Assurance in Light of Grace

For God so loved the world that He

gave His only begotten Son, that

whoever believes in Him shall not

perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

This may well be the most well known verse in all of Scripture (other than, "God helps those who help themselves."...joking here), and it portrays for us the magnificent and magnanimous grace of God; and the gospel of John is chock full of the grace of God. 

One of the ways this grace is presented to us in John is through the use of the word sent.  In John, the word sent is used 40 times concerning Christ so that we would know that it was the Father's will, the Father's initiative, the Father's plan for Christ to come down to earth to deliver men from power of sin and the consequences of its penalty.  The Father's sending of the Son is an act of grace. Grace, that is grace because it was never requested or sought out, but given freely by God to all who would believe. Grace is God's free provision of salvation. God sent His Son, of His own volition, in His own time, and in His own way to be the deliverer for all who would place their faith in Him as their Savior and accept His sacrifice on the cross as their sole means of becoming right with God. It was not Christ on the cross trying to persuade God to pardon us, but God purposefully sending His own Son in the likeness of our sinful flesh to bear His own wrath against the sin of men and women.

Understanding this great grace should also give us great assurance.  Assurance of the love of God for us, assurance of the compassion of God toward us, assurance of the mercy of God bestowed on us, and assurance of the forgiveness of God provided for us. We can rest assured because the Lord has extended the favor of His love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to us despite us, not because of us.

Our hope of heaven is not grounded in ourselves, but in the grace of God; and so our assurance of our relationship with God and our standing with God is not just for our life here on earth, but ultimately and most importantly for the life that begins after death. This is why Peter could boldly and confidently state that our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and reserved in heaven (I Peter 1:4). The grace that we experience here is only the beginning of the grace that will be lavished upon us for all eternity as Paul states that in the ages to come God will show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7).

So let our assurance rest on the grace purposed for us before creation, the grace made available for us today. and the grace to be lavished on us for eternity, all through Jesus Christ. For we have been saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8) What greater assurance could we have.

God and the Humble Person

In chapter two of Philippians we are told that we are to possess a humility of mind, and then we are given the example of the humility possessed by our Savior, Master, and Leader.  The Greek word for humility of mind is tapeinophrosune.  This word means to be lowly or humble.  It is a lowliness of mind, a state of mind that esteems itself small. It is a state of mind that has a correct estimation of itself before God, it is a state of mind that regards itself as insignificant before God and before others. It is modest.  The way it is used in its context here means we are to responsible for our possession of this state of mind.  

Another way for us to paint a picture humility is to understand that it is the polar opposite of pride and arrogance, it is the polar opposite of boasting, it is the polar opposite of selfishness and empty conceit. 

In us getting our mind right, we must understand that pride doesn’t just exalt itself against others, but always and ultimately exalts itself against God as all sin is always against God. In the Scriptures, you never see the term humble used to describe the wicked, but you will always see pride associated with wickedness. Let's look at a couple of verses that reveal to us what God thinks about the pride of man. 

Isaiah 2:12, 17 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased.  The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of man will be abased; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 13:11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the wicked….

In Proverbs 6:16-19 there are seven things listed that God hates, that are an abomination to Him, and the first on the list is haughty eyes.

What we see from the Scriptures is that God hates pride, but values humility.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, seek righteousness seek humility.

So let us consider together why the Lord values the humble man so much, and why humility is esteemed in the eyes of God. 


                            The humble person knows his place before God and before men.

  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,

but with humility of mind regard one another

as more important than yourselves.  Do not

merely look out for your own personal interests, 

but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them,

"If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all

and servant of all."

Mark 9:35

The Job answered the Lord, and said,

"I know that You can do all things,

And that no purpose of Your can be thwarted.

Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?

Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my

eyes see You; Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:1-6

But now God has placed the members, each one of them,

in the body, just as He desired.

I Corinthians 12:18

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,

Or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child rests against His mother,

My soul is like a weaned child within me.

