Divisions in the Church and God’s Purposes
By · CommentsThough division distorts the gospel and the nature of the church, Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 11:19, that in God’s providence divisions serve God’s ultimate purpose to glorify Himself by gathering and revealing a multi-ethnic assembly that is united through Christ and serves under Christ’s headship. Of course, the question is how do divisions serve God’s ultimate purpose for His glory and His church?
Divisions sometimes serve to expose false Christians. Jesus Himself did not come to bring peace, “but rather division” (Luke 12:51). In fact, the gospel itself divides Christian from non-Christian, “for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV). Consequently, when gospel preaching is taking place, false Christians in the church who are hostile to the gospel will be exposed. Hostility to Christ and His gospel manifests itself in a variety of ways:
1. False Christians may cause divisions, embroil the church in arguments and even make false accusations (this is Satan’s work, after all).
2. False Christians may simply leave a church when they don’t get their way (1 John 2:19).
3. Ultimately, false Christians love themselves more than God and the church, so they will eventually despise the church unless God changes their heart.
What can a church do to address, prepare for and possibly minimize such divisions in order to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
1. Consider a membership process - seek to gather a regenerate church. This wold be a lengthy discussion, but the folks at 9 Marks have thought about this a lot! Also, here are some resources that may be helfpul:
What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever
What is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile
The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander
*This is a very helpful book to help you think through the nuts and bolts of establishing a membership process.
2. Consider deliberate pastoral care - how are you presently caring for the flock of God? Take deliberate steps to know how to care for the people of God under your care if you are a shepherd. If you are a sheep, then read Thabiti’s book on being a healthy church member.
See previous post: Do You Despise the Church?
Do You Despise the Church of God?
By · CommentsChurches are a mess today and both believer and unbeliever alike are disillusioned with the church. Many believers argue, fuss and fight over what the church is to be and do, while unbelievers are fed up with the hypocrisy of the church and the apparent divisions among Christians.
With all this confusion and conflict you can’t blame people for a low view of church and ultimately abandoning the church. If all church people do is fight with one another, why would anyone want to be a part of that?
That is precisely the question I hope to address in the next several blogs on divisions in the church. My thesis is pretty straight forward - It is true that divisions in a church distort the nature of the church and the gospel; yet, it is also true that divisions serve God’s purpose to gather and reveal a multi-ethnic assembly which is united through Christ, under Christ’s headship (1 Corinthians 11:19).
Divisions distort the gospel and the nature of the church of God (1 Corinthians 11:2, 16-18). God displays His manifold wisdom to the entire universe (including heaven and hell) in the church through His saving plan (Ephesians 3:8-12). In the church, those who were formerly divided are brought together through Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22).
Since this is the case, God’s manifold wisdom in the church can only be displayed through visible, local assemblies which gather together as male/female, Jew/Gentile, Slave/Free (Galatians 3:23-39). When visible, local assemblies are divided, that division distorts the gospel, the church and makes God out to be a fool (1 Corinthians 11:17-22).
Because division distorts the gospel and the church there is strong language warning those who may be tempted to distort and/or despise the church of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
Because division distorts the gospel and the church we are commanded to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). For, “there is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
May the Lord grant us grace to display His wisdom through multi-ethnic assemblies that visibly display how Christ has brought enemies together into one.
In Remembrance of Me
By · CommentsWhenever we have out of state guests, we try to go to San Antonio in order to show them the Alamo. Perhaps the best know phrase regarding the history of this fort is, “Remember the Alamo.” The fort sits today in the midst of a concrete jungle as a commemoration of that historic battle and in memory of those who fought and died there.
Today, we have learned to say, “Remember 9/11.” As a dark moment in our nation’s history, we don’t remember 9/11 in order to drudge up memories of that terrible event. Instead, we remember 9/11 in commemoration of those who lost lives and family members.
According to the New World Dictionary, to commemorate means “to preserve or honor the memory of.” As Christians, when we observe the Lord’s Supper we commemorate Christ; we remember and honor His name and His sacrifice for sin. The supper is a remembering of a specific event in the life of Christ. We preserve the memory of Christ and honor his name by remembering and reflecting upon what the bread and the fruit of the vine signify. Michael Green reminds us that every time we observe the Lord’s Supper we do so in remembrance of Him as . . .
