Yearning to See God

“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). That statement says volumes. Before time began only God existed. There was no universe. There were no atoms. Only God. He then created everything, including a man and a woman in His image. They lived in a beautiful garden called Eden. God personally walked with them as He “moved about in the orchard“ (Genesis 3:8) daily. He was visible. They could see and talk with Him one on one. It was paradise.

Atheists don’t agree with anything in that paragraph. They insist everything arose out of nothing, a scientific impossibility. Christians know better. R.C. Sproul wrote, “The God we worship is the God who’s always been. He alone can create beings, because He alone has the power of being. He isn’t nothing. He isn’t chance. He is pure Being, the One who has the power to be all by Himself. He alone is eternal. He alone has power over death. He alone can call worlds into being by fiat, by the power of His command. Such power is staggering, awesome. It’s deserving of respect, of humble adoration.”

But I digress. Getting back to the initial story line, humanity had it made. Then came the tragic fall that brought sin and God’s curse into our world. The devil (in the form of a snake) lied to the first couple about the forbidden tree standing in the middle of the garden, saying to them, “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you’ll be like divine beings who know good and evil“ (Genesis 3:5). They ate. What their eyes “saw” next was that they were naked “so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves“ (Genesis 3:7). We’ve been wearing “fig leaves” ever since.

It’s not that our bodies are necessarily ugly or shameful. The nakedness they noticed is symbolic of the sad condition we’ve all inherited.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones explained: “They were conscious at once that they were deprived of something they’d had before. Man, let us remember, was made in the image of God in every respect. He was not only upright with a righteousness that was spiritual, but there was a glory pertaining to the body. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost that glory and were left with bodies as we now know them, and they were aware that they’d been deprived of something. There was immediately a consciousness of a nakedness, a loss, an incompleteness. Something had gone. A glory had departed.”

It occurs to me that humanity lost a blessing even more advantageous – the ability to see God. After the fall God expelled Adam and Eve from Eden and posted “angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life“ (Genesis 3:24). Included in God’s curse was that He figuratively “left the building.” Noah, Abraham, Issac and Jacob heard His voice and several of them were visited by one of His representatives, but they never saw God in His glory.

Moses once asked God, “Show me your glory.” God answered, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live“ (Exodus 33:18,20). As a favor, God allowed Moses to view His backside after He passed by. But that was it. Significant, no? My point is, being so dependent upon sight, ever since Eden human beings of every color, race and ethnicity across the globe have yearned to see God.

God didn’t reveal His face to anyone until Jesus was born as a flesh-and-blood man and lived among us. Of course, Isaiah correctly prophesized that Christ would present “no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow Him.“ Thus, because His visage was average, many hated Him for claiming to be God incarnate. “He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from Him; He was despised, and we considered Him insignificant“ (Isaiah 52:2-3).

Due to God’s invisibility, pagans worshiped objects/entities more intimidating and/or impressive than themselves. They dutifully worshiped the sun, moon, oceans, stars, mountains, rivers, animals, etc. They yearned to see the Creator God who’d hidden Himself from mankind. But our holy God refused to look upon our vile sinfulness. Therefore, folks worshiped visible things in God’s creation instead of God Himself. Billions still do.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “‘You people worship what you do not know. …But a time is coming – and now is here – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.’ The woman said to Him, ‘I know Messiah is coming (the one called Christ); whenever He comes, He will tell us everything.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I, the one speaking to you, am He‘” (John 4:29).

Later on, our Savior openly announced: “The Father and I are one“ (John 10:30). God’s face was hidden no longer. The Creator came here in person to redeem us, to free us from the curse caused by Adam & Eve’s disobedience, to teach us how to establish and maintain a close relationship with God, and to know Him once again. Everything changed when Jesus came.

Sproul wrote, “How we understand the person and character of God the Father affects every aspect of our lives. It affects far more than what we normally call the ‘religious’ aspects of our lives. If God’s the Creator of the universe, then it must follow that He’s the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means no part of my life is outside of His lordship. His holy character has something to say about economics, politics, athletics, romance – everything with which we are involved.”

How do we go about seeing, knowing and better understanding God Almighty? The Bible tells us how: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up“ (James 4:10).

Our Dark Side

In his song, “Dark Side,” Eric Church sings: “Over there in the shadow/hanging out in the corner of my mind/stringing up the gallows/waiting on me to cross that line/that man’s dangerous as hell/a threat to himself…” Those lyrics apply to each human being, Christian or otherwise. Every soul was made by God but, because of the Fall, they’re all stained with a dark side.

Why’s it there? The answer’s found in Genesis 3. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said of that chapter, “It’s the most important key to history available. It explains the past, the present and the future. This is not allegory. It’s the account and description of the very thing that happens to us one by one. The astounding fact is that every one of us repeats the action of Adam and Eve.” We sin.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “To say that fallen man is unable not to sin means we’re able only to sin. We’re simply unable to live without sinning. We sin out of a kind of moral necessity because we act according to our fallen nature. We do corrupt things because we’re corrupt people. This is the essence of what it means to be fallen.”

The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?“ (Jeremiah 17:9). Yet billions of people don’t believe that verse. They tell themselves, “I’m no criminal, alcoholic or adulterer. Okay, I’m a sinner but not a bad one. Not like those folks are.” Calvin wrote, “The surest source of destruction for men is to obey themselves. Blindly we all rush in the direction of self-love where everyone thinks he has a good reason for exalting himself and despising all others in comparison.”

