Rev 2:1-7 – Ephesus, Remember your First Love!

by Jon Buck

The letter to the Church of Ephesus commended them for good deeds, but then had the stinging words of Christ that said “you have left your first love.” They are told to remember, repent and do the deeds you did first.  What happened to the church? And how is this a warning to us now?

The Church in Ephesus was a well-known church with a long history, established in Acts 19:1-7. It was complex in Ephesus, which was corrupt and immoral. It was a commercial hub for three major trade route with a diverse population and lots of wealth. It had the largest cult temple in the world to Artemis (aka Diana), which was a fertility cult with thousands of temple prostitutes acting out false pagan worship. What’s more, false teachers abounded in the church (Eph 4:4). But Paul loved the Ephesian church, and he sent Timothy to preach and shepherd the church. Paul wrote letters to Timothy in Ephesus of 1, 2 Timothy and Ephesians, and John wrote Revelation and probably 1 John to the church here as well. There was a lot of apostolic care for the church.

But now John records the words of Christ to the seven churches in Asia, addressing Ephesus first. Jesus is speaking to the “the angel of the church” (angeloi) meaning messengers which are the elders or leaders of the church. In Rev 2:2, it is Jesus who holds the “seven stars” (angeloi 1:20), indicating Jesus has a clutch on the elders and is in control of what’s happening. In Rev 1:13, Christ was standing in the middle of the lamp stands (churches), but now he is walking among them in authority.

In Rev 2:5, Christ commends the church for their toil (active labor) and perseverance (enduring for Christ), not tolerating evil people and false teachers, and testing men who falsely claim apostolic authority. They endured persecution in rejecting emperor worship, and they rightly hated and rejected false preaching of the Nicolaitans (v 6). So the Ephesian church was doctrinally pure, putting out false teachers, and stopping false worship to idols. But, Christ says they had left their first love for Jesus. 

The word ‘first’ here doesn’t mean first in importance, but first in time. They had left their earlier love that they had when they first came to Christ. Their hearts had grown cold and was not in their worship. They lacked warm-hearted affection for Jesus so their works are dead and cold. They are now a second generation church, and the first generation, built up with Paul, were aging as the church became ritualistic, like the Pharisees. 

The text functions as a warning for us as well. Jesus is not satisfied with external actions without a heart of affection for Him. We think we’re good, but we often lack passion, fall into apathy, and are deceived by heart idolatry. Conviction is a blessing because it directs us to change and let love for Jesus cause us to act. 

Change has three parts here - “Remember” (v5) the beginning of joy and worship. “Repent” for the hypocrisy of doing things not motivated by a love for Christ.  “Do” the former deeds, while loving Jesus. The warning is that if they don’t return in love, Jesus will remove the church. And if they do repent and return, there is the promise of eternal life with God. 

Remember the Gospel, repent and love Christ like you did when you were saved, and then do good deeds from a heart of love for Jesus!

Revelation 1:7d – So It Is to Be

by Jon Buck

Rev 1:7 is a summary statement of the entire Book of Revelation. Christ will return with the clouds, every eye will see Him, and there will be widespread repentance as the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations recognize Him as the King. John finishes his summary statement with the phrase “So it is to be.” In the Greek, this phrase is one word meaning “yes”. It is consent to the previous assertions, agreeing these things prophesied by Zechariah are true, and it carries the message to let it be and let it come to pass. The point is clearly that nothing will stand in the way of God’s plan. 

John concludes the sentence with the word “Amen”, praising and glorifying God for the affirmation that He is sovereign and good, and it will happen as written. This section links to Rev 22:20 and forms and umbrella over the book, as John writes in v20 “Come, Lord Jesus” and “Amen.” These events will occur, we can pray for His return, and we can praise God for His culmination of the story of redemption.

Rev 1:8 is a summary statement of the sovereignty and eternality of God. “I am the Alpha and the Omega” and it is repeated in Rev 22:13 as John expands to say He is “the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” These are descriptors of Jesus Christ, He is God. The phrase comes from Is 41:4 where the context is a message of comfort for Israel as they endure trials, that the Lord is the first, and the last. He is sovereign over history and will bring everything to pass in the future. He is eternal. 

John also states He is the Almighty, which is the word Pantokrator in Greek, meaning Panto – all and krator – power (where we get our word ‘Democracy - power for the people. However, in this case, all power belongs to Jesus!). Together the word means God is the absolute and supreme power over all. He is the pantokrator over all of history and the future. Knowing that Christ will bring it all to pass as written, and that He will accomplish His purposes with certainty is encouraging and comforting for us as we encounter hard things in this life. He is the Almighty, the Pantokrator, and the end is coming with Christ’s return as it is God’s will.

God’s plan of redemption has implications for how we live today. Paul tells us to walk and please God (1 Thess 4:1). First, be sexually pure and abstain from sexual immorality (4:3), to love one another and excel even more (4:9), and to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands” (4:11).  Paul says to focus on your own walk before the Lord, and to let the future be as God ordains (4:13-17). Paul tells us to not grieve for the dead as if we had no future hope, but instead, have hope! Know God’s future plans for the return of Christ, trust the Lord in everything, and live life now for His glory!

Revelation 1:7b – Every Eye Will See Him!

by Jon Buck

Christ’s return at the second coming will bring universal awareness that He is the King.  John writes “even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him” (Rev 1:7). The tribes are the nations of the earth that will mourn in judgement as they see Him. 

