The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Titus 1:1-4,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."
In this passage, I note that Paul mentions he was entrusted by God to preach the hope of eternal life. What a responsibility! Paul specifically was tasked to take the gospel to the Gentile people, Galatians 2:8. "God our Savior" engaged Paul to the work of the gospel, this very important task... delegated to a man! This is astonishing to me as I think of it. The next phase in the outcome of the suffering of Jesus Christ, the cause for why he faced that cross with joy, Hebrews 12:2, was given to people! Peter was sent to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. Many participated in the effort then and many still do so today.
Why would God entrust such an important task to people? Would people be the most effective way of communicating the message? Would people be the most faithful in following through on this important task? Would they be the most productive, the most careful in executing the responsibilities in preaching the gospel? Why did God decide to use people to carry his gospel in his pursuit of those with believing hearts following Jesus' payment for sin on that miserable cross?
I'm not sure those are the questions to ask when considering why God engaged the services of men to take the gospel to the world. Considering the importance of the gospel task, I am certain our sovereign God would have no problem supervising and ensuring the effective and productive execution of it. I think one answer as to why God uses people to take the gospel to others, as well as other tasks over the ages, may be found in another place - something illustrated to me as a child.
One of the most fond memories I have of my father was of a time when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old - in the mid 1950's. He had asked me to help him put up Christmas lights on the outside of our house. I can still recall going out and helping him, handing him lights and doing the other various things that needed to be done. As a small boy I recall feeling a sense of worth, a sense of recognition, that I mattered, that I had been asked to help the old man (he must have been in his early thirties at the time!) At that young age I recall how wonderful it felt to be allowed to participate in something so important as getting those lights up. As a boy I felt I had an important assignment to carry out - an assignment that made me feel I was engaged in something worthwhile. I felt a genuine sense of fulfillment and purpose. I'm certain when we got done and went inside, I stood a little taller as I had been allowed to enter into that mystery of doing important "man stuff"!
I'll bet you have memories of like things in your past.
God has created mankind with certain things that are important to us, that are part of our design, a part of what makes us tick, things that if missing, can be destructive to us. Things like relationships - meaningful contact with others, communication, affection, a sense of self-worth and so forth. Among these are purpose in life and a sense of fulfillment. I believe these are a part of what makes us "made in the image of God." I have a strong feeling God involves us in his activities to bring us a certain sense of purpose, as well as a sense of accomplishment which follows appropriate purpose pursued well.
In that I believe in these things, it colors my perspective of what eternal life will be all about. Some have a notion that existence in heaven is some kind of reward where all is accomplished, all is done, no effort, no work, just an existence of life on the front porch in a rocker with an iced tea (worse yet is that perspective of being some kind of winged angel sitting on a fluffy cloud playing a harp all day long - perish the thought!)
No, my suspicion (since I don't really know) is that we will be engaged in meaningful activity. Activity with a view toward the accomplishment of things that need pursuit. I don't anticipate a reality where "everything is already done", but one where things need to be done, need to be pursued, need to be accomplished. I think I will still be taking drum lessons to get better (I don't think my resurrection is going to obviate the need for practice and further lessons), I think we will be helping others, I think we will be getting things done. Again, I don't really know, so keep in mind I am just speculating here.
Here is what we are told heaven will be like: "Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death" or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:1-4.
I don't see anything in the description provided above that says we will not be engaged in the industrious pursuit of things to accomplish born of purpose we are given. Since we see God providing us these things in this life, why should we think anything different for the next?
In this passage, I note that Paul mentions he was entrusted by God to preach the hope of eternal life. What a responsibility! Paul specifically was tasked to take the gospel to the Gentile people, Galatians 2:8. "God our Savior" engaged Paul to the work of the gospel, this very important task... delegated to a man! This is astonishing to me as I think of it. The next phase in the outcome of the suffering of Jesus Christ, the cause for why he faced that cross with joy, Hebrews 12:2, was given to people! Peter was sent to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. Many participated in the effort then and many still do so today.
Why would God entrust such an important task to people? Would people be the most effective way of communicating the message? Would people be the most faithful in following through on this important task? Would they be the most productive, the most careful in executing the responsibilities in preaching the gospel? Why did God decide to use people to carry his gospel in his pursuit of those with believing hearts following Jesus' payment for sin on that miserable cross?
I'm not sure those are the questions to ask when considering why God engaged the services of men to take the gospel to the world. Considering the importance of the gospel task, I am certain our sovereign God would have no problem supervising and ensuring the effective and productive execution of it. I think one answer as to why God uses people to take the gospel to others, as well as other tasks over the ages, may be found in another place - something illustrated to me as a child.
One of the most fond memories I have of my father was of a time when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old - in the mid 1950's. He had asked me to help him put up Christmas lights on the outside of our house. I can still recall going out and helping him, handing him lights and doing the other various things that needed to be done. As a small boy I recall feeling a sense of worth, a sense of recognition, that I mattered, that I had been asked to help the old man (he must have been in his early thirties at the time!) At that young age I recall how wonderful it felt to be allowed to participate in something so important as getting those lights up. As a boy I felt I had an important assignment to carry out - an assignment that made me feel I was engaged in something worthwhile. I felt a genuine sense of fulfillment and purpose. I'm certain when we got done and went inside, I stood a little taller as I had been allowed to enter into that mystery of doing important "man stuff"!
I'll bet you have memories of like things in your past.
God has created mankind with certain things that are important to us, that are part of our design, a part of what makes us tick, things that if missing, can be destructive to us. Things like relationships - meaningful contact with others, communication, affection, a sense of self-worth and so forth. Among these are purpose in life and a sense of fulfillment. I believe these are a part of what makes us "made in the image of God." I have a strong feeling God involves us in his activities to bring us a certain sense of purpose, as well as a sense of accomplishment which follows appropriate purpose pursued well.
In that I believe in these things, it colors my perspective of what eternal life will be all about. Some have a notion that existence in heaven is some kind of reward where all is accomplished, all is done, no effort, no work, just an existence of life on the front porch in a rocker with an iced tea (worse yet is that perspective of being some kind of winged angel sitting on a fluffy cloud playing a harp all day long - perish the thought!)
No, my suspicion (since I don't really know) is that we will be engaged in meaningful activity. Activity with a view toward the accomplishment of things that need pursuit. I don't anticipate a reality where "everything is already done", but one where things need to be done, need to be pursued, need to be accomplished. I think I will still be taking drum lessons to get better (I don't think my resurrection is going to obviate the need for practice and further lessons), I think we will be helping others, I think we will be getting things done. Again, I don't really know, so keep in mind I am just speculating here.
Here is what we are told heaven will be like: "Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death" or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:1-4.
I don't see anything in the description provided above that says we will not be engaged in the industrious pursuit of things to accomplish born of purpose we are given. Since we see God providing us these things in this life, why should we think anything different for the next?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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