John Piper explains why the so-called “prosperity gospel” is not the gospel.
- Suffering
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Nov3
No CommentsPiper on the Prosperity Gospel
Posted in: Prosperity, Suffering
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Aug26
1 CommentHealing for the Sake of Holiness
Posted in: Healing, Suffering, Trial
Last week, I posted something on Gracyn DenBestin. I spoke of the power of God to heal, and Gracyn’s life is a testimony to that.
God’s power to heal is not limited to the physical. In fact, his power to heal the physical pales in comparison with his power to heal the spiritual. Since these bodies are temporary and our souls are eternal, how much greater is the work that heals the sickness of our souls?
John Piper recently delivered a message titled, Healing for the Sake of Holiness. I recommend it to you. There are some excellent principles found within. Specifically, there are two principles which I want to show here.
Jesus Heals to Make us Holy
The first is that Jesus heals to make us holy. In the fifth chapter of John, Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. We must take notice of Jesus’ motive behind healing this man. “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). The ultimate reason that Jesus heals the man is not for his physical health, it’s for his spiritual health. Piper puts it this way:The issue is holiness mainly, not health. “I have healed you to make you holy.”
Do you see this? “Sin no more. Stop sinning. My aim in healing your body is the healing of your soul. I have given you a gift. It’s free. It came first, before my command. You didn’t earn it. You weren’t good enough for it. I chose you freely. And I healed you. Now, live in this power. Let the gift of healing, the gift of my free grace, be a means to your holiness.”
And yes, he warns him that, if he turns away, and mocks this gift, or makes an idol out of his health, and embraces sin as his way of life, he will perish. I take that—final judgment—to be the “worse thing” (in verse 14) that will happen because there aren’t many natural things worse than the 38 years this man endured, and because in verses 28-29, Jesus says, “An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
In other words: “I have healed you that you may be holy, that you may stop doing evil, and that you may not rise to the resurrection of judgment, but to the resurrection of life. I have pointed you to myself as a life-giver. I heal in more ways than one. Don’t turn from me to a life of sin.”
Gracyn DenBestin received a new heart nearly five months after she realized her old heart would not last. Praise God for it! But don’t stop there. See the gospel in it. I received a new heart after fifteen years of living with a heart of stone. I was dead for the first fifteen years of my life before God awakened faith in me. I was a hell-bound hater of God. And while I was a hater of God, he saved me. After fifteen years of ‘astonishing the heavens’ by drinking from broken wells that hold no water, God opened my eyes to see and drink from the gushing Fountain of living water. O that we would see the healing that has occurred in our souls, and rejoice with Gracyn that “Nothing is Impossible” with God! We can come and “buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Sinners,we can enjoy fellowship with the perfect God! Do not wait to come to God until you have cleaned up your life. If you wait until everything is straightened up in your life, you’ll never come! He meets us right where we are, as paralytics unable to heal ourselves.
Healing is the Exception, Not the Rule (for now)
Secondly, it is also important to see that although God has the power to, he does not always heal our physical ailments. To quote Piper, healing is the exception, not the rule. In John 5, we see Jesus heal one man among a multitude of invalids.Most people who suffer from disabilities in this life will have them to the day they die. And all of us, till Jesus comes again, will die of something. Here and there, some are healed. We believe in miracles. But even though Jesus had all the power to heal, he did not usher in the final day of perfect wholeness. His ministry points to that day. But while this age of groaning lasts (Romans 8:23), healing is the exception, not the rule. And that is not because we are weak in faith. – John Piper
God heals. He healed Curt Heffelfinger’s head and neck cancer. But physical healing does not always occur here on earth. But there is a day in which all sickness, disease, and disability will be fully healed for all of God’s children. I think of Scott Alexander. His physical illness did not lead to death because of the wellness of his soul. Scott is in the care of Jesus, dancing on two tumor-free legs! Scott’s 8-year battle with lymphoma is followed by his everlasting perfect health, paid for by the love of Christ on the cross.
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Aug19
No CommentsThe Great Healer
Posted in: Healing, Suffering, Trial
During a conversation with a man today in Starbucks, I was reminded of a little 9 year-old girl named Gracyn DenBestin. On Christmas Eve of 2008, Gracyn was diagnosed with viral myocarditis. She found out her heart would not last. She spent the next few months in a hospital hooked up to an artificial heart that sustains her and allows her time to wait for a heart transplant. On April 15th of this year, Gracyn received a new heart. Throughout her time in the hospital, Gracyn listened to the song ‘Healer’ every night. Below is a video of Gracyn singing the song at First Baptist Church of Orlando a couple months after she received her new heart.
Although I can’t even begin to say that I know God as a healer the way Gracyn can, I have experienced healing in many areas of my life because of the love of God poured out for me. Spiritually, I was in need of a heart transplant, and God provided me with a new one.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26
Although God sometimes chooses not to heal, or seems slow in calming the waters of our lives, that does not change the fact that God is most-loving and filled with compassion. [Read my post from earlier today on this.]
Do you know the Great Healer? How has He healed you? What are the areas in your life that need healing? If you don’t know of this Healer, don’t put Him off. I promise there is hope and life in the arms of Christ that can’t be found anywhere else in this world.
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Aug19
No CommentsThis Illness Does Not Lead To Death
Posted in: Suffering, Trial
Two days ago, God gave us a timely word from Charles Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening. Many might see it as coincidence that this came on the day our baby was supposed to be born, and it very well may be, but I see God’s providence. After all, “he that looks for providences will never lack a providence to look at” (Spurgeon).
