Recently, I've been working through Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. It has been an excellent and convicting read. The whole premise and purpose of the book is to expose Christians to our propensity to fandom to the neglect of actually following Christ wholeheartedly. In the spirit of this book, I wanted to pose a simple question for this blog. This is not because of any desire to condemn or judge, but merely because it is the same ringing question that has been my heart's concern, keeping me awake for the past few nights.
What have you sacrificed for Christ?
Today, this weekend, over the next week, let us truly examine our relationships with Christ and think long and hard on this simple but convicting question.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Cultural Idolatry
Earlier this week, my theology professor said this phrase, cultural idolatry. Immediately after he said it I scrambled to type it in my notes and write it by hand on my notebook. Cultural idolatry. Let it sink in. Take a second and read it again: cultural idolatry.
Not only was the exact phrase I was looking for to describe the churched world I encounter. It was also profoundly convicting. Immediately I realized, if only the iceberg's tip, that I so easily fall prey to idolatry in this subtle though subversive form. By the time I got home, I was reeling. I couldn't sleep. Until slumber took over, life began to unravel as the recognition of cultural idolatry showed itself all over.
Think of all the prejudices and preferences that have such weight in our lives, often rendering us impotent to the Gospel and to loving people as Christ has loved us. I can think of the tension of tradition. This is not to discredit the value of traditions. But if those traditions prevent the church from worshiping in the Spirit or committing to the Word, then they are idolatrous and need to be removed.
As a worship leader, I often run into the tension between genre preferences in worship music, as if God actually cared whether we played the organ or guitar!?! This is idolatry, plain and simple. Anytime we let our preferences dictate or hinder our freedom to worship God in all Spirit and truth or limit our energy and excitement for worshiping God Almighty, we are committing idolatry. There is no other way to put it.
As Christians, we need to be vigilant to expunge even any semblance of idolatry. God's first commandment is a direction against idolatry. We should, thus, take it seriously and acknowledge how easily idolatry, even cultural idolatry, can infiltrate the church. Let us then always be on guard against cultural idolatry in its many pervasive and dangerous forms.
Not only was the exact phrase I was looking for to describe the churched world I encounter. It was also profoundly convicting. Immediately I realized, if only the iceberg's tip, that I so easily fall prey to idolatry in this subtle though subversive form. By the time I got home, I was reeling. I couldn't sleep. Until slumber took over, life began to unravel as the recognition of cultural idolatry showed itself all over.
Think of all the prejudices and preferences that have such weight in our lives, often rendering us impotent to the Gospel and to loving people as Christ has loved us. I can think of the tension of tradition. This is not to discredit the value of traditions. But if those traditions prevent the church from worshiping in the Spirit or committing to the Word, then they are idolatrous and need to be removed.
As a worship leader, I often run into the tension between genre preferences in worship music, as if God actually cared whether we played the organ or guitar!?! This is idolatry, plain and simple. Anytime we let our preferences dictate or hinder our freedom to worship God in all Spirit and truth or limit our energy and excitement for worshiping God Almighty, we are committing idolatry. There is no other way to put it.
As Christians, we need to be vigilant to expunge even any semblance of idolatry. God's first commandment is a direction against idolatry. We should, thus, take it seriously and acknowledge how easily idolatry, even cultural idolatry, can infiltrate the church. Let us then always be on guard against cultural idolatry in its many pervasive and dangerous forms.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
2 Peter 1:3-4; The Tools to Live Life
Living life as the Word demands can seem a difficult endeavor due to the pervasiveness of sin and how the natural man and the law of sin prevents us from adhering to God's commands. Fortunately, God has given us His Spirit to comfort, encourage, empower, and help us to live life in the manner that He calls us to and that His Word demands.
Although many passages of Scripture deal with this very thing, 2 Peter 1:3-4 covers it directly. Peter's exhortation deserves some pondering as we strive to live lives firmly attached to the vine of God. We need only remember that God has given the believer every tool needed for the job. One needs only to recognize that truth and wield the tools accordingly.
2 Peter 1:3-4: "His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, bu which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires."
Although many passages of Scripture deal with this very thing, 2 Peter 1:3-4 covers it directly. Peter's exhortation deserves some pondering as we strive to live lives firmly attached to the vine of God. We need only remember that God has given the believer every tool needed for the job. One needs only to recognize that truth and wield the tools accordingly.
2 Peter 1:3-4: "His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, bu which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires."
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Christian Ethics
Morality and ethics are terms used to describe humanity's inner motivations toward justice and truth. Although these expressions are certainly in play in the fields of legislation and politics, the heart of morality and ethics is human-on-human, horizontal relationships. If we mine morality and ethics to their cores, we find a commonality in that they are both based on the utter, intrinsic worth and dignity of the individual human.
Reducing morality and ethics, particularly ethics, to the horizontal plane, however, will sever the issue at hand from its roots in the worth and dignity of man, because how we do ethics is intimately tied to where the individual receives his/her worth from. If the dignity and worth of man stems from merit, work, achievement, etc., then what is considered ethical/unethical will begin with anything that hinders man from asserting his/her worth or dignity. This means that those who are, by way of disability or whatever, hindered from earning the accruement of worth, then they live outside of ethical considerations.
However, biblical ethics begins from a different perspective altogether. Biblically, the dignity and worth of man are rooted in mankind's creation as bearing the image of God. It is the fact that every human being bears God image that the dignity and worth of the human individual is heralded and maintained. How we engage in ethics must derive from this impetus in order to protect all humans, especially those who, for whatever reason, are unable to earn their worth and dignity.
Thus, biblical ethics overcomes any predisposed prejudice or caste-like hierarchy, be it educational, age, or otherwise, and every ethical agent (aka. every human being) starts from the same presuppositional base to allow for commonality and conversation about ethics. Let us then always keep this perspective in mind when the issues of ethics arise.
Reducing morality and ethics, particularly ethics, to the horizontal plane, however, will sever the issue at hand from its roots in the worth and dignity of man, because how we do ethics is intimately tied to where the individual receives his/her worth from. If the dignity and worth of man stems from merit, work, achievement, etc., then what is considered ethical/unethical will begin with anything that hinders man from asserting his/her worth or dignity. This means that those who are, by way of disability or whatever, hindered from earning the accruement of worth, then they live outside of ethical considerations.
However, biblical ethics begins from a different perspective altogether. Biblically, the dignity and worth of man are rooted in mankind's creation as bearing the image of God. It is the fact that every human being bears God image that the dignity and worth of the human individual is heralded and maintained. How we engage in ethics must derive from this impetus in order to protect all humans, especially those who, for whatever reason, are unable to earn their worth and dignity.
Thus, biblical ethics overcomes any predisposed prejudice or caste-like hierarchy, be it educational, age, or otherwise, and every ethical agent (aka. every human being) starts from the same presuppositional base to allow for commonality and conversation about ethics. Let us then always keep this perspective in mind when the issues of ethics arise.
Monday, November 26, 2012
1 Peter: Backing Up Prayer in Lifestyle.
1 Peter 4:7: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."
This verse, although abstracted from an exhortation for believers to become armed and ready to suffer as Christ has suffered, is a powerful and profound teaching for Christians. The essence of Peter's instruction is that Christians have an obligation to live with a certain conduct of life, not only because it is befitting of Christ but more so because it is our lifestyle which protects and confirms the validity of our prayers.
To be sure, there is a depth to what Peter is saying but, at its heart in its context, Peter is charging believers to back up their beliefs and to substantiate their faith with the very way that believers live. Clearly, simple belief is not so simple.
Faith in Christ demands that we never cease to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and the working of the Holy Word in our lives. We should not take lightly the investment of Christ's riches that have been deposited within us. Instead, we should always strive on towards greater depths of commitment and sanctification in Christ. And in doing so, we protect our prayers from the defilement of debauchery and sin.
