A Letter From the Future

When Zac Smith discovered that he had terminal cancer and a short time to live, he wrote this letter to his younger self.

I saw this video on Mark Merrill's blog (www.markmerrill.com) this morning.

"Man is like a breath,
his days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4).

Tough Joy

I've noticed a special quality of joy in the Christians of the New Testament.

"But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised" (Hebrews 10:32-36).

These early Christians were characterized by joy when they faced ridicule, cutting remarks, imprisonment, and the theft of their property. They were being persecuted for believing in Jesus Christ. But their joy could not be taken from them, because they had sincere faith and hope in the promises of God's word. They trusted their Savior and his word. Their joy was tough because their faith and hope in Christ were solid.

Their tough joy was a product of the Holy Spirit in their lives (Galatians 5:22). I want to see him produce it in the lives of all of us who follow Christ today as well.

The Life That Matters

I liked today's reading in the devotional Our Daily Bread. Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. It was written by David Roper. More devotionals may be found at http://odb.org. This is today's devotional:

"Remember those...who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith follow" (Hebrews 13:7).

"Isaac Hann was a little-known pastor who served a small church in Loughwood, England, in the mid-18th century. At the close of his ministry, the membership of the church numbered 26 women and 7 men. And only 4 of the men attended with any regularity.

"In this age of mass media and mega-churches, who would consider this a successful work? In our world today, Isaac Hann would be considered one of those pastors who never quite 'made it.' He certainly wouldn't have been invited to speak at pastors' conferences, nor would he have written articles on church growth.

"Yet, when he died at 88 his parishioners placed a plaque on the wall of their meeting house that remains to this day. It reads in part:

Few ministers so humble were, yet few so much admired:
Ripened for heaven by grace divine, like autumn fruit he fell;
Reader think not to live so long, but seek to live as well.

"First Peter 5:5-6 comes to mind: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.' Reverend Isaac Hann 'made it big' in a way that matters--humility before God and a reward in heaven. We can too.

"Humility is the recipe for success."

Truth in Blogging

If you have read my blog for very long, you will not be surprised by anything that I am about to share. But I thought it might be a good idea to write a few words about myself and my perspectives so that any reader would know where I'm coming from theologically and socially.

My Theology

I am a member of the Church of Christ. My theology can be best described as conservative evangelical. I don't try to be innovative in doctrine. I try to be accurate and biblically orthodox. For example,

I believe in the doctrine of the trinity. I believe that the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit are (or is) God. (I'm not sure how to write that sentence in a grammatically correct way.) I believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, always present in his creation, and completely holy in his character.

I believe that God created the universe as it is revealed in Genesis. I believe that he prepared the earth for people in six days. I believe that he made Adam and Eve in his image from the dust of the ground on the sixth day.

I believe that Satan tempted Eve. I believe that the sin of Adam led to the corruption of a good universe and to the alienation between God and man.

I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that he needed to die in my place in order to turn away God's just wrath against me and sinners like me. His resurrection gives me confidence that his Father accepted his sacrifice on my behalf.

I believe that I am saved by God's grace (as seen in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection) through faith (in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior) apart from any work on my part that could cause anyone to think that I deserved to be saved.

I believe that the Holy Spirit lives in God's church today. I believe that he is active in making believers more like Jesus.

I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the words of the Bible. I believe that the Bible was given to humanity as God's completely accurate message to us...without error because God is completely honest and completely competent.

I believe that repentant believers in Christ need to be baptized, because we need to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We need to be able to mark the end of our lives without Christ and the beginning of our lives with Christ.

I believe that Christ's church consists all repentant baptized believers who are committed to following Jesus Christ and glorifying God.

I believe that Jesus Christ will return and usher in new heavens and a new earth that will be the home of righteousness. The Day of Judgment will come. Heaven and hell are equally real and equally eternal.

My Social Concerns

This will be much shorter.

I am concerned about loving people. According to Jesus, it's the second greatest commandment (behind loving God).

