Teaching Transgressors the Ways of God

 

“Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.” -Psalm 51:13

How many transgressors do you know? It’s not a word we tend to use anymore. Yet, the Bible uses this term for those not following God: criminals, transgressors of God’s law. What do you want to say to transgressors?

In Psalm 51, David had been caught in a great evil. He had slept with a married woman and arranged her husband’s death to cover up his crime, but the Lord sent His prophet Nathan to call David out. David cried out to the Lord, “hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (10-11). What kind of renewed spirit? “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit” (12). This all comes from knowledge of God in His Word, and a delight in this knowledge (6).

David was forgiven by God for such a grievous transgression. David prayed for God’s wisdom in his heart, forgiveness of sin, a joy of God’s saving power, and a new spirit to walk in the ways of God. With God’s salvation and the return of David, David now says “I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.”

Do you consider yourself before God as David did, aware of your transgressions and sins against God (3-4)? Has the Lord forgiven you, a criminal? Has the Lord restored the joy of His salvation to you, giving you a new spirit to obey Him? Are you walking in God’s ways? If you are, it is all grace. In the song we as a church family sing together, “All I Have is Christ,” there is a line that grips my heart each time we sing it: “Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone and live so all might see the strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.” You are not righteous, good, doing good things, being an upright person because you worked hard, learned more, make better life decisions than the transgressors around you.

Now I return to my opening questions: how many transgressors do you know? What do you want to say to transgressors? As I reflect upon Psalm 51, I am aware of the stunning amount of sin I am guilty of before God. I am a transgressor. I have no moral strength nor right standing to accuse my transgressing neighbor. I want them to know the ways of my gracious, compassionate, holy Lord who forgave me and put a new spirit within me.

This idea of “teaching transgressors Your ways” is discipleship. It isn’t a one-time thing, but an ongoing thing. I want my neighbors to know the ways of the Lord, so I teach them the wisdom of His Word in casual conversations with a genuine care for their souls. I befriend my transgressor neighbors as a fellow transgressor, yet forgiven. If I teach transgressors the ways of the Lord, to follow Christ, sinners will return to Him.

This is the desire of my heart, and I pray this is the desire of your heart: to know transgressors, compelled by the love of Christ teaching them His ways that sinners may return to the Lord. God is glorified in His grace in Christ toward such transgressors of His law as you and me. God has made a new creature of our old selves. Let us teach transgressors the ways of the Lord that sinners may return to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, how my heart rejoices with thankful praise that Your grace for me in Christ who washes me clean and gives me a clean heart and a new spirit within me! I thank You, Lord, for Your compassion and patience with such a transgressor as me. Lord, grant me wisdom to teach my transgressing neighbors Your ways that sinners may return to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sent to Make Christ Known

“How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?” –Romans 10:14

I heard a haunting statistic recently: worldwide, 81% of non-believers do not personally know a Christian. In the U.S., it hovers around 60%. Think of the sea of faces your eyes pass by each day. They have souls; God knows them by name and has numbered their hairs. They are humans with fears and dreams and families. The overwhelming majority of them do not have a personal relationship with someone with the message of the only hope of rescue for sinners. 

In Acts 8, Philip was asked to join an Ethiopian eunuch in a chariot heading home from Jerusalem. The man was reading Isaiah. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Which the man replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?

Your neighborhood is filled with sinners on a trajectory toward eternity to suffer God’s wrath, and they do not know you or any gospel proclaimer personally. This world is filled with sinners with no hope, and we have a message. Your neighborhood is not unreached, because by God’s grace He sent you there.

For what purpose did God rescue you? The Apostle Paul called himself the chief of sinners rescued to display Jesus Christ’s perfect patience (I Timothy 1:16) and that in the church God displays “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). We cannot display without intentionality. We are commanded by our Lord to make disciples of all people. Every background, every kind of sinner, every type of folks who may be uncomfortable to be around. Yes, they are blinded by Satan (II Corinthians4:4), but we do not proclaim ourselves but Christ Jesus who has the power to bring light from darkness! 

