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Reflections on the Rich Ruler

February 23, 2010 //
2

The gospel accounts of Jesus’ exchange with a rich ruler are often used to discuss the principal that following Jesus means choosing Him over things we value. While this is true, I believe there’s a greater truth at play. Here’s some thoughts on the account in Luke.

Luke 18:18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (ESV)

This initial exchange gives us an idea of how things will progress. The rich ruler seems to use the right words. He calls Jesus, ‘Good Teacher’, and asks an appropriate question about how he might obtain eternal life. Jesus’ first response is unexpected:

Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (ESV)

He is not flattered by the rich ruler, but perceives a shallowness in the man’s use of the word “good”. He senses the rich ruler is going to boast about his righteous works and immediately lays down a definition of true goodness – no one is good, only God (Rom 3:10-18).

Jesus continues:

Luke 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” (ESV)

The man persists with the notion that he can be good enough. His self-righteousness is laid bare. He believes that his actions are enough to secure favor with God and merit eternal life. “Commandments? I’ve kept them all!”

Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (ESV)

Jesus gets straight to the heart of the matter. Keeping rules is not the righteousness that God desires (Rom 3:20). Jesus knows the rich ruler doesn’t understand the Kingdom of God, or its value. His words strike at the heart of the man’s identity, passion, and self-righteousness, and uncover what he really cares about.

Luke 18:23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. (ESV)

It’s too much for the rich ruler. Jesus has uncovered the one thing he can’t do, the one thing that separates Him from God’s kingdom. Given the choice, the man still would rather hold on to what he wants rather than do what God wants. All his rule keeping amounted to nothing when his true heart was exposed.

Luke 18:24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (ESV)

Jesus turns the conversation to the gathered crowd and uses a surreal analogy involving a camel and a needle to destroy their misconceptions. It was believed that rich people were blessed by God, and their riches were a sign of God’s favor. Surely those favored by God with riches would have full access to the kingdom? Jesus says that wealth doesn’t mean God’s blessing, nor are the rich closer to God and His kingdom. The hyperbole of the camel and needle hammers home the point that it is impossible for even a rich man, with all his resources, to save himself. The people are shocked:

Luke 18:26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” (ESV)

If the rich, with all their perceived ‘blessing’ haven’t done enough to be saved, then what about the poor? If the ‘best’ among us don’t have access to God, just how far away are the ‘worst’ of us? Who is able to be saved? Jesus arrives at the point of the whole discussion:

Luke 18:27 But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (ESV)

Salvation is not based upon the righteous works of people, but the will of God (Rom 9:16). People, despite their best efforts, cannot do enough to be saved (Rom 8:7-8). Even those that appear to be righteous and good still fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). It is the grace of God that transforms men’s hearts, clothing them in Christ’s righteousness, and saving them in spite of all their good and bad actions (Eph 2:8-9).

The story of the rich ruler is not just about choosing Jesus over valuable things in our lives. It’s about the fact that none of us, not even the ‘best’ people, can ever do enough to save themselves. Every one of us has rejected the holiness of God, and can’t earn our way back into the Kingdom. It takes the atoning sacrifice of a Savior, and the graceful opening of our eyes by the Holy Spirit to bring us back into righteous relationship with our Father (John 6:63-65, Luke 10:22)

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Categories Bible, God, Jesus, Salvation, Theology

Why We Never Get Beyond Salvation

January 20, 2010 //
0

I’ve got a new blog post over at hosannahouston.org. Check it out here>>

Categories Bible, Church, God, Jesus, Preaching, Salvation

Grace for the Father

September 18, 2009 //
3

Last week, our Pastor spoke about understanding grace, and I can see the way God’s grace has been evident in my life recently.

I’ve always summarized God’s grace as, “getting what you don’t deserve”. When I look at my newborn daughter, that’s exactly how I feel.

There was a time in my life when I swore blind that I wouldn’t have any kids. I didn’t like them, and the whole process seemed to be too much of a hassle. Now, I can’t imagine ever feeling that way again. In Naomi, God has given me what I don’t deserve. Is waking up in the night a hassle? Yes. Is stopping what you’re doing to take care of your infant an inconvenience? At times. Does changing diapers stink? Absolutely. Then why do I feel such joy at doing it? I believe it is the grace of God, visiting me in the form of a little baby.

There is a strange feeling that I have when holding her. It is a mixture of an extreme sense of responsibility, married with a complete sense of powerlessness. I feel like I had so little to do with her formation, and growth, and life, and now she is placed in my care, to protect and look after her. Those are things I want to do, and yet I’m not completely sure how. Some people say your instinct will kick in. I think I need more than instinct to do this job. I need the grace of God to strengthen me when I am weak, and to produce the kind of results that my wisdom and actions can’t bring about by themselves.

My ultimate prayer for my little girl is not wealth or happiness or occupational success, but salvation. I pray that the grace that knocked me off my feet and overwhelmed my sin will one day visit her. I pray that my fathering, empowered by the grace of God, will in some way lead her beyond me to the arms of her heavenly Father. It will delight me to one day stand side-by-side with her as we experience all that God’s grace has in store for us.

NaomiDadSleep

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Categories Confessional, God, God The Father, Jesus

The Birth Of Joy

August 26, 2009 //
1

“Once we had no delight in God, and Christ was just a vague historical figure. What we enjoyed was food and friendships and productivity and investments and vacations and hobbies and games and reading and shopping and sex and sports and art and TV and travel…but not God. He was an idea – even a good one – and a topic for discussion; but He was not a treasure of delight.

Then something miraculous happened. It was like the opening of the eyes of the blind during the golden dawn. First the stunned silence before the unspeakable beauty of holiness. Then the shock of terror that we had actually loved the darkness. Then the settling stillness of joy that is the soul’s end. The quest is over. We would give anything if we might be granted to live in the presence of this glory forever and ever.

And then, faith – the confidence that Christ has made a way for me, a sinner, to live in His glorious fellowship forever, the confidence that if I come to God through Christ, He will give me the desire of my heart to share His holiness and behold His glory.

But before the confidence comes the craving. before the decision comes the delight. Before trust comes the discovery of Treasure.”



John Piper – Desiring God

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Categories Books, God, Jesus, Worship

Made Alive pt 8

August 17, 2009 //
0

Part 8 in a series looking at Ephesians 2:1-10 (for previous days click here).



Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God



1. “For…” links this verse to the previous. In verse 7 Paul tells us why we were saved. In verse 8, he is going to tell us how.

2. “By grace you have been saved…” This tells us that, were is not for God, we could never be saved. Salvation is impossible without God’s grace (His free favor towards us). We cannot be saved by our own attempts. Our best efforts can never match up to God’s holiness. The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), meaning any good works we do are stained by the sin that we constantly commit. The situation is so grave that Paul tells us we were “dead in sin“. God knows our predicament, and although He does not have to, He willingly shows grace towards us. When we should be condemned, He provides the way of salvation. Without God’s grace, our sinful state would deserve judgment, condemnation and punishment. That would be the fair outcome for those who have rebelled against God. But, because of God’s grace, God destroyed our sin in Jesus so that He didn’t have to destroy us.

3. “And this is not your own doing…” Salvation was not our idea. We were content as slaves to sin, willfully destroying our souls and separating ourselves from God. But God, in His love for us, decided to save us. Anyone who receives the salvation that comes by God’s grace is merely responding to what God has done. Even our response is made possible by God. This is why the term, “made alive” is so important. We were dead and could not see, hear, know, or choose God. But, by His grace, the Holy Spirit came to us and made our hearts alive (regeneration). Only then could we see the beauty, glory, and greatness of Jesus, and the horror and destructive power of our sin. Only then could we see our need for forgiveness, and find it at the cross. Only then could we say, “Jesus is Lord” and surrender our lives to be transformed by Him.

4. “…it is the gift of God“. Our salvation is not a loan. It is not paid to us in advance with the expectation that we pay God back. A true gift is given freely, with no expectation of recompense. This makes the grace of God even more glorious. Our sin made us debtors to God, and it was an impossible, eternal debt that we could never pay. God canceled out our debt when Jesus paid the price for us on the cross (atonement). When we are saved by God, our debt is wiped out, our sin forgiven and forgotten, and the burden lifted from us. Before we were unrighteous, but through our faith in Jesus, we are made righteous (justification). Now we are free to live as His sons and daughters, not trying to pay back God, but flourishing in a new relationship with our Father.

This is the main difference between religion and the gospel. Religion says, “I obey, therefore I am accepted“. This leads to a lifetime of guilt, failure, and uncertainty about God’s love for you. The gospel says, “I am accepted, therefore I obey“. Grace destroys the drudgery or following God out of duty, and replaces it with the joyfulness of following God out of love. The free gift assures us that God loves us, and that we belong to Him, no and forever.