I concentrate on loving the people around me first. I want to be a good husband, father, son, brother, employee, neighbor, citizen, and church member.

Then, I focus on broader social concerns that affect people. Many of my posts will reveal that I think a lot about abortion, adoption, caring for God's creation, poverty, racial harmony, and strengthening marriages and families.

If anyone was confused about where I'm coming from, I hope this helps. I try to be honest and open.

The Appeal of the New Calvinism

A year ago, TIME Magazine recognized the new Calvinism as one of the top ten ideas shaping the world (www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html).

Why are the new Calvinists making such an impact on the world?

1. New Calvinists embrace the view of a powerful God. They understand God to be all-knowing and all-powerful. He is a God who is not surprised. He is a God who is in control. He is a God who can be trusted when one is facing trouble beyond his own control. We may be surprised at a job loss or a diagnosis of cancer, but God is not. We may not be able to handle our problems, but God is. When everything goes wrong in our lives, we can trust the One in control to do the right thing (even when it is the hard thing).

2. New Calvinists embrace the view of a flawed humanity. They understand that people are sinners. They know that people need a Savior, because although we may not be as bad as we could be, we are nowhere near as good as we need to be. We have been tainted with a pride and selfishness that ruins our hopes of being who we know we should be.

3. New Calvinists embrace the reality of sin and its consequences. They understand that they are sinners deserving of hell and undeserving of heaven.

4. New Calvinists embrace the need for God's grace in Christ. They understand that their only hope is in what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. They know that Christ died in their place, taking on their sins and appeasing the wrath of God, so that they may live in a right relationship with God forever.

5. New Calvinists embrace the Scriptures as God's inerrant word. They understand that the Bible is trustworthy because God is trustworthy. Since the Lord is neither incompetent nor dishonest, they know that they can trust his message to them.

6. New Calvinists embrace the distinctions between men and women. They understand that God created all people in his image, but that he made men and women to complement each other. In an age of gender confusion, they acknowledge that men and women are different and that such differences are good and healthy.

7. New Calvinists embrace the glory of God. They are obsessed with bringing glory to God rather than to themselves.

The new Calvinists are counter-cultural, but culturally engaged; and in many ways, their counter-cultural views make them more appealing in the culture. They offer something solid and stable to a generation without much stability.

Halloween Hell

This is my planned communion meditation for this coming Sunday at the Contact Church.

When I was a teenager, I would go to the latest scary movies with my friends during this time of year. You could always count on being scared by movies like Friday the 13th or The Nightmare on Elm Street during the Halloween season.

In recent years, Guts Church in east Tulsa has sponsored a Hell House in the weeks leading up to Halloween. When people visit their haunted house, they see a depiction of the horrible consequences of living and dying without Christ in their lives. They get a glimpse of hell.

When you think about it, nothing is more frightening than the prospect of facing an all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely holy God with unforgiven sin in our lives. The Bible warns us, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Jesus warns us, "I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after killing the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him" (Luke 12:5). God warns us that sinners face "the fiery lake of burning sulfur" (Revelation 21:8).

As we remember Christ's sacrifice on our behalf when we take the Lord's Supper today, we remember that we were heading toward hell at one time in our lives. As Paul wrote to Titus, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7).

Since Jesus died and rose again for us, those of us who have believed the message of the cross and have been changed by it do not need to dread hell. We can now look forward to the day Christ returns to usher in "a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13), a time and a place in which we can live forever in a state of peace with God and each other.

Murder and Urban Ministry

I've been thinking about the importance of urban ministry in a violent society for the last few days.

At the end of last week, a 16-year old boy was walking home from his bus stop when a car pulled up alongside him. After an exchange of a few words, someone in the car opened fire and murdered the kid.

According to news accounts of the incident, the murdered young man was a good student with a pleasant personality and respectful attitude. Unfortunately, he lived in a "bad part of town"--a euphemism for the poor, black, and violent section of the city.

On Sunday morning, a few of the teenagers in the Contact Church requested prayers for the murdered boy's family as they mourned his death. According to the prayer requests, the criminals who murdered the boy did so after he could not (or would not) tell them the location of someone else for whom they were looking.

As I have thought about the situation this week, I have come to have a deeper appreciation for the Contact Church. The urban poor need such churches. Like everyone else, they need safe people with whom they can share their struggles. They need to be able to get together in safe places and pray for the people they deeply love. They need the encouragement of gathering with and working alongside people who share their faith in Jesus Christ. They need people who will share the gospel of God's love with them so that, if they meet a violent end to their lives this week, they will be prepared for heaven.

During times like these, I feel honored to be a part of such a church.

High Standards and Generous Forgiveness

Yesterday, I was reminded of a seeming paradox in the Christian faith.

Before our preacher Ron Babbit spoke in our worship service, one of our members addressed the congregation. "Neighbor" (as he is known) stood in front of the podium to apologize and to ask for forgiveness. "Neighbor" has been a member of the Contact Church for nearly 5 years, but he has struggled with an addiction to alcohol and drugs for most of his 50-plus years of life.

A little over a week ago, one of our other members saw "Neighbor" entering a bar. "Neighbor" does not remember the details of what happened, because he was already in an alcohol and drug induced blackout. Apparently, our concerned member contacted a few other church members to try to help "Neighbor." But he responded badly to the attempt to help him, with abusive language and belligerent behavior. They could not help him. Eventually, he woke up in the county jail that evening, charged with public intoxication, and not knowing how he had managed to get into such trouble. He did not even know how he had treated fellow Christians who had tried to help him that night.

Sunday morning, he confessed his guilt. He thanked those who had tried to help him; and he asked for their forgiveness. "Neighbor" wants to do what is right with his life.

The entire congregation came forward, put our arms around him, and prayed for our friend and brother "Neighbor." Everyone loves "Neighbor" and wants him to be successful in overcoming his addiction. We want to see him living free from his sin.

What was the paradox that I noticed? On the one hand, we speak out against sins like drunkenness, cussing, hatefulness, and irresponsible behavior. We have high moral standards...such high standards that we are sometimes accused of moralism and self-righteousness. On the other hand, we are eager to offer forgiveness...so eager that we are sometimes accused of naivete and being too soft on the guilty.

We understand that every sin is an offense against God. We know that hell is deserved. We comprehend that our sins placed Christ on the cross. He died because of our sins. We know that our sins are destroying our sense of inner peace as well as our peace with God.

We also understand that God wants to forgive us. We realize that Christ sacrificed his life to forgive us and to free us from our sins. He wants us to enjoy life in heaven with him forever. We know that we need to show mercy to each other, since Christ has been merciful to us. We have received a generous dose of forgiveness, and need to extend generous forgiveness to others who have seen their need to repent.

As the Bible teaches, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:3-6).

Use Words if Necessary?

Francis of Assisi has been credited with saying, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."

I am not certain what he intended when he said those words, but I have seen the quote used to justify being silent about the gospel of Christ. The problem with such an application of Francis' words is: It's always necessary to use words to preach the gospel.

If one concentrates on doing good deeds without telling others about his motivation (the gospel), he risks stealing the glory away from God. Christ should be honored by the Christian's good deeds, but how will anyone know to honor Christ if the Christian is silent about him? As Max Lucado has said, "If we ever get to the point where our goal is to have people say, 'What a wonderful person,' we're missing the mark. Instead, our goal is to have people say, 'What a wonderful God this person serves.' Our task is to have people say, 'Tell me about your God,' and to point people to him." As Jesus Christ said, "(L)et your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

If someone is helping the poor and caring for the vulnerable, he may be doing God's work. However, if he is doing those things without letting anyone know about what Christ has done, he is not doing God's work. He is doing something that, at best, helps someone temporarily. At worst, he is doing those things to feel good about himself. In either case, he falls short of glorifying God. He sins.

The goal of Christians' good deeds is "so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive" (Titus 2:10). Good actions and attitudes enhance the credibility and attractiveness of the gospel, but they do not replace the gospel of what Christ has done. They are not intended to place the focus on Christians. They are intended to shift the focus to the Savior who has motivated and empowered us to love others.

In dying for our sins and being resurrected from the dead, Jesus Christ has done something worth mentioning to others. In ascending into heaven and promising to return, he motivates us to tell others about his accomplishments and promises. In sending the Holy Spirit to live in his people, he empowers us to lead God-honoring lives that point people to him as the Savior and Lord.

People need to hear about what Christ has done for them. Many are living in frustration, struggling with their sins, addictions, and inadequacies without help from above. They need to hear about the hope of heaven and the warnings of hell. They need the opportunity to believe. They need the opportunity to repent. They need the opportunity to bury their lives of futility and to be born again with a real reason to live.

We are doing no one any favors by remaining silent about Jesus. He has done something special, and everyone needs to know it.

Use words. They are necessary.

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).

Dad, Why Would Someone Go to Hell?

Christopher and I had another interesting conversation before bedtime tonight. Here is how it went...

Christopher: "Dad, why would someone go to hell?"

Me: "Well, people go to hell for ignoring God and doing things their own way without considering what God wants."

Christopher: "Like killing someone?"

Me: "Yes, that would be one reason for going to hell. But even if you have ignored God and done things your own way, you can be forgiven. You don't need to go to hell because of what Jesus has done to forgive you."

Christopher: "How can you be forgiven?"

Me: "God wants you to trust him and to turn to him. He wants us to stop ignoring him and living our own way without considering his way of living. He wants us to follow Jesus. The first thing we do when we start to follow Jesus is to be baptized."

Christopher: "I don't want to be baptized."

Me: "Well, maybe someday you will...when you want to follow Jesus. Do you know what baptism means?"

Christopher: "Going into the water."

Me: "Yes, but it is more than just going under the water. When you are baptized, you are burying your old life of ignoring God and doing things your own way. You come up out of the water ready to start a new life of following Christ."

Christopher: "Is that better?"

Me: "Yes."

Christopher: "How?"

Me: "Well, it feels good to be forgiven. And you look forward to when Jesus comes back because you will be able to enjoy being with God forever. None of the bad things in this life will be a problem anymore when that happens. You will have only the good things in life left to enjoy."

Christopher: "You won't have to see anyone die anymore? Mommy won't have to cry?"

Me: "That's right. Only good things will happen for Jesus' followers when he comes back. Nothing bad will ever happen again."

Sometimes my son amazes me. I never considered that a 6-year old boy would ask such deep questions. I hope that I answered them in a way that he understood.

The Gift Exchange

A faint knock at the door awakened the old man.

"Dad?"

"Yes, come on in, son," the old man said from his hospital bed.

"Where are Mom and the people from church?" asked the young man.

"I asked them to take your mother out to eat. She needs a break, and I wanted to talk with you alone."

A little nervous, the young man asked, "Is everything all right, Dad?"

"Well, you know what the doctor has said. I'm not going to be around much longer." The old man coughed. "But I wanted to give you a gift before the end comes."

"A gift?" the son said with curiosity.

"Yes. You see, son, I've been thinking about the day your grandfather died. I would have wanted him to tell me something like I'm going to tell you tonight." The old man paused and wiped away a tear before continuing. "I remember as a boy when my dad walked down a church aisle to give his life to Christ. I even remember his baptism--that sort of thing makes a huge impression on a young boy. I remember how he led prayer around the dinner table as I was growing up, and I even remember how he led prayers in church every once in a while. But long before you were born, something changed in Grandpa's life. He stopped praying, or going to church, or expressing any interest in Jesus-- as far as I could see. I could not tell whether he really believed in Jesus Christ or not. I never knew whether he was ready to meet God when he died."

The young man did not know how to respond.

