The rewards for giving are immense, but the results are not formulaic. God blesses each giver according to their gifts, needs and situations. We must adjust our expectations.

And that brings us to the catch-22 of giving. We are to give with out expectation of receiving, although the text is clear, that we receive when we give. How do we do this well?

We do this by giving regularly, giving spontaneously (as needs come up) and by not boasting of our giving records. When giving is a regular, spiritual discipline we can avoid the trappings of trying to earn something back from God.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

In order to be most productive while being yoked to another, it not only requires an even pace, cooperation from both (give and take), and most importantly--both simply must be going the same direction. What may start out to be a plan toward progress easily can end in something resembling a tug-of-war battle between two yoked people trying to follow their own separate paths.

Jesus made clear only two paths we may follow through life.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14 ESV

Are you uncertain of what areas in your life you may be “unevenly yoked?" Ask God to show you and then be prepared for the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you. When you started following Jesus, did you separate yourself from certain people, places, or things, knowing they were on a separate path from the one you chose by following Him?

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 ESV

For the most important relationships in your life, you need to be on the same page about the most important things, so you can both carry the weight together. Don’t make your walk with Jesus more difficult by creating unnecessary resistance. Don’t be afraid of what He has in store for you, right now.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Matt Mong

This is the reality of reconciliation. When we understand what God has done through Jesus in regards to reconciliation, the scope and breadth of ministry widens immensely.

The Beginning of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Paul makes it clear that this is where reconciliation begins. Individuals, you and me, must first become reconciled to the Father. Why? Because until we are reconciled to the Father, we are enemies of God, at war with him, in a war that leads only to death and eternal separation from him. That is not a great place to be. In the next verse Paul makes it clear how reconciliation takes place.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he (the Father) made him (the Son - Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus took our place, taking all of our sin, penalty and punishment upon himself, that God's wrath might be satisfied. To all who believe, the Son has made peace with God, and in exchange for our sin, we have been given the righteousness of God. When the Father sees believers, He does not see our sin, our shame or our guilt, He sees His Son, Jesus.  What a beautiful picture of reconciliation. It is not merited. It is not earned. It is a free gift that is given, and it is all that is needed. Once you have been reconciled to God, you have been reconciled to him forever.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The Transfer of Reconciliation

Reconciliation is not just a ministry that is given to us and done for us, it is a ministry that is entrusted to all believers.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting our trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Those who have been reconciled to God have a duty. We are to take this great event that has happened in our lives and use it to be agents of change for God in the spheres where we live, work and operate. We are to preach the message of reconciliation. We are to testify about the reconciliation that has happened in our lives and offer it to all we meet. We are to reconcile relationships that are broken in our lives so that we mirror the work of the gospel to all people. When relationships are reconciled, an avenue for the gospel has been established. We have not been reconciled to the Father to merely enjoy our eternal reward, but to live out a life of grateful service and duty to the one who loved us enough to send His own Son to die. We carry his banner of reconciliation into a world that needs in desperately. Just as it was given to us, we get to give it to others.

The Ripple Effect of Reconciliation

What starts with you should effect countless others. When an individual takes hold of the reconciliation to God through Christ that has been offered them, it should begin to reverberate into their relationships. Which of my friends and family members need to be reconciled to God? How can I share this message and ministry with them? Which relationships in my life are broken right now? How can I restore those and and let the gospel win the day? When we grasp the reality of reconciliation and what has been done for us, the love of Christ begins to compel us to love others the way we have been loved. It is a beautiful thing.

However there are some who choose not to ripple.

2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

It will cost you something to carry the banner of reconciliation beyond you. It might cost you position or power. It might cost you time or money. It might cost you influence or friendship, but it is worth it. When all is said and done, obeying the call of Christ to take reconciliation to the world is a joy worth risking everything on. And in the end, with a God who created everything, owns everything, sees everything and is always good, always loving and always righteous, is there even really a risk? Paul didn't think so.

2 Corinthians 6:3-10 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministyr, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

When I was playing in one of my first bands in high school, we had the always-difficult task of coming up with a name for ourselves. We had some, er... creative ones, to be sure. During this time, I went to a summer mission camp where one of the camp staffers, Lenny, had a two-word expression that he uttered repeatedly. He would say it especially when the week would get long from the hard work and crazy schedule. He would say it when teenage summer camp drama would happen. The statement was one of perspective. It eventually became the name of the band:

Eyes up.

Although it seemed simplistic, it always pointed me back to the profound reality of the verses above: our true home is with Jesus. While we should always be content with what we have, we should never settled here. We should always be looking toward heaven. When we are in Christ, we are destined for another home. Our place is secured in heaven, together with Jesus (John 14:2; Eph 2:4-6). We belong with him, but we currently dwell in this "already-but-not-yet" state; our spiritual home is with Jesus, but our temporary physical home is here on earth.

One day, however, we will be completely in His presence--both spiritually and physically. 

Our rescue will be complete. 

No more battles or wars. 

No more sorrow or heartbreak.

No more trials or tears.

Eyes up.

Until that day, the days may get long. We may feel like we do not have the strength to continue. Friends or loved ones may leave us. We may be rejected because of Christ.

Trials will come.

Eyes up.

We do not lose hope. We do not give up. We keep working and fighting for the spread of gospel and the kingdom of God. 

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil 1:6 ESV)

Wherever you are in life, and whatever you are facing. Keep your eyes up. He is with you. Your redemption and ultimate rescue is coming. One day, we will see Him face to face. 

Jesus is faithful. He will do it. 

Eyes up.

"And I heard aloud voice from the throne saying, "behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'" (Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

Keep your eyes up. One day, we will be home. And this reality will change the way we live.

The following is a link to a song that has helped me keep things in perspective when I have needed it: 

In Exile - Thrice

"My heart is filled with songs of forever
Of a city that endures, where all is made new
I know I don't belong here; I'll never
Call this place my home, I'm just passing through..."

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

Now, I’ve grown to appreciate the beauty of living in and traveling through the flatlands of Western Kansas. Our current home in Topeka is located at the bottom of a valley with a hill on either side of me. Every evening at dusk I lose sight of the sun about 45 minutes sooner than most because my horizon is swallowed up with other homes, hills, and trees. To watch a sunset, or “watching the sun kiss the ground” as my 6-year old daughter calls it, we have to go to higher ground.

I love being able to see for miles and miles in either direction! Something about seeing a storm roll over the plains miles away is fascinating to me! It’s breathtaking to see the canvas of the sky light up with unbelievable colors from a sunset, so unique that it’ll never happen exactly that way again…it makes me feel small. I can’t count how many times I’ve made that trip, nor can I count how many times I’m in complete worship and awe of Him during that journey. Wheat fields, prairie grass, windmills, and what seems like an endless horizon in every direction, with a thin vein of blacktop cutting its way through.

However, there was a time, not too long ago, when I would dread that 3.5 hour drive back to where I grew up; it was such a mundane drive to me. My daughter now often echoes that same discontentment in our journeys west. This last summer, my daughter Madison and I were making our way back to Topeka from Western Kansas. Less than 30 minutes deep the notorious inquiry of all children on a road trip came from her mouth: “Daddy, how much further?” I encouraged her to enjoy the view/ride and she quickly responded with, “I would, but no matter which direction I look, it all looks the same to me! It feels like we have been on this road forever, but haven’t gone anywhere!”

If I’m being honest, my journey with Jesus sometimes resembles my daughter’s attitude while driving through Western Kansas. Standing right where I’m at, when I look around, I feel like I’ve gone nowhere in my walk with Jesus, yet I KNOW we’ve been walking somewhere for awhile, even though the scenery seems unchanged. It is so easy to get frustrated, so easy to get tired, so easy to feel everyday like there’s a battle that makes no progress towards victory or defeat, rather just another day “grinding it out."

More than 10 years ago, while going through what I would call the lowest point of my life to date, a wise man suggested I keep notes of what was going through my head and where my heart was during those trials, so I keep a journal. When my wife and I look back now and reread that journal from 10+ years ago, we are amazed at the progress, growth, and change Jesus has worked in and through our lives.

