Passing It On

The Bible has much to say about our responsibility to pass on our spiritual gains to those who will be here when we are gone. This is more than a parent’s responsibility to teach their kids the Bible. It is much broader and much deeper than simply communicating biblical data to children. In Scripture, the call usually comes from those who never had kids. It is, more fully, an urgent exhortation that has younger non-familial adults in view. By “spiritual gains” I mean the kind of sage counsel and practical insight that comes from successfully implementing and applying the truths of God’s word. If the goal was simply “passing on truth,” we could just hand out Bibles, but the objective of spiritual reproduction is to functionally train and instruct those younger in Christ to know how to do what God has said. Paul shows the breath of this task when he wrote, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put it into practice” (Phil.4:9). To his spiritual protégé Paul writes, “You know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions and sufferings… continue in what you have learned” (2Tim.3:10, 14). It won’t happen without being intentional. You and I must purpose to “pass on” our spiritual gains. At whatever stage we may be in the Christian life, we must meet with younger Christians, talk with younger Christians and share our insight with younger Christians. We must purpose to train others up in truth who will advance the cause of Christ for years after we have finished our work and gone on to be with the Lord.

Joy

While it is true that sorrow may teach us more than happiness (Ecclesiastes 7:2), joy and gladness are certainly more appropriate in the hearts and attitudes of those who know and love God. The psalmist exclaimed, “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (Psalm 33:1). Paul exhorted us, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Would you be counted by your friends and coworkers as one who is obedient to that biblical command? Are you seen as someone whose temperament is characterized by a biblical optimism? Would others say you are quick to smile at the thought of God’s grace and his ever-present help in your life? It may be a challenge in a world filled with so much pain, but how displeasing and unbecoming it is for the forgiven children of God to be the most sour, critical, discouraged and pessimistic people on the block. Let this never be true of us. Let us find our joy in the transcendent truths of God’s word. May we learn to rejoice as we meditate on the forgiveness, grace and acceptance that is ours in Christ. Let us be those who are known for smiling, singing and reveling in God and our standing in grace.

Weakness

As sinful and fallen people we hate the feeling of weakness. On the other hand, we love feelings of strength, dominance, control, power and independence. But the reality is, that as creatures of the One who “gives all men life, breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25) all of our perceived experiences of strength and power are derived and not autonomous. As Nebuchadnezzar poignantly learned, God “does what he pleases with the powers of heaven” (Daniel 4:35). The truth is we have and are nothing without the active and gracious involvement of God, for he “sustains all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). He freely chooses to “bring one down and exalt another” (Psalms 75:7). In other words, we are all inherently weak! We have no independent power or intrinsic strength. And in the normal course of life we periodically get a taste of that reality. There are times when we painfully feel the reality of our weakness. The Bible says it is then when we are prepared to experience the transcendent strength of our God. For when we recognize and ask the true source of power, then he “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). As Paul learned in his episodes of palpable weakness, “when I am weak, I am strong” for God grants strength to those who trust him for it (2 Corinthians 12:10). So let’s get honest and be willing to “boast all the more gladly about [our] weakness so that Christ’s power may rest on [us]” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Don't Grow Weary

In a world that rarely rewards truly good behavior, it is not a surprise that God’s people would be tempted to grow weary in doing what is right. But don’t. The Bible calls us to constantly renew our perspective and our strength, remembering that doing the right thing is always the right thing. After reminding us that “sowing and reaping” is an unwavering reality (even if the sprouts of consequence are long in coming), Paul calls the Galatian churches to “not become weary in doing good, for in the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal.6:9). We must not forget that God is on the throne and he will inevitably reward righteous behavior. Don’t give up. Don’t despair. Keep faithfully following his path and upholding his precepts. In the end he will vindicate every good deed. In the meantime, look to him for strength. He can give you the perseverance you need. “The Lord gives strength to his people” (Ps.29:11) and God “increases the power of the weak” (Is.40:29). So ask him today for the courage, the power and the perspective to keep doing what’s right regardless of what others may say. In time we will see it was all worth it.

