What is the Excellency of Scripture?

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God…”, have you ever thought, “What does that mean?”  I have, and here are my answers:

a) All Scripture is inspired by God means that the Old Testament and the New (2 Peter 3:15-16) find their origin, not in the mind or will of man, but in God.

b) All Scripture is inspired by God not only means its origin is God, but that all Scripture is without error as well.  Why must we say this?  Because God cannot make a mistake, thus there are no mistakes in His Word (Prov. 30:5).

c) All Scripture is inspired by God means also that all Scripture carries an immense weight of authority to it.  So much so that when the Bible speaks, God speaks.  Because of this, the Bible demands the utmost allegiance we can muster.

d) All Scripture is inspired by God means that God did at times tell the author exactly what to say (Jer. 1:9), but that God mainly used the authors mind, experiences, vocabulary, etc. to produce His Word.

e) All Scripture is inspired by God means that men wrote down words while being carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).  This  means there is no inspired Scripture writer, only inspired Scripture.

How do we respond to God’s Word being inspired by God?  It means we receive God’s Word, not as the word of men, but what it is in Truth, the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13).

Listen to some other comments on the Bible from history:

Sir Isaac Newton said:

We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.

Dwight D. Eisenhower said:

The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other Book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope.

Charles Dickens said:

The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.

Josh McDowell said:

Here’s the picture – 1600 years, 60 generations, 4o plus authors, different walks of life, different places, different times, different moods, different continents, three languages, writing on hundreds of controversial subjects and yet when they are brought together, there is absolute harmony from beginning to end. There is no other book in history to even compare to the unique-ness of this continuity. Just as the wind controls the sails of the boat, so also the breath of God controlled the writers of the Bible. The end result was exactly what God intended.

What is the excellency of Scripture?  It comes not from man, but God.  This is why it has the power to make men wise to salvation (2 Tim. 3:15).

What do You do With 2 Timothy 3:12?

A promise is a declaration that something will or will not be done, or given.  It is an absolute assurance on which expectation is to be based.  In 2 Timothy 3:12 God makes us a promise.  “Indeed, all desiring to live in a godly manner in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” When I read this, I think of two things: I ask why, and I examine.

a) Why will those who desire godliness, to be like Jesus, be persecuted?  Because this world has been blinded by the prince of the power of the air (2 Cor. 4:4).  Because as they hated Jesus, they will hate us (John 15:20).  Because we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations (Acts 14:22).  Because we are living in “violent, hard” times surrounded by devils and evil men and women (2 Tim. 3:1-9).  Because aliens do not fit in, and that’s what we are ( 1 Peter 2:11).

b) This makes me examine (2 Cor. 13:5) my life.  Why?  Because I wonder what it means if I do not experience any persecution.  If I don’t, I fear I only have two options.  I either fit in to much with this world, or I do not spend any real time with unbelievers.  Either way, my life and my beliefs must not seem offensive to them, and therefore they recognize me as one of their own, not as an alien.  Either way this makes me ask, “Am I a true believer?”

Are you?  What do you do with 2 Timothy 3:12?

The World Has Grown Darker to Me

Why has the world grown darker to me?  For my devotions, I have been reading through the 19 characteristics (one a day) of men in the last days found in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and it has shown me the possibilities of evil that can be done by men.  It has been overwhelming for me to see.  After seeing all these characteristics in detail, two things have become clear as day to me:

1) In the last days, God is rejected in many ways.  How so?  Look at each characteristic and you’ll see why:

“lovers of self” – in order for men to love self, they must not love God; thus they reject God and embrace self.

“lovers of money” – in order for men to love money, they must not love God; thus they reject God embrace money.

“boastful” – Paul does say to boast (Gal. 6:14), but these men are not boasting in God, their boasting in themselves; thus they reject God and embrace self.

“arrogant” – if your arrogant your inflamed with yourself, not God; thus God is rejected and self is embraced.

“blasphemers” – This is an outright audible or lifestyle rejection of God.

“disobedient” – in order to be disobedient, men must think their own rules are superior to others; thus they reject God and embrace their own rules, made by self.

“ungrateful” – men do not think of what God has given them in life, they think of what they have done to earn their stuff; thus they reject God and embrace self and their own accomplishments.

“unholy” – men are unholy because they deny what the Bible calls holiness; thus they reject God and make their own standard of goodness or holiness.

“unloving” – men are unloving to others because they only love themselves; thus they reject God and embrace only themselves.

