DEC / 11

FAILURE IS NOT A VIRTUE

(BUT ADMITTI NG IT IS)
ENCOURAGEMENT
BEYOND THE TOKEN GESTURES
A publication of On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.
Addicted to approval?
2014 J UNE
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in this issue...
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FOREMOST
Failure Is Not a Virtue
BY JEN WILKIN
REAL RELATIONSHIPS
Summer: Just Another Season
BY SAM HARRIS
BEGIN AGAIN
Unfnished...
BY JASON MOORE
CORNERED BY GRACE
Addicted to Approval
BY ROB BEAMES
CAN YOU RELATE
Going Beyond Token Gestures
of Encouragement
BY THOM MOLLOHAN
PRESS ON
Family Tradition:
The Impact of Your Choices
on Generations to Come
BY WILL DOLE
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GENUI NE MOTI VATI ON
Yo ung C hr i s t i a n Ma n
June/July 2014, Vol. 5
On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.,
Publisher
Rob Beames, Editor
Donna Schillinger
Editorial Support
Chandler Hunter
Page Design
Contributors
Rob Beames, Will Dole, Sam Harris,
Thom Mollohan, Jason Moore,
Tullian Tchividjian, Jen Wilkin
Except where noted, content is copy-
right 2014 On My Own Now Ministries.
Articles may be reprinted with credit
to author, Genuine Motivation and
www.OnMyOwnNow.com.
On My Own Now Ministries, Inc. is a
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(3) determination. Your donations
aid in our mission to encourage faith,
wise life choices and Christ-likeness in
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Visit us at www.OnMyOwnNow.com.
FOREMOST RESPONSE
Acknowledging Failure
IS a Virture
BY TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN
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in this issue...
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BY JEN WILKIN
FEATURE ARTICLE
C
hristian, you cannot obey the Law.
Your certain failure is a means to
show forth the grace of God when
you repent.
We dont need more lists of how to be a
better spouse/parent/Christian. We need
more grace.
My life strategy for today: fail, repent,
repeat.
Sounds good, doesnt it? These sorts of
statements compose a growing body of
commentary that regards the Law of the
Bible as a crushing burden, not just for
the unbeliever, but for the believer as well.
Enough with checkbox Christianity,
these voices tell us. No more how tos
on righteousness. In the righteousness
department you are an epic fail, so toss
out your checklists and your laws, and cast
yourself on grace.

FAILURE IS NOT A VIRTUE

FOREMOST
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Failure Gets a Makeover
In recent years church leaders have rightly
spoken out against moralistic, therapeutic
deism, which is really just a fancy name
for legalismthe idea that we earn
Gods favor through external obedience
to a moral code. Moralistic therapeutic
deism, as in the days of Jesus, pervades
our culture and even our churches. Its as
harmful today as it was when Jesus spoke
against it 2,000 years ago.
As a response to this skewed view of
Law, some have begun to articulate a
skewed view of graceone that discounts
the necessity of obedience to the moral
precepts of the Law. I call this view
celebratory failurismthe idea that
believers cannot obey the Law and will fail
at every attempt. Furthermore, our failure
is ultimately cause to celebrate, because it
makes grace all the more beautiful.
These days, obedience has gotten a bad
name. And failure has gotten a make-over.
Interestingly, Jesus battled legalism in a
different way than the celebratory failurist
does. Rather than tossing out the Law or
devaluing obedience to it, He called his
followers to a deeper obedience (Matthew
5:17-48) than the behavior modification the
Pharisees prized. He called for obedience in
motive as well as in deed, the kind of godly
obedience that is impossible for someone
whose heart has not been transformed
by the gospel in the power of the Holy
Spirit. Rather than abolish the Law, Jesus
deepened His followers understanding
of what it required, and then went to the
cross to ensure they could actually begin to
obey it.
Set Free to Obey
The gospel grants both freedom from
the penalty of sin and freedom to begin
to obey (Rom 6:16). And what are we to
obey? The Law that once gave death now
gives freedom. Gods Word teaches us that
behavior modification should absolutely
follow salvation. It just occurs for a
different reason than it does in the life of
the unbeliever. Modified behavior reflects
a changed heart. When Peter says we have
spent enough time living as the pagans
do, surely he means that it is time to stop
disobeying and begin obeying. Paul tells us
that grace teaches us to say no to ungodly
passions, not merely to repent when we
fail to say no. He goes on to say that we
are redeemed, not from the Law, but
from lawlessness (disregard for the Law).
If, as John attests, all sin is lawlessness
(disregard for the Law), ought we not to
love the Law (Psalm 119:97) and meditate
on it day and night, as those who desire
deeply to cease sinning? When Jesus says
Go, and sin no more, dont we think He
means it?
Any profession of faith not followed
by evidence is empty (James 2:14-26).
And faithful profession without faithful
obedience is spiritual schizophrenia. It is to
affirm that God exists and then to turn and
live as if he does not.
Celebratory failurism asserts that all our
attempts to obey will fail, thereby making
us the recipients of greater grace. But God
does not exhort us to obey just to teach us
that we cannot hope to obey. He exhorts
us to obey to teach us that, by grace, we
can obey, and therein lies hope. Through
the gospel our God, whose Law and whose
character do not change, changes us into
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those who obey in both motive and deed.
