Here is another Quote from Piper’s Seeing and Savoring Christ. I have been pleasantly surprised by the depth and quality of this little book, I highly commend it to you as a devotional resource, your eyes will be turned to the beauty Christ on every page and be led in prayers that will challenge you to a closer walk with God. This reading is in the chapter on the suffering of Christ and I found it to be very powerful, enjoy.
Two great purposes were accomplished in the suffering of Christ, which are really one purpose. First, “Christ . . . suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). The suffering of Jesus brought us to God who is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. Second, in the very hour of death the Father and the Son were glorified. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31). Our joy in savoring God and his glory in saving us are one. That is the glory of Christ’s incomparable sufferings.
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Carousel
Recently I heard a preacher refer to life as a pastor as similar to a carousel. There are highs that are followed quickly by lows, and the process repeats over and over again. This is without a doubt true. The pastorate offers some of the highest joys of the Christian life. We get the privilege of preaching the Word of God to the people of God. We get front row seats to the activity of God in the midst of His people. We get to see lives changed for eternity in ways that some church members rarely see. However, even the best pastors face unrealistic criticism. Criticism from the people of God, the people who should be laying aside the things and attitudes of this world for the joys of the next, that hurts. Facing the despair that comes from seeing death so closely so frequently, in the hospital and in the funeral home. Facing the crushing blow of seeing a new believer abandon Christ and return to the world. Seeing the defection of saints who should be mature simply growing cold and disappearing. Facing a job where we are completely dependent on the action of God for results, we are powerless to make anything happen. The pastorate is a difficult calling.
Yet I don't think that the carousel is limited only to the pastorate. I think that the carousel is experienced by every Christian. We know the joys of serving Jesus and seeing remarkable things happen and then our children go to college and turn from our faith. We all know the joy of an outstanding quiet time followed closely by a fall to temptation. We all know the joy of the presence of Christ followed by rejection by friends or family because of our faith in Christ.
The carousel is a universal Christian experience, that steady alternating drumbeat of joy and defeat. We all face it, but we all face it with the promise that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. We face the carousel with the promise that all those who love Christ will find that every tragedy will be for our good. We face the carousel with the knowledge that it will end, the carousel will end, we will die and enter the presence of our savior or He will return and we will be ushered into the perfection of His new creation, perfect embodied joy in His presence for time beyond time. The carousel is difficult but it is temporary. Cling to the joy that Christ gives us in this world and allow it to give you a hunger for the perfect joy of the next world, a world without the carousel.
Yet I don't think that the carousel is limited only to the pastorate. I think that the carousel is experienced by every Christian. We know the joys of serving Jesus and seeing remarkable things happen and then our children go to college and turn from our faith. We all know the joy of an outstanding quiet time followed closely by a fall to temptation. We all know the joy of the presence of Christ followed by rejection by friends or family because of our faith in Christ.
The carousel is a universal Christian experience, that steady alternating drumbeat of joy and defeat. We all face it, but we all face it with the promise that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. We face the carousel with the promise that all those who love Christ will find that every tragedy will be for our good. We face the carousel with the knowledge that it will end, the carousel will end, we will die and enter the presence of our savior or He will return and we will be ushered into the perfection of His new creation, perfect embodied joy in His presence for time beyond time. The carousel is difficult but it is temporary. Cling to the joy that Christ gives us in this world and allow it to give you a hunger for the perfect joy of the next world, a world without the carousel.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Sailing in the Fog
Tsunami's, Earthquakes, babies ripped apart in the womb when they could survive outside it, marriage's crumbling simply out of selfishness, children sexually abused, wives beaten, women raped, ethnic wars, genocide, memories of the holocaust still haunting our memories, more memories of the oppressive ugly racial slavery that is part of our nations history, knowledge that there is still in our world slavery, the evil of prostitution, Christians being murdered across our world, we are surrounded by a sinful world and burdened with the taint of sin that still clings to us like a second skin. What we will do, what can we think. How will we respond as the children of God, how can we offer hope to this troubled world.
First - we must decide whether we will stick our heads in the sand, hum In the Garden to ourselves loudly enough so that we cannot hear the mess, pinch our noses so that we cannot smell the putrid garbage we walk through every day. Or will rise and be what Christ has called us to be, thinkers who understand rightly what a Holy God is doing with all this mess Will we be light in the darkness, or will you stick you head in the sand. O Christians it is time for us to open our eyes, put on Christ and march out into this dark world.
