Family: Longing to Find Our ‘Forever Home’

How would you like to be part of a family in which you didn’t know from one day to the next whether you were still in it? Sadly, there are instances of families where that might be the case. However, for most of us there’s no need to worry about whether we still belong to our family. Even with adopted children, once the legal papers have been signed and the judge decrees so, they’re officially part of that family. They have a ‘forever home.’ 

But what about people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, those the Bible says are all promised a literal forever home in heaven? Is that family status also assured for them? Or can one’s relationship with God change, depending upon our actions, words and thoughts? Kind of like the ‘He loves me, He loves not’ pulling petals off a daisy dilemma?

 

This has been debated in Christianity through the centuries – the question about what some theologians refer to as the “security of the believer.” Others in the Church prefer the phrase, “once saved, always saved.” Can a person who has professed faith in Jesus Christ lose his or her salvation – in essence, be kicked out of the family?

 

Although I’m not a theologian, like many people I’ve got some thoughts about this, based on what I’ve studied in the Scriptures along with wisdom I’ve gleaned from esteemed Bible teachers. 

 

Various practices have been utilized as visible evidence of a person’s genuine commitment to Christ: Walking an aisle and responding to an altar call. Audibly ‘praying the prayer’ as someone else directs is another ‘proof’ of salvation. During evangelistic services, the speaker might ask those who have invited Jesus into their lives to raise their hands. Or a registration card might be used, with guests at an outreach event encouraged to indicate on the card if they prayed to receive Christ.

 

Many devout followers of Jesus can point to a time when they did one of the things mentioned. It was a moment they ‘planted a stake’ spiritually. However, when our earthly life ends and we approach the proverbial ‘pearly gates,’ no one’s going to ask, “Did you do this…or that.” Because responding with emotion in the moment doesn’t always equate to consciously deciding, “Jesus, I want you to take the reins of my life.” 

 

Looking back at my own spiritual journey, I did some of those things before understanding who the Lord was – and knew I was His. My outward action, whatever it was, didn’t mean anything if my heart – my “inmost being,” as the Bible terms it – wasn’t also on board. 

 

Back to the security of the believer question: Once people become saved, are they always saved? Titus 3:5 is one of many Bible verses that teach salvation – right standing with God – isn’t based on what we’ve done. It states, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 also declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Grace means undeserved, unmerited favor. There’s nothing we can do to earn the Lord’s love, forgiveness and acceptance.

 

But what about the person who at one time walked an aisle, prayed a prayer, or raised a hand, but later turned away from the faith? He or she no longer goes to church, engages in lifestyle practices contrary to what the Scriptures teach, and may even declare, “I don’t believe in God.” Is that individual still “saved”?

 

God alone knows the heart. We’re told in Romans 10:9-11, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’” As the passage affirms, faith in Christ involves the heart as well as the head.

 

A quote attributed to D.L. Moody and repeated by others seems to sum up the situation well: “If your faith fizzles before the finish, it was flawed from the first. Saving faith is staying faith.”

 

Maybe this is why heroes of the faith often focused on finishing well. The apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…. I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

 

Writing to urge his protégé Timothy to continue in the work of spreading the Gospel, Paul asserted, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). It almost seems like a sigh of relief. Another apostle, James, also addressed this. He wrote, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

 

The book of Revelation, describing how the end of times and the second coming of Christ will unfold, warned, “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). 

 

Even Jesus underscored this. Preparing His disciples for intense opposition and persecution, He said, “All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). We can quickly think of one who didn’t: Judas Iscariot.

 

We also have the assurance that “perseverance of the saints” – that those truly saved by God will remain steadfast in their faith and ultimately be saved eternally – isn’t about how much strength and willpower we can muster. Jesus promised all believers through the ages, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-30).

 

To followers of Jesus in ancient Philippi, Paul gave this assurance: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). He also underscored God’s initiative in this whole spiritual miracle: “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

 

So, the question isn’t, ‘Can someone lose their salvation?’ but rather, ‘Were they genuinely saved at all?” As Moody observed, “If your faith fizzles before the finish, it was flawed from the first.”