“irreconcilable” – men are irreconcilable because they love their own opinion’s so much that they refuse to listen to others opinion’s, this is pride; thus by loving their own opinion, they reject all others, including God’s.

“devils” – enough said.

“without self control” – men are this way, because they give free reign to their desires, and reject all those who supress them; thus they reject God and emrbace their own desires.

“brutal” – men are brutal because they only care for themselves and no one else; thus they reject God and embrace self.

“haters of good” – men hate God, the source of all good; thus they reject God and embrace their own idea of goodness.

“traitor” – men will betray others because they care only for their own promotion regardless of the cost of others; thus they reject God and embrace themselves.

“reckless” – men are reckless, thoughtless, and treacherous only because, again, they care for themselves, and not for anyone else, giving no thought to the consequences of their actions on others; thus they reject God and embrace themselves.

Shall I continue?  You can see where this is going.  All of these characteristics show how men in these last days reject God and embrace many other things, usually self.  What distresses me so much about this, is that not only will these characteristics reveal themselves in those people who do not know Jesus, they will be seen in the lives of those who do know Jesus (although to a far lesser degree)!  This should make us cry out for John 3:30, because so much in us desires to become more, often at God’s decrease and expense.

2) Men are only like their father, the devil; and even though this is true, there is still hope in this dark world!  (Go here to see why)

In this Darkness, there is Hope

In 2 Timothy 3 Paul says that men will act certain ways in the last days (which is now).  He then goes on to list certain characteristics that these men and women will have and in verse 3 Paul says they will be “malicious gossips”. This is an unfortunate translation from greek into english.  In the greek Paul actually says this, men will be “diaboloi”, which if translated as it stands means, “devils”.  I can understand why they translated it into “malicious gossips” because that is included in the word “devils” because Satan and his children are slanderer’s by nature.  Even though this is true, “malicious gossips” does not use the full force of what Paul was actually trying to say.  ”Devils” has much more to say than “malicious gossips”.

The meaning here is plain is it not?  ”In these last days men will be devils”, means two things:

a)  Men will look like their father in the last days.  Men will be devils, not that they themselves are devils, but they will highly resemble their father, the devil.  Just as believers are growing into the image of God as they grow, so too Satan tries to mature and increase the image of himself in the lives of his own children.  This is not hard for him to do because he is the ‘god of this world…’ (2 Cor. 4:4).  The verse which points me to this is John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

From this I draw:  If men in these last days are going to be devils, they will be:

1) Little images of their father, making sin a lifestyle. (1 John 3:8)

2) Do the desires of their father. (John 8:44)

3) Murderers and every evil thing.  Just as a Christian grows into the likeness of ALL of Christ, so too the lost person slowly grows into the likeness of ALL of Satan. (Any verse that shows an attribute of Satan would be appropriate here, since all of Satan’s attributes will shown to varying degree’s in his children: Rev. 12:9, Gen. 3:4, 1 John 3:8, 2 Cor. 4:4)

4) Not in the truth because there is no truth in them (as their father).

5) Untrustworthy, because whenever they speak, you can know for sure that somewhere in there, they are lying.  Their father only speaks lies, because his nature is to lie as the father of lies.  Thus, lies will be all over the speech of his children, because that is their nature as well and therefore they ought to be called, the children of lies.

Next…

b) The second thing in this thought we should see is that we not only will see these things in the men around us or just in those people who do not know Jesus, we will see these attributes in ourselves as well, because of our sin and corruption.  But believers will recognize them as what they are, evil passions that must be hated and warred against.  The lost will not recognize them because that is the only thing they’ve known.

Feeling a little like the world just got a little bit darker?  I have for sure.  Is there hope in such a dark world where millions of people are walking around as “devils”?  Yes, there is hope!  How?  God is in the business of reversing the blindness Satan puts on his children.  Satan may blind us (2 Cor. 4:4), but when God chooses to say “LET THERE BE LIGHT!” in our hearts as He did in creation (Genesis 1), we will see the “glory of God in the face Jesus Christ” and be saved, treasuring Him above all things!  In this darkness, there is hope, cling to it, and pray that God would shine this light through you.

When are the Last Days?

