Is Church Membership Biblical?

Posted on October 9, 2014     Leave a Comment

Church membership can be a controversial issue. I have met a number of Christians who are strongly opposed to it, and others who are staunch supporters. As with anything, believers ought to let Scripture guide our beliefs and practices and submit to the truth of God’s Word.

In trying to answer the question “Is church membership biblical?”, we first need to define what one means by “biblical”. There are at least two possible meanings of this word:

  1. Biblical means that the Bible explicitly commands a certain thing.
  2. Biblical means that the Bible does not explicitly forbid a certain thing, meaning it is possibly acceptable but not required.

In the first sense, church membership is not biblical. Nowhere does the Bible say that church membership is required by believers or to be enforced by churches. So in that sense, church membership is not a biblical practice.

Yet, church membership most definitely is biblical in the second sense. Scripture does not forbid its use, and it can be argued that there are ways in which the Bible suggests it might be a good idea.

I am a supporter of church membership, not because I see it as being commanded by God, but rather I think it is both an acceptable and helpful practice. Here are a few practical arguments for the helpfulness of church membership.

It helps identify the flock and the shepherds.

The Bible states clearly that church leaders are to care for their flock, or those who are a part of their local church. It says plainly in 1 Peter 5:1-3

[1] So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: [2] shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; [3] not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

With local churches inevitably having turnover among attenders, as well as inconsistent attendance by some, the elders are left to ask, who is part of our flock? Who is the flock specifically “among us”? It is a matter of knowing by name those for whom church leaders are responsible. Now, you can go to an unhealthy extreme where elders might ignore those who regularly attend but aren’t enrolled as church members, or refuse to shepherd someone who is new to the church, and either one is to miss the intent of Peter’s charge. His meaning is clearly that elders are responsible for the spiritual nurturing of specific individuals, and formal church membership is one means to identify who that entails. It can help make sure people don’t fall through the cracks.

Perhaps more importantly and practically, church membership also helps believers obey the command of passages like Hebrews 13:17, which says

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

In this case, the job of identifying specific individuals is reversed: believers are to know specifically who their leaders are, and submit to their spiritual leadership. In some cases, this could include the practice of church discipline, where a church member is disciplined by church leaders for unrepentant sin. A believer is not to submit to the leader of another church with whom they have hardly any contact, but rather only to “your leaders”. Making the distinction between who are your spiritual leaders and who are not is an important one.

So, although church membership is not commanded, it practically helps to answer several questions. Formal enrolment helps church leaders to know their flock by name, and it helps church members know their leaders as well. This is a great tool to prevent loose church affiliation, which is all-too-common among Christians. There are many believers who jump from church to church. In such a case, who are the leaders they are to submit to? Which church is responsible for the care of that individual? Such questions are more easily resolved when formal church membership is in place.

It helps believers commit to one another.

The New Testament is packed with commands for Christians that involve “one another”.

  • Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
  • Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
  • Seek the good of one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
  • Confess sin to one another (James 5:16)
  • Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
  • Love one another (John 13:34)
  • Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

The list goes on and on. Roughly 15-30 verses in the Bible (depending on the translation used) include the phrase “one another” in terms of how Christians are to relate to each other.

This certainly means that every Christian is responsible to treat any other believer in such a way. Yet there is also a sense in which these commands are meant to be taken in the context of a local community, where Christians know each other in personal relationships. Especially in the case of attending the same church, believers ought to know each other and fulfill these “one another” commands within their fellowship. This can certainly happen without church membership; yet church membership does raise the level of accountability in terms of who we are to treat as a brother or sister in Christ.

It helps people commit to a church.

Sadly, the city in which I live is known for church-hopping. It is not uncommon for people to bounce around from church to church, nit-picking about details they prefer while never really establishing any solid, long-term relationships with other believers and putting down spiritual roots. This is a bad thing. Church membership encourages people to think about what church they want to attend a little harder. As I see it, choosing a church should be more like buying a house than picking a restaurant for supper. The former requires thoughtfulness, intentionality, a level of seriousness, and proper investigation. It is a long-term decision. The latter is a flippant choice that hardly matters. If joining a church requires an official membership process, a believer is more likely to take it seriously. They will learn about the church’s beliefs, style of ministry, relational atmosphere, as well as other things, before making a decision (to which I say, praise God!).

It helps to strengthen the volunteer structure.

Pastors are important, but most churches are built and sustained on the backs of volunteers. At our church, we have a number of volunteer positions that are only reserved for church members. This helps in a few practical ways, such as:

  • Ensuring a non-believer is not in a role of spiritual leadership
  • Encouraging uninvolved attenders to take the next step of commitment
  • Helping volunteers remain accountable about their walk with Jesus, since they have officially confirmed they will do so

It protects the church from being run by the uncommitted and unqualified.

When churches need to make important decisions collectively, what is to stop the person who has attended for just two weeks from having the same voice as the committed 30-year member, especially in the case of a vote being taken? If there is no church membership in place, the answer is nothing! Having an enrolled list of members helps to make sure that important church decisions are made by those who have an invested, committed interest in the health of the church long-term.

It can help keep track of growth (or decline).

No method of counting attendance is without its flaws, but church membership is one practical way a church can keep tabs on how it is doing. In addition to tracking Sunday attendance, the church can track its membership. Are membership figures going up? Going down? Staying the same? Is the overall attendance going up but membership is not? Is attendance down but membership growing? Any of these scenarios show something about the health of the church and direction it is heading in. It’s clear that even the early church was keeping track of numbers in some fashion (Acts 2:41 for example), and church membership is one method of doing so.

Conclusion

In the end, no church should feel obligated to have a formal structure of church membership. It is a biblically optional model to have in place that a church may or may not find helpful. In my own estimation, I find it to be a helpful thing to use, though it is not without its shortcomings and potential dangers. Each church should decide for themselves if the good outweighs the bad in their own particular situation, based on the wisdom that God provides.

Christian: You Are God’s Inheritance

Posted on September 17, 2014     9 Comments

I love it when, while reading a familiar passage of the Bible, you come across something that somehow you missed every other time you read it. Such was the case the other day when reading in Ephesians 1. It says, in part,

[16] I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…

Paul prays that God would open the eyes of the Ephesians to see the truth about God, specifically so that they would know three things:

  1. the hope to which they are called
  2. the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints
  3. the immeasurable power of God at work in the believers life

For me, something struck me from number 2. Whenever I read those words in past readings, I think that in my head I was hearing “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance for the saints”. But that is definitely not what the verse says. It says believers should know “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance IN the saints.”

There is a world of difference between the two. Do you see it? The first version (the wrong one) pictures all Christians receiving a great inheritance. I think that I read it that way previously because only a few verses earlier (11-14) Paul emphasizes the inheritance that awaits all believers in heaven. It is true – Christians do receive a great inheritance in heaven. Yet that is not what verse 18 says. Verse 18 says that God is the recipient of a glorious inheritance. The inheritance that God receives is “in the saints”.

My take on this is that the “riches of [God’s] glorious inheritance” is friendship with believers. God will enjoy spending time with those who love him. He is richly rewarded with their sinless presence. He will fellowship with them forever and be thrilled about it.

