Category: Sean Perron

Articles written by Sean Perron

Letters To A Young Engaged Man: Why Do You Quarrel?


Dear Young Engaged Man,

Thank you for telling me about your first quarrel as an engaged couple. Isn’t it ironic that it was over something so small? I know it did not seem small in the heat of the moment, but after things cool down you realize that it is often the smallest coals which can often burn the hottest and longest. Brother, I wish you were alone in this struggle.

A helpful question to ask is why did you quarrel?

The book of James says that we fight because our pleasures are at war inside of us (James 4:1-4). I believe this is attributed to trying to find our pleasure in ourselves rather than in God by serving each other. We have our “passions”, as the ESV translates it, and these passions are driven by the things we want but don’t have. We want so we fight to get it.

Now you might wonder how selfishness can be at the root of quarreling. But ask yourself this question, “If I was thinking about how I could serve her, would I have gotten so frustrated?”
When I am looking for an opportunity to be patient with my fiancée, it is hard to get frustrated. When I am looking for an opportunity to be gentle, I am slow to anger.

I must pray through Galatians 5:22-23. And when I do, I usually find that I am the cause for quarreling rather than her.

Try praying through the fruits of the Spirit this week and please keep me posted on your conversations. I will be praying for you.

Until then,
Sean

Letters To a Young Engaged Man: Pursue Him Before You Pursue Her

Dear Young Engaged Man,

Do not be tricked into thinking that your real spiritual life begins the day of your wedding. I know this may sound bizarre when I vocalize it, but the thought may have already sneaked into your subconscious.

You might unknowingly believe the lie that you will be super spiritual after you married. You may be deceived into thinking that your big sins now will simply become small sins later. You may be delusional and find yourself fantasizing about spiritual heights in your marriage simply because you are married. Marriage is not a magic wand for making sin disappear.   The reality is that spiritual maturity is hard work that begins now. Set spiritual goals for your marriage and desire to be the spiritual head of your family. But if you are not pursuing these goals now, do not expect the marriage vows to be a five hour spiritual energy drink.

Your spiritual maturity in marriage begins by pursuing Jesus now. Do not wait until she walks down the aisle. You should be on your knees at the alter seeking the face of the Lord long before that day. Pursue Him before you pursue her.
I am convicted as I write this to you. So let us run the race now. Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.

Until then,
Sean

The Good News of Justice

Justice seems to be the buzz word of the year. Social justice, humanitarian causes, and mercy ministries are now in vogue. I just returned from an interesting conference that rallied for the cause of justice. The folks that this event attracted were rather diverse. Some solid on the Bible and others hanging by a thread over the flames of hell.

I am just a traveler on the journey of loving people rightly. I have a long way to go. But I know where the train begins and the tracks it should run on.  The gateway for fighting injustice is the good news of God. The tracks on which the train of justice roll are the tracks of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Very important to the cause of fighting injustice are the words “No greater love has one for another than to lay his life down for his friends.” (John 15:13)  This strips social justice of any political overtones. Few liberals can run with this banner for very long and few conservatives can become calloused against it. When Jesus says he is going to love his friends to the death, it means love them to the eternal death.

Jesus left his glorious home in heaven to minister to the poor. And we can follow his example by giving our lives to the poor. But Jesus did not just come to live among the broken and abused. Jesus did not just leave us a good example when he died on the cross. There was something much bigger going on. He was absorbing the infinite wrath of an almighty God on behalf of wicked sinners.

So yes, I come from a church that emphasizes the substitutionary work of Jesus’ death on the cross.  And no, Jesus was not merely killed because he threatened the position of his oppressors.  The gospel is bigger than that.  Justice is bigger than that.  Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities and by his stripes we are healed.

Unfortunately, there is this false dichotomy that says that theology and loving neighbor are mutually exclusive. There are many theology loving people who neglect loving their neighbors. And there are many justice-loving people who neglect loving their Savior. A division like this is not needed. One should flow out of the other.

