Our Glory and Joy

People have a lot of fears.  Here’s the top ten list of our favorite phobias from polls taken over the years:

1. Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders.

2. Ophidiophobia: The fear of snakes.

3. Acrophobia: The fear of heights.

4. Agoraphobia: The fear of situations in which escape is difficult (ya think?).

5. Cynophobia: The fear of dogs.

6. Astraphobia: The fear of thunder and lightning.

7. Trypanophobia: The fear of injections (so much for getting a vaccination to cure this phobia . . .)

8. Social Phobias: The fear of social situations. In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people that are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.

9. Pteromerhanophobia: The fear of flying. (or perhaps the fear of unpronounceable words?)

10. Mysophobia: The fear of germs or dirt (not a good phobia to have in 2021).

That’s not even to mention things like:

Drillophobia – fear of going to the dentist

Twitophobia – the fear of having your life destroyed by one stupid twitter post (selfie from the Capitol anyone?)

Textophobia – the fear that you might miss a really important text in the 1.37 nano seconds since the last time you checked you phone

There is, however, one phobia that did not break the top ten, but should stand at #1 – Theophobia!  The Fear of God.

In my last post I provided a theological definition of the Fear of the Lord, but spent the bulk of the time priming the pump for an appreciation of biblical fear by describing five essential Christian qualities that are produced by fearing God. I drew on a number of Biblical texts to demonstrate that the fear of the Lord is: the beginning of wisdom, the foundation of holiness, the origin of love, the essence of worship and the basis for security. More broadly, I am convinced that the fear of the Lord is the proper motivation for all other responses to God and His Word. Perhaps we could say that the fear of the Lord is a little like oil in your car.  Its presence is essential for the components of the engine to function together smoothly and efficiently. Remove the oil and everything starts to break down very quickly. 

With that in mind, lets dive into the definition of the fear of the Lord so that we might know how to cultivate this essential character quality. Remember, The Fear of the Lord is:

The delightful, dreadful, consuming, reverential awe of God which flows from an understanding of His majestic character and results in increasing submission and obedience for the purpose of bringing glory to His name.

Fear is an attitude of the heart that is produced by the Holy Spirit and cultivated by faith as we read the Word of God

Delight

To delight in the fear of the Lord is to derive utmost pleasure and joy in thinking about, and responding to the greatness, power, majesty, love, grace, and compassion of God.  This delight is not a visceral emotional response to God like the delight of consuming a triple chocolate fudge brownie Blizzard on a sweltering summer evening, but more like the settled, joyful, confident delight that comes from basking in the love of your spouse as you celebrate your 75 wedding anniversary. The delight of holy fear is an affection of the heart not a fluctuating emotion.

Lest delight seem like an inappropriate affection to combine with fear, the book of Isaiah tells us that the coming Messiah would Himself “delight in the fear of the Lord, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear” (Isaiah 11:2-3).

We delight in that which we value. The fear of the Lord is of greatest value to one who has partaken of His unsurpassed blessings. Like a piece of fine jewelry, or a vase inlaid with gold causes us pleasure and joy to look upon – so does the character and nature of God as He exerts his goodness on our behalf.

A true fear of the Lord causes us to delight in obeying His commands as well, Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments (Ps 112:1). Consider, if you were an engineer, how delighted you would be to have Elon Musk personally call you up and ask you to be part of his design team for the Mars spaceship. What if he then provided you an office next to his and daily called you in for a personal briefing on how the project was doing?  Every time he ordered you to do something, you would pinch yourself to make sure you were really getting the opportunity to participate in his work.

The fear of the Lord is the Christian’s highest delight.

Holy dread

Holy Dread combines an understanding of God’s great power, might, holiness and steadfast love, with a cognizance of His hatred of sin and willingness and power to judge it.  This leads to the fear of displeasing, failing to bring glory to, or incurring the discipline of one we love deeply. C.S. Lewis describes this kind of relationship with God in his allegorical presentation of Aslan the Lion in the Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan is strong, good, awesome, and powerful, yet also intimately relational. At one point in the book, Susan, when learning from Mr. Beaver that Aslan is a lion says, “Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” To which Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

This Holy dread does not cause us to recoil from the Lord in craven fear, but enables us to have absolute confidence and security in the power and presence of God – removing all fear of worldly powers or circumstances. This healthy, fear-reducing dread of God is described by Isaiah:

“You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Is 8:12-14).

