Category: Devotional

Context Matters: Bear One Another’s Burdens

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians are to bear each other’s burdens. When a member of your church family is ill, recovering from surgery, or has recently welcomed a new child, you may have been encouraged (using this verse) to provide meals and other practical assistance.

“Bearing the burden” or “carrying the load” of another person is a memorable, vivid image. When a friend is weary and struggling with something weighty, we can take that heavy object in our arms. This is an act of service and love.

And yet, context matters. When we learn to read the Bible as a unified collection of letters and books instead of as a binder stuffed with proverbs, we’ll see that some of its most memorable commands don’t mean what we always assumed.

Ensnared in Sin

The context of the command to “bear one another’s burdens” is a person caught in sin.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

This instruction comes on the heels of Paul’s famous passage about the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16–26). Paul is explaining, in part, what it means to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

What should Christians do when someone in their fellowship is “caught” in a transgression? Those who are spiritual should “restore” them in a spirit of gentleness. These topics are tricky and sensitive; being ensnared in sin is humbling and the one who is caught has likely been exposed. We must proceed with caution and love, and Paul gives us guidance.

Fulfill the Law of Christ

Perhaps by now we can see that bearing another’s burdens has little to do with mowing their grass after knee replacement surgery. Paul is concerned that Christians bear the burden of their friend’s sin entrapment and help them to freedom. This is so central to the way we are to love one another within the church that Paul writes that it helps us “fulfill the law of Christ.”

It is rare that someone can escape the quicksand of entrapping sin without the help of a Christian friend. A friend who will listen, who will gently speak the truths of the gospel, who will pray, who will help develop a plan for resisting and fleeing temptation—this is a friend whose value is beyond gold. These are the friends we need, and these are the friends we are called to be.

The surrounding passage gives further commentary on these situations.

  • Those who restore a sinner must be careful to watch themselves, lest they also be tempted (Galatians 6:1). When walking so close to the bog of sin and temptation, we must take care not to fall in the muck ourselves.
  • Christian friends must remember their own weaknesses and sin. There is no place for pride when bearing the sin burdens of another (Galatians 6:3).
  • We must not think we are better than our friend and boast in that perceived superiority (Galatians 6:4-5). Our “walking by the Spirit” is not measured by comparison to others; rather, we should use Paul’s list of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit to make an honest self-assessment of our lives and hearts.

What We Lose

Do not fear. When we interpret Galatians 6:2 correctly, we are in no danger of losing the Christian call to care for our brothers and sisters when they need practical help.

Earlier in this epistle, Paul tells the Galatians to “through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). In 1 Thessalonians, we read, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Finally, the many New Testament commands to love one another more than cover the circumstances which are usually in mind when Galatians 6:2 is cited.

The danger we face, in fact, is just the opposite. This is one of a few places in Scripture that teach us how to act when a friend is stuck in the brambles of sin. If we misuse Galatians 6:2 because we haven’t read the passage carefully, or because we have over-emphasized the burden-carrying image, or because we think sin is a private matter, we’ll lose valuable instruction about how Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit in community.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

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The Uncomfortable Reason God is Kind to His People

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Nice is not the same as kind, though we conflate these terms. I hear people described as being “nice” far more than “kind,” and I suspect that’s because cultural niceness is not a high bar to clear. If someone is generally unoffensive, refrains from kicking puppies, and smiles here and there, they are nice.

But this is not kindness. Think about it: Scripture tells us that God is kind, but can you imagine describing God as nice?

The Christians in Rome had trouble understanding God’s kindness, so Paul wrote with some difficult words on the subject.

Kind Is Not Permissive

At the beginning of Romans 2, Paul confronts those who judge others and practice the same things themselves.

Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:3–4)

These Romans knew God was kind, but they assumed that meant God would overlook their sin. God is patient, but if knowing this leads to hypocrisy under the cover of God’s grace, things have gone off the rails.

God is not only kind but rich in kindness, forbearance, and patience (verse 4). And this kindness is meant to lead us to repentance.

Kindness and Repentance

In our permissive, mind-your-own-business culture, the connection between kindness and repentance is confusing. The thought goes that anyone who is kind or nice would let us do what we want instead of encouraging us to change.

But God knows better. It is good and kind of God to turn us away from sin and back to himself. We may think of the law as dampening our fun, so it seems like only a killjoy would turn us away from what we want to do.

But if what we want is bad for our souls, if it make us less human and less like what we were meant to be, then letting us carry on in sin is not kind at all. In fact it is uncaring, unloving, mean, and even hateful.

If we’re thinking properly, we should embrace and welcome this kindness of God to turn us around. We should pray for God in his kindness to open our eyes to our sin and to gently and firmly lead us to repentance.

Becoming More Kind

Note that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance and that kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). One implication is that if our kindness is like God’s, we will also point others to repentance.

There are loving and unloving ways to do this, of course. But my guess is that Christians reading this have probably experienced a loving rebuke from a friend. It hurts, yes, but the pain is like that of fixing a dislocated finger. Popping the finger back into joint can be excruciating, but it leads to health. We can now function the way we are supposed to. When we repent, in that area of our lives we’re no longer working against the Holy Spirit within us.

I’m not encouraging anyone to become a sin hunter. But there will be times where our kindness to our friends will lead us to confront in love, helping them to turn back to the God who loves them.

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The Parable of the Dog and the New Master

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

There once was an old and nasty man. He lived on the edge of town in a house that was an embarrassment to his neighbors, though he felt no shame. His yard was often filled with trash and always staked with signs which made it clear that visitors were unwelcome.

As he aged and drove everyone from his life, the man grew lonely (though he would not have used this word). So the man bought a dog. When the dog arrived at the house he was muscular and fast but sweet and playful. The dog would not be kind and affectionate for long.

The man quickly trained the dog to be as nasty as he was. Through beatings, neglect, and other harsh punishments, the man shaped the dog into a vicious animal. The dog snarled and lunged at everyone who came close and attacked any animals within reach. Though the dog was bound to a chain staked in the yard, everyone who saw the dog stayed far away. This dog was one hundred plus pounds of muscle and teeth and there was little reason to think the chain would hold if the dog wanted to attack.

The dog was loyal to the man because he had no choice and knew no better. The man ruled the dog with great cruelty; he considered the dog a weapon and tool and treated him with all the affection one might have toward a rubber mallet. The dog did whatever his master wanted because his life depended on it.

After a few years, the nasty man died, and the man’s three children were notified. He had driven them away long ago, and while they weren’t surprised to see the state of his home, everything there was a reminder of a sad chapter of their lives. Their mother had cut off contact with her ex-husband years before, and they didn’t blame her.

After the house was emptied and listed for sale, the siblings prepared to return to their homes. The only question that remained was what should happen to the dog. While they were working on the house, they moved the dog to a shed in the back yard, but they went nowhere near him. He was as mean as ever.

The two younger siblings lived in city apartments and had no space for a large pet. The oldest son lived on two acres in a nearby county. He owned dogs in the past and had a soft spot for mistreated animals. Yet he wasn’t optimistic. He decided to give the arrangement three months; after this, he would either keep the dog or take him to a shelter.

At first, the situation seemed impossible. Because the dog was far from everything familiar, he lashed out at everyone. The son fed the dog by putting food in a bowl and sliding it forward with a broom. No one in the house was able to sleep because of the dog’s constant barking and his efforts to destroy everything.

As the second week turned over into the third, however, something strange began to happen.

On some mornings, the son would go out to feed the dog and the barking would stop for a few minutes. He spoke soothingly to the dog, using his new name, and the dog looked just quizzical instead of murderous. When the family arrived home in their car, the dog stood quietly behind his fence with his eyes on the garage. Little by little, the meanness of the dog was melting.

Sure enough, after four weeks the son was finally able to touch the dog without fear. In the sixth week, he gave the dog a much-needed bath. The dog learned some simple commands. The son’s wife was not yet ready to let the dog into the house, but the wagging tail was a welcome and surprising sign of good things to come.

By the time the third month came to an end, the decision to keep the dog was easy. The son’s patient, kind treatment of the dog had transformed the animal from a nightmare into a happy, rambunctious pet.

Because the dog had so many bad behaviors to change, the son tried to keep the long view in mind. At the park, he had to correct the dog frequently. The dog still had an impulse to attack, but it was decreasing. The nasty man had given the dog no choice but to harm and intimidate, but the son was teaching the dog, over time, how to make friends.

A year after the nasty man died, the dog was hardly recognizable. He bounced around the yard with his family, no longer kept behind a fence for safety. When the family came home, he greeted them with kisses and snuggles, and he was especially excited to see the children. The son invited friends to the house without fear of the dog harming or scaring anyone.

