Out of the Darkness

“He brought me out into a broad place; 

He rescued me, because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19 ESV).

I read this verse last night and saw it in a new light. Usually when I’ve read it I’ve thought to myself, “I hope that will be true one day.” The cares and pressures of today often leave me looking for a way out of what feels like a narrow valley. But as I looked at it from a bird’s eye view I thought about it a little differently.

Looking back over my life, and particularly the last few years, I can see many examples of ways that God has rescued me and brought me out into open spaces. He’s lightened heavy burdens; He’s brought freedom from some areas of sin and fear; He’s opened doors for honesty that I never imagined. He’s torn down many of the walls I had built to protect myself—walls that restricted me more than I realized. Today I am in a much broader place than I have been before.

In a very real way, God has rescued me from myself. But from an even higher perspective, He has also rescued me from the enemy—from sin and death. As Paul said, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). We have been rescued and made citizens of a new country full of light and open places. I was reminded of the scene from Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian journeys through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in pitch darkness:

“Now, morning being come, he looked back, not out of desire to return, but to see, by the light of day, what dangers he had gone through in the dark. So he saw more perfectly the ditch that was on the one hand, and the quag that was on the other; also how narrow the way which led betwixt them both. Also now he saw the hobgoblins, and satyrs, and dragons of the pit, but all afar off; for after break of day they came not night; yet they were shown to him according to that which is written, ‘He showeth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death” (Part 1 Chapter IV).

The valley is dark and full of dangers, but the road ahead is wide open and brightly lit.

But perhaps the best part of Psalm 18:19 is the ending, “because He delighted in me.” God rescues and delivers us not out of pity or obligation, but out of delight. That is almost incomprehensible to us if we’re honest. There’s not much within us to make us “delightful,” but God sees something we can’t. Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2), and that joy was in the salvation of the children of God.

So I’m reading Psalm 18 differently these days and seeing how God is continually at work rescuing us and bringing us out into open, safe places. Although God doesn’t always deliver us the way we want or expect, there are probably many “little” rescues that we aren’t even aware of. Other rescues happen so gradually that we don’t see them unless we are specifically looking. And then there is the eternal rescue that has been transacted and will be fully realized in eternity. That one makes it worth it all.

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Gifted to Serve

Lately I’ve been thinking about spiritual gifts. Back in the 90s there was a big push for spiritual gift tests, which has largely died down now. Coming of age in that era, I remember taking several different tests, not because I was all that concerned about my gifts but mostly because I enjoyed tests that had no wrong answers. Each test seemed to have a slightly different list of the gifts. Some of them included teaching on how the gifts apply to the church today and how the test results might be used.

Although I agreed with the idea of gift assessments at the time, I now approach them with far more skepticism. For one thing, in the primary passages used to justify these tests, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul makes no claim to be providing a comprehensive listing. The Greek word used here is χαρίσματα, literally meaning a gift of grace. The root χαρίσμα is used elsewhere such as Romans 5:15-16 to refer to gifts in a very different sense, so I’m not convinced that Paul was intentionally setting apart these “spiritual gifts” as unique abilities divvied out to every believer. I believe that every Christian does have spiritual gifts, of which these lists are just a sampling. Therefore, spiritual gift assessments have a very limited application and can actually lead to faulty thinking.

One peril is that of thinking of the gifts as prescriptive rather than descriptive. In taking those tests I always got the feeling that the results meant I needed to change my major and pursue a different career. I did in fact end up in a far different career than I’d planned on, but that was because God kept giving me new experiences and changing interests, not because some test said I was suited for something different. If I were using a spiritual gift test today, I would be sure to interpret it as “If these are activities you enjoy, here are some ways they might contribute to the Body of Christ.”

Another pitfall that I’ve witnessed on more than one occasion is pride. People I loved basically said, “I have the gifts of discernment and wisdom, so you have to agree with my views on everything.” Only later did I find out that their views were highly colored by the benefits they received. I think pride often plays a role in the groups that insist that Christians must be able to speak in tongues.

Then there is the danger of segregation of gifts. One might come to the conclusion, “Service is not my gift so I don’t need to help with that project,” or “I don’t have the gift of generosity so I don’t need to give more than the bare minimum.” As a result, people and things get neglected. As Alistair Begg pointed out on today’s broadcast, if you think you can claim “I don’t have the gift of hospitality,” read 1 Peter 4:9.

Some of the gift tests include the gift of celibacy, based on 1 Corinthians 7:7. A recent Gospel Coalition podcast by Sam Allberry, 5 Misconceptions about Singleness, points out the problem with this view. If someone is single but longing for marriage, they conclude they don’t have the gift of singleness, which only compounds their discontentment. In addition, a correct reading of that Scripture would imply that marriage is also a gift. So if a married person decides they don’t have the “gift of marriage,” what are they supposed to do? How far should we take the language of “gifts”?

I’ve written before about the idea of a person’s calling, and I think gifting falls in the same category. Gifts and calling are best revealed by responding to our current circumstances in whatever way God may lead. If you see a need and have the ability to respond, just do it. Henry Blackaby wrote in Experiencing God,

“I believe many people today are seeking God’s call to ministry or an assignment backwards. We teach people to discover their spiritual gifts and then look for an assignment in which they can use their gifts. That can be a frustrating experience... When God gives an assignment, a person obeys and God accomplishes what He intended through the person” (46).

The way forward is usually discovered one step at a time, not by following a road map (or Siri) that has each turn laid out. No two people have identical gifts and calling, and every person is needed to serve the Body of Christ. Ironically the June issue of Christianity Today has an article on the subject of spiritual gifts. Andrew Wilson wrote,

“Spiritual gifts, like manna, point forward to the day when they will no longer be needed. So believers, in the meantime, should receive and rejoice in God’s gifts, but without fixating on them as the primary tests of spirituality. Love, not the gifts, is the mark of the Spirit’s work that will last forever.”

“And I will show you a still more excellent way... So now faith, hope,and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 ESV).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

A Seasoned Word

In the midst of a tiring and frustrating week, month, and year, I was reminded of the power of the Word in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God… Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 3:16, 4:6 ESV). I started thinking about what I would like to hear from someone right now, so I reviewed some of my favorite verses and heard them as an encouraging word from a friend. I thought perhaps some other folks might be encouraged by these reminders as well.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do” (Hebrews 6:10).

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).

“[It] is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

“[I pray] that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16).

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

We would all do well to let our words to one another be shaped by the Word of God.

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. 

(Re)Born Free

As I was starting to write this post, I found that Alistair Begg, John Piper, and Tim Keller have been thinking along the same lines. So I’ve included several of their quotes here.

Recently I heard a passing comment (I think it was from Alistair) about the incident in Genesis 25 of Esau “despising his birthright” in order to get a bowl of stew. It’s easy to read that story and think, “Well, that was dumb! I’d never do something like that!” I had the sudden realization that in fact we do that every time we sin.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4 ESV), and “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:14, 16). If we have been born again we have a new life in Christ, so any choice that is not in line with that new life is sin and is “despising our birthright.” All sin is first and foremost against our Father, God. Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9b). David wrote, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight…” (Psalm 51:4a).

In his recent sermon on self-control, Alistair Begg said,

• “The fact is that when we sin like that, whatever was the object of our mistaken pleasure, we loved that more than we loved God… What we’re declaring is that God is not enough for us.”
• “True freedom is not a license to do as you please, but the liberty to do what you ought…”
• “Religion says ‘become by self-effort what you’re not.’ Christianity… says, ‘Become by grace what you are… because you have been set free… in order that you might live for Him.”

Tim Keller wrote, 

• “And when we began to worship and serve created things, paradoxically, the created things came to rule over us… We will either worship the uncreated God, or we will worship some created thing (an idol). There is no possibility of our worshiping nothing.”

Since that is the case, the best weapon we have against sin is to pursue greater intimacy with God. The more we know and love Him, the less likely we are to desire any lesser pleasure. Moses chose “to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).

John Piper puts it this way,

• “Walking by faith means defeating sin’s pleasures with the promise of a superior pleasure in God.” http://www.desiringgod.org/labs/the-fleeting-pleasures-of-sin
• “The more satisfied you are in Jesus, the more free you are. The more you see Him, the more free you are. The more you savor Him, the more free you are. The more you trust Him, the more free you are.” http://www.desiringgod.org/one-day-you-will-not-struggle-to-obey

My desire is to be so satisfied in Christ that sin has absolutely no appeal. And one day that dream will become a reality when Christ returns and sin is finally defeated for eternity.

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:9-11).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Gently Led

I’ve been enjoying Alistair Begg’s recent series on the Fruit of the Spirit on Truth for Life, and appreciated his reminder that we cannot manufacture real fruit on our own. It is not the fruit of self-effort, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in us and with us and through us. The sermon on gentleness in particular caught my attention as he talked about the gentleness of God and its manifestation in the life of Christ. As I searched later, I came up with a few relevant verses:

• “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
• “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench” (Matt. 12:20a and Isaiah 42:3).
• “He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 20:11).

