Whether we realize it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, we were made by God in his image for a relationship with him. That is why we are here. That is our purpose in life. Deep down, you already know that to be the case. Our sin separates us from our relationship with God. Due to the separation, there is a “God-shaped” void in our soul, a deep longing inside us all seeking the missing relationship. People try to fill that void with every type of idolatry, such as money, power, greed, sex, drugs, addictions, and corruption. The only thing that can fill the void and satisfy our soul is a relationship with God.
“Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” – C.S. Lewis
The gospel calls us to repent and believe in Jesus. Christ tells us to abide in him and trust in his finished work on the cross for our salvation, and if we do that, we will receive the fruit of the Spirit and produce fruit for the kingdom of God.
The apostle Paul says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
An abundance of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives would be bliss. Abiding in our relationship with Christ is abundant life here on earth. Dying in that relationship gives us eternal life.
Jesus gave us the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) as our mission while on earth as Christians. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is near, so his business is an urgent matter because our days here are short and numbered. James says our lives are a mist that only appears only for a little while and vanishes (James 4:14). A fully committed heart is required and will be rewarded by Jesus.
“Look for Christ and you will find him. And with him everything else.”— C.S. Lewis
First and foremost, God wants a personal relationship with us. God created us for that purpose, and that is still God’s primary desire. When the disciples asked Jesus, which is the greatest commandment, he said, love God with all your heart.
How should our relationship with God look? It should be a cross between our relationship with a father figure and our relationship with our best friend. The father's portion should include respect, reverence, awe, obedience, and thankfulness. We prioritize our friends with access, time, honesty, and conversation, and God wants that as well.
How should our relationship with God work? God wants to speak to us through his word in the Bible. He even gives us the Holy Spirit as an interpreter to make the text meaningful to our lives. Start reading one chapter a day first thing in the morning, thus prioritizing God. Do it consistently, and he will prioritize you, and you will be amazed to see what happens.
God wants us to speak back to him sincerely in prayer.
God wants the Holy Spirit to sanctify us—he wants us to become like Christ. As you walk with God, the fruit of the Spirit will grow and manifest into your life. You will have abundant life through newfound peace and hope, not in worldly things but Christ’s finished work on your behalf. You will become an ambassador for Christ.
God does not want us to create a long religious to-do list and try to live by it. God is not looking for that kind of relationship. Think about it this way: if you were dating someone you loved, would you want to see them walking around every day with a checklist of items they were supposed to do for you? Over time, that just turns into resentment for all, and it will drive you away from God. God is seeking an authentic, loving relationship with us, not compliance with a to-do list.
Jesus did the work of our salvation for us, and his work is finished; we cannot add anything to it. That is a problem for us because we live in a society based on effort equaling reward. We believe if we put in the effort, we will get the reward. So we constantly try to turn our relationship with God into a work-reward basis, thinking we must do more. In doing so, we are trying to take control of the relationship. Instead, we are required to relinquish control to God and depend on Jesus’ finished work for our salvation. If we do, we get the reward anyway, which is not natural to us. If we trust in that relationship, Jesus will produce the works in us that please him.
God wants to eliminate our separation from him and fill our void. I believe that was his original plan, but we wrecked it with sin, and he has been trying to re-establish it for us ever since. Here are some examples of God’s provision that are often mischaracterized as burdens by society:
Reading the Bible: God spent 1,500 years writing the Bible. For perspective, he spent six days creating the world. God created the Bible in a manner that can only lead us to believe he was involved in its creation when viewed from our perspective. Forty-four authors wrote books independently of each other over a long time, yet the story fits together perfectly when combined. The Bible is not an accident; it is the infallible word of God. The Bible says what God wanted it to say.
God created the Bible so we can know him, and we can hear him speak to us anytime we read it. He even gave the Holy Spirit to us as an interpreter. We should treasure our time reading the Bible and hearing God speak.