Believers no longer live under the Law,
but the Law lies under us as a sure path for
pursuing what is good, right, and pleasing
to the Lord. Contrary to the tenets of
celebratory failurism, the Law is not the
problem. The heart of the Law-follower is.
Obedience is only moralism if we believe
it curries favor with God. The believer
knows that it is impossible to curry favor
with God, because God needs nothing from
us. He cannot be put in our debt. Knowing
this frees us to obey out of joyful gratitude
rather than servile grasping.
Imagine telling your child, I know youll
fail, but here are our house rules. Let me
know when you break them so I can extend
grace to you. We recognize that raising
a lawless child is not good for the child,
for our family, or for society as a whole.
We dont train our children to obey us so
they can gain our favor. They already have
our favor. We, being evil, train and equip
them to obey because it is good and right
and safe. And how much more does our
heavenly Father love us?
Moving Beyond
Fail and Repent
We must not trade moralistic therapeutic
deism for celebratory failurism.
Sanctification is about more than You will
fail, but there is grace for you. Growing
in holiness means that we fail less than
we used to, because at long last we are
learning to obey in both motive and deed,
just as Christ obeyed. There is a difference
between self-help and sanctification, and
that difference is the motive of the heart.
Earnest Christians look to their church
leaders and ask, Teach me to walk in his
ways. We owe them an answer beyond,
Fail and repent. We owe them, This
is the way, walk in it. This way is often
delineated by listsa list of ten donts in
Exodus 20, a list of eight dos in Matthew
5, a list of works of the flesh (Galatians
5:22-23) and spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-
23) in Galatians 5, and so on. These lists
crush the unbeliever but give life to the
believer. They make straight the paths of
those who love them, and though this way
is narrow, it leads to life.
The Law becomes a gracious means of
conforming us to the image of the Savior.
We love the Law because we love the God
of the Law, who has engraved it on our
hearts. We do not start our days planning
to fail, nor do we celebrate failure. Rather,
we set our faces like flint and resolve by the
power of the Spirit to obey.
Jen Wilkin is a wife, mom to four great kids,
and an advocate for women to love God with
their minds through the faithful study of his
Word. She writes, speaks, and teaches women
the Bible. She lives in Flower Mound, Texas,
and her family calls The Village Church home.
Jen is the author of Women of the Word: How
to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and
Our Minds (Crossway, forthcoming). You can
find her at jenwilkin.blogspot.com.
FOREMOST
FEATURE ARTICLE
I delight to do your will,
O my God; your law is
within my heart.
Psalm 40:8
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FOREMOST RESPONSE
I
ve been asked to respond to Jen Wilkins
article, Failure is Not a Virtue . I wont rehash
Jens point. Theres lots that could be said.
On the surface, its not easy to see whats wrong
with it. She quotes the Bible and she makes some
valid points. But something is missing. And you
cant know what that is unless you dive beneath
the surface and explore her post at a deeper
theological AND existential level. So, let me just
point out two major under the surface points
that seem to be the source of the theological
muddiness on the surface.
When You Fail To
Distinguish Law and
GospelYou Lose Both
Jens concern seems to be a reveling in moral
laxity. She calls it celebratory failurism. She
writes, Some have begun to articulate a skewed
view of graceone that discounts the necessity
of obedience to the moral precepts of the Law.
I call this view celebratory failurismthe idea
that believers cannot obey the Law and will fail
at every attempt. Furthermore, our failure is
ultimately cause to celebrate, because it makes
grace all the more beautiful. I have to be honest
and say Ive never encountered a Christian
who celebrates failure. And Ive been around
for a while. Dont get me wrong, I see moral
laxity in everyone, everywhere. But I dont see
real Christians reveling in it or bragging about
it. Anyway, its not just the diagnosis that I
question. Its her proposed solution to this
celebratory failurism which reveals some pretty
deep theological confusion.
Things get very confusing when you dont
properly distinguish Gods law from Gods
gospel. Theodore Beza (John Calvins successor)
rightly said that, Ignorance of this distinction
between Law and Gospel is the principal source
of abuse which corrupted and still corrupts
Christianity. Both Gods law and Gods gospel
are good, but both have unique job descriptions.
Paul makes it clear in Romans 7 that the law
endorses the need for change but is powerless
to enact changethats not part of its job
description. It points to righteousness but cant
produce it. It shows us what godliness is, but it
cannot make us godly. The law can inform us
of our sin but it cannot transform the sinner. It
can show us what love for God and others looks
like, but only love can produce love for God and
others (1 John 4:19). Nowhere does the Bible say
that the law carries the power to change us. The
law can instruct, but only grace can inspire.
We can tell people about what they need to
be doing and the ways theyre falling short
BY TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN
ACKNOWLEDGING
FAILURE IS A VIRTUE
A Response to Jen Wilkin
instructing, exhorting, correcting, rebuking,
preaching the imperatives and thats
important. But were being both theologically
AND existentially simplistic and naive when we
assume that simply telling people what they need
to do has the power to make them want to do it.
