Journey to The Journey

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In the midst of his desperate brokenness, David see's things clearly. Rather than attempting to fix things himself (and inevitably adding sin upon sin), he seeks God. Likewise, rather than fleeing from God, he runs to him. In both cases, David is changing direction. This is the definition of repentance. He was formerly moving away from God, but now is drawing closer to him. When we respond to God with genuine contrition, he is faithful to respond to us with grace and mercy.

One of the most indisputable truth claims in all of scripture is that of the absolute sovereignty of God. That the Lord is indeed almighty and sits enthroned at the apex of all creation is a fact worthy of affirmation, if ever indeed there were such a thing. However, while few would attempt to argue against the sovereignty of God, knowing the futility of doing so, we often are guilty of incorrectly and inaccurately applying that truth to our daily lives. Let's look at a few examples:

Worship is in our DNA, it is part of who we are and who we were created by God to be. Because we were designed to worship, yet live as sinners in a broken and fallen world, our worship often gets misdirected. We tend to, if we are being honest, worship the wrong things. Moreover, even when the object of our intended worship is correct (God), we struggle to worship rightly. These two errors are equally destructive to our spiritual vitality.

Perhaps the greatest example for us of a vibrant and effective prayer life is found in our Lord Jesus. Jesus put his prayer time - his quiet and personal time with his Father - above everything else. He would often retreat away from the crowds, and the distractions and demands of his earthly ministry, to be alone in prayer. In public, before he would teach important truths or perform miraculous signs and wonders, Jesus would take time to give thanks to God in prayer. Prayer marked the life of Jesus, and it was through prayer that he was blessed, encouraged, and strengthened by his Father.

In my time in ministry, I have met many believers who share frustration over their lack of biblical understanding, their continual struggle with sin, and constant feelings of loneliness and separation from God. He feels like a stranger to them, not a loving father. What I usually find through our interactions is that the reason they aren't experiencing the fruit of a relationship with the Lord is because they don't have one...and aren't making any effort to cultivate one. I can speak with great confidence on this matter, because I lived it myself.

Those are the words of someone who is invested...someone who really cares. This is what genuine discipleship looks like. The preaching of God's word on Sunday mornings is a gift from God for his people and we should be thankful for it. However, that cannot be the only source of training in our lives. We need to have genuine one-on-one mentoring in the form of personal relationships built with others for the purpose of edification and accountability. There are no if, ands, or buts about it! Without these vitally important people in our lives, we will not...indeed we cannot...grow as disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's how he himself designed it to work.

One of the most often misunderstood, misapplied, and misused terms in Christianity is "Christian liberty." This generic phrase can be used to describe a number of different truths we find in scripture. However, it can be, and historically often has been, used as a badge of honor for immature believers to flaunt their licentiousness. So, what do we mean when we talk about Christian liberty? What does the Bible say about it? And how should we live in light of that truth?

Several years ago, I received some sad news on Christmas morning from a missionary friend of mine. Some believers in the small province where she was ministering, joined with their brethren around the world in gathering together to celebrate the Lord's birth. For most of us, this is a joyful time with friends and family. However, for these Christians, living in a nation that is closed off to the Gospel, there is the constant threat of persecution.

With all of these different thoughts and feelings swirling around, it can be hard to understand what we should take away from these passages. How does Acts chapter 12 point us to Jesus? That's the question we always want to answer when we engage with scripture, "Where do I see Jesus in this passage?" I believe underneath all of the emotions of the narrative in this chapter, we can see Jesus in a few distinct ways.

The significance of covenants (the Bible's term for God's promises) is a key theme throughout scripture. The formal process of tracing the progression of God's covenantal promises throughout redemptive history, as they have been revealed in God's word, is called Covenant Theology. Covenant theologians distinguish between two fundamental covenants that establish God's plan for mankind. First, the covenant of works, as established with Adam before his fall into sin; and second, the covenant of grace as established through Adam (after the fall), on to Noah, to Abraham and the patriarchs, to Moses, to David, and finally consummated in Christ.