I have no misunderstandings where or how this change took place. I had tried over and over again in my past to “fix” myself. Each time I tried, I was sorely disappointed. Failure seemed to be closer than a shadow in my own attempts. I know it was and still is the work of Jesus that transforms me to be more like Him. Make no mistake--I’m not claiming a painless journey or a picture perfect image today, as I’m still a work in progress, yet I can see a change. I haven’t “arrived,” but I have definitely “left” and I am on an awesome journey with my Savior!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (ESV)

I can’t stress enough the importance of authentic community for me in this. My wife, my family and my brothers in Christ are quick to speak truth and encourage me in times when I hang my head. They are there to pray with and for me when I struggle. I find myself worshiping more freely, more often, and more authentically while traveling through the flatlands of life. 

On this journey, I want to appreciate the blessings around me, find the beauty from Him in every situation, and know that He is enough and there is hope in Him.

Matt Mong

Of my friends gym bag.

After his hockey practice.

I woke up three days later. Still to this day, I have never smelled anything worse. Something about playing a sport for two hours wearing a sweater and other heavy equipment creates an aroma that nearly knocked my socks off. Words do not do justice to what I smelled that day. It was a distinctively bad smell.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, uses the concept of distinctive smell to teach us about the gospel:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

When you first think about fragrance and aroma, we want it to smell pleasing, to be sweet. Who wants to smell like a sweaty gym bag? However, as we look at how the word aroma is used biblically, the smell is kind of a mixed bag.

In Genesis 8:20-22, Noah kills animals and offered burnt sacrifices on an altar. The aroma was pleasant before the Lord. Grilled meat smells good. Blood and dead carcasses do not. What smells like life to some, smells like death to others. Moving forward to Paul and 2 Corinthians, the heart of Paul's message is Jesus and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 tells us that the crucified Jesus is the wisdom of God to some and a stumbling block of foolishness for others. To some, it is the stench of death, and for some the sweet fragrance of life.

When Paul is talking about the "fragrance of the knowledge of him" and the "aroma of Christ," he is talking about death. Christians smell like death. This should not be shocking. We are called to die to self (Galatians 2:20). We identify with the death of Christ through the practices of communion and baptism. But the aroma of death to us is sweet because of the resurrection. We know as believers that while we are defined by the reality that our Savior died in our place, we also have the reality that Christ has risen from the dead and that we will as well.

Do you smell like death? If so, some will smell you and be repulsed because the cross is foolishness to them. Others will be intrigued by the aroma and crave to know more because the fragrance leads to the knowledge of God.

You smell like death when you are defined by the gospel. Does the cross of Jesus Christ and his death for you dictate your conversations and relationships?

We have picked back up in our L3 reading plan together, and in our first week of reading, we read how Paul and his team dealt with hardship and suffering, and how they ministered to and served the church at Corinth with integrity. In the last section of the first chapter, Paul defends his change of plans to his readers. From the text it seems that the Corinthian church was accusing Paul of being fickle or vacillating between choices. However, Paul declares that he was following the Lord's direction in these plans rather than following his own plans or desires. This is not the point of this post, though.

What I want to focus on is Paul's backing for his argument - the faithfulness of God. Despite the change of plans (which apparently meant that he did not make the second trip to Corinth prior to this letter), Paul says that God remains faithful--to both him and to the Corinthian church. Even though Paul did not return, God is still faithful, and is still with, and for, the church at Corinth. The truth of the gospel remains unchanged.

In verse 20, we read that "all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus)." 

But, you might ask, "What does that mean?" I'm glad you asked. :)

Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the righteous requirements of the Law and the covenant with God. His perfect life, death, and resurrection are the grounds for God's acceptance of us and our adoption as His sons and daughters. Jesus is "the guarantor of a better covenant" (Hebrews 9:22). Nothing we can do can improve our eternal status with Him. Jesus "perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). We cannot earn more blessings or more fulfilled promises, because when we are in Christ, God sees us as having fulfilled the Law, too, because Jesus is our substitute. His righteousness is credited to our account (Rom. 3:20-4:5; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9). (I know--it's ridiculous. He is too good to us.)

Lately, I have been reading through the Old Testament, and there are a staggering number of promises that God makes to those who are faithful to the covenant. Because of Christ, every single promise that God made to the ones who would keep the law will be fulfilled for us because of Christ. We will receive every promised blessing--either in this earth or the new one, this life or our eternal life--when we receive the gift of His salvation through faith. 

Jesus is the confirmation and guarantee, the deliverer of the faithful promises of God. It is through Christ, and Christ alone, that we will receive the promises and blessings of God. Nothing we can do will add to what Christ has already done for us. Jesus is ultimate fulfillment of the blessing and reward of God. Jesus is the Amen (Rev. 3:14). Jesus is the Yes of God.

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:19-23)

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

"God has given us more than one kind of help, as long as we are not too lazy to take up what He offers us. Unfortunately, nearly all of us sin by using the grace we are given carelessly and hesitantly. We are like a soldier who takes his helmet but leaves his shield behind! To correct this false sense of security, Paul borrows a military analogy and asks us to put on the whole armor of God, so that we shall be prepared for every eventuality...He reminds us that we have a crafty and insidious enemy who attacks us secretly."

The paragraphs above are excerpts from John Calvin's Commentary on the Ephesians. Calvin, a 16th Century French Reformer, spoke not only to his contextual contemporaries, but has wisdom in his words for all ages. We as believers do not have what it takes, even having been justified, to fend off the ever-present attack.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are in a battle for our sanctification. Even if the enemy has lost us to Christ, he wants to prevent our growth and keep us as fruitless as possible. But here in Ephesians, Paul gives us a plan of attack; a plan to help us to stand (Ephesians 6:11, 13, 14). We are to put on the full armor of God.

Every element of the armor of God is a gift from God. We did not earn them, but we must learn to use them. Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, salvation, and the Word of God are the gifts God has given us to ward of the attacks found in verse 12. We must daily take time to put these things on and remind us who we really are. We are children, adopted by the King, placed in His kingdom, given every spiritual blessing in Christ. It is time to stop lying down and taking the shots the enemy wants to give. It is time to fight, as in battle, with the tools God has given us to stand firm.

How is the truth setting you free from sin, guilt and shame?
Are you clothed in righteousness that only comes from Christ or one that is satisfied with yourself?
Are you living as if you know the gospel and you know it is true? Your identity has changed! You are new!
Are you secure in the hope of your salvation?
Are you feeding on the word of God?

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Plenty of coffee table conversations could be drawn from this scripture. As Brian noted in last week's blog, the word “submission” tends to make people cringe, however it’s not a suggestion or option, but rather a command. Furthermore, as noted, this command is not exclusively directed towards the wives, but towards husbands as well. It’s imperative to go back to chapter 4 of Ephesians and build some foundations regarding expectations of Christians.

Ephesians 4:21-24
...assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

If chapter 5 is the vehicle we as Christians are to drive, then chapter 4 clearly defines and instructs the operator of the proper fuel to use when driving that vehicle. Failure to properly follow these instructions by using an incorrect fuel will end with disastrous results. If and when husbands put off their old selves which were full of corrupt, evil, deceitful desires and rather look towards Jesus, humbled as a slave for Him - praying, following, and reading His Word to have a renewed mind while seeking after the likeness of God in truth - the hearts of those closest to him will also seek to follow.

As a husband, often I have seen that my pursuit toward Christ is directly reflected in the actions and words of my wife. The more my thoughts, words, actions, and prayers are focused on things other than myself, the stronger I am in my discipline and the more I yield myself to His Spirit and constantly give thanks regardless of the circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16). The time I spend in the Word is richer and often with increased value when I share with my wife what the Lord is doing. Praying with my wife, leading our daughter through the Bible, and showing her the impacts of prayer all have brought us closer together while striving closer to our Creator. The fruit is irreplaceable as priorities begin to get repositioned; we are seeing transformation from my life, to my wife’s, and to our daughter’s. And the truth and importance of Ephesians chapter five seems so obvious and much more effortless now, than if we had set out to accomplish the commands several years ago on our own.