He added, “So long as we don’t look beyond the earth, we’re quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms and seem only less than demigods.” Oh, how we can fool ourselves!

In the Celebrate Recovery ministry lesson #1 addresses denial. Dallas Willard explained, “It’s a capacity inseparable from the human will as we know it, and it has its greatest power when it operates without being recognized as such. In a world apart from God, the power of denial is absolutely essential if life is to proceed. The will or spirit cannot – psychologically cannot – sustain itself for any length of time in the face of what it clearly acknowledges to be the case. Therefore, it must deny, evade and delude itself.”

I know all about denial. For decades I was covertly obsessed with pornography, but I told myself it wasn’t a big deal because my habit wasn’t hurting anybody. That is, until my wife discovered my secret addiction, and I saw in her beautiful eyes the pain my blatant betrayal of her trust inflicted. That was 15 years ago, when I stepped out of denial and sought healing from the source of all healing – Jesus Christ.

Quotes about denial abound. “Denial is a psychological defense mechanism that helps a person avoid a potentially distressing truth.” Cesar Millan employed an acrostic: “Denial stands for ‘Don’t Even Notice I Am Lying.’ Human beings are the only animals who are happily lied to by our own minds about what’s actually happening around us.” Carl Alasko said: “Denial doesn’t work – long term. Reality always wins. And when it does, the next step in the process is blame, which shifts responsibility onto someone or something else.”

Denial and blame-shifting are imbedded in our DNA. In the Garden God asked Adam, “‘Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ So, the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you’ve done?’ And the woman replied, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate’“ (Genesis 3:11-13).

Our dark side wants us to believe there isn’t an all-knowing sovereign God. But deep down everybody instinctively knows there is and that we’ll appear in His courtroom someday to be judged. All should have a healthy fear of Him because “It’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God“ (Hebrews 10:31).

Why? “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth, because what can be known about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they’re understood through what’s been made. So, people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they didn’t glorify Him as God or give Him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened“ (Romans 1:18-21).

Willard commented, “Human beings have always known there’s a God and have had some degree of understanding of who He is and what He’s like. Actually, they still do. But they’re not pleased that He should have the place in the universe He has merely because He is who He is. This is essential to understanding humanity’s present condition. God being God offends human pride. If God’s running the universe and has first claim on our lives, guess who isn’t running the universe and doesn’t get to have things as they please.”

Thankfully, God is merciful. Jones wrote, “By nature you belong to the devil. That’s why the world’s living as it is. That’s why it laughs at the gospel and ridicules talk about the blood of Christ. It’s blinded by its god, its master. But if you believe God sent His own Son into this world to rescue you from that bondage, you have nothing to fear about the end of the world and the judgment of God. The devil can’t touch you because in Christ you’ve already passed from judgment to life.”

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you’ll be saved“ (Acts 16:31).

Control Thyself!

Lack of self-control is an all-too-prevalent human trait. Not even the Apostle Paul was immune, confessing: “I don’t understand what I’m doing. For I don’t do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it’s no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. For I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I can’t do it. For I don’t do the good I want, but I do the very evil that I don’t want!“ (Romans 7:15-19).

Is there a Christian who hasn’t experienced the same frustration at some point? I haven’t met one yet. In my case it’s saying things I have no business saying. Hurtful words just leap from my lips sometimes. Notably when my input hasn’t been requested. I need to take Will Rogers’ sage advice: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

Fritz Ridenour wrote, “What’s your problem? Temper? Impatience? Self-control? Sex? Being honest? Your thought life? Pride? Laziness? Self-centeredness? Everyone has skeletons, and they don’t always stay in the closet. You want to do right but you do wrong. You want to choose obedience, but you choose sin. Sometimes you’d almost swear you were a split personality, a regular walking ‘civil war.'”

I know of what he speaks. At times I feel like a spiritual schizophrenic. But Paul’s honest confession assures me I’m not alone in realizing how dangerous my flesh can be if I don’t rope it in. Solomon said, “Like a city that’s broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit“ (Proverbs 25:28). Paul did us a favor by elaborating on how destructive our flesh can be:

“The flesh has desires opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you can’t do what you want. …Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I’m warning you, as I’d warned you before: Those who practice such things won’t inherit the kingdom of God!“ (Galatians 5:17-21).

The problem isn’t the Holy Spirit living within us. It’s our stubborn, my-way-or-the-highway flesh that causes most of the trouble. Charles Swindoll opined, “The flesh is a self-serving, nonbelieving, godless mindset that lives by animal instinct. Its natural stance is facing away from God. Its innate priority is self-preservation. It’s the pattern of living inherited when you were born, that the world taught you as you matured. …The flesh remains in us, never improving, always ready to be satisfied. …It knows sin like you know how to ride a bike. It never forgets.”

Of course, it doesn’t help that we live in a fallen world that goads us to fulfill the wonts of our flesh in every situation. Now, don’t start thinking your body’s horribly evil. “The flesh” is an attitude more than anything physical. Our bodies weren’t knit together in the womb by Satan. They’re a gracious gift from our Creator and when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside us, He initiates the process of sanctification that’ll continue throughout our earthly life. However, His divine presence doesn’t render us incapable of sinning and the ensuing battle against iniquity is one we must engage in daily.

