Evangelism isn’t Everything

I’m fascinated by technology. It has been truly remarkable what man has been able to accomplish in the past 100 years. But as a former design engineer I know that things don’t always go according to plan. The Hubble Space Telescope is a good example of this. After delays and cost over-runs, Hubble was finally sent into space and brought online in 1990. But although the original images were good, they were not as spectacular as astronomers expected. After some investigation it was discovered that the main mirror had been ground to the wrong shape. Thus began an effort to install a “contact lens” or corrective lens for Hubble. Finally, after service mission 1 in 1993, with the COSTAR corrective optics package installed the Hubble truly took our breath away with crystal clear images. You can compare the before and after images here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hubble_Images_of_M100_Before_and_After_Mirror_Repair_-_GPN-2002-000064.jpg

            I’ve been a pastor now for almost eight years. It has taken a while but I have finally realized that the church (at least the evangelical church I’m familiar with) needs a corrective lens. We do not see our main mission as clearly as we should and thus are achieving lack-luster, often temporary results. What is the main mission of the Church? The predominate answer of the evangelical church has been something along the lines of evangelism, missions and outreach, or global missions. Evangelism is certainly critical and a major part of the mission of the church. But the mission Christ gave to the Church was to “make disciples”:

^ESV Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

It is a subtle but significant shift in mission to move from evangelism to making disciples. “Making disciples” is the main verb, the imperative in the Great Commission. “Going”, “baptizing”, and “teaching” all fill out and support the “making of disciples”. Or said another way, evangelism is a part of making disciples but not the whole or even the main thing. My roots are mostly in Baptist style churches. I know we’ve done much better at making converts than making disciples. And based on surveys that show similarities between Christians and non-Christians in terms of lifestyle and worldview in America, the American church in general is not doing well at making disciples.

            Why are we decent at making converts but struggling to make disciples? I think it comes down fundamentally to a misunderstanding of salvation. We’ve limited salvation to only justification or forgiveness of sins. Salvation certainly is to be freed from the guilt of sin. But isn’t the grace of God a double cure? Being freed also from the pollution of sin? I.e. the salvation of sanctification? Salvation begins at our conversion but continues in our sanctification as we are saved from our current foolish ways and beliefs. Thus Peter can say: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) Grace is not synonymous with forgiveness. You might say forgiveness is a subcategory within grace. Peter is not saying “grow in forgiveness” or “get more forgiveness”. He is saying “get more of the dynamic presence of Christ in your life” or “grow closer to Christ” or “tap into more grace to trust Christ more thoroughly and be in sync with Him daily”. When we settle for making converts instead of disciples, we settle for folks whose “train ticket” to Heaven is punched but who know nothing of the journey with Christ or of Christlikeness.

            We need a corrective lens on the mission of the Church. We must no longer be satisfied with professions of faith or even initial actions of obedience – such as baptism. And we must be cautious not to present a truncated gospel – one that limits salvation to forgiveness of sins. In Christ salvation is far more comprehensive. And being a Christian is also a more comprehensive commitment as well, for Jesus says:

^ESV Luke 9:23 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

This is genuine conversion: to repent and transfer our trust from self to Christ. In the NT converts were necessarily disciples. In our day we desperately need this corrective lens to clarify our understanding and appropriation of salvation. Lord, teach us how to make disciples!

Playing for Keeps

When I was a kid I used to play checkers with my Grandpa Keller. He was a gentle and patient man. I know this because he would often say, “Are you sure?” after I had made my move. I learned quickly that he was kindly signaling that I had made a very bone-headed move that I should reconsider. I remember vividly one game we played when I was about 12. I thought I had my Grandpa cornered. Then in one jack-rabbit like move, he hopped here and there all over the board and took out 3 of my kings and another piece or two. I lost big time! After that game was over, I was so glad that it all went back in the box. No permanent monument to my failure. This is the hope of every Christian. God’s grace will “reset” the game at our death or Christ’s return and all our failures will be forgotten – erased by the blood of the Lamb.

            But if grace resets the game, so to speak, what is the point of playing the game well? Do both our losses and victories get put back in the box? Is there anything we get to keep? Any progress that matters? Yes!

^ESV 1 Timothy 4:7-10 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

            We won’t take our material possessions with us to Heaven, nor these current bodies. But we will take “godliness” with us. So we ought not to think of grace as a total reset of the game. The grace of Christ does wash away our sins – zeroing out our losses, but we get to keep our victories! At least those victories that withstand the testing fire (1 Cor 3:10-15).

            As I think about making resolutions for the New Year, I’d like to do something that matters, something that lasts. According to the Apostle Paul training for godliness is what I should pursue. But what is godliness? A study of the term “godliness” in the New Testament will reveal that godliness does not mean “like God” and training for godliness isn’t the pursuit of perfection or an effort to emulate God. “Godliness” is piety, uncommon reverence for God. Jerry Bridges in his book Training for Godliness defines godliness as “devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to Him.” So godliness isn’t so much about outward virtues as it is about cultivating love, fear and devotion to God. Or to put it another way, training for godliness is less “skills” training and more “love of the game” training. Bridges helps us: “So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with him and develop a relationship with him. This is impossible to do.”

            I think godliness is sort of like the “raw material” necessary for eternal existence in God’s presence. Maybe that is why the Lord brought Enoch straight up to Heaven, skipping physical death, because Enoch sought to please God so thoroughly in his life as he walked with God that he had the raw material necessary for Heaven. (Ge 5:24; Heb 11:5) Godliness is a good foundation for the future (1 Tim 6:19). Godliness is our thirst for God – our desire for HIM. (Ps 42)

            Sometimes we’re so hyper-allergic to works righteousness that we’re guilty of putting striving and toiling (1 Tim 4:10) in conflict with grace. As if by training for godliness we were undermining grace. This might be true if grace simply related to forgiveness of sins – a “reset” of the game so to speak. But grace is God giving us what we do not have and cannot get on our own. If we’re to toil and strive in training in godliness we will need the grace of God all the way: ”For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Col 1:29)

            So grace and hard work aren’t at odds in the Christian life. For we are training ourselves for godliness not to merit Heaven, but in an effort to appreciate Heaven. This year I am resolved to train for godliness in order to increase my capacity and appreciation for Christ. Perhaps this is why whatever progress you and I make in godliness in this age lasts. Because in training for godliness we’re developing a palate that appreciates Christ and we’re developing a capacity to drink more of Him. ‘Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."’ (John 4:10) In Heaven every Christian will drink of the Living Water. But we’ll drink as much as we want. Those trained in godliness will drink MORE! More of Christ! More of the rewards! More of grace! Why? Because the godly are thirsty. So let us train ourselves for godliness!

Losing Freedoms in America

I recently read a book called The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. Hayek is an Economist who fled Germany and is writing in England in the early 40’s in the midst of the war. His main goal in the book was to warn people (especially in England and America) that fascism and naziism were preceded by socialism, not accidentally but as the natural evolution of socialism. Hayek writes, “Few are ready to recognize that the rise of fascism and naziism was not a reaction against the socialist trends of the preceding period but a necessary outcome of these tendencies.” Hayek was concerned because many voices among the Allies in the 1940’s supported the permanent nationalization of the means of production and central economic planning – the very steps that Germany took in the previous 30 years. Hayek’s experience was that the more a civilization takes steps toward socialism, the more individuals are required to give up personal freedoms for the sake of the majority. And the relinquishing of personal freedoms is a dangerous trajectory to be on.