We look up in adoration. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember God’s mercy and grace as the loving Father sent His beloved Son to die on the cross for sin.
We look back in commemoration. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember that Christ came into this world to save sinners. He lived a life without sin, yet He was rejected by His own, beaten and ultimately killed for our sake. Through His death, Jesus paid the penalty for sin and liberated those who trust in Him from the bondage of sin.
We look forward in anticipation. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are eating and drinking in anticipation of the great marriage supper of the Lamb, at which a place has been reserved for all those who belong to Christ’s family.
We look outward in proclamation. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper our actions proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
We look inward in examination. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we reflect upon our own lives, asking the Holy Spirit of God to expose our own sins, so that we might come into the presence of Christ with clean hands and pure hearts.
We look around in consideration. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are forced to look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ being reminded that we are sitting at the table as a family.
Next time you participate in the Lord’s Supper, I encourage you to examine your hearts as you sit together at the Lord’s table with God’s people in remembrance of Him.
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
By · CommentsWe are not accustomed to snow in Austin, Texas, but today the Lord has covered our grounds with much snow. We cut staff meeting short and are heading down for a staff snowball fight!
If you are in the Austin area - ENJOY!
More fun in the snow!
The Joy of Abiding in Christ
By · CommentsOn Saturday night I had the privilege of addressing a regional gathering of college students at an InterVarsity retreat here in Texas. Their theme was Abiding and Abounding from John 15, so I posed the question:
Is it possible to be connected to Jesus (i.e., church member, baptized, InterVarsity) and still not be a genuine follower of Jesus?
When you look through the Scriptures the answer is that you can be connected to Jesus in some way and not be a part of God’s people. The primary example is Judas Iscariot (John 6:70-71; 13:21-30; 17:12).
In John 15, Jesus reminds us that the Father planted the true vine and cares for the branches so that they would glorify Him by bearing fruit (15:1-2).
Jesus reaches back into the Old Testament for the vine and fruitfulness imagery. Previously, God had planted Israel as the vine that would produce fruit, good grapes; however, they produced sour grapes instead, so God declared that He would no longer prune them and protect them (Isaiah 5:1-7; Ezekiel 19:10-14; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:1-5).
Now Jesus, not Israel, is the true vine. Jesus is the true Israel, the vine that produces fruit (15:1-2). John’s fulfillment theology has already shown how Jesus fulfills the old age: Jesus turns the old purification waters into new wine (2:1-12); Jesus calls for the tearing down of the old temple and claims that He is the new temple (2:13-21); Jesus claims that the old worship tied to a time and place will be no more because new worship is not about time and place but about Him (4:19-41). So, Jesus is the true, fruitful vine that replaces the old, fruitless vine (15:1). And those who are truly His will bear fruit; thus, fruitfulness is an undeniable mark of a genuine follower of Jesus.
So, if Jesus produces fruit through His branches, and genuine branches bear fruit, thus showing to be true disciples, then what kinds of fruit glorify the Father (15:8)? John reminds us of the fruits of obedience (15:10); peace (14:27); love (15:12); witness (15:26-27). Throughout the New Testament we also find that followers of Christ should bear the fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:7-10); the fruit of Light which is found in all that is good and right and true (Ephesians 5:7-12); the fruit of lips which is a sacrifice of praise to God (Hebrews 13:15); and of course, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).
However, the important question is how does one bear such fruit (15:3-7)? The way in which one answers this question betrays the difference between religion and Christianity, for many religions would propose that its proponents bear such or similar fruit.
Whereas religion suggests that the individual is responsible for bearing such fruit in his or her own power, the gospel reminds us that we are incapable. The only fruit we can produce in our own power would be rotten.
The gospel, on the other hand, reminds us that fruitfulness flows from a continuous, intimate and dependent relationship with Christ, which is initiated by God.
