Grace on Display

I'm Think You Have Me Confused With Someone Else

Several years ago (while in college) I attended the wedding of a dear friend from high school.  The wedding was beautiful, the reception was a great time of celebration, and we all found ourselves watching the bride and groom drive away in a limo.  Many of us were standing around contemplating the events of the day and reminiscing the good times we had in high school.  I stood reflecting on these events for a few moments, and to my surprise, someone slipped their arm into mine and leaned up against me.  This came as a shock to me because I was single and had attended the wedding alone.  Night had fallen and as I sneaked a peak at the middle-aged woman who obviously thought I was someone else I had a moment of panic.  I wasn't quite sure how to handle this situation.  I didn't want to startle the woman, but it was inappropriate for me not to say anything either.  We remained in our confused state for at least 30 seconds as I pondered what I should do.  It had now been long enough that I knew it was going to be awkward to say something, and compounded by the unfortunate fact that I hadn't said anything yet!  So, I finally managed to get out the words, "I think you have me confused with someone else..."  As I had predicted, it was awkward.  Funny, but awkward.  In the dark I looked enough like her husband that she sidled up to me and made herself comfortable.  However, I was an unknowing impostor, a fake, a sham, and a lie compared to what she was truly looking for.  The darkness masked my true identity and she deceived herself.

I believe there are some important lessons to learn from this incident.  First of all, when you feel the urge to put your arm through someone else's and lean up against them, make sure you know that person.

John has wise words for us who seek to have fellowship with God.  He reminds us, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (I John 1:6-7).  In my unfortunate situation, the darkness masked my true identity.  If we had been standing in the light, she would have experienced an entirely different situation, one that involved the familiarity of her husband.  Instead she paired up with me, a total stranger.   If we had been in the light she would have never mistaken me for someone else.

Similarly, we can have good intentions when we are not walking in the light.  We assume that we are seeking to be close to God when the darkness we are walking in hides the impostor (sin, flesh, the enemy) with whom we are drawing near.  Darkness can mask itself in many seemingly religious facades such as legalism (adding works to God's economy of grace), people pleasing (serving God's people for wrong reasons), or self-service (worshiping God to primarily get a good feeling, or for what it brings to your life).  These are all forms of walking in darkness. 

Instead we need to walk in the light as He Himself is in the light.  How do we do that?  By hiding God's word in our hearts (Psalm 119), focusing on Jesus, the light of the world, and preaching the Gospel to ourselves constantly.  When we shed the glorious light of the Gospel into our hearts everyday sin is revealed, humility is cultivated, and fellowship with God is sweet and true.  Walking in the light eliminates the risk of sidling up next to the enemy when we assume we are drawing near to God.

Random Acts of Ministry

What is your goal in life?  Do you have something that drives everything you do?  Is there a single reference point to which you can return again and again and say, "This is why I behave in this way," or, "This is my reason for being so passionate about _________."  This is a critical issue for Christians and for the Church.  Why do we do what we do?  The answer to this question is of utmost importance.  I'm not advocating that we all run out and buy Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life right away.  What I am saying is that if we don't answer this question correctly we run the risk of becoming Christians and Churches who's lives are filled with random acts of ministry rather than intentional, purposeful acts to draw people's attention to our Savior and His unique work on the cross.  The issue is peripheral vs. central.

There are a plethora of excellent peripheral issues to which people devote time, money, and other resources.  I'm speaking of important issues like styles of worship, the abortion issue, home schooling, health care, a particular brand of counseling, preaching style, etc...  It goes without saying that our energies need to be directed toward these important issues.  In fact, we need devout believers devoting themselves to these things full-time.  But if we pursue them only as ends in themselves they are only random acts of ministry.  Instead they must be engaged in as extensions of the Gospel, the saving work of Christ on the cross.  Otherwise our message will become, "To be spiritual (or a Christian) you must have a right view on _________________ (worship style, abortion, home schooling, etc...)."  However, true spirtuality (being a Christian) revolves around a right view of the cross, which is foolishness to the world, but is the wisdom and power of God.

How important is this right view of the cross and what is central?  D.A. Carson makes this striking statement in The Cross and Christian Ministry:

It is at least possible that we are the generation of believers who will destroy much of historic Christianity from within- not ... by rancid unbelief, but by raising relatively peripheral questions to the place where, functionally, they displace what is central.  And what shall the end of this drift be?

We've got to be people who constantly come back to the cross as our point of reference in ministry, in thought, in all of life.  This has to be our starting point and ending point, especially when pursuing the important issues listed above.

Avoid random acts of ministry!  Let's live intentionally so that the message of the Gospel is given a place of first importance, and Jesus Christ is exalted in our lives and our church.

Recommended CD

I just received this CD, and highly recommend it to you.  The lyrics are unapologetically centered on the Gospel, and there is a wide variety of musical settings- something for everyone.  I particularly enjoy "All I Really Need" and "Whatever My God Ordains is Right."

Interviews with the writers can be found here (Bob Kauflin) and here (Tim Challies- more in depth).

You can click on the picture to find out more about the CD and purchase it.

Thoughts on Baptism

I had the joy of spending last weekend in Gaithersburg, Maryland with my friend and mentor, Bob Kauflin.  Sunday, we attended Covenant Life Church where they baptized 20 people on Sunday morning.  While they have always believed the Bible's teaching about believer's baptism, they are just now including it within their Sunday morning services, and building a baptistery.  As a Baptist, I can honestly say that it was one of the most moving baptism services that I've ever seen.  We sang about Christ's victory over sin and death, of His power to change lives.  The pastor preached on Baptism as a symbol and a seal.  It is a symbol in that it is an exterior display of an inward reality.  We go into the water to symbolize death and come back up to symbolize the new life we now have in and with Christ.  Baptism is also a seal in that it "reinforces the reality it represents, similar to the way a handshake reinforces a sentiment of good will and encouragement"  (I think that the kiss at a wedding is an excellent example as well- it seals the vows that were made).

The morning was a reminder of the lavishness of our God.  I am so thankful that we have a God Who thought to give us the Lord's Supper and Baptism, outward displays that we can take part in to remember the most crucial act of love in history.  Though we are deserving of eternal wrath and death, God was pleased to crush His Son so that we would not have to be crushed.  As we continue to carry out the Biblical mandate to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit I pray that we will celebrate what is happening in the life of the one being baptized, but also take that opportunity to watch with joy and celebrate the newness of life that comes from putting faith in Christ to save us from our sin.