The Eternal Worth of a Soul

We were walking in down the streets of DC on an excursion day after a conference when it hit me.

It wasn't the first time I've considered it--but maybe the first time I ever mentioned it to my wife and as I shared the thought out loud the truth of it sunk deeper--even a bit surprising. My own voice convicting my calloused heart.

It happened as we were passing a homeless man who was sunken over--asleep in the middle of the day. I wish I could describe him but I don't remember details. I just remember the contrast of his sleeping sadness amidst the busyness of the streets. A breathing still frame lifted from a feature film.

I was reminded of the words of Christ, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matt. 16:26)."

Though we just spent hours looking at priceless works of art in the Smithsonian American Art Museum--and peeked at the 112 carat Hope Diamond--this man surpasses them all.

In fact--Jesus says take all that the world considers valuable--and throw in the world, the stars, the billions of galaxies, and all the unexplored treasures of the known creation and they don't hold up to this man sleeping on the sidewalk next to the trash.

Note the words, "the whole world" and "what shall a man give...?"

Answer? Nothing.

Why?

My best answer that convicted me even as I shared with my wife is that in the same way we place value on duration and uniqueness--Jesus places value on the duration of and uniqueness of a created soul.

The planets will wear out. The farthest star that burns light-years away will eventually burn out. The Hope Diamond will eventually turn to ash. But when the farthest light goes out--the nameless man's soul will keep going--eternal as ever. It will never cease to exist.

Our souls are eternal. Priceless. Meaningful. Significant. Never to go out once breathed into creation. This is true for the most unimpressive life--the most difficult person--the smelliest homeless man. This is true for you and me.

If we truly understood that--we would likely step out of the museums and stare at the man. We would muse over the significance of his soul--the everlasting nature of a something in the middle of everything that won't last a day in forever.

How much is the man worth who has trash blowing on him?

Priceless.

What's it mean to be "born of the Spirit?"

I was recently asked by someone on Facebook for a brief summary of what it means to be "born of the Spirit." Here is my response....

...the phrase "born of the Spirit" comes from John 3 when Nicodemus visits Jesus Christ and Jesus tells him that no one can see the kingdom unless he is "born again".

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus [1] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [2] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [3] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You [4] must be born again.’ 8 The wind [5] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus is basically saying that Nicodemus should know that the only way anyone is made "right" and "acceptable" to God is not by morality and by keeping the 10 commandments (since we've all broken them) but by receiving new life from Jesus himself.

1 Peter 1:3 says, "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

So, basically to be born again (or "born of the Spirit") means to be given new life from Jesus--a "living hope" in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us. It means that you have a living and loving relationship with Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

God Loves Us, Really?

Yesterday Craig Cabaniss preached a message from Psalm 115 about the faithfulness of God in honor of our 5 year anniversary of a church plant.

His reference to the "steadfast love of God" (from the Hebrew word 'hesed') as the unique love of God in Christ Jesus made me think of a particular verse in Eph. 2 that has brought clarity and focus for me regarding God's love. It comes in verse 4.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us"

This verse is tucked between towering phrases of us being "children of wrath" (v. 3), and being "dead in our trespasses," followed by the momentous reality that we are "made alive together with Christ (v. 5)."

Those two realities: our being justifiably objects of God's wrath and the good news of being "alive," "saved," "raised," and "seated" in Him (v. 5-6) can demand such clarity in a day where they are being dismissed that you can miss why God would ever do such a thing in the first place.

Did you miss it?

Why does he do that with people who left to themselves could care less? Why does he raise the dead when "like the rest" they aren't looking to be alive to anything else but what the world offers?

Notice the reasons why God makes dead people live again:

1. "Being rich in mercy" Notice that God doesn't discover mercy. He doesn't go searching for it somewhere. There is no place outside of himself where a treasure trove of mercy exists that replenishes his supply. Rather--he IS merciful "being" rich in mercy--never "becoming" rich in mercy. God is not becoming merciful with time. He is mercy. Moreover--he's RICH in mercy. All mercy demonstrated in the world today find it's source in him alone.