The good news is the Holy Spirit’s stronger than our flesh will ever be. In the same chapter Paul taught us how to “fight the flesh.” “Live by the Spirit and you’ll not carry out the desires of the flesh. …The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there’s no law. 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“ (Galatians 5:16,22-25).

Living by the Spirit and maintaining the self-control it produces requires what many of us don’t like to hear about – discipline. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said of self-control, “It doesn’t simply mean you control your life in general. It’s a much more detailed and particular thing than that. It means you’ll have to control every single aspect of your life.” In other words, gaining and applying self-control is a full-time, 24/7, 365-days-a-year job that should be carried out with an attitude of gratitude. As God’s adopted children, it’s the least we can do.

Spurgeon preached, “The Holy Spirit will never encourage idleness. He’ll not come to rescue us from the consequences of willful neglect of the Word of God and study.” What the Holy Spirit will do is assist us in “working out our salvation“ (Philippians 2:12). Our part’s to “make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance: to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love“ (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Nobody said self-control comes easily. Trying to live a righteous life is the toughest challenge any Christian can face because the aim, designated by our Savior, is to “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect“ (Matthew 5:48). Jesus couldn’t have set the bar higher than our becoming holy. Yet try to we must.

Jerry Bridges wrote, “The pursuit of holiness requires sustained and vigorous effort. It allows for no indolence, no lethargy, no halfhearted commitment, and no laissez faire attitude toward even the smallest sins. In short, it demands the highest priority in the life of a Christian, because to be holy is to be like Christ – God’s goal for every Christian.”

Yes, it requires discipline. “Don’t be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you may test and approve what is the will of God – what’s good and well-pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

The Sinfulness of Pride

I’ll begin with some tongue-in-cheek humor from Mac Davis. In 1980 he scored an international hit with a song he wrote. He sang, “It’s hard to be humble/when you’re perfect in every way/I can’t wait to look in the mirror/’cause I get better looking each day/To know me is to love me/I must be a hell of a man/Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble/but I’m doing the best I can.”

All sarcasm aside, humility is a difficult character trait to achieve and maintain because our culture doesn’t consider it admirable. They associate humility with weakness and lack of ambition. Even Christ’s disciples struggled with humility. “They came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house He asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they’d argued with one another about who was the greatest. After He sat down, He called the twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all’“ (Mark 9:33-35).

Now, the biggest mistake we can make is to equate humility with low self-esteem. Charles Swindoll wrote, “Humility isn’t a result of having a poor self-image. True humility comes from a place of strength and inner security. Genuinely humble people who have a desire to seek the well-being of others are generally very secure people.” Christians should be the humblest of human beings because of what our Savior has done for us.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached, “I’m told to esteem others better than myself, and there’s only one thing that can make me do that – and thank God, it does make me do it – it’s this. When I read the Bible I see the sinful nature that’s in me; I see my failures, my shortcomings. But even then there’s a tendency to defend them. There’s only one thing I know of that crushes me to the ground, and humiliates me to the dust, and that’s to look at the Son of God, and especially contemplate the cross. Nothing else can do it.”

In every situation, our Lord’s example provides a pathway to righteous living. Brennan Manning commented, “In the full acceptance of who He was, Jesus is the archetype of personality integration. When we ‘put on Christ’ and fully accept who we are, a healthy independence from peer pressure, people-pleasing, and human respect develops. Christ’s preferences and values become our own.”

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under His mighty hand by casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you“ (1 Peter 5:5-7). Notice Peter didn’t sidestep the fear we all share that if we humble ourselves people will take advantage of us. In other words, who’ll look out for us if we don’t? The Holy Word says God will and that it’s a matter of us nurturing unshakable faith, believing that God the Father truly “cares for us.”

James warned that pride is offensive in God’s eyes and gave instructions on how to conquer it. “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he’ll flee from you. Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up“ (James 4:7-10).

It’s impossible to not see that modern society deems pride a liberating asset. Much of the world gleefully designates June as “pride month.” But Christians should never endorse prideful attitudes or behaviors. The Bible clearly states, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It’s better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud“ (Proverbs 16:18-19). The “spoils” in question are those cursed by God.

Calvin wrote, “If we would make way for the call of Christ, we must put far from us all arrogance produced by a foolish persuasion of self-righteousness, when a man thinks he has something in himself which deservedly recommends him to God. …Never shall we have sufficient confidence in Jesus unless utterly distrustful of ourselves; never shall we take courage in Him until we first despond of ourselves; never shall we have full consolation in Him until we cease to have any in ourselves. When we’ve entirely discarded all self-confidence, and trust solely in the certainty of His goodness, we’re fit to apprehend and obtain the grace of God.”

Frederick Buechner opined, “Humility is often confused with the polite self-deprecation of saying you’re not much of a bridge player when you know perfectly well you are. Conscious or otherwise, this kind of humility is a form of gamesmanship. If you really aren’t much of a bridge player, you’re apt to be rather proud of yourself for admitting it so humbly. This kind of humility is a form of low comedy.”

Authentic humility only manifests in us if we voluntarily surrender ourselves to serving our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. John MacArthur wrote, “Discipleship, like slavery, entails a life of total self-denial, a humble disposition toward others, a wholehearted devotion to the Master alone, a willingness to obey His commands in everything, an eagerness to serve Him even in His absence, and a motivation that comes from knowing He’s well pleased.”

A pride-filled person doesn’t think they need forgiveness, whereas a truly humble individual not only knows they need it desperately but isn’t too proud to beg God for it. Henri Nouwen wrote, “One of the greatest challenges of the spiritual life is to receive God’s forgiveness. There’s something in us humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely new beginning.” That something is pride. Repent of it. Then pluck it out and throw it away.

Spiritual Intimacy with Christ

The church in Ephesus and its congregation were greatly admired. Jesus told John to write to them: “I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You’ve even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but they’re not) and have discovered that they’re false. I’m also aware that you’ve persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of My name, and haven’t grown weary.”

That’s some lofty praise coming from the Creator of the universe. However, the next section was a wakeup call. “But I have this against you: You’ve departed from your first love! Therefore, remember from what high state you’ve fallen and repent! Do what deeds you did at the first…” (Revelation 2:1-5). They’d left their love for Christ behind. Bear in mind Paul’s famous letter to them had ended with “Grace be with all of those who love our Lord Jesus with an undying love“ (Ephesians 6:24).

A.T. Robertson commented, “This early love, proof of the new life in Christ, had cooled off in spite of their doctrinal purity. They’d remained orthodox but had become unloving.” John Stott wrote, “They’d fallen from the early heights of devotion to Christ which they’d climbed. They’d descended to the plains of mediocrity. In a word, they were backsliders. The hearts of the Ephesian Christians had chilled.”

That sad indictment applies to every believer eventually. We get distracted by everything. Raising kids, making a living, and dealing with life in general often causes us to divert our eyes from our Savior. Before long our love for Him wanes. That’s when a readjustment of our priorities becomes necessary. Charles Swindoll wrote, “A new perspective is essential in order to rekindle that first-love kind of relationship where God is real again, where you and He are on much closer speaking terms, where a spiritual intimacy exists as a natural part of your walk with Him. …It’s so easy to get religious instead of godly.”

How do we reestablish intimacy with God? Discipline is key. Understand, spiritual discipline isn’t optional. “…Train yourself for godliness. For ‘physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.’ This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. In fact, this is why we work hard and struggle, because we’ve set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers“ (1 Timothy 4:7-10).

Holiness should be our #1 goal. Jerry Bridges wrote, “The pursuit of holiness requires sustained and vigorous effort. It allows for no indolence, lethargy, and halfhearted commitment toward even the smallest sins. In short, it demands the highest priority in the life of a Christian, because to be holy is to be like Christ.”

The Bible offers instructions on disciplining ourselves. “Make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they’ll keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately“ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Notice Peter’s not saying Christians are to aspire to become off-putting, legalistic-minded fanatics. All the preferred traits he listed are things we acquire by habitually consulting the Scriptures daily, “praying without ceasing“ (1 Thessalonians 5:17), attending and supporting our church and its members, and generously sharing Christian love with all others unconditionally.

It’s fair to say spiritual discipline isn’t strenuous or exhausting at all. Mainly because it’s not something you work on alone. Never forget that the Holy Spirit who literally lives within you is constantly guiding, encouraging, and empowering you to overcome your tendency to drift away from the source of all hope – Jesus Christ.

Depression is a tell-tale symptom of losing interest in maintaining intimacy with God. I’m as susceptible to getting caught in its debilitating grip as any other believer. Been there, done that. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “If we’re unhappy and depressed Christians it’s more than likely due to a lack of discipline. Let us be up and doing, and giving all diligence, let us supplement our faith and not be afraid.”

He continued, “Let us get our ideas clear and then put them into practice, and supplement our faith with strength and vigor, with knowledge, with temperance, with patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Let us begin to enjoy our Christian life and be useful and helpful to others. Let us grow in grace and wisdom and so be an attraction to all who know us to come and join us in the faith, and to experience the blessedness of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises which never fail.”

If maintaining intimacy with our Lord is burdensome to you then I suspect you have misconceptions about how much Jesus loves you and what an unparalleled joy it is to know Him intimately. In Henri Nouwen’s, The Life of the Beloved, he wrote, “Being the Beloved is the origin and the fulfillment of the life of the Spirit. …As soon as we catch a glimpse of this truth, we’re put on a journey in search of the fullness of that truth and we won’t stop until we can rest in that truth.”

He continued, “The fact that I’m always searching for God, always struggling to discover the fullness of love, always yearning for the complete truth, tells me I’ve already been given a taste of God, of love and of truth. Deep in the recesses of our minds and hearts there lies hidden the treasure we seek. We know its preciousness, and we know it holds the gift we most desire: a life stronger than death.”

Self-discipline will immensely help Christians prevent this fallen world from stealing any of our love for our Lord Jesus. We mustn’t hold any of it back. He deserves it all.

A Peacemaker’s Sacred Task

The Beatitudes help Jesus’ followers measure the progress being made in “working out our salvation with awe and reverence“ (Philippians 2:12). We can gauge our spiritual poverty, if we’re mourning our sins, if we’re truly meek, if we’re hungry and thirsty for righteousness, if we’re behaving mercifully, and if the Holy Spirit’s gradually purifying our heart.

The Beatitudes reveal whether or not those godly traits are what we’re sincerely striving to acquire and display in our lives. If they are, we’ll become peacemakers. The reward received in return is immense. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God“ (Matthew 5:9). However, peacemaking involves doing more than settling disputes. We’re to faithfully represent our Savior who “…is our peace“ (Ephesians 2:14).

