Josh Benner

Category: Christian living

  • The Gospel in Les Miserables

    Caught.

    Jean Valjean had stolen silver from the Bishop and the local authorities had caught him red handed. On his own merits, there was nothing Valjean could do to rectify the situation. He didn’t have the money to pay for it. He was guilty. But then something amazing happened. The Bishop tells the officers that the silver was a gift. He reminds Valjean that the ex-convict had even forgotten to take two silver candlesticks with him. The sacrifice for Valjean was not made by himself but by the Bishop .

    He let him go.

    Once the officers leave, it would be completely reasonable for the Bishop to say, “Ok, I got you off the hook. Now give me my stuff back.” But he doesn’t. He gives it to Valjean but with the expectation that he use those stolen items to restart his life as an honest man.

    This is a life changing event for Valjean. And it’s a great metaphor for grace. Merely canceling the debt of the condemned man would have been mercy. But the bishop rewards him. That is grace.

    In the book, over 70 pages are spent developing the Bishop’s character and describing his devotion and piety. In film and musical adaptations, he is always portrayed as a minor character but he profoundly impacts the life of the book’s protagonist. For Valjean, there is his life before encountgering the and everything changes after he experiences true love and grace. In the musical, with limited time, I feel that they do the best job they can to show the Bishop’s grace but it is tough to truly capture the full weight of the transformation that the encounter has on Valjean.

    There are so many great themes in Les Miserables which have led to the popularity of this story over the past 150 years. And the Bishop’s grace to Valjean is not the only example of sacrificial love we see in this story. It’s seen in how Fantine desperately tries to do everything she can to support Cosette. It’s seen in how Eponine helps Marius find Cosette despite the fact that Eponine is in love with Marius and she’s sacrificing her own joy (it’s not exactly the same in the book).

    But the most moving example of sacrifice is seen in the Bishop. I feel that part of the appeal to this story is the way in which it depicts the gospel. Becasuse we are all condemned with a debt that we cannot possibly pay. While we deserve exile and punishment, a priest has personally sacrificed and taken are debt for us. And for people who know this truth, just as it is with the Bishop and Valjean, this grace is meant to transform our lives. It’s not the end in itself. There is a reason behind it.

    BUT REMEMBER THIS, MY BROTHER
    SEE IN THIS SOME HIGHER PLAN
    YOU MUST USE THIS PRECIOUS SILVER
    TO BECOME AN HONEST MAN
    BY THE WITNESS OF THE MARTYRS
    BY THE PASSION AND THE BLOOD
    GOD HAS RAISED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS
    I HAVE BOUGHT YOUR SOUL FOR GOD!

    Originally published December 24, 2012

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  • The gospel in the exodus journey

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    The exodus journey is the seminal event of the Old Testament. It’s the story of God miraculously delivering the Israelites from slavery for the purpose of bringing them to the promised land.

    The Old Testament constantly calls upon the Israelites to remember what God had done. For Christians today, there are a number of parallels between the exodus and the gospel. The Israelites were in slavery in Egypt. We were enslaved to sin and Christ redeemed us.

    During the wanderings in the desert, the Israelites complain and rebel. For Christians,  we continue to struggle and rebel. God redeemed Israel to bring them to the Promised Land. And Jesus is bringing us into a land too. To a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem.

    Both the exodus and the new covenant of the gospel are commemorated with meals. The passover meal was celebrated annually, as a reminder for God’s deliverance in the exodus event and for him sparing the Israelites. With the gospel, we celebrate the Lord’ Supper, communion which is a reminder of Jesus body that was broken for our sin and his blood that was shed for our sin.

    Exodus was in fulfillment of the promises of God to Abraham for land and to Moses for deliverance from slavery. The gospel is fulfillment of God’s promise of providing a Messiah, a king from the Davidic line, a perfect and spotless lamb to be sacrificed.

    In both stories, we see victory in a place where it appeared to be defeat. Israel was caught between the Egyptian army and the sea. It seemed there was no way out. In the gospel, Jesus died on the cross, where it looked like that was the end of Jesus’ ministry. In both stories, what appeared to be the end was just the beginning.