We should know that God has protected the message of the Bible through the ages. The original message is there and in-tact when compared to the ancient manuscripts. Satan and his false teachers try to change the message we get from the Bible, but they typically do not directly attack the biblical text. They attack the message by ignoring parts of the book they do not like, by taking parts of the Bible out of context or out of its historical culture, or by hyper-focusing on parts of the Bible that can serve their purpose when other scriptures are ignored. They try to corrupt or change the message in any way they can. God has protected his whole message, and it can be found in the Bible by anyone who reads it.
The Bible is the standard of truth—it is the tool we should use to guide our faith. We should use the Bible to discern false teachers and their false teachings or Satan’s work. Today's popular culture is confusing, and the Bible tells us that Satan and the antichrist will perform false signs and miracles like the ones Jesus did while on earth. Anything that contradicts God’s word in the Bible is false—God cannot and will not contradict himself. We should know the Bible scriptures well enough to detect the difference.
The Ten Commandments or Moral Law: God gave us the moral law to live by not because he was trying to control us but because the world would be a much better place if we all lived by the law. Just imagine if the whole world had lived by the ten commandments for the last 100 years. There would be no theft, adultery, rape, murder, violence, lies, jealousy, or oppression, and we would all be rested and worshiping God the way he intended. We would not even recognize the place.
The Mosaic or Ceremonial Law: God established the ceremonial law to use for atonement when Jews sinned. I have never seen an animal sacrificed, but I have read explanations from people that have in the mission field, and it is a horrific bloody sight. Let’s just say the animal does not normally participate willingly. Sacrifice was designed to leave a long-lasting negative impression of sin's consequences that would be a substantial deterrent from future sins. But it only cleansed man externally, for a short time, and they continued to sin anyway.
The Sabbath: God rested on the seventh day after the creation, not because he was tired but because he wanted to admire and enjoy his finished work. God gave man the seventh day of Sabbath rest as the fourth commandment. God literally commanded us to rest. The rest of the ten commandments are things we should avoid. The purpose was for us to enter God’s rest as an honor to us and our relationship with God. He meant it to be a restful celebration, a peaceful time to take a break from the world and reset, a family time, a time to refocus on our relationship with God and his holiness and righteousness. God did not mean for it to be a burden to us or a checklist item. If the whole world took a day of rest each week to breathe, meditate, and reset, imagine the communal tension that would be released.
Baptism: Baptism has always been a controversial topic within church denominations. Some believe you are unsaved until you are physically submersed and baptized. Some denominations do not even practice baptism any longer. Others sprinkle water on your head at birth, and you are symbolically baptized. The Bible clearly says we should be baptized by submersion in water, and Jesus was baptized this way (Acts 2:38). God used Jesus’ baptism to acknowledge and announce to the world that Jesus was his Son, and it marked the start of Jesus’ ministry. I believe we are invited into this beautifully symbolic cleansing act by God to demarcate the beginning of our new life with him in the kingdom. We are washed clean by the water. I believe everyone should follow Jesus’ example and be baptized by submersion.
Worship: Worship may be difficult or uncomfortable for people who are not musically oriented or prone to public emotion, yet the Bible instructs us to worship God. Worship lifts our focus away from our life, our problems, and earthly things and puts our focus on God. We should worship individually and corporately with believers using the practice to focus on and appreciate God’s character and lift our perspective to heaven. Worship should be a thankful response to God.
Communion: Jesus told the disciples at the last supper to take Communion in remembrance of him. Communion is a sacred event that was created by Jesus. He invited us into this event as a powerful remembrance of his sacrifice on our behalf. The Bible tells us how Jesus did this with the disciples, and we should enter into Communion often, individually and corporately, to remember and thank Jesus.
The Remnant Church: Luke describes Jesus’ Church in Acts 2 as a fellowship of true believers. They represent the kingdom of God here on earth. If all churches matched the description given in Acts 2, the world would be a much different place. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The Bible speaks in many places about the remnant church or the “real” church. Churches today are made up of true and committed Christians, lukewarm Christians, and false Christians who are Satan’s wolves roaming among the sheep seeking whatever they can destroy.
