Good People Don’t Go to Heaven

Good people don’t go to heaven. This truth has been bouncing around in my head for several weeks now. I realize it is a scandalous statement that goes against everything we believe as humans, especially humans living in the American culture, but, according to the Word of God, it is true. I cannot tell you the number of people who have told me in recent weeks that they are “good people” or that someone they know is a “good person” when talking to them about their status with God. And, by human and societal standards, I suppose they are good. In fact, I used to believe the very same thing about myself before Jesus saved me and showed me otherwise. God’s Word, however, tells us something very different:

As it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.” Romans 3:10-11 (cf. Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3)

No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19

Whether doctor, factory worker, homemaker, strip-club dancer, or whatever, each one thinks, “I’m a good person.” And, sure, compared to somebody else, we might be “good,” but not compared to God. He is perfect. He is the definition of good. These two men say it well:

“The terrible condition of man’s heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other people…our depravity is a condition in relation to God primarily, and only secondarily in relation to man. This is the great awakening that needs to happen for people to see the extent of their sin and the greatness of the Savior.” John Piper, “Whatever is Not from Faith is Sin – Really?”

We should not be surprised that the secular world confuses sinners and sociopaths, prison and hell. Christians, however, must understand the differences. One need not be a monster, by human definition, to go to hell. The sinfulness of “normal” humanity is quite enough for that. But there are monsters among us, and Ariel Castro’s crimes and his lack of moral understanding put him in that category as well.” Dr. Mohler’s blog post, “'‘I Am Not a Monster’ – Ariel Castro as Sinner and Sociopath”

God is the essence of perfection and so is His standard. He requires perfection. You don’t have to be a sociopath to be deserving of hell. You need only to be a sinner, and we all qualify for that. So where does that leave us? I haven’t met anyone who says they are perfect. Usually they say, “Well, I’m not perfect…” But that’s the standard and absolutely no one meets it. No one. We all offend God in more ways that we could ever realize and He requires those who offend Him to be punished. So what do we do? What can we do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isaiah 64:6

All of our righteous deeds, our good deeds – the ones we depend on to outweigh our bad deeds and make us right with God – these deeds are like dirty, soiled rags to God. They are worthless and they earn us nothing in His sight; nothing, that is, but death.

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

BUT. Did you notice the “but” in that last verse? We cannot do anything to make ourselves good, to make ourselves right with God, to save ourselves from His anger and fury. But God can. As Pastor Bryan said last week, “A good God came to be good for us.” He so loved the world that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for us, to take our punishment, so that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life (John 3:16). They are set free and declared not guilty. The perfect record of Jesus Christ, who obeyed God completely and loved others perfectly, becomes ours, and He becomes our sin and takes our punishment (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is how we become “good” in God’s sight. C.S. Lewis calls it “the great exchange.” You can spend your whole live serving others, but you won’t pay off the debt you owe to God. You can go to church every week, but that still won’t cut it. You can give all your money to the poor, but that won’t work either. You can be a very moral person, but it gets you nowhere. God sets the standard, and His standard is perfection. And He sets the terms, and the term is that we turn from our sins and believe in His Son Jesus Christ who loved us and gave His life for us so that we may live (Ephesians 5:2). There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). He is the only way. This is good news! This is a good God. This is how you can be good in God’s eyes. Repent and believe and be saved.

The Lord is Good to All

In the last post, I mentioned how the Lord has been teaching me about His goodness. It has been a very long and hard lesson, but one that has come to be very sweet. I think it’s really impossible to try to explain the goodness of the Lord or to even recount what He has been teaching me in this regard, but I would like to share even just a morsel of this deep truth that He has been showing me.

