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Exams and studies are a huge thing for Chinese people. They are seen a critical way for a young person to get forward in the world and set themselves up for a well paying and highly regarded job for themselves and their family. But not only that, for centuries the means of real advancement in China was through studying for, and taking the public service examinations (which were about the Confucian classics). And so the importance of study is deeply ingrained in our culture.

Dear heavenly father,

 

you have created all things for your glory. You have created us to see your goodness and your majesty, and to respond with praise and adoration.

 

We pray now for our brothers and sisters who are drawing close to the HSC. Please deliver them, we pray, from loving, and pursuing and fearing anything short of your glory.

 

Please heavenly father we pray that your Holy Spirit would supernaturally transform their hearts. Free them from the idols of their hearts. And grow them in their love for you above all other things. Make these people known - to their family, their teachers, their Facebook friends - to be a people whose hearts have been captivated by you.

 

And dear heavenly father, by the way they pass their exams, by the way they talk about their studies, by the way they fail and deal with disapointment we pray that you might be glorified. That the treasure of their hearts would be evident.

 

We also pray for them as they make choices for the future. As they set their sights onto the future, dear heavenly father, we pray that they are not driven by a desire for financial wealth. not by a desire for greatness in the eyes of the world, or selfishness. But dear heavenly father please fill their hearts with jealousy for your glory and a love for your people as they use their capacity for learning and loving.

 

And particularly as they move on from this stage of life to the next. A transition that we know is so dangerous to the faith of your people – we have seen so many people wander away from a love for you. And so as they face the new temptations of tertiary study, use these things we pray to strengthen, and not weaken their faith.

 

Dear heavenly father you are awesome in your majesty, you are terrifying in your holiness and amazing in your love. We long that all people can see your glory. And so we pray that you would use us, and these guys, as serverants of your glory.

 

AMEN.

Do you just … try harder? Do you just … remind yourself again and again that sin is bad, and that God hates it?

You’ll find that many Christians have a woefully inadequate understanding of how to deal with sin. You’d think that’s one of the most basic things about the Christian life that everyone would know – but surprisingly that’s not the case.

In fact most Christians you ask for advice will have very simplistic and ineffectual suggestions to make, which reflect the lack of understanding of the internal workings of the human heart. And that’s no surprise, because that’s what our age is like: brilliant at technology and manipulating the world ‘out there’ – but helpless at understanding what’s going on inside ourselves.
 
How then do we fight temptation?

Christians from a previous age understood very well the internal dynamics of the human heart, and knew how to equip themselves to stand strongly against temptation. The Puritans get a bad press, but I’ve done some study on them and in reality we have massive amounts to learn from them – in terms of their bravery in the face of opposition (many pastors lost their jobs for failing to compromise on theology), in terms of well thought out theology (they were reformed theologically) – but also in terms of understanding the ways of the human heart.

Last year I read a brilliant work by Thomas Chalmers called, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. And it’s something that I believe everyone doing ministry ought to read – whether you’re a Bible study leader, a theological student, or a pastor. It’s very short, and you can get it on the Internet (get in in PDF here), but allow me to summarise his main points.

People won’t actually turn away from a sin because you tell them that it’s pleasure will only last a short while (though that may be true). Nor will they turn away from sin because it is has bad effects on them in this world (though that may also be true). Nor do will they turn away from a sin because you tell them that it will incur them God’s displeasure and judgment in the future (though that may also be true).

That’s because their affections have been captured by that sin. They love doing it, they love what it does for them – even though they may know intellectually it’ll only last a short while. And you can see this in Christians around you: people know that a thing is wrong – but it doesn’t stop them doing it. And keeping on telling them it’s wrong doesn’t really help in the long term – because their affections are set on it!

However you can see that sometimes people do turn away from a sin. But what has happened there isn’t that they have stopped loving that sin – instead they have grown in their love for something else, which is greater. That new thing has now captured their affections. Chalmers describes how the passions of a boy, is replaced by the passions of a young man, which is then replaced by the passions of an older man:

It’s not as though the young man has mastered his love for pleasure (by being convinced of its vanity, say) – it’s just that he now has become mastered by an even greater love for money. And later on that man seems to not be driven by money – but that’s not because he’s controlled his love for money (by being convinced that it will earn him God’s displeasure). Instead he’s become mastered by an even greater love for power.

The way to deal with temptation, then, isn’t really to teach about how it is wrong, or how it will cause them harm in this life or the next. We must say these things, but that isn’t the real battle. The real battle is actually to show them the excellencies of God, who is the rightful occupier of our affections. To grow someone in their love for God – so that they will no longer be gripped by a love for pleasure, or money, or power. Chalmers says,

The way to fight temptation, then, is to see God in all his glory and grace – and for our hearts to be filled with joy and contentment in Christ, to be filled with awe and worship for God and a longing to see his face.

When we are doing that, we will find that the fight against temptation takes on a whole new character. Temptation is no longer an enormous and powerful boss-robot that we feel powerless to fight. Instead temptation becomes a small squeaky annoyance, whose puny squeaks for our attention are laughable. Just like a young man finds hop-scotch an embarrassingly childish pursuit. Or how an older man regards a younger man’s pursuit of money with bemusement.

And when this happens, I have seen people’s fight against pornography, or nagging their husband, or their desire for a boyfriend take on a whole new character. No longer are they gazing with longing at the thing they love and trying at the same time to will themselves to push it away – instead they are gazing at God in all his satisfying greatness, and they can’t imagine why people would want to chase after those other things in the first place.

In all this we have to point out that the fight is not ours alone – it is God’s Holy Spirit who alone can change our hearts. We can expose ourselves to God’s word and meditate on the glory and grace of God – but as we do so we must ask and pray and plead for a heart that loves God. Because it is only God himself who changes hearts and makes people grow in their love for him.

But this is how we fight temptation. Not just by telling ourselves it’s wrong (though sometimes we don’t know, and so we must do that). But by seeing the massive greatness of God – and praying that God would grow us in our love for him.

[ PS: be aware that Thomas Chalmers' language is a bit dated, but read it! and you'll find it transforms your understanding of ministry... ]

Dragged along by the Spirit In this first diagram you’re like a horse and the Spirit has you by the reins and pulls you along. After all doesn’t Paul talk about being led by the Spirit? Well the Spirit pulls us along just like a horse.

And the thinking here is that the Spirit does all the work. It should be easy for us. All we need to do is relax and wait for the time when doing God’s will comes easily to us. From when God works in us to make it happen. All we have to do is "let go and let God."

Told where to go by the Spirit This second one is more popular in Sydney. Here the Spirit is involved in your life by show you what you need to do. Here the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, and illumines our minds to understand the Bible. After all, what is the sword of the spirit? it’s the word of God.

And so here the Spirit works by reveal to us in Scripture what we need to do. "Go over there," we are instructed. "Be
godly in this way." The spirit has shown you, and so now you’re under your own steam, you have to get on with it.

Walk by the Spirit But the third is that we walk by the Spirit. And here the image is of you walking, and the Spirit – not pulling you, not just telling you where to go – but walking alongside with you. Walking beside you, enabling you as you go to put your feet one before the other. The Spirit making it possible for you to take the steps you need to take (Galatians 5:16-18).

Because in reality, it’s actually impossible for the natural human being to do what is truly pleasing to God. God actually has to work inside of us to make that happen. And this is what the Bible writers have always said.

Here are several places where we see that dynamic at work. First off, Philippians 2.

In verse 12 Paul tells us to "work out our salvation" – we are meant to walk. But in verse 13, Paul also tells us that while we are to "work out our salvation", it is God who works inside of us to make that happen. And God works inside of us by his Holy Spirit.

Another place where we see this dynamic at work is in 2 Timothy where Paul addresses Timothy specifically, telling him:

Timothy is commanded to "guard the good deposit" (the gospel). That’s his responsibility. Yet at the same time Paul tells him that it is the Holy Spirit who works in Timothy to enable him to do what has been commanded of him. Again, the Spirit empowers the human to do what the human has been commanded to do.

And a third place we see this dynamic at work is in Ephesians 3:

How does a person change their heart? What can a person do to make Christ their treasure, which is what they ought to do? In reality, they can’t do it for themselves – God has to operate on our hearts to make this happen, by his Holy Spirit.

Time and time again it is the Spirit inside of us who enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God.

And here are the implications of Christians acknowledging this necessary work of God in their lives.

If we believed (like in the first diagram) that we were merely dragged along by the Spirit, then there is no real motivation to grow in godliness. If it’s not easy, then simply don’t do it. The Spirit’s not at work, and so this musn’t be God’s timing – so there’s no point trying.

If we believed (like in the second diagram) that we were merely told what to do by the Spirit, and then had to carry on under our own steam, this leads to people trying hard – but with two results. On the one hand, when they get to the point where they feel they are at the end of their resources, where they are tempted beyond what they can bear, they will give up. Because they are doing on their own steam after all – and really, they can only reasonably be expected to go so far. But on the other hand, if they do succeed, this leads to pride because they think did it by themselves, under their own resources. Well done to them, because of their determination and self control. What heroes of faith!

