by Elder Mike Chon

When we approach decisions in our life, we sometimes wonder if we are choosing what God has planned for us. Does God have a sovereign will for my life? Did I choose the decision that God had planned for me? In the last article we examined the steps to making decisions in accordance with Godly wisdom. Today we will examine the characteristics of God’s sovereignty and how that helps us make our decisions using wisdom.

There is only One that is sovereign over all things. In 1 Timothy 6:15, God is declared “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” He is the only One that is ultimately sovereign in this universe. So what does Scripture reveal about God’s sovereign will?

1. First, it is certain. It will not be frustrated or changed by men, angels, or anything else (Daniel 4:35).
2. Second, God’s sovereign will is detailed in all things. God’s sovereign will ultimately determines which of our plans find fulfillment (James 4:13-15), the existence of creation (Rev. 4:11), the ruler’s personal plans (Prov. 21:1), the result of casting lots (Prov. 16:33), the believer’s suffering (1 Peter 3:17), and our personal salvation (Rom. 8:29-30).  So not only is it above all things, but nothing can escape it.
3. The third thing we need to understand about God’s sovereign will is that it is hidden. God hides His sovereign will until it happens. So if you are wondering what God’s sovereign will for next Wednesday is, then you’ll just have to wait until next Thursday. Only God knows what will happen in advance and all the whys of His sovereign will (Deut. 29:29; Psalm 115:3; Rom. 11:33-34). The only exception to this is if God has revealed the future in prophecy.
4. Fourth, God’s sovereign will is the supreme determiner of all things, without violating human moral responsibility or making God the author of sin (Acts 2:23; James 1:13). (I will expand on this point in a future article.) Even though God is completely sovereign, humans are moral agents who make real decisions for which we are responsible, therefore we cannot be fatalistic in our approach to life.
5. Lastly, God’s sovereign will is perfect in that it will ultimately lead to God’s greatest glory (Rom. 11:36). Many times in our life we will face circumstances that are difficult or cause tremendous suffering. Even though we may not fully understand why we had to endure this difficulty, we can know that our experience was part of the sovereign plan of an all-wise and loving God. God’s plan is always perfect because God is perfect.

So how do we finally make a decision in our life that is God honoring?

1. First, our plans (Prov. 21:5) need to come from a submissive heart to the sovereignty of God (James 4:13-16).
2. Second, as we examined before, our circumstances, (such as open doors), should always be weighed with wisdom, and not read into to determine God’s will for our lives. Remember open doors are not commands by God to go through, instead they are opportunities that should be evaluated with wisdom.

After following through the steps from our last article in seeking wisdom in our decision making, then we are able to make a decision that is moral and wise. If you have concluded that one decision is wiser than another, than it would be sinful to knowingly choose the less wise or less moral option. Remember God has commanded us to be wise and mature, to go against that command would be sinful. If two options are equally wise, which happens often, than you can choose either option with the confidence that God is pleased. With all our decisions that we make, we must always trust in our sovereign God to work out all the details together for good. Hopefully this series has helped in understanding how to approach the decisions that we need to make in life to God’s glory alone.

by Elder Peter Lim

I grew up watching the Schoolhouse Rock series of animated snippets which taught me many lessons about the U.S. Government (“I’m Just a Bill”), Science, History, as well as English grammar (“Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function”). The lessons on adverbs and adjectives remain vividly in my mind. Little did I know that these parts of a sentence would be so critical to understanding the heart behind the gospel message.

“The law makes sin appear exceedingly sinful; the gospel makes sin feel exceedingly painful.” (Phil Johnson)

I love this quote by Phil Johnson because it conveys the sort of realization that only a genuine Christian would have. It would be easy for many people, especially those who have grown up in the church, to write the same thoughts without these underlined modifiers. They would still make sense and they would still be true. However, the word “exceedingly” adds a higher degree of understanding that conveys a heart that has truly experienced the grace of God. I thought it would be a good idea to expand on this thought to include some more indicators of a true Christian:

• Heartfelt worship of God
• Burning desire to pursue godliness
• Anguishing regret over one’s own sin
• Wretched low view of self
• Loving obedience to Scripture
• Humble understanding and enthusiastic agreement with the facts of the gospel

Try reading each one of these without the underlined adjectives. They still make sense, don’t they? However, what’s missing is the seriousness and the wretchedness and the passion which are inherently a part of an appropriate response to the gospel. How can we so coldly write the facts regarding our perfect God, the holy Creator who emptied Himself of His divine privilege to come and be made as a man, humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross? Worse, how can we live our lives as if sin isn’t so bad and doesn’t affect our relationship with God? Friends, we need to hate the sin in our lives more and more as we mature in Christ. May we never get to a point where we’re comfortable with where our lives are at and let us strive forward to excel still more toward godliness.

by Elder Mike Chon

All of us make specific decisions in life that are not explicitly spoken of in Scripture. For some, these areas of freedom that God gives us can lead to making rules and man-made laws that can in turn lead to legalism. For others, they see these areas of freedom as areas where their decision simply doesn’t matter and therefore they can do anything they want. So how do we reconcile these two views?  How do we make these decisions in regards to areas of life that are not clearly spoken of in Scripture? Questions such as…

• Where should I go to college?
• Which career path should I take?
• Who should I date?
• What should I wear?
• Should I purchase a home?

