Convicting Power.

And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:8-11 ESV

Jesus had just told His disciples that it would be to their advantage if He went away, because when He left He would send them the Holy Spirit to indwell them. So in place of Jesus’ physical presence, they would have the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. Then Jesus told them one of the aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry: He would convict the world. What is important to remember is that Jesus had already told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would live within them, not just among them. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17 ESV). I think it is essential to keep these two thoughts together as we examine this passage. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would indwell His followers. But He also said that same Holy Spirit would convict the world (the lost) concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.

It would seem that Jesus is saying that the power of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within the lives of believers would have a convicting influence on the lives of the lost. The Spirit within us provides us with the power to live free from slavery to sin and capable of living righteously and rightly before God. The very presence of Christ’s followers living in the power of the Holy Spirit gives proof of the gospel and brings conviction on the lost. Paul echoed this thought when he wrote, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 ESV).

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul told them, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 ESV). But how were they to expose them? Paul provides the answer. “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:13-16 ESV). Our lives should have a convicting influence on the lost living around us. Our God-given capacity to live righteously, provided by the Holy Spirit within us, will expose the sin and unrighteousness of those who do not yet know Christ. We will live out the truth of the gospel, giving proof of its efficacy.

But our lives, as a result of the Spirit’s presence within us, will also convict the lost world of righteousness. The Greek word Jesus used in this passage was elegchō and it means “to bring to the light, to expose.” It can also mean “to refute” and “to show one his fault.” It would seem that Jesus is saying that the righteousness of His disciples, made possible by His coming sacrificial death and the Spirit’s indwelling presence, would expose the false righteousness of the world. Self-righteousness can never measure up to Christ's righteousness. And it is only Christ’s righteousness that makes us right with God. It is not what we do as Christians that makes us right with God, but what Jesus did for us on the cross. Our positional righteousness before God, made possible by Christ, and our practical, everyday righteousness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will convict the lost of their false righteousness. Which then leads to the Spirit’s final point of conviction: Judgment.

Without the righteousness Christ provides, the lost have no hope. They are condemned and destined to an eternity separated from the love of God. But our presence among them provides proof that forgiveness is possible and the gift of grace made available through Christ's death on the cross is free to all who will accept it. But those who refuse will suffer judgment. One of the primary ways in which the lost will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment is through the sharing of the gospel. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been commissioned to spread the good news regarding His death, burial and resurrection and the free gift of salvation He has made possible. What makes the gospel “good news” is the fact that it stands in direct opposition to the “bad news.” Man is sinful, unrighteousness and stands condemned and convicted of rebellion against a holy and just God. He has no way of fixing his problem, apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. As we share the good news regarding God’s love as revealed in His sacrifice of His own Son, it will bring conviction on those who hear. And as we live out the life-transforming reality of that message in our daily lives, we will be light, exposing the darkness and convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.

Without God. Without Hope.

Ephesians 2:11-18

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. – Ephesians 2:12 NLT

As believers, it's sometimes easy to focus on our status as God's children, member of His family and heirs of His kingdom. And there is certainly nothing wrong with dwelling on that reality. We have much for which to be grateful and our status before God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us is something we should never take for granted. But Paul also wants us to have a firm grasp on that from which we have been delivered. There is a benefit to focusing on our new-found standing as forgiven and righteous sons and daughters of God. But there is also a real benefit to remembering our pre-conversion condition. Paul writes, "Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts" (Ephesians 2:11 NLT). The Greek word Paul uses is mnēmoneuō and it means, "to be mindful of, to remember, to call to mind." We are to call to mind and reflect on what our condition was like before coming to Christ – and this is something that is true of each and every believer in Christ, regardless of their background. Paul is writing to Gentiles or non-Jews, and he tells them that they were at one time "outsiders" or those who lived outside or excluded from the Hebrew people. They were viewed as "uncircumcised" and, therefore, inferior. They lacked the physical mark that would have set them apart as God's chosen people. Not only were they not Jews, they were apart from Christ and completely separated from God. They were God-less and hopeless.

In a way, as Gentiles or non-Jews, they were doubly cursed. They were outsiders when it came to national identity. Only the Jews were considered the people of God. Only the Jews had been hand-picked by God as His prize possession. And God had not chosen them because they were special or somehow deserving of His favor. In fact, it was just the opposite. "The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT). God had chosen the Israelites, in spite of them, not because of them. And yet, the Gentiles were not included. They had no clue of the promises God had made to the Israelites, and even if they did, they were not included in them. On top of that, they didn't know Christ. So they were non-Jews and non-believers. As a result, they were enemies of the Jews and enemies of God. They were without hope in the world. Not exactly an encouraging statement.

But…

Here Paul goes again. There is good news to go with the bad news. "But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13 NLT). Just when things couldn't seem to get any worse, they get amazingly better. All because of the death of Jesus Christ. These hopeless, helpless, God-less individuals had been made right with God, brought near to Him, because of what Jesus had done for them. The truly amazing thing is that God has not just reconciled men to Himself, He has reconciled men to one another. Because of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. even Jews and Gentiles, in spite of their long-standing animosity for one another, were now able to unified through Christ. "He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups" (Ephesians 2:15 NLT). God replaced the requirement of the Law with the gift of grace made available through His Son's death. God leveled the playing field. He removed any requirement for salvation other than faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Now Jews and Gentiles can have a restored relationship with God and with one another, through the redemptive, reconciling work of Jesus.

The truly incredible thing is that every single one of us, Jew or Gentile, were in the same boat at one time. None of us could have saved ourselves. The Jews, who had the Law, couldn't keep the Law. The Gentiles, who had not been given the Law, were still condemned by the Law, because it was the revealed will of God for all men. So we were all God-less and hopeless. And yet, God, in His great mercy and grace, brought us near to Him through the death of His own Son. Christ's death in our place restored us to a right relationship with God. And none of us deserved it. "Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us" (Ephesians 2:18 NLT). That is a reality we should never forget. The Good News is great news because the bad news was so devastatingly bad. God has done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. He made possible the impossible. And that is something we should never forget.

Father, give us strong memories. Never let us forget all that You have done for us. Never let us gloss over just how bad things were when You revealed Your Good News to us. My gratitude increases every time I recall the gravity of my condition before Christ saved me. I was God-less and hopeless. And I was powerless to do anything about it. But You did what I could not do. You provided what I could not provide on my own. You accomplished the impossible and provided the unattainable. Thank You!  Amen.

Right With God.

Romans 1:1-17

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." – Romans 1:17 NLT

It's not hard to tell what Paul has on his mind as he launches his letter to the believers in Rome. Seven times in seventeen verses he brings up the topic of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This was a favorite topic of Paul's and he never grew tired of writing and talking about it. But his interest was far more than academic. The Good News truly was great news to Paul because it had transformed his life in a real and radical way. At one time he had been a paid persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ, arresting Christians and throwing them in prison. He was determined to destroy Christianity and everyone who confessed to follow the teachings of Jesus. He was on his way to the city of Damascus to continue his personal vendetta against "The Way," when he had a personal encounter with the resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His recounting of the story is recorded in Acts 26, where he is on trial before King Agrippa. "One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the son shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.'

"'Who are you, lord? I asked.

"And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'" (Acts 26:12-18 NLT).

At that moment, Paul's life was radically changed and he would never be the same man again. He became one of the greatest witnesses for the transforming power of Christ and spread the message of the Good News found through faith in Christ throughout the known world of his day. Paul knew the power of the Good News. He had experienced it first hand. He had been called and commissioned by Jesus Himself to tell of this Good News to each and every person he met, and he did so unashamedly and unapologetically. The essence of the Good News and what makes its message great is that it contains the key to men being made right with God. Paul knew that apart from the Good News, there was nothing but bad news in store for all men and women. Throughout this letter, Paul would remind his readers over and over that there was only one way for them to be made right with God. And it was through faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of good works, religious efforts, or behaviorial change would fix what was wrong between them and God. They were all sinners and all faced the same dire prognosis. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23 NLT). They all faced the same fate. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a NLT).

But Paul had Good News. "…but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23b NLT). The Good News was that God had provided a way for men to be restored to a right relationship with Him. He had provided a solution to the problem of sin and the penalty of death. He had sent His own Son to die in the place of men, sacrificing His own sinless life in order to pay the penalty for their sins and satisfy the just demands of a holy, righteous God. And all anyone had to do was accept the reality of that fact and believe it to be true for them – by faith. Paul will spend the rest of his time in this letter, painting the very real picture of the bad news and proclaiming the unbelievable reality of the Good News. This letter will be deeply personal, incredibly theological and highly practical. It will reveal the incredible mind of the apostle Paul and his passionate desire to see all believers grow in their knowledge of Christ and experience the full scope of the life-changing nature of the Good News. Read it slowly, thoughtfully and deliberately. Ask God to give you a deeper love and appreciation for the Good News than you have ever had before.

Father, make the Good News truly great in our lives. Don't let us become complacent about this greatest of all gifts. Drive into our minds the reality of the bad news so that we might better appreciate the unbelievable beauty of the Good News. We have been made right with You and we played no part in it whatsoever. Don't let us take that for granted. Amen.

So What's the Good News?

Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hand of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." – Matthew 17:22-23 NLT

For the second time, Jesus reveals some very disheartening and confusing news to His disciples. He gets them alone and tells them that He is going to be betrayed and killed, but then He will be raised from the dead on the third day. Mark tells us that the disciples didn't understand what Jesus was saying, but they were afraid to ask Him to explain Himself. Probably because they didn't really want to know. Jesus had talked about this before, and they didn't like it any better now than they had then. Luke tells us that the significance of Jesus' statement was hidden from them. It would not make any sense until after Jesus had actually died and been raised from the dead. The significance of it all would never really hit them until they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But that comes later in the story.

At this point, they were simply confused and saddened. They didn't like what they were hearing. They didn't want to think about it. It didn't fit into their understanding of how things were supposed to work out. They were still thinking that Jesus was going to set up His kingdom on earth and that they would be ruling alongside Him as His faithful assistants. All this talk of betrayal and death was not what they wanted to hear. They didn't even hear the part about Jesus being raised from the dead. Their attention turned off at the word "killed." The reality was that God's plan for Jesus didn't mesh with their plan for Jesus. Their view of the Kingdom didn't coincide with God's view of the Kingdom. They were thinking temporal and earthly. Jesus was thinking eternal and spiritual. He came to set them free from the rule and tyranny of sin. They simply wanted Him to set them free from the rule and tyranny of Rome. God's plan was so much bigger, grander, and comprehensive. But they couldn't see it. They were blind to it. They were stuck in temporal mode. And the truth is, we can find ourselves in the exact same spot. Even though we live on the other side of the resurrection. We know it happened and we know why it had to happen. And yet we can still find ourselves struggling with God's plan. It may be that we don't particularly like this process called sanctification. We struggle with having to grow in Christ-likeness. It takes dedication, effort, obedience, trust, faith, and a total dependence on the mercy and grace of God. It is a slow and sometimes difficult process. It tends to reveal our weaknesses and exposes our sins. Which none of us like to see. Submitting to the Spirit's authority in our lives is difficult for all of us. We have to daily die to our will and submit to His. We have to let go of our agendas and willingly follow His. Sometimes it seems that God requires of us things more than is fair. His plan for us seems uncomfortable and unattractive. We don't like all the talk about taking up our crosses and dying to self. But that is part of the plan. It is God's will. We have to learn to trust Him that He knows what is best for us. The disciples were learning the same thing. The idea of the death of Jesus was distasteful to them. They didn't want to think about it. But it was essential if God's redemptive plan was going to be fulfilled. Without His death, there would be no payment for sin and therefore, no forgiveness for sin. Without His death there would be no need for a resurrection, and without His resurrection, we would have no hope. We would still be in our sins and separated from God for eternity. God's plan is not always easy to understand. It's sometimes even harder to submit to. But we have to trust that He knows what He is going. He is not done yet. But He is always faithful and He is always right. No matter how it may appear to us.

Father, thank You for Your perfect plan. Forgive me for the many times I doubt it, fight it, reject it, or attempt to replace it with my own. You have always proven Yourself faithful and Your plan perfect. Help me trust You more. Amen.