Month: March 2024

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8–11)

The apostle Paul had no issue declaring the lordship of Jesus Christ over all of creation. In 1 Corinthians 6:8, Paul wrote, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Jesus is God and Lord over all that He has created and Paul declares that we owe our allegiance and worship to Him.

Paul also recognized Christ’s authority to judge all persons throughout all of time. In Romans 2:16, he wrote, “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” A judgment he did not exempt himself from, “For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Yet, while Christ is both Creator and Judge, He is also our salvation. Through his propitiatory work on the cross, and by our repentance and profession of Christ as Lord, we are saved from our sins (see Romans 10:9).

Still, even over our salvation, Paul recognizes the lordship of Christ as he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” Furthermore, to the Ephesians, he writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8–9). Paul clearly understood that Christ is both God and Lord. He is King over all things and there is nothing that was outside His reign and rule.

With this as our backdrop, we ask how Paul viewed our relationship with the King who rules not only the whole of creation, our judgment, and our salvation but over the very care of our souls. He reveals this in his letter to the Philippians. Paul begins his letter by writing of his imprisonment for his preaching of the gospel, an imprisonment that has brought the glorious, soul-saving message to the imperial guard itself! Paul not only endures this suffering (one in which he declares he would prefer to depart this life and go to Christ, yet he will remain for the work to be done) but rejoices in it because, through this unjust persecution, the work of God is being accomplished.

Paul recognized that the sovereignty of Christ over the affairs of all mankind included suffering on the part of His beloved people. That, through the ordaining of suffering and trials, Christ accomplished the very works He intended in the lives of His people. Paul’s own arrest and imprisonment not only brought the gospel to members of Caesar’s own military but also emboldened other Christians to proclaim the message publicly. Where some may think their gods negligent or capricious in allowing their adherents to suffer, Paul declared that Christ’s sovereign rule meant that nothing occurred that was without serving His divine purpose.

He then writes to the church in Phillipi to take encouragement in Christ and to be unified in one mind and body. He appeals to Christ’s own work in coming to earth as a man, humbling Himself by stepping out of Heaven, taking on flesh, becoming a servant, and being obedient to the point of death (see 2:5-8). It is this model, this willing service to the Father for the sake of others, that Paul calls to the Philippians’ mind as he tells them, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves”  (2:3). Christians are to model Christ’s humility and willing service on the part of others for the sake of loving and being obedient to God.

Paul reminds his readers that Christ, the One who willingly and humbly served of the will of His Father, is also the One whom the Father, “has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:9-11). The Lord of glory, the King of all creation came as a humble servant but one day, all the nations will bow before Him and acknowledge His sovereign rule. Even those who will be cast into eternal hellfire will confess his kingship and rightful judgment over them.

One would admittedly understand if Paul felt himself a little haughty over those who would reject the one true King of the universe. Paul was personally called to be an apostle of the Lord, the one who would preach salvation through this Christ to the very masses who sought his demise. One could understand a certain sense of privilege in knowing those who persecuted him would get their just reward. Yet, Paul shows none of this. He knows His King came as a humble servant to save a wretch like himself. Paul would not allow himself to be prideful when the model of his Savior was humility.

To that end, in chapter 3, Paul warns the Philippians against those who prided themselves in their outward appearance of piety, those who “mutilate the flesh” (3:2). These would be the Jews who made an outward appearance of their obedience to the law of God, who appealed to their heritage and traditions that they believed made them the people of God. Yet, Paul demonstrates in verses 4 through 6 that he not only had their pedigree, he exceeded it. He had been the top of the class, so to speak, in his adherence to and zeal for the law. If there was anyone who could have earned some kind of divine merit, it was Paul.

But, Paul throws it all out! He declares it rubbish, just worthless garbage in light of Jesus Christ. Paul willingly “suffered the loss of all things…in order that I may gain Christ” (3:8). Paul walked away from the status and pride of being seen as a highly respected Pharisee, a religious leader to be lauded and modeled, to become a humble servant and follower of Jesus Christ. Paul would endure poverty, persecution, suffering, beatings, and arrests to submit to his one, true King in totality. For Paul, Christ as King meant that there was nothing in this world so valuable that it could not be parted with in order to gain Christ.

