Insights Magazine: Issue Nine, 2023

Isn’t that great?

“Don’t forget Peter. He’s the last one who thinks that I’ll ever want to talk to him again. Tell Peter!” What grace!

Cover & Article Photo: Tim Marshall on Unsplash

Hope Beyond Failure

by Charles R. Swindoll

Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up ain the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ...to the heart-wrenching erosion of loyalty when he denied the Lord. Not once. Not twice. Three times. Once he realized his failure, the Bible says, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62 NASB1995).

Can you remember a failure that was so dramatic and so tearful for you that you hardly need to be reminded of the feelings?

I remember Betsie ten Boom’s words, “There is no pit so deep but that He is not deeper still.” 1 As dark and as deep and as tragic as your failure may be, He is willing to go to the depths of it with you.

This was true of Peter too. Look back at Luke 22. After the surprising warning of Satan’s attack, Jesus gave Peter a statement of fact: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” Then there was a veiled reassurance: “And you, when once you have turned again...” Then a final command: “Strengthen your brothers” (22:32).

What does that suggest? It suggests that Peter was going to fall. “Once you have turned again.” “Retraced your steps” is another way someone else has put it. “Once you have

turned again,” Jesus said, “then use it to strengthen your brothers.” Jesus knew Peter to the core. He knew Peter would fall, but He prayed for him that he would not remain fallen. Jesus loved Peter—even at his point of deepest weakness.

How did He prove that love? Mark 16:6–7 answers that question. After the Resurrection, while the women were standing at the tomb, an angel told them:

Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter.

Isn’t that great? “Don’t forget Peter. He’s the last one who thinks that I’ll ever want to talk to him again. Tell Peter!” What grace!

Somewhere between the time Peter fell and this angelic announcement there was a process during which Peter wallowed in remorse, wishing he could, if possible, correct his error...but he couldn’t. And somewhere in the midst of it he heard the Lord say to him, “Peter, I forgive you. I understand. Use it to strengthen your brothers.”

That’s why Peter later was able to write the following words to early Christians:

May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His

great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection.

(1 Peter 1:2–3)

Why did this mean so much to Peter? Because it was at the Resurrection Peter’s name was called, and the Lord in tender mercy said, “Tell him I’ve come back.”

First Peter is a letter of great hope written by a man who experienced it! By the time he wrote this letter, Peter had come to the place where he was not only back on the scene, he was aggressively engaged in the formation of the early church.

It can happen to you too. Just like fallen and forgiven Peter, you can find new hope despite your failures. If you are a believer, you are born again to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

What tender mercy! What triumphant grace! Failure is not forever. God specializes in forgiveness and hope. He can use even your worst failures in a mighty way.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Hope beyond Failure,” Insights (August 2002): 1–2. Copyright © 2002 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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1. Ten Boom, Corrie. 1984. The Hiding Place Grand Rapids, Michigan: Chosen Books.

The Injustice of Roman Justice

by Derrick G. Jeter

Law is the protector of justice. But when madmen make law, justice becomes perverted.

When Paul was arrested, he was brought before a tribunal to determine whether sufficient evidence existed for a formal trial. This “first defence” (Acts 4:16) or prima actio included a presentation of the case against Paul, as well as his opportunity to present his case for innocence. 1 Afterward, the court would have rendered one of two decisions: a non liquet , meaning there was insufficient evidence to

IT’S EASY FOR US, LIVING IN THE “CIVILIZED”

proceed, followed by an order to release Paul; or an amplius , meaning there was sufficient evidence to proceed, followed by an order to schedule a secunda actio —the trial itself.2

21ST-CENTURY,

Paul had the right to an attorney and to call witnesses, but at his prima actio he defended himself without witness testimony. We’re not sure whether Paul’s prima actio was conducted in private or public, but there’s little doubt that his secunda actio —the trial which condemned him to death—was a public affair.

TO THINK THAT THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS WAS MERELY A REALITY IN ANCIENT TIMES. IT WAS—BUT IT’S AS MUCH A REALITY TODAY AS IT WAS YESTERDAY.

Article Photo: Tamara Malaniy on Unsplash

Nero presided over the trials of other Christians, and because Paul was a leader of the sect, we can assume Nero served as Paul’s judge too. Trial before the imperial court took place either in the forum or the emperor’s private Vatican gardens. In judging Paul’s case—and those of all Roman Christians condemned to die—Nero was no legal expert. Legal historian Detlef Liebs noted, “Judges, advocates, interested parties, and authorities were often guided in their legal decisions by public opinion, their own experiences, and their personal attitudes about justice.”3 And as Tacitus made clear, Nero’s sense of justice was a thinning thread.

The mad ruler sentenced Christians to the most ghastly forms of death. “Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”4 Did they suffer such horror to satisfy justice? No! To satisfy the gluttony of “one man’s cruelty.”5

It’s easy for us, living in the “civilized” 21st-century, to think that the persecution of Christians was merely a reality in ancient times. It was—but it’s as much a reality today as it was yesterday. This is particularly true of Christians living in some portions of the Middle East and Asia. Like Paul, who experienced the injustice of Roman justice, brothers and sisters in Christ today experience the injustices of kangaroo courts that wrongly condemn Christians to imprisonment, malnourishment, beatings, beheadings, and even crucifixions.

The writer to the Hebrews commands us to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters. “Remember those in prison,” he wrote, “as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies” (Hebrews 13:3). One of the best ways to remember them is to pray for them. If you’re not sure what to pray, then ask the Lord to fulfil in their lives the truths found

in 2 Corinthians 4:8–11—to keep them from being crushed, to keep them from despair, and to keep them from being destroyed; and that God would be present with them, glorify Himself in their bodies, and spread the Gospel through their sufferings.

Adapted from “Grace to the Very End” in Paul’s Swan Song Bible Companion by Charles R. Swindoll and Insight for Living Ministries.

Copyright © 2009, 2015 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide

1. We don’t know specifically what Paul was accused of or what evidence the prosecutor brought against him. Historians of the period, like Tacitus—who said Christians were condemned for their “hatred of mankind,” meaning their refusal to involve themselves in the social and civic life of Rome, which often involved pagan worship, including fornicating with temple prostitutes—record that Christians were accused of atheism because they refused to worship the Roman gods and participate in emperor-worship, and accused of cannibalism because of their practice of eating Christ’s “flesh” and drinking His “blood” at the Eucharist. See Tacitus, Annals, 15.44, in Annals, Histories, Agricola, Germania, trans. Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb (New York: Everyman’s Library, 2009), 354; and John R. W. Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy: Guard the Gospel, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1973), 123.

2. See Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006), 637.

3. Detlef Liebs, Summoned to the Roman Courts: Famous Trials from Antiquity (Berkeley, Cal.: University of California Press, 2012), 2.

4. Tacitus, Annals, 15.44, 354.

5. Tacitus, Annals, 15.44, 354.

Authentic Influencer: The Barnabas Way of Shaping Lives for Jesus

by Jonathan Murphy

“ A godly influencer saturates any and every environment for God.”

God has a vision for His world. He dreams of what will be. The story of the Scriptures shows us where God’s been heading all along. The Bible articulates not only God’s dream but also His doings that guarantee its reality, and this despite Satan’s hijacking manoeuvre. Of course, the only way of catching God’s vision is if you read His version of life. The Bible is not just a map of history but also a compass

for navigating life well. It steers our lives according to God’s vision of the good life for the sake of the world around us.

Barnabas caught this vision.

Barnabas saw the world as God wants to make it. He saw where God is heading in history. In light of that, he made God’s vision of the good life his personal dream to pursue.

Every follower of Jesus must do the same. Influence in your little corner of the world begins there. This is precisely why Barnabas’

account is given to us in the book of Acts—he is a role model for followers of Jesus.

Barnabas showed us three accessible and hands-on ways you can express God’s heart toward those around you.

First, Barnabas was generous with his words. This is perhaps what he is best known for today—words of encouragement. The name we know him by, Barnabas, is a nickname, not his birth name. And while nicknames then, like today, could be cruel, they could also be complimentary. Barnabas is a nickname of high praise; it is a compliment—son of encouragement. Here is one whose words put a spring in another’s step, a smile on a face, and hope in others’ hearts.

Second, Barnabas was generous with his wallet. Of the many things that could be said of Barnabas, God wants the record to show that our role model was generous with his stuff. That’s as practical as it gets: sacrificial giving. He owns a piece of farmland— presumably on the island of Cyprus—and he sold it. He didn’t just think of selling it. He didn’t just plan to sell it one day or leave it as part of his estate. He actually sold it. Why? Because there were needs in the lives of those around him. That’s the context of this section of Acts. Who knows, perhaps all those kids in Sunday school causing a ruckus are noisy because they’re hungry. “Let’s go buy some food,” Barnabas would say. The proceeds from the sale of his land may have eased the burdens of those around him. After all, God’s people were his family.

Third, Barnabas was generous in his walk. Barnabas pursued a walk of humility, selfless-

ness, and self-abandon. He gave of himself, not just of his stuff. I’m talking about status. Barnabas gave up his high standing in the structures of that culture. He didn’t climb up the ladder of perceived importance; he chose to climb down.

Authentic Christian influence flows from you when humility is evident in you; it is an attractive trait—a Christlike quality. A godly influencer serves as God’s hands. Generosity of words, wallet, and walk follows those who catch God’s vision.

