Early Piety: The Example of King Josiah – King’s Cross Exhortation

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Lk. 6:26–28). 

These are the words of Jesus of Nazareth, and they have rightfully undergirded Christian ethics ever since he first spoke them. And so this morning, I want to encourage you in two specific ways regarding our Lord’s command to love your enemies. 

The first is this – you should live in such a way that you have enemies. Too many Christians think that Christ’s words mean that we should not have enemies. That something has gone terribly wrong when we receive opposition. But this is simply not the case. All the way back to the Garden, enemies have risen against the Lord and his Anointed. And if we are united to Christ, if all that is His is ours, then His enemies by necessity must be our enemies. As Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than His master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn. 15:20). 

The second item of note is this – after rightly acknowledging your enemies, you are to love them in all sincerity. True love is not simply a vague feeling tucked away in the recesses of your heart. Rather, it is an inward disposition outwardly displayed. Love is concrete. Love can be touched. And here Jesus gives three tangible ways for you to love your enemies. You are to do good to them, bless them, and pray for them.

As Pastor Toby works through the Book of Acts, we have a great example of what this love looks like in the life and ministry of the early church. Consider the first martyr, Stephen, who prayed for his enemies as they stoned him to death. Or the Apostle Paul, who takes beating after beating, never returning evil for evil but relentlessly continuing to preach the gospel. 

Of course, their ultimate example, and ours in this, is our Lord Jesus. What enemies did He love? He loved you and me. And how did He demonstrate that love? He laid down His life – He did good to us – in order to make us His friends.

Shawn Paterson – June 30, 2024

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The summer season is upon us and for many of you that means your well-worn routines are interrupted or changed. The kids are no longer in school, and if you homeschool, you are most likely taking a break from your curriculum. Warmer weather means more time spent outdoors in fellowship with others. You also have more opportunities for recreation, family vacations, and hosting out-of-town guests. All of these are good gifts from God for you to enjoy, but you should be aware of the ways in which they can disrupt your habits of Bible reading, prayer, or even church attendance. 

Summer is not a time to kick back and relax spiritually. There are no spiritual vacations in the Christian life. As the Apostle Peter wrote, we must always be sober-minded and watchful, because our adversary Satan never ceases from prowling like a lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Now being watchful does not simply mean avoiding temptation and killing sin—the putting off of your old self. It also means further cultivating in your life and your home good spiritual disciplines and habits—the putting on of your new self (Eph. 4:22–24). 

One foundational way to remain watchful and alert is to read the Word. We happen to be starting our summer Bible Reading Plan through the New Testament tomorrow, and this is a great opportunity to jump into daily Bible reading with others at a pace of 4 chapters a day. If that’s too much for you or if checking off boxes does the exact opposite of motivating you, then I encourage you to pick one or two books of the Bible to read and reread this summer, daily at your own pace. 

Regardless of your method, the exhortation is to start or continue to be in the Word consistently. Be vigilant. Be watchful. Take care of your soul and those entrusted to you. And enjoy God’s goodness to you and your families. 

Shawn Paterson – June 2, 2024

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We believe in the God of the Bible, the Author of our salvation. Which means we believe in a Trinitarian God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess, with the ancient Church in our creeds, that “we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity.”

The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to our faith, and yet often when we think about it or try to explain it, we are prone to shy away. This is because we know there is high theology here, and with that comes deep cliffs of heresy. There are big theological words like essence, substance, subsistence, persons, filiation, spiration… shouldn’t we leave this to the experts? But my encouragement this morning is because of the deep mystery here, you are to lean in all the more. Yes, you must do so with precision, with the help of Scripture and the creeds, but you absolutely should learn to embrace the Trinity with simple joy.

One reason for this is that your salvation is tied up in the doctrine of the Trinity, in the undivided work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In fact, His salvific work in history is how He has revealed this doctrine to His people. God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Spirit who was also given to us (Jn. 3:16, Rom. 5:5). Salvation is nothing more than being united to the Triune God. You are made partakers of His divine nature and are given access to this great mystery, to God Himself. 

Can your finite minds fully comprehend what it means to believe in one God in three Persons? No, for we are talking about the infinite God in Himself. Should that then dissuade you from contemplating Him? Consider these words from C.S. Lewis, “You may ask, ‘If we cannot imagine a three-personal Being, what is the good of talking about Him?’ Well, there isn’t any good talking about Him. The thing that matters is being actually drawn into that three-personal life, and that may begin any time…”

So the exhortation is this: Confess this great mystery. Believe in the holy Trinity. Pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. And simply love your Triune God, in whose name you have been baptized, who has made you His.

Shawn Paterson – May 26, 2024

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In the infinite wisdom of God, salvation came through a mother. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman (Gal. 4:4). And so it should be no surprise that it pleases God, generation after generation, to use the sacrificial love of mothers to build His kingdom. 

This is the case in every humble Christian family, but church history is filled with great examples for our imitation and encouragement. St Timothy inherited his sincere faith from his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois (2 Tim. 1:5). Behind the great St Augustine stood his faithful mother, Monica. The Wesley brothers received their fiery zeal from Susanna’s example. The powerful preaching of Spurgeon was the fruit of Eliza’s pleading prayers. Hudson Taylor departed for China with the prayer and blessing of his mother, Amelia, still echoing in his ears. And J. Gresham Machen dedicated his book Christianity & Liberalism to his mother, who taught him the Bible and the Shorter Catechism as a child. And the list could go on… 

Mothers give life. Mothers cultivate eternal souls. God uses mothers to change history. And so it is little wonder then that those in our culture who are at war with God are at war with motherhood. Their attacks range from teaching young girls that there is something much better for them to aspire to than “just being a mom” all the way to the celebration of abortion as a way to avoid motherhood (although we know those discarded babies do indeed have mothers).

In our fight against such a culture of death, we celebrate that which they hate—strong and faithful mothers. The kind that die daily so that their children might live. The kind that raise boys and girls that are not “safe” but dangerous – a threat to the enemies of God.

And so the exhortation this morning is to honor the mothers in your life. Rise up and call them blessed (Prov. 31:28). And if you’re a mother, hear this: the eternal significance of your work is not meant to be a terrible burden but a great opportunity for faithfulness. All that you do is by the grace of God and according to His promises. So rely on Him, and may your works praise you in the gates (Prov. 31:31).

Shawn Paterson – May 12, 2024

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