Last time we examined some of the common mistakes that believers make in attempting to make God-honoring decisions. Today we will examine how we are to make decisions that are truly honoring to God.

We need to make sure that we are obedient when Scripture is clear on a decision in our life. We also want to make sure that we follow the principles that are clearly given to us in Scripture in how we should make decisions. In the many “gray” areas of the Christian life, those areas where Scripture does not prohibit nor command us to obey, there are many principles in Scripture which we need to consider when we make these decisions. These principles are presented in an article by Grace To You, “Decision Making to the Glory of God” which Stephen Rodgers listed on the Weekly Links (1/07/2011). Along with these principles there are other areas of our life which will require us to use wisdom in making decisions.

The beginning of any true wisdom in this world begins with a fear of God (Prov. 9:10). If you are wondering how to make a decision in your life, first you need to ask yourself if you have a relationship with God that is growing in your knowledge of who He is and of His Word. Even in Scripture there are books that we call “Wisdom Books” and in particular the book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom and the importance of wisdom in our life (Prov. 8:12-36). As well, throughout the Scriptures we see examples of how important wisdom is in decision making. For instance, in the life of Moses, Jethro his father-in-law advises him to teach God’s statutes and laws as well as appoint leaders over groups of people so that he wouldn’t wear himself out (Exodus 18:17-23). In the life of David, we also see an example of wisdom being exercised. When David’s son, Absalom, usurped the kingdom, David gathered his loyal soldiers and wisely chose Joab, Abishai, and Ittai in command of these soldiers (2 Samuel 18:1-2). As well, David told them, “I myself will also go out with you” (2 Samuel 18:2). But instead of welcoming David to fight alongside them, they realized that putting David at risk was not a wise decision, since he was the only lawful king (2 Samuel 18:3). Even though David was courageous and selfless to want to go out in battle with his soldiers he realized that it was better to do otherwise (2 Samuel 18:4). Even Jesus calls His followers to be wise as serpents (the serpent being symbolic of wisdom and cunning in that culture) (Matthew 10:16). The apostles also command believers to use wisdom in decisions involving how we should live (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5).

Since Scripture is clear on the importance of wisdom in our life, how do we receive this wisdom so that we can make decisions with it? The simple answer to this question is that wisdom is gained from God by those who seek for it (Prov. 8:17). The only source of true wisdom is God Himself. As much as we would say that love, truth and goodness is of God, we also would proclaim that God in His nature is “wise” (Job 9:4; 12:13; Isaiah 40:28; Daniel 2:20). So if God is the only true source of all wisdom (Romans 16:27), then all wisdom must come from God alone (Proverbs 2:6). But who does God give this wisdom to? The “who” are believers that value wisdom enough to pursue it “as sliver and search for it as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4). The “how” involves the believer’s attitude and approach in seeking wisdom.

Our attitude must reflect the fact that no man, including ourselves, is naturally wise (Proverbs 3:7), therefore wisdom must come from another source. Since Scripture is clear that God is the source of all wisdom, our conviction must be consistent with that as well. Scripture shows us that God grants wisdom to those that manifest certain spiritual qualities, including reverence of God (Proverbs 9:10), humility (Proverbs 11:2; 15:33), being teachable (Proverbs 9:9), diligence (Proverbs 2:4-5; 8:17), and uprightness (Proverbs 2:7). As well the believer must have faith in God as the source of all wisdom (James 1:5-6).

Our approach to pursue wisdom also matters to God. God calls us to ask for wisdom (James 1:5-6) from the source of true wisdom. Since God’s Word is from God Himself, it is also a source of wisdom which God has already given to us. Therefore we must seek wisdom first and foremost from God and through His revealed Word. God has also provided another source for wisdom which are wise counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 13:20; 15:22). When seeking wisdom or counsel from someone, you should seek those that are mature and have spiritual insight to direct you to the biblical principles that may apply to your decision making. Many times, we come with preconceived conclusions or gut feelings on what we should do that we do not take the time to consider all that Scripture may say regarding our decision, therefore we should seek those that can direct us to consider different principles that may apply to our situation such as those given above from GTY as well as others that may not have been mentioned. Also, those that may have gone through a situation or experience that is similar may be a benefit as well. What you want to find out is what biblical principles did they consider that was helpful when they were making their decision. Warning: Don’t just make the same decision because someone else did in a similar situation. They could have been totally wrong no matter how much you may trust their discernment. But most likely their situation was not exactly the same as yours. Another area that you will need to consider is to get all the facts before making a decision, making a list of pros and cons, assets and liabilities connected with each option in your decision (cf. Luke 14:28-32). You want to gather all the data that you can before making a decision, for example if you desired to purchase a home, but after calculating the mortgage payments, you realize that you will be in debt every month, it probably is an unwise decision to purchase the home.

After seeking wisdom from God and His Word, asking for wisdom from wise counselors, and getting all your facts and data, what do you do next? We will conclude, hopefully, in our next article as we examine how we are to make our decision as well as how God’s sovereignty is involved in our decision making.

by Elder Peter Lim

During our New Year’s Eve service, I shared about greeting one another with “Godly New Year” instead of “Happy New Year” because merely being happy for any old reason isn’t enough for a Christian to be fulfilled. Disneyland is famous for its slogan, “The Happiest Place on Earth” but imagine that you were wealthy enough to be there every day in 2011 and didn’t mind paying $8 for a hamburger and the lines for the rides were next to nothing. Would that be enough? While we are at it, let’s imagine that it truly is the happiest place on Earth with no conflicts with other people and everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves all day long. Would that be enough? I would say that it’s a waste of a life. Why? Because as Christians, we are in a spiritual war that is being waged all around us. It is our enemy’s goal that we waste our life with meaningless activities so that we would fail to take advantage of our true mission in life: to make disciples of Christ.

Lest you think that my example of living at Disneyland 24/7 was a silly example, replace it with the pursuit of fine dining, golf, physical fitness, wealth, prestige, travel to exotic vacations, or anything else that people (not you, but other people of course) spend most of their time and money on. Does it still sound like a silly example? Is it getting a little too personal for your comfort? Good! It’s good to examine ourselves to see if we need to change our ways. If your budget and time aren’t being spent for God’s ministry on Earth, where is it going? Is it going to selfish fulfillment?

The book of Jude has a lot to say about this issue. Jude had originally wanted to write his letter to celebrate our common salvation but he felt compelled to warn of the danger of ungodly selfish people who would creep in unnoticed into the church and lead people astray and bring division into the church. Verses 14 and 15 describe what they are like: “It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” In verse 15 alone, “ungodly” is mentioned 4 times. That gives us an idea of the heavy emphasis placed on the fact that they are very unlike God. So how is it that they crept in unnoticed? (vs. 4) It can only be because they were pretending to be Christians. Perhaps they were even self-deceived into thinking that they were saved. (Matt. 7:22) Regardless, they looked like the real thing. They were nearly indistinguishable. Pretty much all of their defining characteristics are subjective and can be explained away by minimalizing their significance. Even some true Christians must have been confused and they must’ve had conflicts with more discerning observers over the issue of whether these ungodly people ought to be disciplined out of the church or not. It’s not difficult to see that some well-meaning Christians would misplace their loyalties to these ungodly people, having been deceived by the doubts and accusations cast upon the proper leaders of the church. Even worse, perhaps it may have been the case that at least some of the leaders themselves may have been led astray by the ungodly. The ungodly people are described as turning grace into licentiousness, denying the lordship of Christ, rejecting authority, reviling angelic majesties (even the devil) with their own authority instead of appealing to God, killing the mood and unity at love feasts with their selfishness, grumbling, finding fault, following their own lusts, speaking arrogantly, and flattering people for their own advantage (vss. 4, 8-10, 12, 16). These ungodly men cause divisions, are worldly-minded, and devoid of the Spirit (vs. 19). Properly dealing with these men who cause divisions is described in Titus 3:10.

In an imperfect church filled with imperfect people (as all churches are), it is often difficult to distinguish the divisive complainers from people who are weak or young and need to grow. Jude even warns us that some of these people need to be “snatched from the fire” and to have mercy on the doubting. Clearly we are to treat different people differently. However, we are not to show partiality based on differences of such things as ethnicity (Acts 10:34), social strata (Gal. 2:6), loyalties (1 Tim. 5:21), or gender (Gal. 3:28). We are to expose wickedness and deal with sinning believers (Eph. 5:11, Matt. 18). In other words, the criteria that we are to use to base our judgment on involve sinful attitudes of the heart, which are very difficult to bring into question. In order for the leaders of the church to gain a clearer peek into the true condition of the hearts of people, godliness manifested externally by good works is critical. This is one reason why godliness is a defining characteristic of genuine Christians. This leads to healthy churches where the ungodly become obvious and can be pruned out. This isn’t legalism. This is the biblical way in which a church stays healthy.

The U. S. Constitution declares our unalienable right to pursue happiness. Perhaps this is why we wish each other happiness in the new year. Christians have a far greater pursuit: godliness. Therefore, it is absolutely correct for us to greet each other in this new year with “Godly New Year!” We should all strive to be more like Him this year.

by Elder Mike Chon

As we continue in our series on decision-making, we will look at some of the common mistakes that believers make in attempting to make God-honoring decisions. You may have seen sitcoms growing up where a boy is interested in a girl and is nervous asking her out to a school dance or similar event. So he decides that if the phone rings in the next minute (or some other equally arbitrary event) then it must be a “sign” for him to ask this particular girl to the dance. As silly as this scenario is, many believers make decisions in their life using similar “signs” to make decisions that have much more serious consequences then asking someone to a school dance. Before we look into how we should make God-honoring decisions, we will first examine the common mistakes that believers make in decision-making.