Although the world mocks this concept of God, we would be fools not to have a sense of overwhelming smallness as we enter into the presence of the greatest power in the universe – even if we know that power is well disposed toward us. A pounding waterfall is overwhelmingly beautiful at a distance, but as you draw closer, its power carries a sense of uneasiness, as though you could be instantly caught up and swept away in its deluge. Christians are fond of the image of believers as tiny infants being held in the strong arms of a loving father. However, the little baby knows nothing of the power, wisdom, or motivations of the father. We do, and this brings both delight and dread.

‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. ‘Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. ‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. Je 5:21-23

Our God remains a consuming fire, even though we are protected from being consumed by the inferno. A volcano is still an awesome thing even when viewed from relative safety! Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-20).

Holy dread comes from an understanding of God’s hatred of sin and His love for His Son. Jerry Bridges states, “God has no favorite children whom He will allow to get away with disobedience. God is no indulgent grandfather who overlooks our sin. Some people . . . seem to think that suffering God’s fatherly displeasure and dishonoring His holy name is somehow viewed by God as less sinful or heinous because of Christ. In reality, it is the other way around.  How dare those who have partaken of Christ’s holy sacrifice choose to dishonor that sacrifice by indulging in wanton sin” (Bridges, The Joy of Fearing God). The apostle Peter puts this succinctly:

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.( 1 Pe 1:17-19).

The fear of the Lord produces a Holy dread that deepens and strengths our love for God and His character.

Consuming Passion

Fear is not an attitude we turn on or off depending on the situation.  It is an all-consuming passion.  Every aspect of our lives is to be lived out in the fear of the Lord.  This fear nullifies every other fear.  When we are consumed with the fear of the Lord, there is no time to be distracted by petty concerns, Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always” ( Pr 23:17).  King Solomon, at the end of a survey of every pleasure and vice that life had to offer states, The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil (Ec 12:13-14).

Being consumed with the fear of the Lord means living with the understanding that everything we do is scrutinized by our loving, gracious, Holy Lord and so we desire to bring greatest pleasure and honor to Him.

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences (2 Co 5:9-11)

What consumes you?  Is it politics, sports, conspiracies, exercise, morality, making money, finding popularity, having a boyfriend or girlfriend, gaining a spouse?  Each of those things can be a good pursuit (except, perhaps, conspiracies), but only as coming underneath a fear of the Lord, not in place of it.

Reverence

This fear-driven reverence entails deepest respect, admiration and devotion to God in response to His greatness and majesty. To revere someone is to give them the value they deserve. Thus,  reverent fear is not a favor we give to God, it is His due:

There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You (Je 10:6-7).

All men – believers and unbelievers alike will bow the knee before Jesus!  We reflect our true understanding of His worthiness through our attitude and actions of reverent fear.

Awe

True fear is “awe-ful”. It involves being completely overwhelmed and continually amazed at the infinite worth, dignity, power, glory, love and grace of God. This awe will never fade, for it is enhanced the closer we draw to God (we will have holy fear even in heaven!). One look at God’s creation should stir in us a fearful awe:

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast (Ps 33:6-9)

Fearful awe is also produced as we contemplate the work of God in redemption. We see, in the Word of God, the great power of God displayed in Christ who has conquered sin, death, hell, and Satan. Surely this is a greater deliverance than the escape of the Israelites from the finite powers of the Egyptian army:

When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.Ex 14:31

We stand in ever increasing awe of God as we take hold of the forgiveness He provides and begin to recognize the depth of the sacrifice made, the value of the price paid, and the lavishness of the love displayed to make our forgiveness possible. “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared (Ps 130:3-4).

Every time we seek forgiveness we should fear the Lord more, have a greater reverence and respect for Him, a greater delight in his provision for us, and greater dread of his holy, righteous character.

Conclusion

As we finish this discussion of the fear of the Lord, take some time to consider the following questions:

1.     In what kinds of things do you take greatest delight? Are you seeking, by faith, to be delighted in the Trinity?

2.     Is God increasingly weighty to you? Do you regularly bring before you mind His might, power, lavish love, hatred of sin, fatherly discipline, absolute holiness? 3. Do these character qualities produce a dread at displeasing him of falling under his fatherly hand of discipline?