In gaining Christ, Paul is looking forward to the promise of eternal life with his Savior in heaven. It is what drives him to live a life devoted to humble servitude and pursuing righteousness. Paul already had all that the world could have given him as a Pharisee – prestige, honor, position, and more. But, none of it compared to the “goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14). For that prize, Paul was willing to endure the loss of everything and the worst sufferings. There was no question that his loyalty lay with his Savior and King.

This is what it means for Christians to recognize and proclaim, “Christ is King!” It is not a political slogan. It is not a motto by which we seek to advance some sort of cultural change. It is a declaration to the world that Christ is Lord over all and will hold each person accountable for their rebellion against Him. It is a profession that only through confession of our sins, repentance from them, and turning to Christ as Savior and King that we might be saved. It is giving public notice that we are willing to forsake all that we have to follow and submit to the Lordship of Christ, even if we must suffer at the hands of wicked men to do so.

Christians, yes indeed, Christ is King! It is our privilege and honor to serve this King, to humble ourselves as servants before Him, and to call others to not only recognize his kingship but submit to Him completely. It should be for us, as it was for Paul, the driving motivation in our lives in all that we do. Christ as King is our greatest joy because we gain Him and His promise of eternal life. There should be nothing that the world offers us that can compare to this. Therefore, serve your King this day. Proclaim Him to the world around you. Live in joyful obedience to His commandments. Forsake yourself and pursue Christ with all the energy and fervor you can muster. Christ is King and you will be with Him for all eternity. Rejoice!

(This article was also published at X.com)

This week, Chris walks through 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 as he discusses how the resurrection of Christ is the lynchpin of the gospel, without which, Christians have no hope.

Important Note: For unknown reasons, the audio intro music was not recorded on this video. All other audio is working correctly. Please forgive the initial 30 seconds of silence while the logo is up.

This week, Chris walks through 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 as he discusses how the resurrection of Christ is the lynchpin of the gospel, without which, Christians have no hope.

If you want a perfect example of masculinity in the Scriptures, you need to look no further than King David.

As a young man, he kept his flock safe from predators, killing them whenever they attacked. He fought and killed the Philistine Goliath with just a rock and a sling. While serving under King Saul, songs were sung of the “ten thousands” of men he killed in battle. Later, when on the run from Saul, he amassed a small army of followers. And as king of Israel, Israel never had to fear her enemies. By all definitions, David was a “man’s man.”

Yet, in contrast, David was one who danced before the Lord, he played soothing music on the harp for King Saul, and he wrote poetry in the form of many Psalms. Those today who argue for a return to masculinity do not seem to include such attributes in the manliness repertoire. Such things may tend to be viewed as more feminine.

But, when we look at David, not all is admirable. He was clearly an attractive man as many ladies swooned for him. Yet, David amassed many wives and concubines in defiance of God’s command that kings were not to do so. David was also not a good father as evidenced by his lack of properly disciplining his sons. One was a rapist for which David did nothing. Another son, Absalon, murdered that son and then later deposed David from the throne. David was an adulterer and a murderer, killing the husband of Bathsheba to cover his adultery. These are not the marks of biblical masculinity.

In the end, what was it that made David a man to be modeled by men today? It was his faithfulness. David was called a man after God’s own heart. When David was faithful, when he obeyed God out of a sincere love for his Lord, he was victorious in all he did. When he was disobedient and faithless, he sinned miserably. But, when confronted with his sins, he humbled himself before God, repented, and entrusted himself wholly and completely to the Lord’s hand. In this, we find true biblical masculinity.

Masculinity is not merely feats of physical prowess, the ability to lead, or being fearless in the face of enemies. It is not just loudness and brashness before one’s opposition. It encompasses a great many things more. Men are men when they act like men as God designed them to be. Whether a military commander or a desk clerk in an accounting office, a man is a man when he wholly devotes himself to serving the Lord faithfully, in obedience to the commands of God, humble and without reservation.

Yes, we as men should seek to act like men. And, David can serve as an excellent model of what biblical masculinity ought to be. Yet, a man is no less a man if he writes, dances, or plays music as opposed to building things, fighting wars, or being a public leader. Masculinity is being a man after God’s own heart. One who seeks to honor God in all that he does, recognizing his accomplishments are not his own but belong to God alone who established those works in eternity past. He is one who trusts in God’s design for his life and lives it, as a man, not compromising in any manner. He takes his role in society, in the church, in the workplace, and in the home seriously. He looks to God’s Word to define that role and does not abdicate it because culture defines it as “toxic.”

