Christianity: Why it’s important and how to live it
DC Carson
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 DC Carson
Published by Proponent
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News Translation, Revised Edition, copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you Marie. We both know no-one would be reading this if it wasn’t for you.
To everyone who’s already seen and pointed, we are all in your debt.
Contents
Chapter 1
Eyes
wide open
Looking for God
I love Helvetica. I’m not the only one who does. And it’s all around us.
To those who can see Helvetica and have an eye of appreciation, it is truly remarkable - not only because of the power it has, but also in its beauty.
For many though, the appeal of Helvetica remains hidden. Even some who can see it don’t like it much.
But Helvetica doesn’t lose its influence or cease to exist purely through the opinions of some. In fact, while going unnoticed or disregarded, Helvetica continues to directly influence the daily lives of millions of people. Which is very similar to the God I choose to serve.
God is all around us. To those who can see him with an eye of appreciation he is truly remarkable - not only because of who he is and the power he possesses, but also the splendour (and terror) we see reflected everywhere.
For many, God will continue to be camouflaged, and even people who acknowledge his actuality will happily walk in the opposite direction.
If we’re prepared to go out of our way to look for God, we’ll find him. Which doesn’t mean the looking is easy. Finding God can be every bit as difficult as childbirth - perhaps even more so at times, and over a longer period of time. Remember, some of the words of Jesus we have in the Bible were only spoken to disciples, not to crowds who followed him with perhaps little intention of responding to his demands.
Don’t give up looking. Jesus also talked about having eyes able to see and ears to hear what he was saying. Sometimes it’s not where you look, but how you look. People find Christ (or maybe more accurately, are found by him) in some unlikely places and circumstances.
In so many ways, it’s not a fair comparison to equate Helvetica with God himself, but both go unnoticed. Helvetica is loved the world over, with books, blogs, websites and even the occasional documentary by devotees. Personally, I have to confess my own love for Helvetica stems mainly from a background in graphic design.
Have you seen Helvetica? If you read the cover of this book, you have!
Helvetica is a typeface - a font.
It’s funny when you think about it - a book to prop up the thought of God’s existence. I’m not naive enough to imagine a few paragraphs from me will be all it takes to convince anyone. This alone would be too shallow a foundation to base a life on.
But I’ve looked with open eyes, and I want to show you what I can see from where I sit.
Chapter
2
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
Who God is, and why he
deserves honour
A good faith
So many gods, so little time.
It’s estimated there are around 4000 unique, active religions across the face of the globe. Plus, there are countless faiths that have slipped into extinction. Which means if someone spent only one hour researching each set of beliefs, it would take almost six months (without sleeping) to come up with a reasonable cross-section of information.
Added to this are countless philosophies repudiating any existence or place of deity in our life. Even to those remotely interested, finding faith can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Good news: A lot of other people have already searched through the bales.
For myself, I was fortunate enough to have a few people pointing right at the needle. No-one could ever claim to have examined every piece of hay, but I’m convinced what I’m looking at is a needle (the needle) rather than straw.
Brave words, I know.
Who knows what a day will bring, let alone a lifetime. But how about knowing what millennia can bring? A short rummage through the pages of history makes this pretty clear.
There are countless ways in which history could - in theory at least - twist and turn. How could anyone know the end before the beginning? So, genuine faith needs a foundation bigger than any curve-ball history can throw at it. A mainstay stronger than life itself.
Real faith requires more than hope in something specific. It needs to hold greater significance than popular opinion and be more rugged than convenience or habit. And for this, we look to one book (which is actually a group of books).
To describe the Bible is like trying to catch a jaguar. It can be an elusive process. The book has an identity of its own. It’s far from tame. And in this sense, it reflects its ultimate Author very well.
Written over many centuries by an assortment of writers, the Bible is a veritable greatest hits of the most important messages God has spoken throughout history. Its complexity is to be respected and its simplicity to be enjoyed. The book is an amazing gift.
A collection of over 60 individual titles divided into two main sections of Old and New Testaments, the Bible is rightly recognised as God’s own Word and the authoritative work to help us understand and relate to him. God’s Word. That’s a big statement. And to understand how this might be possible, let alone real, we need to look at the book itself.
One of the writers of the Bible encapsulates the process of God’s expression through the pens of himself and others, using the term ‘God-breathed’. As each book was penned, writers used familiar language, words, phrases and expressions. In some sections, the words of the Enemy of God are recorded - so how could this morph into the Word of God?
To say scripture is God-breathed is to understand the link between history, the future, humanity and most importantly, God himself. The very fact that he would choose to communicate with us is worth a second thought. As we recognise writers wrote the message God intended to communicate, we begin to feel the weight of something more than words compelling us to believe. And respond.
The great cat that is the jaguar isn’t to be toyed with. Nor is the book that is more than fine literature and moral advice. Misunderstood, misapplied or ignored, these are words with the power to kill - and worse.
This seemingly low-key book on shelves around the world can never be benign. Like fire, it does what it does and says what it says regardless of who’s paying attention. No matter how dusty the cover may become, the book never ceases to hold its power. Like a sleeping jaguar ready to be awakened, it still breathes - which is significant when we consider who breathed it in the first place.
Simply put, the Bible is the foundational way God has chosen to preserve critical information about himself and the way he deals with humanity. It’s a fascinating read.
And there’s plenty of people who’d agree.