I’d like to sidestep the interesting discussion on where the USA currently sits on the continuum between capitalism and socialism in order to focus in on individual freedom. In his book, Hayek quotes Benito Mussolini - “We were the first to assert that the more complicated the forms assumed by civilization, the more restricted the freedom of the individual must become.” I find Mussolini’s perspective both disturbing and in some sense prophetic. Consider America. Our world is becoming increasingly complex. And we are seeing our individual freedoms restricted. Just consider what has happened during the tenures of our last two presidents. Under President Bush (a Republican) we’ve seen freedoms restricted in the name of national security. (I do think restricting freedoms in a time of war is legitimate – but the War on Terror is open-ended and seemingly never ending, particularly in light of domestic ‘terrorism’ like in Newtown, CT.) Under President Obama (a Democrat) we’ve seen freedoms restricted in the name of equality. I’m referring to the Affordable Care Act which in effect requires individuals to purchase health insurance whether they want it or not. This is a new type of freedom, the “right of the majority against the individual.” (Peter Drucker, The End of Economic Man)

The trajectory of American society is definitely toward less personal freedom not more. I suppose I’ve naively assumed that freedom is something you either have or you don’t. As a child I thought, “I’m free as an American but those Communists in the Soviet Union are not.” In reality freedom is a constantly varying thing – more like a polar ice cap that expands and contracts depending on the season. As a Christian living in a season of contracting individual freedom, what should be my response? We Americans must begin to recognize that freedom is not the most important thing – Christ is. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote:

^ESV 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”

Remaining with God trumps freedom. If you can only choose one: political, economic & sexual freedom or relationship with God – you choose relationship with God every time. Why? Because the freedom we have in Christ surpasses all other freedom. Freedom from guilt, sin and ultimately death are freedoms that cannot be revoked by any politician or mob or employer. So to begin with, let us keep the main thing the main thing: the key freedom to pursue and zealously guard is freedom in Christ.

            Freedom in Christ is of course not incompatible with political, economic, sexual or other individual freedoms. And in fact, Paul says (in the context of chattel slavery) “if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.” I take this to mean, resist those who seek to strip freedoms from the individual. Promote the freedom of the individual as unto Christ. But promote freedom as an adopted son/daughter of the Living God – a redeemed creature on the verge of freedoms in eternity so grand that imagination cannot sketch them. Promote freedom as one who is jealous for Christ’s reputation more than your own. And Promote freedom out of love for your neighbor – a fellow immortal. 

A Lesson from my Call to Poison Control

The other day I was in the kitchen making dinner when my little two year old Jesse came in and started burping and then actually vomiting. My first thought was, “Oh, great, I thought we’d finally gotten healthy again!” But Jesse didn’t have the flu, he had an illness far more deadly: an idolatrous sinful heart. One of my older children came up to me at the stove and said, “Dad, look – all our gummy vitamins are gone.” I thought, “Wow, those didn’t last very long.” But then it hit me. Little Jesse had beat the child-safety lid and eaten them all! This was no small feat. We buy the mega size gummy jars from Sam’s Club – the kind that hold 275. Jesse ate about 200 vitamin gummies and was now having a serious indigestion problem. In a moment I was on the phone with poison control. To sum it up, the type of vitamins he ate would not poison him. His system would expel any unneeded vitamins. Praise God that Jesse didn’t get into something more dangerous!

            I’m reminded of what the Proverbs say:

^NIV Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.

^NIV Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

What in the world possessed little Jesse to eat a pile of gummies the size of a softball? Sin. Toddlers love gummy snacks. If 8-10 gummy bears are yummy, surely 200 would be even better! But we can have too much of a good thing. In fact most of our idols are not pure evil - inherently wicked in every dimension. Most of our idols are good things that we honor (overindulge in or mis-prioritize) above God. Toddler Jesse overindulged in gummies and paid the price – literally vomiting up all the “honey” he gorged himself on.