Do not be intimidated and let not your heart be troubled, dear disciple of Jesus. You weren’t given a spirit of fear, but of boldness to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ to such sinners. That is Jesus’ mission; that is your mission! Do not hesitate to gain relationships with those who are not following Jesus. Do not hesitate to tell them the glorious truth of Jesus Christ from His Word. With urgency and grace-gifted boldness, share the love of Jesus with those in darkness that they may see a great Light.

Heavenly Father, give us urgent and compassionate hearts to weep over sinners like Jesus wept over Jerusalem as a people without a shepherd. May we trust in Your Word and Your Holy Spirit to give us words to say as we faithfully fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord. Grant us Your mercy, O Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pray for Me, for Us

“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” –Romans 15:30

Paul was a giant in the faith. Thoughtful, intelligent, willing to work and to suffer for Christ. He planted churches around the Mediterranean Sea, fought off wolves endangering young Christians, and was a bold preacher in front of Herod, Mars Hill, and angry mobs. Yet, Paul still needed the prayers of the church gathered. “Join in my struggle through prayer,” he pleads to the church. 

Why does Paul ask the church to join in his struggle? For “our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit.” Paul’s prayer for the local church is that our “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians1:9). Love increases in the church that gathers to know God more and discern His truth. 

My ministry, just like Paul’s, is utterly dependent on God to do the things only God can do. Making disciples of all people to the glory of God requires God’s power. Paul knew his personal growth and labor in ministry was by God’s grace alone (I Corinthians15:10). Who I have become and how I minister is dependent upon God’s grace alone. Therefore, my beloved Allison Avenue saints, struggle with me by praying to God for me.

Also, Paul pleads for the saints in Rome to join him in his struggle by praying “by the love of the Spirit.” There is a sweetness found in a church who prays such Kingdom prayers together! Join the struggle together by praying to God together! Paul already commanded the Roman saints to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). Be constant in prayer…together. Struggle together. Paul wrote to the Colossian church how he heard of their faithfulness to God and of their love in the Spirit (Colossians1:8). This is the same Holy Spirit in whom we the church enjoy unity and a bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3), a perfect unity held together by God’s perfect love (Colossians3:14).

I plead with you: pray for me, for my teaching ministry, for my leadership of our church. Pray that I speak the mystery of the gospel in the way I should (Colossians 4:3-4) with boldness (Ephesians 6:19). Pray for one another. Pray together. Pray constantly. Pray that you love one another more (Philippians 1:9). Pray that you encourage one another to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and to bear fruit for His glory (Colossians 1:9-10). 

Let us be a praying church, faithful to God and depending on God and going to God on behalf of one another. Join in the struggle of the global gospel mission of Christ in prayer for laborers to enter the field for the harvest (Luke 10:2) and then go to the field ourselves (Luke 10:3).

Heavenly Father, my love for Your people whom You have sovereignly placed under my leadership compels me to ask You for Your favor to them. Bless them by Your rich mercies, deliver them from temptation, and may our love for one another increase. To Your glory and in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pray for those in High Positions

The United States of America has a new President. This news has met an increasingly sensitive and contentious American culture with either anger or jubilee. Social media is filled with name calling from all sides, and anger has driven crowds to riot in the streets. I am curious of any Bible verses being mentioned in this sort of cultural climate. One that has stood out comes from I Timothy 2:2 which says, "Pray for kings and all who are in high positions."

In verse 1, we read a "therefore," which should tell us that chapter 1 is informing this word from God to pray for those in government power. In chapter 1, Paul urged the young pastor Timothy to "wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience." Don't be like Hymenaeus and Alexander who shipwrecked their faith by not holding the faith in Jesus Christ with a good conscience.

Since pastor Timothy holds the faith with a good conscience, fighting the good fight of the faith, Paul's urgency to pray is then given. We are commanded to pray to keep the faith and a good conscience in our fight for the faith, seeing our dependence on God (faith) as our desperate need, and submitting to God as above all people, including kings and those in high positions.

Paul was writing this letter at a time when people in high positions were hard to pray for. Paul says to pray for Nero, Herod, even Pilate. People in high positions were hostile to the faith, persecutors of Christians, and power hungry individuals. So, the command to pray for government leaders is not based on whether or not we agree with them and their lifestyle.

