(Image Credit: geoffryn.deviantart.com)
A young boy of royal blood. The true king. The throne is rightly his when he comes of age.
He does not live in the castle. He lives among the people. A common mother raises him.
The throne is his, and not yet his.
The kingdom is his, and not yet his.
He is king, and not yet king.
Polygamy also makes a mockery of marital love’s exclusivity: “I exclusively bind myself to you, and I exclusively bind myself to you, and I exclusively bind myself to you…”
It’s like saying to three women, “You’re my favorite, and your my favorite, and your my favorite.”
The philosophy used to support same-sex marriage often says that womanhood isn’t real: That it is just a social construct. That it is nothing specific; it’s anything we want it to be. That is has no morally significant purpose, design, or essence, or ontology. That some children should be “liberated” from the supposedly inherently awful state of being born as a woman.
Stacie and I are grieved every month over yet someone else from our youth or young-adult life abandoning the faith. Old small group members, youth group friends, school friends, roommates, leaders, close friends, best friends, fellow evangelists(!), and those of our own family or relatives. Not to mention professing Christian authors, singers, celebrities. “They are dropping like flies.” There isn’t any automatic guarantee that those who seem to start the race will finish it.
I think I will spend the rest of my life grieving over those that “went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 John 2:19), and rejoicing over brothers that endure, over the “proven genuineness of [their] faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire” (1 Peter 1:7). Survival is underrated and enduring to the end is miraculous gift from God. “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Brothers that start the race and endure, and actually finish, are so much more encouraging than I ever imagined. Like strong, old, familiar, trustworthy trees still there on a playground from your childhood. Still giving shade and support.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
“He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.” (Colossians 1:22-23)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (5:24-29)
“But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (5:47)
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (6:63)
“Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.” (8:43)
“I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.” (8:37)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’” (8:51-52)
“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (10:16)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (10:27)
“If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (12:47-49)
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (14:10)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (14:15)
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (14:21)
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” (14:23-24)
“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (15:3)
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (15:7)
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (15:10-11)
“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (15:20)
“For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (17:8)
“Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'” (18:37)
Both corporate and individual. Both collective and personal.
The gospel’s “so that no man may boast” (Ephesians 2:9) and “justified by faith apart from works” (Romans 3:28) precludes both forms of pride: nationalistic/ethnic/corporate pride and individualistic pride. Corporate boasting and personal boasting. Not by works: either works that speak to my personal righteousness, or works that signify my group identity.
The same grace that brought free and immediate forgiveness of sins for ungodly individuals brought together Jews and Gentiles in shared Christian community, no longer alienated by the wall of “wall of separation.” The same thing that accomplished our peace with God secured our peace with other believers.
What we’re willing to eat and drink with other people (not just tolerate the presence of, but participate in) has such deep significance. It says,
You are clean, and what you eat is clean.
You are with me, I am with you.
What you touch, I will touch.
What you eat, I will eat.
What you drink, I will drink.
Otherwise a theological and practical wall is raised between us and others. In this light, consider the significance of God showing a “sheet” to Peter with “all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.” God says to him:
“Rise, Peter; kill and eat!” (Acts 10:13)
Go preach the precious gospel of Jesus to Cornelius, and have table-fellowship with him, and eat what he eats!
There is precious reconciliation in Christ at the dinner table:
“For [Jesus] himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
And don’t let anyone give you trouble:
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17)
The inverse is also true: What other believers are sensitive not to eat, we are, in their presence, sensitive not to eat. Accommodate for the sake of love:
“It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” (Romans 14:21)
Gabriel to Zechariah: “You shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.” (1:13-15)
Elizabeth to Mary: “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (1:41-42)
And Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (1:46-47)
And Zechariah: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (1:68)
And the angelic host: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (2:14)
And Simeon: “He took [baby Jesus] up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation'” (2:29-30)
And Anna: “And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (2:38)
A special picture. Before my wedding I went to a conference.
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
October 10
I went with Nick Nye, one of my role models and heroes in the faith. John Piper on the left. Nick on the right.
I got married a week later. October 18.
God is able guard it, therefore guard it:
“I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me… By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:12,14)
Work it out, because God it at work in you:
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
Make it your own, because Christ has made you his own:
“I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12)
I Am Aaron Shafovaloff 