You may have heard someone share how God has “opened a door” for them…and so this particular decision must be from God. Where did this idea of God opening doors come from? Are “open doors” a sign from God that reveals His individual will for your life? Biblically (1 Corinthians 16:8-9; Colossians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 2:12-13) the idea of God “opening doors” refers to opportunities to be able to effectively share God’s Word. It is never used as an opportunity that God gives to the believer for you to follow so that you will fulfill God’s will in your life. For example, someone may be given an opportunity at another job or company. This new opportunity offers the individual better pay and is the next step to advance in their career. But along with this new opportunity, also comes with it greater responsibility and will require this person to work on the weekends, including Sundays. Not only that, they will have to move to another part of the country, away from family, friends and their church. If this person believes that this opportunity is an “open door” given by God for his life then it would be the right choice for this person to follow this opportunity. But is that a correct interpretation of their opportunity? Is this how believers should make decisions?

You may have also heard someone share how they were accepted to a certain school by a certain date or on a certain color stationary…so it must be a sign that it is God’s will for them to go there. This is called “putting out a fleece” which comes from Judges 6:36-40, from the life of Gideon. Basically it is anything we may interpret conditionally as a sign from God that reveals to us His will for our life. It can be as silly as the boy who determines that he will ask a particular girl to the dance if the phone rings in the next minute, or God wants me to pursue a certain career if I am accepted to this particular school, or God wants me to marry a certain girl if she wears a certain color shirt to church. Do we assume that these signs are always God’s way of showing us His will for our life? Do we believe that God works through “fleeces” like He did with Gideon in our decision-making? Do we put God to the test in order to reveal His will for us?

Both of these methods of making decisions are based on circumstances. I am not saying that circumstances do not matter at all, since they do frame the context that we live in and do play a role in our decision-making (which will be discussed further in the next article). But at the same time making decisions based only on your circumstances is not what God would desire us to do. Before we examine how we should make decisions, there is another mistake that believers make in regards to decision-making.

Have you heard someone make a decision based on the “still small voice” of God or an “impression” they had from God? How about a vision or dream? Many people are waiting for that “voice” of God or “impression” on their heart to make a decision. Someone may share how they heard the voice of God or that God impressed on their heart that they should follow this particular direction for their life. Or that God gave them a sense of peace regarding their decision. The problem with using this as your method of making decisions is that it is subjective. Where did this voice, impression, or dream come from? How do you know that it was from God? As well, is this a true biblical pattern of how God reveals His will for us today? Scripture teaches the danger of trusting only in our feelings because of the condition of our heart (Proverbs 28:26; Jeremiah 17:9). Remember Proverbs 14:12 warns us that even though we may sincerely believe something to be true, we may be sincerely wrong. We must first interpret these subjective feelings and impressions on the objective truth of God’s Word (Proverbs 30:5). Otherwise, we are mistakenly elevating our sinful hearts and minds to the same level as Scripture.

With so many decisions even in how we make our decisions, we need to return to Scripture where God reveals to us how we should be making decisions in our life. One thing is clear, God calls believers to live this life with wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5). This is also true in our decision-making, that we make decisions with wisdom which we will discuss further in the next article.

by Elder Peter Lim

If you were to describe your ideal life, what goals would you include? Prestigious college, high-paying career, good-looking spouse, well-behaved children, large house with modern appliances and a home theater in a nice family oriented neighborhood within a good school district? How about some fancy cars, high-end electronic gadgets and gourmet food as well? How about throwing in at least 4 weeks of vacation every year, so that you can spend some quality time with your family? But as a Christian, shouldn’t we be concerned with reaching the lost with the gospel, discipling younger people, serving at church, and caring for the poor and needy? You may be getting a little uncomfortable at this point because you can foresee where I’m going with this and it’s not a comfortable place I’m headed to. Perhaps you might be getting a little upset because this is starting to sound suspiciously like a legalistic guilt trip.

Note that none of the goals listed above are sinful. In fact, there is nothing wrong with any of them. We all want those things, don’t we? After all, there are no verses in the Bible that says we can’t have any of those things, right? Actually, this is beginning to sound a lot like a description of my life, minus the fancy cars. So what’s the problem? Is there something wrong with the way I’m living? The fact is, many of the goals of the typical American Christian, though not necessarily sinful, are in competition with the Biblical priorities for a Christian. But this competition is not necessarily whether or not we are allowed to have these things while living a God-glorifying life but rather it has more to do with how willing we are to think Biblically and make decisions that are Spirit-led. Elder Mike has been writing some helpful articles dealing with decision-making so I won’t repeat those points here. The absence of Biblical instruction regarding those goals (including entertainment options) should speak volumes to us regarding their non-importance. I’m sure that we are sophisticated enough to rephrase our goals so that we would say that we want those things for the sake of ministry. Whether that intention is altruistic or not is between you and God. Bottom line, many of these decisions are within the realm of wisdom issues rather than right versus wrong. Making wise decisions is what Elder Mike is dealing with. I’m merely trying to point out in this article that too often, we have a minimalistic attitude when it comes to desiring certain things for our lives.

For example, many of us wouldn’t mind just going to church on Sunday, hearing a good sermon, and then going home to relax the rest of the day. Maybe attend an occasional Baptism service or Members meeting. The rest of the week is filled with work and maybe a Saturday family activity, gardening, golf, or hanging out with friends. Repeat this the following week for the rest of your life. This is a minimal mindset. Does this sound attractive to you? Then where is the ministry to younger people of the church? Counseling them? Serving the needy? We should have a missional mindset. Many people are using the word “missional” lately but what I mean by this is that we should live as if we are on a missions trip, for example, to Tucuman or Ostrava or wherever else. This means that although it wouldn’t be wrong to have a house or car or whatever, our priority is to work together to spread the gospel. If the whole team is meeting together to prepare for an evangelistic outreach in Tucuman, you wouldn’t miss that because of some sporting event, would you? Or because it’s the opening weekend of a new blockbuster movie? Why would we live differently just because we’re here in San Diego instead of elsewhere? We should live like a missionary because we are missionaries.

Unfortunately, the life of a typical Christian in the United States can be described as minimal, by erring toward the side of personal comfort rather than living out the primary purpose of a Christian. Many of us excuse our current behavior by telling ourselves that we are in a special phase of life that will prepare us to live a more committed-to-Christ life in the future. The problem is, every phase of life has its uniqueness. Collegians need to study, single adults are looking to establish their careers and find their mates, newly married couples are in a honeymoon period, older married couples are dealing with kids from the baby stage on up to college, and then they feel too old to have enough energy to do ministry. I don’t know beyond this point because I’m not that old yet.

So what’s the solution? As always, we look to scripture for our answers. I would like for you all to read Colossians chapters 3 and 4 but since it’s helpful to highlight a few passages, here are some:

• Col. 3:1-2 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
• Col. 3:15-17 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
• Col. 4:5-6 “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
• 1 Thess. 5:14 “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
• 2 Thess. 3:6-7 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you”

If we are busy living out these verses as well as the “one anothers”, we won’t have much time left to spend on lesser priorities. Instead of asking ourselves whether some activity is right or wrong, we need to ask ourselves whether it’s really the best way to glorify God. You will find that much of what we want to do can be forsaken for a more worthwhile activity. When we do need to take a vacation and enjoy recreation, we should do so with the attitude of wanting to re-engage in the priorities of ministry as soon as we are able to because our time on Earth is short.

by Elder Mike Chon

In the last article we saw how the culture of our day can sometimes influence our decision-making, causing us to look away from God and look to another source. One of the differences between someone that has a true biblical worldview and someone that doesn’t is how they begin to make their decisions. Someone without a biblical worldview begins with questions that start with themselves:

• “How is this going to impact my life?”
• “Will this decision help my family?”
• “Will this help me grow closer to God?”

At the heart of all these questions is a very self-centered view of the world. I have to pause at this moment to make an announcement that many of us have already heard before. “Life is not about you!” If you begin to make decisions based on you, then you become the fool that the book of Proverbs writes about (see last article). Those that have a true biblical worldview will begin their decision-making process by asking questions such as:

• “Does God’s Word have anything to say about this?”
• “How does God’s character impact how to make this decision?”
• “Will this decision consider others before myself?”

So how do we guard ourselves from becoming the fool that God warns about?

A fool, biblically speaking, is someone that has forsaken the true wisdom of God. Please understand, the Bible is not engaging in cheap name-calling here; rather it is describing someone who is rebellious, who refuses to use their reason in the way that God intended.  All unbelievers are considered fools because they have forsaken the wisdom of God, primarily in unbelief of the gospel and His Word. But for believers we sometimes act as a fool when we don’t consider God before we consider ourselves. For example, in Romans 12:1 it says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” How are we to “discern what the will of God” is? By the renewal of our mind. So to have a biblical worldview we must start with God’s Word which reveals to us who God is. First of all our mind needs to be renewed with a true understanding of the character of God which comes primarily through the Scriptures. Many times our view of God is incomplete and we allow the world to define God’s character for us which appeals to our sinful mind and heart.

For instance, God’s Word tells us that God is love. But how do we define love? There are so many misconceptions of love that when we describe God’s character to be love, many thoughts may come into mind. Please take time to listen to the audio messages from the 2010 All-Church Retreat to understand what it means that God is love. It may be surprisingly offensive.

God’s Word also describes God as being good. So does that mean that if something “bad” happens in this world or to us, then it must not be from God. But who defines something to be “good” and something to be “bad?” Many of us define the origin of our circumstances based on how we perceive something to be “good” or “bad.” If it is “good,” we will happily and enthusiastically attribute it to God and His goodness. If something is “bad,” it must be from Satan or the world, since a good God would never allow something like this to happen to me. So in our decision-making we pick the path of life that seems “good,” since God would only want us to enjoy our life and not have to suffer. Therefore, the path that seems “good” must be the path that follows God’s will for my life. He wouldn’t want me to pick the path that is more difficult or a path that may bring suffering to my life. Or does He? So how does Scripture define the goodness of God?