4.     What things consume you? What pursuits characterize your life? What things do you pursue when you have free time? Do you dabble in the fear of the Lord or are you consumed with it?

5.     Who do you respect more than anyone else? Whose name and character would you never even think of impugning? Who do you hold in the highest esteem?  To whom do you bend the knee in respectful worship?

6.     For whom would you drop everything just for the chance to be in their presence?  Who takes your breath away at the thought of their wondrous works?

 There are a great many things to fear in this world, but only fear we are to cultivate – the fear of the Lord.  May you know fear, and know, no fear!

Exalting Christ in Any Administration

I know, I know, the 2020 Election is not officially over.  While I think it highly unlikely that Donald Trump will pull magic ballots out of his litigation hat, there is still a process to be completed.  On December 14^th (today!) state electors cast their ballots, December 23^rd the president of the senate receives the electoral vote certificates and, finally, on January 6^th congress counts the electoral votes and officially declares a winner.  Then of course the current president must actually leave the White House . . . .

All this leaves the next POTUS potentially unresolved.  However, although a Biden presidency is nearly certain, the Christian response to any new president remains essentially the same. All political parties and personages bring with them a confused, murky mix of questionable policies and character flaws that must be addressed by clear Biblical principles.  Following are five scriptural responses to whichever person and party takes over presidential power on January 20^th.

A.   Be Christian, not Republican (or Democrat)

Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

A truly Biblical response to the election will not be Republican or Democratic in nature.  We are citizens of heaven not political cronies of one party or another.  Even when certain planks of the two major political platforms line up with Biblical principles, it is clearly not the purpose of either party to bring glory to God through Christ.  Additionally, while many Biblical moral standards are supported by the Republican platform in principle (particularly issues of marriage, protection of the unborn, the rule of law, private ownership, and personal responsibility) there are many Republican leaders who do not fully support those morals and very few who support a truly Christian view of why those standards are important. 

So, a wise response to our next president does not involve embracing or rejecting his party affiliation, but instead requires biblical wisdom and discernment to do everything for the glory of God within the confines of obedience, submission, respect, and freedom of conscience.

Our first response to the election is to be truly Christian, not politically partisan.

B.    Be Angry and Do Not Sin

Eph 4:26–27 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

While our response to the next president is not driven by political advocacy, we need to be aware of the dangers and attacks which are inherent in the principles and stated intentions of the administration which comes into power.  A democratic presidency will almost certainly bring policies and actions which give rise to righteous anger. To stick our heads in the sand and refuse to acknowledge this reality is to ignore the promptings of our biblically informed conscience, which is never wise. An honest analysis of past administrations reveals that, almost certainly, the following issues will arise.

1. Increased attack on the unborn

There will be an increased attack on the unborn.  The stated goal of the president-elect, his vice president and his party is to increase the ease and availability of abortion in our own country and around the world.  If children in the womb could be aware of the results of this election they would recoil in horror as they do before the abortionists knife.

2. Increased attack on the Biblically defined family

The biblical definition of marriage and family will be assaulted with increasing vitriol.  No aspect of God’s intended plan for one man to marry one women for life and to raise godly offspring will go unchallenged.  This is grievous at a number of levels, not the least of which is the destruction of the family unit, one of the primary building blocks of a stable society.

3. Increased attack on the public expressions of the Christian faith and Biblical morality

The public square is already hostile to biblical expression of the Christian faith and morality.  Aversion to these truths is certain to grow.  The pressure to only allow Christian living in the privacy of one’s own home (and even then with harassment and belittling by the cultural elite) will slowly increase to squeeze the life out of truly righteous behavior. 

4. Increased inroads by the LGBTQ agenda

In recent years, the democratic agenda has been the sycophantic cheerleader of the LGBTQ message.  We are awash in a push to normalize all deviant sexual behaviors and to label all who resist as bigot, haters, and worse.  Certainly, we do not look forward to this with eager anticipation.

5. Increased pressure from the social justice agenda

Like a storm on the horizon, the social justice, woke, critical race theory agenda has been gathering.  With this administration the fury of the storm is most likely to be unleashed.  Kept contained from virulent formation over the past several years, the gale force winds of cultural Marxism threaten to strike will full force.  This will sweep away some measure of the order and structure of a society ruled by law and personal responsibility rather than equality of outcome.  An increasing lack of justice for both the afflicted and the elite will be the result.  This is something to grieve over.