Next: Verse 9


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Categories Bible, God, God The Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Theology

Things I’ll Be Embarrassed To Say At The Judgment…

August 13, 2009 //
3

I was thinking about what the Bible says about giving an account for our lives when we one day stand before Jesus (Rom 14:12). I began to think through the things that I often think are reasonable, great, or praise-worthy, but will actually make me look ridiculous, selfish, or lazy before God. So, here is the list of ways I have lived, or am tempted to live, but wouldn’t want to present as meritorious to Jesus at the judgment:

1. I saw every episode of Lost, The Office, Hell’s Kitchen and Seinfeld.
2. I really enjoyed ‘just chilling out’ a lot.
3. I evangelized for Apple products.
4. I often enjoyed reading comic books more than the Bible.
5. I treated Your bride, the Church, as a one-stop religious shop every Sunday.
6. I used my family as an excuse to stay lazy and uninvolved.
7. I wished You had a Facebook account because I spent more time on that than praying.
8. I thought about giving more money for Your cause, but instead I bought a house that was too big, and some cool electronics.
9. I watched so many movies that I became world champion at ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon‘.
10. I stood and evaluated while people around me worshipped You.



There’s probably way more. Do you have any others that you would have on your list?


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Categories Confessional, God, Jesus

Made Alive pt 7

August 11, 2009 //
2

Continuing in Ephesians 2:1-10 (for previous days click here).



Ephesians 2:7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.



1. “…so that” means that Paul is about to explain the reason for what preceded this verse. We are about to find out why God has “made us alive together with Christ” (v5).

2. “…in the coming ages” refers to the future that is ahead for us. The word ‘age’ refers to a reality, or a dispensation(Eph 1:20-21). A time is coming when this reality will fade away, or be changed so much that those who love God will find themselves in a different age. The main characteristic of the coming ages is that they will be eternal, or forever (Rom 6:23).

3. “…he might show…” tells us that the reason that we are “made alive in Christ” is because God wants to reveal something to us. Our God is a God of revelation – He does not hide, but shows Himself to those who seek Him. He is revealed in nature, through His word, and in His Son, Jesus. He has saved people because He wants to show us a full revelation of Himself that will take us all of eternity to comprehend. What exactly does He want us to see?

4. God wants to show “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”. Let’s work backwards on this: In Jesus, God has shown kindness towards us – He has provided the sacrifice, atonement, and cure for our dead and sinful state (Rom 3:23-26). This provision is made for us because of God’s grace upon us – that is, He did not give us what we deserve, but instead gave us what we could not dream of. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. That is grace. This grace is deep in “immeasurable riches”. We cannot ever reach the bottom of how great God’s love for us is. His grace is a treasure (“riches”) that cannot be fathomed (“immeasurable”). That’s why we will need all of eternity! It will take endless time to discover the endless greatness of God’s saving power and love for us!

5. The reason we have been made alive in Christ is so God can spend the rest of eternity with us, revealing to us the depth of His love for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The gift of God is Himself, in all His grace and glory. This should give us enough fuel for worship for this life and the one to come.



Tomorrow – verse 8.


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Categories Bible, God, God The Father, Jesus, Theology

Made Alive pt 6

August 6, 2009 //
0

Continuing in Ephesians 2:1-10 (for previous days click here).



Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (ESV)



1. “…and raised us up with Him” refers us again to the truth that we have been resurrected from a life of sin and death. We are made alive in Christ. The obvious symbol of this is baptism, where the believer is placed under water as a sign that they were dead in sin, and is then raised up out of the water to show that they have been spiritually resurrected in Christ. This will one day be followed by a physical resurrection.

2. This can also refer to the idea that the heart and mind of the Christian are not just stuck on earthly things. In fact, although we can appreciate the good things God has made, we no longer worship or depend upon them. Our vision has been ‘raised up’ to see that Jesus is the most important thing.

3. “…and seated us with him” is an awesome promise. Jesus, the Son of God, left the glory of His heavenly throne to come to earth to save us. He humbled Himself, and left behind His power and majesty and became a man. He identified with us, and experienced all that we experience. He lived perfectly, and was crucified for us (Heb 2:9). He then rose again from the dead, and ascended to His Father in heaven (Heb 12:2). He is now restored to His position of glory and power, with one difference. Now He is not only God, but also man, bridging the gap between us. Those who believe in Jesus receive the rights and privileges of the Son of God. His Father is our Father, and we come to Him like children! God adopts each of us as His own (Heb 2:10-12;Rom 8:15-17)!

4. “…in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” The promise here is a “now and not yet” promise. Paul says that we are “seated…with him in the heavenly places”. Yet, you and I know that we are still here, on earth. So what does Paul mean? I think he is making a statement of faith to those who have faith (Heb 11:1). It is as if we are already in the heavenly places because that is the promise that God gives us in Jesus, and He will not revoke the promise. A place has been prepared for you. Not only that, but the Kingdom of Heaven is not a place we will eventually go to, but a place that will eventually come to us in its fullness. The powers and principalities of this world will be replaced with the Kingship of Jesus, and He will rule and reign. This Kingdom of Heaven has already started to change the world. Where, you may ask? In you and I (Luke 17:20-21). When Jesus rules in our hearts, we begin to personally experience the effects of the Kingdom of Heaven in our lives, and it spreads to those around us. That is the “now”. We are already seated with Jesus spiritually. The “not yet” is when one day, all of reality will conform to God’s ways and desires, and we will be a part of it.

