Author: Ryan Hoffer

³² Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Luke 23:32-38 (ESV)

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WHY GOD BECAME MAN

 

In the late 11^th century St. Anselm the archbishop of Canterbury wrote a book entitled Cur Deus Homo (or, in English, Why God Became Man). In this theological masterpiece, he considers why it was necessary for the Incarnation to take place to redeem mankind. His reasoning goes something like this:

 

• Man’s sin rendered him indebted to God
• Man, being of lowly estate, cannot repay to God that which He is due
• Only God could be capable of paying such a debt, though it would not be fitting because it is not His debt to pay
• Therefore, only one who was truly man and truly God could redeem humanity

 

This reasoning is consistent with the Scriptures. In Colossians 1:19-20 Paul states, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” It is at the cross that this debt is paid in the person of Christ, making forgiveness possible for mankind. But the cross is more than just that. It is also victory. Just as Jesus came into the world “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), he also came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). St. Anselm also puts it like this, “The devil, who defeated the man whom he beguiled through the taste of a tree, should himself similarly be defeated through tree-induced suffering, which he, the devil, inflicted.” When these things are considered, it is beautiful that our redemption should be procured in this way.

 

On this Good Friday, we stand in awe of the fact that God, in His grace, would offer us not only forgiveness, but also the victory anticipated in the resurrection of Easter morning.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

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A PLAN THAT IS DEEPER STILL

 

In the final moments of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis unpacks the idea of the Atonement – that is, how the sacrifice of Christ on the cross makes us right with God. Edmund, the youngest brother of the four Pevensie children, betrays his siblings by delivering them to the White Witch. She presumptively declares her victory over the lion Aslan, stating:

 

Fool…do you think your master can rob me of my rights by mere force? He knows the Deep Magic better than that. He knows that unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water.

 

Lewis uses the moment to illustrate the human predicament of sin. For “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). In mythical analogy, the Law of Narnia allows that the life of a traitor is forfeit to the Witch: “You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill.”

 

In a twist, however, Aslan – the lion who portrays a Christ figure and the very Creator of Narnia – offers to give his life in place of Edmund. He explains:

 

Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back into the stillness…before Time dawned…she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead…Death itself would start working backward.

 

And so Aslan sacrifices himself and the Deeper Magic reverses the curse of death. The witch’s “victory” becomes her undoing. This is what is meant by Paul in 2 Cor 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Christ forgives our trespasses by the shedding of His blood at the cross – this is the Atonement.  On the eve of the crucifixion, the presumptive victory of the devil is undone by a plan that is deeper still.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV)

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FORGIVENESS FROM THE HEART

 

One cannot be compelled to forgive, much in the same way that one cannot be compelled to love. To revoke the will would be to rob the act of its charity. And both love and forgiveness seem to be ongoing acts. For if I accept an apology in one instance, I am not forever exempt from drinking the bitter poison of unforgiveness. Likewise, love is chosen and practiced in the passage of time rather than in an instant. Both love and forgiveness must, therefore, be offered from the heart.

 

In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor to show the importance of forgiving from the heart. The King calls his debtors to settle their accounts and a servant with an large sum begs his master to forgive his enormous debt. Being moved with compassion, the king complies and releases him. The forgiven servant, however, acts cruelly toward one of his own debtors and has him thrown in prison, scorning the opportunity to display the mercy he himself was shown.  Hearing of this, the king becomes angry and has the man thrown in prison and his debt reinstated. Jesus closes the story by stating, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Mt. 18:35).

 

This last phrase “from the heart” is indicative of the fact that mere verbal forgiveness is not sufficient for righteousness. This is not always easy. Nor is it instantaneous or forced. Like repentance, it is willful and ongoing. Forgiveness from the heart must be sincere, seeking no further recompense and begrudging not. Paul reinforces this idea, telling the Ephesians “[forgive] one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 5:32).

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)

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MAKING AMENDS

 

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stresses the importance of reconciliation over acts of devotion. This is not exclusive to the New Testament, although the Jews in the crowd, overlooking the spiritual principles of the Law, would have though this idea revolutionary. The Psalter likewise states, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering; the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; and broken and contrite heart you will not despise” (Psa 51:16-17). God calls us to take a moral inventory and take action where the Holy Spirit points out we are coming up short. Making amends is important for the people of God.

 

Not coincidentally, this spiritual principle has been embraced by twelve-step programs as of the utmost importance. Step Five of A.A. (and also of Celebrate Recovery – a Christ centered program) both state, “We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to others the exact nature of our wrongs.” When we are honest with another person it confirms we have been honest with ourselves and with God. Step Nine then calls those in recovery to “make direct amends whenever possible” – a step that is itself based upon the above passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

 

Often reconciliation is possible, but sometimes it is not. Forgiveness does not guarantee that the relationship will be restored, but our responsibility before God is satisfied in the attempt.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

⁹ Pray then like this:

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:9-15 (ESV)

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FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES

 

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…” It’s a phrase I’ve uttered thousands of times – mostly while holding the hands of alcoholics as we close out the meeting with the Lord’s Prayer. And never once has its repetition struck me as cursory. On the contrary, each time those words evoke a sense of great relief, due in part to the breadth of human experience covered in the short prayer – provision of daily necessities, submission to His will, deliverance from evil, and forgiveness.  The part about forgiveness, however, has a unique role.

 

First, it is the only part of the prayer that promises action on behalf of the speaker. In every other part, we entreat the Lord to take action. Give us (v.11), lead us not (v.13), and deliver us (v.13) all urge God to act. But in this singular petition about forgiveness, we are making a commitment by asking God to forgive us in like measure to the mercy we exercise toward others (“as we forgive those who trespass against us”). At face value, this is a startling admission. We want God’s pardon to be comprehensive – covering the totality of human sinfulness (which it undoubtedly does). But our Lord entreats us to consider His forgiveness in our treatment of others. This puts us in the role of both the forgiven and the forgiving, teaching us something about His mercy and our standing before Him and others.

 

Second, the fact that forgiveness is situated after sustenance speaks to its importance. After all, only three petitions are made after the opening of the Lord’s prayer: daily bread, the cancellation of debt, and deliverance. Forgiveness, then, is vital to the Christian life and commanded by our Savior. Today, take a moment to pray the Lord’s prayer (Mt.6:9-15), focusing on your role as forgiven and forgiving.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

James 5:20 (NLT)

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WANDERING AWAY

 

Have you ever strayed from the path you were on and suddenly found yourself off course? Of course! This happens to many of us in causal activity – like shopping or sight-seeing. But James cautions those that wander “away from the truth” (v.19) – a sort of spiritual drift.

 

Most physical wandering is the result of one of two things: 1) a deviation from the proper route or 2) aimlessness. The Psalmist states that the Word of God is “a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105, KJV). It lays out the proper route for the Christian life. The Westminster Confession of 1646 puts it like this:

The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.

 

That is to say, the Bible is a sufficient guide for faith and life. Those who have fallen into error started out by neglecting the Word of God. In theology, the term for a deviation from right teaching is “heresy.” Not coincidentally, this term derives from a Greek word meaning “choice.” When we consistently choose our way instead of The Way (the historic name for early Christianity), we are at risk of falling into error. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help guide us along.

 

We can also help others that are prone to drifting. Ecclesiastes 4:10 states, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” To this sentiment James would agree, for he stresses the restorative ability of Christian community.

 

Heed these final words of James. Choose today to stay the course of our Savior and to encourage others that walk alongside you.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

16 The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16b (NLT)

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UNANSWERED PRAYER

 

James states that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Yet, why is it that some prayers seem to go unanswered or, even worse, unheard? This arises from our misunderstanding of God’s will. It has been stated that God only answers prayer in three ways: yes, no, and not now.

 

How sweet the affirmative answer of God. When our Lord was passing near Jericho, a blind beggar pleaded with him to restore his sight (Lk 18:35-53). This request the Lord granted stating, “Recover your sight, your faith has made you well” (v.42). As a result, he “followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (v.43).

