Broken Confessions on Prayer: Part 1 – WHY Should I Pray?

Prayer has never been easy. Actually, it gets quite complicated for me.

It’s one thing to understand that God knows everything. It’s another thing to be intentionally interactive with an infinitely superior, all-powerful, all-knowing, holy God, and communicate those same flawed thoughts, motives, and desires. On top of that, vulnerability is often overwhelming as it is, but vulnerability with Someone who sees everything inside and out is terrifying.

Then there’s the whole idea of God as my heavenly Father, which has been challenging because my experience with an earthly father has been imperfect and difficult at times. I struggle to trust people, especially men. I struggle to communicate with people I can’t see, and not just telephone conversations. I habitually pull into myself when life becomes unstable, which is often. The warfare within my soul is all-too-familiar, and I’m crushingly aware of the tangled mess of ongoing selfishness, ungratefulness, pride, and forgetfulness.

I’m very aware of my own frailty and brokenness, and eternally thankful for everything Jesus has done for me. I believe that God is who He has revealed Himself in the Bible to be, and not according to my own experience. I know He is sanctifying me day by day through the power of His Spirit. Often I know His peace and love in the midst of especially stressful situations, and my heart longs to respond in a deeply meaningful way. But where do I start?

It would be foolish to approach God ignorantly as I would a stranger on the sidewalk, but it doesn’t seem right to catch up with the Holy of holies as I would my best friend either. Should I fill out a prayer journal so my prayers don’t seem so haphazard? Is it okay to pray for temporal things, or simply trust His will and offer prayers of thanksgiving later? Will God still listen to my prayers when they come out wrong?

Many times I find myself slipping into the routine of prayer at meal-times, before homeschooling the kids, as a necessary heart-check before the Lord’s Table at church, and a last thought before going to sleep.

Quite simply, I don’t know how to pray as I ought. But there’s hope.

Recently, a pastor friend started preaching about this very topic. It has been so exciting to hear his wisdom over the past couple weeks and he’s been answering a million questions that I’ve had for years. Prayer is a huge topic as I’m finding out, but it is also deep and rich. Since the sermon series has taken several weeks (and provided much reflection on my part), I plan to cover the whole topic of prayer in several posts. I hope you enjoy meditating on it as much as I have.

There are three crucial questions that must be answered before we attempt to pray:

1.     What is prayer?

John Bunyan (1628-1688), author of Pilgrim’s Progress, defines true prayer this way:

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.

In a few words, prayer is an expression of our heart to God. Revelation 5:8 poetically describes the prayers of God’s people as incense offered in faith to God. In Philippians 1:4, the apostle Paul views prayer as one of our primary outlets for praise and adoration in acknowledging who God is and what He has done for us. Jesus emphasized the centrality of prayer in our worship to God throughout His earthly ministry, not only by rebuking hypocrisy but also teaching by example.

Prayer is the cry of God’s children to His listening ear through the priestly intercession of Jesus Christ and the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the privilege of all God’s people. We can draw near with confidence because God has caused us to be born again. He has placed us in a relationship with Him and provided everything necessary for our salvation. God has promised to work all things together for our good.

We don’t have to go through meaningless rituals to ease our conscience – Jesus has already paid the price for our redemption (Heb. 10:11-14). We don’t have to clean up our lives before we pray – God calls us to life-long repentance and faith (Luke 23:39-43). We don’t have to pray in lofty words for lengthy periods of time – God cares about our hearts (Luke 18:9-14). We don’t have to pray primly – God wants to hear our pain and suffering (Psalm 55:1-7).

Prayer is so much bigger than meal-time thanksgiving or crisis reaction. It is deeper than Christian duty and worship expectation. Prayer is the beautiful communion of a redeemed sinner with their Savior, of a beloved child with their heavenly Father, of an aching heart with the great Physician, of a beloved bride with her beloved Groom. It is the communication aspect of a relationship with the triune God.