The father continued, "I would have loved for him to have given me the gift of assurance that he truly trusted in Christ and expected to be with God forever."

The older man looked at the muted TV before going on. "I just wanted to let you know that you don't need to worry about me. I really do believe in Jesus Christ. I really am committed to him. And I really do expect to be in heaven in a short time from now."

"Dad, you did not have to tell me," the young man answered. "I have seen your faith in the way you live. When I was growing up, I never told you, but I often found you in the early mornings reading your Bible and praying while you thought you were alone. I heard your prayers, when you thought no one but God was listening. I saw how you treated Mom. I know how you treated me. I saw how you would help friends, strangers, and even people who did not like you much. I saw God's Spirit in you. So you didn't really need to give me the gift of letting me know that you were right with God. I knew it, but I'm glad you told me anyway."

Choking up a little, the father hugged his son and said, "Thank you for that gift. Now I have only one more thing to ask from you: Meet me in heaven some day, son."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Dad."

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).

Heaven

I just finished reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn. In the book, Mr. Alcorn makes the case that Christians can anticipate not only going to heaven when we die, but also the time when heaven will come to earth in the end.

His thesis is based on Revelation 21:1-5, which states,

"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, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live 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.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

He challenges the common perception that our final state of existence will be non-physical and boring. At our anticipated resurrection, we will experience an actual physical resurrection just like Jesus did. "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised" (1 Corinthians 15:13). Since Christ has been raised, his followers hope to be raised like he has been.

In the end, not only will people enjoy the resurrection, but the universe itself will take part in a physical resurrection and be restored to the condition in which it existed before sin entered the "very good" creation of the beginning. "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21).

In the new heavens and new earth, resurrected and glorified people will enjoy the presence of our Savior forever. God will live with us. He will give us opportunities to serve based on how we have handled our responsibilities on the old earth. We will enjoy life with each other without the presence of relationship-destroying sins like envy, pride, hatred, or any other sin. A new culture will develop as we use our gifts and abilities to continually enrich the lives of others.

Although Mr. Alcorn engaged in some speculation about what the future may hold, his general thesis is solid. We can look forward to a new heavens and a new earth in our resurrected and glorified bodies. Christians will enjoy the presence of God forever. To his credit, when he engaged in speculation, he admitted it. He acknowledged that he could be wrong on some of the details, since he was using his imagination to describe in more detail what the Scriptures reveal in a more general manner.

Heaven is a book worth reading. It inspires hope for the future. It warns against the alternative of hell. It motivates people to trust in Christ and to follow him. It encourages the use of one's gifts and abilities to love people and honor God in concrete ways as we await the coming resurrection and renewal of creation. It prompts people to appreciate God in all his glory.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:11-13).

You Have God's Permission to Enjoy Life

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25).

"God isn't displeased when we enjoy a good meal, marital sex, a football game, a cozy fire, or a good book. He's not up in Heaven frowning down at us and saying, 'Stop it--you should only find joy in me.' This would be as foreign to God's nature as our heavenly Father as it would be to mine as an earthly father if I gave my daughters a Christmas gift and started pouting because they enjoyed it too much. No, I gave the gift to bring joy to them and to me--if they didn't take pleasure in it, I'd be disappointed. Their pleasure in my gift to them draws them closer to me. I am delighted that they enjoy the gift.

"Of course, if children become so preoccupied with the gift that they walk away from their father and ignore him, that's different. Though preoccupation with a God-given gift can turn into idolatry, enjoying that same gift with a grateful heart can draw us closer to God. In Heaven we'll have no capacity to turn people or things into idols. When we find joy in God's gifts, we will be finding our joy in him.

"All secondary things are derivative in nature. They cannot be separated from God. Flowers are beautiful for one reason--God is beautiful. Rainbows are stunning because God is stunning. Puppies are delightful because God is delightful. Sports are fun because God is fun. Study is rewarding because God is rewarding. Work is fulfilling because God is fulfilling.