Telling people they need to change cant change
them; exhorting people to obey (which we should
defnitely do) doesnt generate obedience. Even
Gods command to love him with all of our heart,
mind, soul, and strength is not itself what causes
actual love for him. What causes actual love for
God is Gods love for us. His love for us is what
motivates love from us. The Bible is very, very,
very clear that grace and grace alone carries the
power to inspire what the law demands. Love, not
law, compels heartfelt loyalty. Ask your spouse.
Ask your teenagers. Ask your employees. Ask
yourself!
Too many people assume that championing ethics
will itself make us more ethical; that preaching
obedience will itself make us more obedient;
that focusing on the law will itself make us more
lawful. But is that the way it works? With God, or
your wife, or your husband, or your children, or
with any other human for that matter?
I completely understand how natural it is to
conclude that, given our restraint-free cultural
context, preachers in our day should be very
wary of talking about grace at all. Thats the
last thing lawless people need to hear, is it not?
Surely theyll take advantage of it and get worse,
not better. After all, it would seem logical to me
that the only way to save licentious people is to
intensify our exhortations to behave. Therefore,
what we desperately need is a renewed focus on
ethics, duty, behavior, and so on. I mean, surely
God doesnt think that the saving solution for the
immoral and rebellious is His free grace? That
doesnt make sense. It seems backwards, counter-
intuitive.
Matt Richard describes well how naturally we take
it upon ourselves to reign the gospel in when we
fear too much of it will result in lawlessness:
I have found that as Christians we many times
attribute lawlessness to the preaching of the
Gospel. Somewhere in our thinking we rationalize
that if the Gospel is presented as too free, too
unconditional or that Jesus fulflls the law for us
that the result will be lax morality, loose living
and lawlessness. Its as if we believe that the
freeing message of the Gospel actually produces,
encourages and grants people a license to sin.
Because of this rationalization we fnd ourselves
strapping, holding and attaching restrictions
to the Gospel so that we might prevent or limit
lawlessness. In other words, the Gospel is placed
into bondage due to our rationalization and
reaction to lawlessness.
The truth is that lawlessness and moral laxity
happen, not when we hear too much grace, but
when we hear too little of it. In One Way Love , I
share the following letter I received from a man
Ive never met. He wrote:
Over the last couple of years, we have really been
struggling with the preaching in our church as
it has been very law-laden and moralistic. After
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It's as if we believe that the freeing
message of the Gospel actually produces,
encourages and grants people a license to sin.
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FOREMOST RESPONSE
listening, I feel condemned with no power to
overcome my lack of ability to obey. Over the
last several months, I have found myself very
spiritually depressed, to the point where I had
no desire to even attend church. Pastors are
so concerned about somehow preaching too
much grace (as if that is possible), because they
wrongly believe that type of preaching leads
to antinomianism or licentiousness. But, I can
testify that the opposite is actually true. I believe
preaching only the law and giving little to no
gospel actually leads to lawless living. When
mainly law is preached, it leads to the realization
that I cant follow it, so I might as well quit
trying. At least, thats what has happened to me.
Gerhard Ebeling wrote, The failure to
distinguish the law and the gospel always means
the abandonment of the gospel because the
law gets softened into helpful tips for practical
living, instead of Gods unwavering demand
for absolute perfection, while the gospel gets
hardened into a set of moral and social demands
we must live out instead of Gods unconditional
declaration that God justifes the ungodly.
As my friend and New Testament scholar Jono
Linebaugh says, God doesnt serve mixed drinks.
The divine cocktail is not law mixed with gospel.
God serves two separate shots: law then gospel.
Jen confuses these two shots and therefore fails
to deliver the real bad news which prevents the
reader from hearing (and being relieved by) the
real good news.
Jen Is RightAnd Wrong
The only other thing I would say is that Jen
is right: failure is NOT a virtue. Im not sure,
however, that Ive ever heard anyone say it is.
But (and this is very, very important) failure IS
a fact. AND because its a fact, acknowledging
failure IS most defnitely a virtue. Not to do so
is delusional at best, dishonest at worst. The
painful struggle to which Paul gives voice to in
Romans 7 arises from his condition as someone
who has been raised from the dead and is
now alive to Christ (justifed before God), but
lingering sin continues to plague him at every
level and in every way (sinful in himself )what
Luther described as simul justus et peccator.
Pauls testimony demonstrates that even after
God saves us, there is no part of us that becomes
sin-freewe remain sinful and imperfect in all of
our capacities, in the totality of our being, or, as
William Beveridge put it:
I cannot pray but I sin. I cannot hear or preach
a sermon but I sin. I cannot give alms or receive
the sacrament but I sin. I cant so much as
confess my sins, but my confessions are further
aggravations of them. My repentance needs to be
repented of, my tears need washing, and the very
washing of my tears needs still to be washed over
again with the blood of my Redeemer.
So when I say, Because Jesus succeeded for you,
youre free to fail, Im NOT saying, Go out and
sin more so that grace may abound. Ive never
heard anyone say that. What I AM saying is that
you ARE failing and that if you are in Christ,
your failure does not condemn you (Rom. 8:1).
