All Saints Day

happy All Saint's Day everyone!

Debate and dissension aside (such as over the veneration and intercession of saints), all believers can agree that we admire the saints of the past.  Just as Paul and other writers of the New Testament pointed to historical saints as excellent examples of faith, so too can we today learn from and be inspired by our brothers and sisters of the past who have given their lives to Christ and His Work (and whom we will one day get to celebrate with in Heaven)!  So I thought today was as good as time as any to write up the next Firewatch.

It is vital to remember that there are four key elements to what a commitment to and confession of Christ entails:

  

1.  If you believe in (rely on) Jesus and sincerely acknowledge that He is the Master of your life, you will be saved from God’s Wrath, and delivered into a future and eternal Heaven with the Triune God and all the rest of His children/followers! 

Specifically, the Scriptures explain that:

John 3:16, 35-36   For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life….The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.  The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

Rom 5:8-11, But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, [then how] much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 

Ephesians 2:1-7,  And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain,  the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved! He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace in [His] kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 1:10, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead —Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

We can learn and get excited about several things here:

• Christ bought our tickets into Heaven; He paid our sins for us.  Because of His love and action, our debts have been cleared and we are looked upon as righteous (of good standing) in God's Eyes.  He is our only bridge Home to Papa.
• This is not an exclusive truth in the sense that some people are not allowed to partake of it. It is open to all; anyone (whosoever) believes in Jesus (confessing Him as Lord) can receive this amazing gift.  (It's available to whoever desires to follow Jesus, though sadly many will refuse and reject Him.)
• When we meet a non-believer, we MUST hold hope that they may eventually submit to Christ (especially once they have heard and began to understand all four elements).  There will be Christ-followers in Heaven that will humbly thank those who persisted over years and even decades in praying for and sharing the love of Jesus with them; we must not give up on anyone!

  

2. If you believe in (rely on) Jesus and sincerely acknowledge that He is the Master of your life, you will be saved from your sinful nature, delivered into the Holy Spirit's power to resist sin.

This amazing truth is less discussed (because it's less understood and less frequently seen), but still wonderfully taught in the Scriptures:

In Romans 6:6-14, Paul explains that our sinful nature no longer has any power over us.   For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin's dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin's claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death no longer rules over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace. 

A few pages later, in Romans 7:21-25, Paul admits that it is frustratingly difficult to understand and live out this reality. So I discover this principle: when I want to do good, evil is with me. For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God's law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body,  waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.  

But he also realizes and teaches, in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, that there is a way to reach the truth of sinlessness.  Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

In Galatians 5:1, 16-17, he explains that this way is by "walking in the Spirit".  If we let the Holy Spirit teach and lead us, we can do the beautiful dance of sinlessness with Him!  Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery. ... I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.

John adds to this discussion in 1 John 2:1-8, recognizing that while we are learning these dance steps of Spirit-empowered sinlessness, we will trip and stumble and even fall down and wipe out at times.  But that's OK, because Christ has got our backs.  We are forgiven those missteps and stumbles, and we can be encouraged to get back up and continue the dance lesson.  For most, they won't be able to perfectly dance until Heaven, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't start practicing now.  They're fun, if difficult, lessons.  My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.  This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.

 

And as the author of Psalm 19:13 passionately prays,

Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;

    do not let them rule over me.

    Then I will be innocent,

    and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

Keep in mind that:

• We often believe that if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is unreal.
• And so oftentimes, believers believe that the possibility to live a sinless life is too good to be true, and so they re-define Biblical passages that teach that awesome reality.
• Do keep in mind that this is not an overnight reality, but one in which we must continually work towards (the technical term is sanctification).
• To begin these dance lessons of sanctification with the Holy Spirit is to begin to truly live life, this side of the Pearl Gates.
• And think what example that will be for those around you.  When Christ calls you to be salt and light, a city on a hill and a star shining in the dark universe, He means that the only way to do so is to do this dance of sanctification with the Holy Spirit.

3. If you believe in (rely on) Jesus and sincerely acknowledge that He is the Master of your life, you will be called to mature in your walk by joyfully enduring persecution.

Boy do we not like this part of it, even though the Bible repeatedly teaches it.

Genesis 50:20, You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Peter 4:12-13, Dear friends, when the fiery ordeal arises among you to test you, don't be surprised by it, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. or our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Romans 5:2-5, Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Acts 5:40b-42, They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Points to consider:

• There are times when God calls us to fight or flee a trial, but we need to realize that His default answer is 'persevere, and do so joyfully'.

• We do not like this reality; aggressive people prefer to fight and passive people prefer to flee. 
• But by the grace and power of God, He will give us what we need to endure. 
• And realize that such endurance will bring about good things within us (which may not quickly or clearly become evident to us).
• It's interesting to note that the early church frequently and steadfastly embraced this element.  They did not run from it nor resist it;  they took joy in it.

  

4. If you believe in (rely on) Jesus and sincerely acknowledge that He is the Master of your life, you will be called to sacrifice and deny the self in contributing to the needs of others.

Another unpopular and frequently ignored truth about following Christ, and yet clearly and emphatically taught all over the pages of Scripture:

Mark 8:34-35, Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, "If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. 

Matthew 20:28, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. 

Philippians 2:7, Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 

1 Peter 2:21,  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Romans 12:10, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Ephesians 5:2, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 6:6-7, Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.

Points to consider:

• Ironically, one of the best ways to satisfy our own needs to is to first contribute towards the needs of another.
• And this is what the greatest commandments (loving God and loving others) are all about.  This goes back to what was said at the beginning of this letter.  Following Christ is first and foremost about loving God and others, contributing to their well-being, especially when it's inconvenient for us.  Faith (a reliance upon God that makes you reliable) and Hope (holding onto the positive expectations that God promises concerning power of sin and a future, eternal Home in Heaven) are two of the biggest parts of Christianity.  But there is one thing that supersedes even them (1 Corinthians 13:13):  God's agape love drenching us so that we can pour it upon the world and shower it back upon Him.  It's the crème de la crème of spiritual water-fights.

What is the result of understanding this four-element truth about following Christ?

We cannot focus on just one of these elements; we must embrace all four fully. Most non-believers (in America) may have some concept of the 'salvation into Heaven' concept. Most believers (in America) will understand the 'salvation into Heaven' concept better, but not much else. Yes, there is a difference between the two groups (the latter commit to the truth in desire of getting to Heaven). But we must be salt and light, shining stars in the universe, cities on a hill. And that can only come from embracing all four elements fully.  When we share the Good News of Jesus to those around us, we must first embrace all four elements and then teach all four elements.  To embrace only one or two of them is to not fully appreciate what Christ has done for us, and ashamedly reject the 'sour' parts of His commands in an effort to selfishly take only the 'sweet' parts (forgetting that the combo of sweet and sour is greater than the sweet alone).  And to teach only the first element (being confused about the second or being afraid to admit the third and fourth) is to become an unethical salesman for Christ (terribly so, since our Good Boss utterly despises and rejects unethical behavior).

The objection may be brought up that if we introduce the full truth of what following Christ means (the sweet and the sour), we may lose some people; they may reject choosing Him if they don't like elements three and four.  Well, remember that Christ did not parse His Words when He explained the cost of following Him, and when the crowds turned away, He did not follow after them.  Instead, He marveled at (and was encouraged by) those who chose to remain, willing to pay whatever the cost to receive whatever the joy.  Peter himself said, "Master, where else would we go?"  (They did not always fully walk in and live out the four elements, but they never rejected or ignored any of the elements.  They were all in, even if they did so messily.)

So I challenge each of you to take some time this month and ponder on and chew on all four of these elements.

Which of these elements do you like best?

Which do you like least?

How can you begin to like more the one(s) that you currently are hesitant towards?

Lastly, remember this:  if you want to be a hero and saint in God's Eyes, if you want to be salt and light for others (all for Christ's glory), if you want to be a city on a hill (a place of refuge for others to come experience God's mercy and protection) and if you want to be like a star shining in this dark world (pointing others to the beauty and majesty of Christ), you must embrace and rejoice in and live out all four elements (via the guidance, encouragement and enablement of the Holy Spirit).