Tag: salvation

Aslan, Manhood, and Sacrificial Responsibility

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Devotionals1 Comment

My boys and I have been reading through C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at night time before bed, and they have loved it. Though they are only four and six, they’ve been able to grasp the plot of the fantasy world and its battle between good and evil.

Last night we read the part of the book where Aslan dies on behalf of Edmund. Edmund, of course, is the younger brother who is tempted into betraying his siblings by the Witch’s promise of making him king. Even though he is rescued by Aslan and shows signs of repentance, there is “deep magic” in Narnia that requires the life of any traitor.

Aslan, the son of the “Emperor Beyond the Sea,” who all the “good guys” expect to lift the cruel curse inflicted on Narnia by the Witch, chooses to die on Edmund’s behalf. He allows himself to be bound, shaved, and sacrificed on the Stone Table to atonefor Edmund’s sin.

My boys immediately understood Lewis’ point, “That’s just like Jesus dying for us!” Indeed it is.

Now let me be clear, in Lewis’ story, Aslan pays a ransom to the Witch for Edmund’s life. That’s not what Jesus did. He didn’t pay off Satan. He paid the Father. He took the wrath of God against our sins on the cross. It was God the Father who poured out punishment on his Son, not Satan (Isaiah 53:10-11).

But Aslan does sacrifice his life for Edmund in a substitutionary manner by taking responsibility for Edmund’s sin. Even though Aslan didn’t commit treason, he chose to be punished as if he had so that Edmund could be set free. And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Greater love has no man than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). We prayed and thanked Jesus for loving us and dying for us.

I also wanted to teach my boys a lesson about biblical masculinity and its assumption of sacrificial responsibility. I told them that God wants each of them to become men who willingly sacrifice themselves for the people that God places in their lives, and that they do that by bearing the responsibility of leadership. Aslan bore this responsibility for Edmund, just as Jesus did for us, and we are called to do the same.

Each of them declared their willingness to die for another member of our family should it be necessary. “If August needed a heart, and my heart was the only one he could have,” Haddon said, “I would die so he could have my heart.”

Though it was sweet, I also wanted them to see that sacrificial responsibility doesn’t just mean choosing to die so that someone else can live. It certainly can, and did mean that for Jesus. But it can also bedying to yourself daily- your desires, your preferences, your rights- to serve those God has called you to lead.

This is what motivates me as a father. God has called me to assume the sacrificial responsibility for my home. I am called to lead and bear the responsibility for my marriage and my children. And God has called me to bear that responsibility by regularly sacrificing myself for them. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25).

So, I told them, that looks like getting up every day, praying for your family, working hard to provide, teaching your family the Word, spending quality time together, disciplining your children, making sure all the bills are paid, making sure all the relationships are healthy, seeing to it that everyone has what they need, taking care of the things God has given us, and so on. Gladly taking on the duty of these things and tending to them with care, even when you don’t feel like it, is sacrificial responsibility. And that’s what it means to be a man. And that’s what God wants you to become. That’s how you embody Jesus to your family, to your community, and ultimately to the world.

“So Daddy, you’re like Aslan?” I’m trying to be, son, and one day, I hope each of you will too!

Kids & Kingdom- Children After the Fall: Difficult Discipleship

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Imago Dei Class, Kids & Kingdom2 Comments

If the contents of my first post seemed too idealistic, this post may seem too realistic. Many parents or teachers may not feel like the language of the previous chapter- blessing and privilege and joy- describes their current experience with kids. These words are true of children, as we saw in Psalm 127,  but other words may also describe the reality of raising them: frustration, impatience, and difficulty. Why is this so? Because the serenity of the first chapter of Genesis quickly turns into chaos a few chapters later. And we live (and have kids) in the aftermath of the latter.

God’s first mandate to be fruitful and multiply was given before the fall, before sin entered the world. Thus, being fruitful and multiplying would have naturally led to filling the earth with children who grew up to be adults who walked with God in perfect harmony like Adam and Eve did. That was the ideal.

