Feature Articles

Being a Christian is so much more than just going to church, learning right theology, and going through the motions of being a “good Christian.” I want all that you are—your heart, soul, mind, strength; your affections, desires, wants; your hopes, dreams, ambitions; your love, your joy, your peace—to be for our Savior. That is the good life. That is the abundant life that Christ promised, when we are enraptured with His love and fully happy in Him.

Identity is crucial.1 Identity not only defines how we introduce ourselves, but also dictates how and why we live. Through our identity, we interpret the world, understand relationships, choose our actions, have stability, and worship. …Our problem is that there are a billion voices clamoring to define who and what we are.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) teaches that throughout history, all institutions (social and legal) have been inherently racist, creating a world where white people have been granted an intrinsic advantage over colored people.

If God was all-good, then He would desire to eliminate all evil. If He was all-powerful, then He could eliminate all evil. But because there is evil in the world, He is either not all-powerful, not all-good, or both. And if He is not, then He is not the Christian God and therefore God does not exist.

In desperation, the father says to Jesus, “If you can do anything…” He just doesn’t know if Jesus can. Jesus gently rebukes him, basically answering his question with, “I can. But do you believe?” The father then replies with one of the most heart wrenching statements in the book of Mark: “I believe! Help my unbelief!” This, tragically, summarizes the Christian life.

Jesus demands it all. He demands your entire life. “Die to yourself and your desires. Be willing to die for Me, even on a cross. Follow Me in everything, every giving up your life.”

The question I want to answer in this post is, “Why does God loves us?” I am speaking particularly of His fatherly love for His children, for Christians—His love that gives salvation and eternal life. Why does He love us?

Dear discouraged soul, hope in God. Our hope is not wishful thinking, but assurance based on God’s promises. Hope that He will not abandon you in your despair. Hope that in Christ, the best is always yet to come.

If you had no intelligence, no beauty, no status, no skill, no health, no family, no friends, no money, no one to love you, no earthly pleasure, nothing, absolutely nothing but God, would He be enough?

As sinners we are sick, diseased, and helpless to cleanse ourselves. Our fingers are covered with black ink; everything we touch is stained. Who will make us clean?

God is King from eternity past to forever (Psa 29:10). He sits enthroned in the heavens (Psa 2:4) above the earth (Isa 40:22) and will reign forever and ever (Rev 22:5). However, His kingdom plan for the earth is not simply a generalized kingship in which He is sovereign over all. Rather, God’s kingdom plan is revealed in the Scriptures as a particular plan interwoven with redemptive history. God promised to establish His perfect kingdom on earth through the person and work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He would dwell with His people forever and ever.

In Heaven, God will surely and finally overwhelm our heartbreaks. God will knit closed the wounds of war, schism, disease, and brokenness. God will erase the scars of sin; sorrow will reign no more.

The question posed to me was this: how do we counsel suffering brothers and sisters in Christ?

To start, let’s dive into a book all about horrific suffering: Lamentations.

You know the famous words from Lamentations 3:22-23 from the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.[1]

But I wonder, have you ever heard the context of those words?

In 1542, the world was decidedly pre-modern. It would be at least 100 more years until the invention of the first microscope and over 250 years until the first vaccine. The cause of the black plague, a bacillus called Yersina pestis, wouldn’t be discovered for another 350 years.3 In those days, ‘medicine’ meant blood-letting, drinking ground unicorn horn,4 and consuming concoctions of lead and mercury.

But pre-modern or not, in the fall of 1542, the black plague came to Geneva. At the time, the renowned John Calvin, reformer of Geneva and de facto leader of the Company of Pastors (the group of pastors for the entire city of Geneva), was just 33 years old. The Reformation was just reaching maturity, having been accidentally kicked off by Martin Luther 25 years earlier. Mary I of England (who came to be known as Bloody Mary for burning Protestants at the stake), was still 11 years from the throne.5

Is Jesus still marvelous to you, dear counselor? Or has He become yet another tool in your counselor’s toolbox? Is He merely the means to some nebulous end of Christian maturity, or is He more? Is not true Christian maturity marked by a heart caught up by, enthralled by, completely won by the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Son of God became the Son of Man that sons of men might become sons of God. Friend, let us cherish that above all! To whom shall we go? He has the words of eternal life; He is the resurrection and the life! Christ is the Beloved of all creation, God’s only begotten Son in whom He is well-pleased (Mt 3:17). Is Christ your Beloved? Are you pleased in Him?

