"What Does That Look Like?": Sunday Worship, Serious Suggestions, and the Spirit of Freedom

Making Sunday Special

This past Sunday I preached on "making Sunday worship special" and I did something that I don't often do. I gave a long list of things to do or not to do as a way to apply the truths we were talking about. So, now I want to help us think through how we should respond to exhortations to do or not do specific things in response to truth that we see in Scripture.

Responding to List-O-Mania

So I want to try to answer the question, "What should we do with the lists that preachers and teachers and authors come up with as specific applications of truth?" For instance, how would you respond to this exhortation from John Piper?:

It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch - and then wonder why their spiritual lives are weak and their worship experience is shallow with no intensity. If you really want to hear the Word of God the way He means it to be heard in truth and joy and power, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise (see Philippians 4:8). Then watch your heart un-shrivel and begin to hunger for the Word of God.

A False Dilemma

There are two extreme ways you might respond to this: (1) You might reject it as simply an expression of legalism: "That's pure legalism! The Bible doesn't explicitly say that!" or (2) You might receive it as "the will of God": "Wow! I didn't realize that that was God's clear will for all Christians." Some see these two responses as the only possible ways to handle such a comment by Piper. But there is a third, and I believe, a more Scriptural response to these kinds of specific applications of truth, or exhortations, or "do or not do lists." The third option is to see these kinds of specific applications and "lists" as "serious suggestions." (This is similar to Paul's counsel in 1 Corinthians 7:25-28, 35-38)

"Serious Suggestions," Can You Be Serious?

What do I mean by a "serious suggestion"? First, of all, I don't mean to downplay the importance of what is said. But the two words are carefully chosen. A "suggestion" is not the same as a "command." A command, in this case - a divine command, obviously carries much more weight and authority than a human suggestion. But that does not mean the human suggestion (ie, a suggested way to live out divine truth in line with divine commands) is not important.

That's where the word "serious" comes in. A serious suggestion means that we should seriously consider doing or not doing something in our Christian lives. We are to take these suggestions seriously because we are exhorted to be continually asking ourselves (in response to the truth of Scripture), "What does that look like?" It is one thing to say that we believe that God is present in a special way when we assemble together as believers in Jesus for corporate worship, and study, and fellowship, and to base this belief on Scriptural convictions. But it's another thing to apply that truth to our lives in conscious, concrete, observable and even, imitable ways.


Passionate Suggestions

John Piper is a passionate guy. He speaks and writes passionately. Sometimes preachers and teachers and authors can present "serious suggestions" in a very passionate way that may give the wrong impression that they see them as more than "serious suggestions," and really see them as essential and necessary to Biblical Christianity and pleasing God for all believers. As I just said, this may be a confusion created by the passionate way in which these "serious suggestions" are given. Does this mean the passion is out of place? I don't think so. I think it is the reality that the passion is misplaced by the hearers (hopefully not by the speaker or writer). We can be passionate in our giving "serious suggestions" without being dogmatic about them because what we are trying to convey is a passion for the spirit of the suggestion, not the suggestion itself. So to express passionately the idea of reading something inspiring on Saturday night instead of watching TV in order to prepare for worship need not be meant to communicate a passion for the act itself, but rather a passion for the heart that should or could fuel such an act: a heart to hear the Word of God.

Concrete Response to Truth

So when preachers and teachers (like me) give a list of "do's and don'ts" (specific ways we could flesh out or act on the truth seen in Scripture) or when we read books that give these kind of specific ways to apply truth, we need to see them not as "pure legalism" or "divine will" but "serious suggestions." We need to see these "lists" or individual suggestions as things we need to seriously consider as we seek to concretely act on our belief in specific truth. To say we believe something and not act in concrete ways to express that faith is to be a "hearer and not a doer of the Word." (James 1:21-25)

Free to Do Whatever?

We also have to be careful of how we define "freedom in Christ." It is true that if the Scripture does not clearly prohibit something or command something then we can put that issue in the category of "freedom." But a "freedom issue" is not an area where we can do whatever we want. A "freedom issue" is an area where God has not given us a clear command and has, in that sense, left us "free." But what He does command is that we exercise our freedom responsibly (Galatians 5:13) and with wisdom in light of all that Scripture teaches about God and man and life (Ephesians 5:15-16). So we still have to wrestle with the questions, "Does this glorify God? Is this profitable? Is this edifying? Does this master me? Is this really wise in light of my spiritual goals to become like Christ and be a blessing to others?" (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23, 31; Romans 14:1-12)

When a "List" Isn't Legalism

I am very much against legalism. I realize that practical applications that people try to make and "lists" of things to do or not to do can appear as legalism to many. And, depending on how we look at them, it certainly could be a form of legalism. But that is not necessarily the case. R.C. Sproul in his book, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, identifies four different kinds of legalism: (1) The belief that one can earn one's way into the kingdom of heaven, (2) The adherence to the letter of the law to the exclusion of the spirit of the law, (3) The addition of our own laws to the law of God, and (4) The practice of majoring on the minors.

If we see or hear someone give us "concrete" ways to live out a belief in a particular truth of Scripture, or ways to apply a particular principle in Scripture, we certainly must be careful of a legalistic response to what they say, knowing that only Scripture carries the authority of God for our lives. I should not take anyone's list of practical applications of a particular truth and (1) make them a standard to achieve in order to gain heaven, or (2) follow the letter of the list without concern for the spirit (or heart) that it should express, or (3) add the list to the commands of God in Scripture for all people to follow at all times in every situation, or (4) make the list more important than love for God and love for others. If we avoid these things, lists of practical suggestions about how to flesh out our faith in the truth can be liberating rather than legalistic.

That's the Spirit!

So, as important as "being doers of the Word and not hearers only" is in doing concrete things to express our faith, we must not forget that it is the "spirit/heart" (not the "letter") that is most important in regard to these practical and serious suggestions about walking out our faith. We are to maintain our commitment to the spirit (heart expression and attitude) of what the Scripture calls us to believe and to do. But we are to do this without becoming enslaved to something that is a "concrete" expression of the spirit of the Scripture but not a "commanded" expression of that spirit.

So, what I'm saying is, you can still be committed to loving the church and ministering to others and still choose to leave after church and not stay for the picnic on any given Sunday. The issue is the "spirit" of being committed to valuing the special presence of God among His people and loving the body of Christ in a local church setting, not the "letter" of staying every Sunday and picnicking on the school grounds. Or you can get up during the service and go to the bathroom if you really need to. The issue is the "spirit" (heart) to hear the Word of God and to participate in all that is happening during the worship service, and doing all you can to enable yourself to not need to do that for the honor of God and for your sake and for the sake of not distracting others. The issue is not the "letter" of never getting up to go to the bathroom during a service.

Hindered by Provi Who?

One final question. What is a "providential hindrance" in relation to being at church on Sunday? A providential hindrance can be something that makes it impossible to get to church (car trouble, hurricane, etc) or a combination of circumstances that, when considered together, make another choice the wise thing to do under those circumstances. This is where you will be responsible before God in determining what set of circumstances would lead you to choose to do something other than go to worship with the people of God. For instance, Should you travel on Sunday when on vacation rather than take time to attend worship somewhere? It is not my job (or any Christian's job) to tell you what to do in this situation or to "pass judgment" on your decision, but it is our place as Christians to raise the question in each other's minds, Where is my heart in this decision and is it really necessary? Do I have other options? What would please the Lord, all things considered?

Helping Us with "What Does This Look Like?"

The truth that God views the corporate identity of the local church as His special dwelling place, like the "holy of holies" in the Old Testament, and promises to work in special ways in us and among us as we worship Him together in "spirit and truth," must be believed and it must be acted on in concrete ways. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22) How are you applying this truth in your own life? How is this truth making a difference in what you think and do in regard to the local church and Sunday worship? If your answer is, "I don't know," then that is why "serious suggestions" can be helpful in forming truth-based, promise-driven practical principles and plans for putting our theology into practice in everyday life.

That List I Was Talking About

So in light of these considerations, I am comfortable in encouraging you to consider these "serious suggestions" regarding "making Sunday worship special":

1. Fathers, communicate the importance of worship with the Church to your family.
2. Speak well of the church around the dinner table.
3. Pray for God to meet us on Sunday.
4. Pray for those leading and for a humble, open, teachable heart.
5. Prepare on Saturday night and Sunday morning by ...