    It was entirely the work of God in freeing his people from slavery in Egypt. And the gospel is entirely the work of the Lord in redeeming us from the penalty of sin.

    Both events are undeniable, indisputable, irrefutable, unimpeachable proof of God’s love. God loved Israel. And God loves you. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have enteral life (John 3:16). God shows his love that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

    This event, Israel was constantly called to remember. Because it showed God’s love, it showed his goodness, it showed that he was for his people.

    We see that in the gospel.

    We sin, we have struggles, we have baggage. And everyday, we have opportunities to sin, to respond without faith, to question the goodness of God.

    But instead what we must do is to remember his goodness through the gospel. To remember that Jesus saved us, that he redeemed us.

    To remember that God delivers his people from slavery to freedom. For Christians, because of what Jesus did on the cross, that we have the promise of eternal life. We serve a good God.

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

  • Can a person truly have faith without a life that’s impacted by it?

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    Vegans.

    When you’re a vegan, you don’t eat meat or use animal products. Being vegan is a lifestyle.

    Now if I said that I was vegan and invited you over to my place for dinner, and you said what are we having “surf and turf….we’re having some fish and steak” and then I was washing it down with a glass of milk, and my kitchen table was on a bearskin rug, and I was eating the meal with ivory handled silverware while wearing a fur coat, and we were facing my trophy wall that had deer heads….” You might start to think “you’re not vegan.”

    (more…)

  • Is online church an adequate replacement for meeting in person? Spoiler alert: It’s not

    man wearing blue dress
    Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

    Relevant wrote an article last week where they interviewed Judah and Chelsea Smith about online church. In 2018, the Smith’s launched Churchome, as an online form of church which Relevant describes as “a new kind of virtual experience that would offer church to a new generation more comfortable with digital relationships.”

    From the article:

    The announcement was met with no small degree of skepticism at the time but that was then. Now Churchome’s style of Sunday service has become the norm for almost every church in the country.

    -Relevant magazine

    This article misses the obvious. Online services have become the norm for almost every church in the country…for now.

    It’s become the norm, grudgingly. It’s become the norm because of the outbreak. It’s become the norm because many states aren’t allowing churches to meet. It hasn’t become the norm because hundreds of thousands of churches simultaneously decided that online church is better.

    It isn’t.

    It hasn’t become the norm because churches are suddenly jumping on the bandwagon and think it’s better.

    The church meeting together and having fellowship together is better. People using the gifts God has given them to build up and serve their church is better (1 Cor. 12). A pastor who has a relationship with his people is better. A church where there is accountability from people who know each other and know their struggles, their past, their victories, is better. Partaking of communion together as a church is better. Elders tending to the spiritual welfare of people they actually know is better. Having a church that has a presence in a community is better.

    In every way, meeting together for church is superior to meeting online for church. Yes, it’s a blessing that over these last few weeks, churches have had the capability to broadcast online. But there’s no substitute for the real thing.

    Just because more things are done online in our culture, and we’re more technologically connected does not mean that this is the route churches should go.

    For instance, with fellowship, there is no substitute for actual human interaction. Sure, I’ve made friends online. I met my wife on eHarmony! But when you’re celebrating Christmas, if a family member is away and all you have is facetime, it’s not the same as having them with you. If a friend or relative has moved far away, yes, it’s nice you can Skype with them, but it’s still not the same as seeing them.

    Our society relies more on online interactions and our society is also increasingly miserable. Depression, loneliness, anxiety pervade the culture. The idea of online church panders to the culture while giving the culture while giving them something which is an unbiblical facade for church.

    From the Relevant article, Judah Smith says: “we believe that actually people can connect on a level, that frankly could very well be deeper and richer and fuller.” I don’t see much evidence to back that claim up and there’s lot of research that says just the opposite.

    I like social media and the internet as much as the next guy. All I’m saying is that it’s not an effective replacement for authentic relationships, and it’s certainly not a replacement for church.

