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Beware of False Teachers Just as the true prophets of Israel had to deal with the prophets of foreign gods and false prophets from among the people of the land, the apostles confronted false teaching from within the church and from without. The New Testament Epistles offer several characteristics of false teachers and those susceptible to their teachings. 1. False teaching preys on the spiritually immature. Paul repeatedly expresses concern for the minds of believers who may be “led astray” by belief in a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:3–4; cf. Gal. 1:6–7). Elsewhere, he asserts that believers will have true “unity of the faith” only when they will “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:13–14). 2. False teaching can be the product of distorted interpretations of Scripture by those not firmly established in the truth. Some pervert the meaning of Scriptures that are “hard to understand,” doing so “to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16). The emphasis made here is not on a particular method of interpretation or the difficulty of the texts themselves but on the type of people who distort the Scriptures—“ignorant and unstable” people (hoi amatheis kai astēriktoi). The term “unstable” (astēriktoi) shares a cognate (stērizō) with another word used in 2 Peter 1:12 to describe those “firmly established” (estērigmenous) in the truth (NIV). With the same group of terms, Peter contrasts those deeply rooted in the truth with those who are not (astēriktous), who are more susceptible to the deception of false prophets (2 Pet. 2:14). 3. False teaching grows out of ungodly ambition, ignorance, and conceit. Paul cautioned Timothy about false teachers who “wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions” (1 Tim. 1:6–7). These teachers had ambition but lacked proper understanding of the things they taught. Elsewhere in the same letter, Paul warned, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words” (1 Tim. 6:3–4). The ambition for power can be an impetus for false teaching as well. John challenged a false teacher who “put himself first” and denied the apostolic authority of John’s teaching, speaking “wicked nonsense” against him (3 John 9–10). 4. False teaching sometimes stems from a desire for material gain. This tendency is very apparent in the modern world, where faith-healing televangelists and prosperity preachers prey upon the underprivileged to finance their extravagant lifestyles, but the same kind of greed motivated false prophecy and teaching in the early church (2 Pet. 2:3). As Paul defended his apostleship from this charge, “We are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:17). The same type of charge appears in the Pastoral Epistles: “From these come . . . constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain. . . . For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:4b–5, 10 CSB). 5. False teaching can result from and lead to inappropriate sensuality and sexual immorality. The idolatrous fixation on immoral behavior can yield false teaching. These false teachers “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites [or “belly”; koilia]” (Rom. 16:18). As Peter observes, “many will follow their sensuality [aselgeiais], and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Pet. 2:2). Teaching rooted in immoral desires yields immoral behavior. The risen Lord warns the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira about teachings that lead his “servants to practice sexual immorality [porneusai]” (Rev. 2:20; cf. 2:14). In a post–sexual revolution Western culture, people still “[follow] their own sinful desires [epithymias]” (Jude 16) and “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Tim. 4:3). Sensual urges and lust still motivate many to deny biblical truth about God’s design for sex and marriage and to justify atrocities like human abortion. 6. False teaching is sometimes attributed to demonic deception. Some who depart the faith do so because they pay attention “to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). Paul cautions against affirming false apostles who are like Satan, who masquerades as “an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:13–14). Paul forewarns Galatian Christians not to believe any other gospel even if “an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you” (Gal. 1:8). Not every spiritual work is from God. The spirit of the messenger and the message must be tested because, as John insists, spirits who do “not confess Jesus” are “not from God” (1 John 4:3). 7. False teachers seek to divide the body of Christ. Paul cautioned the church at Rome about “those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught” (Rom. 16:17). In his admonition to Titus to avoid “foolish controversies” and “quarrels about the law” (Titus 3:9), Paul remarks, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11). Those who cause division are worldly, “devoid of the Spirit,” and are relentlessly pursuing their own ungodly passions (Jude 18–19). 8. False teaching can come from apostates and deviant teachers within the church. False teachers from “among the people [en tō laō] . . . secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1). Jesus warned about false prophets from among the people who outwardly come in “sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15). Paul blames the Galatian conflict on false teachers who had covertly entered their ranks: “This matter arose because some false brothers [pseudadelphous] had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us” (Gal. 2:4 CSB). Some of the false teachers addressed in the Pastoral Epistles appear to be former coworkers of Paul (1 Tim. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:15–18). John states that his “antichrist” opponents, those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, came out of the fellowship with the churches because “they did not belong” there in the first place (1 John 2:19 CSB). In instances where theological matters of first importance are denied, rejected, or replaced, doctrine does divide the people of God from those who are not. Not every spiritual work is from God. The spirit of the messenger and the message must be tested. This article is adapted from When Doctrine Divides: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity by Rhyne R. Putman.

1 Corinthians 13: 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.The Way of Love What Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12 on spiritual gifts prepares the Corinthians for what follows. Paul directly addresses the specific problem in chapter 14: some Corinthians desire the gift of tongues more than the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is what Paul has in mind when he commands, “Earnestly desire the higher gifts,” that is, “the greater gifts” (NASB, NIV, CSB, NET), the gifts that most build up the church when the church meets together. To paraphrase: “You are earnestly desiring the gift of tongues, but you should earnestly desire more edifying gifts instead—like prophecy.” But before Paul directly addresses that problem, he shows the Corinthians “a still more excellent way”—namely, the way of love (ch. 13). “Love” translates the Greek word agapē, “the quality of warm regard for and interest in another, esteem, affection, regard, love.” Paul begins with three illustrations of how superlatives without love equal nothing (1 Cor.13:1–3). Then he describes this essential love (1 Cor. 13:4–8a) and compares it to other gifts (1 Cor. 13:8b–13). Love is not a spiritual gift. It is essential for using spiritual gifts, and it is more important than spiritual gifts. It is important to understand chapter 13 in its literary context. This passage is one of Paul’s most well known, especially verses 4–7 (“Love is patient and kind . . .”). If one looked at only some of Paul’s