What’s the peace Christ established? Peace between God and all who believe in Him. Therefore, our assignment’s crystal clear. Spurgeon wrote, “You who are the sons of peace, endeavor as instruments in His hands… Let your earnest prayers go up to heaven for your children’s souls. Let your supplications never cease for the souls of all your acquaintances and kinfolk. Pray for the salvation of your perishing fellow creatures. …Make it the object of your life to win others for Christ. Never be satisfied with going to heaven alone.”

Jesus’ final instructions before His ascension were, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you“ (Matthew 28:19). The blessing? “The one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins“ (James 5:20) and “Those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever“ (Daniel 12:3).

Thus, we’re to unreservedly spread the Good News about God’s amazing grace. Especially to those who know nothing about it nor genuine peace. “‘The wicked are like a surging sea that’s unable to rest; its waves toss up mud and sand. There’s no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’“ (Isaiah 57:21). Be aware this fallen world’s full of false teachers who, despite the overwhelming evidence, claim there’s “‘Peace, peace’, when there is no peace“ (Jeremiah 6:14).

Billions think we can achieve peace on this planet without relying on God, even though war-related disasters happen daily despite humanity’s spending centuries trying to cure their causes. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “According to the Scriptures, man’s troubles are due to the fact he’s sinned and rebelled against God. He was created in a state of happiness which depended upon his relationship to God and his obedience to God’s law and God’s will. But man rebelled against God’s will and therefore broke the law of his own nature.”

He continued, “Man has become unhealthy. A disease called sin has ravaged his being. Man refuses to recognize his corruption and resorts to various expedients to find happiness and peace. But invariably he fails, for the trouble isn’t only within himself and in his surroundings, but also in his relationship with God. Man is fighting against the only One who can give him what he needs and desires. …He’s robbing himself of the very prize he covets.”

God the Father has provided each and every individual with the means to become reconciled to Him. His only begotten Son paid the penalty of death their sins merit on Calvary. He’s done His part. It’s us, the “children of God“, whose job it is to tell those who are perishing about our glorious Savior and the everlasting peace He offers. That’s God’s plan. There’s no “Plan B.”

Does this mean we can successfully convince everybody around the globe to accept Jesus as their Lord and Master? No. In Christ’s parable about the rich reprobate who landed in hell and the beggar Lazarus who went to heaven, the formerly wealthy guy roasting in Hades begs Abraham to send Lazarus to convert his unbelieving brothers, so they won’t end up dogpaddling in the lake of fire like he is.

Abraham tells him, “‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they’ll repent.’ Abraham replied to him, ‘If they don’t respond to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!‘“ (Luke 16:29-31). Sad but true.

Bear in mind, we’re not able to determine whom God will give the gift of faith to and whom He won’t. Thus, we mustn’t discriminate when it comes to whom we inform about the spiritual peace only Christ provides. We, like our Lord, should grieve for those who stubbornly keep their hearts hardened against God. Jesus cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I’ve longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!“ (Matthew 23:37).

Innumerable souls are doomed to suffer eternally in the most horrible place imaginable if we don’t share the truth with them. The Bible states, “The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe so they wouldn’t see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God“ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Tragically, the repercussions of what went down in Eden will stymie world peace until Jesus returns.

Spurgeon preached, “Jesus points to the wounds on His breast and spreads His bleeding hands, saying, ‘Sinner, trust in Me and live!’ God no longer proclaims His fiery law, but His sweet, simple Gospel, which is ‘believe and live.’ ‘The one who believes in Him isn’t condemned. The one who doesn’t believe has been condemned already, because he hasn’t believed in the name of the one and only Son of God‘ (John 3:18).”

We have the facts. Children of God, proclaim the Gospel worldwide. Go and make peace.

The Gift of Faith

It turns out the best thing in life is, indeed, free. “By grace you are saved through faith, and this isn’t from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it’s not from works, so that no one can boast“ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul wrote, “The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God“ (Galatians 2:20). There’s no treasure more valuable.

Of course, the faith that redeems is different from a worldly faith defined as “complete trust or confidence in something/someone.” It’s no sin to place reasonable faith in a political party, sports hero or close friend. Yet there’s always the possibility, due to the human factor, they’ll let you down. But the faith that God grants never will because it’s a faith that permanently justifies.

It’s also a faith that transforms those who receive it. What it’s not is a patronizing concession that Jesus was “God among us.” Even demons know that. Upon encountering our Lord, they cried out “Son of God, leave us alone!“ (Matthew 8:29).

Saving faith can’t be faked. It must be sincere. One must be repentant. Thomas Watson wrote, “There may be an assent to divine truth, and yet no work of grace on the heart. Many assent in their judgments, that sin is an evil thing, but they go on in sin, whose corruptions are stronger than their convictions.”

Only God-bestowed faith can give us the power to renunciate our rebellious, self-centered ways. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me“ (Matthew 16:24). It’s the only faith that can strengthen us properly for relying totally on Christ for our salvation and for trusting unreservedly in His promises. Plus, it’s the only faith that can inspire us to want to be more like Jesus every day.

The question arises, “Why doesn’t God give His gift of faith to everyone?” Dallas Willard commented, “The real issue is, what do we want? The Bible says if you seek God with all your heart, then you’ll surely find Him. It’s the person who wants to know God that God reveals Himself to. And if a person doesn’t want to know God – well, God has created the world and the human mind in such a way that he doesn’t have to.”