Furthermore, your failure cannot separate you
from Gods love (Rom. 8:31). So, because Jesus
succeeded for you, youre free to fail without fear
of being cast out, abandoned. Even our most
cataclysmic failures wont tempt God to leave us
or forsake us. Perfect love casts out all fear.
So, regardless of how well I think Im doing in
the sanctifcation project or how much progress
I think Ive made since I frst became a Christian,
like Paul in Romans 7, when Gods perfect law
becomes the standard and not how much Ive
improved over the years, I realize that Im a
lot worse than I realize. Whatever I think my
greatest vice is, Gods law shows me that my
situation is much graver: if I think its anger,
the law shows me that its actually murder;
if I think its lust, the law shows me that its
actually adultery; if I think its impatience, the
law shows me that its actually idolatry (read
Matthew 5:17-48). No matter how decent I think
Im becominghow much better I think Im
gettingwhen Im graciously confronted by Gods
law, I cant help but cry out, Wretched man that
I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death
(Romans 7:24).
Pauls sober mindedness shows itself when he
says things like, Im the chief of sinners, and
Im the least of all the saints. Ironically, Pauls
honest acknowledgement of how unsanctifed
he was demonstrated just how sanctifed he
was. In other words, theologians of the cross (as
opposed to theologians of glory) recognize that
sanctifcation consists of an increased realization
of our weakness and just how much grace we
need.
You see, this is what happens: the most common
way grace is misunderstood is when people
confuse it with cheapened law. Think of the frst
and greatest commandment: You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind (Matt. 22:37).
Or think of Jesus crushing line in the Sermon
on the Mount: You therefore must be perfect,
as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48).
Grace, for many Christians, is the reduction of
Gods expectations of us. Because of grace, we
think, we just need to try hard. Grace becomes
this law-cheapening agent, attempting to make
the law easier to follow. Love the Lord with all
your heart becomes try to love God more than
sports. Be perfect gets cheapened into do your
best.
J. Gresham Machen counterintutively noted,
A low view of law always produces legalism; a
high view of law makes a person a seeker after
grace. The reason this seems so counterintuitive
is because most people think those who talk a lot
about grace have a low view of Gods law (hence,
the regular charge of antinomianism). Others
think those with a high view of the law are the
legalists. But Machen makes the compelling
point that its a low view of the law that produces
legalism, since a low view of the law causes us
to conclude we can do itthe bar is low enough
for us to jump over. A low view of the law makes
us think the standards are attainable, the goals
reachable, the demands doable. This means,
contrary to what some Christians would have you
believe, the biggest problem facing the church
today is not cheap grace but cheap lawthe
idea that God accepts anything less than the
perfect righteousness of Jesus. As essayist John
Dink writes, Cheap law weakens Gods demand
for perfection, and in doing so, breathes life into
the old creature and his quest for a righteousness
of his own making. Cheap law tells us that
weve fallen, but theres good news, you can get
back up again. Therein lies the great heresy of
cheap law: it is a false gospel. And it cheapens
no, it nullifes grace.
Only when we see that the way of Gods law is
absolutely infexible will we see that Gods grace
is absolutely indispensable. A high view of the
law reminds us that God accepts us on the basis
of Christs perfection, not our progress. Grace,
properly understood, is the movement of a holy
God toward an unholy people. He doesnt cheapen
the law or ease its requirements. He fulflls them
in his Son, who then gives his righteousness to us.
Thats the gospel. Pure and simple.
Sanctifcation, simply defned, is love for God and
love for others. But what actually produces love
for God and love for others? Not the law. Nowhere
does the Bible say that the law produces love.
Nowhere. What the Bible does say is that love for
God and others is produced only by Gods love for
us. We love him because he frst loved us. And
this radical one-wayness of Gods love is alone the
impetus to realizing the very things that Jen (and
I) longs to see happen in the lives of Christian
people.
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian
(pronounced cha-vi-jin) is the Senior Pastor
of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. A Florida native, Tullian
is also the grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham,
a visiting professor of theology at Reformed
Theological Seminary, and a contributing editor
to Leadership Journal.
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BY WILL DOLE
A
s a well-known song once advised, if
we get stoned and sing all night long,
we shouldnt be surprised because its a
family tradition. For those of us unfamiliar with
the music of Hank Williams Jr., the message
behind that song may need further explanation.
A lot of folks over the years have judged him
harshly for his questionable lifestyle, especially
in light of the fact that his father died from a
drug overdose. His song essentially says, I
am the way I am and Im not going to change.
This is how my family is. Many of us would
share a similar sentiment when it comes to our
lives, regardless of our particular vices and the
fact that we dont write songs about them. We
generally feel we are the way we are, our family
is the way it is, and we arent inclined to discuss
it any more.
This is the case for my family, anyway. I have
often joked that this type of song could be
really describing my family. However, while
it may describe a certain familys past, it does
not necessarily describe that familys present
or future. People can change. For example, my
dad is no longer who he used to be. So although
a song like this may have depicted him once,
Press On
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FAMILY TRADITION
THE IMPACT OF YOUR CHOICES

ON GENERATIONS TO COME
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there was a point in time that he charted a
radically different course in life from his father,
which was even a different one than he lead
while a young man before Jesus saved him. My
parents have been married for 25 years. My dad
took us to church often and prayed with us at
bedtime. My dad is not perfect by any means.
