Jesus is NOT Just a Good Teacher!
Posted on August 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
Probably the most common view of Jesus is that he was a good teacher. He showed up, had some good ideas, was a spiritual guy, promoted love and acceptance, and was tragically murdered. All in all he was a good person with good morals and good teaching techniques. He got his point across so well that we still quote his ethical code – love your neighbour as yourself – to this very day. But that’s about it. Oh yeah, and we throw in the “don’t judge” line when we are uncomfortable with our own faults. Thanks Jesus for that one!
But that is not the whole picture. Not even close, actually. True, Jesus was a good teacher. He was able to help people learn about God in ways that were amazingly insightful and practically helpful. His sermon on the mount is legendary and guides the morals of millions, perhaps billions, of people. His storytelling (aka “parables”) could drive a point home like nothing else. He was the master teacher like none other.
Yet what really made him such a great teacher was the authority he had. The crowds saw that he taught not like the other spiritual teachers of his day, but spoke as one who had authority (see Matthew 7:29). His teaching with authority seems to mean that he spoke as if what he said was the final say, that no other interpretation or opinion could usurp his.
Why did Jesus teach this way? It clearly comes from what he believed about himself. Jesus claimed to be God, as evidenced, for example, in Mark 2:1-12. There Jesus forgives a man of his sin, something only God can do. So it makes sense then that Jesus would teach with authority. After all, who has more authority than God?
Jesus was not just a good teacher, but he was in fact God in the flesh. And not only this, but his primary purpose was not to give moral instruction – his purpose was to die for sinners. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). His death was meant to pay the penalty for sinners, so that anyone who trusts in Jesus can be forgiven.
Think of it this way – imagine that God sends out monthly bills, much like the phone company would. Every time a person sins, the bill gets bigger. And this keeps accumulating over months and years and perhaps even decades. You have two options. One is to pay the bill back yourself. The problem with this solution is that it can’t be done. The Bible says in Galatians 3:11 that “it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law”, meaning that no one can pay back God by trying to be a good person and keeping his commands. It just doesn’t add up. It’s impossible. God said so. If you try, you will die with debt still remaining.
So, the only alternative is to have someone else, who can pay back your debt, step forward and generously pay the bill. That is precisely what Jesus did. He lived a sinless life, and then “gave his life as a ransom” for anyone who is willing to believe in him and follow him. So Jesus is NOT just a good teacher…no, he is much more! Jesus is a Saviour. I should say, he is THE Saviour. He saves people from their debt of sin to God, and reconciles them back to God by removing their guilt before him. That’s why Christians believe in Jesus as more than a good teacher. He is a Hero, a Saviour, a Deliverer!
Friend, can I encourage you today to see Jesus as more than a good teacher? See him for who he truly is: God, Saviour, Lord, and Friend. Believe on him today for forgiveness and eternal life with God!
Make Kids Ministry Fun!
Posted on August 18, 2013 2 Comments
This past week we wrapped up our annual Adventure Camp at our church. What a great week it was! The kids just had a blast and, truth be told, so did the volunteers. It sure is a lot of hard work, and everyone is worn out by the end of the week, but there is no doubt that it is all worth it.
Our Adventure Camp had some really unique features this year. We rented a trailer full of bouncy houses, which was a huge hit. Our theme was time travel, and we had a wacky looking time machine built specifically for the event. It was really cool how we had pre-filmed a bunch of scenes with the time machine that we used during the week as “surveillance”, so it looked like we were able to watch the time travelers in “real time”. We had loud and catchy dance music, courtesy some awesome DVD’s from Hillsongs for kids. My personal favourite was letting the kids destroy a car by launching softballs at it using a catapult. Fun stuff!
We are trying hard as a church to live out the principle that kids ministry should be fun. Certainly, you need to have solid Bible teaching (we had that too, with costumes and games woven in) and there needs to be a degree of seriousness. But there is nothing that kills a kids ministry like being boring. Isn’t it weird how every parent encourages their child to have fun, but then once we step into the doors of a church, it can become all about being quiet and behaving ourselves?
Sure, obedience and respect are important things to teach. That’s why it’s even more important to have an outlet for kids in church settings – a place and time where they are encouraged to be loud and have fun. Kids, like adults, can learn a lot through fun and humour. That’s why the Bible says that “all good things come from above”, and almost anyone agrees that fun and humour are good things. They are gifts from God. We should use them to help kids learn about Jesus and experience God’s love.
