Abiding in Christ

Being a follower of Jesus Christ--a disciple--certainly suggests that there is a relational element between us and our Savior. Scripture speaks often about our relationship with Jesus and that his desire is never for us to struggle through life without instruction and guidance from above. In John 15, our Lord speaks of himself as the vine and us as branches in a vine and the need for us to abide in him.

Jesus calls himself the true vine (v.1); the One who always bears fruit. His ability to remain fruitful rests solely on his relational connection to the Father--He and the Father are One (John 10:30). Then is verse 4, Jesus extends this same relational connection to us as well--Abide in me, and I in you--so that we too can bear fruit for the Kingdom. Our ability to do so cannot happen apart from a true relationship with Him: ...As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. Jesus even kicks it up a notch in verse 5: for apart from me you can do nothing.

The blessings that come from abiding in Christ don't just begin and end with us being fruitful for the Kingdom. We are cleansed through the Word of God (v.3), we have the assurance of answered prayer (v.7), we glorify the Father (v.8), we are loved by Him (v.10) and we have the fullness of joy (v.11).

Abiding in Christ not only makes us his disciple (v.8) but his friend (v.13-15). What better relationship could we possibly have?

Live As Redeemed

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ--one who not only knows Him but follows Him as well--requires us to have the right mindset as to who we are. We are lavishly loved by the Father. Our eternal destiny is secured by the shed blood and resurrection of our Savior. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through life. We have the Creator of the Universe working all things for our good. All of this because we are redeemed.

Because of this, we are called to live as those who have been redeemed. Scripture speaks frequently on how to live as godly men; as disciples of Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-14 is a great example: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous of good works.

We are redeemed by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We are redeemed so that our thoughts would be transformed from evil desires to righteous actions. We are redeemed to provide a godly example of how to live in an ungodly world. We are redeemed to have a future and a hope in the coming of our Savior to rule forever. We are redeemed to have eternal life with our Redeemer.

Knowing and Following

As God's men, we are called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). The Great Commission doesn't call us to make converts, make Baptists or even make believers. So if we're called to make disciples, then it stands to reason that we too must be disciples. This begs the obvious question: What does it take to be a disciple?

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means understanding the difference between knowing and following. We must know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must know that he is the Son of God. We must know that he was fully God and fully man. We must know that he lived a perfect, sinless life and that he suffered and died on the cross to pay for the sins of mankind. We must know that without his sacrificial death, we are doomed to suffer for eternity in Hell. We must know that accepting his free gift of salvation is the only way to eternal life in Heaven. This is knowing Jesus Christ.

Following Jesus Christ is another matter. We must follow his example of being obedient to God's will. We must follow his example of seeking quiet time alone with the Father in prayer. We must follow his example of knowing God's Word and applying to our daily lives. We must follow his example of serving the needs of others. We must follow his example of reaching the lost and demonstrating to them the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of the Father. We must follow his example of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. This is following Jesus Christ.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is knowing him as Lord and Savior and then following him to know him in a deeper, more personal way and allowing him to have first priority in our lives. Making disciples is leading others so that they will know and follow Jesus Christ--with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

Encouragement for Fathers

Yes I love Father's Day. It's hard not to; especially when my daughter Amanda comes running across the room and gives me a big hug and says, "I love you Daddy. You're the best daddy ever!" Or when I see the smile on her face when she's made me a special card or gift. These moments truly are priceless and remind me of the great blessing God has given me in my daughter.

As much as I love Father's Day, I also recognize how painful this day can be for many. For men who regret the times they failed as fathers. For women and children who were abused, neglected or abandoned by the man they should have been able to trust the most. For the one-third of all children under the age of eighteen who will go to sleep tonight in a home without their biological father. For everyone who suffers from the ills of our society that come as a result of the absence of fathers.

In spite of all of these things, our Heavenly Father stands ready, willing and able to pour out a multitude of blessings on his men who desire to be godly fathers. Man is the centerpiece of His creation; made in His image, deemed by God himself to be very good (Genesis 1:26-31). Being a godly man who sacrificially loves his wife and lovingly leads his children may not make us famous and powerful in the eyes of the world, but it brings honor and joy to the One who is the name above all names. Our Lord is cheering us on from Heaven every time we lay ourselves aside and put our family first.

Although Abraham is called the father of many nations (Romans 4:17-18), I find it interesting that Scripture records nothing about his father--leaving us to wonder if he had any godly influence from his father. So regardless of what type of influence (or lack of) we have had from our earthly fathers, through the power of Jesus Christ, we too can be like Abraham in how we influence the next generation and generations to come.

Restoring Our Soul

Each one of us at times have felt the crushing burden of sin. These burdens could be caused by sins of our own doing or sins others have committed against us. Sometimes it's just events and circumstances caused by living in a sinful world that intrude into our lives. While turning to the Lord should be our natural response to sin in whatever form it surfaces, often the burden paralyzes us into inactivity or despair. Shutting down or isolating ourselves becomes the path of least resistance.

Psalm 23 is a favorite of many and for good reason. Among the many riches it contains is a pearl that we can easily overlook in verse 3--He restores my soul. A pastor friend of mine used to say that God is in the restoration business. Redeeming lost souls certainly falls into this category. But restoration doesn't end at salvation. For us to become more and more like the person of Jesus Christ--which is God's desire for every believer--we must continue to be restored.