Getting to bed at a good time to get sufficient rest.
Turning off worldly TV and stay away from worldly movies (use something to stir your hunger for God and His Word).
Getting up in time to read the Word and pray before you leave.
Avoiding the paper and TV and radio news, sports, work around the house, etc. and other distractions.
Getting to church on time (give yourself plenty of time).

6. Come to receive (take advantage of both Bible study and worship; bring your Bible; take notes if it’s helpful; listen carefully).
7. Come to give (to participate, respond, communicate, share, interact).
8. Work to minimize distractions for yourself and others (go to the bathroom before the service; watch your liquid intake; sit closer to the front).
9. Trust God for good no matter what happens (even if the message seems boring or you don't care for the music style or selection).
10. Make it non-negotiable (unless providentially hindered).
11. Talk about the message afterward.
12. Take time to fellowship afterward (stay for the picnic).
13. Get outside your comfort zone and cliques and look for opportunities to minister and encourage.
14. Review the study and sermon notes during the week.
15. Remember that there is more to the gathering of the church than what the eye can see.

God bless you as you consider these "serious suggestions"!

Pastor Earl

The Glory of the (Electric) Chair?!

This past Sunday we talked about not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, since Paul says just that in Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel ... . And we noted that shame is a powerful emotion of pain associated with guilt or shortcoming or impropriety (see John Piper's Living by Faith in Future Grace, p. 131). Shame can be appropriate or "well-placed" (as Piper calls it) or inappropriate or "misplaced." Appropriate shame is when we feel bad for the public guilt of being caught in an immoral activity. Inappropriate shame is when we feel bad for something good or something that honors God and Christ. Paul is saying that feeling ashamed of the gospel and therefore, being afraid of identifying with Christ is misplaced shame: a shame for something that is good - because the gospel is "good news," indeed, the greatest news ever! But one of the things that makes us ashamed to express our hope in Christ is that we fear being thought of as foolish. We don't want to be "fools for Christ." But we must come to grips with the reality that the gospel of Jesus Christ appears foolish to us until God opens our eyes to see the wisdom and power and glory of God in the cross of Jesus Christ. But until God opens people's eyes to the glory of the cross of Christ, we shouldn't be surprised if they see us as foolish. As I mentioned on Sunday, we sing about the cross (and wear the cross and display the cross) as if it is something that should easily be seen as an symbol of hope and glory. If we take a portion of the words of a popular song (The Glory of the Cross) and change a couple words, maybe it will make us think more about what we are singing.

What wisdom once devised the plan

Where all our sin and pride

Was placed upon the perfect Lamb

Who suffered, bled, and died?

The wisdom of a Sovereign God

Whose greatness will be shown

When those who electrified Your Son

Rejoice around Your throne

Repeat chorus:

And, oh, the glory of the chair

That You would send Your Son for us

I gladly count my life as loss

That I might come to know

The glory of, the glory of the chair

© 2000 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Words and music by Bob Kauflin

If our Lord Jesus had come to earth in the 20th century and died in an electric chair in order to be obedient to the point of death, even death in a way that only the worst criminals in our society die, would we be surprised if the watching world thought it strange that we would sing about an instrument of death for "the worst of sinners"? May God help us not to be ashamed of the glory of the cross, even if it sounds foolish to a watching world!

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

(Picture from The History of the Electric Chair - http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm)

The Dream of the Three Chairs

Last Sunday we talked about how we should pursue assurance in such a way that it honors Christ and the gospel. Here's a story that illustrates my main point.

A man has a dream. In this dream, he is caught up to the edge of a bright and festive "Paradise." There he sees people in a single file line before the throne of God. He hears a loud voice say, "Your resting place on earth will determine your resting place in eternity."

There are three chairs in front of the throne which stands on the edge of "Paradise." The first chair has no bottom at all and is labeled "WC." The second chair has a trap door for a bottom and is labeled "CP." The third chair has a rock solid bottom and springs and is labeled "CA."

An angel escorts each individual to the chair he rested in while he was on earth. The man sees the angel escort a college professor, who was an atheist, over to the first chair labeled "WC." When he tries to sit down, the atheist falls straight through the chair into the dark and distant "Pit" below.