2.     Why should I pray?

When the question was first asked, there was a lengthy silence. It is assumed that everyone prays, but why should we pray? After a few moments, a few answers popped up: “because God commands us to”, “because it glorifies God”, “because God wants to hear His children talk to Him” among other responses. But the answer goes so much deeper than these: We are designed to talk to God.

The answer goes back before wherever I am in life now. It goes back before Jesus historically came to redeem sinners to God. It goes back, back, back before the nation Israel ever existed, before the promises given to Abraham, before the great Flood of Noah. The answer is found in original creation where Adam and Eve were designed to walk and talk with their Creator face to face.

There was perfect joy in their interaction, perfect communion. But because of sin, that relationship was fractured for them, and for every person afterwards. Mankind has retained its image-bearing status and each one of us is still designed to walk and talk with our Creator. But an immediate consequence of sin is that we no longer have free access to God.

At times throughout Bible history, God spoke to men and women in various ways. In these last days, He speaks to us through Jesus Christ and the word of God (Heb. 1:1-2). He creates restoration between sinful people and Himself through salvation: being made alive through regeneration and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

But things aren’t fully restored. Not yet.

Adam and Eve had face-to-face conversation with their Creator. But we do not. Even though our souls are given access to our heavenly Father, we are still bound to a sinful body. We are in a transition period along with the rest of creation which groans in the midst of the “already/not yet”. We have real communion with God through faith, but it is not yet as it should be. The greater reality of seeing Christ as He is and talking face-to-face with God is something we anticipate in the new heavens and new earth when Jesus returns permanently and makes all things new.

1 John 3:2, Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

But this is where prayer comes in. Prayer is freedom of access in which we as God’s people are able to communicate with God in a special way we could not before salvation. We are given a glorious taste of true intimacy with God. He is listening and truly understands and powerfully loves us. Though we cannot audibly hear His voice, He stirs our hearts with His Spirit through His word. Through prayer and the word of God, He draws us close.

3.     Who do I pray to?

Many people from many religions all over the world pray. But are they actually communicating with whoever they are praying to? There are words, but are they heard? There are acts of devotion, but are they acknowledged? Is God the only One out there, or are there other deities?

Over and over throughout the Bible, there is great emphasis on God as the only God. Even when confronted with the multitude of religions practiced around the world, we are faced with the fact that the God of the Bible is unique and unlike anyone we’ve ever known. Every other religion is centered upon man’s ability to save himself, or superhuman efforts to control the mind in order to attain higher levels of spirituality, or reincarnate according to good or bad performance in this life. Every other religion is centered upon good works or conformity to an man-made standard.

Christianity stands apart like a flame in the midst of frauds, pointing out man’s complete depravity and utter need for Someone outside himself for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone by the word of God alone to the glory of God alone. Other religious people “pray”, but unless their prayers are directed to the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, their prayers are merely empty words.

But even in Christian circles, there is confusion. Do I pray to my “heavenly Father”, my “Father God”? Do I pray to Jesus, as many children are taught to do at their bedsides? Do I pray to the Holy Spirit who intercedes for me?

The answer is a resounding YES to all three!

God cannot be separated from Himself. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who planned every detail of history is the same God who entered history as the Son of Man and is the same God who is drawing sinners to Himself.

For God to hear our prayers at all, we must be saved. But through salvation, we are adopted by our heavenly Father (Gal. 4:6). Through adoption, we have a permanent big Brother, our Mediator, who eternally intercedes on our behalf (Eph. 5:20; Heb. 10:19-22). In this intercession, our feeble prayers are equipped by the powerful enabling of the Holy Spirit who adds the depth of emotion and wisdom we lack (Rom. 8:26-27).

According to the pattern of the Bible, we address our prayers to God the Father, through Jesus the Son, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:6; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:5).