When we think of God being good we are not talking about good as opposed to God being bad; it is not related to something He does, but rather something He is. Biblically God’s goodness is related to Him being benevolent, that God is kind. And many times His goodness is related to God being patient in wanting men to repent (Romans 2:1-4). The word “good” in the Greek conveys the idea of being generous, merciful and kind. So when we think about the goodness of God, we can think of the kindness of God. Therefore, all our circumstances can be seen in light of God’s goodness. So when we look at decisions we make, and one choice appears to be more difficult, more inconvenient, the choice will cause us to suffer, is that a “bad” choice? Can we sing worship with David in Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life?” Do we trust that God is good and that His kindness and mercy will follow us like a shepherd? Are our decisions based on the fact that God’s goodness, His mercy, His kindness leads us to repentance and to know that the greatest good in our life is to put aside sin and put on holiness? Do you consider your relationship with God in your decision-making? Do you choose the decision that will help you be transformed more into God’s image or do you choose the one that is most convenient? The one that is logical? The one that will benefit you most in this life? Therefore understanding and trusting in the character of God will help us to make decisions that will truly honor and glorify God.

Only those that have repented of their sins and have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can ever make decisions to know God’s will. If you are not saved, God’s goodness is extended to you in patience so that you have the opportunity to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). If you are not saved and continue in your unbelief you will never know, and will never be capable of knowing God’s will for your life. You will continue to live in this life as a fool who has rejected the true wisdom of God. For believers, we should never conform to this world by making decisions in our life that reflect the foolishness of this world and not the wisdom of God. Who do we consider first in our decisions, God or man? In the next article we will expose some of the common mistakes that we make in our decision-making process and consider that God does hold us responsible, not only to make wise decisions but also responsible in how we make those decisions.

by Elder Peter Lim

Growing up in the mid-1970s in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles, a familiar scene repeated itself every school day as it does even today in much of the World. We played kickball. It always began by some mob-mentality decision made by the more vocal kids that the top two athletes be the two team captains so as to avoid both of them being on the same team. I hate to brag but I was oftentimes one of the two. So the process continued where we alternated picking members of our teams until everyone was on one team or another. I didn’t consider at the time what it must’ve felt like to be one of the last ones chosen, or even being the very last one. I hope I didn’t cause any kid to cry himself to sleep at night because of my attitude toward him.

I bring back this memory (painful no doubt to some of you) because the grown-up version of this scenario can happen to many single Christians, particularly those who are hitting their upper 20s or older and there seems to be no prospect of marriage or even a relationship anywhere in the near future. To be sure, they have been well-taught (at least in our church I hope) that they need to be patient, to trust in God’s sovereign timing, etc. However, I still remember what it felt like when I was single that although I was trying hard to grow spiritually, it was difficult to find someone that I was attracted to who would also be attracted to me. It felt like other guys were being picked to be on a team and I was being left behind. Understanding that I needed to be a man and take the initiative, I worked up enough courage to ask someone to be my girlfriend. Apparently I took her completely by surprise even though we had been good friends, sometimes spending 5 out of 7 nights of the week doing stuff together whether it was studying or going to Bible study together, etc. It took her 48 hours to get back to me with the sisterly reply, “I never saw you in that way. You are a good brother to me.” I was and am grateful that she was direct and to the point but it was still unpleasant to have my feelings unreciprocated. To this day, she is still a good and dear friend. Why do I bring up this embarrassing story? Because many singles are having similar experiences and thoughts regarding the future.

Many of the guys can relate to the situation I just described. It’s not easy to put all your feelings out there all awkwardly like that just to have it rejected, no matter how kindly it was done. Especially if you are working hard to be Godly and you are asking out a girl who has a Godly reputation, you would expect that you stand a better chance of success because she wouldn’t give lame reasons for rejection. I think ladies have it even harder than the guys because as men take the initiative to be “team captains,” the ladies are often left to wonder what’s in store for their future, whether they will ever be picked to be on the team. “Will anyone ever ask me out?” “Why do the wrong guys always seem to show the most interest?” “This guy is asking me out but I’m kind of interested in this other guy…what should I do?” “Is it okay if I ask a guy out?” “Maybe I should drop some obvious hints that I’m interested in him?” Oftentimes the harsh reality of sinful Christian men, who are just as shallow as the rest of the world, as they value physical attraction more than spirituality, discourages ladies such that it tempts them to have a low self-image, self-consciousness, and even depression.

Men:

• There is nothing wrong with video games or sports or [insert hobby here] but consider that there are other more important things to do with your life. Beware of the “Peter Pan Syndrome.” Grow up into Godly men and stop being little boys.
• Stop looking for the perfect woman. Strive to BE the perfect man. If you found the perfect woman, what makes you think you would be worthy of her?

Women:

• You are precious to God. He died to save and redeem you. This should define your worth and not any relationship with a man or lack thereof.
• Don’t blame men if they are being lame. They are in the process of sanctification too. Your pursuit of Godliness should not be dependent on their growth.

Both:

• Value the things that God values in a person. Change your own definition of “attractive” to align with God’s values. Really, do you think some movie star/model/musician/non-Christian is more attractive than a Godly person? If so, your definition is based on worldly values and needs correction.
• The Bible never promises that those who are Godly will get married someday.
• The Bible never portrays marriage as the goal in life. Singleness is even preferred for those to whom it has been given. (1 Cor. 7)
• If you get rejected, don’t have the attitude of “God must have someone better than him/her in store for me.” This is not only not-Biblical, it’s prideful, mean-spirited, and even retaliatory toward the person who rejected you. It is better to think “If it’s His will for me to be married, He has chosen someone perfectly suited for me.” You will need to make an extra effort to renew your friendship with this person especially in the near future because it’s awkward for them to respond to you in this way too. Affirm them for being courageous enough to be honest in this difficult situation.
• Do you want to be the perfect man/woman? A big hint can be found in James 3:2. This applies to ladies too. Remember that the focus is on the source of the words, the fountain from which the water comes out. (James 3:11)
• Men, close your eyes and imagine 20-30 years into your future. Imagine that you have a daughter who has just told you that so-and-so has asked her to go out with him. What do you imagine him to be like ideally? What sort of character qualities would you like him to have? Now come back to reality and BE that man. Ladies, reverse the situation and imagine that you have a son…
• Marriage is sometimes not easy. Remember that two sinners are coming together to form one unit. Practice your disciplines now to be self-sacrificial in your service to one another. As you serve humbly and sacrificially, you will notice that there are others who are doing the same. These should be the most attractive people to you.
• Have you considered that perhaps it’s by God’s mercy that you are not in a marriage relationship? God may not be through preparing you for marriage yet and sparing you from difficult situations that you are not ready for. Keep praying for growth and perhaps even opportunities for you to be stretched in dealing with difficult circumstances.
• Celebrate this phase of your life! You may not be able to fellowship with and enjoy the company of the opposite sex and learn about their peculiarities forever. It just wouldn’t be appropriate after you get married.

by Elder Mike Chon

In a life full of decisions, why do you choose what you choose? As we looked at the last article, many of us make decisions based on what works before we consider what God’s Word has to say about our decisions. Many times this is a clear indication that our worldview is not based on Scripture alone but has been influenced by worldly thinking. In today’s culture, we have all been exposed to postmodern thought. Postmodernism teaches there is considerable doubt as to the existence of objective universal truth.  If it doesn’t exist, then it stands to reason that no one can confidently make it known, which tends to lead to the pluralistic belief that there are actually myriad forms of personal truth. Most of us can barely get through an hour of our day without encountering this belief in some form or another.  So the question is, have you been influenced by this lie that teaches that God’s Word is not truthful and sufficient? For most of us, we will agree that God’s Word is truth but yet we will live our lives as though it does not apply.  We say that God exists and that He speaks, and then we go and live like He doesn’t.  We can get a clear picture of this in what has been going in the last two decades through the Emergent Church or Conversation.

The Emergent Conversation began as a response to what many young postmodernists saw as a need to change church and ultimately the truthfulness of God’s Word. They wanted to experience something more authentic and something with substance in their life. Their motivation for this was not entirely bad or wrong; they felt that the church was not meeting their needs or reaching their generation, and so they began in the early 1990s a network of similarly-minded individuals who embraced postmodern values and were convinced that postmodern times demanded major changes in the church. However, they had their own disparate agendas and views of what needed to change, which were primarily discussed through the internet in the form of various blogs and forums. They began calling themselves the “Emerging Church” since they were convinced that a radical new Christianity was on the horizon (“emerging”). In 2001, a group of key leaders jumped on the Emerging bandwagon and either called themselves the “Emergent” or “Emerging” Conversation. (Editor’s note: even among themselves, not all who adopted these labels agreed on common definitions of what they meant). Within a few years, the Conversation seemed hopelessly hung up on terminology and even ideology and began to dissolve. There was no structure and nothing holding them together since ultimately their postmodern philosophy prevented the exclusivism necessary to define their movement. Everyone had anything and everything to say, and eventually the leaders of the movement themselves have retreated from using the term “Emerging.” Even though this term may not be used, their influence is continuing through other avenues which you still should be aware of.

This is a wide-scale example of what postmodern thinking can do to influence large numbers of people; it can even cause people to redefine the Word of God as such, and undermine its authority. But even for the believer that can discern this type of error, we sometimes allow this type of thinking to influence our daily decisions. How many of us have an “opinion” on what type of church is a good church for “us?” To determine what is considered a “good” church by a subjective standard that the individual determines is a hallmark of postmodernism. The emphasis on an objective standard of truth is removed; in it’s place is substituted an idea that individuals must determine truth on a personal level.  However, where we need to start is with what the Word of God says. If a church is subjecting itself to the Word of God and following the principles of the Word of God, and you still have a problem with the church not fitting your needs, maybe the problem is with you. Could it be that your life is not following the Word of God and that you are living your life for yourself and not for God? Before you criticize a church for not meeting your needs, maybe you need to look at your life and determine if you are following Christ as Lord in your life first.

So why is it so easy to fall prey to this type of thinking in our decision-making? We need to start with the knowledge that we were all enslaved once to sin. Sin not only affected the way we live our life outwardly, but it also inflicted our mind and how we think (what theologians call the “noetic effect” of sin). The Bible has a lot to say about how we thought before we became believers in Christ. Scripturally speaking, an unbeliever is a fool because he has forsaken the source of true wisdom in God. Here is a quote from Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen to describe how we all used to think:

“He is unteachable (Prov. 10:8) and despises instruction (Prov. 15:5); whereas the wise man heeds counsel given to him, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Prov. 12:15). The fool has utter self-confidence and imagines himself to be intellectually autonomous. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov. 28:26). A fool cannot think of himself as mistaken (Prov. 17:10). He judges matters according to his own pre-established standards of truth and right, and thus his own thoughts always turn out in the long run to be correct. The fool is sure that he can rely on his own rational authority and intellectual scrutiny. “The fool beareth himself insolently and is confident” (Prov. 14:16), and therefore he utters his own mind (Prov. 29:11).”

If this is how we all were (there is more but I thought this would be enough to get the point across), you can see how easily we can fall back into this type of thinking with anything that we do. So what can we do to guard against such errors and being a fool in the way we make decisions? In Romans 12:1 it tells us what must be done to make decisions that are God-glorifying, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In the next article, we will look at how we can practically accomplish this so that we will make decisions in our life that is biblically based and God-honoring.

by Elder Peter Lim

In the last few years, the word “opportunity” has become one of my favorite words. This is a result of meditating on the various choices that we face each day. What makes certain choices in life better than others? Depending on one’s worldview, circumstances in life are perceived and dealt with in different ways. For example, one can respond to a tragic event, say the death of a loved one, by grieving uncontrollably or by recognizing that a sovereign God has accomplished His work in that individual’s life. Of course it’s understandable to grieve because we will miss them, but it should be noted by a different kind of grief than the world’s grief, knowing that nothing is out of the control of a loving and sovereign God’s hands. A correct understanding of the doctrine of sovereignty of God is the primary determining factor in shaping our worldviews. An unbalanced and unbiblical view will lead to one extreme or the other. If one has a weak view of God’s sovereignty, then we will be more likely to think less about God and more about ourselves and our ability to avoid or otherwise deal with difficult circumstances. We will also give ourselves more credit for the “wise” choices that we were able to make since a weak view suggests that God isn’t all that interested nor sovereign over the details of our life. A strong view of God’s sovereignty leads us to giving less credit to ourselves and more glory to God. The obvious danger here is that a hyper-sovereign view will lead to an unbiblical view of a deterministic God whose interaction with His creation is limited to a robotic existence. The Bible is clear that while God is sovereign and in control of all things, He cares deeply for His people. This love manifested is basically the theme of the entire Bible. Since God is sovereign, we don’t have anything to worry about when unpleasant events happen. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples which highlights physically and emotionally difficult situations.

Example 1: Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness

For a Christian, death is never something to fear. It’s more like the end of running a marathon and the finish line is within sight. It is a welcome relief from not only the pains of this world, but more importantly it is an escape from the sinful flesh that we struggle against (Rom. 7:23) and the fulfillment of God’s work in us as we are given glorified bodies which are not stained with sin. (Rom. 8:23-25) Facing death is an opportunity to share the gospel to others who don’t understand your perspective. It is an opportunity for the remaining family members and friends to share the gospel with non-Christians.

Example 2: Being Hurt by Someone Whom You Thought was a Friend

Betrayal by a friend is one of the most emotionally devastating things a person can experience. Jesus came to Earth and experienced both extreme physical pain through the cross and emotional pain because of betrayal by a friend. Most of you are probably thinking that I’m referring to Judas. Actually I am referring to the fact that His creation, people, collectively rebel against Him and shake their fist in defiance. That means you and me, not just Judas. Why the present tense? Because you and I exemplify this every time we sin. When a friend hurts us, it should be a reminder to us that we do the same thing to God. Therefore, this is an opportunity for us to be like Jesus and pursue peace and forgiveness. The deeper the hurt, the better the analogy. The one who does not graciously seek peace is demonstrating that he knows nothing about God’s grace and has ample cause for questioning whether he is truly a believer or not. When the betrayer is forgiven by the one he hurt, it is an opportunity to relive the joy of receiving forgiveness from God. It is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to fight against our sinful flesh and sin no more. Finally, it is an opportunity for the world to see that Christians can live together in peace although there has been deep hurt.

Are you currently going through some difficult times? No matter what the circumstances are, it is an opportunity to glorify God.