As men, we are called to lead at home! This goes back to The Fall in Genesis 3:9:
"But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'"

This was the Lord God calling out to Adam after taking and eating of the fruit given to him by Eve. Adam was passively standing by during all the conversing between the serpent and Eve, and he failed to act. That is the old self; that is the old nature we as Christians - and more so as Christian men - are freed from. Although both Adam and Eve committed the first sin, it was Adam who was being called by God to take account for what took place in the garden. If you are a Christian man, it is YOU being called by God to lead at home.

Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

The idea of yielding, submitting, or denying oneself as mentioned above certainly paints a vivid picture of a less than painless transformation. I conclude with an awesome picture from Kyle Idleman’s book Not a Fan, pg. 169.

“Think of your life as a 100-dollar bill. Most of us think of dying to ourselves as this one big moment where we hand over our 100-dollar bill. I don’t want to take away from that moment. That moment of salvation is the most important moment of your life. But to see following Jesus as a one-time decision is like saying after your wedding, ‘now that I’m married, it’s back to life as usual.’ There is more to being a husband or wife than a wedding ceremony. Instead of thinking of our lives as a 100-dollar bill that we give to God and that’s the end of it, we give our 100-dollar bill to God and he accepts it but says, ‘This is mine, but I want you to cash it in for pennies and give one penny back to me each day.’ It’s a daily death.”

Matt Mong

The truth of the matter is simple. My wife and I have been married thirty-three years. We have three children and two grandchildren of whom we are very proud. By all appearances, everything in life appears to be going pretty well for us. But, if I am honest with myself, I haven’t been doing so well in this area. (Can I admit that as a pastor?) When I considered my own marriage I could see the telltale evidence of this. I started observing my friends’ marriages too. My findings? Men, we need to do much better. Our wives crave it. Our families need it. The church will grow with it.

As a Pastor, I routinely give advice and counsel to men about their marriages. Perhaps I’ve become a little “do as I say, not as I do.” My wife might disagree with me… she loves me. But I’ve got reason to consider that God is challenging me…and I want to challenge other men in my life. While I know this is going to be read by our ladies, guys, l want to address you directly with this.

Dennis Rainey is the President and CEO of FamilyLife, a subsidiary of Campus Crusade for Christ. He has authored or co-authored more than two dozen books including the best selling Moments Together for Couples and Staying Close. Here at FBC, we use Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love in our pre-marital counseling. Rainey has much to say about men leading and loving their bride well. He has many good observations about how I can build a spiritually strong marriage. Here are just a few.

• Reject isolation and build oneness. God’s plan is the foundation for a successful marriage. We stand a better chance of succeeding in our marriage when we build according to the Master’s plan. We read in Genesis 2:24-25, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Rainey observes that isolation is the enemy of spiritually strong marriages. The natural tendency in marriage is not toward oneness, but toward isolation. Isolation leads to poor choices. It is clear that God’s plan calls for us to “leave, cleave and receive.” In doing so, we commit fully to our spouse, shift our loyalties to her, and accept the gift that God intends for us as bride and groom. Only by continuing to understand and practice this in our marriages are we able to reject isolation.

• Resolve conflict when it occurs. In Ephesians 4:31-32 Paul writes, “ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Paul directed these words to believers for the purpose of showing the kind of new life that we have in Christ, but he might as well have aimed them at spouses. Men, I have to ask: Why do we tend to treat others, even total strangers, better than we do our own spouse? Especially in times of conflict. Let’s pay attention to Ephesians 4:26 and 5:25-33. Look it up! While we are at it, let’s remember that forgiveness includes giving up the right to punish.

• Remember who the enemy is. Rainey reminds us that marriage does not take place on a romantic balcony, but on a spiritual battlefield. We need to know our enemy and his primary tactics. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reflects on this. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This is key. The enemy of our soul wants us to think of our spouse as the enemy. Gents, our mate is never the enemy!

• Make a courageous commitment. It is time to renew our commitment to a covenant-keeping kind of love for our spouse. One that does not depend on reciprocation. One that is based in word and action. Scripture and prayer. Love that relies on the Word of God and shares that with her.

• Guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Guard your heart, for out of it flows the wellspring of life.” (I get it…if my heart is full of anger and malice, I can’t love my wife well. If my heart is full of bitterness, I cannot lead my wife well. If my heart is full of resentment, I cannot hear God’s voice or follow Christ. Instead, I let the enemy gain a foothold.)

• Surround yourself with the right kind of influence. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” Are we hanging out with people who are affirming to our marriage? Or damaging to it? To be sure, men, we want to continue speaking into the lives of others who need to grow in Christ, but we need to protect our marriage from people who are corrosive to it.

• Invest in your marriage regularly. Put down the remote. Get off the computer. Put down the cell phone. PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE! Go on a date. Love your wives.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
(Psalm 91:1, 2)

Frank Eschmann
FBC LifeCare Pastor

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

While studying Ephesians in the L3 journal, in the messages during our weekend services, and through our small group discussions, one of Garrels’ songs titles, “Zion & Babylon,” gets louder each time I hear it, to where I’m starting to hear the lyrics in my head even when I’m not listening to it. Most recently, when studying Ephesians 4:17-32, I could not escape the common themes between what the Holy Spirit was bringing forth and the lyrics of that song (see video and lyrics below).

The verses in the last half of Ephesians 4 stress the significance of the change that has taken place. Our heart of stone is replaced with a NEW heart (Ezek. 36:26). We are a NEW creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our NEW path that we now walk with Christ should not reflect the same path we walked prior to Christ. A transition has been made; transformation is taking place.

It is impossible to expect different results today if we do the same things we did yesterday. I was once told the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Through Jesus we not only receive a different result through His work and promises, but we also do things differently than before! The results are different, the path is different, and our attitudes are different. Consider Jesus your secret ingredient in your “family recipe,” only it shouldn’t ever be a secret. You can use the same ingredients as everyone else around you, only you use them with Jesus, so in the end your "product" is noticeably different from the rest. Nowhere in the scriptures does it state that after receiving Jesus your anger, frustrations, emotions, and human characteristics will immediately disappear. The transformation takes place over time as others start to see Jesus in us during those emotional struggles or obstacles and they see something different. They see anger being addressed in love, rather than being stuffed or reallocated. Forgiveness being given and received. Love being returned for hate because He first loved us.

This transformation can be heard so clearly within the song by Garrels, which has three major parts:

1. Gentile life - greed, sensuality, impurity, sin, etc.
2. Introduction and Invitation to Jesus - ”Come to Me…”
3. The Transformation - the new path, the new creation, our new name!

“Zion & Babylon” by Josh Garrels

Oh great mammon of form and function
Careless consumerist consumption
Dangerous dysfunction
Disguised as expensive taste
I'm a people disgraced
By what I claim I need
And what I want to waste
I take no account for nothing
If it's not mine

It's a misappropriation of funds
Protect my ninety percent with my guns
Whose side am I on
Well who's winning'
My kingdom's built with the blood of slaves
Orphans, widows, and homeless graves
I sold their souls just to build my private mansion
Some people say that my time is coming
Kingdom come is the justice running
Down, down, down on me

I'm a poor child, I'm a lost son
I refuse to give my love to anyone,
Fight for the truth,
Or help the weaker ones
Because I love my Babylon
I am a slave, I was never free
I betrayed you for blood money
Oh I bought the world, all is vanity
Oh my Lord I'm your enemy

Come to me, and find your life
Children sing, Zion's in sight

I said don't trade your name for a serial number
Priceless lives were born from under graves
Where I found you
Say, my name ain't yours and yours is not mine
Mine is the Lord, and yours is my child
That's how it's always been

Time to make a change
Leave your home
Give to the poor all that you own
Lose your life, so that you could find it
First will be last when the true world comes
Livin' like a humble fool to overcome
The upside-down wisdom
Of a dying world

Zion's not built with hands
And in this place God will dwell with man
Sick be healed and cripples stand
Sing Allelu
My kingdom's built with the blood of my son
Selfless sacrifice for everyone
Faith, hope, love, and harmony
I said let this world know me by your love
By your love

Oh my child, daughters and sons
I made you in love to overcome
Free as a bird, my flowers in the sun
On your way to Mount Zion
All you slaves, be set free
Come on out child and come on home to me
We will dance, we will rejoice
If you can hear me then follow my voice

Matt Mong

The key phrase in this passage is "to equip the saints for the work of the ministry."