1 Peter 5:10 tells us that after we have suffered for a little while that the God of all grace who has called us into his Kingdom, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. Prior to his ascension into Heaven, the disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6). Our Lord responded by telling them to wait for the Holy Spirit who would empower them to do all things. That same Spirit is the One who restores our souls even today.

God is always actively working in our lives; even when we can't see it or feel it. Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel proclaimed God's promises to restore his people. Those same promises are ours to claim as well.

Serve Others and Seek God

Imagine if you will what the last hours of your life would look like if you knew you were going to die. And not just die, but die the most agonizing, torturous death ever experienced by anyone. I've often heard people joke about how they would knowingly spend the last few hours of their life indulging themselves in some elaborate or lavish endeavor before their time would come.

Notice instead how Jesus spend the last few hours of his life on earth. He knew what was coming. He had spent his entire existence doing the will of the Father and wasn't about to stop now. While his disciples had just finish arguing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, the One who actually was began washing their feet (John 13:1-5). He was their Teacher and their Lord (v.13) and he loved them to the end (v.1), yet he demonstrated servanthood to his disciples in such a way that they would learn that no task was too menial in serving others.

Then Jesus brings his disciples to Gethsemane; tells them of the sorrow in his heart and goes off to pray to the Father (Matthew 26:36-38). In his anguish of knowing that in just a few moments he would be taken away to be crucified, he prayed that if there was no other way to accomplish God's plan, that He was obedient to the will of the Father (v.39).

Jesus didn't foolishly indulge himself; he served others and sought time with God. Until the very end. As we navigate through the events and circumstances of our day-to-day lives, let us remember the example of the One we follow by serving others and seeking time with the Father.

It's All Abouth Faith

When my wife Cheryl was pregnant with our daughter Amanda, we knew we wanted to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Once the MRI told us girl, it only took a matter of seconds for us to decide on her middle name--Faith. It took faith to keep hoping after a long period of infertility that God would bless us with a child. It took faith to believe that God would protect our unborn baby as my wife's pregnancy was labeled high risk and she spend her last trimester on bed rest. It took faith to believe that because we prayed and God never took the desire to be parents away from us, that He would bless us with a child.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The word assurance comes from the Greek word meaning "confidence". Assurance and conviction says that Biblical faith is not based on vague hope or wishful thinking, but complete and total confidence that God holds the future and is working all things for good for those who trust in Him (Romans 8:28).

As God's men, we must wholeheartedly embrace the truth that God rewards faithfulness more than performance. A flawed worldly viewpoint tells us we must achieve, conquer, acquire, obtain, collect and accumulate more; none of which brings pleasure to the Father. Hebrews 10:38 says, but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

Hebrews 11 recalls the heroes of the faith; all of whom were characterized by verse 6: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The Other John 3:16

Almost everyone, whether they believe in the person of Jesus Christ or not, is familiar with John 3:16. It is one of the most quoted verses in Scripture. It was the summary of Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus about eternal life. It is our Savior's earthly mission statement. It is the eternal hope of everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ--For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

It seems like everyone--even the funny looking guy with the rainbow-color wig who appeared at countless televised sporting events--knows about John 3:16. Yet there is another 3:16 verse penned by John that speaks to us here and now: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers (1 John 3:16).

1 John 3:16 is the practical application of Christ's love. Our Savior set the example by being a living sacrifice; obedient to the will of God to fulfill his Kingdom purpose. Our purpose and calling; although vastly different from that of our Lord, requires the same mindset. We lay down our lives for others by fulfilling the Great Commandment (Mark 12:31) and loving others as we love ourselves.

Jesus himself said he didn't come to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). He demonstrated servanthood throughout his earthly ministry. Knowing and applying the other John 3:16 helps us to have the same perspective.

Comparison

There's a devastating and destructive game we probably play every day. We don't play it because we're adrenalin junkies or thrill-seekers. We probably aren't even aware that we play it. And worse yet, it is a game where nobody wins and everybody loses. This absolutely dreadful game we play is called comparison. Now you may be thinking, "What's so bad about comparison?" or "How can I tell if I'm doing well or being effective if I don't compare myself to others?"

The problem with comparison is that it usually travels down one of two paths. Path one is pride. If we compare ourselves favorably to others, all of a sudden we look pretty good compared to all those flawed people around us. Mercy and grace toward others becomes more elusive. Humility doesn't even enter our landscape. We may even begin to think we don't need God as much as these poor inferior people around us do.

Path two is self-induced inferiority. If we compare ourselves to others and we don't like the results, we become self-defeating. We begin to believe the lies of the enemy that we aren't important, we aren't valuable, we can't do anything worth noting, what we do doesn't matter and the downward spiral continues.

The only comparison game we need to play is with ourselves. Rather than compare ourselves to others, why not ask, "Am I walking closer to the Lord now than I was last week? Last month? Last year? Romans 12:3 urges us to not think too highly of ourselves, but to use sober judgment according to the faith that God has given us. Romans 12:6 then tells us to use the giftedness that God has given us to serve others. God doesn't want us to compare what we do for the Kingdom to that of another person; He wants us to faithfully serve where we are called and in the way He enabled us. Comparison to others not required.