The remnant church is Jesus’ fellowship of all true and committed Christians, those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They are part of the kingdom of God, and they will be with Jesus in the kingdom of God. The Bible says judgment will occur for all when Jesus returns, and Jesus will separate the believers from the lost. The believers are the remnant or real church.
I have heard many people say they do not attend Church due to the hypocrites there. Jesus did not give us that luxury or excuse in the Bible. Jesus told us that false teachers and false believers would always be with us in the church because Satan will put them there to do his work. The Bible provides instruction on how to interact with the hypocrites, starting with knowing they exist. It does not give us the excuse to avoid church because of them.
The Bible often refers to Jesus as the Shepherd and the believers as sheep. Peter tells us that Satan roams around looking for those he can devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). The only protection the sheep have is Jesus our Good Shepherd, and remaining in the flock, the flock being the church of true believers. Satan’s favorite targets are those who are vulnerable or spiritually weak in their faith and separated from the church. We need to find a church home that teaches the Bible as is without revision and then remain in that flock and make it better, understanding that it will never be perfect. There will always be false teachers there trying to damage the church, but we can each contribute individually to making it better, and Christ calls us to do that.
Tithing: Tithing is honoring God with a portion of our earnings. Some use 10 percent as a threshold. Tithing is not a commandment from God. We see examples of tithing in the Bible, but in each case, they were giving to honor God, not because God commanded them to do so. Does that mean we should not tithe? No, absolutely not!
God created everything, so he owns everything, and he has given to us abundantly, especially by worldly standards. We should give back to him with a cheerful heart, not because he needs it but because we want to honor and acknowledge how he has blessed us. King David said he would never give something to God unless the gift honored God. If the whole world tithed 10 percent to God’s causes, the abundance would solve many problems; provide care to the sick; eliminate much hunger, suffering, and disease; care for the poor, the widows, and the orphans; and spread the gospel message worldwide.
God says in Malachi to test him in this. That is the only time in the Bible that God says to test him. If you bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, he will pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. We should give something of high value cheerfully to God to honor God, never expecting anything in return. I can tell you, though, that I am always amazed at God’s provision when I give sacrificially to God.
If the world tithed and brought the whole tithe into the storehouse, God’s provision would amaze us.
God Wants Us to Understand Satan. When you read the Bible for yourself, you will learn that Satan exists and he is seeking to destroy us. The thought of having an enemy that is actively trying to destroy us is very foreign to us because we do not hear much about Satan in our churches anymore. So, many people disregard Satan’s existence entirely. We all want to assume that everyone is good and has our best intentions at heart, especially if we are Christians, and believing that makes our life more comfortable. But that is not the reality you will find when you read the Bible.
Satan does exist. He knows God well, and he knows that he loses in the end when Jesus crushes his head. Satan knows this because God told him so (Genesis 3:15). For now, Satan roams the earth in our midst, seeking everything he can destroy. We need to understand his methods. He has installed his false teachers in our Churches, Schools, and throughout society, and they are doing his work, seeking to destroy the kingdom of God.
God published his laws for his followers in the Bible, and God never lowers his standards. He does not need to because he sent Jesus as our Savior. If we accept the grace Jesus offers us, we are given salvation and freely brought up to God’s standards. Jesus died to provide us this salvation, and God would never lower his standards because doing so would diminish Jesus’ sacrifice.
Satan knows lowering God’s standards is not an option. So, he tries to get us to do it. Once we lower God’s standards even slightly, we have CORRUPTED THE GOSPEL and worship a false god we created, which is an idol, rather than the God of the Bible. This reduction is often such a fine line that immature Christians do not realize they have crossed it and are no longer following Christ.
Satan often presents these issues as an act of compassion. He positions these matters so that any Christian opposition looks mean and unchristian so he can destroy us in front of his angry mob and look justified in doing it.