Psalm 131:1-2

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves 

that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

"Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee

 and the other a tax collector.  the Pharisee took his stand and

 was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other

people--greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax

collector.  I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I get.'

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise

his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest saying, 'God, turn

Your wrath from me--a sinner!'  I tell you, this one went down

to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone

who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles

himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:9-14

 The humble person is reverent

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus, all these things came into being,"

declares, the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who

is humble and contrite of spirit,

and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

 Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon

your bed and be still.

Psalm 4:4

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness

I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple

I will bow in reverence for You.

Psalm 5:7

  and My people who are 

Called by My name humble themselves and

pray and seek My face and turn from their

wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14   

The humble person is teachable

Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,

And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe

Your law and keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your

Commandments for I delight in it.

  

Establish Your word to Your servant

As that which produces reverence for You.

You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word.

Psalm 119:18, 33-35, 38, 65

The humble person is contrite

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,"

declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite

of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter 

Be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, 

And He will exalt you.

James 4:9-10

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God

produces a repentance without regret, leading to

salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow,

has produced in you:  what vindication of yourselves, what

indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging

of wrong!  In everything you demonstrated yourselves

innocent in the matter.

II Corinthians 7:10-11

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God,

You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

The humble person is a worshiper of God

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness

I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple

I will bow in reverence for You.

Psalm 5:7

For a day in Your courts is better

than a thousand outside.

Psalm 84:10a

"If anyone wishes to come after Me,

he must deny himself, take up his cross

daily, and follow Me."

Luke 9:23

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

Psalm 51:17a

 Come, let us worship and bow down,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Psalm 95:6

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at

His footstool; holy is He.

Psalm 99:5

The humble person is obedient

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also

in Christ Jesus...Being found in appearance as man,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point

of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5, 8

Submit therefore to God.

James 4:7a

…He became to all who obey Him,

The source of eternal salvation.

Hebrews 7:9

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Samuel said, "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

I Samuel 15:22

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

Luke 6:46

The humble person is wise

"For My hand made all these things, thus all these

things came into being," declares the Lord.

"But to this one I will look, to him who is humble

and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

Isaiah 66:2

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

When pride comes, then comes dishonor,

but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men

but as wise, making the most of your time, because the

days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand

what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him

show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness

of wisdom...But the wisdom from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and

good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the

seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace

by those who make peace.

James 3:13, 17-18

The humble person is empowered

For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and

Contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

"I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:15

 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,

"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:6

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore,

I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so the the power

of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with

weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,

with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

II Corinthians 12:9-10

...whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving

by the strength which God supplies...

I Peter 4:11b

...God is opposed to the proud, 

but gives grace to the humble.

For though the Lord is exalted,

yet He regards the lowly, but 

the haughty He knows from afar.

James 4:6, Psalm 138:6

The humble person is blessed

The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4

But the one who looks intently at the perfect law,

 the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having

become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer,

this man will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:11

 The humble person will be exalted

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, 

And He will exalt you.

James 4:10

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

And he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 14:11

Here are ten things the Bible teaches us about pride and humility:

  1. Pride ultimately exalts itself over God, and humility ultimately makes itself low before God.  

  2. Pride pushes God away, while humility draws near to God.  

  3. Pride depends on itself, while humility depends on God.  

  4. Pride boasts in itself, while humility boasts in God.  

  5. Pride credits itself, while humility credits God. 

  6. Pride follows its own path, while humility follows God's path.  

  7. Pride is self-seeking, while humility is God-seeking.  

  8. Pride always leads to disobedience, while humility always leads to obedience.  

  9. Pride is the opposite of godliness, while humility promotes godliness. 

10. The proud will be destroyed from the earth, while the humble will inherit the earth.

So, my friends, let us follow the admonition of the following verses:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:5

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I gentle and

humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

Thinking on the Incarnation

Christ said, "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father."  Colossians tells us that in Christ resides the fullness of Deity.  In Christ God came to man, because man in his sinful state could not come to God. Thus the blessedness and joy of contemplating on the incarnation; God in Christ reconciling man unto Himself.  What grace, what mercy, what love!

