belongs to the man who’s learned to submit to difficulties (difficult experiences and difficult people), knowing that in everything God is working for his good. He’s learned to submit himself to the Lord and to be gentle with sinners.”

Our Savior demonstrated repeatedly what meekness looks like. He’s asked all His followers to “…learn from me, because I’m gentle and humble in heart…” (Matthew 11:29). Christ was no spineless pushover. He boldly spoke the truth to everyone, even to His enemies. Yet in His personal interactions He never treated anybody rudely or without compassion. Indeed, it was his meekness that endeared Him to thousands.

The meek remain submissive to God’s will and His Holy Word. In other words, they don’t quarrel with God. Even when they’re being harassed or suffering severe health issues, they don’t accuse God of being unfair. Despite his many hardships Paul wrote, “I’m content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I’m weak, then I’m strong“ (2 Corinthians 10).

There’s an all-too common complaint heard nowadays. Some confused people accuse God of goofing up when He created them and they’re struggling to correct His supposed “mistake” by pretending to be something they aren’t. The Scriptures confront that mindset directly. “Who indeed are you – a mere human being – to talk back to God? Does what’s molded say to the molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’“ (Romans 9:20). The meek don’t gripe about their lot in life. Nor do they call themselves “victims.”

The meek subdue their personal preferences. Spurgeon wrote, “They don’t imagine what the truth ought to be and then come to the Bible for texts to prove what they think should be there. Rather they go to the inspired Book with a candid mind, and they pray, with the psalmist, “Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law!“ (Psalm 119:18). When, in searching the Scriptures, they find deep mysteries they can’t comprehend, they believe where they can’t understand.”

The most noticeable trait of Christians should be their humble attitude. A true disciple never considers themselves better than anyone. They openly confess they’re “less than the least of all saints“ (Ephesians 3:8). Paul wrote, “For since I’m free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews… To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I’ve become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some“ (1 Corinthians 9:19-20, 22). Telling everybody about our Savior was his only goal.

The meek display a gentleness of spirit. “Hold on,” some will say, “Didn’t Jesus lash out sometimes?” Dane Ortlund wrote, “Yes. For example, Jesus pronounced searing denunciations on those who cause children to sin, saying it’d be a better fate if they were drowned, not because He gleefully enjoys torturing the wicked but most deeply because He loves little children. It’s His heart of love, not a gleeful exacting of justice, that rises up from His soul to elicit such a fearsome pronouncement of woe.”

Spurgeon wrote, “The meek-spirited man may be naturally very hot and fiery, but he’s had grace given to him to keep his temper in subjection. He doesn’t say, ‘That’s my constitution, and I can’t help it,’ as so many do. God will never excuse us because of our constitutions. His grace is given to us to cure our evil constitutions and to kill our corruptions.”

I doubt there’s any characteristic less respected by the unsaved than meekness. It’s why so many of them ridicule Christianity. I wonder how many scoffed, chuckled and rolled their eyes in disbelief when they heard our Lord preach, “I say to you, don’t resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two… Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you“ (Matthew 5:39-41, 44).

They thought Jesus was a fool. Many still do. His teachings contradict everything society insists individuals must be in order to not only survive but to succeed. Yet throughout His earthly life Christ was the meekest person in history. He didn’t incite riots against the Romans. He didn’t assault his accusers. He took the worst humiliation His adversaries could heap upon Him but never cursed them in retaliation.

When they unjustly condemned our Lord to death and shouted insults while He suffocated on the cross His response wasn’t soaked in vitriol. On the contrary, He prayed aloud, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing“ (Luke 23:34). Fact is, through meekness Christ triumphed and conquered the world.

Spiritual Bankruptcy

Jesus didn’t begin His Sermon on the Mount cracking a joke. Nor did He proclaim, “God loves those who do everything right.” On the contrary, He immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention by declaring “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them“ (Matthew 5:3).

Christ knew His audience. He wasn’t addressing the frowning Pharisees standing on the sidelines with their noses in the air and arms folded. He spoke specifically to the barely-getting-by folks in attendance who felt beaten down and discouraged by life in general. He told them, “If you feel like you’re spiritually bankrupt I’ve got great news for you. You’re in the perfect frame of mind to receive the blessing I’m here to give you.”

Spurgeon wrote, “It’s worthy of grateful note that this gospel blessing reaches down to the exact spot where the law leaves us when it has done for us the very best within its power or design. The utmost the law can accomplish for our fallen humanity is to lay bare our spiritual poverty and convince us of it.”

Since the Beatitudes are figuratively a “ladder of light” there’s no more appropriate bottom rung than spiritual bankruptcy. It’s where most Christians start. “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what’s low and despised in the world, what’s regarded as nothing, to set aside what’s regarded as something, so that no one can boast in His presence“ (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

The wealthy don’t usually think they’re in need of encouragement. Frederick Buechner commented, “The poor, on the other hand, are under no such delusion. When Jesus says, ‘Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest‘ (Matthew 11:28), the poor stand a better chance than most of knowing what He’s talking about and knowing that He’s talking to them. In desperation they may even be willing to consider the possibility of accepting His offer.”