2 Timothy 3:1 says, “But know this, in the last days, you will have hard times.”

The question concerning me for this verse is, “Okay Paul, I get you; but when are the last days?”  Have you ever wondered that?  After studying through this, I have come to the conclusion that we are in the last days now, presently.  This means that I do not agree with the “Left Behind” view that we are waiting for a rapture to come and usher in the last days of the world.  Why do I think this?  Three big and clear reasons:

a) Genesis 49:1-10.  Israel (Jacob) says in 49:1 that he is going to tell his sons what will take place in the “last days”.  What does he tell them?  In 49:8-10 he has some interesting things to say about Judah.  He says that Judah will be praised by his brothers and have ultimate victory over his enemies.  Then in 49:10 Jacob says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.  Until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Follow me here: a scepter is a ruling instrument that a king would hold in his hand.  Jacob is saying that Judah will always have this scepter, so Judah will always reign as king.  The ruler’s staff is another term for scepter and Jacob says it will never depart from between Judah’s feet.  ”Feet” in the OT sometimes refers to the penis, the male reproductive organ.  So this means that the “seed” of Judah, or the offspring of Judah, which comes from his penis, will always reign with the scepter.  Then the strange part comes “…until Shiloh comes…” Who is Shiloh?  The NIV does a great job here and leaves the Hebrew exactly as it is found, “until it (the scepter) comes to whom it belongs.” This means that in the last days (49:1) the ruling scepter of Judah shall come to whom it belongs.  Who has come from Judah to rule?  JESUS!  Jesus is the One “to whom the obedience of the people shall be.” This will happen in the last days Jacob says, so therefore, we are now in the last days, because Jesus has come and He holds all authority (Matt 28:18-20), He holds the scepter.

b) Hebrews 1:1-2.  “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us through His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also, He made the world.” Do you see it?  God did speak to the fathers, the OT Israel, in many ways, but now, in these last days, speaks to us through His Son.  God speaks to us through Jesus now, therefore we are in the last days.

c) Hebrews 9:26.  “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Who was sacrificed for sin?  Jesus.  When did this happen?  On the cross.  Notice how the author of Hebrews says this happened at the end of the ages?  Therefore, we are in the last days now.

Why does this matter?  Because we are in the last days now, we should expect things to be hard, difficult, violent, and dangerous for believers.  These things should be a normal part of our everyday lives.  Jesus promised we would have it trouble in John 16:33.  If I am not feeling the tension and danger in my life because I’m a believer, I have to ask one question: Do I fit in too well with this present world?  The world loves it own, and if it loves me, than I am not being a witness for Christ!  If I am a witness for Christ, the world would hate me, as it hated Jesus.  Have I not lived by the gospel clear enough to show the world what I am?

Listen to Jim Elliot:

The world cannot hate you”, so Jesus said to those who were of the world spirit. O’ that it could! The Lord is not enough ‘with me’ that the world can recognize and hate me for what I am – “not of the world.” The world loves its own, and for me it shelters not hatred. Lord, have I wandered so far?

Father, I know these days are and will be hard, cause us as Your Church to stand out in this world and stand for Your gospel by sharing it and living it.  What will distinguish us from this dark age unless You make Yourself known through us?  Do it Lord, for Your fame.  In Jesus name, amen.

Esau’s Repentance: Q & A

A question and answer about the repentance of Esau.

Q: Why didn’t Esau find the repentance he sought?  (Hebrews 12:16-17)

A: God did not grant him repentance.  (2 Timothy 2:25)

A Pursuit of Faith is a Pursuit of Christ

2 Tim. 2:22 tells me to pursue faith.  My concern here is answering the question: what does it mean to pursue faith?

Faith by definition means, the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) So for me to pursue faith, means that I would pursue hope, belief, trust, and conviction in what is not seen, namely, God.  I must hope in what I cannot see, believe and cling to this God even though it is my heart, not my eyes that knows His nearness, I must trust in what He tells me though He is invisible, and I must have firm convictions that this God exists and that I can come to Him anytime.  Without these things of faith, I cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).  When I do have these things of faith, God is pleased (Heb. 11:6, John 6:29).  It is by this faith that I am saved (Rom. 4:5, 10:9), thus pursuing faith is the pursuit of salvation through Jesus.

It is good to notice that I cannot see faith with my eyes, mine or anyone else’s.  But I sure can feel it, and I sure can see the effects of faith all over the place in the life of those who have it.  How?  The fruit of faith shows itself in action!  In the words of Martin Luther, “The kind of faith that saves is faith alone, but faith is never alone.”  I must pursue this gift of God (Rom. 12:3) for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).  Because when I fight for faith (2 Tim. 4:7), faith shows itself in my words, deeds, etc.  When people see those outworkings of faith, God will be glorified (Matt. 5:16).