It’s exciting to me when kids want to go to church. It makes me thrilled when they look forward to participating in kids ministry stuff. I think that’s the way it ought to be. I want that for my kids, and I want it for other people’s kids too.
Friends, lets not take ourselves too seriously. It’s easy as an adult to lose our sense of humour. After all, we are all dealing with adult problems that are very real and very difficult. But for the sake of the kids, let’s make a conscious effort to put aside all that junk and be goofy once in a while. Let kids enjoy being kids and have some clean, safe fun, even in church. It seems like the perfect place to me.
Why “Be Who You Are” is Not Always Good Advice
Posted on August 4, 2013 1 Comment
The culture of youth is interesting to observe. As a youth pastor, I get to see it up close and personal. One of the things I see a lot is teenagers taking a stand against outside pressures. The world they are growing up in is overwhelmingly dominated by media and marketing. The constant message of “you don’t measure up” is enough to beat kids down. In response, teens have adopted slogans like “be who you are” or “just accept yourself”. I get what they are going for. It’s another way of saying, don’t change yourself to please other people. Don’t let other people judge you or make you feel down because you don’t line up with their standards. That is an attitude I heartily support!
Yet I wonder if the mantra “be who you are” has come to mean more than that. If “be who you are” means accepting your God-given talents, gifts, personality, and appearance, then I think we are saying something useful. But if “be who you are” means accepting every attitude, habit, way of thinking, or lifestyle, then I think we are on dangerous grounds.
The Bible gives us reason to not always be ourselves. In fact, it warns us against that very thing. Why else would Jesus tell his followers to “deny yourself”? The truth is that all people are sinners by nature and choice. In Genesis 8:21 God says that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Again, Galatians 5:17 states “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” In other words, people are naturally sinners who are opposed to God. Our default mode is rebellion and evil.
So to say “be who you are” is something we need to be careful with. Each of us has a sinful nature that is part of us. The Biblical design is not that we should be ourselves, but that we should be born again by God and live a life in-tune with God’s Spirit. Those who are believers are made new people, and we are to live out of that new nature.
My concern is that young people (or older people for that matter) are not differentiating between their God-given makeup and their natural desire for sin. The former we should celebrate; the latter we should flee from. In the end, I agree that we should be ourselves with regard to our individual uniqueness. But I also believe that we should be anything but ourselves when it comes to our own natural desires, since they are wicked and against the will of God. We ought to be people who are being changed to live more like Christ.
How Can You Explain Contradictions in the Bible?
Posted on July 26, 2013 1 Comment
“The Bible is full of contradictions!”
Ever heard that one before? It’s a common slam against the Bible. To be sure, there are quite a few statements in the Bible that appear to be in direct contradiction with each another. Yet, Christians usually claim that the Bible is perfect and the Word of God. How do we reconcile this? Does the Bible have contradictions, and if so, doesn’t that make the Bible imperfect and therefore not the Word of God? A lot hinges on how Christians approach this issue.
A few opening comments. First, we need to take an intellectual approach here. For Christians to simply say that there are no contradictions without having reasonable explanations is not a very good path to take. When we come to this issue, we can’t check our brains at the door. Same goes with saying “you just need to have faith!” While that is true, it doesn’t mean we should stop using common sense.
Second, it is reasonable to expect that not all of the apparent contradictions will be able to be explained away fully. The reality is that the Bible is a very old book and some of the historical details are virtually impossible to confirm. Over time, historical research and archaeology may give explanations, but it may take time to get there. Therefore it is fair to have possible and plausible explanations even if they are not certain. The Bible should at least be afforded as much slack as any other ancient document would. It is just as wrong for skeptics to push hard to disprove the Bible without just reason as it is for Christians to defend the Bible without just reason.
As far as I can see, there are seven reasons the Bible has apparent contradictions. Here they are with an example for each:
1. Translation Problems
Example:
- James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
- Genesis 22:1 After these things God tempted Abraham…
On the surface, this looks so obvious! But this contradiction is caused by a translation problem. The word that is translated as “tempted” in Genesis 22:1 is translated in a lot of more recent versions of the Bible as “tested”. This is accurate, as the original language carries the meaning of “tempted with intent to prove”. In other words, God does not tempt people so that they will fail, but he gives them opportunities to be tested so that they can grow and demonstrate their faith. That’s not the same thing.
A lot of “contradictions” in the Bible are likewise matters of translation issues. A little homework can usually clear them up easily.
