Tag: Christian hope

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The Urgency of Choosing Christ

It’s good to be back in the Gospel of Luke. Luke writes an “orderly account” of Jesus’ life not as mere biography, but to transform lives with the good news. Writing largely to Gentiles, he shows Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story and Lord over all history. We’re in the long section (Luke 9–19) where Jesus journeys to Jerusalem—ultimately, to the cross. Today’s passage (Luke 12:49–13:9) gathers five teachings under one theme: the urgency of choosing Christ.

Jesus begins with an arresting purpose statement: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:49–50, ESV). The “fire” evokes judgment language familiar from the prophets. John the Baptist foresaw it: the Messiah would gather wheat and “burn with unquenchable fire” the chaff (Luke 3:16–17, ESV). Scripture is clear—Jesus’ second advent will bring just judgment: “in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9, ESV).

But verse 50 anchors hope: Jesus’ “baptism” points to His cross. “Now is my soul troubled… But for this purpose I have come to this hour” (John 12:27, ESV). Judgment and mercy meet at Calvary. Those who choose Christ are saved from the fire by His finished work.

Still, that choice brings division. “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51, ESV). Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), and in Him “you who once were far off have been brought near… For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:13–14, ESV). Yet the peace with God that believers enjoy can fracture earthly ties, even within families (Luke 12:53; echoing Micah 7). In some cultures, this cost is painfully tangible; still, “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” outweighs every loss (Philippians 3:8, ESV).

Jesus then rebukes spiritual dullness. People can read the sky and predict weather, “but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (Luke 12:56, ESV). His works—the blind seeing, the lame walking, the poor receiving good news—are signs shouting Messiah (cf. Luke 7:22). Hypocrisy blinds; truth is plain.

He presses the urgency with a courtroom picture: settle before judgment. “Make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge… I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny” (Luke 12:58–59, ESV). We cannot pay our sin-debt, but Christ can—and did: God “forgave us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt… This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14, ESV). Choose Christ while you’re “on the way.”

Some in the crowd pivot to headlines: Pilate’s brutality, a tower collapse (Luke 13:1–4). Were the victims greater sinners? Jesus won’t play that game. Everyone dies; everyone faces God. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5, ESV). The point isn’t ranking tragedies; the point is readiness—repentance now.

He closes with a parable (Luke 13:6–9): a fruitless fig tree given one more year—one more gracious chance—to bear fruit before the axe falls. It pictures Israel in Jesus’ day, but it also preaches God’s patience to us. “The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV). Patience, yes—but not forever: “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10, ESV). Therefore, choose Christ today: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7, ESV).

And choose Him for His worth, not merely to avoid hell. He is better than every alternative—“fullness of joy” in His presence; “pleasures forevermore” at His right hand (Psalm 16:11, ESV). Stir your heart by seeking Him where He reveals Himself—in His Word, among His people, at His Table. Don’t delay. Christ is worth everything.

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Called to be Free from Anxiety

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 12:22-34. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on August 24, 2025.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Luke 12:22–23, ESV). This passage represent a movement from last week’s exhortation, “be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15) to today’s call: do not be anxious. Jesus turns from those who have to those who have not. Whether it is abundance or need, the message is the same: there’s more to life than things. To the rich: don’t hoard, be generous. To the needy: do not be anxious.

Jesus gives three illustrations. First, “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!” Ravens in Israel were like our city pigeons—plentiful and least appreciated—yet God cares for them. Then Jesus asks, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Worry drains your energy and changes nothing. It’s the stress we feel when we can’t control what’s happening.” We cannot do “as small a thing” as add an hour to our lives, but God can. He added not just an hour but fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life: “I have heard your prayer… behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.” Anxiety is the opposite of trusting God.

Second, “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Grass and flowers are temporary: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” If God so clothes what is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, “O you of little faith”? Again, the call is to trust him.

Third, Jesus redirects priorities: “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried… Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” This echoes the more familiar wording in Matthew 6: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This does not mean every Christian should quit work and rely on almsgiving. Some are called to raise support—missionaries, like those who cannot work except in “tent making” situations—but most are not expected to stop earning. Your job may be God’s way of providing for you, your family, the church, and missionaries. The point is priority: seek first the kingdom.