Is this striking to you? It was to me! I tend to be the kind of person who emphasizes the depravity of man. We are all sinners, we all fall short, and none of us deserves God or his mercy. We deserve wrath and punishment. These are all Biblical truths. But, based on this verse, I think there is a sense in which we can willingly bask in the knowledge of our own wickedness so much that we begin to lose sight of our true value. Let us not forget that we are made in the image of God. And though we do not deserve to have forgiveness, Christ thought it worthwhile to suffer and die to save us from the clutches of sin.

God, through the Apostle Paul, wants all Christians to have “the eyes of their hearts enlightened, that [they] may know” that God is going to be richly blessed with us as his inheritance. This is not meant to lead us to arrogance. It is not meant to cause us to think too highly of ourselves. It is not meant to promote a man-centered gospel. But it is meant to remind us that God is our Father, that he intentionally and joyfully made each and every one of us (Psalm 139:11-16), and that he did so because he loves us and wants to be with us.

In heaven, believers will have a glorious inheritance, that of Christ himself. In heaven, God will have a glorious inheritance, that of the saints. This mutual enjoying of one another forever is certainly one thing that will make heaven the paradise it is described to be. Let us each deeply long for the coming of this day!

Teaching Teens to Pray

Posted on September 11, 2014     Leave a Comment

Disclaimer – I write “Leadership Moments” for the volunteers at my church who work in the youth ministry. Each Leadership Moment is meant to equip the everyday youth worker with the knowledge and skills they need to help teens as best as they can. Because these articles are for people I know personally and meant for my own church and city context, they may not always be relevant to the wider public. However I put them here for anyone who might benefit from their content.

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Prayer is one of the most essential elements of the Christian life. As a result, it should be one of the things we emphasize the most in youth ministry. Especially for teens who did not grow up in church, prayer can feel like a mysterious thing that only religious people do. Yet this is not true at all! Prayer is simply talking to God.

In a youth group setting, it can be hard to get teens to pray out loud. They may feel weird doing it, or that they don’t know how, or are afraid of saying something stupid in front of everyone. It’s our job as leaders to do everything we can to create an environment that encourages them to pray out loud. Here are a few practical tips on doing that.

Pray short, simple prayers. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 (a prayer commonly known as the “Our Father”), his example prayer was only four sentences long. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t spend long periods of time in prayer, but it is good to go easy when teaching others to pray. We also should avoid using fancy, religious language. At prayer time, the youth leaders should pray short, simple prayers. The idea is that when a teen hears you pray, they think to themselves, “I can do that!”

Don’t take all the prayer requests. Before praying, it is good to take up prayer requests. What is not good however is when a leader prays for multiple prayer requests during their turn. The reason is because it leaves nothing for the teens to pray for. When a teen is just learning to pray out loud, it is nice for them to have a topic ready rather than having to come up with one on the spot. As leaders, it’s our job to pray for one thing and leave lots of stuff for the teens to pray about. They will be much more likely to take a chance.

Don’t just ask God for stuff. It’s okay to ask God for help and to provide for our needs. But if all we ever do is pray to God to ask for stuff, we’re basically treating him more like Santa Clause than a friend. In addition to making requests, we should also thank God for all he has done for us. When leaders pray out loud, we need to model for teens that prayer is more than just asking God for stuff. It is a relationship.

Keep these tips in mind next time you have prayer time in youth group!

8 Things That Won’t Get You To Heaven

Posted on September 6, 2014     3 Comments

Just about everybody wants to go to heaven when they die. Granted, the definition of what “heaven” is varies from person to person, but here I’m talking about the Biblical heaven: a place of eternal, immensely fulfilling life in the presence of Jesus and all those who have had their sins forgiven by God. This is the place I will go to when I die. I know that for sure, and you can to.

Yet I fear that many people simply assume they will go to heaven when they die, when in fact many will not. Truth is, not everyone goes to “a better place” when their time is up. There is only one doorway into heaven, and there is very specific criteria for passing through it. The Bible says so clearly. One section of Scripture lays out 8 things that won’t get you into heaven, and one thing that will. The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:

[3] For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—[4] though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless [7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Here is what he is saying. By the standards of many, Paul is a prime candidate for heaven. He says that if anyone thinks he has confidence, Paul has reason for more. In fact, he specifically lists his qualifications. Yet at the end he counts them as “loss” and “rubbish”, meaning they are not enough to earn him forgiveness and therefore, heaven. What are these things that are not enough to earn him a spot in heaven?

  1. Religious rituals. Paul was “circumcised on the eighth day” (vs. 5). This was a Jewish tradition that was even commanded by God in the Old Testament. Some parallels for today might include baptism, praying the rosary, or taking communion. Yet when it comes to pleasing God with such things, they are “loss”. Religious rituals are not sufficient for one to gain heaven.
  2. Ethnicity. Paul is “of the people of Israel” (vs. 5), who, according to the Bible, are God’s chosen people. Yet this apparently does not make him immediately qualified for heaven. In fact, the Bible warns that “not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring” (Romans 9:7). It is not enough to be descended from Abraham, the father of Israel. No one gets to heaven based on their race or ethnic heritage.
  3. Family affiliation. Verse 5 says that Paul is of the tribe of Benjamin, which is a clan of Israel. Just as race does not secure eternal life, neither does family background. The Benjamites were highly religious people and very devoted to God. Yet Paul was not granted heaven simply because he came from that kind of family. Similarly, no one today is guaranteed heaven because they come from a religious family. It just doesn’t work that way!
  4. Religious pedigree. Paul was in a class of people known as the Pharisees (vs. 6), who were the religious leaders of the day. In modern vernacular, we might consider Paul to be a Rabbi, Pastor, or Priest of the highest rank. You’d think that such a “holy man” would surely be destined for heaven! Perhaps, but certainly not based on a title or rank. Again, Paul calls it “loss”.
  5. Bible knowledge. As a Pharisee, Paul would have been very well-versed in the Scriptures. He would have had huge chunks of the Bible memorized, and if anyone had a question about God, they would go to him for answers. He knew his stuff! Yet, when it comes to earning him heaven, this was not sufficient.
  6. Religious zeal. Paul was so intense about his religious beliefs that he dedicated his life to shutting down opposing religions (vs. 6). In his case, it meant imprisoning and killing followers of Jesus, since Paul was a Jew (before converting to Christianity). His passion about fighting for God and eradicating false religions makes modern-day religious devotion look lame. Are you a religiously devout person? A faithful church attender? A generous giver? Compared to Paul, it’s pittance, and even his zeal is not good enough.
  7. Sincere faith. Paul, a persecutor of the Church, completely believed he was doing something good. He was convinced that his behaviour was God-approved. Yet it most certainly was not. The truth is that being sincere about your faith is not enough. You can be sincere all you want, but if you are sincerely wrong, it counts for naught.
  8. Morality. Paul says that when it comes to him obeying the law (the rules in the Old Testament), he was “blameless” (vs. 6). Can you say such a thing? That when it comes to keeping God’s rules you are virtually without fault? Yet even being a highly moral, keeper of God’s rules says that he counts it as “rubbish”. His good deeds and obedience are not enough to secure him a place in heaven.

Paul looks over his life, says that he has more reason than anyone to feel good about gaining heaven, yet all of this “gain” he considers to be “loss”. That’s his way of saying that what man sees as being impressive, God does not see as being all that impressive.

So What Does It Take?

The answer is so clear and simple. All of Paul’s impressive, religious resume he considers loss because of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (vs. 8). Having a personal relationship with Jesus makes all of Paul’s religious works look like a big pile of garbage (rubbish) by comparison. He explains further, saying in verse 9 that he gives up any attempt at pleasing God by his own works, in order to receive righteousness by faith in Jesus. Essentially, the deal is this: either you try to impress God with your own religiousness (which doesn’t do much), or you put your faith in Jesus and allow his holiness to count on your behalf.

Think of it this way. God is perfect, heaven is perfect, and therefore only perfect people can get in. No matter how impressive you are religiously (and Paul was right up there), it is not good enough. 99% holy doesn’t cut it. Only 100% is acceptable in God’s eyes. Yet no one can ever attain such a standard. So what is one to do?

The answer is allow Jesus to give you his righteousness. Jesus, the only sinless person who ever lived, died to take God’s wrath for our sin, and when we put our faith in him, his perfection gets transferred to us. It is a “righteousness…that comes through faith in Christ”. No one can ever earn heaven because of what they do. They can only receive heaven based on what Jesus has done. It is a free gift that can’t be worked for, but simply received.

My prayer is that, like Paul (and myself), you would consider your religious devotion insufficient for attaining heaven. Instead, put your faith in Jesus and allow his perfection to earn your place. Faith in him wipes all your sins away and counts his perfect life to your account, meaning that God sees you as holy and qualified for heaven. This is the only door to heaven!

A Quick Update On the Youth Ministry (September 2014)

Posted on September 5, 2014     Leave a Comment

I love what God is doing in and through the ministry of Bible Fellowship Church. Being the youth pastor here is a great blessing, and although there are always challenges that stand daunting, the Lord has been faithful and it is a great joy to see much fruit being borne. I wanted to give you a (very) brief update on the (very) early stages of youth ministry as we kick off another year.

Impact Youth (high school)

We had a number of students graduate last year, and I wasn’t sure how much it would affect things. Having our first meeting reminded me that we have a great group of 12-14 core students who love the youth group and are eager to grow in Christ. Not only are we gearing up for the Amp’d Conference at the end of this month, which is very outreach oriented, but we are following that up immediately with an evangelistic push using a resource from the Gideons called The Life Book. It is a CD-case-sized book that contains an overview of the Old Testament, a full copy of the Gospel of John, and a series of articles and notes on issues that teens face. We’re working on having every student in our group hand out 10 copies each to their friends. In addition, we’ll be studying the book of John at youth group starting the very next week, so that our youth can invite their friends out and learn what they are reading together. I’m really hoping that this year we can see a lot of teens come to faith in Jesus.

Praise God for:

  • The great volunteers we currently have
  • The evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit among the teens

Please pray for:

  • At least two new youth leaders – one male and one female
  • The Amp’d Conference
  • The Life Book outreach

Junior High

Last year was a building year for Junior High, and overall I was pleased with how it went. We saw the group roughly double in size, and more than half of the students that come out are from families that don’t attend church on Sunday morning. The plan for this year is to really establish a few basic things: (1) the relevance of the Bible in their lives; (2) the need to put God first; (3) a clear understanding of the gospel. Another major focus will be not only with the youth themselves but also the volunteer leadership team, which is made up of some teens in the Senior High youth group. I’m hoping to see them grow and mature through serving, and build up their confidence in God.

Praise God for:

  • Teens who are willing to serve
  • Reaching unchurched families

Please pray for:

  • A hunger in the students to know and love God’s Word
  • Connections to be formed among local churches on a Junior High level, as there currently are none

ISCF Korah

The campus ministry at Korah has always been strange. Sometimes it seems to be going full-speed, other times it feels like no one is interested. I was really pleased to have 13 or so students show up at our first meeting on Thursday – some of whom are students who came in years past but dropped out last year. There is a lot of churched teens at Korah, enough that we could easily have a group of 30+ students. However the academic and extra-curriculur demands for many are too great (some also just aren’t interested). I’m grateful to have the youth pastor from Bethany to help me lead this group. This year I’m praying for big things.

Praise God for:

  • Another pastor to partner with
  • Some key students who have remained faithful
  • The ability to sponsor 2 Compassion children as a group

Please pray for:

  • Consistency in attendance
  • A boldness among believing students, that they would not be ashamed of their faith

ISCF White Pines

The group at White Pines was just kick-started last year after being dead for a few years. Unlike Korah, White Pines has hardly any churched teens. It is very much a mission field. Last year there were 3 students who really were consistent in coming out and legitimately desiring to learn the Bible. I was thrilled today at our first meeting to hear them share about being at Christian summer camp and their efforts to read the Bible daily. We spent most of the time discussing questions they were asking about what they read in Matthew during personal devotions. Cool! I expect this year to be full of great discipleship.

Praise God for:

  • Providing a new sponsor teacher as last year’s teacher retired
  • The conversion of a grade 12 girl over the summer, whom we had been praying for

Please pray for:

  • The students to continue to grow in their faith
  • A move of the Spirit to advance the gospel and see new believers

Live Your Life With Godly Ferocious Intensity

Posted on August 21, 2014     Leave a Comment

fire

The deepest desire of my heart is to make my life count for Christ. It has been that way ever since my faith really came online around age 20, but increasingly so as I age over the the years. Reading works like Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper and Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft, among others, has helped me to gain a greater understanding of how to prioritize and make my life contribution be worthwhile. Nothing makes me shudder with fear more than the thought that by the time I hit my deathbed, I will have wasted precious time on earth. I want to make my life count. I want to make a difference in the world for Jesus. I want to have such an impact on the lives of others that my stamp on their hearts compels them to live for Jesus with reckless abandon.

I do not think that this kind of ferocious intensity is a bad thing. Certainly, I know that at times it can cause me to stress too much, be unable to relax, or just be a general nut. There is a place for sabbath and rest and doing things that are relatively meaningless in life. I get that, and I support and encourage those things. But my general feeling is that the Christian Church in North America is lacking in zeal and is simply too caught up in worldly things.

Please don’t hear me being too condemning. The main reason I am so driven is because I know how apathetic I am. As much as my main goal is to make my life count, the guy in the mirror is also the biggest enemy to that mission. It drives me crazy how often I have my priorities out of whack, how easily I get complacent, and how frequently I miss God-appointed opportunities to make a difference. I find that my default mode (likely just my sinful nature at work) is so bent towards the path of least resistance that nothing short of a dogfight with my own self is sufficient to overcome it. As soon as I let up, I go right back into being a lazy, comfortable Christian.