You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:68

The Lord confronted me last year with my disbelief in His goodness. I would not have actually admitted that I did not trust the Lord’s goodness, but my troubled thoughts and attitude revealed otherwise. It all started with a thought, a question, a doubt about the goodness of God (from the enemy no doubt). Instead of dismissing the lie immediately, however, I pondered it. I did not obey the Scripture about taking thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), and, as a result, allowed the thought to take root. The Lord, however, was quick to bring His Word. When I went to church that weekend, the sermon title was, “God is Good and Does Good,” from the psalm above. I was like, “Of course that is the message this weekend.” Then I started doing a study with a friend through Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, and the first lie she addressed in the book was, “God is not really good. If He were, He would…” Do you see the kindness (and goodness) of the Lord in this? He seen my struggle and sent His Truth speedily to meet me. I would like to say that that was the end of doubting His goodness, but it was only the beginning. Since that time, I have been tempted over and over to believe that the Lord is not good – or, at least,  that He is not good to me. And since that time, the Lord has continually convicted me, pursued me, and taken me deeper and deeper into the truth of His goodness.

I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

The Lord’s goodness is a fundamental truth. It is important to believe that the Lord is both sovereign and good, and losing sight of one or the other makes for some pretty dark nights of the soul. Admittedly, there have been several times when I had considered walking away from everything, thinking that I just could not do this anymore. But you know what? The Lord never lets go of His own  (2 Timothy 2:13). Furthermore, where else would I go? Jesus Christ alone has the words of Life and Truth (John 6:68; 14:6). I have seen and experienced that there is no person or thing or belief system that satisfies and sustains and transforms and renews like He does. He is life (Colossians 3:4). So, recently, the Lord has brought to my attention that I should not even allow questioning His goodness to be an option (which sounds like a no brainer). Up until now that is exactly what I have been doing, but, instead, Jesus calls me to trust Him. And that’s exactly what it all comes down to, doesn’t it? Trust the Lord. Trust His Word. What He says is true, no matter how things look on the outside. And Scripture is clear that God alone is good. He not only does good (Psalm 119:68); He not only gives good (James 1:17), but He IS good.

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:18

Goodness is intricate to God’s nature. [By the way, Jesus is not saying that He Himself is not good. He is pointing out that only God is innately good, so for Jesus to be called good means that He is equal with God, which, of course, He is.] The problem is that we define goodness based on our own ideologies and limited perspective. We want to know why tragic things happen and why our desires are not met. Why questions are not bad in and of themselves, but the truth is we don’t always get to know why. Answers are a privilege, not a right. So when answers don’t come, we are quick to blame God and question His character.

God is absolute righteousness, love, goodness, and justice. Most errors related to this issue [ascribing evil to God] occur because of our human tendency to impose an external standard–a human construction of goodness–upon God. But good does not so much define God as God defines good. – Dr. Mohler’s blog post, “The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil”

I love that: good does not define God, but God defines good. Reading this was like an ah-ha moment for me. God is good and therefore He defines it, and He reveals what goodness is through His perfect and inerrant Word. Over and over again, the Bible says that, “The Lord is good, for His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 100:5; 106:1; 2 Chronicle 5:13; Ezra 3:11; Jeremiah 33:11, etc.). Scripture proclaims this truth over and over because we need to hear it over and over.

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
In the cover of your presence you hide them. Psalm 31:19

The Lord brought this verse to my mind this week as I was pondering His goodness. I love the three ways the psalmist describes the goodness of Christ in this verse. First, he says that God’s goodness is abundant. It is not limited; it is infinite like God is. Furthermore, it is stored up for God’s people (notice the qualifier). This shows His intention to do His people good. Even when life is difficult, God has goodness stored up for us, which may or may not be poured out in this lifetime, but it will most definitely be revealed in full when Christ returns. Finally, God works out this goodness for His people (again, notice the qualifier – this promise is not for all people). This reminds me of Romans 8:28 where the Apostle Paul says that God works all things (both good and bad) together for good for those who love God and are chosen in Christ. So God is working out His goodness in the lives of those who have trusted in Christ. And His goodness is most gloriously displayed in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God worked His goodness in the midst of gruesome and unspeakable events as Jesus Christ, the only perfect man to walk this earth, was betrayed, mistreated, beaten, mocked, falsely accused, misunderstood, slaughtered, and resurrected so that God could offer salvation to sinful human, among whom there is no one good, not even one (Romans 3:12). So God made His Son Jesus Christ (who is perfectly good and righteous) to be sin, so that in Christ we (who are unrighteousness and in whom no goodness is found) might become the righteousness of God. Indeed, Psalm 145:9 rings true: “The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.”