    Humanity was created for relationship. We’re created for fellowship with God and with other people. Just because more business, commerce, and entertainment has moved to the internet, that does not mean the church should follow suit.

    Christianity is counter-cultural.

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

  • Fruit of the Spirit – something we can’t produce

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    BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS,23 GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL; AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.

    -GALATIANS 5:22-23

    In the Book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit.

    It’s a section that fascinates me. Because the fruit is produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.

    There are certain areas in our lives we can control.

    Think about it.

    Honesty. You can force yourself to be honest. I’ll just choose to not lie. You can decide

    that for yourself. Honesty isn’t a fruit of the Spirit.

    Generosity isn’t a fruit of the spirit. You can choose to give more or to serve more to others.

    Those are things you can control.

    But the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

    These are things we don’t control in ourselves.

    They’re…the fruit of the Spirit. Not the fruit of our effort.

    Nine graces that God produces in believers.

    Love is a fruit of the Spirit.

    So what this passage is saying is that if you’re wain gin the Spirit, it will manifest itself in love.

    Now there are commands to love given in many places throughout the Bible. We should love people. We should demonstrate love towards others by actions.

    And that we can control.

    But it’s not just external actions, but in the depths of our soul, are we doing things out of love out of obligation or because we actually love people?

    Some people say that love is a choice, that it’s not about a feeling…

    That would be wrong. That’s JV love.

    Of course love is a feeling too. We are supposed to actually love people, to have affection in our hearts for people. To actually have a desire for what’s best for them and their own salvation and joy and grace.

    And there are people in our lives who are hard to love.

    And so to love those people is not something we have in ourselves. It must come from God.

    Another example: joy. You can’t create joy in your own heart. You can’t make yourself joyful.

    You can’t say “I didn’t have enough joy yesterday, but today, I’m going to make myself joyful.”

    You can’t do it.

    No matter how glad half full you try to look at things, no matter how much you try to force yourself to ignore the little inconveniences, you cannot make your own joy.

    You can pretend. You can bury emotions. You can try whatever the self-help gurus are saying to do. Just like love you can outwardly convey joy. But what about internally?

    True joy is something that you can’t produce. Joy comes from the Spirit.

    Joy is a supernatural delight in God brought about  by the Spirit. It’s because joy is supernatural that joy can exist even in difficult circumstances. We have joy from seeing the glory and goodness of Christ.

    The Spirit illuminates us to the good things of God. Jesus talks of this in John 16:14: “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

    Let’s look at another piece of fruit.

    Peace.

    Peace is not merely the absence of war. But peace is safety, harmony, wholeness and unity.

    The peace that Jesus brings is a restoration of a relationship that had been lost due to sin.

    You cannot give yourself internal peace. You cannot make yourself feel peace with God.

    It’s a fruit of the Spirit.

    Romans 14:17 says: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

    The fruit of the Spirit is supernatural.

    It’s fruit.

    You don’t cause fruit to grow.

    Quoting Tim Keller: “A gardener doesn’t make the things grow. The gardener just creates the conditions through which the power of the seed is released.”

    Another idea Keller brings up. What doe she contact the fruit of the Spirit with?

    It’s not the weeds of the flesh. It’s the works of the flesh. We commit our own sins. We choose to sin. We are responsible for our own sins.

    And again, there’s both an internal and an external aspect to the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. So with something like kindness or patience, yes you can behave at work and act nice to someone.

    But are you thinking nasty things about them while you’re doing it?

    Then you’re not really kind are you? True kindness is because you desire to be kind not because you feel you have to be. And you can’t make yourself kind.

    We should know the fruit of the Spirit.

    We should desire to grow in all of these areas.

    And yes, there are times where our outward actions might outpace our inward desires.

    We should be loving, or kind, or good to people, because we know it’s what God desires. But as we walk in step with the Spirit, as we walk with the Lord, more and more, we will do these things because it’s what we also want.

    It’s the new life God produces in believers.

    Originally published January 8, 2019

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe!