A Better Inheritance

It was our typical Sunday routine. My son Bryce and I walked out of our local church’s facility onto the parking lot. We were headed to our usual Sunday lunch spot (we are creatures of habbit).

Climbing into the car, before I could even ask what he had learned in Sunday School, Bryce asked, “Hey dad, you know about Jacob and Esau?” I love it when I can hear the wheels spinning in his brain.

“Sure bud, I know who you are talking about,” I replied. “What about them?”

“Well, you know how when their dad died he had to give stuff to one of them?”

Looking for the teachable moment, I explained, “I think your talking about an inheritance.” I waited for a deep spiritual reflection from my seven-year-old theologian.

“Sure dad. Anyway, when you die, can I have your ipad?”

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be sure to lock my bedroom door that night!

I love the way Bryce’s mind works. He was thinking about a future inheritance that was important to him. As believers, we should be doing the same thing.

Peter explains, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5).

Here are three great takeaways regarding our inheritance in Christ:

  • Our inheritance is better than anything on earth! Unlike the deterioration experienced by things of this world, our inheritance in Christ is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” Why? Because…
  • Our inheritance is more secure than anything on earth! Fort Knox has nothing on the security of our inheritance because it is “kept in heaven for you.”
  • Our inheritance has earthly benefits. God’s power is guarding us “through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

In Christ alone, our inheritance is guaranteed to us and we are guaranteed for our inheritance. And that’s way better than an iPad!

Learning From Lizards & Forest Gump

Everyone who has seen the movie loves Forest Gump. Yet, I’ve never heard anyone say they wanted to be like Forest Gump.

According to the story, Forest inspired Elvis Presley’s dance style. But have you ever heard a choreographer admit to patterning their career after Forest? Later in the movie, Forest played football for Bear Bryant at Alabama –yet no aspiring athlete aims to be like Forest. He met with JFK and LBJ in the Whitehouse, yet I’ve never heard an ambitious teenager pattern their life to follow in his steps. He even became an international Ping-Pong star and later started a successful shrimp company.

Why, then, do you never hear parents encouraging their children to “be like Forest?”

Perhaps its because the manner in which Forest lived his life. He was a humble man who, for the most part, stumbled into major historical moments. For most of us, we prefer to take charge of the moment and “make things happen,” rather than being an afterthought.

But have you ever considered the fact that Christ never calls us to control our own destiny or make a name for ourselves? Rather, Jesus bids us to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Instead of building our Kingdom, we are to build His Kingdom. And, instead of making a name for ourselves, we are to lift up His name and renown to all nations.

What amazes me is the way that Christ uses humble men, committed to him, in order to change the world. Much like Forest Gump, humble followers of Christ are placed in historical moments. Only in this case, it is clearly by the design and hand of God working through His children for His Kingdom.

I love the way Proverbs 30:28 explains this truth: “The lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.” In other words, although ambitious men may spend a lifetime attempting to enter the palace (Think Oval Office), God delights in placing humble creatures in the most exalted positions. It was true of Moses, Joseph, David, and other men of God throughout the ages. Of course the ultimate example of humility is in Christ, who, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6-11).

In Christ, the example has been set for us to, “Humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10).

Don’t get me wrong, humbling yourself before the Lord does not mean you are going to end up on the cover of TIME or be invited to the East Room of the Whitehouse for a state dinner. Instead, it means that you will have discovered the more abundant life in which Christ is King and all the fulfillment others are looking for in status, experiences, and recognition, you will have found in a relationship.

And, who knows, along the way you just might have some great adventure. Life’s like a box of chocolates, you know!

 

Cite Your Sources!

My sophomore year in high school was a game changer. Up to that point, I had never been required to write a formal research paper. I had written plenty of essays, book reports, and other assignments, but never a real-deal research paper.

I loved the idea of researching a topic, organizing my thoughts, and then presenting my findings. Everything about a research paper sounded great until my teacher introduced the concept of citing sources. I remember over and over she would say, “don’t forget to cite your sources!”

I didn’t understand why that was so important at the time. Why couldn’t we just write about what we learned? Who cared where the information came from?

Fast-forward to today. As I read books about ministry and theology, I have learned that footnotes are my friend. No matter the author, I want to know where he/she obtained his/her information –especially before I relay it to someone else.

Citing sources validates your message and gives credibility to your writing. It’s the same way in preaching –and I’m not just talking about just giving credit to the person who’s illustration you are repeating.

More importantly, I’m talking about citing God’s Word. The sermon should flow out of God’s Word, to the heart of the listener, turning their attention back to the Word. This only happens when the preacher preaches the Word.

While that sounds simple enough, it’s not happening often enough. Instead, too many preachers are teaching a message instead of teaching the Bible. What’s the difference? Teaching a message is like writing a research paper without citing the sources. Who knows whether the message is credible or not? It may be biblical, it may be the preacher’s opinion, or it may be a mixture of the two.

But when the sermon originates, explores, presents, and reflects on God’s Word, every listener knows the message is authoritative.

This means more than just referencing a few verses, out of context, along the way to making a point. That’s actually manipulating God’s Word to serve your own means. Instead, in responsible preaching, the message bows to the text rather than vice versa.

I know there are plenty of wonderful Christian men who preach a message instead of preaching the Bible without the intention of manipulating Scripture. They have great motives and love the Lord. If that describes you, and this is the first time you’ve considered this idea, let me share a few dangers of preaching a message rather than preaching the Word:

  • Over time, without the consistent teaching of the Word, a message can subtly change.
  • Preaching a message without the Word can lead to actions without understanding. That’s a recipe for empty moralism.
  • Without teaching the Bible, people aren’t encouraged to learn to study the Bible for themselves. They may easily remain dependent upon the pastor to study for them.

So, if you are a preacher or teacher, be sure to cite your sources! It’s more work, to be sure, but it’s the only way to ensure authority in your teaching and spiritual growth for your congregation.

4 Vital Keys to Reading Christian Blogs

I love listening to sports talk radio. Hearing an expert break down a crucial play is captivating and discovering the latest news about my favorite team is exciting.

But sports radio’s biggest attraction, in my opinion, is the caller-driven format. Fans love to hear the opinions of other fans –especially from the more passionate callers.

The accepted terms for these types of callers are “armchair quarterbacks” and “Monday-morning quarterbacks.” The idea is that, although not actual players or coaches, they act as if they are experts.

Over the past few years, armchair pastors and theologians have found a platform. Instead of calling radio programs, these would-be experts communicate as bloggers (like me). Just like sports radio is good for sports, bloggers are great for discussing the church and theology.

However, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

  • Not everyone who blogs is an expert. (I place myself in the non-expert category.) Read broadly, but be very careful whom you trust.
  • No expert is 100% right all the time. For those who are experts, we must remember they are still human. Be diligent in studying for yourself. Allow bloggers to give your study direction, but don’t settle for blindly accepting their answers. Be like the Bereans who “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). If they were examining what Paul was preaching, surely we should all be examining the teachings of our favorite bloggers today!
  • Discussion is good. We learn through the interaction of ideas. Discussion allows points to be questioned, clarified, tested, and resolved.
  • Scripture is the ultimate standard. The problem lies in in allowing the issue to be settled based upon the best rhetoric, most popular opinion, cultural bias, or strongest personality. Instead, the only standard that matters is God’s Word.

Just like in sport-radio, discernment is the key to determining whether discussion is useful or wasteful. Of course, when it comes to the church, theology, and the gospel, the stakes are much higher than in the sports world. The most dangerous false prophets are those who are the most difficult to distinguish from men who are faithful to the teachings of Scripture. And, the smallest false teaching (no matter how inconsequential it may seem) is like a small crack in concrete. Over time, it can ruin a foundation and compromise an entire structure.

So be discerning, and when necessary, turn the dial!

Temptation In Transit

About ten years ago, I was helping put together a student conference in Dallas.  About five days before the event was to take place, I was missing one important item. Two weeks earlier, I had ordered some give-away items with the conference logo and theme imprinted on them.

Nervous that they would not arrive in time, I called the company who sold them to me. They tracked the shipping and said the package was to arrive at my office on Tuesday. The only problem was that the conference started in Dallas on Monday. The shipment would arrive too late.

So, I called UPS to see if they could help me. They tracked the package to confirm its location –Memphis. So I asked the customer service lady how much it would be to upgrade the shipping speed to overnight the package from Memphis to my office. She said it was impossible to change the shipping method once the package was in transit.

So then I asked if we could just change the destination to Dallas so that the package would arrive at the conference. The polite voice answered, “we cannot change the destination once a package is in transit.”

Next, I said, don’t worry; I’ll have a friend pick it up from the warehouse in Memphis on his way to the conference. “I’m very sorry sir, but we cannot allow a package to leave our custody until it is delivered to its final destination.”

At this point I was getting nervous. It seemed like every possible solution was shut down by UPS policy. So, I pulled out my secret weapon –something every pastor reserves for these kind of near-impossible situations. What is the secret weapon? The illustration tied to an emotional story!

Quickly, I went into “end of the sermon preacher mode.” My voice got a little softer and I said, “Suppose this was your package instead of mine. But it wasn’t just any old package –it was your mother’s cremated remains. What if you found out that your mother’s remains wouldn’t arrive in time for the funeral. Knowing what you know about how UPS operates, what would you do to make sure the package arrived in time for the funeral?”

Without skipping a beat –in the most pleasant voice in all of customer service, the lady replied, “Sir, it is UPS policy not to ship human remains.”

Ha! I just had to laugh out loud. Just when I thought I was going to “make a deal” to get what I wanted, the customer service lady calmly relied upon her training and referenced UPS policy.

It reminds me of Christ’s temptation in the desert. Satan had tried every temptation imaginable. First, he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread. Surely this appealed to Christ’s hunger since He had been fasting for forty days. But Jesus calmly turned to Scripture and said, “man shall not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4).

Next, Satan tempted Jesus to jump off of a high pinnacle overlooking the city so that He would experience a majestic angel rescue. But Jesus answered, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7).

Finally, Satan gave it his last-ditch effort. He told Jesus to bow down and worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. This time Jesus became more firm (not so much like a customer service voice) and said, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him alone shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10).

And with that, Satan left.

So what was the secret to Christ’s battle with temptation? Much like the customer service representative, He simply turned to “policy” –the policy of God’s Word. Instead of trying to develop a clever argument or rebuttal –he relied upon the unchanging, never failing, all-powerful sword of the Spirit. Every answer He spoke to Satan was straight from Scripture.

This is a discipline I must personally pursue with greater tenacity in my life. What about you? We all know that temptation is constantly “in transit” and will no doubt show up on the doorstep of your heart today (that package never seems to arrive late).

In order for us to practice Christ’s method for resisting temptation, we must be so well versed in scripture that it becomes our “meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). After all, I’m fairly certain the UPS lady didn’t just spout off all of their shipping policies without having disciplined herself to study the manual. Likewise, preparing for temptation must be a proactive effort in which we “discipline ourselves for godliness” (I Timothy 4:7) by studying the Word consistently.

Then, and only then, will we be able to answer temptation with Scripture –with even more calm confidence than a UPS customer service representative!

Run the Race

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There is a great phrase Hebrews 12:1 that says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”  When I was growing up and even when I was older, I mistakenly understood this verse to mean that you better watch out what you do because all of those who have gone on before us are right around the corner and they are watching from Heaven, and if you goof up they are reporting to God – as if God could not see everything himself.  However, this verse is not a verse to intimidate, but it is a verse to encourage us.  It is not a verse to make us think that someone is always looking over our shoulder, but instead we need to see it in the context.

The context is chapter 11. Chapter 11 is talking about people who lived a life of faith, and how they lived that life of faith.

So Hebrews 12 naturally is speaking of the people in chapter 11 and all the ones who have gone on in faith.  Since we are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses,

When He says witnesses, He doesn’t mean people watching us.  He means witnesses like we talk about in our judicial system.  When you are a witness you come up and you sit on the stand, and you testify to certain facts.  What are the people in chapter 11 testifying to us?  They are testifying and they are screaming out, “You can do it!”  You can run the very same race of faith.  Your life can be a life that is filled with the same faith as all of those in chapter 11.

We see that this is a transition passage. These first two verses are telling us that we can live the same type of life as those who lived the life of faith in chapter 11.  It is an encouragement.  He says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

The word race in the Greek is actually the word that we get our word agony from.  So He is not talking about racing you to the mailbox or racing you from one point to the next.  We are talking about a long-distance race.  We are talking about faith through agony.  We are talking about faith through the good times and faith in the bad times.  So don’t be mistaken, we are not talking about a path to health and wealth.  We are talking about a life of faith and all the ups and downs of life -the good times and the agonizing times.

How do we run this race of faith just like those who have gone on before us?  The first thing that we can notice in the beginning of this passage is that we need to “Join the Historical Race.”  We have the opportunity to join the historical race.  That is why He says, “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”  We have this great heritage of Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses that is listed in chapter 11, and we can join it.  We can worship like Able worshiped.  We can walk with God the way that Enoch walked with God.  We can obey God like Noah obeyed God.  We can sacrifice like Abraham sacrificed.  We can lead like Moses led.  We can do all of those things, and they are witnesses to fact that we can do that.  We can run this race of faith, and it is very possible by faith.

If you are a believer in Christ, this is your race –and you will finish. So let the witness of those who have gone on before you encourage you to keep running!

Where is the Honor?

2 Samuel 1 immediately follows the death of King Saul. This is a monumental moment as it marks the transfer of leadership from Saul to David.

Remember that about fifteen years earlier Samuel anointed David to be king in the future (I Samuel 16). This happened just prior to David’s battle with Goliath. From that time until the death of Saul, the people praised David –many times more than Saul. For instance, in I Samuel 18:7, women sang to one another, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Imagine the awkward position David found himself in.

David knew that God chose him to be King in the future, yet for now, Saul was still God’s chosen man for the time being. Over and over the Bible demonstrates this tension in David’s life as he humbly submits to Saul –many times in the face of Saul’s jealousy. Before long, David goes into hiding because Saul tries to kill him (I Samuel 19). This is the point in the story where friendship with Saul’s son Jonathan saves David’s life (I Samuel 20).

Through it all, David always honored Saul. Seems strange to honor a man who is trying to kill you, right? Yet, David refused to take Saul’s life inside a cave (1 Sam. 24:4-22) and later as Saul lay sleeping (1 Sam. 26:1-12).

Now to 2 Samuel 1. Saul has died and it is David’s turn to be king of Judah. At this point, it seems David would have reason to celebrate. The man who has sought to kill him is dead and the throne now belongs to him. Yet, David is grieved and leads the people in a time of mourning.

No doubt, much of this grieving is due to the loss of his best friend, Jonathan. Yet, there is more to the story.

The messenger who brought David the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death was more than an eyewitness. In fact, according to the man’s own testimony, an injured Saul asked the man to kill him in order to avoid humiliation. Pay attention to how David responds to the man’s testimony in 2 Samuel 1:14-16:

David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

To the very end, David maintained deep loyalty and honor for Saul because he was “the Lord’s anointed.”

Where is this kind of honor today? Moreover, from where does this kind of honor spring?