Second - we have to decide who is to blame. This is a sticky problem if you say that you believe in the God of the Bible, because that God says that He rules over all. In the beginning God created the world and said that it was good. What happened? Adam and Eve sinned and as those given the stewardship of the creation it was all plunged into a fallen, broken, sinful state when they sinned. But if God was sovereign why did He not make a people who would not sin, why did He not rush to their side and stop them from sinning. Here we see that God is not the author/creator of sin, but He did permit it. But Why?
Third - we now come to what I believe is the difficult truth. God had a plan that involved His Son being glorified through the saving of sinners. This plan existed before the creation, look below at Rev. 13:8, when were the names written in the book of life - before the foundation of the world. Look also at who the book of life belongs to - the lamb that was slain. God created a world where His Son would be the redeemer, where His Son would be exalted, God created a theater for the glory of Christ. Are you squirming yet?
Rev. 13:8 (ESV) and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
Fourth - God is dealing with sin already. Look around at your church on Sunday, there you see a bunch of sinners. Hopefully a bunch of redeemed sinners. They/We are evidence that God has already begun to deal with the tragedy of sin. The Cross is proof that God is not dozing on the throne, in the death of Jesus the defeat of sin and all the enemies of God is assured. So as we look at the human evil of the world we must remember that Jesus has died and has been raised and is reigning on high. He will deal with sin as either its atoning sacrifice or as its just judge. Jesus will bring sin to account.
Fifth - we must still deal with the reality of the creation, red in tooth and claw. Tragedies swirling around us. God will deal with this also.
Rev. 21:1 (ESV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
God will recreate His universe. This fallen world will pass away and we will experience a world without sin, a world without death, a world without cancer, black lung, we will live in a world that is beyond the original creation because the lamb that was slain will dwell in it.
Right now we are like a ship stranded in a fog so thick that we despair of ever seeing anything but fog ever again, yet the nose of the ship is pointed to a safe harbor and we are inching toward it, whether we can see it or not. Someday, in the wise timing of our Father, we will emerge from the fog and gaze full face into His glory and we will never cease to gaze and we will know completely what we have only tasted now.
Jamie
First - we must decide whether we will stick our heads in the sand, hum In the Garden to ourselves loudly enough so that we cannot hear the mess, pinch our noses so that we cannot smell the putrid garbage we walk through every day. Or will rise and be what Christ has called us to be, thinkers who understand rightly what a Holy God is doing with all this mess Will we be light in the darkness, or will you stick you head in the sand. O Christians it is time for us to open our eyes, put on Christ and march out into this dark world.
Second - we have to decide who is to blame. This is a sticky problem if you say that you believe in the God of the Bible, because that God says that He rules over all. In the beginning God created the world and said that it was good. What happened? Adam and Eve sinned and as those given the stewardship of the creation it was all plunged into a fallen, broken, sinful state when they sinned. But if God was sovereign why did He not make a people who would not sin, why did He not rush to their side and stop them from sinning. Here we see that God is not the author/creator of sin, but He did permit it. But Why?
Third - we now come to what I believe is the difficult truth. God had a plan that involved His Son being glorified through the saving of sinners. This plan existed before the creation, look below at Rev. 13:8, when were the names written in the book of life - before the foundation of the world. Look also at who the book of life belongs to - the lamb that was slain. God created a world where His Son would be the redeemer, where His Son would be exalted, God created a theater for the glory of Christ. Are you squirming yet?
Rev. 13:8 (ESV) and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
Fourth - God is dealing with sin already. Look around at your church on Sunday, there you see a bunch of sinners. Hopefully a bunch of redeemed sinners. They/We are evidence that God has already begun to deal with the tragedy of sin. The Cross is proof that God is not dozing on the throne, in the death of Jesus the defeat of sin and all the enemies of God is assured. So as we look at the human evil of the world we must remember that Jesus has died and has been raised and is reigning on high. He will deal with sin as either its atoning sacrifice or as its just judge. Jesus will bring sin to account.
Fifth - we must still deal with the reality of the creation, red in tooth and claw. Tragedies swirling around us. God will deal with this also.
Rev. 21:1 (ESV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
God will recreate His universe. This fallen world will pass away and we will experience a world without sin, a world without death, a world without cancer, black lung, we will live in a world that is beyond the original creation because the lamb that was slain will dwell in it.
Right now we are like a ship stranded in a fog so thick that we despair of ever seeing anything but fog ever again, yet the nose of the ship is pointed to a safe harbor and we are inching toward it, whether we can see it or not. Someday, in the wise timing of our Father, we will emerge from the fog and gaze full face into His glory and we will never cease to gaze and we will know completely what we have only tasted now.
Jamie
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