I wish I could say that our hearts were cured from the sickness of idolatry in our toddler years. Unfortunately, they are not. I’ve met men who gorged themselves on work, to the point that they were burnt out, divorced and disengaged from their children. I’ve met men and women who abused some substance so thoroughly that they self-destructed every dimension of life. I’ve met women who were such fixers, that they were enslaved to helping others – so completely needing to be needed that they too did not find the love, peace and joy that Christ (the only Savior) offers.

            The bottom line is that our hearts are desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Our hearts are little “idol-making factories” – constantly displacing the Lord God with other things. What are we to do? One thing is we must consult “Poison Control” – i.e. consult the Scriptures and pray for discernment in identifying idols. Until we recognize what good thing we have turned into a poison by improperly loving it we will not realize our danger. William Greenhill in his book Stop Loving the World wrote, “We meditate most on the things we love.” What do you think a lot about? This may indicate that you’re swallowing fistfuls of gummy bears. Be warned – in seeking your own honor your life may manifest symptoms of indigestion and you may soon be forced to endure the bitter experience of vomiting up what you used to think sweet.

The other thing to consider is that Christ is the only thing you can never have too much of. Paul wrote, “Christ is all.” (Col 3:11) It is impossible to think too highly or too much of Jesus. It is impossible to love Jesus too much. In fact it is only as we love and enjoy Christ first and above all others that we can safely indulge in all lesser loves. So whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

Christians, YOU are a People of Knowledge

Dallas Willard once said that the real battle going on in our time is over authority and authority is tied to knowledge. If this is true, over the last two centuries the Church has been forced to the sidelines (and at times voluntarily retreated). In the West knowledge was separated into two spheres. The realm of the sense perceptible and the realm of the spiritual. Effectively what has happened is that sciences were granted “real” knowledge and the Church was granted sentiment, values, faith. Thus pastors and Christians and the Bible don’t deal with realities except the realities of peoples’ emotional lives. And so, Professor Willard concludes, pastors are no longer in the “knowledge” business, they are in the “faith” business. Which basically means pastors aren’t relevant to the real world or the marketplace and we have slowly been edged out of significance in the public sphere.

            I for one am tired of being elbowed out of the public sphere. It is increasingly obvious that our communities are adrift. Do we imagine that ruling “faith” out of order in politicians or civil servants or volunteers is helpful? We’re requiring people to ignore half of the universe’s knowledge! Can any society continue to make progress down the road if the steering column has limits artificially imposed on it – such that it can only turn left but never right? Is it any wonder that we seem to be swerving from ditch to ditch?

            It is time for Christians to dig in their heels and refuse to be relegated to “sentiment”. How? First by understanding that the West’s bifurcation of knowledge into two spheres is not Biblical. We must see that the Bible is God’s divinely inspired Word. A word from an Intelligent Being to intelligent creatures. And what does this Word say about knowledge? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 1:7. In other words, intelligence and understanding don’t even start until we factor the existence and nature of our Creator and Redeemer into the equation. The recognition of God must be the first move in any pursuit of knowledge. According to the Apostle Paul, when people refused to acknowledge God they became “futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

            We’re now 150 years down the road of futile thinking – a foolish separation of knowledge. Modern advances in technology and the sciences would seem to suggest that the splitting of knowledge into two groups was the right move. But was it? Increasingly “scientific” knowledge is being used foolishly. And we see the silliness of making decisions without factoring God into the equation.

            So what are we to do?  Corporately, churches must no longer cede the realm of knowledge to others. We are in the knowledge business. Let us stop collaborating with those who slice apart the realm of knowledge and would forbid the Church from relevance beyond peoples’ emotional lives. How are we collaborating? By an over-emphasis in our services on sentiment and experience. Pastors must not restrict our study to a narrow sliver of the realm of knowledge. And each of us as Christians must accept that we are a people of knowledge. The Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Church is relevant for us today:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

Will Turbo-charging our Economy Lead to $700 Donkey’s Head Stew?