2. Figures of Speech
Example:
- Exodus 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
- John 1:18 No one has ever seen God…
So what’s the deal here? Has no one seen God, or did Moses see him? Not only this, but there are all kinds of examples from the Bible where God “appeared” to people. How does this make sense?
One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the God of the Bible is three-in-one. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all revealed to be God in the Bible. In John 1:18 Jesus must be speaking of God the Father. This makes sense because he says, in full, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” The God at the Father’s side is either a reference to Jesus or the Spirit, who both reveal God the Father. Even the Old Testament appearances of God are believed to be visions of Jesus before his incarnation.
So, Moses appears to have seen the pre-incarnate Jesus. But even then, Moses did not see the fully glory of God on the mountain top. In Exodus 33:18-23, Moses asks to see God’s glory. God says that he will reveal his glory to Moses but that he may not look into the face of God. Instead, God walks by him and holds out his hand so that his face is covered, and Moses sees God’s glory shining from the back as God passes him.
So even Moses did not actually see God’s face in full glory. No one has. When Exodus 33:11 says that Moses and God talked “face to face”, we must take that to be a figure of speech. Especially in an ancient culture, before the days of telephone and internet, face to face communication was valued. It hinted at friendship. When the Bible describes Moses and God as talking face to face, it means they had an intimate friendship with one another, which is exactly what the rest of the verse says.
Figures of speech can take away some of the supposed Bible contradictions.
3. Partial Reports
Example:
- Acts 1:18 Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
- Matthew 27:5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
This is an example of a partial report, where two different authors (Matthew and Luke) give an account from the same story by sharing only partial information. Luke records the falling of Judas’ body and his guts busting out, while Matthew records the suicidal hanging of Judas. Both are true, and by harmonizing them we can see the whole picture: Judas hung himself, his body swelled up after he died (which makes sense scientifically), and either the branch or the rope snapped and he fell and burst open upon hitting the ground. Nasty!
But what about the “falling headlong” part? How can a person fall headlong after hanging themselves? Wouldn’t they fall feet first? If you look in the ESV translation, there is a footnote there that says “swelling up” is a possible translation of that phrase instead. It seems to me that “swelling up” makes more sense, even though it is not the common meaning of the translated word.
This is just one example of partial testimony that can reconcile supposed contradictions.
4. Scribal Errors
Example:
- 2 Chronicles 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king…
- 2 Kings 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king…
This one at first glance is so obvious! Here there is a discrepancy because of differences in the original manuscript. Newer versions of the Bible have both ages at 18. The reason is that, until recent years, the manuscripts of the Bible differed on the ages. But more recently, manuscripts have been found that indicate there was a scribal error in the past. It seems one scribe accidentally wrote 8 instead of 18, and that version was copied over and over, furthering the mistake. But, now it has been identified as an error and corrected in newer translations of the Bible. The ESV again even has a footnote on this.
There are other examples of “contradictions” that can be explained by simple scribal errors. That is the beauty of having more than 25, 000 copies or partial copies of the Bible in ancient manuscripts. We can compare them to each other to determine where errors or tampering has crept in. That number far exceeds any other ancient historical document by far, making the Bible the most reliable piece of ancient literature in the world.
5. Context
Example:
- Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
- James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Some contradictions make sense when you consider the context of the words written. In the example above, two authors are addressing two audiences with two different issues. Paul, the author of Romans, is telling the Romans that becoming a Christian happens by faith and not by obeying God’s law perfectly. James, on the other hand, is writing to explain that becoming a Christian does mean there will still be a change in the way a person lives.
Christians have fought to explain this for years. Obeying God doesn’t make you a Christian, but becoming a Christian makes you want to obey God. A simple analogy is the exchange of wedding vows. Imagine that after one partner gives their vow of lifelong fidelity, the other says “Sweet! I guess that means I can sleep around and do whatever I want, because you’ll never leave me.” That would be an abuse of what the commitment was meant to be.
It is the same with becoming a Christian. The vow that God makes to forgive our sins does not mean we should go out and do whatever we want, knowing that we will be forigiven. It should make us want to obey God in appreciation for forgiving us. So, these two authors believe the same thing but are conveying that truth with a different emphasis to teach a different audience dealing with different problems.
It is just one example where knowing the context makes the message that much clearer.
6. Viewpoints
- Mark 15:25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him.