So when Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy… Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” he is giving the highest standard—a superlative—to make the point. The standard is to put your complete trust in God by making his kingdom the absolute priority. Our priorities are revealed by where our money goes and what we worry about. A “golden child” story illustrates this: where the value is, the resources and thoughts go. Follow your spending and your worries, and you will find your treasure.

When we do not trust God, we lean on ourselves. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths… Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Prov. 3:5–8). Not trusting God leads to being wise in our own eyes, not fearing the Lord, and turning toward evil. Bribery shows how both rich and poor can be tempted—whether out of coveting more or out of desperation. A traffic stop in Makati, a suggested bribe, and a 4,000-peso fine show how easy it is to trust in one’s own power rather than in God, and how such corruption keeps a nation in poverty.

This is a high calling, especially for those in need. But the things of this world are fleeting. “Do not love the world or the things in the world… the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17). “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above… Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:1–3). You can try to control everything and be consumed by worry, or you can lay it all at the feet of Jesus.

Hear his invitation: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30). Whether you are in abundance or in need, come to Jesus. His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

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Praying in the Spirit

Summary of a short devotional I gave, based on Romans 8:26-27. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto (Family Camp) on July 5, 2024.

In Romans 8:26-27, the Apostle Paul provides a profound insight into the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. He writes, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27, ESV).

This passage, while comforting, has often been misinterpreted and misused by some within the church. During my time as a young adult attending a Filipino church meeting, I witnessed what was described as “praying in the Spirit.” People claimed they were being moved by the Holy Spirit in ways that seemed, to say the least, unbiblical. I’ve even heard of extremes like the “Toronto Blessing,” where people exhibited bizarre behaviors such as “barking in the Spirit” or being “drunk in the Spirit.” Sadly, Romans 8:26 is sometimes cited to justify these actions.

The phrase “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” has been taken out of context to support ideas and practices that stray far from biblical teaching. To understand what Paul truly means here, we need to apply a crucial principle of biblical interpretation: context.

When interpreting Scripture, context is everything. Paul begins verse 26 with “Likewise,” signaling that he is continuing a thought from earlier verses. To grasp the meaning of Romans 8:26-27, we must look back to verses 18-19, where Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

The context here is suffering—the suffering we endure in this present age. Paul is addressing the tension between the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s kingdom. We are in a period of waiting, much like the time between D-Day on June 6, 1944, and VE Day on May 8, 1945, during World War II. The victory has been secured through Christ’s death and resurrection, but we are still living in a world where sin and its consequences—death, destruction, and sorrow—remain.

This is the “sufferings of this present time” that Paul speaks of in verse 18. Because of these sufferings, all creation groans, as Paul describes in verses 22-23: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

We are groaning along with creation, yearning for the full realization of our redemption. It is within this context of suffering and anticipation that Paul introduces the work of the Holy Spirit in verses 26-27. The Spirit is not compelling us to speak in unintelligible tongues or engage in chaotic behavior. Rather, the Spirit is interceding for us in our weakness, empathizing with our suffering, and expressing to the Father what we cannot put into words.

One theologian captures this beautifully: “We can be assured that even prayers marked by our finitude, ignorance, and imperfection are amplified, purified, and intensified as the Spirit identifies with and goes to bat for the believer struggling, and perhaps groaning, in prayer.” The Holy Spirit, who knows our hearts and understands our struggles, steps in to intercede on our behalf, aligning our prayers with God’s will.

Paul offers further encouragement in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

These verses remind us that our present suffering is temporary and that it is preparing us for something far greater—a glory that will be revealed in us. While we wait, the Holy Spirit is our comforter and intercessor, helping us in our weakness and ensuring that our prayers are heard and answered according to God’s perfect will.

In conclusion, Romans 8:26-27 is a passage of immense hope and reassurance. It teaches us that in the midst of our suffering and in our moments of weakness, the Holy Spirit is with us, praying for us, and guiding us. Our groanings and struggles are not ignored; they are transformed by the Spirit into prayers that reach the heart of God. This is not a call to chaotic spiritual experiences but an invitation to trust in the Spirit’s quiet, powerful work in our lives as we await the fullness of our redemption.