The Difference Between Religion and the Gospel

Part 2 of the series The Gospel-Centered Life

You can listen to this sermon here.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:6-9). 


Duty or Delight? 

Today is Mother’s Day. Imagine that I gave a Mother’s Day gift to my Mom and said, “Mom, today is a day when people are expected to give a gift to their mother, so here’s a gift from me to you.” How do you think she’d respond? She’d probably think to herself (because she’d be too polite to say it), “Well, if he’s only giving me this gift he feels he has to, it really doesn’t mean much to me.” When a gift is only given out of a sense of obligation, there is no joy for the giver or the receiver.

In our culture, giving your mother a gift on Mother’s Day is considered by most people a duty. But for the person who truly loves and appreciates his or her mother, giving her a gift is also a delight. Religion makes obedience to God merely a duty. (I am defining "religion" as the attempt to gain acceptance with God by one's good works.) But the gospel makes it a delight. Religion is about what I have to do. The gospel is about what I get to do.


Don't Change the Gospel! 

The word “gospel” means “good news.” The gospel can be summed up with three words: problem, solution, and response. The problem is sin, the solution is Christ, and the response is faith.

We are all guilty of sin, but God made a way for us to be made righteous (innocent of sin) before him. “For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). The Christian does not have “a righteousness of [his or her] own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9).

The gospel is the good news that justification (being declared righteous by God) is received as a gift, not earned by human effort. It is possible only because of God’s grace. Christ “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:25).

J. D. Greear writes that justification by God’s grace “means that God could not love me any more than He does right now, because God could not love and accept Christ any more than He does, and God sees me in Christ. God’s righteousness has been given to me as a gift. He now sees me according to how Christ has lived, not on the basis of what kind of week I’ve had" (Gospel, pp. 46-47).

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he rebukes the Galatians for drifting from the gospel to religion, from grace to law. They were listening to false teachers who were claiming that Gentile believers had to follow the Old Testament law in order to be justified. In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul confronts this error, by emphasizing two vital truths about the gospel.

1. There is only one gospel. 

Paul writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (vv. 6-7). There are many versions of the gospel, but there is only one true gospel. A “different” gospel is a false gospel; it’s a distortion of the gospel. 

2. There is nothing more important than the gospel. 

By turning from the true gospel, the Galatians were “deserting him who called [them] in the grace of Christ” (v. 6). “Getting the gospel right is of the highest possible importance because straying from that truth is literally deserting God himself” (Tim Smith, "What It Means to Live a Gospel-Centered Life").

To Paul, there is no greater sin than changing the gospel: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (vv. 8-9). To put it bluntly, Paul is saying, “If anybody preaches to you a false gospel, let him go to hell.”


The Right Motivation 

The good news is that we are not saved by religion, but by God’s grace through faith in Christ. “To be gospel-centered means to focus on Jesus, who he is and what he has done, not on who we are and what we have done or will do for God” (Justin Holcomb, "What Is the Gospel?").   Religion produces pride (“Look at me!”) or fear (“Does God really love me?”). The gospel produces grateful joy (“God loves me! Look at what he did for me!”).

Religion says, “I obey, therefore I am accepted.” The gospel says, “I am accepted, therefore I obey.” 

Religion tells you what to do; the gospel gives you power to do it. “The gospel produces not just obedience, you see, but a new kind of obedience—an obedience that is powered by desire. An obedience that is both pleasing to God and delightful to you” (J. D. Greear, Gospel, p. 18).

What Is the Gospel?

Part 1 of the series The Gospel-Centered Life

You can listen to this sermon here.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4). 


Good News! 

Usually the media focuses on bad news. But sometimes there is news so good that it can’t be ignored.

I’ll give you a date in history and you tell me what was on the covers of newspapers on the following day. May 7, 1945? Germany surrenders in WWII! July 20, 1969? First man on the moon! November 9, 1989? The Berlin wall falls! February 28, 2010? The Canadian men’s hockey team wins the 2010 Olympic gold medal! 

The Greek word for “gospel” (euangelion) means “good news.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the best good news.


What the Gospel Is 

The gospel is “of first importance” (v. 3). The most important truth we need to understand is the gospel. The basic facts of the gospel are (1) “that Christ died for our sins,” (2) “that he was buried,” and (3) “that he was raised on the third day.” The gospel is the good news about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The gospel could be summed up with three words: problem, solution, and response.

1. The problem was sin. 

Christ died “for our sins” (v. 3). Because God is a holy God, he hates our sin. Because he is a just God, he must punish sin. Unless we understand the problem of our sin, we will not be able to appreciate the gospel. (Unless you know how bad WWII was, you don’t really appreciate how good the news was that it had ended.)

2. The solution was Christ. 

We needed to be rescued (“saved,” v. 2). Christ our Savior took all of our sin—past, present, and future—and died in our place. He now offers us his perfect righteousness. “For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21; cf. Phil. 3:9). 

3. The response is faith. 

Salvation is “received” (v. 1) by faith (“believed,” v. 2). The gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Salvation is totally the work of God.

The gospel says to us, “You are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but you are more accepted and loved than you ever dared hope.” J. D. Greear, in his book Gospel, writes, “There is nothing we could ever do that would make God love us more, and nothing we have done that makes Him love us less” (p. 57).


The Gospel Changes Everything

The gospel “shouldn’t be just a ticket to heaven but the core of our entire lives” (J. D. Greear, Gospel, p. 22).  In other words, our lives should be gospel-centered. “The gospel-centered life is one in which everything we do, think, speak, and act out is radically transformed by the grace of God seen through Jesus” (Tim Smith, "What It Means to Live a Gospel-Centered Life?").

We cannot effectively live the Christian life unless we constantly preach to ourselves the gospel. 

The truth of the gospel must move from our minds to our hearts. Our Christianity is often nothing more than “Bible story morality.” God desires more from us than behavior modification; he wants heart transformation. 

If we constantly preach to ourselves the gospel, our hearts will be changed and our obedience will be powered by desire.

The gospel gives us the desire to surrender our lives to God. “The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one had died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

The gospel gives us the desire to share the gospel with others. “Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:18-19).

The gospel gives us the desire to love others. “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Eph. 5:2).

The gospel gives us the desire to accept others. “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” (Rom. 15:7).

The gospel gives us the desire to give. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

The gospel gives us the desire to rid ourselves of self-centeredness. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interest but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:3-8).

The gospel gives us the desire to forgive. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32; cf. Col. 3:13).

The gospel gives us the desire to avoid sexual sin. “Do you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 19-20).

The gospel gives husbands the desire to love their wives. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

We don’t begin with the gospel and then move on to other things. The good news of Christ’s death and resurrection is for every moment of every day.

Our Response to God's Grace

Part 35 of a series through the New Testament book of Ephesians

You can listen to this sermon here.

So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible (6:21-24).


The Story 

What kind of book do you think the Bible is? Some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy.

The Bible does give us God’s rules and does tell us about some heroes, but it’s much more than a book of rules or heroes. As The Jesus Storybook Bible says, “The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!” (Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible, p. 17).

We’ve now come to the end of one of the Bible’s books: Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians begins by reminding us of the Story--the story of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. It also shows us that our motivation for pleasing God is found in a proper under-standing of the Story.


Paul's Closing 

In the days before post offices, telephones, email, and text messaging, letters had to be carried from one place to another. Tychicus , “the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (v. 21), was sent by Paul from Rome (where Paul was a prisoner; 3:1; 4:1; 6:20) to Ephesus and probably delivered Paul’s letter. Paul also mentions that Tychicus would be able to given the Ephesians an update on the apostle (“So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing,” v. 21; “that you may know how we are,” v. 22) and “encourage [their] hearts” (v. 22).


God's Action 

Paul began his letter by writing, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (1:3). These blessings are gifts of God’s grace. “Grace” is “undeserved kindness.” Grace is a recurring theme in Ephesians (1:2, 7; 2:5, 7, 8; 3:2, 8; 4:7). Paul praises God for his grace, not Christians for their religion. (Religion is about what I can do; grace is about what God has done.)

Without God’s grace, we would be hopeless in our helplessness. 

Right living flows from right doctrine. What you believe affects how you live. For example, a proper understanding of electricity will save a person from electrocution. A person who has a correct understanding of God’s grace will have a right response to God’s working in his or her life.


Our Response 

Paul ends his letter by saying, “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love in corruptible” (v. 24). Jesus was once asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” He replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37; cf. Deut. 6:5). Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

The proper response to God’s grace is to love him, which results in our obedience to him. 

“In many ways the benediction is an appropriation of the entire letter. God has provided all you need in Christ; therefore, live worthy of the gift” (Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, p. 366).


Motivated by Love 

Love is always the best motivation for what we do. Recently I watched a video on the internet called “What Is Love?” It shows a man named Bob caring for his wife who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. In the video, Bob says, “You see, God has loved us so unconditionally, and I understand that God has put his love in my heart. And because I realize how much God has loved me, that’s how I too can love my lovely wife.” 



When we think about what God has done for us through Christ and his cross—none of which we deserved—we respond with love and strive to glorify him.

What the Cross Says About God's Mercy

Part 6 of the series The Cross: What It Says About God

You can listen to this sermon here.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5). 


The Mercy of God 

I’m sure you’ve seen TV commercials by charities like World Vision that show children in great need. It’s one thing to say you care about needy children; it’s another thing to actually pick up the phone, dial the number, and sponsor one of those children. That is an act of mercy.

Numerous times the Bible says that God is merciful. How can we be sure that God is a merciful God? The cross reveals the mercy of God.


Saved from What? 

Paul describes God as “our Savior” (v. 4) and also states that God has “saved us” (v. 5).

Salvation is deliverance from sin's penalty. 

This is a very narrow definition of salvation. Salvation is also deliverance from sin’s power and presence. In Titus 3:4-5, salvation is seen as a past event (“he saved us”), emphasizing deliverance from sin’s penalty. 

God saved us “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared” (v. 4; cf. 2:11). In other words, those who are saved see in the cross God’s “goodness” and “loving kindness.”


Saved How? 

God saved us “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (v. 5). 

God’s “mercy” is his “goodness toward those in misery and distress” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 200).  David said to God, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great” (2 Sam. 24:14). The two blind men cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Matt. 9:27). The writer of Hebrews urged his readers to “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Salvation is a gift of God's mercy, not a reward for our good works.

In his letters, Paul often emphasizes that we are saved by trusting in Christ and not by what we do. “By works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). “So then [salvation] depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom. 9:16). “We know a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16).

Does this mean that good works don’t matter? No! Paul’s desire is that “those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works” (v. 8). We are not saved by good works, but we are saved to do good works (cf. Eph. 2:8-10).

When God saves a person, he or she becomes a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). This is accomplished “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (v. 5).

Verse 5 does not teach baptismal regeneration, which is the belief that spiritual life begins with baptism. The ESV Study Bible says, “Some have understood this as saying that baptism (‘the washing’) causes salvation. However, in this context human deeds are clearly downplayed (‘not because of works’) and the emphasis is on divine action and initiative (‘he saved us’). The ‘washing’ described here is the spiritual cleansing, which is outwardly symbolized in baptism.”


“Good" People Don't Go to Heaven 

If it were possible for us to earn salvation, why did Christ have to die for us? God makes no mistakes. He didn’t say, “Oh, if I had known that people could have been saved by their good works, I wouldn’t have given up my Son to die.”

The cross shows us our desperate need of God's mercy and the folly of thinking we could ever be good enough to gain salvation. God saw us in our misery and distress. 

We were unable to do anything to save ourselves. So God showed us mercy. He sent Christ to die for us. Christ suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from sin’s penalty.

Spiritual Warfare

Part 34 of a series through the New Testament book of Ephesians

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (6:10-20).


An Unseen Battle

Within our human bodies, a battle is raging. Antibodies are fighting against bacteria in order to prevent sickness and disease. This battle can’t be seen with our eyes. Before the discovery of antibodies and bacteria, people would have been totally unaware of its existence. Whether we realize it or not, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood,” but against the devil and his forces (vv. 11-12).


Be Strong in the Lord! 

In this battle, we must remember two truths.

1. Our strength comes from God. 

We are to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (v. 10). “Be strong” is a passive verb. We are to be made strong. It is God who makes us strong (like a solider is made strong by being in a tank). God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9; cf. Deut. 31:6).

2. Our enemy is dangerous but defeated. 

The devil has many “schemes” (v. 11; cf. 2 Cor. 11:14; James 1:14-15). “Evil rarely looks evil until it accomplishes its goal; it gains entrance by appearing attractive, desirable, and perfectly legitimate. It is a baited and camouflaged trap” (Kylne Snodgrass, Ephesians, p. 339). Peter writes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Two of the devil’s favorite areas of attack are marriages and church unity.

We should be careful to not fall for the devil’s traps, but we don’t need to fear him. He is a defeated enemy. His defeat is sure because of the death and resurrection of Jesus (cf. Eph. 1:20-21).


Stand Firm! 

Paul emphasizes the word “stand.” It occurs three times in this passage (vv. 11, 13, 14). How can we stand against the enemy’s attacks and not fall to temptation? There are two keys to victory.

1. Resist the enemy with the word of God. 

In verse 13, the Greek word for “withstand” (anthistemi) can also be translated “resist” or “oppose.” When Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1-11), he resisted the enemy by quoting Scripture (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10). After resisting the devil three times, the enemy “left him” (Matt. 4:11). James tell us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7; cf. 1 Peter 5:9). If we don’t know what God’s word says, we won’t be able to effectively resist the enemy (cf. Eph. 4:14).

2. Always be alert and pray. 

We must not be complacent. We need to be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (v. 18). Jesus told his disciples, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). It’s sometimes said that God’s word is our only spiritual weapon, but prayer is also to be used as a weapon in our spiritual battles. Prayer demonstrates our dependency on God and releases the power of God.

We must not only pray for ourselves but also for one another. Paul asked his readers to pray for him (vv. 19-20). (Notice that Paul’s prayer request was that he would proclaim the gospel boldly, not be released from his “chains.”)


Don't Neglect Bible Study and Prayer 

Imagine a solider going into battle without his gun. That’s like a Christian going through life without knowing the Bible. Imagine a solider being surrounded by the enemy and not radioing for help. That’s like a Christian not spending time in prayer. If we are to have victory against the enemy, we must not neglect Bible study and prayer.

Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life

You can listen to this sermon here.

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (vv. 17-27). 


Living in a Fallen World 

In the Gospel of John, John records seven of Jesus’ miracles. He calls these miracles “signs” because they showed that Jesus is the Christ (i.e., the Messiah). Near the end of his gospel, John writes, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31). The raising of Lazarus is the final and ultimate sign that Jesus is the Christ.

Jesus loved his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (vv. 3, 5, 36), yet Lazarus died. Verses 5 and 6 seem to be contradictory: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (vv. 5-6). Why didn’t Jesus immediately travel to Bethany to heal Lazarus? When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, both Martha and Mary said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vv. 21, 32).

Being loved by Jesus does not eliminate sorrow from our lives. 

However, every difficult circumstance gives us an opportunity to glorify God. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v. 4).


The Resurrection and the Life 

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, “Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days” (v. 17). R. C. Sproul writes, “The fact that Lazarus had been buried for four days may seem like an insig-nificant detail, but it helps us get at the reason for Jesus' delay in going to Bethany. Among the rabbinic teachings in Jesus’ day was the idea that when a person died, the person's spirit hovered over the body for three days, and if, somehow, the body was resuscitated, the spirit returned to it. But according to the rabbinic tradition, the spirit departed after three days and the body was beyond all hope of resuscitation at that point. In light of this teaching, it seems likely that Jesus wanted to get to Bethany after the three days had passed so that, once He had raised Lazarus from the grave, the Jewish authorities could not say Lazarus' spirit had been lingering and his body had merely been resuscitated. By delaying His return, Jesus let enough time pass to make it absolutely certain that the raising of Lazarus was completely against nature and could not be seen as anything other than a miracle” (John, p. 204).

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25-26). Martha was thinking of the future resurrection of believers: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (v. 24). (The question of a resurrection was hotly debated in Jesus' tine. The Pharisees believed there would be a resurrection, but the Sadducees did not.)

Like Martha, we too are looking forward to a future resurrection day: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (1 Cor. 15:51-55).

But all who are in relationship to Jesus through faith have eternal life right now. One interpretation of Jesus’ statement “takes the first half of Christ’s words physically and the second half spiritually. It would give us a meaning something like this: ‘He would believes in me, even though he should die physically, yet he will live physically [that is, there will be a final resurrection]. And whosoever is spiritually live and believes in me shall not die spiritually’” (James Montgomery Boice, John, vol. 3, p. 853). In the original Greek, Jesus’ words read like this: “Whoever lives and believes in me will absolutely never die” (Gary M. Burge, John, p. 317).

Faith in Jesus brings eternal life now and resurrection life later. 

Verse 35 says that when he came to the tomb of Lazarus, “Jesus wept.” “Jesus joins his friends’ sadness with heartfelt sorrow, yet underlying it is the knowledge that resurrection and joy will soon follow. Jesus’ example shows that heartfelt mourning in the face of death does not indicate lack of faith but honest sorrow at the reality of suffering and death” (ESV Study Bible, p. 2046).

The death and resurrection of Lazarus foreshadow the death and resurrection of Jesus. (Of course, one big difference is that, unlike Jesus, Lazarus eventually died again.) The death and resurrection of Jesus provide hope to all who trust in him.

Do You Believe This? 

Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” (v. 26). You must decide whether or not you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Harry Houdini is considered to be the greatest escape artist of all time. In the early 1900s, he fascinated the world with his performances. He would free himself from straitjackets, handcuffs, chains, and ropes. As he grew more popular, his escapes became more daring. He escaped from being buried alive, from being immersed in water inside a coffin, and from a water torture chamber. It seemed Houdini could escape anything. Nothing could hold him down.

As he was nearing death, Houdini told his wife that, if possible, he would communicate to her from the other side. He thought if anyone could escape death, he could.

Houdini died on Halloween 1926. And for ten solid years, his wife held on to the hope that her beloved husband would communicate to her, that he could somehow escape death as he had escaped everything else.

Finally, on the ten-year anniversary of Houdini’s death, she tried on final séance—to be broad-cast all over the world on radio—on final opportunity for her husband to prove he could escape death and communicate with her. After numerous intense appeals to awaken Houdini from his deathly slumber, the host yelled out: “Houdini! Are you there! Are you here, Houdini? Please manifest yourself in any way possible. We have waited, Houdini, oh so long! Never have you been able to present the evidence you promised.”

Hearing nothing, like always, the host turned to Houdini’s wife and asked for her response. She replied, “Houdini did not come through. My last hope is gone. I do believe he cannot come back to me or to anyone. It is finished. I turn out the light” (story taken from Creature of the Word, p. 117).

What Houdini could not do, Jesus has done. He has escaped death. He is the resurrection and the life. In him there is hope. Do you believe this?

We Are All Slaves

Part 33 of a series through the New Testament book of Ephesians

You can listen to this sermon here.

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him (6:5-9).


Slaves of Christ 

This passage is addressed to slaves (“bondservants”) and masters. “It is estimated that slaves composed about one-third of the population of a city like Ephesus” (ESV Study Bible, p. 2273). This is a difficult passage to apply to modern life since slavery is no longer an acceptable practice. (The New Testament never condones slavery. We must also keep in mind that the Roman institution of slavery was different from the institution of slavery in North America during the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. For example, the slavery of Paul’s day was not based on race. Paul’s focus was not on politics. His mission was to preach the gospel so that the hearts of individuals would be changed. As hearts are changed, people’s attitudes towards issues like slavery change.)

We can see within these verses not only the relationship between slaves and masters but also our relationship with Christ. One of the titles for Christ in the New Testament is “Lord.” The Greek word for “lord” is kyrios, which can also be translated “master.” Paul refers to “earthly masters” (v. 5) because all Christians have a heavenly Master (v. 9), the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be a Christian is to be a slave of Christ. 

The Greek word for “slave” is doulos. (The word is also translated as “servant” or “bondservant.”) In his book Slave, John MacArthur states that there is a crucial difference between servants and slaves: “…while servants are hired, slaves are owned. Believers are not merely Christ’s hired servants; they are His slaves, belonging to Him as His possession. He is their Owner and Master, worthy of their unquestioned allegiance and absolute obedience. His Word is their final authority; His will, their ultimate mandate” (p. 198). Our slavery to Christ is not forced; we are his willing slaves. And, paradoxically, slavery to Christ brings freedom.  (In Romans 6:15-19, Paul writes that everyone is either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness.)

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes, “Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave [doulos] of Christ. You were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 7:21-23). And Peter urges his readers, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants [doulos] of God” (1 Peter 2:16). Every Christian is called to serve both Christ and others. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

Church leaders are not exempt from service. A church elder is called “the Lord’s servant [doulos]” (2 Tim. 2:24). The Greek word for “deacon” (diakonos) means “servant.” Jesus said to his twelve disciples (future church leaders), “Whoever would be first among you must be your slave [doulos]” (Matt. 20:27; Mark 10:44).

Several times in his letters, Paul calls himself a “servant” (doulos) of Christ (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:1). Paul also viewed himself as a slave to others, “Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people” (1 Cor. 9:19). “What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants [doulos] for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

Even Christ, our Lord, humbled himself and took “the form of a servant [doulos]” (Phil. 2:7). To the shock of his disciples, Jesus performed the duty of a slave by washing their dirty feet (John 13:1-11). His ultimate act of service was his death on the cross for our salvation. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; cf. Matt. 20:28).


Living as Christ's Slaves 

As Christ’s slaves, we must remind ourselves of the following two truths.

1. Whatever we do, we can do it to serve Christ. 

Paul tells salves to obey their masters “as you would Christ, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man” (vv. 5b-7). Even the most mundane task can be seen as service for our Lord.

2. Whoever we are, we will be impartially judged by Christ for our service. 

Paul motivates slaves by telling them that “whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord” (v. 8). And he motivates masters by reminding them that “he who is both [your slaves’] Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him” (v. 9). Christ will not favor them over slaves based on their social status. We are all equal in Christ’s eyes. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Paul urged Philemon to welcome back his runaway slave Onesimus (who had since become a Christian) not merely as a slave, but as a “beloved brother” (Philem. 1:16).

We are saved by grace, not by works. But one day we will all stand before Christ, and he will evaluate our works. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). What we do matters.


Well Done

In this life, we spend much time and effort working toward many goals. We want to earn a university degree. We want to advance in our job. We want to make improvements to our home. We want to save money for retirement.

But in that moment when you and I stand before Christ, we won’t be thinking of our university degree or our job position or how nice our home was our how much money we saved. What will matter most of all will be whether or not we hear from our Lord Jesus Christ the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21; cf. Luke 19:17). May you and I strive each day to please the one who die for us.

What the Cross Says About God's Glory

Part 5 of the series The Cross: What It Says About God

You can listen to this sermon here.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). 


The Glory of God

What is the glory of God? The glory of God has two meanings.

1. The glory of God can mean the manifestation of his presence. 

2. The glory of God can mean the honor he deserves. 

In Exodus 33, Moses asked to see God’s glory: “Please show me your glory” (Ex. 33:18). On Mount Sinai, “The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’” (Ex. 34:5-6). On that same day, the word of God (the Ten Commandments) came down to Moses and was written on tablets of stone.

Centuries later, the Word (Jesus Christ) came down to man and appeared in human flesh, and through him God’s glory was seen. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). “Grace and truth” probably parallels “steadfast love and faithfulness” in Exodus 34:6. When God’s law was broken, he displayed his glory by sending Jesus to save us from the law’s death penalty.


"Lifted Up" in Death

In John’s Gospel, there are three “lifted up” sayings in John’s Gospel (cf. Isa. 52:13). To Nicodemus, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15; cf. Num. 21:8-9). To the Jewish authorities, Jesus declared, ”When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he” (John 8:28). And in the days prior to his death, Jesus announced, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32; cf. v. 34). “Lifted up” has two meanings. Jesus was literally “lifted up” when he hung upon the cross, and he was figuratively “lifted up” because his death led to his exaltation. Jesus sometimes substituted the word “glorified” in the place of “crucified.” He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23; cf. 13:31-32; 17:1).

The cross was intended to bring shame to its victim, but it brought glory to God.

Like nothing else, the cross displays the glory of God. In it we see his steadfast love and faith-fulness. 


Glorify God 

The apostle Paul wrote, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). The King James Version says, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Because of the cross, we should be willing to live our lives to glorify God. 

“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Obedient Parents and Obedient Children

Part 32 of a series through the New Testament book of Ephesians

You can listen to this sermon here. [This sermon was preached to both adults and children.]

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (6:1-4).


Being a Christian in Your Home 

Who we are in public is often very different from who we are at home.

How you act in your home reveals the true condition of your heart. 

Maybe you can relate to this video called “Sunday Morning.” 

Why Should We Obey? 

In Ephesians 6:1-4, the apostle Paul gives commands to both children and parents. To children, Paul writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land’” (vv. 1-3). To fathers, Paul writes, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (v. 4).

1. God has given us rules for how he wants us to live. 

The most famous rules in the Bible are called the Ten Commandments. These rules were given by God to the people of Israel in Exodus 20. The first four rules are rules about our relationship with God. The First Commandment says, “You shall have no other goes before me” (Exod. 20:3). The last six rules are rules about our relationship with others. The Fifth Commandment says, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exod. 20:12).

The people of Israel thought they could obey God’s rules. They said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exod. 19:9). “But they were wrong. No matter how hard they tried, they could never keep God’s rules all the time. God knew they couldn’t. And he wanted them to know it, too.”

[Ask: “Does anyone think they could jump high enough to touch this ceiling?” (The ceiling is about 30 feet high.) Even if grew to be 8 feet tall and trained every day, you would never be able to jump high enough to touch this ceiling.”]

The Bible tells us some very bad news: we have all disobeyed God’s rules and deserve to be punished. But the Bible also tells us some very good news: God sent Jesus into this word to die for our sins so that we could have eternal life. God did this for us because he is gracious. (“Grace” means “undeserved kindness.”) 

Earlier in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (2:8-10).

When people—especially kids—are told to do something, they ask, “Why?” (“Why do I need to go to bed now?” “Why do I need to eat my vegetables?” “Why do I need to take this bad-tasting medicine?”) There are many good reasons for obeying God’s rules, but there is one reason that is best.

2. The best reason for obeying God’s rules is to show our love for him. 

“This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3, NIV). Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

[Say: “Imagine that you injured your eyes and needed an operation that would cost $20,000. Without the operation, you would go blind.” Hold up $20,000 in Monopoly money. Say: “Now imagine that a man heard about your need and decided to sell his car so that he could give you the $20,000 for your eye operation. How would you feel? If that same man asked you a year later to help him rake the leaves from his yard, what would you say? You would probably be happy to do it because you were so thankful for what he had done for you.” Finally, say: “God gave us something much better than $20,000. He gave us eternal life through the death of Jesus. We should want to obey him because we are so thankful for what he has done for us.”]

Marriage: A Profound Mystery

Part 31 of a series through the New Testament book of Ephesians

You can listen to his sermon here.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church (5:31-32). 


The Mystery of Marriage 

In verse 31, Paul quotes Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Then he says, “This mystery is profound” (v. 32a).

The Greek word of “mystery” is mysterion (cf. 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 6:19). In Ephesians, “mystery” refers to “the once-hidden plan of God revealed in Jesus Christ” (Peter T. O'Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, p. 433).  (In a mystery novel, there is hidden information that is not revealed until the end of the book.) The Greek word for “profound” is mega, which can also be translated “great.” (We use the word “mega” in English. If something is mega size, it’s very big.)

What is the great mystery about marriage? Look at what Paul writes next: “And I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (v. 32b). In other words, the mystery involves Christ and the church. The union of a husband and wife (“one flesh,” v. 31) is like the union between Christ and the church.

The great mystery of marriage is that it was designed by God to be a picture of the gospel. 

Tim Keller writes, “This is the secret—that the gospel of Jesus and marriage explain one another. That when God invented marriage, he already had the saving work of Jesus in mind” (The Meaning of Marriage, p. 47).  And according to John Piper, “Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to his redeemed people, the church. And therefore, the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display” (This Momentary Marriage, p. 25).


Living Out the Gospel 

How can you put the relationship between Christ and the church on display in your marriage? There are two ways you can do this.

1. Put your spouse first. 

In Philippians 2:4, Paul writes, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” And then he says the we should have the attitude of Christ—an attitude that leads to service. “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, begin born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (vv. 6-8).

 “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). “Is the purpose of marriage to deny your interests for the good of the family, or is it to assert your interests for the fulfillment of yourself? The Christian teaching does not offer a choice between fulfillment and sacrifice but rather mutual fulfillment through mutual sacrifice" (The Meaning of Marriage, p. 47).

2. Keep your marriage covenant. 

God designed marriage to be a covenant, not a contract. Marriage is not merely “a bilateral contract between two individuals,” but “a sacred bond between husband and wife before God as a witness” (Andreas Kostenberger, God, Marriage, and Family, p. 73).  Malachi 2:14 says, “The LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (cf. Prov. 2:17).

Christ has entered into a covenant relationship with the church. He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). And he promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). “Staying married, therefore, is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. ‘Till death do us part’ or ‘As long as we both shall live’ is a sacred covenant promise—the kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her” (This Momentary Marriage, p. 25).

As God has shown grace to us, we must show grace to others in all of our relationships--especially marriage.