- John 19:14-15 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!”…
This is a tricky one. According to Mark, Jesus was crucified at the third hour. But then, John says Jesus was on trial at the sixth hour. How can that be?
It is an example of authors writing from different viewpoints. The timelines given by Matthew, Mark, and Luke all line up perfectly: Jesus was on trial early in the morning (about 6am), then crucified around the third hour (about 9am), then darkness came at the sixth hour (about noon) until Jesus died at the ninth hour (around 3pm). John is the only one who seems to disagree, saying Jesus was on trial at the sixth hour.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all writing with a Jewish timeline. Day for Jews started at 6am. So, the third hour for them was 9am, and so on. However, John is writing from a different view. He is using the Roman time system, where the day begins at midnight (like our does). So for Jesus to be on trial at the sixth hour means he is on trial at 6am, which agrees with the other writers. It makes sense that John would use that time system since historically it has been proven likely that he authored his gospel at an old age while living in the town of Ephesus, with little or no population of Jews.
Once again, there are other discrepancies like this one that make sense when you allow for authors to write from different vantage points.
7. Historical Details
Example:
- Luke 18:35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.
- Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.
One says Jesus healed the blind man going in to Jericho, the other says it was when Jesus was leaving. Which is it? Archaeological digs have unearthed multiple sites for the city of Jericho. The current city of Jericho is not in the same location as ancient references. From the timelines that historians can determine, Jesus’ day was likely to have two functioning locations of the city, approximately 2 kms apart. This historical detail, lost for centuries, makes it possible that Jesus was passing from one site to the other when he healed the blind man. This does not seem all that crazy especially for me, as I live in a “twin city”, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario which is paired across the St. Mary’s River with Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Historical details such as these help the Bible come to life and make more sense.
In the end, it is difficult to find the exact explanations for every supposed contradiction in the Bible. But what these examples point out is that there is a lot more continuity than one might expect!
Principles vs. Methods
Posted on July 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
No two churches are alike. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, especially one that has attended more than one church, this reality is self evident. Isn’t it interesting that all (true) churches acknowledge the same God and the same Bible but can differ so greatly from one another? Often the differences lead churches to attack one another. Their variations can be seen as compromise or worldliness. Change often is not taken well. Some Christians bounce around looking for just the right church, assessing each one on all kinds of criteria that is important to that individual.
All of this can get confusing. Why the differences? Is one church more right than another? Things become messy when differences breed feuds between opposite-minded people. Yet it has been my observation that a lot of the ugliness that exists from church differences is unnecessary. Often times the root of the dilemma comes from honest misunderstandings. Don’t get me wrong – I believe that some churches compromise the truth and attempt to cater to the desires of people instead of the desires of God. Scripture speaks of this on a number of occasions. But what gets labeled as “compromise” is sometimes better labeled simply as “different”.
To be a healthy Christian, one must understand the difference between principles and methods. A principle is something the Bible sets forth as important. It is a command from God. On the other hand, methods are ways to carry out that command. A single principle might have dozens of methods that are all Scripturally valid. The problem arises when someone confuses a method with a principle. Let me give an example.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:2 to “preach the word”. This is a principle given by Scripture. It is a command from God, therefore Christian churches must take action by fulfilling this command. However, what this verse does not say is how to preach the word. How long should a sermon be? What comprises a good sermon? Should preaching be topical or from a passage of Scripture? Are object lessons valid? Or how about video illustrations? Some churches even use video sermons, where a preacher’s sermon is recorded and replayed on the projector or even piped-in by a live feed. Is that valid? What is acceptable attire for the preacher? All of these questions rest in the realm of methods. In other words, they seek to answer, how should the principle be fulfilled?
The truth is that the Bible affords a lot of variety when it comes to methods. In cases where the Bible allows variety, it is up to individual churches to act based on their Biblical convictions. However, as long as a church is trying hard to stay true to the principle, they are free to seek out methods that seem successful. That is not compromise; rather, it is using Christian freedom for the forward progress of the gospel. So it is wrong for one church to judge another for doing things differently, unless that church is failing to treat the Biblical principle as a command from God. We must remember that the way we do something (our method) is one valid option among many, as long as we stay within Scriptural bounds. But if we elevate our method to the level of a principle, we have committed sin, holding churches to a standard that even the Bible does not.
