Shepherds' Fellowship

(by Rich Gregory)

Stated most bluntly, a worried pastor is an ineffective pastor.   The logic is simple and irrefutable.   If we worry, we are not trusting God.   If we are not trusting God, then how can we, without hypocrisy, effectively minister His gospel?   Anxiety can be a major problem in our lives and in the lives of those within our ministries.  Health experts tell us that 40,000,000 Americans will endure severe anxiety at some point within their lives.  To round out this shocking number, a full 43% of adults will suffer some kind of adverse health effect related to that stress.   These statistics reveal to us that the problem of anxiety is nothing short of a pandemic within our culture.

Most of us don’t think that we could be classified as “worriers,” and yet it is so easy to be caught up in concerns surrounding future, family, and finances.   Even if a level of mastery is gained over these particular areas, then our very ministries themselves can easily become ground zero for additional thoughts of anxiety and worry.   In actuality, we don’t truly need statistics to prove to us that anxiety is a problem.  All that need be done is to simply take an honest look into the dark depths of our own hearts, and we will soon understand the sober actuality of anxiety.   Christ certainly understood this, and frankly addressed the matter in Matthew 6:24-34. 

According to the definition of Christ, anxiety is to be defined as any thought regarding my circumstances without the purpose of advancing His kingdom.  In this passage, Christ uses the word merimnaw, a term that means “to divide up” or “to district.”  According to this definition, to be worried is to be distracted from our goal.  That goal, as revealed by the surrounding context of the Sermon on the Mount is to be actively looking for, and seeking to advance the coming Kingdom of God.   Especially for those within the Christ’s service, we cannot afford to be distracted, for, as verse 24 clearly states, no man can serve two masters!  There can be no division of purpose, no “districts” within the mind or the heart.  In short, anxiety is a knife that cuts asunder our loyalties between the pursuit of God and the trivial chase of property, comfort, and influence.  How then, does the believer avoid the distractions that naturally crop up within his or her heart?  Within this passage, Christ gives us three strategies for defeating anxiety.
 
The first is to cultivate a strong faith.   Christ denounces the disciples in verse 30 because of their worry.  “You men of little faith!”   He tells them not to worry because God will be faithful to preserve them just like He preserves the simple birds of the air.  In addition to His preservation, Christ promises God’s faithfulness in providing for them.  He communicates that if God is willing to clothe the unproductive and quickly fading flowers of the field in a way that is more resplendent than Solomon, then how much more is He willing to clothe His followers?   If God cares for the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion, then how much more is He willing to care for the extraordinary, you and me, in a way that is at the very least, ordinary?     Cultivating a strong faith in God’s ability to preserve and provide is the starting point for defeating anxiety.  Until you trust Him, you cannot release your grasp upon your own life.

A second strategy that Christ reveals is to pursue a righteous walk.   He commands those who claim to be His true followers to flee from the comfort of identifying oneself with the pagan Gentile.  The true disciple of Christ does not spend his or her time seeking after iniquity, but rather, as verse 33 reveals, in seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.   A righteous walk that abandons iniquity and pursues purity is important to defeating anxiety.   The person who is consumed with looking to advancing Christ’s kingdom does not worry about the trouble that swirls around them.  They are fixed, for their mind is staid upon Christ.
  
A third strategy is to develop a holy perspective.  The one who would defeat anxiety is to focus on the immediate and the eternal.  His grace is sufficient for us every day.  As Jeremiah proclaims, “[His mercies] are new every morning, great is your faithfulness!” (Lam. 3:23)  The faithful disciple seeks to impact the immediate for eternity without allowing his focus to wander.  To squander the grace of God that is meant for the real trials of today upon the mirage of impending trouble that might happen tomorrow is foolish, and betrays a wrong perspective.  God is sovereign, we are not, and thus, we have no business seeking to do His job by worrying about what might come our way.   The best way to prepare for what might come tomorrow is to faithfully fulfill our obligations towards Him today.  Even if tomorrow does bring a trial our way, as it very well may, we can still rest assured that tomorrow morning, just like every other morning, the grace of God will be sufficient to meet that new challenge, for it is from Him. The distracted man worries, but the wise man makes his plans and forms his strategy with the object of impacting eternity.