This prophecy is stated in Matt 25:31-32 in which Jesus tells the disciples He will return to sit on His glorious throne in front of all the gathered nations, and He will separate them one from another like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The sheep will be put on His right and will be invited to inherit His kingdom (Matt 25:34). Those on the left will be accursed and sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matt 25:41-46).  These verses are often used as proof texts to care for orphans, and although Christians are called to this, that is not the point of these verses. In context, Christ’s return will come to end the tribulation period in which both Jews and Christians will be persecuted, and it will be Christians who care for them. What divides the people like sheep from goats will be that some will take action to care for the “least of these”, the ones who are persecuted. They will be caring for all those persecuted during the tribulation period and taking care of the “least of these”, the lowest of society.

Future mourning of the nations over the reality of Christ’s judgement is not the only warning in this text. The phrase “those who pierced Him” refers to the Jewish people. In Zechariah 12, the prophet foretells the final attack on Jerusalem which is inhabited by the House of David and the Jews (Zech 12:9-10). As God pours out His Spirit of grace and supplication, the Jews will look on Christ, the One they pierced, and recognize Him as the Messiah. When the Jews see Him as the King, and are aware He is the Messiah, they will mourn for Him in repentance. In John 19:37, John quotes Zech 12:10 to show Zechariah’s prophecy that Christ would be pierced with a spear was fulfilled after His crucifixion (John 19:36). 

In Rev 1:7, John refers to the Zechariah prophecy to show that the rest of the prophecy will also be fulfilled in the future as Israel will come to repentance and salvation. Paul explains in Rom 11 that God partially hardens Israel to the truth to give time for the Gentiles to come in. During this time of partial hardening, some of the Jews are saved, but not all. But when Christ returns, and they see Him for who He is, the Messiah and King, the nation of Israel will repent and be saved. 

Believers have confidence that every eye will see Him! Understanding God’s purpose and plan gives us patience like God’s, and should fill us with compassion for the unsaved, especially Israel knowing God will bring it about when they see Him.

Revelation 1:7a – Behold, He is Coming with the Clouds!

by Jon Buck

“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him” - Revelation 1:7a

The story of the world and God’s redemption of sinners is already fore-ordained by God.  He reveals the mysteries of the end times, in a vision to John, for the encouragement of His people in the ultimate victory of Christ and the believer’s future life with Him. The entire book of Revelation is summarized in one sentence in Rev 1:7. 

“Behold, He is coming with the clouds” is an OT reference. ‘Behold’ is a command to see, look and focus on something. John wants the readers to see Jesus is coming with the clouds through the text and the eyes of your heart, because it hasn’t happened yet. But it literally will happen in the future, and believers can read this, believe it, and trust this future prophecy is true. 

Christ coming back with the clouds (Rev 1:7) is a reference to Dan 7:9-14. In Dan 7, the beasts are the four kings that will rise in power: Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon;  Medo-Persia, Greece with the four way division after Alexander the Great’s death, and Rome). They are the same four empires Nebuchadnezzar saw in Dan 2 in which they are pictured as different types of metals in a statue, existing for a time, and then being replaced by a future kingdom of God. In Dan 7, Daniel lived before the four empires happened, but he saw them each replaced in the future, and he saw the day of the second coming of Christ. The command “Behold”, and the phrases He came with the “clouds of heaven”, and “One like a Son of Man” (Dan 7:13) are referenced in Rev 1:7.  Daniel is describing the second coming of Christ. The little horn of the fourth kingdom will be a continuation of the Roman Empire in some capacity that the Antichrist will be ruling at the time the Day of the Lord comes, and his kingdom will be taken away and given to Christ. He will come on the clouds of heaven and will have future dominion as King (And 7:26).

The second reference to Christ’s coming in clouds is in 1 Thess 4:16-17 which describes the rapture of the church. The passage describes the resurrection and ascension of the dead in Christ (believers who have died), and living believers who will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord. The event of the rapture is the start of the second coming and judgment by Christ. 

The timing of this event is immensely comforting to believers today, as the rapture will take them out of this world, and to the Lord, prior to judgement. But there is a warning that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:1-3), unexpectedly and without warning. Unbelievers will be left, and some will become saved when they see the fulfillment of prophecy as “every eye will see Him” (Rev 1:7b).  The rapture will start the Day of the Lord which is a period of seven years of tribulation, and then Jesus will return at the second coming and establish His kingdom (Matt 24:29). The Bible brings confidence the end is coming, and though this generation may not be here for it, it is God’s will, and all should know Christ as Savior before He comes as Judge.

Revelation 1:4a - Grace to you and Peace!

by Jon Buck

“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace.” - Revelation 1:4a

In the greeting of Rev 1:4, John writes to the seven churches and opens with a message from God of “Grace to you and Peace.” The seven churches were in Asia, which included Ephesus and those surrounding it. John lived in Ephesus after Paul’s martyrdom in Rome (about 67 AD), and he spent about 30 years overseeing the churches in that general area. John was the last known surviving apostle and was exiled on the small, barren island of Patmos, where Romans often banished criminals. He was exiled “on account of the word of God the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 1:9) indicating he was persecuted for his faith in Christ.  John was on the island when he received the extraordinary visions of the end times, and he wrote about them in a letter to circulate to his seven churches who were also suffering persecution under the reign of Domitian. Both Nero and Domitian demanded emperor worship, and Christians were martyred for not complying. As a result, some of the churches were struggling in spiritual decline.

John opens his greeting immediately with comforting words to the suffering believers that God sends His grace and peace to them. Grace is favor that is undeserved yet poured out from God’s heart of love and kindness. John knew the believers in the seven churches were struggling and he wanted to first tell them that God is with them even in these hard circumstances. In fact, God sends grace to us continually. Grace is God’s love in action in every circumstance of life, and it continues for us today. Everyone has both joy and hardship in life, and God in heaven is smiling, giving grace in every part of our lives for His purposes and our sanctification. Our part is to receive it and believe that is true.

John says God also sends His peace to them. The churches were in strife because believers were threatened with imprisonment (Rev 2:10), and were being attacked for their faith. But John says God sends His peace, which is peace with God Himself. Because believers in Christ are no longer under the war that God has with sin, they have peace with God and are united and safe with Him despite their circumstances. Paul explains in Romans 5:1 that we have peace with God because we have been justified by faith. God’s declaration of righteousness has brought us into a relationship of love with God. 

In the OT, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom which means wholeness or completeness. This type of wholeness was only possible through God, as the Aaronic blessing explains (“…the Lord give you peace.” - Num 6:22-27). In the New Covenant Jesus provides us access to God, who is everything we need for true peace. In Christ, believers are reconciled to God, and all the longings and cravings of life won’t produce true peace or happiness, but in Jesus we have wholeness and true and lasting peace with God. We have everything we need from God to fight sin and live for Him even in the hardest circumstances. Have you trusted in Christ, and do you believe that Jesus is everything for you?

Revelation 1:1-3 - Joy in the Revelation of Jesus Christ!

by Jon Buck

God’s ultimate purpose in the Book of Revelation is to bless us and bring us joy in knowing the end of the story. When we know there is victory in the end, we are joyful about the future even though we suffer hardships in this life. Often we despair in our circumstances just like many did when they saw Jesus put to death on the cross and thought it was a failure. But we know that the cross is actually victory for us, and the Book of Revelation details how that victory will continue to unfold in the future. Knowing that God is working every detail of life together to bring about that ultimate victory of Christ should encourage us to face trials, trusting that His glory will be revealed. 

 The Book of Revelation, recorded by the Apostle John while exiled on Patmos, is shaped like a Nike “swoosh”. John’s greeting and background information and letters to the churches serve as background information. The  storyline starts in heaven in chapters 4 and 5, then proceeds downward in judgement until chapter 19, and then quickly returns back up to heaven in glorious victory. We believe the events of Revelation are coming in the future, even though John wrote it in the past. Also, we believe the events are historical and literal, and are not just allegories and symbols unless the text explicitly states it’s an allegory. Rev 12:1-2, is an example of an allegorical reference in which the word “sign” informs us its allegorical.

            The purpose of the book is in the word “revelation” which means to uncover and reveal something to make it known. The revelation of Jesus Christ means the message comes from Jesus Christ Himself, and He wants to show His slaves how the world will end. Jesus wants to give us a glimpse into the future of the world. The book is divine communication from God, and is recorded so that we know this is God’s word to us. In Rev 1:1, the communication comes first from God, the Father, to Jesus; and then from Jesus to the angel; then from the angel to John (the apostle); and John records it for the church of all ages. 

           John also states the book is prophecy (1:3), a divine foretelling of the future so that we know the events that will come about and we won’t worry when we see these things develop. John’s duty in writing it is to testify to the word of God (v2). He is the witness and speaker for Christ, and his writing is divinely revealed Scripture by Jesus Himself (2 Ptr 1:19-21). In Rev 1:19, John is commanded to write these things down for us. Our duty in response is to “read”, “hear”, and “heed” (v3) the things that are written. Reading implies both public and private reading and study, and hearing means listening to what is being said with an open heart. Heed means to keep or obey the things written by trusting God that it is true and will happen, and to not doubt His word. Our duty is to obey His word and persevere in trusting God despite our circumstances (Rev 22:7). Because God has lovingly revealed His final victory to us, we can serve Him in joyful obedience in our current circumstances! 

Lacking Assurance Because You're Too Great of a Sinner?

by Jon Buck

“I’m such a terrible sinner, I must not be saved.”

We find ourselves thinking this way often as we look at our sins and their effects in our lives. Perhaps this question is born out of confusion as we wonder how can God forgive all of our trespasses, past, present, and even in the future.

The diagnosis of this heart fear is two-fold: First, it can come from a lack of understanding of who God is and what He’s done on our behalf and second, a misconception of sin.

• Who is God and what did he do for us?

We need to understand who God is; the fact that He is the perfect creator of the world (Gen.1:1), the Holy One (Isa. 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16), the One who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16), the eternal King (1 Tim. 1:17), the One who is omniscient and omnipresent (Psalm 139), and the One who is omnipotent (Col. 1:6, 7; Heb. 1:3).

And yet, that same God took on flesh and lived like humans so that He would become our righteousness by dying on a cross (2 Cor. 5:21). He proclaims that all men everywhere should repent (Acts 17:30), He wants everyone to turn to Him and be saved (Isa. 55:1), and all that are weary and heavy-laden to come and find their rest in Him. (Matt. 11:28-30). In the book of Revelation He is called “the One who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood and has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.” (Rev. 1:5-6)

If we faith to understand both the holiness and compassion of God, we’ll begin to doubt our salvation.

• Who are we and what did we do?

As we come face to face with our God, we realize who we are and what we have done. Isaiah saw the LORD sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple, and he saw the seraphim calling to one another, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” In that moment, Isaiah saw himself as dead, ruined. He saw his sin before a holy God and proclaimed a curse upon himself “Woe is me.” (Isa. 6:4) When Peter saw Jesus’ miracles in the fishing boat, he fell down at the Master’s feet and exclaimed, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

When men like Isaiah and Peter come face to face with the power and holiness of God, they are not left impassible—they are confronted with their own sinfulness, they are faced with their own inability. (Rom. 3:9-19; 23)

So, how do these two components help us not doubt God’s forgiveness and our salvation?

Logically, it would make sense to think that because God is holy and we are unholy, God would not forgive us, or at least that there are many that would not make the cut. However the gospel tells us that salvation is not primarily about us—Jesus took our punishment for sin, he died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God. (1 Pet. 3:18). Paul says that where sin increases, grace abounds even more (Rom. 5:20). And, gloriously, the very purpose of Jesus coming into the world was to save ‘sinners’—not the righteous, but sinners! (1 Tim 1:15)

Do you believe this? Do you believe who God is and what He has done on your behalf? Do you believe who you are before a holy God and how your sin has separated you from God? If you do, then you will understand that God is in the business of saving sinners, not just the “good sinners”, but the worse of the worst.

The promise that God has made is helpful—that He forgives sins and He has put our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). And just two verses later, we’re told that ‘He remembers we are dust’!

Paul was a persecutor of the early church, he was a former blasphemer and an insolent opponent. As sinners go, Paul was an expert. However, he says, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:13-16)

Doubting if You’re Elect?

by Jon Buck

A common struggle with assurance of salvation is to doubt based on God’s unconditional electing grace.

The doctrine of election teaches that God elects, or chooses, those who will be saved. This places the cause of salvation on God, rather than man, since God is the one who must regenerate the sinner’s heart, and open his or her eyes to the gospel. This makes sense, because Paul teaches us that no one seeks after God on his own, and that there is no good in anyone—it must be God who does this work (Rom 4:5, Eph 2:8-9).

Since this is the case, someone might have a concern that God has not elected them, even though they would desperately want to be Christians. They might have thoughts like, “It is true that Jesus saves. It is also true that Jesus could save me. But He only will if I’m elect, and so I can never be sure if I am saved.”

This type of doubt is actually an issue of perspective. Election is a doctrine that provides God’s perspective on our salvation—we have been saved because God has chosen us for salvation from eternity past. Apart from Him, we would never have come to Him, and therefore it was His election that has led to our salvation.

However, from our human perspective, salvation is based on faith in the promises of the Word of God. For that reason, this type of doubt is actually a doubt about the promises of the Scripture. The Bible is full of promises for salvation to anyone who believes (For example, Romans 1:16-17). The one who has faith—that is, who believes the promises that the Bible expresses—IS elect. Therefore, the question that should rise up in our hearts is not whether we are elect, but whether we trust the promises of the Gospel.

To that end, consider 1 Tim 1:15—“It is a trustworthy statement deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” Christ came into the world to save sinners, Paul says. A person who acknowledges that they are a sinner in need of a Savior has the freedom to trust this promise—that Christ came into the world to save them! To pause here and say, “Yes, that is true, but only if I am elect” is to beg the question. The one who has faith in this truth is the one who is elect.

Consider this in your own heart: Did Jesus Christ come into the world to save sinners? And are you aware that you are a sinner in need of a Savior? If you can answer yes to both of those questions, then you can simply trust that He has come into the world to save you, and you can rest in this promise from Him.

Doubting Your Salvation Because of a Lack of Fruit

by Jon Buck

This question is a very common struggle. There are many places in the Bible where we are told that Christians will bear good fruit. This fruit is first and foremost a love for God and a love for others (see Matt 23:37-40). From this love for God and others flows a life of holiness, purity, and self-giving.

By the same token, the Bible teaches that believers still sin, even after salvation. There are many examples such as Peter’s sin of fear of man in denying Jesus, and the same sin later while at Antioch where Paul had to rebuke him (read Gal 2 for the story). We’re told that Paul considered himself the foremost sinner (1 Tim 1:15; the verb is in the present tense!), and that God is mindful that we are dust (Psalm 103:15). Paul sometimes struggled with fear and anxiety, Timothy with timidity, and the church in Corinth was full of believers who committed sin.

The tension in this issue can damage your assurance of salvation, because it can cause you to begin to believe that you are not growing enough or producing enough fruit. Perhaps you've had thoughts like this—you believe you should've changed more by now, or, your life is still a struggle, or, you're still struggling with sins that you struggled with from the very beginning.

All of these are very common!

So how are we to think of our need to bear fruit and our assurance of salvation?

This issue is actually a confusion about how justification and sanctification work together. Justification is the declaration of righteousness that God makes over his people because of the righteousness of Christ. Paul says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1), and that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ for us (Rom 8:38-39). This is the reality of our justification. It triumphs over our sins, many of which remain in our lives, even after we are converted. This is why Paul told the Romans that where sent abounds, grace abounds all the more (Rom 5:20-21).

After our conversion, this justification that we have received as a free gift from God begins to change us. Paul tells Titus that God's grace instructs us to deny on godliness and worldly desires, and to live righteously and godly lives (Titus 2:11)! Further, Paul tells us that our new life in Christ gives us new motivational power to change. Of course, this is not perfection! Instead, it is best to think of it as the direction of our lives. We begin to change because of the kindness of God, and His glory which is revealed to us, and His forgiveness and love of us.

If we start to blend justification and sanctification together, we get ourselves into trouble. Yes, our justification produces change in us, but that change is not our justification! Think of a tree - the fruit that the tree bears is not the tree itself, nor is it the root of the tree. The tree cannot bear fruit without roots that go into the soil, and yet, we would never say that the fruit is the tree itself. Instead, it's best to think of the fruit in our lives as a sign of the existence of true roots! In other words, our relationship with God is is constantly bearing fruit in varying degrees and in varying ways in our lives.

By the same token, a person who bears no fruit of righteousness, but still claims to be a believer cannot be. True faith always produces fruit (James 2:14). However, it is not always the same fruit, or the same amount of fruit. In fact, for some people who are true Christians, their concern over their lack of fruit is the very fruit they are seeking to see in their lives!

Further, it is important to remember that our war against sin will never come to an end until we are dead. The bodies that we have in our earthly lives are still under the curse of sin, and that sin principal resides in our flesh (see Rom 7:14ff). Our bodies (including our brains!) are constantly at war with our new inner selves, which joyfully delight in the law of God. We are no longer slaves to sin, but we often live according to the sin principle in our bodies, and fail to obey and glorify God.

Nevertheless, we can always fall back on the hope of the promise that God has made to us—that all of our sins, past, present and future, were laid on Christ, once and for all, at the cross (1 Cor 15:1-4). We can trust that we are forgiven because of Him and His life and death on our behalf. In fact, it is comforting to note that the love of Christ for us began while we were enemies, and still sinners according to the world (Romans 5:8)! If God would come all the way to us in our deepest moments of failure and sin, certainly He will do so for us now, having been justified!

John Newton and Political Polarization

by Jon Buck

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all…able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition”
- 2 Tim 2:24-25

We live in an age where controversy sells.

Studies have shown that polarization in American culture has drastically increased since the 1970s. Much of what was considered ‘overlap’ between the parties has now disappeared. What’s more, politicians and commentators are increasingly incentivized by this current climate to create more controversy for voter retention and donations! The more fearful the constituency, the more donations will flow.

If you have any doubts, just jump into social media for a bit, and you’ll see the pervasive presence of controversial statements that make up most people’s feeds. Controversy and shock-and-awe posts create philosophical echo chambers, where those who agree are able to vilify those that don’t.

Most of the platforms where this kind of controversy is born offer free content and rely on ads, ‘views’, and payment schemes to build a business. However, many also have ‘all access’ subscriptions where the faithful can pay them for further restatements of their positions.

And all of this controversy brings in big dollars.

Christian business bloggers

In an effort to understand where things are going in the Christian world, I listen to a few podcasts that are recommended to me.

This week I was listening to a podcast by a very popular conservative self-proclaimed discernment teacher whom I had never heard. He was sharing about a host of controversial topics, both political and religious. During his commentary he let slip that all his children are employed for his platform. Now - he certainly has the right to pay his children to work for him. However, it is interesting to note that there’s enough money coming into the podcast for him to build a state-of-the art website, provide a large number of various podcasts, and hire his entire family to work in the business.

This is just one of many such men. And most, if not all, are enjoying a comfortable living from their controversy.

The danger, of course, with such podcasts is that they grow through listeners. The more listeners a show gets, the more money the show and its hosts make. Just like politicians, in an era when the world is polarizing around these topics, these men are incentivized to increase controversy as well.

When confronted, these types of Christians argue that controversy is the sincerest form of love. If people are going to hell, what is more loving than to vilify them, and castigate them for their false views? Perhaps they’ll come to Christ!

In fact, in the podcast I was listening to, one of the pastors scoffed that there is no eleventh commandment—“Thou shalt be nice.”

Paul’s Command

These men, though self-proclaimed intellectual leaders in the Christian community, are not following the example of the apostle Paul. Their desire for controversy and quarreling in the public sphere is not biblical, and there is, in fact, a command to be kind!

Paul told his protege in the faith Timothy that the bond-servant of God must not be quarrelsome. Instead, he calls him to be kind to all—not just his friends, but to all. He goes on to call for gentleness when correcting those who are in opposition.

The word in this verse for quarrelsome is the Greek word that can mean either physical or verbal aggression. Paul is describing an angry, confrontative spirit that can often characterize those who claim to be bondservants of God.

He wants Timothy to flee that spirit, and instead, correct with gentleness. Note—he doesn’t tell Timothy to not correct, but tells him to do so with gentleness.

John Newton’s Example

The famous author of Amazing Grace, John Newton, exemplified this command in a letter he wrote to a friend in ministry. The friend was embroiled in controversy, and Newton offered a suggestion about how to think of his opponents that would be helpful for many in our day.

My prayer is that we will be more like Paul, and more like John Newton, because we are more like Jesus Christ. The quote is long, but worth the read.

“If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab concerning Absalom, are very applicable: "Deal gently with him for my sake." The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should show tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself. In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever.

But if you look upon him as an unconverted person, in a state of enmity against God and his grace (a supposition which, without good evidence, you should be very unwilling to admit), he is a more proper object of your compassion than of your anger. Alas! "He knows not what he does." But you know who has made you to differ. If God, in his sovereign pleasure, had so appointed, you might have been as he is now; and he, instead of you, might have been set for the defense of the gospel. You were both equally blind by nature. If you attend to this, you will not reproach or hate him, because the Lord has been pleased to open your eyes, and not his.”

Kindness doesn’t sell the way controversy does.

But Paul wasn’t about listeners, likes, or retweets. He wasn’t employing his family in a burgeoning business of controversy. Eventually the current political and religious polarization will pass—I pray our legacy will be one of kind gentleness, rather than vitriol.

Sober Vs Somber—The Mood of Good Friday

by Jon Buck

sober: adj. - serious, sensible, and solemn
somber: adj. - dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy; grave

Our church is going to be celebrating Good Friday this evening, and it’s one of my favorite services. This day is, in fact, the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of His people.

Good Friday is a tradition of the church stretching back well into the middle ages, and is filled with a number of very interesting traditions. The earliest and most common traditions are associated with Catholic and Eastern Orthodox activity during what is commonly called ‘Holy Week’—the week leading up to Easter.