A number of Biblical principles create controversy. Or should I say, Christians create controversy over a few common principles. In addition to preaching, church music is another hotly debated principle. The principle from Psalm 98:4 to “make a joyful noise to the Lord” can be done a number of ways. Song selection, musical styles, instrumentation, lighting, volume levels, and worship responses from the congregation can vary greatly without forsaking the Biblical principle. Same goes for evangelism, prayer, raising children, selecting church leaders, meeting locations and a whole host of other principles from Scripture.
The next time you find yourself disagreeing with the way another church does things, start by asking yourself, is your disagreement over a method or a principle? Be gracious with differences between methods. A lot of unnecessary angst can be removed if we afford other believers the same freedom in Christ that God does. Let’s all commit to being faithful to God’s Word in our own unique ways, seeking to fulfill every Biblical principle using the best methods that fit our own individual contexts.
What is the Bible?
Posted on June 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
In a factual sense, the Bible is an ancient library. It consists of 66 books written by roughly 40 authors over a period of about 1,500 years on three different continents (Africa, Asia, Europe) in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic). All those handy chapter and verse numbers were inserted later around 1200 AD so that people could navigate the book better. The fact that it is nicely compiled in leatherbound print in our modern day is a testament to the countless people over the centuries who preserved the ancient manuscripts, which were all handwritten and copied onto animal skins long before parchment and pen (much less the computer!) was ever used. The word “Bible” simply means “book”. So when it is called the Holy Bible, it is being referred to as “the holy book”.
But is the Bible really a holy book? Is it superior to other books, and if so, why? Christians call the Bible the Word of God. It is believed that the Bible is not just written by men, but also by God. Even though human beings physically wrote down the words, the authors were inspired by God – he literally had them write word for word exactly what he wanted them to say. In that sense the Bible would be unique, not simply a man-made thing but a creation of God.
But does the Bible itself claim to be God speaking? Did the authors intend for it to be understood as the divine Word of God? The answer is yes, as evidenced by a few simple facts.
- The authors explicitly say they are writing the very words of God. In the Old Testament, the phrase “Thus says the Lord…” is used about 200 times. Other variations of this phrase, such as “the word of the Lord came to me…” or “God said to me…” show up roughly 3,800 times in total! The authors clearly believed they were writing the words of God.
- Other passages verify this claim. For example, 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is breathed out by God…”. Also, 2 Peter 1:20-21 says “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the authors believed the words of the Bible were not words from men but from God.
- The authors of the New Testament quote the Old Testament about 300 times, showing that they believed the Old Testament was authoritative. One New Testament author (Peter) quotes another New Testament author (Paul) and refers to his writings as “scripture” (2 Peter 3:16). In fact, the Bible quotes itself as authoritative so many times it’s almost impossible to count.
- Jesus himself quoted from other parts of the Bible all the time and regularly taught from it as if he believed it was authoritative (one example is Luke 4:16-21).
So certainly the Bible claims to be more than just another book. It claims to be holy. If the Bible really is the Word of God, it has some very important implications.
- It means the Bible should not be changed (Deuteronomy 4:2). You can’t edit God!
- It means the Bible is perfect (Psalm 19:7-8). There are no mistakes or flaws, at least in the original manuscripts.
- It means the Bible is true (John 17:17). There are no falsehoods in it.
- It means the Bible is a guide for life (Psalm 119:105). If God invented life, then he knows how it works best.
- It means the Bible is to be obeyed (James 1:22). Not only should we read, study, and memorize it, but we should do what it says.
- It means the Bible is sufficient (Luke 16:27-31). It doesn’t tell us everything, but it does tell us everything we need to know.
- It means the Bible is the highest authority (Acts 17:11). If God is the author then we must conform to it.
As you can see, a lot is hanging in the balance! If the Bible is not the Word of God, then it is just another book that we can appreciate or disregard, whichever we choose. But if it is the Word of God, then we ought to hold it up to the highest level of importance and submit to it’s every word.
I personally do believe the Bible is the Word of God. I don’t believe this simply because it’s what I was taught growing up. I don’t believe it simply because the Bible makes those claims. I don’t believe it because the Bible is popular or because it has stood the test of time or because I’m afraid of being wrong or because I’m naive to why other people reject it. I believe it because, after careful examination of the evidence, I think the most reasonable conclusion to come to is that the Bible is indeed the Word of God.
What evidence, you may ask? That will be the subject of a coming post.
Seen above are images of Bibles that have been “edited” by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson created “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” by literally cutting and pasting sections of the Gospels together to form the biographical sketch of Jesus that he believed in. Not surprisingly, Jefferson left out all of Jesus’ miracles and most mentions of the supernatural, including Jesus’ resurrection. It was on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History from 2011-2012.
