We had another great year with our Vacation Bible School. Nearly 100 kids came to participate from the local community, and nearly 40 made professions of faith! Here’s a short video showing some of the action from the week, as you’re watching, please pray for the different children you see!

Just wanted to drop a note on the website and thank everyone for coming out to the recent bracelet party, it was a great success! We had about 20 people over the course of the event, and were able to get a lot of the work done for the upcoming Missions Without Borders Peruvian trip!

I also put together a small video from the event that we’re showing this sunday (June 15th) at the church, and you can enjoy it below. Thanks again, and we’ll look forward to seeing you next time!

I am a Missionary from Gospel Tabernacle on Vimeo.
 

In school (especially high school), there always seems to be an “in crowd” and a “’you can forget about it’ crowd” where everyone else fits. In sports, there is a “first pick” and a “last pick,” or not picked at all. After church on Sunday, there is always someone who is asked to accompany a group to lunch and inevitably someone who overhears who is not extended an invitation. I don’t know about you, but I like being on the side that gets picked, invited, or accepted and esteemed. But really who doesn’t? Whether it’s from parents, employers, teachers, the opposite sex, or our peers, we all seek approval of others. How does the Bible address this desire? Is it consistent?

Ephesians 6:5-6 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Romans 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

What is the difference between pleasing my neighbor and being a men-pleaser? Didn’t Paul say in 1 Cor. 9:22 that he “became all things to all men” and in 1 Cor. 10:33 “just as I also please men in all things”? How then can it be wrong to be a men-pleaser if Paul admitted to such a practice? My answer to the stated dilemma you ask? Clearly stated… motivation. It would help to finish Paul’s statements above. Paul said that he “became all things to all men,” continuing, “so that by all possible means I might save some.” “Just as I also please men in all things,” Paul follows with “not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” The godly motivation for pleasing my neighbor is to edify him, for his good (as in Rom 15:2 above) not to edify or build-up myself for my good (as in Eph 6:5-6 above). The need for approval from others quickly displaces our own realization that we are totally accepted by God through reconciliation.

Jesus warns in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” WOW, is that a powerful statement! To see a great explanation of this verse click here.

Scripture in this case does not present two truths that would appear to contradict one another. In actuality there is not tension present, “divine” or otherwise, though it may appear so at first glance. There is also not a middle ground that scripture reaches between approval seeking which is justified and that, which is not. There is in fact a singular truth. In an article entitled “The Centrality of the Gospel,” Tim Keller wrote:

“The key for thinking out the implications of the gospel is to consider the gospel a “third” way between two mistaken opposites. However, before we start we must realize that the gospel is not a half-way compromise between the two poles — it does not produce “something in the middle”, but something different from both.”

We have extremes, one on one end of the spectrum and one on the other. God however does not. His way transcends all and is “different from both.”

We can very easily fall into a “performance trap” in our lives. Our work certainly has value, but at times this value is misplaced or appraised too highly. A false belief within us says “I must meet or exceed certain expectations in order to have worth.” God’s Word has many expectations though doesn’t it? Many believe that the Bible is just a book of “do’s and don’ts.”

Paul writes; “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (Rom 3:27-28) James questions; “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-15, 17) At surface level these two men seem to be engaged in a Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed type heavy-weight title bout with their conflicting view points. Which inspired author is right? Which one is wrong? Both are right! This could be called divine tension. I want to call your attention to the following definition of tension:

A balanced relation between strongly opposing elements: “the continuing, and essential, tension between two of the three branches of government, judicial and legislative” (Haynes Johnson). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.

Paul and James are both right because of their differences! Paul speaks of the same faith, but different works than what James speaks of.

1.) Different laws. Paul spoke concerning the Mosaic Law while James, the law of liberty. (Compare Romans 3:20 with James 2:12)

2.) Different motivation. Paul warned that observing God’s law would not make one right with God in of itself. He also makes the point that scripture has pointed this out all along. James encourages good deeds or works that are a byproduct of a faith that is genuine and alive. The motivation then would be helping others, not helping your self (a means of justification.) (Compare Romans 3:21 with James 2:15-17)

3.) Different source of justification. Paul urges that we are made right with God (justified) when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. On this faith alone are we justified, not by anything we can do to earn it. James speaks of works as a justification of our faith. To put it another way, what we do proves our faith, flowing out from it. (Compare Romans 3:22-26 with James 2:18)

The Bible speaks volumes about our actions as well as our work. Hard work is encouraged, while laziness is spoken of as sin. However, we can abuse how we perform or produce. God places our worth not in what we can accomplish but rather what Jesus Christ accomplished in our place. Our identity then is in Christ not what occupation or special skill set that we possess. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Col 3:23-24

Have you ever been told to do seemingly two different things at the same time? How about “Just forget about it” and “you really need to pray” offered as advice at the very same time by the same person? Scripture at times, at least on the surface, appear to direct us in opposite ways; I would call this divine tension. Some quick examples of this divine tension would be the relationship between judgment and grace, God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, and the question of security of salvation for the believer.

Let’s briefly take up the latter example. What does the Bible say about the security of salvation? Is once saved always saved or can you loose your salvation? These questions have divided people and churches unfortunately. Both sides have scripture references to support their stance. Especially at times like this it is very important to accurately interpret scripture and not remove it from its context. By pulling out a single verse we can make Holy Scripture say just about anything we want it to say. The Bible however does seem to support both ideas in some form or fashion:

“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 can 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.” John 10:27-30

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:13-14

Compare with:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Col 1:21-23

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Heb 3:12-14

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Phil 2:12

During our Sunday worship services and life groups we are currently in a series of teachings called “Personal Wholeness” dealing with overcoming strongholds in our lives. Each week a different false belief or fear is diagnosed and treated with God’s word. Within the biblical answer to overcoming the specific stronghold there appears to be a divine tension that we will deal with in the subsequent installments. Next up “The Fear of Failure/ The Performance Trap” (Faith vs. Works)…