If Jesus Did Not Rise...

If Jesus had not risen, I would not be a Christian. What I mean is, even if other people were Christians, even if there were churches, even if Christianity was a recognized religion just as it is today, if Jesus’ resurrection had not happened, I would not be a Christian. I would wash my hands of the church. I would not attend for my own enjoyment. I would have nothing to do with organized religion. Jesus is the only reason I am a Christian, and if Jesus’ story were not true, I would have no interest in acting as if it is.

If Jesus had not risen, I would still be an ethical person, at least, when it suited me. I have witnessed the effects of a licentious lifestyle, and I know the havoc that drugs, unlimited alcohol, promiscuous sex, and materialism can create in a person’s life. Just because I would not be a Christian does not mean I would be an immoral person. But morality is not the same as Christianity, and a person can behave ethically without being religious, even if it is inconsistent to do so. If Jesus was still in the tomb, I might follow many of the New Testament’s moral teachings, but I am certainly not going to waste my time professing or practicing a religion that is a lie.

The only reason I am a Christian, the only reason I am a member of the church, the only reason I attend and work and worship as part of a local body is because I believe Jesus did rise and is alive and is seated even now at the Father’s right hand. The church has given me my best friends, my life’s passion, and even my livelihood, but truthfully, it has also brought me my greatest pain, my deepest betrayal, my strongest grief, and my most anguished loss. If Jesus were not alive, I would wash my hands and walk away from it all, not because I desire something else but because I refuse to live or practice a lie.

Before you cast stones at my calloused attitude, read carefully the words of Paul (1Cor. 15:1-19). It all hinges on the resurrection. Some may be willing to be religious regardless of the truthfulness of their faith system’s claims. Not me. If it is not true, I want nothing to do with it. I would leave the church tomorrow and never be a Christian again. But I can’t do that. I won’t. Because Jesus really did rise. He really is alive. And that is why we believe, why we preach, why we work, why we suffer, why we struggle, why we endure, and why we will continue to do so…until he comes again. -JME

Why Do I Listen To Preaching?

“As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.' And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.” (Ezekiel 33:30-32)

I love listening to good preaching. It thrills me to sit at the feet of faithful men as they open their Bibles and expound the word of God. What a blessing it would have been to hear Ezekiel or Isaiah or John the Baptist or Paul preach! Not everyone enjoys good preaching, but those who do must be on-guard that our delight is not led astray.

The Lord warned Ezekiel not to be puffed up by the praise and popularity of his preaching. Men loved to come and hear him, but their enjoyment was superficial. They did not receive the word of God in their hearts. People enjoyed listening to Ezekiel the same way they enjoy beautiful music. But good preaching is not entertainment. It is edification (up-building) and instruction for the soul.

We must be careful that our joy in exposition does not remain on the surface of our hearts. God’s word is intended to pierce our inner being (Heb. 4:12). It lays us bare, convicting and converting us anew as we persevere in hearing, reading, studying, and meditating on it. James tells us, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (1:22). That is a real danger for us all. So love preaching. Enjoy the delight of hearing God’s word proclaimed. Look forward to sitting under the instruction of God’s word. But let it do its work in you. Let the words sink deep in your heart. May the preaching of God’s word give us joy, but even more may we be better, more faithful, and more obedient for having heard it. -JME

Where Will We Go?

We do not know how long Bartimaeus had been blind. We probably do not even know his given name. We meet the son of Timaeus on the road outside Jericho as Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem. The time of public ministry is past. The great miracles of the Galilean work are done. Jesus is focused on the cross, and he is marching resolutely to do the Father’s will decreed from the foundation of the world.

Suddenly a blind man, Bartimaeus, begins shouting at him, and despite the best efforts of some in the crowd to quiet him, he cries out even more (Mark 10:46-52). Jesus stopped but did not walk over to him. In what may appear callous but was certainly not cruel, the Light of the world called the man sitting in darkness to come to him. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Teacher,” the blind man answered, “let me recover my sight.” The uniquely Messianic miracle, never done before Christ – giving sight to the blind. It is a work no prophet or miracle worker in the Old Testament could ever do. The Father reserved this work for his Son, the one who came to give sight to those blinded by sin.

The Lord told Bartimaeus, “Go, your faith has made you well.” What would Bartimaeus do now? The life of a blind man in first century Israel was hard. There were no government programs or disability checks. For the first time since he lost his sight Bartimaeus could go wherever he wanted, do as he pleased. He could work. He could take care of himself. He could raise a family. When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, he not only gave the blind man sight; he gave him a whole new life.

The next part of the story chokes me up. “Immediately Bartimaeus recovered his sight and followed Jesus on the way.” What would you do? Where would you go? Apparently Bartimaeus knew right away. He joined the crowd traveling with Jesus. He stepped alongside the apostles and disciples and walked with Jesus as he traveled on to Jerusalem, to the cross, to fulfill the Father’s plan. Jesus gave him life, and Bartimaeus gladly gave it right back to the Lord.