Politics and the Pulpit

I have been very disturbed over the past many months with the number of pastors who have come out in support of, endorsed, or campaigned for people running for President of our country. Even if we had two people of reputable character running for president, which we don't, I would not feel any differently. One of the things that has bothered me deeply, is that when endorsing the candidate they have chosen, pastors and religious leaders act like or make statements to the effect that their particular choice of candidate will deliver our country. No man or woman, not the Republican, not the Democrat, not the Libertarian, not the Green Party candidate can deliver our country from the morass of problems that beset us, for there is One and only One deliverer, and that is the Lord. 


The root issue in our country is that we have lost our moral moorings. In other words, the root issue in our country is a spiritual one which is manifesting itself through the different crises we are seeing and experiencing. The enmity and hatred behind the racial clashes is a spiritual issue. The sexual assault on college campuses, which has been called an epidemic, is a spiritual issue. The sexualization of our culture is a spiritual issue. The degradation of women is a spiritual issue. The glorification of violence is a spiritual issue. Pornography of every type is a spiritual issue. Drug use and abuse is a spiritual issue. Public anarchy and its manifestation in rebellion against law and order is a spiritual issue. Heavy handedness by law enforcement is a spiritual issue. Moral relativism is a spiritual issue. Islamic assault against us is a spiritual issue. Class envy is a spiritual issue. Abortion is a spiritual issue. Human trafficking is a spiritual issue. Greed and avarice are spiritual issues. Immorality is a spiritual issue.  These issues are the root causes of the problems that beset our country, and why would anyone think that our political system or a person can solve the basic issues of the human soul, especially those who should know better....pastors and religious leaders, those who are charged with knowing the word of God.


Neither politics nor politicians have the power to deliver anyone. They cannot empower anyone as they have no inherent power to give. They cannot change the heart. They cannot enlighten the mind nor give eyes to see or ears to hear. They cannot provide forgiveness nor promote mercy or compassion. They cannot prevent bribes. They cannot bridle the tongue, season our words with salt, and bring words of peace and healing. Nothing they can do, nothing that can be passed through the system will have any affect on the heart of man. The best that politics and politicians can do is put a Band-Aid on the symptoms, but they cannot provide a cure for the root problem. Therefore, they cannot fix the mess we are in and there comes a point where the Band-Aids just aren't big enough to cover the wound anymore. Ultimately, all politicians and elected officials can do is stir the pot; and why certain pastors and evangelical leaders continue to put their faith in a man or woman to right the wrongs and lead us to the Promised Land, and encourage us to jump on their bandwagon and do the same, is past credulity. Honestly, they should all know better; but the very fact that they are putting their faith in man shouts loudly about why the church in our country is in the condition that it is in, and why it has become contaminated salt that has lost its saltiness, and now is only good for the manure pile.


As pastors, our job is not to be political commentators or cultural watchdogs, but it is to be heralds of the Lord God, Himself, by preaching and teaching His unchanging and unerring Word. There is only one Promised Land for the people to be led to, and that is the coming new heavens and new earth.  There is only one kingdom worth promoting and that is the kingdom of heaven; and there is only one King to pledge allegiance to and endorse, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord that removes kings and establishes kings (Daniel 2:21). It is the Lord that determines the times and boundaries of the nations (Acts 17:26). There is only One who delivers all men from their spiritual bondage, and it is Jesus Christ. It is Him and His kingdom we should serve, not the leaders and kingdoms of this world.


Maybe, just maybe, if the pastors and religious leaders would work just as hard and be just as vocal in preaching repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, the issues troubling our country would be resolved and lessened. But, that is not as popular nor as easy, and will be met with greater resistance, because of the hardness of the human heart towards the things of God. 


Ultimately, we as pastors need to remember that we are but aliens and sojourners in this world and our time upon this planet is so very brief, and that it is our duty and our charge to lead people up to Christ, not down to the politicians of this world. It is time for the church in our land to repent of our worldliness and dependency on human solutions to spiritual problems, and it needs to begin with us, the pastors and shepherds of the flock of God. Let us lead forward in repentance and ask God to have mercy on us and on our nation. Please, Lord, make it so.

A Simple Outline of Romans 6-8

In chapters six through eight of Romans the main theme is that of sanctification, the being set apart from sin and set apart to God.  Sanctification, both as a position (being set apart as holy to the Lord) and a process (growth in personal holiness before the Lord), is not a doctrine that is espoused in the church much anymore; but its neglect is to the ruin and harm of the church, as Hebrews 12:14 tells us without sanctification, no one will see the Lord.  So sanctification is obviously a crucial issue for us all, and describes what is to be going on in the life of someone who has been saved.  So this is an important doctrine,a foundational truth of the gospel, and it is important that we understand it.

 There is a flow of thought in these chapters that I would like to give a simple outline so as to  give a handle on what is going on in these crucial chapters.


6:1-10  What God has done for us in Christ
                  The power of sin has been broken, and we are no longer its slaves.

6:11-23 Our response to God's breaking the power of sin
                  We present ourselves as slaves to God, as instruments of righteousness.

7:1-13    Our new relationship to the Law
                  The Law fulfilled its purpose, and is holy, righteous and good.

7:14-25   The presence and pull of sin is still there, and will remain
                  Although sin's power is broken, we must still do battle with it.

8:1-27     The presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
                  The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of someone who is truly in Christ.
               
8:28-39   The purpose and power of God
                  The plan and purpose of God is predetermined, cannot be hindered,
                  is carried out in Christ, and we cannot be separated from Him.

What we can see in this outline is that our sanctification begins with God breaking the power of sin, His giving us power over sin through the Holy Spirit, and His purpose for us being impossible to not be carried out.

Obviously, there is much more going on in these chapters, but this will give us a framework from which to view and understand this most important section of what many consider the constitution of our faith.

Thinking of What is Ahead

The completeness of Christ's victory over sin and death

has become ours, and we see it now only dimly; but

when He comes and we are united with our incorruptible

and immortal bodies, then we shall know fully!

Salvation and Sanctification

Most people have heard of the three tenses of salvation:

Past...We have been saved from the penalty of sin.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  (I Thessalonians 1:9-10)
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now not condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Present...We are being saved from the power of sin.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin,you became slaves of righteousness.
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free.  (John 8:31-36, Romans 6:5-13)

Future....We will be saved from the presence of sin.
I John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
(I Corinthians 15:52-57, Revelation 21-22)

In a very similar fashion we also see the three aspects of sanctification. To be sanctified is to be set apart from sin, and set apart to God. It is to be set apart from seeking our own pleasure, our own way, and our own purposes, so as to seek God's pleasure and accomplish His will in all that we do. It is to be spiritually taken out of the world and placed into Christ. In a practical sense it is to be repurposed and reoriented. In a spiritual sense it is to be conformed to the image of Christ.

We are sanctified:

Positionally...we have been sanctified
I Corinthians 1:30 but by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification.
I Peter 1:1-2 To those...who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit

Progressively...we are being sanctified and are becoming more sanctified
I Thessalonians 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear trembling; for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification...
Romans 8:28-29b And we know that God cause 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 be conformed to the image of His Son...
II Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...

Perfectly...we will be sanctified completely
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
I Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who called you, and He will bring it to pass.
I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Salvation and sanctification are inextricably linked, and you cannot have one apart from the other. God's will for us is encompassed in our salvation and accomplished through our sanctification. Romans 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Sanctification then is the means by which God separates us from sin unto Himself, first positionally, then progressively, and finally, perfectly.