This illness does not lead to death. – John 11:4
From our Lord’s words we learn that there is a limit to illness. Here is a “lead to” within which its ultimate end is restrained and beyond which it cannot go. Lazarus might pass through death, but death was not to be the conclusion of his illness. In all illness the Lord says to the waves of pain,”You may go so far, but no further.” His fixed purpose is not the destruction but the instruction of His people. Wisdom hangs up the thermometer at the furnace mouth and regulates the heat.
1. The limit is encouragingly comprehensive.
The God of providence has limited the time, manner, intensity, repetition, and effects of all our sicknesses; each throb is decreed, each sleepless hour predestined, each relapse ordained, each depression of spirit foreknown, and each sanctifying result eternally purposed. Nothing great or small escapes the ordaining hand of Him who numbers the hairs of our head.2. This limit is wisely adjusted.
This limit is wisely adjusted to our strength, to the purpose designed, and to the grace apportioned. Affliction is not haphazard — the weight of ever stroke of the rod is accurately measured. He who made no mistakes in balancing the clouds and stretching out the heavens commits no errors in measuring out the ingredients that compose the medicine of souls. We cannot suffer too much nor be relieved too late.3. The limit is tenderly appointed.
The knife of the heavenly Surgeon never cuts deeper than is absolutely necessary. “He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.” A mother’s heart cries, “Spare my child”; but no mother is more compassionate than our gracious God. When we consider how hard-mouthed we are, it is a wonder that we are not driven with a sharper bit. The thought is full of comfort that He who has established the boundary lines of our lives has also determined the boundaries of our tribulation. -
Aug10
1 CommentSincere Faith
Posted in: Suffering, Teaching, Trial
Yesterday at OGC, PC brought the word! As we continue to move through the gospel of John, I am continually challenged by Pastor Curt Heffelfinger’s exhortation. Yesterday, the text for the sermon came from John 6:16-24. Pastor Curt outlined two types of faith present in this passage: a shallow faith and a sincere faith.
He spent the majority of his time expounding on sincere faith, and how God works in his children’s lives to bring about that sincere faith. He points out four things that God seeks to create in us in order that we may have a sincere faith in him.
He seeks to bring about our obedience to His command, though it results in a trial.
He seeks to bring about our trust in His care through the worst of a trial.
He seeks to bring about our confidence in His coming to deliver in a trial.
He seeks to bring about our rest in His calm to the end of the trial.
PC included, along with his exegetical analysis of the text, a quote by Charles Spurgeon.
And here is another word of cheer for you, namely that when He does come, it will be in a way that will give you a higher sense of His Glory than you ever had before. You have seen Him on the land, but you have never yet seen Him on the water! Well, you could not see Him walking on the water unless you were on the water, yourself – and you could not see Jesus Christ calming the storm unless there was a storm to be quieted! And if the wind did not blow, you could not tell whether He could control it. Trial is absolutely necessary in order to reveal to us some of the attributes of our gracious God!…You must be brought into this trial! You must be in the dark, or Jesus will not come to you with such a splendid display of His marvelous power and love as He gave to His disciples on that stormy sea! But, look – over the tops of those rolling billows He comes – the Man, the Christ, the God – swift to help and deliver you in your hour of greatest peril! Oh, it is worthwhile to miss His Presence for a while – and to be in darkness for a time – if we may afterwards see Him in a still nobler Character and understand more of His mighty power to save!
I highly suggest listening to the whole sermon here.
And after that, you should come to Orlando Grace Church on Sunday at 10:45 AM here.
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May14
No CommentsSuffering Sound Teaching
Posted in: God Stuff, Suffering, Teaching
This morning in my devotion, I noticed something in 2 Timothy 4 that I had not before. Here’s the text:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:1-5
I found it interesting that the two times the word ‘endure’ presented itself in this passage, are in regards to suffering and….sound teaching? Why are these words paired together with the word ‘endure’?
Enduring Suffering
First of all, let’s look at suffering. It’s easy to understand the charge to endure suffering, because suffering itself implies some sort of hardship. It involves pain, hurt, and loss. Endurance helps you get through suffering. Paul even says that endurance is a product of suffering in Romans 5: “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.”
Though it is a painful and difficult process, we understand the need to endure suffering. But what of sound teaching?
Enduring Sound Teaching
“…people will not endure sound teaching.”
The greek word that Paul uses here is ἀνέξονται, which means to bear with, endure, forbear, or suffer. 2 Timothy 4:3 could read “…people will not suffer sound teaching.” Sound teaching isn’t always easy to deal with. It can be hard. It can be painful. Perhaps because it points out idols, illuminates sinful behavior, and challenges us to take up our cross daily. It is not coincidence that just a chapter before this, Paul gives a list of reasons why there will be difficulty in the last days:
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. – 2 Timothy 3:2-5
These are the same people who do not endure sound teaching. Paul gives the reason they do not persevere. “but having itching ears, they will accumulate (heap up, gather) for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” We must suffer sound teaching because it stretches us, grows us. Let’s not take the easy way out and run to satisfy our itching ears, but rather persevere to sit under solid teaching (however painful it may be for our soul), test it according to Scripture, and yield to the Spirit’s convicting. After all…no pain, no gain.
Hopefully, in the end, it will transform us into people who are lovers of God instead of self or money, humble, modest, obedient to our parents, grateful, holy, compassionate, content, encouraging, self-controlled, gentle, loving good, loyal, prudent, having the appearance of godliness AND accepting its power. And hopefully, in the end, we’ll be able to say with Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.