In these traditions, Good Friday is generally celebrated with wearing black, and participating in various services and activities that are linked to the suffering of Christ on the cross. In fact, one of the traditions is called ‘Acts of Reparation to Christ’ which include prayers that are designed to ‘repair the sins’ against Jesus.

All of these traditions are undertaken in a very somber mood. There is a darkness and gloom—a gravity that pervades all these events.

Some Protestant churches, while not adopting the specifics of the Catholic and Eastern traditions, have adopted the somber mood that they have created around this day.

Our desire is to refuse this type of service. We want to be sober, but NOT somber! There should be a sense of solemnity as we consider what Christ had done for us. We ought to be reminded, in a very serious and reverential way, about the glories of Calvary and the sufferings of our Lord.

However, Good Friday is and should be a day filled with sober joy for God’s people! What better day to rejoice in God and all that He has done for us, than on the day when we are reminded about the greatest demonstration of His love for us—the cross of His Son.

So, if you’ve grown up in a somber tradition, consider the words of Christ Himself to the thief on the cross. “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” There was no somberness when, at the close of His sufferings, Christ entered heaven with the thief. In fact, quite the opposite. And the same is true of you, on this day, if you know Him and trust Him for your salvation!

“Trusting God” is More Than a Book

by Gus Pidal

For over a decade I have distributed dozens of copies of the book “Trusting God” written by Jerry Bridges. There are certain books that change lives, this one has had paragraphs that have changed and challenged my thinking about God’s sovereignty.

Outside the Bible, I cannot think of a book that I have read more and that has had such an impact in my life like this short book and yet, it seems like every couple of years I need to go back to it. Why? Because I need to be reminded that God is in control, that I can trust him, even when life hurts.

When we suffer, we tend to retreat to ourselves and suddenly, the phrase “trusting in God” seems like a cliché, more than a truth. What I have found often is that I need to be reminded of the truths I know and this book has reminded me time and time again of God’s sovereign care.  

Bridges begins the first chapter asking the age-old question, “Can I trust God?” That is a question we tend to ask a lot. When we get a scary diagnosis, when we get laid off from a job, when we get a 30 day notice on our apartment. What do we do? Can we still trust God?  Job 5:7 says that, “Man is born to adversity as surely as sparks fly upward. All of us find ourselves dealing with pain, difficulty, and hardships that lead to suffering, and sadly it leads us to think, “Is God in control of my life?” Or perhaps we ask, “How can this happen to me?”

To answer this, Bridges writes about three truths: God is completely sovereign, God is infinite in wisdom, and God is perfect in love. He develops these ideas in the rest of the book dealing with God’s sovereign control of all things. He encourages his readers time and time again to learn to trust in God and to glorify Him in all things.

He ends his introductory chapter by quoting David in Psalm 9:9-10, “9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

To know God is not to just to know facts about Him, but to know His character and this knowledge leads us to trust Him, even when life hurts.

As believers, we don’t throw our hands up to fate or think positively. No, as true believers, our hope and trust is in the sovereign God. We believe the truths of the gospel and know that “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” cares for us and loves us; and when we believe this, when we have faith in this, our hearts can’t but trust Him, who is sovereign over everything.

Christmas Eve - 4000 Years of Labor Pains

by Jon Buck

“While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.”

- Luke 2:6

Everyone who has had a baby naturally knows just how unknown the exact moment of birth will be. Labor isn’t something that can be timed. Suddenly (and often at the most inopportune times) contractions start, the water breaks, and baby is on its way. Birth is such a massive life changing event, and yet there really isn’t a way to plan for it.

The same must have felt true for Joseph and Mary two thousand years ago, as they traveled to be registered in Bethlehem. The young couple knew that Mary was going to give birth—they just didn’t know when. They traveled the 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem on foot, likely in constant anticipation that the baby could be born at anytime.

In fact, even the language of Luke 2:6 is passive (‘the days were completed’) rather than active. But the completion of the days, and the specifics of God’s plan were anything but passive. He was in perfect control of this circumstance, and the details of the Savior’s birth were planned from eternity.

The labor waited until they arrived in Bethlehem because it had to wait in order to fulfill prophecy. The prophet Micah had predicted that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (5:2), and that promise would be kept without fail.

But the birth of the Messiah was timed by more than just location. The Old Testament is filled with promises of a coming Messiah, from Genesis 3:15, all the way through the prophets and the history of Israel. Thousands of years and hundreds of promises, generations of those who were aware of God’s purpose—all had come together for this moment in history as this young couple made their way to Bethlehem.

In many ways, that night represented 4000 years of labor pains. All history had piled up to this one point, filled with hopes, dreams, and expectations, and the times were completed and the baby was born. God kept all His promises, and sent His Son into the world in the fullness of the time (Gal 4:4).

What can we learn from this?

That God is faithful to His promises. Perhaps you find yourself with the young couple in the labor pains of the night, without knowing what will come in the near future. Perhaps the fears of the future, and the doubts of what will come have kept you in doubt of God’s goodness. But no matter what comes, we have this certainty—that God is good, and that He will fulfill His purposes.

If He has the power to bring all the events together to bring His Son into the world, He has the power to keep your faith intact, no matter what the future holds. So trust His goodness, His sovereignty, and particularly His timing this year!

An Eternal Relative

by Jon Buck

“John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”

- John 1:14

If you come from a family with multiple siblings, you know that birth order matters. Age of child determines everything from bed times and privileges to who sits in the front seat, and who can stay up and chat with the adults for a few extra minutes. Plus, when mom and dad are away, birth order determines who is in charge. Birth order even offers authority!

But these are just small things in our modern culture. Even as recently as 100 years ago, birth order determined issues of inheritance, land ownership, and societal prominence. This view of birth order is ancient with widespread. In fact, oldest sons in the Roman Empire were venerated by families, and second, third, and fourth children were forced to make their way in the world often on their own.

When thinking about John 1:14, at first glance, it might seem that John the Baptist was making a statement that would run contrary to this view of age and authority. John and Jesus were cousins, and John was born before Jesus. What’s more, John’s parents were older than Jesus’s parents, meaning that Jesus was the younger family member of younger family members. Even as the firstborn in His family, Jesus would have owed familial honor to John.

Rather than accept this honor, John proclaimed that Jesus was above him in rank, giving Jesus both honor and authority. In fact, John’s whole ministry was designed around lifting Christ up, even though Jesus was younger than John. John understood this about his life and ministry, and John 1:14 tells us that John had been testifying to that fact, even before Jesus showed up on the scene.

However, in actual fact, John wasn’t violating any of the cultural norms of his day, and he makes that very clear. John tells the crowds with a loud voice that Jesus came before him.

Now, this is quite shocking. Jesus was born after John—everyone around them knew it, and if they had any question, they could have simply consulted other family members. Yet, John is telling the crowds with authority that Jesus came before him, and therefore had the preeminence. In fact, the phrase translated ‘has a higher rank than me’ is actually literally ‘has become before me’—that is, He is ahead of me because He was before me.

For John, this is completely logical because he understands that Jesus is the eternal God, second person of the Trinity, Who has come into the world. John simply explains what is the most important message of his ministry, and the most important message that has ever been communicated. God had entered the world, taken on flesh, and had all authority.

John the Baptist’s testimony was designed to lead people to believe that Jesus really was the Son of God. And John the Apostle, who wrote the Gospel, had the same goal (see John 20:31).

John could have claimed birth order, but that would be silly when your relative is eternal. Instead both he and John the Apostle do the only natural thing to do with an eternal relative—they worship Him! So, this Christmas, do you believe them? Do you believe John the Baptist and John the Apostle that Jesus is the Son of God, the eternal God made flesh? If so, worship Him with them.

Delivered Over for You

Delivered Over for You

by Jon Buck

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

- Rom 8:32

The Bible teaches that God loves His people unconditionally. But for all of us, there are time when that can be hard to believe.

In moments of suffering, or times of fear, or seasons of loneliness, Jesus can seem like a distant reality. We’ve known and loved Him, and our heads know that He is good and that His goodness is over our saddest moments. And yet, it can be hard for us to truly experience the reality of His love when life is filled with sadness or suffering.

However, this isn’t God’s design. In our deepest moments of loneliness, sorrow, or suffering, God wants us to trust that He loves us, and to walk by faith in that reality. Only when we are trusting His sovereign love can we begin to understand His purposes in our suffering and how those purposes are for our good.

So the great question remains…how can we know that God loves us?

The answer is found at the cross, of course, because God has demonstrated His love in the death of His Son for sinners.

But this reality runs all the way back through the life of Christ to the night of the first Christmas. Paul tells us that God didn’t spare His Son, but delivered Him over for us.

He didn’t spare Jesus the humiliation of poverty, but delivered Him into it.

He didn’t spare Jesus the weakness of a physical body, but delivered Him over to human life.

He didn’t spare Jesus the sufferings of normal family relationships, but delivered Him into them.

He didn’t spare Jesus the sufferings of working hard to provide for his needs, but delivered Him into the curse.

He didn’t spare Jesus the sufferings of rejection and loneliness, but delivered Him into them.

He didn’t spare Jesus the suffering of being murdered unjustly, but delivered Him into the hands of His killers.

And ultimately, He didn’t spare Jesus the suffering of bearing the weight of your sin, but delivered Him over as a once-for-all innocent sacrifice.

How do you know God loves you beyond a shadow of a doubt, and how to do you trust that truth? Because God didn’t spare Jesus, but delivered Him over for us!

Promised King and Savior

by Noah Richie

As Christmas Day fast approaches, I believe it is important for us to revisit an often forgotten, yet important promise made to David and Israel in 2 Samuel 7. In the first half of chapter 7, King David desired to build a house for God. However, God made a promise to David instead. Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord spoke to David:

12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

In the verses above, the Lord promised that He would not forsake David’s descendants, and that His lovingkindness would remain with them. When David’s descendants would commit iniquity against God, they would be punished, but still God’s favor would remain with them.

While some of these promises and prophecies pertain to Solomon and following descendants of David, the last one is hard to fulfill. None of the future kings could ever sit on the throne eternally. This creates a huge problem for Israel and the line of David, but there is One who did fulfill this criterion. He was born of David’s line, and while He did not commit iniquity, He took our iniquity to usher in an eternal kingdom.

The citizens of the kingdom had committed sin, and did not deserve entrance. However, in His kindness, God provided a way. It is through the suffering of this great King that we can enter His kingdom.

He is the reason for our celebration—both as King and as Savior.

His Humiliation, Our Salvation

by Pierce Roybal

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—” ~ Colossians 1:21-22

Do you remember what your life was like before you were saved?

Some of us may have a dramatic story of God saving us, while others may have a more mundane story.

Whatever the specifics look like, Paul tells us here that it was due to us being “alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds.” Whether we were saved at a young age or after many years of heinous sin, we were all in the same spiritual state before Christ—we were far from God, hated him and others, and everything we did was entirely self-serving.

But now we have been made right with God! Where before we were apart from God, now we are holy, or set apart for him. Before, we deserved eternal punishment for every one of our thoughts and actions, but now in Christ we receive no condemnation for any of them.

If asked how this came about, most people would say it was through Christ’s death on the cross—and that’s true! Christ’s death in our place pays the penalty for sin that we deserved, and his perfect life earned him a righteousness that he then freely gave us.

But if we go straight to the cross, we skip over a necessary and miraculous prerequisite.

Paul only gives this a brief four words, “in His fleshly body”, so I can’t blame anyone for jumping right over it, but let’s think about what these four words mean for a second.

For Christ to have a fleshly body means that the eternal Son of God entered time and space. The one by whom all things were created, took on the nature of his creation. He willingly set aside the glory he deserved in order to be born as a baby in a manger, not a prince in a palace, and without any fanfare.

And he did that for us—sinners who deserved nothing but condemnation—so that we might receive mercy.

So as we think back on what we once deserved for our sin and what we now have in Christ, let’s remember and celebrate all that was required of him in accomplishing our redemption.

Jesus is Your Brother

by Jon Buck

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
- Gal 4:4-5

Adoption is a beautiful thing. A child without parental care or sustenance is brought into a loving family where they become a full-fledged member and enjoy all the benefits of being a member of the family. Not only are they loved and cared for, but they become members of that family.

But imagine an adoption where the new parents were only willing to allow the child to stay with them if they were perfect. Any disobedience, any evil word, any evil deed, and the child would be rejected.

Spiritually, the thing that kept us out of the family of God was the Law. God’s Law requires complete and full obedience. He demands perfection. However, all of us have fallen short of the glory of that perfection that God demands because of the sinful choices we have made. Each of us is now enslaved to the Law in seeking to be made right with God. And this is a miserable place to be. We cannot keep the Law, and yet we must.

But the glorious reality of Christmas is that Jesus came into the world in the same state that we are—under the Law. The demands of the Law were perfection, but unlike any other person that ever lived, Jesus actually was perfect. No sin, no failure, no falsehood of any kind. Just perfection.

But at the end of that perfect life, He died, not for His own transgressions, but for the sins of those who would trust in Him in order to redeem them from the wages they had rightfully earned.

The perfect life that we needed to be part of God’s family was fulfilled, and the perfections of Christ were gifted to those who believe this is true. Now, in Him, we are adopted into the family of God, loved and cherished and safe for eternity. Nothing can separate us from the love that God has for His Son, or the love that God has for us.

This is the great message of Christmas…a Son, coming in perfection, to rescue His brothers and sisters through perfect righteousness and embracing them into His family. The baby in the manger is your older brother!

Christmas Sunday - When the Calendar Forces You to Worship

by Jon Buck

I recently was talking with some students at school about a day off from classes for Veteran’s Day. They knew that school was cancelled, and they all had plans, but they didn’t know much about Veteran’s Day, or why it was important in American history. The traditions surrounding the day had overtaken the meaning of the day itself.

The same can happen with Christmas.

We’ve heard recently about quite a few churches that are planning on not meeting for Christmas. I can understand the impulse. There are family traditions to be kept, gifts to be opened, movies to watch. There are cookies to be eaten, and a Christmas dinner to be prepared. Church would just get in the way of all that.

But, of course, the great and central reality of Christmas is NOT those things. The traditions, the gifts, the family time, the meals—all the celebrations—are based on a single great and glorious activity of God in the birth of His Son.

Once every seven years, Christmas falls on a Sunday, and on those days, more than any other, the calendar forces us to consider the glorious and central reality of Christmas. On a day that is centered on Jesus and His entrance into the world, the church gathers to celebrate and worship Him. To miss church is to miss the point—that Jesus and His incarnation to carry our sins on the cross is the most joyful celebratory reality in the universe!

Next year will come, and Christmas won’t be on a Sunday again. But this year, and seven years from now, we have a great privilege to worship the Incarnate Savior on a Sunday. I pray your heart embraces the joy that this brings, and is willing to set aside traditions, meals, and the trappings of Christmas for the glorious reality at the center!

Holding Creation and In Creation—Jesus as A Baby

by Jon Buck

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” ~ Col 1:17

The incarnation is one of the most interesting theological mysteries in the Bible. There are countless questions that the incarnation raises, and one of the most complex is how the One Being through whom all matter in the universe holds together could take on human flesh as a baby.

Think through why this is so radical. First, the Bible teaches that all things that exist hold together in Him. The author of Hebrews says that all things hold together ‘by the word of His power’, and Paul affirms this reality in Col 1:17. The obviously implication is that all matter—stars, flowers, your eyes as you read this—are being actively held together by the power of Jesus now. Further, all things that have ever existed were held together by His divine power at all points in history.

The Bible also teaches that Jesus was born as a baby in the town of Bethlehem. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger, and fell asleep. He grew into a toddler, picked up sticks in the field, grew in wisdom and knowledge, learned carpentry, ate dinner with his family, and many other activities.

These sound like two radically different people.

However, they are not different. They are the same, and what’s more, they are the same person concurrently. Jesus was a baby in a manger, and was holding all things together by His power. He was sharing a loaf of bread with His brothers, and was maintaining the material universe.

How can these things be?

To be honest, I have no idea. Theologians can conjecture, and we should try to understand these types of deep theological mysteries. But there are things about God that are mind-bogglingly complex and incomprehensible.

This is ok. If we could understand all the nuances of the incarnation, and we could grasp all the complexities of who God is, we would no longer worship God, but would BE God. But we are not God, and God has come to us!

This is the point of the incarnation, and the reason why the authors of Scripture pay so much attention to the entrance of the Son of God into the world, and to His sustaining character. They don’t try to explain them away, and they don’t try to unite them. They simply explain both, and we are left to worship the power, wisdom, might, and glory of the One who has come.