In the previous weeks, forecasts of record hurricanes have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate from their homes in Texas and Florida. To stress the urgent need to evacuate, the governor of Florida exhorted the public saying, “We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life.” Life is precious, but even more than our physical lives, our spiritual lives are incomparably more valuable. Jesus asked, What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (Matt 16:26) Paul’s letter to the Galatians was premised on how man can preserve his soul by being justified and reconciled to God. Justification is the principle ground on which every other doctrine of Christianity stands. It is a judicial term- in the heavenly court, it is a sentence whereby God declares an elect and believing sinner not guilty, while pronouncing him perfectly righteous by the merit of Jesus Christ. This is possible because God in His grace imputed all your sin onto Jesus when He died on the cross, and in turn, Jesus’s perfect righteousness was imputed onto you. (2Cor 5:21) This is the only means for salvation, yet this essential doctrine is often hindered within the church. As we take another look at Galatians and other various passages, we will identify how false gospels cloud our understanding of justification.

One of the direst issues within the early church was the infiltrating influence of a false gospel. Some false teachers, sometimes called Judaizers, declared Christ was not enough for salvation, and that man needed to be circumcised to be saved. (Acts 15:1-2) There are many other types of false gospels- the reliance on religiosity, church participation, familial heritage- and they all lead to hell. The only way to avoid going after false gospels is to know the true gospel. The gospel has three parts- problem, solution, and response.

Problem– God demands perfect righteousness, but man is born depraved and cannot be righteous. Man tries to create his own religion and work his way to salvation, but he falls infinitely short of God’s righteousness. (Matt 5:48; Rom 3:11)

God’s Solution– Man cannot resolve his problem. But God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) This is the gospel. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1Cor 15:2-4) Jesus Christ is the only solution from God for man’s problem.

Man’s Response– You must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Repentance is turning away from sin, and turning towards God. Man can respond in this way only as he recognizes his problem and sees the solution God provides in the gospel.

Believers are vulnerable to straying from the true gospel. (Gal 2:11-13) Those under the influence of a false gospel forget the gospel’s transformative power and become hypocrites. (Rom 1:16) Their external behavior does not truly reflect their inner heart, because true transformation is possible only by the gospel. As Jesus turned water into wine, He makes us new creatures through His death and resurrection. The true gospel leads us to repent and love the Lord. If you find yourself under the influence of a false gospel, repent, and return to Christ Jesus. No matter how hard we try to deal with sin through our own determination, resolutions, and good works, our sin is an indelible stain that declares us guilty. (Jer 2:22) The gospel is the only way to be saved and to stay saved. The Galatians began to depend on the law for their justification, but the law is not meant to be a means of salvation. The law functions as a spiritual mirror- it makes us see how holy God is, and how sinful we are. It is meant to turn us to Christ- to flee from the curse of the law and take refuge in Christ. (Gal 3:10-11) The law serves to restrain evil with its justice, and it shows God’s redeemed children what pleases Him. (Jn 14:15)

How can I be justified? By faith alone- you must know that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and recognize that salvation is by grace alone. You must then agree to this truth, and commit to Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior. Those who are justified enjoy the peace of God. They come before God in prayer through all circumstances, with a hope fixed in heaven. The justified obey God, because God produces good works in those who have living faith. (James 2:26) They experience the true freedom of living like Christ- because of Jesus’s freedom, you are set free to resist sin. (Gal 5:1) Jesus frees us from the penalty of the law and futile attempts to please God in the flesh. In our freedom we walk by the Spirit, as the word of Christ dwells richly in us. We practice the freedom of Christ as we love one another. Jesus has loved us and gave Himself up for us. He is always with us, and as we experience His love everyday through the riches of the gospel, we are more than able to love one another for His glory. This is the outcry of the book of Galatians- Christian, you are justified and free in Christ.

From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. Gal 6:17-18

 

History is made by men of conviction. Whether for good or for evil, men full of conviction pioneered nations through revolutions, wars, scientific and medical breakthroughs, and every other significant event that has shaped the world into what it is today. Scripture is likewise penned by and written of men of conviction. The Apostle Paul was one of them, fully convinced upon his conversion that Jesus was the Son of God. He was resolute to preach nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1Cor 2:2) He wrote his letter to the Galatians to dispel false notions that circumcision and the works of the law were means for salvation. Apostle Paul gloried only in the gospel that made him a new creation, and like him, every Christian must be a man of conviction to stand firm in faith through all circumstances. Where did Paul’s conviction come from? His final remarks here in Galatians reveal the external and internal sources of the apostle’s fervent conviction.

