This Sunday, we heard from the Word of God about Paul’s call to the church at Philippi to “strive side by side for the faith for the gospel.” What a bracing word! The call of the gospel of Jesus Christ is like the ultimate red pill. However, we are not awakened to some human scheme of corporate control or governmental overreach. We are awakened to the reality of the cosmic struggle against what Paul calls “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—” (Eph. 2:2). When we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we become painfully aware that there are evil spiritual forces arrayed against us that intend to keep us from seeing and savoring the goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ as our greatest treasure. Human beings are both happy to blind themselves and also being blinded by the schemes of the Devil.
“4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:4-5)
When we experience the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, we suddenly see the world for what it really is.
But what should our response be? What does it look like for you to join the fight? The best answer is that it depends, but I want to briefly sketch out for you one possible iteration of such a life. I leave you with this:
She wakes up in the middle of the glorious mess that is mothering young children, and she helps her husband get out the door to work on time while gently and firmly shepherding the flock of little life that God has surrounded her with. Once her husband is out the door, she spends the next hour finishing breakfast with her children and settleing them into their various activities for the morning. These are not as planned out as she might have wanted, but one could do worse than some coloring pages and playdough. Finally, she is able to steel away some much-needed moments of reading and meditating on the Word of God. She is working through a new Bible in a year plan that is actually a Bible in two years plan. It helps her to have smaller portions of Scripture to meditate on each day. She is excited because today is one of the two days a week that she goes to the community center to let her kids play on the play equipment. She has had some success with striking up conversations with a few ladies there in the past. Two of them are single moms who showed some interest when she mentioned in conversation the encouragement that she received from her Bible reading for the morning.
She prays that the Lord will give her similar encouragement today and that he will give her the opportunity to share again. She asks the Lord to use her humble witness in the lives of these ladies at the community center to bring them to a saving relationship with Jesus. Then she reads “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!” (Psa. 113:9). She bows her head and thanks the Lord for answering her prayer so tangibly and immediately. She is so encouraged by the affirmation of the blessedness of motherhood. She resolves to share this little insight with the ladies at the community center today. “Lord, may they be there today.” She prays. Then she starts to make lunch.
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Love in Christ,
Pastor Charles