Where are you in the sanctification process, my friend? Have you been separated and freed from sin so that you do not practice sin as a habit of life and can say no to sin (I John 3:9-10)?  Have you experienced His enabling power so as to do His will (Hebrews 13:20-21)?  Is the growing desire of your heart to please Him all the more (II Corinthians 5:14-15)?  Are you becoming more like Christ in thought and deed (Romans 12:2)?  If so, then praise God for His work in your life. If not, then confess to God your separation from Him, repent from your own ways and in faith ask Him to save and sanctify you.

Success(?) in Ministry

We had the great blessing to attend the Shepherd's Conference last week at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful time of preaching and singing and worshiping and fellowship. The theme this year was pastoral encouragement, and each speaker addressed it from different perspectives. Nathan Busenitz preached an excellent sermon on pastoral success, which I enjoyed; but he did not go quite far enough in his sermon. I think we as pastors and Christian workers, especially in our American context need a paradigm shift regarding how to measure our ministry; and the shift would be from measuring it according to secular criteria to measuring according to Biblical standards. This will cause us to take a closer look at what the Bible lays out as the true measure of a ministry. Let's take that closer look. What follows is a repost from a previous blog.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,

because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.

I Timothy 1:12

(italics mine)

As pastors, our desire should be to be faithful, not successful! Too much, pardon me...way too much... emphasis is put on a pastor being successful. Pastors grade themselves, and are graded by others, on the success of their ministry, instead of the faithfulness of their ministry. There are conferences, seminars, magazines (Leadership), blogs, articles, and websites that are devoted to the pastor's success. There are secular standards of measure that are used such as numbers, growth, baptisms, budget, missions involvement, influence, twitter followers, website or blog hits, and the like. And, yes, the more 'spiritual' will talk about how true success in ministry is measured in spiritual terms, or how you can't measure success because it is spiritual; but the problem is that the stress is still on being successful.

I cannot find one scripture in the entire Bible that refers to a pastor being successful. In fact, the Bible never stresses the success of the pastor, but stresses the faithfulness of the pastor. For example see I Timothy 1:12 above and listen to I Corinthians 4:1-2 "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found (pistos) faithful/trustworthy."  

This is why we never find any Scriptures where the Lord is measuring our success, but we see where He is always measuring our faithfulness, our trustworthiness. For example:

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing will be unrighteous in much. 

For us as pastors we see this principle in Luke played out in Matthew 24:45-46 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes." And we see this illustrated vividly for us in a parable of the kingdom, Christ's kingdom, in Matthew 25:14-30. In this parable we see the Master leaving and entrusting his possessions to his slaves, and in verses 21 and 23 we see His commendation upon His return, "His master said to him, "Well done good and faithful slave, You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master." Christ has left this earth for a while, and has given us pastors charge over His possessions (His people, see I Peter 2:9, Titus 2:14). His concern, as so wonderfully illustrated in the Scriptures above, is for us to be faithful with what He has given us, and He has not entrusted everyone with the same amount.

You see, when you try to measure success, the only true way to measure is if everyone is given the exact same ministry, the exact same gifting, the exact same set of circumstances, and so on. But the Lord has not seen fit for it to work in that way.  In addition to the verses listed above in Matthew consider this in Romans 12:3-6 "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly; if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith." So there is no standard by which we can all be measured, except our faithfulness. So as we have seen in Matthew (and also in Luke 19) when the Lord measures a ministry, He measures it by faithfulness.

When we measure our ministry and its 'success' by the secular standards mentioned above, then we automatically start comparing ourselves to others, or others to ourselves. This will lead to our either being puffed up or deflated, to our being envious or condescending, to our being bitter, or to our dying a thousand deaths if not enough people show up.