Does your faith lead you to action?  If not, is it true faith?

A Pursuit of Righteousness is a Pursuit of Christ

In 2 Tim. 2:22 Paul tells us to pursue righteousness.  What does that mean?  At the most basic level this means that I’m to pursue that which is right.  But what or whom is ultimately the source of all things right?  God.  Therefore by pursuing God and I am pursuing what is right, I am pursuing pure righteousness.  Also I must remember that there is no good in me and that all my “righteous” deeds are filthy rags before God (Isa. 64:6).  So it would not be right for me to pursue my own righteousness, for it is absent and non-existent in me.  But I can pursue an alien righteousness that has been put into me, the glorious and perfect obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).  Thus, by pursuing Christ I’m pursuing what is right.  It is right for to lay aside my old man and put on the new man, which has been created in righteousness (Eph. 4:22-24).  I am to labor to present the members of my body to God as instruments and tools of righteousness.  Pursuing sanctification in my new man and my members is right.  If I present myself as a slave to obeying God, it will end in righteousness (Rom. 6:13-16).

Therefore, because Christ is the fountain of righteousness and contains all righteousness, if I pursue Christ, I pursue what is right, I pursue righteousness.  But, I don’t do this for the sake of my own righteousness, or for the sake of being seen as righteous before men, because in reality I am not righteous and I cannot add any right-ness to me.  I pursue the righteousness of Christ to pursue what is right, to pursue that which is most worthy of being pursued, namely, Christ!

Join me in this.

Conditional Unconditionality

2 Tim. 2 :13 says, “If we are unfaithful, that One (God) will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”

This is the last of Paul’s conditional statements to Timothy in this section.  A conditional statement means that one of two things will happen based on, or contingent upon, what someone does.  Here, “if” means that it may or may not happen.  But even “if” we are unfaithful, God will remain faithful, because He cannot be unfaithful to Himself.  This is a strange conditional statement because there is only one possible result, not two; God being faithful, despite our actions.  This means that God is unconditionally faithful to Himself, at all times, no matter what.  This is why I call this verse a conditional unconditionality.

On our side of the verse it is conditional.  Were either faithful or faithless.  On God’s side its unconditional, He is always faithful to Himself.  What does that mean?  Three things:

a) If were unfaithful, God remains faithful to Himself and to His Word, because He cannot go against His own Word.  Therefore God will be faithful to execute judgment on all sin wherever its found, even in our unfaithfulness.

b) If were unfaithful, God remains faithful to Himself and to His covenant because He alone walked through the severed ram (Gen. 15).  Thus, the punishment for our disobedience will faithfully land on Him.

c) If were unfaithful, God remains faithful to Himself and to His promise (the entire OT) of forgiveness through His Son, declaring us righteous and His Son cursed.

To sum up, no threat that God has promised will go undone, and no blessing God has promised will go undone.  Why? Because God is faithful, unlike us, and will always do what He says.  For God to deny His Word would be to deny Himself.  Therefore, we can trust His Word.

A Word on Controversy

There is no doubt that theologies of all kinds breed controversy.  These controversies are often paired with passion because emotions are so involved with the theology driving each person.  Some people think about controversy and make the conclusion, “I do not like controversy, therefore I must stay away from theology.  2 Tim. 2:14 says that we are to avoid foolish controversies and wrangles about words right?”  It does say that, but please do not think that avoiding theology is the answer here.

Why do I say that this is not the answer to controversy?  Jesus’ whole life was one of controversy, just as all the prophets were, and all the apostles were.  Paul debated in the market day to day, from morning to evening he would try to persaude the people.  So what do we do about controversy?  Do we just “buck up” and “be a man (woman)” about it?  No.  We must see something in Paul’s prohibition to Timothy about foolish controversies.  Paul forbids them, that is clear.  But often we learn something massive from Scripture if we look at the opposite of what is being taught.  Paul forbids being a part of foolish controversies, but does he forbid being a part of godly controversies?  Not at all, and I even think he encouraged it when you take into account his life, and the whole context of 2 Tim. 2:14-19.

The bottom line is this: don’t avoid studying theology because you want to avoid controversy.  Theology and knowing as much of it as you can is precisely what will get you through controversies.  Many people say that a truism (statement that is always true) for our culture is “Discuss anything but politics and religion.”  People say this because these two subjects cause so much controversy.  I would answer this truism with another truism from our culture, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”  When you do not know enough theology to know what is worth being controversial over, people are hurt, and pride is born.  When you do know enough theology to know what is worth being controversial over, people are protected against lies.

(These are my words on RC Sproul’s book “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith”, page 15)

Christian, You are a Thinker, so Think Well!

2 Tim. 2:7 says, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you insight in all.”

Paul calls Timothy to be an active thinker, and gives him hope in his thinking, by saying God will be an active giver of insight. In a time when the Christian community is set against most things cerebral or intellectual, we need to hear Paul’s word to Timothy here.  I think people do not like thinking about “thinking” is because they feel it is egotistical, arrogant, or unspiritual to think deeply about God and His Word.

Many people feel that thinking would take faith out of a heart centered child-likeness by bringing it into the realm of the mind.  But we should remember, our faith should be child-like, not child-ish.  It is child-ish to think that “thinking” is taking faith out of the heart and into the mind.  It is mature (and child-like) to think that “thinking” should involve both the heart and the mind.  After all, is not God in the business of “renewing the mind” (Romans 12:2)?  There is a danger in becoming those who worship “thinking” more than God, or those who admire ourselves as being “thinkers” more than admiring God; but just because this possiblity exists does not mean that we ought to stay away from “thinking”.  In fact, no one can stay away from it.  Even in “thinking” on these things, do you not see that “thinking” is a necessary for it?  Even when people make objections against “thinking”, they think!  No matter what, you cannot escape thinking!  Therefore, because all people think, Christians ought to be those who “think” well, and those who “think” to the glory of God.

How do we do this?  Listen to the Bible further on this:

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Cor. 14:20)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, cutting straight the Word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

“Come let us reason together.” (Isaiah 1:18)

“Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:66)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your MIND, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

Therefore, do not be Christians who settle for fit bodies and fat minds, exercise your “thinking” and “think” well to the glory of God.

Refusing God in Word & Deed

2 Timothy 2:12b says, “If we will refuse Him, He also will refuse us.”

This is a conditional statement.  Conditional statements automatically assume  that one of two things will happen.  In this case, either God will refuse us, or God will not refuse but embrace us.  Paul tell us these two options are based on whether or not we refuse Him.  We can refuse God in two ways: in word and in deed.

IN WORD: Although some people do, not many people go around refusing God in their language, actually saying something like “I refuse you God!”  I think it is true to say that more people fit into Peter’s category of verbal denial; where they for fear of embarrassment, persecution, etc., verbally deny knowing Jesus.  Those that do such verbal refusing desire to be in happy company with the world more than desiring to be in happy company with Jesus.  Perhaps by loving the applause of men they do not speak, but hold their tongue, or take part in sin with others for fear of not fitting in with the world.  When it comes down to it, your words can refuse God.  Are they?

IN DEED: Refusing God and His Christ is not only limited to the actions or silence of the tongue, it can flow from our deeds or actions as well.  1 Tim. 5:8 says that we deny the faith by not taking care of our families.  2 Pet. 2:1 says that we deny the faith by teaching and taking part in destructive heresies.  Titus 1:16 says that we deny the faith when we are disobedient to His commands.  Each of these show us that deeds have consequences, either good ones or bad ones.  If we refuse God by our actions, we will reap the bad ones, but if we do not refuse God in our actions, we will reap the good ones.  This teaches us that refusing or denying God is bigger than just what we say, we can refuse God by the ways in which we live.  Are you living in a way that would be considered refusing God or His Word?

This all comes down to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 10:33, “Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” To comment on this, I’ll just let Matthew Henry speak:

It is our duty, honour, and happiness to confess Christ before men.  This may expose us to reproach and trouble now, but we shall be abundantly recompensed for that in the resurrection of the just.  Those who honour Christ, He will thus honour.  They honour Him before men; that is a small thing.  He will honour them before His Father; that is a great thing.

Where are you?

Christian, You Are a…..Farmer?