That second diagram is the "Spirit directed life". But while we do need the Spirit to illumine our darkened minds with God’s truth, we need more than that. We actually need God’s empowerment…

And for those who understand the dynamic of the third diagram, who truly believe God’s promise that God’s Holy Spirit is walking with them and enabling them to do that which is humanly impossible but which God has called them to do – when these people get to the end of where ‘their’ resources can take them, they can keep persevering and not give up – because they know that God’s Holy Spirit empowers them supernaturally for their impossible task of forgiving their enemies. Or loving the unlovable. Or turning away from lust.

And when they do forgive their enemies, or turn away from lust, they will not be proud. Instead, they will be humble, knowing that it is God who enables them to do the impossible.

I once spoke to someone who was unwilling to forgive – even though many years had passed, and even though they knew that was what God commands of them. Why wouldn’t this person do it? It was just too hard. And that’s right, it was beyond their resources – but we are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. I showed this person Galatians 5, but they couldn’t believe that God’s Spirit would help them to forgive. And that’s the issue, really – whether we believe in this promise or not. Because trusting in that, we can do that which is humanly impossible – like resisting temptation, forgiving those who have hurt us – and even loving God!

[ PS: baby no.2 is coming soon... ]

Last week I was at week 2 of the Next Gen conference (what used to be KYLC), leading a Strand 2 group. The topic was "Spirit empowered life", because the five morning talks were on John 14-17, where Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure, and along the way says a fair amount about the Holy Spirit.

However as I reflected on the camp, I realised that the talks didn’t really say much about the "Spirit empowered life" at all.

In fact, they said practically nothing at all about the "Spirit empowered life".

Sure, the speaker did talk about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. But what the speaker focussed on in terms of the Spirit’s work was twofold, really. First we were told that the Holy Spirit connects us to the Godhead so that we participate in the inner life of the Trinity. And second we were told that the Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures so that we can know what is true. Now both of these are entirely right – but there’s something missing here…

In what sense is this Spirit empowered life? If anything it is the Spirit directed life. If anything the Spirit tells us what we should do (through Scripture) – and in terms of empowerement, it’s up to us to now obey the direction of the Holy Spirit (in Scripture). To put those instructions into action by our own effort. And for many Christians, this is exactly how they understand the ongoing work of sanctification. We are told what to do in Scripture (and understand it with the help of God’s Holy Spirit) – and now it’s up to us to go and do it. With our own power.

If you ask someone at your church, "how do I deal with a particular sin?" they would probably shrug and say, "well, you just remember that it’s wrong, and you … stop doing it, I guess." As though a lack of information was the main factor in people sinning. And as though merely by knowing more, our will would automatically choose the godly and pleasing thing. We just have to be strong and disciplined and try a little bit harder.

However this is not the case. The human empowered life may be good enough to deal with small sins and small changes – but the human empowered life is nowhere near powerful enough to deal with large sins and changes that need to take place in the ongoing work of sanctification! We really need God to work in us – and he does, by his Holy Spirit. We really do need the Spirit empowered life, not merely the Spirit directed life.

How then is the Holy Spirit involved in the life of the believer? More on that next post!

[ PS: what would you say to someone who asked you how to deal with sin? ]

From my observation over the years, here is what we tend to pray for:

• recovery of health
• relief of suffering
• prolonging of life
• wisdom on the part of doctors

And those are in fact good things to pray about. God is
sovereign even over microscopic viruses and diseases, and may in his
sovereignty intervene in the natural course of a disease to
miraculously bring about healing and prolong life.

However that’s all we seem to pray about.

And I wonder if the
content of such prayers reveals much about what it is that we have
really set our hopes on. Notice for instance that there is often no
mention in our prayers about:

• desiring to be with Jesus

• longing for our heavenly home
• looking forward to the resurrection body
• having confidence in the face of death

Why not? I wonder if it’s because really, our hopes aren’t for our
heavenly home. We don’t really desire to be with the Lord. Instead, we
want to stay here for as long as we can, so we can enjoy our nice
house, be with our family, and enjoy more of life. In other words,
what we really long for is more of this world and this life.

And so it must sometimes seem to those around us that we Christians are
just as fearful of losing our life, and have just as little to look
forward to beyond death, as they do. When in fact that is categorically not so.

Instead we look forward with tremendous eagerness to being with the
Lord and to enjoy seeing him face to face at last! We long to dwell in
the home of righteousness! We look forward to sharing in his
resurrection body! We know that the grave does not mean the end of life, but
the start of LIFE! We have heaps to look forward to, and so in
the first place our prayers over loved ones who are sick should give
thanks for the great things in store. Perhaps even giving thanks for
this reminder that this world can never satisfy.

However our feeble minds forget the awesome things set aside for us
beyond death. And what can loom greater in our minds is pain, or fear, or the natural sadness of having to be apart from loved ones for a while. And so in our prayers we should in the second place also
ask that our loved ones who are sick would have a renewed longing for
their heavenly home. That God would increase their longing to be with
him.

Here is what Paul writes when he realised that his own end was near. Notice particularly the deep affection he has for his future heavenly home, which seeps through from every line.

    6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

Would that, when we are close to death, it is obvious what we have really longed for all these years!

[ PS: of course, non Christians won't know about this hope... ]

A house church evokes in our minds the purity of the New Testament early church. They don’t need a lot of structure and formality, and instead make do with a simple structure. They don’t need all the rules and bureaucracy of an institutionalised church, and instead you have people relating to one another purely, as brothers and sisters…

Sometimes you hear people speak glowingly and wistfully about house churches – and maybe you also long to throw off the restrictiveness of our church structures and go back to the beautiful purity of house churches.

And of course house churches can work nicely. And in some places, that’s the only viable church structure in the face of persecution.

However there are problems with house churches, and often people don’t realise that they aren’t all they are hyped up to be. Power is in the hands of a few people – particularly the family that owns the actual house they meet in. And if they want, they can abuse that power.

Like it or not, they have a big influence on the house church. What if they want to preach? Or if they suggest that their son or daughter would be a good Bible study leader? What if they want a certain event to be held for the church, or if they didn’t like another event and simply made their house unavailable on that day?

Of course, if they are godly, then these things shouldn’t happen… but there is no guarantee that this will always be the case.

The way to think about church structures isn’t to imagine the best case scenario, when everyone is behaving in a godly way. Because if that’s what you do, then any church structure will work fine.

Instead, the way to do it is to think about worst case scenarios – what can be done if people behave badly, and things go wrong. What can be done if church leaders abuse their power. Or if certain individuals insist that things get done their way, and lie and slander. What can be done if any one person in the hierarchy ends up going wrong… or if two, or three people go wrong. And the problem with house churches is, little can actually be done if key resources (such as the house) are in the hands of a few people…

This is why when churches get larger, it makes sense to have buildings and property that aren’t owned by any one person or family – but by the group. And with that comes all the administrative overhead that we dislike – but all that overhead actually serves to protect gospel ministry for when things go wrong.

[ PS: the 'emerging church' is one modern form of house church movement... ]

Chinese churches usually start off with a core group of families who are passionate about growing their church. Usually these are young families with young children, and they naturally reach out best to other young families in their own circle of contacts. And as they share the gospel with other parents, naturally they will also reach that entire family, and that family will also join the church. This is the first mode of growth - and this is why Chinese churches grow very fast in their early years. It’s because whole families are being added to their numbers by a core group of families passionate for evangelism. This kind of growth tapers off after a while as passionate families exhaust their circle of family contacts.

As the children of the families get older, there opens up a new mode of growth. In high school or university these children begin to ‘own’ their own faith, instead of just being brought along to church by their parents. They learn about evangelism, and begin to share the gospel with their own friends. While this second mode of growth usually begins in high school or university, it continues on as these children go through each successive phase of life. So when they leave high school to join university they meet a whole new lot of friends they can start sharing the gospel to. When they start work, again, a new set of friends. When they marry and have children, again, a new set of friends through their playgroup. This adds individual friends one by one, so growth by this mode is slower.

While the second mode of growth adds individuals from new families, it struggles at reaching the rest of those families, particularly non Christian fathers and mothers. This is because Chinese parents generally aren’t very receptive to being told by their children that their religious convictions for their whole lives have been wrong! This is when the third mode of growth becomes important. Because while non Christian parents are not receptive to hearing the gospel from their kids, they are much more receptive to hearing it from people their own age, and of their own culture. In this third mode of growth, parents who are passionate about evangelism need to be connected up with non Christian parents of church kids. This kind of growth is much harder to achieve, as it takes some communication and understanding between age groups – all the other kinds of growth can just happen by the ‘oldies’ doing their thing, or the ‘young people’ doing their thing!

Now, there is a fourth mode of growth, which is biological growth. This is when young people marry and begin having children of their own… But that’ll just make my diagrams far too complicated. Stick with these three for now.

Bear in mind that these are modes, and not stages. You don’t leave one stage behind and move on to another – you add new modes of growth to your church. While the youth in your church kicks off the second mode of growth, the first mode should still keep on happening to some extent, although practically speaking, people will exhaust their circle of relationships after a while. This is why Chinese churches need to become proficient at the third mode of growth – to make use of the new family contacts that your church has made over the years!

[ PS: what modes are your church operating on at the moment? ]