Jason Dollar . Net

God created the world. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). The truth of this statement sets our lives into a context. We are living within God’s story. This is His planet, and our lives belong to Him (Ps. 24:1), even if we do not realize it, or are not willing to admit it.

Since god created the world and everything in it, and since He created people with innate value, patterning us after Himself (in His image), then it follows, we should live our lives consistent with this reality.

In particular, we should worship God, our Creator, realizing this is the purpose of our existence.

We should also treat other people with respect and dignity, since they possess value as  image-bearers of God. People are not numbers, or means to our own selfish ends. It does not matter their race, age, gender, life choices, or past, if they are human, they have intrinsic value, having been created by God.

On the other hand, if God did not create the world, then our existence is a natural anomaly, and thus worthless. In such a world, believing in the inherent dignity of other human beings is a waste of time, and quite dishonest.

If this world does not belong to God, if it is nothing but a cosmic accident, then you can toss in the can meaning, purpose, morality, and hope. None of these are logically possible if the story excludes our Creator.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The truth of this statement changes everything in our lives individually, and collectively.

Most Christians waver in their faith at different times in life, and for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we believers get very much caught up in the possibility of “success” in this life, which takes much time and energy, and often leaves us Sabbath-less (exhausted). Pastors tend to this error as much as anyone else. Like the action of the thorns Jesus describes in Matt 13:7 and 22, this course of action leads to a faith choked by the rat race.

Sometimes Christians waver in their trust in the Lord because of the fleshly desire we often get to come to God as an inference of our own logical processes. We believe so long as we are continuously and consciously holding what we believe to be good evidence for the existence of God, the trustworthiness of the Bible, the resurrection of Christ, and the inability of any and all other worldviews to answer life’s biggest questions. The problem is unless a person has the mind of Einstein it is easy to allow some of this important apologetic information to slip from day to day. Do we stop being Christian on days when we feel ill, and our minds are not working as they normally do? Do we stop being Christian when a mental disease, say Alzheimer’s, removes out capacity to hold this evidence competently?

Often Christians waver in their faith because of certain, personal besetting sins. Sins that are very difficult to discard, and that, like water to a fire, have a tendency to extinguish the flames of faith. Sexual sin dominates in this category, especially among men, but there is also greed, and the hunger for power, among others. People have a tendency to pick their own poison. Because we love our sin we turn our backs on the Lord (who wants us to stop).

So what is a Christian? And what is a Christian to do when he is tempted to waffle in his faith in the Lord?

Put simply, a Christian is a person who has been given a new heart by the Holy Spirit (regeneration or new birth), and who thus desires to follow after Jesus Christ. A Christian is a person who actually wants to live the way Jesus lived, following in the gospel path of His life, wisdom, and virtue, and living daily in dependence upon Him for all things.

Therefore, when a Christian is tempted, for whatever reason, to ignore the Lord Jesus Christ, to succumb to the choking thorns so to speak, there is a real problem. Such a real problem, that it may even reveal that the person is a “Judas,” or a false believer, to whom the Lord says, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Matt 7:23).

I personally do not want to be in the camp of false believers. I want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. So then, how do I deal with the reality that faith fluctuates?

Positive, classical apologetic arguments can help us a great deal. I can remember reasons from science that point to the existence of God (i.e., cosmological arguments and design arguments). I can refresh myself on the moral argument for God’s existence. I can remember the many lines of physical evidence for the resurrection of Christ, and the trustworthiness of the Bible. And negatively, I can meditate on problems with other worldviews and religions. This does help some as long as my mind is working properly. But this process by itself is insufficient, and can sometimes lead to arrogance and pride. Again, forcing God to submit to a man’s logical process can sometimes produce the opposite of worship.

I also can fight sin in my own life. I can wage war against the thorns that are attempting to choke away my faith. If I am a true believer, then I am indwelt by the greatest and mightiest power in the universe, the Holy Spirit Himself. This also helps, but not always. Sometimes this process (when done in the flesh) leads to legalism. Instead of bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), we often bear the fruit of the Pharisees. Rather than trusting Christ more, we come to trust our own will power as a way of finding merit with the Lord. Again, arrogance and pride are often the result.

So even if I get all my rational arguments in a row, and even if I subdue all my known sin, I still run into the problem of forgetting my arguments (within a day or two), and of remembering the billions of other besetting sins I am yet to deal with!

So it comes down to this. I must trust the divine-man Jesus Christ. Everybody trusts in somebody (sometimes it is self) to explain how people came into existence, and what is the meaning of life. Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, embodies existence and purpose. He claimed to be “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Do I believe Him or not? If I do not believe Him, who else am I to believe? Do I trust the Darwinists who tell me man is a mere machine, an accidental animal, with no intrinsic value to speak of? Do I trust the pantheistic authorities, who are trying to convince me that “I” do not exist at all? How could “I” possibly concede to that?