How scripture speaks
Diversity is a beautiful thing. And the Bible is a beautifully diverse book, with sections attributed to kings, outcasts, a doctor, public servants and numerous spiritual heavyweights. Without shirking bad publicity, its content includes awakenings to God’s identity and his requirements, together with painful spiritual lowlights.
How would we begin to describe detailed aerodynamics to a preschooler? It would be similar to the issue faced by God as he attempts to tuck the meaning of life (and so much more) into a few hundred pages. Life is diverse. Our experiences are diverse. And, so it seems, are God’s ways of communicating with us through scripture.
The book’s message is delivered through a blend of historical, poetic, instructional and prophetic styles. Some sections are descriptive (telling us what has happened or will happen), some are prescriptive (telling us what to do) and some are a combination of both. There is narration of both the creation of the earth as we know it, and the foretelling of its eventual farewell. We find songs of worship written by a grateful shepherd-turned-king contrasted with doleful laments - and so much more.
It’s fair to say God’s revealed more of himself through scripture than anywhere else. This isn’t to say he’s not evident in other ways (take a look at how brilliantly a hand is designed) but this is the central strategy he’s chosen to preserve specific information about himself.
Without a doubt, the Bible is a diverse book. But it’s also an immensely focused book.
So let’s take a look at the main character.
Who God is (and isn’t)
God introduces himself in scripture in a number of ways. In fact, sometimes he allowed his identity to remain a mystery. So how can we begin to understand the one who scripture speaks of as knowing the end from the beginning (of everything), the one who fashioned all things physical from invisible matter, the one who looks straight through any pretense we can throw at him to see us for who we are? But that’s exactly the direction we’re heading.
Love. God is love. He’s described this way in the New Testament book of I John. However, our understanding of him would be far too simplistic if we stop here. Like the many facets of a diamond, God’s identity begins to truly gleam as we view him in the full light of scripture.
Through the window of the Bible, we see a progression in the amount and variety of information God has chosen to release about himself. To Adam, he was a friend - albeit a friend deeply offended. With Noah, we see God as both enforcer of justice and compassionate lifesaver. Moses reveals God’s requirement of payment for wrongdoing and his ability to humble one of the greatest powers on earth to see freedom for his chosen people. Chosen. Which means some were rejected. And it’s easy to think that’s not a pretty side of God.
The reality is, God’s not a child’s cuddly toy - nor is he stupid. Life is real, pain is real and the consequences of ignoring or rejecting him are equally tangible. Reading the book’s chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah are sufficient reminders of this in practice.
But, God is still love.
Through the wisdom literature of the Word, we see everyday benefits of adopting a lifestyle which acknowledges God. The prophetic writings inspire us to faith and obedience with a reminder God sees the effects of our conduct - both personally, nationally and as an entire human race.
Segments of these prophetic books, together with Psalms and the practices outlined in much of the Old Testament point to the strongest indication of who God is. And we see this through the appearing of Jesus.
The biblical books written after Jesus’ birth deal predominantly with Jesus directly or indirectly, and comprise the New Testament section of the Bible. It’s no understatement to say this is the clearest and most distilled unveiling of God’s identity and purpose. After all, Jesus claimed to be God himself. And for this, he was crucified.
Have you heard the term Trinity? It’s a title used to understand the connection of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. God is neither a singular being with three personalities, nor is he a divine committee, but somehow God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one. Reading Genesis 1 and John 1 we see God working to bring about creation, with the Father, Son and Spirit all active in the process.
Throughout centuries, theologians have discussed, written and locked horns over how to come to terms with and explain this divine mystery. With the Trinity in mind, the words ‘God is love’ take on heightened significance.
The Father, Son and Spirit are not like ice, water and steam - different reflections of the same thing at different temperatures. Neither are they earth, wind and fire - completely different and unrelated.
But God is who he is. It’s up to us to welcome him, even if he’s difficult to explain.
Jesus revealed God as Father. It’s no coincidence, and it’s through this primary understanding we can approach God now. Without a father, we don’t exist. Genuine fathers care for their children in a uniquely personal way, and the training and discipline of a father is one of the best ingredients for healthy living. Fathers are a (sometimes the) central source of love.
Even though God has progressively revealed more and more about himself as we look along scripture’s timeline, he’s the same person he’s always been - as scripture says. God is still love. And this love shouldn’t be ignored.
So God is love, and we all live happily ever after? Not quite. ‘What you think is the right road may lead to death’(GNT), says scripture. And for good reason.
Left to our own devices, humanity seems to creep or run towards stupidity or ruin of one kind or another. It’s been said before, we don’t have to teach a child to be selfish. Self-centered behaviour is a natural progression - an organic process which takes place in the lives of us all.
And the biggest recipient of this selfishness is none other than God.
Chapter 3
Making
it right
Salvation
The reality of sin
Sin is one of those outmoded terms which, just like Helvetica, influences our lives whether we know it or not. Old-fashioned terminology it may be, but this word still packs a deadly punch.
At it’s basis, sin is rebellion against God - consciously or unconsciously. This rebellion may not be pointed squarely at God himself, but the ultimate flow-on effect reaches him nonetheless.
It’s no secret every one of us has taken a bite from Adam and Eve’s apple - effectively telling God he has no right to instruct us what to do. We’ve all crossed the line into the dark uncharted territory of ignoring God at some stage or another. And humanly speaking, there’s no escaping sin. It’s like our skin colour - we’re stuck with it forever.
Hell, yeah
Hell. This place is the ultimate in misery, despair and pain. Plenty of references in scripture put this fiery destination right at the top of any list of places to be avoided. In sharp contrast to cartoons, it’s actually the eventual place of torment for Satan and his buddies, as well as people who reject God.