Warning, warning

A strong caveat to this principle is that our human anger is never completely righteous.  It is always tainted with our own sin and selfishness.  We need to take care lest the legitimate concerns of conscience prompt in us unrighteous behavior. In our anger we are commanded not to sin which includes unwholesome words.  Whenever we have a sinful response, even to truly evil actions, the devil has a double opportunity.  He will use the wicked deeds for maximum harm and use the sinful response to destroy the witness and character of believers. 

We are not to belittle, mock, or slander those with whom we disagree.  Titus 3:1-3 tells us that we are to malign no one and show every consideration for all men – because as they are, we once were (or would have been).

Instead of being sinfully angry, we are to love.  This does not mean that we must all hold hands and agree with the ruling party because they just won the election (as they are now hypocritically trumpeting from every co-opted media outlet), but the principle of love does require us to be kind, gracious, gentle and gospel centered in our words and actions.

Our second response is to hate sin but respond in truth and love.

C.   Be Anxious for Nothing

Php 4:6–9 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Yup, I went there.  You knew these verses were coming and are already marshalling your excuses as to why you are not really anxious, just “properly concerned.” Or maybe, you are willing to admit that you are consumed by anxiety, but being bashed over the head by this principle, only increases your worry.  My intent is not to shove you into the slough of despond over tendencies towards apprehension, but to remind you that there is real provision for dealing with the legitimate fears that arise in our hearts as we consider the harms mentioned above (and many other I did not mention).

What are some of those legitimate fears?  Well, I certainly do not desire for myself, or my children (or you and yours) to grow up in the America that is almost certainly coming (how quickly remains to be seen).  I yearn to continue to enjoy freedom of worship, equality of opportunity, economic prosperity, and societal harmony – and I want these for my kids.  Yet I must be willing to recognize that a lack of these things need not, and must not, affect the fruit of the Spirit expressed in and through my life.  Even in relationship to my family, the reality is that my children will most likely be stronger, more vibrant Christians as a result of the spiritual challenges they will face – even if they have smaller homes, less resources, and fewer societal opportunities.

And so, as Philippians 4:6-9 describes, I do need to pray, I must be thankful, I am required take hold of the peace I have with God and in Christ.  I have a responsibility to think about everything biblically, and it is essential that I imitate the faithful obedience of men like Paul. This does not ensure that I will never feel inner turmoil, but that I will much more rarely be capsized by the waves of circumstance.

So, there you have it, my sermon on anxiety.  However, there are few specific “apprehension producers” that I would like to deal with before leaving this principle.

1.     Assuming certain things will be done before they happen

First, we should be careful not to turn assumptions about what our president elect might do into “facts” about what he has already done.  Matthew 6:24 reminds us, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We are not equipped by God to handle tomorrows evils today.  If things we anticipate do materialize, the Lord will strengthen us to overcome them then, not now.

2.     Being consumed with conspiracies

Additionally, we must, at all costs, avoid drinking deeply from sources of information that present scenarios that cannot be verified and about which, even if they were true, nothing could be done (QAnon anyone?).  There are conspiracies out there, some which are obvious enough.  But, by their very definition, conspiracies are hard to identify and even harder to quantify.  Imagine a conspiracy so big that it could orchestrate the manufacture and release of a virus which would overwhelm the world governmental systems in just the right measure to bring about a diabolical world agenda of ruin and domination by some mysterious shadow lord.  If someone (or some group of people) has that kind of power and resources, you and your ten (or ten thousand) buddies on the internet aren’t going to get in their way.  How much better to seek first the Kingdom of God and let his infinite power deal with finite conspiracies. 

Several Biblical principles provide guidance in this area.  First, don’t get carried away by worldly myths, discipline yourself for godliness.

1 Ti 4:7–8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Second, don’t dread the conspiracies that the world fears – fear God instead.

Is 8:12–14 “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

I have soon too many men (yes, it is almost always men) drawn away into endless research and discussion of conspiratorial issues.  This has led many of them to spiritual (and often economic, marital, and familial) ruin.

