Tag: hope

How Should Christians Live in the In-Between?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Evangelism, PracticalLeave a comment

City

A perfect future kingdom awaits those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. A kingdom with no sickness, death, disease, injustice, war, oppression, etc – a perfect kingdom. Now, however, we live in the already/not yet. The period where we can taste victory, but we can’t fully enjoy it because Jesus’ hasn’t yet returned.

One author captures the tension well when he says,

“The kingdom of God is both the foundation of the church and the goal of the world. Therefore, we have and we hope; we give thanks and we sigh for more.” – Kelly Kapic

So we live in the in-between. As we live in the already/not yet, how should we live our daily lives? Should we pull back to the fringes? Divorce ourselves from society? Or should we do something else?

How Should Christians Live in the In-Between?

We should do what Israel was told to do in Jeremiah 29: Work for the good of the city, for as the city flourishes we flourish (Jer. 29:5-7). As Christians we should lay down roots, conduct business, get married, have children pray for our leaders, and work to make the city a better place.

We can do that in at least three ways.

(1) Politics and Laws

Here is what one theologian says,

“True justice exists only in the society of God, and this will be truly fulfilled only after the Judgment. Nevertheless, while no society on earth can fully express this justice, the one that is more influenced by Christians and Christian teaching will more perfectly reflect a just society. For this reason, Christians have a duty toward government.” – Webber

Sure, politics aren’t going to solve all our problems, but politics and laws have a huge influence on our society.

“Laws express moral beliefs and judgments…They tells citizens what our society ought to value and condemn, what is worthy of our respect and what we should disapprove of.” – Gerson & Wehner

Think about the state of Colorado: Marijuana is now legal. That is a big deal. Not only because people now have access to drugs, but because it is going to influence people’s moral views on Marijuana.

Right now, some citizens may see it as morally wrong, but think about how people will see it in fifty years. As a generation comes and goes the view that it is wrong to use marijuana is going to fade into the background. And that is going to take place because a law was passed. So we can’t neglect the importance of politics and laws. They shape and influence our moral lives.

So when there is an election, we should be aware of the issues and educate our families and friends. We should vote and encourage others to do the same. Some of us should even get into politics.

(2) Truly Living as Disciples of Jesus

I was sitting with a friend at Starbucks the other day talking about how we as Christians can bring about change and work for the good of the city. And he asked this question,

“What if the world saw disciples actually living out their calling?”

I thought that was good a question. Think about it: What if we really lived as true disciples? What kind of impact do you think that would have on our community, city, country? Think about the witness we would be, the change we could bring, the difference we could make by truly living as Jesus did.

Now, you might be thinking, we have already tried that. This nation was founded by Christian men on Christian principles. While that is true, I would argue we haven’t always lived out our calling. Sure some Christians do, but a lot of people who claim to be Christians don’t live as Jesus did.

But what if we all did? I believe if we did, our society would be radically changed.

(3) Preaching the Gospel

I left this one for last because I believe it’s the most important. I believe that because the gospel changes hearts, which is important because our heart isn’t just the organ that pumps our blood, it’s our inner self.

In Psalm 51:10, when David prayed saying,

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Ps 51:10)

He wasn’t asking God for a literal heart transplant, instead he was asking God to change his will, desires, affections. He was asking God to transform him, so he lived and acted differently. That is what the gospel does. It transforms people, so that they live differently. So if we want to work for the good of our city and see true change in this country, we have to preach the gospel.

Question for Reflection

  1. What else should Christians do in the in-between?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon: Hope is Not Lost

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The Hope to Press On

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

Hope

Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe there is a world to come.

Revelation 21 and 22 presents a brief glimpse of that world. There we learn death, sickness, disease, corruption, injustice, war, and sin won’t exist. Instead we will be ruled by a perfect King, Jesus Christ, and every moment of everyday will abound with joy and peace.

Hope to Press On

The reason God has revealed our future is to give us hope. Knowing we have something after this life should encourage us to press on, to continue to live for God, even in the face of persecution.

I recently watched 12 Years a Slave – Great movie if you haven’t seen it! There was one scene in the movie, where one of the female slaves comes to Solomon, another slave, in the middle of the night asking him to kill her, to drown her in the nearby pond.

Death to her was the answer. She didn’t believe she would ever be a free person. She saw no end to the beatings and rape to which the plantation owner subjected her. Seeing no way out and having nothing to live she would rather die.

As Christians we might find ourselves in a similar situation one day. While Revelation gives us a picture of the world to come, it also gives a picture of what will happen before Jesus’ return. It tell us there will be mass persecution of those who follow Jesus. When that time comes, if we don’t find our hope in Jesus and believe there is a perfect world to come, we won’t make it through. We will cave and give in to the enemy.

