Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 26, 2017 and is part four of a five-part series.

On October 31, 1517, the German monk, pastor and seminary professor, Martin Luther, published 95 complaints against the church practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin. The iconic figure we cherish is of Luther nailing a paper with these 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, but historians aren’t completely confident that he did this.

We have no record of Martin Luther himself referring to the event.

Whether or not he actually nailed that paper to the church door, he certainly wrote it, sent it to some important leaders, and it was soon published and distributed widely across Germany and much of Europe.

There were many complaints against, and objections to, the theology and practice of the Roman Catholic Church in those days, but Luther’s complaint had an effect like none before it.

There were many reasons for that, but one important reason was because Luther put his finger on a point of great corruption: the practice of selling indulgences.

The Practice of Selling Indulgences

As mentioned before, the selling of indulgences was essentially giving something to the church (usually money) so the church (through its leader, the pope) would reduce the penalty one had to pay for their sins in purgatory. I strongly object to the idea of purgatory altogether and can’t find it anywhere in the Bible. But in the Roman Catholic idea, purgatory is the place where after death a person is cleansed from their spiritual and moral impurities by painful fires before they can be admitted into heaven.

What is more, in classic Roman Catholic thinking, the pope has the authority to release tormented souls enduring the cleansing fires of purgatory. In Martin Luther’s time slick, high-pressure salesmen sold these releases from purgatory. They promised people that for a generous donation to the church, the pope would grant them or a loved one release from some or all of purgatory’s fire.

Near where Martin Luther lived, there was a Dominican monk named Johann Tetzell, a successful salesman for indulgences. Tetzell’s slogan was, “As soon as the money in the basket rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Tetzell used to say, “Listen to the voices of your dear dead relatives and friends, beseeching you and saying, ‘Pity us, pity us. We are in dire torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance.’ Do you not wish to?” Tetzell raised a lot of money for the church by selling these indulgences.

Luther’s protest against indulgences developed into the movement we know as the Protestant Reformation.

The ideas of the Reformation are often summarized in a series of statements called the five solas:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

The first three solas were discussed in previous articles, and this short piece looks at the fourth of the list: Solus Christus. That idea of Christ Alone is vitally connected to the original protest Martin Luther made on October 31, 1517.

The Fundamental Problem With Indulgences

As the ideas of the Reformation matured and deepened, it was understood that one of the fundamental problems with the whole idea of indulgences was that it put humanity’s rescue into the hands of the pope. The idea was something like this: “Men and women are not saved by Jesus, but through the pope and the institution of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Against this wrong and dangerous idea, it’s important that we emphasize the truth: Christ Alone. At the end of it all, we are not saved by a mere man, whether that be a pope or a pastor. We aren’t saved by an institution, whether it be Catholic or Protestant. We aren’t saved by our own good works or even our good faith. We are rescued by Christ alone and He alone gets the honor, glory and credit for rescuing us from sin and self. It’s true that what He gives by grace must be received by faith, but the work is done by His giving, not our receiving.

The principle of Christ Alone should remind us that Jesus is always the center of the Christian life. As the New Testament says, in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). The core of the Christian life is Jesus Christ, and Christ alone.

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

Good Friday didn’t seem so good when it occurred. Jesus was beaten and bloodied. He had been falsely accused and unlawfully tried. He was sentenced to a criminal’s death without having committed any legal offense. He was condemned but at the same moment a sinister insurrectionist and murderer was released from captivity. Jesus, the friend of sinners, was ridiculed and then bludgeoned by the religious leaders, mocked and humiliated by Herod, interrogated by Pilate, rejected by the Jews, spit upon and tormented verbally by the crowds, and then scourged and crucified by the Romans. How can any of this be good?

On the cross, as He breathed His final breath, Jesus cried out one word and then died. This singular word meant a lot to artists and to those in the financial industry of Jesus’ day. In John 19:30, Jesus called out tetelestai!. The word means “IT IS FINISHED!” Artists who finished their works would often use this word just as their final stroke was completed. When a debt was finally paid off, the word tetelestai would be written on the invoice, much like the stamp many offices use that declares “PAID IN FULL”. Through the incarnation, His perfect life, and His suffering for us on the cross, Jesus became our perfect substitute. Christ is our atoning sacrifice, without blemish (Hebrews 9:11-10:18). He has saved us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9), and has provided the only means of justification through His blood (Romans 3:24-25). Jesus died once – for all – and His death is sufficient to save. Nothing else must be done to add to the work that Christ accomplished.

Why is Good Friday good? Because this is the day that the power of sin was forever broken. This was the day that the wrath of God was appeased through the finished work of Christ at Calvary. The law was fully and finally fulfilled and upheld in perfection, even as our sin was imputed to the Son. In the midst of the evil, injustice, wrath, torment, suffering, pain and death, something intended for our greatest good was accomplished when Jesus cried out IT IS FINISHED. He didn’t say, “I AM FINISHED”. No, but the work He came to do was completed. Let’s praise God for the finished work of Christ on our behalf and follow Him with joy!

“When God becomes man in Jesus of Nazareth, he not only enters into the finitude of man, but in his death on the cross also enters into the situation of man’s god forsakenness. In Jesus he does not die the natural death of a finite being, but the violent death of the criminal on the cross, the death of complete abandonment by God. The suffering in the passion of Jesus is abandonment, rejection by God, his Father. God does not become a religion, so that man participates in him by corresponding religious thoughts and feelings. God does not become a law, so that man participates in him through obedience to a law. God does not become an ideal, so that man achieves community with him through constant striving. He humbles himself and takes upon himself the eternal death of the godless and the godforsaken, so that all the godless and the godforsaken can experience communion with him.” -Jürgen Moltmann

Every spring I find myself returning to this quote to help me plumb the depths of the significance of the Cross of Christ. That God would become man and willingly suffer and die is unique to the Christian witness and in itself powerful. But Moltmann here pushes us beyond the fact of the death of Christ to consider the reason for Christ’s death. Christ died for what? For who? Christ died for the ungodly…for the godforsaken. In the death of Christ God bridged the divide that he did not make, healed the wound he did not inflict, restored what he had not broken; and he did this on behalf of those who were responsible for those things. The death of Christ therefore is more than divine humility or even devine sympathy. It is divine love. Divine unfathomable love.

The good news of Good Friday is that “It is finished!” (John 19:30) As a result of what Jesus accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection, we can rest from our labors of trying to justify ourselves, and we can revel in hope, because not only were our sins imputed to Jesus, but his righteousness was imputed to us.

This is what it means when it says: “For our sake, He (God) made Him (Jesus), who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It’s the most astonishing exchange of all time: for those who receive Him (John 1:12), all of your sinfulness was placed on Him, and in return all of His righteousness was accounted to you.
Jürgen Moltmann puts it this way in his book, The Crucified God:

“When God becomes man in Jesus of Nazareth, he not only enters into the finitude of man, but in his death on the cross also enters into the situation of man’s godforsakenness. In Jesus he does not die the natural death of a finite being, but the violent death of the criminal on the cross, the death of complete abandonment by God. The suffering in the passion of Jesus is abandonment, rejection by God, his Father. God does not become a religion, so that man participates in him by corresponding religious thoughts and feelings. God does not become a law, so that man participates in him through obedience to a law. God does not become an ideal, so that man achieves community with him through constant striving. He humbles himself and takes upon himself the eternal death of the godless and the godforsaken, so that all the godless and the godforsaken can experience communion with him.”

Moltmann goes on to say: “God weeps with us so that we may one day laugh with him. May Holy Week be for you a time filled with reflection upon, appreciation for, and response to what Jesus did for you on Calvary; the ultimate expression of God’s love for you.”

2020 was a year filled with difficulty, frustration, tension, and sorrow, to the point where people could not wait for it to be over. As we welcome in the new year, however, we realize that changing our calendars did not make the problems disappear, in fact, in some ways, 2021 so far has been worse.