This verse, although abstracted from an exhortation for believers to become armed and ready to suffer as Christ has suffered, is a powerful and profound teaching for Christians. The essence of Peter's instruction is that Christians have an obligation to live with a certain conduct of life, not only because it is befitting of Christ but more so because it is our lifestyle which protects and confirms the validity of our prayers.
To be sure, there is a depth to what Peter is saying but, at its heart in its context, Peter is charging believers to back up their beliefs and to substantiate their faith with the very way that believers live. Clearly, simple belief is not so simple.
Faith in Christ demands that we never cease to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and the working of the Holy Word in our lives. We should not take lightly the investment of Christ's riches that have been deposited within us. Instead, we should always strive on towards greater depths of commitment and sanctification in Christ. And in doing so, we protect our prayers from the defilement of debauchery and sin.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
1 Peter and the Imperishable Seed
Peter is an interesting character of the New Testament and of Christianity. He was one of Jesus' first disciples, who was with Jesus during his transfiguration on the mountain. He was decidedly outspoken to a fault, often speaking with much gusto and gaffe before thinking at all about what he was saying. Although he was a devout follower, one of the closest friends of Christ Jesus, he denied Jesus thrice the night of his trial. However, by the time of Pentecost, this man was transformed into a confident, articulate leader.
Peter became one of the most influential apostles and leaders of the early Church, yet only two books of the New Testament came from his pen. These books, 1 and 2 Peter, are a unified exhortation of perseverance and strength to the early Church and the Christians that comprised it. In reading 1st Peter, one theme that pops out is his emphasis on the fact that Christians have been given an imperishable seed.
The essence of Peter's point, captured in 1 Peter 1:3-4 and 1:23, is that believers have been reborn with an imperishable seed. Peter is referring to how the believer's very nature has been changed, transformed from the perishable seed of Adam to the imperishable seed of Christ. The theological depth of this statement is at the very least profound.
The Christian, because of their now imperishable nature, is no longer constrained by the finite, perishable, and corporeal trappings of the world, because the depths of their identity is no longer perishable. We have been reborn, regenerated in Christ. Therefore, we need to cry out in thankfulness and humble reverence at the wonderful grace that God has blessed us with!
Peter became one of the most influential apostles and leaders of the early Church, yet only two books of the New Testament came from his pen. These books, 1 and 2 Peter, are a unified exhortation of perseverance and strength to the early Church and the Christians that comprised it. In reading 1st Peter, one theme that pops out is his emphasis on the fact that Christians have been given an imperishable seed.
The essence of Peter's point, captured in 1 Peter 1:3-4 and 1:23, is that believers have been reborn with an imperishable seed. Peter is referring to how the believer's very nature has been changed, transformed from the perishable seed of Adam to the imperishable seed of Christ. The theological depth of this statement is at the very least profound.
The Christian, because of their now imperishable nature, is no longer constrained by the finite, perishable, and corporeal trappings of the world, because the depths of their identity is no longer perishable. We have been reborn, regenerated in Christ. Therefore, we need to cry out in thankfulness and humble reverence at the wonderful grace that God has blessed us with!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
In a Foreign World
1 John 4:4-6: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
A couple of years ago, my mother and father went on a long awaited trip to France and decided that a little linguistic preparation was in order. My mother went to Barnes & Noble and purchased one of those "Speak French in 30 days" tapes programs. The first training session (if that's what you could call it) resulted in more laughs than actual words spoken. They listened to the tapes whenever they were in the car together, with no perceivable growth in either recognition of French or of understanding it at all.
When the time for the trip approached they resolutely boarded the plane for their adventure. The laughs they had enjoyed during their linguistic preparation was replaced with the petrified experience of the first 10 minutes after leaving the airport in their rental car as they endeavored to travel from the Charles DeGualle to the French countryside. They were strangers in a new world.
How easy it is for us to forget that we are to be foreigners in this world but not of this world. When we hear others speaking the words of the world we feel the need to try to speak their language. The longer we complacently allow ourselves to be fed food from that which isn't of God, we run the risk of allowing ourselves to be polluted in a way that may cause death.
We, joint heirs with Jesus, must not underestimate the determination of the Anti-Christ or forget that the world as we know it was given over to him and his evil devices (by God Himself). If we forget, we are not only aiding and abetting the enemy with complacency but we will also neglect that we should be preparing ourselves for victory -- not our victory but a victory that has occurred through the loving actions of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Thank you to my mother, Teresa, for much of this blog...
A couple of years ago, my mother and father went on a long awaited trip to France and decided that a little linguistic preparation was in order. My mother went to Barnes & Noble and purchased one of those "Speak French in 30 days" tapes programs. The first training session (if that's what you could call it) resulted in more laughs than actual words spoken. They listened to the tapes whenever they were in the car together, with no perceivable growth in either recognition of French or of understanding it at all.
When the time for the trip approached they resolutely boarded the plane for their adventure. The laughs they had enjoyed during their linguistic preparation was replaced with the petrified experience of the first 10 minutes after leaving the airport in their rental car as they endeavored to travel from the Charles DeGualle to the French countryside. They were strangers in a new world.
How easy it is for us to forget that we are to be foreigners in this world but not of this world. When we hear others speaking the words of the world we feel the need to try to speak their language. The longer we complacently allow ourselves to be fed food from that which isn't of God, we run the risk of allowing ourselves to be polluted in a way that may cause death.
We, joint heirs with Jesus, must not underestimate the determination of the Anti-Christ or forget that the world as we know it was given over to him and his evil devices (by God Himself). If we forget, we are not only aiding and abetting the enemy with complacency but we will also neglect that we should be preparing ourselves for victory -- not our victory but a victory that has occurred through the loving actions of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Thank you to my mother, Teresa, for much of this blog...
Friday, November 23, 2012
God Who Is & Reveals Himself
Confident competence in matters of faith and God is something that could be thought of as elusive for humanity. We are finite creatures, thoroughly limited in our faculties. This reality relegates the discussion of God decidedly one-sided, in that only if God initiates the communication can humanity receive any sure information about the Infinite One.
Fortunately, God has revealed Himself to mankind in nature, in His written Word of the Scriptures, and, most fully, in the incarnation of Christ Jesus. It is, then, not man's initiative to transcend to knowledge of God, but it is God's condescended to humanity that makes the communication possible at all.
There are profound implications in this, for if God did actually reveal Himself to humanity it is for purpose(s), and if God's revealing is for purpose, then to ignore that revelation is to ignore the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. On the flip side, if we do accept that God has revealed Himself to mankind in manners and mediums that are accessible for humans, then this revelation warrants more than inquiry: it demands some adherence.
That is to say because God has revealed Himself, we are obligated by our very nature to cohere to that revelation, for to neglect would be tantamount to a vessel of clay looking up at its maker and, upon hearing the potter's intention and purpose for the clay, refuses to be molded and demands to be let go of the potter's grasp.
However, as we all know, clay cannot mold itself. Clay requires the hands of the potter for its purpose and for achieving its intended design. Similarly, for us to recognize that God has revealed Himself to mankind, we would be right and wise to heed to His revelation and to cohere to that revelation as it informs our lives.
Fortunately, God has revealed Himself to mankind in nature, in His written Word of the Scriptures, and, most fully, in the incarnation of Christ Jesus. It is, then, not man's initiative to transcend to knowledge of God, but it is God's condescended to humanity that makes the communication possible at all.
There are profound implications in this, for if God did actually reveal Himself to humanity it is for purpose(s), and if God's revealing is for purpose, then to ignore that revelation is to ignore the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. On the flip side, if we do accept that God has revealed Himself to mankind in manners and mediums that are accessible for humans, then this revelation warrants more than inquiry: it demands some adherence.
That is to say because God has revealed Himself, we are obligated by our very nature to cohere to that revelation, for to neglect would be tantamount to a vessel of clay looking up at its maker and, upon hearing the potter's intention and purpose for the clay, refuses to be molded and demands to be let go of the potter's grasp.