God is love. So why hell?
Don’t ignore hell. Its reality is good for us. Hell reminds us of the cold, hard fact that God exists and that he’s the primary being in the universe - not us or anyone else. Hell provides us with a reality check. And motivation. And some stark choices.
Payment for sin in the Old Testament
God has always required some form of payment for sin. Justice always does. History isn’t disposable, and neither is the love of God.
When we look at the Old Testament, God made an agreement with Abram, instructing him to move from where he lived to an initially undisclosed destination. As a result of this, Abram (later known as Abraham) would become a father in his old age and the source of a number of nations - most notably Israel.
On the surface, this all appears quite strange. Seemingly ordinary Abraham selected for specific usefulness by God - the love of God in action. We still feel the effect of this event today.
Move forward a few hundred years, and Israel (Abraham’s descendants through Isaac) have been released from slavery in a foreign land. Travelling through desert to a new homeland, their leader Moses receives specific mandates from God. These instructions include a national legal structure, detailed directives for constructing an ornate tent for worshipping God, plus stipulations about the kind of sacrifices required for sin.
Sacrificing animals to God wasn’t new. The practice goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. However, the explanations of acceptable living and comprehensive requirements for sacrifices were new.
Sin always costs something. Sometimes it’s a friendship, a job or even a life. Sacrifices certainly convey this actuality well - a lamb, goat, bull or even a small bird cost something.
Sin inherently carries a weight. A weight Jesus knew only too well.
Payment for sin in the New Testament
It’s quite easy to acknowledge Jesus as a great teacher, or even an impressive miracle-worker. But there was, and always will be, so much more to everything Jesus achieved a couple of thousand years ago.
Jesus’ life oozed love. It was a blunt, compassionate, angry, gentle, would-die-for-your-friends kind of love. Jesus was anything but monotone. After all he was - and is - God. In his own words, Jesus stated that the greatest love anyone could show was to give their own life in place of a friend. The reality is that Jesus not only died for friends, but for his enemies too. The New Testament is perfectly clear on this.
Through the events remembered and celebrated at Easter, Jesus became the flawless sacrifice for sin - once and for all. And with this in mind, we should be very grateful. But how does this happen? How did one man’s death become enough to do away with the practice of sacrifices?
Reading the New Testament component of scripture, we see the central theme of Christ’s sacrifice for sin as a completion and perfect fulfilling of the events and practices of the Old Testament. Jesus, the Son of God living a faultless life - which he then gave up as a sacrifice for us all. The massive weight of scripture in this regard is nothing short of persuasive.
Importantly, Jesus didn’t stay dead. After leaving the cemetery, he talked with various friends and followers for a few days before leaving them more permanently.
Strangely, after saying goodbye this second time, Jesus’ followers who were so afraid to be associated with him at his death, started speaking publicly about something called the Gospel (literally the Good News) of Christ.
A new era had begun.
Chapter
4
Crossing over
Initiation into a life of faith in
Christ
The spark of faith
Like spark plugs in a car’s engine, God has placed something inside us capable of igniting faith. If it hasn’t sparked already, it can. And, just as a car’s motivation comes from under the hood - out of sight - so faith starts as something unseen and grows to become entwined in the very essence of our lives.
Without faith it’s impossible to please God. So what’s faith?
Everyone who approaches God must believe he exists and that there’s a payoff for taking the time to search for him. Faith is far more than simple optimism. It’s a knowing - an ‘I know this is true’. It’s an awareness that the invisible God described in scripture exists, and being ready to take direction from him.
Faith reaches into every area of our lives. It grows from a tiny speck you can hardly see into something which, given half a chance, becomes a doorway for God to effectively walk through any time he likes.
Genuine faith is triggered as we respond to God revealing himself to us - and very often as a direct reaction to scripture.
The Bible speaks of faith being forged as we hear the Word of God. It’s not simply a natural response to sentences and paragraphs in the Bible, but as we’ve seen earlier, real faith needs a foundation. And scripture is the prime source of the confidence we can have in God’s existence, his interest in humanity (including us individually) and the settlement of our sin-debt through Christ’s sacrifice.
Scripture speaks of faith’s ignition being a supernaturally fired process, yet our own involvement is very real too. If you’re struggling, prime the spark by reading and thinking often about scripture. After all, Jesus once had someone say to him directly ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief’(NLT). It was a sentence Jesus didn’t ignore.
When it happens, you’ll know. Tell someone.
Repentance
As faith in God’s existence is sparked, we can very often have a parallel experience of guilt towards God. In fact, this can regularly short-circuit the process of complete faith, as this awareness becomes regret deepening into a runaway avoidance of God.
Repentance is the technical term to describe an awareness of our sin-debt towards God (and others, but firstly to God) linked with the knowledge that Christ’s sacrifice is more than sufficient to cover our debt, plus a willingness to follow Christ until we die. Leaving out any of these three components makes any response to God’s love not only incomplete, but leaves us outside the umbrella of the Gospel.
Believing in God and trying to simply behave ourselves is a noble gesture, but fatally flawed. Regret alone can’t change our standing with God. And, ignoring our indebtedness to God blinds us not only to ourselves but to his goodness.
The Apostle Paul writes very forcefully to the church at Galatia ‘…even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!’.
The substance of the Gospel is clear: Jesus paid the sin-debt we owed to God. Our best response to the Gospel is repentance.
Baptism
Whether it’s a sprinkling of water on the head or a pseudo-bath clothes and all, baptism can seem like an unusual ceremony. Interestingly, Jesus was baptised. He also included baptism as one of only a handful of directives to his disciples immediately before leaving them. It’s important.
Baptism is a tangible sign of the spark of faith inside believers. It’s drawing a line in the sand. A line we’re not going to reverse over. A line separating our past from our present and future. A future of faith.
In fact, it’s an initiation.
Initiation conjures images of non-Western tribes putting young people (especially adolescent men) through all sorts of seemingly pointless (and often painful) exercises to prove they have what it takes to be mature members of the tribe. Pointless ceremonies to us they may seem, but they’re usually tests with a purpose. And by the end of the initiation, those being initiated have essentially stated a willingness to shoulder responsibility - and enjoy the privileges that come with this recognition of their maturity.
Essentially, baptism is no different. Reaching the point of baptism is often a painful process. We confront our own inability to please God. We realise the (very) painful death and subsequent resurrection of Christ was for us personally, and for humanity as a whole. We recognise the responsibilities and privileges which are ours through the decision to follow Christ. And we realise there’s no turning back the clock. We’re in this for always.
Baptism makes a symbolic reference to our own death. A death to our inability to please God outside of Christ, and a death to our own selfish purposes. Thankfully, it’s also a visual cue to a new life. A resurrection to follow Christ and live for God.
And that’s real living.
But God doesn’t just leave us to fend for ourselves. Rather than being the end, this is just the beginning.
Baptism in the Spirit
The grace of God is an important theme in scripture. Our right standing through the sacrifice of Christ was initiated and completed through the grace of God. And grace isn’t just a kind smile and a pat on the head from someone much older and wiser, it’s an active word. A word infused with power. The power to live a life for God.
Earlier, we looked at the Trinity - a word which describes the incomprehensible relationship between God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As we respond to God, we open the door to the Spirit living inside us. Paul explains that we become the temple of the Holy Spirit and we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. Like a royal decree, we’re sealed by the Spirit as belonging to God.
This is not to say we become God or are infused into God. But somehow, he makes himself at home inside us, marking us as his own, and exerting an influence that may even be difficult for us or others to recognise. But his influence is real, and just like repentance, a genuine response is what God is looking for.
The Holy Spirit living in us. In us. Difficult to comprehend, to say the least.
We see in scripture that along with marking us as Christ’s own, the Holy Spirit’s influence can be defined in a couple of ways. Firstly, the Holy Spirit introduces us to opportunities to develop attitudes and responses which show both a love for God and a genuine desire to honour him. This is far more than a natural process of bumping into circumstances which require a mature response from us - even though it can seem very normal, boring or even tiring, it’s a supernatural process with the Spirit working in us and through us. Secondly, the Holy Spirit entrusts us with what are described in scripture as the gifts of the Holy Spirit - literally supernatural abilities to heal, prophesy, determine if situations or people are being directly influenced by impure spiritual activity, and more. Whilst we don’t all have every gift, the flow of scripture indicates that once baptised in the Holy Spirit (an unusual but important term), the Spirit provides us with these gifts as he determines.
God’s work in us through the Holy Spirit isn’t to make us a better version of who we used to be, or to impress people with a magic show. In fact, magic is exactly what the Spirit working through us isn’t.
Scripture speaks of people being baptised in the Spirit. Baptism is a pretty apt phrase to describe the process, because even though we can’t see the Holy Spirit, in some ways it’s similar to baptism in water. It’s also an initiation.
Baptism in the Spirit may happen right at the moment we deliberately respond to God in faith. But it may also take place after an extended period of time.
To describe this baptism is like trying to explain many aspects of God - very difficult. And people may have various sensations or experiences during the event. Importantly, we’re to remember that Jesus said that when we ask God for the Holy Spirit, we won’t be given a counterfeit. God knows us individually and treats us individually - and this could certainly be said to be true of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Many times in scripture, a primary indication of baptism in the Spirit is inferred as the ability to pray in languages we don’t understand. To people outside of faith, this must seem like a strange phenomenon. But God doesn’t seem too worried.
The important place of the baptism in the Holy Spirit should never be underestimated. Conversely, if you’re not sure you’ve received this filling of the Spirit at the point of initial faith in God, don’t panic. Pray with other believers, and be open to God’s work in and through you.
After all, God rewards people who look for him.
Chapter 5
A
fresh look in the mirror
Who we are now
Our standing with God
Sometimes as we climb a mountain, it’s good to stop and take a look around. In the same way, once faith has sparked and we’ve taken the first steps into a life which acknowledges God, it’s useful to take a fresh view of who we’ve become now that we believe.
After all, it’s what God has to say about us that ultimately determines not only who we are, but where we go from here.
Salvation, justification by faith, regeneration
Big words with huge meaning.
Salvation is the term scripture uses to describe the process God initiated where Christ’s sacrifice makes the way for our sin-debt to be removed. Justification by faith is our stepping under the umbrella of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection by believing he did what he did for us. Regeneration is the process triggered by our faith where the Holy Spirit works to reconfigure us from the core so we can rightly love God and show his importance to the world around us.
Remembering where we came from
We’re forgiven by God. Amazing. But this doesn’t mean we forget where he has brought (and is bringing) us from.
Interestingly, Jesus sometimes told people who wanted to travel with him to go back to where they lived and tell people what he’d done for them. Never forget those left behind. Their journey to faith may take longer than ours, and it’s important we’re around when needed.
As part of his objectives, God may require us to relocate physically, but this is not an excuse to abandon difficult relationships. Scripture makes it clear that if we have an unbelieving husband or wife, we’re to stay in the relationship and make every effort to win them to faith - without nagging, but by a life which reflects Christ. Remember, every relationship presents us with opportunities to show God to others, even when our mouths are tightly closed.
Jesus’ own friendships extended to people with some fairly colourful backgrounds. He’s done it for us. Let’s do it for them. In Jesus’ words, we’re to be ‘in the world’, but ‘not of the world’.
This is where we live, but it’s not who we are.
Leaving the past behind
Most of us have a history which - sometimes, at least - reminds us of why we needed forgiving in the first place.
We have to constantly guard against regret. It’s powerless to change anything.
For some of us though, past achievements can cloud our minds to what God may be calling us to. And it’s here where we can make some spiritually fatal errors.
The Apostle Paul had a pre-Christian history which was seemingly a mixture of highs and lows. His misguided and violent religious fervour against the church led to direct supernatural intervention. Knocked to the ground and blinded by intense light, Paul was confronted by Christ himself. Paul’s future achievements and suffering for the cause of Christ were briefly outlined in a very sobering conversation with his new master.
Interestingly, Jesus asked Paul why he was against Jesus. By tackling the church, Paul had unwittingly taken on Christ himself. Not something to be proud of or taken lightly. In fact, when writing to one of the early churches, Paul describes himself as ‘the worst of sinners’. Paul wasn’t prone to toying with the truth - he meant it.
Today, we look back on the same man as arguably one of the greatest followers of Christ in history. His contribution to the Christian faith is beyond immense. Somehow, he didn’t get caught up in his eventual achievements. And, he grew to live in harmony with a past he couldn’t change.
Paul even wrote that all things work together for good for believers. And whilst this doesn’t mean we ignore God and everything will be ok, somehow we can always mine value from our past - even where we’ve contradicted God and everything he values. Think of the corrupt taxman, Zacchaeus. His response to meeting Christ was to make amends over and above money he’d cheated out of taxpayers. And, there are certainly circumstances where it’s appropriate for us to consider doing the same.
One final word on the past: Don’t keep looking backwards. You’ll trip over and won’t focus on today or prepare well for the future God has for you.
Some people say we should live like there’s no tomorrow. And whilst there’s a balance to be found, it may be better for most of us to think seriously about living like there’s no yesterday.
Chapter 6
Where
to from here?
First steps to living a new life
Forgiving
God has forgiven us. Now, he expects us to forgive others.
In an illustrative story, Jesus explained how it’s inappropriate to expect God to forgive us without forgiving others. In fact, his point was that if we can’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us.
For some of us, forgiving may be pretty much unnecessary or come very naturally. Others may struggle with the process over a period of time. Either way, it’s not an insignificant facet of our faith and one we need to persevere with even if we think forgiveness is a mountain we could never climb.
How should we forgive? And what if we’re constantly subjected to the type of treatment which requires fresh forgiveness on a regular basis?
Forgiveness isn’t just a walking away, or a brushing over of ill-treatment. Think of our relationship with God: There’s a correlation between forgiveness asked for and forgiveness received. Without asking for forgiveness, the sacrifice of Christ (essentially our forgiveness from God) goes unused. It’s probably appropriate to say the same of our relationships with others. Where forgiveness is asked for, it should be given.
Jesus took things a step further on the cross. Monumentally degraded, in immense pain and unjustly condemned to death, Jesus asked God to forgive the people who had done this to him. ‘They don’t know what they are doing’(GNT) he said. If he did it, it’s an example we can follow.
A pattern for initiating forgiveness was also given by Jesus. He stated that if we have something against someone, we should go to them directly and point it out. Paul elaborates on this process for a church setting, and promotes the next step as taking a couple of people with you if the person hasn’t acknowledged wrong. Step three is bringing the person to the whole church to give them the opportunity to recognise wrong behaviour and request forgiveness.
Naturally, there are appropriate uses for this process, and usually the first step is enough to restore the relationship.
But what about neglect, abuse or worse? Make it your business to forgive wherever possible, and legal justice avenues, mediation or physical removal from certain situations may be appropriate.
Always remember, God has forgiven us. Just because the process of forgiveness may seem gruelling, don’t give up.
Forgiving well is a skill you’ll need for the rest of your life.
A new family: Getting to church
Get to church regularly. It’s good for you, and good for the people you meet there. You may not see it yet, but they need you and you need them.
The church is the universal group of Christian believers. And whilst we refer to buildings as churches, technically the church isn’t a building. The substance of the church is the people inside the building.
So why church? One of the natural things which generally happens as we form permanent relationships is meeting the relatives. And, as Christians we have millions of relatives!
The Bible actually refers to the church as Christ’s body, which is a strange thought initially. In reality, our relationship with God has brought us into a connection with other members of his body - of which he is the Head. The key term the Bible uses to describe this relationship of believers to each other is fellowship.
Think about it: Christ has brought us into an inclusive relationship that’s not just about us and him - it’s about loving and co-operating with other believers to see him loved and honoured and his purposes achieved.
Being connected and active in a church is a very real expression of our love for God. And, as we get to know other believers, our faith is strengthened as we see him working in each other’s lives. Plus we have the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experience of each other, be corrected if we’re going off track, and give each other the courage and inspiration we all need sooner or later.
The church is something that has actually been established by God. Perfect yet? No. Worthy of our utmost respect as the ‘bride of Christ’? Yes. And as believers, we are part of it today.
Finding favour with God and people
Importantly, scripture speaks of Jesus growing in wisdom and favour with God and people. Even though we’ve stepped into a relationship with the most important person in the universe, we don’t have the right to be obnoxious to the world around us.
If anyone had the freedom to be opinionated it was Jesus. After all, he put the universe together. And, although he strongly held his point of view, somehow people were initially drawn to him rather than being repelled.
Wisdom isn’t reserved for grey-haired old people with long beards. Believers need to chase it down and make it our own as quickly as we can. We’re told in scripture that the wisdom which comes from God loves peaceful conclusions and is considerate of others. It’s this wisdom we need for everyday life.
Imagine a world where every believer knows how much we’re loved by God, and makes the assumption that we’re the only ones with any brains on this planet. Not pretty.
Make every effort to earn respect in your home, at work and in the world in general. Respect your boss. Don’t let them walk all over you, but definitely respect them. Treat people who are easy to overlook with as much respect as you would someone important. Make choices which are considerate of others. Never forget - who we are, reflects back on God now that we’re followers of him.
A word of caution: Jesus said that if everyone only says good things about us, we’re in trouble. There will be times of confrontation, and everyone has an enemy or two from time to time regardless of our best efforts. Choose your confrontations wisely, and never pick a fight just for the fun of it. Avoid meaningless controversy (as scripture says) but never, ever be afraid to defend the truth.
Another word of caution: As we defend the truth, we need to be aware some people may just be picking a fight with us, no matter how well we explain or stand up for our faith. Jesus advises (very bluntly) not to say a word in these instances.
Love wisdom. Use it regularly. Make it work for yourself and the purposes of Christ. The world around you will usually love you for it.
Reality check
Loved by God! Amazing. Forgiven. Equally amazing. God knows my name. Incredible!
Why does life still frustrate me?
Faith in Christ isn’t our ticket to live happily ever after (just yet). The fact that we’re loved and forgiven by God transcends everyday life. It overlays both the fun and difficulties of who we are and what we experience until we die.
Some of us face circumstances for which there is no easy way out. We just have to keep going. Faith isn’t a painkiller, but our hope in Christ is real.
For others, the reality of our faith takes our existing enjoyment of life to a whole new level. Great. Scripture makes it clear we should never forget believers who are struggling spiritually, physically, emotionally or financially. That’s one of the great things about believers actually being a body (the church). After all, we might need their help one day.
We’re told in scripture to persevere. Just keep going. And, we’re told unexplainable joy is one of the characteristics the Holy Spirit works to bring out in us. The road of faith is rarely a sprint - it’s generally more like a marathon.
Run the race well. There’s something to look forward to at the end.
Chapter
7
Healthy body image
Christ loves the Church - we should
too
A very quick history
Officially, the church has been around for a couple of thousand years. In the mind of God however, it has existed since before the world began.
There are bookshelves around the globe filled with historical accounts of the church. Some of the reading is pleasant, some arduous and some rather scary. Through it all, we can never forget the place the church occupies in the purposes of God.
The primary role of the church is to love God as a group of believers, while showing Christ to the world around us. Ideally all the buildings, books, teaching and more emanate from this central focus.
Jesus stated that he would build his church. Interestingly, the church didn’t formally begin until after his departure - but he is building his church. Right now.
It would be fair to say the church started in earnest on a Jewish festival named Pentecost, when the Apostle Peter, under the influence of the Holy Spirit spoke to a large crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem. The style of the church’s birth shows it as an organism which, although it sprang from the Israeli people, would have a much wider focus than any particular racial or national distinction. This departure is important.
Through political harassment and the work of people like the Apostle Paul, Christian faith diffused through the Roman world and beyond. Fired by the common Greek language, faith spread as people in diverse locations came to believe through the teaching (and miracles) of early mission workers.
The seemingly loose affiliation which was common between churches gave way to a more centralised system of church government. Various church councils hammered out clear statements of doctrine and the church moved from persecuted minority to welcomed institution in many places.
Fast-forward a few hundred years and we see people like Luther and Calvin challenging doctrinal misbelief. Perhaps unwittingly, they saw the beginnings of what’s become known as the Reformation - a fresh amplification of important ideology which led to major shifts in church practice and governance, eventually fathering the Protestant wing of the church.
In the early-1900’s, the Pentecostal movement began. Distinguished by a renewed emphasis on the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit, the movement shares many characteristics of the Charismatic movement of the later part of the same century.
We all owe much to the work and perseverance of previous (and current) generations of Christ’s followers. The church collectively reflects the faith of all of us.
Importantly, we are shown a glimpse of the end of the church’s story in the book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible). Like most prophecy in scripture, we will no doubt see Revelation in full clarity only in it’s fulfillment, but we distinctly see believers as the collective bride of Christ - something and someone which Christ is incredibly proud to call his own.
And somehow, that end is just a new beginning.
Respecting the bride of Christ
The New Testament book of Ephesians speaks of marriage as something which provides clues to the ‘divine mystery’ of God’s relationship with the church. Christ loves and nurtures the church. So should we.
There’s a lot of reasons to love churches individually and collectively. Somehow, there often seems to be a focus on why not to love church. How could we love Christ, but dishonour his church?
Honestly, the question is how are we going to love and honour the church, working with Christ and other believers to make her everything she’s meant to be?
Beautifying the bride of Christ
As a follower of Christ, we’re part of the universal church. We don’t have a choice. But we do get to choose which group of believers (local church) we belong to.
Local churches received letters from early church leaders (apostles) which delivered strong direction on God’s behalf. We have a number of these letters today - in the form of much of the New Testament. A large portion of the content was to provide accurate teaching and correction to churches - effectively beautifying the church as the bride of Christ.
Most brides do their best to be someone their husband will enjoy marrying on their wedding day. Its about more than just clothes, jewellery or hairstyle - it’s about putting in the effort to be appealing inside and out. Effectively, believers have a similar responsibility. On a designated day, the church will be presented to Christ in a similar way to a bride on a wedding day.
Let’s make ourselves pretty - inside and out.
A chain unbroken: Playing our part
The church is a body. As a believer, you are in it. Get busy.
Finding faith in Christ is a beginning, not an end. Going to church regularly is a vital first step, but it’s far less than the complete picture we all need to paint.
Scripture actually describes the church as a place where believers give and receive courage. Courage to continue living a life of faith. A church works like fire - individual logs burn brighter and stronger when they’re together.
Courage isn’t just to be gotten. It’s also to be given. By every believer.
To those outside faith, sermons, worship, offerings and more may seem like pointless rituals with little or no meaning. For the believer, almost every function of the church can be seen as an opportunity to transfer courage to others, receive courage, learn, worship, give, serve, love - in essence, seeing the work of God extended in and through us.
Throughout the course of our lives, we may have many functions in the body of Christ. Never lose sight of the Head. Watch and listen for his direction.
Christ said he’d build the church. We’re it.
Chapter 8
Open
lives, open mouths
Letting others in on the secret
Let your light shine
There’s a natural enthusiasm that comes from finding something valuable, and often we want to share our find with others. Finding faith in Christ is worth more than anything we could imagine, and it’s a gift worth sharing.
Jesus told a story of someone who happened to find something incredibly valuable in a paddock. After putting the precious item back where it was discovered, the person was so pleased they sold everything they owned to buy the land - and with it, the treasure.
It’s fascinating to see the ways Jesus introduced people to faith. his example includes confrontation and bluntness; spiritual insight about someone’s personal life during a casual conversation; teaching large groups; stories which required people to think deeper than just the words he was saying; healing; release from spiritual oppression; and more.
For us, sharing faith often begins by wisely channeling our enthusiasm, knowing what we’re talking about and delivering a message truthfully and lovingly as we grow in Christ.
The first step in bringing others to faith in Christ is ideally allowing them to see the truth at work in us.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking we need to have every piece of Christian doctrine memorised or that imperfect behaviour completely disqualifies us from letting others in on our faith. We all grow in the faith - as the spark becomes a flame, let people see it.
There are times to speak and times to be silent. This doesn’t mean we hide our faith. After all, faith is central to who we are.
May God give us all the wisdom to let our lights shine effectively.
Pearls to pigs
Don’t let people simply antagonise you when discussing faith. If they’re only entertaining themselves (or others) or ultimately unwilling to see truth, turn your attention elsewhere. Love them, but ignore their arguments. It’ll go nowhere.
Jesus explained this very bluntly. ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs’ he said. ‘If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces’.
Importantly, don’t tell them the above parable or even hint at its meaning - they may change their mind one day! Pray for them.
Wisdom before judgement
Now that we’ve realised how much we’ve offended God and others, it may seem like a natural progression to go out of our way to point out other people’s imperfections.
It’s here where we need to be very careful.
Parents may want to point children to faith - sometimes with the skewed motive of improving behaviour around the home. Resist the temptation. It can destroy any seed of faith already planted inside them.
We may feel it’s our role to highlight specific members of the community for actions we now consider disappointing to God or harmful to themselves. It’s up to us to never waver in the truth, but to also remember that outside of Christ, everyone’s future looks rather fiery.
In essence, we mustn’t confuse tidying up the behaviour of the world around us with leading people to faith in God. Sometimes the external results can look similar, but just neatening up attitudes doesn’t make us right with God. Trusting Jesus’ sacrifice does.
Jesus cautions about being the self-appointed judge and jury over other people. This isn’t to say training, discipline, legal obligations or church structure are left behind. For all of us however, there must be a realisation that just as we have come to God through the sacrifice of Christ, it’s the only way others can be effectively connected to God too.
Once faith has triggered however, the way we love and honour God starts to pay off in ways we can’t even imagine.
Chapter
9
Reward
What to look forward to and why
The dangled carrot
You’ve probably heard the story and can picture the scene: One horse, one rider and a carrot on a string, jiggling slightly out of reach of the horse’s nose. In the story, the horse moves forward chasing the orange delicacy with the rider smiling all the way to their destination. Regardless of whether this horse is eventually given the chance to eat it’s motivation, ultimately God doesn’t let us go unrewarded.
It’s kind of ironic. We’re not able to bring ourselves to the starting point of being made right with God - we need Christ’s work to do that for us. But from here on, things are very different. We can actually receive tangible benefits for what we do as a response to God’s work in and through us. And, these advantages don’t cease when we stop breathing. In fact, that’s the point we should be taking most notice of.
A seed is a self-unpacking version of a plant. It unwraps and unfolds itself in a process which occurs countless times around our globe every minute. It could be said that each day we live has a very direct effect on a seed we can’t see - a seed which will be unpacked on the other side of our grave and unfold into eternity.