What we are concerned about in our ministry will be what we emphasize in our ministry. When our concern is our success, then success, in whatever way we measure it, will be the emphasis; and if success in ministry is our goal, then our ministry automatically becomes about us and our goal(s) and not about the Lord and the accomplishment of His purpose(s).  

As indicated above, the Lord is using us (talking to pastors in particular here), to accomplish His purpose(s). We are the tools, the means, the vessels that He has chosen to use, but it is Him that is accomplishing His purpose(s) through us. When we put the emphasis on our success, it then becomes us achieving our goals with the Lord's "help." When the emphasis in on our success, the Lord becomes our means in accomplishing our goals instead of us being the means of the accomplishment of His eternal purpose; and, in effect, the Lord becomes our servant and we cease to be His; and thus, the glory is no longer the Lord's but ours. This is very subtle, but it is rampant in the ministry here in the states, as we have corrupted the ministry with the American success syndrome. In considering this, let us look at a few Scriptures that can give us the right perspective on this:

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keep awake in vain.

II Timothy 2:21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor; sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared (made fit) for every good work.

II Corinthians 3:4-6 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit...

I Corinthians 12:4...the Spirit gives the gifts

I Corinthians 12:5...the Lord gives the ministries

I Corinthians 12:6...our God causes the effects

Isaiah 10:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

Keeping these verses in mind, that it is the Lord who is ultimately in charge of the ministry He has privileged us with, will shape our perspective, and keep us from thinking is all about us.

II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

How these verses work together in a gospel ministry is illustrated in the following mysteries:

Mark 4:26-28 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself does not know. The soil produces the crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

I Corinthians 15:10 By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove in vain (because Paul was faithful), but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God with me.

Brother pastors and fellow Christian workers. Let us no longer be slaves to the secular success syndrome that has crept into the church and try to measure our ministries by artificial and arbitrary standards. Let our concern not be for our success, but for our faithfulness; and therefore let us seek to be faithful in the task, the great and noble task, of expanding the kingdom which was begun in Christ and will be culminated in Christ when He returns and rules. Let our success be found in our faithfulness to the Lord and to the ministry to which He has called us, and has equipped us and gifted us to perform; and let us keep our hands firmly on the plow as we follow His path and pray for His will to be done and not our own.

Being Justified by Faith We Have...

The main thing that Paul does in the book of Romans is to lay out the great foundational truths of the gospel. In the section from Romans 3:21-5:21 Paul presents great truths of salvation, truths that run contra to man's self-righteous and self-sufficient sensibilities; and the great truth he presents in verses 3:21-4:25 is justification by faith alone. So in Romans 5:1-2 Paul gives us three benefits, three blessings that are ours that result from being justified by faith. Because we have been justified by faith:

1. We have Peace with God

2. We enter into grace and stand in grace

3. We have hope of the glory of God  (which is a cause of exulting)

Before we get into the benefits of justification, though, we want to see how we have come to possess these wonderful benefits. It is through Christ that we have these blessings. He is the means through whom God has blessed us. We have peace with God and stand in grace through Christ. This peace with God and this grace from God are ours through Christ, and they are the foundation of our hope in the glory of God. It is through Christ that God grants us peace and grace (why else does Paul constantly say "Grace and peace to you?"); and because of the reality of these blessings we have hope of the glory of God. God has given us so much through His Son. The Bible is replete with verses that communicate this to us. Such as:

Romans 8:31b-32…If God is for us who is against us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

I Corinthians 8:3 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Now let's look at a brief outline of the benefits listed by Paul.

Peace with God

The peace we have with God is the peace that God has made

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. God is the peace maker, He is the one who has reconciled with us, not us with Him. People talk frequently about making their peace with God, but it is God that has made peace with man through His Son. Romans 5:10 tells us that while we were still enemies God reconciled with us. II Corinthians 5:21 tells us that it was God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Listen to these words from the Lord.

Colossians 1:19-20 It was the Father’s good pleasure…through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…

God has made peace with man, not by means of force, but by means of sacrifice, the sacrifice of His only begotten Son.

The peace we have with God is the peace Christ had with God

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…..

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.

The peace we have with God is the perfect peace that Christ has with Him.

The peace we have with God is proclaimed in the gospel

Acts 10:36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—

Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace

Ephesians 2:17 and He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.

The gospel is the good news of peace, it is the proclamation one can have peace, and its resulting harmony and unity, with God Himself.

This peace with God is the hallmark of our relationship with Him

Colossians 1:21-22a And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death

Romans 8:6-7 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.

In our mindset, in our thoughts, we are no longer at odds with God, but have a sweet and abiding peace with Him.  

The peace we have with God is the foundation of our hope

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you  will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We enter into grace and stand in grace

The word for stand is histemi, which means to be fixed, or established, to be kept intact, to be immovable. Through Christ, as a result of our jusitification by faith, we enter into a state of grace in which we are fixed and established, never to be moved or removed.

John 1:14…the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…..For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:7b-8a…according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us….

II Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

II Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

We have hope of the glory of God  (which is a cause of exulting)

What is it about this hope that causes a boastful rejoicing on our behalf? It is because it is not hope in general, but a specific hope, a hope of the glory of God. What is it about this glory that causes such a response on our part?

It is an eschatological glory

I John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as He is pure.

I Corinthians 15:42-43 So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power….

It is a predestined glory

Romans 8:30 and those whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom he called, he also justified; and these whom He justified, He glorified.

I Peter 5:10…the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ…

II Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

It is the glory of Christ

John 17:22,24 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one…Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

I Thessalonians 1:9-10 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who believe….

Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

I Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious that gold which is perishable, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

It is a glory that belongs only to those of the household of God

Romans 8:21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

I Peter 5:1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ , and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed…

Yes, the greatest benefit of being justified by faith is that on that day, when the Lord comes back, and the dead in Christ are raised, each in his own order, we shall be raised with a body that is imperishable and glorious, just like our Lord's, for we know that when He appears we shall be like Him because we will see Him just as He is (I John 3:2). It is the day when our salvation will be complete. This indeed is a cause of exultation now because of our confident expectation of God's fulfillment of His many promises to us.  

The Holiness of Christ

but so that the world may know I love the Father,

I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.

John 14:31

The holiness of Christ was not a legalistic holiness,

based on duty, but a loving holiness birthed out of 

His love for the Father.  In this He kept the greatest

commandment, which was to love God with all His

heart, all His soul, and all His mind (Matthew 22:37).  

After all, He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it

 (Matthew 5:17), and the fulfillment of the Law begins with 

keeping its foremost commandment. 

Like Christ, our devotion to God should be birthed out

of our love for Him.  Love is always superior to legalism.

A Prayer for Sunday Morning

Bless our time today, Lord.

Have Your Spirit move among us-

enlightening our mind-encouraging our hearts-

equipping us for service-correcting our errant beliefs.

Cause us to appreciate and esteem Your word.

According to Your will may it be done today!

God's Glory Made Known

"...God wishes to to dwell with men, to have His reality and splendor known to them. But this is only possible when they take account of the stunning quality of His holiness and set out in faith and obedience to let that character be manifested in them....But nowhere is the reality and the splendor of His presence and His character seen as in His Son (Isaiah 4:2). Here the near blinding quality of His glory is fully portrayed, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth."  (John 1:14). Through Him and through His presence in the church, God' glory is indeed filling the earth.

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
Volume I
Page 943
A study on the word "kabod"

This is part of the reason we celebrate Christmas...Immanuel, God with us, God making Himself known in Christ, God revealing Himself in Christ.  As Christ Himself said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). The church is the body of Christ and part of its responsibility is to show forth the glory of God on the earth. Let us endeavor to conduct our services to accomplish that each Sunday so that each of us will carry that forth with us by faith and obedience during the week.