The Bible speaks in this way quite frequently. God is not ignorant to the natural heart of man. He knows we are defected in this way. No wonder the language of Scripture is so dramatic when it comes to fighting for a living, thriving faith…

Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith…

2 Timothy 2:3 Endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Anyone who thinks the Christian life is one of empty platitudes and boring rituals is terribly mistaken. The Christian life is war. It is a daily battle against the temptations of the world, our sinful flesh, and the devil. It takes focus, self-discipline, and a holy, ferocious intensity to really live it out. People speak of being “on fire for God”, and they usually mean an emotional high from an experience that inevitably wears off. The trick of Christian living is to keep the fires of passion for God burning at full strength, fuelled by the truth of God’s Word and time alone with Jesus. It is not easy to do, but it is our calling as believers and followers of Christ.

I do not think the term “godly ferocious intensity” is too strong. First, the passion must be godly. Ambition can be either good or bad, depending on what a person is ambitious for and also why they are ambitious. Christians can be ambitious for the wrong things or with the wrong motives but still appear very holy on the outside. We must be sold out for only one thing, and with only one motive: the glory of God, because he is worthy.

A godly ambition is a good thing, but the stronger it is, the better! A godly ambition ought to be intense. It should give us a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning. It should motivate us beyond our moments of weakness. It should drive us to go beyond our comfort zone. The pursuit of the glory of God needs to be like a fire in our bones that we can’t escape, burning with an intensity that radiates the light of Christ into the world with dazzling brilliance.

In oder to have that kind of intensity in a godly ambition, a Christian has to be ferocious in their fight to keep it alive. The human heart is prone to laziness and selfishness. It’s default mode is the easy way out. But the Christian life is taking the hard road, not the easy road. This means it is our responsibility as disciples of Jesus to fight for the fire of passion for God, and to do it ferociously. Anything that throws water on the flames of this desire needs to be met with spiritual fists. We need to fight to keep the passion for God’s glory alive. It won’t happen naturally. But as we exercise faith and self-discipline, the Holy Spirit will give us the power we need to achieve victory over our sinful passions (or lack of godly ones). In this way, the Christian life is war – a bloody battle to overcome the flesh and live in the power of the Spirit.

This is the only way to truly make your life count: to commit to an all-out pursuit of God’s glory in your life and in the lives of others around you, and to fight tooth-and-nail to feed that fire and keep it burning hot. I know I don’t do this very well, but I can honestly say that I’m giving it a good shot and hope to get better as the Lord helps me to grow and become more like him.

The Christian life is not boring. We believers know the greatest Person in the universe and have been invited by him into the greatest work in this universe. The spread of God’s kingdom and the glory of his name is God’s number 1 priority, and he chooses to accomplish these goals through mere humans like you and I. We are a part of the greatest thing happening in the history of the world, and yet it is so often met with a yawn. Fellow believers – wake up! Your life is only getting shorter each day, and the opportunities to make your life count for Jesus are passing you by. Don’t let that happen! Get up! Fight! Stoke the embers that are growing cold and ask God to light you aflame again. The time is too short. The days pass too quickly. We only get one lap around this track called life. Run your race as if going for the prize. One day, when you meet Jesus face to face, it will all be worth it.

 

The Gift of Suffering

Posted on August 20, 2014     Leave a Comment

The Bible is jam-packed with stuff that makes absolutely no sense the first time you read it. Such was the case when I sat down with my Bible this morning, opened up to Philippians 1.

[27] Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, [28] and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. [29] For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, [30] engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Verse 29 in particular caught my attention. The phrase “it has been granted to you” clearly identifies that what comes next is a gift from God. To have something “granted” to you (like being granted permission to do something, or granted entrance into something exclusive) mean it is a precious gift. So, what is granted to Christians? Verse 29 says these two things:

  1. faith in Christ
  2. suffering for that faith

Okay, I get number one. God opens our eyes and hearts to see and receive the truth of the gospel, and we receive forgiveness and eternal life. Cool! Now that is a gift! Number 2, however…not so much. Suffering is “granted” to us, like a cherished birthday present? Come again? How can suffering be a gift?

The author of this letter, Paul the missionary and apostle, is currently in prison for preaching Christ. (This is why he speaks of the “conflict” that he still has in verse 30.) So, certainly he knows a thing or two about suffering for Jesus. As he writes this book of the Bible from behind bars, he labels his own suffering, and the suffering of other Christians, as a gift that is “granted” to us from God. What does Paul see about suffering that makes it a gift?

The answer is that suffering produces genuine faith and Christ-like character. When Christians are in the midst of trials, our reliance on God either strengthens or weakens. When it is strengthened, it confirms our salvation to be true and increases our boldness in the face of opposition. This is why Paul speaks of not being scared or intimidated in the face of persecution by unbelievers (vs. 28) as a clear sign of the genuineness of your own faith.

Deep down, I think we know this to be true. When we are in a cozy Christian bubble, away from influences that test us or stretch us, our faith grows weak and our walk becomes complacent. We begin to coast, the urgency of evangelism is lost, and doubts creep in. This is why God allows trials and suffering into our lives: to sharpen and strengthen our faith. Without trials and suffering, we would never grow and perhaps even deceive ourselves about the genuineness of our faith.

This is why suffering for Jesus is a gift. Every true Christian wants to be assured of their salvation, grow in holiness, and become more bold in evangelism. The means by which that kind of growth takes place is through suffering. There is no shortcut, no easy way to achieve these results. Without a little suffering for Christ, we simply wilt to our sinful selves.

Paul, Peter, and James all knew this to be true.

(Romans 5:3-5) Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

(1 Peter 4:12-16) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

(James 1:2-4) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

So, my Christian brothers and sisters, let the Word of God shape the way you see the suffering in your life. No one should seek suffering intentionally, but it is a part of life. In particular, unjust suffering for Jesus is part of the Christian life. It is actually a gift of God to strengthen our faith. Rather than run from it, or become bitter, or seek the path of least resistance, let us rejoice in our suffering as God uses it to shape and mould us into the image of his Son and bring glory to his Name.

The Impending Crash Landing of Pastor Mark Driscoll

Posted on August 9, 2014     1 Comment

Mark Driscoll is about to go down in flames, and the whole world will be watching.

Driscoll rose to fame in the evangelical world (and the secular world as well) in the blink of an eye. This is largely due to the rapid growth of Mars Hill Church, the church that he and a few others founded in Seattle, Washington. Mars Hill began as a Bible study in a living room and has exploded into a mega-church where roughly 15,000 people attend weekly, spread across 15 locations. Driscoll’s sermons are regularly at the top in iTunes under the category of spirituality, and his listening audience reaches in the millions annually. In addition to all of this, Driscoll has written several books, is a regular speaker at conferences, and in general is one of the most recognizable celebrity pastors in the past 50 years.

That’s all about to end.

Well, the “famous” part will never go away, but Driscoll’s wide influence is shrinking by the day, in light of repeated offenses and transgressions that are mounting up like a garbage truck on pickup day.

In fact, there are entire websites and Facebook pages dedicated to either exposing every one of Driscoll’s missteps or to calling him to account for them and seek help. The constant barrage of charges has led to Driscoll responding with numerous public apologies, resigning from organizations like The Gospel Coalition, and recently being removed from the Acts29 church planting network which he co-founded. In his time in the limelight, Driscoll has been nothing short of a lightning rod for controversy – some of it not warranted, some of it very much so.

And now it is all coming to a head. Friends of Driscoll’s who once supported him – men like Dave Kraft, James McDonald, Matt Chandler, and Paul Tripp – are now distancing themselves (at least in a professional sense) and calling for repentance. I know that there are countless Driscoll haters out there who would love nothing more than to see him knocked off his pedestal, and Driscoll has always fought ferociously against his critics. But when genuine friends and godly men begin to make the same assessment, the accusations can’t be taken lightly.

Mark Driscoll has a very important decision to make: continue to fight to save his platform or give it up and seek restoration. As this all unfolds in clear view of the public, let’s not forget that Mark is a real person with a real family and that Mars Hill is a church made up of real people. It’s becoming painfully obvious to outside onlookers that Driscoll can, at present, no longer be at the top of the Mars Hill mountain without destroying himself, his family, and his church. I am sincerely hoping that he sees this as well and does what is best. This whole situation should be painful – not enjoyable – even to those of us who are not close to the action. Driscoll has five children, several of whom are old enough to be aware of the controversy surrounding their father. That can’t be easy to handle. Mars Hill is packed with new Christians and young families whose faith could implode if this whole mess is not sorted out well in a healthy fashion. As a husband and father myself, and someone who deeply loves the church, I am hoping and praying for the best.

This is fairly significant to me, because Mark Driscoll has been one of the strongest influences on me. When I was in my late teens and early twenties and wondering if I wanted to follow Jesus for myself instead of simply going with what my parents taught me, listening to Mars Hill sermons online was a huge factor in my decision to follow Christ. I had never before heard anyone preach like Mark. He helped me really understand the gospel and see Jesus in a bigger light. He called out the inner manliness in me and gave me a compelling mission for my life. I went into pastoral ministry at least in part because of his influence. At the same time, I did notice back then some things I didn’t like about Driscoll’s style or emphasis, but I know that for me, the good outweighed the bad.

I’m not one of the people who want to see Mark Driscoll crash and burn, but I’m also not a blind supporter who doesn’t want to see what’s really going on. I want the best for him, and as I see it (albeit from my limited and distant vantage point) the best thing for him to do is step down until a thorough investigation is done and his name is cleared (if it ends up that way). He needs to get completely out of public view, work on restoring himself and reconciling with his detractors, and allow Mars Hill Church to heal. I think that Mars Hill can stop the bleeding if they act swiftly and wisely. There are some tremendous things happening at that church, and I would hate to see it all flushed away if it could be saved. Hopefully the church is able to put together a transition phase when this all takes place, intentionally remove their ministry from public view, and focus on fixing the problems internally.

It’s apparent that the power, the fame, or the money might be more than Mark’s character can handle. He, and his church, are consistently running around trying to put out the fires and keep moving forward simultaneously, but the time has come to reset. Everyone knows it. It’s for the good of everyone involved. I’m trusting that even those of us not directly involved in this debacle are able to learn some lessons ourselves about the danger of unrepentance and the value of humility and accountability. It’s not too late for Mark Driscoll to avoid a crash landing. He can still voluntarily decide to land the plane and sort out the mess. Jesus will ensure another pilot takes over; after all, the glory of His own name is at stake. I’m trusting for a quick resolution that prevents as much damage as possible, so that everyone can put this in the past and move on to doing the work of God and focusing on the things that matter.

How to Catalogue the Sermons You Preach

Posted on August 5, 2014     7 Comments

Over the course of a ministry career, a preacher is going to spend countless of hours reading, studying, writing, and delivering sermons. I am of the opinion that most sermons and self-prepared Bible lessons should be saved in a personal catalogue by every Bible teacher. A few reasons you might want to do this are:

  • to draw on for future reference
  • to pull out and preach when you are in a crunch
  • to track your own progress and spiritual growth over time
  • to remember when, where, and what you have preached
  • to share with younger preachers as a means of mentoring them (sitting down with them and going over a text, not just handing them paper)
  • to share with members of the congregation who missed it (not always a good idea but can be)

A sermon catalogue, when added to over the course of many years, becomes a treasure trove of one’s life and work. I have only been in ministry full-time for about 5 years and already my sermon and Bible-teaching catalogue is quite extensive. Here is how I organize it.

Step 1 – Make Notes for Everything

Ideally, every sermon preached, every class lead, and every Bible study you teach should have an electronic paper trail. Even if you don’t use your notes to teach from, you should make some and keep it in your records. Some pastors like to keep paper copies of their material. Personally, my teaching catalogue is digital-only and so I’ll be sharing tips from that perspective.

Every document should include:

  • An easy-to-reference title
  • The location and date when the content was taught
  • An outline of the notes/material

If you are a person who likes to give your sermons catchy titles, you might want to consider saving them on your computer with more memorable names. If your titles are obscure, the likelihood of you remembering what the content actually is based on the file name ten years later is pretty small. Save your documents with a name that makes it fairly plain what the material is about.

For example, one sermon I preached recently at our church has the simple file name “Living Under Grace”. When opened, the top two lines of the document appear like this:

Living Under Grace

July 6, 2014 @ Bible Fellowship Church

Immediately I know the basic information about this sermon. It’s easy for me to skim the details of my notes from there.

Step 2 – Categorize Your Content

I like to save my teaching notes in files on my laptop. Because, over time, I have taught in a number of formats, I catalogue all of my content under several kinds of teaching. So, when I open up the documents section of my computer and click on “Teaching”, my subfolders are:

  • Articles
  • Bible Study
  • Camps
  • Conferences
  • Seminars
  • Sermons
  • Youth

To date, this list encompasses every style of teaching I have ever done (funerals are in a separate folder). Articles are anything I have written for a blog, newspaper, or website. Bible Study is for any self-prepared Bible study I have ever taught, with subfolders that title each series of studies, such as “End Times” and “Spiritual Gifts”. Typically, I like to file my stuff away by content rather than date. Camps are for notes from talks I have given at summer camps or retreats. Conferences are for any talks I have given as a guest speaker at a conference. Seminars are for any seminars I have led. I save them not by content but by what event I used them for. Sermons are for any sermon preached, typically Sunday mornings. Youth are for all of the messages I have given with our youth ministry.

Step 3 – Create Sub-folders

Creating a good sub-folder system is essential to quickly finding the information you are looking for. This part you may want to vary from my own methods; use whatever works best for you. However, I have found that my own subfolder system works pretty well and so I share it with the belief that it is a solid system for most people to use.

Without giving you every sub-folder in my library, I share with you a few examples of each of the categories to give you an idea of what it looks like:

  • Articles
    • Blogs
    • Church Website
    • Youth ministry websites
  • Bible Study
    • End Times
    • Spiritual Gifts
    • Proverbs
  • Camps
    • 2010 Galilean (What’s Holding You Back?)
    • 2011 All-Tribes (Truth)
    • 2013 All-Tribes (Total Surrender)
  • Conferences
    • Questions Conference
    • Chosen Conference
    • Winter Blast
  • Seminars
    • Chosen – Youth Leaders Breakout Sessions
    • Spring Folly
  • Sermons
    • Books of the Bible
    • Topical
  • Youth
    • Senior High
    • Junior High

Based on this example, I think you get the idea of how it works. Use whatever categories will help the material be easiest to track down.