2. ..."with which he loved us" Before we get to the middle part of the verse notice that God loves us. Don't move past that like you've heard that enough from TV evangelists and we need to get to something more objective and sturdy--and less emotional. There is no greater news than that God loves us. If God comes to us through a Christ that deeply hates us and rewards us with a heaven in which he exists irritated and distant from those He made alive we worship a God of deism. Holy and terrifying and logically distant--cold--and ultimately needy to serve him. Because he doesn't love those he redeems he lacks something they must provide through service. But God lacks nothing and loves freely the unlovely.

But how does He love us? Of what kind of love is this? Catch the middle phrase...

3. .."because of the great love.." Notice that Paul qualifies God's love with the phrase, "the great love." I believe Paul wants to separate in our minds the love that we operate from and the love that God operates from. God loves of a particular kind of love. A "great" love. This love is not a small love. A temporal love. A love you are familiar with. It's not a love that is similar to our love and finds it's reflection from us. It's a love that wholly and completely "other" and set apart. It comes from him in an overflowing and ultimately downward direction. We call this "grace."

It's unique.
It's different.
It's strange.
It's lasting.
It's eternal.
It's His alone.

John used language similar to Paul when he wrote...

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him (John 3:1)."

And what is this "kind" of love we are to behold? Where do we see it most clearly?

Let John Owen answer this question for us...

"[Jesus Christ is the] medium of all communication between God and us. In him we meet, in him we walk. All influences of love, kindness, mercy, from God to us, are through him; all our returns of love, delight, faith, obedience unto God, are all through him."

Look at Jesus Christ and you see the embodiment of God's love to us.

The 2 Obstacles of the Religious South

As a pastor it can sometimes feel like I go from one circle of Christians to another to another to another. I am reading Christian books, reading Christian tweets, thinking and talking about the church world all day long. I am aware of mega-churches in and near my city I respect and some of the things they're doing. I am aware of the church-planting movement I'm a part of and others around the country as well. So, given my default mindset--I can operate with some false assumptions about how people in the South have heard the gospel.

I was recently reminded of this on a trip to a sister church in Midland of the desperate state of the religious South to hear the gospel for the first time.

As we did a kind of prayer ministry around the homes of the church a person from my team and I found an open door to talk about Christ with a worker in his 20s.

He was a bright, intelligent, hard-working guy. He was easy to talk to--just "good-ole-boy" for those who enjoyed the Dukes growing up. I liked talking to him. His thoughts concerning religion went something like this.

"Hey I appreciate what you guys are doing...I'm a Christian too...I was saved and baptized as a kid. I don't really have any interest in going to a church--but I know I'll see St. Peter at the pearly gates when I die...I'm good."

Although our mission was to demonstrate the love of Christ through prayer and inviting people to a gospel-class a month away--he seemed open to talking.

"How do you know you'll go to heaven--how do you have confidence of that?"

"Because I'm a good person." [confidently]

He went on to explain that he had never murdered anybody--and that being a good person was all that you needed to be sure of eternal life.

"Why did Jesus die on the cross?"

"For our sins...." [confidently]

But how do you know that you're going to heaven?

"Because I'm a good person..." [confidently]

We asked him if someone can be good enough to earn their way to heaven--why he thought God would ever allow his Son to be killed for sins.

Although he did express that he had never considered that--his thoughts stayed fixed in dual objects in his mind. His hope being grounded in two religious activities. 1. He was a good person based on the moral standards of our time. 2. He did believe in Jesus and performed what was required as a child to know he'd go to heaven when he died.

For the majority of people who live next to us and drive past our churches--never forget the power of these two religious activities in our land. These are the greatest obstacles to overcome in the religious South.

1. I believe in Jesus (and performed a religious activity to prove it).
2. I'm a good person.

I was reminded even if for a moment--to forget the fact that their is a church on every corner in my city.

Forget the thought that people in my neighborhood must have heard the gospel by now--surely!

Forget my assumptions that someone's told them or that they know the gospel--and are just hardened to the truth.

Forget that they're probably on someone's prayer list--and someone must be praying fervently for them.

Rather--assume they've never heard.

Assume they have never heard the good news that a holy God created them in His image--fashioned them for his glory and sent His one and only Son to live, die and rise for them--because in their rejection of God as King could do absolutely nothing else to be redeemed, restored, and made alive again.

Assume no one has ever told them the real gospel. Assume that they've heard a message of religious activity and morality cloaked in Christian jargon.

Now let's go one step further on the mission and assume God sent us as missionary ambassadors to tell them the refreshing news they've never heard before. Assume we're called to live strategically, intentionally, and sacrificially so that they might be rescued from deep fried Southern religion.

