Investing Our Faith

In the same way, faith by itself — that does nothing — is dead.

-- James 2:17

Some people of a certain age might recall it as a near-sacred ritual. It was the Pledge of Allegiance, which they recited every morning with their classmates at school. For decades, students across the nation began their day by saying the pledge and placing their right hand over their heart –- all in front of the American flag. It was a daily declaration of devotion to the Stars and Stripes and the nation for which it stands.

Being a Christ-follower also calls for allegiance, but to One much greater than

any flag or country. In fact, Jesus calls not just for allegiance, but for total devotion from his disciples and would-be followers. Halfheartedness and non-committal don’t make the cut. As Believers, our lives must show tangible action that reflects our faith in him. This, of course, doesn’t mean we’re to work our way into God’s favor by living a so-called “good life,” following a set of rules, going to church on Sundays — and then putting some money into the collection bucket. That’s because not one of us is good enough to meet our Creator’s high standards of perfection. Jesus — who actually lived a perfect, sin-free life — was the only one worthy enough to die on the cross to pay the penalty we all deserve.

It’s through this immense sacrifice that Christ saved his followers to serve as his hands and feet on Earth. To help illustrate its significance, Jesus told a story about a master who gave each of his three servants a considerable amount of money (“talents”) to invest while he was away on an extended trip. After a while, the master returned to claim what was his.

He was very pleased with the first two servants, who had wisely invested what was entrusted to them. Their efforts and willingness to risk their talents resulted in doubling the master’s money. But it wasn’t so with the third servant. He was afraid of his master’s stern reputation and refused to risk a loss. Instead, his strategy was to play it safe by burying the money in the ground. The master was displeased, to say the least! Instead of commending the servant’s regard for safeguarding his funds, he was furious because the servant had wasted the opportunity to invest and multiply it.

And that’s where Christ-followers enter the story. God has also given us various resources, skills, opportunities and circumstances to invest in the spiritual and material lives of others. These people might be our spouses, siblings or children. They might also be a co-worker, a neighbor, villagers in Africa or maybe someone God puts in our path at a most-unexpected moment.

Are you demonstrating your faith by investing the many talents God has given you … or are you playing it safe by burying them? Unlike the stock market or commodities exchange, this is one investment that’s guaranteed to yield high dividends every time.

The Big Question

It tells of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born as a person in the flesh
through the family of King David.

-- Romans 1:3

It’s the BIG question — the one that’s been asked by billions of people for thousands of years:

Does God really exist?

Let’s settle this mystery once and for all. The answer is a resounding YES.

But that’s an easy claim to make. After all, how do we know that God isn’t just a creation of our imagination? The answer is all around us. First, consider the wonders and beauty of nature, the

colors of the sunset and the overwhelming ingenuity of the human body — or of any plant or animal for that matter. What are the odds that such things could simply spring to life and evolve from a random assortment of atoms and chemicals? They’re probably less than a fully functioning jet airliner assembling itself from the debris kicked up from a tornado ripping through a junkyard … and then repeating this miracle millions of times to account for every functioning organism on Earth!

One conclusion is obvious: Where there’s creation, there must be a Creator. And according to the apostle Paul, this Creator has long made his existence apparent.

“There are things about him that people cannot see — his eternal power and all the things that make him God,” we read in the first chapter of Romans. “But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do.”

So if there’s a God, what’s he like? As Christ-followers, we have a very surprising and comforting answer. And it comes from someone with firsthand knowledge. Jesus, God’s own son, tells us that the Creator of the universe is like a caring father. And better still, he’s a father who wants a relationship with you as his own child.

What an incredible concept! Instead of being some distant, non-caring entity, our God is one who wants a personal relationship with his creation: you and me. And for those who claim this truth in their lives, the world becomes a far better place — one full of hope, promise and wonder.

There’s no question about it!

Building Blocks

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

– Matthew 16:18

Church means different things to different people.

Maybe it’s one of those modest clapboard places of worship that dot rural America. On the other hand it might be a massive medieval basilica in picturesque Europe. And still others might think about the small home churches found in China and Cuba.

We may envision church as a cathedral, a coffee house or something in between, but the Bible defines it quite differently. Rather than being a structure filled with pews and crowned with

a soaring steeple, the church is a collection of people: all those who count Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. No matter who you are and where you live — if you’re a Christ-follower — you’re part of his church called the Body of Christ.

What a remarkable concept! We speak different languages, represent different races and reflect different cultures. But we’re all united by Jesus’ death on the cross as payment in full for all the wrongs we’ve done (and continue to do) in our lives. As different as we are, we’re a single family that has accepted Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness and anticipation of eternal life.

As with all families — even the best and most stable — differences, disagreements and disappointments are bound to arise among the siblings. And the fact is that the church isn’t perfect. But why should it be? After all, its members are imperfect people who do very imperfect things.

This leads us to another key Biblical truth about the church: It’s not about us. Instead, it’s all about Jesus. Everything we do as Christ-followers should be done to glorify God through Christ, who the Bible tells us is the head of the church. So whether it’s a local gathering of believers or the collective millions of Christ-followers on Earth, this Body of Christ answers to an audience of One.

Jesus paid for his church with something much more valuable than money or gold. He bought our spiritual freedom and eternal future at the price of his own precious blood. That means we’re ultimately one body joined through a common faith. So with all this in mind, let’s strive as Christ-followers to make his church a body that’s healthy, productive and worthy of his sacrifice.

Worth a Shot

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

-- 1 Corinthians 1:27

There’s recently been a lot in the news about measles, a highly-contagious — and sometimes fatal —disease that can be prevented by vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that so far this year, there have been more than 900 confirmed individual cases in the U.S. across 26 states. 

Roll back the clock about 200 years, and one of the most feared threats to public health was smallpox — another powerful and sometimes fatal disease blamed by some historians as causing the downfall of the Aztec and Incan empires. But that changed in 1796 with Dr. Edward Jenner’s highly improbable experiment that eventually led to the scourge’s demise.

The breakthrough came after Dr. Jenner observed that milkmaids who caught cowpox (a similar but non-fatal disease) never caught deadly smallpox. The English physician then did the

unthinkable: he took matter from the hand of a milkmaid infected with cowpox and injected it into healthy 8-year-old James Phipps. Not surprisingly, the boy eventually contracted cowpox from this vaccination. But then came the second part of the experiment — one that logically should have killed the youngster. Forty-eight days after administering the first inoculation, Dr. Jenner injected James with smallpox, the same lethal disease that had wiped out millions over the previous centuries. But rather than suffering the predictable fate, the boy remained healthy. 

Dr. Jenner’s remarkable triumph over death, disease and disfigurement occurred despite the conventional wisdom of the time. His story also reminds us of other improbable victories — the remarkable ones God shows us by accomplishing his will though the most unlikely people, places and circumstances. For example, the Gospels reveal that Jesus’ first followers were anything but the cream of society. Some were lowly fishermen, one was a hated tax collector and another might today be described as a terrorist.

Jesus also chose Paul to spread God’s plan of salvation through both personal evangelism and the writing of much of the New Testament. And why was Paul an unlikely choice? Before Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus, Paul (then known as Saul) was a feared religious leader who specialized in hunting down and killing Christians!

Then there’s the most up-side-down choice of them all. Knowing that his people were doomed because of their sinfulness, God willingly chose to come to Earth in the form of a man (Jesus), live a perfect, sin-free life, and then die on a cross to pay the penalty we all deserve. Out of hate, fear and ignorance, the Creator was killed by his creation.

But the story ends with good news. Just days after his unjust crucifixion, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament’s ancient prophecies when God raised him from the dead — proof that he was indeed the Savior of mankind. And as improbable as it might seem, Jesus invites us today to accept this same power that raised him from the dead and use it to help establish God’s kingdom on Earth — one unlikely person at a time. 

Complaint Department

I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little.

-- Philippians 4:12

A common biblical theme is that God prefers the scenic route. In other words, he often takes people along indirect pathways to their destinations. For example, we read in the Old Testament that our Creator planned to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land (“the land flowing with milk and honey”) after he had freed them from slavery in Egypt. But instead of taking them on the shortest route, God made his people wander in the desert wilderness for 40 years.

This strategy led to several complaints, in one form or another. But God’s plan had purpose. That’s because he was more concerned with who the people were becoming than where they were going. It’s a principle that still holds true for his modern-day followers.

Unlike God, we can’t see what’s over the hill or around the bend on our faith-journeys. Our difficulties along the way might also seem unfair, so we’re bound to grumble. But what would it be

like if the roads of life were always wide and smooth? And what would happen if we never had to work for anything worthwhile? If we got straight A’s in school without ever having to study, would our report cards mean anything? Or what if we were given a high-paying job with an impressive title ... but had no responsibilities to go with it?

Getting everything on a silver platter might be nice for a while. But without experiencing challenges, responsibilities and even tragedies, we would quickly become lazy, self-centered and ultimately fail to reap some of life’s greatest rewards. Just ask anyone who worked their way through college or took a second or third job to pay the mortgage -— or send their child to a better school. They probably faced trying times. But their efforts paid off in the long run.

