Archive for the 'Bible Studies for Life' Category
Knowing, Growing, and Loving Jesus Christ
“This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.” John 17:3 (HCSB)
How is knowing God synonymous with eternal life? For those raised in the church or Christian surroundings we have heard, as long as we can remember, that heaven is our eternal home. We come to Christ with an expectation of eternal life when we die. Absent from the body, present with the Lord to paraphrase Paul’s writings to the Philippians. But Jesus did not define eternal life in this way.
It may come as a surprise to some that Jesus did not define eternal life as something only to be gained when we die. He did not equate it with a heavenly reward.
In fact, Jesus did not equate eternal life as some kind of endless extension of the present life with its hurts and hang-ups.
More Than Time, a Relationship
Jesus defined eternal life in terms of a relationship, not a length of time. He defined it as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ, the One sent to us. If eternal life is defined in terms of a relationship then we are not merely awaiting for Christ’s return or our death. Far from passivity, eternal life is an active, engaging relationship with our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior.
As we come to God’s Word our expectation should be a greater relational knowledge of God. This is how Paul expressed it, “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Such knowledge is gained over time by walking with God.
Think about this kind of relational knowledge in the context of marriage. (If you are single think about a couple you admire for their love and the longevity of their relationship.) When a couple says “I do” on their wedding day, it is because they are in love and committed to one another. They love each other because of what they know of each other. It is new, fresh, and exciting.
Compare this with a couple that has been married for 30, 40, or 50 years. Their marriage has weathered seasons and storms. They have raised children together, perhaps to adulthood. They have been through better, worse, sickness, health, temptation, aggravation, sin, and forgiveness. In short, they have experienced life for a long time. It is not uncommon to hear one or the other say, “I love her so much more than the day we got married.”
How can this be? Were they holding back in those early days? Not at all. Love increases with knowledge of another person and knowledge increases with shared experiences of life.
Developing Relational Depth
In the same way, our knowledge of God increases the longer we walk with Him. We learn His faithfulness, come to expect His intervention, understand His timing, increase in faith, and experience His mercy, love, and forgiveness.
This, according to Jesus, is eternal life. It is this kind of relational depth of soul that carries into eternity itself. It is this kind of life the hymn writer called “a foretaste of glory divine.”
This growth in the knowledge of God comes from the same gracious working of Christ by which we were called and saved.
One of the reasons I am excited about serving as Editor of the Bible Studies For Life Curriculum Series, being released this fall, is because of our commitment to disciple people about knowing, growing, and loving Jesus Christ. Bible Studies for Life is very committed to discipling people of all ages into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This involves knowing, growing, and loving Him.
Our growth in relational knowledge of God is not dependent on our strength or positive thinking. It is a result of Jesus’ gracious, continuing work in our lives. We grow in our relationship with Christ because His grace is sufficient for saving us, growing us, keeping us and, ultimately, presenting us to the Father.
Yours For The Great Commission,
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Engaging With The Culture
One of the keys for us as we were thinking through the Bible Studies for Life launch, was the issue of engaging culture. We wanted leaders and learners to discover how to relate to culture biblically. Rather than fearing culture, we should be aware of the potential of culture to affect us as well as the opportunities we have to affect it.
This is why it is imperative that we get biblical direction for life right now.
Engaging the Culture Requires Understanding the Culture
Generally speaking, culture is the behaviors and beliefs unique to a particular social, ethnic, or age group, especially reflected in the arts, fashion, and education. We can make very large references (“American culture” or “Kenyan culture”), or reference smaller cultures (“skater culture” or “business culture”). These smaller groups are often called “sub-cultures.”
Over time Christians seem to have lost touch with what cultures actually represent. We often hear about the danger of culture. Some are encouraged to avoid culture altogether like it is a poison or disease.
At its root, culture is a reflection of the people who compose it. Cultures are not evil of themselves otherwise Jesus would not have come as a first century Jewish man.
Christ and Culture
During His earthly life and ministry, Jesus lived and experienced life as any other resident of Palestine. He did not float above the ground so as not to get dirty. He did not require a royal processional everywhere He traveled. He was a carpenter and lived as such. He walked through the same dusty streets, ate while reclining at the table, and wore sandals and a robe just like all of His friends.
At the same time, the negative things involved in that culture did not affect Him: Jesus was not greedy like the tax collectors, He did not revolt against the government like the zealots, nor was He a hypocrite like the Pharisees. He was fully engaged in the culture of His day, but never succumbed to the sinful components within it.
Christians Thriving in Modern Culture
We face the very same opportunities and challenges Jesus faced. We need to be able to engage culture without engorging ourselves on it. To put it another way, we should be able to bring the fruit of the spirit into culture without swallowing the bitterness it sometimes offers.
Here is an example: a group of people from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., recognized that movies are an important part of American culture. They also realized that cursing the darkness of the cinema only works so far, as it does not provide any kind of lightened alternative. So they formed Sherwood Pictures and began making movies. The first movie went to DVD and was shown locally. Soon, though, they had a string of movies that have done exceptionally well at movie theaters across the country: “Fireproof”, “Courageous”, and “Facing the Giants” are well known. Sherwood Pictures recognizes that you cannot influence culture from a distance; you must be a part of it. The pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, Dr. Michael Catt, is a personal friend who has preached in my church. Dr. Catt and his fellowship deserve our support because they have engaged with the culture so effectively.
This is what it means to “let your light so shine before men.” Jesus’ words do not apply solely to a three-point Gospel presentation. It means in everything we do everyday, His life should be on display. And we should display His life while engaging in the culture around us.
Running Toward the Culture
How do we engage culture? With the love, compassion, and sacrifice of Jesus. If Christians leave the wider culture, who will be left as a witness to Christ? This is a void we cannot allow.
Rather than running from culture, we should be running toward it. Speaking in the public square has been practiced by Christ’s followers since early church history. We will not always be heeded, but we can try to be heard.
In reality, when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we share the only message that can change a life and the entire world.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church Northwest Arkansas General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.