Only those who are gripped by the Jesus who lays his life down for sinners make good “social activists”. Idolatry is the worst injustice ever committed. The death of Jesus puts right the worst wrong. Sin against God is paid in full for those who call upon His name.

God hated injustice so much that he slaughtered his only Son. From the cross did his love and blood roll.

I can’t think of a better place for justice to flow from.

Sin With Lipstick


Luke 7:36-50


She is a “woman of the city”  She sleeps for a price. She has no morals. She is looked down upon.  She is the town prostitute.
Evidently Jesus should have known who she was. Simon knew. Now She is crying so intensely that she can wet Jesus’ feet. She can use her own tears to clear the dirt off Christ. Jesus’ feet have been caked with dirt and this slave of sex has come to clean him up. Now she is kissing his feet. The same lips that have been with countless men are now touching the feet of God. Now she is pouring expensive perfume on Him. Perfume she has been saving. Only she is not using this perfume to seduce anyone. Instead she is using it to anoint the feet of Jesus.

Simon cannot take it. Is Jesus really a holy man since this woman is touching Him? How could he be a prophet if he does not know about her? (Verse 39) He said this to himself… not to anyone there… but to himself. Thoughts coated in self-righteousness. Sin with lipstick. Pampered pride. Hidden, dark, festering, and full of blindness.

This should cause all of us to pause and pray for mercy. Is this our heart?
  Jesus will not let these obscene thoughts pass him by.  
I have something to say to you Simon.  Say it teacher (Verse 40). How were these words exchanged? Could you hear the pride in Simeon’s voice? Or was it coated with a gloss of genuineness? Or was it really sincere?

He who is forgiven little loves little.

Wait… doesn’t this just mean Simon was right? Is Jesus saying that Simon is decent and only needed a little help from Jesus and prostitute vile and wicked needing massive rescue?

No, Jesus does not mean that Simeon was a good guy.  Rather he means that Simon did not understand the depth of His sin. Simon did not understand that he was in the same position as the prostitute. He should have been the one on the dirty floor weeping at the feet of Jesus.  He is the one who should have been breaking his valuables for Jesus.  He is the one who should have soaked the Savior’s feet with tears.  But he did not realize the depth of his sin nor did he realize the worth of the Savior.

We need to be on the ground before God. At this “true love waits” banquet, we need to be like this prostitute. Broken over our sin. Psalm 24 says only he who has clean hands and a pure heart can ascend to the hill of the Lord. Is that us? Not apart from the blood of Jesus.

Who is the pure one in this parable? Is it the virgin Pharisee unstained by “sexual immorality?” Or is it the prostitute? Who is the pure of heart?

The blood of Jesus is our only hope for purity.

Pick your prayer: “God, have mercy upon me a sinner!” or “God, thank you that I am not like her”

{adapted from the sermon “Purity, Prostitutes, and Pharisees” preached at Laguardo Baptist on 2.11.12}

25 Reasons

In in less than 100 days, I’m going to marry the love of my life:  Jennifer Whiteaker.  Last year for Valentines Day I wrote out the top 25 reasons why I was attracted to Jennifer Whiteaker. Every day leading up to Valentines Day I would hide an envelope with one reason written in it. I would let her discover a new one each day.

Jennifer is the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman and I can say that a mere 25 reasons does not do her justice. She is my precious treasure and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my days with her. If she knew I was posting this, she would want me to say that the only reason I am attracted to her is because of Jesus. To which I would respond, “See, now there are 26 reasons.”

  1.  You hold me loosely.
  2.  His name and renown is the desire of your soul
  3.  You humbly submit to your Savior.
  4.  You become less and He becomes more.
  5.  You receive the rain of the Spirit and He adorns your soul with beautiful blossoms
  6.  Proverbs 31:14
  7.  The Word of Christ dwells in you richly
  8.  You laugh loud and are serious about service
  9.  You become undignified in your worship
  10.  Adventure is your middle name
  11.  Your beautiful brown eyes let me see your precious heart
  12.  You dress like a daughter of God
  13.  You look out for those who have not been noticed
  14.  The teaching of kindness is on your lips
  15.  You fear God and not man’s opinion.
  16.  You are a visible picture of Jesus’ words “blessed are the meek”
  17.  You repent of sin when convicted.
  18.  You hate evil and love good.
  19.  Your songs flow from a gospel filled heart.
  20.  You give knowing your possessions are in heaven.
  21.  You splash your surrounding with spontaneous expressions of glee
  22.  Encouragement is the bread you bake
  23.  Your eye lashes flutter like the flowing wings of a pure feathered flamingo.
  24.  You boldly approach the throne of God in prayer.
  25.  You find your identity and worth in the gospel.

Painting Prophecy

Often prophecy in the New Testament can perplex readers. Sometimes is seems as though the New Testament writers were not consistent in their use of the Old Testament. Here is my feeble attempt at an illustration that may help shed light on how the New Testament writers understood Old Testament prophecy.

The two main painting styles I am familiar with are “Replication” and “Abstract”.

One type of painting technique attempts to replicate a photo or event with minute detail and accuracy. This was my choice of style when I first began to paint. I loved to paint fruit as realistic as possible or reduplicate photographs on a canvas.

Another form of art is known as Impressionism. Abstract art uses a much broader stroke of artistic interpretation yet still conveys a message or picture. Against all odds (and to my grandfather’s chagrin), most of my current paintings lean towards the way of Van Gogh.

I have learned to appreciate both mediums and understand their places in the art realm. Neither one is wrong but they both have their benefits.

This analogy may be helpful in relation to Scriptural prophecy.

  1. Literal Fulfillment
    Matthew 2:6 is a direct fulfillment of Micah 5:2. Jesus’ birthplace is predicted hundreds of years in advanced and is fulfilled exactly as foretold. I would equate this with replication type paintings. The Old Testament prophet says “A+B will make C” and thus the New Testament equation unfolds.
  2. Typological fulfillment.
    An example of this would be found in Matthew 2:15. Matthew saw the life of Israel and the life of Jesus and did not think it was a coincidence. Jesus was not in Egypt for slavery but for safety. Jesus is the true and better Israel and fulfills everything Israel was not. In this medium of prophecy, the New Testament writers see a divine foreshadow, theme, or event in the Old Testament and connect it with the life or ministry of Christ. Though these prophecies are not necessarily a detailed blueprint that would have been anticipated, they depict pictures of the Messiah which the inspired authors used. I would compare this type of prophecy with impressionistic art. (e.g. Mt 2:16-18, 2:23)

Both are right and both have their beauty and place in the realm of Scripture. The New Testament writers knew how to read the Bible properly and we would do well to follow their method of study.

 

Kiss The Son

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2:12

What would you think if I told you that Jesus was genuinely angry with some people?  Would that make you uncomfortable?  If so, why?  Why do words like wrath, anger, fury, or even holiness grate against people while words like love and peace sound more appealing to the ears?

If someone is uncomfortable using these words to describe God, this might be because the only thing they have ever encountered in life is sinful rage.  Yet Jesus’ wrath is just and should be celebrated because it’s good.  He only feels wrath over things that deserve wrath.  There is no such thing as unfair wrath with Jesus. Christ’s rage is holy. His fury is good and complete. Yes, His wrath is good.

How can God`s wrath be good? How is this comforting?

  1. Nobody wants to worship a wimpy God. We do not want a God who is soft on sin. If we are honest, an unjust God is not appealing to us. The murderer could always kill whenever and however. The rapist could forever rape freely. The liar could perpetually deceive you in the most devastating ways.  God allows this for a season, but, oh, how his wrath is kindled quickly! He will tread the vineyard of the wrath of God. No sin goes unpunished. He will not tolerate wickedness forever.  This truth does not allow us to point fingers. We must examine our own souls. God will not allow us to sin carte-blanche. God does not show partiality. He is ready to strike us down in our sins unless something drastically changes.
  2. The surprise of Christ is that we can kiss him. The shocking reality of the gospel is that Jesus should punish us, but instead offers the gift of grace. This gift was not free for him. It cost him dearly. Jesus paid for the gift with his own precious blood. God’s righteous rod of wrath struck down upon his body on Mount Calvary. Jesus bore the sins of the world upon a Roman tree.

Why the cross? Because God is holy and must punish sin. Upon Golgotha, God’s love and wrath mingle perfectly. The wrath of God which fell upon Jesus is good news for the believer.

Ironic isn’t it? Strange perhaps? Jesus is slow to anger… yet quick to kindle his wrath.

 “The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18

There are two ways to kiss the Son. One can fall down anointing his feet with kisses (Luke 7:37-38).  Or one can attempt to kill Christ with a cold peck. (Mark 14:44-45).  The former is a broken sinner relying only on the mercy of God. The latter is a hardened sinner about to be broken on the wrath of God.

So friend! Kiss the Son lest He be angry with you. His rod and his staff will comfort you.

Sean Perron

Worldview

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Does the Bible change the way we look at sports, dating, music, sleep and free time? Christianity is much larger than Sunday morning or youth group. I have often slipped into the inconsistent framework of being a Christian by creed but an atheist in practice. Being a Christian involves your daily life. Jesus desires and demands influence in our daily lives. Going to church once or twice a week does not make someone a follower of Christ.  Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and pick up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) The Christian worldview is comprehensive.

“Whatever you do” is a pretty broad statement (1 Cor 10:31). How is it possible to glorify God in “boring” daily routines? It begins with the gospel and then connects to the glory of God. Jesus’ death on the cross has purchased every good gift we can experience in life (Rom 8:32). Everything we enjoy is a gift of grace that Jesus bought for us when He died on Calvary. “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:20). We cannot honor God without His help. Trusting in the cross changes everything we do. We have been set free from sin to properly enjoy life. How can we glorify God in whatever we do? We can glorify God above all things and in all things.

1. Above all things. Glorifying God is about calling attention to God. It is about bringing honor to Jesus. When we glorify God it makes Jesus look attractive to a lost world. Glorifying God involves showing that He is more valuable than everything. Here are a few practical questions to check your heart:

  • When you play football, is it clear to everyone that Jesus is more valuable to you than winning a game?
  • When you eat dinner, do you enjoy Jesus more than food or do your cravings command you?
  • When carrying on conversation with your classmates, do your words edify and make Jesus look good or tear down and exalt yourself?

I have a friend who reminds me frequently to “hold loosely.” Hold onto the things of this world in such a way that if God were to take them away you would still worship Him. My pastor often says that food, sex, family and ministries are good gifts but bad gods. Beware lest any gift becomes an “idol of the heart.” Enjoy Jesus above all things.

2. In all things. When a prisoner is set free from jail, he truly appreciates enjoying the warmth of the sunlight. He is thrilled to breathe fresh air and knows it is a precious gift that he does not deserve. Children are kings at enjoying the simple things of life. The Christian should also enjoy God’s gifts and realize they are free to enjoy them because of the gospel. Therefore, glorify God by playing basketball to the best of your ability. With the right heart, playing your hardest actually honors God. Worship God by enjoying every winning touchdown, ice cream, or day off from school. Laugh hard and live it to the brim. Enjoying God’s gifts makes Jesus look good!

God calls us to live an everyday life for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). This does not mean you need to force “Bible talk” into everything. God wants you to live life loving Him above all things and in all things. John Piper champions this topic in chapter three of Don’t Waste Your Life. He says every gift is a ray that points back to Jesus.

“The sunbeams of blessing in our lives are bright in and of themselves. They also give light to the ground where we walk. But there is a higher purpose for these blessings. God means for us to do more than stand outside them and admire them for what they are. Even more, he means for us to walk into them and see the sun from which they come. If the beams are beautiful, the sun is even more beautiful. God’s aim is not that we merely admire his gifts, but, even more, his glory.” (p.59)

He is the fountain from which all blessings flow. Living life this way gives you the highest joy because it is found in God. God has pleasures at His right hand that he offers to anyone who will taste and see His goodness. Why would anyone minimize the Christian life to only two days a week?

Sean Perron