Seeing Our Sinfulness

I do not claim to have perfect knowledge of my own heart (1Cor. 4:4), but what I do know frustrates me greatly. My family knows how easily discouraged I often am, how quickly I become impatient when under stress, and how much pride resides in me. I spend most of my waking hours every week working in the text of Scripture, but the more I learn and the more I teach, the more convinced I am of how far short of God’s standard I truly fall. It gets easier every week to confess with the congregation, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost!” As frustrating as this experience is for me, I am convinced it is the way it ought to be. True growth in grace should be paralleled by an increasing awareness of our need for that grace, a growing sense of our own inadequacy and a greater resting in the righteousness of Christ.

Growth in Christ should make us more humble, not arrogant. The more arrogant we are, the more we reveal how little we truly know, both of God’s holy standard and of ourselves. A child who first learns to play Chopsticks on the piano may think much of his or her ability, but an accomplished pianist winces at timing errors an untrained ear could not even detect. This is the function of the law and of a growing understanding of it. The increase of law means an increase in human sinfulness (Rom. 5:20), and increased awareness of the divine law means increased awareness of our failure to measure up to it (cf. Psa. 19:11-14).

This becomes a helpful test of whether we are actually growing in grace or simply increasing our theological knowledge. Is study and religious devotion making me more humble or haughty? Am I filled with an increasingly awareness of my own lingering sinfulness or by awe at my holiness and spirituality? “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1Cor. 8:1-3), and what matters is the true knowledge of God that refers to knowing and being known by Him and walking together in love. This is the knowledge that will matter in eternity, not how many Bible or theology questions one can answer eloquently, but whether one knows God and is known by Him. We do not want to dismiss the importance (nay, necessity) of a sufficient doctrinal knowledge for saving faith, but neither do we want to equate knowing religious facts with knowing God. True growth in grace involves seeing our sinfulness more clearly and seeing the Savior as most precious of all. –JME

He Was Born to Die.. and Rise... and Reign

It is easy to get distracted at this time of year. There are plans and parties, garland and gifts, family and friends, all of which occupy our time and attention. Even those determined to “Keep Christ in Christmas” can easily find themselves swept up in the materialism of the age or the busyness of the season. If we attempt to re-focus our hearts on Christ’s Incarnation, the redemptive-historical event being celebrated, we may be distracted in another way. The baby Jesus transfixes us. We imagine the sweetness of the scene—a rather unhistorical perspective on events that were bloody, frightening, and occurred in close proximity to animals. We may think of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and angels, the wise men and their gifts, or the few stories we have in Matthew and Luke of Christ’s childhood. But in our reflections, as appropriate as they may be, we are in danger of forgetting the real point of the Incarnation.

Jesus was born in order to die. The Incarnation was necessary because Man was appointed to death because of sin and only God could pay the appointed penalty. Jesus was not born in Bethlehem so that we could have a winter holiday and erect trees inside our homes. He was born so “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2:14-15). He was born to save us from our sins, to save us from wrath and Hell. He was born to die, and rise, and reign over all His enemies (cf. John 12:23-28; 18:37).

It is not wrong for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus or the historical event of the Incarnation. But we must be diligent to keep it in its biblical and theological context. The birth of Christ is not an isolated event in the pages of Scripture; it is the antepenultimate event in God’s redemptive plan. The Incarnation is preceded by centuries of preparation. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). This is the context within which we must see the birth of Christ. This is the larger perspective we need to properly celebrate Christmas. We must see it in light of God’s sovereignty and our need of redemption. The climatic moment of the Incarnation is not the manger; it is the cross and tomb.–JME

The End of an Era, the Dawn of a New Day

Next Sunday, December 13, 2015, is the last Lord’s Day our congregation will be meeting on this campus. Community Christian Church moved onto this property on November 18, 1973. The church began meeting in Building A (our current worship center) in January 1977. Community Christian Church met and ministered here a long time. But much has changed. The vast majority of those worshipping with us today were not part of the church two years ago. In the last 27 months our congregation has gone through extraordinary transition, including significant changes in our doctrinal and ministerial focus, strategy, and leadership. We experienced great division; many long-time and part-time members left, while many new believers have come and made this church their home. Our new name is quite fitting since we truly have gone through a period of reformation catalyzed by the teaching of the Bible.

It is appropriate for there to be mixed feelings about leaving this campus. There always are in situations like this. We are excited about the future but somewhat anxious. None of us had any idea what God had in store for us two years ago, and none of us know for sure what lies ahead. This church has seen good times and bad times in forty-two years on this property. Long-time members will take away good memories, and all of us should look forward to the open doors for ministry that lie ahead.

Transitions are always a little scary. Even Israel second-guessed the exodus and wished they were still slaves in Egypt. How silly we are as human beings, preferring the misery of the familiar for the blessing of the future. It is okay to be a little scared or uncertain about what lies ahead. But let’s not allow the Adversary to rob us of our joy and convince us the best years are behind us. That is never the case for a Christian.

This is a time to be thankful. We should be thankful for past blessings. We should be thankful for God’s faithfulness in the last two years. We should be thankful for the provision He has made for our future, not only temporally as a congregation on earth, but eternally as part of the Body of Christ. There may be some tears; there may be some heaviness in our hearts, but there should also be hope as we look ahead. All things in this life change, but we trust One who never changes. He holds our future in His hands. –JME

We Preach Exclamation Points, Not Question Marks

One of my heroes growing up in the Churches of Christ was a gentle, godly man who was known for saying, “We preach exclamation points, not question marks.” Now there is a sense in which we ought to be more than a little skeptical of this statement. We ought to be sensitive to the fact that while Scripture is sufficient in matters of life and godliness (2Tim. 3:16-17; 2Pet. 1:3-4), there are many areas where we must exercise judgment and caution (e.g. Rom. 14). It is not virtuous to be dogmatic when we ought to be reserved. Speaking more loudly does not make what one says more true.

Having made that qualification, there is much to commend in the original statement. Far too many preachers and pastors have exercised a teaching ministry of thinking out loud when they should have been proclaiming “Thus says the Lord.” It may be easier and less controversial to speculate, rarely taking a side, to simply facilitate conversation, but it is not the task to which ministers of the Word are called (cf. Acts 20:28-32; 1Cor. 1:22-29; Eph. 4:11-16; 2Tim. 4:1-5). It is not speculation that will call men out of darkness and into God’s marvelous light; the gospel is the Spirit’s instrument for doing so (Rom. 10:17; 1Pet. 2:9).

There are times for a preacher, pastor, or teacher to be cautious, charitable, and to give others the benefit of the doubt. But there are times to name names, denounce false doctrine, and identify soul-damning error for what it is (e.g. Matt. 23; Gal. 2:2-6; 5:12; 1Tim. 1:5-11, 19-20). We need wisdom to distinguish exclamation points from legitimate question marks, and we need to spend the greater part of our time and energy proclaiming the former rather than the latter. Unfortunately it often seems as though some Christians are more willing to divide over tertiary issues than to rightly draw lines over primary issues. It is just as wrong to be dogmatic about matters of judgment as it is to refuse to draw lines where Scripture is emphatic and clear.

A faithful teacher of the Word will raise thoughtful questions and help hearers to think more carefully through issues of Scripture and theology. But merely raising questions is not the teacher’s ultimate role. We are called to proclaim truth, not question it. May God grant us the wisdom and courage to do so faithfully and effectively. –JME