That all of us are born spiritually bankrupt wasn’t a revelation then and still isn’t now. Those listening to Jesus’s sermon had been raised on verses like “Everyone rejects God; they’re all morally corrupt. None of them does what’s right, not even one!“ (Psalm 14:3) and “For there’s not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins“ (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The blessing Jesus was bestowing upon the throng that afternoon was that it’s not only okay to be poor in spirit but it’s to one’s advantage!

Our Savior knows all too well what original sin has done to humankind. It has rendered us literally “…dead in our trespasses and sins“ (Ephesians 2:1). R.C. Sproul explained, “To be dead in sin is to be in a state of moral and spiritual bondage. By nature, we’re slaves to sin. This doesn’t mean the fall has destroyed or eradicated the human will. Fallen man still has all the faculties to make choices. We make choices all the time. The problem is that we make sinful choices. We make these choices freely. We sin precisely because we want to sin, and we’re capable of choosing exactly what we want to choose.”

It wasn’t until my marriage was in serious trouble 14 years ago that I became acutely aware of my spiritual poverty. I wasn’t spiritual at all. I was a selfish, lustful, carnal mess of a man. Jesus was talking about my ilk when He preached, “…People loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed“ (John 3:19-20).

In other words, I was finally in the proper state of mind to “die to myself” and surrender all to Christ. What did I gain from it? Nothing less than the kingdom of heaven. It was miraculous! Brennan Manning wrote, “The Good News means we can stop lying to ourselves. The sweet sound of amazing grace saves us from the necessity of self-deception… When I go to church, I can leave my white hat at home and admit I’ve failed. God not only loves me as I am, but also knows me as I am. Because of this I don’t need to apply spiritual cosmetics to make myself presentable to Him. I can accept ownership of my poverty, powerlessness and neediness.”

The blessing of being spiritually bankrupt can only be granted by Jesus. No Jesus, no blessing. He’s the only remedy for that condition. As our very forgiving high priest, “He’s able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring…” (Hebrews 5:2). Dane Ortlund wrote, “The point is that Jesus deals gently and only gently with all sinners who come to Him, irrespective of their particular offense and just how heinous it is. What elicits tenderness from Jesus isn’t the severity of the sin but whether the sinner comes to Him. Whatever our offense, He deals gently with us.”

Sinclair Ferguson opined, “The sad truth is that we know so little of the blessing of which Christ speaks (and which He gives) because we’re all too often full of ourselves and our own means of blessing. In fact, there’s no sadder commentary on our lack of this spiritual poverty than the readiness so many of us have to let others know what we think. But the man who’s poor in spirit is the man who’s been silenced by God and seeks only to speak what he’s learned in humility from Him. If you would be rich and possess a kingdom, you must first lose all – including yourself and your self-centeredness – and become poor in spirit.”

Feeling spiritually bankrupt? For heaven’s sake, come to Christ and be blessed.

My Lord Jesus Christ

It’s only proper for my last essay of 2022 to be all about my precious Savior. My vocabulary falls woefully short of adequately describing my gracious Redeemer, so I’ll highlight what many of my favorite Christian authors have written. However, it’s impossible to top what the Bible declares of Him.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. …All things were created by Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that’s been created. In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it“ (John 1:1-5).

Why is Jesus called “The Word?” Thomas Watson wrote, “As a word is the interpreter of the mind, and reveals what’s in a man’s breast; so Jesus Christ reveals His Father’s mind to us concerning the great matters of our salvation.” Miraculously, The Word came in person to deliver the Good News and to proclaim absolute truths. Scripture affirms, “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us“ (John 1:14).

Jesus, being God, could’ve displayed His sovereignty in any number of ways. But He chose to be Himself. So, what was He like? He told us, “I’m gentle and humble in heart“ (Matthew 11:29). Christ exhibited those traits consistently throughout His earthly sojourn. He got mad only when His Father was disrespected and even then, His ire wasn’t directed at any particular individual.

Brennan Manning emphasized our Lord’s compassion. In his book, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, he wrote, “The Jesus of my journey, the way He’s revealed Himself to me, is as the Compassionate One. Not because He’s the Son of God, but Son of God because He’s compassionate beyond mortal possibility. Therein lies His divinity for me. He’s the image of the invisible God. Should you choose to call Jesus goodness, He’ll be good to you; should you choose to call Him love, He’ll be loving to you; should you choose to call Him compassionate, He will know that you know.” Christ taught, “Everyone will know by this that you’re my disciples – if you have love for one another“ (John 13:35).