This misleading behavior is such a gray area, but we need to understand that is where Satan operates and is most effective. Satan works in corrupting the tiny details. We would like to think that Satan can only challenge us with the big laws like “thou shalt not kill.” But in reality, Satan has learned it is much easier to blend into society and slightly corrupt the gospel, and then let immature Christians sit in church thinking they are doing God’s will while worshiping an idol they created. If you read the Bible yourself, you will see that Jesus warns us about these schemes many times. These slight deceptions are why we MUST read our Bibles ourselves and why we MUST develop into fully mature Christians. If we cannot tell the difference between good and false teaching, we can be deceived and end up in hell by default. Jesus tells us to know His voice well enough to discern the truth and not be misled.
I understand why pastors and teachers shy away from teaching this. If taken the wrong way, it can make God seem legalistic and, therefore, mean instead of the loving God he is. We should never look at it that way. God provided free salvation and grace to us through Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus died to provide that salvation, and God wants us to have it. God explains his standards to us in the Bible that he created for us, including Satan’s schemes. Our job is to accept the free salvation Jesus has provided and be committed to it enough to do the work required to mature. If we do that, the Bible says Satan’s schemes will never deceive us.
Satan is playing a long-term game that covers generations. You can think of his actions as similar to those affecting a pilot flying a 1000-mile flight. If a crosswind pushes the plane 10 feet off course over the first 100 miles, that is a small margin. If the same thing occurs over the entire flight, the plane ends up 100 feet off-course over the 1000-mile journey, a tiny difference comparatively. But if you land the plane in that position, you miss the runway and die in a fiery crash. That is Satan’s long-term game—he wants to push us slightly off course, just enough that we will eventually miss the mark and crash, but not far enough off course that we notice and correct it. Satan seeks to corrupt the small details.
Jesus refers to the shepherd and sheep relationship over 200 times in the Bible. He refers to himself as a shepherd and his followers as sheep or a flock of sheep. John covers one of the best and most complete shepherding stories in the Bible in John 10. The backstory in chapter 9 is Jesus has just restored a man’s sight who was born blind, but he did that miracle on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are the Jewish religious elite of the time (think “know it all”), and they were upset by this because Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath. They were more upset because they believed if someone was afflicted with a condition such as blindness, it was due to sin, either their sin or their parents’ sin. When Jesus healed the man, the Pharisees considered that as Jesus forgiving him for his sins, and only God can do that. So, this was a double foul of blasphemy and violating the Sabbath.
Here is what Jesus says next in the text:
The Good Shepherd and his sheep (John 10:1-30):
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also [that is, the Gentiles or Non-Jews]. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
This story is all about a relationship, and when you understand the relationship, you see how beautiful the story is. Jesus uses the shepherd-to-sheep relationship because, at that time, the people would be familiar with how that relationship worked. Sheep are utterly defenseless, easily confused, and not smart creatures—they are easy targets for predators. Because of this, shepherds lived with their sheep day and night, protected them from wild animals and naturally occurring dangers, and led them to food, water, and refuge. Shepherds developed a strong relationship with their sheep over time. The sheep know and trust their shepherd well, they knew his voice and smell, and he could call them each of them by name.
At times the sheep would be herded into fenced-in pens for various reasons. The gatekeeper operated these pens. The sheep were often mixed with other flocks in the same pen, which was not a problem because the shepherd and sheep relationship was so strong. When it was time to leave the pen, the gatekeeper would open the gate, and the shepherd would call his sheep, and they would follow him out of the pen and back out into the wilderness. The other sheep would not follow a different shepherd’s voice, even running away from a strange shepherd.
Jesus unpacked a load in this story.
The Pharisees were the Jewish religious elite, the protectors of the Jewish religion, and considered themselves the gateway into their faith. In this story, the Pharisees would have considered themselves as the shepherds. But Jesus tells them that not only are you not the shepherd, but you are not the gate either.
The Pharisees were the Jewish religious elite, the protectors of the Jewish religion, and considered themselves the gateway into their faith. In this story, the Pharisees would have considered themselves as the shepherds. But Jesus tells them that not only are you not the shepherd, but you are not the gate either.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Jesus says that, furthermore, you Pharisees are just a hired hand, you care nothing for the sheep, you care only for yourself, and you run when the danger comes. Jesus ends his comments to the Pharisees by saying, “but you do not believe because you are not my sheep” (verse 26).
Jesus says,
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (verse 9-11).
Jesus says, “I am the gate, and if you come through me, you will be saved. I have come so that you may have abundant life, and I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus further says about the sheep that his sheep know his voice, and they follow him because they know his voice.
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (verse 10:3-4).
Jesus is saying that a shepherd has a strong relationship with his sheep. He calls them by name, and they know and listen to his voice. In the same way, we must know and hear Jesus’ voice.
Jesus also says that the thieves and robbers will come to destroy, but his sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not know the stranger’s voice. So how do we learn to recognize Jesus’ voice well enough to avoid Satan’s false teachers? We read and study the Bible; if you want to hear God’s voice, read your Bible, and you will. If you learn the Bible, you will know the difference between false and authentic teaching, and Satan cannot mislead you.
Jesus foreshadows what is to come, though at the time, everyone there was a Jew, and nobody understood what Jesus was saying. In ancient times people were more segregated; they stayed with people like them for protection. Everyone in this story was a Jew of differing classes. The Pharisees were the top, and the blind person was the bottom. Shepherds were closer to the bottom of society, so Jesus relating to himself as a shepherd while calling himself God would be particularly offensive to the Pharisees.
Then Jesus says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (verse 16) Jesus was telling them he was the Shepherd for the whole world, not just the Jews. He told them the Gentiles would also listen to and know his voice, and there would be one Messiah and one church for all. At the time and in this audience, this was inconceivable, so it did not make a big impression until after Jesus’ resurrection when he called Peter to save the first Gentiles. Then Jesus converted Saul of Tarsus, who was a Pharisee enforcer charged with killing Christians, to be Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (verses 27-28). Jesus is reiterating that he has a strong relationship with his loyal followers, they know his voice, and they follow him, and nobody can take them away from him.
Jesus goes on saying, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (verse 29). We know that God chooses his followers. Jesus commanded us to present the gospel to all, but God ultimately chooses those who will respond to the gospel. Jesus is confirming this by saying his Father gives his followers to him. He says the Father is greater than all, and nobody can take his true followers away.
Jesus' last statement, “I and the Father are one” is one of his main proclamations in the Bible that he is God.
In Summary Jesus Says:
The apostle Peter says, “’He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25).
The only safe place for a sheep is by the side of his shepherd. Because the devil does not fear sheep; he just fears the shepherd, that is all. —A.W. Tozer
Jesus was all truth and all grace always. The Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), and “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
When we look at Jesus’ life and teaching, we see that Jesus was 100 percent grace and 100 percent truth. He wasn’t the perfect balance of grace and truth—he was full grace and full truth always in every interaction. If Jesus has been 100 percent truth and 50 percent grace, he would have been all condemning. If he had been 50 percent truth and 100 percent grace, that would have created a permissive, do-whatever-you-want Christianity.
Christians and churches get into trouble when they try to balance these qualities. There is tension between grace and truth, and problems occur when anything less than full grace, and full truth is practiced. Churches that are all truth and little grace condemn and turn people away from religion. Churches that are all grace and little truth create a permissive religion to sin, which is unacceptable to God. Jesus was all truth and all grace always. He never held back—he always offered a full dose of truth and full grace to every sinner he encountered in the Bible.
The right way to come to faith in Jesus is by any method God uses to bring you. It does not matter if it’s a loud, emotional event or a very quiet occurrence in the privacy of your home.
I have noticed two commonly observable paths to belief. One is an emotional path, think Billy Graham crusades, most sermons, and worship music. The emotional path appeals to the heart first. People often make a profession of faith after a very emotional sermon or event. At that time, these folks may know little about the Bible, Jesus, or faith, but the emotional event pulled at their heartstrings enough to move them to a profession of faith.