The Apostle Paul, in the wake of a difficult period in his life, wrote something in his letter to the Philippians, which can help us with our outlook on times like these:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

This statement is particularly surprising when you consider what things Paul is referring to here that had happened to him:

What Had Happened to Paul?

When Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, he was being held as a prisoner in Rome.

Prior to his arrest, Paul had spent years traveling around the Roman Empire as missionary: preaching the gospel and starting churches, and training others to do the same. But then, some people who wanted to hinder Paul’s work and hinder the spread of the gospel, started spreading fake news that Paul was an anti-government revolutionary. As a result, Paul was arrested.

While under arrest, Paul was no longer able to travel the world to advance the gospel. Because of corruption in the judicial system, Paul was left in prison for several years, until he appealed his case to the Roman supreme court, which is how he came to be in Rome at the time when he wrote to the Philippians. Paul was under house arrest, awaiting trial, and chained to Roman soldiers 24 hours a day.

With those details in mind, consider again what Paul wrote to the Philippians:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12)

The things which had happened to Paul were:

• The loss of his freedom

• False accusations

• Suffering at the hands of corrupt officials.

It would be easy to look at those circumstances and conclude that these things which had happened to Paul were preventing him from advancing the gospel, but Paul says, “No. Everything that has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”

Being under house arrest had obvious limitations, but it also afforded Paul some unique opportunities.

One of those opportunities was: down time, and Paul used that time to pen four letters under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which are now part of our New Testament canon, and for the past two millennia have been used by God to bring encouragement and instruction to those who read them.

Another unique opportunity this situation gave him, was that Paul was chained to members of Caesar Nero’s Imperial Guard for 24 hours a day, the soldiers being changed out on shifts. Rather than seeing himself as restrained, however, Paul viewed this as an evangelist’s dream! It was not that he was chained to soldiers, Paul thought, but those soldiers were chained to him! For hours at a time, he had a soldier’s undivided attention, and when their time was up, a new soldier would be brought in and chained to him. Paul viewed himself as a missionary to those people in that place. I imagine Paul’s biggest struggle must have been finding time to sleep because he was so excited to make new friends and tell them about Jesus.

Some of these guards, Paul tells us, became Christians. If Paul had not been in custody, but had rather knocked on the door of Caesar’s Palace and said, “Hi, I’m Paul, I’d like to talk to you about your sins and convert you to Christianity,” they would have slammed the door in his face, but because of what happened to him: the injustice, the slander, and the corruption, Paul now had unique opportunity for the furtherance of the gospel which he could not have had otherwise.

Paul was able to see the opportunities in the midst of the calamity, and he wanted his readers to develop that mindset as well.

Paul’s Mindset In Our Situation

The events of the past year have been difficult and uncomfortable for all of us, from the pandemic, to the racial and political tensions, the economic hardships, the isolation, and the online fatigue – and it’s not over yet. It is worth asking ourselves: How would the Apostle Paul have looked at this situation? And how would he, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, have encouraged us to view these circumstances? Would he not have encouraged us to view this situation through the eyes of faith, knowing that all of these difficulties have presented us with unique opportunities for the furtherance of the gospel, and that “what has happened has really served the furtherance of the gospel”?

God has placed us who are believers here for such a time as this. May we be faithful to steward this great gospel message in a world that needs it, and may we see the opportunities in the midst of the calamity for the furtherance of the gospel.

There are acts of unplanned kindness that break through the humdrum of daily existence and shine a new sense of light. Infused with grace, these unexpected gifts have the power to change the course of someone’s day or even become a life moment, an example for generations to come. One such event, described in a BBC documentary¹ by those who lived through it, had the power to potentially stop World War I on December 24, 1914.

The Western European propaganda promised both sides that the enemy would be defeated and the troops would be home before Christmas.

It was the end of the “Belle Époque,” a period of prosperity and insouciance. Europe was expanding, a patriotic fervor enflamed it’s citizens, all the while the divide between rich and poor increased. Pictures of the times leading up to the beginnings of hostilities show jovial youth in pristine uniforms with the glimmer of future conquest in their eyes. It would appear that a decisive rapid victory was inevitable—the media promoted it, the governments promised it, and the military high command assured it.²

The reality was quite different. On the Western Front, the German army marched through neutral Belgium and pushed within 70 miles of Paris. The Allied forces exploited a weak point in German lines and brought the battle back up to the Alsace and Lorraine area while a race to the sea drew a new battle line through Belgium. The fighting intensified as the two opposing armies dug down and made trenches that would last the duration of the war.

By December of 1914, the talk of a valiant instant victory was crushed under the news of a horrific death toll due to newer technologies. Testimonies of war crimes streaming from the civilians caught in war zones and villages disappearing under the rubble.³

The Pope attempted to call a cease-fire for the holidays, in hopes to appeal to the Christian heritage on both sides. Word circulated to the troops of the front but neither high command was willing to consider it.

The bitterness of war had already sunk into the heart of the entrenched enemies. Fighting continued to rage until the night of December 24.

Witnesses speak of a light snow fall that night. A profound desperation and chill from living knee deep in mud, fighting to keep their rations from rats as they were huddled to the ground when Christmas time arrived.

That’s when something extraordinary transpired that has never been repeated, at least not in the same way, nor on the same scale.

In the north by Ypres that night, the British soldiers listened as the shelling was replaced by a chorus of “O Tannenbaum” The unexpected beauty was remarkable enough for them to answer with “The First Noel,” and then the two opposing armies joined together singing, “O Come All Ye Faithful.”⁴

In France to the south, the French army hushed to sound of the Germans singing “Silent Night.” Not be out done, they joined in, each army singing in their respective languages.⁵ In some places the Great War raged on, but all over the Western Front, a spontaneous movement of peace was observed as the troops celebrated together the Savior’s birth, even if from the inside of their trenches.

None would have been surprised by a return to hostilities the next day. In fact, that was the case for many that Christmas Day. The high command on either side would not approve of the nights impromptu vigil. Yet, in a day without the instant communication technologies that would later help control armies, there was a little more leeway to be human.

That day the Germans put up small Christmas trees on their trenches. Surprised English soldiers took pictures that can be found today by a simple Google search. But the goodwill didn’t stop there.

Numerous witnesses speak of the unimaginable.

Germans stepping out of the trenches with white flags, meeting the enemy in the middle, in No Man’s Land. They didn’t come to fight. They shook the hands of the enemy. They arranged for the dead to be buried. They held Christmas services.

The fraternizing went further. Enemies spoke of families waiting back home, exchanged Cognac, Cigars, Chocolat and other delicacies. There were football matches documented by photographs sent home in many of the amazed soldiers letters. In some places the unofficial truce lasted until the New Year.⁶

When the authorities on both sides heard about the Christmas Truce, they were furious. The news reaching home was limited to the best of their abilities. The propaganda machines needed to turn and keep the public approval of the war effort. Photographs and letters were destroyed. A warning was issued to soldiers on both sides that further fraternization with the enemy would end in charges of treason. Both sides doubled efforts the following years to ensure that it never happened again.⁷

It stands to wonder what would have happened if the movement spread.

What if reason returned, and the peace of Christ incarnating into our world transformed into more than just a truce? Christmas is a time when many seek peace, but not everyone finds it. Statistics today speak of depression, suicide and overwhelming debt. But what if there could be peace? It’s enough to make me think of the conflicts within our movement and in our personal relationships. I wonder if the Gospel might not be applied to bring peace to our lives as we put down our arms, our comebacks, our pride, as we stop for a moment to remember the One who became a man to take away our sin. Our High Command, however, won’t ask us to pick up our guns the next day. I wonder if He might not even ask us to do more than agree to a Christmas Truce. Chances are, He’d call us to live in His peace.

^{Image above credited to Imperial War Museum.}

¹ Peace in No Man’s Land, BBC
² Apocalypse la 1ere Guerre mondiale, Furie
³ Verdun Memorial
⁴ The Smithsonian Magazine
⁵ Verdun Memorial
⁶ France 24
⁷ BBC iWonder

This article is a partial transcript from a recent episode of The GoodLion Podcast, a product of Calvary Global Network. Listen to the full episode below or subscribe.

The 2020 presidential election has been the capstone of a remarkably bad year, the only cherry fitting for ice cream sundae of horrors that this year has served us. Things have been tense, to put it mildly. Partisan Facebook posts, one-sided conversations, and harsh accusations abound.

For followers of Jesus, this moment presents a very important choice. We can contribute to the noise in a remarkably noisy season, or we can be messengers of peace in a country that desperately needs it.

The purpose of this article is not to outline who I think you should vote for. Instead, what I want to highlight are four ways we can live like Jesus in the midst of a contentious election.

1. Make Prayer Your Top Priority

It is so easy to talk about how important prayer is. We all bring up how much we value the idea of praying. We all say that what we need to do most is pray for our country, but let me ask this: Are you actually doing that? Are you actually consistently praying that God would have his way in America?

Sometimes in praying for our country, we only pray the big picture prayers. We often ask God to have His way in America, but we don’t ask how we can most effectively influence Americans. In an anxious moment, we should consistently pray for God to make us a non-anxious presence in an anxious moment so that others can see that following Jesus is worthwhile. If ultimately we’re going to say that our first allegiance is to God’s kingdom, then our primary action should focus on that kingdom.

Let me not mince words: I do not believe that voting is the most important thing you can do in this election. I believe that praying is the most important thing you can do in this election.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t vote. I’m not saying that you should give up on every other thing that you do, you should do. But if we give up on prayer, we are giving up the most important thing that we can do. We’re giving up the most influential tool we have at our disposal.

Jesus calls us to pray. He asks us to pray for leaders. He asks us to pray for the well-being of wherever we happen to live. Let’s make sure that we’re focused on prayer.

2. Be Gracious When Everyone Else is Being Vicious

How many posts have you seen where somebody has said, “If you don’t vote for the candidate of my choice, you can just unfollow/unfriend me?” More than a few, right? Whenever I see those posts, I can’t help but feel that, “Vote my way, or get out of my life,” is a fragile form of friendship. How sad to have relationships that are entirely built on political agreement.

Well, let’s think about it this way. What message do we communicate when we post, “if you don’t vote a certain way, you can’t be a Christian?” Statements like that add a condition to the Gospel that Jesus never included.

When we hear the gospel shared in church, holding the right political view is never mentioned. When you meet with a friend that doesn’t believe in Jesus and you try to walk them through the process of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, you don’t bring up voting at all.

So why are we going to add voting a certain way to what counts as being a follower of Jesus? I don’t think we can do that. People do things from all different kinds of motivations. I don’t think it’s our job to judge the motives of other believers. I don’t think it should affect the way that we love other people.

Think about all the encounters you see between Jesus and people that were very anti-Jesus. What was he doing? He was listening. He was asking questions. He was sidestepping hot button issues from time to time so that he could focus on the issue that he really cared about: establishing the kingdom of God and inviting everyone to join it.

3. Follow Your Conscience and the Holy Spirit

I believe that Jesus will lead his followers to do different things this election season. There may not be one “Christian” way to vote. Instead, Jesus may lead some of His people to vote a certain way so they can influence their communities and other followers of His to vote another way. I think it’s very possible that as a Christian, you can be led to vote for one candidate or another, or to vote for a third party candidate or to not vote at all.

Maybe this idea sounds shocking to you, particularly if you are accustomed to the idea that Christians are searching for the “right way” to vote. But if we really believe that God’s main goal is not political, then God is guiding us with His kingdom in mind, not just with a political candidate in mind. His plans are bigger than we know, so let’s believe that He can accomplish His purposes even if we don’t all agree on one candidate.

I hope that each of us prayerfully arrive at our convictions. Don’t let news outlets or media sources make your mind up for you; let Jesus show you what to do. And once you receive that from Jesus, you run with that. Really hang on to Romans 14:23 which tells us, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

That means that what you do might put you out of step with other people around you. That’s okay. Followers of Jesus throughout history have always been out of step with society. They have always been the outcasts. If you’re following your conscience and the Holy spirit, you’re doing exactly what God wants you to do. Even if it leads to feeling like an outcast.

4. Prepare Yourself to Take The Humble Seat in Society

God’s kingdom is not about political power. God’s people have been in exile under the fist of oppressive systems, and they’ve been most influential when they’ve been most marginalized.

As we hear all of the claims of “taking our country back,” Christians can find confidence that we don’t need to take back anything. The world is already God’s. God will work everything out in his timing. God’s goals have not and cannot be stopped by any particular election result. Your real King has no chance of being voted out. And if the election result leaves you feeling like you lost or leaves you feeling like your voice wasn’t heard, remember that that has been the standard political position for the church throughout human history.

Hebrews 11:36-37 describes a number of faithful followers of Jesus by saying that, “Some faced jeers and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning. They were sodden too. They were killed by the sword they went about in sheepskins and goatskins destitute, persecuted and mistreated.”

But in verse 38, it says, “The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. They were all commended for their faith yet. None of them received what had been promised.”

When we think about following Jesus, we should rather live on the outskirts with Jesus than establish political power without Him. While we have the incredible privilege to influence our nation through voting, it’s worth remembering that God has consistently used people without political influence to demonstrate the kind of life he offers. Jesus is the ultimate power; He’s already welcomed us onto His side, and He is in the process of establishing His kingdom.

This is a crazy moment in history. It is a scary season. It is moment where I completely understand why so many people are freaking out. But that freak out is the perfect opportunity to remind people the presence of God provides peace and healing, even while chaos like this is going on.

This is our chance to show people that following Jesus genuinely makes things different. Let’s be committed to showing people that following Jesus brings peace and hope and makes you generous and gracious. We don’t need to join the thousands of shouting voices. Instead, we can act as heralds of a greater kingdom to come.

Psalm 146:3-4 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” God’s desire is not to create a community around a man running for office. God’s desire is to create a family around a man who gave His life for ours. Christians can stand firm in unity built on Jesus regardless of what we do with our ballots. That’s the kind of unity our country needs, and only Christians can offer that.

––––––

The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good. Visit GoodLion.io.

From time to time, a work of art can touch our soul. It examines us and provides a filter like a camera’s focused perspective. In this way, art captures a feeling or a truth, and makes it more relevant to our existence, as it invades our imagination. That’s the effect Georges Rouault’s paintings had on me when I discovered them. Who is this artist? How does his work speak today? First, I would like to present the man and his art, and then I’d like to take an apologetic look into one of the themes that moves me: the masks we wear. In this way, I hope to discuss what we hide from others, or even what we show, by talking about social media, lust, and eventually, resting in Jesus.

The Artist

Georges Rouault was born in 1871. His love for art came from his maternal grandfather and in 1890, he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he became a pupil of Gustave Moreau.¹

More than a professor, Moreau was Rouault’s spiritual and artistic guide. In 1895, when Rouault’s work was vetoed at the Prix de Rome, Moreau advised him to leave the academy to paint independently. Later, Moreau wrote to him: “You like a serious art, sober and, in its essence, religious, and all that you do will be marked with this seal.”

After his mentor’s death, Georges Rouault turned toward a spirituality that transfused his work. At the Abbey of Ligugé, he joined a group of artists to create art sacré of such quality that it avoided superficial tendencies. An example of this period is “Madame X: J’irai droit au ciel, disait- elle avec une assurance douce et ferme” (Madame X: I will go straight to heaven, she said with gentle and firm assurance).² Rouault captures the lady’s austerity, her prayer-shaped hands under a judgmental glare.

As Rouault confided to Édouard Schuré: “I have the fault, (perhaps fault… in any case, it is an abyss of suffering for me…) of never leaving anyone’s spangled coat be he, king or emperor. The man I have in front of me, it is his soul that I want to see… and the bigger he is, the more he is humanly glorified, and the more I fear for his soul…”³

Rouault seemed to live in a struggle with faith and doubt. He survived two World Wars, experienced the joy of friendship and partnership that ended in seeing his works burned by bailiffs over an inheritance discrepancy.⁴ Rouault knew the depths of human depravity, and yet, he still believed. Writing to Father Regamey, he explained that “art is an ardent prayer.”⁵

While his work is not limited to religious art, it pushed back the traditional boundaries, as in “Le vieux roi” (The Old King),⁶ the wealth of Solomon is portrayed in vivid colors, holding a flower, his face is grimaced with exhaustion. In this, Georges Rouault paints the reality that only a believer can see: the multidimensionality of a fallen world. But these sober subjects also give place to gleams of grace like the engraving, “C’est par ses meurtrissures que nous sommes guéris” (By His Stripes, We Are Healed).⁷

The Parallel to Today’s Age

But to link Rouault’s work to our day, I’d like to turn to the clowns he painted. Why clowns? In “Qui ne se grime pas ?” (Who Doesn’t Wear Makeup ?),⁸ we have an answer in the suffering of a man who barely tries to hide his pain, and whose provocative question denounces us all.

Rouault tells us through his letter to Schuré where the inspiration comes from:

“This nomad’s carriage stopped on the road, the old stalwart horse that grazes the thin grass, the old clown sitting at the corner of his trailer mending his shiny and variegated coat, this contrast of shiny, scintillating things made for having fun and this life of infinite sadness… I saw clearly that the ‘Clown’ was me, it was us… almost all of us…”

Effectively, we all wear masks. We all at times draw attention to the center of what we want to show and hide what gnaws at the soul. Herein is our apologetic relevance, and by apologetic, I take Yannick Imbert’s definition: “The demonstration in words and in deeds of the Christian worldview or philosophy over and against all forms of non-Christian worldview or philosophies.”

Wearing a mask is nothing new, but Rouault exposed a human flaw. What are the masks of our day? The types of masks that mark our times can be synthetic like social media, which is used as a projection of who we want to be and what we choose to show to the world. The mask becomes a post, a picture, a live feed or even a comment. The moment we enter the stage of the public world, we send a message that highlights something we wish to show. There is an effervescent community essence to it when all goes well. It feels good to receive accolades, to share a moment, and there is comfort in aligning ourselves with others who have similar interests.

But in the worst cases, these same internet masks can become harmful like cyber bullying or promulgating false information. Though I’m talking about our social networks like Facebook, Instagram, etc., I am in no way campaigning against them. They are just a conduit for communication, but one that reveals deeper issues brought up by Rouault like the spiritual condition of the human heart. One example is the constant comparison to others that can induce “a state of desire to have more than what is due, give rise to instability, greed,”⁹ or simply put— lust. According to Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 5:5, the apostle Paul denounced lust as idolatry.

The Link Between Artist and Masks

What’s the link? To paraphrase Calvin in his commentary on Ephesians, it’s “replacing God with a greater desire.” The representation, which becomes our main desire to maintain, ends up being our mask. When we speak of masks, we come to hypocrisy (behind the word is the definition, “wearing a mask”), whereas Jesus invites us to transparency and to draw near to God. He asks that we lower our masks, lay down our pretensions, and come to him, even in suffering, to find peace (Matthew 11:28-30).

When we pray through a mask, be it the mask of supposed spirituality, false humility, or even expertise in theology, we are not being honest with God. This unnecessary effort drains the grace we so desperately need. In wearing the mask, we are proving our merit or shielding our hearts from the Lord’s sanctifying work. After all, only the sick need a doctor. But when we let go, especially in the suffering that comes from recognising the ugliness of our sin, we receive the peace of forgiveness from our Redeemer.

His rest will lead us to healthy prayer, not to mention a better use of social networks. No longer an idol, we can avoid being eaten up by lust. Even if the masks are part of social media, we don’t have to give ourselves entirely to the game. No one puts an ugly profile picture unless it’s done on purpose. My current profile picture is the most staged picture I’ve posted, but I kind of like it.

Honestly, we shouldn’t take our masks too seriously, nor those of others. There is a balance that we all must strike between not wearing our feelings on our sleeve and being comfortable with ourselves, mask and all. Moreover, we cannot escape our humanity, and that is not what Christ is asking for. The Christian is called to put on the new humanity in Christ (Romans 13:14), and thus, we will find rest for our soul and transparency towards others that comes from being justified. In this, Georges Rouault’s paintings show that, though we all might wear an occasional mask, through resting in the Lord, we can escape the trap of feeding into duplicity.

_{Images of Rouault’s paintings in the graphic above credited to the following:}

• _{“Qui ne se grime pas”}
• _{“Head of Christ”}
• _{“Automne ou Nazareth”}
• _{“Christ in the Suburbs”}

_Notes:

_{¹ For most of the biographical information I followed the website for “La Fondation Georges Rouault.”
² “Madame X.”
³ Taken from a letter from Georges Rouault à Édouard Schuré on Sunday, 10 juin 1904. I owe this and other quotes from the help of the artist’s granddaughter Mme Anne-Marie Agulon.
⁴ “La fuite en Égypte huile sur papier marouflé sur toile, vers 1946 Paris, musée national d’art moderne, centre Georges-Pompidou”
⁵ “If art is sometimes an ardent prayer if I do not blaspheme by saying it too loudly, it will be my consolation if some of my works sometimes bear the imprint of it or highlight it, fortunately.” I also owe this quote to Mme Anne-Marie Agulon
⁶ “Le vieux roi, 1937.”
⁷“C’est par ses meurtrissures que nous sommes guéris.”
⁸ “Qui ne se grime pas ?”
⁹ Definition taken from the Lexicon BDAG of the Greek word : πλεονεξία (covetousness )}

Of all the problems in the world, suffering is the hardest to face. Why is there so much suffering in our world, and why does God allow it?

Recently, Psalm 91 has been helping me to understand suffering in a new light.

It might strike you as a little strange because Psalm 91 would seem to indicate that we will never suffer any harm at all. It says things like, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” No “disease,” no “pestilence,” indeed, “No harm will befall you” at all.

It can be a bit confusing to read this psalm in light of the suffering that many of us go through in life. It might even lead us to ask the question: “Am I doing something wrong?” But this is not the correct way to read this psalm. In fact, the only way for us to understand this psalm correctly is in the light of the cross of Christ.

Let me explain that a bit more. It is interesting that the main extended metaphor in this psalm is the image of a mother bird. For example, “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings, you will find refuge.” This image is one of a God who draws close to us, who pulls us in under His wings and protects us. This is God’s heart toward us. The whole psalm is God’s heart toward us. But, we live in a broken and fallen world, filled with pain and suffering; how can God ultimately protect us from all of the evils of man? Well, there was really only one way, and Jesus did it.

I’m speaking of the cross.

The way God comes through on His promises in Psalm 91 is on the cross. There is a story of a farm in the Midwest of America that suffered through a terrible hail storm. The hailstones were so big they destroyed many of the crops. When the farmer went out to check the damage the next day, he found a bird’s nest knocked to the ground. In it was a mother bird with her wings spread wide. When the farmer lifted her from the nest, he realized she was dead, but he found all her little chicks under her totally unharmed. How does God protect us from all harm the way He tells us He will in Psalm 91? He does it by dying for us. He did it on the cross.

In Luke chapter 4, when Jesus is being tempted in the desert, Satan quotes Psalm 91 to Jesus, saying, “Throw yourself down from the temple; the angels will catch you and not let you strike your foot against a stone.” Satan was trying to tell Jesus that nothing bad had to happen to Him, and He didn’t need to suffer. God wouldn’t let Him harmed, never mind sent to the cross. But suffering had to be a part of Jesus’ story, and sometimes, of ours too. Thankfully, Jesus didn’t succumb to Satan’s temptations. He stayed the course and walked bravely to the cross so that the promises of Psalm 91 could truly be fulfilled one day, and He could “wipe every tear from their eyes” so, “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Suffering is a bitter pill to swallow. But we serve a God who also ate the bitter pill. He suffered. He did it to defeat sin; He did it for you; He did it for me. When we read Psalm 91 in light of the cross, we realize that all of the promises of God’s heart to us in that psalm are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ. No matter what befalls us on this earth, we can never be snatched from His hand.

Death itself has been defeated.

Jesus said in Mathew 23:37, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Jesus suffered; we suffer. But there is comfort in the suffering. There is comfort in the knowledge that our eternity is secure. Let us come close to Jesus and allow Him to gather us under His wings. Let us find peace in our Savior who gave everything for us.

Dominic Done wrote, “When we choose gratitude, we aren’t denying our frustration and pain; we’re planting seeds of hope in the midst of those fractured places. Gratitude leverages life’s brokenness to allow the light in. Gratitude is the soul’s war against despair.” In Christ, we have so much to be grateful for. He is our high tower, our ever-present help in time of need.

If you are in the midst of a broken and fractured place, know you are still surrounded by the love of God. Draw close to Him, and let Him draw you to Himself. He is a God who truly understands your pain. He is with you in your trouble, and one day, He will literally wipe every tear from your eyes.

Marty was my favorite.

I came up as a worship leader in the days of Hillsong United’s early albums. Joel, JD, Jad, Marty and Matt were like The Avengers for worship leaders. Everyone had their favorite, and Marty Sampson was mine.

After flying under the radar for years, Marty shared an explosive Instagram update:

“I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me”

“All I know is what’s true to me right now.”

My heart broke when I saw this. Not because it’s wrong to wrestle with your faith. Not because doubts and uncertainty don’t come our way. But because his full statement revealed something deeper. He had rejected the God of the Bible for a god of his own design. And this god had failed him.

He isn’t alone.

The version of Christianity Marty has rejected reaches throughout the globe.

I’ve been a pastor for 10 years, and I can confess, I’m tempted by its seductive call. This version has an age-old allure. We are the hero of our story. We are the masters of our fate. Here are a few statements from Marty’s post:

“How many preachers Fall? Many.”

Seeing our leaders fall is painful. When a pastor succumbs to moral failure, it’s undeniably destructive. Right now, many of us still feel the pain from wounds wrought by an unfaithful pastor.

But these failings are not an indictment on the holiness of God. They’re an indictment on the sinfulness of man. If anything, they just confirm that what God said about us is true. We are sinners. They confirm what Jesus has done is essential. We need a savior.

It’s easy to hang our faith on leaders. In our head, we know Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. He is the only pure and perfect image of God. “But hey, what about this guy? Can he be my mediator too?” And if he falls, you crumble.

If you put your faith in man, your faith will fail.

“How many miracles happen? Not many”

My wife and I were told we may never be able to have kids. Doctor’s appointments and tests revealed that conceiving would be nothing short of a miracle. And then it happened. We got pregnant. After countless hours of prayer, our miracle baby had come.

And then she was gone.

Our miscarriage is the most devastating thing I’ve been through. Not only because we lost a cherished life but because my wife and I were floating on our miracle. When that miracle was pulled away, we fell hard.

What is a miracle? It’s God’s supernatural intervention into our human world. Although God does choose – at times – to supernaturally intervene on our behalf, this isn’t His ultimate purpose.

He’s already performed the ultimate miracle. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God became man and made a way for eternal reconciliation and rest with the Father.

Physical Healing can fade.

Financial provision can be lost.

Salvation is eternal.

Because of God’s immeasurable grace, many of us receive both God’s eternal miracle of salvation and experience temporal miracles throughout our life. But remember, God does not promise your preferred answer to every prayer or desired miracle for every hurt.

God is not obligated to conform to your will.

His primary mission is not to supernaturally sweep away every hurt and pain and replace it with ease and comfort.

If you put your faith in God doing what you want Him to do, your faith will fail.

I’ve been in pain and despair and hurt. I’ve cried out to God to intervene, and He hasn’t. And many of you have far more reason to cry out and far more reason to despair when only silence returns.

Jesus warned “In this world, you will have trouble”

But praise God this isn’t the end of the story!

“Take heart! For I have overcome the world.”

“How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe?”

This is a tough one. Hell is a hard pill to swallow. It’s no wonder many pastors and churches gloss over it like the black sheep of the theological family.

My purpose here isn’t to dig into the existence of hell but to dig into what this statement is really saying.

“How can God do something I don’t understand?”

“How can God do something I disagree with?”

“How can God do something I wouldn’t do?”

When you begin asking these questions your faith is on a fault line. One day soon the plates will shift, the earth will open, and you’ll be swallowed whole. It’s true, we’d all like it if God were just a little more like us. If He did things our way.

But we are not God.

His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His plan for redemption may contain things we don’t understand.

There is the God of the Bible, and a God we’ve conformed into our image. You have to decide who you believe in.

If you put your faith in your personal version of God, your faith will fail.

I’m certain that Marty’s faith journey is much more intricate, complex and nuanced than his brief post reveals. Looking at his statements is not so much a judgment of him as a warning for me.

I see myself all over his remarks. This version of Christianity is constantly pulling me into its comforting clutches.

I want to believe in physical, audible preachers as my proxy for Jesus.

I want to believe God will always supernaturally intervene when I need Him most.

I want to believe God will do everything the way I think He should.

But the true God is so much better than any man. Any miracle. Any construct of my invention.

I choose to put my faith in Him. I hope you do too.

“That day the Spirit led [Simeon] to the temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as You have promised. I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of Your people Israel’” (Luke 2:27-32).

The day had come. Perhaps Simeon waited for decades or just a few days, but the “promise given” was now the “promise fulfilled.” He came “by the Spirit” that day, ascending the Temple Mount at just the right time. He saw all the typical, daily activity there: conversations and theological debates, prayers, songs and ceremonies, and sacrificial animals being led to the place of their execution to make things right between God and the worshiper. Then he saw them. A young Galilean couple carrying their first baby to be dedicated as God’s Word commanded. Perhaps God handed down that mandate knowing that THIS day, THIS couple would bring THIS Son who was being prepared for “all the people” as a future sacrifice.

Simeon not only saw this face in the crowd, he understood that to see the face of Jesus, was to see Salvation. What was true for Simeon is true for us. To see Jesus for who He is, and to embrace Him and worship, as Simeon did, is to be truly ready to “die in peace.”

That face in the crowd had come to die for the crowd, the whole crowded world. See Him. Embrace Him. Find peace in Him.

In the Greek alphabet the letter X (chi) may be used as an abbreviation for Christ, a symbol of the anointed Messiah.

When you see X-mas, don’t think they took Christ (X) out of Christmas.

Rather, think of the anointed X or “Messiah of God.” Take a moment and renew your thoughts about X, and “Let the word of ‘X’ dwell in you richly.”

1 Corinthians calls upon the name of X (1 Corinthians 1:2):

. Grace is given by X (1 Corinthians 1:4).

. The Testimony of X (1 Corinthians 1:6).

. The Revelation of X (1 Corinthians 1:7).

. The Day of X (1 Corinthians 1:8).

. Fellowship of X (1 Corinthians 1:9).

. Plead the name of X (1 Corinthians 1:10).

. The Cross of X (1 Corinthians 1:17).

. Preach X crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23).

. Of Him you’re in X (1 Corinthians 1:30).

. The Testimony of God is X (1 Corinthians 2:1).

. Have the Mind of X (1 Corinthians 2:16).

. Be Babes in X (1 Corinthians 3:1).

. X is the only foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11).

. You are X’s and X is God’s (1 Corinthians 3:23).

. Servant-steward of X (1 Corinthians 4:1).

. Fools for X’s sake (1 Corinthians 4:10).

. The Gospel is begotten in X (1 Corinthians 4:15).

. My ways in X (1 Corinthians 4:17).

. The Power of X (1 Corinthians 5:4).

. X is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

. Justified in X (1 Corinthians 6:11).

. Members of X (1 Corinthians 6:15).

. X’s slave is free (1 Corinthians 7:22).

. X through whom we live (1 Corinthians 8:6).

. Sin against X (1 Corinthians 8:12).

. Have I not seen X?(1 Corinthians 9:1).

. The Gospel of X (1 Corinthians 9:12).

. Preach X without charge (1 Corinthians 9:18).

. Under law to X (1 Corinthians 9:21).

. The Spiritual rock was X (1 Corinthians 10:4).

. Nor let us tempt X (1 Corinthians 10:9).

. Communion of the blood of X and the body of X (1 Corinthians 10:16).

. Just as I imitate X (1 Corinthians 11:1).

. The Head of every man is X (1 Corinthians 11:3).

. Guilty of the blood and body of X (1 Corinthians 11:27).

. One body in X (1 Corinthians 12:12).

. X died, buried, rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3).

. He raised up X (1 Corinthians 15:15).

. Fallen asleep in X (1 Corinthians 15:18).

. Hope in X (1 Corinthians 15:19).

. In X all are made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).

. X the first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:23).

. X is a life giving Spirit! (1 Corinthians 15:45).

. Victory through X (1 Corinthians 15:57).

. Anyone not loving X, let him be accursed! (1 Corinthians 16:22).

. My love be with you all in X (1 Corinthians 16:24).

Yes, the Greek alphabet letter X (chi) stood for Christ, a symbol of the anointed Messiah!

“‘She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ … All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:21-25).

Today, the true meaning of Christmas is nearly lost in the culture at large. In fact, recent surveys tell us that more and more people are disconnecting Christmas from any religious significance. For most, December 25 is about getting new things and spending time with family and friends. Even among believers, the real meaning of Christmas can often be obscured, so we have to stop and take a fresh look. It’s not just a sweet Sunday school story—the Baby in the manger and the animals gathered around. There’s so much more to it. Christmas is God’s great rescue mission.

The Mission Was Essential

Think with me about mankind’s impossible predicament: We are dead in trespasses and sin, spiritually blind and living in spiritual and moral darkness, under the dominion of the Devil. According to the Scriptures, this is humanity’s condition. Thus, if there’s going to be deliverance, it is essential that we be rescued. Someone is going to have to enter our world from the outside. And that is exactly what the story of Christmas is about.

The Mission Was Planned

Now envision a group of hostages. Their situation is dire, and so is ours. Mankind was being held captive, so there needed to be a plan. The Bible says that this plan was conceived before the world was created. Jesus is proclaimed to be the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. Seven hundred years before His birth, Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah, saying that the Lord would give to Israel a sign—the virgin would conceive and bear a Son and His name would be called Emmanuel.

The Mission Was Costly

So the mission was essential, and the mission was planned; but the mission was also costly. He who existed with God eternally in the form of God took upon Himself human nature. And that human nature was not a temporary arrangement; it was and is permanent. The Son gave up His exclusive deity and added to His deity humanity. This was a step down for Jesus and is what Paul describes in Philippians 2 when he says concerning Christ that He “did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” He humbled Himself and became of no reputation. He took upon Himself the form of a servant, “coming in the likeness of men.” An element of His glory changed when He became a human being.

The Mission Was Deadly

Think with me again about a rescue mission—it’s dangerous and often deadly. When we view Christmas sentimentally, we miss the fact that the incarnation was the first step toward the crucifixion. We can’t separate these two things. At Christmas, we don’t want to talk about the death of Christ. But the reality is He came to give His life for ours. That’s how the rescue took place. Jesus knew that the manger was the first stop on the way to the cross, but He did it because of His love for us.

The Mission Was Personal

That brings us to the fifth point—the mission was personal. Because mankind is created in the image of God, we are, in that sense, the children of God. We are God’s offspring. The Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our older Brother. And the author quotes from the Old Testament, saying that He is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters. So the Christmas story is really the account of the Father sending the older Brother on a rescue mission—to free those who’ve been abducted and are being held captive by their tormentors. It’s a very personal picture. Jesus is on mission to rescue His family.

The Mission Was For You

So if you say, “Well, I don’t see any religious significance to Christmas,” you’re missing the whole point because it is entirely religious in the best sense of the word. It’s about a loving Father who sent His Son on a mission to free you from Satan’s power, to provide forgiveness for your sins, to bring you into a beautiful, personal, eternal relationship with the true and the living God who loves you with an everlasting love, who has a wonderful plan that begins the moment you receive Him.

The Greatest Gift

God’s gift is permanent; it goes on and on and changes lives. His gift takes us out of the realm of darkness and brings us into the light. It takes us from a place of being aimless, with no connection to our Maker, and brings us into a relationship with Him. Christmas is about God making a way for His estranged children to come home. What a glorious thing it is to know Him. Receive that great gift today!

“… It had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26).

How much time passed from the giving of the promise to its fulfillment? Decades? Years? Months? Or was it far less? There is not one clue as to how long this godly man waited and no statement confirming that he was an old man, only that he was a hopeful man who knew he would not die until he personally saw the one who would destroy the sting of death. That’s what Simeon was waiting for. And isn’t that what we are waiting for? The central mission of Messiah was to remove the threat of death for all who would trust Him as the Life-Giver (1 Corinthians 15:55).

How would we live if we knew we were indestructible? Did Simeon become a bit less careful when crossing streets, or eating deep-fried food at the “Judea County Fair?” I doubt he took the guarantee as a license to make foolish decisions with his safety or health, but he DID know he was abiding under the personal protection of God. This man was not waiting to die. He was waiting to live. Christmas is a celebration of life. Not just the beginning of the earthly life of Jesus the Son of God, but the celebration of the end of the fear of death, because the ultimate “abolitionist” had finally arrived.

One of the sweetest and most faith-filled aspects of Advent is found in the way we choose to rejoice through the days of anticipation, knowing that hope is on the horizon as the star is moving across the night sky, though we have no idea HOW God will pull this off. God is in the business of “getting our hopes up,” and Simeon would live the rest of his days with this outrageous, stabilizing hope that he would cheat death every day, until he saw His Savior.

Let’s choose to live more fully every day, free of the fear of death, knowing that God is able to fulfill all He declares. Don’t worry about how He’ll get it done, or when He will get it done. Enjoy each moment living on the rock of His promises. “Being fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promised” (Romans 4:21).

Let hope rise…But look both ways crossing the street.

I will speak for myself. Perhaps some might say an “Amen” to it because they are or have found themselves in the same space. Though I would NEVER dream of renouncing my faith in Jesus, I can functionally reduce Jesus to something instead of someone. It is possible for me — in the day in, day out happenings of life to reduce Jesus to an idea rather than engaging Him and experiencing Him in a meaningful, personal way as my living Lord and Savior. In a very real way I can essentially relegate Jesus to a spot on the bookshelf with my theological reference materials. I can find myself nodding in agreement with the doctrine of Christ, His redeeming love, His victory over the grave and His eternal Kingdom, while at the same time be loading all of my hopes and dreams into things other than Jesus — as if they are the source, the sum and the substance of real joy and real life.

This can be very subtle for believers because we can load our hopes and dreams into Jesus things rather than Jesus. When that happens, I am actually loading all of my hopes and dreams into a delivery system that will fail! A theological concept did not die in my place for my sin — JESUS did! A theological concept did not come out of the grave three days later — JESUS did!

I believe that the opening words of the book of Philippians is the divine antidote for that spiritual condition.

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1)

There’s something really important in the way Paul introduces himself in this letter. Paul began nine of his 13 letters by referring to himself as an apostle. That’s how he began 2 Corinthians.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth” (2 Corinthians 2:1).

He began his letter to the Galatians with:

“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:1-2).

When Paul opens those nine letters by referencing his apostleship, it was for a reason.

Either his apostleship had been brought into question or challenged (as was the case with the church in Corinth), or he needed to rebuke a church for spiritual immaturity, moral failure or flawed church practice (as was the case with the church in Corinth); or he needed to address a doctrinal issue (as was the case with the churches in Galatia because the gentiles were being told that, besides believing the Gospel, they had to be circumcised in order to be saved). He even opened his two letters to his dear friend Timothy — with, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus…. Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” because his true son in the faith was facing false teachers, and people were saying he was too young to pastor them. As an apostle, he urged Timothy to command certain people to not teach false doctrine. Paul also commanded his true son in the faith to teach very specific things — to not give up on the calling and gifting of God on his life — to hold fast to sound doctrine.

But Paul doesn’t introduce himself in this letter as an apostle because he wasn’t writing to address them about gross moral failure or false doctrine swirling around in and threatening the church in Philippi. Paul didn’t need to introduce himself in this letter as an apostle because the church in Philippi never questioned or challenged Paul’s gifting and calling. They had never attacked him. In contrast to the Christians in Corinth who were saying, “I’m of Paul, or I’m of Apollos, or I’m of Peter;” the believers in Philippi were never divided over the place Paul occupied in their hearts in minds.

It’s not as if the church in Philippi was free of troubles.

There’s never been a local collection of believers that has been, because every local church is made up of us — humans that have been redeemed and washed from their sins by the blood of Jesus. But Paul wrote this letter to let his dear friends in Philippi know how much he thought about them, what he treasured about them, how he prayed for them, and what he prayed for them. There’s no regret, no resentment. As Paul sat in jail all of those things — by inspiration of the Holy Spirit — moved from mind and heart to pen and ink on parchment.

Over the years, I’ve come to see an overarching theme in this letter. I believe the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this letter so the 1st century believers in Philippi (all the way out to 21st century believers in this room and around the world) could see the heartbeat of Paul. Pick any part of the letter. It doesn’t matter if your reading what Paul remembered about his fellowship with the Philippians, or what Paul is praying for them, or what Paul said about his own life and circumstances — you discover from every angle that Jesus was the Source, the Sum and the Substance of his life. I believe that from every angle (personal and autobiographical, practical or theological) Paul wanted his dear friends in Philippi to know that Jesus is the Source, the Sum and the Substance of life for every believer, whether they’re in prison for faith in Jesus — or living in a Roman colony called Philippi.

It’s understandable that we find it so easy to say that the big theme of this letter is JOY!

Running through this letter penned in a dungeon is a powerful current of joy — which spoke powerfully to the Philippians — and speaks powerfully to us tonight of the reality of that Jesus was the Source, the Sum and the Substance of Paul’s life — even sitting while imprisoned.

“… Joy at the beginning, joy at the end, joy everywhere in between. Joy is God’s creation and gift. No authentic biblical faith is conceivable that is not permeated with it.”– Eugene Peterson

The life of Jesus was as real as the chains that bound him — and transcended his circumstances —that is why Paul would use the words “joy” and “rejoice” in this little letter more times than the rest of his letters combined.

THAT is what Paul had to offer those he loved so deeply! Paul had NOTHING ELSE to offer them than Jesus. Paul offered them NOTHING LESS than Jesus!

There is no shortage of men and women around us in the church and outside the walls of church who are hurting.

The Gospel is such great news because in it we discover that the life of Jesus is as real as the “chains” of pain that can bind us — the life of Jesus can’t be restricted by our circumstances and our pain.

But here’s something else to consider. It can be argued that 21st century America is the most affluent and comfortable place to live in history. We live in a culture of comfort — a culture of “more.” We need to understand — and our lives need to show — that the life of Jesus is more real than the best of our comforts — and transcends any and all of them. I pray that every follower of Jesus will walk into his or her slice of the lost world, knowing that the last thing we want to offer 21st century American culture is a subculture of religion that is merely an add on to every other comfort they enjoy. I pray we will realize, as did Paul, that we have NOTHING else to offer our very comfortable, but very lost world, than Jesus — and that we will offer it NOTHING LESS than Jesus!

Look at how Paul does identify himself:

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1).

FIRST — Paul wanted them (and you and me) to know that in the deepest sense of who they were he and Timothy were servants of Jesus.

The word servant sounds bad. But in a way, every employee is a servant — they serve the person or company for an agreed upon wage. You might have a job description and even a title — but you’re being paid to serve an individual or a corporate entity. You pick the person or place you’re going to serve on the basis of the benefits package. But an employee working for minimum wages under harsh conditions is nothing close to what Paul said about himself and Timothy.

The word servant is from the Greek word doulos (δουλος) – “A slave.”

The word slave is a painful word for us because of the shameful reality of the slave trade in America’s history. Here’s some more depth on the definition of the word Paul used here to describe his relationship with Jesus:

“…One who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will (the will of the doulos) being altogether consumed in the will of the other.”¹

“…Pertaining to a state of being completely controlled by someone or something—‘subservient to, controlled by.”²

Despite the lingering reality of racism, and not ignoring the reality of human trafficking — 21st century Americans know nothing of what it is like to be slaves. But Philippi was a Roman Colony. The citizens of Rome on foreign soil understood life in Italy. In 1st century Italy, 30-40% of the population were slaves! When Paul said, “Timothy and I are slaves,” his readers got the picture.

HERE’S THE DEAL — Most Christians live their relationship with Jesus as though they’re employed by Him.

That work relationship came with an amazing benefits package: Eternal Life in the presence of their heavenly employer! But like paid servants of an employer, they see themselves as on the clock or off the clock. Like paid employees — they don’t feel it’s within the scope of their relationship with their employer to include Him on their decisions and desires unless they’re on the clock, and those choices are connected to their job. THAT is not how Paul and Timothy understood themselves in relationship to Jesus! A servant is free to come and go, but a slave is not.

If any one were to ask Paul or Timothy, “Who are you?”, they would answer: We are slaves! Slaves of Christ Jesus. In the deepest sense of who they were, they understood that they belonged to Jesus, body, mind and spirit — they were subject to Him in everything. Their will was altogether consumed in the will of Jesus.

Put another way — they processed who they were in light of who Jesus is. Their identity was wrapped up in the identity of Jesus. One commentary on this passage put it like this:

Doulos (δουλος) is the correlative of “Lord.” (That term has a mutual relationship with the term “Lord.”) When Paul identifies himself and Timothy as “servants,” he means that they are the absolute possession of Jesus Christ, their Lord and owe absolute obedience to Him.³

Doulos is the correlative of Lord! File that one away! For a LONG time I could never understand why anyone would want to be totally sold out for Jesus. But here’s the deal: The Bible tells us that everything broken in the world has its origin in man refusing to find his identity in relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. At this moment individual lives are broken and are contributing to the brokenness of the world at large because men and women refuse to find their deepest sense of meaning in that correlative relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. We find that refusal expressed with perfect clarity in the words of Luke 19:14 — “We do not want this man to reign over us.”

The Bible tells us the truth about those who refuse to be slaves of Christ Jesus.

Everybody has a master. Everyone is serving a master passion. Money and Lust are the big ones in our culture. They are subtle masters! The Police wrote a tune called “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” There’s a line that says: “You will find your servant is your master.” They give the illusion that they serve you.

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death.” (Romans 6:16, NLT).

And they are cruel masters. There is only ONE Master that sets you free. Jesus! In the second chapter of this letter, Paul reminds the Philippians of WHO Jesus is and HOW He set us free. Jesus — who is the Lord over all time, all places, all people — became a servant. There’s our word doulos. The will of Jesus was consumed in the will of the Father. And as a doulos, Jesus was obedient to the point of death — even death on the cross — to redeem (buy out of slavery with a price) those who refused to live for His will.

And THAT is why Paul and Timothy wanted their will to be consumed in the will of Jesus.

When you discover that Jesus is the Lord of lords, and He shed His blood to purchase you out from under the power and bondage of idols and sin — rescue you from the penalty of sin — you don’t want Jesus to be your 9-5 boss — you want Him to be your master! You want HIS will to become your will. You want HIS passions to become your passions. You want HIS kingdom to come instead of yours.

SLAVE is a really big word in understanding the nature of relationship with Jesus.

Notes:

¹ Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

² Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 471). New York: United Bible Societies.

³ Loh, I.-J., & Nida, E. A. (1995). A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (p. 5). New York: United Bible Societies.

The setting was sobering. Our tour group of 51 people was at Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) when our amazing tour guide told us, through tears, the gut-wrenching story of how his parents both survived the horrors of World War II. When he was finished, there wasn’t a dry eye in our group.

As we left Yad Vashem that day, my heart was heavy.

It always is when I visit that place, but this time, there was something else going on inside my heart as I thought about the horrible atrocities that have been heaped upon the Jewish people throughout the centuries. I thought about how the Jewish people as a whole do not see themselves as victims, despite the horrible evils that they have had to endure. Rather, they see the difficulties that they have endured as opportunities to rise above. The people of Israel have gone through more difficulties than any people group that has ever existed in the history of mankind, yet they are such industrious people. The nation of Israel is a world leader in innovation, security, agricultural technology and fresh citrus fruit production and exportation, just to name a few.

When I think about how the people of Israel have chosen to be opportunists rather than victims, it reminds me of what we are called to be as followers of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:37 tells us that we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us!” Now, we all know what a conqueror is. In Paul’s day, it was the Roman army who beat the world into submission. Today, it is the UFC fighter who destroys his opponent in the octagon. It is a football team that destroys the other team 56-0. We can think of numerous examples of someone or some team being conquered, but what does it mean to be “more than conquerors?”

I appreciate this insight from John Piper:

“One biblical answer is that a conqueror defeats his enemy, but one who is more than a conqueror subjugates his enemy. A conqueror nullifies the purpose of his enemy; one who is more than a conqueror makes the enemy serve his own purposes. A conqueror strikes down his foe; one who is more than a conqueror makes his foe his slave. Practically, what does this mean? Let’s use Paul’s own words in 2 Corinthians 4:17: ‘This slight momentary affliction is preparing [effecting, or working, or bringing about] for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.’”¹

Here, we could say that affliction is one of the attacking enemies. What has happened in Paul’s conflict with it? It has certainly not separated him from the love of Christ, but even more, it has been taken captive, so to speak. It has been enslaved and made to serve Paul’s everlasting joy. Affliction, the former enemy, is now working for Paul. It is preparing for Paul “an eternal weight of glory.” His enemy is now his slave. He has not only conquered his enemy, he has more than conquered him.

We live in a day and age where more and more people tend to assume the role of the victim.

I know that there are many people who have experienced much more tragedy than I ever have, and that tragedy has left them deeply scarred emotionally; but the scar that has been left from the wound that has been afflicted has the opportunity to define their lives in one of two ways.

For some, a scar is the reminder of the event that ruined their life, or their marriage, or their faith, but for others who, through the grace of God and the Spirit of God working through embracing the Word of God, that scar becomes the symbol of the thing that should have ruined their life, and is now a testimony of the abounding grace and power of God that turns the conquered into those who are more than conquerors. The affliction and the enemy have moved from being the master to the slave for the glory of God and for helping others who have gone through similar trials learn to overcome.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7:

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.”

May we who are followers of Jesus learn from our Jewish friends to not allow ourselves to be victims, but through the grace and power of Jesus working in us, be victorious and industrious for His kingdom and glory!

Notes:

¹ John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2003), pp. 96-97.

“The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, ‘Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.’ But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, ‘My child, get up!’ And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened” (Luke 8:52-56).

The little girl in this story was dead, and Jesus gave her life again. And believers hear this, nod and say, “Yes, yes,” and non-believers laugh like those in the crowd. Understandable…for both sides.

I can imagine that those laughing were laughing because “they KNEW she had died.” They were looking at the facts. Is that wrong? Of course not.

Jesus was saying something that did NOT make sense.

He was using words that seemed foolish, naive and completely illogical. I would think that laughing at that moment was a knee-jerk reaction that many of us would have had….if we didn’t really know (or had forgotten!) who was speaking to us.

Were the followers of Jesus in that crowd laughing (or weeping) too? I bet they were. I don’t know about you, but I too often find myself chuckling along with Sarah in the Old Testament when told she would have a child in her old age…”who me?” I look at my circumstances, and I think it is completely ludicrous the promises God whispers to my heart. “I can’t do that! It doesn’t make sense in light of who I see that I am. I’m weak here and here and have failed here and here!”

Or I’m among those weeping. Things around me seem dead. I feel dead. There is no life in me. Or so it seems. I see it. People around me see it. “They all knew she had died.” Its obvious. Then fear and victimhood does not feel like a choice, but a much stronger enemy ready to destroy me. And that’s what God calls our enemy… “a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

But, oh, the joy I still find in my heart when I read the rest of the story! Jesus didn’t stand beside her and yell, “DON”T BE A VICTIM!” Nor did He yell at those laughing and say, “HAVE COMPASSION!” He didn’t belittle or demean anyone, as is too often my temptation. He simply took the little girl by the hand and spoke to her. And she got up. But not before life returned to her. She couldn’t have done anything while she was dead. I can’t choose or do anything, (and nor can you, let alone stand up out of death!), until life returns.

Thankfully, He didn’t ask her to do anything that He hadn’t already given her the ability to do.

“God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” I can only speak for myself, but if God hadn’t given me new life, hadn’t lifted me out of death once, and thankfully, repeatedly again every moment of every day – I could never choose as I ought…and I KNOW Jesus! I know His love and care for me. So how can someone who doesn’t even know Him do that? And yet He gives that choice…not so much to choose better or even do better, but to choose Him.

But as hope-filled as all this is, I actually haven’t gotten to my favorite part of this story! She was dead. Everyone knew that. No one was thinking of any needs she might have (especially the little girl herself), other than maybe her funeral arrangements. No one but Jesus.

And not only was He many steps ahead of anyone’s understanding of the situation, He already had a plan for who He would call on to help meet the needs of this hungry, once dead little girl.

If you already have trusted Jesus for forgiveness for your sins but still feel there is “death” in your life…dead relationships…dead opportunities…dead dreams…dead hopes…would you join me and trust Him again?

Would you stop right now and listen for His voice? I don’t know why I run from those times alone with Him when He calls me to trust Him again, but I do. The stench of death overwhelms me, and before I know it, (through as much my passive choices as my active ones), I “choose” victimhood. But you know what? God is ok with that. He doesn’t freak out or abandon me. He doesn’t get angry with my weakness or tell me to face the facts. He has a plan bigger than my fears or the facts…bigger than my lack of knowing Him…bigger than anything that I would choose over Him. And His desire is for me…for life…for joy…to feed my hunger. Even the hunger I don’t even know that I’m about to have, once He breathes life into me.

But when we’re in that “dead” state, we can’t see past our circumstances…but thankfully, Jesus sees further. He knows when and how He will take your hand and raise you up… AND He knows what your need will be after that… AND He already has a plan on how to meet that in your life! Stop and think about that for just a second!

I always think everything depends on me…but it doesn’t.

It never has, and it never will. Sure, He graciously invites me to participate in His plan…but He breathes life into me…He speaks to me in death and lifts me up into life, and He even calls on others to help meet my needs!! Amazing! Overwhelming! Humbling! So much love!!

I want to choose hope and compassion over fear and victimhood. But before I can do that, before you can do that, we need to choose Jesus. We need to – like all those in this story – look honestly at our circumstances and agree with Jesus where there is death in our lives.

Did you know that the Greek word that we usually translate into English for “confess” literally means “agree?” To “confess” our sins means just to agree with God. Agree with the One who is always kind, always patient, always ready to receive us. Agree that – like everyone who has ever walked on this earth – we are not perfect and have sinned and can never attain to the holiness of God unless He reaches down and breathes life on our lives.

And if you’ve done that sometime before – whether it was trusting Him just this morning in prayer or many, many years ago in a life that seems so far away like it was someone other than the life you’re living now – would you trust Him again? Would you confess the pride, or jealousy or fear that threatens to kill the life He wants to bring to you in every area of your life?

It’s scary to see who we really are….but only if we don’t know or have forgotten who He really is. He is the one who not only brings life, but prepares a banquet in the presence of those laughing, those standing in enmity against us….even if it’s ourselves. Because our enemy, Satan, “comes to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus comes to bring life, and life abundant.” Choose Jesus. Choose life. He is calling you to life out of death. He knows what you have need of. He loves you so.