words in chapter 13, one might think this passage applies primarily to a marriage, an intimate relationship that requires love in order for it to function well. Because so many people have chosen to have this passage read during wedding ceremonies, a lot of people think this passage is referring to love between a husband and wife. While it applies indirectly to a marriage relationship, it applies most directly to the issue in chapters 1 Cor. 12–14. When the Corinthians first heard these words, they would not have thought, “Aww, how sweet. What beautiful, inspiring words!” They would have received Paul’s words as a verbal spanking: “Ouch!” The repentant might pray, “God, forgive us for being so unloving. The way we are acting is ugly, but the way of love is beautiful.” The Corinthians were abusing the gift of tongues by wrongly elevating it as more important than other gifts. They were not using it to edify others. So Paul argues in chapter 12 that all of the diverse members of the unified body of Christ are important and that it is foolish to elevate certain gifts, such as speaking in tongues, over other gifts in importance. Paul argues in chapter 14 that prophesying is greater than speaking in tongues because it edifies the whole church; the higher gifts edify the whole church because they are intelligible. In between these passages, Paul argues in chapter 13 that no matter what gift the Spirit enables someone to use, the gift does not profit that person unless he uses it in love. Love is indispensable for using spiritual gifts, whether the Spirit empowers one to speak in tongues or prophesy or teach or whatever. Paul illustrates that love is essential for Christ-followers by stating three equations that begin with superlatives: 1 Cor. 13:1: the most impressive speech – love = nothing 1 Cor. 13:2: the most impressive gifts – love = nothing 1 Cor. 13:3: the most impressive personal sacrifices – love = nothing “Tongues of men and of angels” is probably a poetic way of referring to impressive, aesthetically pleasing speech in every kind of language—including speaking in tongues. For the comical opposite of an aesthetically pleasing sound, imagine someone repeatedly, chaotically, and loudly clanging a cymbal. That is what the most impressive speaker is like without love. “Prophetic powers” refers to the gift of prophecy. To understand “all mysteries and all knowledge” is to be omniscient like God. Having “all faith” refers to the most remarkable degree possible. But even if we have all of these most impressive gifts, we are nothing without love. Paul writes “but have not love” three times in verses 1–3. Love is not an object we can buy. To “have” love is to behave in a loving way, which Paul describes here by personifying love with sixteen action verbs, seven positive (descriptions 1–2, 11–15) and nine negative (3–10, 16). Descriptions 1–2 (v. 4a) passively and actively explain how love responds to sinful people. 1. Love is “patient,” that is, forbearing, long-suffering. It does not retaliate (cf. Rom. 12:14, 17–19). 2. Love is “kind,” that is, merciful, compassionate. It overcomes evil with good (cf. Rom. 12:20–21). Descriptions 3–9 (1 Cor. 13:4b–5) explain how love does not behave. A person cannot simultaneously do these actions and yet claim to love. 3. Love “does not envy.” “Covetousness wants what the other guy has; envy is angry that the other guy has it.” “There is jealousy and strife among” the Corinthians (3:3), but love rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep (cf. Rom. 12:15). 4. Love does not “boast,” which translates a word that means “to heap praise on oneself, behave as a . . . ‘braggart, windbag.’” 5. Love is not “arrogant,” which translates a word that means “to cause to have an exaggerated self-conception, puff up, make proud.” This describes some of the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6, 18, 19; 5:2). Love associates with the lowly and is not wise in its own sight (cf. Rom. 12:16). 6. Love is not “rude,” or indecent. It outdoes others in showing honor (cf. Rom. 12:10). 7. Love “does not insist on its own way.” It looks to the interests of others (cf. 1 Cor. 10:33; Rom. 15:3; Phil. 2:4, 20–21). It lives in harmony with others (cf. Rom. 12:16). As much as possible, it lives peaceably with all (cf. Rom. 12:18). 8. Love is not “irritable.” A minor (perceived) offense does not trigger an explosive temper. 9. Love is not “resentful.” In the Greek it “does not count the evil.” Love does not strive to get even with others. This is the negative way of stating the first description on the list: “Love is patient.” Descriptions 10–11 (1 Cor. 13:6) explain love’s posture toward evil and truth. It hates what God hates and loves what God loves. 10. Love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing.” It “abhor[s] what is evil” (Rom. 12:9). 11. Love “rejoices with the truth.” It “hold[s] fast to what is good” (Rom. 12:9). Descriptions 12–15 (1 Cor. 13:7) are a chiasm that explains how love relates to others in all circumstances. It never stops (A + A') but has the best interest of others in mind (B + B'). (A) Love bears all things.       (B) Love believes all things.      (B') Love hopes all things.(A') Love endures all things. 12. Love “bears all things.” Love endures anything for the sake of the gospel (9:12). 13. Love “believes all things.” Paul does not mean that love is naively gullible. Rather, love generously believes the best about others rather than being sinfully cynical. 14. Love “hopes all things.” It wants others to flourish (cf. 2 Cor. 1:7; 10:15). 15. Love “endures all things.” It never gives up. The final description (1 Cor. 13:8a) transitions to verses 8b–13. The final description (1 Cor. 13:8a) transitions to the rest of chapter 13. 16. Love “never ends.” It is everlasting. The ultimate example of love is the triune God. For example, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. . . . God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:5, 8). It is impossible for a sinful human to embody love perfectly—particularly when Christians use their spiritual gifts when the church meets together. But the gospel requires God’s holy people to mature in purity and unity; that is, Christians must mature in love. Love for one another is the mark of Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35). So Christians must grow to love others just as God unselfishly and sacrificially loves others (cf. John 3:16; 1 John 4:8–10, 19). The Greatest of These Is Love Paul frequently refers to the faith-hope-love triad in his letters (e.g., Col. 1:4–5; 1 Thess. 1:3; 5:8). He mentions it in the final verse of the chapter to demonstrate that love is superior. The qualities of faith (trusting God for what we cannot see) and hope (confidently expecting God to do what he has promised) are temporary: (1) Now we walk by faith, but then we will walk by sight (2 Cor. 5:7; cf. 4:18). (2) Now we hope for what we cannot see, but then we will no longer need to hope for what we see (Rom. 8:24–25). Faith and hope—in these senses—will be unnecessary “when the perfect comes” (1 Cor. 13:10) but “love never ends” (v. 8). And this should not be surprising, since, among faith, hope, and love, “love is the all-embracing virtue,” and only love is an attribute of God.12 We must not repeat the Corinthians’ error. Some of them valued speaking in tongues more than prophecy, but when the church meets together, intelligible words are more valuable for building up the church. When we think about spiritual gifts we would like to have, we ought earnestly to desire what is most edifying. This is the way of love. Love is not a spiritual gift. It is essential for using spiritual gifts, and it is more important than spiritual gifts. This article is by Andrew David Naselli and is adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary Romans–Galatians (Volume 10) edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar.

Following Jesus When He Is Not Here Jesus was fully human and fully God (John 1:1, 14). He was not God with a human veneer—like a costume. He was a real, flesh-and-blood man, a carpenter’s son (Mark 6:3). So when he said to fishermen or tax collectors, “Follow me,” their obedience was a concrete, physical act of putting their feet on the ground and walking behind Jesus and being part of his traveling team. But Jesus knew that he would not always be on earth to have followers in this physical sense. “I am going to him who sent me. . . . I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:5, 7). Jesus was fully aware that the movement he began would continue after he had gone back to his Father in heaven. This was his plan. Therefore, the command that we follow him was relevant not only for his physical days on earth but for all time. He made this clear at the end of his earthly ministry. He had risen from the dead and was about to ascend to the Father. He told Peter that he would suffer martyrdom someday after Jesus was gone. Peter wondered if he was the only one, and asked Jesus what would happen to his fellow apostle, John. Jesus answered, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22). What this implies about “following Jesus” is that it happens after he is gone. Until Jesus comes again, he expects his disciples on earth to follow him. So following Jesus is not limited to physically walking around Palestine behind him. Jesus commands it from every person in every country in every age. Following Jesus Means Joining Him in What He Was Sent to Do When Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, who were fishermen by trade, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), he was using imagery relevant to them for something that applies to everyone who follows Jesus. The command to follow Jesus means that everyone should join him in what he came to do. And he tells us repeatedly what that was. “The Son of Man came . . . to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). “What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27–28). In summary, then, he came to “die for the nation [of Israel], and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:51–52). He came to gather a people—specifically, to gather a people in allegiance to himself for the glory of his Father—by dying to save them from their sins and to give them eternal life and a new ethic of love like his (John 13:34–35). Therefore, when he commands that we follow him, he means that we join him in that task of gathering: “Whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). There are no neutral followers; we either scatter or gather. Following Jesus means continuing the work he came to do—gathering a people in allegiance to him for the glory of his Father. Following Jesus into Suffering Continuing the work he came to do even includes the suffering he came to do. Following Jesus means that we share in his suffering. When Jesus calls us to follow him, this is where he puts the emphasis. He knows he is heading to the cross, and he commands that we do the same. He designs his entire life and ministry to go to Jerusalem and be killed. “I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). So he “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). And he knew exactly what would happen there. It was all planned by his Father when he sent him into the world. See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. (Mark 10:33–34) That’s the plan—down to the details of being spit on. That was the design of his life. And he knew that his own pain would also fall on those who followed him. “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). So the unflinching focus of his command was that we follow him in suffering. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Jesus put the emphasis on self-denial and cross-bearing. Suffering for Jesus with Joy Shows His Supreme Value He did not die to make this life easy for us or prosperous. He died to remove every obstacle to our everlasting joy in making much of him. And he calls us to follow him in his sufferings because this life of joyful suffering for Jesus’s sake (Matt. 5:12) shows that he is more valuable than all the earthly rewards that the world lives for (Matt. 13:44; 6:19–20). If you follow Jesus only because he makes life easy now, it will look to the world as though you really love what they love, and Jesus just happens to provide it for you. But if you suffer with Jesus in the pathway of love because he is your supreme treasure, then it will be apparent to the world that your heart is set on a fortune different from theirs. This is why Jesus commands us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him. Suffering for Jesus Is Temporary; Pleasure in Jesus Is Eternal Of course, the pain is temporary. He does not call us to eternal suffering. That’s what he rescues us from. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35). Suffering for Jesus is temporary. Pleasure in Jesus is eternal. When Peter said (perhaps with a tinge of self-pity), “See, we have left everything and followed you,” Jesus responded, without coddling Peter’s self-pity, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:27, 29). In other words, there is no ultimate sacrifice in following Jesus. “You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). “Your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:12). Even before heaven, joy abounds along the hard road that leads through death to resurrection. Nothing can compare with the joy of walking in the light with Jesus as opposed to walking in the darkness without him. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Following Jesus does indeed lead through suffering and death. But the path is luminous with life and truth. Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). And where Jesus is present there is joy—joy in sorrow for now but joy nevertheless. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Even before heaven, joy abounds along the hard road that leads through death to resurrection. This article is adapted from All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life according to the Gospels by John Piper.

Have you ever felt circumstances nipping at your feet, threatening to tug you into an ocean of despair? You lose your job, receive an alarming health report, or suffer the loss of a loved one—and no matter how hard you try to kick your way to the surface of hope, the undertow of fear leaves you thrashing about, trying to keep your head above water. In moments when all our physical strength is exhausted, there’s a place within every believer where deep calls to deep. What Does 'Deep Calls to Deep' Mean? When writing Psalm 42, the Psalmist coined the phrase “deep calls to deep” to describe the place where our deep need meets God’s all-sufficient presence. Matthew Henry Commentary explains it this way:  "He was overpowered and overwhelmed with a deluge of grief, like that of the old world, when the windows of heaven were opened and the fountains of the great deep were broken up. Or it is an allusion to a ship at sea in a great storm, tossed by the roaring waves, which go over it (Psalm 107:25). Whatever waves and billows of affliction go over us at any time we must call them God’s waves and his billows, that we may humble ourselves under his mighty hand, and may encourage ourselves to hope that though we be threatened we shall not be ruined; for the waves and billows are under a divine check. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of these many waters... After the storm there will come a calm, and the prospect of this supported him when deep called unto deep." It’s long been said that there’s a God-shaped hole inside of every human. When we accept Christ as our Savior that metaphorical cavern of emptiness is filled with the Holy Spirit, makes us alive in Christ, and becomes our connection to the Almighty. Through that connection, we can experience a deep communion with God as we pursue a relationship with Him. In How to Have a Deeper Relationship with God, Whiney Hopler explains how the Psalms can help in that pursuit. “When you want to deepen your relationship with God, you need to move beyond simply knowing about Him and seek personal encounters with Him. The Bible’s Psalms can help you do that. The Psalms are full of honest expressions of what it means to relate to God. They describe faith in action while dealing with the tension between this fallen world’s realities and the hope God offers you. What is Happening in Psalm 42? In Psalm 42 we’re given a poetic description of a man who is suffering unbearable circumstances. His world has been thrown into such intense turmoil that his enemies taunt him continuously and ask, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3). The man cries out in desperation for God to reveal Himself—to quench his soul’s thirst. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2). But despite his depression and the despair closing in around him, the man knows where hope is found. Even though he laments the apparent absence of God’s presence, he never doubts God’s faithfulness. Why? How is this man so sure that God hasn’t forsaken him? Is the man delusional, operating out of blind faith, or grasping at straws? No. His hope lies in the deep. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me” (Psalm 42:5-7). This man has intimately experienced God’s love in the past. He personally knows the richness of God’s grace and has seen God’s goodness in action. He’s learned God’s ways and has hidden God’s truths in his heart. The sweet, life-giving communion he’s shared with God has filled a well of living hope deep inside the man. At some time during the man’s trial, his sense of God’s presence disappears. He longs for that connection again. But rather than becoming bitter and angry toward God for not coming to his rescue, he seeks God with all his heart. Where does he look? He returns to the well. And there, he remembers. He remembers the joy of God’s presence, the security of His protection, and the faithfulness of His provision. From deep within that well—the place where faith meets truth—the man is honest with God about his anxiety. In vivid terms, he describes the conflict raging within him and pours out his grieving heart to a God that he knows will never leave nor forsake him. From the depth of God’s mercy, God hears the man’s pleas and answers—not by might, power, or immediate deliverance, but by filling the well to overflowing. “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me” (Psalm 42:7). Within the “roar of the waterfalls” God’s might rings clear. And as the violent “waves and breakers” of trouble continue to sweep over the man, God strengthens him and saturates his parched soul. God doesn’t remove the storm of suffering. He shows Himself mighty in the midst of it. “The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is mighty” (Psalm 93:4). How Can We Quench Our Thirst for God? Just like our physical bodies require a constant supply of water to function properly, our spiritual wellbeing depends on our free-flowing connection with God (John 4:14). That’s why our inherent need for God can be equated to thirst. Jesus told the woman at the well that whoever drinks of the water He gives will never be thirsty again. Yet, like the man from Psalm 42, we often find ourselves thirsting for more of Him. In Deep Calls Out to Deep, but I Long to Stay Shallow Amy Julia Becker explains one of the reasons we can feel so parched—especially during troubling times. “To stay in God’s presence is like swimming in the ocean. Immense. Frightening. Powerful. Beautiful. Where deep calls to deep. Where answers don’t come easily. Where pain is exposed rather than covered over. Where healing requires transformation.” Times of trial tend to expose our desperate need for God, but they can also reveal God’s boundless love in ways we couldn’t otherwise experience. Psalm 42 offers sound guidance on how to stay spiritually hydrated during dry or stormy seasons. Here are 5 practical tips gleaned from Psalm 42—plus New Testament scriptures to support and enrich. (Psalm 42:1) Let God know you’re thirsty “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). (Psalm 42:3) Be honest with God about your feelings and doubts “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). (Psalm 42:4) Verbally praise God for who He is “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). (Psalm 42:5) Instruct your soul. Don’t let circumstances dictate your thoughts. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). (Psalm 42:6) Remember God’s goodness by remembering past victories. “You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it”(2 Timothy 3:11 NLT). As we call out to God from our deep need—He answers back from the depth of His all-sufficient power. Deep calls to Deep. A Prayer for When Deep Calls to Deep Dear Lord, I'm so thankful that when it feels like no one else understands, You do. You understand about being disappointed in people but You loved them in the midst of that. Lord, I want to follow Your example. I'm thankful You know this sadness is a part of healing from the pain of disappointment. Give me guidance in handling this - I trust that You can bring good out of this. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Annette Griffin Contributing Writer

Lent is a 40-day period of time leading up to Easter that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The word "lent" comes from the old English word lencten that means lengthen - referring to the season of spring and longer daytime. The length of Lent represents the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Lent is a time of spiritual renewal and reflection in preparation of observing Good Friday, the death of Jesus and celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. The purpose of Lent is to draw closer to God through prayer, repentance, and self-examination. During Lent, many Christians choose to fast or give up certain indulgences as a form of self-discipline and penance. This may include abstaining from certain foods, activities, or habits. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2 The History and Origin of Lent So where does Lent come from, and how do we "do" Lent? The Lenten season developed as part of the historical Christian calendar and is typically celebrated by Catholics and some mainline Protestant churches that follow a liturgical calendar. Although its format has varied throughout the centuries and throughout different cultures, the basic concept remains the same: to open our hearts to God's refining grace through prayer, confession, fasting, and almsgiving as we anticipate Holy Week. Lent traditionally lasts forty days, modeled after Christ's forty-day fast in the desert, and ends on Good Friday. In the Western Church, Lent officially begins with a reminder of our mortality on Ash Wednesday. What is the Meaning of Lent? Just as we set aside time to spiritually prepare for Christmas Day, it makes sense to set aside time to prepare for the two most important days of the Christian year - Good Friday and Easter. Lent is a time that offers us an opportunity to come to terms with the human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from, bringing our need for a Savior to the forefront.  Lent is a time to open the doors of our hearts a little wider and understand our Lord a little deeper so that when Good Friday and Easter come, it is not just another day at church but an opportunity to receive the overflowing graces God has to offer. Lent is more frequently observed as a solemn time of preparation for remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. From the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday till Lent ends on Easter Sunday, Lent is traditionally a time of fasting or giving something up, known as abstinence. Lent gives us time to prepare our minds and hearts for remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Prayer is a significant focus during Lent. During the 40 days, we seek God's forgiveness, accept his love and mercy, and repent or turn from our sins. Fasting or abstaining from something, like our favorite food or activity, not only gives us time to pray but reminds us of Jesus' suffering and sacrifice. When Does Lent Start? Every year, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. The Lent season is a 40-days long (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection. In 2024, Ash Wednesday falls on February 14, which means Lent will begin on that day. Therefore, Lent in 2024 will go from February 14 to March 30, with Easter Sunday celebrated on April 7, 2024. (learn more at: When is Lent? The Start of Lent, A Guide to the Start and End of Lent) Practicing Lent Traditions You can benefit from celebrating Lent even if your church does not formally do so. Here are some of the key elements of the Lenten season and some of the symbolism that comes with it. Many of these practices can be celebrated both individually and as a community: Purple: Like Advent, the official color for Lent is purple. Usually, churches that celebrate Lent choose the deepest, darkest shade of purple for this special season. They may also strip their churches bare of some of the usual decorations adorning the walls. Purple is the color of repentance for sins and also symbolizes the state of our souls outside the light of Christ. During this time, pray for those who do not know Christ and for those who have sinned gravely against Him. Confession: As mentioned above, Lent is a penitential season or expressed sorrow and repentance... The 40 days are set aside to examine areas of recurring sin in our lives that prevent us from conforming to God's Will. An excellent way to start an examination of conscience is by praying Psalm 139, verses 23-24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Fasting and Prayer: Fasting is a practice that has really gone by the wayside in many Christian circles. Yet, if done correctly, it can be a powerful time to renew your relationship with God. Fasting can be found in both the Old Testament and the New, with Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,18 ), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and our Lord (Matthew 4:2) all participating in 40-day fasts. Fasting is a way of denying ourselves the excesses of life so that we might be more attuned to the Lord's voice. It is also a way of disciplining yourself, strengthening your "spiritual muscles," so to speak, so that when temptations arise in life, you are already used to saying "no" to your desires. And finally, fasting is also a way of participating, in a small way, in the sufferings of Christ and can be particularly powerful when accompanied by prayer and confession. Meditating on Christ's Sacrifice for Mankind: In addition to periodic fasting and prayer, our scriptural meditations typically turn to the salvation offered to us through Christ's suffering. Read Old Testament Scriptures prophesying the suffering of Christ and the New Testament Gospel accounts. Charity/Almsgiving: A very important element of the Lenten season is becoming aware of not only the suffering and sacrifice of Christ but also the suffering of others. Between now and Good Friday, choose one way you can increase your giving to those in need. It could be through extra financial offerings, donating goods you no longer need or use to charity, or increasing your personal time commitment to a ministry or cause close to your heart. Important Days of Lent The key events of Lent include Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. At the start of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, many Christians get a cross on their foreheads from the ashes during a church service. The ashes symbolize grief and the acceptance of our sinful state. Palm Sunday remembers the entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where He was welcomed as King just days before His crucifixion. Maundy Thursday is recognized as the day before Jesus is crucified. It is believed to be the day Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples and, most notably, washed their feet as a display of humility and love. Good Friday is the day we remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross. It is called "good" because it is part of God's plan for our salvation. God's good plan to redeem us from sin included the suffering of Jesus. Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in Christian tradition. It commemorates the day when Jesus Christ's body was laid in the tomb after his crucifixion, and it is a day of reflection and anticipation of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is often referred to as the most important day in Christian history. Three days after his death, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus rose again, conquering sin and death. Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to have eternal forgiveness for our sins, a relationship with God, and eternity in heaven. Bible Verses for Lent Philippians 3:10-11 - "I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participate in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Joel 2:12-14 - "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate. Matthew 6:16-18 - "when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites...but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." 1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you A Prayer for Lent Join me in prayer for this season of Lent: Heavenly Father,Thank you for the gift of this season. Thank you for knowing our hearts and our need for rhythms in our lives, and for drawing us into a deeper communion with you throughout the coming 40 days. Lord, it can be disheartening to read on Ash Wednesday that all come from dust, and to dust all return (Ecclesiastes 3:20), yet we know that there is more to our stories. We know that you created man and woman from the dust at the very beginning of time (Genesis 2:7) and that you breathed life into them to transform them into living creatures. We know that you are in the business of resurrection-- your very Son went to the cross to show us that no death is final and that ultimate transformation comes through your gift of salvation. Though we were made from dust, and our bodies will return to dust again, we can live in eternal glory with you through the blood of your Son. May we remember the gift of salvation in this season...Amen Sarah Phillips Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