Self-Injury Part 5 – The Addictive Nature of Self-Injury
Posted on May 28, 2013 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.
————————————————
[This is part 5 of a series summarizing the book “Hope and Healing For Kids Who Cut” by Marv Penner.]
When people think of addictions, there are certain things that usually come to mind: alcohol, drugs/cigarettes, caffeine, sex, food, technology etc. What many people don’t think of is self-injury. Yet there are countless people who struggle with self-injury as just that – an addiction. It’s not that these people won’t stop, it’s that they can’t. Their behaviour has morphed from a one-time experiment with self-injury into a full blown cycle that they can’t seem to break.
Self-injury becomes an addiction the same way most other addictions form. An individual has negative emotions that they wish to get rid of. This may be from a bad experience, a tragedy, or a negative self-identity (see previous posts on why teens self-injure), and so they set about looking for emotional relief. Self-injury is one method of relief. It temporarily dulls the negative emotion and provides the escape that person is looking for. But the key here is that the solution is only temporary.
Once the high of a self-injurous episode wears off (and it always does), the person finds their mood goes right back to where it was before. Sometimes, it is even worse, because there is additional guilt and shame added knowing they are hurting themselves. In response to this, they are in need of another fix, which means another episode of self-injuring. This goes on and on until it spins completely out of control into a full-blown addiction.
Over time, the relief that self-injury provides becomes less and less effective, and so the self-injurer is left to look for new options. Often they injure more frequently or more severely. Other times they turn to different methods of relief and form new addictions. Sometimes, they give up and attempt suicide.
Before we can help a self-injurer, it is important for us to understand why they do what they do. It can be very frustrating when we expect them to be able to stop right away but find that our expectations aren’t met. We need to be patient and realize we could be dealing with a serious addiction.
One other important thing is to know is that it is not our responsibility to break an addiction. While we may want to help, we need to recognize that we don’t have the power to break addictions. Only Jesus has that kind of power. He is the one who sets people free.
So what part do we play in the process? How can we help someone who is self-injuring? What can we do? We answer these questions in the next post.
Lyrical Theology: In Christ Alone (Part 7)
Posted on May 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
In Christ Alone – Newsboys (see full lyrics here)
No guilt in life, no fear in death / This is the power of Christ in me / From life’s first cry, to final breath / Jesus commands my destiny / No power of hell, no scheme of man / Can ever pluck me from his hand / Till he returns, or calls me home / Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
The first three stanzas of the song shine forth the beauty of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. If ever there was one worthy of praise, here he is! This Jesus of Nazareth came and put an end to the curse of sin. He showed that he is greater than death by rising from the grave. The Saviour of the world has made himself known.
But what does this mean for a follower of Jesus? The results are beautiful. Those who put their faith in Christ are forgiven. Their sins are wiped away, and therefore they can have “no guilt in life”. This is liberation at it’s best! Who doesn’t have regrets from the past, baggage they wish could just go away? In Christ, we are given a clean slate. Our failures are gone and along with them, the guilt of not measuring up.
Gone too is the crippling fear of death. Everyone has wondered what lays beyond the grave, but if anyone is qualified to speak on such a subject, it would be Jesus. He, after all, has been there and back! Jesus’ definitive statement is that anyone who belongs to him will go to be with him in his Kingdom. Death is not the end for the Christian – it is the beginning of eternal life, a perfect life with no sorrow or pain or death. Only pure joy with Jesus forever.
This is what the power of Jesus does in a persons life! Our destiny, both on earth and in eternity, is in the hands of Jesus. He has already secured our future in heaven forever. But he is also with us on this side of death as well. Nothing can ever take away the salvation that Jesus has purchased for us, not even the powers of hell or the cunning schemes of men. Christ promises to keep us until he returns to set up his Kingdom, or our life on earth comes to an end, whichever happens first. Our salvation is secure not because we are faithful but because he is, because we are firmly in his grasp and he will never let go.
These truths ought to stir up a heart of worship in any believer. The forgiveness of sin, the gift of eternal life, the promise of keeping us until the end – all of this gives us great assurance and joy, the kind that is unfading and unbreakable. The power of Christ at work in a person’s life truly is a thing to experience. When one realizes that the Lord of the universe died for them and will never let them fall away, nothing else can even compare.
Canadian Bible Guy 