Self-Control as Fruit

“The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” (Galatians 5:22 and 23)

Sitting on my porch swing and enjoying the warm, gentle touch of the springtime sunshine and breeze, I watched as a robin meticulously scanned my front yard for worms poking out of the ground. Suddenly, he stopped and noticed me on the swing. He hopped closer until it seemed he was close enough for comfort. We looked at each other for about five minutes before he tilted his head as if to question, then continued his hunt.

I agree with this robin: we humans are fickle creatures when observed closely. We are peaceful one minute and angry the next. We are simultaneously both friend and foe. Christians who have experienced the joy of new life with a new heart in sweet union with Jesus have died with Him and have risen with Him  to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-9). Yet, we are still plagued by our “flesh,” sin which still dwells in us and finds temptation attractive (Romans 7:17-20, 25). We already possess purity of eternal life (Hebrews 10:10), but we have not yet been perfected (Philippians3:12).

We are commanded to “strive to enter the narrow door” of the Kingdom (Luke 13:24). So, we have been gifted with the power of the Holy Spirit to control ourselves, and we bear this spiritual fruit to God’s glory. How? “I strive with all His energy that He powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). We become more Christ-like with Christ’s powerful work being done inside of us. It is His doing. Jesus instructs us His grace to desire Him who is greater than wrong desires settled for on earth (Titus 2:11-12). Like the robin’s scan for worms, we scan our hearts with the Bible and the Spirit for wrong desires.

Jesus instructs us, not as a killjoy, but that our joy may be full (John 15:11). We put those wrong desires to death (Colossians 3:5) by putting on the beauty of Christ-likeness we already possess but strive to obtain when Christ returns and perfects the work He begun (Colossians 3:12).

Holy God in heaven, we thank You for not treating us as our sins deserve. That in Christ alone we enjoy Your boundless grace. Lord, instruct our hearts in Your grace to strive to be like Christ, controlling our desires to enjoy You more than the plagues of our flesh and treasuring Jesus above all that Your joy may be in us and our joy increase daily until that day You complete the work You have begun. In Christ’s Name. Amen.

Getting Young Families in the Local Church

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” –Romans 1:16

Lately, the Lord has placed me into situations not only around Hamilton but across the state of Ohio to discuss the church and disciple-making. Listening to prayer requests from various church leaders, one is nearly universal: please pray that more young families come join our church. I get the sense from these same church leaders that they believe our culture has harder hearts than ever before in history because church marketing, events, and programs from the past are no longer working.

Young people can still be saved. No one is too hard-hearted for the mighty outstretched arm of the Lord whose love endures forever (Psalm 136:12). What if getting young people to attend church services and events is a misunderstanding of Jesus’s Great Commission? These things are not wrong to do, but they make terrible replacements for personal disciple-making.

The gospel of Jesus Christ passionately shared from the lips of a Christian is the power of God to save those who believe. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can be in your mouth! When you, dear reader, proclaim the gospel, it is like Christ at the tomb of Lazarus calling the dead man to walk. 

You, dear Christian, are commanded to personally proclaim the gospel and personally make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). No matter your age, you can proclaim the gospel that saves to your neighbor no matter their age, for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Open your home, your dinner table, your living room, your life to your neighbors, then open your mouth to proclaim His gospel.

You dear Christian reading this, go and make disciples of Jesus to all peoples and teach them the Word without shame or hesitation. For God is good and He is mighty to save.

Heavenly Father, bless Your servants with confidence in Your Son’s gospel and Your power to save. May we be found faithful to proclaim this glorious gospel to everyone. O Lord, save our hearers! Strengthen Your church! We ask for Your power and strength in the authority of Christ’s Name. Amen.

God our Present and Future Help

“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 21:4

This verse comes to my mind often, but no more intensely than when I have the great privilege of hospital visits. We live in the time of “former things” which will one day pass away by the authority of Christ who rights all wrongs. 

On my way to see a Jesus follower suffering in a hospital room, I have a tendency to look into other rooms. I see people alone and hear them moan in pain. I am moved by the sea of people suffering without purpose, dying without hope, and lying in bed in loneliness. Current suffering finds no present help in any future relief.

The Christian’s suffering, by God’s grace, is a different experience. Not in the level of pain, but in the level of aim. Paul, who had suffered greatly, said “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (IICorinthians 4:17). We go through the same painful experiences that are common to all people, but we consider them “light” and “momentary” because Jesus will wipe away our tears for the final time when He completes His glorious Kingdom work.