"Ironically, some people who are the most determined to avoid the sacrilege of putting things before God miss a thousand daily opportunities to thank him, praise him, and draw near to him, because they imagine they shouldn't enjoy the very things he made to help us know him and love him.

"God is a lavish giver. 'He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?' (Romans 8:32). The God who gave us his Son delights to graciously give us 'all things.' These 'all things' are in addition to Christ, but they are never instead of him--they come, Scripture tells us, 'along with him.' If we didn't have Christ, we would have nothing. But because we have Christ, we have everything. Hence, we can enjoy the people and things God has made, and in the process enjoy the God who designed and provided them for his pleasure and ours.

"God welcomes prayers of thanksgiving for meals, warm fires, games, books, relationships, and every other good thing. When we fail to acknowledge God as the source of all good things, we fail to give him the recognition and glory he deserves. We separate joy from God, which is like trying to separate heat from fire or wetness from rain.

"...Every day we should see God in his creation: in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the friendships we enjoy, and the pleasures of family, work, and hobbies. Yes, we must sometimes forgo secondary pleasures, and we should never let them eclipse God. And we should avoid opulence and waste when others are needy. But we should thank God for all of life's joys, large and small, and allow them to draw us to him" (Randy Alcorn, Heaven, pp. 177-178).

Hell

Walking past Janet on my way to the computer, I mentioned, "I'm going to write about hell." She just rolled her eyes, as if to say, He just doesn't know how to stay away from controversial topics. I'm sure she's right.

Actually, I have been reading a fascinating book called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I have never read anything quite like it. The book clarifies some of the vague concepts that I have had about heaven for a long time. In addition, it has filled me with a greater passion about going to heaven. I plan on writing about heaven after I have finished the book in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I would like to share a good quote about hell from Why We're Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. It is found on pages 198-200.

"We need the doctrine of eternal punishment. Time and time again in the New Testament we find that understanding divine justice is essential to our sanctification. Believing in God's judgment actually helps us look more like Jesus. In short, we need the doctrine of the wrath of God.

"First, we need God's wrath to keep us honest about evangelism. Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment (Acts 24:25). We need to do the same. Without the doctrine of hell, we are prone to get involved in all sorts of important God-honoring things, but neglect the one thing that matters for all eternity, urging sinners to be reconciled to God.

"Second, we need God's wrath in order to forgive our enemies. The reason we can forego repaying evil for evil is because we trust the Lord's promise to repay the wicked. Paul's logic is sound. 'Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord' (Rom. 12:19). The only way to look past our deepest hurts and betrayals is to rest assured that every sin against us has been paid for on the cross or will be punished in hell. We don't have to seek vigilante justice, because God will be our just judge.

"Third, we need God's wrath in order to risk our lives for Jesus' sake. The radical devotion necessary to suffer for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus comes, in part, from the assurance we have that God will vindicate us in the end. That's why the martyrs under the throne cry out, 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?' (Rev. 6:10). They paid the ultimate price for their faith, but their blood-stained cries will be answered one day. Their innocence will be established when God finally judges their persecutors.

"Fourth, we need God's wrath in order to live holy lives. Paul warns us that God cannot be mocked. We will reap what we sow. We are spurred on to live a life of purity and good deeds by the promised reward for obedience and the promised curse for disobedience. If we live to please the flesh, we will reap destruction from God. But if we live to please the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:6-7). Sometimes ministers balk at the thought of motivating people with the threat of eternal punishment. But wasn't this Jesus' approach when He said, 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell' (Matt. 10:28)? Sometimes we need to literally scare the hell out of people.

"Fifth, we need God's wrath in order to understand what mercy means. Divine mercy without divine wrath is meaningless. Only when we know that we were objects of wrath (Eph. 2:3), stood condemned already (John 3:18), and would have faced hell as God's enemies were it not for undeserved mercy (Rom. 5:10) can we sing from the heart, 'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!'