In scripture we read of Christ determining the worth of our actions and rewarding us accordingly. For the Christian, there is no hell to be wary of, but the quality of our actions in response to the faith we have in Christ will be scrutinised and evaluated very closely. Some will step into eternity with nothing of value to show for life on earth, while others will enjoy colossal return on spiritual investments made before death.
Scripture doesn’t elaborate about specific rewards in detail. Biblical writers given a glimpse into heaven, eternity and the immensity of some of what Jesus describes in these few short words relay traces of detail as best they can. In fact, because it’s scripture, we’re told everything we need to know - and it’s still more than we can comprehend.
Life after death. With rewards. It’s difficult to fathom, but a reality which affects our every breath.
Ten virgins: No-one knows when
Long before the decimal system was formalised, Jesus took the number ten and told us something about the past, present and future.
He spoke in a culture very different to ours, where it seems wedding days had more of a surprise party atmosphere. Grooms would effectively surprise their bride and her attendants. In history, Jesus describes these attendants as ten virgins.
Because the groom may arrive at any time of the day or night, bridesmaids needed to be prepared with enough oil to keep their lamps alight for however long was necessary during the wedding celebrations. Jesus tells of five bridesmaids with plenty of oil and five who gambled on the groom arriving long before sundown. Because the groom arrived at night, the five without enough oil were ultimately rejected from the wedding reception. The meaning behind this parable was for us to be ready for Christ’s return, even when it may be inconvenient.
Aspects of this story have been repeated the world over throughout history. Sadly, lamps of faith in hearts regularly go out, never to be rekindled.
Lamps. Surprise weddings. It seems a world away from our culture. But, the message is for us. Now.
The long haul: Running the race
It’s no accident that we see compelling allegories in scripture which compare the life of faith to a running race of Olympic proportions. Writing to his good friend Timothy, the Apostle Paul provides the perspective of a seasoned athlete to a younger prodigy. ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ says Paul just before his death.
‘Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’ we’re told elsewhere. It’s our race, but we have to stick to the course. And, races only finish when someone crosses the finish line. In the race of faith, this finish line is death.
Jesus spoke of how tragically humorous it is for someone to begin building a house without finishing the process. It’s not over ’til it’s over. A life of faith isn’t finished until we stop breathing - which is one of the key reasons perseverance is mentioned so often in scripture.
Having the courage and tenacity to persist through disappointment, pain, difficult relationships, successes and setbacks of all kinds is critical. Whilst we always live right here in the present, we’re constantly moving toward the finish line. Run with confidence and courage. Stay on course. Sometimes it’s a sprint, but it’s usually a marathon. And, as we share our lives with others, each race takes on the mood of a relay.
Well done
God is an investor. Look around. He’s a generous financier who invests in us by providing us with talents and opportunities. Investments which he expects a return on.
Jesus explains the reality of God’s investment process in what’s often referred to as The Parable of the Talents. Before taking an extended trip, an employer entrusts various sums of money to three employees. With apparently very little direct instruction, the boss departs leaving the workers in charge. On returning, the employer rewards two employees who have reinvested and made returns on their initial money. With the words ‘Well done’, both are ushered into greater responsibility in proportion to the initiative and acumen they’ve shown.
This very real process takes place in the lives of believers every day. In small and large ways, we’re entrusted with windows of opportunity to maximise God’s investment in us. Some payoffs arrive quickly, while other rewards we won’t see this side of the grave. Rest assured, they’re on the way.
Perhaps the best reward for any believer will be to eventually hear ‘Well done’ from the crowned king of the universe. Personal success isn’t the goal, although it’s a common byproduct of truly serving God. In fact, what looks like the opposite of success regularly occurs.
Ultimately, what matters is our ongoing obedience to Christ.
Epilogue
We all meet God with at least a few preconceptions. Some of us met God struggling to come to terms with the fact he exists. Others met him while trying to run in the opposite direction, and some of us have known him (or known of him) for as long as we can remember.
Aside from our preconceptions, we often have other hurdles to overcome as faith ignites in us. There may be barriers in our established belief structures and experiences, or we may have to overpower the crushing weight of popular opinion around us.
Find the spark of faith. It’s worth it.
Suggested reading
Eyes wide open
Psalm 19:1
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
II Timothy 3:16
I John 4:8
Matthew 6:6
Making it right
Romans 3:23
Revelation 20:15
Hebrews
9:22
Matthew 20:28
Romans 5:8
Acts 1:3
Crossing over
Hebrews 11:1
Hebrews 11:6
Romans
10:17
Romans 10:9-10
Acts 2:38
Galatians 5:22
I
Corinthians 12:8-11
Acts 1:4-5
Acts 2:1-4
A fresh look in the mirror
Luke 8:39
Luke 19:8
Philippians 3:13-14
Where to from here?
Matthew 18:21-35
Hebrews 10:24-25
I Peter
2:12
Ephesians 5:15-16
Healthy body image
I Corinthians 12:12-27
Ephesians
4:15-16
Ephesians 5:25-28
Open lives, open mouths
Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 7:1-6
James 3:17
Reward
Matthew 16:27
Matthew 24:13
About the author
A product of the late 1960s, DC Carson (still) calls Australia home. Three children call him Dad, and his wife calls him whatever she likes.
Three of his favourite ways to spend time are walking, listening to an iPod (while walking) and bushwalking.
After abandoning initial career goals of becoming a cowboy, firefighter, guitar-playing superstar, pro BMX rider and architect, he’s settled into a rhythm of mostly design and marketing roles. For now.