The apostle Paul knew a thing or two about rough roads along the journey:

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,” he wrote in 2 Corinthians. “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.”

If anyone had something to complain about, it was Paul. Yet he said that he was joyful.

Complaining about our circumstances, whether they’re real or perceived, is a common human tendency that’s been around long before Old Testament times. But that’s not God’s way for us. Instead, we should blend thanksgiving (for our blessings) and authentic, regular prayer with discernment — the ongoing intentional functions of living, thinking and acting positively. And when we do, even the most unpleasant of situations won’t bring us down. 

Gospel Truth

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Can we really believe what's in the Bible? And is all that stuff about Jesus rising from the dead really true?

Those are lofty questions with eternal consequences. But who really knows the truth? After all, some people say the Bible is too old to be relevant in modern times. Others doubt the possibility of all the miracles it reports. And still others say the Bible is no greater than the scriptures of other religions.

With so many legitimate concerns out there, what makes the Bible stand out above every book ever written?

First, the Bible says it’s God's word — and then backs up its claim with hundreds of prophesies about events that actually happened decades or centuries later. For example,

the Old Testament records in detail God's plan for saving mankind through a Messiah. The prophet Micah wrote that the Savior would be born — in of all places — an obscure backwater of the Roman empire called Bethlehem. And as we read in the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled these prophesies in person through his birth, ministry, death and resurrection. And he did so to the letter!

Historically and scientifically accurate, the Bible is also the most studied and critiqued book in history. Try as many have, no one has been able to disprove its claims. Luke, the physician who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, also wanted the real scoop. So he interviewed the people who knew Jesus best and could attest to his existence. Let’s consider the opening lines of Luke's first book:

"Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. ... I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard."

The apostle Peter — someone who knew Jesus personally — also reassures us through his own testimony:

"When we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just clever stories that someone invented," he wrote. "But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes."

It all adds up to a mountain of convincing evidence that would stand up in court. So as Christ-followers seeking to grow in our faith, what's our response to this awesome reality?

First, we should take time each day to read and memorize the Bible. After all, it's God’s message to us that covers just about every facet of life. And of course, we also need to obey it — even if it doesn't make sense at the time. What's more, we should delight in it because we know it's the source of truth for our life. And this all leads to our final response: trust.

Indeed, God's word to us through the Bible is trustworthy. And who better to confirm that than someone who very much believed it himself: Jesus. Luke's gospel tells us that Christ even launched his public ministry by reading passages from the Book of Isaiah. A tiny Jewish congregation was the first audience for these stunning words of new-found meaning. But Jesus also meant them for everyone — even those today — with ears to hear them:

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Through God’s Eyes

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, 

he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

-- Mark 9:35

Let's consider it our Book of Life -- God’s words for us to live by. It’s through the Bible's pages that we learn our Creator not only loves us, but he’ll do whatever it takes to have an everlasting relationship with us. Meanwhile, we also discover that God’s ways aren’t our ways. And his thoughts aren’t our own.

That’s actually quite an understatement. For example, the world

teaches us to beat the competition, climb the corporate ladder and keep up with the neighbors (and then pass them by). We must have the biggest, the best and the shiniest. And we also need to drive the right car and have the right job. After all, life is all about us.

There’s little room for humility with that attitude. But God invites Christ-followers to see things from his perspective: To be first, we must be last. Of course, this viewpoint turns things totally inside out. And that’s just the point.

How much better would this world be if we saw things through God’s eyes and put the interests of others before our own? Jesus answered this question by example. First, he willingly surrendered his advantages as God’s Son. He entered the world amidst humble circumstances — a birth among farm animals in a lowly stable. When he grew older, he made a working-man’s living as a carpenter. And he could have lived in splendor as the King of Kings. But instead, Christ chose a nomadic existence to teach God’s Good News of salvation to his people.

These were humble circumstances. But Jesus’ ultimate act of humility was to suffer the fate of a common criminal — one that he didn’t deserve because of his perfect, sinless life. His was a horrific death on a cross to pay for the countless ways we’ve failed to live up to God’s standards.

How can we acquire Christ's remarkable servant-leader attitude? Above all, we must embrace our blessings by recognizing the wonderful things God has done for us — and continues to do for us every day. Without him, we are nothing. But through him, all things are possible.

Imitating Jesus to make God’s ways and thoughts our own will never be society’s formula for success. But when we turn our backs to the world and follow The Way, we’ll see that it’s through humility — not ambition — that both we and the world change for the better.