God's Will (Series Recap)

Since June of this year, God has opened my eyes and heart to numerous realities about His will. These truths have served to both strengthen and deepen my love for Him. I wanted to share some of those truths as well as a recap of the series we just wrapped up on God’s will at our BBC@WCU and UNCA venues. Before I do that, I must give credit to some mighty men that God has used to help shape my theology of His will: Bruce Frank (my pastor), Stuart Henslee, Clayton King, Steven Furtick, J.D. Greear and Kevin DeYoung. I’m grateful to God for each of these men.

Here are the highlights:

Before we can know God’s will we must first know God. The first crucial step in discovering God’s will for your life isn’t to know what He knows but to know and trust who he is. Many mistake the two by putting them in reverse order. Instead of seeking to know God first, they seek to know what he knows and as a result, become frustrated when life seems to be spinning out of control. Ultimately, when we trust God’s heart we won’t feel compelled to trace His hand.

When we walk in God’s ways we will be in God’s will. God’s ways are synonymous with the revealed will of God (the black and white will of God that is clearly stated within the pages of His word). To walk in God’s ways is to align the patterns of your life with the purposes of God.

Here are four unmistakable examples of God’s ways that we touched on during this series:

God’s will is that you have a relationship with him (I Timothy 2:3-4; II Peter 3:9). In no uncertain terms, God wants you to know Him. We can’t know what a person desires when we don’t know who a person is. Knowing God is what enables you to do His will. Our ability to act on what God desires flows from a relationship with Him. That was the case with Zaccahaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and can be the case for you.

God’s will is that you be sanctified (I Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification is “a progressive work of both God and man that increases our freedom from sin’s power and that makes us more like Christ” (Grudem). Sanctification unfolds when we submit to the lordship of Jesus by living lives of purity and integrity. The specific example we focused on was God’s will for our sexuality. As a college student, one of the practical ways you can honor God in this area is by knowing and respecting your sexual limits. To know your sexual limits is to admit that that you can’t face certain temptations without falling; to respect your sexual limits is to avoid situations where you would have to try. Coincidentally, our attendance increased by 25% the week after I preached on this. Apparently college students like hearing and talking about sex…

God’s will is that you live a Spirit-filled life (Ephesians 5:15-21). To be spirit-filled is to live your life with the assurance that the Spirit of Jesus is with you, in you, and for you. It's more of a rhythm than it is a routine. The rhythm goes like this: God speaks; we obey. Galatians 5:22-23 describes what our lives look like when we do this. But before you can walk in the power of the Spirit you must be willing to do three things: turn from sin by trusting in Christ; listen for God’s voice; do what He says. Those who do this are like walking dynamite in the hands of God!

God’s will is that you glorify Him in the midst of suffering (I Peter 1:6-7). God doesn’t waste any pain on His people. This is why it is more important that we recognize that our pain serves a purpose than it is for us to always know what that purpose is. The Bible is clear: God allows “various trials” so that our faith might be proved genuine. Conflict resolution is an essential part of any lasting relationship.  Those who enjoy lasting relationships are those who have learned to work through, not run from, conflict. There’s not a meaningful relationship in my life today that has yet to experience conflict. Actually, what makes these relationships so meaningful is not the absence of conflict but that they have survived conflict. Our relationship with God is no different. God doesn’t test our faith for the sole purpose of harming us but for the ultimate purpose of restoring us. Had God never allowed my faith to be tested, it would’ve been much harder for me to acknowledge the severity of my sin and in so doing come to appreciate the grace of my Savior. It is only when we view suffering through this lens that we will start echoing the words of Job, “though he slay me, I will hope in him” (13:15).

I am grateful to God for each and every college student who isn’t content with simply hearing about God’s will but who is resolved to apply God’s will. You’re faith challenges me to be more like Jesus! Know that I’m with you heart and soul.

My goal throughout this series and prayer for you today is that you would find yourself saying more and more Psalm 40:18 – “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Each time I sin, I ask God to save me... Really?

Assurance of salvation is one of the most common struggles I see in the American Church today. While the aim of this post is not to address this struggle fully, I do want to address it truly by clarifying a foundational truth about salvation: Jesus is ENOUGH. When we confuse this truth, we find ourselves in an enslaving cycle of works based righteousness. When we embrace this truth, we enjoy the liberating effects the Gospel is supposed to have both in and through our lives.

The Bible teaches that those who are in Christ are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1). That is to say that those who have been rescued by the saving grace of Jesus are secured eternally by the very same. Paul went so far as to say that our spirits are seated with Christ in heaven upon being raised to life in him (Ephesians 2:6). Those verses simply could not and would not hold water if the penalty of sin still lingered over the lives of those who have trusted in Christ "by grace" and "through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). 

Furthermore, to think that God would reserve the right to administer eternal punishment over believer's lives is to also say that the death of Jesus was powerless to appease His wrath. Romans 3:24-26 clearly shows us that the blood of Jesus was poured out as a "propitiation" for our sins. The basic meaning of propitiation is to "appease" or "satisfy." When Jesus went to the cross, He satisfied the wrath of God once and for all. The Christian who continually approaches God for salvation after each and every time they sin is like a power company who approaches my wife to pay for a bill that I took care of years ago. Legitimate power companies don't work that way and neither does the one true God. Those who do this have either not been saved or have drastically misunderstood the Gospel. Sometimes both. 

What is more, this approach to salvation argues against the power of the cross as well as the testimony of scripture. Such reasoning confuses gift righteousness with works righteousness. The Bible teaches the former not the latter.  Hear me on this: God frees, forgives, and restores us to himself NOT based off of what we do for him but based on what He did for us (II Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). Although grace is not opposed to effort it is opposed to earning. The reason the Gospel is so beautiful is because we could never earn the benefits God freely offers to us therein. The Gospel declares that the only resume God will accept is that of Jesus. Were that not the case, we would still need to observe the sacrificial laws the of the Old Testament. When Jesus declared "It is finished," it was finished! Thanks to the finished work of Jesus, when God looks upon those who are in Christ, He no longer sees the dysfunction of our sin but rather the perfection of His Son. Thus explaining why Jesus is enough.

An extremely helpful book on this topic is "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart" by J.D. Greear. You can pick up a copy pretty much anywhere books are sold or online here: http://tinyurl.com/l37mj9v

Supporting and Motivating College Students in the Church

The Millennial generation (ages 18-29) is hurting spiritually. The Barna Group conducted a 2011 study on how Millennials with a Christian background would describe their spiritual journeys. Here’s what they learned: 59% have dropped out of church after going regularly; 50% are significantly frustrated about their faith; 57% are less active in church today than they were at 15; and 38% have experienced periods of time where they significantly doubted their faith (For more info on why, check out the book "You Lost Me" by David Kinnaman).

With this in mind, how can the Church effectively support, motivate, and disciple what seems to be a spiritually indifferent generation? Here are three suggestions:

Build relationships: one of the primary ways the Church can uphold this generation of college students is by spending time with them and investing in their lives. Here are a few practical examples of how this can be done: have them over for dinner; offer to do their laundry (detergent and fabric softener aren’t included in tuition); bless them with a gift card (Wal-Mart/gas cards are in high demand). At the end of the day, they simply want to know that we care. Much of why the disciples were so bought in to Jesus was simply because he cared about them. College students are no different. They are far more likely to buy in to Jesus when they see the Church making efforts to pour into them.

Model authenticity: the expressed desire for authenticity is pretty well unanimous among college students. Many are likely to view authenticity as today’s highest virtue. Without visibility, words like life-change, grace, and discipleship become nothing more than a theoretical “pie in the sky” sales pitch. In order to be effective in reaching them, we must be transparent with our own struggles and graceful in how we respond to theirs. Your typical college student will feel ostracized by the Christian who acts as if they have it all together. Quite frankly, they are appalled by pretense. If we want to reach them, we must be real with them.

Prioritize service: college students want to make a difference.  Simply hearing about life change isn’t really enough; they want to be involved in it. This is why they find missional initiatives such as “Love Loud” to be so appealing. College students are much more likely to go all in with the Church that is intentional about displaying the love of Jesus in their community through service and outreach.

The commitment that is required to reach this generation is nothing new. Discipleship always has and always will demand sacrifice. Here’s one of the many reasons that I believe the sacrifice is worth it: when I reflect on the eternal impact that many college students are having on their campus communities in WNC alone, I become more and more convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ is and will continue to be in good hands for many years to come. This may even be the generation that finishes the mission of God’s great Kingdom by spreading the Gospel “to the end of the earth.” Consider this as an invitation to join me in praying for such a good and glorious end.