So how does this faith save one’s soul? By the drastic transformations worked by the indwelling Holy Spirit who personally delivered it. Calvin wrote, “Faith is the special gift of God in two ways – in purifying the mind so as to give it a relish for divine truth, and afterward in establishing it therein. For the Spirit doesn’t merely originate faith, but gradually increases it, until by its means He conducts us into the heavenly kingdom.”

Faith unites all Christians in Jesus. Paul wrote, “I pray that, according to the wealth of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you’ve been rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what’s the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God“ (Ephesians 3:16-19).

However, many believers can relate to the man in the Bible who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus in hopes He’d perform an exorcism. He pleaded, “‘If you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able? All things are possible for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!‘“ (Mark 9:22-24).

In other words, sometimes our faith feels so anemic we gauge it inadequate to save us. Watson wrote, “We must distinguish between weakness of faith and no faith. Though your faith be weak, be not discouraged. …A weak faith may receive a strong Christ.”

Jesus taught, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you’ll say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it’ll move; nothing will be impossible for you“ (Matthew 17:20).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, writing about the disciples’ infamous lapse of faith in their Master on the roiling sea of Galilee, opined: “However poor and small and however incomplete the faith of the disciples was on this occasion, they at any rate had a sufficient amount of faith to make them do the right thing in the end. They went to Him. Having been agitated, distressed, alarmed and exhausted, they went to Him. …Jesus received them, and He’ll receive us. He’ll bless us and give us peace.”

J.I. Packer posed and answered a profound question, writing, “Why faith only? Because Christ’s righteousness only is the basis of pardon and peace, and Christ and His gifts are received only by faith’s embrace. Faith means not only believing God’s truth, but trusting Christ, taking what He offers, and then triumphing in the knowledge of what is now yours.”

The faith that sanctifies and purifies us has nothing to do with our IQ level. One has either been granted “God’s gift” or not. Spurgeon preached, “The faith that justifies the soul concerns itself about Christ and not mere abstract truths. If your faith simply believes this dogma and that, it saves you not. …May the Holy Spirit lead you to a true trust. Believe the Son of God can save, and confide yourself alone in Him, and He will save you. He asks nothing but faith, and even this He gives you!“

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we don’t see” (Hebrews 11:1). Honestly, in this fallen world so chock full of lies I find it much easier to have faith in what I don’t see than what I do.

The Fall

To comprehend the tragedy in Eden we must understand exactly what Adam did wrong. He failed to honor his end of the covenant God entered into with him. To God covenants are a very big deal. God’s part? He placed Adam in charge of paradise. Adam’s part? Obey. “The LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die“ (Genesis 2:16-17).

The Hebrew word for covenant is berith or b’rit, which in this case means “to bind together in obligation.” Thomas Watson wrote, “God made a covenant with Adam to bind him fast to Him: as God bound Himself to Adam, so Adam was bound to Him by the covenant.” God held up His end. Adam didn’t. And, like it or not, Adam represented all who’ve come after him. Thus, his fall was our fall.

I’ve written about God’s Providence. It was evident in Eden. Notice God didn’t say to Adam if you eat the forbidden fruit – but when. Still, that doesn’t exonerate Adam. Even though God knew he’d sin, that wasn’t reason enough for God not to have clearly and fairly stated the terms of their covenant. Think about it. Should we not pass and enforce laws because some folks are going to break them?

Here’s another angle. God certainly foresaw that Adam would succumb to Satan’s temptation. God is omniscient. However, God also knew He’d turn Adam’s blunder into a blessing by sending Christ to rescue us. Watson wrote, “The first covenant being broken, God knew how to establish a second, and a better.”

It’s important to understand Adam was a flawless creation. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his exemplary book, The Gospel in Genesis, wrote, “Man was made in the image of God. Man was made righteous. Man was made holy. He was made by God, for God. He spoke to God. He walked with God. He communed with God. He enjoyed God. …His life was one of perfect bliss.” All that’s true.

But the first covenant was based on works and, like all of us, Adam wasn’t able to meet God’s high standards. However, our Heavenly Father is so merciful He entered into a new covenant with humankind – one of grace. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading“ (1 Peter 1:3-4).

The penalty Adam’s fall brought upon us is alleviated when we put all our faith in Jesus. Calvin wrote, “Our salvation may thus be divided between the death and resurrection of Christ: by the former sin was abolished and death annihilated; by the latter righteousness was restored and life revived, the power and efficacy of the former still bestowed upon us by means of the latter.”

One of the most destructive traits men and women share is our gullibility, the consequence of our mistaken conviction that we’re too wise to be seduced by the devil. The Bible warns, “Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he’s wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise“ (1 Corinthians 3:18).

Of the serpent Lloyd-Jones commented, “Have you seen that the devil didn’t give any reasons at all? He asked, ‘Has God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ His whole philosophy comes out at once. He’s raising a query. ‘Poor innocents,’ he seems to say, ‘do you really believe that?’ He doesn’t provide any proofs at all. He simply asserts certain things. He puts it still more specifically later: ‘You shall not surely die.’ And that’s all there is to it: ‘I say so!’ And they listened.”