A biblically masculine man leads his family, if he is so blessed to have one, and takes responsibility for their upbringing before God. He does not waffle and leave that role to his wife, whom God has already provided a role, and the abilities to fulfill that role. He leads the family, not as a tyrant, but as the chief servant, being a model for them to serve God and His church in like manner.

A biblical man trusts God’s plan for his vocation and works, not to please the eyes of others or self, but to honor the Lord alone. He is not lazy, he does not leave work for others, he does not make excuses, but he works hard so that he might please God and provide for his family.

One who is biblically masculine humbly serves his church in whatever capacity he is fit for. Whether he cleans the toilets, teaches in Sunday School, serves in a safety ministry, or simply seeks to come alongside his brethren to pray and encourage, he serves the body with joy. He does not ignore needs in the church because the job is too unseemingly or lacks any public recognition. He serves, not for himself, but because he desires to be used of God to bless the body.

Yes, men need to be men. We are awash in a culture that is trying to erase men, to blur the lines between the genders, and trying to turn everyone into genderless drones. Men of God need to step up and be seen as men, to be a nation of Davids that all may see that God made men to be men.

But, let us not become so enamored with the “manliness” of masculinity that we forget the David who bowed before the Lord, wept over his sin, repented of disobedience, played the harp, danced, and wrote poems praising God, and expressed his love for his Lord and Savior.

Let us be true men of God.

(This article was also published at X.com)

This week, Chris discusses how Christians should model their speech with others after Ephesians 4:29-32 in our interactions with others.

Show Links:

Blog Article on X – Corrupting Speech

Blog Article on STTK

This week, Chris discusses how Christians should model their speech with others after Ephesians 4:29-32 in our interactions with others.

Show Links:

Blog Article on X – Corrupting Speech

Blog Article on STTK

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

My hope in this article is to encourage Christians to be mindful in our speech with one another and with the world at large without compromising the truth of Scripture. This is not a call to be winsome and nuanced in everything. Rather, it is an exhortation for us to make use of our speech in the most biblical way possible. This is clearly not an exhaustive treatment on the matter and, undoubtedly, it will not address every possible circumstance. My hope is to give a small framework for Christians to work out from as they consider how they think and speak to people in their lives.

Our Manner of Speech Reveals the Condition of Our Hearts

It ought to go without saying that Christians should be a people who think, speak, and act differently from the rest of the world. We are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our wicked hearts of stone have been replaced with hearts of flesh (Ez. 26:26). As a result, we have new desires whereby we seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. The ways of the world, with its sinful proclivities in thought, word, and deed, should become foreign to us, something to be warred with daily.

It is here, in the matter of speech, that oftentimes Christians can find one of our greater struggles. As we continue to live our lives in our corrupted flesh, though our hearts have been made new, we feel the war with certain thoughts and words as we experience trials, tribulations, and even persecutions. Frustration can build to a point where we want to unleash a torrent of graceless and corrupt speech. It feels like it is the only way we can express how bad life is or how wickedly the world is treating us. We want to be able to express just how vile a world we live in by using speech that the world itself truly understands.

Yet, Christ Himself gives us clear instructions about how we are to speak to the world around us. Starting first in the church, and then expanding out to the world, our speech is a revelation to those who hear (or read in the day of digital technology and social media) the condition of our hearts. It is Jesus who tells us in Luke 6:45, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” It is a dire warning to us that those who are unwilling to cease speaking with evil or corrupt speech may actually not be in Christ, we may yet still be in our sins.

Of course, this is not to say that every Christian who, on a bad or trying day, lets loose a string of invectives has forfeited their salvation. Rather, it is a reminder that it is the evil heart that desires to speak wickedly. And, Christians who fall into sin and speak with an evil or corrupt tongue are giving into the remnants of the sinful flesh in which we reside. Speaking with wholesome speech, fit for those who hear us is not merely being kind to someone, it is honoring Christ who purchased us and obeying His commandments in all areas of our lives, even with our lips. 