Christ wasn’t a stoic. He experienced every emotion and impulse that we do but patiently. In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey wrote, “The Gospels reveal a range of Jesus’ emotional responses; sudden sympathy for a person with leprosy, exuberance over His disciples’ successes, a blast of anger at coldhearted legalists, grief over an unreceptive city, and then those awful cries of anguish in Gethsemane and on the cross. He had nearly inexhaustible patience with individuals but no patience at all with institutions and injustice.”

Jesus demonstrated the vital importance of prayer. You’d figure God would have no need to pray, but He proved that notion wrong. James S. Stewart wrote in his book, The Life & Teaching of Jesus Christ, “The practical conclusion to which a study of the prayer life of Jesus is that prayer must ever be the heart and center of all true religion and the dynamic and driving power of all the best and noblest of living. …It’s those who’ve learned the way of prayer from Jesus who’ve found the secret of victorious life. They go from strength to strength; every one of them appears before God in Zion.”

Jesus boldly taught His followers to think of God as being the best Father we can imagine. In his superb, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen wrote, “Here’s the God I want to believe in; a Father who, from the beginning of creation, has stretched out His arms in merciful blessing, never forcing Himself on anyone, but always waiting; never letting His arms drop down in despair, but always hoping His children will return so He can speak words of love to them and let His tired arms rest on their shoulders. His only desire is to bless.”

The Lord is our sympathetic, steadfast, and everlasting friend. “A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there’s a friend who sticks closer than a brother“ (Proverbs 18:24). That friend is Jesus. In The Glory of Christ A.W. Pink wrote, “Since He’s a faithful Friend, we may safely tell Him the secrets of our hearts, for He’ll never betray our confidence. But His friendship also imposes definite obligations – to please Him, promote His cause, and daily seek His counsel.”

Jesus is our Justifier. Charles Spurgeon put it succinctly: “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. It’s to me even to this day the greatest wonder I’ve ever heard of that God should ever justify me. …I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I am deserving. I’m loved with as much love as if I’d always been godly, whereas previously I was ungodly. Who can help being astonished at this? Gratitude for such favor stands dressed in robes of wonder.”

Yet it’s Christ’s love for us that defies conception. “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now loved them to the very end“ (John 13:1). In his excellent book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund wrote, “John’s point is that in going to the cross, Jesus didn’t retain something for Himself, the way we tend to do when we seek to love others sacrificially. He doesn’t love like us. We love until we’re betrayed. Jesus continued to the cross despite betrayal. We love until we’re forsaken. Jesus loved through forsakenness. We love up to a limit. Jesus loves to the end.”

Me? I grow closer to Jesus daily. Every time I read the “red letter” passages in the New Testament I gain more profound love and sincere appreciation for my Savior. My friends and family know I’m a Christian committed to imitating my Lord. Some call me a “Jesus Freak.” That’s okay. It’s no burden. It’s an honor. Christ is all I need. He’s more than sufficient. He’s everything to me.

Serving God Humbly

Humility is a rare commodity these days. Too many people insist their personal view about everything must be seen and heard by everyone. They believe humility is a sign of weakness and/or cowardice; that meek folks don’t get noticed and are, therefore, insignificant.

However, the greatest, most influential person who ever walked the earth self-identified as being “gentle and humble in heart“ (Matthew 11:29). Yet those traits never once lessened the authority and power He displayed in His words and actions. Therefore, every Christian should strive to serve God and our neighbors gently and humbly.

Jesus was transparent about His mission – to faithfully serve His Heavenly Father. He publicly acknowledged, “I’ve come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the One who sent Me. Now this is the will of the One who sent Me – that I should not lose one person of every one He’s given Me, but raise them all up at the last day“ (John 6:38-39).

He also openly preached that the sovereign Father has preordained everything that occurs. “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will“ (Matthew 10:29). Ian Hamilton wrote, “Did this knowledge leave our blessed Savior proud, distant, clinically distant of unenlightened sinners? Did He parade His ‘Calvinism’ for all to see? The very reverse was true. He was God’s chosen Servant, His own dearly beloved Son.”

Christ’s demeanor showed His followers how they’re to conduct themselves. As Isaiah had prophesized about Him centuries earlier, “He’ll not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. He’ll not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick…” (Matthew 12:19-20). Nevertheless, our gentle and humble Lord permanently altered the course of human history.

Jesus never said His gentle and humble countenance was different from His Father’s. On the contrary, He proclaimed, “The Father and I are one“ (John 10:30), confirming that our Father God is loving and merciful, too. Dane Ortlund wrote, “The sins of those who belong to God open the floodgates of His heart of compassion for us. The dam breaks. It’s not our loveliness that wins His love. It’s our unloveliness. Our hearts gasp to catch up with this. It’s not how the world around us works. It’s not how our own hearts work.”

Will serving God humbly make our lives run smoother? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But humbling ourselves before our Lord isn’t optional. Humility is the key to sincere and acceptable worship. Hamilton wrote, “Whatever else marks Christian worship, a deep sense of the greatness and glory of God, and the littleness of man, will be a compelling note in our church gatherings.”