I must trust somebody. What about myself? If I trust my own gut on this matter, that would be a gigantic mistake. The Bible calls me a wicked sinner, and it is correct in its assessment (Rom 3:23). As a sinner, who knows what sort of explanation I will come up with regarding the meaning and purpose of my own existence? No doubt it will be twisted and wrong, especially considering my own finitude.

BUT I MUST TRUST SOMEBODY! Who is more trustworthy than Jesus Christ? Who opens the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and causes lame feet to walk? Who gave of Himself in such a sacrificial way, through His death on the cross, in order to provide salvation for lowest of the low, and dirtiest of the dirty?

When a believer’s faith wanes, Jesus Christ, the perfect Person and Savior of mankind, must be the stable anchor that brings us back. He is not an inference, or the conclusion of an argument. He is not something we can figure out. He is the God who is there, Creator, Sustainer, and glorified King.

Being Christian means having a new heart from the Holy Spirit and following Jesus no matter what. Trust Him.

It is important to move the Word of God from printed page to mind and heart. One of the best practical ways to achieve this goal is Bible memory. Here is a list of passages that pack power in a few words, and that can be easily memorized.

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Psalm 4:7-8 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Proverbs 9:10-11 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Jeremiah 32:40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 84:10-12 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.

Romans 11:34-36 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

James 1:2-3 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Psalm 77:13-14 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Psalm 62:5-8 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Once I had an experience on my back porch when we were still living in Center Point, AL. I was watching wasps, and other critters, feeling the cool breeze blowing, and the warmth of the sun upon my skin. In my prayerful reflections, it dawned upon me that all these physical realities are pointing to something much greater, namely, God Himself. As the Scriptures indicate, there are physical, material realities that are but shadows of the substance (Col 2:17; Heb 8:5; 10:1).

Recently, I have been spending time with Jonathan Edwards, digging into his writings. One of them is his list of notes called “Images of Divine Things.” I don’t think Edwards meant for this list to be published and widely known (perhaps he was using this research to write a book on the topic one day), but still, reading his thoughts on this matter soon becomes an act of worship.

Perhaps Edwards stretches the idea of a type / shadow a bit too far, and perhaps there will be endless debate about the interpretations of exactly what the physical shadows are meant to signify spiritually, but nevertheless Edwards does make you think. Did God create the physical world in such a way, that everything in it points to something greater?

Well, you can read Edward’s list at the Jonathan Edwards Center and come to your own conclusions. Enjoy!

Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity (honor, difficulty) to attend four different funerals. All four of them were the result of tragic, unexpected deaths. My heart broke painfully for all four families.

In the midst of these crisis moments, I selfishly asked the Lord what I should be learning. (Selfish, because my learning something was not the main thing going on – far from it). And what did I learn? Once again the only life lesson that really matters. The Gospel is true.

While driving to one of the funerals, I listened to Tim Keller’s sermon called Real Friendship and a Pleading Priest. In the sermon, Keller takes us back to the difficult-to-understand event of Genesis 18:16-32, where Abraham approaches God to plead for the lives of the Sodomites. Keller does not hesitate to show this passage for what it is – a priest pleading for the lives of people who would mean him harm. And this passage does not hesitate to point us to Christ who stands as a high priest, pleading for the lives of guilty sinners.

In other words, in the midst of incredible separation, pain, brokenness, and heartache, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, came shining through in my own mind and heart as the only hope for sinners.

Furthermore, all four funeral services were focused on the Gospel. It was sung, it was spoken, it was celebrated. It was lifted up as the hope of the redeemed.

I am convinced more than ever, that the truth of Christ’s saving love and power, is the most vital truth any of us could ever know and embrace. Abraham learned that it is possible to be in corporate solidarity with the righteous, so that the wicked are saved because of the righteous (listen to Keller’s sermon). And so we must learn of our need to be in corporate solidarity (to be “In Christ” as Paul constantly teaches us), so that the righteousness of the One will cover the wickedness of the many.

Amazingly, the Gospel shines brightly against the backdrop of four tragic deaths. Lord, I’m thankful.

It might be awhile before I tackle the Song of Solomon directly in my own preaching, though (no kidding), I want to. But the message of the book is critical for RIGHT NOW. No matter who you are, you need to hear the message of this great book of sexual wisdom. Dr. Platt does a great job unfolding it for us in the video below. It will not be wasted if you take the time to listen and meditate.

Guys,
I just wanted to let you know officially how proud I am of each of you. Your graduation ceremony was a powerful moment, and I found myself tearing up several times. I recalled how small you guys were as 9th graders, and how fun. I knew then that God has His hand on you as a class, and it is so awesome to see some of that fruit blossoming in your lives.

BTW – Emily, Nick, Cory, Jacob, and James – the music was great! Bob and Becca, both of you gave inspiring speeches, and I was challenged by you both.

I told you guys all year that I love you, and I really do. If you ever need an ear that is attached to a friend, please contact me. It has been one of the highest honors of my life to spend time with the SMCS class of 2010, and I will miss you. May the Lord guide your steps.

Call me…
…Jason