Unselfish Disclosure

The Lord has done a lot in these past few years to grow me and stretch me and refine me. One of the areas in which He has stretched me a lot is helping me be more open and vulnerable with others. He has used the many hard things He has allowed into my life to force me to rely on others and, even though it has been hard, it’s been a beautiful thing as He has allowed me to cultivate deep and authentic relationships with the people He has placed in my life.

Lately, though, I have been tempted to regress. I have wanted to push people away and keep my thoughts and struggles to myself. I am very much aware of this temptation, but I haven’t been fighting it as fiercely as I should be. My personal preference and natural bent is to be more reserved because it’s safe and comfortable and easy, and sometimes I just don’t feel like fighting that temptation. The Lord, however, is relentless in His pursuit of my sanctification. Through His Holy Spirit, He has been alerting me to my desire to withdraw and Has been sending His Word my way.

At Rolling Fields, Pastor Andy has been preaching through the Ten Commandments (which has been so good, by the way!). While I was thinking about the above, the Lord used the sermon on the 9th commandment (you shall not bear false witness/lie) to pierce my heart. When someone asks me (genuinely asks me) how I’m doing and I answer, “Fine,” or, “Good,” when I am not fine or good, then I am breaking this commandment and committing sin. Sigh. God would have him preach that message and give that example when I am struggling with this temptation. Now it may seem silly, but when my pastor gave that example, it was like an arrow pierced my heart. I was guilty. But the grace of Christ is bigger than my guilt and sin, and He is always more than ready to forgive me when I repent and turn to Him. In fact, He gives me the strength and resources to do so and to follow His commands and ways.

Another reason I think I have been tempted to wall-up is because several relationships in my life seem to be in transition. Several close friends have moved away or are about to do so, and a few other friendships are changing because of life circumstances. I suppose relationships are always changing some since they are dynamic, but it’s a lot more noticeable when several seem to do so all at one time. And for someone like me who finds it hard to open up to others, it can be somewhat painful and challenging. The enemy, who knows my weaknesses and likes to capitalize on them, has been tempting me to withdraw, whispering that deep relationships aren't worth it and that I don’t belong. The latter is a tempting lie to believe, but it simply isn’t true because I do have a sister and a church family and other great friends, and, most importantly, I belong to Christ. All of this is a good reminder that my identity is not in my relationships (or anything else for that matter), but in Christ and in Him alone.

The Lord is very kind in the way He always meets us in our struggles and strengthens us against temptations. As I have struggled with the feeling of not belonging and the temptation to pull inward, He has not left me to myself. He has reminded me of His perfect awareness and acceptance of me (Psalm 139) and His unfathomable love and grace (Zephaniah 2:17; Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:4). Plus, He is giving me new friendships to develop and older ones with which to re-connect. In just these past few days, two people I haven’t seen in awhile visited the office where I work and told me they wanted to get together and catch up, and another friend from church (whom I don’t know very well) told me she wants to hang out as well. God is very kind and reminded me through these interactions that He sees my heart struggles and hears my prayers, and He is constantly working in them for my good and His glory.

Plus, God isn’t calling me to do anything that He hasn’t already done. He knows more than I will ever know or will ever grasp what it means to make oneself vulnerable (in a sense) to others. And we should be very thankful that He does so because if He didn’t, we would have no hope, no salvation, and no way of knowing Him. I love this quote from Carl F.H. Henry quoted by Dr. Mohler:

My mentor in so many ways Carl Henry described revelation—he was not a very poetic man, but he was capable of rare instances of poetry and generally when he did not mean to be poetic. And he defined God’s revelation as God’s unselfish disclosure and gracious forfeiture of His own personal privacy so that His sinful creatures might know Him.

This is a pretty awesome truth. The God of the universe chooses to make Himself vulnerable so that we, His creatures, might know Him. He didn’t have to do this, but He chose to. We would have no way of knowing who God is or what He has done or how to serve Him if He had not chosen to reveal Himself through His Word, throughout history, and through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). That’s grace. There is no other God like Him. And He calls us to do the same in the relationships He has given us. Doing so is the only way to truly love our neighbor, to be effective in ministry, to testify to God’s gracious dealings in our lives, and to illustrate the life-transforming power of the gospel. People cannot see how we trust God in the good times and bad if we do not let them in, if we do not graciously and unselfishly disclose ourselves, if we do not give up our personal privacy. This is a challenging call, especially for an introvert, but God’s grace is sufficient for these things. For His power is put on display through our weaknesses.