Being raised in church, I always assumed Adam & Eve did everything right for years before messing everything up. Alas, I gave them too much credit. Psalm 49:12 reads, “Man being in honor, abides not.” The Hebrew word for abide signifies, “To stay or lodge all night.” That verse implies Adam & Eve probably sprinted straight for the apple as soon as God turned His head. They didn’t even make it through their first night together in Eden without sinning!

Watson wrote, “From Adam’s sudden fall we learn the weakness of human nature. Adam, in a state of integrity, quickly made a defection from God, he soon lost the robe of innocence and the glory of Paradise. If our nature was thus weak when it was at its best, what is it now when it’s at its worst?”

Joel Osteen assures his huge congregation that 99.9% of folks in the world are good people at heart. Scripture says that’s a lie. “Everyone rejects God; they’re all morally corrupt. None of them does what’s right, not even one!“ (Psalm 14:3). We’re all sinners, living under the curse instigated by Adam & Eve.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “The idea of mankind’s basic goodness is a cardinal tenet of humanistic philosophy. …The condition of radical corruption, or total depravity, is the fallen state known as original sin. The doctrine of original sin doesn’t refer to the first sin committed by Adam & Eve, but to the result of that first sin. Original sin is the corruption visited on the progeny of our first parents as punishment for the original transgression.”

Nevertheless, because of Christ’s atonement, even sinners can have eternal life in heaven. Spurgeon preached, “The tears are in my eyes as I look at you and say, ‘Why will you die? Will you not give your soul a thought? Will you perish through sheer carelessness? Oh, do not so; but weigh these solemn matters! Don’t refuse Jesus, His love, HIs blood, His salvation. Why should you do so? Can you do it? I beseech you, don’t turn away from your Redeemer!” Heed the call.

Overcoming Spiritual Apathy

Most Christians feel civilization is decaying exponentially faster these days.  I agree. In my life, I’ve witnessed a lot of inexplicable human behavior but never every darn day.  What Paul describes in Romans 1:18-32 is truly disturbing, yet it’s what history proves will happen when a nation’s populace collectively turns away from God.  We’re watching that tragedy play out in Technicolor and its ugliness can overwhelm even the most devout believer.

Ian Hamilton wrote, “It’s only too easy for Christians to become daunted and deeply pessimistic.  The world’s an ever-darkening place.  The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is increasingly and publicly mocked and marginalized throughout society, particularly in the media.  Our government passes legislation that defies the living God.  Our churches are small and struggling.  Evangelical Christianity is awash with theological and moral compromise.”

Peter nailed it.  He said it’s normal for believers to feel like “foreigners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11).  Therefore, it’s not uncommon for Christ-followers to slip into spells of spiritual apathy and become ambivalent about evangelizing.  Even worse, they start believing the devil’s lies and begin thinking it’s all about maintaining their all-important “happiness quotient.”

That’s when selfishness barges in and takes over.  Kyle Idleman observed, “Instead of looking to God as a source of comfort, we turn to food or mindless entertainment.  Instead of looking to God as our source of significance, we turn to our careers and our accomplishments.  Instead of looking to God as our source of joy, we look to our spouse and our children.  Instead of looking to God as our source of truth, we look to popular opinion and academic consensus.”

Out of fear of ostracization, many Christians are watering down the gospel message.  Michael Horton opined, “Nobody will raise a fuss if you find Jesus helpful for your personal well-being and relationships, or even if you think he was the greatest person in history.  …But start talking about the real crisis – where our best efforts are filthy rags and Jesus came to bear the condemnation of helpless sinners who place their confidence in Him rather than in themselves – and people begin shifting in their seats, even in churches.”

Spiritual ennui isn’t new.  Three times in two consecutive Psalms (42 & 43) David asks himself, “Why are you depressed, O my soul?  Why are you upset?”  We can empathize but that doesn’t make it okay to remain in that state.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “It’s very sad to contemplate the fact that there are Christian people who live the greater part of their lives in such a condition.  It doesn’t mean they aren’t Christians, but it does mean they’re missing a great deal, missing so much that it’s important we should enquire into the whole condition.  We must face this problem for the sake of the Kingdom of God and for the glory of God.”

The truth is, no Christian has any excuse for apathy.  God is still in complete control of everything.  His master plan is proceeding on schedule without a hitch.  As Jesus told the Jewish leaders, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working” (John 5:17).  In other words, God is constantly turning all the suffering that Satan intends for inflicting harm on God’s elect into something good for them and nothing can stop Him from continuing to do so.

Thus, we have to cease doubting God’s mercy and give ourselves a pep talk by reconfirming what the Bible makes clear: “Our God is in heaven!  He does whatever He pleases!” (Psalm 115:3).  A gospel hymn I sang in Sunday School long ago is still relevant today: “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”

Paul described followers of Christ as those who courageously “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Of course, it’s heartbreaking to helplessly watch so many non-believers perish under the weight of their unforgiven sins, but we “will not grieve like the rest who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  God’s given His own a gift that not everybody receives – faith.  Faith is the ability to trust God for who He is and to believe in everything His Holy Word teaches us.

Some Christians complain, “I understand why the wicked ought to be punished, but why should God’s chosen suffer?”  Whether we understand it or not, the old saying of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is solid.  Paul said we should actually “rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.  And hope doesn’t disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Believers must never forget that every one of us sins daily.  Sin was humanity’s downfall and its consequences are harsh.  Living in a cursed world is difficult.  It’s supposed to be!  “Whoever walks in deep darkness without light should trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10).  And what requires trust more than trudging “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4)?

