Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples. Lead the Church.
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you,” 1 Peter 5:2a
As a child, I never wanted to be a pastor, lead a church, or give my life to the teaching of God’s Word. I can remember wanting to be like my Dad. Often, we desire to emulate a vocation that we first see lived by those who influence our lives. My desire changed as I began college, and quickly I started down the path of veterinary medicine. But then God…
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“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body.” Ephesians 2:1-3a
As Christians, we are in a constant battle with the three enemies, the world, the Devil, and the flesh. So, how do we deal with the onslaught of temptation, which can cripple the walk of even the most faithful disciple and earnest follower of Jesus? Often these temptations come from sinful inclinations flowing from wicked and deceptive hearts. James writes the following to address our unkept desires, which burn within us, igniting the fires of sin. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1). James rightly attests that we face a significant enemy in our self-destructive patterns as we wrestle with the passions and sin that reside within every man. Yet, there are other forces at work within the world in which we live.
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“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body.” Ephesians 2:1-3a
The story of John Newton is a fascinating story of a man who lived according to his own pleasures, fueled by money and lust, only to be changed by the grace of God to become a devoted follower of Christ. Once a slave trader, he was changed by the grace of God and penned one of the most famous Christian hymns, Amazing Grace. John Newton said this of his life, “I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle [Paul] ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’” I agree with Newton and Paul, I am not what I know I should be, but thanks to God, I am not what I used to be. All believers find themselves on a journey, not a journey to self-discovery and enlightenment, but a journey of truth about the condition of our souls.
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