I read an interesting book recently: The New Depression: the Breakdown of the Paper Money Economy by Richard Duncan. To vastly simplify Richard’s argument, it is the supply of credit more than the supply of money that influences our economy now. Or in laymen terms: the influence of a physical press printing greenbacks influences our economy orders of magnitude less than the creation of credit. In 1945 the Total Credit Market Debt held by creditors was $355 Billion. As of second quarter 2013 it is $57.562 Trillion. (http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/accessible/l1.htm) A 40 year credit boom has turbo-boosted our economy since the 1980’s. But at what cost? Our debt (government, business & household) now stands at 4X our GDP.

            There seems to be consensus that we are on an unsustainable path. Unfortunately that seems to be where the consensus ends. Some argue for austerity - massive cuts in spending to reduce the deficit. The difficulty with the austerity solution is that our government spends 1/3 of every dollar spent. So any significant cut in federal spending will have a negative impact on the economy. Thus many support the status quo: keep turbo-charging our economy by creating credit. This is essentially Richard’s argument. He does not deny the presence of serious warning signs, but he says we can avoid another Great Depression if we act now.

What should we do? Richard contends that we should continue turbo-charging our economy by creating credit but instead of using that credit to fuel short-term consumption we should invest in long-term profit-making ventures like solar energy. Richard concludes, “What a tragic mistake it would be to impose austerity and see our world implode, when so much credit is available at ultra-low costs. All that is required is for us, as a society, to invest that credit imaginatively. If we do, we can achieve global economic prosperity beyond the dreams of all earlier generations.”

            I’m not an economist but this conclusion seems to me to be a pipe dream. If I was struggling to pay my current mortgage, what sense does it make to buy a second house with an even larger mortgage – simply because the interest rate is ultra-low? You may hope to turn a profit on the second mortgage and thus be able to pay off the first mortgage more quickly. But then again you may not. It is all a very big gamble!

            What should our response as Christians be to the financial mess our country finds itself in? I think we must begin by practicing good stewardship at home with our own personal finances (1 Corinthians 4:2, Matthew 25:14-30). America’s over-indebtedness is not just a federal government problem, over-indebtedness is also a household problem and a corporation problem.

The second thing Christians should do is believe in absolute truth and ground that belief in Scripture and history. Many will say, “We live in a different world now. The economic process is no longer driven by saving and investment. Today it is driven by borrowing and consumption. Yes, total credit expanded 50 times in less than 50 years to keep the American dream alive and to create wealth but credit can continue to push our economy forward if we don’t stop creating it.” Richard argues along these lines. “The U.S. government can now borrow money for 10 years at a cost of 2% interest a year. If it borrows at that rate and invests in projects that yield even 3%, ‘Creditopia’ will survive. If it borrows at that rate and invests on a grand scale in grand projects, precarious Creditopia could be transformed into a sustainable Utopia in which the cost of energy falls 90% and life expectancy doubles.”

The trouble with such logic is that it flies in the face of history and embraces the mirage that you can have your cake and eat it too. The truth is there “ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Personally, I think interrupting the normal boom and bust cycle of economies by turbo-charging them with credit over the last 40 years is simply postponing and probably amplifying the bust. Newton’s third law comes to mind: “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Talk of a “utopia” sounds eerily similar to what Hitler promised Germany during its tumultuous economic times. As Christians we must be salt and light, anchoring our culture to the truth. Our actions have consequences. As anyone who has had a hangnail or a tooth ache knows, postponing prudent action to avoid pain now will only increase the pain later. Dear Christian, read the history of the Kingdom of Israel as recorded in the Bible (1 Samuel – 2 Kings). Notice the action – reaction/consequences connection throughout those centuries. Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” At the height of an economic boom Solomon made gold shields (1 Kings 10:16-17). But the boom was built in large part on the “credit” of forced labor. This boom lasted 40 years (not unlike our current credit boom?) but collapsed when Solomon’s son refused to recognize the need to pull back the throttle and stop turbo-charging the economy. The forced laborers revolted, the kingdom was split in two and 5 years later the very gold shields that Solomon made during times of excess were taken (1 Kings 14:25ff).