The man then sees the angel escort an elderly woman, clutching her prayer beads, over to the second chair labeled "CP." When the woman sits in the chair, it appears to hold for a moment, then the trap door opens and the woman falls through the chair into the dark and distant "Pit" below.

Next the man sees the angel escort a child over to the third chair labeled "CA." When the child sits in the chair, the bottom holds, the angels sing, and the child is gently catapulted into the middle of the bright and festive "Paradise" - right into the arms of Jesus and the joy of the Master.

The man awakes from his dream singing, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame* but wholly lean on Jesus' Name."

* "The sweetest frame" refers to anything in me - what I desire or do or think or feel - even on my best day!

The Meaning of the Story (Reader's Digest Version)

We all live “Coram Deo” – before the face of God. There are three basic “resting” positions that men and women have before God. These three “resting” positions are represented by these three chairs, designated as “Without Christ (WC),” “Christ Plus (CP),” and “Christ Alone (CA).”

The “Without Christ” chair represents those who are “resting” on their attempts to fulfill some standard of righteousness on their own without any dependence upon Jesus Christ and His finished work. This has come to be known as the Pelagian position.

The “Christ Plus” chair represents those who are “resting” on the work of Jesus Christ plus their own efforts and contributions and achievements and merit and condition in order to fulfill the divine standard of righteousness before God. This has come to be known as the semi-Pelagian position.

The “Christ Alone” chair represents those who are “resting” on the Person and work of Jesus Christ alone in order to fulfill the divine standard of righteousness before God. This has come to be known as the Sola Fide or Faith Alone position (or Reformed position or the Justification by Faith Alone position or the imputed righteousness of Christ position).
The Meaning of the Story (Extended Explanation)

The first two positions (WC and CP) have been declared to be heresy in the historic councils of the church and the third position (CA) has been clearly affirmed in the historic early and Reformed creeds and most of all, in the Scriptures itself.

The question is, in light of these three possible “resting” positions,

• How do we avoid heretical thinking as we consider the issue of assurance?
• How do we keep from thinking like a semi-Pelagian when we pursue assurance of salvation in our Christian lives?
• How can we keep from encouraging people to sit in the “Christ Plus” chair in their pursuit of assurance?
• This is a difficult matter.
  
  I shall [consider one point] the more readily, because of the great importance which attaches to the subject of assurance, and the great neglect with which, I humbly conceive, it is often treated in this day. But I shall do it at the same time with fear and trembling. I feel that I am treading on very difficult ground and that it is easy to speak rashly and unscripturally in this matter. The road between truth and error is here a specially narrow pass; and if I shall be enabled to do good to some without doing harm to others, I shall be very thankful. (J.C. Ryle in his book, Holiness)
  
  In light of Romans 1:16-17 and other Scriptures, I’d like to suggest what I would call A Gospel Strategy for the Fight for Assurance. This implies:
  
• That there is a “law-oriented strategy" for fighting for assurance, which I believe is insufficient and that detracts from the glory of Jesus Christ.
• That, like every other aspect of life, assurance is a matter of faith and faith in this world always involves a fight.
• That assurance is attainable to a significant degree in this life although we probably should not expect the fight to end before our “sight” of Christ has begun.
  
  Surely, while we teach that faith ought to be certain and assured, we cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion)
  
  
  Four things we need to do:
  
  1. Check the Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
  2. Check the Root (Luke 6:43-45)
  3. Strengthen the Root (Luke 13:6-9)
  4. Strengthen the Fruit (2 Peter 1:1-11)
  
  I am using the metaphor of a tree which has both fruit and root because this metaphor is often used in Scripture to talk about spiritual life and to talk about the issue of assurance and the distinguishing of true believers from false believers.