Step 4 – Keep Using Subfolders!

The categories of Sermons and Youth are many layers deep. To get to an actual document, I often have to click 5 or 6 folders deep. This may feel tedious, but it actually keeps things very well organized. For a while, early in my career, I tried to keep everything only one file deep. After about 3 years I realized this system was jamming up my file folder listing. It became far too long, and required me scrolling through dozens of documents. To correct this, I took the time to create as many sub-folders as it took to make everything quickly retrievable.

For example, each sermon I have ever preached is filed either under “Books of the Bible” or “Topical”. If the sermon is part of a series on a book of the Bible, or if the sermon is solely based on one text of Scripture, it gets filed into “Books of the Bible”. If you were to click on that file, inside of it are files named after books of the Bible (only the ones I have taught from). Then, I make sure every file in that category is saved by it’s Scripture reference. For example, if I click on Teaching > Sermons > Books of the Bible > 1 Corinthians, one file I find there is named “Defending the Gospel (1 Cor 15:1-11)”. Within 5 seconds I can retrieve all of my sermon notes from a single text of the Bible.

It works similarly under the category of “Topical”. Topical sermons are based not on a single text (necessarily) but usually a gathering of multiple texts to see what the Bible says on a particular issue. When I click on that file, I find sub-folders like:

  • Discipleship
  • Jesus
  • Evangelism
  • God’s Will
  • Addiction

…and a whole host of others. Then, by clicking on a category (such as Evangelism) I find documents like “Those Who Have Not Heard”. In doing so, I can see quickly what topics I have hit on at a glance.

The beauty of cataloguing sermons in this fashion is that you add folders only as you need to. If you preach a sermon on parenting but have no “Parenting” or “Family” folder under “Topical Sermons”, you simply add one and file your sermon under it. This develops your library as you go. Same thing goes for a specific text. If you preach out of Haggai for the first time, you simply create a folder called “Haggai” under “Books of the Bible” and save your document with the Scripture reference in it.

My youth group messages are saved in files based by date rather than subject, because I like to keep track of what stuff I have hit on over the past 2 years or so. Because of the high turnover in youth ministry (as teens are only in it for 4-6 years at best), I want to make sure each generation of students is getting a good range of content.

Step 5 – Build As You Go

It’s important to keep on top of your growing catalogue. If you find that your notes don’t seem to fit into any current folders, simply create a new line of folders that it does fit into. The only suggestion I would have is to keep your file names somewhat generic, or else you will wind up with literally thousands of files. For example, one file named “Money” is better than having several files named “Saving”, “Giving”, and “Stewardship”. You don’t need to get that specific – just enough to narrow your search down quickly.

Step 6 – Back It Up

Your teaching library is valuable. You have poured hundreds and even thousands of hours into all that it represents. Please, take time to back it up onto an external hard drive or in a cloud. Don’t let all your hard work be wiped away instantly because of a technological glitch!

Step 7 – Make It Yours

Hopefully you can take some of the ideas here and tailor them to fit your needs. My guess is that some people will want to file primarily by date and not by content, in which case you will need to tweak this system quite a bit. Either way, I think this is enough to get you pointed in the right direction. Ideally your sermon catalogue becomes a great resource that is easy to navigate and quick to refer to. There is power in being organized!

Where is the Trinity Seen in Scripture?

Posted on July 29, 2014     1 Comment

*Note: The following article is an adaptation of a sermon I preached at Bible Fellowship Church answering the question, “How do we better understand the ‘Godhead’?”

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The fundamental question of life is, Who is God? Some might argue that the fundamental question of life is What is the meaning of life? but to ask that question without first having a picture of God makes no sense. God is the Creator of all, and therefore our place in his universe (in other words, our meaning in life) only comes into focus if we know who God is first. Without him and his designs, our lives have no real, lasting purpose.

Therefore, answering the question Who is God? correctly is incredibly important. If this is the question that the rest of our lives are built upon, then answering it wrongly will make us all messed up. Without a correct understanding of who God is…

  • we will not know him or have a relationship with him
  • we will not know our correct place in the universe
  • we will be following a false god or gods
  • we will incur God’s judgment and wrath

In contrast, by knowing and loving the true God, our lives will be filled with eternal significance and blessing. In other words, it is really important for us to rightly understand God!

This is true not only of God in general but Jesus specifically. In 2 Corinthians 11:4, the apostle Paul says that some people preach and teach “another Jesus”. These teachers use the name of Jesus, but they are not referring to the real Jesus. The one they put forth is a figment of their own imagination. Therefore, even religions other than Christianity that speak highly of Jesus (such as Mormonism or the Jehovah’s Witnesses) need to be sure the Jesus they believe in and promote is the real Jesus, not “another Jesus”. I contend that in both of the religions mentioned, they believe in a false Jesus.

So, how do we understand the nature and being of God?

The Godhead

The word “Godhead” is used almost synonymously with the word “Trinity”, though they don’t technically mean the same thing. Trinity specifically makes reference to God’s triune-ness, while Godhead implies plurality but no specific number. Nevertheless, in Christianity they refer to the same basic concept: God is three-in-one.

Godhead is a variant of the middle English word (from the 13th-15th centuries) godhood, a term popularized by men such as John Wycliffe. Godhood means “divine essence”. To use a non-technical phrase, it refers to God’s godness. Godhood is what makes God God. Just as manhood or womanhood is the essence of each gender, so godhood is the essence of God.

Godhood was adapted into Godhead in order to capture God’s essence more specifically. Because of Wycliffe’s use of the word, it ended up in the landmark King James Version (KJV). This translation of the Bible was the main English Bible for hundreds of years, which is why the term “Godhead” continues to stick around.

However, most modern translations have dropped the term “Godhead” for modern and more readily-understandable alternatives. For example, compare the 3 places that Godhead is used in the KVJ to the English Standard Version (ESV), which is the translation our church uses most frequently.

  • Acts 17:29 (ESV) Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
  • Acts 17:29 (KJV) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
  • Romans 1:20 (KJV) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
  • Romans 1:20 (ESV) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
  • Colossians 2:9 (KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
  • Colossians 2:9 (ESV) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

You can see a pattern in how modern translators understand the word “Godhead”.

  • In Acts 17:29 – “Godhead” to “divine being”
  • In Romans 1:20 – “Godhead” to “divine nature”
  • In Colossians 2:9 – “Godhead” to “deity”

The Godhead is that which makes God uniquely divine. The Godhead, as Christians have understood it over the centuries, is a reference to the triune nature of God. That is, that there is one God who exists in three persons. That is not to say that three gods make up one God. That is also not to say that each person is 1/3rd God. It is also not to say that there are three gods. Instead, the phrase, as illogical and confusing as it sounds, is meant to be taken to mean exactly what it says. There is one God, and that one God exists eternally in three distinct persons.