Food for Thought

One of the things I do at work is archive the articles that are a part of Dr. Mohler’s The Briefing. This is how I stay up-to-date on current issues, which is nice since I don’t watch TV and rarely listen to the radio. But it can also be quite depressing and discouraging. America’s culture is becoming more and more hostile to Truth (and Jesus Christ is Truth – John 14:6) and less and less clear in its ideals, laws, and definitions. Things that used to be taken for granted (like our Constitutional Rights to bear arms, practice religion, and free speech) are now being redefined and threatened. Almost every day I read some article that leaves me saying, “Really? Don’t people see how ridiculous this is?” And, of course, they don’t because the god of this world has blinded them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4), who is the truth, and if you don’t know truth, you don’t have a basis for anything. No wonder America is in the downward spiral she is in.

It never seems to fail that the headlines cover one of three topics: homosexuality/marriage, gun control, and abortion. Our society and government is grappling with how to deal with all three based on their own rationale and humanistic reasoning. Those who write the articles would have you think that two of these issues (homosexuality and abortion) should be from all restrictions and that the other issue (gun control) should have every restriction. What really strikes me, in the case of homosexuality and marriage, is the amount of energy, effort, time, and attention being dedicated to it. Less than four percent of people in the United States consider themselves homosexual/bisexual/transgender. That’s less than the amount of people who are unemployed, which I rarely hear or read about (unless it’s election time). I was actually shocked that so few Americans were homosexual, etc. Based on the amount of media and political attention dedicated to their perceived rights, I expected the percentage to be much higher. But it’s not. And it makes me wonder: why are we catering to so few? What if we did that to every single faction of society? They have the same Constitutional rights as every other American citizen, so why are they getting such special treatment (and they are getting specialized treatment)? I’m not totally sure what the answer to these questions are, but it definitely has something to do with lobbyists in the capitol and the secularization of our country.

The word that keeps reoccurring in these articles is rights. It seems like that is the big talk: rights of women, rights of homosexuals/bisexuals/transgender/gender-confused people, rights of animals, rights of nudists, and the right not to be told what to do. So, basically, the right to do whatever one thinks is right in his/her own eyes (Judges 21:25). But, of course, the word rights does not apply to gun owners or evangelical Christians or unborn babies or people who know what it means to male or female. The truth is, though, that none of us really have a right to anything. Jesus Christ has all rights and authority, and as God He makes the rules. He determines what marriage is and what life is and how we should treat one another. The only way to know what are “rights” are are to key off of Him because He earned our rights for us (Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 5). He is our Creator and He gives us the rights we think we deserve.

It’s amazing how much our culture has changed just in the last ten years, and it’s becoming more and more ridiculous. Consider two of the current hot topics in our society: gender identity and gun control. The liberal arguments for both are extreme and illogical (though they don’t see that). The idea that there is no distinction between male and female goes not only against God’s creation and design (Genesis 1:27), but against science, biology, sociology, and psychology (all of which are pretty naturalistic in their views). The studies of each of these fields have proven over and over again that men and women are different. This is not to mention experiential observations. Can’t you just tell by interacting with the opposite sex that they are different? Even if you refuse to admit it, it’s obvious that God created men and women differently, and we glorify Him uniquely by embracing the gender He gave us. He could have made humans beings asexual like amoebas, but He didn’t. He created humans male and female, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Then there is gun control. I can remember growing up playing violent video games (namely, Tomb Raider) and shooting water guns and BB guns. My sister and I even had a fake, plastic knife that’s blade retracted when we stabbed it into each other. We even used fake blood for dramatic effect. We thought it was awesome, but I am sure nowadays that that kind of play would have sent us straight to the psychiatrist because that's what's been happening recently. Consider these two articles:

"Not Always Fun and Games" by Jesse McKinley and Matt Richtel from The New York Times [“What am I going to do when he asks for one [a Nerf rifle]?” a mother asked. Um, say no. And that seems to be the problem. We don’t know how to say no to anything.]