3.     Believing things about people that cannot be verified

Lastly in this regard.  Don’t grow anxious believing things about people or events that cannot be verified.  We are to be driven by the truth, but so much of what we hear on our news outlets and social media feeds is nothing but pure gossip.  How deadly it is when we allow our emotions, actions, and responses to others to be guided by lies or inuendos.  Consider how damaging it is to the truth of the gospel when we are characterized by spreading lies.  If you can’t be bothered to verify the truth of (or better yet be unaffected by) the constant stream of gossip on your Facebook feed, why should someone believe you about the eternal realities of the gospel – which require a lot more attention than the latest right wing Twitter rant.  Commit to live out Ephesians 4:25, Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Our third response is to defeat anxiety by careful, truthful biblical thinking and action.

D.   Be Biblically Political

To refuse anxiety over political machinations is not to abandon the political arena all together.  Part of our role as responsible citizens of this country is to be involved in political affairs to the extent that we love other people well.  The church corporately does not take an active role in politics, but the individual believer can, and many times should.

1.     Pray for the president and leaders

One of the primary responsibilities we have toward our leaders it to pray for them.

1 Ti 2:1–2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

The goal of this prayer is that our governmental authorities would allow us to lead peaceful and quiet lives during which we worship and evangelize freely and openly.  Prayer humbly reminds us that we are not in control of the political situation and are in desperate need of the power of God turn the hearts of our leaders towards what is good and right. 

2.     Be respectful of the office of leadership

Although individual leaders may exhibit characteristics that we loath, we are still responsible to have a respect for the authority of the office and live in biblical submission to the rulers over us.

1 Pe 2:13–17 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

To be “biblically political” is to use our freedom to pursue things that are good and right while honoring everyone in our lives; loving those in the church; having a delightful, dreadful, consuming, reverential awe of God; and a healthy respect of the king (or president).  Romans 13 tells us that we do this out of fear of punishment, but also for conscience sake – disrespectful, disobedient behavior sears our conscience, taking a terrible toll on our ability to identify and repent of sin in every area.

3.     Stay involved in all ways that are appropriate for your life situation

There is a place for righteous political activity.  We can vote our conscience, work for better legislation, write to put pressure on our congressman, and promote causes which protect and provide for the afflicted and needy.

We need to be careful to keep a proper focus, however.  Every action we undertake is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with the purpose of bringing glory to God – not pushing a particular political or social agenda.

1 Co 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

4.     Don’t let your life be dominated by politics

Regardless of the spectrum of our political activity, we are never to be dominated by political concerns.  We would be better off in most cases to turn off Fox news, limit our facebook feed to five minutes, and carefully develop news sources that provide a modicum of objectivity.  In every administration we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and not the “kingdom” we currently happen to occupy.  Our primary focus, and the basis of our unity as believes is not politics, but the gospel.

Php 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Out fourth response is to pursue politics with biblical zeal and constraint.

E.    Be Filled With the Spirit

Col 3:16–17 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Our final reaction to a political power shift is to actively approach each day in the strength of the Holy Spirit.  We must let the Word of Christ richly dwell within us, not clouded by the fog of our own delusions or the swirling mists of cultural opinion.

1.     Live by faith, not feelings

Ga 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

When we live by the Spirit, we will not cater to our feelings or allow them to drive our behavior.  Instead, our decisions will be made in the exercise of faith according to the principles of God’s Word.  This will protect us from the knee jerk reactions of fluctuating emotions brought on by the distressing decisions and policies of a new administration.

2.     Understand God’s sovereign control is wise, loving, and good

Ro 8:28–29 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

When dominated by a worldly mindset, it is easy to forget that God’s power and control are directed towards His children in wisdom, love, and desire for our highest good – even as He pursues His own glory.  If He were sovereign without these qualities we might cringingly obey, forced to our knees by His overwhelming mastery, but we would become hateful and resentful.  If God were full of gracious character without sovereignty, we would be just as well off with a kindly old grandfather – benevolent but toothless.  But our faithful God works through every circumstance, including politics, to confirm us to the image of Christ (our highest good) so that Christ will receive the highest exaltation (God’s greatest glory, and thus our highest joy).

3.     Put your hope in the return of Christ not the present earthly situation

1 Pe 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The world despairs and complains about the political situation for good reason, their highest hope is in the people with the greatest power to affect their welfare (governmental authorities).  Our hope as believers, however, is not in the latest policies or most recent supreme court appointment, but in the sure return of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  When we walk by the Spirit we remember this and find true joy, when we walk in the flesh the loss of our world-based hopes brings depression and anxiety.