Though most of the signs point to difficult times in our future, we are Christians and our hope is in Christ and as such our future is radiant and secure! For the Lord is a Redeemer and His eyes are on His people. At one point in Israel’s history He even rescued them from hyper-inflation that was so bad that a donkey’s head was going for $700 in the marketplace (2 Kings 6:24-7:20). Therefore let us not despair, though the earth give way or we be crushed by deflation or inflation for the city of God shall not be moved because God is in her midst! (Psalm 46)

Will Only Those Deeds done “unto Christ” Last?

In recent posts I have been trying to persuade you that there is no dichotomy between the sacred and secular. In other words, that as a Christian you are advancing the Kingdom of God not just on Sunday morning but wherever you bring order to this world – on the jobsite as an electrician, at home training your children, resolving a friend’s computer glitch, etc. But what has gone implied in some of my previous posts must be stated explicitly now to avoid misunderstanding. Your work advances the Kingdom of God if it is done unto Christ.

^ESV Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

            What does it mean to do our deeds “in the name of Christ”? We cannot hope to answer the question fully in a single blog. But at a minimum, working as “unto Christ” means our labors are done on the foundation of Christ and according to the blueprint that God established in His Word. This is the point of Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders (Luke 6:46-49). The wise man builds his house upon the rock: Jesus Christ and according to the instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a man is doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. And thus when the flood comes (a figure of Judgment Day) his work stands firm. I.e. it lasts, though it is purified (vs. destroyed) by fire – melting away the dross and leaving only what was pure (1 Cor 3:12-13). In contrast the foolish man neither builds on the foundation of Christ nor builds according to the blueprints that Christ has given (Luke 6:46). When Judgment Day comes that man and everything he has built collapses and “the ruin of that house was great.”

            Three conclusions:

1) Whatever you build on the foundation of Christ according to the Word and will of God will last. Lay up treasures for yourself in Heaven because you can take it with you! (Mt 6:19-21)

2) Only that which is done “unto Christ” will last.

3) Anything not done “unto Christ” will be lost.

            This suggests that only Christians can do deeds that last. Does this then imply that the efforts of unbelievers are worthless? In considering the full counsel of Scripture I do not think that is what the Bible teaches. The Bible does not teach that only Christians are blessed or gifted or engaged in something worthwhile. God gives gifts to both the good and the evil (Mt 5:45). The gifts and resources that unbelievers are given by God are useful not only in this age but may very well last into the next age. Consider the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30). At Judgment Day the life’s work of the worthless servant, like the foolish builder, comes crashing down. But notice that though he was cast into the darkness, the talent that he was given isn’t abolished but is transferred to the one who was faithful with 10 talents – i.e. the Christian.

^ESV Matthew 25:29 “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Consider also:

^ESV Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.”

So it is not that unbelievers cannot accomplish anything worthwhile. It is that because they reject Christ whatever they do accomplish will ultimately be enjoyed by the faithful.

            So we ought not to disparage the works of unbelievers. Often their works of art and deeds are excellent and honor God more than they themselves know. And if we’re honest, much of our work depends on the efforts of unbelievers around us and those who have gone before. (e.g. Some of the people who designed and built this computer I’m using to type this blog were and are unbelievers.) But let us point them to Christ. For apart from Him they have nothing and whatever they build will be left behind for another to enjoy – a faithful person. And let us build our lives on Christ and according to the Word of Christ. For we have the promise that we will enjoy such labors:

^ESV Isaiah 65:21 “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. ²² They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”

            Questions to consider:

• Why is the recognition of Christ essential to truly enjoying one’s works?
• If you knew that the house you were building now is the house you would inhabit in Heaven, how would you work differently?
• What is your attitude toward your unbelieving coworkers? Do you rightly value their efforts?