“Justifiable” Corrupt Speech

Those reading up to this point may be giving a nod of agreement or even a hearty “Amen!” However, the commandment of the above-listed passage in Ephesians does not merely refer to the most obvious forms of crass, rude, or anger-laden forms of speech. It also addresses cutting language dressed up in biblical form that we can use to tear down others. Or acceptable words used in such a way to convey anger or gracelessness. Remember that our speech flows out of the condition of our hearts. It is all too easy to find ways to justify corrupt speech, ways that we can convince ourselves and others that we really are not being as wicked as we truly are.

One of the more insidious forms of corrupt speech used by Christians today, especially on social media, is how we tend to address the wickedness on display in the world. Let me first start by saying that Christians should not in any way, shape, or form sugarcoat the evil on display in our culture. A nation drenched in the blood of murdered babies in the womb, sexual immorality displayed in the grossest and crassest means possible, and the mutilation of children in the name of “gender identity” affirmation, is nothing but evil. There is no means by which a Christian ought ever to speak in the “nice” terms the world demands of us in these matters. The Bible has plenty to say about such abominable acts and we would do well to speak as it does on these things.

With that said Christians need to temper our words with the commandments regarding our speech in Scripture. Paul’s commandment above, while written in the context of the church body, gives a clear indication of what the heart of the Christian should be when we speak. He specifically contrasts corrupting speech against speech that builds up, fits the occasion, and gives grace to the hearer. In other words, when Christians speak, our hearts should be inclined to convey grace toward others. And this is by no means a contradiction when we address sin, whether inside or outside the church.

The kindest and most loving thing a Christian can do is call out sin and point to the only hope of salvation and reconciliation in Jesus Christ. The late R. C. Sproul called sin a “cosmic treason” against God. I can think of no better explanation for the vile and treacherous nature of sin. Sin puts us at war with God, a war we will absolutely lose, and for which we will be eternally condemned. Therefore, Christians must show the greatest love possible by calling sin what it is, telling people to repent, and calling them to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. To, in any way, water down Scripture’s warnings against sin is to harm the hearer because we can give them false comfort that they are not really that wicked and will be just fine in the end. Truly loving speech is that which reveals the ugliness of sin and the beauty of salvation in Christ.

Yet, as we watch the debauchery of the world unfold around us, and the quite obvious efforts to demonize the Christian church, there is a temptation to not only speak with passion and firmness against sin but to add fire of our own to the words. We may justify adding crassness and vile speech to our words by telling ourselves, that if we do not do so, we really just do not hate sin enough. This is one of those acceptable lies we tell ourselves because we lead ourselves, and others, to believe our added salt is necessary to make people feel and see how wicked is a thing or people. 

How can we know the difference between speaking passionate truth and corrupting speech in these situations? It can show itself in the manner in which we engage in such speech. When we see a people awash in sexual immorality, for example, do we call that sin what it is, an abomination to God, with the explanation that God judges all sin and will condemn them to Hell unless they repent and turn to Christ? Or do we gnash our teeth and take glee in using the most offensive terms we can find (even the biblical ones) so people can see just how tough we are willing to be in calling people evil? Both situations may rely on biblical descriptions of sin and sinners but only one speaks in such a way to reveal love for the sinner by warning them of the judgment to come and the grace of salvation found in Christ. 

Another thing we must always be on watch for is using well-known curse words of the day. This article does not need to list out what are considered curse words and the reader would be a bit disingenuous if he or she demanded a fully vetted list of “acceptable“ terms we can use. Any mentally competent adult with a functioning mind and vocabulary understands there a words considered crass and vulgar enough that they should not be used in mixed company. And Christians, being a people who desire to speak as one transformed by our Savior, should avoid using such curse words in order to add a little more seasoning to their engagements with our modern culture. Jesus modeled firm, passionate, unyielding, and biblical speech. He did not need to resort to the vulgar terminology of His day to be understood. We should conform ourselves to that very model.

Remember, Christ taught us that our words reveal the condition of our hearts. Speech that lacks graciousness, humility, and a desire to lead people to reconciliation with Christ reveals much about us. It is not by accident that Paul followed his commandment regarding speech with, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice“ (v. 31). Hearts that are consumed with merely with anger against a wicked without simultaneously being filled with the love of Christ who saved us can fall prey to corrupt speech.

”But What About…?”

I would be quite remiss to finish this article without addressing examples of very fiery speech found throughout Scripture. Any honest reader of the Bible knows that a commandment against corrupt speech does not equate to saying everything must be “nice” speech. There are multiple instances of fiery speeches against the enemies of God throughout Scripture, words that were not at all nice and would have burned in the ears of their hearers. The question then becomes, can Christians also speak in such a manner, and, if so, when?

In 1 Kings 18:25-27, Elijah mocks the prophets of the false god, Baal. The prophets had prayed, danced, and even flagellated themselves trying to get their god to respond to their calls to consume their sacrifice. This had gone on for the bulk of the day without the slightest hint of a response. Elijah mocked Baal, telling the prophets to cry louder because he might be sleeping, or on vacation, or maybe was busy “relieving himself.” Elijah demonstrated nothing but contempt for the false god and the false worshippers in his speech. There was nothing “nice” about what he said to them.

In a public confrontation with the Jewish leader of His day, Jesus, in Matthew 23:27-28 calls them “hypocrites” and “white washed tombs…full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” Jesus also slams them, saying “you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” This was not a polite exchange, Jesus was not interested in making them feel comfortable or accepted. He was fiery and blunt, without apology.

While writing to the Galatians who had fallen under the lies of the Judaizers, a group who demanded professing Christians must keep the law of Moses, Paul did not mince words. These false teachers who troubled the Galatians required circumcision as stated under the law, to which Paul writes, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!“ (Gal. 5:12). Paul made it clear that if the Judaizers really wanted to see the literal cutting of flesh as some kind of requirement to be right with God, then he would prefer they cut the entire appendage off. Paul had no problem calling out wicked false teaching and expressing what he believed should be done with such teachers.

The above three examples are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fiery action and speech in the pages of Scripture. And, since all of Scripture is for our benefit and meant to conform us to Christ, even these examples can, and indeed should, influence how we think and speak. The challenge is knowing the when and how.

In all of the above-cited examples, there is a consistent theme found: that the receiving hearers, or those written of, are genuine enemies of Christ. The prophets of Baal were leading Israel in the false worship of a false god. The Jewish leadership laid heavy burdens on the people of Israel through their traditions and even nullified the law in some places. The Judaizers sought to lead the Galatians away from justification by grace alone through faith alone and return them to the law which could never deliver them. In every instance, these were not merely people dead in trespasses and sins but actively engaged enemies of Christ who sought to corrupt people and lead them into condemnation. 

For such persons, Scripture often has some of the most heated and passionate language. While all sinners are indeed at war with God through wicked works, some rise to the top to be leaders and preachers of the worst kinds of blasphemy. For their hubris, Scripture takes great pains to reveal who they are with the fieriest rhetoric so that those who hear or read it know there is no mistaking how God views them.

Therefore, the Christian does have an example to follow, a manner of permissible speech to be used in certain kinds of circumstances. Harsh language aimed at those who would be the modern-day examples of false prophets and teachers who seek to lead people into blasphemies against God is within the realm of Christian speech. But, simply because there are people, places, and times that such speech is permitted is not blanket permission to use the harshest or most derogatory verbiage without restraint. 

Be Balanced 

The Christian must always look to the whole counsel of God in matters such as these. There are indeed examples of inflammatory speech that can serve as models for us when addressing wicked people in our modern culture. However, Scripture is replete with not only examples of but with specific commandments against corrupt and crass speech. Therefore, it is the duty of the Christian to study and inform oneself on what, how, and when we engage in certain means of speech.

We must also be committed to being conformed to the image of Christ. To be humble servants who live, not to promote ourselves or our preferred ideologies, but to proclaim and glorify the Savior who purchased us by His shed blood. This should cause us to view ourselves as undeserving wretches who had once been enemies of Christ ourselves but are now redeemed trophies of His grace. This not only reorients our view of ourselves but requires us to rethink how we view those with whom we are interacting.

In the end, Christians must be balanced in their speech. We must ultimately care about God’s glory, His plan, and His commandments to us over and above our own fallible desire to speak as freely as we would prefer. If we do this, putting God and His Word above ourselves, then we will find our hearts, thoughts, and speech naturally being guided by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

That is my encouragement to all of you and an admonition to myself as well. May we seek to be biblical in all that we do and let us leave the results to Christ. 

(This article was also published at X.com)