Our encouragement does not begin in the future, but is present now. For our sovereign God also has purpose to our affliction. The heat of the fire purifies us from worldliness while we are still in the world to display to the world the glory of the grace of God. God is kind to us to provide such sweet mercies when we experience the deepest of pains as our present help (Psalm 46:1). What if afflictions’ purpose is to depend upon and desire our God more? This is truly what is best for us and for His glory. 

Even the afflictions that seem to present very little blessing to us now seems light and momentary when our imagination ascends to the joys of glory awaiting us. Our afflictions are light compared to what Christ took for us, and momentary because of the hope He gives us of eternal joys.

Our heavenly Father, give Your children wisdom to see clearly the lessons You teach through trials and a vision of the eternal joys that await us when we are in pain. Remind us daily of Your grace in Christ who took our greatest affliction, receiving the greatest joy of heavenly treasures. We ask for Your mercy in Christ’s precious Name. Amen.

Satisfied in the Holy Christ

“Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice” (Proverbs 16:8).

Our hearts and minds are often distracted by the culture. Unbelievers seem to be happy, despite the never-ending pursuit of the greater, the bigger, the “more.” How can we find satisfaction in Christ when we often find ourselves in the “have nots?” How do we enjoy holiness more than earthly treasure?

Jesus taught us that finding the kingdom of heaven is like finding hidden treasure we would joyfully sell everything to possess (Matthew 13:44). If Christ is our true satisfaction, then whatever earthly possessions we have left is a gift from God meant to point to Him. In other words, when Christ is our all, we focus on what He does give us and view them as gifts rather than chase the folly of the world by focusing on what we do not have.

We see our relationship to Christ as supremely valuable, which makes any earthly discontentment seem utterly ridiculous. Imagine the surprise you would feel watching the news at night and hearing a billionaire broke into an inner city house and stole an outdated lamp. Even more absurd is a person possessing eternal joys in Christ yet feeling unsatisfied in earthly pleasures we do not possess!

The disciple of Jesus fights this sin of discontentment with daily reminders that Christ is far more valuable than finding ourselves in the earthly category of “the haves.” To know Jesus is to treasure Jesus with our hearts. Nothing on earth compares to He who gave His life for me, reconciling me to my holy God to enjoy forever!

Let us view righteousness as greater than earthly wealth. Let us view enjoying our holy God as more enjoyable than earthly luxuries. Let the hope of Christ’s kingdom completed give rest to our hearts to enjoy Him knowing we possess now full satisfaction in our supremely valuable Savior and Lord.

Heavenly Father, grant us grace to find in Christ full satisfaction. Our hearts are restless, sinfully seeking from the world what ought to be find in Jesus. Forgive us, O Lord, and transform us by Your great power to treasure Christ with all our heart, mind, and strength. May our joy in You increase, and may Your joy be found in Your Church. Amen.

The First Christmas was Fitting

“It was fitting that God, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10).

The very first Christmas came as a surprise to the world, but Christ’s birth was a highly anticipated good news of great joy in heaven (Luke 2:10). Jesus existed before He created all things for Himself. To bring many of His children to glory, Jesus chose to be in Mary’s womb in Bethlehem on that very first Christmas. He chose that perfect time, perfect place, and perfect way in order to willingly suffer, willingly lay down His life as a ransom for many (John 10:18).

Hebrews says that it was fitting that Jesus who created all things for Himself and founded our salvation was made perfect through His suffering. That’s right, Jesus is made perfect. Not because Jesus lacked something, but the wording is that it was fitting that Jesus perfectly fit into the office of High Priest (Hebrews 5:9-10) by Himself being the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14).

Jesus was born to suffer and die. Let us not forget this as we celebrate God the Son who became a baby. He chose to be a baby, to grow up to be a man, the perfect man, to suffer and die the death we deserve. The Founder of our salvation chose to die our death when we deserved judgment and wrath.

Let us celebrate Jesus by believing the whole Bible story. The Eternal Word chose to become one of us. He chose to grow hair and fingernails, to know our pains and temptations, becoming a Man of Sorrows to carry the heavy burden of our sins to the cross of Calvary though He Himself was without sin, having been raised to glory to give us hope of eternal life. The Christmas story is only part of the whole redemptive story written down by the hand of Christ Jesus before creation.

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in this good news of great joy that Christ took our sin to the cross to be our perfect sacrifice and High Priest. Bless our hearts and our homes with this joy. Increase our joy by seeing and savoring Christ Jesus more. May You be glorified in our lives, our homes, and our church. Amen.