God raises up gifted apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

The work of the ministry is to build up the body of Christ.

We are to equip and build, until we all attain unity of faith and knowledge that leads us to maturity.

Maturity, growing into the fullness of Christ, will help us no longer be children, not be led astray by faulty doctrine.

Maturity will help us speak the truth in love and unite the body of Christ under one message and one mission.

Maturity sounds attractive. Maturity is something that we all desire. We all want to go deeper. How do we gain maturity?

More faith? More knowledge? These are both good things, but that's not what the passage says. Maturity comes from believers, gifted from the Holy Spirit, using their individual gifting to do the work of the ministry. The key word then becomes serving. We are all called to serve, to equip, and to build.

We all have the same commission from our Savior..."Go and make disciples." That means regardless of our gifting, we need to use our gifting to share our faith, to raise up new believers, and to equip them to be disciples. This is the work of the ministry. Until every individual who has been chosen by God to be adopted into the kingdom has matured into the fullness of Christ, we still have work to do. We must keep equipping and keep building until his kingdom has come in fullness.

There is no going deeper divorced from equipping and building. If we are not making disciples we are not participating in God's plan. It really becomes quite simple. Saved people, serve people. Who are you pouring yourself into today?

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

In the above passage, Paul is calling us as believers to lives that experience and demonstrate the love of God in our relationships—both with Him and with others. One of the most recited statements regarding the immeasurable love of God is contained here as well: “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge...”

The obvious part of this passage is the fact that God’s love is unsurpassable. No one loves more deeply than He does. No other love compares with His love. It is beyond knowledge.

What was not immediately apparent to me was that Paul may also be teaching us something about how we function as the body of Christ in this passage. On a recent road trip my wife, Diane, and I discussed some of the dynamics of the Church, specifically how it related to community and the Holy Spirit. She pointed to this verse from our L3 readings, and I saw it in a different light than I had before. Paul may be telling us here that we can only “comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” WITH all the saints. It may be that Paul is saying we can only see the full picture of the love of Christ in community with other believers. Is there a precedent for this line of thought?

Let’s take a look at one of Paul’s other writings, the book of 1 Corinthians. Here, we get a very profound description of the Church that we may miss if we are not careful:“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17 ESV).”

On the surface, this passage seems to be saying that each of us individually is a little temple of the Holy Spirit (and that’s the way it’s often interpreted). However, the original language here is a more clear. You see, in English, we use the same second person pronoun, “you,” to refer to an individual (singular) as well as a group (plural)... unless you’re in the South. Then, we would use “you” for the individual and “y’all” for the plural. Here in the original Greek of 1 Corinthians 3, Paul says that y’all (plural) are God’s temple (singular). Did you catch that? Together, we are one temple—not a bunch of miniature temples, but one big temple.

Let’s look at another passage from 1 Corinthians: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV).” Here again, Paul uses the plural pronoun (“y’all”) with the singular “body.” He is not referring merely to our individual physical bodies, but to our community, the Church. All of us, together. WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit—the Body of Christ.

So, what does that mean for us?

In community, we experience the full presence of God. Our community is where the presence of God is. The word “sanctuary” (a holy place) no longer refers to a room or a building, but to a people—us. We don’t “go to church.” We ARE the Church. We are the dwelling place of God. Each of us has something to contribute, gifts that will help the rest of the Church understand and experience the love of Christ more fully. Each and every one of us is needed for that to happen.

That is why in those passages in 1 Corinthians Paul makes such a big deal about sinning against your “body.” When you sin, you are not merely sinning against yourself, but against the rest of the Church, too. We are connected and made to be one through Christ, and what we do individually affects the whole Body.

That is why the author of Hebrews makes a big deal about regularly coming together as the Church, and not forsaking that gathering together (Heb. 10:25). We need one another to fully understand the love of Christ, and to be built up together in Him.

That is why we need to live with love and peace in unity, because there is far too much at stake if we alienate one another and divide ourselves. We need to be together to experience all that God has for us.

Together, as the Body of Christ, we comprise the temple—the dwelling place of God.

Together, with all the saints, we can "comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

Context is critical. So, before reading Paul’s letters to Ephesus, imagine the scene: Paul is in prison for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Better stated, Paul was living out the message of our Savior for the Gentiles (aka – us).

Eph 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of YOU Gentiles...”

The words in Ephesians taste different when putting Paul’s environment into perspective while he was authoring this letter. In his humility, Paul rejects sympathy--further stressing and driving home the purpose for his suffering.

Eph 3:14 “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

There was a time in my life when a real friend and brother in Christ asked me if Jesus was my “Cornerstone” or simply “another stone in my wall?" Is Jesus the FIRST brick on which I build and base everything else in my life on? Paul’s passion to reach us, the Gentiles, with the message of the gospel is direct evidence of the Holy Spirit leading Paul, and putting into action the words and promises revealed throughout the Scriptures. Paul’s situation, words, and actions are evidence that Jesus is his “Cornerstone” (Eph 2:20-22) rather than just “a stone in his wall."

Eph 3:11-12 “This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.”

These words light me up like the words from an inspiring coach’s pregame speech echoing in a locker room. They stir up something inside, like a Braveheart battle cry full of passion to charge, build up, and unite an army. They land on my heart like wise reaffirming words from a father encouraging his son. Even from the confines of prison, Paul is shouting truths of freedom for ALL--the truth that we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him!

To have faith in God isn’t merely knowing that God exists. Faith is trust, firmness, and steadiness toward God and His will, which is demonstrated with action. Paul is an incredible example of “practicing what he preaches." He is witnessing constantly with his actions while using words when he’s called. Paul calls us to Jesus by saying, “Do as I say AND as I also do.”

That means many different things to many different people. And a simple glance at Facebook, twitter or the ads on TV tells us that, like most election seasons before this one, both sides are outspoken, often angry, and often on the attack.

What does this have to do with the L3 blog? Let's consider today's reading in Ephesians 4:1-3: "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Paul simply tells us that as brothers and sisters in Christ, the one new man that has been reconciled through the cross (Ephesians 2:15-16), that we are to carry ourselves in a manner that befits our new identity as the sons and daughters of God. Ephesians 2:19 tells us that we are "no longer strangers and aliens," but we are "fellow-citizens" and "members of the household of God." In this new reality, the descriptors that Paul uses are humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love as we seek to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The manner we are called to walk in is one that limits ourselves and promotes unity amongst the saints.

Election season does a great job of creating unity among some, but by nature, an election at its root causes a deep divide. If we are not careful, we can let that divide filter into the church. When our opinions are right and others are wrong. When we need to use labels and cut-downs. When we need to be heard and understood. When we need to be right... we are not carrying ourselves with humility, with gentleness, with patience, and with forbearance in love. This does not maintain unity. It destroys it.

At the least common denominator, the person you are arguing with on Facebook and the candidate that you don't like are people for whom Christ died. They matter to Him, and if they matter to Him, you better believe it matters how you treat them. We are to treat fellow brothers and sisters with humility, patience, gentleness, and love, and those outside the church the same, with the hope of taking the gospel to them. Why? Because the gospel and the calling with which we have been called matters more.

So, before you update that status next time or get hung up in the comment section, take a moment to ask a few questions:

• Are my words dripping with humility?
• Am I treating this person with gentleness or am I being harsh?
• What does it look like to wait until later for something I feel the urge to say/do now? (Patience)
• How can I best love this person even if we disagree?

No one is asking you to lose the courage of your convictions. But you are being challenged to live through an election season with in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)

We were Dead.

All of us. Everyone. Dead.

But, what exactly does that mean? Every time I think about this subject, I see the Jolly Roger flying in the wind, and in my head I hear the ghastly voice from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World: “Dead men tell no tales…”

I am not trying to be macabre, but dead is dead. Dead people cannot do anything. They cannot help themselves. They cannot eat, sleep, or do anything else that pertains to life. No heartbeat. No breathing. No movement. No life. They simply lay there—helpless and powerless. And unless someone comes and does something to resuscitate a dead man, he will remain that way.

Such is our spiritual state without the saving work of Christ. Apart from Christ, we are under the righteous wrath of God for the choices we have made against Him, our sin. We are powerless to rescue ourselves from eternal separation from God. We cannot move one inch toward eternal life with God by our own efforts. We cannot make God look more favorably on our lives with a single thing we do. We bring nothing to the table. We’ve got nothing to offer. We simply lay there before God—helpless, powerless, hopeless…

Thank God the story does not end there.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved… (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)

Jesus entered the fray and brought the spiritually dead to life, just as He had raised Lazarus and others from physical death. He died in our place on the cross, bearing our punishment and suffering the death that we deserved for our sin. Then, He rose from the dead in victory over sin and death.

All of this because He loved us. Not because we loved Him. Not because we could do anything to make it a sweeter deal. We had nothing. Yet, He loved us. He gave Himself for us, even when we were dead. He made us alive again. We were dead, but now we have a tale to tell—the good news of Jesus Christ who came and brought dead sinners to life through His life, His death, and His resurrection.

All praise and honor and glory, now and forever, be unto our Savior Jesus Christ for what He has done for us. He rescued us. He brought us to life.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

- In Christ, we are blessed "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3)." Every spiritual blessing that we could need or want, we are given because of Christ. He has done everything necessary for our spiritual well being. We cannot do anything to receive more spiritual blessing. It is all because of Him.

- In Him, we were chosen "before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him (1:4)." We were chosen by God, before creation, to a life that is conformed to Christ's image and likeness. We have the privilege of being His children and, therefore, His imitators on this earth.

- In Him, "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace... (1:7)" Our salvation is secured because of His sacrifice. We cannot make a sacrifice to better our standing with God, nor can we add anything to the finished work of the cross for our redemption. He has done it all--everything we needed for salvation. We owe it all to Him!

- In Him, all things will be united, "things in heaven and things on earth (1:10)." Christ will unify everything together in Himself. He is the center and the source of all life, and one day, everything living thing will recognize this fact and come under His worthy reign.

- In Him, "we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will... (1:11)" In Christ, we have an imperishable inheritance which will never be taken away. It is because of His perfect work on our behalf, and nothing we can do can change what He has done. This was because He had chosen to love us, when we had done nothing to deserve or earn that love.

- In Him, we "were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory (1:13-14)." Because we are washed in Christ, we have the Spirit, and the Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance. The Spirit, who convicts us and guides us, is the evidence that we are sealed in Him. 

We are blessed beyond measure, and it is only In Christ that this is a reality. 

Walk in this reality.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

To get a better grasp on the meaning of this word, let’s look at other places it occurs in the Old Testament (translations of chesed are in boldface type):

- Exodus 34:6-7 (where the Lord describes Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai when gave the ten commandments to Moses): “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…’ (ESV)”

- Deuteronomy 7:9, 12 (Moses is passing the commandments on to the people of God): “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations… the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that He swore to your fathers. (ESV)”

- 1 Kings 8:23 (Solomon praising the Lord and dedicating the temple to Him, also recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:14): “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart… (ESV)”

- Nehemiah 1:5 (Nehemiah records his prayer to the Lord): “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments… (ESV)”

- Daniel 9:4 (Daniel also records his prayer to the Lord): “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments… (ESV)”

See a pattern here?

God’s love for His people is inextricably linked to His covenant with us. He has promised Himself to us through the atonement that He made for us through the cross of Christ. We are in a covenant relationship with Him. He is unchanging, and so is His word to us. His love is steadfast and unfailing -- a covenant love. Ultimately, I would translate this word, chesed, as "faithful love," because it's not merely unfailing. It is a love that God has chosen to have for us, and He keeps loving us because He is faithful.

As you are reading through the Psalms over these next few weeks, and you come across this word (in whatever translation you may have), stop and give thanks. Worship God for amazing, unending, unconditional, unfailing, faithful love that He has for us. We have nothing to fear with Him, because He is with us, He loves us, and He will never leave us!

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

Another tricky passage in the book of 1 John is 1 John 5:16-18, where John tells believers how to pray for brothers and sisters who sin, and gives us two general categories of sin about which we must be concerned: "sins that do not lead to death," and "sin that leads to death."

The question is this: what is sin that does not lead to death, and what is sin that leads to death? The first part of that question is easier to understand than the second part, so we'll begin there. First, it is important to note that "committing a sin" (literally "sinning a sin") is referring to something is a continual issue of sin in the life of the believer (the original language makes it clear that it is a continual action). Second, it is also significant that John identifies this "sin not leading to death" with a "brother," meaning someone who is a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. For this "brother," John tells us to ask God to give him life, and God will do that, because it aligns with His will (which John told us just prior to this discussion in 1 John 5:14-15). At the end of verse 16, John re-emphasizes that this is with regard to fellow Christians "who commit sins that do not lead to death." This is an important point in helping us understand the second part of our question.

Okay, if there is sin not leading to death, is there sin leading to death? John's answer is yes, "There is sin that leads to death (1 John 5:17)." But, what does that mean? What is sin that leads to death, as compared with sin that does not lead to death?

The sin that leads to death is that of completely rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ. In rejecting the truth that we were lost in sin, and that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God who came into this world to die on the cross for our atonement and who rose again from the grave, one is rejecting our only hope of salvation. One is rejecting our only source of atonement and redemption before a holy God. One is rejecting eternal life. Some commentators take this idea a step further to say that John is referring to all sin committed by one who completely rejects the gospel, because that is leading to death as well. I think these ideas are in agreement. All sin is against God, and therefore all sin committed by one who rejects the gospel is not covered by the blood of Jesus, and will be held against them on the day of judgment.

But, why does John say that we "should not pray for that"? Because that would be asking the impossible. We cannot ask God to go around His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrificial death. Jesus is the only way of salvation. In order for the unbeliever to be given eternal life, he must believe in Jesus. I do not think that John is saying that we cannot pray for that person to become a believer, but we cannot pray for God to give them life apart from belief in Jesus Christ, because that will not be answered.

John finishes up this passage (and all of 1 John) by clarifying once again what is the new nature of the believer: "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but He who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him." This echoes what he wrote in 1 John 3:6: "No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him." The point is that those who have truly believed in Jesus will not keep on sinning, because the Spirit of God resides in us. Believers are being sanctified (made holy) by the work of God in us. There will be an overall trajectory towards being more and more like Jesus in our lives. 

Not only this, but we are kept secure by the Son of God ("He who was born of God protects him"). Jesus keeps us and guards us against the evil one. He will never leave us or forsake us, and no one can take us from His hand ("I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand [John 10:28]."). He is the one who paid for our salvation through His sacrifice, and if we have received that gift of salvation, we are kept secure by Him. He has done it all. The only ones who do not have this hope are those who have completely rejected this good news. 

Let us be faithful to proclaim the good news of the gospel to those around us, making every effort to help them understand the significance of what Christ has done for us, and let us rest assured in the finished work of the cross for us. Even though we may sin, He is faithful, and our salvation is secure in Him.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3 ESV).

The introductory paragraph of 1 John is a statement of credibility. It is the proof that John’s readers (and that we) need to know about what John is about to share in the remainder of this letter. It is the foundation for what is next. What is that proof? Why should we believe John and trust what he says? Because he walked with Jesus. He saw Him. He heard Him. He touched Him. John watched Him die and saw Him alive again. What John shares in the rest of this letter comes from his time and experience with Jesus. As he says in 1 Jn 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you…”

The same thing can be said of all the apostles, and it’s one of the major reasons we can trust the New Testament canon of Scripture. In the New Testament, the title “apostle” was limited to those who were witnesses of the risen Jesus and who were sent by Him as messengers of the gospel (Matthew, John, Peter, James, Andrew, Thaddeus, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, another James, Simon, Judas Iscariot, and later Matthias, Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, and others.) 

Every book in the New Testament was either written by one of the apostles or under one of the apostles’ authority and supervision. When authorship is unclear, we defer to the early Church’s leaders and writers, who let us know in their own writings which books were trusted and accepted by the Church as authoritative.

Here’s a list of the books of the New Testament, with the connected apostle in parenthesis where necessary:

Matthew (the tax collector himself)
Mark (most likely Peter)
Luke (Paul)
John (self)
Acts (written by Luke, under Paul’s authority)
Romans (Paul)
1 & 2 Corinthians (Paul)
Galatians (Paul)
Ephesians (Paul)
Philippians (Paul)
Colossians (Paul)
1 & 2 Thessalonians (Paul)
1 & 2 Timothy (Paul)
Titus (Paul)
Philemon (Paul)
Hebrews (author unknown - first attributed to Paul, but could be Barnabas, Apollos, or another author)
James (Jesus’ brother)
1 & 2 Peter (self)
1, 2, & 3 John (self)
Jude (brother of James, probably the brother of Jesus)
Revelation (John)

We can trust the Scriptures because they come via witnesses of the risen Christ. They saw, heard, and touched Him after He was dead. They walked with Him and talked with Him. They speak not from mere knowledge of the risen Christ, but experience with the risen Christ. What they convey to us is what the Lord taught them. They are part of the inspired Word of God.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you…”

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

One of the most misunderstood and potentially confusing passages of 1 John is 1 John 5:6-12.  The reason it is often misunderstood (or not understood at all) is that it may not be readily apparent what John means by two terms that are significant to John's argument: "water" and "blood". They prompt questions (and it is healthy and helpful for us to ask questions of Scripture when we are reading, because they push us toward understanding):

Does "water" refer to Jesus' baptism? Does it refer to Jesus' birth? Or, does it refer to something else? Does "blood" refer to Jesus' birth? Does it refer to His life? Does it refer to His death on the cross?

Remember that John was writing to a church or churches that were being affected by the group that would later known as Gnostics. The Gnostics believed that the the physical world was not "real," and that therefore, the Son of God (a spirit) could not have been a physical being. Rather, they believed that the Son of God descended on the person Jesus at His baptism, and then left Jesus just before He died in the crucifixion. In one Gnostic account of the crucifixion, Peter supposedly witnessed the spirit of the Son of God hovering above Jesus on the cross, laughing at the people who thought they had killed the Son of God (The Gospel of Peter). This story only worked with their false doctrine because they also errantly believed that salvation came only through knowledge--not through the sacrificial death of Christ in our place.

In 1 John 5:6-12, John tells us that there are three witnesses that deliver the definitive testimony regarding the person and the work of Jesus Christ: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. The "water" (vv. 6, 8) here is most likely referring to the physical birth and life of Jesus, the Son of God (see John 3:5-6, where Jesus equates being born of water to being born of the flesh, as compared with being born of the Spirit, using a form of parallelism). It could also be grouped together with "blood" in referring to Christ's death on the cross, specifically the moment where the spear pierced Jesus' side (in John 19:34-35 ESV, John writes, "But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe."). "Blood" (vv. 6, 8) clearly points us to Jesus' physical, sacrificial death on the cross for us.

John's use of these terms is very intentional--Jesus, the Son of God, was indeed a physical man. He was physically born in the flesh, and physically died. These facts are essential to the gospel message. If Jesus didn't physical live and die for us as the perfect sacrificial Lamb, then we could not be redeemed and restored to God, because we would still be under the wrath of God.

John then says that the Spirit testifies, too. The Spirit testifies within the life of the believer, because God's Spirit now lives within us. The verb form here signifies a continual action: the Spirit continually speaks to us and leads us in the way of truth, and points us to Jesus as our only hope of salvation.

It is not merely one or two of these three that testify about Jesus, but all three. He also says that the three agree (v. 8). Why does this matter? Why does it have to be three that agree? Well, in Jewish law, if the testimony of two independent witnesses agreed, then it was considered fact.* Here, we do not have merely two, but three witnesses that agree about the reality of who Jesus is. He is the only unique Son of God, who lived among us and died for our redemption.

But John doesn't stop there. He goes on to speak of the testimony of God Himself concerning the Son. Several times during the life of Christ, God spoke out in testimony of who He was: Jesus' baptism (John 1:33; Matthew 3:17), the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5), and on the night where Jesus was betrayed in the garden (John 12:28). "If we receive the testimony of men," John says, "the testimony of God is greater (1 John 5:9 ESV)".

The bottom line is this: the testimony about the person and the work of Jesus is clear. Jesus, the unique Son of God, was not merely a spiritual being, but a physical one as well. He is fully God and fully man. He physically lived and died for our redemption. He didn't swoon or faint or pretend to die. He really died, for there was no other way for us to be saved from the wrath of God. He had to pay our debt for us, so that we could have eternal life. Not only that, but He has been raised to life by the Father, giving those who trust in Him the promise of everlasting life together with Him.

"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12 ESV).

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

*special thanks to my Greek professor, Dr. Jimmy Dukes for information about Jewish legal proceedings

You weren't expecting that one, were you?

That's right, the Beatles.  All you need is love.  Love is all you need.

So simple.  So profound.  There is nothing you can do that can't be done.

But it's the Beatles. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

It's easy.  All you need is love.

Given the nature of many other lyrics in the Lennon/McCartney songbook, it is doubtful that this song was their attempt at communicating God's Word; however, since all humans are made in the image of God, and thus reflect God in some way, their lyrics still point to truth which God has ordained in this world.  All we need is love.  Seriously.

When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22:34-40 about which of the commandments was the greatest, he responded with, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

This is actually quite a shocking phrase.  With the 600+ laws found in the law and the multiple restrictions that the Scribes added to them, you would think that obedience would be at the heart of Jesus' response.  Yet Jesus goes to love.  He knows that out of the overflow of the heart the mind will speak and the body will obey.  Boiling down and modernizing Jesus's response..."If you love God and you love your neighbor you have fulfilled the law and kept the commandments."

That is pretty simple. In theory.

All you need is love.

Love the concept is simple.  Love the practice is much harder.  This is why love becomes one of the predominant themes of 1 John.

The test for whether you are walking as a child of light or a child of darkness is love.

1 John 4:10-12 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

What are we called to do? Love.  Who are we to love? God.  What is the best way to demonstrate the we love God? Loving other people.  Simple and yet profound.

All we need is love.

If love is our greatest calling and the way we are designated as followers of Jesus, than there is only one sin.  Not loving.  If you think about it, it makes perfect sense.  When we lie, we don't love enough to tell the truth.  When dishonor, we don't love enough to honor.  When we disobey, we don't love enough to obey.

We don't have a this sin and that sin problem.  We have a love problem.

Where are the areas where you are thriving in love?  Who are the people in your life that need your affections re-tuned to them?  Are you loving God?  Are you loving Him by the way you treat your spouse? Your children? Your co-workers? Your neighbors?

Maybe the Beatles were right many years ago.  All we need is love.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

As we have begun reading through 1 John over the past two weeks, one of the recurring themes we see is the description of a true follower of Christ. As with every letter in the New Testament, 1 John was written to address a specific set of circumstances in the Church. In this letter, part of what John was addressing was Gnosticism (or a related belief system), which denied the value and reality of the physical realm and only emphasized the spiritual, or metaphysical, realm. The people to whom John was writing were wrestling with the tenets of this school of thought, and probably asking themselves the question: do my actions in this life really matter?

In this letter, John answers this question. He describes believers as "God's children now (1 John 3:2 ESV)," and tells us that we cannot really know what we will be like when Christ returns, other than to say that "we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." Because we are in Christ, we are in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ, and that transformation will be completed when Christ returns for us. This moment of completion is called the "consummation."

The key concept behind this truth, though, is that when we are in Christ, something is fundamentally different about us. We receive a new nature in Christ when we have trusted in Christ for our salvation, and we begin that process of transformation as the Spirit works in and through us. That process of growth will be evident in us, as our desires, our hearts, and our actions move toward Christ. We will be more and more like Jesus as the years march on.

John sums it up very clearly: "Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous (1 Jn 3:7)." When we are truly in Christ, that will be reflected in what we do as well as in who we are. We won't merely talk about the things of God, but we will act on those things. Our new nature will be evident in our actions.

In another letter of the New Testament, James writes, "...be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like (James 1:22-24 ESV)." What James is saying is that the Word of God, and all the commandments it contains, reflect what our new nature in Christ is really like. When we look at the Word and see the things we are called to, that is who we really are now. The Word of God is a mirror that reflects who we are in Christ. If we walk away and don't do the things we are called to in the Scripture, then we are forgetting who we really are, and trying to pretend to be who we used to be before Christ came in. This thought shows up repeatedly throughout the New Testament letters.

The bottom line: We are to reflect and glorify Jesus in everything that we do (1 Cor. 10:31). Don't play dead. Don't waste your time on things that are not pointing you and moving you toward the Lord. Don't forget who you are in Christ. Live like you are alive, because you are. If you have trusted in Him alone, and you are not depending on yourself or anything else for your eternal salvation, then you are different than you used to be. In Christ, you have a new nature, and you will be able to look at your life and see how Christ has shaped you over time. We won't be perfected until we see Christ face-to-face, but we will be able to see a trajectory of growth toward Christ-likeness. 

Glory to God, because it is Him who is working in us and transforming us. One day, we WILL be like Him.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 15, is very explicit about what his role in the kingdom of God is.

Romans 15:15-19

But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

Paul was called by Jesus to be a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles, people who in Paul's own words from Ephesians 2:12 were "separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." It was Paul's goal to preach the gospel to those who had not had the chance to hear.

Romans 15:20-21

and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
      and those who have never heard will understand.”

In terms of ministry, Paul was a pioneer. It was his burden to take the gospel to new horizons. That is why here in chapter 15 he is eager to go to Spain. It was a new adventure for Paul. A new land with people who had yet to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was a trailblazer through parts of Asia and Europe, and now wanted to push the boundaries of the known world even further by heading west.

Ministry needs pioneers. There are people in our neighborhoods, cities, state, country and world who have not heard the message of the gospel. Paul is clear in Romans 10:14, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" There was a need in Paul's day - and there continues to be a need in our day -  for new works of the Lord to go into places where the gospel has not penetrated, so that men and women, boys and girls can hear and believe.

However, ministry is not just about pioneers, it also includes builders. Paul did not simply blaze new trails, make converts and leave them to fend for themselves. He left builders in place. He left elders like Titus and Timothy behind to build the church in particular areas - to evangelize and disciple. He charged believers like Priscilla, Aquilla, and Apollos and others to do ministry - equipping the saints for the Lord's work. Churches in these various areas began to grow and thrive and multiply because of the work that many had done building upon the pioneer efforts of Paul.

So what about us? The question is not if you have been called to ministry. The question is: what type of ministry have you been called to? Every believer is a minister. All believers are called to live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. 

Are you a pioneer? Is God calling you to start a new work in this city, in this country, in this world? Is God calling you to take the gospel, the light of the world, into places that have been dark for a long time? 

Or, are you a builder? Are you ready to plug into the work of God in an existing location? There are countless places to serve in your church, in your community and in your city. Is God calling you to serve with kids, with the widow, with the orphan, the homeless?

Paul had no question whether he was called to ministry. He was sure of his calling and it refreshed and rejuvenated him constantly. Serving the Lord out of your gifts will not burn you out! We should not question our call to ministry either. If we are in Christ, we have been given gifts by God's grace to serve and lead in the church. Some will be builders. Some will be pioneers. All will be ministers.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

In our L3 reading this week, we came across these verses, which give us a clear baseline for how we are to regard our newfound freedom in Christ. Because the Law has been fulfilled in Christ, we have been "released" from it (Romans 7:6 ESV). As a result, we are free to do many things that we would not be able to do under the Law, because our righteousness no longer depends on our behavior, but rather on the finished and completed work of Christ on our behalf. 

However, in Romans 14, Paul gives us a simple yet challenging guideline for dealing with this freedom: love. Rather than being bound by the Law, we are bound to one another in love. Christ demonstrated the ultimate love for us in the cross, and we are called to reciprocate that kind of love to each other, serving one another and considering others' needs before our own. Although we may have the right to do certain things, we should not use that freedom at the expense of others. 

For example, some of us may not have a problem with consuming alcohol in moderation, while others of us may be prone to drunkenness and alcoholism. Are we demonstrating the love of Christ by tempting these weaker brothers and sisters to sin? Drinking alcohol in moderation is not sin, but if it comes at the expense of our brothers and sisters' well-being, we are abusing our freedom by causing others to stumble. We have thought of our own rights and freedom rather than others.

Paul's point is this: our first consideration ought to be love for each other. The questions we should be asking ourselves are: How can we better demonstrate the love of Christ for each other? How can we lay down our own rights and freedoms for the sake of others? How can we pursue peace in the body of Christ? How can we build the body of Christ by serving and giving rather than clinging to our own wants and desires?

Jesus laid down His own rights for us. Let us lay down our rights for the sake of our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2 ESV)."

Our study in Romans has led us down a path of conceptual building blocks. Our knowledge of our own depravity (SIN) gives us eyes to acknowledge our desperate need for a Savior (SALVATION). The beautiful picture of rescue gives us a proper perspective on suffering, trial and blessing (SANCTIFICATION). Understanding that sanctification will not always, or even often, be an easily understood process helps us to accept and understand that God is accountable to no one, for He is all powerful and all consuming (SOVEREIGNTY).

The cumulative understanding of these truths leads us to a decision point. If we believe the Gospel, we understand that our lives are not our own. They have been bought by Christ with His blood. In light of this knowledge, the idea of “sacrificing” (going above and beyond) one’s life becomes almost laughable. Rather it becomes obvious that true Christian service is not a matter simply for the “super Christian” to undertake but the only logical and reasonable response for a disciple of Jesus Christ.

“Spiritual worship” sounds like a nice, ethereal and somewhat lofty goal. It can be easy to tell ourselves that we’ll achieve this someday or when we really get spirituality figured out. Or, we think we can only have “spiritual worship” when we’re in FBC’s building at 10th and Urish, or doing something outwardly “selfless” that others might see.

The Greek translation of this phrase shows that the intention of it is perhaps different than we might think. Logikos is used, which can mean logical or reasonable. Read 12:1 again while inserting “reasonable service” or “logical response” for “spiritual worship” - interesting how it moves the spotlight from us to God, isn’t it?
What this translation means is that our worship isn’t some “above and beyond” response to God - rather if we believe and know that we are sinners covered by the blood of Jesus - any response other than complete and total surrender to Him is insanity...it is illogical!

Our Christian sacrifice isn’t really a sacrifice at all. If we are to follow the greatest commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37) - then our “sacrifice” is really the only reasonable response.

The only logical response to God's sovereignty and loving payment for my wretched sin is 100% commitment to Him. The resultant Christian service is an authentic effect of salvation, not an affecting agent that can bring me to Him.

Aaron Catlin

This week, our L3 journals covered Romans 10:5-17, where Paul explains how people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. In this passage, we hear more about what it means to believe in Christ, how any of us have come to believe in Christ, and why it is important that we tell the world about what Jesus has done. These are some very critical teachings, and we need to pay close attention because our response will have an eternal effect and consequence.

First, Paul reminds us that the righteousness we need is that which is "based on faith (Rom 10:6 ESV)." We are not made righteous to God by anything that we can do for ourselves. It is only through the work of Christ that we are saved and made right with God. Paul explained this fully in Romans 3 through 5.

Next, in Romans 10:9-13, Paul gives us a portrait of that kind of faith by which God makes us righteous - confession and belief. For "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved (Rom 10:9-10 ESV)." These two aspects are tied together in our faith, as we will see.

Confession means agreeing with God about something. In this case, we are agreeing with God that "Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9 ESV)." Jesus is Master, King, Ruler, Authority, and Lord over creation. We confess the truth of who He is when we truly believe it. Those things that we sincerely believe are also the things that we will proclaim to others. 

Belief (the same word that Scripture uses for "faith" in the original languages) means complete trust and dependence on something or someone. Here, Paul says we need to believe "that God raised [Jesus] from the dead (Rom 10:9 ESV)." Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty, and Jesus has conquered sin and death. He is the victor. We completely depend on what He has done, and trust that He has done this. We were dead, and now we are live together with Him because of His resurrection.

Paul continues to explain how this is connected with our salvation, quoting from Joel 2:32: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." We call on the Lord to save us when we recognize that we cannot save ourselves - when we realize that we are helpless without Him. It is essentially a "crying out" for help. When we confess and believe the truth about Christ, we trust that He is able, and therefore we will call out to Him to save us and do what we cannot do. Paul also states here that "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame (Rom. 10:11 ESV)." He will not disappoint those who have trusted in Him. Whoever calls out to Him will be rescued, not from their own works, but from trusting in the one who is able. He never fails, and He always keeps His word.

In Romans 10:14-17, Paul then shares why it is so urgent for us to share the news about Christ. Here is his argument (my paraphrase):

• How can someone call on Him if they do not believe in Him?
• How can someone believe in Him if they haven't heard about Him?
• How can someone hear about Him unless someone else tells them about Him?
• How can someone be told about Him unless someone is sent to tell them?

If we reverse this, and put the the ideas into statements rather than questions, the logic of the argument is more clear:

• We are sent to tell people about Jesus.
• When we tell people about Jesus, they can hear about Jesus.
• When people hear about Jesus, they have the opportunity to believe in Him.
• When people believe in Jesus, they will call on Him to save them.

Here, the urgency is clear. How will anyone hear about what Jesus has done, unless we tell them about it? We have been sent, as His Church, to tell our world the good news of Christ, and if we don't do it, people may not hear about Him. If they don't hear about Him, they don't have the opportunity to believe in Him. If they do not believe in Him, they will not call on Him to save them.

The bottom line? We need to tell people about Jesus. You and I have contact with people that may never have another friend who is believer. We may be the only person to ever tell them about Jesus. If we don't do it, who will? As Pastor Joe often says, "There is no Plan B." We need to be the ones who tell our friends and family the truth about Jesus. It doesn't need to be fancy or formal. Just share with them like you would share anything else that is incredibly important. Just tell them what Jesus has done, and how you have been changed because of it.

We are sent. Let's tell our world about what Jesus has done, that they may come to trust in Him and call on Him as their Savior!

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

This week our L3 Journal reading plan takes us through a passage of scripture that can be difficult to understand and potentially difficult to swallow.

Romans 9:13 - "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'"

Romans 9:17 "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.'"

Romans 9:21-22 - "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction..."

These verses trigger all the churchy buzzwords of election, foreknowledge, predestination, hardening and will; however, we will be best served framing the argument as Paul, the author of Romans, frames it.  The question does not revolve around salvation history, but it revolves around God.

What do we believe about God?

When the question first comes up about choice, Paul responds with verse 14: "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!"

For Paul, the argument begins not with fairness, but with whether or not God is just.  We would absolutely affirm the righteousness of God.

Exodus 34:6-7 - "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation.'"

Romans 3:24-26 - "and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

These passages illustrate the holiness of God who does not overlook sin, but has provided a way out for sinners through the cross of Jesus Christ. To this point there is probably very little confusion, but the point we need to take away is huge.  God is a holy (set apart), righteous, just God who exemplifies all of these attributes in every action, judgment, and revelation.  Every movement of our God toward man in human history exemplifies His justice, His righteousness, and His holiness.

The question then becomes, how do we explain the tension that we feel when we look at passages of Scripture that we would view as unjust (remember the claim Paul is refuting in Romans 9:14)?

To answer this question is in many ways to not answer the question. Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  The reality is that when we feel tension in Scripture, we must rely on the truths about God that we know.  We know that God is good.  We know that He is holy, righteous, and just.  We know that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

A.W. Tozer says it this way in his highly recommended work, The Knowledge of the Holy, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." In other words in will define how we view the world, the Scriptures and God's actions.  We must believe rightly about God and that will help us when the Scriptures cause tension.

What do we believe about the sinfulness of man?

Well, this section is much shorter.

Romans 3:10 - "as it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one...'"

Romans 3:23 - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So, when it comes to how we stand before a holy God, every human is guilty and deserving of the ultimate penalty of death and separation from God.

How does all this fit together to help me understand what is going on in Romans 9:11-23?

We now have a clear lens to look through.  God is holy, righteous, and just in every action.  Humanity is wickedly depraved and sinful, deserving of death.  God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

It is impossible for humanity to earn salvation.  That is clear in Romans 9:15-16: "For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'" So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. Our salvation, the fact that our eyes have been opened to see Jesus, has nothing to do with our goodness, but on the mercy and compassion of God alone. To this end, when it comes to salvation, God is seen as just and the justifier of all who believe, and is seen as lovely.

But what about the rest? What about those whose hearts have been hardened? What about those who are unable to resist his will (verse 19) and are vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and dishonorable use? There is not a great answer except to quote Paul in Romans 9:20, "But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?'"

His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. In the end it really does not do any good to look at the Potter and say that He made a mistake. God is at work to make His power known (verse 9:22) and to "make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory." His eternal purposes might not make sense in our 21st-century American culture of fairness, but to be fair, He tells us as much when He says as the heavens are high above the earth so is the difference between His ways and thoughts and ours.

So what do I do with this?

If you have been made to see Jesus and trust in His name and work, you owe Him everything.  From the depths of gratitude for being a vessel of mercy to the heights of obedience in proclaiming His truth to a world who desperately needs Him.

People mistake the doctrine of divine election as an excuse to be selfish with the gospel.  This, however, could not be further from the call of God on our lives.  Eventually Paul gets to Romans 10:13-15, "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"

His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Here again is tension. Salvation is the work of God, but He includes human responsibility not only in the believing, but also in the sending.  If you are a child of God, who has been blessed with the free gift of salvation that we could not earn, it is our divine obligation to advance the kingdom of God by making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

In Romans 8:1, we read one of the most beautiful statements in all of Scripture: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (ESV)." What we find throughout the book of Romans is the constant contrast between the words "condemnation" and "justification." These two words are exact opposites, and describe the two states in which we can stand before God. At their root, these words are both legal terms. We either stand condemned or justified in the sight of the Righteous Judge.  

Each of these terms are used throughout the Bible as declarative terms, assigning a status to the object. They do not necessarily speak of the reality of the character of the person, but rather how they are perceived before the court. For example, in the Old Testament, we see many instances where God expresses His extreme displeasure with the one who "justifies the wicked and... condemns the righteous (Prov. 17:15 ESV)." He calls each of these false declarations "an abomination." There are also instances where someone attempts to "justify" God (Job 32:2). Clearly, these statements are not making God righteous, but rather declaring Him to be so.

These statuses of condemnation or justification are a result of the representation or advocate of the accused party. Therefore, whomever we choose to represent us - ourselves or Jesus Christ - becomes a decision of the greatest importance. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we are choosing Him to be our representative. He stands for us as our "Advocate (1 John 2:1)", and justifies us, declaring us as righteous in Him. His life, His death, and His resurrection become our own when we trust in Him rather than our own work, because He has substituted Himself for us. When God the Father sees us, He sees us through Christ. He sees us as righteous, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus has done for us. He stands in our place, and we are justified because of Him.

This is the beautiful news here: in Christ, we no longer stand condemned before God. Instead, we are justified in His sight because of the finished work of Jesus, our Advocate, and we now have freedom as a result.

May we never cease to thank and praise Jesus Christ for His amazing mercy and grace toward us!

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor