salvation

A Year In Review…

As we are about to finish out another year, have you reviewed your year? Companies, business owners, churches, and individuals all take time to review how things are going. We ask ourselves questions like:

  • Was 2023 a year of growth, stagnation, or decline?
  • How are things going?
  • What do we anticipate for 2024?

These reviews are normal and to a great degree necessary given the importance of strategy and planning. But too often I’m afraid our focus on progress, numbers, strategy, planning, or just getting by puts our attention on the wrong things in evaluation and review.

As we finish out 2023, here are some questions for how we can assess ourselves spiritually: Am I looking to Christ? Have I examined my soul and spiritual condition? Do I have a long-view of my life and the kingdom of God?

Question 1: Am I looking to Christ?

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

This is the upward assessment. In Luke 10, Jesus visits Martha and Mary. Martha is busy with a great many things (hosting guests). Does this sound familiar? Mary was seated at her Lord’s feet learning from him. Now, Jesus is not simply criticizing hospitality and hosting. Nor is he specifically calling out activity, serving, or even busyness. Rather, he’s putting them in their place. The most important thing we can ever do is to spend time with Jesus. Am I listening to Christ through his Word? Am I spending time with Christ in prayer and fellowship? Am I worshiping Christ privately and corporately? Jesus said “one thing is necessary.” That one thing is walking in relationship with him. As you close out 2023 and make plans for 2024, plan and structure your life to look to Christ daily, weekly, consistently.

Question 2: Have I examined my soul and spiritual condition?

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 

2 Corinthians 13:5-6

This is the inward assessment. In writing his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul was not afraid to challenge his readers to examine their spiritual lives. He was not trying to create a sense of fear or stir up doubt. Rather, Paul reminds believers that absolutely nothing matters more than being in Christ and having Christ in you. This is Paul’s way of repeating question number one. So Paul tells us to examine ourselves. Do we have faith? Are we walking with Christ? Is Christ our focus, our goal, our end? These are good questions for us to ask ourselves regularly. Self-examination is not intended to bring shame and self-loathing, but rather encouragement and a refocusing on Christ.

Question 3: Do I have a long-view of my life and the kingdom of God?

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:9-10

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

This is the outward assessment. Sometimes, we evaluate our lives moments, minutes, hours, days, or weeks at a time. That is understandable. But it is short-sighted. God’s view of the world and his rule of the world through his kingdom is patient and certain. God’s work in our world to bring about salvation was thousands of years in the making. From Isaiah’s prophetic announcements to Christ’s first advent was more than 700 years. God gave his people the Promised Land more than 1,000 years before sending the Messiah. And since Christ’s first advent, it has been more than 2,000 years that the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection have spread throughout the earth. God’s kingdom is still advancing through the spread of his gospel. God has given us our mission to lead our neighbors and the nations to follow him. It is the authority of God through Christ (Mt. 28:18) that commands us to make disciples. So we should be living under Christ’s authority and proclaiming his gospel day by day, year by year. This is a long-view of life and the kingdom of God. Are we seeking first the kingdom of God? Are we praying for his kingdom and righteousness in our lives? Are we living for what lasts?

During the new year at Wilkesboro Baptist, we’re going to give consideration to God’s kingdom and God’s future work in the world. On Sunday mornings later in January we will begin a sermon series on the “Good News of the Kingdom of God” and how God is ruling in our world. On Wednesday evenings during our Bible study time, we will explore the doctrine of eschatology (last things). These subjects will help us consider whether or not we are living for what lasts.

Photo by Aiden Frazier on Unsplash

Celebration and St. Patrick’s Day

I write and post this on March 17, 2023 which is St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. For more than 1,000 years the Irish have celebrated this saint bringing Christianity to Ireland. In many ways, people celebrate Irish culture more than they do what motivated Patrick.

Here’s why I post. We become what we celebrate.

Our congregation is a Baptist church. We are not Roman Catholic and do not have patron saints. We have significant differences in our theological formulations than do the Roman Catholics. But just because we don’t agree on everything doesn’t mean that church history is to be ignored or utterly rejected. Christians of all denominations and backgrounds can learn some things from Patrick’s life and witness.

Much of what is remembered regarding St. Patrick is fable and myth—like the claim that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. But what is certain about Patrick is his influence as a missionary. A Romanized Briton, Patrick was sold as a slave to a cruel Northern Irish master at 16. During his enslavement, he suffered greatly facing abuse and many difficulties. While raised nominally as a Christian, his suffering drove him to deeper faith in God. He escaped slavery after 6 years and boarded a ship to Europe.

Not long after returning to his family in England, God called him to be a missionary in Ireland—the land of his slavery. Though he may not have been the first missionary, Ireland in those days was pagan and wicked. Facing opposition from the druids, Patrick offered these words.

Daily I expect murder, fraud or captivity. But I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of the God almighty who rules everywhere.

St. Patrick

While not well-educated, Patrick prayed deeply and read the Scripture constantly. He also valued the education he lacked and promoted the copying of much European writings that actually resulted in their survival during the Middle Ages. His life and witness was greatly influential as hundreds of Celtic monks left their homeland to spread the gospel to Scotland, England and Europe. 

I’m not suggesting that we adopt Patrick as a patron saint. But Patrick’s life and ministry do teach us some things worth celebrating. If we become what we celebrate, then what have you celebrated lately? Here are a just a few celebration lessons from Patrick’s history that we can adopt.

  • We can celebrate spiritual development and learning. In his excellent book How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Patrick’s love of learning and education influenced the copying of ancient texts and kept much learning alive in the Medieval world. In my devotions this morning, I read these verses in Galatians 4:18-19: “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” Christ formed in us is the purpose of Christian discipleship (see also Romans 8:29). There is no better way to develop and learn spiritually than to read God’s Word and follow Christ. Take a moment today and celebrate the Bible that you have, the lessons from its pages, and the people who have taught it to you.
  • We can celebrate even in suffering. Patrick’s life was anything but easy. He suffered unjustly as a slave facing cruelty and abuse. Many of us are suffering today physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Some of us have faced unjust or abusive treatment. Patrick did not withdraw into emotional or personal isolation. Rather, his sufferings drove him to God. I’m not suggesting that we celebrate our sufferings. But I am suggesting that we celebrate Jesus who suffered on our behalf, and that we celebrate the God whose suffering through Christ on the cross is our redemption.
  • We can celebrate the work of redemption. Patrick was a missionary. He took the gospel to Ireland, and many became followers of Jesus because of his witness. Who shared the gospel with you? That person, church, Sunday school teacher, parent, grandparent, pastor, missionary, evangelist, friend is worth celebrating. And we must celebrate the salvation of sinners! In the past week, I’ve learned of three people who have put their faith in Christ. One was a gentleman I’ve been talking to recently. He was helped on his journey by several church members. Another was a 6 year old whose grandmother led him to trust in Christ after his many questions about Jesus and eternal life. The third was a gentleman who came to peace with Christ after realizing that the perfection he was striving for had already been attained by Christ. I’m celebrating these who have come to faith in Christ. Will you celebrate with me?

If you don’t wear green or participate in St. Patrick’s day celebrations, that’s ok. But let’s remember to celebrate what God has taught us, how he has helped us through suffering, and how his has redeemed us. If you’re in the Wilkesboro area, join us for worship at Wilkesboro Baptist as we celebrate Jesus this Sunday (8:00 am, 9:30 am, or 11:00 am). If you’re not in our area, make plans to go to church and celebrate this weekend.

My information about Patrick came from this wonderful book 131 Christians Everyone Should Know.

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash