“Love is not irritable or resentful.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

How easily we are offended in our world today.

If there is something we do not like about another person, we are quick to criticize. If we perceive any hint of insult, we are quick to take offense. If another’s words or actions irritate us, we are quick to express our annoyance. We can be over sensitive, just waiting to be offended. When that offense comes, we jump like a predator hunting his prey.

But the Scriptures counter such impulses. Rather than taking offense, we are told to overlook offenses:

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 ESV

“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 12:16 NIV

The Lord Jesus Christ showed the way in how to handle offenses:

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23 NIV

Christians are called to love people with the kind of Christ-like love that is not irritable or resentful. This love is not easily provoked to anger, nor does it hold wrongs against others. Christian love overlooks insults, irritations, and annoyances of others. Love does not file them in a mental record to bring back up later. Christians absorb those offenses which can be overlooked.

Let offenses fall into an ocean of love. As the fourth-century church leader Chrysostom said, “A wrong done against love is like a spark that falls into the sea and is quenched.”

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV

This is the first post in a series seeking to apply the truths of the above verse to practical Christian living. The goal is to examine how one can practice Christ-centered living in specific situations.

Please understand that this is not intended to be formulaic. Life is messy. We encounter thousands of different scenarios in which we must incorporate biblical principles with great discernment. Following a rigid formula does not guarantee success. Hopefully the general biblical truths applied in the hypothetical scenario below will be a helpful encouragement to living a Christ-centered life in practical areas.

Scripture: Galatians 2:20 tells Christians four important truths. 1) I am a new person in Christ. My old self was crucified with Him when I was united to Him by faith. 2) Christ now lives in me. I have the power and presence of God in my life. 3) I live my life now by faith in Christ. I keep trusting in what He has done for me and what He has promised me and keep applying His Word to my life. 4) Christ loved me and died for me. What motivates me to live for Jesus is the great love and grace He showed me.

Scenario: A believer repeatedly succumbs to the sins of bitterness and anger. Knowing that these sins are inconsistent with a life that pleases Christ, the believer desires to put away these sins. How can a believer battle besetting sins like these with the truth of Galatians 2:20?

1) I am a new person in Christ. Since my old, unregenerate self was crucified with Christ when I came to Jesus by faith, the sins of the old self no longer rule in my life. So if I am the believer in the above scenario, I must realize that God has broken the power of bitterness and anger over me (Rom. 6:6). This is what God has already done for me through the gospel of Jesus Christ. United to Christ’s death and resurrection, I have likewise died and been raised to walk in the newness of life. Thus besetting sins do not have the power which I think they have because God has freed me from their power and changed me.

2) Christ now lives in me. A new power is present in my life. The Lord Jesus lives in me through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9-10). The power of sin is replaced by the power of Christ. I don’t battle bitterness and anger alone. Christ is battling those sins in and through me (Phil. 2:13). He is producing fruit in me through His Spirit – fruit like kindness, gentleness, self-control which subdue and replace bitterness and anger in my life. Jesus is greater than my sin.

3) I live by faith in Christ. I must believe what the Bible is telling me about my sins. Because I am in Christ, I no longer have to yield to their power. Christ is empowering me to fight successfully against my bitterness and anger. Since I believe these things are true of me in Christ, I must now apply these to my life by faith. This means I battle my bitterness and anger by faith. I depend upon the Spirit to help me kill these sins (Rom. 8:13). Believing that Christ is working in me, I must and can obey commands of Scripture like this: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Therefore, by faith, I actively strive to put off bitterness and anger, and show kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness to others.

4) Christ loved me and died for me. The battle against besetting sins starts and ends with God’s great grace. The reason I can even begin to deal with bitterness and anger is because His grace in Christ has forgiven me, freed me, changed me and empowered me. And the motivating reason why I continue to battle my sin is the fact that Christ loved me and died for me. The more I remind myself of the great love and grace of Christ, the more I will desire to battle bitterness and anger. The more I center my mind on Christ and what He has done for me, the more I will center my life on Christ and what He is doing in me.

Christ is now the center of my life. Because of my union with Him, I can battle and win in the fight against besetting sins like bitterness and anger. I must prayerfully depend on His Spirit and actively obey His Word. And in all my doing I must keep believing that Christ is powerfully working in me.

“Making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18 ESV)

The Minnesota Vikings play the Denver Broncos this Sunday. As a Vikings fan, I will root for the Purple even though they are nearing the end of a miserable season. Though the Vikes are 2 – 9, I hope they can pull out a victory against the Broncos.

But there is a player on the Broncos that I am rooting for in a different way. The Broncos quarterback is Tim Tebow. Since he became the starting QB, Tebow has led his team to five wins in six games. The way he plays is unconventional: he is an inconsistent and inaccurate passer but a bruising and effective runner. He wills his team to victory with heart, leadership, and hard work. His spirit is infectious.

Tebow has his critics. They don’t like the way he plays quarterback. They think he lacks skills. They say he can’t play this way and win for the long term. But with each win he gains respect.

Yet this is not the main reason why I am rooting for Tim Tebow. It’s fun to watch him play and succeed despite conventional thinking. But whether he wins or not, I am still rooting for Tim Tebow. Whether he has a successful or short career as a quarterback, I am still rooting for Tim Tebow.

Why? Because Tim Tebow is a fellow believer in Jesus Christ. He is open about his faith. He has backed up his talk with his walk. But, like any other Christian, he is a sinner and susceptible to temptation.

So I am rooting for Tim Tebow to be a faithful servant of His Savior. I am praying that his faith will not fail and his testimony will remain strong. There are many detractors that want Tebow to fail morally. They are annoyed by his “God talk” and would love to expose him as a hypocrite.

That’s why we should make “supplication” for this follower of Christ, and not just for Tebow, but for all fellow believers who desire to stand firm for Christ in the midst of a world that wants to see their faith fail. Scripture tells us to pray for and encourage one another (Heb. 3:12-14) so that we remain faithful to Christ until the end.

Tebow may fail in football. But let us pray that he does not fail in his faith. And let us pray for each other, that we will stand true to Christ.

So this Vikings fan will be rooting for the opposing quarterback this Sunday. Whether or not he plays well, I will be rooting for him to live his faith well.

That’s how we Christians should root for each other – that we live our faith well. And not just on Sundays.

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:5 ESV

King David was on the run. One of his sons was leading a coup to depose him. He went into hiding in the desert canyons outside of Jerusalem. His world shattered, David was physically and emotionally exhausted. In deep hunger and thirst, He must have searched the dusty wasteland for any sign of water and food.

But even in that dire predicament, David focused on a deeper thirst and a more pressing need: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1 ESV)

He was spiritually thirsty. As his body thirsted for water in that dry land, so his soul thirsted for God. His soul needed to drink and God was the only satisfaction for his deep, soul thirst.

Though his life was in jeopardy, David’s greatest concern was for the well-being of his soul. So he fed by faith on the all-satisfying God: “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Psalm 63:2-3 ESV). He reflected on God and worshipped.

Thus David found satisfaction for his soul: “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (v. 5). He had come to the great spiritual feast that is God and his soul ate and drink to its full delight. God is the only true Soul Satisfier. He had satisfied David’s soul in the midst of great life challenges.

In our own lives, we often turn to pretenders to satisfy our soul thirst. The world dangles many psuedo-satisfiers before us, but they are only temporary fillers that soon fade away. Like sweet candy, they fulfill the appetite with a rush of short-term satisfaction but quickly leave us empty with no lasting fill.

Our souls hunger and thirst for something better, something meatier than this world offers. We want that which is like an abundant thanksgiving feast that fills our every need with a lasting satisfaction. We want to drink to our soul’s delight.

This all-satisfying soul food and drink is God. He bids us to come. He invites us to feast and drink of Him.

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.” Isaiah 55:1-3 ESV

Why do you buy the lie of that which does not satisfy? When you feed on the world’s junk, your soul will shrivel and die. But when you delight your soul in God, your soul will be satisfied and live.

Jesus calls us to this soul-satisfaction. To believe in Jesus Christ and feed on Him by faith is to satisfy your soul with abundant food and endless drink. So He told the thirsty soul at the well: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14 ESV).

Thus He invites us: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35 ESV).

Like King David, we all experience soul thirst. Heed the words of our Lord and satisfy your soul by feasting and drinking of Him by faith.

He is your only Soul Satisfier.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 ESV

Veterans deserve great honor for their service to our country. We owe them a great debt. They gave of their lives in order to protect our nation, defend our freedom, and preserve our way of life. In a way, those who serve in the military lay down their lives, suspending careers or families or schooling, for the sake of others. Whatever their branch of service, we thank them for their sacrifice for us and our country.

Some made the ultimate sacrifice and showed there is no greater love. Abraham Lincoln called it “the last full measure of devotion.” Their death in service to their country is a sacrifice that should never be forgotten. They died to keep us free.

Veterans Day reminds us of the courage of those who served, the preciousness of lives given for others, and the cost of freedom. Some things are worth the sacrifice of one’s life. Some things can only be won through the laying down of one’s life.

There’s another kind of freedom that required an even greater sacrifice. Freedom from sin could only be won through the laying down of the life of the Son of God. So He went into the service of His Father to sacrifice His life for our sakes. He showed His friends that there truly is no greater love.

The cost of our spiritual freedom was the infinitely valuable life of Jesus. And He gave it away for you.

Through His sacrifice He defeated enemies greater than any foe our veterans ever faced. In His death and resurrection, Christ defeated sin, Satan, and death. He crushed our greatest enemies, delivered us from eternal hell, and triumphed in complete victory. He died to set us free forever.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 ESV

We are thankful today for our veterans who sacrificed to preserve our freedom as Americans.

And we are especially thankful for our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His “full measure of devotion” to grant us the glorious freedom as the children of God.

“No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death.” Ecclesiastes 8:8 ESV

“Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.” Such were the words of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who died yesterday at age 56. Jobs reflected the truth of Scripture in those words and he consciously lived his life knowing he would die one day. As he went on to say, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Jobs used the time he had to produce extraordinary technological innovations that have changed our way of life. As one Christian blogger notes, “Steve Jobs, created in the image of God, was a remarkable example of God’s common grace in his aesthetics and creativity and productivity. And we can all hope that in his final days, this recipient of so much common grace found rest in God’s sovereign saving grace.”

Even though Jobs may not have been a Christian, his life provides a lesson for us. The Bible says that your life is but a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes (James 4:14). Jesus tells us to use the precious time we have by living for the eternal: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20 ESVS).

No one escapes death. What will you do with your life until the day it ends? Steve Jobs committed himself to pursue life to the fullest and impact this world. How much more should Christians commit themselves to living life fully for Christ and impacting this world for eternity. IPods and iPhones will soon pass away, but the glory of Christ and souls of men will endure forever.

Al Mohler has some excellent thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs that are well worth the read. He also provides these final words of application:

But unerring taste, aesthetic achievement, and technological genius will not save the world. Christians know what the world does not — that the mother tending her child, the farmer planting his crops, the father protecting his family, the couple faithfully living out their marital vows, the factory worker laboring to support his family, and the preacher preparing to preach the Word of God are all doing far more important work.

Thus the Christian affirms with the Apostle Paul, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 ESV).

“Do not be conformed to this world.” (Romans 12:2 ESV)

God has called us to a holy rebellion. We are commanded to be nonconformists to this world.

This “world” refers to the present evil age (Gal. 1:4) dominated by sin and Satan. The world shapes the spiritually dead into its own mold where they march in step with the world’s beliefs and practices. Unbelievers easily become followers as they live in conformity by “following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2 ESV).

Like a powerful vise, the world squeezes people into the pattern that fits the spirit of this age. This mold is easy to spot: whether it be television, movies, music, advertising, advice columnists, results of latest studies, etc., they all repeat a unified worldview. Common beliefs include: 1) tolerance of what the Bible calls sin, 2) acceptance of the consensus of experts rather than biblical truth, 3) “follow your heart” as if you are your own god, and 4) live for today by consuming every new thing that comes your way.

The result of conforming to the world’s beliefs is conforming to the world’s behavior. Once a worldview is accepted, corresponding behavior is practiced. Common practices in the mold of this world include: 1) indulgence in any sinful practice that you like; 2) demanding that others live lifestyles according to the contemporary wisdom of the world; 3) freeing yourself from the shackles of biblical commands only to find yourself “following your heart” into the prison of sin, selfishness, and regret; and 4) consuming the world’s latest technology, products, and fads as the basis for enjoyment and fulfillment in life.

It’s a mad, mad world blazing a broad path to destruction. So many claim to be nonconformists, but they are the biggest conformists of them all. The world is a giant magnet, powerfully pulling every person from every walk of life toward its sinful system. This broad road may have many different lanes, but they are all heading in the same direction. The downward course of the world rushes like a mighty river forcing its followers downstream.

But Christians swim upstream. They are nonconformists. Their eyes have been opened to the lies of the world and they reject its sinful practices. They refuse to be squeezed into the mold of this present age.

Christians are rebels who walk the narrow path that leads to life. They are careful to discern good from evil within the world’s beliefs and practices. They hold a contrary worldview which is established on the truth of Scripture and belief in the Creator God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They love God more than the world; they love Jesus more than sin; they love truth more than error; they love eternal life more than this fleeting life.

For Christians, nonconformity to the present world is a holy rebellion. This is no rebellion just for the sake of being rebellious. We are rebels with a cause. God has commanded us not to conform. We rebel for His glory.

In their rebelling nonconformity, Christians conform to a different mold:

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29 ESV)

This is what God has purposed us to be – rebels to the world and followers of Jesus. Live a life of nonconforming conformity. Reject the world’s squeeze into its mold and allow God to shape you into the image of Christ. Be a holy rebel with a holy cause.

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68-69 ESV)

The Scriptures speak of false followers of Jesus who appear to believe but eventually fall away. Their faith is spurious – pretending to be what it is not. When discipleship becomes costly, they turn back from Jesus and demonstrate they never possessed genuine faith.

In John 6, we find Jesus being abandoned by false followers. Many of his disciples “turned back and no longer walked with him ” (v. 66). Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Do you want to go away as well?” (v. 67). Peter’s response to Jesus reveals three marks of a true follower of Jesus (vv. 68-69).

1) A true follower of Jesus recognizes there is no alternative to Jesus: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” A genuine disciple sees Jesus as the one and only, not one of many. He is the only way, not one of many ways. Faith sees Jesus and nothing else. Once you truly treasure Jesus, everything else becomes worthless. No one else compares to Jesus. There is nowhere to go but to Jesus.

2) A true follower of Jesus affirms the preciousness of Jesus’ teaching: “You have the words of eternal life.” Peter accepts Christ’s words as being spirit and life. He gets it. One of the greatest marks of being a true disciple is reception of all of Christ’s words – both the easy sayings and the hard. His teaching has authority, should be obeyed, and leads to eternal life.

3) A true follower of Jesus confesses that Jesus is God: “You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus is not just a great prophet, miracle-worker, or teacher. Jesus truly is God. Genuine faith looks to Jesus in all that He is and believes in Him.