My access and confidence is completely based on the triune God. Not on my daddy-daughter issues getting figured out. Not on overcoming my struggles to trust people or communicate verbally. Not even on analyzing every aspect of my heart before I come to a three-times-holy God.

I am free to come as a beloved child to my beloved heavenly Father. His expectations are rooted in the redemptive work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew everything about me before I was born even as He knows everything now. I can come to Him in prayer because not only is this what I am designed to do but also re-created in Christ to do! 

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) captures this confidence I have been given in his hymn, “Arise, My Soul, Arise”. Consider the words:

Arise, my soul, arise, shake off your guilty fears;

The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears:

Before the throne my Surety stands, before the throne my Surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede,

His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead;

His blood atoned for every race, His blood atoned for every race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me.

“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry, “Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

My God is reconciled; His pard’ning voice I hear;

He owns me for His child, I can no longer fear;

With confidence I now draw nigh, with confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.

I am not only designed to pray, but also given confidence to pray. I have nothing to fear. I am given access to the triune God and do not need to be afraid because my prayers are not based on me.

But how do I pray? What do I say in my prayers?

It would be easy to jump into the simple format of the Lord’s Prayer as though prayer is merely limited to confidence and content. But it’s not that simple. As the parable of the tax collector and the self-righteous Pharisee shows, the heart behind our prayers is of first importance to God before He will ever consider to the content (Luke 18:9-14). I should be sincere, but it is dangerous to assume that God will accept my sacrifice based on sincerity as Cain also discovered (Gen. 4:4-5). In the next post, I plan to expound on the whole topic of motivation to our prayers.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Bible Study –

Often called the Sinner’s Prayer, Luke 18:9-14 is the perfect place to start when it comes to approaching God through prayer. Our hearts must be cleansed; our spirit must be renewed. But no good works or acts of penance can remove our guilt and shame. It starts with acknowledging the soul’s utter need for a Savior and rebirth. Only then can we have any confidence that our prayers will be heard at all.

The song “Not In Me” poetically describes the cry of a truly repentant heart:

VERSE 1

No list of sins I have not done, no list of virtues I pursue,

No list of those I am not like, can earn myself a place with You.

O God! Be merciful to me— I am a sinner through and through!

My only hope of righteousness is not in me, but only You.

VERSE 2

No humble dress, no fervent prayer, no lifted hands, no tearful song,

No recitation of the truth can justify a single wrong.

My righteousness is Jesus' life, my debt was paid by Jesus' death,

My weary load was borne by Him and He alone can give me rest.

VERSE 3

No separation from the world, no work I do, no gift I give,

Can cleanse my conscience, cleanse my hands; I cannot cause my soul to live.

But Jesus died and rose again— the pow'r of death is overthrown!

My God is merciful to me and merciful in Christ alone.

By Eric Schumacher & David L. Ward

© 2012 ThousandTongues.org, admin by Thousand Tongues

Books –

Borgman, Brian, Feelings and Faith: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life

Bounds, E.M., The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer

Fitzpatrick, Elyse, Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life

Murray, Andrew, The Secret of Intercession

Piper, John, When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy

Spurgeon, Charles, The Power in Prayer

Note: All Scripture references from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Photo Credits:

Woman and Dog – Jean Beafort (public domain)

7 Encouragements in the Midst of Moral Darkness Within the Church

In recent months and years, there have been waves of shameful disclosures of sin within churches, denominations, and Christian organizations. Pastors and church members are splashed across the news while the innocent cry for justice. With the advantage of social media and news articles, Christianity is once again in the public eye for all the wrong reasons. Angry voices rise in protest and mockery while schisms tear the church apart and heresies leave her bleeding in the dust.

Deep emotions churn on all sides, including within me. There’s real connection to those who claim the name of Jesus. I feel physically sick when years of suppressed truth in churches and pastors finally hit the fans. In times like this, it feels as though God accidentally fumbled the ball and Satan scored. It causes me to look at my own church leaders and wonder if we’ll be next. Old feelings of restlessness and insecurity rise once again when the place that’s supposed to be safest of all is compromised.

It’s moments like this that I’m ashamed to be a Christian. I’m ashamed to be associated with the churches splattered across the news as unsaved people evaluate the situation and then snub their noses at all Christians everywhere. I’m ashamed of my own admiration and respect toward certain pastors who impacted my spiritual growth for good but have lately slid into heresy, pilfering, and abuse. As Jesus has drawn me closer to Him in my daily walk, I have grown to love the gospel and value the truth. When I see years of cover-up and denial within the bride of Christ – even intentional promotion of the accused in order to “save face” and blatant avoidance of investigation – my heart breaks.

The truth not only pains the guilty, but also the ones involved, including those looking on who fervently pray that the gospel would prevail. And this is one of those times.

As someone who has wrestled with loving and trusting individuals in the church, it has been a long journey for me. Only in recent years do I finally see what God intended the church to be in spite of its ongoing struggles. It is beautiful in all its glory, but it is the glory of a bruised and battered woman redeemed and being redeemed from her sin by a beautiful Savior. From generation to generation, the church is growing as God adds saints from every nation. But within her walls, situations continue that demand purity, wisdom, reconciliation, forgiveness, and discipline because it is a body of people who are not yet glorified.

When stories of abuse and sin within the church pop up, it often triggers old, familiar feelings. Betrayal by those I trusted. Anger against evil. Jealousy for the purity of the gospel. Grief for the innocent. Relief in sin’s exposure. Pain with triggers. Fear of the unexpected.

It is difficult to see the shaming of the church yet again. But warring according to gut reactions enables the enemy even more. Conversely, doing nothing at all means sliding into the trap of hard-heartedness and discouragement.

As a Christian – especially as a Christian – there must be a response. To pretend it’s not my problem and ignore it simply because I’m not directly involved in these crises is to forget the bigger picture of the family of God. But to act without hearing the entire matter or thoroughly investigating the evidence makes me just as guilty as rest of the mud-slingers in the world.

As imitators of God, we have no excuse to stand by and ignore the issues. God Himself is very active in justice and truth, and we should be too. But when the sidelines are precisely where I happen to be standing, what should be my response? How do I responsibly bear the burdens of my spiritual family without sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong?

What I want to do is give seven ways in which we can be encouraged in the midst of darkness in the church, and how these truths should focus the clamor of emotions in a way that honors God.

1.      God hears His children when they pray.

Psalm 6:9, The Lord has heard my supplication, the Lord receives my prayer.

Proverbs 15:29, The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Romans 8:26-27, In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Ephesians 6:18, With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The fact that God is with us is one of the greatest comforts we have. Through salvation, we have access to our Creator in a hugely meaningful way as His precious adopted children. With that access is a meaningful relationship with our Redeemer. We are not to pray hypocritically as though God answers our prayers by sheer flattery, nor are we to pray repetitiously as though God were a magic genie to grant our wishes. True prayer is the cry of a humble and contrite heart. It assumes complete dependence on God in everything and expects Him to answer according to His will. God delights in hearing our praises and requests. In fact, He commands us to pray “at all times” (Eph. 6:18) no matter how frail and messy and broken our prayers are, and the Holy Spirit redeems those prayers with the urgency we lack. In return, He calms our anxiety and grants us peace.

2.      The truth cannot be suppressed.

Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.”

John 8:31b-32, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will  know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

1 Timothy 5:25, Likewise, also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

Hebrews 4:12-13, For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

The truth cannot be suppressed indefinitely, and this should give us hope. With the exposure of sin comes an awareness of guilt and the need for forgiveness. The exposure of sin also brings consequences that are intended to lead the individual to see their need for a Savior, which leads to Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. God is powerful over all, even over years of deception and pride within His church. He does not allow sin to ultimately prevail and wickedness to triumph. Like an inflated beach ball held under water, it’s only a matter of time before perpetrators within the church come face to face with exposure of their sin. This is a relief for the helpless, but should produce holy fear in those who would try to suppress the truth anyway.