Even the Smallest Roles and Responsibilities Are Important

Recently our church sponsored a three-day youth camp attended by nearly 700 young people. It’s amazing all that goes into planning and conducting such an event. 

The daily speakers, worship leaders and musicians were just the icing on the cake. There was all the pre-planning, including schedules; registrations; communications; making T-shirts, ball caps and other camp ‘swag’; training of volunteers who would oversee different groups; arranging for three meals each day plus snacks; handling details for transporting the students from point A to point B during the weekend. 

 

Then there was the actual event, herding hundreds of high-energy young folks and striving to keep their attention in ways both fun and spiritually meaningful. Many adults participated not only directly but also in offering prayer support throughout the three days. The event had a powerful impact on many lives, and it was a marvel how smoothly things went.

My wife and I played a very small part, volunteering to help with serving at two of the lunch sessions. She assisted in passing out the food as the kids came through; my job was to fill cups with ice for their drinks. As the kids came by and took the ones I had already prepared, I filled more cups until the thirsty hoards were ready to return to their next session. Upon arriving both days, I put new meaning to the phrase, “the iceman cometh.”

 

Reflecting on this afterward, I thought about the passage in 1 Corinthians which uses the human body as a metaphor for how God equips His Church. Here are portions of what it says:

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body…. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many…. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be…” (1 Corinthians 12:12-18).

 

At the youth camp, the program presenters might have received the most attention, but all the behind-the-scenes workers were just as necessary, ranging from the people who drove buses for the various off-campus activities to the folks who swept floors in the gyms after meals had been served.

 

The context for the apostle Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 12 concerned how God distributes spiritual gifts to His children, the body of Christ. The passage mentions a number of the gifts, as do other passages in the New Testament. Using the human body as a metaphor is spot-on.

 

Think about it: In discussions of health, we often think in terms of the brain, the heart, our limbs and our joints. But our liver, kidney, lungs, pancreas, spleen and other organs are just as vital. Problems with any of them are what we call disease – or just as accurately, bodily dis-ease. A serious attack on any of these will land us in a hospital, or worse.

 

This concept is significant for many reasons. We tend to focus most of our attention on the ‘stars,’ even in Christian culture: Pastors, popular conference speakers, best-selling authors, chart-topping singers and musical groups. The Pope, from the moment he makes the transition from “who’s he” to “he’s the Pope,” is a celebrity wherever he goes. Now that faith-based films and TV presentations are cool, we have a whole new set of ‘American idols.’

 

But have you ever thought about the importance of the behind-the-scenes folks who help to make everything possible? The maintenance staff who keep the air conditioning running and the toilets flushing in the church. Custodians who clean up after we’ve spilled the contents of our coffee and communion cups. The audio-visual people who uncomplainingly ensure the lyrics from each Sunday’s praise songs are on the screen, and that the vocals and instruments of the worship band are properly balanced.

 

When Dr. Billy Graham was conducting his many evangelistic crusades, volunteer teams coordinated the events, did advance publicity, got programs printed, operated the sound systems, invited guests who needed to hear his messages, and then arranged for follow up on people who responded. They received little attention. Yet they all were crucial to the success of the campaigns.

 

Perhaps most important, no matter what role God has assigned to you in your church or ministry, you’re important! Whether stuffing envelopes, changing diapers in the nursery, teaching Sunday school for a bunch of first-graders with attention spans of 10 seconds, setting up chairs for the women’s retreat, or cooking food for the expected throng of 200 for the church social, you’re important!

 

The Scriptures make this clear: “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor…our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it…” (1 Corinthians 12:22-24). Whether you’re seen or behind the scenes, thank you for all you’re doing!

The Grim Condition of Having Hard Hearts

Did you know you could die from a hard heart? Literally? 

 

There’s a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – also known as cardiac hypertrophy – a genetic malady in which heart muscle thickens and hardens, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood. This can lead to heart failure, arrythmias, and sudden cardiac death. I recently read about an 18-year-old college football player who passed away because of this, no warning.