There is also an intellectual path to the faith that appeals to the mind and reasoning side first, think Bible study, Bible reading, and teaching sermons. The person on this path may not make a faith decision until they read the Bible or finish a discipleship class. They want to understand their belief before fully committing. Their approach is cerebral and takes time.
Both approaches exist, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with either of them. Some people are more emotionally oriented and respond better to emotional events, while others are more intellectually oriented and need time to process and figure things out before acting.
We also need to understand that we all have both sides. We all have an emotional side and an intellectual side. We naturally favor one more than the other, but we must develop both sides to become a mature Christian. If we are emotionally oriented, we must move our faith from our hearts to our heads, and if we are intellectually oriented, we must move our faith from our heads to our hearts. We must work on and develop our weaknesses and our strengths. We need to train both sides to reach maturity, and developing one trait strengthens the other.
If we start our faith from an emotional response, we must do the work to read the Bible and learn what we do not know about God, Jesus, and Christianity to develop the intellectual side of our faith. If we start our faith from the intellectual side and know what the Bible says and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, it should eventually move us to an emotional response of worship and awe. The Bible says the angels are in awe of the gospel, and if we are not in complete awe, we have not fully grasped the gospel.
Billy Graham understood this because he once said that he would be happy if a small percentage of the people who came forward during his crusades became mature Christians. He knew that generating an emotional response is easier than getting someone to commit to developing their faith to maturity. The best churches make sure their congregation develops maturity intellectually and emotionally.
I know people today who have strong but, sadly, lopsided faith—they have never moved their faith from where it started to maturity. I know intellectuals who claim faith in Christ and understand the Bible but cannot pray anything but a scripted prayer with little emotion. I know very emotional Christians who have no understanding of the Bible or what they claim to believe. They demonstrate this by supporting causes and sinful behaviors, such as abortion, that are not biblical, yet they are very vocal and emotional about their faith.
Mature Christians need to work hard to help immature Christians develop their faith. This development should be the primary focus for any church but especially for seeker oriented churches. New Christians have been drawn to Jesus by the gospel and are responding favorably to it. At this critical time, they will develop the habits that will move them toward Christian maturity or settle into becoming a lukewarm Christian and remaining immature.
Immature Christians may have weak, unknowledgeable faith. They don’t understand what the Bible says, so they can’t discern false teachings, and Satan can easily deceive them. Sadly, they seem to lack the peace, hope, and fruit of the Spirit that God intended for them to have. At worst, they may lack the enduring faith necessary for salvation and fall into apostasy.
The Bible calls us to become a new creation and a fully committed, mature Christian. If we do not develop into that, we are cheating ourselves of the real relationship Jesus wants to have with us. The role of mature Christians is to protect and help shepherd immature Christians through maturity.
We all face judgment, and we should all strive to eliminate any uncertainty or doubt as to where we stand with Christ before that happens. We should do the work required to develop our faith and eliminate all uncertainty.
In conclusion, I hope these tracts have been meaningful to you, and I pray they become a resource you continue to use. I have tried to write what God told me to write on his timeline as he has revealed things to me. I am an aggressive type-A personality, and I cannot tell you how frustrating this process has been day to day. I wanted to sit down and write this out quickly, but God has fed it to me in small, bite-sized pieces over a long period.
When I think back, I realize that God started this journey for me about six years before I even knew it was coming. He changed my career path. He taught me many relevant things before showing me his vision and the opportunity. He worked his vision into my relationship with him. When I think that eight years have passed while God was orchestrating this, it makes me crazy! But that’s how God works—when he wants to do something, he does it on his timeframe (think 1,500 years spent writing the Bible). When we wait for his timing and ask for his input and guidance, we will always get a better result. When we plow forward without him or rush the process, he lets us, but eventually, we notice the lack of input and poor quality and must return to his plan.
While this journey for me has felt frustrating much of the time, when I look back on my growth, I am amazed. God changed my life for the better, and he taught me so much along the way. He has given me perspective and understanding I did not have and opened my eyes to many of my flaws. I hope, but I truly do not know if anyone else will get anything out of these tracts, but the personal journey for me developing them has been priceless.
I honestly feel happy to the point of guilt many days because I know God has been with me my whole life, has blessed me far more than I deserve, and has taught me the gospel and the peace and salvation it provides. He didn’t abandon me when I was lukewarm or let me die in that condition. I know my final outcome is secure, so worry is a much smaller part of my life. I know that God will always be there for me in my times of need, and I know I will meet him in the kingdom when he returns for eternal life with him. I look forward to the journeys he will lead me on between now and then.
That is truly living an abundant life.
One of my favorite verses has always been John 16:33, where Jesus says, ” These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (KJV).
I do not want to give anyone the impression that abundant life means an easy or trouble-free experience. The Bible never promises us an easy, trouble-free path as Christians; think about the 12 executed apostles. Jesus said the world hated me, so they will hate you also. Jesus tells us that in the world, we will have tribulation or trouble—that is promised to us because we live in a fallen world controlled by a demon.
But Jesus says, “Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world, and if you abide in me, you will overcome it too, and you will have peace.”
Paul and the early Christians were often persecuted, beaten, and abused by the Jews, pagans, and the Romans. When they were persecuted, they were joyful about it. Joyfully persecuted and beaten? The Bible says they considered it a high honor to be persecuted in the name of Christ. Paul was beaten and lying in a dungeon in chains singing hymns and worshiping God, truly living his abundant life. Paul knew that nothing that happened to him in this world mattered because he would spend eternity in the kingdom of God.
Paul knew that because he knew first-hand that God had allowed the worst thing possible—crucifixion, humiliation, and death—to happen to the best person who has ever lived, Jesus Christ, his only Son—in order to save us. God allowed his wrath to destroy Jesus so that Jesus could provide forgiveness and grace to us for our sins and bridge the gap of separation for us. Jesus can save us from all the pain and suffering in this world.
Paul when speaking about heaven says, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Knowing you have eternal life in heaven waiting for you gives you the peace to have abundant life on earth in any circumstances.
I have started many ventures during my professional career. I usually form an idea, come up with a name, which solidifies the vision, and then begin the venture. I searched for a name for this series most of the time while I was writing it and couldn’t come up with the right name. As I was nearing the completion and doing the final editing, I came across this passage in Isaiah that says, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic” (Isaiah 28:16).
After reading that verse, I did a search to see if this text was used anywhere else in the Bible and found several, including this verse in the book of Psalms: “The stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22).
I found that Jesus had said it in The Parable of the Tenants. Jesus says:
“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:33-46).
The Parable of the Tenants is also included in Mark chapter 12 and Luke chapter 20, so three of the four Gospel books of the New Testament covered this parable.
Acts chapter 4 covers the story of Peter and John testifying before the Sanhedrin. The Jewish officials had seized Peter and John because they were preaching the gospel and healing people in Jesus’ name. After spending a night in jail, they were brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning. The text says the following occurred:
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:8-13)
A few days after finding the cornerstone theme, I was doing my morning Bible reading. Yes, I do still follow the challenge from Tract 1 myself—I have found it to be the best way to start my day. I was reading all Peter’s writings in order, and that particular day read 1 Peter 2. I realized that this chapter summarizes many of the points made in these tracts. Peter says in the text:
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:1-25)
Summary of 1 Peter 2, Peter says:
Jesus is the CORNERSTONE, and anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. The Bible assures us of this. Jesus came as the Lamb of God to satisfy the moral law and atone for our sins with his perfect life. By doing so, he became the Cornerstone and foundation of Christianity. But he was rejected by the builders when he came. Please don’t make the same mistake. The Bible tells us that Jesus will return a second time, but this time as the Lion of Judah to judge humankind. When he arrives, he will call his believers to be with him, and he will judge the unbelievers and cast them into a lake of fire. Please know Jesus as your redeemer before you meet him as your judge.
Jesus is the Cornerstone. Jesus overcame the world and in him you can too. Enjoy your journey!