2 Timothy 2:6 says, “It is necessary that the laboring farmer receive his share of the crop.”

Paul has called us soldiers, and athletes, and he now is liking Christians (specifically Timothy, but you and I as well) as farmers.  Farmers?  Yes, farmers.  The basic truth implied here is that once the farmer labors to plant the harvest, he ought to receive the reward for his work, crops!  I see two implications here for you and a peronsal one for me:

1) If we want to partake of the fruit (or crop) we must labor.  The greek word here translated “laboring” is a word that has the meaning of “working so hard that you suffer”.  Farmers know this labor too well.  They know that it takes long hours of sowing good seed to receive a good crop in the end.  They know that if they take shortcuts or sow seed wrongly, they will not reap a good harvest.  Do you know this labor?  Do you see yourself as a farmer in God’s field, sowing seeds of the gospel in men’s hearts as much as you can, waiting to receive the harvest of souls?  Just as it is necessary for the farmer to sow seed to receive crop, so too it is necessary to sow the seed of the gospel, if you want to receive the harvest of the gospel.

2) The farmer after laboring hard and long, must wait for the harvest.  It does not come over night, but takes a season.  So too, the Christian farmer, sowing seeds of the gospel in men’s hearts, must wait for the harvest.  Rarely does it come over night.  It may in some men’s hearts, but not in all.  What does this mean?  Never lose heart in sharing your faith with someone you have talked to many times.  You never know when God will bring the rain, causing the harvest!

3) On a personal note, I find that too often I do not labor to the extent that this farmer does.  When things go wrong for the farmer, he continues.  When they go wrong for me, I complain.  I run away and then get mad that I saw no harvest of people coming to faith.  Am I just playing with the seeds of the gospel?  Am I serious about this great work?  I want to be a farmer Lord, do whatever you need to do in me so that it becomes a reality in me, don’t do it for me, do it for Your glory, in Jesus name, amen.

Christian, you are an Athlete!

2 Timothy 2:5 says, “But if anyone competes in a contest as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Two things stood out to me as I read this:

a) Christian, you are an athlete! If you think about this image Paul is painting, it is stunning. I picture the last leg of a 4×400 meter race in the Olympics. All the athletes are out of gas, their muscles are tired, their breathing heavily, and yet their running with all their might to win the prize. I also see many other types of athletes training and preparing for that day when they compete; doing all they can do to get themselves ready for their event. This picture from Paul has great spiritual lessons in it. Just as an athlete trains and competes with all their might to be the best that they can be, so too a Christian is to train and compete with all the might they can muster, to be the best that they can be. This means that in the Christian life, you will have to exert a lot of spiritual effort, take part in a lot of spiritual training, praying for a relentless pursuit of Christ, so you can be the best you can be. Paul had a similar word in 1 Cor. 9:24-25, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” Do you see that Paul leaves us no choice to choose if we want to be athletes or not? We are athletes! We must run with all our might! What does this kind of running look like? It may not be exactly similar to what athletes do, but the amount of effort is the same. If we are to take up this call of being running athletes, we will do all we can do in our power to know God better and receive that imperishable crown from Him. We will not simply sit on the sidelines and watch the athletes do their thing, we will join them and run to win! What are you doing? Running, or sitting?

b) Christian, use your rule book! Paul not only says that we must run, lots of people are running; he says that we must run in a certain way, according to the rules. Just as an athlete runs not on his own terms but according to the rules of his event, so too a Christian must run, not according to or on his own terms, but according to the rules God has laid down! This is precisely why the Bible is so precious to me. It gives me direction and guidance, it tells me what to do and how to do it. It is my rule-book to live by if you want to call it that. Is it yours? Or are you trying to run this race without the rules? You’ll fail every time. Run with all your might, using the Bible, as your guide. If you obey what you read, God will never let you down.

Christian, You are Not a Civilian!

2 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “Suffer as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life, in order to please the One who enlisted you.”

When I was reading this, the first thing I thought was, do we even think in these terms? I am not a civilian in this life, but rather a soldier of Jesus? What would it look like if I actually took this seriously? If this sank into me, prayer would no longer be ample requests for more comfort in this life, it would be a call for reinforcement to move forward into enemy territory! Evangelism would no longer be simply sharing my faith, it would be fighting with desperate love for lost souls! Church would no longer be a group of people who gather once a week, but a gathering of troops, who show our allegiance and receive a word from our Commander, only to be sent back out into war again! My devotions would no longer be my reading time, but my meals that I need for existence in this hostile environment behind enemy lines! Obedience would no longer be seen as a good idea, but the only option! Accountability would no longer be sharing embarrassing things with those close to us, it would be a coming alongside one another for back up and aid. And fighting would no longer be seen as a possibility, it would be life or death, either I fight for my faith, or I loose my faith! You are not your own, as a soldier of Jesus Christ, you are on His agenda, not yours. Christian, you are not a civilian, stop living like one!