3.      Nothing surprises God.

Psalm 103:19, The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.

Isaiah 25:1, O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

Isaiah 45:6b-7, I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.

Romans 9:22-23, What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.

The whole question of “If God is good…?” arises when evil happens to innocent people, and it is difficult to justify God’s character when chaos seems to reign instead. But God is not standing off to the side, frantically arranging coincidences as chaos happens. He is not helplessly experiencing history as it happens, like we are. God is not only good and loving and compassionate, but also sovereign over all, including evil. We are too quick to look at the here-and-now, blaming God for the pain of abuse and split churches. In reality we are part of a bigger picture in which God is the sovereign cause behind all events for His glory. Our minds are too limited to see every angle and understand every reason, and it’s truly difficult to watch things happen to the innocent. But God is infinitely wise in everything He does, including His arrangements of dark valleys and miry pits. Faith puts its fear in the hands of the One who is truly sovereign over all, and looks at God’s unchanging character and past faithfulness as guarantors for the future.

4.      God will never allow His children to perish.

Psalm 51:14, 17, Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

1 John 1:6-7, If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The psalmist David was a worthy role model of faith as a young man, but when he yielded to sexual temptation in the prime of his career, one thing led to another and before you knew it, his entire reputation was tainted by adultery, murder, and deception. If you feel uncomfortable with the fact that David remained “a man after God’s own heart” even until death, you don’t understand the power of true repentance and true forgiveness. God never excused David’s sin. In fact, there were consequences long after he died. But when confronted with the word of God, there was no ruse of cover-up. David was heartbroken over his sin and saw the far-reaching consequences as sobering reminders that God was disciplining him for his good while saving his soul. This should encourage us as we think about truly regenerate brothers and sisters in the church. God loves His children too much to let them get away with sin. God knows every intricate detail of the situation and will sovereignly discipline His children for their good while saving their soul. Even if that discipline includes far-reaching consequences in this life, it is nothing compared to the blessing of eternal life in the next.

5.      God often uses pain and suffering to draw us closer to Him.

Psalm 33:18, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Philippians 1:6, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 12:9, And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Hebrews 4:16, Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Pain and suffering were never part of God’s original creation, but when sin entered the world, catastrophic pain and suffering followed. Often we lose sight of this broken reality in our driving obsession for escape. Too easily we assume we are masters of our fate. Helplessness eventually causes us to look to someone stronger. Seeming coincidences point to the fact that someone greater is in control of circumstances outside of human choice. There’s nothing like suffering to drive us to our knees, and this is exactly where we need to be. It is here in our brokenness that God comes and provides His strength to trust His timing. Slowly but surely, He is working all things together for the good of His children – whether it feels like it or not – and nothing can stand against Him.

6.      God does not let the guilty go unpunished.

Deuteronomy 10:17-18, For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.

Psalm 89:14, Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You.

Proverbs 19:9, A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who tells lies will perish.

Romans 12:19, Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Hebrews 2:2-3a, For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

Hebrews 10:31, It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This is not only one of the most reassuring truths when it comes to injustice in the world, but also one of the most sobering. Even though the guilty seem to go unpunished for a time, the nature of sin is that all sin is ultimately against God. Because of His goodness and holiness, He cannot turn a blind eye to sin. Unlike many human courts or institutions, God does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He doesn’t ignore those who twist His word to their benefit. All people are sinners no matter their crimes, and all are equally deserving of Hell – and that includes you and I. But God is also compassionate, and we can see His grace through the coming of Jesus Christ who took the consequences of our sin upon Himself. He is loving and extends forgiveness to any sinner who turns away from their sin and believes in Jesus as the only way to be saved. His heart is not only toward orphans and widows, but also murderers, abusers, and thieves. The question, “Why does God allow evil?” should be replaced with deep gratitude that He extends His mercy toward sinful mankind at all. He is impartial and grants even the worst of sinners time to repent before it’s too late.

7.      God has forgiven us.

Mark 11:25-26, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive you transgressions.”

Galatians 6:1-4, Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when is he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.

Ephesians 4:30-32, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 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, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

James 5:19-20, My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

This is one of the hardest things to do when innocent people are painfully hurt, especially if that person is me. In humiliating situations, we’re quick to look for excuses as to why we shouldn’t have to forgive, because let’s face it: forgiveness seems to cheapen the wrong done. But the biblical concept of forgiveness challenges us to look in the mirror. I’m not saying we should ignore sin; the Bible gives plenty of resources for how to confront sin rightly. But as Christians, God has forgiven us an eternal debt of sin and brings us close to Him through Jesus Christ. The weight of our sins against God is infinitely greater than the sins of our fellow man against us. In light of the cost of God’s forgiveness toward us, we have no excuse to withhold forgiveness from others.

NO SIDELINES IN A WAR ZONE

These things aren’t easy to say. I live every day with triggers and reminders that require constant heart-checks and prayer. Sin against the innocent is heinous in God’s sight – but so also is a bitter response from His children who have been forgiven much. The way we respond to fellow sinners within the family of God is a sobering indication of whether God has truly changed our heart or not.

It’s vitally important that we as Christians don’t lose sight of the fact that the media is not an accurate portrayal of reality. When pastors and churches are dragged through the wringer and names are flung in the mud, there is a very real spiritual battle at stake. The forces of darkness are warring for the souls of mankind and their main aim is Christian men and women, including those unintentionally on the sidelines like me. It is absolutely vital that we check to make sure our armor is in place before we fire a single weapon. We must hone our instincts to jump in defense of the truth rather than jumping to conclusions.

The more I think about it, there are no sidelines in a war. Pulling back in shame would play right into the enemy’s hands. What we see in the news is sobering and requires action for many. But the truths of God’s word will continue to stand firm through wars, political turmoil, and human depravity of the ages. The power of the gospel is greater than the worst sinner. We can raise our heads in confidence because Jesus is Lord of all. He is in the process of making all things new (Rev. 21:5). These painful circumstances in the life of the church are another reminder that the family of God is in a war together.

The timeless words of Samuel Stone’s hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation”, rings true even today:

            Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed,

            By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,

            Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, “How long?”

            And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.

            ‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,

            She waits the consummation of peace forevermore;

            Till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blessed,

            And the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.

(click HERE to hear the modern version of the full hymn, or HERE to hear the classic version)

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Bible Study –

Read Hebrews 11 and 12:1-3 and notice the pattern of heartache and sin, but also notice God’s faithfulness to redeem and preserve His people. We are not alone in our pain and suffering as God’s people. Even God Himself experienced the agonies of this life for our redemption. Notice how Hebrews 11 beautifully refocuses our attention on our battle leader in Hebrews 12:1-3: Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Books –

Beeke, Joel, Striving Against Satan: Knowing the Enemy – His Weakness, His Strategy, His Defeat

Borgman, Brian and Rob Ventura, Spiritual Warfare: A Biblical and Balanced Perspective

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martin, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure

Spurgeon, Charles, Spurgeon on Prayer and Spiritual Warfare (6 of Spurgeon’s Classic Books on Prayer)

Tripp, Paul David, New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

Tripp, Paul David, A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble

See also my previous post “Lambs and Wolves: Sexual Abuse in the Church” (12-12-18) for further resources.

Note: All Scripture references from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Public domain photo credits:

Wolf and the Moon – Mohamed Mahmoud Hassan

Man and Cityscape – CC0 Community

Green Plastic Toy Soldiers – Icon0