Jesus initiates relationship to Him by His cleansing word (15:3). He is the one who has come to reveal the true nature and glory of the Father (John 1:1-18); the Spirit is the one who removes the heart of stone and gives a new heart that beats for God in the new, heavenly birth (John 3:1-8; see Ezekiel 36:22ff); and the only appropriate response is to believe in Jesus, whom the Father has sent (John 3:9-15), and keep believing.
Genuine believers remain in continuous relationship with Jesus. If we are to bear fruit, we must remain/abide in Christ; apart from Him we can do nothing - no fruit (15:4-6). As the true vine, Jesus is the only source of life (14:6; 15:3) and thus, of fruit bearing (15:4-5). Those who do not remain in Christ do not bear fruit and will be cut off (15:6; Ezekiel 15:1-8, 19).
Genuine believers remain in an intimate relationship with Christ. In other words, true believers remain in Jesus’ words - His teaching (truth) is the life-blood that flows through our veins (15:3, 7). True believers also remain in Jesus’ love (15:9-10; cf. 13:34-35; 14:23), which is most clearly displayed in His death on the cross in our place (15:13). We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us (1 John 3:11-18; 4:16-21; Romans 12:9-21).
Finally, genuine believers remain in a dependent relationship with Christ. We must depend upon Christ and look to Christ and cry out to the Father in the name of Christ that He would bear such fruit through us (15:7). We are to pray for such fruit that glorifies the Father (notice how Paul prays in Colossians 1:3-14).
Do you have a continuous, intimate and dependent relationship with Jesus? Examine yourself and see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Look to Christ and keep trusting in Christ. Everything Jesus has said and done is for God’s glory (John 17:1-5) and our joy (John 15:11). There is great joy in abiding in Christ!
Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols, part three
By · CommentsHaving introduced the biblical warning that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God (part 1) and having defined idolatry of the heart in order to expose our idols (part 2), I want finally to suggest how we are to replace the substitute gods of idolatry with the real God - Jesus Christ, our Lord.
How are we to replace the substitute gods of this world for the one, true and living God?
First, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! You need a new nature that only comes through God’s grace and faith in Christ (Ezekiel 36:25-27; John 3:1-21).  The only way to flee idolatry is to replace the idols of you heart with Jesus Christ, the only one who is worthy of praise and glory and honor.
Second, you must continue believing, trusting in Jesus Christ, our redeemer!
1. Believe you are a new creature, raised to walk in newness of life (Col. 3:1; cf. Rom. 6). In other words, we must remember who we are in Christ instead of believing Satan’s lies that tempt us to despair. You must speak the gospel to yourself daily, moment by moment.
2. Let your mind be consumed with heavenly things (Col. 3:1-4). You must have a proper perspective, an eternal perspective. You must be so heavenly minded in order to be of any earthly good. So many times we are so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good. Do not overvalue the things of this world.
3. Put to death the earthly cravings for sin and evil that remain in you (Col. 3:5-11). We put to death the desires of the flesh by remembering who we are in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) and looking to the Spirit in faith to guide us (Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:16-24).
4. Put on the heavenly characteristics God is working in you now (Col. 3:12-15). This is the positive counterpart to putting to death the cravings of the flesh by faith.
5. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and encourage one another (Col. 3:16). The word of the gospel is the source of good news that reveals God and His faithfulness to all who believe. This gospel word is the source of our hope, and we should encourage one another by speaking this gospel to one another regularly.
6. Do everything in the name of Christ and for His glory (Col. 3:17). As you do something, ask, “Can I do this in the name of Christ?” Ask, “Can I do this for the glory of Christ?”
Little children, keep yourselves from idols, for idolaters have no place in the kingdom of God!
Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols, part two
By · CommentsIf we are to identify and expose the idols of our heart, then we must first understand what idolatry is.
What is idolatry of the heart?
The Puritan David Clarkson calls it secret or soul idolatry. Since the Bible reminds us that our problem is a problem of the heart, then let us call it heart idolatry. In contradistinction to open idolatry, Clarkson proposes that “when the mind and heart is set upon anything more than God; when anything is more valued, more intended; anything more trusted, more loved, or our endeavors more for any other thing than God, that is soul worship, which is due only to God (and that which he most respects and calls for) given to other things besides him. And this is as true, as heinous idolatry, as the former, though not so open, discernible, nor so much observed.”
What is an idol of the heart?
As you can see, anything can become an idol. As Brian Rosner suggests, “a god is that which one loves, trusts, and serves above all else” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “Idolatry”).
Those who follow the cravings of the flesh and replace God with substitutes and do not repent will not inherit the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:3-6). Therefore, it is imperative that we identify and expose our idols in order to replace them with the one, true, living God.
How can you identify and expose your idols?
Based on Clarkson’s definition above, here are some questions that may begin to expose some of the idols of our hearts:
1. What occupies your mind and heart more than God does? What do you most think about? What do you daydream about?
2. What do you value more than God? You know you have an idol that you value more than God when you are enraged if you were to lose it.
3. What is your aim, purpose in life? What do you live for, work for? Why do you wake up in the morning?
4. What do you trust/hope in more than God? Who is your savior? Doctors, government, wealth, fame, friends, family?
5. What do you love, desire, delight in more than God? What consumes your time, money? What brings you most joy?
Good News
The good news of the gospel is that God is faithful to provide a way out or through temptation (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). In other words, the Lord will not allow His children to be tested to the point that their faith will be obliterated. He is faithful.
We must believe! We must trust God, love God, hope in God, delight in God more than any created thing, so that our thoughts and affections are consumed with God and our chief aim is His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).
See part 1 of this post.
Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part One
By · CommentsIn a city full of temples for false gods (Poseidon, Aphrodite, Asklepios, Apollo, Demeter, Kore . . .), the apostle Paul warned the Corinthians to flee idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14). Paul’s heart was to present everyone mature in Christ (Col. 1:28-29), so in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul exhorted the Corinthians to run in such a way as to win the prize! The Corinthian Christians found themselves at a crossroads - whether to continue in Christ or be swept away by their idolatry just as had happened to Israel (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Paul urged them to press on!
Now, we may not have temples to such gods in our cities, but be assured that we have created manageable deities that function similarly; therefore, we require the same warning today. In such a context the Bible’s message is clear: Those who crave sin, that is idolaters, will not enter into the kingdom of God. This is a consistent warning from the apostle Paul (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5). It is because of such sinful cravings that the wrath of God is coming (Eph. 5:6).
This is the example (type) unbelieving Israel leaves for us (1 Cor. 10:6-11). Unbelieving Israel loved self and pleasure and craved sin (Ex. 32-Golden Calf; Num. 25-Baal of Peor; Num. 21-craving food and water; Num. 11-craving food and water/grumbling) more than they craved God - this is idolatry!
This is the danger in which the Corinthians found themselves (1 Cor. 6:9-10). If the Corinthians persisted in craving sin, which is idolatry, then like Israel before them, they too would be disqualified from entering God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 10:5). Paul’s basic argument is that you cannot participate in Christ (represented by the celebratory meal-Lord’s Supper) and at the same time participate in demons (represented by the celebratory meal in the temples) (1 Cor. 10:14-22).
The sad truth is that we face the same danger today in our culture (Matt. 6:24), though not with physical idols. Our temptation is with idols of the heart. The evidence of our idolatry is in the sacrifices we make to our substitute gods: marriage, children (born and unborn), health, etc.
If this is the case (that we are prone to idolatry of the heart), then what can we do? What must we do? Paul points us in two directions. First, Paul warns that we should take heed lest while we think we have stood, we fall (1 Cor. 10:12). In other words, we should examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5). Therefore, I suggest we begin with examining ourselves in order to identify and expose our idols. Secondly, we are to flee idolatry (1 Cor. 10:7, 14).
In the next post I will define idolatry in order that we may identify and expose our idols by asking certain questions of ourselves. Then in the third post I will address the issue of fleeing idols. In the meantime, I would highly encourage you to do three things:
1. Listen to Tim Keller’s address at The 2009 Gospel Coalition Conference where he addresses the issue of idolatry - The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry.
2. Read David Clarkson’s sermon titled, “Soul Idolatry Excludes Men from Heaven.”
3. Read Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.
Enduring Temptation and Overcoming Sin
By · CommentsIn 1 Corinthians 10:6-11, the apostle Paul reminds the new covenant church not to crave evil. Paul recalls Israel’s past sinful cravings which led to idolatry as an example and a warning that those who persist in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 10:5; see also 6:9-10). Yet for some of us, recalling the past is not enough to keep us from sin. The battle with sin can be such an overwhelming struggle at times because we underestimate how sin operates. This is why understanding the nature of sin is so important. If we are to endure temptation and overcome sin, we must understand that sin is deceptive, divisive and destructive.
Sin is deceptive in a variety of ways. Satan deceives us into thinking that what we are doing is not sin (1 Corinthians 10:12). Isn’t this precisely what took place in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)? Also, Satan’s schemes are so deceptive that once we are involved in sin, we begin to believe there is no way out, but this is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that the temptations we face are common to everyone (1 Corinthians 10:13), and because Jesus understands our temptations (Hebrews 4:14-16), we can go to Him for help in our time of need, for God is faithful and provides a way of escape, so we can endure the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Sin is divisive in that it separates us from God (1 John 1:1) and from each other (1 Corinthians 10:17). The prodigal son in Luke 15 understood that when he sinned, he sinned against God first, then against his father. This is the very perspective we must have. When we choose to sin, we sin against God, disrupting our fellowship with him; we sin against those affected by our sin, hurting them; and we sin against the church, affecting our fellowship with one another.
Sin is destructive. We see everyday how sin destroys people’s lives. Even for believers, after we have experienced the wonderful forgiveness God offers, the consequences of sin still linger. David’s life testifies to this fact (2 Samuel 11-24). Learning from our past and understanding the nature of sin are helpful defensive strategies against temptation and sin; however, glorifying God in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31) is the most important aspect of Christian living. When our life is consumed by a passion for God’s glory, we will delight in Him and nothing else will do. You see, the Christian life is not about a list of don’ts; it’s about a gift given to us in which we are to delight: Jesus Christ, the beloved Son. When we get to the point in our lives that Christ satisfies our every longing, then the things of this world will loosen their hold on us. This is what brings glory to God. As John Piper says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” May Christ satisfy us all!
Divisions in the Church and God’s Purposes, part 2
By Juan Sanchez · Comments (0)Divisions sometimes serve to expose immature Christians. Spiritual immaturity is evident throughout 1 Corinthians (see 1:10-11). Often times spiritual immaturity is linked with doctrinal error. One example of spiritual immaturity and doctrinal error is the place of spiritual gifts in the Corinthians church (see 1 Corinthians 12-14).
Spiritual immaturity manifests itself in a variety of ways:
1. Perhaps the biggest manifestation is that the spiritually immature make the greatest demands. Ironically, those who make the greatest demands tend to be those who think of themselves as most spiritual (this was the problem in Corinth). Generally, the spiritually immature make great demands (read - throw tantrums) based on their personal preferences: i.e., music, programs, non-essentials.
2. The method: the spiritually immature go from person to person trying to get others to agree with them. On the way, they criticize those who don’t see things their way (gossip, slander, etc.). If the leaders don’t agree with them, then they will “pick up their marbles and go play somewhere else.”
3. Spiritually immature people love their opinions more than they do the church, so they despise the church that disagrees with them.
What can a church do to address and possibly minimize such divisions in order to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
1. Keep the main thing the main thing: i.e., the gospel! Let the gospel be the hill on which will live and die. Let the gospel be the means by which growth in grace takes place.
2. Identify the beliefs that characterize your fellowship and communicate those clearly in your membership process: i.e., baptism, Lord’s Supper, church order, etc.
3. Permit Christian liberty on non-essentials - charity beliefs (Romans 14:1-18). This is where many churches get into legalistic problems. If you hold ALL doctrines at the same level (deity of Christ = millennial views), then you will breed division.
See previous posts in this series: Do You Despise the Church?, Divisions part one