Jesus told Pilate that the Roman prefect had no authority but what God has given him. Paul says in Romans 13:1 to submit to governing authorities because God put them there. Paul was fully aware of the weight of the command to pray for government leaders. Pray for ALL kings and government leaders. Paul doesn't tell us to pray only for my government leaders, but ALL. Not just the US President and congressperson and mayor, but also for Kim Jong-un, Ayatollah Khamenei, and Chairman Xi Jinping.

Why all leaders around the world? God desires all people from every nation to be saved. The overwhelming majority of Christians on planet earth right now doesn't even speak English, even more is not American. Our prayers are not to be exclusive, nor is the aim a prosperous and comfortable life. The aim is a quiet life that is kept on a global, disciple-making mission.

What specifically are we to be praying for our government leaders? Paul says we pray for government leaders "that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." God is sovereign over all government authorities. He has placed all governments on the shoulders of Christ our Lord (Isaiah 9:6), and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to our King Jesus (Matthew 28:18). By His authority, Jesus commands His church to make disciples of all nations. Paul commands to pray for earthly government authorities, both good and evil, to free us to live peacefully and godly. Paul adds that God is pleased by our prayers for earthly government leaders because God is our Savior "who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Paul's focus is on Christ Jesus. We are to pray for government leaders to leave the church free to continue our disciple-making mission on earth, because God desires all nations to be saved.

Do you pray and so speak on social media and in private conversations displaying a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way? I am troubled by comments online, not from unbelievers, but those in the name of Jesus displaying an angry and name calling Christianity. We are to pray for our leaders to free us to live peacefully; this includes our interactions with the culture around us. My fellow Christians, be slow to speak (James 1:19), and when we do speak (James 1:26), let our speech display a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Christian: pray for governing authorities around this world, both good and bad, to free us to live our lives in a godly way and to continue Christ's mission to make disciples of all nations. Continue in your good fight of the faith and celebrate your dependence upon Christ Jesus, the King of kings, Prince of peace. Let us pray and let us labor in His mission knowing we have no abiding city here, but we look to the city yet to come of which God Himself is the Architect and Builder. Meanwhile, let us display for a dark, unbelieving world that a life trusting in King Jesus is a life lived peacefully and quietly, godly and dignified...in every way.

Devoted to a Church that Frustrates You

“They devoted themselves to…the fellowship.” –Acts 2:42

When I attended seminary, I taught Bible classes in a church in the suburbs. Visiting a member's house was like seeing a mansion, in my eyes. One such home had a room near the front of the house the owner called, "The Sitting Room." The room was perfectly set up and dusted. The couches and chairs with accent lights and decorations on a perfectly placed coffee and end tables looked like something staged for a magazine photoshoot. The Sitting Room was very infrequently used. Only on special occasions were people allowed to visit the room and sit. No food or drinks were allowed, so as to not get the room dirty.

This is the draw for many churches. No drama allowed in church, no relationships too close or else our dirtiness will get exposed. We want a church we can simply visit, where everything is nice. Our sentimental ideas of church get ruined by dirty people. We desire to make and attend churches to visit; Jesus wants us to be devoted to one another and love one another.

When folks come over to my family’s house, I tell them, “Excuse the mess; this house is lived in.” That is exactly what our church must be like: lived in. Lived in by sinners saved by grace and on the journey to be more like Jesus. We must understand that the Lord commands us to be a part of a local church that sometimes frustrates us, sometimes disappoints us, and oftentimes requires us to be the initiator of conversations, reconciliation, and service.

When the early church devoted themselves to the fellowship, it was a devotion to biblical teaching, breaking of bread, and prayers. Our flesh desires church to be low maintenance, convincing ourselves that we should expect to leave church always feeling good about ourselves. Truth is, they are sinners…just like you and me. We are commanded to confess our sins to one another, teach and admonish one another, and love and serve one another. This requires closeness. This requires frustration. This requires a house that is lived in.

I am convinced that the best churches have buildings with faded carpet, tattered chairs, and worn Bibles. Evidences of a people devoted to one another and being close to one another as they draw near to God together. Let’s be a house of God, and let this house be a home that is lived in.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for letting our frustrations keep us at enmity with others. Help us by Your steadfast love to display Your love for Your people. Help us by Your Spirit to be a people devoted to the fellowship, not neglecting to meet regularly, and be a home that is lived in by Your mercies. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.