The dog had once depended on the nasty man, but he now was loyal to the son. He was no longer forced to be mean; he was now free to be playful and silly. And while he would not have used this word (because whoever heard of a dog using words?), the dog now knew that he was loved.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

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From God’s Promises to Faith

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

I became a Christian early in college, and I will never forget the support I found there. I can’t imagine starting my Christian life without those friends, mentors, and church families.

When I went to graduate school, God continued to provide—a wonderful church along with a community of Christian graduate students. A friend who helped lead that group had such an impact on me and my wife that he helped to officiate our wedding.

This man with a Ph.D. in Biblical studies was a gifted teacher. He could explain complex theological terms and ideas in memorable ways. I don’t think I’ll ever forget his shorthand definition of biblical faith: Faith is trusting God to keep his promises.

This isn’t everything one would want to say about faith. In a classroom setting, we would add context and qualification. But over time I’ve appreciated this definition so much. This friend took years of study and volumes of reading and gave me a sticky way to keep this important term in my brain.

It’s only recently that I think I’ve found the best single passage to defend this short definition.

Faith, Promises, and Grace

The book of Romans is no joke. It is a theological titan among the other books of the Bible.

In Romans 4, after Paul writes about Abraham and justification, he turns to the matter of faith and the promises of God.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. (Romans 4:13-14)

Imagine how surprised first-century Pharisees must have been by this particular passage. Wait, righteousness doesn’t depend on adhering to the law? No, it comes through faith, and that faith depends on God’s promises.

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Romans 4:16)

Further, the promises of God rest on grace. Paul could not be any clearer: faith is key, not obedience to the law.

The God Who Promises

The promise came to Abraham because he believed God (Romans 4:17). Paul connects this belief in God to God’s character and his actions.

Abraham’s God “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Romans 4:17). God’s promises are as sure as the creation on which we are standing. Abraham also knew that God could give life to the dead; when God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham believed (according to Hebrews 11:17–19) God would bring his son back from the dead if needed. This is how sure Abraham was that God would keep his promise.

Abraham trusted God to keep his promises, but he was not believing in a cold legend scratched in stone. God called and spoke to Abraham personally. God met and walked with Abraham, and Abraham knew his character. God is mighty, and he is a promise keeper. Thus, he can (and should) be trusted.

Obstacles Are Not a Barrier

By human measurements, Abraham and Sarah were as likely to have a child as I am (as a slow man of average height in his late 40s) to play professional basketball. Yet these biological facts were not a barrier.

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. (Romans 4:18-19)

Abraham “considered” the natural state of his and Sarah’s bodies, and he considered what “he had been told.” After this consideration, the promises of God carried far more weight.

Abraham was not told how God would keep this promise, but he was convinced that he would keep his promise. One thing I love about this paragraph is that there is no reason for us to pretend the human barriers to God’s promise-keeping are absent. God’s promises may seem like the fever dream of a science fiction writer—that’s fine to acknowledge, as long as we acknowledge in the same breath that God is a promise keeper. It is in God’s very nature and character to be faithful to his promises. So, where there seems to be a conflict between God’s promises and what we can imagine or predict, we must side with the sovereign God.

Fully Convinced

Is my friend’s definition of faith the one and only? Probably not. But I hope you’ll agree it is immensely helpful, especially as a starting point. From this passage we know Abraham’s faith was inherently linked to his trust in God to keep his promises.

Would you like to grow in your faith? This passage offers at least one way forward.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:20-21)

Abraham became “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” This caused him to grow “strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.”

As we become more familiar with the Bible, we will see God’s promise-keeping nature more clearly. When we think of him, we will know in our bones that he keeps every promise, despite how things might appear to us. We will praise him, because his faithfulness is a glorious part of his character. And we will, like Abraham, grow strong in our faith.

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The Bible Is Not About You

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

We are self-centered by nature. This egotism can be amplified in certain cultures and by some personalities, but we all have a central impulse to focus on the person in the mirror.

So it is not surprising that when we turn to the Bible we think about ourselves first. Our spiritual disciplines can easily become a vehicle for self-improvement.

So what is a healthy way to approach reading the Bible? How should we pay attention to and process God’s word?

For a start, when reading the Bible, we should not immediately look for ourselves in the text. The Bible has implications for us, but the Bible is not about us.

The Bible is about God

If the Bible is not about us, then what is it about? Don’t take my word for it—search the Bible from beginning to end and you will see there is one primary actor and one main subject. The Bible is about God.

Note how the book begins.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

And when the book ends, we see the servants of this creator-king gathered around to worship.

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. (Revelation 22:3)

God is infinite and eternal, so glorious and holy that humans could never know him without his self-revelation. And while God has revealed himself through his creation, he has shown himself in more detail and with precision in his word, the Bible.

Consider the way this displays God’s heart. He wants to be known! If you have access to a Bible, you are able to learn about this wonderful, powerful God. This is his desire!

The Bible is about Redemption

As we read the Bible, we learn who God is and what he is like. But we also learn about the place of humanity in the world and how we relate to God.

Adam and Eve turned against God early in the Scriptural story, disregarding his command and seeking their own way. God responded with judgment, mercy, and a promise. God’s judgment was the exile from Eden (Gen 3:22–24) and the curse—childbirth, the husband-wife relationship, and work in creation would all be painful and difficult (Gen 3:16–17). God’s mercy was that he continued to speak with the man and woman and that he covered their shame and nakedness (Gen 3:21). God’s promise was that there would be a child of Eve that would bruise the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15).

The rest of the Bible unfolds these responses of God and the fulfillment of his promise, and everything points to Jesus (Luke 24:44–48). Jesus was the Son of God incarnate; he came to make God known (John 1:18), to redeem God’s people (Titus 2:14), and to bring them to God (1 Peter 3:18).

So, the Bible is about God, but it is also about how (and why) he is redeeming a people for himself.

Implications for Reading

If God and his redemptive purposes are at the core of the Bible, that should shape how we read.

First, we should be aware of the big picture as we read. When we study the Bible, we are seeking the author’s main point of each passage and how we should respond. But when we are reading for breadth, we don’t have time for such a narrow focus. It is better to think about the themes and arguments of the book we are reading and how they connect to the overall sweep of Scripture. Reading for breadth is primarily about familiarity and understanding, not application.

We should be sure to interpret before we apply the Bible. Some people are in such a rush to come away from their Bible reading with a “nugget” on which to meditate for the rest of the day that they skip crucial steps. All basic communication means that we must understand before we act. This may mean that you end up with no victory token from your devotions, no Instagram-worthy verse to quote and post. And that is fine!

Finally, we should think corporately, not individually. Especially in the global west we have a far more individual mindset than the first audiences of the Bible. God has set out to redeem a people for himself, the Church. This collective body is not the same as a group of random humans! So, while applying the Bible has clear implications for us as persons, those implications (often) flow out of truths and commands for the corporate people of God. (So many of the New Testament commands are for you (plural), not you (singular)!)

The beginning of another year brings many of us back to the Bible. As we turn to the Bible for the first or for the ten-thousandth time, let’s make sure we recognize our place. We are part of this grand story, but none of us are at the center. That would be far too small a story.

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Your Church Needs You to Sing, and So Do You

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

I don’t remember ever crying much at church. I’m not a buttoned-up person; I don’t mind others seeing my emotions bubble over. It’s just that nothing that happened at church ever brought out the tears in me.

Until my mom died. The crying didn’t happen immediately—she died in October and it wasn’t until early the next year that I started choking up in church. For roughly six months, most every time we would stand to sing, I’d feel my throat start to close and my sinus cavities start to quake. Depending on the song, sometimes I wouldn’t make it to the end of the first verse before I had to give up. I’d stand in silence as the tears slowly ran down my cheeks.

There was something about singing that tapped a deep well of my emotion. And the strange thing was that the songs and hymns we were singing didn’t always bring my mom to mind. My mother’s death had brought grief close to the surface, but singing somehow tapped the chisel and freed the geyser.

Singing for My Good

Singing is, mysteriously, quite different than speaking. Years ago, after my father-in-law suffered a stroke, he was unable to speak but virtually unencumbered when he tried to sing. It seems there are different neural pathways involved in these two types of communication.

When we sing in church we confront deep truths. We proclaim these truths. And as our brains process the words and pass along the relevant commands to our mouths and vocal cords, we’re forced to reckon with each claim. Do I really believe this?

In the moment, it’s a chance to remind myself—yes, this is true! Yes, I can trust God with this! So with each hymn and chorus, I have the chance to preach to myself.

Of course, many people around the world sing without engaging this way. The words are just words, and they will sing (or lip sync) while thinking about an upcoming football game or a recipe for tacos.

But singing is an opportunity for discipleship. We rehearse and remember the truths that we’re singing, but we can check our heart response at the same time. Do I love this truth? Do I act like it is true?

In those six tearful months, I most often cried when singing about the future. My mom’s death coincided with a lot of my own thinking about hope. The promises of life beyond death and of face-to-face communion with the Lord became increasing precious to me, and our worship hymns became an opportunity to remember my mom and thank the Lord.

Singing for the Good of My Brother

In this recent season of sadness, it was a great comfort to hear others sing around me when I couldn’t do it myself. The truths which I could not voice were sung to me and for me by my brothers and sisters.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:17–21)

Paul tells the Ephesian Christians that they should address one another in their singing as they make melody in their hearts to the Lord. This is part of being “filled with the Spirit.”

During congregational singing, we have the privilege of reinforcing truths to each other. When there is doubt, this great chorus can persuade us to once again trust in Christ. This must be one of the ways the Spirit works, to convince us of what is true and good and beautiful through the voices of others in whom he is also working.

Singing in Good Times and Bad Times

We understand how the psalmist sings in good times. “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:2). But it might be that we and our friends need our singing even more in the hard times.

Psalm 13 is one of many psalms of lament. It begins with the cry, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” But after reminding himself about the steadfast love and salvation of the Lord, David thinks again of singing: “I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6).

Singing is a fundamental part of our Christian worship and discipleship because it connects our minds and our hearts. We sing to glorify God and to exhort and encourage each other.

If you’re wondering whether to make the effort to sing this Sunday, consider this. Singing to God might be just what your soul needs. And the person sitting in front of you at church? It might just be what they need as well.

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The Old Testament Teaches Us About the Holy Spirit

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Far too often, Christians don’t know what to make of the Holy Spirit. Most have seen the chaos of Spirit-obsessed communities and the coldness of those who ignore the Spirit. People shake their heads as they walk away: Well, I know I don’t want that.

But that’s hardly adequate for our understanding of the third Person of the Trinity.

Compared to the Father and the Son, modern Christians might feel there is comparatively little in the New Testament about the Holy Spirit. Passages such as John 14 and John 16 teach us that he is the Spirt of truth, the Helper, the One who convicts sinners and who glorifies the Son. We can also look to Romans 8—the most Spirit-filled chapter of the Bible. But Christians often want more.

I have good news for you. There is more.

A Syllogism

Here’s the logical proposition. God promises his presence to be with Christians in the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15–17). Second, God has shown us in many places in the Old Testament what it looks like when his presence is with believers. Therefore, we can learn what the Holy Spirit is like by looking at the Old Testament occasions where God’s personal presence was active.

Examples

We could multiply examples, but here are just a few.

  • The Spirit brings fear of the Lord and a greater understanding of God’s holiness (Ex 3:4–6).
  • The Spirit brings God’s word for his people; specifically, he brings instruction (Ex 19:7–9).
  • The Spirit gives direction and leading (Ex 13:17–22).
  • The Spirit gives rest (Ex 33:14).
  • The Spirit protects and gives wisdom (1 Chron 14:8–12).

Additionally, we (rightly) speak of the Holy Spirit giving God’s people comfort, encouragement, correction, and calling. God provided all of this for his people through his personal presence in the Old Testament.

Reading to Understand

God does not change, so we can learn about who he is now by reading about his interaction with his people throughout time. This isn’t to say that God acts in all possible ways to all people at all times.

However, we will get a better understanding about the work of the Holy Spirit by understanding him (in part) as the fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell personally with his people.

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Corporate Worship: An Engine of Christian Hope

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

For the Christian, the corporate worship service is (ideally) the highlight of the week. Yes, that gathering is a chance to reconnect with close friends and to put “worldly cares” aside. Even more, this is a time when believers hear from and worship the triune God—that essential activity for which we were made and which properly reorients our souls.

Something else is happening in that worship service. We are taking part in a grand rehearsal. Worship is happening in heaven right now and will surely be a central part of life on the new earth. Thus, the elements of the worship service point us forward, signposts of our heavenly business.

I’ve been thinking of Christian hope as the joyful expectation that God will keep his promises. The corporate worship service offers numerous chances for us to look ahead with anticipation.

Singing

There is a lot of evidence in the Bible for heavenly worship (Rev. 4:8–11, 22:3). Singing will certainly play a role.

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. (Rev. 14:1–3)


And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb… (Rev 15:2–3)

Singing engages our emotions and our wills in ways that spoken words do not. As we join in song in corporate worship, we can look ahead and imagine an even greater crowd, a more glorious sound, and our praise unstained by distraction or worldly desires.

Giving

For those who take a purely logistical angle on the weekly tithe/offering, there seems no need for this in heaven. We won’t need to pay a pastor or an electric bill then, will we?

But our giving doesn’t happen on Sundays out of convenience. It is just as much an act of worship for modern Christians as the first fruits of the harvest were for Old Testament believers. Through this lens, it’s not surprising to learn that giving back to God will continue in the coming age.

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:9–11)

In heaven we will fully understand how worthy God is of all we have, including all he has given to us.

Proclaiming the Gospel

The best Christian worship services proclaim the gospel not only during the sermon but through the structure of the liturgy. The gospel is so central and glorious that we will be focusing on it for eternity.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9–10)

God Speaks

Hope is meant to sustain us with a vision of joy to come. Our hope may be stoked by sorrow or by joy, but the Christian worship service is another great incubator for this hope.

Many churches rightly feature the Bible throughout corporate worship. God’s people need to hear God’s word. And this is unlikely to stop in the new creation.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Rev. 21:3)

God will be with us; we will have fellowship with him; he will speak to us in a way we haven’t fully known here on earth.

No worship service is perfect. But what goes on then is glorious, and that includes training our minds and hearts to long for the world to come.

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Never Leaving, Never Forsaking

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

One of God’s most precious promises comes from Hebrews 13:5.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Like all of God’s promises, this one will greatly repay any time we spend turning it over in our minds and reminding our hearts it is true. (Perhaps it’s worth noting at the beginning that this promise is a negation!)

God’s promise to never leave or forsake his people should be the foundation of lasting contentment. If we have him, we have him forever, and this is a far greater treasure than any amount of money we could possess.

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

When God says he will never leave, this is not a promise to be loyal like a puppy. Rather, God’s promise gives us confidence that he will be our great helper. With God at our side, we need not fear anything, certainly nothing that man can do to us.

Some of us have been hurt by those we know and love. Even more of us have had those dear to us leave. They move away (or we do). We drift apart as friends. Some departures are more dramatic: harsh words, hurt feelings, someone turning and walking away.

God will not abandon us. We cannot offend him so much that he gives us a cold shoulder. By his Spirit, he stays close, always ready to hear, to speak (through his Word), to comfort, to guide, and to protect us.

Better than a Spouse

We take sobering vows when we get married. Most of these vows include a version of “until death do us part.” So even those we love the most will eventually leave. Death is still an enemy, separating life-long companions and friends.

Yet God makes a promise to us that even a spouse cannot. His promise has no asterisk or grave-related exception. When death comes and separates us from all we know and love, God’s promise is still true. He is present, and he won’t leave.

If the Lord does not return before our death, as our body starts to cool we will immediately be with him in spirit. He will not abandon our soul to the grave. And this in-between state will also end. When the world is remade and our body and soul reunite, we will be with the Lord forever. The dwelling place of God will be with man, and we will see him face to face. He will not leave.

This is good, good news! And it can offer you or your friend great comfort in times of grief, pain, and loneliness.

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The Negations of Heaven

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

What will heaven be like? We know only partial answers to this question from the Bible, but this doesn’t stop many from speculating. This is something Christians dearly want to know.

Some of what we know of heaven is stated positively. God will dwell with his people; he will be their God; he will make all things new.

But, curiously, some of what we learn about heaven is stated negatively. Why is that?

I have two main passages in mind. In Revelation 21:4, we learn the following about heaven.

  • God will wipe away every tear.
  • Death will be no more.
  • There will be no more mourning, crying, or pain.
  • The former things will have passed away.

In addition, we read in Revelation 22:3 that there will be nothing cursed in the new creation.

In 1 Peter 1:4, the apostle writes about our inheritance with negative language. We have been born again “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”

Perhaps the reason for this is obvious, but it’s worth saying out loud. The Bible is teaching us what heaven will be like by contrast. Our current life is full of tears, death, mourning, crying, and pain. All of the inheritances we know about perish, get defiled, and fade away. What is heaven like? It is the opposite of all of the cursed parts of our current experience.

From when we’re very young, this is how we learn. We acquire new information by making a bridge from the known to the unknown. We are familiar with pain; we understand physical, emotional, and mental anguish. The new heavens and the new earth will have absolutely none of that.

This short observation is not groundbreaking, but it is an invitation. This week, when you feel the curse of sin scratching its thorns against your shins, or when you feel nearly crushed by the weight of sin and suffering, think of the contrast the Lord has promised you. Look to the future with hope, for one day the earth will be remade and sin will be no more.

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