God's Standards

Mark recorded an interesting set of historical events for us in Mark 10:13-27. What these verses teach us about ourselves and about God is extremely simple, yet piercingly profound.

Mark related that Jesus welcomed children to Himself in order to bless them. This seemingly elementary act is absolutely packed with significance about the character of God. The disciples, in contrast to Jesus, had tried to prevent the children from coming to Him. In response, Jesus became indignant with the disciples for their interference. This account shows us that Jesus is a welcoming and tender Savior—even those who appeared most insignificant are counted worthy of salvation in God’s eyes.

But that is not all that we learn about God. In fact, we also see that God has standards for those whom He saves. Jesus, in the midst of His rebuke of the disciples, said, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15). This demonstrates that God, though He is an exceedingly willing Savior, does not prima facie save all sinners. God, without being discriminatory in the least, saves a certain type of person.

God does not save people based on race, age, intelligence, beauty, or wealth. The standard by which people enter the kingdom is based on humility.

If we wish to enjoy the refreshing, merit-granting but not merit-based grace of God, we must come to Him like a child—like an insignificant, unworthy, lowly child who bears nothing to enhance His position. If we do not receive the Kingdom of God like a child, Jesus assured us that we will never enter it at all.

The text continues to portray God’s character in verses 17 to 27. Mark highlighted God’s willingness to receive sinners by recording a rejection story. That is to say, what we see about God is that He is happy to save sinners but that He does so on His own terms. The next story after Jesus welcomed the children is that of the rich, young ruler. Mark tells us that Jesus loved this haughty and undeserving man; that Jesus lovingly communicated the gracious standards of God’s Kingdom and that He told him of the one source of salvation, namely, Himself (Mark 10:21).

Yet the account ends unhappily for the man, for he was not willing to give up his temporal, fading wealth to receive the glorious privilege of being a child of God. He was, we can say, enslaved to his own wealth. The barbs of his own riches were deeply planted in his heart and he could not break free. He did not want to be free—the only thing that held him back was his own sinfulness (Mark 4:18-19). He was not willing to receive the kingdom as a child. Such people as this, God will not save.

God is a gracious and willing Savior—the only Savior (cf. 10:27)—but He saves sinners on His own terms. He will not tolerate idolatry in the heart of those who serve Him; either He will purge that idolatry out of the heart of His true children, or He will cast away those who are falsely His (Heb. 12:10-11, John 15:2, 1 John 2:19, Matt. 7:19-23).

Come to Jesus, then, all who are weary and seeking rest! Come to receive a kingdom that cannot ever be earned! Come as a child, put faith in Christ, repent from your sins—and He will welcome you! But you must also know that if you come haughtily, thinking you have something with which to enrich God, or if you come clinging to your idolatry, God will turn you away. God is a gracious Savior—but not one without standards. In truth, He saves always on His own terms, for He is the holy and worthy God.

--Dean of Admissions

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

                                                                              —Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 6:24

Evangelism

Evangelism may be one of the least popular activities of the church in this age. Whether unbelievers veer toward secularism or pluralism, few people are willing to tolerate the proclamation of the gospel. Why is that?

For secularists, the gospel of Christ is dependent on an ancient and, thus, unenlightened tradition. Secular thinking demands freedom from these ‘silly old wives-tales,’ as long as that freedom conforms precisely to the gospel of Darwin as expressed by the most recent scientific fad. Secularists are unwilling to face the reality of an invisible God, a virgin birth, the incarnate Christ, and bodily resurrection, therefore they flatly reject Christianity. Having some ‘uninformed’ Christian proclaim the truth of these backwards-sounding doctrines is not viewed favorably by many people in our day.

On the other hand, for pluralists, the Christian gospel is extremely narrow and exclusive and, therefore, it appears to be intolerant and prejudicial. Preaching the gospel requires a person to tell others that they are wrong, and that they are living in sin. Intolerance and speaking about sin happen to be two cardinal sins of our age; so few pluralistic thinkers will sit idly by while a Christian describes the exclusory salvation of the Bible.

Yet it is for these very reasons that evangelism is so necessary in our day. Our age, like every age before, must be radically confronted by the gospel of Christ—earlier eras of human history were no friendlier to the claims of Christ. It has never been socially acceptable to proclaim the cross of Christ or justification by faith. Even an examination of the Old Testament shows that those who preached the true doctrines of God were often persecuted!

Secularists must be confronted with the absolute truth of the Creator God, the One who sustains their very bodies and minds and who sovereignly rules their destiny. They must be confronted with notions of blood sacrifice, substitution, and worship of an invisible Deity. The cross will offend them. Pluralists must encounter the radical holiness of God, the unity of truth in Him alone, and the absolutely exclusive claims of Christ.  The cross will offend them.

What we must realize is that confrontation is at the heart of evangelism, but that it is a blessed and beneficial confrontation. Unless sinners are confronted with the reality of the gospel they cannot be saved. God must fundamentally change the heart of an unbeliever in order to save their soul, and this heart-change takes place by the Spirit, through the proclamation of the Word (Ro. 10:17, 1 Pet. 1:25). To confront people with the difficult realities of the gospel is loving (Mark 10:21).

Be encouraged, then, to preach the gospel to those around you, even if it means engaging them with the hard truths of Scripture. God is good to use our proclamation for the salvation of sinners—but we must be faithful to preach, even when it is unpopular.

--Dean of Admissions

New Year Resolution

Making resolutions can be a very helpful tool in the Christian life. Jonathan Edwards made resolutions to assist himself in growing in Christ. If you have never made resolutions, maybe this year would a good time to start. Here is a suggested resolution for the new year.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

—Paul the apostle, Galatians 6:7-8

Resolved, this year, to sow more and more to the Spirit every day of my life. I resolve to worshipfully pursue God’s Kingdom and His righteousness by the means He has provided, namely, by relying on the Spirit of God, by meditating on the Word of God, by obeying the commands of God, by preaching the gospel of God, and by fellowshipping with the people of God.

I resolve to conform my mind to God’s revealed will by evaluating my world according to God’s economy, by putting to death what is hateful to God in my flesh, and by actively and consciously seeking to please God in all that I do. I resolve to center my life on God in Christ through the gospel, so that my obedience is performed out of trusting love of God and not out of the mercenary desire for merit.

I resolve to labor in God’s fields, sowing the Word at every opportunity so that God may be magnified and that others may experience the joy of eternal life as well. I resolve to live as salt and light so that men will praise God who is invisible.

I resolve to sow to the Spirit every day through my thoughts, actions, words, and intentions so that God may be foremost and first in my life and so that His supremacy over all creation may be manifest in my small sphere of influence. I resolve to sow to the Spirit every day, so that I may look forward with great eagerness to the eternal life that is promised by God to all those who have faith in Christ. Come, Lord Jesus!

--Dean of AdmissionS