Introduction
When Jesus walked on the earth He spoke often about the kingdom of God. In those days, Israel was waiting for her promised Messiah, the one who would usher in the kingdom of God and fulfill all God's promises to His people. Naturally when Jesus did all the amazing things He did, the question was asked whether this Jesus could finally be "The One." John the Baptist even wondered this when he was imprisoned, and he sent disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Christ. Instead of giving a simple yes or no, Jesus replied, ` (Luke 7:22-23). Pulling from Old Testament expectations, Jesus showed John's disciples that He was the Christ, as Jesus was doing exactly what the OT taught the Christ would do. Christianity is a show and tell kind of religion. Jesus' actions alone did not declare Him to be the Christ, as the OT first had to teach people to expect the Christ to do those kinds of things. On the other hand, having prophecies without the fulfillment would also fail to prove Jesus to be the Christ. Both word and deed were required to know that Jesus was, in fact, the promised Christ.
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Introduction
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul praised God for the real transformation that has occurred in the lives of the church members in Thessalonica. Paul's confidence that these professing Christians were in fact rooted in Christ, the evidence their "conversion" was legitimate, was in the fruit the church displayed--this fruit being faith, hope, and love. The gospel, the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and promises to save all who trust in Him, is what has brought the change. In fact, gospel ministry is all about seeing people delivered from the power of sin. Paul begins chapter 2 with the word "For" which shows he is going to provide reasons for what he just stated in 1:9-10. In these verses we see the effect of faithful gospel preaching is people turn to God from idols (faith); they serve the living and true God (love); and they wait for Jesus Christ (hope). Faithful gospel ministry is about seeing the development of faith, hope, and love in individual lives. In 2:1-8 Paul reminds his readers of a number of things that are true of faithful gospel ministry. Introduction
With any discipline, learning the fundamentals is a key to success. Vince Lombardi is famous for walking into a room full of professional football players during training camp and holding up a football and saying, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Lombardi's emphasis on the basics and his demand that players master them led the Green Bay Packers to 5 championships in 7 years. In similar fashion, Paul writes to the new Christians in Thessalonica to remind them of the basics of Christianity in order to guard them against the increasing pressures they faced. Paul's focus on the basics is just as relevant in our day as it was in his. Statistics reveal alarming inconsistencies among those who identify as Christian. According to one study, 70% of Americans identity as Christian, but another study found only 35% of Americans claim to attend church almost weekly. Other studies suggest a majority of professing Christians deny the Bible is without error--let alone applicable to daily living--and they reject the claim that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. While any statistic should be taken with a grain of salt (maybe even two), collectively these reports highlight the need to clearly define basic Christianity. Most basically, a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, saved by grace through faith. Paul's purpose in writing to the Thessalonians is to encourage them in the basics of Christian living, which he describes as faith, hope, and love, so that they are equipped to endure present difficulties. With the 2020 election tomorrow, one thing is very clear: lots of people are going to be disappointed on Wednesday, November 4th. Great expectations are wrapped up in elections, and there is a lot riding on this one. But even those who "win" on Tuesday will likely end up among the number of those who are disappointed. Unmet expectations is what brings disappointment. The funny thing, though, about expectations is they do not need to be fair to have power. And what is even more alarming, many (if not most) of our expectations are not the result of conscious deliberation--we are often not entirely sure where our expectations came from in the first place. So as I get ready for tomorrow, I am trying to be aware of my expectations and get them properly ordered in advance. As I have been thinking about this, I have returned to this question: what does the Bible say is the purpose of government? This has implications for how to vote, but it also helps guard me against placing too high a hope on what the government can and should do. Looking at Romans 13:1-7, we can make a few observations regarding the purpose of government.
I, like many, am indebted to John Piper for his faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Through Piper’s ministry, God has impressed upon me the importance of being totally captured by the truth of Scripture. Regardless of the unpopularity or inconvenience a position might bring, Piper seems determined to remain there so long as he is convinced he is standing on the Word of God, and I hope the same will be able to be said about me. Due to his faithfulness, I have developed a regular habit to sit under Piper’s teaching. I often listen to his sermons, and I frequently consult his teachings when I have my own questions. Even when he has taught on issues with which I disagree, I still have taken the time to hear him out because of my respect for him, and I listen with the willingness to change my mind if he can convince me from Scripture. In his recent article "Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin," Piper unpacks his reasoning for why he intends to vote for neither Trump nor Biden in the 2020 election. Admittedly, the article focuses primarily on why the perils of Trump’s character deficiencies (though he does not overtly refer to Trump by name) will lead to our ruin, and his follow-up post clarified that he was explaining why he would not be voting for either major candidate. His article argues that the person himself can lead a nation on the path to ruin just as powerfully as the policy advocated by a person. In light of the abhorrent policy of (presumably) Biden, and the corrosive nature of (presumably) Trump’s person, Piper does not see anything other than destruction coming through the election of either. Consequently, he writes, “I will not develop some calculus to determine which path of destruction I will support. That is not my duty. My calling is to lead people to see Jesus Christ, trust his forgiveness for sins, treasure him above everything in this world, live in a way that shows his all-satisfying value, and help them make it to heaven with love and holiness. That calling is contradicted by supporting either pathway to cultural corruption and eternal ruin.” “When I consider the remote possibility that I might do any good by endorsing the devastation already evident in the two choices before me, I am loath to undermine my calling (and the church’s mission) to stand for Christ-exalting faith and hope and love.” Piper’s conclusion is that there is no possible good for voting for either candidate that he can see; furthermore, he believes that choosing either candidate would undermine his witness as a Christian. I would like to offer my biblical reasons for disagreeing with him, and for explaining why I have voted for Trump both in 2016 and 2020.
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
November 2022
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