Raising children in a pre-fall environment would have been relatively uncomplicated. Imagine raising a toddler who isn’t filled with impassioned rage when you give him the wrong color cereal bowl or teenager who doesn’t struggle with pride or self-image. Unfortunately, no child was ever born into that environment.

When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, they sinned against God. They declared themselves to be the masters of their lives instead of submitting to God’s lordship and authority. They fractured the relationship they previously enjoyed by rebelling against their Creator. Instead of looking to, worshiping, and following the One who made them, they looked to, worshiped, and followed their own selfish desires. As a result, the serpent’s promise came true: their eyes were opened and they knew good and evil. But their newfound experiential knowledge of evil came with a great cost.

Everything Is Broken

The primary effect of Adam and Eve’s sin was the fracture in their relationship with God. The innocence and intimacy they enjoyed with him was broken. The ripple effect of that fracture spilled over into every aspect of their lives. Everything about life became more difficult, because everything in life was broken because of sin. That’s what theologians call “the curse of sin.”

There are several aspects to this curse. First, Adam and Eve recognize that they are naked and make clothes (Gen 3:7). A lot more difficult than wearing your birthday suit every day. Second, they hide from God (Gen 3:8). Their relationship with him is now hindered by shame and guilt. Third, there is enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15). We see the difficulty of their warfare all throughout the Bible and around us still today.

Fourth, the woman’s pain in childbearing is increased (Gen 3:16). The blessing of giving birth now comes with hardship and pain from the moment of conception until the moment of birth. Many women may struggle to get pregnant or stay pregnant, both of which are effects of child birth in a fallen world. Even those who do carry to full term experience discomfort and pain, and many mothers give their lives in child birth.

Fifth, the relationship between husband and wife will be difficult due to contrary desires (Gen 3:16). Sixth, all work will be more difficult, plagued by the effects of sin (symbolized by thorns, Gen 3:17). Finally, mankind will return to dust. They will die because death now reigns (Gen 3:19). All of life will be a struggle all the way up until the final struggle of death. Everything is more difficult now.

This is the environment that children are born into. In fact, it begins before they’re even born. Couples may struggle to get pregnant, experience miscarriages, or give birth to stillborn babies. And once they’re born, it doesn’t get any easier, because parents, who are sinners themselves, are tasked with raising other sinners in a world plagued by the deadly effects of sin.

Continue reading “Kids & Kingdom- Children After the Fall: Difficult Discipleship” →

How to Share Christ Effectively (Colossians 4:2-6)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

As Paul moves towards the conclusion of his letter, he asks the Colossians to partner with him in his life’s calling: proclaiming the mystery of Christ. He invites them to play their role in God’s mission by praying for and supporting him in his mission field (now prison), but also by engaging in their own mission field. He writes in Colossians 4:2-6,

“2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

5Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (NASB)

There are two primary commands in this section. The first is to pray for opportunities to witness and the second is to take advantage of those opportunities. I use “witness” here as the term to define any opportunity we have to share Christ with those who do not know him. Let’s consider each of these commands in turn and consider how they apply to our lives.

We Must Pray for Witnessing Opportunities

It is important to note that Paul begins this section by encouraging prayer. And not just any kind of prayer. Paul encourages the Colossians to missions minded kingdom expanding prayer.  He doesn’t give them a list of his physical needs, but asks them to pray that he (and they) will be effective in reaching the lost. Effective evangelism always begins with prayer.

Paul asks the Colossians to pray for God to open up a door for the word. In Acts 14:27 and 1 Corinthians 16:9, God is the one who opens the door for the gospel. He does this through providing opportunities to share Christ and opening the hearts of those who hear. Paul, now in prison, asks for the Colossians to pray that God will continue opening doors for him to preach Christ.