"Sixth, we need God's wrath in order to grasp how wonderful heaven will be. Jonathan Edwards is famous (or infamous) for his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.' It's still read in American literature classes, usually as a caricature of the puritanical spirit of colonial New England. But few people realize that Edwards also preached sermons like 'Heaven is a World of Love.' Unlike most of us, Edwards saw in vivid colors the terror of hell and the beauty of heaven. We can't get a striking picture of one without the other. That's why the depiction of the heavenly New Jerusalem also contains a warning to the cowardly, unbelieving, vile, immoral, idolaters, and liars whose place is in 'the fiery lake of burning sulfur' (Rev. 21:8). It's unlikely we will long for our final salvation if we don't know what we are saved from.

"Seventh, we need the wrath of God in order to be motivated to care for our impoverished brothers and sisters. We all know the saying that Christians are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good. The idea is that if all we think about are heaven and hell we'll ignore ministries of compassion and social justice. But what better impetus for social justice than Jesus' sober warning that if we fail to care for the least of our brothers we will go away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:31-46)? The wrath of God is a motivator for us to show compassion to others, because without love, John says, we have no eternal life, and if we don't share our material possessions with those in need, we have no love (1 John 3:17).

"Eighth, we need God's wrath in order to be ready for the Lord's return. We must keep the lamps full, the wicks trimmed, the houses clean, the vineyard tended, the workers busy, and the talents invested lest we find ourselves unprepared for the day of reckoning. Only when we fully believe in the coming wrath of God and tremble at the thought of eternal punishment will we stay awake, keep alert, and be prepared for Jesus to come again and judge the living and the dead."

Another Reason to Anticipate Heaven

"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, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live 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).

Twenty years ago, I was a junior at Oklahoma Christian University who was majoring in education and minoring in social studies. During that time, I studied under one of the greatest men I have ever known: Dr. John Thompson. I always enjoyed his classes. In his class on the American Presidency, he would rile up the students (who were mostly Republicans) by always referring to FDR as "The Great Franklin Delano Roosevelt," with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. He would speak with passion on the topics of W.E.B. Du Bois and other early African American leaders. His laughter was as contagious as his kindness. I spent hours between classes in his office discussing everything from history to politics to our common faith in Christ. He never complained about the time I wasted; in fact, he seemed to enjoy our conversations as much as I did.

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Oklahoma Christian informing me that Dr. Thompson had passed away. He was a great man...a legend. His presence with Christ now is one more reason to anticipate heaven. We will meet again someday to share the laughter and joy forever.

See more about Dr. John Thompson at http://blogs.oc.edu/ee/index.php?/ocnews/oc_family_mourns_passing_of_dr_john_thompson/.

Stop the Presses: Preacher Believes Jesus Saves!

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Is this so rare that it's newsworthy? A preacher who believes that only Jesus Christ saves people has been found in Alaska (http://www.newsweek.com/id/157570).

(Thanks to Albert Mohler's blog for alerting me to the story.)

The Home of Righteousness

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13, NIV).

I love Peter's phrase for our ultimate destination as Christians: "the home of righteousness."
When Jesus Christ returns, everything will change. The universe will be different. I will be different. I will be at home in the home of righteousness.

I will have the right attitude. I will think the right thoughts. I will say the right words. I will act in the right ways. I will be all right...and that is something exciting to anticipate.

However, I am most excited about the expectation of completely right relationships. Nothing will interfere with my relationship with God. I will be as close to him as a man can possibly be. I will worship without distraction. I will be in awe of aspects of his character and power that I have not even noticed in this life.

Furthermore, I will enjoy completely right relationships with other people, angels, and whatever other creatures may live with us in the home of righteousness. No more broken friendships. No more misunderstandings. No more selfishness interfering with us.

Followers of Jesus Christ have an enormous inheritance waiting for us in the home of righteousness. When he returns, we will experience a joy and a sense of fulfillment that cannot even be imagined. May that day come soon, and may everyone I love enjoy that day with me!