Marks of Christ (v.17) Paul was not merely a spectator of faith, but a man of action, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The brand-marks of Jesus referred to in v.17 are his actual physical scars sustained by the continual persecution he endured for preaching the gospel. (2Cor 11:23-25; Acts 14:9) Apostle Paul was severely beaten numerous times and was even stoned to the point of near death. His body was badly scarred, but rather than feeling bitterness and sorrow, his scars strengthened his conviction. How can this be? Paul was persecuted for the message he delivered. His message was the cross of Christ. Paul believed and preached that no sin could be done away by circumcision or good works; it can only be carried away by the cross of Christ. (1Cor 1:23, 2:2) The gospel is the only perfect message that can save and transform man. It is the powerful message that divides men, inciting joy or hate, victory or torment, hope or ridicule. For all who desire to be a man or woman of conviction, check to make sure the message you believe and proclaim is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another source of Paul’s conviction is that he considered his scars the brand-marks of Jesus Christ. Everything Paul did was related to Jesus Christ, his Savior and Lord. The Bible says none are righteous but Christ alone. All of us fall short of God’s glory; even our best works are filthy rags before God’s holiness. (Is 64:6) We would all be condemned to go to hell, but Jesus came as a sinless man to die on the cross in our place. He rose again from the dead, imputing us with His life and righteousness, to reconcile us to God. In Christ, you are forgiven of your sin, clothed with His righteousness, and adopted as a child of God. (Rom 3:22) Jesus Christ is the only One worth being persecuted for, and Paul bore his scars with this full conviction. How do we bear the brand-marks of Jesus that would strengthen conviction? Paul simply applied God’s Word to every part of his life. As we live in a world that is held captive by Satan, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) If you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, treasuring Christ above all else, persecution is inevitable, but it will only strengthen your conviction. (Matt 6:33; 2Tim 3:12) We must live as disciples, surrendering all to Jesus and following Him. Without conviction, we cannot fight the good fight of faith.

The grace of Christ (v.18) The grace of Jesus Christ was the internal source of Paul’s conviction. Grace is God’s unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners. Man makes no contribution to his salvation- salvation is by God alone. Our spirits were dead, separated from God and under the bondage of Satan, but by God’s grace He regenerated us to have living faith in Jesus Christ. We are not only forgiven, but we are reconciled to God and adopted as His child. God is gracious and merciful- like the prodigal son’s loving father, God is quick to pour grace and mercy upon repentant sinners who return to Him. (Luke 15:21-23) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is not merely a line Paul used to end his letters, but it is the very lifeline for Paul and for every Christian. Without grace, Paul would have remained Saul, but by the grace of Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul gave his life to preach the gospel that saved him. (Acts 26:29) Without grace, we would have remained in our sin, separated from God, hopeless and condemned. But by the grace of Jesus Christ, we are loved by God, saved, and set apart to follow Him. This is the source of a believer’s conviction- the unending grace of God, found in the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Gal 6:14-16

The truthfulness of a religion is authenticated by its message and its power. The message of Christianity is the gospel- the Son of God died on a cross and rose again to give eternal life to undeserving sinners who repent and put their trust in Him. (1Cor 15:3-4; Col 2:9-10) There is power in this message to transform sinners into saints. As we continue in this series on the nature of true religion, Apostle Paul’s concluding pronouncement of the power of the cross of Christ shown in the death, transformation, and reception in Christianity provides the evidence of the veracity of the gospel message.

Death. There is a stark difference between Christianity and other religions when it comes to life and death. Other religions teach to live your best life today, but Christianity teaches that you must die today to truly live in Christ. Just as a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die in order for it to bear fruit, Christian life must begin with your spiritual death through your repentance. (Jn 12:24) Without this death, your old nature remains, and there can be no transformation.

How can we die spiritually? In other words, how can I be a Christian? The answer is in v. 14- by the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who confess Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts God raised Him from the dead will be saved. (Rom 10:9-10) You must die like Christ in order to be raised like Christ. The cross itself is not wonderful- it is the cruel emblem of pain and suffering – but the message of the cross is of hope and love, because through death of Jesus Christ, we can escape the wrath of God.