Continue reading “How to Share Christ Effectively (Colossians 4:2-6)” →

Is Trusting Jesus Enough for Salvation? (Colossians 2:16-23)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

Is trusting Jesus enough for salvation? Can it really be that simple? Or is there a deeper, hidden meaning within Christianity? Are there religious practices for the spiritually elite that make us more acceptable to God and draw us closer to him? These are some of the questions the Colossians wrestled with. Fortunately for them (and us), Paul addresses in our text this week, Colossians 2:16-23. The passage reads,

“16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

There are two commands in this passage. The first, to not let anyone pass judgment on your faith. Second, to not let anyone disqualify you. Let’s consider each of these in turn.

1. Let no one pass judgment on you (2:16-17)

    The believers at Colossae were being judged by those who thought they needed to add another element to their faith. Followers of Jesus were being told by people of Jewish background that they also needed to practice Sabbath, keep Jewish festival days, and observe dietary laws. In other words, their faith in Christ was not enough, unless the Jewish traditions were observed in addition to it.

    Paul tells the Colossians, “don’t let these people judge you.” We can’t keep people from judging us. But we can shrug off their judgments. This is what Paul is telling the Colossians to do- they are to pay no attention to those who judge them in this regard. Why? Because all of these things are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

    Take the Sabbath, for example. The Sabbath was a day of rest from work to enjoy God and his blessings. The Sabbath was a shadow that pointed to the future substance, who is Christ. He has provided ultimate, eternal rest for God’s people. There’s no working for our salvation, but rather resting in what Christ has done for us. He beckons those who are weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest (Matt 11:28).

    So it is with all of the Jewish traditions. They were shadows that pointed to Christ! He is the true temple, the true Passover lamb, the true sacrifice, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king! There is no going back to these shadows, the substance has come!

    Continue reading “Is Trusting Jesus Enough for Salvation? (Colossians 2:16-23)” →

    The Triune God: The Ultimate Christmas Gift

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Theology1 Comment

    Christmas is here! And all that comes with it: lights, decorations, gatherings, and…gifts. What does that last word do for you- gifts? Does it create excitement, perhaps over the gift you might receive or give? Or does it create a sense of burden over the gifts you need to purchase? Whichever it may be, how would you feel if I told you that our practice of gift-giving could (and should) deepen our appreciation of the Triune God?

    Why do we give gifts at Christmas, anyways? We may say, “because God has given us the gift of salvation.” And while that may be true, the gift God has given us is much more than that. The ultimate Christmas gift is a Trinitarian gift. It’s a gift prepared, given, and protected by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a gift that redeems the world and restores all that mankind lost in the Garden of Eden, chiefly, an intimate relationship with the Triune God.

    When God gives us the gift of salvation, He gives us Himself and the ability to know Him. That’s what we lost in Eden. Everything else is merely a symptom of that broken relationship. So God prepares, purchases, and extends this gift to us. But He does so through each member of the Trinity giving themselves so that we may know God in all of His fullness. Let me explain.

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    Why Disciple-Making Must Begin with the Gospel

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

    Today we launched a new discipleship group on my back porch at 6:45am. In our first meeting together, we carefully explained and studied the core message of the gospel. We began with God and His character, considered man’s need because of his sin, Christ’s righteous life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, and the need for responding in repentance and faith. We discussed our individual experiences hearing, believing, and living the gospel. Though it may seem basic, starting any disciple-making effort must start with the gospel. Here’s why:

    1. The gospel is the entry-point into life with God.

    A disciple is someone who is following Jesus. Someone who is walking with God. The gospel is the message that brings us to God. The content of the gospel- Christ’s life, death, and resurrection- is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). By believing it, we become sons and daughters of God, and begin a new life with God. We must start disciple-making with the gospel because it is quite literally the starting point of our lives with God.

    2. The gospel is the foundation of walking with God.

    Not only is the gospel the starting point of life with God, it is also the foundation of the believer’s future walk with God. We never outgrow our need for the gospel. Every day we are sinners in need of God’s grace. Every day we are recipients of God’s grace in Christ. Every day God sees us, not in our sin, but in the perfect righteousness of the Son.