“Since we’re receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire“ (Hebrews 12:28-29). Sadly, many modern-day churches have turned their services into “extravaganzas” wherein the preacher and/or the musicians involved become the focus of the congregation’s attention, not the soul-saving gospel. That’s a shame. They’re robbing themselves of the joy found in being reverent before God.

A truly gentle and humble pastor relies only on the power and grace that flows from the Holy Word for expanding God’s kingdom. Some of the most effective preachers have been soft-spoken orators (Martyn Lloyd-Jones comes to mind.) God doesn’t need us to be charismatic or instantly likeable in order for the gospel message we share to transform hearts from stone to flesh. Simply telling somebody Christ died on a cross to atone for their sins is all that’s required. The Holy Spirit does the rest.

Often my “cleverness” gets in the way of delivering the “Good News” efficiently. At our local Celebrate Recovery ministry I sometimes emcee the large group session. What I often find myself doing, though, is racking my brain to come up with something “thought-provoking” to end with when the fundamental gospel truth is more than enough. God doesn’t need my help. He just wants me to tell the truth about Jesus.

In my previous blog, I wrote about misconceptions surrounding Calvinism. One is that Calvinists deem themselves “privileged characters” because they know they’re among the elect. Wrong. Calvinism, by its very nature, dissolves any trace of pride a person like me might harbor. When I contemplate that despite being an unholy and unrighteous sinner God has adopted me as an heir to all He’s created, it drives me to my knees in gratitude.

I have nothing to be proud of. I’m literally “like a burning stick snatched from the fire“ (Zechariah 3:2). I believe with all my heart what Christ told His disciples about Himself: “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing“ (John 15:5). The only pride I have lies is in knowing Jesus as my friend and redeemer.

I agree with Paul, who said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world“ (Galatians 6:14).

John Calvin wrote, “When viewing our miserable condition since Adam’s fall, all confidence and boasting are overthrown, we blush for shame… It’s impossible to think of our primeval dignity without being immediately reminded of the sad spectacle of our ignominy and corruption, ever since we fell from our original in the person of our first parent. In this way we feel dissatisfied with ourselves, and become truly humble, while we’re inflamed with new desires to seek after God.”

Defending Calvinism, Hamilton opined, “Calvinism is proud, but only of the Savior; proud of His glory and of His grace; proud that, though He was rich, yet for our poor, judgment-deserving sakes, He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich.” He rightly concluded, “Proud Calvinism is the ultimate oxymoron.”

Calvinism on the Rebound

I was a “church kid” during the 50s and 60s because my parents made me go.  Kiestwood Baptist sat right around the corner.  I don’t remember hearing “Arminianism” or “Calvinism” ever being brought up there but, in hindsight, I do know the former viewpoint dominated.  Those terms may yet be foreign to many so, in brief, Arminians believe we choose God while Calvinists believe God chose us.

I must clarify that belonging to one camp or the other won’t keep a Christian from entering the Pearly Gates.  All that matters is belonging to Christ.  But Jesus did say, “Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I’ll never send away.  …Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one He has given me, but raise them all up at the last day” (John 6:37,39).

When I started hearing about Calvinism in college it usually got a bad rap.  Arminianism ruled the day.  The great Billy Graham always emphasized in his sermons that now was “the hour of decision” and that everybody must voluntarily choose to accept Jesus into their heart or wind up in hell.  Mom made sure I watched his televised crusades from beginning to end, even though I heard the same message in church every Sunday.

Until about a decade ago (a few years after this rebellious prodigal finally crawled back home) I wasn’t aware “Reformed Theology” existed.  Then I read a book called “Perspectives – On Election”.  It marked the first time I was exposed to a Calvinistic position and, while I initially rejected it out of hand, something about it intrigued me.  Later on, I came across R.C. Sproul and his Ligonier Ministries associates’ videos online, and what they taught made sense.

Ever since then it seems to me Calvinism is making a significant rebound because, instead of being characterized as stodgy, hard, or clinical, it’s now more accurately recognized as nothing of the sort.  Ian Hamilton opined it’s a “warm, evangelical, deeply affectional, and others-centered religion” and that “cold Calvinism is a theological oxymoron!”

Don’t worry.  I’m not going to expound on Reformed doctrines.  I penned a whole series of blogs about them in 2019 and they’re available on this site.  Plus, you can look up YouTube videos featuring Sproul, Voddie Baucham, Alistair Begg, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, and other Protestants who boldly “tell it like it is.”  They don’t withhold Biblically-sound truths.  Rather, I’ll outline what Calvinists believe a Scripture-led life is supposed to look like.

It’s the kind of life that’s centered exclusively on Christ.  Authentic born-again people try their best to imitate His godly countenance in every situation, conducting themselves meekly, humbly, and gently.  Dane Ortlund wrote, “Jesus is not trigger-happy.  Not harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated.  He’s the most understanding person in the universe.  The posture most natural to Him is not a pointed finger but open arms.”

It’s a lifestyle saturated with a profound concern for the eternal souls of all men and women.  We can’t know whether somebody is or isn’t one of God’s chosen.  We’re to display compassion for everybody, telling them about the miraculous difference our Savior can make in their life.  Sadly, some “can’t handle the truth.” Jesus wept over the citizens of Jerusalem who’d rejected Him.  Paul grieved over folks not believing what he preached: “I’m telling the truth in Christ (I’m not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” (Romans 9:1-2).

The Calvinistic mindset is also acutely aware of our inherent sinful nature.  However, we don’t let that fact discourage us from freely “participating in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).  Paul commented, “But this is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate His utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16).

A God-pleasing attitude towards fellow Christians consists of praying for, supporting, encouraging, and comforting them.  Especially when they’re struggling through difficult circumstances.  We’re to remind them – and ourselves – of what Peter taught: “Dear friends, don’t be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice in the degree that you’ve shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when His glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

It’s also a life filled with a longing for heaven.  Paul wrote, “Now if I’m to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it’s more vital for your sake that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:22-24).

John Calvin himself stated, “Wherefore, if it becomes us to live and die to the Lord, let us leave the period of our life and death at His disposal.  Still, let us ardently long for death, and constantly meditate upon it, and in comparison with future immortality, let us despise life, and, on account of the bondage of sin, long to renounce it whenever it shall so please the Lord.”

I think the resurgence of Calvin’s influence in modern-day evangelical churches indicates there’s a widespread yearning among Christians to hear the honest-to-God truth being openly preached in this fallen world that’s so infested with lies.  Everything Reformed ministers espouse is verified in the Bible.  When folks talk about witnessing something extraordinary they claim they “can never unsee it.”  That’s how I feel about mankind’s radical corruption, God’s sovereign election, Christ’s limited atonement, the Holy Spirit’s effectual grace, and the preservation of the saints.  I “see” one or more of those tenets on every page of the Scriptures.

And, indeed, the truth has set me free.

Our Tender Savior

Born-again people immediately discover how irresistibly lovable Jesus is.  In the early chapters of Augustine’s compelling Confessions, in which he chronicles his search for God and meaning, he repeatedly mentions Christ’s delightful “sweetness.”  While I rarely use that term in reference to my Lord, it certainly isn’t inappropriate.  No one’s heart is as sweet and tender as our Savior’s.

In reading the Bible and books by great theologians, I sometimes get so caught up in admiring Jesus’ power, sovereignty, omniscience, etc. that I often need to be reminded of His alluring graciousness.  When I contemplate Christ’s hours of agony on the cross in order to redeem my wicked soul I can’t help but love Him even more.

Sweetness is something we all savor.  Indeed, the Bible invites us to “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8).  Ian Hamilton wrote, “The gospel doesn’t come only to transform our minds and reform our lives; it comes to implant within us godly affections.”  By centering our love on God – love’s pure source – we’re better able to “love each other deeply.” Our ongoing sanctification is grounded in love, “because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

The Scriptures state: “God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in Him” and “We love because He loved us first” (1 John 4:16,19).  The latter verse is genuinely astounding.  The sinful nature I was born with contained no affection for God whatsoever.  Yet, He loved me eons before I even gave Him a passing thought.

Believers must comprehend that our Heavenly Father doesn’t love His elect because His Son died for us.  On the contrary, His Son died for us because our Father first loved us with an overwhelming, compassionate love far beyond our understanding.

Shortly after I rededicated my life to following and learning more about Jesus, an acquaintance sent me a copy of Brennan Manning’s wonderful The Ragamuffin Gospel and it impacted my faith greatly, as it has others’.  Michael W. Smith confessed, “The first time I sat down with the book, I devoured it.  I discovered how little I had to do to deserve and receive the love of God and that He loved me more than I’d ever imagined.  Suddenly, instead of fearing and denying all of my real or imagined shortcomings, I could embrace my humanness.  I could see God pursuing me through it and in spite of it.”

Don’t get the wrong impression.  Brennan didn’t advocate that Christians “should sin because we’re not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:15).  No way.  God’s adoption causes us to hate sin with a fervent passion because we realize it’s a disgraceful affront to the One who saved us from the devil’s grip.  Manning, a former priest who struggled with alcoholism for decades, helped me to more fully wrap my tiny brain around the gospel’s fundamental message that I’ve been rescued solely by God’s grace and that Jesus is the only hope for sinners like him, me, and you.

“Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.  ‘Follow me,’ He said to him.  And he got up and followed Him.  As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and His disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’  When Jesus heard this He said, ‘Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.  Go and learn what this saying means: “I want mercy and not sacrifice.”  For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Matthew 9:9-13).