However, as we all know, clay cannot mold itself. Clay requires the hands of the potter for its purpose and for achieving its intended design. Similarly, for us to recognize that God has revealed Himself to mankind, we would be right and wise to heed to His revelation and to cohere to that revelation as it informs our lives.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Jesus Cuts Quick to the Core
Of the four Gospels, the Gospel of John was written last. The others are known as the Synoptics because of their similar/common material. As a result, John's Gospel often deals with episodes and teachings of Jesus' life that the others did not deal with. Additionally, because John was an eye witness and one of Jesus' closest of the twelve disciples, he wrote from a different perspective than the others.
One of these episodes that John chronicles from a different perspective is the calling of the first disciples. John's theological concern and focus of his Gospel comes through clearly when Jesus first two disciples, Andrew and most likely John, come to Jesus after Jesus' baptism. They come looking for Jesus because of the testimony of John the Baptist.
When they finally get to Jesus, they speak simply but directly: "Behold, the Lamb of God." Jesus' reply is, interestingly, the first thing He says in the Gospel of John perhaps is the one of the most telling as it sets the stage for the theological narrative that follows. Jesus turns back to the two men and says, "What are you seeking." (John 1:35-38).
Perhaps this is the very same question that Christ asks us when we chase after Him. Such a disarming question, but profound in that it places the answerer in the seat of choosing what they might desire from Jesus, to get to the core with a simple inquiry: what are you seeking? Although it is in no way my intention to form a complete doctrine or theological status from only a couple of verses, this is enough to at least cause us to think about Christ's tactic towards people that should compel or inform our own.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Believe God
In the modern world in which we live, the usual starting point in the conversation(s) of theology begins with the question of God's existence. For this, the discussion launches with the question whether to believe in God or not. However, the presuppositions of this question betray the question and biblical perspective, for Scripture's starting point is somewhere else altogether.
Scripture begins, not with a proposition for man to believe in God, but in the assertion that God is and the man is asked to believe what He says and commands. God never explains or gives proof of His existence to Adam. In fact, to do so would seem ludicrous and redundant considering the nearness and intimacy of God's relationship with Adam.
Moreover, God's negative command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not based on God needed to assert His existence. Rather, the essence of Scripture is not and is never whether mankind can/should believe in God, but is concerned with whether mankind will believe God.
The prevailing presupposition of Scripture is that God exists, and His very existence places humanity in a dilemma of sorts. The question is not whether we will believe in God, as in some philosophical quandary but whether we will believe what He has commanded us. This needs to be the entry point in the conversation and it should be where we start when we discuss the basic matters of God. In the end, though, we must point to the Gospel. This is the heart of the dialogue and it is our obligation to bring any inquirers and sophists to it.
Scripture begins, not with a proposition for man to believe in God, but in the assertion that God is and the man is asked to believe what He says and commands. God never explains or gives proof of His existence to Adam. In fact, to do so would seem ludicrous and redundant considering the nearness and intimacy of God's relationship with Adam.
Moreover, God's negative command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not based on God needed to assert His existence. Rather, the essence of Scripture is not and is never whether mankind can/should believe in God, but is concerned with whether mankind will believe God.
The prevailing presupposition of Scripture is that God exists, and His very existence places humanity in a dilemma of sorts. The question is not whether we will believe in God, as in some philosophical quandary but whether we will believe what He has commanded us. This needs to be the entry point in the conversation and it should be where we start when we discuss the basic matters of God. In the end, though, we must point to the Gospel. This is the heart of the dialogue and it is our obligation to bring any inquirers and sophists to it.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving Exhortations
This week is Thanksgiving, an American holiday meant to be a time of remembrance and thanks. Normally, this boils down to a ten minute display around the dinner table in which every chair around the table gives a brief example of what he/she is thankful for, followed by gluttonous eating in preparation for an evening of relaxation, familial awkwardness.
However, perhaps this year, Thanksgiving could be something more, particularly for Christians. This year, this Thanksgiving, let us take this set-aside opportunity with family and friends around the feasts of fine fare and conversation to be a perfect occasion for sharing the Gospel of Christ Jesus to the people we care about the most.
To be sure, often the most difficult people to be the most honest to in regards to matters of faith and God are our family members and friends. Nevertheless, theses are the very people whom God has placed directly in our lives for a reason: for us to proclaim the Gospel to, that is not to detract from the distinct necessity of living the Gospel but, at some point, we have to back it up with our very lives.
Therefore, let us take this Thanksgiving as an opportunity for us to give thanks to the Lord and preach the Gospel to our closest friends and family. And besides, not only is giving thanks to the Lord and worshiping the glory of His name the greatest, most fulfilling thing any human can do but it is also commanded by the Lord Himself.
However, perhaps this year, Thanksgiving could be something more, particularly for Christians. This year, this Thanksgiving, let us take this set-aside opportunity with family and friends around the feasts of fine fare and conversation to be a perfect occasion for sharing the Gospel of Christ Jesus to the people we care about the most.
To be sure, often the most difficult people to be the most honest to in regards to matters of faith and God are our family members and friends. Nevertheless, theses are the very people whom God has placed directly in our lives for a reason: for us to proclaim the Gospel to, that is not to detract from the distinct necessity of living the Gospel but, at some point, we have to back it up with our very lives.
Therefore, let us take this Thanksgiving as an opportunity for us to give thanks to the Lord and preach the Gospel to our closest friends and family. And besides, not only is giving thanks to the Lord and worshiping the glory of His name the greatest, most fulfilling thing any human can do but it is also commanded by the Lord Himself.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Quest For Worth & Significance
The search and venture for significance is one that is common to all of humanity. Mankind seems to always be longing to carve out a meaning and importance for life. The growth of the social network and the explosion of the reality television celebrity reveals the deep desire within humanity for substance, note, and worth.
All this being true, there truly is this deep, soul-wrenching odyssey that is familiar to nearly every average human being that has and that will ever live (save Christ). And there are countless diversions and worldly perspectives that offer various ways of dealing with the stress of seeking significance. However, Scripture paints a picture about seeking significance that is unique, both in its content but also in its execution. The essence of this discussion can be found in two of the early chapters of the Bible: Genesis 11 and 12.
Genesis 11 chronicles the the Tower of Babel. Briefly summarized: people are congregated together in a great city with one language and goal for the purpose of creating a great name and culture for themselves, writing their own destiny and attempting to claim significance for themselves. God's response was to confuse human language and to disperse mankind across the globe. Clearly, God's ideas about the search for identity are different than humanity's.
In Genesis 12, God calls Abram. God promises to make him into the father of nations, to bless him with storehouses of wealth, and to give him a life of supreme significance. God provides Abram's importance and worth not because of Abram's work or effort but solely because of Abram's faith and faithfulness.
Similarly, our significance is not based on our exertion or the strength of our will. Rather, the only significant act that an individual human can do, the most important element of any single human is not his/her accomplishments, his/her wealth, or even his/her relationships. No. Faith in the Lord is the most significant and only truly important thing a human can do. Let us then seek to be significant by drawing close to God in faith!
All this being true, there truly is this deep, soul-wrenching odyssey that is familiar to nearly every average human being that has and that will ever live (save Christ). And there are countless diversions and worldly perspectives that offer various ways of dealing with the stress of seeking significance. However, Scripture paints a picture about seeking significance that is unique, both in its content but also in its execution. The essence of this discussion can be found in two of the early chapters of the Bible: Genesis 11 and 12.
Genesis 11 chronicles the the Tower of Babel. Briefly summarized: people are congregated together in a great city with one language and goal for the purpose of creating a great name and culture for themselves, writing their own destiny and attempting to claim significance for themselves. God's response was to confuse human language and to disperse mankind across the globe. Clearly, God's ideas about the search for identity are different than humanity's.