Is the Trinitarian View of the Godhead Biblical?

The Bible is God’s standard for truth. The Scriptures are the very Word of God, without error or contradiction. Therefore, we turn to them in all matters to determine if something is truthful or not. Is the Godhead really a 3-in-1 being? Christians have historically taught this to be so, but past Christians are not our measure for truth. The Bible is. Therefore, we must ask the question, where is the Trinity seen in Scripture?

In addition, we must come to the Bible with the mindset that we will receive what it teaches, regardless of our ability to understand it. There are many things in the Bible that are clearly taught but not altogether explainable. This does not make God contradictory, but mysterious. The mysterious nature of God does not make him untrustworthy, since God has proven his love for us by his own death as a sacrifice for our salvation. A God like that can be trusted, even in areas that are harder to grasp. Therefore, let us come to the Bible with an open mind, seeking what it reveals, and willing to affirm it regardless of our own ability to understand it.

There are three ways to see the Trinity in the Bible:

  1. Verbal hints
  2. Visual clues
  3. Explicit references

Verbal Hints

A verbal hint is where the Bible alludes to something unique about God’s nature that could be taken to support the Trinity. However, because it is only a hint, it cannot alone be used to defend this view. It is useful only when taken with other, more explicit, evidence (more on that later). Yet verbal hints are helpful because they still do add to the bulk of Scriptural evidence defending the Trinity.

Here are four examples of verbal hints that point to a Trinitarian Godhead.

Example #1

  • Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The word translated “God” here is the Hebrew “Elohim”, which is a generic word for God that is in the plural form. It’s exact meaning can vary depending on the context it is used in. For instance, in the NASB translation of the Bible, Elohim is rendered as “God” over 2,300 times and as “gods” over 200 times. It is rendered in the singular (God) in Genesis 1:1 because the context clearly implies that the verse is referencing the God of Israel, and not the gods of other nations. Isn’t it interesting, then, that Biblical authors use a plural word to describe the God of the Bible? This by itself can’t prove anything, but it is a rather interesting way to begin the Bible. From the opening sentence, the Scriptures hint to the uniqueness of God.

Example #2

  • Genesis 1:26 Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’

Just a few verses later, as God is creating Adam and Eve, the Lord speaks to himself using plural language (“us” and “our”). Since God is not crazy or schizophrenic, there must be a valid reason for God to refer to himself with plural pronouns. Though there is no explanation given at this point in Genesis, further study of the Bible reveals it is because of God’s 3-in-1 nature.

Example #3

  • Genesis 11:7 “Let us go down and confuse their language…”

Again in Genesis, God refers to himself in plural language, this time when going down to confuse the languages of man as they build the Tower of Babel. Why would God do that, unless there was a reasonable explanation?

Example #4

  • Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

One of the most important verses of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:4 had to be memorized and regularly repeated by the Jewish people. It is perhaps the clearest statement in the Bible that there is only one true God. The Israelites – and subsequently, Christians – are not polytheistic (worshipers of multiple gods) but monotheistic (worshipers of one God). Yet what is amazing is that the word “one” is translated from the Hebrew word “echad”, which means a single unit composed of multiple parts. It would be used to describe, for example, a cluster of grapes. So here we have two essential truths, one stated clearly and another hinted at: that there is one God, and that one God is a plural being.

Visual Clues

A visual clue is where the multi-person nature of God can be seen with the eyes. It is an event where God is in two places at one time. This is not the same as God’s omnipresence (that God is everywhere all the time), but rather a moment when God manifests himself visibly as two separate beings in two separate places at the same time. There are a number of examples of this, but I will only mention two.

Example #1

The first example happens on over a dozen occasions with an appearance of “the angel of the Lord”. Though there are many angels in the Bible, all of them are referred to as “an angel” of the Lord except for one who is called “the angel” of the Lord. The distinction between an angel and the angel suggests that something is special about this angel. Many Bible scholars believe that the angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. I agree with this position. This is because the angel of the Lord speaks as if he is God on many occasions. Here is one instance:

  • Judges 2:1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you”

Anyone with knowledge of the Old Testament knows that it was God who brought Israel out of Egypt, and is the one who made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet here, the angel of the Lord says it was he who did this. How can that be? This being is not calling himself “the Lord” but “the angel of the Lord”. This means that there is two beings – the Lord, and the angel of the Lord – who both claim to be Israel’s deliverer. God is in two places at once: as the Lord (presumably in heaven) and as the angel of the Lord on earth. This confusing contradiction makes much more sense when viewed with a triune God in mind.

Example #2

All three members of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Spirit) are present at Jesus’ baptism. The Bible describes it:

  • Matthew 3:16-17 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Here, at one moment in time, the Father is audibly heard from heaven, the Son is visible as Jesus, and the Holy Spirit descends on him visibly in the form of a dove. In one snapshot, all three members of the Trinity are present at one place at the same time. This is the clearest visual clue of the Trinity in the whole Bible.

In addition, this refutes one false teaching known as modalism. Modalism is the belief that God exists as one God and one person, but that he manifests himself as three different persons (Father, Son, and Spirit) on different occasions. Modalism believes that the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit are actually the same person, just showing up in different forms or modes (something like water, ice, and mist). But this makes no sense with the rest of the New Testament where more than one member of the Trinity is present together, and much less sense here when all three are present. The simplist and most logical explanation is that God’s nature is unique, which allows him to be three persons simultaneously while continuing to be one God.

Explicit References

An explicit reference is just that – a place in the Bible where the Father or Son or Spirit are said outright to be God. The Bible can say that each of these are God, and that there is only one God, only if the Trinity is true. Thankfully, the Bible is jam-packed with references to the divinity of each member of the Godhead. Though there could be many more, let’s break it down into just 5 categories and see if each is true of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

CATEGORY 1 – Where a member of the Godhead is explicitly said to be God

In all truth, this category alone should close the debate on this issue. If the Bible straight-out calls all three (Father, Son, and Sprit) God, then it should be an open and shut case. Nevertheless, to show how pervasive this truth really is revealed in the Bible, we will continue on to examine another 4 additional categories.

The Father

  • Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father…

There are dozens of references to the Father as “God”; Galatians 1:1 is just one instance. In fact, the majority of the time “God” is used in the Bible, it is in reference to the Father. This one is easy to point out and no one really argues against it.

The Son

  • Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.”

Here, God (the Father) calls the Son “God”. This is truly remarkable! It is one thing to accuse people of misapplying the label of God to Jesus, but it is quite another to accuse God the Father of it.

  • John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This is a peculiar statement. A being referred to here as “the Word” is not only with God, but is God. How can God be with God? A triune understanding of God helps it to makes sense. We know that “the Word” is a reference to Jesus because in verse 14 John says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”, an obvious reference to the incarnation of Christ.

  • John 20:27-28 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” [28] Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

After rising from death, Jesus appears to his disciples. Here, he is particularly concerned with Thomas, the one who most strongly doubted the resurrection. Jesus proves it is really he by having Thomas examine the scars on his body from his crucifixion. Thomas responds by calling him “my Lord and my God“. Of note, Jesus does not rebuke Thomas for this, but rather commends him for believing.