Brennan commented, “Jesus, who forgave the sins of the paralytic (thereby claiming divine power), proclaims He’s invited sinners and not the self-righteous to His table.  The Greek verb used here, kalein, has the sense of inviting an honored guest to dinner.  In effect, Jesus says the kingdom of God isn’t a place for the self-righteous, nor for those who feel they possess the state secret of salvation.  No, it’s for a larger, homelier, less self-conscious caste of people who understand they’re sinners because they’ve experienced the yaw and pitch of moral struggle.”

Manning (along with the Bible) assures me my Savior is kinder, more sympathetic, and welcoming to me, a habitual indulger of iniquity than I will ever deserve.  Is Christ a king?  Yes.  Does He rule over the universe He created?  Yes.  Is He the ultimate Judge of everyone?  Yes.  But He’s no cruel tyrant.  Rather, He’s my most loyal friend, my indefatigable advocate, and my protecting shepherd who’s more than earned my devotion, dedication, and unconditional love.

A while ago one of my minister brothers in Christ gave me a book by Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly – The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.  Like Manning, Ortlund emphasizes our Lord’s tenderness.  As he expressed in his introduction, “It’s one thing to know the doctrines of the incarnation and the atonement and a hundred other vital doctrines.  It’s another, more searching matter to know [Jesus’] heart for you.”

I have yet to recommend either book to someone who reported back that its beautiful observations didn’t comfort them.  They’re that good.  When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I’ll give you rest.  Take my yoke on you and learn from Me, because I’m gentle and humble in heart, and you’ll find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29), He meant it.

Ortlund wrote, “You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus.  Your very burden is what qualifies you to come.”  Christ announced, “Everyone whom the Father gives Me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I’ll never send away” (John 6:37).  He’s our love-filled, relentlessly tender-hearted Lamb of God whom we can trust in and depend on without reservation.  Have you ever heard greater, more glorious news than that?

Grace Times Two

There are hundreds of remarkable passages in the Bible.  None more so than the one Paul included in his letter to the Ephesians: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ” (1:3).  Christians don’t get most of His spiritual blessings, they get every single one.  Nothing’s held back.

John Calvin elaborated on that verse’s significance.  He wrote that it’s about duplex gratia. “Christ was given to us by God’s generosity, to be grasped and possessed by us in faith.  By partaking of Him, we principally receive a double grace: namely that, being reconciled to God through Christ’s blamelessness, we may have in heaven instead of a Judge a gracious Father; and secondly, that sanctified by Christ’s spirit we may cultivate blamelessness and purity of life.”

Justification and sanctification. They certainly aren’t the same thing, yet they can never be separated.  They’re a package deal.  When the Holy Spirit turns a rock-hard heart into one of tender flesh the resulting “new creation” receives both blessings.  Justification is instant and permanent reconciliation with God.  Sanctification is the wherewithal to become more like Jesus every day.

The “double grace” concept helps Christians clear up any confusion stemming from James’ assertion that “…faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead” (2:17).  Paul emphasized that we’re not saved by what we do.  Our so-called “righteous works” stem solely from our imitating Christ. They’re proof of our conversion.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Any professed justification by grace through faith that doesn’t manifest itself in true godliness is a complete sham.”

Think of justification as being, because of our glorious Redeemer’s death and resurrection, a non-revocable future declaration of “not guilty” in God’s courtroom.  Sanctification, on the other hand, is the enlightenment that evolves and expands as we “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).  Justification and sanctification are two fundamental spiritual blessings every Christian gets.

The Son is the gift the Father never stops blessing His chosen people with.  In Jesus we get everything.  “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we’re God’s children.  And if children, then heirs (namely heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)” (Romans 8:16-17).  God can’t give us anything better than His only begotten Son because Jesus is the true Messiah, embodying every aspect of the miraculous, soul-saving gospel.

If we were only justified we’d be spiritually useless to God here on earth.  But, due to sanctification being joined with it, we’ve been granted the necessary ambition and power to acquire an ever-increasing knowledge of the One who paid the debt our sins ran up.  All glory goes to God, for “He’s the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Pause a moment and contemplate the astounding implications of what the blessing of justification alone guarantees.  “For it’s impossible in the case of those who’ve once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they’re crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding Him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

In other words, once justified always justified.  The matter’s settled.  Thus, other than keeping our eyes fixed squarely upon Jesus, our ongoing sanctification should be our core concern.  Spurgeon preached, “The Christian life wasn’t intended to be a sitting still, but a race, a perpetual motion.  The apostle [the writer of Hebrews], therefore, endeavors to urge the disciples forward and make them run with diligence the heavenly race, looking to Jesus.”

Spurgeon continued, “He tells them it’s not enough to have on a certain day passed through a glorious change, to have experienced at a certain time a wonderful operation of the Spirit.  Rather, he teaches them it’s absolutely necessary they should have the Spirit all their lives, that they should, as long as they live, be progressing in the truth of God.”