Through Gates of Splendor (Book Review)

Matthew 19:29 – “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life (ESV).”

“Through Gates of Splendor” by Elisabeth Elliot has had a significant impact on my understanding of God’s will.  The book chronicles a vivid illustration of what Matthew 19:29 looks like in action. In short, Elliot tells the story of five young missionaries: Jim Elliot (Elisabeth’s husband at the time), Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, Ed McCulley, and Nate Saint. “September 1955 was the month in which the Lord began to weave five separate threads into a single glowing fabric for His own glory.” It was then that each of these men resolved to reach a stone-age tribe in a remote region of Ecuador known as the “Waoranis” with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the face of danger and uncertainty, they bravely stepped out in faith, naming the mission “Operation Auca.”

While reading this heroic account of self-abandonment, one sobering truth kept stoking the furnace of my heart, mind, and soul: God’s will requires sacrifice.

“Operation Auca” was entirely inconvenient. Before the Waoranis would as much as hear the name of Jesus, three large obstacles had to be addressed. The first obstacle being that the Waorani language was both unknown and unwritten. This meant that each missionary would have to learn and help structure an obscure foreign language. Doing so meant sacrificing great amounts of time and mental energy. This didn’t stop them.

The second looming obstacle dealt with geographical access. Located in a remote eastern region of the jungles of Ecuador, the only way to access Waorani settlements was by foot or a fifteen-minute plane ride from a nearby missionary outpost. Nate Saint’s piloting experience with the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (whose aim was to transport evangelical missionaries, their supplies and their sick to and from remote missionary outposts) helped to swing the tiny window of access to Waorani civilization wide open. The men pressed forward with great zeal and enthusiasm. In the weeks leading up to their initial face-to-face encounter, Saint and the others were deliberate about building a bridge into the Waorani world and culture. As hard as it was, Saint would fly his bright yellow piper over Waorani territory, dropping them gifts in the clearings below. All the while, each of the five men maintained the conviction that if the Waoranis were worth reaching they were also worth knowing. Limited access didn’t stop them.

The third and most frightening obstacle of all was the violent reputation of the Waoranis towards outsiders. Especially white men. Previous expeditions into Waorani territory were typified by surprise attacks and bloody outcomes. No speculation surrounded this fact: outsiders were not welcome. Despite insurmountable odds, God was on their side. These audacious soul winners embraced the reality that in order to obtain God’s objective in this mission, they “had to be willing to be expendable” for Christ. This life-threatening obstacle didn’t stop them.

On January 8, 1956 each of the five men were killed in a spearing raid after an initial and seemingly friendly encounter with the Waoranis. Jim, Roger, Pete, Ed, and Nate paid the highest price in order to share the Gospel with those who had never heard it. Their sacrifice was not in vain. What began with the willingness to die to self resulted in the God-breathed life of many. Is this not how Jesus said it would be? Shortly after the death of her husband, Jim, God opened doors that only he could. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Elisabeth proceeded to convert the majority of the Waoranis to Christianity. Two of the men involved in the spearing raid are now Christians and the New Testament has been translated into their language.

Bottom line: living out God’s will is going to cost you something. You may find yourself asking the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” Based off of the authority of God’s word, I can tell you this much: His will involves personal sacrifice. Although the sacrifice packages itself in various forms through various people, it should always be clearly identifiable as just that, sacrifice. While I wouldn’t mind being wrong, most who read this blog are not called to frontier missions (engaging unreached people groups with the Gospel). That is okay. However, we must all realize that the call to sacrifice for God’s glory is indiscriminate among those who would call Him “Father.” For this much is true: those who sacrifice for His “name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

With the scriptures plainly before us and this example of great sacrifice in mind, I want to ask my brothers and sisters in Christ the very question God is challenging me with: What sacrifices could you start, or continue making that would most glorify Christ’s name? Regardless of what they may be, this is God’s will for our lives.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

~Jim Elliot~

You can order a copy of "Through Gates of Splendor" through the BBC Arden bookstore: http://tinyurl.com/9wzx8nh

 Elliot, E. (1996). Through Gates of Splendor. Massachussetts. Hendrickson Publishers.