True followers of Jesus know and believe in Jesus as God, as the only Way, and as the One who has the very words of life. This genuine faith is nothing to boast about in and of ourselves. It is by the grace of God that we see Jesus for who He really is and believe in Him with a persevering faith. If these marks of a true follower of Jesus are present in your life, thank God with all humility and joy. For He has granted you genuine faith like He did with Peter:

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.‘” (Matthew 16:15-17 ESV)

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us… righteousness.” (1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV)

There is a righteousness God bestows on sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is none other than justification – God declaring sinners righteous upon the basis of His own righteousness. And this righteousness is none other than Christ’s righteousness.

Martin Luther discovered this God-righteousness as he struggled to comprehend Romans 1:16-17. It was there that His mind was opened to a righteousness which God gives to the needy sinner, and which the sinner accepts by faith. This was a spotless, perfect righteousness, earned by Christ, which God graciously bestows on all who believe.

When we are united to Christ by faith, God grants to us the righteousness of Christ. This becomes the basis of our standing with God. He counts us as complete in His Son. He credits us with the merit of Jesus. He clothes us with the perfection of Christ and declares us righteous forever.

This is what makes biblical Christianity different from all other religions. Our acceptance with God is not based on our own inherent goodness or our own works-righteousness. Our acceptance is found in the righteousness of another, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

This is the only hope that frees sinners from futile religious systems and failed attempts at self-righteousness. Only when we look to Jesus and see that God has made Him to be our righteousness can our souls rest in the peace and love of God. Such was the discovery of John Bunyan (Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners):

“But one day as I was passing into the field, with some dashes on my conscience, fearing yet that all was not right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, “Your righteousness is in heaven.” I thought I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ at God’s right hand. There was my righteousness. Wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me that I lacked His righteousness, for that was ever before Him. Moreover, I saw that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, “the same yesterday, today, and for ever”.

“Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed. I was loosed from my afflictions and irons, my temptations also fled away. From that time those dreadful Scriptures of God quit troubling me; now I went home rejoicing for the grace and love of God.”

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

July 4th is a special holiday for Americans. Independence Day reminds us that freedom is precious and we are greatly blessed to possess the freedoms offered in this country.

But there is a better freedom for Christians. This freedom came to us on a greater Independence Day.

When we were born again we gained a greater freedom than we have as Americans. Our great Independence Day is the day we believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. For that is the day that the Son set us free.

What is this freedom? In John 8:31-34, Jesus told His believers that they will know the truth and the truth will set them free. Those listening asked Jesus what was meant by His saying that they will become free. Jesus explained that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. Thus Jesus is speaking of freedom from sin.

Jesus says that “the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever” (v. 35). The image here is of a Roman household of Jesus’ time. Within the house there would often be slaves and the owner’s own children. The slave had no rights within the household and could be sent away; but the son had full rights in the house and always remained.

From this image we see that we are the slaves and Jesus is the Son. We are without freedom and without rights in the Father’s house because of our sin. But Jesus has full rights and full authority as the Son who always remains in the Father’s house. As the Son of God, He has the power to free us from our slavery to sin and unto adoption into the family of God.

On the cross the Son died to set us free from sin. His substitutionary atonement freed us from the punishment for our sin: He stood condemned in our place, bearing the wrath of God which our sin deserved. He also freed us from the power of sin: He has won God’s complete forgiveness for sinners and the grace to break sin’s domination in one’s life.

So when we believe in the truth about Jesus, we appropriate His cross-work by faith and God grants us the freedom from sin we so desperately need. We are freed positionally with a new standing as justified children of God. We are freed practically in that sin’s power has been broken and we can live for Christ.

If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed. When you are saved you can be certain that Jesus has freed you from the condemnation and power of sin in your life. The day this freedom comes is every Christian’s great Independence Day – for this freedom is forever.

From Chris Tomlin’s version of “Amazing Grace”:

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns, Unending love, amazing grace.