4.     Give an account for the hope that is in you – with gentleness and reverence

1 Pe 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Should the political situation bring hard and difficult days (a near certainty regardless of party affiliation) we will have an excellent opportunity to live with expectant joy not grumbling complaint.  The world will wonder at our unusual response and ask us to explain where our true hope lies.  Unlike many pseudo-Christian responses to the political situation of our day, being filled with the Spirit will guard us from the caustic, mocking, angry, spiteful vitriol often seen on our social media posts.  Instead we will reply with a Spirit empowered gentleness (just the right amount of force needed) and reverence (awe of God which fuels our humble and contrite response).

5.     Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

Mt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The kingdom of God goes forward regardless of the political regime making the most noise.  Kingdom purposes can and must be pursued under any governmental system.  When they are, all the physical things that we truly need (like food and clothing) will be provided to us in sufficient measure (even if the measure is not according to our desire!).

6.     Keep a Biblical/historical perspective

1 Pe 4:12–14 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

There is surprisingly little political angst in the pages of the New Testament.  No writer under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit communicates his deep concern for the policies of the latest Caesar, or Herod.  About the closest thing to a political statement is Jesus’ exhortation to render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which belongs to Him.  This is not exactly the stuff of dark web discussion channels. The one reality of governmental abuse that the NT regularly acknowledge is that of persecution – and this we are told to face with joy and expectation of blessing.

7.     Shepherd your family

Eph 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

We must work hard not to allow our political concerns to keep us from wisely shepherding our families with Holy Spirit empowered leadership and example.  Oh, how the evil one would love to distract parents with political pandering so that they do not live out their Biblical roles as spouses or bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  You have enough in your family to biblically concern you, without being overwhelmed by concerns over the latest congressional legislation.

8.     Engage in building and strengthening the church

Eph 4:15–16 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a Spirit filled response to the present political situation will always include active use of our gifts in equipping the saints for the works of service that the church might grow in maturity and faith.  The one institution that we are called to pour out our lives for and direct all our interests toward is the “church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15b).  Countries and political systems come and go, but the church will go forward and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.  There are no two thousand year governments!  But there is the church triumphant.

Protect the unity of the church

Eph 4:1–6 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

A corollary to this active building of the body of Christ is alert, discerning effort directed toward protecting our unity.  Few things carve up a church like political dissension.  Adding a global pandemic to the mix the results in a volatile concoction indeed.  One of the Spirit’s primary functions is to empower believers to be of the “same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Philippians 2:2).  We must not allow our political desires and concern to cause us to “bite and devour one another, lest we be consumed by each other (Gal 5:15).

Our final principle is Holy Spirit saturated consumption of, and obedience to, the Word of God.

Conclusion

And so, we have our marching orders for the next four years (and then the next four years . . .) – Be Christian not Republican (Or Democrat), Be Angry but Do Not Sin, Be Anxious for Nothing, Be Biblically Political, and Be Filled with the Spirit. 

These principles will not make the top ten list on the Rush Limbaugh Show or the Daily Wire, but they should stand you in good stead for a spiritually prosperous political new year.

In preparation for a recent sermon, I came across a list of the world’s most lavish individual purchases.  At the top of the list was the acquisition of the History Supreme Yacht for 4.5 billion dollars.  This is no ordinary boat! The History Supreme is made from solid gold and platinum. Its main stateroom displays a bed whose headboard contains genuine Tyrannosaurus Rex bones (Go figure – The “Night at the Museum” franchise just got a new movie script).  While you are I are probably not ready to run out and purchase a four billion dollar ship – we should take time to carefully consider what is most valuable to us.  This is particularly true in light of the trouble and turmoil of the last year – including the ongoing mess that we call an election.  What we value most will be the driving force behind our lives, will determine whether we live in joyful contentment or anxious vexation, and will establish our spiritual legacy.  The true measure of what we value is always revealed during times of great stress and difficulty.

So, what has greatest worth in your life?  Your car, your home, your country, your reputation, your career, your hobbies, your health, your family, your spouse?  All these have merit of one degree or another.  But there is one person who is to be of ultimate value, our Lord Jesus.  He is of infinitely greater worth than the vast fortunes of Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates, He is of infinitely greater interest than the total accumulated wisdom of the ages, He is of infinitely greater beauty than all the natural wonders of the world. 

