What is it about Christians that make then the salt of the earth and the light of the world? It is not wealth. The desire for wealth and the pursuit of wealth tastes and looks just like the world. It does not offer the world anything different from what it already believes in. The great tragedy of prosperity-preaching is that a person does not have to be spiritually awakened in order to embrace it; one needs only be greedy. Getting rich in the name of Jesus is not the salt of the earth or the light of the world. In this, the world simply sees a reflection of itself. And if it works, they will buy it.
The context of Jesus' saying shows us what the salt and light are. They are the joyful willingness to suffer for Christ. Here is what Jesus said, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heave, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:11-14).
What will make the world taste (the salt) and see (the light) of Christ in us is not that we love wealth the same way they do. Rather, it will be the willingness and the ability of Christians to love others through suffering, all the while rejoicing because their reward is in heaven with Jesus. This is inexplicable on human terms. This is supernatural. But to attract people with promises of prosperity is simply natural. It is not the message of Jesus. It is not what he died to achieve.
Taken from Prosperity Preaching: Deceitful and Deadly by John Piper. Originally posted on the Desiring God blog on February 14, 2007.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Pursuing at Her Pace
I am a doer. I like to get things done. I like to check things off my list. I like to accomplish and move to the next thing. Generally when I think of pursuing something, I think of getting what I want. Pursuit is characterized by a goal I have in mind that I'm trying to reach, the sooner the better. If I wanted to buy a car, I would pursue that goal by saving up and going without some things so I could get my desire quicker.
Pursuing a girl is a different kind of pursuit.
Generally my conception of pursuing only involves me and my desires. But pursuing a girl shouldn't be about me or my desires; it should be focused on her and her needs. Sometimes she will need you to pursue slower than you want to pursue. That seems to go against the nature of pursuit in its general conception.
But it comes down the where the emphasis lies. Does it lie in pursuit or in her. Is pursuit about you and what you can get or about what you are pursuing? When the focus becomes too much on pursuing and not enough on her, you can forget what you are pursuing and essentially plow through the very thing you are trying to reach. When you forget what you are pursuing, a precious daughter of God, it's too easy to leave her in your dust while you are running out ahead, "pursuing," but no longer pursuing her because you passed her up and have become self focused, focused on your goals.
Pursuing at her pace can be a challenge. I need to constantly ask myself and her, "How can I bless and encourage you?" Sometimes I need to be reminded just to have fun and enjoy each other's company. Real pursuit is not about me. Real pursuit is about her, at her pace, and in a way that blesses her. That might mean going slower than you are able to go, but that is okay if pursuing is about her needs.
Pursuit that is not self-focused but focused on someone else is honoring to God because it models God's pursuit of us. His patience is incredible with us of little faith, but He gently guides and leads His children in the ways they should go, even though we so often try our best to stray. He does not expect us to be mature Christians the day we believe but rather continues to pursue us by His Holy Spirit through a progressive process of sanctification, ultimately for His glory and our joy. May the godly pursuit of young women accomplish the same ultimate purpose.
Pursuing a girl is a different kind of pursuit.
Generally my conception of pursuing only involves me and my desires. But pursuing a girl shouldn't be about me or my desires; it should be focused on her and her needs. Sometimes she will need you to pursue slower than you want to pursue. That seems to go against the nature of pursuit in its general conception.
But it comes down the where the emphasis lies. Does it lie in pursuit or in her. Is pursuit about you and what you can get or about what you are pursuing? When the focus becomes too much on pursuing and not enough on her, you can forget what you are pursuing and essentially plow through the very thing you are trying to reach. When you forget what you are pursuing, a precious daughter of God, it's too easy to leave her in your dust while you are running out ahead, "pursuing," but no longer pursuing her because you passed her up and have become self focused, focused on your goals.
Pursuing at her pace can be a challenge. I need to constantly ask myself and her, "How can I bless and encourage you?" Sometimes I need to be reminded just to have fun and enjoy each other's company. Real pursuit is not about me. Real pursuit is about her, at her pace, and in a way that blesses her. That might mean going slower than you are able to go, but that is okay if pursuing is about her needs.
Pursuit that is not self-focused but focused on someone else is honoring to God because it models God's pursuit of us. His patience is incredible with us of little faith, but He gently guides and leads His children in the ways they should go, even though we so often try our best to stray. He does not expect us to be mature Christians the day we believe but rather continues to pursue us by His Holy Spirit through a progressive process of sanctification, ultimately for His glory and our joy. May the godly pursuit of young women accomplish the same ultimate purpose.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Self-Righteousness
This morning I was blessed to sit with a few guys at Shoney's talking about the righteousness of Christ, the gospel, and an enemy of it: self-righteousness (yes it was a blessing even at Shoney's). We are going through The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges. Today's chapter was called "Gospel Enemy #1: Self-Righteousness."
The thing that stuck out to me most was this question: "If God were to ask you, 'Why should I answer your prayer?' How would you answer? Would you begin immediately adding up your recent merit and demerit points?" (44-45).
To do so is self-righteousness, whether the conclusion is, "I'm worthy of you answering my prayer because of my recent achievements," or "Nevermind, now that I think about it, I'm not worthy. I'll come back when I've cleaned up and ask again."
Self-righteousness is relying on ourselves for our sense of worth, value, or acceptance before God. The ultimate question is whether God is our rock our something in us is our rock. And for us to rely on ourselves even in the smallest way is to nullify the grace of God, and treat Christ as if He died for no purpose (Galatians 2:21).
Self-righteousness "disregards, devalues, and discredits the gospel provision of the righteousness of Christ--the sinless life He lived for us and the sin-bearing death He died for us" (43). "God can't possibly get all the glory if an essential part of [our] acceptance depends on [us]" (48).
May God get all the glory for our righteousness because it is found solely in His Son and not in us. May we always and only magnify the righteousness that has been given to us freely not because of our worthiness. May we think often of the cross, and by so doing kill the creeping self-righteousness of the flesh. May Jesus Christ be praised.
The thing that stuck out to me most was this question: "If God were to ask you, 'Why should I answer your prayer?' How would you answer? Would you begin immediately adding up your recent merit and demerit points?" (44-45).
To do so is self-righteousness, whether the conclusion is, "I'm worthy of you answering my prayer because of my recent achievements," or "Nevermind, now that I think about it, I'm not worthy. I'll come back when I've cleaned up and ask again."
Self-righteousness is relying on ourselves for our sense of worth, value, or acceptance before God. The ultimate question is whether God is our rock our something in us is our rock. And for us to rely on ourselves even in the smallest way is to nullify the grace of God, and treat Christ as if He died for no purpose (Galatians 2:21).
Self-righteousness "disregards, devalues, and discredits the gospel provision of the righteousness of Christ--the sinless life He lived for us and the sin-bearing death He died for us" (43). "God can't possibly get all the glory if an essential part of [our] acceptance depends on [us]" (48).
May God get all the glory for our righteousness because it is found solely in His Son and not in us. May we always and only magnify the righteousness that has been given to us freely not because of our worthiness. May we think often of the cross, and by so doing kill the creeping self-righteousness of the flesh. May Jesus Christ be praised.
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