In the end, we must defeat anxiety so that we can freely serve God.  This can only happen as we strengthen our faith, walk righteously, and have a holy perspective.   If allowed, anxiety will paralyze our effectiveness in life and ministry.  To allow this to happen is to allow ourselves to be distracted from the goal for which we will someday be held accountable.   We must not fail to advance the Kingdom of God, for that is why we exist, and why we labor.  The future is securely in the hands of Almighty God and cannot be changed.   Armed with that knowledge, we must find our reward in the eternal rather than distractedly scrambling after the temporal.  Stop worrying, and start serving your Master from an undivided heart!

(By John MacArthur)

This concludes our series on contentment. This series was adapted from John’s book Anxiety Attacked.

5. Contentment Comes from Selflessness and Sacrificial Giving

If you live for yourself, you will never be content. Many of us don’t experience contentment because we demand our world to be exactly the way we want it to be. We want our spouse to fulfill our expectations and agenda. We want our children to conform to a prewritten plan we have ordained for them to fulfill. And we want everything else to fall into its perfect niche in the little cupboard where we compartmentalize every element of existence.

Paul prayed for the Philippians to have a different perspective. He began his letter to them with a prayer that their love for one another might abound (Phil. 1:9), and went on to give this practical advice: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself” (Phil. 2:3). He wanted them to lose themselves by being preoccupied with the well-being of others. This was the example he gave to them and us:

Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the Gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:14–19).

Even though Paul was assured of God’s providence, independent of his circumstances, and strengthened by divine power, he knew how to write a gracious thank-you note. He wanted the Philippians to know they had done a noble thing in caring for his needs. They were a poor church from Macedonia (an area whose poverty is described in 2 Cor. 8—9) who had apparently sent food, clothing, and money to Paul in Rome through Epaphroditus. Their generosity impressed Paul.

Notice what made him happiest of all about the gift: “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (Phil. 4:17). He was more interested in their spiritual benefit than his material gain. Being comfortable, well fed, and satisfied weren’t Paul’s main concerns in life. Rather, he was interested in accruing eternal dividends to the lives of the people he loved. Here are the timeless scriptural principles that apply:

Proverbs 11:24–25: “There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”

Proverbs 19:17: “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.”

Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you.”

2 Corinthians 9:6: “He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”

Paul described the gift he had received as “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18). He was using Old Testament imagery to say, “Not only did you give it to me, but you also gave it to God.” At the beginning of our passage, in verse 10, we noted how happy Paul was to receive the gift. His joy came not because he finally received what he had been wanting (as we saw in verse 11, he politely mentioned that he didn’t need it), but because the Philippians had given him something that honored God and would accrue to their spiritual benefit.

Their doing that led Paul to say in closing, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (v. 19). That is one of the most often-quoted verses of Scripture, but it needs to be set in its context. Paul was saying, “You gave to me in a way that left you in need. I want to assure you that God will not remain in your debt. He will supply all your needs.” It refers to material, earthly needs sacrificed by the Philippians that God in response to their sacrifice would amply replenish.

If you likewise “honor the Lord from your wealth…your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Prov. 3:9–10). God’s not going to give you back spiritual blessings only and let you die of hunger. If you’re in Christ, the riches of God in glory are yours. That is why, as we learned in our first chapter , we are not to be preoccupied with what we eat, drink, or wear. Instead we are to “seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and… not be anxious” (Matt. 6:33–34).

Attack anxiety in your life by applying what you have learned about contentment. Be confident in God’s sovereign providence, and don’t allow your circumstances to trouble you. Instead of giving in to panic, cling to the promise of Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.” Regard that verse as a spiritual lifeline for the rest of your life.

Also, buck the tide of our materialistic, selfish society by being satisfied with little and more concerned about the spiritual welfare of others than your material needs. Be obedient to God’s Word and confident in His power to meet all your needs. May our Lord keep all these principles in the forefront of our minds that we might be content—and free from anxiety!

(By Nathan Busenitz)

This is a continuation of our series on the secrets of contentment from Philippians 4 from yesterday.

3. Detachment from Circumstances

The one thing that steals our contentment more than anything else is trying circumstances. We crumble and lose our sense of satisfaction and peace when we allow our circumstances to victimize us. No doubt Paul was human and suffered that way too but then he learned a different way: remaining content no matter what his circumstances were. “I have learned to be content,” he said, “in whatever circumstances I am” (Phil. 4:11, emphasis added). He really meant whatever, for in the next verse he ran the gamut of extremes from great poverty to great wealth. It’s possible for us as Christians to learn to be content in facing any situation in life.

And we don’t have to wait for the next life to be able to do this. We do need to keep one foot in the next life, however. Paul said it this way: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17–18). Paul endured many horrific circumstances (note his summary in 11:23–33) but through them he learned to be content by having an eternal perspective. Realize any circumstance you face is only temporary. The energy you’re tempted to expend on it by getting anxious isn’t worth being compared with your eternal reward. Learn to be content by not taking your earthly circumstances too seriously.

4. Being Sustained by Divine Power

Paul could face any earthly circumstance with this confident assurance: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). He had learned that no matter how difficult things get in this material world, every Christian has a spiritual undergirding.

In saying he could do all things through Christ, Paul was referring to endurance, not miraculous provision. He didn’t mean he could go on forever without eating or drinking. He couldn’t be battered 5,000 times and still survive. There’s a limit to the physical hardships any human being can endure. Instead Paul was saying, “When I have come to the end of my own resources, then I experience the power of Christ to sustain me until a provision is made.” He believed in the promise of Isaiah 40:31: “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Contentment is a by-product of distress. It comes when you experience the sustaining power of Christ when you simply have run out of steam: “To him who lacks might He increases power” (v. 29). We do well to experience enough difficulty in our lives to see Christ’s power on display in us.

Do you know how a pacemaker works? It kicks in when the heart it’s attached to doesn’t work right. It’s a sustaining power. We as believers have a reservoir of spiritual power that moves into action when we have come to the end of our resources. Therefore we can “do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).

You’ll learn contentment when you’ve stood in the valley of the shadow of death, when you’ve been at the brink, when you can’t resolve your problems, when you can’t eliminate the conflict, when you can’t change your work environment, when you’re unable to fight the disease that’s wracking your body. That’s when you’ll turn to God and find the strength to get through the situation.

To add an important qualifier, however, if you’ve been living a life of sin and you’re now at the bottom of the pit where sin has led you, don’t expect the Lord to step in, put on a dazzling display of His power, and make you feel content. What He’s more apt to do is add chastening to the pain that your circumstances have naturally produced. There’s no quick fix for a sinful pattern of living. Just like health is the result of right living in the physical dimension, so is power from God the result of being obedient in the spiritual dimension.

(By John MacArthur)

Holy Living Makes the Gospel Attractive

Paul states his third reason for holy living in Titus 2:10, “That they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” “Adorn” is from the Greek word kosmeō and refers to making something beautiful.

What is our primary message to this world about God? Do we want the world to know that God is omnipotent? Omniscient? Omnipresent? Immutable? Sovereign? Eternal? The Creator and the Sustainer of the universe? Yes, we do. But by far the main attribute of God we want the unsaved to understand is that He is a Savior.

How will we ever make the good news about God as Savior beautiful in every respect if we don’t look like we’ve been saved? When we live in obedience to God, that in itself will be a testimony against wrong. When those around us see us helping rather than exploiting, hear us talking with purity instead of profanity, and observe us speaking truthfully rather than deceitfully, our example will itself be a rebuke of selfishness, unwholesome talk, and falsehood. Simply refusing to participate in a dishonest business or social practice will sometimes be such a strong rebuke that it costs us our job or friendship. Dishonesty is terribly uncomfortable in the presence of honesty, even when there is no verbal or other direct opposition.

Often, of course, open rebuke is necessary. Silent testimony will go only so far. Failure to speak out against and to oppose evil things in practical ways is a failure to obey God. Believers are to expose them in whatever legitimate, biblical ways are necessary.

Unfortunately, many Christians are barely able to keep their own spiritual and moral houses in order. Thus they lack the discernment, inclination, or power to confront evil in the church or in society at large. That’s why it is imperative that we be so mature in biblical truth, and in obedience, holiness, and love, that the natural course of our lives will be to expose, rebuke, and offer remedy for every kind of evil.

