Author: Brian Burdett

“Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?
(But they were not gods!)
Yet my people have exchanged their Glory
for useless idols.
Be appalled at this, heavens;
be shocked and utterly desolated!
This is the Lord’s declaration.”
– Jeremiah 2:11-12

In the New Covenant, God’s people are those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith. The application is no longer to a nation state, but to Christians individually and churches collectively. Unfortunately, we can still make the same mistakes. As God’s people we must be on guard not to repeat the errors of ancient Israel!

We must not exchange the Glory of God in Jesus Christ – His truth, His character, His Word, His will, His design, His power, or His presence for anything. As churches and individuals, we may be tempted to exchange God’s glory for the useless idols of popularity, social acceptance, comfort, legal protection, political influence, earthly power, safety, wealth, nice buildings, large congregations, temporary fame, or earthly reputation. We must always resist this temptation!

We must never let our desire for these things, even when they are good things, outweigh our living and proclaiming the true Glory of God in Jesus Christ, no matter the cost!

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” – Philippians 1:9-10

Christian life is meant to be a journey of growth every day from the moment of our salvation to the day we pass into glory. A Christian never gets to say “I’ve arrived”, “I’m good enough”, or “Now I can focus on something else for awhile”. We’re meant to grow and grow in the character of Jesus Christ.

While we’re saved and united with Christ the moment we put our faith in Jesus, our spiritual formation has just begun. Thus Paul writes to Christians of his prayer for continual growth in love and passion for God, Christ, and each other.

Love is the defining quality of the Christian life (at least it should be) and we must be growing in it. However, it’s helpful to note that our love is not in isolation, which could result in loving a Christ of our own imagination. Our growth in love must come with growth in knowledge and discernment. We must grow in our knowledge of God as we love Him more (and we will love Him more as we grow in our knowledge of Him!). We grow in our knowledge and love of Him through regular prayer every day and throughout the day. It’s hard to love someone we don’t talk to! We must come to know the Lord personally through our quiet times of prayer and listening and also through our times of public worship.

However, we must also come to know Him through daily time invested in reading, studying, and meditating on His Word, the Bible. He has revealed Himself to us and much of our growth in knowledge and discernment comes as we let His Word soak into our souls. By His Spirit, by His Word, and by His presence God reshapes our character, sometimes gradually and sometimes suddenly, purifying our hearts and lives as He prepares us for the day of Christ. That doesn’t happen by accident – it comes through diligent effort to grow in knowledge, discernment, and love. Friends, we all have work to do!

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29

God’s Word is pretty clear on this one! During this hyper-partisan, hyper-vitriolic, hyper-sensitive, hyper-divided time in our culture, Christians don’t get to participate like everyone else! We don’t get to pile on, belittle, express contempt, arouse anger, sow division, spread untruth, inflame passions, air grievances, or proclaim conspiracy theories. It would be so easy to do so and it’s incredibly tempting. Too bad! We don’t get to do it. Ever. As the people of God, we must not bear false witness. Ever. The words we speak, write, tweet, or re-post must build up, must be timely and appropriate, must be true, and must give grace to all. When those who disagree with us hear our words, they should still smell the sweet aroma of heaven, not the bitter sulfur of the other place!

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”
– Isaiah 61:1

This is the good news of the Kingdom of God! Though this world is still fallen, Jesus Christ inaugurated His Kingdom when He began His ministry nearly 2000 years ago. The Kingdom is here and growing today. One day Jesus will return and the Kingdom will be made complete.

His Kingdom is a place of healing and wholeness, of abundance, comfort, care, and freedom. As followers of Jesus, we are ambassadors of that Kingdom, proclaiming and working for the blessing of the most vulnerable among us and pointing all to the ultimate healing and freedom available in Christ.

We need to live with a Kingdom mindset that is generous, gracious, and life-giving to the poor, the broken-hearted, the imprisoned, and the enslaved. This is the Kingdom in which we already live and the Kingdom we’re called to advance. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”

“That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…” – Ephesians 3:16

If you’re feeling weak, worn down, exhausted, crushed, or defeated, you aren’t alone this year! However, if you’re a follower of Jesus, the power of God is available to strengthen you. God’s Spirit lives within every follower of Christ and He can strengthen us to continue running our race with perseverance for the glory of God.

Paul prays here for God to strengthen his readers this way. This is a good and appropriate thing to pray for ourselves regularly and for all those around us in our church family. 2020 reminds us that the challenges of life are far bigger than us. However, God is bigger still! Rather than trying to endure by our own strength we must learn to yield to the power that’s already alive within every Christian.