What must be dead? According to v. 14, the world must be crucified to us. In its context, the world is a life independent of God, self-sufficient and driven by self-will, that depends on reputation, esteem, and self-effort for righteousness. (Phil 3:4-6) We are all born with the world in our hearts- in total depravity – we have no possible way of pleasing God in our sinfulness. It is only by the message of the cross that the world can be crucified to us. As we receive the gospel message, the Holy Spirit “removes the heart of stone” and replaces it with “a heart of flesh”(Eze 36:26), that which is of God, and by this regeneration of our hearts we see the world as it is, and more so as we understand and obey the will of God. (1Jn 2:16-17) In any situation, we seek God’s glory and honor Him as Lord. We live in the world, but we are no longer controlled by the world. (2Cor 10:5; 1Cor 10:31) Along with the world, our old nature is crucified with Christ as we receive the gospel in our hearts. All sin springs from the desire to please self. ‘Dying to self’ means that we surrender our own will to God’s will. We are now free in Christ- free from the world, and free from the power of sin that ruled our old nature. We are free because Christ lives in us, and by this spiritual death, true transformation can follow.

Transformation. Apostle Paul states that apart from being new creatures through this new creation, everything else is meaningless. Christianity is true because we become a new creation in Christ through the life-giving power in the gospel message. (Ez 37:1,3,9) The gospel contains the doctrine of impartation- we were spiritually dead, with no power to free ourselves from sin and justify ourselves before God, but God made Jesus, Who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2Cor 5:21) In Jesus, God the Son took on human flesh to be our perfect substitute as He died in our place and rose again. In Christ there is new life. Though we will not be sinless until we are in heaven, sin no longer has dominion over our lives. We now live by faith in the Son of God Who died for us and rose again so that we could live to Him. (Gal 2:20) As a new creation, we now enjoy a blessed reception.

Reception. As we hold fast to the truth that salvation is in Christ alone, we receive God’s peace and mercy. (Acts 4:12) This is a marvelous gift from God. Our peace with God means peace in our hearts, because only He is the source of true peace. His wrath is no longer on those who are in Christ – in the place where there was once wrath, there is now divinest mercy. God adopts us to be His children and He becomes our Father. God did not have to show mercy to sinful men, but in His love He provided eternal life through Jesus Christ. (Jn 3:16) Through the gospel we are now reconciled with God and enjoy this gift of God’s mercy and peace. This is the power of the message of the cross we proclaim for all to hear and receive.

There are approximately 4200 religions in the world; about 300 of them in the United States. Many would say that Christianity is just one of the many religions in the world and in the US. We know that Christianity is the only true religion; all others are false.

At the heart of every false religion is a false idea about the self. Until one truly knows himself and his sin nature, he will never seek a savior. Instead, false religion deceives people about his self so that they will boast in his works, put confidence in the flesh, and work to earn salvation. It is only when people’s hearts are regenerated by the Holy Spirit that they are able to understand their selves in the light of the truth of God’s Word.

Here in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Apostle Paul adamantly rejects the possibility of putting confidence in the flesh (But may it never be…v.14). Believers in the church of Galatia were falling away from the Christian faith and reverting back to Judaism, following a damning religion of salvation by works, namely, circumcision. As we turn to the concluding verses of Galatians in the coming weeks, we will focus on the nature of true religion– the message and the power of Christianity.

The message of Christianity is unique. Every other religion – even monotheistic religions like Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, and Islam – has been invented by men. This is evident in that they make man work for salvation. This is an impossible task, because sinful man cannot please a perfect and holy God. Christianity is the only religion that shows the innate inability towards holiness and answers to man’s ultimate plea- How then can a man be just with God? (Job 25:4) How can man make peace with God? How can this chasm between God and man be bridged? By the Holy Spirit, Apostle Paul answers this question in verse 14- …except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only the cross can make peace between God and man.

What happened on the cross? When Jesus was crucified on the cross, God displayed His strong public condemnation against sin by displaying the judgment that every sinner must face. His perfect holiness was demonstrated in His contempt against sin in the suffering of Christ. At the same time, through Jesus’ crucifixion, God showed how He took away the sin, guilt, and shame of man, by imparting every one of our sins onto Jesus. The Son of God of was cursed, suffered in that curse, and rose again – all for our salvation.

Christians boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v.14) Jesus died and was resurrected to be highly exalted as Lord over all. (Phil 2:8-11; Jn 20:27-28) He is our Savior and our God, who has all the power to not only save us from our fate of hell, but to transform us into his likeness. We are saved by Christ alone, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:11-12) He is the Messiah, anointed to die for sinners. Even though He was God, He came to serve, surrender, and die for us. The cross of Christ is foolishness to depraved men- it eliminates all human merit, leaving no room for man’s pride or wisdom. (1Cor 1:18-19) The cross of Christ is true religion; it is God’s salvation.

Christianity is a new beginning. The old life has passed away; new life begins in Christ. Because of Jesus died a substitutionary death in our place, we are able to live a life with the freedom to choose holiness instead of sin; the new life allows for an intimate relationship with God. (Matt 27:50-51; Heb 10:19-20). It is the beginning of our spiritual resurrection; it instills the certain hope of a physical resurrection. (1Cor 15:54-57; Matt 27:54) God fully revealed His plan for our redemption in Christ Jesus.

Christianity is true because its message comes from God Himself. (Heb 1:1-3) He calls us to repent and return, forsaking our sin to turn to Jesus Christ in faith for salvation from Him alone. (Is 1:18; Acts 3:19) We must come to a point where we ask with all our heart, what must I do to be saved? Nothing you can do can erase your sin. It is only by the cross of Christ man can be restored to God.

God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must treasure Jesus more than anything or anyone in this world. He is truly worthy of our praise. As we grow in our understanding of the sufficiency of the cross as the source of our atonement, may we grow to be bolder in our obedience to Jesus’ call for us to make disciples.

Among those who profess to be Christians, there are some whose sincere faith may be in a false Christ. In Apostle Paul’s dire letter to the Galatians, he sternly challenged those who reverted back to the false religion of Judaism, because their focus shifted from Jesus Christ to what was external, with no power, sanctification, or inner transformation. This is a timely message for us all, because we are also prone to reducing faith to works. We should always earnestly examine our hearts to the scriptural standards of faith. As we examine the nature of false religion through the conclusion of Paul’s letter, we must ask ourselves, Am I under the influence of false religion?

False religion distances you from God’s Word. A false Jesus leads you to live under the influence of the damning world. Do you love Scripture? This is the first and crucial sign of the true nature of your faith. The Bible is God’s Word. His Word has power- the power to create the universe into existence and to regenerate our lifeless hearts to life eternally. (Is 55:11; Num 11:23) How do you view God’s Word? There is a difference between true, biblical Christianity and the non-committal type of faith that some call ‘American Christianity’. The latter is a damning perversion of Christianity because the Bible has lost influence over the church. If you stop reading, meditating, and loving the Word, you will surely forget God. (Deut 6:12) False religion always abandons the Word of God.

False religion puts confidence in the flesh. Those who believe in a false Christ are still confident in who they are and what they have. The false teachers in the churches of Galatia paraded their piety through circumcision. Thinking that their obedience to the Old Testament commands was enough for their salvation, they were confident in their own flesh; they compelled others to do likewise. Those who are confident in the flesh judge themselves and others by physical things and by social and cultural values. (James 2:2-3) Do you boast in this way? Those who glory in the flesh practice legalism. Their trust is not in Christ alone. They may know correct doctrine, but they deny the sufficiency of Jesus’ atoning work by their prideful actions. Their loyalty is still to the world, which they serve their flesh for their own glory. (1Jn 2:15-16) Those who are still confident in the flesh are overly sensitive to their emotions and circumstances, letting others’ criticism or affirmation determine their joy. There is no humility in false religion, but only pride in one’s own abilities. We need to repent and return, so that our sins may be wiped away. (Acts 3:19) Our true joy and worth are rooted in Christ alone.

False religion makes you compromise. Faith in a false Christ will make you a coward. The Judaizers in Galatia focused on the external requirements of the Jewish faith in an attempt to avoid the persecution brought on by the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ refers to the entire work of redemption through Jesus’ death and resurrection. (1Cor 15:3-4) All throughout history, and especially today, the offensive message of the gospel provokes persecution. This is because the Gospel is the great equalizer – there is nothing that distinguishes the rich from poor or the brave from the knave. All are shown equally in dire need for a Savior, and this makes the gospel hard to understand and even harder to accept. However, God’s grace makes no distinction between men, and there is no room for pride. Yet there are instances when even believers compromise the message of the cross. How do believers we ridicule the cross of Christ? When we remain silent while Jesus’ name is being blasphemed, we ridicule the cross of Christ. When we try to replace the true gospel with a gentler version that never confronts sin, we are promoting false religion. When we try to lower the biblical standard of holiness in the name of tolerance and cultural sensitivity, we are serving man, not God. There can be no true transformation in our lives and in the church when the cross of Christ is ridiculed. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples. We must therefore not comprise his message and be bold in the authority of God’s word.

False religion makes you a hypocrite. The false teachers in Galatia failed by attempting to keep the law, yet because of their hypocrisy, they were blind to their shame and boasted in their flesh. The external did not reflect what was internal. We are prone to hypocrisy when we have Jesus’ name on our lips but not in our hearts. Hypocrisy is deadly. It leads others to become hypocrites, as the blind guides the blind to both fall into the same pit. (Matt 15:14) Hypocrites are insensitive to the wrath of God, failing to cling to Christ alone for salvation. (Matt 23:37-38) We must confess and repent of the hypocrisy in our lives. Our external works must be a reflection of the work of God’s grace in our hearts.

On the matter of true Jesus, Steve Lawson stated, “If Jesus has not changed your life, the Jesus you met was another Jesus.” Let us mediate on this portion of Scripture and examine our lives whether we have fallen under the influence of false piety. May the Holy Spirit sanctify you internally and externally in the truth that is God’s Word.

When a version of the gospel supposedly written by Judas was discovered in the 1970’s, experts who studied the manuscripts identified errors and forgeries that revealed its true Gnostic authorship. Subject matter experts are invaluable to teaching us what is true and false. When it comes to Christian life, apart from Jesus Christ there may be no one better than Apostle Paul to teach on Christian living. What does a normal Christian look like according to Apostle Paul? As we examine this portion of the book of Galatians, we can gain insight on how average Christians ought to live.

They live with responsibilities. Christians are accountable to particular duties. After his conversion, Apostle Paul’s life was marked by relentless striving to do the work God appointed him to do. (Phil 3:12-14) His zeal for good works never once challenged the basis of salvation by grace through faith alone, but it was driven by the truth that every Christian will one day stand before God to give an account for his life. This judgment- known as the Bema, or Judgment Seat of Christ- is when Jesus will evaluate and reward each believer for his faithful service done on earth. (Matt 25:19-20, 26) What then is our responsibility as a Christian? According to verse 6, our responsibility is to share. Many interpret Apostle Paul’s command to refer to sharing finances, but based on the context of the book of Galatians, a closer interpretation may be in reference to communication. The main intent of Paul’s letter was to clarify doctrine to the Galatians who were deceived and reverting back to seeking to be justified by keeping the Judaic law. (Gal 1:6) He urged those who knew the gospel to restore those who were deceived. Every Christian’s ministry is at different times full of joy, sorrow, burdens, confusion, or encouragement. In this context, whatever it may be, we are to share and communicate these things with those who teach and shepherd us- namely, our pastor and leaders. This begins by first learning the gospel from the Word. When God’s Word is received faithfully, there is conviction and power from the Holy Spirit, Who renews the spirit of your mind and gives new life created in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Eph 4:21-24) It is from here that the Christian can be engaged in ministry, while sharing and building up the church.

They are principled. Christians live under the principle of sowing and reaping in verse 7. Apostle Paul warns the Galatians to not be deceived- God cannot be mocked. He is omniscient, able to see even into the hearts of man. (Jer 17:9-10) In spite of God’s perfect knowledge, we often ridicule God by our lack of faith. We surrender to circumstances, seeking to find blame when we undergo trials and suffering. We forget that God is faithful to help us endure and overcome all temptations, and we overlook His sovereignty in all things. (1Cor 10:1; Phil 4:13) We follow our emotions over truth, forgetting that we can never be separated from God’s love. Mankind ridicules God when they deny Jesus Christ, despite God’s clear testimony concerning His Son. (Jn 1:10-11)

How can believers avoid ridiculing God? Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We honor God by living by faith, for everything apart from faith is sin. (1Cor 10:31; Rom 14:23) Under the principle of reaping what we sow, believers who sow to the flesh- the flesh being the utterly corrupt indwelling sin that will never lay to rest until the day we die- will truly be miserable Christians as they neglect prayer, God’s Word, and evangelism, resisting God’s sovereignty and sanctification. On the contrary, believer who sow to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap the fruit of the Spirit, as they depend on and surrender to God’s Word, practicing the lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of their lives. (Jn 15:5-7)

If you are still feeling abandoned, alone, and distant from God in your earnest pursuit to practice the lordship of Jesus in your life, it may seem as though you have not yet reaped much from your labors. In verse 9, Apostle Paul gives us his word of encouragement to not grow weary. The due time to reap is known by God alone. We can avoid growing weary as we love God first and foremost. We must pray without ceasing, nurture ourselves on God’s Word, remember that we are simply involved in and used for God’s work- it is God alone who causes the growth. We must trust in God. Even when our faith fails, we are sustained because God is steadfastly working behind us. God will never forget His promise, so let us sow diligently in faith.

They live in the act of love and care. Christians are the salt and light of the world. We are necessary and useful to the world because we love God and man. Our highest expression of love for unbelievers is evangelism, for even if man gains the world, what is he without Christ? Our priority is the church- we love and care for one another by helping and filling each other’s needs, even if it is to our own loss. Our love for one another is sacrificial, clothed with humility and discretion.

Normal Christians according to Apostle Paul live in this way. They have ministries of which they share about with their shepherds, they live under the principle of reaping what they sow, and they live a life of love and care. As we examine ourselves and repent of ways we have fallen short of loving and obeying Christ, let us be encouraged by His Word and not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.

 

Christians are called to be spiritually effective – that is, we must make a gospel centered impact among our church, family, and friends. Throughout history, many saints have been spiritually effective. John Bunyan, for example, became a prolific author and pastor in his days despite his poor educational upbringing. His effectiveness as a worker of God moved even John Owen, who many believe is the greatest theologian in existence. John Owen once said that he’d “gladly trade all of his learning” if it meant that he’d gain Bunyan’s “ability to touch hearts”.

Like the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, we must also be effective spiritually. Ministry work and spiritual effectiveness is not reserved for the pastors, leaders, and those with special titles in the church. Every Christian is spiritual, because the Holy Spirit is in their hearts. If we are spiritual, we should be effective. Are you effective in the church and the ministry? If not, examine your heart for these four attitudes that causes you to be ineffective in ministry.

Pride renders us ineffective spiritually. Although every sin is despicable in the eyes of God, pride is among the sins that God hates most. While every other sin leads to guilt and shame, pride will face God and fight against Him. This is why Proverbs 16:18a reads, “Pride goes before destruction.” What causes pride in the hearts of believers? Pride swells up when we overestimate ourselves, mistakenly believing that the favor of God is merited by our good actions. Take King Uzziah, for example. In 2 Chronicles 26:16-18, we see his successes give room for arrogance, which causes Uzziah performs priestly duties himself, despite not being a priest. This causes him to lose favor with God. Uzziah’s pride caused him to try to circumvent God’s law. We also sin in this away against God when we forget ourselves before God. Unless we see ourselves as the sinners that we are, we will never be effective. In Luke 18:10-14, we see that it is not the religious elite but the penitent sinner who receives the grace of God. The apostle John writes against Diotrephes, who thinks too highly of himself, in 3 John 9-10. Pride swells up because we have a lack of awareness of self. Like Diotrephes, we think too highly of ourselves without considering who we were before Jesus saved us. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 states that God has chosen the foolish and the weak for His use – we are the ones that God chose. Pride swells up because there is a lack of understanding regarding salvation. Salvation is not given for our merits; instead, it is given by God according to his will. What we did or who we are does not matter to God. Knowing this, we must look to the best interests of our brothers and sisters, regarding each other more important than our own selves. (Phil 2:3-4)

A lack of self-examination renders us ineffective spiritually. There is a difference between self-introspection and self-examination. While self-introspection relies on nothing but one’s own self, self-examination is done according to the Word of God. This is the difference between Judas and Peter. Judas betrayed Jesus and felt guilt upon self-introspection, but the way he attempted to resolve this issue was to give the money back and take his own life. Peter had also betrayed Jesus, but he saw Jesus and remembered His words. (Matt 26:75) What are some criteria for self-examination? We examine ourselves through the Word of God. We must be effectual doers of God’s Word. (Jas 1:25) We examine ourselves by comparing ourselves with Jesus. We must strive to mimic His life – His life, conduct, teaching, fellowship, and service.(1 Cor. 11:1) We examine ourselves in prayer. In doing so, we appeal to the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts. (Ps 139:23) We examine ourselves by the esteem of our brothers and sisters in the church. We must be humble in correction and look to encourage holiness in others as well. (2 Tim 2:23-26) After properly examining ourselves, we gain new blessings of humility and spiritual growth.

Comparison to others renders us ineffective spiritually. Comparing ourselves to others ignites jealousy in our hearts. Saul’s jealousy for David raged after he heard some girls sing a song comparing Saul and David.(1 Sam 18:6-9) Jealousy devastates ministry work because it fuels the desire to overshadow others. It kills the desire to care for the minute details of our service, which Jesus values and cares for. (Mt 25:23) Jealousy rages against the sovereignty of God. We must combat this desire by serving and loving through faith, knowing that no one has anything to boast in the Lord. (Eph 2:9-10). It would do well for us to remember that we are running the race against Christ, not others.

Not being responsible about our duty renders us ineffective spiritually. Not being an effective worker physically also influences our spiritual effectiveness. We must work knowing that we have to give an account of our work to God. (Gal 6:5) What are our duties as Christians? We must strive to be effective in prayer. If our prayers are unanswered, we should not be discouraged, but work on our prayer so that it is a more effective way of communicating with God. We must strive to be fervent in worship. This is the work that we start on this earth and continue for eternity. We do it joyously, but we must also worship with a sober understanding of our purpose. The Old Testament worship, while it was very different from our worship today, was prepared meticulously for two days prior to the commencement of the worship service. We must prepare our hearts with the same gravity towards our Lord. We must meditate on Scripture. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” laments Hosea in Hosea 4:6, because they could have been spared from destruction if they only read and kept the commandments of God in it. We should take heed and carefully read and meditate on the Scriptures. Remember, the way that we treat the Word of God is the way we treat God. We must continue to share the Gospel. An effective evangelism begins with the work of sanctifying Christ in our hearts as Lord. (1 Pe 3:15) This means that we strive to make the lordship of Christ clearer in our hearts and minds every day. Deliberate and perpetual preparation is important in preparing to sharing the gospel. We need to practice these Christian duties purposefully.

The greatest honor we will experience is hearing Christ welcome us to heaven, saying to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For this end, we must strive to be effectual workers. Let us faithfully and effectively serve as spiritual men and women for the glory of Christ.

Before deploying atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the US Army spread leaflets in the region, giving heed to the residents concerning the coming destruction. Those who heeded the pamphlet’s warning survived, but those who did not heed the warning perished. The Bible is full of similar warnings that precede spiritual destruction– that, if heeded, would save the reader from certain destruction. Among all the warnings in the Bible and especially from the New Testament epistles, John’s warning from 1 John 5:21 carries special gravitas. Because of both the placement and the actual message of the warning, we understand that this is a warning that, if not taken special measures for, would certainly lead to spiritual destruction.

What is idolatry? Idolatry is defined by Martyn Lloyd-Jones as having “anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone”. Because God demands our worship and does not share it (Is 42:8), to have an idol that we adore more than God would be akin to thievery. We are robbing from God of what rightly belongs to only Him. What constitutes as idols? While anything can become an idol in our lives, the most common areas of idolatry are money, career, and family. These are all things that we are tempted to love above God. Spurgeon gives a great insight regarding these idols, saying, “We must love, but love in such a way that all things loved will take second place to Christ.”

Sometimes we even let things like denominations of church or doctrinal issues become our idols. For example, Calvinists are often worshiping at the altar of Calvin, not the altar of God. They are sometimes divisive and dismissive. We must not be this way.

Another form of idolatry comes from addictions. There are many things to which people become addicted – drugs, sports, pornography, social media, and the like. Succumbing to addiction is like submitting once again to the bondage from which God rescued us. (Gal 4:3)

What is the idolatry that John’s warning his church about? Apostle John is addressing a specific idolatry at the end of his first epistle – the wrong views of God and Jesus. Having the correct view of Christ and God is important. Many Christians today only have a vague understanding of who God is and are not interested in learning about God and Jesus. This kind of ambiguous understanding leads to an ambiguous understanding of salvation. If there is no clear understanding of God in the mind of the confessing Christian, he is at best assuming his own salvation. Until clarity is pursued regarding his salvation, such a man is likely not saved.

What is a wrong view of God prevalent today? Some people believe that God gives health and wealth to all his followers, citing Romans 8:32. The correct reading of Romans 8:32 is that God gives all the spiritual blessings, not the material things that can easily become our idols. God does not tolerate a corrupted view of His love.

What are some wrong views of Jesus prevalent today? Some believe that Jesus is their buddy, not Lord. It should be understood that those who do not consider themselves under the authority of Jesus believe in the wrong Jesus. Some say that Jesus is solely concerned on the welfare of the needy, citing his miracles. Good deeds and charity is important, but those things are not Jesus’ primary concern, because those good works cannot replace the gospel. Some say that Jesus is all about peace, but never in the Scriptures does Jesus call for an ecumenical, inter-religious, intercultural peace and tolerance. Jesus is not an angel of the Lord, nor is He God or man exclusively. Not having the right view of God and Jesus and instead adopting false ideas is idolatry. Such idolatry weakens our spirituality.

Why do we commit idolatry? We commit idolatry when we fail to guard our hearts like John commanded in 1 John 5:21. We can only guard our hearts meditating on God’s Word, as stated in Psalms 1:1-3. We commit idolatry when we fear and panic before trials in our lives. When Moses did not return from his audience with God, the Israelites panicked and demanded Aaron create a tangible image of God. (Ex 32:1) They created an idol to worship, instead of God. We often thirst for God in our distress, but we must not create an idolatrous false image of God in our desperation. We must wait on the Lord, because He is the deliverer, and is faithful to save even in the most improbable of situations, as we read in Jonah 2:10. We commit idolatry when we lose sight of the beauty of God. The moment our excitement about God and His work disappears from our hearts is the moment we begin to feel boredom. Boredom is the birthplace of idols. We must always remind ourselves of God’s majesty and beauty in nature as well as in the Gospel.

How, then, do we guard ourselves against idols? We must adhere only to sound doctrine. We must both desire and commit to it. As we studied last week in 1 John 5:18-20, John repeats the word “Know” as a statement of confidence. We must seek to know God in this way through our sound doctrine. In John 6:68-69, Peter makes a sound analysis of Jesus, both in recognizing Him as the source of truth and our need of Him and His truth. We must also remember Jesus this way, and love Him. We need to resolve to and be in the practice of loving the Lord – over all things, over all people. Before using him as His mouthpiece on Pentecost, Jesus required one thing of Peter – that Peter loved Jesus. (John 21:15-18) If we are to become successful servants of Jesus, we must begin by loving Jesus.

“Little children” is an affectionate title for Jesus’ followers. Because He loves us, even though we may struggle against idols, we can have confidence that we will victor and conquer over them. He has given us the special privilege of repentance. Let us, therefore, examine our hearts for idols, repent, and guard our hearts.

Every believer is under God’s lordship. We are from God. We belong to Him; He is our Lord. Verse 19 reveals the dichotomy of two kingdoms and two powers- God and Satan- that divides all men as servants under two lordships. It is a continual pattern throughout Scripture- Cain and Abel, Egypt and Israel, Esau and Jacob, Saul and David. Christians are under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Every realm of our life is surrendered to Jesus- we are no longer the lord of our own lives. We practice lordship by first beginning with the truth of Jesus Christ. There are many teachings of counterfeit saviors in this world, but we trust in Jesus as we know Him through Scripture alone. (1Jn 4:3) Second, we submit to Jesus’ lordship as we overcome all suffering by faith. Jesus is Lord of all, and he equips us to go through every trial victoriously. (Rom 8:28; Phil 3:7) Third, we must listen to and obey Christ. There is no neutrality or middle ground to Jesus’ lordship. No matter what our circumstances may be, we must trust Jesus and obey His Word. (Lk 5:8) Finally, practicing lordship is to love God and love one another. Love is God’s command. It is not to be based on our fleeting emotions or circumstances, but we must do all things in love. Every good work devoid of love is in vain. (1Cor 13:1)

Christians live before Christ. You are not alone. Jesus came into the world as Immanuel- God with us. He has promised to never forsake or abandon you. (Matt 1:23, Matt 28:20) Even when you are unfaithful, God remains faithful. It is often due to unrepented sin that we fail to recognize God’s presence in our lives. (Is 59:2; Ps 13:1-2) Jesus has promised that all who come to Him will never be cast out. We must trust in the Lord and His Word, depending on His faithfulness through all things.

Every Christian’s mind is changed. Knowledge is an integral part of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind– if the mind is not changed, actions will not follow. Unbelievers do not have clarity. They are unable to know themselves, or have a right view of anything in life. Jesus came to give us understanding- He has given us the right understanding of God, life, Scripture, and salvation. We have been transformed and enlightened to understand and accept who God is according to Scripture. We enjoy intimate fellowship with God. He abides in us, and we in Him. We experience Him as our tender Father, walking before Him not in fear, but with reverence. (Joshua 1:9; Rom 8:31-32) When God feels distant, ponder your ways and search out your sin. Our fellowship with God is inseparable because it comes through Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:38-39)

Christians are saved by Christ alone. Jesus Christ it the true God. There is no other. God’s eternal plan for salvation was for man to be saved by Christ alone. (Acts 4:11-12) Only Jesus had two natures in one person- humanity and divinity. He was not born in original sin because He came to us by virgin birth. Jesus was sinless and pure, reflecting the unblemished sacrifices of the Old Testament- He alone can atone for sin and fully please God as a sacrifice. Only Jesus overcame death by His resurrection. Our salvation is truly unlike anything man has devised. It cannot be bought by any price, and we have done nothing to ever deserve Jesus Christ. It is because of God’s love that Jesus has come to save us.

Christians are saved for eternal life. Throughout history man has sought to live forever, but all have died and lie in the grave. Only Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and in Him, we have eternal life. (Jn 11:26) He has given us endless hope- eternal life is the glittering crown of this hope. Those who have eternal life enjoy the treasure they’ve found in Christ Jesus. (Matt 13:44) This is the most precious truth we must always remember and rejoice in. It is the truth that all dying men must hear through us. May all glory, honor, and praise be to our God!