Author: kevinjandt

What does it mean to believe in something?

I believe my wife loves me but how do I know this to be true?

John 3:16 says that whoever “believes” will inherit eternal life.  That sounds easy enough.  Okay, I believe.  Done.  On to the next topic…

Is it really this simple?  Well, yes, in some respects it is that simple, but then it gets more complicated.  Now what?

Going back to the question about my wife loving me.  The way I know, and the way I trust my wife loves me is how she interacts with me, and the way she behaves toward me.  Or maybe I should turn this around.  How do I behave toward her?

If I won’t speak to her, or I don’t care what she thinks about things, or I don’t interact with her in a way that shows love toward her, if my attention is toward another, then do I really love her?

Suppose I was away on a trip for many months and she sent me letters and I never read them.  I never picked up the phone to call her and ask how things are at home.  Does this give the impression I really care?

Belief transforms our behaviors.  Belief says we “do” by the way we act.  I don’t act to believe, I act because I believe.

This is why Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”  You can talk about how much you love Christ but outside of your actions, these are just words.

Do you read His letters?  Do you call on Him through prayer?

Are your affections turned toward Him?  This is at the bottom of true belief a transformation from one at enmity toward God to one that loves and desires a close intimate relationship with God through His Son.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:1

Kevin

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 2 Kings 18:3-8

If you’ve ever read through the Old Testament and been perplexed by the things written you are probably not alone.  It’s an oddity in many respects.  One king does evil, the next king does evil, the follow king does more evil in the sight of the Lord and then finally one comes along that did what was right.  Here comes Hezekiah.  At last a relief to all the wicked kings and their wicked rule.

Really, what is the point to all this?  Do you suppose God has a purpose in telling us these things?  Well, certainly He does and we should really pay attention because the lessons are significant.

While we don’t live in a day where we generally erect poles and have metal or wooden statutes on our mantel’s we often have more idols than we may realize.  Yes, idol worship is alive and well but probably not the way you think it is.  Now at this point, I should be cautious.  I’ve known of places that make everything an idol.  The love of your family can be an idol, even healthy and honorable things are called idols.  I don’t believe God sees it all as idol worship but we should be aware and cautious of our own hearts.

Look at what Spurgeon said about this topic

We are not to worship any other god, and we are not to worship the true God by the use of representative symbols.  He is a Spirit and is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth and not by the use of visible imagery.  The human mind since the fall finds it hard to keep to this.  There is much idol breaking to be done in the church of God.

We can pretty easily point to Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy and say, “yep… see those icons they have…  tear ’em down”, and we are correct that this does not worship God in the way He has required and He has indeed prohibited this form of worship but since we are “Reformed” or we are “Protestants” we get this right.  Well, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to make this assumption.

Spurgeon continues

For example, we are all too apt as Christians to place some degree of reliance on those God in his infinite mercy raises up to be leaders in the Christian church.  We ought to be thankful for the Paul who plants so well and the Apollos who waters so ably, but the danger is that we look to the person not only with the respect that is due to him as God’s ambassador but with some degree of superstitious reliance on his authority and ability.

Ouch!

If your pastor is a godly leader you can be very thankful.  You owe him the honor for his labor and work, but he is a man that has faults and sins just as you do and just as I do.  By all means, he should be held accountable.  A dictatorial leader is all too common and should be run out of the ministry, so just like in all things there needs to be a balance.  But never exalt this man too highly.

Spurgeon concludes with this illustration from an old Puritan

Suppose a loving husband were to give to his wife many rings and jewels out of love to her, and she should come to think so highly of the love tokens that she sat and looked at them, and admired them, and forgot her husband?

These idols must be smashed…  let us never forget our first love.  It is Christ that saved us,  it is Christ that bought and paid for us.  How dare we focus our attention on another.

Kevin

 

Boarding a plane is a lot of fun… ok, not really fun per se, but always interesting.

I’ve gone from being an “elite” flyer to “welcome to the cattle call”. Oh well, life goes on and really it means I travel less and I’m home more. Pretty grateful for the change.

Yesterday I boarded a plane and it’s fun to try and figure out what runs through peoples minds, who are these people?

The businessman, the athlete, the cowboy (I was on my way to Dallas after all), the next D.B. Cooper perhaps… Most folks are normal I suppose, but I think I’m normal and I’m not.

I’m not but not in the way you might think or even I think.  I’m different because of the work of another. It really had nothing to do with me. It’s a weird thing for the human mind to comprehend.

The doctrine of election says God chose you before time began (Ephesians 1:4) and that makes me unique.  Again, can I reiterate it was not my doing?  I take no credit for it, I played no part in it, but yet the gain is mine.  It is quite humiliating and that really is the point of election.  You were dead one day and then one day you were alive.

We are talking about the spiritual reality of life and death (Ephesians 2:1).  God uses this precious doctrine to teach us something.  Mainly, God is in control and we are not.  He teaches the vessels of mercy, a rich understanding of their reliance upon Him.

Election may very well be the most hated doctrine in all of Christianity and it is because it takes away human autonomy.  It says to our sinful selves…  “you can’t.”  “But I can.  Therefore, stop trying.  Believe in Me and be saved.”

At the bottom of all of the supposed controversy about the doctrine of election, there is this simple reality.  Lay down your arms.  Turn back to God and receive His forgiveness and grace.

The parallel reality to God’s sovereign choice is that nothing keeps you from Him but your hard and impenitent heart.  Like an unsolvable mystery; sometimes there are truths we must accept and they are reserved only for the mind of God.  The Bible teaches God is sovereign in salvation and man is accountable.  Don’t miss this.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Kevin

What is it that is offensive about Muzak?  It’s easy to listen to, it doesn’t raise the heart-rate, and it’s soothing but there is something about it that rubs me the wrong way.

It’s an imitation of the real thing, and in a sense, that feels a little greasy to me.

It wasn’t too long ago and I was in Arizona cruising around with my dad doing his golf cart thing.  He’s found a little niche and, can best be described, as a golf cart flipper.  He loves it.  He’s good at it and I enjoy an opportunity to hang with him.

But the Muzak…  Yikes…

Floyd Cramer cranking out Proud Mary just doesn’t work for me.

Un-authentic Christianity can have a similar vibe.  It brings things to mind but doesn’t quite satisfy the soul.  It’s like a cheap suit on an otherwise well-dressed man.  Not what you want to see or hear.

While you can tolerate Muzak for a time, it’s not what you really want to hear and in a sense hypocrites and imposters will be tolerated for a time.

Don’t be one.  Be hot or be cold, but don’t be luke-warm.  You know, it has to do with vomit.

Jesus was no fan of this either.

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Matthew 23:28

The tell-tale sign is hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Cheap imitations of Christ’s calling.

Be careful how you walk if you are an authentic Christian.  Others are watching.

 

Kevin

 

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.  Psalm 103:17-18

God keeps covenant.  Period.  Plain and simple.

What is a covenant you might ask?  The simple answer from the Catechism: it is an agreement between two or more people.

I’ve been in Arizona for work but stayed a few extra days to visit my mother and father.  I came to see that the covenant promises of God have been very true for me and more importantly I play a role in fulfilling those for the future.

These are generational promises or a multi-generational vision for the family as Voddie Baucham has written in his book What He Must Be.

Where am I going with this?

I’m a Christian.  My Mother and Father are Christians.  My Grandmother was a Christian and my great Grandfather was, guess what?  Yes, he was a Christian.

Well, of course, anyone can “claim” to be a Christian.  I meet them all the time when engaging in evangelism, but what makes me believe this?  A life well lived, through a life that emulates Christian living.  It’s not a perfect gauge of a truly regenerate person, but it sure does give us good indications.

While looking through his closet my Dad came across an old Bible from his Grandfather.  It was loaded with notes and studies of the Scriptures that made me think, Wow…

My Dad said to me, “yeah, Grandpa studied the bible all the time.  He was always reading it.”  As I spent time gazing upon words that were written in the 1940s and earlier, I stood in awe of the God that keeps covenant.

Exodus 20:6
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The role I play now is to teach this to my children, that they will teach to their children because they are not born Christians, nor are those born into Christian families always Christians.  It requires repentance and faith to come to Christ.  It requires the new birth, but if I may say, the odds are better.  Better simply because if your children hear the gospel in the home, or have the Bible read and see a Christian life, without hypocrisy, lived out, then it has an impact.

Today is a new day.  It’s a day to either continue or to start a multi-generational vision.  God is faithful.  Pray for His grace and mercy, and plead for the souls of your children.

Kevin