 

God sometimes answers our requests with a “no.” Consider that even our Lord Jesus received this response from the Father. On the night that he was betrayed Jesus prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me” (Mt. 26:39).  When our Father answers us in this way, we ought to imitate the submission of the Son stating, “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mt. 26:39).

 

Sometimes a “no” turns out to be “not now”, although we don’t always understand it in the moment. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a son, but she was barren. When they were “both very old” (Lk 1:7) the angel Gabriel came to tell them “God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John” (Lk 1:13). How long had this God-fearing couple considered their request denied when in fact it was delayed?

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…

James 5:14-16 (NLT)

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INTERCESSION AND CONFESSION

 

Intercession – the act of saying a prayer on behalf of another person – is an important part of prayer. James touches upon the role of intercession in verses 14-16. Firstly, those that are sick benefit from the healing prayers of others in the church. This ought to be a common grace among a body of believers as such prayers “offered in faith” have the power to heal (v.15).

Paul instructs his companion in ministry, Timothy, to pray for others. In 1 Timothy 2:1 he states, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” Many prayers for healing have been answered in the lives of people at NorthStar. I cannot count the times that I have called on people for whom we were praying and miraculous progress had been made. Or the times I have prayed for those in the throes of addiction who were restored to their former sanity. On interceding for others the Bible says, “this is good and pleases God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Confession, likewise, ought to be a frequent practice among faithful Christians – specifically, confession amongst one another. In the years since the Protestant Reformation took place, confession has diminished into something of a relic of Roman Catholicism. This has resulted in an overemphasis on confession taking place internally between God and oneself. It is true that “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). However, James makes clear that confession of one’s sin to another believer has the power to result in healing. This is clear for two reasons: 1) it creates an opportunity for intercession 2) there is a humility involved in confession that is fatal to pride.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

…Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

James 5:13b (NLT)

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ARE YOU HAPPY? PRAISE GOD!

 

One of the ways we go about expressing our thankfulness is through singing! Did you know that the Bible contains over 180 songs? The Jews celebrated through music; the early church did likewise. The Roman Governor Pliny, writing to the emperor Trajan in 112 A.D., noted that the first Christians “had become accustomed to meeting before daybreak, and to recite a hymn among themselves to Christ…” Thus, the corporate singing of praises has been a vital mode of worship since the inception of the church. James encourages the continuation of that practice as proper for the happy Christian.

It is fitting that this appeal to the cheerful believer follows the previous address to the afflicted, for we are to communicate to our Lord in all seasons – feast and famine. Yet often we forget to give him due praise for seasons of peace. The apostle Paul reminds us “always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…” (Thessalonians 5:16-18). Are you happy? Praise God! Thanksgiving is as much a part of prayer as our desperate petitions.

Have you given thanks for answered prayers? A good rule of thumb is “if its small enough to pray about its small enough to give thanks about.” Those times that we casually prayed for sunny weather or a favorable outcome ought to be followed up with an expression of gratitude. This will not only cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving, but it will reinforce the precious sovereignty of God in every aspect of our life – big and small.

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray…

James 5:13a (NLT)

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THE POWER OF PRAYER

 

Have you prayed about it? Likely you have heard that remark from a well-intentioned friend after laying your heart bare. The straight-forwardness of it almost offends the sensibilities, although the answer is almost always a resounding “no.”  And yet James – speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – boldly entreats us to consider this most basic principle: pray about it.

The truth of the matter is that we often get so distracted by the pain of affliction that we forget where our strength comes from. But worrying about it is just a form of praying to ourselves. We were not meant to become resigned to the hardships of living the Christian life. In Psalm 50:15, the Lord tells us; “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Calling upon him is, in essence, the business of prayer. Therefore, if you are suffering hardships, you should pray. He is able to deliver you and in doing so you will bring glory to His name.

Take a moment today to reflect these words of James 5:13. Consider the hardships that you are facing and ask yourself whether you have submitted them to the Lord in prayer, who hears and cares. The apostle Peter, who walked with Jesus, would put it like this: “Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” The question is: have you prayed about it?

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.