He has shortcomings as a man and a father. But
by the grace of God, he did manage to change
the course of his family history. He reshaped
what the Dole family tradition means.
An often overlooked biblical principle is at play
here. Its explained in Exodus 20:4-6 saying,
You shall not make for yourself an image in
the form of anything in heaven above or on
the earth beneath or in the waters below. You
shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
punishing the children for the sin of the parents
to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, but showing love to a thousand
generations of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
We tend to think of the 10 Commandments as
all very short imperatives. While this is true
for the last four commandments, the frst fve
also have clear reasoning attached to them. In
this second commandment, which prohibits
idol worship, God gives His reasoning in the
form of cause-effect. If we sin in this way, our
children will reap the consequences down to
the third and fourth generation. If we love and
serve God, our children will reap the reward for
a thousand generations.
These verses are important because they
explain that our attitudes and actions toward
God have consequences which reach far beyond
our own lives. We live in a society that is both
radically self-centered and impatient. We tend
to focus on the here and now. But Gods focus
is far-reaching and that is both terrifying and
comforting at the same time.
While we will not stand before God in judgment
for the sins of our fathers, we will certainly reap
the consequences of their actions. It is scary
to think that we may feel repercussions from
the actions of our forefathers whom we never
met and about whom we know nothing. It is
terrifying to know that our sins could impact,
not only our children, but their descendants, as
well. We could easily be talking about people
born 70 or 80 years from now.
But this doesnt tell the whole story of the
passage above. Verse six contains one of the
most glorious and beautiful promises that God
gives in Scripture. We cant imagine 1,000
generations there have not been 1,000
generations recorded in history. Yet, we are
told that we have to choose who we are going to
serve and if we choose foolishly, it will not only
affect our eternal destiny, but also the lives of
people many, many years from now. However,
if we choose correctly and love the Lord our
God, He will honor that by showing His love to
us eternally, even to our progeny. What a great
gift to give or to receive!
Not all of us have had the privilege of receiving
such an endowment. Not everyone can say
that their folks loved the Lord, took them to
church or prayed with them. It may be easy
to respond by saying, Whatever, thats cool
for you. I am what I am. But no one has to
remain where they are. By trusting in the Lord,
we can all change, not only the course of our
lives for eternity, and we can also have a very
real impact on those who come after us. This
is hard to see when were young, and often
hard to believe; but it is a rock-solid promise
from the word of God. My own life bears
witness to its truth. When we place our faith
in Christ, God makes us a new creature and
counts all our sin against Christ. He calls us the
righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
We are no longer subject to the old man and his
passions (Romans 6). By Gods grace, we can
trust, follow and serve Him. We can change our
family tradition today!
Will Dole is pursuing a life in ministry and
currently works with South Lake Youth
Ministries in Plummer, Idaho. Visit him at
www.cdubthinking.blogspot.com.
Real Relationships
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A
s summertime approaches, its not
just the weather outside thats
changing. For some of us, this time
of year brings a lot of changes, which can
often be bittersweet. As a busy graduate
student and teaching assistant, its always
an interesting time of year. The hectic
stress of final exams and long essays gives
way to the impending summer freedom, and
we have mixed emotions with the realization
that another year has come and gone. With
it, we say goodbye to another group of
friends, coworkers and students. To some
its only a temporary farewell, but there are
others we may never see again. Even after
being in school for so long, we never really
know how each new ending is going to
make us feel.
Its in situations like these that we can get
cynical if were not careful. We can easily
look back on the year and feel like nothing
has changed, but in reality, everything
is changing. Life is moving forward and
people are moving on, whether we like it,
or not. Next year there will be a whole
new group of students, but before we
know it, that semester will be over and
theyll be gone, too. Its as Solomon writes,
Generations come and generations go, but
the earth remains forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
Sometimes it seems like life is just going
on in an endless cycle, and nothing new is
really happening. As did Solomon, we can
easily get discouraged and start to question
what the point really is and whether we
truly have an impact on the world at all.
Now, Ecclesiastes does say that it is good for
man to invest in his work and enjoy doing
so (2:24), which is what we should try to
do as teachers. We should care about our
students and try to help them as best we
can. Our work has much bigger and longer
lasting results than just a paycheck or a line
on our rsum. Again, throughout the rest
of chapter two, Solomon says that even the
fruit of a mans labor is meaningless and
emptywithout God.
In the end, human relationships are good,
but theyre not the answer to all our
problems. We all need friends, partners
and fellow Christian to help us along. God
has given us relationships for our own
benefit and enjoyment. Yes, we should
try to invest in the lives of others and
be a blessing to them whenever possible,
especially if we happen to be in a full-time
teaching or ministry position. Yet, human
relationships are fleeting; they come and go
all the time. All of these relationships mean
nothing if theyre not centered on a strong
relationship with God.
A lot of times, one of the most important
relationships is the one that we forget.