 

That was also the case for one of my long-time friends more than 10 years ago. He’d been the picture of health, active in numerous sports including basketball (he had played in college at the Division I level), triathlons, mountain biking, mud runs, and regular workouts at the gym. But at age 60 – young by today’s standards – he collapsed and died while on a business trip. 

 

It’s estimated one in 500 people has cardiac hypertrophy, but most never know they have the condition because it’s not easily diagnosed. Most cases can be managed when identified, but it can strike without warning, including with athletes – as with the men I’ve mentioned. These are tragic, without a doubt. But a much higher percentage of people suffer from a very different, even more severe form of heart-hardening.

 

We sometimes hear about people being hard-hearted, meaning they’re insensitive toward others and their needs, even merciless and uncaring. Most of us wouldn’t wish to be described that way. But even worse are those whose hearts are hardened toward God. As Proverbs 28:14 states, “Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart [toward God] falls into trouble.” The Bible provides an abundance of examples, but here are just a few:

 

In Exodus, when God directed Moses to demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites after 400 years of slavery, we read the king of Egypt repeatedly hardened his heart and rejected Moses’ petitions. This despite the Lord demonstrating His power through miracles – transforming a staff into a snake, turning the waters of the Nile River into blood, swarms of locusts, and a number of other devastating plagues.

 

As God performed these miracles through Moses and his brother Aaron, “Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them” (Exodus 7:14). We read that or similar phrases in Exodus, chapters 7-10. This culminated in the final and most devastating plague of all: “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die…” (Exodus 11:5). Only then did Pharaoh agree to let the Israelites leave Egypt.

 

The Egyptian king wasn’t alone in having a heart hardened toward God. The Old Testament reveals Israel’s King Solomon, purportedly the wisest man who ever lived, developed a hard heart toward the end of his reign. 

 

God had instructed the kings of Israel not to take many wives (Deuteronomy 17:17), but Solomon clearly ignored this mandate, which led to his downfall. “He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:3-4).

 

Then there’s the curious case of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He had seen God perform wonders through Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, even proclaiming, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…” (Daniel 2:47), and “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants” (Daniel 3:28).

 

However, the king later became consumed with his own power, wealth and renown, regarding none to be his equal. “Is this not the great Babylon I have built…by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). To say Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with himself would be a huge understatement.

 

The consequence of his hubris was losing his royal authority, being driven away from his people, living instead with wild animals, eating grass like cattle for seven years. “But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory” (Daniel 5:20). Only after acknowledging God as sovereign and the only One worthy of praise was Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity restored – along with his throne.

 

Interesting stories, but what do they have to do with us today? More than we’d like to admit. Many people have hardened their hearts toward God, refusing to even consider the truths of the Bible. Attempting to share one’s faith with them is as fruitful as talking to a brick wall. Sadly, they’re missing out on the “abundant life” Jesus promised in John 10:10.

 

Others profess to believe in Jesus Christ and be His followers but also suffer from hardening of the heart spiritually. They turn deaf ears to what God is saying to them or refuse to obey commands that run contrary to their desires, choosing the short-term gratification of sin over eternal blessings. 

 

They might go through religious motions each week, but for the most part behave like practical atheists. “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God…hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

 

The Lord offers this warning: “…Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). Just as some of us have regular cardiac checkups, it’s always a good idea to give ourselves a spiritual heart check. Maybe having someone we trust, who will speak truth to us, assist with the examining.

Lots of Information and Knowledge, But Too Little Wisdom

Are you old enough to remember encyclopedias, which salespeople used to peddle from door to door? These included the encyclopedias Brittanica (its name alone sounded awfully smart); Americana; Funk & Wagnalls (which had absolutely nothing to do with funk music); the aptly named Book of Knowledge; Collier’s, and others. Most of them amounted to a library all by themselves.

 

For many in my generation, when we had to write a report or term paper, the encyclopedia with its vast storehouse of information was our go-to resource. The trick was avoiding the temptation to copy what it said on a particular topic word-for-word.

 

If you didn’t have an encyclopedia, or yours didn’t seem to have all the answers, there was always the library and its card catalog (again, remember that?) with its rows and rows of file drawers listing every one of its books by subject and author. Wading through that was tons of fun! (Uh, no.)

 

But in the ‘olden days,’ those were two primary sources of information. Fast-forward to today. We’ve had an explosion of information that rivals anything Mount Vesuvius spewed out. We’ve got the traditional media – TV, radio, newspapers (print and digital), magazines, and books – as well as social media, the Internet, and now, artificial intelligence. AI has the answers before we even know the questions.

 

Immersed in this vast sea of information, it stands to reason we’re also growing in knowledge. My grandkids probably know more than I did after graduating from high school. That’s great. But have you noticed despite all this wealth of information and knowledge, we seem impoverished by a lack of wisdom? 

 

I won’t cite specific examples, but you know what I’m talking about. Turning on the TV, it often seems as if we’re watching the old film, “Ship of Fools.” One person trying to one-up the other by uttering the most nonsense. News and reality shows revealing folks doing and saying absolutely foolhardy things.

 

Getting back to the question of wisdom and the shortage thereof, what is wisdom anyway? One definition says it’s “the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on deep understanding of situations and experiences, often involving knowledge, good judgment and the ability to discern what is right or true.” But how do we gain this ability?

 

There’s the story of a young man, hoping to experience a successful life, going to his mentor, the wisest person he knew. “How do you acquire wisdom?” the young fellow asked. “Through experience,” his mentor replied. “Then how do you gain experience?” “Through making good decisions.” “Well, how do you learn to make good decisions?” The wise man quickly replied, “By making bad decisions.”

 

Another young man approached me years ago to discuss what mentoring was all about. I asked, “Why do you want to be mentored?” His response: “So I can learn from your mistakes.” Good answer. As it turned out, the young guy still made plenty of his own mistakes.

 

Again, how do we get wisdom? Walmart doesn’t have a Wisdom department. And we can’t buy it at Target, Saks Fifth Avenue, or even Neiman Marcus. Amazon doesn’t have one-day delivery for wisdom; neither do FedEx or UPS. It’s not a commodity for sale.

 

We can gain wisdom through experience. And experience comes through decision-making and learning from mistakes. But one source for wisdom is largely underutilized: The Bible. The Scriptures present us with examples of people who exercised great wisdom – and many who didn’t. 

 

The Old Testament offers several ‘wisdom books,’ including Job, Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Most-quoted of all is Proverbs, which declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Thousands of years later, things haven’t changed much. We find an assortment of fools everywhere – politicians, business leaders, entertainers and others, mostly operating without a biblical worldview. This fits how Judges 17:6 and 21:25 describe the Israelites: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This isn’t wisdom, but foolishness.

 

Contrast this to what we read in Proverbs, largely attributed to Israel’s King Solomon, called the wisest man who ever lived. He said the proverbs are “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, for doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1:2-3).

 

If this is true, wouldn’t it be a good idea to discover what Proverbs teaches? To that end, many people have resolved to read one chapter of Proverbs every day. Since the book contains 31 chapters, the entirety of Proverbs can be read in a single month. In a year, that’s 12 times soaking in its wisdom.

 

Proverbs offers insights on numerous topics, such as the importance of restraining anger; receiving correction and discipline; the need to seek wise counsel and guidance; the value of having discernment and being prudent; dealing with envy and jealousy; overcoming sexual temptation; cultivating generosity; working diligently; pride and humility; striving for integrity and honesty.

 

Ultimately, they’re all anchored in “the fear of the Lord.” This doesn’t mean expecting God to pounce on us whenever we step out of line. It’s having a reverential awe for all that He is and does – His holiness, righteousness, power, love, mercy and grace. And recognizing He’s the source of every good thing.