"The Pop-Tart Terrorist" by George F. Will from The Washington Post [Pop-tarts – really? Does this mean I should stop giving my kids Pop-tarts in Sunday School? I don’t want to encourage terrorism…]

All this is just another reminder that this world is not my home. I belong to another kingdom whose King executes justice perfectly and always rules in complete sovereignty, wisdom, and benevolence (Isaiah 9:6-7). This King, my King, IS Truth, Peace, Freedom, Joy, Right and Righteous. He is good and does good always (Psalm 119:68). This is not true of our government or any other government in our world, and any good we see in any political entity is only a shadow of the True Kingdom which is to come. I close with these final words from George F. Will’s article, cited above:

Government is failing spectacularly at its core functions, such as budgeting and educating. Yet it continues to multiply its peripheral and esoteric responsibilities, tasks that require it to do things for which it has no aptitude, such as thinking and making common-sense judgments. Government nowadays is not just embarrassing, it is — let us not mince words — inappropriate.

Tears for Christmas

The timing of the way the Lord sends His word is always perfect. I always hear what I need to hear at just the right time. This Christmas is shaping up to be a rather painful one. My sister and I arrived home to Missouri last evening. There was already a cloud hanging over us due to my dad’s cancer, but the Lord has been gracious to keep our heart and hope in Him. My personal hope was that this Christmas would be more pleasant than the last. So far this is not the case. I knew my mom had not been doing very well. My dad took her to the ER last week and they said she had something viral and refused to admit her into the hospital (they made this diagnosis without running any tests). The extent of her condition was not communicated to me, so I was not prepared for what I came home to. When I walked in the door, she was sitting in her rocking chair – pale and rigid with wide eyes full of fear. She can barely move and barely speak. She has suffered more than anyone I know and sometimes it’s hard to see God’s good purposes in that. Even now she is writhing in agony as she tries to sleep, and my heart is breaking…

There have been a few other things that have happened– disappointments and hard conversations – that have added to the sorrow. As I was journaling last night, I told the Lord how much I needed Him to meet me in the pain. I have not the strength for these things, but He says that His grace is sufficient. I needed a fresh wave of His mercy and grace. God heard my prayer. In my inbox this morning were two emails that met me where I was. One was a blog post from Dr. Mohler about those who mourn during Christmas time. He says:

Christmas is especially for those who mourn and suffer grief, for the message of Christmas is nothing less than the death of death in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Yes. Christmas gives us hope for the Man of Sorrows entered our suffering and sorrow to secure for our everlasting joy and healing. The other was a blog post from my pastor about believing in Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal.

Do you go through your day as if the miracle you need is just too much to hope for let alone ask for?  Do you find yourself continuing to ask for the supernatural, but not believing in your heart that God can actually do it? 

I can all too well relate to this. The circumstances have been bitter as of late and under of the weight of them I am struggling to cling to the truth that God is working in these things for good (Romans 8:28), that He intends to answer and heal and restore. But this is what Scripture teaches us about His character. He longs to show grace and mercy (Isaiah 30:18) and He is good and does good (Psalm 119:68). Christmas is the ultimate expression of God’s disposition toward us to do us good. In the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God meets our deepest need and gives us our greatest hope. So even though circumstances may be hard and painful, I can still have joy because it was secured forever by Jesus Christ when He chose to take on flesh forever in order to save us in every possible way. The night may be dark, but morning is coming and there is joy in the dawn.

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. John 16:22

Captivated

Last Sunday, I spoke to my sister’s Sunday School class regarding the ministry of Scarlet Hope. I have been a part of this ministry for a little over a year now. It’s a very difficult ministry, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is very powerful and God is doing amazing things in the strip clubs throughout Louisville.

When I was considering what I wanted to share, I kept going back to how the women (and men) in the sex industry are captives – captives to sin, captives to money, captives to their messy pasts, captives to a whole host of lies. And, on top of that, they are blind captives. Most of them don’t even see that they’re enslaved to an industry that will devour them nor do they see their need for Christ. The women want out, but they think their answer lies in money or self-improvement or love or (fill in the blank). They are spiritually dead. That may sound harsh, but it is how Scripture describes all people without Christ. I used to be dead too, but God made me alive in Jesus Christ.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7

You see with God there are only two types of people: people with Christ (spiritually alive) and people without Christ (spiritually dead). There aren’t good people and bad people. There aren’t moral people and immoral people. There are just people alive to God and people dead to God. This is why God has called some of us, His daughters, to enter some of the darkest places in this city. He has more daughters that need to be awakened in the strip clubs of Louisville and He wants to make them alive in Christ and include them in His people (John 10:16). God has called us to this. Why else would we expose ourselves to things we would rather not see and engage with people who sometimes want little to do with us? It is the urgent call of Jesus Christ that beckons us out of our comfortable lives to join Him in the darkness where He is working, where He wants to shine His light through us. God calls us to expose the darkness, but how do we do that? Only by shining the light of Christ. We do not have light in and of ourselves, it is Christ in us that make the difference. He alone can reveal what has been hidden. He alone is the truth that exposes lies. He alone can reach the heart of those trapped in the messiness of life and sin. He alone can bring the dead to life.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
    “Awake, O sleeper,
        and arise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:11-14

There are another set of captives I would like to discuss. These are men not too different from the men I see in the strip clubs. In the past several days, I have read (well really I’ve been bombarded by) several articles about the prevailing problem of pornography among men (including solid Christian men) from the various biblical writers and speakers I follow (Piper, Moore, Mohler). I am so burdened and broken by this growing and ever-present reality. The urgency is so great. I know that I have brothers in Christ (though I don’t know who they are; I just know I have them) who are in this fight and some may feel they are in a losing battle. They are captives.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8

Porn viewers are not really different from the men in the clubs I serve in. It’s the same idol of the heart manifested in different ways – one being more public than the other. Both essentially see women as objects to be used rather than created in the image of God, and both are slaves to the gods of sex and lust. And my heart breaks for them. For those in Christ, they have been set free, but they have subjected themselves to again to the slavery of sin (Galatians 5:1). They have made themselves prisons that only the power of the gospel can break.

    Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
        prisoners in affliction and in irons,
    for they had rebelled against the words of God,
        and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
    So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
        they fell down, with none to help.
    Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
        and he delivered them from their distress.
    He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
        and burst their bonds apart.
    Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
        for his wondrous works to the children of man!
   For he shatters the doors of bronze
        and cuts in two the bars of iron. Psalm 107:10-16

I know what it’s like to be a captive. I had built my own prison of lies and shame and guilt that at the heart level is no different than those who view porn (choosing to treasure something over Christ). But the Lord, in His grace, exposed my hidden sins and set me free (Psalm 107:17-22). Only Christ can do this. So if you are struggling (with porn or any other hidden sin), please reach out to a brother or sister in Christ. Expose the darkness. Only then will freedom and healing be found (James 5:16).

resting in the Everlasting Arms

I would have never guessed that I’d be back on the campus of Southern Seminary. But here I am, almost four full months into my new job as a full-time secretary. Not to say that I don’t love Southern, because I do. This was my home for three and a half years and even after I graduated, I never felt like I left the Southern community. It will always probably feel that way.

Now, even though I never would have chose this for myself, I can see the Lord’s great wisdom in bringing me here. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord brought me to this job; that He has me exactly where He wants me. I think He has yet to disclose His full purpose(s), but He has been showing and teaching me so much already. He has brought me here to rest. Now, I know that is a strange thing to say because it is a job (and I am working, by the way :), but in the midst of all the burdens of life and ministry, this job has been a place of restoration. One of my office responsibilities is to transcribe Dr. Mohler’s sermons, lectures, interviews and Sunday School lessons. So basically I am getting paid to listen to God’s Word. :) The Lord is using these messages to heal the wounds of last year, to continue His refining work and to increase my trust in Him. I am always amazed at the fact that whatever I am assigned to transcribe, it is always what I need to hear. The Lord knows what He is doing.

The lessons this week have been especially pointed. I transcribed audio from both 1 Peter 5 and Hebrews 12:25-29. Both of them reminding me of what the Lord is presently doing in my life. From 1 Peter 5 sermon, the Lord reminded me that He is sovereignly working behind the scenes to accomplish His good purposes in my life, which will come about at just the right time. He also convicted me of my lack of faith. Sometime in these last few months, I stopped believing that the Lord was working for my good. I questioned His willingness to do good to me and wondered if He cared at all.

The Hebrews passage describes the shaking power and consuming fire of God. The Lord has done a lot of shaking in my life. Many people and things that used to be a part of my life no longer are. They didn’t survive the shaking. But not only that, but the Lord has been shaking my faith so that what remains is pure gold (Job 23:10).

Then there’s chapel. Yes, I actually get paid to go to chapel (which is sadly over now until the fall semester). The sermons and worship songs have met me where I am each Tuesday and Thursday. The Lord is very gracious is dealing with me this way.

Besides these things, the Lord is teaching me to submit better to authority and procedure, to be content where He has me and to deepen my understanding of serving others. All of this, I believe, is further preparation for the future. Plus, He is blessing me with some new and great friends. :)

We three secretaries - Rachel, Rachel & Cami

 
Below is a verse that, as I have mentioned before, the Lord gave to my friend Jodi to pray for me during one of my darkest times last year. The Lord has begun binding up and healing the wounds He inflicted last year and He is using this job as one of the means to do it. Not that the tearing is over; He just brings healing in between those seasons. He knows how much we can endure (Psalm 103:14).

    “Come, let us return to the LORD;
        for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
        he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
    After two days he will revive us;
        on the third day he will raise us up,
        that we may live before him.
   Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
        his going out is sure as the dawn;
    he will come to us as the showers,
        as the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

The latter part of this passage exhorts us to press on to the know the Lord. And that is what I must do. In the midst of everything that feels unclear in my life, I must press on to know the Lord. He knows the future and is perfectly satisfied with it. Furthermore, Jesus Christ has me where He wants me now and is perfectly satisfied with it. He is about to do something big. I can sense it. In the meantime, however, I must press on to know the Lord. He wants to give me Himself (!) and He wants me to give Him myself as well. He desires this more than any sacrifice I can give Him (Hosea 6:6). He deserves nothing less.

The Promise of Spring

Can you be "in love" with weather? Because I think I am. I am so excited for spring that I can hardly stand it. Today, I got off work early and went to one of my favorite places in Louisville - Cherokee Park. It's like a little hint of the country in the city. I was probably a little over zealous to go there since it's still a little chilly (I mean, it is still February), but I was itching to spend time with the Lord Jesus outside. I spent about 45 minutes there until the cool wind got to me. I then headed to Southern's campus (another of my favorite places) to continue reading until Kristi got out of class. I am reading a book called Integrity by Henry Cloud. It has been an enlightening and challenging read and it is really expanding my view of the word integrity. 

Whoever walks in integrity, walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

I read today in Dr. Mohler's blog that Borders filed for bankruptcy yesterday and that they are closing 200 stores. I find this news very disheartening. I thoroughly enjoy reading and very much enjoy spending time in bookstores. I would place the Borders on 4th Street downtown as another one of my favorite places to hang out in Louisville. I fear what this means for the future of books in general. Call me old-fashioned, but I am not yet used to the idea - nor do I like the idea - of an electronic book. There is just something about holding a physical book with real pages that adds to the experience of reading.

In my quiet time in the morning, I have been reading through the book of Proverbs. I recently came across this verse:

for by wise guidance you can wage your war,and in the abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 24:6

As I have mentioned several times before, the Lord is teaching me a lot about wisdom - namely, just how limited mine is. Over the past several months, I have had different things come up that required me to diligently search God's Word, seek the Lord in prayer and pursue wise counsel from others. The Lord is so gracious in providing me with (and making me aware of) the "counselors" He has placed in my life. There is a core group of six or seven people that God has used to speak His truth into my life and to steer me on the right path. I am so thankful for these people. They are an incredible blessing in my life and have helped me through some difficult decisions and choices. 

Through all this, the Lord has taught me how to be more open, more trusting, more humble and less independent. It has been a growing experience to say the least, but I am learning to share my burdens with others and express what I think and feel (when appropriate, of course). The wisdom, grace and kindness of the Lord that He so willingly lavishes on His children is so amazing.

But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7