1 John 2:15–17 15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. To Love the World This first imperative of this letter can be misunderstood if we fail to identify the “world” properly. “Things in the world” does not refer to creation; this is not a dualist call to be concerned only with spiritual rather than physical things. John can use “world” (kosmos) more positively, such as in God’s love for the world (John 3:16), Jesus as the propitiation for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2), or Jesus as the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). In these instances mankind, the inhabitants of the world, is in view. They are opposed to God, but God still loves humanity and comes to redeem it. Quite often, however, the “world” is the realm, even the system, of rebellion against God (1 John 4:4–5). It does not know God or believers (1 John 3:1) and indeed hates believers (1 John 3:13). It is the realm of false prophets and the antichrist (1 John 4:1, 3), for “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Into this realm of hostility Jesus came (1 John 4:17) in order to be the Savior, to redeem people out of this realm, allowing us to overcome the world (1 John 5:4–5). Thus John is not forbidding appreciation of creation or love for people. Rather he is warning against setting one’s affections on sin or behaviors inimical to God and his character. John “counsels strategic disavowals of loyalties to features of the world that would surely compromise the total devotion that is appropriate to God alone.” This point is made even clearer in the second half of the verse, which contrasts love of the world with love of the Father. John directs his readers toward the proper object of their affections by holding up contrasting objects. One cannot love the world and love the Father at the same time, for the world is at odds with the Father. One must choose. One must take a side. And because of who God is, proper love for him can brook no rivals. True love for God must place him supreme in one’s affections. The problem with “the things in the world” mentioned in 1 John 2:15 is, first of all, that they are not “from the Father,” that is, they are not rooted in him. They arise instead from that which is in opposition to God. “John is thinking of things that can be regarded as detrimental because they lack sanctifying ties with the Father.” Obviously, people who love God ought not be attracted to things that arise from opposition to God and thus to them. John is saying, in part, “Do not love the sin that seeks to destroy you.” The rivals in view here are heart dispositions. “Desire” (epithymia) is not always negative, but here it clearly is. “Desires of the flesh” refers to those desires that arise from fallen humanity apart from the influence of God’s sanctifying work, including a broad range of sinful desires such as lust, gluttony, and the pursuit of various other addictions. The second element of things of the world, “the desires of the eyes,” is not an entirely separate category but can be seen as another aspect of the desires of the flesh. Our eyes are, of course, wonderful gifts, but once again John has in view the sinful use of these gifts. Jesus spoke of the eyes as the “lamp of the body,” with potential either for good or for causing the “whole body” to be “full of darkness” (Matt. 6:22–23). In the first sin, Eve was taken in as she noticed that the forbidden fruit was a “delight to the eyes” (Gen. 3:6). Thus “desires of the eyes” refers to being captivated via sight by desire for forbidden things. C. H. Dodd suggests this refers to “the tendency to be captivated by the outward show of things, without enquiring into their real values.” This would then refer to the tendency to chase what “looks good” without concern for whether or not it is pleasing to God. The last item in the list is the “pride of life.” This phrase is vaguer than the others. The word for “pride” (alazoneia) typically refers to arrogant boasting, while the word for “life” (bios) often refers to material goods, or that which one has to live on (e.g., Luke 15:12, 30; Luke 21:4), which is precisely the meaning of the word when it occurs later in this letter, in 1 John 3:17. Thus what is in view here is not pride generally but the vaunted sense of self-importance derived from one’s possessions, position, or prestige. These three things “in the world” characterize what is at work in the world system in opposition to God. They are not passive, but aggressively seek to allure the affections of everyone including Christians. Thus, John warns his hearers not to love these things. Not only are the “world” and its “things” opposed to God, but they are also “passing away.” They will not endure and thus are not suitable objects for our affections. Nor do they provide a stable basis for life. In contrast, those who do the will of God “[abide] forever.” John’s point is exhortatory: we ought not set our hearts on these sinful desires that will fade and fall away, for they will finally disappoint. Obedience to God, however, will lead to lasting joy. If, then, we love life and long for fulfillment, we must resist the allure of sinful desires and obey God instead. Contrary to much of popular culture, John realizes that love, in and of itself, is not the answer. It matters what we love. Some love is sinful. We must love God, his Word, and his people, but we must not love selfishness and sin. Some have wreaked havoc with 1 John 2:15, seeing there a pleasure-hating asceticism or a curmudgeonly skepticism toward beauty, enjoyment, or people. None of this is called for here. It is clear that there is a common way of life that is opposed to the things of God, a way that seems to help one get ahead but is actually opposed to God. This is what John is telling us not to love. He is not telling us to hate God’s creation or the good gifts he has given to us as part of that creation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer ministered in the shadow of the Nazi machine, where friendship with the world captivated many believers, as it seemed to promise safety. He captured the essence of our text when he wrote, In obedience and faith alone the church took up the struggle ordained for her. From the Word alone she may be led. For her Lord she gladly gave up all cares, all security, all friendship with the world. Yes, our way leads also through distress, but the Lord bound us not to yield. Do we want to yield today for the sake of friendship with the world, do we want to sell our calling for the mess of pottage of a safe future? Through our own behavior we are making the Gospel of our church unworthy of belief! We must love God, his Word, and his people, but we must not love selfishness and sin. This article is by Ray Van Neste and is adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Volume 12), edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar,

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, 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 is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.Philippians 3:7-11 Changes in behavior always start with a radically new way of thinking, because what we believe shapes what we do. The same is true of becoming more like Jesus (Romans 12:2). In order for us to change our thinking, we must learn about the spiritual treasures that are part of our salvation — things like freedom in Christ, free access to God’s rich spiritual resources, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the immeasurable love of God. The Bible says that as followers of God, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). A New Creation As Christians we become more like Jesus by drawing on these Christ-given riches to enable us to behave like the new creations that we are (2 Corinthians 5:17). We determine to be humble, loving, pure, grace-giving people. When we make mistakes and bad decisions, we confess our sins and repent, which keeps our relationship with the Lord strong. When we discover our weaknesses, we draw on God’s wisdom and power for help. Growing in Relationship with One Another No one can become more like Jesus without having close relationships with other believers. As the body of Christ, Christians need one another to grow. We need a church in which fellow believers are speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and in which the Bible is being preached so we know how to do works of service in Jesus’ name (Ephesians 4:12). In addition, Christians have always found that practicing spiritual disciplines — such as regular Bible reading, prayer, fasting, solitude and giving, among others — provide deep insights into their own souls and open pathways into Christlikeness. Disciplined by Our Loving Father Finally, we must reckon with God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6). As a loving Father, God sometimes invests in our growth by allowing us to experience painful situations that arrest us in our sinfulness, reveal our weaknesses, and build into our lives a deeper reliance on Christ and his Word (Hebrews 12:4 – 13). Drawn from the NIV Quest Study Bible.