"Fruit" is what faith does. 1 John was written so that we could know that we have eternal life. (1 John 5:13) In 1 John, there are two primary kinds of fruit given that we should look for in our lives (to some degree, not perfection): (1) heart for God's Word (also spoken of as a pursuit of obedience or practical righteousness - 1 John 2:3-6) and (2) heart for God's people (heart for the church of Jesus Christ spoken of as a love for the brethren - 1 John 3:10-17).
"Root" is what faith is. 1 John also emphasizes one other thing that forms the foundation for the two kinds of fruit mentioned above: faith in Jesus as the God/Man who is our Right-eousness and our Propitiation on the cross (spoken of as belief in the Name of Jesus - 1 John 2:1-2; 3:23; 5:1, 4-13).
If we fail to see strong fruit in our lives (desire for God, His people, and His Word) then we need to check and strengthen the root: focus on Jesus Christ, who He is, what He did in His life and death for us, His willingness to save all who come to Him, His sufficiency to save all who come to Him, and all that God promises those who trust in Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 7:1)
Focusing on Jesus Christ and God's promises to us because of His finished work is crucial to strengthening the root and strengthening the fruit in our lives. We need to see Jesus more clearly as a ready and willing and able Savior for sinners and the giver of LIFE!
The only safe resting place is the "Christ Alone" chair no matter how much I desire God or love His people or trust and obey His Word. And yet we should seek to grow in desiring God and loving His people and trusting and obeying His Word by "resting" even more in what Christ has done for us in providing a "righteousness that leads to LIFE" (Romans 5:21).
As we seek to sink down even more in the chair of trust in Christ's righteousness alone, we will grow in our love for "the chair" (Christ Himself) and we will be conformed more and more into the shape of "the chair" (conformity to the likeness of Christ)!
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
You can read the sermon manuscript or listen to the message by going to www.coastcommunitychurch.com and look under resources / sermons for August 10, 2008.
Look and Live! (John 3:14-16)

The Parable of the Three Little Theologians

The last few weeks we've been focusing on Romans 1:16-17 and the heart of the good news of Jesus: a righteousness freely given to us by God. As I was preparing to preach one week, this story came to my mind.



Once upon a time there were three little theologians who left home to start their own lives. The first little theologian built a house. He made the foundation out of “desiring” clay, the walls out of “doing” bamboo, and the roof out of “looking” stone. One day a big, bad wolf came along and knocked on his door, saying, “Little theologian, little theologian, let me come in.” The first little theologian said, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin-chin.” The wolf retorted, “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.” So the wolf huffed and he puffed and he blew the first little theologian’s house down and the stone roof fell and crushed the little theologian to death. Then the wolf had a nice bowl of “wishy-washy soup.”

The second little theologian built a house too. He made the foundation out of “doing” bamboo, the walls out of “looking” stone, and the roof out of “desiring” clay. One day a big, bad wolf came along and knocked on his door, saying, “Little theologian, little theologian, let me come in.” The second little theologian said, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin-chin.” The wolf retorted, “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.” So the wolf huffed and he puffed and he blew the second little theologian’s house down and the stone walls fell and crushed the little theologian to death. Then the wolf had a nice little “BLT” – Bible, Legalism, and Torture sandwich.

Lastly, the third little theologian built a house. He made the foundation out of “looking” stone, the walls out of “desiring” clay, and the roof out of “doing” bamboo. One day a big, bad wolf came along and knocked on his door, saying, “Little theologian, little theologian, let me come in.” The third little theologian said, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin-chin.” The wolf retorted, “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.” So the wolf huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed, but he could not blow the little theologian’s house down. When the wolf sat down and cried, the little theologian invited him inside for coffee and some “humble pie.” Many hours later, the wolf left the little theologian’s house no longer a wolf, but a sheep, and this little theologian’s house continued to stand.
The Point of This Parable (Reader's Digest Version)

Our spiritual lives are often compared to the building of a house in Scripture (for example, Matthew 7:24-27). We can try to build our spiritual houses with materials that are Biblical or with materials that are un-Biblical. These "materials" are truths we are to believe and act upon. Three of the Biblical "materials" or truths that are to be a part of our spiritual houses are: (1) "desiring clay" which is the truth that believers in Jesus should desire God above all things; (2) "doing bamboo" which is the truth that believers in Jesus should submit to the Lordship of Christ and obey His Word; and (3) "looking stone" which is the truth that the gospel calls us to look outside of ourselves to Jesus and His righteousness alone for our acceptance before God. All three of these "materials" or truths must be a part of our lives as Christians to one degree or another, but only one of these truths or "materials" was intended to be the foundation for our spiritual house: "looking stone." If we base our assurance of salvation on anything we do or desire, our foundation will not stand. But if we base our assurance of salvation on what Jesus has done for us and desired in our place, then we have a foundation that can stand the test of any temptation or trial.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ... not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

(Philippians 3:7-9)

The Point of This Parable (Extended Version)

Now let me try to explain, in more detail, what this story or parable means to me and how it applies to our lives before God. God has used John Piper, John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul in my life greatly. For me, Piper has emphasized the importance of desiring God above all things, and MacArthur has emphasized the importance of submitting to Christ as Lord in all things, and Sproul has emphasized the importance of the Reformation doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, otherwise known as justification by faith alone.



I have recognized that trying to put together the important truths these men emphasize in their ministries (at least, what they have emphasized to me) can be tricky business, so I told this adaptation of the Three Little Pigs to illustrate the spiritual danger involved. It is about three men who each build a house of their own out of the same three building materials: clay (“desiring clay” - which refers to the truth of desiring God above all things), bamboo (“doing bamboo” - which refers to doing what God commands in submission to Christ as Lord in all things), and stone (“looking stone” - which refers to looking outside of ourselves - what we desire and what we do - to Jesus and what He has desired and done as our Substitute in life and death).



But each of these men use a different material as their foundation. The “Big Bad Wolf” comes along and tests the foundation of their house and two of the three houses fail the test, but one stands. It is meant to represent three basic foundations for our assurance before God: what we feel or desire, what we do or submit to, and what we look to outside of ourselves.



The three little theologians do not represent John Piper, John MacArthur, and R.C. Sproul, but rather, three ways people might try to put together into a system three things these men have emphasized to me in their ministries: the importance of the truth of desiring God or holy affections, the importance of the truth of obedience to God’s Word or submission to Christ as Lord, and the importance of the truth of justification by faith alone or the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. The main point is that, while all three of these truths are important, only one of them was meant to be the foundation of our lives and our assurance before God: the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

According to the Scriptures, my spiritual house must consist of a desire for God (the "new heart") and submission to the Lordship of Christ (confessing Jesus as Lord), but the foundation of my hope and assurance before God can never rest upon my desire for God (which may be up today and down tomorrow) or my doing what God says (which may be "yes" today and "no" tomorrow), rather, it must be the foundation of Christ's righteousness alone. (Romans 1:17; 4:5; 5:17, 21; 10:3)


For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith ... (Romans 1:17a)


... those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17b)


R.C. Sproul would say that justification by faith alone is shorthand for justification (being declared righteous before God) by the righteousness of Christ alone. The imputation of Christ's righteousness means that God credits to our account what isn't in us or produced by us, but what is in Christ alone and produced by His own perfect life of obedience to the Father - Christ's righteousness. This gift of Christ's righteousness includes the forgiveness of sins and His perfect record of obedience to the Law of God: perfect love for God and perfect love for man (Mark 12:30-31). God gives us this gift of Christ's righteousness through faith - as we look to Jesus and His cross, which was both His final and ultimate act of obedience and His wrath-bearing sacrifice (Romans 5:8-9, 17-19).


Why do I speak of the foundation of our hope before God as the "looking stone"? I do this because the Lord Jesus Himself defined saving faith in its essence, not as desiring or doing, but as looking - looking outside of ourselves to Him on the cross for salvation, rather than looking to what is in us (whether it is our desire for God or our doing what God commands). (John 3:14-18; Numbers 21:4-9).


As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)


Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9)


The "rebellious and bitten" Israelites did not have to desire differently or sufficiently nor did they have to do something differently or sufficiently. They simply had to trust God's promise of life and look to the "snake on a stick." As the bronze serpent was lifted up, so Jesus was lifted up on the cross - so that all who look to Him and Him alone will be saved from their sins and given eternal life. Jesus was teaching that we simply need to "look and live" - but also that no one will do so unless they are born again (John 3:3, 7) and born of the Spirit (John 3:8). So if we look to Jesus alone for His righteousness, God gets all the glory!


Look and Live! This is the theme of this first post and the reason for the name of this blog.