Lord--send us out with urgency and desperation to the religious South and help us to lovingly and graciously demonstrate and declare that You rose from the dead to save us from our religion.

Gospel Revolution

Agnosticism in the Bible Belt

With the Launch of REACH--our college ministry at Grace Church--we've been going on campus inviting people out to our Thursday night "non religious" Bible study.

One conversation I had recently was with a very open and friendly student who held to a general belief in God (who he referenced as the Omega), but had serious issues with the biblical portrayal of God. Specifically, he took issue with the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, and the tower of Babel. Although he was missing some details he recalled stories from his Catholic upbringing well and was able to articulate his concerns thoughtfully.

His questions came raw and real. His vision of God is distant and uncaring.

"I mean, why would God put a tree in the middle of the garden just to set us up for failure? Like...thanks a lot."

Regarding the tower of Babel, "Why would he get so mad at people for building a tower to get to heaven when we all end up there anyway?"

His concerns echo the thoughts of an unbeliever at REACH last night. In discussion groups one visitor understood Jesus only as "hope" for people who believe but didn't hold to the Christian understanding of Jesus as a resurrected, real, and returning.

Agnosticism, cynicism, and unbelief aren't isolated to the urban wilderness, but live in the brass buckle of the Bible belt. Moreover, it may thrive in a culture that easily touches religion, and where having some experience or connection with a myriad of churches comes easily--but just as easily comes to reject what they've seen as an uncompelling witness to Jesus.

Joy...

I hope and pray I can write about a conversation I had with someone today with permission in the future.

Lottie Moon once said "there is no greater joy than the saving of souls"

Spurgeon once said, "it is a joy worth worlds to win souls."

Jesus said, "there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

Tonight I concur.

Leave Myopia

You know what it's like to be nearsighted or myopic?

The other day I found myself in an Autozone picking up some parts. As I walked up to the counter I was aware of my coldness toward the young man at the counter. Well, let's be honest. I was not aware of my coldness at all. I saw a guy that was not like me in many ways--and to be honest--in that moment--I didn't particularly like him. Yep. The Pharisees got nothing on my spiritual maturity (Luke 18:11). There you go. It's the backward forest my heart often retreats to. The caverns of tunnel-vision. The hills of self-preservation and short-sightedness.

Myopia.

In the mercy of God I had to go back to the same shop in less than 30 minutes for a different part. The thought crossed my mind, "is there a second chance here?"

I wish I could say that upon seeing the young man the second time waves of bubbly love swept over my soul like a Journey song but I'd be lying. As I got the part from the young man and went to pay I didn't feel different about him. Nothing seemed to change until I decided to climb what felt like the high dive and could feel my need for God.

"Hey, here's an invitation to our church--we'd love to have you sometime." [wanted to leave it there]

[and for the dive] "...and this booklet talks about what I live to tell people--that Jesus died for me and rose from the dead." [not that clear...a bit choppy]

I'm not sure what happened in the young man's heart, but as he took the lit and thanked me, something happened in me. Suddenly, unexpectedly, and subtly I could see his eyes for the first time. My ears could hear his voice. My mind could think about his family--his sister he mentioned living with nearby. He became a guy with a story complete with his own dreams, hurts, and needs--most of all the need for Jesus.

He suddenly became very much like me.

I want the picture of his eyes to burn off the frost that collects like cataracts on my own. Jesus gave his life away to free me from myself and give me power to walk in His reconciling love and away from joyless self-interest. He lives in me to empower me to leave my kingdom and live for His.

For the eyes of tomorrow--let's exodus Myopia and get on with it...

What is Faith?

Let Peter describe the essence of saving faith...

And though you have not seen him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).

There are 3 things Peter describes in these two verses as aspects of the word "faith" and they all relate to the activities of the heart in relation to the invisible King and Savior Jesus.

1. You love him (v. 8)

2. You believe in him (v. 8)

3. You rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory in him (v. 8)

Peter assumes all those activities are involved in some measure in "your faith." No wonder it's a miracle. No wonder only God the Spirit deposited in us can pull this off. No wonder we need to recover this understanding of faith and share with the world that it desperately needs God's own power in them to produce a faith of love, belief, and joy in the living Christ to be saved forever.