Im on my own now, with a job and a busy
schedule. Sometimes, I think I dont have
time to spend with God, or I can make it
through the day pretty well on my own. I
still have a desire to help and bless others
around me, but I let myself think I can do
that on my own, while neglecting the one
source of all good and true blessings. But
while serving others and building positive
BY SAM HARRIS
SUMMER
:

JUST ANOTHER SEASON
t
13
GM
relationships with them is certainly an
important and worthwhile thing, we know
that even those we love so much will always
leave us in the end.
Our relationships with others arent
permanent, and if the work we do isnt
from God and for Him, then it doesnt really
matter in the long run. Sometimes, we need
to be less like Martha in Luke 10:38-42,
working hard and trying to do good things
that will last, and more like Mary, spending
more time with Jesus, experiencing the
true meaning and significance only He can
provide in everything we do. Paul also tells
us that to live is Christ, and to die is gain
(Philippians 1:21). Some have pointed out
that following Jesus is really the only thing
we can have to our credit when we die,
because nothing else we do here on earth
will carry over into the next life. Focusing
on God and looking for fulfillment only in
the next life seems to agree with Solomons
points in Ecclesiastes that everything in
this life is meaningless. It is sobering to
note that even with the best of motives or
actions, no relationships we build here in
this life in our own strength will have any
meaningful impact whatsoever if those
relationships arent rooted in God.
Its important to remember from time to
time that this world has absolutely nothing
to offer us. Thats right, nothing...not
relationships...not companionship... not
love. It cannot offer us a true education, job,
ministry. It offers only empty pleasures and
incomplete fulfillment. However, if we walk
with God and allow Him to use us, then and
only then, do we have something to offer
this world. Yet, this world still has nothing
for us of real substance. Only in light of
the next life will anything we do here have
true significance.
This world is constantly changing, along
with the people in it and the circumstances
around us. What we have here is fleeting,
temporary, transitory. Like Solomon
says, There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the
heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Spring turns
into summer; one stage of life moves into
another; some people enter our lives and
others leave.
For me, whenever I start getting
disillusioned with all the tedious ebb and
flow of life, or when I have a miniature
existential crisis where I wonder what
my life is amounting to, it helps to revisit
the book of Ecclesiastes to put things in
perspective. It helps to remember that each
one of our lives is really just another one of
those seasons that will soon pass away.
It is good to take satisfaction from our
earthly relationships while we can, so lets
not fail to make the most of the time we
spend with others and the chances we
have to invest positively in their lives. But
those relationships cant be the source
of our fulfillment or our hope. All those
other people and relationships will go away
one day, while our relationship with God,
whatever we have or havent invested into
it, is all that will remain. Let us never forget
to make the most of that one important
relationship during our short time on earth.
Sam Harris is continuously striving to follow
Jesus Christ more closely and to love others
more fully. He is currently pursuing an M.A.
in English at Liberty University in Lynchburg,
Virginia, where he also works as a teaching
assistant for English classes. He enjoys writing
nonfiction accounts of his life experiences, as
well as science-fiction and fantasy stories and
the occasional poem. He would like to be either a
teacher, a writer, or a superhero when he grows
up. You can find his blog at www.sirrahleumas.
wordpress.com, or like Samuel N. Harris on
Facebook.
CAN YOU RELATE
t
14
june14
BY THOM MOLLOHAN
C
hances are good that all of us know someone
who is in trouble right now. Battered
by circumstances or weighed down by
discouragement, this person may even feel at his
wits end while asking the question, Why is God
letting this happen to me? Consider that it may be
that the hand of God has placed us in the life of this
individual to encourage or help.
We certainly do not want to ofer trite, glib remarks
that patronize the pain and sufering others. For
example, we might say to another that the Lord
never gives us more hardship than we can bear.
While well-intended, it doesnt acknowledge a
persons pain, nor does it sympathize with his or her
desperation.
Not only is this kind of advice insensitive, in fact,
it isnt even what the Bible says on the matter.
Actually, the Lord doesnt let us have more
temptation than we can handle. Paul explains,
No temptation has overtaken you except what is
common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
Going Beyond
Token Gestures
of Encouragement
But when you are tempted, he will also provide a
way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians
10:13).
Based on this, if we tell hurting souls that God
doesnt permit circumstances in their life that they
cannot handle, the result may end in bitterness
or despair, especially when they are already
overwhelmed in their situation.
So what perspective should we share with those
who are sufering? What can we say to bring hope
and strength in such times of utter brokenness?
Simply this: that the Creator of the heavens and the
earth, the stars, the trees, the mountains, the seas,
the fowers and even each hair on each head will
ultimately bring about His deliverance in the life of
the those who trust and obey Him. To a heart that
perseveres because of this hope in God, the Lord
ultimately brings about a great victory!
Paul continues, We do not want you to be
uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the
troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We
were under great pressure, far beyond our ability
to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed,
we felt we had received the sentence of death. But
this happened that we might not rely on ourselves
but on God, who raises the dead (2 Corinthians
1:8-9).
So what can we say about hardship and sufering
that isnt the result of sin or selfshness on our part,
but seems, instead to be allowed by God for reasons
known only to God?
First, we should recall that, ... we know that in
all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his
purpose (Romans 8:28).