Excerpt taken from Authentic Influencer: The Barnabas Way of Shaping Lives for Jesus by Jonathan Murphy. Copyright 2023 by Jonathan Murphy. Used with permission from Thomas Nelson.

About Jonathan Murphy

Jonathan Murphy chairs the Pastoral Ministries department of Dallas Theological Seminary and serves on the board of directors for Insight for Living Ministries. He is a frequent guest speaker for Pastor Chuck Swindoll at Stonebriar Community Church. Jonathan is from Northern Ireland. As a child of missionary parents, he was raised in the Canary Islands and Spain. When he is not teaching, writing, or speaking, you will find him with his wife keeping up with their four lively children!

Order your copy of Authentic Influencer to dig deeper into the life of Barnabas and learn 15 principles for becoming the godly encourager Christ has called you to be.

THIS IS PRECISELY WHY BARNABAS’ ACCOUNT IS GIVEN TO US IN THE BOOK OF ACTS—HE IS A ROLE MODEL FOR FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

George Matheson

by Bill Gemaehlich

Ahero of the faith who encourages me to adraw near to God and pray is Scottish Pastor George Matheson, also known as “The Blind Preacher.”

George Matheson was born in Glasgow, Scotland on March 27, 1842. As a young child, his eyesight began to fail but that did not deter Matheson and he thrived through his early years of school by wearing very strong glasses. He then went on to study at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and one year later earning a Master’s in Philosophy. By the time he was 20, Matheson was almost completely blind

and required the assistance of his sisters to complete his studies. Despite losing his sight he was resolved to serve the Lord in ministry and continued his studies obtaining his Masters of Divinity in 1866. Even though George lost his sight he did not let that hinder him and had a reputation of being joyful with a great spirit that was not easily discouraged. Most people who heard him preach did not even know he was blind.

In 1868, Matheson became the pastor of the church at Innellan. Although he was blind, Matheson was a great preacher and he was well known throughout Scotland. He served

ALTHOUGH HE LIVED WITH A HANDICAP, MATHESON’S FRIENDS FELT THAT HIS BLINDNESS IS WHAT MADE HIM GREAT AND CAUSED HIM TO WALK BY FAITH.

as the pastor in Innellan for 18 years where he regularly preached to 1,500 people. In 1885, he was invited to preach at Balmoral by Queen Victoria. He delivered a sermon there entitled, “The Patience of Job.” The Queen was so moved by the sermon she asked for it to be published. A year later Matheson moved to Edinburgh where he served as the pastor at St. Bernard’s Church for 13 years.

In addition to being a pastor, Matheson was also a brilliant scholar and wrote several books on theology. Warren W. Wiersbe said his books on theology were a “beautiful blending of doctrinal precision and devotional passion.”1 His many books were written with the help of his oldest sister and a personal secretary. Later in life, Matheson was able to write using Braille and a typewriter.

Although he lived with a handicap, Matheson’s friends felt that his blindness is what made him great and caused him to walk by faith. A Presbyterian colleague heard him preach and responded, “The Council all feel that God has closed your eyes only to open other eyes, which have made you one of the guides of men.”2

I encourage you to listen to the hymn “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go” written by Matheson and reflect on his intimate walk with God and hope in Christ. Like Matheson, let us ask God to propel us to a deeper understanding of His great love and purpose for our lives.

Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries

1. Wiersbe, Warren. 2009. 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 174.

2. Ibid, 172.

Insight for Living Canada is accountable to God, to our board, to the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, to our donors, and to Insight for Living Ministries.

Objective versus Subjective Faith

by Steve Johnson

How do we find the balance between objective and subjective faith? Let’s start by defining our terms.

When we talk about something being objective, we mean it’s unbiased—outside of us and apart from us. In terms of truth, it’s what’s true for everyone and doesn’t require belief or consent to be true. It’s true with or without my acceptance of it. The earth is round even if I believe it’s flat. Believing two plus two equals five doesn’t change the truth that the answer is four.

When we talk about something being subjective it refers to what’s rooted in the subject (us) and is a matter of personal belief, preference, or perspective. It is an objective truth to say I own a Toyota truck. If I say that Toyota trucks are the coolest trucks ever, that’s subjective.

Faith that the Bible speaks of is both objective and subjective.

The objective aspect is what Scripture calls “the faith.” It is comprehended by the mind. In Acts 14:22 Paul and Barnabas strengthened believers and “encouraged them to continue in the faith ” (emphasis added). Paul wrote to the Corinthians “Stand firm in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13, emphasis added). He commended the Philippians because they were “fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News” (Philippians 1:27, emphasis added).

Objective faith is the body of revelation found in Scripture. It is theology, doctrine, and teaching. This external object of our faith is God’s Word.

The subjective aspect of faith is that which is comprehended by the heart and refers to the means by which we come to personally grasp

the objective realities expressed in Scripture. This aspect of faith requires a concrete personal assent and choice to believe in biblical truth so that it makes a difference in daily life. The faith by which biblical truth is believed, or subjective faith, is an encounter between each one of us and God and is necessary for salvation.

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.

And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. (Ephesians 1:13)

The problem is that we can too easily overemphasize either the objective or the subjective aspects of faith.

If we overemphasize the objective aspect, the Bible becomes merely head-knowledge and the subject of analysis and research. Scripture’s merely a textbook for study and comprehension is only an intellectual pursuit. The Bible becomes dry and the object of debates and controversy. If and when we fail to apply truth to our own lives then we begin to question those who do. Conversely when I overemphasize the subjective aspect of faith then faith becomes relative to the individual. It is subjective. In other words, if I believe or feel that something is true then it is true for me.

People end up saying, “This is what this means to me” and “What’s true for you isn’t necessarily true for me” or, “That’s just your interpretation.” If faith is only subjective, each person is right in what they believe, regardless of the Bible or of the belief of others.

The opposite may also happen—I make my beliefs the standard for everybody. This is probably how many denominations got started. They’re based on subjective and experiential belief rather than the Bible. We can easily fall into a kind of mysticism, a false knowledge, where “I just know,” despite what Scripture says.

Moreover, I can come to minimize and even despise any study that demands the use of my mind and intellect. I would never read books that have to be chewed slowly. I would never get into deep doctrines of the Christian faith. I’d have lots of zeal but without knowledge. Lots of heart, but no head.

Where do we find balance between objective and subjective faith?

Both the subjective aspect and the objective aspect are seen in Paul’s words to Timothy.

“I remember your genuine faith [subjective], for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice [objective]” (2 Timothy 1:5). Both aspects are also found in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised [objective], then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins [subjective].”

On the one hand, you can know a lot about the faith and yet not be living it. And on the other hand, we need to know the faith in order to fully live it.

To find the balance and be the best Christians we can be, we need to integrate both the objective and subjective elements of our faith. Knowing theological truths (objective faith) is necessary to help us know God better (subjective faith). But there must be an internal commitment from the heart to objective biblical truth to believe and live it.

FAITH THAT THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF IS BOTH OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE.

Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.

Every Christian must leap over two hurdles at some point on the path of spiritual growth. First, Christians must take God at His Word that they are fully forgiven of their sins— past, present, and future. Second, Christians must unburden themselves from the nitpicky, religious scruples of legalistic Christians.

Both happen only by the Spirit’s power. Both must happen before we can live freely and confidently in Christ. Have you taken these two steps in your Christian journey?

Many struggle with at least one. Some have incriminating memories from their nonChristian past. Such thoughts spring to mind creating guilt, shame, and humiliation. Others struggle to achieve freedom from the judging eyes of modern-day Pharisees who enslave them with rules that are impossible to keep.

Wherever you find yourself on the spiritual path, studying Colossians 2:13–23 will help you conquer those obstacles. Pastor Chuck Swindoll wants you to live freely in Christ, assured that your sins are completely

forgiven and that you are released from others’ expectations that poison your spiritual growth instead of nourishing it.

To help you on the path, Pastor Chuck provides three application principles from his study of Colossians 2:13–23.

1. Be strong in God’s Word. Keep worshipping Christ, making Him Lord of your heart

2. Refuse and resist all other substitutes. Keep choosing Christ, reminding yourself He’s all you need and that your life is eternally secure with Him. One day, you will see Him as He is and be like Him

3. Don’t be afraid to risk living unshackled. Your master is Christ. More than anyone else, He cares for your good. And better than anyone else, He can achieve your good Father, You are my guide, my light, my comforter, my provider. Free me from being dominated by the shame and guilt of my past sins and empower me to live as You have called me to live—as it is written, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” His name be praised. Amen.

“Living forgiven opens the door for us to live our lives with freedom.”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Puzzle — Word Jumble

Christian Faith—Objective or Subjective?

Difficulty ■ □ □ □

The goal of this puzzle is to unscramble the letters to form a word. Words are from the NIV Bible translation.

NIGMORCFIN

REENICS

ANNOUNCING OUR FALL SALE! ANNOUNCING OUR FALL SALE!

We have a variety of Bible-teaching resources for learners of all ages during our fall sale. Save on Paws & Tales DVDs, books by Pastor Chuck Swindoll, and more!

Prices in effect now through December 8, 2023 while supplies last. Visit insightforliving.ca/sale for full sales flyer and product descriptions.