In Genesis 12, God calls Abram. God promises to make him into the father of nations, to bless him with storehouses of wealth, and to give him a life of supreme significance. God provides Abram's importance and worth not because of Abram's work or effort but solely because of Abram's faith and faithfulness.
Similarly, our significance is not based on our exertion or the strength of our will. Rather, the only significant act that an individual human can do, the most important element of any single human is not his/her accomplishments, his/her wealth, or even his/her relationships. No. Faith in the Lord is the most significant and only truly important thing a human can do. Let us then seek to be significant by drawing close to God in faith!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Short, Sweet, and Personal
On Sunday, my wife and I drove nearly three hours to attend a wedding. The drive there was issue-free and we were set to go to the wedding, enjoy the reception, and be back home in time for a good night's sleep. However, due to the frustrating and moody personalities of cars, particularly if they are driven by my wife on a regular basis, our plans were changed and we soon found ourselves worried if we would make it home at all.
The car was intensely overheating and going through coolant like proctologists go through rubber gloves. And, similarly, I was frustrated and scared because it was cold and the lingering smells were a far cry from three-star restaurant quality. As we left the reception, I poured two full jugs of coolant into the car in hopes of getting at least close to home. We made it five miles before the car overheated to the point of missing shifts, etc.
Still over 100 miles away from home, panic began its slow creep. My wife and I began a cycle of worry and comfort, in which she would worry and I would comfort until the roles switched. This went on for a few more stops. We stopped about every five miles to refill the radiator with a mixture of coolant and gas station water. Things were not looking well.
However, amidst the worry, I remember that the Lord is always in control. He is sovereign, good, and cares for those who earnestly seek Him. I prayed and I prayed some more. We made one more stop in which my sister called and reminded us our parents had gotten us AAA memberships and that they would tow us up to 100 miles for free. Oh the joy!
God has a funny way of working. Stuns me. He had orchestrated the whole thing. To be sure, there was no extravagant adventure to speak of, and no exceptional story of escapades and heros. Just a God who holds all things in His hands and, for some mysterious purpose, has chosen to bestow grace on His children. Today that grace came in the form of a great wedding, a AAA membership thanks to my parents, and a 100-mile conversation with David the tow-truck driver. Thank you again Lord for being who You are and never leaving me out in the cold! All in a day's being for an eternal Holy God...
The car was intensely overheating and going through coolant like proctologists go through rubber gloves. And, similarly, I was frustrated and scared because it was cold and the lingering smells were a far cry from three-star restaurant quality. As we left the reception, I poured two full jugs of coolant into the car in hopes of getting at least close to home. We made it five miles before the car overheated to the point of missing shifts, etc.
Still over 100 miles away from home, panic began its slow creep. My wife and I began a cycle of worry and comfort, in which she would worry and I would comfort until the roles switched. This went on for a few more stops. We stopped about every five miles to refill the radiator with a mixture of coolant and gas station water. Things were not looking well.
However, amidst the worry, I remember that the Lord is always in control. He is sovereign, good, and cares for those who earnestly seek Him. I prayed and I prayed some more. We made one more stop in which my sister called and reminded us our parents had gotten us AAA memberships and that they would tow us up to 100 miles for free. Oh the joy!
God has a funny way of working. Stuns me. He had orchestrated the whole thing. To be sure, there was no extravagant adventure to speak of, and no exceptional story of escapades and heros. Just a God who holds all things in His hands and, for some mysterious purpose, has chosen to bestow grace on His children. Today that grace came in the form of a great wedding, a AAA membership thanks to my parents, and a 100-mile conversation with David the tow-truck driver. Thank you again Lord for being who You are and never leaving me out in the cold! All in a day's being for an eternal Holy God...
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Guard Your Heart
This last friday night I gave a wedding homily for some dear friends. It was an absolute honor that I cherish with humility. Because it was my first wedding sermon which I had spent quite a bit of time wording and rewording, not to mention I was beyond nervous, I did something I very rarely do: I actually read my message word for word.
In my preparations and carrying through my sermon, one of the reoccurring themes was the value of protecting your heart. The idea of guarding your heart is an important theme of Scripture, but it comes through verbatim in Proverbs 4:23:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Guarding our hearts is a metaphor referring to protecting what we let in and what we let out. It demands that we be vigilant in protecting and preserving that which has been given us by the grace of God.
In the end, protecting our heart from the onslaught of the deadly arrows coming from the evil one and from the lovelessness of this world is about putting Christ at the center of our hearts. For he is our strength and our shield. It means that we will keep in right perspective that which is eternal, holy and beautiful. And we will only let in that which is worthy of admittance while refusing entry of anything that is ungodly and unrighteous. Let us then press on to keep Christ at the center as we strive to guard our hearts in the Lord God Almighty.
In my preparations and carrying through my sermon, one of the reoccurring themes was the value of protecting your heart. The idea of guarding your heart is an important theme of Scripture, but it comes through verbatim in Proverbs 4:23:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Guarding our hearts is a metaphor referring to protecting what we let in and what we let out. It demands that we be vigilant in protecting and preserving that which has been given us by the grace of God.
In the end, protecting our heart from the onslaught of the deadly arrows coming from the evil one and from the lovelessness of this world is about putting Christ at the center of our hearts. For he is our strength and our shield. It means that we will keep in right perspective that which is eternal, holy and beautiful. And we will only let in that which is worthy of admittance while refusing entry of anything that is ungodly and unrighteous. Let us then press on to keep Christ at the center as we strive to guard our hearts in the Lord God Almighty.
Friday, November 16, 2012
1 John 4:19 and Love
This is from 1 John, chapter 4, starting at verse 7-10 and
skipping to verse 19:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be propitiation for our sins…” Truly, “We love because He first loved us.”
That last verse is so simple, pithy even. “We love because He first loved us.” It’s not long, not complicated but we should not mistake that for plain or basic. “We love because He first loved us.” It is profound, full of theological import and significance that not only encourages us with its brevity but challenges us with its meaning. “We love because He first loved us.”
John, the writer of this, is saying two intensely difficult things: that Christ is to be both the reason we love, but, even more so, He is the manner with which we love, He is the why, but He is also the how. “We love because He first loved us."
Now, through faith in Christ Jesus, confession that He is Lord and belief that God has raised Him from the dead, we may enter into right, redeemed relationship. Our frailty is replaced with strength, our brokenness is mended, and our infirmities our healed by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. The love that He first loved us with at the cross now lives within us, guiding us, and empowering us to live and love as as Christ. “We love because He first loved us.”
It was Christ’s perfect work at the cross that has enabled us to love. He has empowered us with the ability to love. And this is not love like the world thinks, like some emotional whimsy, or daffodil capriciousness of "he loves me, he loves me not." No. This is the real, serious love that can only come from Him who is living within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Remember: “We love because He first loved us.”
This love is selfless, not self-seeking; it is pure, not tainted by our flippancy. It is not an "I'll scratch your back you scratch mine," type of relationship. No. This love is altogether other, stemming from the deepest depths of our beings and welling up through our pores for us to lavish upon those we love. Above all, it is a gift from God given through Christ to all those who call on Him as Lord and Savior. This is a beautiful, easily memorable verse, but as we pull back the layers, as it unfurls, we begin to see the density behind it. “We love because He first loved us.”
Christ’s love is not just an example for how we should love. It is the very ability, the source within us to love. In order for us to love as He has loved us, we must always keep our focus fixed, our gaze set upon the cross, which is the sole cornerstone of why and how we love. It is at the cross that we see ourselves as we truly are. And it is at the cross that we see who God is, and it is in this revelation that true love is made possible at all. This is why "We love because He first loved us."