There is, in the Scriptures, a lovely portrait of one who considered Jesus of greater profit than her most treasured possession and joyfully sacrificed that treasure to demonstrate the worthiness of her Messiah.  In doing so, she testified that Jesus is the King, who in His atoning death was worthy of her lavish love and sacrificial worship.  Her name, of course, is Mary.

We first encounter Mary in the book of Luke, as the sister of Martha and Lazarus, “who was seated at the Lord’s feet listening to His Word” (Luke 10:39).  From the very start Mary is focused on “the good part” of devoting herself to the worship of Jesus.  The most memorable picture of Mary is found in John 12 (and Matthew 26), the night before passion week in the home of Simon the Leper.  As Jesus reclines to eat, Mary anoints him with an alabaster vial of precious perfume (perhaps her entire life savings), pouring it on his head and then wiping his feet with her hair.  The entire room fills with the fragrance of the ointment (and her heartfelt act of sacrificial worship).  The disciples are indignant (spurred on by the treacherous, greedy Judas) and label Mary’s display a “waste,” but Jesus rebukes them, stating that she has done a good deed to Him, prophetically anointing him for burial.  Jesus then predicts that wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what Mary had done will be remembered.

Although Mary’s act is, in one sense, a unique, historical event, never to be replicated, Jesus prediction of remembrance provides us with the opportunity to apply Mary’s valuing of Jesus and the work He would accomplish on the cross (even through probably not fully understood by her in the moment) to our own situation.

First, let us see, through Mary, the greatness of Jesus.  While the disciples were considering their own prominence and the religious leaders were plotting Christ’s death to protect their own power and prestige, Mary clearly saw that only Jesus is truly great.  Although she may not have understood exactly what her act signified, Jesus stated that it was an anointing of him for burial. Thus she put an prior stamp of approval on what makes Him infinitely greater than anything this world has to offer – the atoning sacrifice for the permanent forgiveness of sin, deliverance from eternal hell, and intimate experience of the pleasures of God forever. We too should focus on increasing our appreciation of His majesty by rejecting our vain consideration of self regularly meditating on the price He paid for our redemption.

Next, let us be challenged by Mary to care, primarily, about the exaltation of Jesus.  Judas and the twelve claimed that the money from the perfume would have been better used to provide for the poor, but Jesus credited Mary with an act which exalted as essential His own character and accomplishment. In front of a room full of beard wagging, self-righteous men, this gentle woman thought nothing of herself, and in her humility exalted her soon to be sacrificed Messiah. When we properly value Christ, we ignore our own exaltation, and even the lifting up of the human downtrodden becomes of secondary importance.

Finally, let us be prompted by Mary to the sacrificial worship of Jesus.  Mary acted on her supreme valuation of Christ through a lavish act of selfless adoration.  He fragrant sacrifice of reverence cut through the foul stench of greed and pride that marred the atmosphere of the tiny room.  She was eager and willing to give up what was, almost certainly, her most valuable earthly possession.  Our lives should be characterized by similar acts – offering our very bodies as living sacrifices, acceptable to God which is our spiritual service of worship (Rom 12:1).

And so, it all comes down to value.  Not the value of some temporal trinket (like a four billion dollar yacht), but those things which are of eternal consequence.  Mary esteemed Christ above all other things and will be remembered forever.  What will you be remembered for?

Having just finished up a sermon on the betrayal or Jesus by Judas Iscariot, I have found it difficult to get Jesus’ haunting phrase out of my mind, “woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”  While there is a uniquely historical aspect to Judas’ betrayal (no one will ever again be guilty of betraying the incarnate Jesus after having been personally called by Him and observing his character and teaching for three intense years), the issue of apostasy is ongoing and very closely related to Judas’ act. 

Apostasy is the rejection of the person and work of Jesus Christ after having professed faith in Him and been associated with the people of God (through the church) to a significant decree.  To apostasize, then, is to have experienced all the external benefits of Christ, His Word and His people and then to “betray” Him by rejecting these blessings in a functional pledge of loyalty to the evil one himself.  Furthermore, the condition of apostates as described in Scripture seems very similar to that of Judas – hardened in sin and rebellion and turned over by God to the consequences of the course they have chosen (Heb. 6:4-6, Heb. 10:26-30)  Thus, the assessment for those who reject Christ in this way could easily be summed up in Jesus’ woe to Judas – truly it would be better if they had never been born.