    Continue reading “Why Disciple-Making Must Begin with the Gospel” →

    The Preeminent King Who Reconciles All Things

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

    Our focus as a church this week was on the preeminence of Christ. Preeminence refers to the exclusive right of being first, supreme, or surpassing all others. The Son of God in the person of Christ is preeminent (Colossians 1:18). He is before all things (1:16) because He created all things (1:15-16) and holds all things together (1:17b).

    Christ is also preeminent over the church (1:18). The church is made up of those whom Christ created; they are part of the “all things” He created in 1:16, who rebelled against Him (1:21) but have been reconciled back to Him (1:22). But how did this reconciliation occur? By the preeminent One “making peace through the blood of His cross” (1:20).

    The beauty of the gospel captured my heart this Sunday. Colossians 1 presents the Son as the One who created all things and currently holds all things together. But it also presents Him as the One who reconciles all things by His own death. Only the One who created all things can reconcile all things back to Himself- and there was only one way for Him to do that- “by the blood of His cross” (1:20).

    Here is the prominent reminder for us: everything that we need, from the greatest need of salvation to the smallest need of our next breath: Christ provides. He created all things. He sustains all things. He reconciles all things. By the blood of His cross.

    Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? A List of Verses that Support Eternal Security (or Perseverance of the Saints)

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn TheologyLeave a comment

    This week I had the opportunity to meet with a couple who wanted to talk about our church’s stance on eternal security (also called perseverance of the saints). Many people misunderstand what is meant by perseverance of the saints and are rightfully concerned that its proponents hold to a trivial form of “once saved always saved.” Their main concern is that we believe that as long as someone repeats a prayer or makes a profession of faith, their name is sealed in heaven and cannot be removed regardless of how they live post-profession. Thus, they are concerned that we might make salvation a trivial matter: say this, you are saved, and you can never lose it, regardless of how you live.

    This is not, however, the historic view on the perseverance of the believer, nor is it the one we hold to. So what do we believe? We believe that when someone genuinely repents and places their faith in Christ, they are saved. They become a son or daughter of God and are given the Holy Spirit. That Spirit ensures their future endurance and is thus the guarantee of their salvation. They will not lose their salvation, because God Himself will complete the work that he started. And this work will be evident in their life!

    Here is a categorized list of the verses that help us arrive at this position:

    Continue reading “Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? A List of Verses that Support Eternal Security (or Perseverance of the Saints)” →

    A Merciful God Who Doesn’t Clear the Guilty

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous4 Comments

    Throughout the Bible, there is a seeming paradox: God is holy and just, but He is also loving and forgiving. God declares these things to be true about Himself in Exodus 34. He tells Moses that He is a “merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love” (Exodus 34:6). But He also says that He will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). We are left with the question: how can God be gracious, loving, and merciful, while also being a just, holy, fair judge of the guilty?

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    Why Manna? God’s Grace Displayed in Our Grumbling

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

    In Exodus 16, the word “grumbling” is used eight times to describe Israel’s response to their hunger. It is easy to accuse them of lacking gratitude and faith, but I am afraid I would’ve been among their number. They watched God rescue them from slavery in Egypt with signs and wonders, yet they find themselves in the wilderness without food.

    What was their response? They grumbled. They complained. They reminisced on how good the food was in their Egyptian slavery. They questioned all that God had done for them and wondered whether it was Him who did it after all. They blamed Moses, “you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Ex 16:3).

    Israel’s grumbling is not the response we expect when we read the story, especially right after God’s miraculous provision of water. But perhaps we should expect it. If we are honest, we probably would have grumbled too. But that’s good news. Because God’s responds in grace and provides for their needs.

    In v. 4-8, God promised to send meat (quail) in the evening followed by bread in the morning. This bread was called “manna.” When Moses reveals this promise to the people, He begins by telling them that God “has heard your grumbling.” God responds to the people’s need without them asking. There isn’t a prayer uttered in this chapter. Just grumbling. Complaining. Blaming others. Yet God knew what His people needed. And He gave it to them. They were undeserving, yet He gave it to them. Why? Because He loves them. That’s grace!

    Continue reading “Why Manna? God’s Grace Displayed in Our Grumbling” →