The Prayer of Faith: Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.James 5:13-18 Near the end of his letter, James encourages any Christians who are sick to have the elders or leaders of their church community pray for their healing (James 5:14). Then he writes, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up” (5:15). What is this prayer of faith? And does it guarantee the restoration to health of the person who is sick? To understand better what James means by “the prayer of faith,” we can look to James 1, where Christians are encouraged to ask God for the wisdom they lack, but to do so believing and not doubting (1:5–6). The key to such unwavering faith is not to muster it up out of our own will power. Instead, the conclusion of James 1 highlights the proper focus of our attention: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (1:17). Trusting our God for good gifts (like wisdom), including the gift of healing, contributes to praying by faith. Another indication of what the prayer of faith is comes in the previous verse, where James notes that the elders of the church are to pray for the person who is ill (5:14). This is a prayer offered by the community—by its leaders or by a single faithful (“righteous”) person in that community (5:16–18). Yet a prayer of faith should not be a presumptuous prayer, as if to think that God is bound to act in a particular way in response. James counters such a perspective in 4:13–17, where he encourages his audience to base their outlook on the Lord’s will and not assume they are in charge of their future. Again, as in James 1, the focus is on God and what God can do rather than on what prayer can do. A call to prayer is always fitting, as the church should be a community that turns first and in faith to their loving God to help those in their midst who are ill or struggling. But effectual prayer is always humbly reliant on an effectual God. Drawn from the NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition.

Can a person separate water from the sea? When I think of the sea, I picture a vast body of water with waves crashing as they approach the shore. I cannot imagine separating a sea from water. But when it comes to God’s glory filling the earth, my mind typically separates the two realities of God’s glory and our earthly experience. I might glimpse God’s glory when I look out on a spectacular landscape in nature or watch the stars come out as night falls, but not in my day-to-day world. Where is His glory in a busy office space, in a shopping center, or on a city street? In the Book of Numbers, God says that both His existence and the fact that His glory fills the earth are fixed, certain, and unchanging truth. “As surely as I live . . .  the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth” (Numbers 14:21). The twelve Israelite spies had just returned from exploring the promised land. There they had found a lush landscape with abundant produce guarded by a fierce people who looked to them like giants. Ten of the twelve spies forgot about the God who had sent them. They spread a bad report among the tribes of Israel so that they rebelled against God in their fear. This was only a year after God had miraculously delivered the Israelites from Egypt and revealed His glory to them at Mount Sinai. Here God reminded them that His glory—the same glory that had recently delivered them—already filled the earth, but their unbelief prevented an entire generation from entering into His promised land. The Hebrew word used in these verses for God’s glory is “kavod,” which means “weightiness,” “splendor,” or “abundance.” Have you ever experienced a taste of this heavy “weight” of God’s glory during a time of worship at church? Or sensed His glory drawing closer as you pray alone in your room? The prophets Isaiah and Habakkuk recognized the need for us to be made more aware of God’s glory. Isaiah looked forward to a day when God’s kingdom would bring peace on earth. His vision of the knowledge of God filling the earth stands at the end of a messianic prophecy; it describes a descendent of David who would come to restore justice and righteousness for all nations. “They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). In contrast, Habakkuk calls humanity to recognize the presence of God’s glory in the midst of a world where evil is growing and seems to be winning. Writing at a time when the people of Judah were determined to live their own lives without God, Habakkuk saw the coming judgment in the form of an evil army: “Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples” (Habakkuk 2:5b). Yet the strivings of all evil armies will eventually come to nothing because, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). The Jewish people expected Isaiah and Habakkuk’s prophesies to be fulfilled at the time of the coming of the Messiah, who would be a descendent of David. When Jesus was born, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Jesus’ disciple John described that glory as something that could be seen and touched: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This glory multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands; this glory touched and healed lepers; it mourned with those who were grieving. Finally, this glory overturned the power of death. As Christ followers, we are called to show this very glory to the world: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). God’s glory already fills this earth. We cannot separate these two realities any more than we can separate water from the sea. Let’s pray for our eyes to be open to see that glory and show it to our communities through acts of love, compassion, and generosity. By Wendy Halloun, Creative Communications Officer MENA, Biblica.

If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.—2 Timothy 2:13 He Is Trustworthy This verse pictures a radically different way of living, one not natural to most of us. Most human beings buy into a view of life characterized by the “life is on your shoulders,” “you make or break your life,” “pay your money and take your choice,” or “ you have no one to look to or blame but yourself” outlook. In this view, you are the master of your fate. You have little to rely on other than your instincts, your strength, the wisdom that you’ve collected over the years, your ability to anticipate what is around the corner, your character and maturity, and the natural gifts that you have been given. It is a scary “you against the world” way of living. But your welcome into God’s family turns all of this upside down. God not only forgives your sins and guarantees you a seat in eternity, but welcomes you to a radically new way of living. This new way of living is not just about submitting to God’s moral code. No, it is about God covenantally committing himself to be faithful to you forever, unleashing his wisdom, power, and grace for your eternal good. Think about this. The One who created and controls the world, the One who is the ultimate definition of what is loving, true, and good, and the One who alone has the power to finally defeat sin has chosen, because of his grace, to wrap his arms of faithful love and protection around you, and he will not let you go. You can take your life off your shoulders because God has placed it on his. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter how you live, but that your security is not found in your faithfulness, but in his. He can be trusted even when you cannot. He will be faithful and good even when you’re not. He will do what is right and best even when you don’t. And he is faithful to forgive you when convicting grace reveals how unfaithful you have been. Rather than giving you license to do whatever, this truth should give you motivation to continue. His grace calls you to invest in the one thing that will never come up short, and that one thing is the faithfulness of your Lord. The Effects of Your Sin Sin does two very significant things to us all. First, it causes us all to insert ourselves into the center of our worlds, making life all about us. In our self-focus, we are all too motivated by our wants, our needs, and our feelings, and because we are, we tend to be more aware of what we don’t have than of the many wonderful blessings that we have been given. But there is more; because we are self-focused, we tend to be scorekeepers, constantly comparing our piles of stuff to the piles of others. It’s a life of discontentment and envy. Envy is always selfish. There is a second thing of equal significance that sin does to us. It causes us to look horizontally for what can only ever be found vertically. So we look to creation for life, hope, peace, rest, contentment, identity, meaning and purpose, inner peace, and motivation to continue. The problem is that nothing in creation can give you these things. Creation was never designed to satisfy your heart. Creation was made to be one big finger pointing you to the One who alone has the ability to satisfy your heart. Many people will get up today and in some way will ask creation to be their savior, that is, to give them what only God is able to give. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25–26). These are the words of a man who learned the secret to contentment. When you are satisfied with the Giver, because you have found in him the life you were looking for, you are freed from the ravenous quest for satisfaction that is the discouraging existence of so many people. Yes, it is true that your heart will rest only ever when it has found its rest in him. Here is one of the most beautiful fruits of grace—a heart that is content, more given to worship than demand and more given to the joy of gratitude than the anxiety of want. It is grace and grace alone that can make this kind of peaceful living possible for each of us. He can be trusted even when you cannot. This article is adapted from New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp.

1. Predestination should result in humility, praise, and comfort. Sometimes Christians passionately disagree with each other about predestination. But it is pitiful how we can take a Bible teaching that should result in humility, praise, and comfort and instead talk about it with sinful pride, divisiveness, and anxiety. We unreservedly affirm and cherish whatever God has revealed (cf. Isa. 66:2b). 2. Predestination has two parts: choosing to save some (election) and choosing not to save others (reprobation). Predestination means that God predetermined the destiny of certain individuals for salvation (election) and others for condemnation (reprobation). Election is positive predestination: God sovereignly and graciously chose to save individual sinners. God predestined certain individuals (i.e., predetermined their destiny) for salvation—“vessels of mercy, which [God] has prepared beforehand for glory” (Rom. 9:23); “the elect” (Rom. 11:7); Jesus’s sheep (John 10:27–29). Reprobation is negative predestination: God sovereignly and justly chose to pass over nonelect sinners and punish them. God predestined certain individuals (i.e., predetermined their destiny) for condemnation—“vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Rom. 9:22); “the rest” (Rom. 11:7); not Jesus’s sheep (John 10:26). 3. The goal of election is for God to save us so that we praise him for his glorious grace. The Bible says in various ways that the goal of election is for God to save us. For example, Paul praises God because “he [God the Father] chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). One goal of election is that when we stand before God we will be morally pure and blameless. He predestined us “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). The ultimate goal of election is to praise God’s glorious grace. Negatively, it is to shame the elite so that no human might boast in the presence of God (1 Cor. 1:26–29). Positively, it is to praise God’s glorious grace and God’s glory (Eph. 1:4–6, 11–12). 4. God chose to save humans before he created the world. Paul exclaims that “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4a). That means that God chose to save humans before he created the world (cf. John 17:24; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8). 5. The basis of election is God’s forelove. There are two basic (and mutually exclusive) ways to explain how God’s foreknowledge is the basis of God’s election: The Bible teaches that God did not choose to save individuals on the basis of his foreseeing that they would freely choose to believe in him. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that the basis of election is God and not man (e.g., Rom. 9:6–19; Eph. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:9; cf. John 10:16, 26–27). 6. Unconditional election is merciful and gracious. A common objection to unconditional election is that it is unfair. But God is always fair. God is fair when he sovereignly has mercy on whomever he wants (Rom. 9:14–18). And God is fair when he is undeservedly kind to some and not others (Matt. 20:1–16). Does anyone deserve God’s kindness? No. When God is undeservedly kind to some people but not others, he is still fair to all people without exception. We deserve God’s wrath, and yet he sovereignly chose to be merciful and gracious to save his people. 7. Unconditional election does not mean that our wills are like robots or puppets. We do not have a free will in the sense that we can equally make alternative choices (Rom. 9:19–23). We have a free will in the sense that we always choose what we most want. That does not mean that God has programmed us to be robots or that God is a puppet master who forces us to do things against our will. A good analogy for God’s sovereignty is a novelist and the characters in his story. In C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the character Edmund betrays his three siblings and Aslan. Who is responsible for that betrayal—Edmund or C. S. Lewis? Do they share responsibility—50% Edmund and 50% Lewis? Or maybe 75% Edmund and 25% Lewis? No, Edmund is fully responsible, and Lewis is fully responsible. But they are responsible in different senses. Edmund is fully responsible as a creature—a character in a fictional story; and Lewis is fully responsible as the creator—the author of the fictional story. Lewis (the author) ordained what Edmund (the character) freely chose to do. Edmund has moral responsibility for his choices, and Lewis does not. That’s something like what we mean when we say that God (the Creator) ordained what humans (the creatures) freely choose to do. The Creator has authority over his creation like a novelist has authority over his story. It is clarifying to distinguish natural ability (natural freedom to choose what I want) from moral ability (moral freedom to choose what God wants). All of us—unregenerate and regenerate—have the natural freedom to choose what we want. But we do not all have the moral freedom to choose what God wants. Moral freedom—true freedom—is a gracious gift from God. (John 6:65). God’s meticulous sovereignty (particularly regarding predestination) is compatible with human freedom (particularly the God-enabled freedom to believe in Christ and the moral responsibility for not believing in Christ). The most remarkable example of this is the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23; 4:27–28). God is so amazing that he ordained both (1) what we choose and (2) that we freely choose what we most want. How? It’s a mystery. We do not fully understand. 8. God’s sovereign choice to save only some humans is compatible with God’s desire that all humans be saved. It is helpful to distinguish two aspects of God’s will—what God would like to see happen (e.g., Matt. 18:14) and what God actually wills to happen (e.g., Matt. 11:25–26). God values something else more highly than saving all humans without exception. According to Arminianism, God more highly values a genuinely loving relationship, which requires us to have a free will in the sense that we can equally make alternative choices. According to Calvinism (and I think according to the Bible), God more highly values displaying his glory in mercy and wrath (Rom. 9:22–23) and receiving all the glory for sovereignly saving individuals (1 Cor. 1:26–29). God’s choice—not our choice—is the deciding factor. That is why Paul writes, “God may perhaps grant them repentance” (2 Tim. 2:25–26). 9. God ultimately causes reprobation (but not in the same way that he chose to save individuals). God the potter prepared vessels of wrath for destruction (Rom. 9:6–29). God destined certain people to disobey the word and thus stumble (1 Pet. 2:7–8). God designated certain people for condemnation (Jude 4). God intentionally did not write the names of certain individuals in the book of life before he created the world (Rev. 13:8b; 17:8b). God hid Jesus’s message from the wise and understanding (Matt. 11:25–26; Luke 10:21). But when God chose or passed over individuals, he did not think about those individuals as unfallen and morally neutral. Rather, he thought about them as fallen and sinful (Rom. 9:22–23; Eph. 1:4). 10. The goal of reprobation is to glorify God for his wrath and power and especially to glorify God for the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy. We do not know all the reasons that God sovereignly and justly chose to pass over nonelect sinners and punish them, but God has revealed two of his goals: (1) to glorify God for his wrath and power (Rom. 9:17–18) and (2) to glorify God for the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy (Rom. 9:22–23). Those goals are not parallel. The first is subservient to the second. The second is ultimate. We unreservedly affirm and cherish whatever God has revealed. Andrew David Naselli is the author of Predestination: An Introduction.

How can a person make sense of the Bible? After all, it was composed by some forty authors at different times in different countries, and it covers thousands of years. What is it trying to say? What’s the story? What is God doing with humanity? Many people who look to the Bible for answers become confused by it because they see only disconnected pieces. They know a story here, a verse there. And they don’t know how all the pieces fit together. It’s as if they had ten, twenty, or fifty pieces of a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle and were trying to make sense of it. The Bible, like much of life, is just another puzzle that can’t be solved. I believe there is a solution, and it is similar to solving a jigsaw puzzle. It starts with having the whole picture of what you’re trying to put together. If you were given a thousand-piece puzzle, how would you put it together without the picture of the finished puzzle on the box top? If you didn’t have any idea of what the complete picture looks like, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to put it together. The Big Picture of What God is Doing in this World The Bible does have a single big picture, a context into which everything fits. Though the Bible consists of many pieces, all of those pieces tell one story—God’s big story of interaction with us, the human race. It is the big picture of what God is doing in this world. It’s the story of not only all the people who have come before us, it is also our story, and the story of everyone who will come after us. It tells what God is doing on earth, and once you see it, you’ll wonder why you had never noticed it before. God’s Big Story will enable you to make sense of how you got here, why you are here, and where you are going. It communicates that God put you here on purpose and for a purpose. It’s one storyline that threads from the beginning (from Genesis, the first book of the Bible) to the end (to Revelation, the last book of the Bible). And it will help you to make sense of all the pieces. The entirety of the Bible’s big story can be summarized in a mirror-image drawing that looks like an isosceles triangle with a vertical line dividing it in half. The story has two main parts, and there are five major events in each half. The events on the left-hand side of the mirror image occur in the Old Testament. The events on the right-hand side occur in the New Testament and parallel the five Old  Testament events. The remarkable symmetry of these events is no accident, and they point to the person at the apex of the triangle: Jesus Christ. Altogether, the mirror image encompasses the entire story  of humankind, and when you see it laid out, all of our history makes sense. The left side line going up contains the first half of the story of humanity from the beginning of creation to Jesus. The events occur in the Old Testament. Another word for testament is contract. The left side of the mirror image tells the story of the contract God draws up with humankind through a man named Abraham. His descendants eventually became the nation of Israel. The right side going down contains the second half of humanity’s story, from Jesus  to the end of the world. These events can be found in the New Testament, which describes the story of the new contract God offers through Jesus. This contract is offered by God to everyone on earth. To understand the big picture, you need to understand both the Old and New Testaments. I’m no lawyer, but if I were reading a contract, and it kept referring to the previous contract it replaced, I would want to read that older contract, wouldn’t you? Likewise, when trying to understand the Bible, you need to understand the old contract for the new contract to make sense. In the Bible, the old contract sets up the new contract, and everything in the old contract points to the need for Jesus and for his arrival. Everything in the new contract points to what God did before, making the new contract possible. Old Testament Times If you look at the mirror image, you see that the Old Testament starts with God creating the heavens and earth along with righteous people without sin or guilt, whom God places with him in the Garden of Eden. That’s the first major event in Scripture. The next major event occurs when Satan and sin enter the world, turning people against God. When God has had enough of seeing people harm one another and dishonor him, the third major event occurs: God destroys the world by flood. The good news is that people bounce back; the bad news is that they return to their wicked ways. All of humankind works together in a unified effort to build the Tower of Babel in their desire to elevate themselves and declare their self- sufficiency away from God. Their actions precipitate the fourth major event: God confuses people’s languages, and he scatters them across the earth. Fortunately, God’s love for people will not be thwarted, and he chooses to make a contract with Abraham. God promises Abraham that he will have many descendants, including the Messiah, who will provide all of humankind with a way back to him. Abraham’s descendants become the twelve tribes that make up the nation of Israel, and the rest of the Old Testament recounts their story. New Testament Times The turning point in God’s big story is Jesus, the promised Messiah. This is the event upon which all of mankind’s history with God hinges. That’s why his arrival is the apex of the mirror image triangle. Jesus is God in human flesh, and he offers mankind a new contract and fulfills God’s part in it. That is the start of the New Testament. Jesus’s most trusted followers are the twelve disciples. These men in the New Testament parallel the twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament. Just as the twelve tribes found Israel, the twelve disciples found the church. Most of the New Testament tells the story of beginning of the era of the church. You and I are currently living in this era. The remainder of God’s big story with humankind is still in the future and is described in the last book of the Bible, Revelation. The events unfold in reverse order to the major events in the Old Testament. The people of the world will again unite. They will form a one-world government. After that God will again cause the destruction of the world, this time by fire instead of flood. Just as Satan entered the world bringing sin with him, he will be forced to exit the world along with sin, once and for all. And the story ends with people with God in paradise once again. Life to the Full Why is it important to understand the big story contained in the mirror image? Because understanding Scripture is the starting point for real maturity. Growth in Christ and the full life Jesus promises in John 10:10 come as the result of engaging three areas: The mind, which grows in maturity with biblical knowledge;The heart, which grows in maturity with spiritual intimacy; andThe will, which grows in maturity with holy obedience. Understanding the context of God’s big story helps you to better understand everything you read in the Bible. Understanding the Bible helps facilitate spiritual intimacy with God, and that heart engagement with God inspires our willingness to obey him. If we neglect any of these three areas, we will not become spiritually mature. If we elevate one at the expense of the other two, we develop blind spots that hinder our life in Christ, because: Biblical knowledge without spiritual intimacy and holy obedience becomes intellectualism.Spiritual intimacy without biblical knowledge and holy obedience becomes emotionalism.Holy obedience without biblical knowledge and spiritual intimacy becomes legalism With an ever-growing knowledge of God’s Word, you will begin to understand him more. Your desire and ability to experience spiritual intimacy with him will grow. And your desire to obey what he is asking of you will increase. So will your ability to follow through. As these things happen, you will grow in spiritual maturity, and your life will begin to change for the better. And so will your ability to help and serve others. By Kevin A. Myers. Drawn from the NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible.