Christ Church

The Mind of Christ (Philippians #7)

Christ Church on

Introduction

We have been emphasizing like-mindedness and its relationship to joy. But like-mindedness cannot be cobbled together from side-to-side. If you tied two people’s legs together, what you get is not unanimity, but rather a three-legged race at the picnic, and people falling down. So the like-mindedness that we must pursue must be pursued through our imitation of Christ. Paul said in the first chapter that he wanted them to be of “one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). He exhorted them in Phil. 2:2 to be like-minded. In the next verse he commends lowliness of mind (Phil. 2:3). And here we come to the capstone of all of this—which is the mind of Christ.

This is how we are to understand how it all ties together: one mind > like-minded > lowliness of mind > the mind of Christ. 

The Text

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5–11). 

Summary of the Text

There are good arguments for considering this passage (vv. 6-11) to be an early Christian hymn, one that Paul inserted here to anchor his point about humility of mind. He begins by exhorting them to cultivate the same mind that was in Christ (v. 5). Earlier in v. 3, he told us that we were to have lowliness of mind. Christ was perfect, and Christ was humble.

And here the hymn begins. He was in the very form of God, and so it was not grasping for Him to consider Himself equal with God (v. 6). He was with God, and He was God (John 1:1). So He, infinitely majestic, made Himself to be of “no reputation.” God became a nobody. He was in the form of God, but took on the form of a slave (doulos), and was made in the likeness of men (v. 7). And being found in that form, that schematic, of a man, He humbled Himself—further—and was obedient to God, all the way to death on a cross (v. 8). Because He was obedient down to the nadir of degradation, what did God do? God has exalted Him, and has exalted Him above every possible name (v. 9). Because His name is above every name, the result will be that every knee will bow, whether they be the knees of creatures in Heaven, or on earth, or subterranean (v. 10). Not only will every knee bow, but every tongue is also going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and the end result will be that God the Father will be glorified (v. 11).  

Form of God, Form of Man 

As we see here in this text, and as we learn from the creeds, the Lord Jesus was not an admixture of Deity and humanity. He was and remained fully God. But He did not grasp for the prerogatives of that reality, but rather submitted to the will of His Father. When He did this, He took on the form of a man. He added humanity to Himself, subtracting nothing, and with that union accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This was not a mingling or a mixture. He was and remains fully God and He became fully man. As the Athanasian Creed puts it—“One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [or essence]; but by unity of Person.” In this, the natures of Deity and humanity are not blurred or smudged together. Rather, they are joined, and their distinct natures kept distinct, with the intersection where they meet being the person of our Lord Jesus. 

Cultivate This Mind . . .

According to carnal calculations, the mind of Christ would have no reason to be humble. Why should perfection be humble? But He was absolute perfection, and this means that His humility was absolutely perfect. Humility is one of the attributes of perfection.

And it is here that we must learn to make an important distinction. There is a difference between being humble and being humiliated, shamed, or embarrassed. Now these latter sensations can actually be good for us, and frequently are. God can use them in our lives to great profit. Being taken down a few pegs in such ways can set the stage for growth in humility, but they are not the same thing as humility. 

Growth in humility does not mean identifying yourself as a lousy worm. That would be humiliation, which might be a gospel duty. If you have been behaving like a lousy worm then you should admit it. Such humiliation is good for you. But that is not humility. Humility is the attitude that receives such humiliation. And growth in humility means learning to not think of yourself at all. Humility is that which receives the humbling and does not notice the promotion. 

What It Means to “Not Notice”

There is a not-noticing that is humility, and there is a not-noticing that is simply ignorance and stupidity. Christ has been exalted to the highest place, and it is not as though He does not know this. When Joseph was exalted to high position in Egypt, he knew that this had happened. When Daniel was promoted in Babylon, he was aware of it.

So what do I mean by “noticing” and “not noticing?” I mean noticing your accolades, or your honors, or your promotions, treating them as sweet morsels for your ego. You keep each one of them like a lozenge under your tongue. That kind of thing is perilous for the soul.

Looking to Christ, and Not to Man

“How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (John 5:44).

In order to have the mind of Christ, you must look to Christ. When you look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, your lust for the praise of man will start to evaporate. And the more you look to man for his praise, the harder it becomes for you to understand the mind of Christ. 

The difference can be put in a nutshell. Looking to man means that you want to go straight to the crown. Looking to Christ means that you want to follow Him through the cross to a true crown, the kind that never perishes. 

Read Full Article

The Stepping Stones of Like-Mindedness (Philippians #5)

Christ Church on

Introduction

We have already had occasion to look at Paul’s concern for like-mindedness as expressed in this letter, and we should remember that later on he appeals for peace between Euodia and Syntyche (Phil.4:2-3).  Given this emphasis on like-mindedness, and its relationship to joy, also a theme of this epistle, it will profit us to meditate on this topic in greater detail.  

The Text

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:1–2). 

Summary of the Text

Paul begins with a set of hypothetical conditionals. If there is any consolation in Christ—but of course there is abundant consolation in Christ (v.1). If there is any comfort of love—there was certainly comfort of love (v. 1). If there is any fellowship of the Spirit—and how could there not be?—then something else should certainly follow. If there were any “bowels and mercies,” as the KJV has it, and without doubt there were such bowels and mercies, then what? Paul asks them to fill up the measure of his joy, by doing what? He urges them to be like-minded, to share the same love, to be of one accord, and of one mind (v. 2). This whole subject is apparently a big deal for Paul. 

The Stepping Stones of Like-mindedness

We should pay close attention to the hypothetical conditionals that Paul is using here. He is not bringing up one set of certainties in order to point to another ethical duty, completely unrelated. That would have been something like “if the sun rises in the east, then you should take care to be like-minded.” No. What he is giving is the first set of stepping stones toward the like-minded he is urging. If you have taken these first steps, you should fulfill the apostle’s joy by taking the next step.

No one is actually laboring for ecumenical unity in the broader church unless they start here. Have they experienced true consolation in Christ? Have they been comforted by His love? Has the Holy Spirit poured out the spirit of koinonia-fellowship on them. Has their experience of these things been such that it has been a gut-churning experience—“bowels and mercies”? Many of the modern translations render this word (splanchnon) as mere affection, which is far too anemic. 

As Martyn Lloyd-Jones once put it, ecumenical unity cannot be achieved simply by putting all the corpses into one graveyard 

Balanced and Eager

We live in a culture that is held together by lies. Many of these lies have successfully gotten into the church, and it is not rare for the purveyor of one of these newly arrived lies to turn to us and tell us we should accept it because “does not the apostle urge us on to like-mindedness?” Yes, he does, but he also tells us that we should not be blown around by the deceitful cunning of false teachers (Eph. 4:14).

Paul elsewhere tells us what a good approach should be when you encounter a new doctrine, or a new emphasis, or when a subject entirely new to you arises. He says this: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

And Luke describes this same demeanor in action. 

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). 

They were ready and eager to accept this teaching. It would be wonderful, if true. But if it was not true, then it would a snare and a delusion. They were ready to accept it, once tested against the benchmark that God has given to us.

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, And unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: Should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: If they speak not according to this word, It is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:19–20). 

Not the Lowest Common Denominator

Too many Christians look at all the things we differ over—baptism, eschatology, church government, soteriology, and more—and try to simply remove the things that they think are getting in the way. But unity is not caused by getting rid of things, making sure certain things are absent. “Just drop eschatology from the statement of faith, and then we could all agree.” But unity is not brought about by the absence of certain doctrines, but rather by the presence of a certain Person.

We should not focus on all the ingredients we took out. We should take care that we have made sure certain things are kept in—consolation, Christ, comfort, love, koinonia, the Spirit, and all of it in a way that is felt in the gut. In the original, Paul is urging us to gut-mercies.

Prepping for the Verses That Follow 

As we move into the meat of chapter 2, we are going to encounter some challenging exhortations. We need to prep for it. We must get ourselves ready. We start to do that here.

Paul wants us to fulfill his joy by doing one thing. Or, better, by doing four different things that all amount to the same thing. He says that we should be likeminded. He says that we are to have the “same love.” He says that we should be of “one accord.” And then he also tells us to be “of one mind.” The word that is rendered as “one accord” is sympsychos. Think intertwined souls.

I reminded you last Lord’s Day that this congregation is one organism. It is one body, and all of you as individual organs have a different and crucial role to play. But never leaves Christ out of anything. This one body that I speak is the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ.

This means that every quarrelsome sentiment you utter, every cantankerous complaint, every proud boast, every self-serving attempt to grasp something, every thrown elbow, every haughty sneer is . . . is what? It is an attempt to make the body of Christ a spastic body. But however many pastoral problems you create in the meantime, this attempt cannot be successful. At the end of this process, the body of Christ is perfect and complete—like a bride without spot, or wrinkle, or any such blemish (Eph. 5:27).

Read Full Article

A Two-Fold Grace (Philippians #4)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

The apostle urged the Philippians to walk in a manner that was worthy of the gospel of Christ. But he does not just offer a generic “be nice” sort of exhortation. The thing that is worthy of the gospel is unity in the gospel. When many minds, voices, and hands come together to strive for the advancement of the gospel, this is something that adorns the gospel itself—in the same way that apples adorn an apple tree.  

THE TEXT

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Philippians 1:27–30). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians is that they are to have their conduct fit together well with the gospel of Christ (v. 27). When our behavior is worthy of the gospel, we are not talking about anything like merit. We are not earning the gospel, or deserving anything through our works. Rather it is simple matter of consistency—do our lives go together with the gospel as preached? What Paul means by this is that he wants them to be unified. He wants to come and see that reality in them, or if he is absent, he wants to hear about it (v. 27). He wants them to stand fast in one spirit, and he is eager for them to be striving together for the faith of the gospel in one mind. One spirit, one mind. 

Being unified in the gospel like this is bound to provoke opposition, and the fact that Christians can be fearless in the face of such opposition is a terrifying thing for the persecutors (v. 28). Remember that true Christian likemindedness is the fast road to being called a cult member. And also remember from earlier in the chapter that how to live is Christ, and to die is more Christ. This places the Christian completely out of the persecutor’s reach, and this is deeply unsettling to them. It is proof that they are sons of perdition, and that you are among the saved (v. 28). The Philippians had been given a two-fold gift, a two-fold grace—not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for Him (v. 29). They had seen Paul go through this sort of trial, and they had also heard of his imprisonment—and now they were going through it all themselves (v. 30). 

LIKE-MINDEDNESS IS NOT GROUPTHINK

I have sometimes thought that atheists and infidels must run secret versions of “Vacation Bible School” for all the infidel children. This is where they first learned to quote verses like “judge not lest ye be judged.” And they sing little songs to help them remember everything. Another thing that unbelievers do is this. They first complain about all the divisions among Christians. “Look at all the denominations. You guys can’t even get along.” And yet when the grace of God is poured out on believers, such that there is true unity of mind in evidence, their response is to accuse everyone of belonging to a cult. So wisdom is vindicated by her children (Luke 7:32). 

FEARFUL PERSECUTORS

We sometimes imagine that the enemies of God are much more bold than they actually are. Herod the Great sat on a throne, but he certainly sat on it nervously. He was spooked by news of a baby. And his son, Herod Antipas, was threatened by a fierce man who lived in the desert, and who lived on a diet of locusts and honey. But why? John the Baptist had no regiments. The apostle Paul was once held prisoner by Felix, and as the apostle spoke of things like righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come (Acts 24:25), it was Felix who trembled. And when Pilate was talking to Jesus, holding the power to condemn Him in his hands, with a mob outside shouting, when they repeated what Jesus had said, it was Pilate who feared (John 19:8).

We might here repurpose the words of the economist Thomas Sowell, who once said, “It’s amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites.” 

When the grace of God surrounds Christians in a time of persecution, this communicates something to everyone involved. The believers know that God “will never leave them or forsake them.” They know that God is with them, and so they are deeply encouraged. But this presence of God is noticed by everyone—not just the believers. As Paul puts it here, this celestial calm is an evident token to them of their perdition.  

A TWO-FOLD GRACE

The Philippians had been given a two-fold gift. The first gift was that of believing in Christ in the first place. But if a man were to say to his wife, “not only did I give you the bracelet, I also gave you the necklace,” how many gifts did he give? That is correct—two. If Paul says that not only was the gift of faith given to them, but also the gift of suffering, we can see that faith in God through Christ is itself a gift of God. 

Scripture teaches us this in various places. Peter says that we have obtained a precious faith through the righteousness of God and Christ (2 Pet. 1:1). Paul says that we saved by grace through faith and that [faith] is not of yourselves, but is rather a gift of God—lest anyone boast (Eph. 2:8-10). And the faith that healed the crippled man was a faith that was “by him” (Acts 3:16).

And so just as faith is a gift from a sovereign God who knows exactly what He is doing, so also are all the persecutions that have broken out over the centuries. When the apostles were flogged for their preaching (Acts 5:40), what was their response?

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).

It was an honor to be so dishonored. It was a grace to be disgraced. Notice how this suffering meant to them that they were “counted worthy” to be shamed for the sake of His name. And our text in Philippians tells us to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel that we are striving to advance. And so what does this mean? It means like-mindedness through shared suffering.

And following the Christ who has gone before us.

Read Full Article

Hospitality Without Grudging

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

Hospitality is one the central expressions of the Christian gospel, holiness, and the glory of God. Hospitality is an essential way we are commanded to love one another, and we love because God loved us first in Christ. And this is one of the central ways God has determined to proclaim to the world that the Father has sent the Son and draw the world to Himself (Jn. 17:23).

THE TEXT

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging” (1 Pet. 4:8-9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Peter is encouraging Christians facing significant persecution and preparing them to face even more, and even in that context he encourages them that at the top of their list of things to do needs to be fervent, constant, earnest love for one another (1 Pet. 4:8). And the reason he gives is that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). This “covering love” both builds true unity, but it also ministers real holiness. And the particular application is to practice hospitality with one another without grudging, without complaining, without bitterness (1 Pet. 4:9).

WHAT IS HOSPITALITY?

The word translated “hospitality” is literally “love of strangers,” but given the context here and elsewhere, it clearly includes anyone you might come in contact with, especially fellow Christians in the church. Romans says something similar: “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality” (Rom. 12:13). This is an expression of giving yourself as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), humility — thinking highly of others first (Rom. 12:3), kindly affection, brotherly love, honoring one another (Rom. 12:10). All of this goes back to the second greatest commandment given in Leviticus 19, explicitly extended to strangers: “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:34, cf. Dt. 10:19). Christian hospitality is the natural response to God’s hospitality.

Elders must be men who are “given to hospitality” (1 Tim. 3:2, Tit. 1:8). Scripture associates “strangers” with orphans and widows, the more vulnerable and needy (Ps. 94:6, 146:9). And immediately following the high call to worship God as a consuming fire, it says, “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:1-2). Think of Abraham, Lot, and Rahab as examples. But Jesus says that the sheep who enter the kingdom will have received Jesus into their homes, when they welcomed strangers in (Mt. 25:35-45). All Gentiles were strangers from the covenants of promise, but are now fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God (Eph. 2:12, 19).

APPLICATIONS

So here is a list of scattershot principles and encouragements:

  1. Begin with those closest to you; practice small and grow. Remember that many things get easier with practice and routines. God has put people in your home, and it is hospitality to love them and care for their needs well. A man who does not provide for his own family is worse than an unbeliever, and don’t use hospitality to others as a way to avoid loving the people right in front of you. So make sure you’re on the same page as a family. Related, do not give what you don’t have (e.g. fellowship, time, money). We are called to give generously and sacrificially, but we are never called to give beyond our means (2 Cor. 8:12). But sometimes God uses needs to show you that you have more than you thought.
  2. Christian hospitality requires joy and fervency. In fact, the word Paul uses in Romans 12 he uses elsewhere to describe how he “persecuted” the church of God (e.g. Acts 22:4). When you pursue something with fervency and joy, you barely notice the obstacles and inconveniences. When you love a sport, or a vacation, or someone really important or dear to you, you are happy to endure the challenges for the sake of the gift. It should be considered a high privilege to provide food, friendship, encouragement, and hope our homes to those who bear God’s image, those for whom Christ died. Christian hospitality is always an invitation to Christ. May our congregation be known for our joyful pursuit of hospitality.
  3. The warning against grudging and complaining and bitterness is there for a reason. Hospitality takes work: being thoughtful, preparing, conversations, cleanup, dishes, and on top of it all, people can be challenging, rude, thoughtless, or just different. And this is why it says love covers a multitude of sins. Serious sin must be confronted in love, but lots of thoughtless or careless sin must be simply covered in love (and forgotten). This love also delights in and laughs at all of our cultural differences and quirks. Put away all envy, vain glory, and fleshly competitions.

Jesus is the friend of sinners, and He came eating and drinking with sinners in order to bring us home to the Father. We live in a world that claims to celebrate love, but it is an empty, hypocritical, self-serving, and conditional love. Christ has come and given Himself for us freely, and He invites us to His table every week in order to knit us together with Him in true fellowship, in order to draw the whole world to Himself.

Read Full Article

Militant Hospitality

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

We live in a day when human interaction is too often mediated via screens & satellites. The scheming of wicked men aim to further isolate us, control us, and convince us it is all for our health & safety. Christian hospitality, in this era and all others, is an act of war on the rebel city of Man.

THE TEXTS

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor (Prov. 22:9).

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Proverbs give wisdom in riddle. The godly son is set to the task of searching out that wisdom. This Proverb offers a counterintuitive lesson. Give your bread away & receive blessing. If your eye is set on generosity, you find that by giving away your bread, blessings end up in your barn, cupboards, bed, and offspring. This is a Solomonic way of saying to save your life you must lose it, but if you lose it, you gain it. Wisdom knows that wealth isn’t increased by hoarding, but by generosity and prudent investment.

Two observations can be made about this brief admonition in Hebrews. First, Christians are told to not forget this duty. It’s easy to let days & weeks go by without opening your home to others. Thus, we’re warned of how easily we forget to wield this potent weapon. Second, this hospitality is to be shown particularly to strangers. The admonishment is to be a “lover of strangers;” exemplified by faithful saints hosting angelic messengers on significant redemptive errands.
The OT episodes in view are when the Lord Himself visits Abraham, along with two angels; Abraham responds with hasty but generous hospitality. The two angels then proceed to Sodom for its destruction; but first Lot, like his uncle, bring the angels into his home to show them godly hospitality––only later discovering their angelic nature (Gen. 18-19). Samson’s parents, likewise, spread a feast for a guest that they only later discover to be an angelic messenger announcing a miraculous conception (Jdg. 13). By hosting a stranger, the implication is that you might, though unaware of it at the time, be used in God’s providence to bring about a happy turn of history.

Putting this together, Scripture repeatedly admonishes the saints to practice a generous hospitality. In so doing we find that in giving away of our substance, blessing sneaks back in through the back door to bless not only us but the whole world.

HOSPITALITY: THE OVERLOOKED VIRTUE

Taking a step back, hospitality isn’t a peripheral activity for Christians. It isn’t an optional add-on. Throughout Scripture we are taught to practice the virtue of being hospitable to the stranger. We see this in Moses’ Law, which carved out numerous provisions for how the stranger was to be treated, and why he should be treated with generosity and charity (Ex. 22:10, 23:9; Lev. 19:10, 33, 24:22; Deu. 10:18-19). The stranger, however, wasn’t permitted to violate Israelite Law (Lev. 24:16). But he was most welcome to come in and enjoy the blessings of the covenant community whether permanently (Ex. 12:48, Num. 9:14) or only for a time of sojourning (e.g. Jethro, Naaman, Ruth).

In the NT a requirement laid on elders is that they be given to & love hospitality (1 Tim. 3:2, Tit. 1:8). Likewise, hospitality must be demonstrably present to consider enrolling a widow-indeed (1 Tim. 5:10). Saints are often admonished to remember this good work (Rom. 12:13, 1 Pt. 4:9, Acts. 20:35). Paul describes Gaius as “my host (stranger).” Apparently, hosting strangers & being hosted by a stranger were both expressions of “loving the stranger (Rom. 16:23).” In this regard, Christians endeavoring to be hospitable must learn to be both a good host & a good guest.

MARXIST MARBLES

The “pronoun-invention-Olympics” are merely a symptom of a deeper disease. Rampant individualism has so infected modern man that he’s invented new ways to be isolated. The pursuit of self-expression has entered a new mutation where whatever imagined identity someone wishes to attach to themselves must be affirmed, acknowledged, applauded. Modern man demands that society look like a Venn Diagram of a billion circles, none of which overlap, but which are all encompassed by the State.

Like the London air-raids, the Sexual Revolution, in particular, bombarded all the lawful covenantal bonds. This has left us like a drawer full of marbles, shaken by whatever whims are found in the heart of the WEF, UN, or Social Media CEOs.

Thus, Christian hospitality isn’t simply backyard BBQs. Our hospitality opens the door to isolated, lonely, wandering souls––in many cases with mutilated bodies, haunted by having butchered their offspring, and perverted with a pornified mind––into the warmth of our fellowship with God. And from that union with God, the stranger is brought into our covenantal joy in each other. Our hospitality is militant.

HOSPITALITY AS SACRIFICE

It should be noted that hospitality requires sacrifice. In the OT stories mentioned earlier, the animal was slain to feed the guests. The act of opening your home, pantry, and wine cellar is sacrificial. In the words of Charles Bridges, “Sacrifice, not convenience, is God’s acceptable service.”

However, you don’t have a right to others’ sacrifice. There’s a certain approach to hospitality that imagines that to counteract the poison of individualism all distinctions between individuals must be erased. This is what the cancer cell does. It cannot stay within the confines of its own cell walls, and must invade & overtake every other cell in the system.

Hospitality, while a sacrifice, is still a gift. As such, the glory comes from it being freely, and sacrificially, given. There’s no glory in jack-booted thugs forcing you to house enemy soldiers. But there are many instances of great saints in history who opened their homes, and the case could be made that without their sacrifice we wouldn’t know the names of men like Luther, Calvin, or Tyndale.

NUTS & BOLTS

Do you have a table? Then you can show hospitality. Find recipes that feed multitudes, that don’t break the bank, but taste like you did. Learn to ask good questions & listen intently. Remember names & backgrounds. Knock out a wall if need be. Scrounge for folding chairs by the dozen.

How the buffet line should flow in your home differs from another Christian home. The method is indifferent, but the principle is that Christian homes should be regular hubs of hospitality. This militant hospitality means your home will sometimes have folks in it who don’t have good manners, might be a bit rough around the edges, and need to be brought along firmly but gently. Remember, selfish guests & grumpy hosts are alike a perverse Gospel.

All this requires diligence, patience, and creativity. As with any skill, it takes time to get good at it. The French proverb gets the idea, “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.” It’ll be messy. Stains will be left behind. But you’re waging war, what did you expect?

STRANGERS NO MORE

Paul tells the Ephesians that while they were once strangers, through the cross they are strangers no more (Eph. 2:19). Jesus tells us that by hospitality to the least of these, we feed, clothe, and serve Christ Himself (Mt. 25:40). Has Christ welcomed You to the Father’s table? Then come. Afterwards, go & imitate Your Father who opens His doors wide, piles the table high, with extra scoops of ice cream all around.

Read Full Article