Through the training, I came to understand that biblical counseling is better defined as “intense biblical friendship and discipleship, as counselor(s) walk alongside a counselee through his sin and suffering, to help him behold Jesus Christ as both perfectly sufficient and ultimately satisfying in every trial and temptation, repent of his unrighteousness and the idols of his heart, and put on the righteousness of Christ according to the commands of Scripture, so that God would be glorified in his heart, his relationships, and indeed his entire life.”

I am still very, very new to biblical counseling. But the sails are unfurled, the ship is sailing, and the skies are bright and sunny. I am excited to learn how to best love someone, by helping someone apply the truths of Scriptures to their life, that they might be enthralled with Jesus Christ and love Him all the more. Is there any greater ministry than that? I know of none.

Haters keep on hating and liars keep on lying.  Churches keep on splitting and couples keep on sinning.  Suspicion, presumption, and deception leave the battlefield littered with their victims.  Bitterness, selfishness, retaliation, slander, and impatience — these are not the instruments and tools of love, are they?  Fears, fakery, and faithlessness give the devil a foothold to lead our hearts astray. If we are the people of God of love, ought not we be loving as He loves?

Literal Word exists to promote the Word of God and not much else. No ads. No frames. No logging in. No distractions. Simply the Word.

Ten years ago this day, the Lord made me a Christian. If God had given me only salvation, and then misery and death the rest of my life, it would have been abundant grace and far more than I deserve.  

But He has given me so much more.  

As I reflect on the year, the overwhelming sense is one of content satisfaction; it has been a good year.  And thus, I must give all praise to the sovereign God, who has been exceedingly kind to me.  

This is terrifying.  How does a man turn into a mere hearer?  After all, he listens to the same word as the doer.  He sits in the same church building, sees the same preacher, hears the same preaching, and might even take the same notes.  He hears the points, the applications, the exhortations, and yet, he is a mere hearer; he does not do what the Word of God says.  Why?  Or rather, how? 

To neglect to pray is to neglect to breathe. To neglect to pray for His glory is to extinguish the fire in my soul. To neglect to pray for God’s favor and grace upon the day is to rely on my own wisdom and strength apart from Him. To neglect to pray for His people in my church is to ignore the saints He has given me to love. To neglect to pray that He would send His people into the plentiful harvest is to scorn His glorious name. To neglect to pray for God to save sinners is to surrender my yet-to-be-saved brothers and sisters to hell. To neglect to pray is to sin.

But au contraire, that is not our generation.  For all the fascinations and fixations on love, we can't seem to get to the heart of the matter.  The heart keeps on aching.  The breakups keep on breaking.  The feelings of euphoria rise, and then crash and burn.  The memories that once warmed now sear and cut.  You say you'll learn from it, grow from it, be better for it - but you don't really.  Instead, after all the failure, the soul is left calloused, decrepit, cold. 

My heart is full.  This weekend my church ordained two more elders to join the servant-leadership team.  While it might seem strange to rejoice over a seemingly trivial thing — after all, the officers of the church hold lowly positions — I think it good to rejoice in the blessedness of God's perfect plan for His church.  We all confess that God designed His Church well, but do we ever consider how great a blessing comes from His perfect plan?   

All Glory Be to Christ indeed has humble beginnings.  But it's fame is anything but, for it's lyrics and themes are majestic and grand, fitting for the King to which it sings.  "All glory be to Christ our King!" it proclaims.  "All glory be to Christ!  Of His rule and reign, we will ever sing.  All glory be to Christ!"

It has been a very long year — of plummets and crescendos, of thrills and much loss.  I will be glad when it is finally done.  But I do try to remember, for remembering reminds me that the Lord is good and does good.  Of His abundant grace, I am sure. 

So without further ado, here's a recap of my year.  In writing it, I see traces of God's providence and goodness.  I hope you see it, too.

There is a storm coming your way. It cannot be avoided, and the surest way out is to sail straight through, in full assurance that the Lord is your Captain.  This is an attempt to prepare you for the suffering that will come.  Amidst the storm, we must cling to these seven truths.