I wonder where Bartimaeus spent the next several days. Did he join the disciples as they met with Jesus in the Temple? Did he eat with Jesus in the evenings in Bethany? Did he hear the chief priests shout for Jesus’ blood? Did he stand at the foot of the cross as the Christ died? Was he among the five hundred who saw the risen Lord? We will never know on this side of eternity what Bartimaeus did and saw after that day. But we know where he went. We know how he used his new ability to see. We know he followed Jesus on the road.

            Those of us who are believers are just like Bartimaeus. We were blinded by our sin, helpless, hopeless, sitting on the side of the road with nothing to offer, begging and waiting for someone to help. Then Jesus walked by and called us to himself. He gave us strength to stand and the ability to come. He gave sight to our eyes and a new life. May we, like Bartimaeus, use the sight and life Jesus gave us to follow the Lord on the way. -JME

Stress and Character

The church in Corinth was badly divided when Paul wrote them a letter around 55 A.D. They were exceptionally troubled and had all kinds of doctrinal questions and errors (7-15). They were even abusing the Lord’s Supper so badly that the apostle said, “When you come together it is not for the better but for the worse” (1Co. 11:17)! But as he began to rebuke and correct their misuse of communion, Paul had this to say: “There must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1Co. 11:19).

Do you know what happens when you squeeze a juice-box? I have small children, so I know. Whatever is inside comes squirting out. That is what happens when human beings are placed under stress. What is inside of us, inside our heart, comes squirting out. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). That does not mean genuine disciples never sin under stress. We do, all too often. We say things we should not. We do things we should not. We despair. We rage. But every time we do, we discover that sin still lurks in our heart. Sometimes it takes a crisis to find it.

Stress does not create character; it reveals it. That is why Paul says factions are necessary. They are not pleasant, and ideally they would never occur. But they have the beneficial result of making clear who is committed to following Jesus, and who is not. Not everyone who professes faith in Christ truly knows Him (Matt. 7:21-23). When things get hard some people turn back (John 6:60-66), but others prove diligent in their commitment to follow the Lord (John 6:67-69).

Does this mean all those who leave a church are evil or sinful or not real disciples? No, not at all. But it does challenge us to examine ourselves and see what stress reveals about us. Problems can help us test our hearts, to root out sin and renew our commitment to Jesus. Factions are not fun, but they are necessary. Let’s not waste the opportunity they provide us all. -JME

Convictional Separation

I grew up in Churches of Christ, in a very conservative sub-set of the Churches of Christ known as “non-institutional churches.” That tradition is characterized by many things, some good and some bad. Among the very good characteristics of the movement is a deep love for the Bible and a strong commitment to obedience to the Scriptures. Every week the Bible’s authority was affirmed and verses read or cited that supported the doctrinal and practical distinctions of those churches. Bible classes were just that, Bible classes. We studied, and we learned. Now there may have been a lack of textual variety to some of those classes. Certain books and themes were studied often while others only infrequently or not at all. There was also an undeniable lack of theological rigor and depth to much of that teaching. The same basic truths were recited again and again and again while great swaths of fundamental theology were overlooked. But there is no doubt my initial love for Scripture, study of it, and commitment to living under its authority can be attributed to my experience and upbringing in Churches of Christ.

My religious commitments and theological convictions changed significantly in my late twenties and early thirties. The foundational commitment to divine authority and Scripture-driven discipleship did not waver, but the content of my theology and the paradigms by which I had previously understood salvation were dramatically and irreversibly altered. During that time many friends in the Churches of Christ began to fear for my soundness and, consequently, for my salvation. They responded to these fears in many different ways. Some acted against my ministry, taking steps they believed were necessary to protect the churches I influenced. Others responded to me personally, seeking to rebuke and correct my thinking so as to reclaim me to the way of salvation, as they understood it. Eventually a separation became inevitable, and though it occurred in a way none of us could have predicted, the Lord finally moved me and my family out of the Churches of Christ and into a non-denominational, evangelical communion.

Separation is always painful, even when it is unavoidable or even necessary. But one thing I can say with sincerity about my separation from Churches of Christ, those who stood against me did so because they believed Scripture required it. We may disagree, passionately so, on doctrine, theology, and the gospel, but we are united in an unswerving and uncompromising commitment to obeying the word of God no matter what it means. I respect that conviction, even though I may deplore some of the tactics used by my critics. My commitment to the authority of Scripture required me to admit when my understanding of particular issues (e.g. justification by faith alone) changed, and my friends in Churches of Christ were similarly obligated to oppose what they considered to be false doctrine.

If and when believers separate, let it be because our commitment to Christ and to obeying the teachings of his word require it to be so. It is sad how rarely this seems to be the case. People leave churches because they don’t like the music or want more social programs. Some want a better youth program. Others complain they don’t get out of it what they want, never stopping to question what God might want. The departed often act from very superficial motives, and churches divide for reasons that are rooted in carnality, not Christ-centered conviction. Separation because of irreconcilable and unacceptance differences in biblical conviction is regrettable, but it is much to be preferred to separation because of personality or personal preference. If the unity of believers must be disrupted, let it be that our allegiance to Christ and conscientious obedience to him is the cause. -JME