Second, we remember that while our Lord will
permit us to exhaust all our resources, expend
all our strength and even forfeit all our hopes
and dreams, He is merely clearing the way in our
hearts for His deliverance, His strength and eternal
rewards which infnitely dwarf our meager hopes
and shallow dreams for this life. He has delivered
us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us
again. On him we have set our hope that he will
continue to deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10).
So if our God can deliver us from the deadly peril of
our sin through the atoning sacrifce of His Son, can
we not count on Him to hold on to us through the
trials and tribulations that He permits in our lives?
Paul confrms this, saying, He who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us allhow will
he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things? (Romans 8:32)
Now, we certainly dont want to wax on and on
theologically when keeping company with the
hurting, but knowing what God says in His Word
does empower us to simply say, as your tears
mingle with theirs, Hold on to Jesus. Trust God
through this. He understands and weeps with you,
too.
But dont just encourage in word only. As a channel
of Gods comfort and encouragement, we should
strive to encourage in deed, too. We should be
ready to go above and beyond to be a friend in a
crisis. Whether it involves simply playing cards,
helping with errands or chores, thoughtful gestures
that remind this friend or acquaintance that theyre
not alone, we may do just enough to help him or
her continue to cling to the hope that only Jesus can
provide. James uses a negative example to explain
how important our actions are: Suppose a brother
or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of
you says to them, Go in peace; keep warm and well
fed, but does nothing about their physical needs,
what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if
it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James
2:15-17). Stay on the lookout for opportunities
to help and let God make us a source of true
encouragement today.
Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered
in southern Ohio for more than 18 years. He is
the author of The Fairy Tale Parables, Crimson
Harvest and A Heart at Home with God. He blogs
at unfurledsails.wordpress.com. Pastor Thom
leads Pathway Community Church and may be
reached for comments or questions by email at
pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com.
t
15
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CORNERED BY GRACE
BY ROB BEAMES
H
ello. My name is Rob.
Hi Rob!
Ive been a member of AA for 28 years now. I
made my last poor decision a few days ago when
I told a half truth, so a friend of mine wouldnt
think I was stupid. Ive been approval free ever
since. I vow never to do it again!
Youve probably never said anything like that in
a support group, but most of us probably could.
As long as blood runs through our veins, we
remain proud members of a much less famous
organization also known as AA: Approvaholics
Anonymous. Much like its counterpart for
alcoholics, many of its members never fully
recover, in this case, from the habitual inclination
to look for the approval of others.
For better or for worse, we are wired to desire
and to seek the approval. Originally, created in
perfection, this innate need is interwoven into
our very fber, and is, by design, for our good. Our
wise and benevolent Creator gave it to us so that
we would remain connected to Him. In a state of
perfection, it keeps us focused on our dependence
on the only One able to fulfll our deepest
longings. Our existence is one of desperate need
He provides every breath and every benefcial
action is a prompting of His Spirit. If we hold
any other mind-set, we live a delusion. We fool
ourselves if we think we live, act or exist for a
moment without Him.
Because God is (to paraphrase Frozones wife in
Disney/Pixars, The Incredibles,) the only good
were ever gonna need, we do ourselves a huge
disservice every time we seek someone elses
approval above Gods.
Since we were made to love and to be loved by
others, we want others to approve and accept
us. Theres nothing wrong with this, but it
becomes an issue when our decisions and actions
are based on how family and friends respond.
Its tough enough trying to keep this circle of
infuence happy, but unfortunately, it doesnt
stop there. For approvaholics, anyone we meet
quickly becomes a prospect for approval. Even
those weve never met can control our behavior,
generally speaking. Thats not necessarily a
bad thing. Most of us wouldnt follow rules, if t
16
june14
ADDICTED
TO
APPROVAL
we didnt care what others think of us. But this
becomes problematic when try to be someone
were not in order to please others, and our self
worth fuctuates with what others think of us at the
moment.
Even when were feeling good, we are selling
ourselves short. In His Word, God is constantly
affrming how great an esteem He has for us. To
the degree which we continue to read and believe
these truths, we want for nothing more.
For example, we are told that:
In him and through faith in him we may approach
God with freedom and confdence... For this reason
I kneel before the Father, from whom every family
in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that
out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and
established in love, may have power, together with
all the Lords holy people, to grasp how wide and
long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
know this love that surpasses knowledgethat you
may be flled to the measure of all the fullness of
God (Ephesians 3:12,14-20).
Maybe we do not feel that God could possibly
approve and accept us as is, but Paul points out
that even our small faith in Christ entitles us to
approach God with great confdence. Because God
esteems Jesus with the perfect love that only He
deserves, we are free, not only to associate with
God, not only to be His friends, but we are given
His very name and are members of the family of
God. It is out of His riches that He plants us and
establishes us in a love so great that we are unable
to grasp its vastness.
In fact, this just doesnt make sense, and so give
up trying to understand it and instead look to
fawed people like ourselves to confrm that we are
okay. Unfortunately, the only thing others validate
about us is that we are horribly broken, and that
we are not even close to mending things on our
own. Thats why Paul prays that we will discover
that God loves us in spite of our pitiful state. He
prays that we believe by faith that God loves us in
this amazing, unconditional way, even though it
surpasses our knowledge and makes no sense to us.