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Life's Opposition

Many Christians assume that if God really loves us, he will fill our lives with good feelings, satisfied desires and things that make us happy. That may be a common assumption, but it certainly isn’t what God told us he’d do. The Bible is clear that for now, because we live in a fallen world, function in fallen bodies and interact with fallen people, we will experience a life of difficulty. Yes, God loves us (so much so that he was willing to provide for our forgiveness by punishing his Son as though he was the sinner we are), but he has delayed his ultimate blessings until we are done drafting the rest of his yet-to-be enlisted followers. Our goal is to maintain our faith, hope and love until the job is done. In the meantime Jesus reminds us that “No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (Jn.15:20). Jesus experienced both, and so will we. Unfortunately, more people rejected, disdained and hated Christ than rightly responded to his call to be reconciled to God. But some did obey his teaching, and occasionally with us they do also. There are those choice few who hear us out, repent of their sin and trust in Christ – which makes all the opposition worth it. So when things in this sinful world make your life hard, know that it was the same for God’s beloved Son. We certainly can’t expect our earthly experience to be any better than the King of kings. But remember that just as Jesus finished his race and entered the perfection of “paradise”, we will too. When our job is done, the love of God will be manifest in uninterrupted good feelings, satisfaction and happiness.  Maranatha!

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Obedience

Obedience to Christ often comes down to whose reputation you care about the most. When God calls us to stand up for what is right, speak up for what is important, or be counted with his children the price will usually be debited from our reputation. On the other hand, obedience to God will promote the reputation of Christ. How many times have we refrained from the “right thing” because we were afraid of what people would think? Had we stepped up or spoken out, we would have in some way advanced the glory of Christ. Jesus is the ultimate example of obedience at the cost of acceptance and popularity. Christ was singularly focused on the glory of the Father (Jn.17:4), but it led to increasing opposition, betrayal and rejection. Jesus knew his followers would wish for an exemption. But the principle highlighted by Christ’s obedience can be expected in our own lives. At one point Jesus had to draw what should have been an obvious comparison: “If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first. No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (Jn.15:18, 20). So when we are faced with doing right and we are afraid it may cause us problems, we need to remind ourselves that we are to care more about the glory of God than our own glory. We need to clarify that we should value the advancement of Christ more than our own advancement. We should resolve that Christ’s reputation is more important than our own. Lastly, we must remember that the injustice will be short-lived. One day God will eternally honor those who honored him (1Sam.2:30). He will purpose to serve those who served his cause (Lk.12:37). While the world may shun us, ridicule us and persecute us, we know that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2Cor.4:17).

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Reliance on God

King Asa was a righteous leader of God’s people. This ancestor of Christ and third king of the divided kingdom was a devout reformer who abolished the worship of foreign gods, put an end to cultic prostitution, and even dethroned his family members who disdained obedience to Yahweh. The Bible says God brought peace to the land because of Asa’s righteous leadership (2Chron.15:15). But in the course of time Asa fell to a subtle sin. It was a sin that ultimately cost him his life. It is a sin that entangles many of God’s people in comfortable places and in peaceful times. After many years of trusting God for victory on the battlefield and amid crises at home, Asa’s confidence slowly shifted from God to people and to the resources around him. When battle sprung up near the end of his reign, he relied on military alliances instead of trusting God. When he faced illness in his latter years, he trusted in his physicians instead of hoping in God. Of course military strategies are vital in warfare and doctors are important in facing a health crisis, but in both cases these should be seen as tools in the hand of our God of hope and not the hope themselves. A few generations before, King David wrote the words that should have governed Asa’s mind: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Ps.20:7). This of course did not mean that David didn’t utilize the tools which were entrusted to him. But as his son, Solomon, had learned, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord” (Pr.21:31). The sad and final chapter in Asa’s life reads, “even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians; then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died” (2Chron.16:12-13). So then, as God blesses you with doctors, advisors, consultants and investors, please always remember the battle belongs to the Lord.

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