5. One final comment about being “in Christ Jesus”. Jesus is the man that we were meant to be. The way He lived, without sin, perfect, is how God initially created us. When we trust in Him, and are filled with the Spirit, we begin to sense our lives changing and becoming more like Him. We often feel the frustration of not being like Jesus in certain situations. We repent, and learn, and grow. It can feel like a struggle at times. The promise that the Bible gives us of being raised up and seated with Christ will help us when we feel this way. We know that there is a day coming when the struggle will cease, and we will be made perfect by our loving Father. We will be made like Jesus, and sin will no longer affect us. We await the return of Jesus and long for that day:

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (ESV)



Next – verse 7


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Categories Bible, God, God The Father, Jesus, Theology

Made Alive pt 5

August 5, 2009 //
0

Continuing in Ephesians 2:1-10 (for previous days click here).



Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— (ESV)



1. The word, “even” sets up this verse as being contrary to what we should expect. It follows on from the previous verse which spoke of God’s “great love with which He has loved us”. He is about to reveal the glorious nature of God’s love and its power to save us from sin and death.

2. “…when we were dead in our trespasses”, indicates that what we are about to be told is the action of God towards us. The action of salvation is all God’s idea. We are still “dead in our trespasses”, meaning our actions against God are keeping us lifeless towards God. It’s at this point that God decides to take action to restore the broken relationship (Rom 5:8).

3. What did God do? He “made us alive together with Christ”. This is astonishing. Let’s start at the end and work back. Paul tells us that God’s action involves Jesus, His Son. He tells us that we are “together with Christ” – that we become, in some way, affiliated with, recognized with, linked to Jesus. Finally, he says that God “made us alive together with Christ”. If we are made alive together with Christ, we must ask, “why did Jesus need to be made alive?” Because He was crucified on the cross. “Why was He crucified?” To take our sin and all its consequences, and have it killed in Him. Paul is talking here about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He is telling us, “that’s what God did to you”. Our old, dead sinful selves have been buried in Him, and God has raised us up to new life in Him (Gal 2:20).

4. Finally, we are told, “by grace you have been saved”. Grace is unmerited favor. Our salvation is not deserved – we are rebels against the God who loves us. Our salvation is not earned – we are dead to God and cannot stop enough sin or do enough good to make ourselves right with Him. Our salvation can only be received. The awesome truth is that God has so much love and mercy towards us, that He chose to send Jesus and save us even when we cursed and rejected Him. We do not “find Jesus”. He finds us. The result is new life in the grace of God (Rom 5:15-17).



Tomorrow: verse 6.


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Categories Bible, God, Jesus, Theology

Tweet Thanks

June 9, 2009 //
1

Social networking is a great thing. I love it. I think I have a mild addiction. It’s cool to check Twitter and Facebook to find out what’s up with people. I like it for the same reason other’s hate it – it gives you too much information about what others are doing. I find it interesting that soandso is eating at Pei Wei, or whatstheirname is trimming their toenails. One of the things Im worried about is the avenue social networking gives us for whining.

Whining is one of my favorite past times. It gives me great pleasure to complain. I have perfected a brilliant sigh that displays my displeasure at a certain situation. Things like Facebook allow us to air our slightest inconveniences in real time. While I’m huffing that they don’t have the sandwich I wanted, I can simultaneously tweet my disgust. If my shoelace came undone, I can update my status to reflect the major inconvenience that it has caused me.

There’s nothing wrong with letting your friends know that you’re having a rough day, or mentioning about something that hasn’t gone your way. But if we overindulge our inner whiner, especially with the help of social networks, the constant stream of complaining paints a picture of extreme ingratitude.

“Ingratitude?” you my ask. Yep. Those of us who know Jesus have much to be thankful for, even in the midst of inconveniences and troubles. In fact, the apostle Paul instructs us to:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  (I Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)

This is not a command to bury our hurts and problems. It is, however, a reminder that even when we face the most difficult trials, we always have hope in the God who saves. Not only that, but we can be sure that His presence is always with us. Constant complaining leads to a loss of hope, an attitude of despair, and a closing of the door to Jesus’ influence in our lives. Thankfulness displays our trust that God is always good, even when life treats us bad.

So, next time you get ready to tweet your complaint, or facebook your outrage, stop for a second. Is there something you can be thankful about? That’s what we’d all rather hear!


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Categories Bible, God, Jesus, Networking
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