One of the opportune times to exercise gentleness is in response to sin: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1a). As I was thinking about that, it occurred to me that sometimes it’s easier to respond to others with gentleness than it is to be gentle with ourselves when we fail. Charles Simeon wrote,

“I have continually had such a sense of my sinfulness as would sink me into utter despair, if I had not an assured view of the sufficiency and willingness of Christ to save me to the uttermost. And at the same time I had such a sense of my acceptance through Christ as would overset my little bark, if I had no ballast at the bottom sufficient to sink a vessel of no ordinary size” (as quoted by John Piper in The Roots of Endurance, 107).

I can’t speak for him, but I find it far easier to remember my sinfulness than God’s forgiveness. I’ve come to think of shame as a “guilt ghost.” It is a spectre that lingers long after the offense is forgiven. It has no real power, but it deludes me into thinking more about my sin than my Savior. So I often need a reminder of the gentleness that God shows to His children. His desire is to draw us close, carry us, provide sustenance and rest, teach us, and lead us. Yet we keep wriggling away and trying to prove our worth rather than trusting Him.

I like the way David Phelps phrased it in his song “Gentle Savior”

Why can’t I walk away from my regrets,

And why is forgiveness so hard to accept?

My past surrounds me like a house I can’t afford,

But You say, “Come with Me, don’t live there anymore”

May God gently draw our eyes back to Him each day so that we may be assured of His love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Jesus indeed is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep and who continues to care for each one.

“Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

God Is Enough

I just finished reading Ann Swindell’s new book Still Waiting, in which she draws encouragement from the story of the bleeding woman in Mark chapter 5. The woman suffered for twelve years through no fault of her own, but was healed when she took the risk to touch Jesus’ robe in the midst of a crowd. As I read Ann’s book, I was starting to think to myself, “That’s all fine when you’re facing a trial, but what if you’re dealing with a temptation instead?” (Though if you read it, you’ll know that Ann’s own story deals with both trial and temptation.)

Interestingly, there is a parallel Scripture that is not evident in many English translations. In Mark 5:34 Jesus tells the woman, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace…” In Luke 7:50 Jesus tells a sinful woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The Greek word translated “made well” or “healed” is the same word used for “saved.” So whether our need is for physical or emotional healing or deliverance from sin, the answer to our needs is faith in God.

Ann writes:

“Jesus offers us resolution for our struggle. It may not be immediate and complete resolution in this moment, but it is full and complete resolution for our sin and separation from God… Soon the Great Physician will come, and he will reset every broken bone. He will heal every pain and restore every brokenness. He will renew our strength and wipe away every tear. He will fulfill all of our longings through his wonderful grace. He will make us whole” (198-200).

James chapter 1 mentions two things that require steadfastness—trials and temptations. If we remain steadfast in trials and temptations our faith is strengthened, otherwise we may fall away. And whether something is a trial or a temptation, our ability to persevere is highly dependent on remembering who God is and learning to rely on Him. James reminds us that trials and temptations are closely related because they come from the fallen state of this world, and only God can provide all that we need in the midst of this brokenness.

I ran across this quote from Hannah Whitall Smith as published in God Is Enough:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 

“The greatest lesson a soul has to learn is that God, and God alone, is enough for all its needs. This is the lesson that all God’s dealings with us are meant to teach, and this is the crowning discovery of our entire Christian life. God is enough. 

No soul can really be at rest until it has given up dependence on everything else and has been forced to depend on the Lord alone. As long as our expectation is from other things, nothing but disappointment awaits us.”

Whatever trial or temptation may be at hand today, God is enough. He gives only good gifts, even though they may not be exactly what we desire at the moment. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17 ESV). We can come to Him in faith that He knows everything and will do what is best.

“Any my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:10).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

At the Foot of the Cross

Today I joined with the group of churches that carry a cross from Mint Hill Baptist to the town center, stopping for Scripture readings along the way. As there were hundreds of people participating, there were many conversations taking place all around us as we walked along. The friend I was with asked, “Do you suppose this is what it was like?”

As I was thinking about it later, I imagine that both Palm Sunday and Good Friday were filled with people who didn't really know what was going on. There were bystanders watching as Jesus passed who had no idea who He was and just went about their business for the day. There were other people who were curious enough to follow the crowd in hopes of seeing or hearing something interesting. There were many who had false ideas about who Jesus was—some wanting to kill Him, others wanting something from Him. And there were a small number who would come to faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

I was reminded of a camp I worked at while on summer ministries. One night the youth enacted the crucifixion (though greatly sanitized). The mother of the teen who played Jesus was there, and she said later it was all she could do to keep from running up to get her son off the cross. The cross takes on new meaning when you know the person hanging there.

For those who drove past us today and for those who walked with us, I’m sure there were a wide range of thoughts and beliefs, from annoyance to skepticism to curiosity to faith to overwhelming gratitude for the One who took our place.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8

© 2017 Dawn Rutan.