This kind of honor is only brought about by faith. David’s reference to Saul as “the Lord’s anointed” make this clear. David’s honor was not based upon Saul’s merit, but instead the Lord’s sovereign choosing. Simply put, God had chosen Saul and David honored God’s choice. Who is man, after all, to correct God?

Although David could not understand why God’s chosen would attack him and seek to destroy Him, David did not let circumstances derail his faith.

Faith, of course, is always in response to God. Therefore, the ultimate source of this kind of faithful honor finds its eternal source in Christ. As we abide in Him, and by his strength alone trust Him, we too may display this kind of honor.

What would that look like?

  • Perhaps, those who claim to love Christ would begin to honor their nation’s President –even when it seems he is determined to attack Christians.
  • Maybe Christians who disagree with their pastor’s decisions, direction, or ideas will cease to criticize him publicly and choose to support him as God’s man for the hour.
  • In the workplace, believers would begin to respect their managers and supervisors who malign them, choosing instead to be examples of faithful laborers.

Why in the world, you might ask, would I do that? Don’t you know what our president is doing? You must not know my pastor! If only you had spent time with my boss.

Remember, the president, your pastor, or your boss are not the issue. God’s sovereign choice is the issue. Honoring them is not based upon their merit –but upon God’s wisdom.

By dishonoring others, you dishonor God. It communicates that you don’t trust his providence in placing those leaders in each position.

What if you chose to see them as “the Lord’s anointed?” Instead of hating them or criticizing them, what if you thanked God for them and prayed for them –even when they hurt or offend you?

Like David, you have an opportunity to do something counterintuitive to a worldly standard. You have the opportunity to glorify God by displaying faith in Him through honoring those he has placed in authority above you.

I pray that we all (myself included) will make the honorable choice.

Making Sacrifice Significant

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” I imagine most of us who grew up attending church regularly have heard those words quoted from I Samuel chapter 15. They are strong words conveying a powerful concept.

Every major religion values sacrifice. The concept of putting forward something of value and relinquishing it as an act of worship is moving to human emotions. It requires depriving one’s self for the sake of something greater. That’s why the announcement of something that is better than sacrifice grips our attention. What, we wonder, could be nobler than sacrifice?

Often, we take the words, “to obey is better than sacrifice” as a suggestion to abandon sacrifice in order to focus on obedience. Some may rationalize their lack of giving to the church or volunteering in ministry as a result of misunderstanding this verse.

In I Samuel 15, Samuel anoints Saul as King of Israel and immediately relays a directive from the Lord to completely destroy the city of Amalek. Nothing was to remain.

Saul was victorious against the Amalekites. However, instead of destroying everything, he spared the king along with the best sheep, oxen, and fatted calves. This was direct disobedience of God’s instruction.

When Samuel confronted Saul about the King and animals, Saul rationalized his actions by stating that he brought back the best of the animals to sacrifice unto the Lord.

To this, Samuel replies:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Notice, Samuel never says that God does not delight in sacrifice. Instead, He elevates the value of obedience. Notice the connection: sacrifice is only as meaningful as the sincerity of the one sacrificing. If that person has a disobedient heart (especially regarding the sacrifice itself), the sincerity behind the sacrifice is diminished. It is form of hypocrisy to represent one’s self as sincere before the Lord while simultaneously disobeying Him. Therefore, the first step is to get to the heart of the matter –obedience.

I imagine the applications are endless. It is easy to imagine the financial implications (ie. Don’t use unethical means to finance ministry, etc.). But what about those who “sacrifice” their time to attend worship services and act like sincere worshippers yet live consistently disobedient lives without any contrition? I imagine we all can relate.

Saul had forgotten his role before God. Instead of submitting his kingship to the authority of God’s universal kingship, Saul acted like the other kings of his day –bringing home the spoils of war to demonstrate power and authority. He was willing to claim “sacrifice” when it worked in his favor –yet, in the end; it was just an act to cover the true intentions of his heart.