Justification is the assurance that our salvation is a lock.  It’s the “preservation of the saints” tenet of Reformed Theology.  And that blessed assurance is vital to our sanctification’s growth.  Spurgeon taught that a Christian can fall but never fall away.  He argued, “He [a believer] had been saved once, yet it’s supposed that he’s gotten lost.  How then can he now be saved?  Is there supplementary salvation?  Is there something that’ll overtop Christ and be a Christ where Jesus is defeated?” Perish the thought.

R.C. Sproul commented, “Even the regenerated person with a liberated will is still vulnerable to sin and temptation, and the residual power of sin is so strong that, without the aid of grace, the believer would, in all probability, fall away.  But God’s decree is immutable.  His sovereign purpose to save His elect from the foundation of the world isn’t frustrated by our weakness.”

Paul confirmed it.  “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

In light of my stubborn sinful nature, it’s sometimes hard for me to accept that verse’s truthfulness.  Dane Ortlund wrote, “We all tend to have some small pocket of our life where we have difficulty believing the forgiveness of God reaches.  …There’s that one deep, dark part of our lives, even our present lives, that seems so intractable, so ugly, so beyond recovery.”

He then adds, “Those crevices of sin are themselves the places where Christ loves us the most.  His heart willingly goes there.  …We cannot sin our way out of His tender care.”  Justified and sanctified.  Rejoice, sinners! Rejoice!

From Death to Life

If you’re a Christian many profound things have happened to you.  You’ve been forgiven of all your sins, transformed into a new creation, adopted by God, and you’re heaven-bound.  Most significantly, you’re alive! That’s a miracle in itself because you were figuratively dead before the Holy Spirit regenerated your stony heart and gifted you with faith.

Death has been a “way of life” since Eden.  God warned Adam, “You mustn’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you’ll surely die” (Genesis 2:17).  It’s common knowledge Adam didn’t take God seriously because he ate the alluring fruit, anyway.  Sadly, the consequences of his disobedience changed everything.

Ian Hamilton wrote, “Physically, the process of death began to take over Adam’s life, but spiritually, at that moment he died.  Death’s the state of alienation from God.  Death’s the lifestyle of separation from God, the lifestyle of rebellion against the sovereign lordship of God.  More than this, death’s a dominion; a kingdom ruled by Satan.”

Like it or not, Adam was the representative head of all humanity.  Thus, his fall from grace affected everybody who came after because “…in Adam we all die.”  Yet that same verse ends with the greatest news ever: “…in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).  That’s due to Jesus’ defeating death on the cross.  Our Savior is life itself!  The life we have in Christ is a new existence in which we’re no longer estranged from God.  Instead, we relate to Him as our loving Father.  We’ve gained the comforting peace of mind only His children can know.

What you must ask yourself is: “Have I put all my trust in the Creator who ‘…delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins‘ (Colossians 1:13-14)?”  Have you acknowledged that, without Christ, you “can accomplish nothing” (John 15:5) because you’d still be spiritually inert?

If you answer both in the affirmative the next question is, “Are you living life like someone who’s been resurrected from the grave and has gotten born again?”  It should be obvious to everyone.  But too often Christ-followers (me included) are indistinguishable from the “walking dead” who stumble along aimlessly.  We should actively shine like lighthouses.

One of the misguided notions many believe is that most folks are “good people.”  Wrong.  Dead people can’t be “good.”  Paul informs Christians, “…you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…”

That statement definitely puts everybody in their place.  And we’d all be headed for hell if it wasn’t for the glorious truth Paul conveyed next: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you’re saved! – and He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:1-6).  Hallelujah!

The first tenet of Reformed Theology avers every human being is totally depraved from the get-go, possessing no love for God due to our conviction our life’s all about us and our needs.  Skeptical?  What’s the first thing a newborn does after exiting the womb?  They scream bloody murder!  And it doesn’t stop there.  They’ll loudly express unrestrained anger immediately every time they feel their will isn’t being done.

Voddie Baucham has, tongue-firmly-in-cheek, called babies “vipers in diapers.”  He humorously adds that God makes them tiny and weak so they won’t kill us and that God makes them cute so we won’t kill them.  I’m confident every parent knows what he’s joking about.  (Bear in mind, he and his wife have nine children.)

Paul borrowed from Isaiah when he wrote, “There’s no one righteous, not even one, there’s no one who understands, there’s no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, together they’ve become worthless; there’s no one who shows kindness, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

Some argue that native peoples, untainted by the vices of civilization, are naturally gentle, non-violent, and compassionate.  That’s a fairy tale.  History reveals the tribes that populated America’s prairies for eons did horrible, unspeakably cruel things to anyone they felt superior to or just didn’t like.  The same atrocious behavior applies to the primitive clans found in the densest jungles of Africa and Indonesia.  The curse of Cain is global.

But I digress.  Jesus taught, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:24).  Spurgeon expanded upon that verse, preaching, “…Salvation is by death and burial.  You must be dead to the world.  The flesh must be dead with Christ, buried with Christ; not improved, not made better, but utterly put aside as unimprovable, as worthless, dead, a thing to be buried and to be forgotten.”

Non-believers may wonder why anyone would want to lose their life in order to save it.  Well, here’s why.  The Scriptures explain that those resurrected in Jesus strive to exhibit “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  …Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another” (Galatians 5:22-26).

Dane Ortlund wrote, “Christ wasn’t sent to mend wounded people, wake sleepy people, advise confused people, inspire bored people, spur on lazy people or educate ignorant people, but to raise dead people.” Jesus is our only hope for life.

The Not Do’s

Christ-followers know the fundamental “do’s” by heart.  The most important being, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39).  We learn the rest from reading the Scriptures, diligently studying our Savior’s life and patterning ours after His in all respects.

Does that mean the more faithfully we emulate Jesus the less trouble we’ll encounter during our remaining time on earth?  No.  In fact, the opposite’s true.  We’re taught our salvation will be perfected “…through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10); sufferings that include a kind of death.  “If we died with Him, we’ll also live with Him” (2 Timothy 2:11).  Authentic Christians are “always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

In other words, a believer’s sinful nature must die daily and we, along with the indwelling Holy Spirit, must be proactive partners in killing it.  The hardest part? It’ll always put up a fierce fight to survive and it won’t give up this side of heaven.  Therefore, along with knowing what we’re to do, we must learn what we’re not to do.

Like Christ, we’re not to allow impure motives to influence our thoughts and behavior.  “Everyone who has this hope focused on Him purifies himself (just as Jesus is pure)” (1 John 3:3).  Holiness is to be our goal.  We’re instructed, “…don’t comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14-15).

That’s a tall order but an order nonetheless.  We’re to be “…blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:15).  IMHO, we Christians had better get to shining.  The darkness is overwhelming these days.

We’re not to disobey our heavenly Father.  Rather, we’re to emulate our Lord, who “…humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).  Understand His obedience was always voluntary, never forced.  His joy was doing His Father’s will.  It should be ours, too.  A.W. Pink wrote, “Our obedience must be rendered cheerfully if it’s to be acceptable.  …Loveless obedience is of no value in the sight of God.”

We’re not to put ourselves first.  It’s all about putting Jesus first.  He said, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).  May it never be said of us, “[They’re] busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ” Philippians 2:21).

We’re not to be lackadaisical in doing God’s will.  Christ was never lazy.  On the contrary, “He went around doing good” (Acts 10:38).  He once said, “My food’s to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work” (John 4:34).  We’re all living on borrowed time down here so Jesus urges all His disciples, “We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it’s daytime.  Night’s coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).  Christ is coming.  Don’t procrastinate spreading the gospel.

We’re not to cause offense or engage in “getting even.”  It’s said of our Savior, “When He was maligned, He didn’t answer back; when He suffered, He threatened no retaliation, but committed Himself to God who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).  This doesn’t mean be cowardly when our faith’s challenged, just smart.  Christ said, “I’m sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

We’re not to be conceited about anything, especially over being one of God’s elect.  Jesus told us, “Learn from me, because I’m gentle and lowly in heart…” (Matthew 11:29).  Our demeanor should always be courteous, humble and kind towards everybody.  Christ said of Himself, “The Son of Man didn’t come to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).  Like our Lord, we should be grateful servants.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).  That’s not just a slogan.  It’s a warning to all who let their ego puff up.  “Though the LORD is exalted, he takes note of the lowly, and recognizes the proud from far away” (Psalm 138:6).  Like Paul, we should consider ourselves “…the least of all saints” (Ephesians 3:8) and act accordingly.

We’re not to be discontented people.  Most of us, compared to Jesus, have it made in the shade.  He was born in a barn to poor parents of low social standing and, in His adulthood, had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58).  Yet He didn’t grumble.  If we’re to imitate Christ we should never utter complaints about our lot in life.  “The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6).

All Christians benefit not only by mimicking what Jesus did, but also by what He didn’t do.  He didn’t react like we do because He wasn’t sinful like we are.  He’s better than all of us put together on our best day!  John Calvin wrote, “There’s nothing that troubles our consciences more than when we think that God is like ourselves.”

Dane Ortlund opined, “He isn’t like you.  Even the most intense of human love is but the faintest echo of heaven’s cascading abundance.  His heartfelt thoughts for you outstrip what you can conceive.”

J.I. Packer wrote, “Slippings and strayings there’ll be, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we’ll be caught, rescued, restored.  Thus it appears the right context for discussing guidance is one of confidence in the God who’ll not let us ruin our souls.”  Christians, follow our perfect guide.