In light of this chilling reality, I would like to post an open letter to apostates (functional Judas’) that I penned last year after the very public statements of Josh Harris and several other prominent, formerly “Christian” leaders.  I do wish to acknowledge that,  “there for the grace of God go I,” and yet, I pray this letter will be part of the grace of God that keeps myself, and others, from “going there.”   By bringing to your attention the stinging, and terrifying rebuke Scripture provides to apostates, I hope to perform a valuable shepherding function for the church as a whole.

Open Letter to Josh Harris and the Other Recent Apostates,

While others have undertaken to expose the foolishness and hypocrisy of publicly abandoning a “faith” that was clearly not your own, I would like to address the darker side of what you have done in abandoning the Lord Jesus Christ who lavished upon you both His common grace and the unique grace of being associated with His people.  I do not write this with any malice or personal vindictiveness, but I hope to bring a jolting reminder of what the Bible has to say about your recent actions.  My prayer is that you are not yet true apostates and will turn to the loving Savior in repentance and faith.

The first terrifying thing you have done in “abandoning the faith,” is place yourself directly under the wrath of the God that you so blithely reject.  It is time for you to again read the warning of Hebrews 10:26-31

“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS M INE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “T HE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Notice again the strength of the condemnation here:

“Terrifying expectation of judgment” (the unescapable surety of condemnation to eternal hell)

“Fury of fire which will consume the adversaries,” (now, you)

“Severer punishment” (greater than one who had never received your knowledge and benefits)

“Trampled underfoot the Son of God” (disdaining Jesus as so much dung to be tread upon)

“Regraded as unclean the blood of the covenant” (viewing the cleansing fount as a defiling stream)

“Insulted the Spirit of grace (“spit in the face” of the Triune God)

“Vengeance is mine” (says God the Father)

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (no impotent, mythical deity this!)

Consider for moment that you, as a “naturally” sinful human being, have now multiplied that sin by abusing the work of the Son of God and rejecting the gift of the Holy Spirit, all provided by the gracious work of God the Father.  In rejecting Christ, you have removed the one hope of protection you had, and have invited the focused, intentional anger of God upon your person  – in essence daring God to follow through on His promise of wrath. This is a gambit which, as surely as the sun rises each morning, you are guaranteed to lose.  You have intentionally channeled the infinitely great, eternal love of God for His Son, into a purposed, righteous, focused fury upon yourself.

The second disastrous action you have taken is to run for refuge into the arms of those who are the objects of God’s wrath just like yourself.  You have rejected the grace of God, to cultivate the favor of those who can never truly love you.  You have been betrayed by a “Judas kiss.”  Rest assured that the open arms of acceptance into which you think you are running will soon lock themselves around you in life-crushing coils of cultural conformity from which you can never hope to extricate yourself.  Please know that for all their so-called support, you will forever be a despised “Benedict Arnold” in the pagan army, useful for a time as a trophy of secular humanism and then cast aside as a lifeless corpse when they have sucked all benefit from you.  

This is ever the way of Satan with his prey.  He lures you with promises of wisdom and power, whispering to you of your importance and ability, then, once you have renounced allegiance to his hated enemy (Christ), pouncing and ripping you to shreds through conscience and circumstance.  He shows no mercy to those he has duped, and laughingly condemns and crushes them as the fools they surely are.  Truly, he is not called a prowling, devouring lion for nothing.  You will find no rest for your soul in his deadly embrace.  You have fallen prey to the master deceiver and will pay the same price that he must, the eternal torment of your immortal soul.  

So, you have traded the security of salvation for the surety of eternal punishment, the steadfast love of God for the capricious manipulation of sinful men, the true satisfaction of God-glorifying service for the temporary soul-destroying pleasures of sin for a season.  

I beg you again to turn from this grievous course and cast yourself upon the mercy of God.  I fear that if you do not do this soon, you may find yourself forever hardened and thus unwilling and unable to repent.  For the glory of God, the sake of your soul, and the good of your family and the world, bend your knee to King Jesus in humble repentance and faith.  Don’t delay another moment.