Yes, sacrifice is important, but the heart of the matter is obedience. Is there any greater example of this than the cross of Christ? We often speak of His sacrifice on the cross, yet the Romans crucified many. What made Christ’s sacrifice significant was His perfect life of obedience.

So don’t stop giving or sacrificing on account of Samuel’s words. Instead, imitating Christ, make your sacrifice significant through a lifestyle of obedience.

Seven Years Later

Seven years ago today, my wife passed away. Early in the morning of November 2, 2008, the doctor informed me that after approximately twelve hours of surgeries, there was nothing more the medical personnel could do to save Jill’s life.

The day before, on November 1, Jill and I were traveling with our three month old son. We collided with another vehicle and Jill suffered what would prove to be fatal injuries.

Now, seven years later, I continue to struggle with the events from that day. Even more, I struggle with the question “why.”

Don’t misunderstand. I trust that God is in control and that nothing happened on November 1-2, 2008 that was outside of His sovereignty. Moreover, I do not question God’s wisdom in the matter.

Instead, my “why” question, emanates from my faith rather than opposed to my faith. In other words, because I KNOW that God is in control, I wonder why He left me to parent my son, Bryce, rather than Jill. After all, she was a natural at motherhood. From the day Bryce was born, she always knew exactly what to do -and she performed every motherly task with elegant grace.

For those three months before she died, I would come home from work everyday eager to watch her with Bryce. It was beautiful!

After she passed away, I found this video that she shot the day before the accident. Today, even though I don’t understand the “why,” I praise God for giving me eight years with this amazing, Christ-like lady. She has left behind a godly legacy for our family and all those she touched with her life. Soli Deo Gloria!

 

The Missing Details in Crime Dramas

I love to watch crime dramas on television. However, there are a few details that always puzzle me.

For instance, when cops interrogate a suspect, they will often say, “Give us the address where we can find John Doe and we’ll pretend like this never happened.”

I’m always amazed how criminals can recite the exact addresses of all their constituents off the top of their heads.

Similarly, I think it is interesting that after going through multiple burner phones, criminals are able to reach all of their contacts immediately. Do the new burners come pre-programmed with their contact’s numbers? If so, how can they know the numbers for all the new burner phones their contacts are using as well?

Like I said, puzzling. I guess the criminal mind knows no bounds.

In a strange way, many television shows today provoke us to root for the criminal. We anxiously watch to see how they will ingeniously fool law enforcement and escape this week’s dilemma.

This is not reality. In real life, dishonest gain, manipulation, and deceit lead to heartache, punishment, and ultimately death.

Proverbs 1:18-19 rightly warns:

“these men lie in wait for their own blood;

they set an ambush for their own lives.

Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

it takes away the life of its possessors.”

Here, Solomon explains that all dishonest activity serves to set an ambush for the life of the person who practices such a lifestyle. The harder this person works toward unjust gain, the greater the consequences that await. Ultimately, Solomon explains, it takes their life.

While this may call to mind vast criminal enterprises, villainous gangsters, and mafia figure; this passage is just as applicable for the businessman manipulating numbers to avoid greater taxes, the young college student buying copies of tests to cheat their way to a passing grade, the friend who manipulates to get their own way, or even the pastors who inflates the attendance numbers to impress colleagues.

No matter the sin, our dishonest actions fueled by selfishness and pride lead to death (Romans 3:23). Only Jesus can transform the wicked heart to love truth, desire honest relationships, and seek the welfare of others above our own interests.

Christ calls us to cease from our own plans to reign victorious in life, and trust His life to find victory through His reign. Simply put, we must turn away from our sin and turn to Christ by faith, trusting Him alone for the forgiveness of sin. In that moment, even the vilest offender, will receive Christ’s righteousness and favor with God.

The mystery of Christ’s power to save is far greater than the plot of any crime drama. And, although that message may never make it to your television screen, it is vitally important that it makes it into your heart.