Churchly Challenges and God’s Work

Over the last few months, we have talked about problems that afflict us — half-heartedness, slackness, falsehoods, fragmentation, failure to preach the Gospel. You are familiar with these things either in your own life or someone else’s life. I have not discussed these things to create more misery; we do not need to create more misery. It comes of itself as we live glued to screens that exacerbate our dissatisfaction with ourselves and the world around us.

God is satisfied with you for the sake of Jesus. Neither the world’s problems nor Satan’s evil work against the church, your marriage or your life can change that. God is satisfied with the world for the sake of Christ’s shed blood. There is enough atonement for sin, enough satisfaction, enough provision for all in the work of Jesus.

Churchly challenges

The church will still face challenges. The challenges for the church in our country may seem unprecedented, and more challenges will come. Between the time I write this and you read it, these challenges may be greater than either you or I could have imagined.

But God is not limited by our imagination for weal or woe. The church will not be secured or preserved or grown through our imaginations. If we are shocked by human evil, He remains in control. Human wickedness and demonic deviousness do not determine the world’s course or the church’s health. One king reigns over both kingdoms.

God’s work through our problems

Perhaps the things we imagined to be secure will come unraveled. Maybe the institutions, people or churches once thought to be impeccably orthodox and strong will come apart. And perhaps this may redound to God’s praise and the spread of the Gospel. Who could have foretold that Saul, the Pharisee and persecutor of the church, would become an apostle and slave of Jesus? God transformed the problem of Saul into the apostle Paul.

How will God work in our problems? We do not know. We do know that all His judgments and all His mercies will be for the good of His Body, the church (Eph. 1:22–23). He reigns over all things — good times, bad times, fat times, lean times, seven years of feasting, seven years of famine — for the good of you, His Body, alive in Him now forever. None of your problems can separate you or any of His sheep from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is risen, and His church is full of His Spirit of power and of love and of self-control. These things are always true and will never change. Jesus is faithful to you and to His whole church, His Bride, whom He loves and cherishes and nourishes always.

Dedicated to His work

Let us dedicate ourselves to His work, to the preaching of His Gospel, to the building up of His Body, to His doctrine, to His way of life, to giving with our whole hearts. The world does not want this. The world does not know or understand Him, and it won’t understand why you love His doctrine or give yourself wholeheartedly to the spread of the Gospel. That’s fine. We do not seek rewards, recognition, likes or upvotes from the world. We seek the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).

Let us run to win the race, to receive the crown of life. A multitude of things stand in the way; the devil delights to unravel what binds us to Christ and to one another. But your Lord is faithful, and by His blood He has bound Himself fast to us, never leaving, never forsaking, never giving up.

Have no fear. Let not your hearts be troubled by anything you see, anything you scroll past, anything you read, anything you hear, anything your fears tell you, anything a loud voice screaming about politics says to you. Let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid. Run the race. Fight the good fight. Be thou faithful unto death. Trust in the Lord.