The Spirit

  • Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?….You have not lied to man but to God.”

After bringing only a portion of the proceeds from a real estate sale – when saying he had brought 100% of it – Ananias is confronted by Peter for lying. Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who was in on the ruse, are both struck dead by God for this act. But what is interesting is that Peter clearly equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God. This could not possibly be a clearer reference to the Holy Spirit as being God.

Conclusion from Category #1

With the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each clearly referred to as “God” in Scripture, there is nothing else to conclude except that each truly is God. This makes God a 3-in-1 being, a concept not fully understandable but (more importantly) shown clear as day in the Bible. Therefore we must receive it, believe it, celebrate it, and defend it, even if we cannot wrap our minds around it.

CATEGORY 2 – Where a member of the Godhead is said to be eternal

There is only one being in the whole universe that is eternal, and that being is God. God has no beginning and no end. He simply is. He is a self-existing entity. This is what makes him God. Therefore, if the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all called eternal, they are each being labeled as God himself.

The Father

  • Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Again, almost every reference to God in the Old Testament is a reference to the Father. This makes Deuteronomy 33:27 one of dozens and dozens of references to the eternal nature of God the Father.

The Son

  • John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

A number of examples could be used, but Jesus says it clearly in John 17:5 – that he existed with God the Father before the world was made. Genesis 1:1 tells us that the world was made “in the beginning”, which means that the Son was around before “the beginning”. It is a clear reference to his eternal nature.

The Spirit

  • Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The Bible could not be more clear on this issue than it is. The Holy Spirit is called here “the eternal Spirit”, meaning that the Holy Spirit must be God.

CATEGORY 3 – Where a member of the Godhead is said to have created the universe

Genesis 1:1 clearly states that it was God who created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, if the Bible credits the Father, Son, and Spirit each with creation, it is referring to them as God.

The Father

  • Job 38:1,4 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said… “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”

God’s sarcastic response to Job’s lack of faith begins with establishing God as the Creator. The Father puts Job in his place by reminding him that the universe did not make itself, but has an all-powerful Creator behind it.

The Son

  • Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

This passage shows that Jesus created “all things” – there is no two ways around it. And, if God is the one who is the creator (Genesis 1:1), then the logical conclusion is that Jesus is the Creator God.

The Spirit

  • Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job was created by the “Spirit of God”. The mention of God’s “breath” is also a reference to the Spirit, as the Bible often calls the Holy Spirit “breath” or “wind”. This also links to God’s creation of Adam from the dust in Genesis 2:7, where God breathed life into the nostrils of Adam, and he became a living being. Job 33:4 and Genesis 2:7 are both showing that human life is created (an act only God can do) by the Holy Spirit. It is also useful to note that Genesis 1:2 mentions the Spirit of God being active in creation, although in a vague allusion. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the Creator God.

CATEGORY 4 – Where a member of the Godhead is said to be able to forgive sin.

People do not just sin against people. Ultimately, every sin is also a sin against God. Speaking of God, Psalm 51:4 says “against you, only you, have I sinned”. This is because God is the one who sets the moral order. To steal, for example, is a sin against another person for taking what was theirs. But it is also a sin against God because he is the one who said “thou shall not steal”. This means there is a sense in which people can forgive sin, if they are the one who has been sinned against. But only God can forgive any and every sin, since they are all sins committed against him. Therefore, if the Bible credits the Father, Son, and Spirit all as having the ability to forgive any sin, it is placing them in a position that only God can be in. The Bible would be calling them God. So, where does the Bible say each can forgive sin?

The Father

  • Matthew 6:9-12 [9] Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. [10] Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread, [12] and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus’ exemplary prayer includes asking the Father to “forgive our debts”. This is another way of referring to sin. The Father can forgive our debt of sin because the debt we owe is to him alone.

The Son

  • Luke 5:20-21 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” [21] And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus does the unthinkable by forgiving a man’s sin. To be clear, the man had done Jesus no wrong, so Jesus is not forgiving him of a personal grievance. Rather, Jesus is forgiving this man of every sin. In doing so, Jesus is placing himself in the seat of judge that belongs only to God, as the scribes and Pharisees rightly note (vs. 21). Not only does Jesus forgive this man’s sin, but to prove that he is God, he also heals the man of paralysis. Jesus’ power is the same as that of God, by healing sickness and forgiving sin.

The Spirit

  • John 20:22-23 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

As the resurrected Jesus is commissioning his disciples, he gives them the power to forgive sin. On what grounds could he possibly give them such authority? Answer: By giving them the Holy Spirit. Verses 22 and 23 are linked. Without the Spirit, the disciples would have no authority to forgive sin. This means that the Holy Spirit is equal with God, since he can forgive sin.

CATEGORY 5 – Where a member of the Godhead is said to be worthy of praise

Only God is worthy of praise. I’m not talking about human praise for an accomplishment, such as winning a spelling bee. I’m talking about ultimate worship, the kind of devotion that only befits God. All three members of the Trinity are said to be worthy of praise in Scripture, making each of them to be God. This is important because there are instances in the Bible when people or angels refuse worship. For example, Peter is worshipped in Acts 10:25, but refuses it on the basis that “I too am a man”. In Revelation 19:10, the disciple John attempts to worship an angel and is refused because the angel is “a fellow servant”. Mere men are not worthy of worship, nor are angels, since both are just servants of God. God alone is worthy of worship.

The Father

  • Revelation 4:11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

Though Jesus is also seen in Revelation, we can know it is the Father being referred to in chapter 4, verse 11 because the “Lamb that was slain” has not yet entered the heavenly vision. God the Father is described as being “worthy” of worship, and rightly so.

The Son

  • Matthew 28:9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

The two Mary’s meet the risen Christ and worship him. Unlike Peter or the angel of Revelation, Jesus does not refuse their worship. In fact, Jesus is worshipped on a number of other occasions (Matthew 2:11 and 14:33, John 12:13 and 20:28). This is because Jesus is worthy of worship – because he is God.

The Spirit

  • 2 Corinthians 3:8 …will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

Receiving glory is the same as receiving praise. God the Father, in Revelation 4:11, is said to be “worthy…to receive glory”. Likewise, the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit makes him worthy have glory. This is because his ministry is miraculous; he does the works of God. The Holy Spirit, being worthy of glory, is clearly made to be God.

Conclusion

Though there are many more passages of Scripture that could be used to defend each point, and there are additional categories that we could look at, but the above provides more than sufficient evidence to prove that the Trinity is clearly revealed in Scripture. The God of the Bible is a three-in-one being. He is triune in his existence. This may not be completely understandable, but – more importantly – it is undeniable. It is a beautiful truth to be believed in and even cherished. God is unique and unlike every other being in existence. His basic nature is beyond our full comprehension. He is mysterious, yet knowable, because he has shown us everything we need to know about him through his Word.

Our amazing God – Father, Son, and Spirit – is the one true God. He alone is God. He alone is eternal. He alone is the creator. He alone can forgive sin. And he alone is worthy of praise. I encourage you to respond to this God in a way befitting him, with humility and awe and worship.