A current Christian tune includes the lyric, “God is up to something.”  Absolutely!  He’s not asleep and He’s certainly not dead.  Thus, we mustn’t let our fickle, undulating emotions hamper our efforts to glorify God.  Pray for Him to deliver you from spiritual apathy and He will.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it’ll be given to you; seek and you’ll find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).

So ask God for strength and push onward.  Lloyd-Jones wrote, “The Christian life, after all, is a life, a power, an activity.  It’s not just a philosophy, not just a point of view.  It’s something infinitely more.  It’s a mighty power that enters into us.  It’s an activity on the part of God.”  Let’s get over ourselves and get back to spreading the Good News.

The Scourge of Discontentment

From prison, Paul wrote, “…I’ve learned to be content in any circumstance.  I’ve experienced times of need and times of abundance.  In any and every circumstance I’ve learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.  I’m able to do all things through the One who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

The Bible repeatedly urges Christians to content themselves with God’s generosity: “Godliness combined with contentment brings great profit” (1 Timothy 6:6); “Don’t worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34); “Don’t be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6).  So why do we often struggle through seasons of discontent?  It’s because our trust is weak.

In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught that stressing out is a waste of time.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Jesus tells his disciples that their lives are cared for, watched over, and dearly loved by their Heavenly Father.  It’s the fatherly love and care of God that is the bedrock of the Christian’s contentment.”

The problem? Satan never stops announcing that God’s “left the building”; that we’re on our own. Sadly, unless we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, we’ll succumb to the devil’s lies.  We’ll become convinced God couldn’t care less about us and we’ll fall into a state of what Martyn Lloyd-Jones called “spiritual depression,” a condition that greatly restricts our ability to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).  So how do we avoid it?

In 2009 I rededicated my life to Jesus.  I’d gotten lost.  I’d nearly destroyed my marriage and had finally turned to God’s Holy Word for direction.  I also came across a book that helped me immensely and inspired me to start this blog.  It was Lloyd-Jones’ book,  Spiritual Depression: Its causes and its cure.  I highly recommend it.

Paul teaches contentment must be learned.  It doesn’t come naturally.  We become discontented because we inevitably allow feelings to determine our overall outlook.  Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Oh, the havoc that’s wrought and the tragedy, the misery and the wretchedness that are to be found in the world simply because people don’t know how to handle their own feelings!”

I’m not implying feelings aren’t significant or that they should be ignored altogether.  On the contrary, we’re to engage and examine them wisely, bearing in mind nothing fluctuates more than our emotional state.  Feelings tend to insist we don’t have enough and the resulting discontent always breeds disillusionment with God.

Studying Scripture wards off discontentment’s doubts and fears better than anything else.  Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The inmost heart of Christian faith is that we take God at His Word.  And we must accept that Word, not because of the probabilities of its statements, nor because of the confirmatory evidence of science and philosophy, but simply and alone because the Lord has spoken it.”  Martin Luther commented, “You shouldn’t believe your conscience and your feelings more than the Word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.”

When we realize we’re in the throes of discontent how should we go about freeing ourselves from its debilitating grip?  Evidently, Timothy sometimes felt inadequate to effectively preach the gospel. Paul told him, “I remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess…  For God didn’t give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

One of the vital things I gleaned from Lloyd-Jones’ book came from his statement, “You have to speak to yourself.  For there’s a sense in which what the Scriptures do is to teach us how to speak to ourselves.  Remind yourself of certain things.  Remind yourself of who you are and what you are.”  (Understand, this is something to be done silently.  Walking around chatting to yourself will probably cause people to steer clear.)

J.I. Packer wrote, “Think against your feelings; argue yourself out of the gloom they’ve spread; unmask the unbelief they’ve nourished; take yourself in hand, talk to yourself, make yourself look up from your problems to the God of the gospel; let evangelical thinking correct emotional thinking.”

I’m not saying we can develop permanent immunity from discontent.  We must pray to our Savior for the power to overcome our anemic trust.  Jerry Bridges wrote, “We must be careful that, in preaching the gospel to ourselves, we don’t preach a gospel without a cross.  We must be careful we don’t rely on the so-called unconditional love of God without realizing His love can only flow to us as a result of Christ’s atoning death.”

Critics of Christianity claim that being “content in any circumstance” is to be apathetic or indifferent towards injustice or cruelty.  Wrong.  What Paul meant is that believers aren’t to be mastered or controlled by circumstances; that our contentment shouldn’t be contingent on what’s happening to us or others in this fallen world.  Contentment arises exclusively from the hope we have in Jesus.

To keep from becoming discontent, every Christian must accept that circumstances always change and that assuming they won’t is folly; that although God’s will and ways are mysterious, we must believe that whatever He wills is for our spiritual benefit; that every situation God leads us into is the unfolding of yet another manifestation of His love and goodness; that our relationship to our Heavenly Father matters more than our comfort; that everything that occurs in our life is part of God’s process of perfecting our soul and reshaping us to better resemble His Son.

Lloyd-Jones summed up his personal thoughts thusly: “Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they’re only temporary, they’re only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ.”  Our faith in Jesus’ promises sustains us.

Paul said, “To me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  Spurgeon preached, “To come to Jesus is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labor, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes.”