contend: an exhortation (video)

contend: an exhortation

What is the cost of following Christ? I believe inevitably it is the cost of your life. As you know it. On this earth. True grace understands that it cost the the Son of God his very life. This grace is infinitely valuable. To embrace true grace is to truly die to yourself and your desires in every area of life. Sure, it may not cost you martyrdom in the physical sense, but alas, I can assure you that you will face martyrdom. Christ is clear when he says that the world hated him and they will hate you as well. The Christian is an enigma. He is not at home in this world. He is a pilgrim, a sojourner, a nomad, a vagabond. We cherish the time that we have been given to embrace the full Gospel of Christ and the costly grace that has been bestowed upon us.

But oh how much we abuse this grace. We treat it as if it were purchased at a thrift store for the price of pennies on the dollar. Because it was freely given it must have been freely purchased. What blasphemy! What arrogance! What an abomination! To claim to have been bought by the very blood of the Son of God and to in turn spit in his face and represent him in this world as if he is a hill of dung! If it weren’t for Christ, we would all be damned at this very moment! We would still be dead in our sin and at enmity with God. Corpses. Even our good deeds amounting to bloody tampons and menstrual rags. Apart from Christ, we are NOTHING! In Christ, we have our redemption. In Christ, we have been reconciled to God! In Christ, we have been justified and declared righteous! In Christ, we have our adoption! In Christ, is our propitiation, satisfying the very wrath of God that we deserved to have poured out on us to the dregs! In Christ we have victory over the enemy and death! In Christ our salvation is secure! This is true grace! Grace that demands a person to leave all for the sake of his Master! Grace that constrains us to know nothing but Christ and him crucified! Grace that preaches the gospel as the very power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes! Grace that counts everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord! Grace that for his sake we suffer the loss of all things and count them as dung, in order that we may gain Christ! Indeed, this very grace that requires us to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints!

We have been entrusted with something infinitely more valuable than anything on this earth can even come close to in comparison. This Gospel, is the only thing that will reconcile fallen man to God. As believers, we are in an all out WAR! And this war is for the very souls of men. That’s how valuable the Gospel is. And oh how it is profaned and spoken of so flippantly! Body of Christ, its high time we contend for the faith that we have been entrusted with. At the very least I can guarantee that it will cost you something. You will be martyred in some way. Count it all joy, brethren! May the love of Christ control us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, we regard no one according to the the flesh. Even though we one regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from GOD, who through CHRIST reconciled us to himself and gave US the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in CHRIST God was reconciling the world to himself not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We IMPLORE you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God.

Oh, if we would truly embrace the full Gospel and allow it to transform our life! I pray that God will allow our lives as believers to be defined by this very Gospel he has entrusted us with to represent him to the unbelieving world. May we repent of our cheap, flippant ways in which Christ is so grossly misrepresenting to the unbelieving world. May the love of God that cost Christ his very life compel you to proclaim and live this Gospel, even if the cost is infinite!

solus Christus
m.

the day after: a reflecion

In light of the conclusion of yesterday’s election, I could not help but be amazed by the response of people on both sides.  I don’t want to come off as being a cynic or rain on anyone’s party, but I’m somewhat grieved.  Primarily, the grief has nothing to do with President Elect Obama.  When it comes to politics, I’m a moderate and I’ll give anyone a fair shake.  Ultimately, I believe that God is in control and Romans 13 is clear, ...”Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”  So, I submit myself and honor Obama as my President as I have Bush.  I have no qualms and I’m at absolute peace and understand that God is and has been in control of every election.  

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of my dead mentors I often read, says that there are two things that never change;  God and man.  When I look at world history, I cannot help but see that “peace” is not the default mode of society, rather it’s war.  Times of peace are actually an abnormality as far as world history is concerned.  Look at the history of our nation alone.  We have seen far more years of war than peace.  Every empire eventually falls and the world is a “jacked” up place.  Always has been, always will be.  That is, until Christ returns and makes things right.  What grieves me is that so many people, Christians included, place so much faith in one man as if he is the savior and is going to set everything right and we’re going to live in this utopia for time immemorial.  This is not the first time I’ve observed this in my short life.  It happens every four years.  A president is elected, hopes are high, hopes are dashed, the parties “war” blaming each other.  No one takes responsibility or acknowledges that they could have possibly been wrong on a “matter”.  I can’t help but see depravity everywhere.  People are longing for a Savior.  Someone to rescue them from their dire condition and make things right.  They want Jesus, but they don’t know it and don’t want to know it.  All men have the desire to be rescued and worship something bigger and beyond themselves.  That’s the way God created us.  Anything short of Christ will only result in apathetic let downs and dashed hopes and dreams.  

So, how bad is this world?  It’s worse than you think it is.  How lost are you?  More lost than you believe you are, myself included.  How much does God love you?  More than you ever dared hope for.  So much that he personally came to this earth and took on human flesh and gave his own life on your behalf.  That’s where true “change” occurs.  By Christ rescuing us from our fallen state.  If we would only fall more passionately in love with the Gospel of Christ and embrace it and allow it to define our lives.  It wouldn’t matter who was in office.  There is nothing more powerful on the face of this earth than the true power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is the “power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.”  That my friends is where the change has to occur.  By all means, politics has its place.  It was instituted by God.  But it is primarily a negative force to somewhat manage and slow the decay of this utterly rotten world in which we live.  The only positive change that occurs in this world  through lives being rescued out this darkness and brought into the light of the Gospel.  

So, I conclude by making this appeal.  If you’re a believer in Christ, I urge you to embrace the full Gospel and allow it to take hold of your life.  If your not a believer, I want you to know that I love you and I’m praying for you and I’m here for you!  I understand what its like to not believe.  I understand what its like to not like Christians.  But please, this is something that goes far beyond this life.  I love you too much not to give you this truth.  If you truly desire to be rescued, please turn to Christ and he will receive you with open arms just as you are, baggage included.  I love you!