 

Repeatedly Proverbs affirms that fearing the Lord’s a good thing: 

“The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23). 

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27).

Ultimately, fearing and loving the Lord provide the foundation for becoming the people God intends for us to be. Need proof? Study Proverbs. 

Water, Water: Where Would We Be Without Water?

Water. In a word, it’s ubiquitous. Scientists say 71 percent of the Earth is covered by water. And you and I are mostly water, too. The bodies of men are made up of 60-65 percent water; women are 50-55 percent water. No wonder wives sometimes think their husbands are all wet! 

We typically take water for granted even though we use it so much. Except when a water main breaks and suddenly we don’t have it. We drink it, bathe and shower in it, use it in cooking, wash dishes with it, swim in it, spray lawns and plants with it, mix it with lemons and sugar to make lemonade. We freeze it to cool our beverages and heat it to make coffee and tea.

 

Water’s our friend – until it isn’t. Horrendous floods in Texas, North Carolina and other parts of the country proved that. Hurricanes and blizzards (frozen water) aren’t fun. Riptides near the shore can ruin any beach experience. Good or bad, one thing about water is certain: It’s everywhere.

 

Recently I was reminded that water figures prominently in the Bible. My wife and I were reading Water from the Rock, a new devotional book by our friend, Betsy Zbinden. She observed, “Throughout Scripture we see how God used water in the life of His people to show His almighty power and control over the universe.”

 

We don’t have to read far to find water mentioned in the Bible. It’s introduced in the Creation account. Genesis 1:2 says, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Then in the sixth verse we’re told, “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’”

 

That’s barely ‘scratching the surface’ of what the Scriptures say about water. In Genesis 6 and 7 we read about the global flood God caused to destroy humankind that had become extremely wicked, sparing only Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives.

 

Moving forward, water played an important part in God’s deliverance of Israel from captivity in Egypt. He used Moses to turn water in the Nile River into blood, demanding that Pharaoh free the Israelites from four centuries of slavery. Then, once the Egyptian king relented, God parted the waters of the Red Sea enabling the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. While they wandered in the wilderness, the Lord provided water for them from a rock.

 

There are too many other instances of God’s use of water in dealing with His people to include here, but it’s important to know water also played a key role in Jesus’ earthly ministry. While heralding the imminent coming of the Messiah – “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him” (Matthew 3:3) – John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River as they repented of their sins.

 

Jesus’ first miracle, recounted in John 2:1-11, was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana when all the other wine had been consumed. (And it was better than the finest wine the host had purchased.)

 

Then, breaking cultural taboos, Jesus spoke compassionate, life-changing words to a Samaritan woman who had gone to a well at midday to obtain water, avoiding the judgmental stares of other women from Sychar. After asking, “Will you give me a drink?”, He told the startled woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water” (John 4:7-10). Her testimony after this encounter led to many in her town coming to faith in Christ.

 

This essentially summarizes the heart of the Gospel. While people throughout history have depended upon water for their physical well-being, Jesus came to offer “living water” to ensure our eternal destiny.

 

We see an example of this in John 5:1-14, as Jesus was passing an invalid who for years had lain near a pool called Bethesda that people believed could bring healing if the water became agitated. “Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked him. The man replied, “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus gave him a simple command: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” The man was cured immediately, picked up his mat and walked, causing much conversation and amazement among those who witnessed this miracle.

 

Later, when Jesus and His disciples saw a man blind from birth, water again came into play. After spitting on the ground to make mud, Jesus put it on the man’s eyes and directed him, “Go. Wash in the Pool of Siloam.” The man did as he was told and went home able to see for the first time in his life. This also provoked great discussion, including among the Pharisees, who investigated to learn how this miracle came about and who was responsible.

 

Near the close of this story, we discover the main point wasn’t Jesus using water as part of His miracle; He was presenting a deeper truth. Approaching the man afterward, Jesus asked, “‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is He, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me that I may believe in Him.’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped Him” (John 9:35-38).

 

Perhaps most startling of all was a night Jesus’ disciples were all in a boat heading for Capernaum when, “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But He said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid’” (John 6:18-20). Similar accounts are given in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. 

 

Another time Jesus and the disciples were at sea when a furious squall came up, nearly capsizing the boat. Terrified, the disciples pleaded with Jesus – who had been sleeping – to do something. He simply commanded the waters, “Quiet! Be still!” and instantly it was completely calm. Understandably, the disciples asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!” (Mark 4:35-41).

 

Twice Jesus intervened after His disciples had spent an entire night on the water, fishing without catching anything. The stories are told in Luke 5 and John 21. He spoke just a few words and suddenly they had so many fish in their nets they couldn’t haul them into the boat.

 

The wonder of water! An average person can survive without water for approximately 3-5 days. Largely made up of water ourselves, we’re dependent upon water to live. In a far more profound way, the key to life spiritually is to drink of the “living water” – the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

As He declared on the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles in Judea, where many people had gathered, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 9:37-38). Feeling thirsty?

A Faithful Life – and a Legacy That Will Endure

American Christianity said farewell to an iconic Bible teacher and theologian last week. John MacArthur, who pastored his church in California for more than 50 years, passed from this life at the age of 86 and went on to his eternal reward. Over that span he preached more than 3,000 sermons and authored hundreds of books.

 

Sometimes controversial but always steadfast in his trust in the inerrancy and timeless relevance of the Bible, MacArthur was known for his verse-by-verse exposition of the Scriptures and bold stance on foundational biblical principles and doctrines. While some might have differed with some of his interpretations, MacArthur left a solid legacy of unwavering confidence in the Word of God, touching countless lives through his preaching, radio programs, and writings.

 

In 2 Timothy 4:3 the apostle Paul warned, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” We’re living in such a time, but MacArthur wasn’t among those teachers. He was a champion of biblical truth, letting Scripture interpret Scripture rather than shaping the message from the pulpit to fit the prevailing culture.

 

I met MacArthur once at a CBMC conference where he was the week-long Bible teacher. One of his messages pointed me to a life-changing understanding of my relationship with Jesus Christ. He was speaking about how to study the Scriptures effectively, suggesting one way for grasping what a book of the Bible says is to read it repeatedly. He suggested 1 John in the New Testament as a good start, since it consists of only five chapters and can easily be read daily over the course of a month.

 

That’s what I did. Every day for 30 days I read through 1 John, a simple book that offers a clear, concise synopsis of the Gospel. Its teachings gradually became more and more familiar, but I kept stumbling over two seemingly contradictory verses.

 

The verses were 1 John 2:7-8, “Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in [Christ] and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” 

 

It troubled me that the apostle John was saying in one verse this was an old command “which you have had since the beginning,” but in the very next verse was declaring it’s “a new command.” If one of these verses had appeared at the start of the book and the other at the end, I might have concluded John was addressing different things. But as a writer, I questioned how this close follower of Christ could be saying two apparently opposite things in consecutive verses. I thought, ‘Come on, John, is it old or is it new?!’ 

 

I was in a small group Bible study at the time, and we’d been memorizing specific Bible verses. One was Galatians 2:20, which says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The other was 2 Corinthians 5:17, which declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

 

These verses also bothered me. While believing they were true, I wasn’t experiencing them in my life. I was still being defeated by some of the same temptations and sins I’d always wrestled with. Jesus didn’t seem to be living in me. And I didn’t feel like a new creation. In my mind I was the same old sinful mess I’d always been.

 

Over time, however, pondering these passages and others, I came to a startling realization. I’d been trying to live the so-called ‘Christian life’ in my own strength, maybe asking God for a little boost from time to time. I was way off base. God wanted me to recognize that living the Christian life isn’t difficult – it’s impossible. That is, without the power of Christ at work in me through His Spirit. 

 

This is why Jesus told His disciples, “…apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The apostle Paul had learned this lesson well, but also observed, “I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

 

Getting back to the two verses in 1 John that had confounded me, they affirmed for me this truth. Admittedly, the context for those words concerns loving one another as believers. However, God used them to help me understand that all of His commands, starting with the Ten Commandments, have been given to mankind from the beginning. As we read the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, we see even the most faithful have had a terrible time obeying God’s requirements.

 

So, the apostle John was stating the command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” originally found in Leviticus 19:18, is an “old command.” However, through the power of Christ living in us, it is now also a “new command.” That is, we might not be able to love our neighbor as we should – as well as many other things. But by allowing Jesus to work in and through us, we can do what we’re commanded to do.

After years of struggling, praying and then telling God, ‘I can’t!’ His response to me, in essence, was ‘I know, My child, but I can do it through you – if you’ll let Me.’ And I have John MacArthur to thank for putting me on the path to discovering this foundational truth. 

What Makes a Marriage Work Long-Term?

When I was a lot younger, I would see news articles about couples celebrating their 50^th anniversaries and marvel. As a newspaper editor, I even wrote about some of them myself. But I would often wonder, ‘How do folks stay married that long?’

 

Well, surprise! Last year my wife and I joined that elite and increasingly rare company, and now we’ve started our second half-century together. How can that be? We’re not that old! 

Despite spending more than five decades together, we’re not ‘experts.’ We’re imperfect people and have had our share of struggles, just as everyone does – health, financial, family. Thankfully, they’ve ultimately served to strengthen our relationship, and by trusting in God and His grace, our marriage has survived and thrived.

 

There are many reasons why “golden anniversary” couples are so uncommon. People are getting married much later in life – if they marry at all. If folks get married in their late 20s, early 30s or even after that, their likelihood of arriving at the big 5-0 diminishes considerably. Just do the math.

 

But an even greater reason for not seeing marital longevity is too often married couples bail in the face of difficulties, rather than determining to work through them together. It’s said, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ but too often folks think it’s easier to quit and get a divorce than weather the challenges that can forge strong marital bonds.

 

There’s no ‘secret sauce’ to making the union between a man and a woman succeed, but I think a good formula is found in a Bible passage that’s often included in wedding ceremonies but not always taken seriously. It’s 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which says:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails….”

 

These words are easy to recite during the rite in which a man and a woman become husband and wife. But they are very difficult to live out. Because in our ‘Me, me, me,’ self-focused world, this passage exhorts us to put the needs and interests of the other person first.

 

Being patient means setting aside our agendas and timing when things don’t seem to be going our way. Kindness is directed toward the other person, often sacrificially; it’s needed even when we might not want to extend it. Envy, boasting, pride, rudeness and self-seeking – all involve putting oneself ahead of the other, which doesn’t serve to honor or uplift the marriage partner. 

 

We might be able to justify anger, but a reasonable husband or wife learns to control how it’s expressed, constructively or destructively. And just as it’s wise to avoid becoming hysterical, it’s also good to refrain from being historical. Harboring resentment and withholding forgiveness over past wrongs serves no good purpose.

 

Focusing on truth and rejecting evil in any of its myriad forms are foundational for a healthy marital relationship. And love in its truest form seeks to protect, maintains trust, has high hopes for the other person, and determines to persevere. That’s why the words “in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer” are included in many wedding vows. The covenant of marriage is the commitment to stay with one another no matter what. Love, in spite of adversity, is to be permanent, unfailing.

 

When we reflect on the passage in 1 Corinthians 13, we see these qualities best exhibited in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 familiarly reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And as He looked toward the cross, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). 

 

Can you imagine a greater love than what we see demonstrated by the Father and the Son? “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

 

Many places in the Scriptures describe the relationship between the Lord and His Church ias a marriage, with the universal body of believers being His bride. Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding (John 2:1-11), and the culmination of His work also involves a wedding: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride [the Church] has made herself ready…. ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” (Revelation 19:7,9).

What’s our takeaway? Marriage is hard work. It’s sacrificial. But the rewards for persevering and learning to love unconditionally are priceless – and eternal.