Making salvation attractive is a high calling, and we will fail in that endeavor unless we can demonstrate that we have indeed been delivered from sin. Rebuking sin in others without an accompanying lifestyle of righteousness is the greatest hypocrisy. But lives characterized by purity, power, and joy reflect the order, beauty, and power of a saving God. When we make salvation beautiful, we make God attractive.

To convince a man God can save, I need to show him a man He saved. To convince a man that God can give hope, I need to show him a man with hope. To convince a man that God can give peace, joy, and love, I need to show him a man with peace, joy, and love. To convince a man that God can give complete, total, and utter satisfaction, I need to show him a satisfied man. When the world sees people who are holy, righteous, peaceful, joyful, and fulfilled, they see the evidence of God’s transforming power.

At stake is the eternal destiny of unredeemed souls. Christians who are unholy lead unbelievers to slander God; those who are holy lead them to glorify God. The central issue in evangelism is holy living. A powerful church is not built on its strategy, but on the virtue and holiness of its people. What we believe is linked to how we live, and how we live is directly linked to the effectiveness of our gospel proclamation. So, Christian, it’s imperative that you be “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

(By John MacArthur)

Despite many technological advancements, the twenty-first century has entered frighteningly dark waters. Look at the headlines—the threat of global terrorism, the chaos of unthinkable criminal activity, the defilement of pornography, the confusion of gender roles, the future of the economy, the “lostness” of our children, etc., etc. People are helplessly buckled up, strapped in, and holding on to a world careening out of control into a future of even greater fear, confusion, frustration, uncertainty, and isolation.

As a Christian, a true Christians, you are quite a contrast. Anchored in Jesus Christ, you are immoveable, steadfast, and strong. Your eyes are fixed on the Word of God, a beacon that stands out like a “lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). As you move toward that light, God changes your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. The message you proclaim and the life you live guarantees you will stand out in the culture.

Holy, righteous lives are the backbone of the gospel we preach. The apostle Paul understood that. In the midst of a pagan society that did all it could to persecute Christians and discredit the Christian faith, he wrote to Titus telling him how to instruct the Cretans “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).

As I’ve reflected on what Paul told Titus, I can see three compelling reasons we ought to live holy lives. And each reason has little to do with benefits that come from godly living, though there are benefits (cf. 1 Timothy 6:6). Rather, Paul sets forth evangelism as the motive for holy living.

Holy Living Honors God’s Word

In chapter two, Paul instructs Titus regarding different age groups in the church. The young women, he says, are to act in such a way “so that the word of God may not be dishonored” (Titus 2:5). The Greek word translated “dishonored” literally means “blasphemed.” We can’t allow unbelievers to mock, ignore, or totally reject God’s Word. Yet, how we live will directly affect how people feel about it.

No matter what their station in life, Christian men and women who are not what they ought to be will give people reason to blaspheme God’s Word. The world doesn’t judge us by our theology; it judges us by our behavior. The validity of Scripture in the world’s view is determined by how it affects us. If unbelievers see that our lives are truly transformed, separate and distinct from the world, they might conclude that Scripture is true, powerful, and life-changing.

The credibility of the Christian gospel is inseparably linked to the integrity of the lives of those who proclaim it. That’s why it is so devastating when well-known evangelists or Christian leaders are caught in some gross sin or immorality. How do you think unbelievers react when they see such hypocrisy? They laugh at it, thus blaspheming God’s Word and short-circuiting any opportunity we have to tell them about its power to transform their lives. The impact of the lives of men and women who bear the Lord’s name is vital to the credibility of the faith and the effectiveness of personal witness and preaching. That’s ultimately what is at stake in the way we live.

Holy Living Silences the Opposition

Paul’s second reason for living holy lives gives us the heart of what he wants to communicate: “so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:8). The Greek word translated “put to shame” literally means “to blush,” emphasizing the opponent’s utter embarrassment over having no just criticism.

Opponents of Christianity love to gloat when Christians cause a scandal. Don’t you think some of the unbelievers in your sphere of influence would love to see you fail significantly so they can justify their unbelief? They don’t want to see God transform your life—that would stand as a rebuke to their sinful lifestyles. But that’s exactly what you want to do—you want to embarrass them when they criticize you because there is nothing for them to justifiably criticize.

The issue is evangelism. The proper strategy for our evangelization is not methodological. We reach the world through epitomizing virtue, godliness, holiness, and a purity of life that makes our faith and God’s Word believable.

The apostle Peter understood the way believers have impact on the godless world. He wrote, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage ware against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the [pagans], so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Do you see how imperative it is that we live godly lives? We want unbelievers to examine us. They come initially to criticize, but if our behavior is excellent, the criticism of some might turn to curiosity. And if that curiosity turns to conversion, they’ll glorify God because of their salvation. Thus we’ve done our part in bringing God glory. You lead people to the credibility of Christianity and ultimately to conversion by the virtue of your life. So stay away from fleshly lusts and maintain excellent behavior.

(To Be Concluded Tomorrow)

(By John MacArthur)

All people like to be happy — to be exhilarated with joy, to feel good, and to be on top of everything. There’s nothing wrong with that. God wants joyous, excited, happy, and uplifted people. The problem lies in how happiness is generated. Some people think they’ll find it in a liquor bottle or in a narcotic. But neither of those is the Christian’s source of joy.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation.” Paul doesn’t try to prove that drunkenness is incompatible with Christianity, he simply gives the command. Once a person becomes a Christian, he says goodbye to the life he once lived in drunken debauchery–the party life is to have no place in a believer’s life.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “John, are you going to lecture me on the evils of alcohol? That’s preaching to the choir!” Is it? One study I found said nearly 14 million Americans last year were classified as alcohol abusers or alcoholics–that’s about 1 out of every 13 adults. Millions more regularly engage in binge drinking or heavy drinking and over 50 percent of Americans report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem. With figures like that, do you think some of those people might now attend your church? Were you one of those people?

I won’t lecture you on the dangers of alcohol — you’re no doubt painfully aware of the problem. Drunkenness causes violence, accidents, abuse, and indebtedness, and we pay millions of dollars in tax money to clean up the wreckage. Insobriety exacts a tremendous toll on our society, both directly and indirectly.

The Spirit and the Bottle

So if Christians are not to be drunk with wine, where do they find joy and happiness? The answer is in the second half of Ephesians 5:18: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (emphasis added). Your thrills, your exhilaration, and your happiness should be the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit, not from being filled with wine.

You might be shocked by the language of that verse. It sounds like Paul is saying we should be drunk with the Holy Spirit. In fact, observers of the apostles exuberant behavior at Pentecost mistakenly concluded they had been dipping into the wineskins a little too early in the morning (see Acts 2:1-4, 13-18). But here’s the idea: Being filled with the Spirit results in behavior marked by joy, boldness, and a lack of inhibition. Even a mild person can become bold and unafraid when living under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

That sounds like what happens when a person gets drunk, doesn’t it? But Paul is actually making a contrast, not a comparison, between wine and the Holy Spirit. Wine controls a person completely and works evil in his heart and life. The Holy Spirit also controls completely, but He empowers you unto true righteousness. The Spirit’s influence provides divine fuel for a different, free, uninhibited life lived for God’s glory.

Be Filled

You’ll notice that Ephesians 5:18 has a positive command: “Be filled with the Spirit.” What does that mean? First, let me tell you what that doesn’t mean. Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean to be indwelt with, to be baptized in, or to be sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Paul never says, “Be indwelt by the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, the Spirit already lives in you (1 Cor. 6:19).

Paul never says, “Be baptized in the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, you were baptized in Him at your conversion (1 Cor. 12:13).

Paul never says, “Be sealed with the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, you’ve already been sealed with the Spirit (Eph. 1:13).

All three events occurred the moment you were saved.

Instead, Paul’s command has our sanctification in view. Though it sounds a little odd in English, the Greek verb means “be continually filled” or “be kept filled.” He is actually saying, “Be continually letting the Spirit of God — who is already in you — control you.” It isn’t a second work of grace, a one-time experience, or a step up to a higher level. It is the continual, ongoing experience of the Christian life.

Surrender and Submit

To be filled with the Holy Spirit means you are continually surrendering your will, mind, body, time, talents, and treasures — every area of your life — to His control. The context shows that every realm of your life will be affected when you are filled with the Spirit. Notice how the Spirit-filled person submits to others (5:21–6:9). The Spirit-filled wife submits to her husband. The Spirit-filled husband loves his wife. Spirit-filled children obey their parents. A Spirit-filled father doesn’t provoke his children to anger. A Spirit-filled employee works diligently for his employer. A Spirit-filled employer is fair with his employees. All those are manifestations of the Spirit-filled life.

“So,” you ask, “is this a ‘Let go and let God’ kind of thing?” Hardly. Look at Colossians 3:16 for the answer to the question, “How do I surrender?” It says, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” The effect of the Word of Christ dwelling in you is an exact parallel to what happens when you are filled with the Spirit (see vv. 16-23). It’s all there–singing, submission, love, obedience, gentle parenting, diligence, and fairness. Therefore, being filled with the Spirit is exactly the same thing as letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. As you study God’s Word, as it dwells in you richly, your thoughts become saturated with Christ. You become Christ-centered, Christ-conscious at all times–that’s what it is to be Spirit-filled.

Attitude Adjustment

We’ve already looked at the behavior of a Spirit-filled person, but where is the joy I mentioned earlier? Tucked between the command and the change in behavior is a very important comment on the attitudes of a Spirit-filled Christian. Ephesians 5:19-20 says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God.” In those two verses, Paul is looking at the fruit of two attitudes that demonstrate vitality of the Christian life — joy and gratitude.

Joy and gratitude will characterize you when you are under the Holy Spirit’s control. Whether public or private, inward or outward, Spirit-induced joy produces singing that comes from the heart. To whom do you sing? You sing “to one another” and “to the Lord.” Keep that in mind the next time you sing in church. Your songs should not be a performance — they aren’t entertainment. Rather, they should be the sincere testimony of your joy in the Lord. When you express your joy in the Holy Spirit through singing, you bring pleasure to the Lord Himself.

Hand in hand with joy is thanksgiving (cf. 1 Thess. 5:16-18). If ingratitude sours and darkens the soul, gratitude sweetens it and floods it with light. Thanksgiving is more than the act of saying thanks or sending a thank you note — it is an attitude of the heart. Without the attitude, the act is mere hypocrisy.

Spirit-produced joy and gratitude are indomitable. When Jesus said, “Your sorrow will be turned to joy,” He used the example of a woman giving birth to a child. Though the pain of childbirth is agonizing, when the child is born, the joy is both unequaled and unstoppable — nothing can drive it away. That’s the kind of change the Holy Spirit produces in everyone who lives under His control.

The Spirit-filled life is overflowing with gratitude, joy, right relationships, and good behavior — quite a contrast to those enslaved by alcohol. You may not be seeking your joy in drugs or alcohol, but are you seeking to be filled with the Spirit? His resources are immediately available and He desires to produce new life in you. What are you waiting for?

(By John Street)

Today's post is adapted from Dr. Street's chapter on counseling those in the church who struggle with homosexual temptation. The full article can be found in our new staff book, Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong.

Identity must be formed “in Christ.”

The theological understanding of the Christian being “in Christ” is critical for those who struggle with homosexuality (cf. Gal. 3:26–29; Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1). Sometimes, early in discipleship, they will express to you in so many words, “I am a homosexual.” They have become convinced by their own fruitless struggle with their sexual weaknesses or by the world’s relentless drumbeat that they are genetically hardwired this way and cannot change.  Of course, this is a cultural lie and it robs your counselee of hope.

Who they are “in Christ” must be the planet around which all their thoughts and actions orbit. This is more than just a metaphor, it has to do with how Christians view themselves—as undeserving sinners who enjoy the gracious provisions and righteousness of Christ in order to have full acceptance with God the Father. Gospel-centered counseling and discipleship is critical to establish early.

When their thought-life is practiced “in Christ” it brings hope and change to thoughts, desires and behaviors. They think and act in new ways abandoning homosexual and effeminate dress, words and mannerisms. It is especially effective to faithfully teach the principles of Romans 6:1–14 while recalling the earlier context of Romans 1:24–27. How Christians view themselves and their position in Christ will greatly affect their change and growth in sanctification. A Christian tempted by homosexual (or lesbian) desires is not a homosexual, he or she is a Christian! This thought and all of its theological richness is vital to understand if your counselee is going to possess the perseverance to defeat this foe.