And its a good thing that it doesnt make sense. If
at any time we start to feel that we warrant Gods
love, then we lack some serious perspective, which
in turn inhibits a harmonious relationship with
God.
On the other hand, when His power is at work
within us, we are flled with His fullness, rather
than becoming full of ourselves. To be flled with
Him is to be emptied of ourselves and to know
that we are worthless no matter how well we think
weve done, or how many people speak well of us.
Yet, the reverse is also true. No matter how low we
sink, or how much we may disappoint others, we
know God proudly embraces us without hesitation.
Since we know that, by faith, we have incredible
value in Gods eyes and His unqualifed approval,
we need not seek it anywhere else. Our worth in
Christ becomes the power that produces bravery
in awkward situations, courage as we face painful
rejection, and love when we feel only ridicule from
others.
Of course, progress can only begin in Aprovaholics
Anonymous once we admit we have a problem.
Just as the alcoholic learns he doesnt need a
drink to get him through the day, we recovering
approvaholics can learn one day at a time, that
with Christ dwelling in our hearts, we have all the
approval we need.
(I believe He wanted me to remind you of this!)
t
17
GM
A
few weeks ago, I was meeting with one
of the leaders of our church. I asked him
a question that Id been pondering for
a while. Are you okay with the reality that,
in this life, you will never be fnished? Id
venture to say that most of us dont like the
idea of being unfnished.
How do you feel about unfnished
business?
I like to do projects around the house. I
have years of remodeling experience after
rehabbing a house in St. Louis and now
making changes to my home in Wentzville.
I have very little trouble starting a job. My
struggle is with fnishing it. As I type this, a
piece of baseboard is staring at me. I have
an offce in our recently almost fnished
basement. The room is 95 percent fnished,
but there are a few little jobs that still need
to be doneI wish this baseboard would stop
looking at me.
The unfnished nature of my fnished
basement would bother me more if I didnt
have so much other unfnished business in
my life. There is so much work to be done. So
many things that Id like to do with my time
on this earth. I will never be able to complete
all that Id like to start. I will never fnish all
BEGIN AGAIN
t
18
june14
BY JASON MOORE
UNFINISHED...
the work I could do at home, at church, in
the community, with my family and on and
on. Maybe Id be less bothered by all this
unfnished business if I myself was fnished.
In his letter to his friends at Philippi, the
apostle Paul wrote, being confdent of this,
that he who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of
Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Thats good
news. The Bible also tells us that Jesus is
the founder and protector of our faith.
If we are followers of Christ, then God is
radically committed to fnishing the work
He has started in us. Thats great news. But,
its not always easy to live in light of this
reality.
With each passing day, I become more
aware of how much work God has to do
in my heart, mind and soul. Im in this
Christian process called sanctifcation.
Sanctifcation could be described as
the work of Gods free grace by which we
are renewed throughout in the image of
God. In other words, God in His kindness
and mercy works in us to make us new.
To restore the weakness and brokenness
that comes from being fallen creatures.
He forgives our sin, exposes our deepest
issues and brings healing to our souls. He
gives us strength for everyday living as He
empowers us to be more like our perfect
savior, Jesus Christ. Our gracious God is
working on His people.
One of the reasons I like doing projects
is because every once and a while I need to
see something fnished. Building a cabinet
or laying tile on a foor gives me hope. It is
a reminder that one day I will be fnished.
But, seeing fnished work also reminds me
of something else.
In order for people like us to be fnished,
work had to be done. We cant do the work
of saving our own souls. We try. Thats
what religion is about: working hard to
earn Gods favor. Thats work we defnitely
cant fnish. But, thats okay, because it was
fnished by someone else. Jesus, the author
and fnisher of our faith, has done the work
necessary for us to be declared righteous
and reconciled to God.
Finished work reminds us that Jesus
work is complete. There is nothing left for
us to do in order to be in a right relationship
with God. By Gods unmerited favor and
kindness, we have been brought into Gods
loving care. Jesus accomplishes what we
cannot. Because of grace, we can rest from
any efforts to save ourselves or to prove our
worth.
By that same grace, we are being
perfected. God, in His mercy, is working to
expose the broken parts of me that only He
can heal. Through the work of Gods Holy
Spirit, we can die to sin and be made alive
to righteousness. Its a hard process, but a
good process. Being unfnished means there
are still diffcult moments. I dont always
love my wife well. Im not always psyched to
do my job. Im not always an engaged and
enthusiastic father. Im not always a good
friend or even a good person. But when I
doubt that God is capable of fnishing His
work on a wretch like me, I can look to the
fnished work of Jesus.
If Jesus has fnished the work necessary
for us to be saved then He will fulfll His
promises to fnish His work in us. That
process will take time. It might be messy.
The baseboards may not get installed
until Jesus comes back. But, if God starts
something, He will certainly fnish it. Im
okay with being unfnished because God
always fnishes His work, and He has
promised to fnish me.
Jason Moore is a church-planting pastor
with the Presbyterian Church in America.
More than that, he is a child of God saved
by His amazing grace. It is his hope that,
come what may, God will use his life to
display the love of God and make His
goodness known.
t
19
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UNFINISHED...