So knowing there is a world to come, should provide the encouragement we need to press on, to continue live for God, even in the midst of persecution.

Question for Reflection

  1. How does knowing a world to come help you press on?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Scripture Undermined, Scripture Defended, Repentance Offered

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How Do You Know If You Rely On God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical4 Comments

God Word Art

Self reliance is and has always been the beat of our heart. We don’t believe we need others, or God for that matter. Take these quotes for instance:

“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.”

― Epicurus

“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.”

― David Gemmell, Fall of Kings

“Remember, this is important: Never trust that you will be saved by anyone.”

― Amanda Boyden, Pretty Little Dirty

But is this true? Should we rely on ourselves alone? Can we save ourselves, care for ourselves, and do all by ourselves without anyone else’s help?

I don’t think so. We were created to be dependent creatures. That doesn’t mean we are to depend on others for handouts, or to do all for us. Rather it means we were primarily created to be cared for and sustained by our Creator. By design, we are to rely on God.

How do you know you rely on God? There are several questions you can ask yourself. Let me offer three.

(1) Do you pray and read God’s Word?

Our God is not silent. His will is found in His word and through prayer. He doesn’t leave us to wonder. We know exactly what is good for us. What is right for us. What God expects of us. How we should live and act.

So do you search God’s Word for answers? Do you bow before the Lord in prayer? If you do these things on a regular basis, you know you rely on God.

(2) Do you hope in God?

There are several things we could hope in, one of which is ourselves. Those who do push everyone away, thinking they can do it all on their own; that they are their own savior.

A classic example of this are those who are too proud to ask for help when they are in financial trouble. It doesn’t matter what happens or how bad it gets, they aren’t willing to go to their family, friends, or church for help. They would rather loose everything and go without.

People can also hope in others. It’s not wrong to ask others, or the church for help. We should in times of need. The problem arises when we think others are our hope, our salvation. Israel had that problem. Instead of hoping in the Lord, they hoped in other nations. Time and time again you read of prophets calling them back to the Lord, but they didn’t listen.

Israel’s problem is still our problem. We hope in others to save us, but men can’t save us. The only person who can save us is God. We should put our hope in Him. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He will always deliver on His promises.

So who do you hope in? Yourself? Others? God? Your answer will determine who you rely on.

(3) Do you live according to God’s Will?

If you rely on the Lord, you won’t live according to your will, or societies will, but according to God’s Will. You will do this because you recognize God’s will isn’t a hindrance, but a grace. It’s a trustworthy gift given that causes us to flourish.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Who do you rely on?
  2. Do you see God, others, or yourself as your functional Savior?
  3. Do you live according to God’s will?
  4. Do you pray and read God’s Word often?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Rely on God

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X-Ray Questions: Where do you bank your hopes?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical, X-Ray QuestionsLeave a comment

This week we continue our X-Ray Questions series, as we look at where we bank our hopes. You can read the other posts in this series by clicking here.

X-Ray Question:

(4) Where do you bank your hopes? 

The future dimension is prominent in God’s interpretation of human motives. People energetically sacrifice to attain what they hope for. What is it? People in despair have had hopes dashed. What were those shattered hopes?

Understand

When we bank our hopes in something or someone other than Jesus Christ, we will always be disappointed. When we place our hope in something other than Jesus we are really placing our hope in an idol. Idols will never satisfy us, in fact, they will always disappoint us.

If we place our hope in our husbands and wives, finding ultimate meaning in the way they treat us, then we will always be disappointed. Man is sinful, and at some point that sin will cause us to treat others unkindly.

Alternatively, if we place our hope in a raise, promotion, or new job, we can almost always be guaranteed to be disappointed. Oh, we may get the raise, promotion, or new job, but when we do, we will find it did not provide us with the satisfaction or significance that we were hoping it would.

Riches will not satisfy us either. 1 Timothy exhorts us not to place our hope in the riches of our current age because riches are uncertain. One minute they are here, and the next minute they are gone. The bursting of the real estate bubble and subsequent recession a few years back, of which we are still feeling the effects, attests to the uncertainty of riches.

Repent

We should repent by realizing that our only hope lies in Christ. He is the only one who will never disappoint us. His value will never diminish, and we will always be satisfied in Christ. Where people, jobs, and riches fail us, Christ will not.

Scripture

Here are a few passages from God’s word to meditate on this week, as you consider where you place your hope: 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Tim. 6:17

All X-Ray questions taken from David Powlison’s book Seeing with New Eyes.