Love is rooted, ultimately, in God. The why and the how of love is based in the life and work of Christ Jesus, who has set us free when He saved us at His cross. At our cores, we are broken fragments and frail egoists as a result of sin’s pervasiveness in our lives. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, condescended to us, emptying Himself through the incarnation of His Power into the human form of His Son, Christ Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life. Yet He was tried for His innocence and found guilty of no punishable crime, though He did claim to be God’s only Son and, by that virtue, the rightful King of the World .
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be propitiation for our sins…” Truly, “We love because He first loved us.”
That last verse is so simple, pithy even. “We love because He first loved us.” It’s not long, not complicated but we should not mistake that for plain or basic. “We love because He first loved us.” It is profound, full of theological import and significance that not only encourages us with its brevity but challenges us with its meaning. “We love because He first loved us.”
John, the writer of this, is saying two intensely difficult things: that Christ is to be both the reason we love, but, even more so, He is the manner with which we love, He is the why, but He is also the how. “We love because He first loved us."
Now, through faith in Christ Jesus, confession that He is Lord and belief that God has raised Him from the dead, we may enter into right, redeemed relationship. Our frailty is replaced with strength, our brokenness is mended, and our infirmities our healed by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. The love that He first loved us with at the cross now lives within us, guiding us, and empowering us to live and love as as Christ. “We love because He first loved us.”
It was Christ’s perfect work at the cross that has enabled us to love. He has empowered us with the ability to love. And this is not love like the world thinks, like some emotional whimsy, or daffodil capriciousness of "he loves me, he loves me not." No. This is the real, serious love that can only come from Him who is living within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Remember: “We love because He first loved us.”
This love is selfless, not self-seeking; it is pure, not tainted by our flippancy. It is not an "I'll scratch your back you scratch mine," type of relationship. No. This love is altogether other, stemming from the deepest depths of our beings and welling up through our pores for us to lavish upon those we love. Above all, it is a gift from God given through Christ to all those who call on Him as Lord and Savior. This is a beautiful, easily memorable verse, but as we pull back the layers, as it unfurls, we begin to see the density behind it. “We love because He first loved us.”
Christ’s love is not just an example for how we should love. It is the very ability, the source within us to love. In order for us to love as He has loved us, we must always keep our focus fixed, our gaze set upon the cross, which is the sole cornerstone of why and how we love. It is at the cross that we see ourselves as we truly are. And it is at the cross that we see who God is, and it is in this revelation that true love is made possible at all. This is why "We love because He first loved us."
Love is rooted, ultimately, in God. The why and the how of love is based in the life and work of Christ Jesus, who has set us free when He saved us at His cross. At our cores, we are broken fragments and frail egoists as a result of sin’s pervasiveness in our lives. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, condescended to us, emptying Himself through the incarnation of His Power into the human form of His Son, Christ Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life. Yet He was tried for His innocence and found guilty of no punishable crime, though He did claim to be God’s only Son and, by that virtue, the rightful King of the World .
For that, He was beaten, flogged, stripped, spat upon, and marched through the streets of Jerusalem carrying the cross of our shame and the instrument of His death. He was then crucified naked alongside the main roads just outside the city gates. He was murdered, not for anything He had done, but because it was God's will to bestow grace and love to humanity by taking on the sin of mankind in His own flesh and nailing it to the cross. But three days after His death and burial, the stone that sealed His grave was moved and He was found risen. He rose from the grave, confirming that He was and is the Messiah, the Son of God. “We love because He first loved us.”
Now, through faith in Christ Jesus, confession that He is Lord and belief that God has raised Him from the dead, we may enter into right, redeemed relationship. Our frailty is replaced with strength, our brokenness is mended, and our infirmities our healed by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. The love that He first loved us with at the cross now lives within us, guiding us, and empowering us to live and love as as Christ. “We love because He first loved us.”
It was Christ’s perfect work at the cross that has enabled us to love. He has empowered us with the ability to love. And this is not love like the world thinks, like some emotional whimsy, or daffodil capriciousness of "he loves me, he loves me not." No. This is the real, serious love that can only come from Him who is living within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Remember: “We love because He first loved us.”
This love is selfless, not self-seeking; it is pure, not tainted by our flippancy. It is not an "I'll scratch your back you scratch mine," type of relationship. No. This love is altogether other, stemming from the deepest depths of our beings and welling up through our pores for us to lavish upon those we love. Above all, it is a gift from God given through Christ to all those who call on Him as Lord and Savior. This is a beautiful, easily memorable verse, but as we pull back the layers, as it unfurls, we begin to see the density behind it. “We love because He first loved us.”
Christ’s love is not just an example for how we should love. It is the very ability, the source within us to love. In order for us to love as He has loved us, we must always keep our focus fixed, our gaze set upon the cross, which is the sole cornerstone of why and how we love. It is at the cross that we see ourselves as we truly are. And it is at the cross that we see who God is, and it is in this revelation that true love is made possible at all.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
God: Our Refuge
Throughout Scripture, God is described as our refuge. The metaphor of God as our refuge is one of the primary descriptions of God, who He is and what He means to us. It is this idea, that God is our refuge, that will be shortly discussed here.
A refuge can be described in two basic ways. The first is a place. In this sense, a refuge is a place of security, of stability, and of sanctuary. In reference to God, He fulfills this purpose to us. He is the place of our utmost security and safety. When we come to Him, we know that we are held in the highest safety and enveloped completely in His love. To say "we come to Him" is to say that we receive and seek Him in faith and humility.
The second meaning of God as our refuge, is as a source of healing. In this sense, to say that God is our refuge is to acknowledge that He is the ultimate fountain of our healing. God, being our Creator and Sustainer, heals us perfectly. This healing is not limited to the spiritual as the countless medical miracles that occur attest.
If we keep these two conjoined concepts in mind when we read Scripture, when we come across those passages that speak of God as our refuge, it will stir in us a remembrance that God is both the place of our greatest security as well as our greatest healing. Let us then always run to God who is our present refuge in all rimes of trouble and strain!
A refuge can be described in two basic ways. The first is a place. In this sense, a refuge is a place of security, of stability, and of sanctuary. In reference to God, He fulfills this purpose to us. He is the place of our utmost security and safety. When we come to Him, we know that we are held in the highest safety and enveloped completely in His love. To say "we come to Him" is to say that we receive and seek Him in faith and humility.
The second meaning of God as our refuge, is as a source of healing. In this sense, to say that God is our refuge is to acknowledge that He is the ultimate fountain of our healing. God, being our Creator and Sustainer, heals us perfectly. This healing is not limited to the spiritual as the countless medical miracles that occur attest.
If we keep these two conjoined concepts in mind when we read Scripture, when we come across those passages that speak of God as our refuge, it will stir in us a remembrance that God is both the place of our greatest security as well as our greatest healing. Let us then always run to God who is our present refuge in all rimes of trouble and strain!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Quest for Identity
We live in a world that values self-made identity. The virtues of paving one's own way are heralded as the supreme exalted purpose of humanity. At the core of this ideology is a deep vacuous longing in every human for identity, and an even deeper truth that compels us to create one: we each know, at the core of our beings, that there is some sense inside of us that our "true" identity is in some way broken or damaged in need of mending.
The world tells us that sees who we are as a blank slate, an empty page that is waiting for us to write upon it whatever we may desire or wish. Again, the impetus for this thought stems from the basic truth that all humans recognize that our identity is some way damaged. Unfortunately, how the world and the natural man deals with this discrepancy avoids the issue at hand, ignoring the original cause of the problem of distorted ideas of identity: sin.
In the Garden of Eden, before the Fall of humanity, Adam and Eve received all of their identity in God. All that they had, all that they did, all that they were was given them by God. Their very identity, who they were was found in God. God created them and interpreted them too. This is to say that God defined their identity just as much as He created them.
All this being true, the Fall so pervasively marred humanity that their identity, which was ultimately and truly found in Christ, was also marred. And, as every human was in Adam, every human's identity is damaged and in dire need of repair.
Fortunately, God has provided us grace in His Son. Now, through faith in Jesus, our original and true identity is repaired, regenerated, and reborn in Christ. Therefore, the search for identity must begin not with an intense introspection but with worship and faith in the Lord. For only in seeing the Holy Lord can we truly see ourselves as we actually are. This is the true essence of true identity. And any attempt to establish identity apart from God will ultimately be found to be insufficient for it is based on an insufficient finite instead of an all-sufficient Infinite.
The world tells us that sees who we are as a blank slate, an empty page that is waiting for us to write upon it whatever we may desire or wish. Again, the impetus for this thought stems from the basic truth that all humans recognize that our identity is some way damaged. Unfortunately, how the world and the natural man deals with this discrepancy avoids the issue at hand, ignoring the original cause of the problem of distorted ideas of identity: sin.
In the Garden of Eden, before the Fall of humanity, Adam and Eve received all of their identity in God. All that they had, all that they did, all that they were was given them by God. Their very identity, who they were was found in God. God created them and interpreted them too. This is to say that God defined their identity just as much as He created them.
All this being true, the Fall so pervasively marred humanity that their identity, which was ultimately and truly found in Christ, was also marred. And, as every human was in Adam, every human's identity is damaged and in dire need of repair.
Fortunately, God has provided us grace in His Son. Now, through faith in Jesus, our original and true identity is repaired, regenerated, and reborn in Christ. Therefore, the search for identity must begin not with an intense introspection but with worship and faith in the Lord. For only in seeing the Holy Lord can we truly see ourselves as we actually are. This is the true essence of true identity. And any attempt to establish identity apart from God will ultimately be found to be insufficient for it is based on an insufficient finite instead of an all-sufficient Infinite.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Discussing God's Will
Much of the Christian life is devoted to God's Will. In fact, most of our language, the very way that we relate to one another in words confirms that God's Will is vital to our lives. How we deal with tragedy or blessing, how we make choices on an individual and a community level is full of the language of will, e.g. "it is/was God's will for..."
However, despite the lingo, the theology behind the Will of God can be easily ignored or replaced with assumptions that do not jibe with the theology of Scripture. Because this matters in real, practical ways, an attempt at a two paragraph, blitzkrieg teaching on the Will of God will be put forth here. The point, obviously, will not be for an exhaustive, comprehensive discourse on God's Will. Rather, just a brief snapshot to spark some thought on this important issue.
First of all, God's Will is grounded in and arises from His nature. This is to say that His Will starts from within God and is carried forward in space and time. Get this: everything that happens is God's Will. Because God creates and sustains everything by the power of His Word, there is not a single thing that has ever occurred or that ever will occur that is outside of His Will. There are no "free-acting" agents that live, move, or have their being apart from His creating and sustaining Will. Everything that happens in space/time is His Will. We are not speaking of hypotheticals but of what does transpire in the unfolding of space and time.
Secondly, God's Will can be basically broken down into two forms: His Decretive Will and His Prescriptive Will. His Decretive Will is all that comes to pass, it is history unfurling, it is space and time running its course. This is God's decreed Will, in that, because events occur and He creates and sustains all that occurs by the power of His Word, all that occurs has been decreed to occur by Him. His Prescriptive Will is God's prescribing of action and life for humanity through the revelation of His Word, particularly in Christ. His Prescriptive Will is what He wants of us and for us.
In the end, there are other things that deal with God's Will: salvation, predestination, foreknowledge, etc. However, understanding that everything that occurs is God's Will is the starting point, while the second component is found in the prescriptions of God's Word compel us to think, believe, and live a certain way that pleases God. Every person that lives and that has ever lived intimately interacts with the Will of God, both His decretive and His prescriptive.
The real issue is God not man, and His sovereignty not ours. Every person must reckon that our life has been created and is sustained by the Will of God, and our response should be obedience to His Will. He is sovereign and omniscient. Our understanding of His Will must being with who He is. In this we, we can always find ourselves in His Will. The goal, always, is to find ourselves on the right side, which is found in obedience to His Prescriptive Will.
However, despite the lingo, the theology behind the Will of God can be easily ignored or replaced with assumptions that do not jibe with the theology of Scripture. Because this matters in real, practical ways, an attempt at a two paragraph, blitzkrieg teaching on the Will of God will be put forth here. The point, obviously, will not be for an exhaustive, comprehensive discourse on God's Will. Rather, just a brief snapshot to spark some thought on this important issue.
First of all, God's Will is grounded in and arises from His nature. This is to say that His Will starts from within God and is carried forward in space and time. Get this: everything that happens is God's Will. Because God creates and sustains everything by the power of His Word, there is not a single thing that has ever occurred or that ever will occur that is outside of His Will. There are no "free-acting" agents that live, move, or have their being apart from His creating and sustaining Will. Everything that happens in space/time is His Will. We are not speaking of hypotheticals but of what does transpire in the unfolding of space and time.
Secondly, God's Will can be basically broken down into two forms: His Decretive Will and His Prescriptive Will. His Decretive Will is all that comes to pass, it is history unfurling, it is space and time running its course. This is God's decreed Will, in that, because events occur and He creates and sustains all that occurs by the power of His Word, all that occurs has been decreed to occur by Him. His Prescriptive Will is God's prescribing of action and life for humanity through the revelation of His Word, particularly in Christ. His Prescriptive Will is what He wants of us and for us.
In the end, there are other things that deal with God's Will: salvation, predestination, foreknowledge, etc. However, understanding that everything that occurs is God's Will is the starting point, while the second component is found in the prescriptions of God's Word compel us to think, believe, and live a certain way that pleases God. Every person that lives and that has ever lived intimately interacts with the Will of God, both His decretive and His prescriptive.
The real issue is God not man, and His sovereignty not ours. Every person must reckon that our life has been created and is sustained by the Will of God, and our response should be obedience to His Will. He is sovereign and omniscient. Our understanding of His Will must being with who He is. In this we, we can always find ourselves in His Will. The goal, always, is to find ourselves on the right side, which is found in obedience to His Prescriptive Will.
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Glory of God Shining through Us
Lately, I've been working my way through 2 Corinthians and every time I get to the second chapter I am struck by this:
"Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory." (2 Cor 3:7).
Paul is retelling the events of Exodus 33:17-23 and 34:29-35, when Moses requests for God to reveal His face to him. God allows Moses to see His back, and the glory shines on Moses so brightly that when he comes down the mountain, his countrymen cannot even gaze at his face because it shone so blindingly.
Now compare this to Hebrews 1:3--"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power."
The thought comes, then, if Christians bear the image of Christ through faith, should not our faces shine with such radiant brillance that the world and those in it can barely look at us because of the light that shines through us? And if we are not shining with such splendor, is Christ truly living within us?
Short Talk
Normally, I would write a longer blog, but because of various reasons this blog will be short and direct, filled with four questions that I have noted over the past week:
If we want to hear from the Lord, why do we talk so much?
Why do we work ourselves to exhaustion before we seek God for His help?
What are the things that only God and we know about that happen in the quiet solitude?
When we think about what God has for us next, shouldn't we think back on what He has asked last for us to do and if we haven't done that yet, why would He give us something new when we haven't even finished the last task?
Simple questions for a day's worth of contemplation...
If we want to hear from the Lord, why do we talk so much?
Why do we work ourselves to exhaustion before we seek God for His help?
What are the things that only God and we know about that happen in the quiet solitude?
When we think about what God has for us next, shouldn't we think back on what He has asked last for us to do and if we haven't done that yet, why would He give us something new when we haven't even finished the last task?
Simple questions for a day's worth of contemplation...
Saturday, November 10, 2012
David, Bathsheba, and Sin
The story of David and Bathsheba is chronicled in 2 Samuel 11. Although many people remember David for his faith in facing Goliath, or his steadfast integrity in submission to Saul, or his strong and faithful leadership in administrating Israel, but his great shame comes when he, enticed by the beauty of another man's wife, commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.
Much can be said about this episode, but suffice to say that the narration has profound implications for how we should live and handle desire when we are tempted to commit sin.
A short synopsis: David, although he should have been at war for Israel, was up on his roof in the day's heat. He gazes across the city to see the beautiful Bathsheba, whom he decides is too beautiful not to take for himself. He sends for her, she comes to him, and they know each other. However, Bathsheba is a married woman, wed to one of David's chief military general. David, still overcome with ravenous passion, executes a plan to have Bathsheba's husband killed.
Much has been said in the past about David's great sin, both in committing adultery but even more so in his devious plot to have Uriah killed. And although David is the main character of this story, the role of Bathsheba in the adultery and sin should not be downplayed or overlooked. Bathsheba was equally sinful for her part.
The point of this story, beyond the value of historical narration, is to exhort God's children to be mindful of desire when it entices us to transgress the righteousness of God. We need to be on guard, not so much against the external locus of sin, but the internal one. Let us then take heed to the story of David so that we might not be led astray by our own desires.
Much can be said about this episode, but suffice to say that the narration has profound implications for how we should live and handle desire when we are tempted to commit sin.
A short synopsis: David, although he should have been at war for Israel, was up on his roof in the day's heat. He gazes across the city to see the beautiful Bathsheba, whom he decides is too beautiful not to take for himself. He sends for her, she comes to him, and they know each other. However, Bathsheba is a married woman, wed to one of David's chief military general. David, still overcome with ravenous passion, executes a plan to have Bathsheba's husband killed.
Much has been said in the past about David's great sin, both in committing adultery but even more so in his devious plot to have Uriah killed. And although David is the main character of this story, the role of Bathsheba in the adultery and sin should not be downplayed or overlooked. Bathsheba was equally sinful for her part.
The point of this story, beyond the value of historical narration, is to exhort God's children to be mindful of desire when it entices us to transgress the righteousness of God. We need to be on guard, not so much against the external locus of sin, but the internal one. Let us then take heed to the story of David so that we might not be led astray by our own desires.
Friday, November 9, 2012
The Simplest Bible Study
The practice of Bible study is one that requires consistency, devotion, and time. Apart from regular prayer, Bible study is the most important spiritual activity for the individual Christian. The Word of God is a lamp unto dark paths, a comfort in affliction, an ever-present help in times of need, always useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, for worship, for thanksgiving, and for praise. But ultimately, as the Word of God is Christ (John 1:1-3, 14), the measure of how intimate our relationship with God is is in how intimate we relate to the Scripture.
The Scriptures are not just useful moral teachings on ethics and lifestyle, nor are the Scriptures historical biography, although they are full of all of this. Primarily, the Scriptures are God's identity, His revelation to mankind through written language. Therefore, our relationship with the Holy Lord Almighty is dependent upon our interaction with His Word, the Holy Bible.
However, as any one who has picked up a Bible and thumbed through its pages can attest, it is a big book. For many the prospect of book so large and diverse and challenging is not only daunting, it is next to impossible. Fortunately, all things are possible through God. The point here is not to give an advanced teaching on hermeneutics (a five-dollar word meaning the interpretive methodology). Instead, I just want to briefly give some advice for effective Bible study. The hope is to make the task of reading Scripture less intimidating and perhaps more accessible for the non-readers. So, I want to put forth four easy steps that can help make the Scriptures began to jump off the page.
Prayer. Bible study, because it is first about a relationship with God should be started and ensconced in prayer. Pray before, during, and after.
Read. The key to this obvious step in Bible study is three-fold: (1) pick a short passage, (2) determine what kind of literature it is [narrative, teaching, history, letter, etc.], and (3) read it again. While reading large chunks of Scripture, say an entire book, is an excellent method of study, reading slowly and deliberately forces you to really wrestle with the text, and in so doing communicate with God.
Think. This is one of the most overlooked stepped of effective Bible study, but one of the most vital. Once you've prayed and read the text, it is essential that you spend some time really thinking about what it is you've read. The point is not that you know exactly what the passage is saying, although the goal is to interpret the text correctly. Instead, the point is to start to let Christ, His Word, dwell in our minds. This occurs by thinking about His Word. Additionally, thinking about His Word will excite us and incite us into reading more, thus the hunger for His righteousness will be engaged.
Memorize. Apart from praying unceasingly, memorization of Scripture is the most important step in Bible study. Why? Because in order to memorize something one must repeat it several times (see step 2). Also, memorization requires that we use multiple senses for it to stick forcing us to engage with the text with our minds (see step 3). And lastly, and most profoundly, when we memorize we equip ourselves with the tools and weapons in a personal way, meaning that when life happens and we or someone around us really needs the Word at that moment, we will not need a physical Bible for we will already be a living Bible, a testament to Christ. How sweet is that?!
To be sure, the point of this dialogue has not been exhaustion but exhortation. If we, as Christians, desire to know God more let us take heed the call to pray, read, think about, and memorize the Holy Scriptures. And praise be to God who has provided us our daily bread which is the Word, who is Christ Jesus.
The Scriptures are not just useful moral teachings on ethics and lifestyle, nor are the Scriptures historical biography, although they are full of all of this. Primarily, the Scriptures are God's identity, His revelation to mankind through written language. Therefore, our relationship with the Holy Lord Almighty is dependent upon our interaction with His Word, the Holy Bible.
However, as any one who has picked up a Bible and thumbed through its pages can attest, it is a big book. For many the prospect of book so large and diverse and challenging is not only daunting, it is next to impossible. Fortunately, all things are possible through God. The point here is not to give an advanced teaching on hermeneutics (a five-dollar word meaning the interpretive methodology). Instead, I just want to briefly give some advice for effective Bible study. The hope is to make the task of reading Scripture less intimidating and perhaps more accessible for the non-readers. So, I want to put forth four easy steps that can help make the Scriptures began to jump off the page.
Prayer. Bible study, because it is first about a relationship with God should be started and ensconced in prayer. Pray before, during, and after.
Read. The key to this obvious step in Bible study is three-fold: (1) pick a short passage, (2) determine what kind of literature it is [narrative, teaching, history, letter, etc.], and (3) read it again. While reading large chunks of Scripture, say an entire book, is an excellent method of study, reading slowly and deliberately forces you to really wrestle with the text, and in so doing communicate with God.
Think. This is one of the most overlooked stepped of effective Bible study, but one of the most vital. Once you've prayed and read the text, it is essential that you spend some time really thinking about what it is you've read. The point is not that you know exactly what the passage is saying, although the goal is to interpret the text correctly. Instead, the point is to start to let Christ, His Word, dwell in our minds. This occurs by thinking about His Word. Additionally, thinking about His Word will excite us and incite us into reading more, thus the hunger for His righteousness will be engaged.
Memorize. Apart from praying unceasingly, memorization of Scripture is the most important step in Bible study. Why? Because in order to memorize something one must repeat it several times (see step 2). Also, memorization requires that we use multiple senses for it to stick forcing us to engage with the text with our minds (see step 3). And lastly, and most profoundly, when we memorize we equip ourselves with the tools and weapons in a personal way, meaning that when life happens and we or someone around us really needs the Word at that moment, we will not need a physical Bible for we will already be a living Bible, a testament to Christ. How sweet is that?!
To be sure, the point of this dialogue has not been exhaustion but exhortation. If we, as Christians, desire to know God more let us take heed the call to pray, read, think about, and memorize the Holy Scriptures. And praise be to God who has provided us our daily bread which is the Word, who is Christ Jesus.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Problem of Evil...
The problem of evil is the perennial philosophical issue for philosophers and skeptics alike. For the past few centuries, the problem of evil has been one of the major chapters in many a philosophy textbook and conversation of God. However, once the terms are hashed out and the Scriptures are brought to bear upon the conversation, the problem of evil is dissolved to another issue altogether.
The philosophical problem of evil in its most basic form goes something like this: (1) God is infinitely powerful and infinitely good, (2) Evil and suffering exists in the world, therefore, (3) God either (a) does not exist, or (b) this God is unable to stop evil and suffering. The essential argument goes that because evil and suffering do exist, then God is either not powerful enough to stop it or He is not a benevolent being that desires to stop evil and suffering in the world.
At the onset, two things need to be asserted: evil and suffering do exist and they do not conflict with God's self-existence, His omnipotence, or His infinite goodness. However, because evil and suffering do exist, the question of why is relavant and real for every human. And how we answer this profound and important question has ramifications for how we live, how we relate, and how we deal with evil and suffering when we face them in our own lives.
To be sure, evil and suffering, though they are present in the current world, were not a part of the original, good creation of God. Evil, pain, and suffering come from the freely willed sin of Adam. And although God could have destroyed creation and create a new painless, evil-less version, He has, in His good will and infinite wisdom, determined to let this creation continue.
The issue, then, is not why is there evil and suffering in the world; instead, the question is why is there good in the world at all Sin occurred. Mankind's identity in God was severed and yet goodness was still present in the world. The reason for this is that all humans are made in the image of God. Every human being continues to bear God's image, and therefore understands and participates in the goodness of God through that image bearing, if only to a limited degree.
The very assertion that evil exists is, in fact, an assertion that good exists. Moreover, to assert that evil exists requires that we, humanity, has some sort of common ideal of what is actually good, which is God's image which is born in the human.
Additionally, evil and suffering, though perceived negatively, have profoundly positive effects. Consider Hurricane Katrina. It was a horrific natural disaster that devastated the Guld Coast. And yet that devastation became a powerful rallying cry for brotherhood and social care for a community that was, pre-hurricane, already beaten and broken by the social ills. Or think of a child with cancer, though tragic as it is, can be a great source of fellowship and strength for a family or individuals.
In the end, this is far-too-brief a dialogue on this dense and important topic. However, once the terms of the engagement are clearly defined and the theology of Scripture is brought to bear on the perceived dilemma, the issue changes the human from one that seeks to out God to one that cries out to Him. Perhaps this really is the appropriate response whenever we find evil and suffering in our midst, not to indict God who is, but to cry out in praise that He is who He is.
The philosophical problem of evil in its most basic form goes something like this: (1) God is infinitely powerful and infinitely good, (2) Evil and suffering exists in the world, therefore, (3) God either (a) does not exist, or (b) this God is unable to stop evil and suffering. The essential argument goes that because evil and suffering do exist, then God is either not powerful enough to stop it or He is not a benevolent being that desires to stop evil and suffering in the world.
At the onset, two things need to be asserted: evil and suffering do exist and they do not conflict with God's self-existence, His omnipotence, or His infinite goodness. However, because evil and suffering do exist, the question of why is relavant and real for every human. And how we answer this profound and important question has ramifications for how we live, how we relate, and how we deal with evil and suffering when we face them in our own lives.
To be sure, evil and suffering, though they are present in the current world, were not a part of the original, good creation of God. Evil, pain, and suffering come from the freely willed sin of Adam. And although God could have destroyed creation and create a new painless, evil-less version, He has, in His good will and infinite wisdom, determined to let this creation continue.
The issue, then, is not why is there evil and suffering in the world; instead, the question is why is there good in the world at all Sin occurred. Mankind's identity in God was severed and yet goodness was still present in the world. The reason for this is that all humans are made in the image of God. Every human being continues to bear God's image, and therefore understands and participates in the goodness of God through that image bearing, if only to a limited degree.
The very assertion that evil exists is, in fact, an assertion that good exists. Moreover, to assert that evil exists requires that we, humanity, has some sort of common ideal of what is actually good, which is God's image which is born in the human.
Additionally, evil and suffering, though perceived negatively, have profoundly positive effects. Consider Hurricane Katrina. It was a horrific natural disaster that devastated the Guld Coast. And yet that devastation became a powerful rallying cry for brotherhood and social care for a community that was, pre-hurricane, already beaten and broken by the social ills. Or think of a child with cancer, though tragic as it is, can be a great source of fellowship and strength for a family or individuals.
In the end, this is far-too-brief a dialogue on this dense and important topic. However, once the terms of the engagement are clearly defined and the theology of Scripture is brought to bear on the perceived dilemma, the issue changes the human from one that seeks to out God to one that cries out to Him. Perhaps this really is the appropriate response whenever we find evil and suffering in our midst, not to indict God who is, but to cry out in praise that He is who He is.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
American Civil Religion
Since the Puritans sailed across the Atlantic and their leader, John Winthrop, preached that they intended to become the "city on a hill," America has thought itself highly-favored among the nations. In fact, the idea that America is the greatest nation on earth has led to a century's worth growth in American exceptionalism, the idea that America is not only beyond great but is, in fact, the chosen nation of God.
This last statement, that America is God's chosen nation, is an idealism that undergirds America's history and it is the supreme example of a pairing of two independent ideals: Christianity and civil government. What has come about from this intentional marriage is, what is aptly termed, civil religion.
The basic premise is that the rhetoric of Christianity has been married to America's nationalism. The net effect is that America is considered God's own gift to humanity and, thus, everything that is uniquely American is simultaneously God's revelation to mankind. To be sure, this is blatant misinterpretations of Scripture, and the effects are staggering.
For instance, think of capitalism. Capitalism is an economic construct. It is a comprehensive method of handling economics that is, though rooted in Enlightenment philosophy, considered to be the American way and ideal. However, when considered for its worth, capitalism is amoral, in the sense that it is neither good nor evil in its morality, but because of the American civil religion it is thought of as sacrosanct. Now consider socialism, another way of dealing with large-scale economics, yet because it is not the American way it is considered immoral if not outright sinful. But, like capitalism, socialism is amoral, neither good nor evil.
At the final analysis, however, when capitalism as a system is held up the light of Scripture it is opositional, if not actually contrary to the teachings of Scripture. If the last sentence chaffed something inside then the point has been made. The value of anything is based on how well it adheres to the teaching of Scripture, not in how American it is, whatever that means.
Our allegiance, as Christians, is to Christ and to His Word. If we, at any point, begin to associate Christ with America in a theological sense, then we have already started down the road of serving two masters, something Jesus indicts.
All this being true, I think it is important to state clearly that I am an American citizen and proud of my American heritage. However, if my ethno-cultural-national background hinders my vision as to how I should live, etc., then I am already walking the tightrope of choosing America over Christ.
Additionally, it would be foolish to not look back at the brief history of America and point to the clear hand of favor present. But it would be foolish to assume that that favor is as a result of America as a socio-political-economic construct instead of recognizing that God's hand of blessing falls upon those who are obedient to His covenant commands. In the future, let us consider this when the political rhetoric sounds theological and the theological rhetoric sounds political, making sure that our allegiances are sure and definite.
This last statement, that America is God's chosen nation, is an idealism that undergirds America's history and it is the supreme example of a pairing of two independent ideals: Christianity and civil government. What has come about from this intentional marriage is, what is aptly termed, civil religion.
The basic premise is that the rhetoric of Christianity has been married to America's nationalism. The net effect is that America is considered God's own gift to humanity and, thus, everything that is uniquely American is simultaneously God's revelation to mankind. To be sure, this is blatant misinterpretations of Scripture, and the effects are staggering.
For instance, think of capitalism. Capitalism is an economic construct. It is a comprehensive method of handling economics that is, though rooted in Enlightenment philosophy, considered to be the American way and ideal. However, when considered for its worth, capitalism is amoral, in the sense that it is neither good nor evil in its morality, but because of the American civil religion it is thought of as sacrosanct. Now consider socialism, another way of dealing with large-scale economics, yet because it is not the American way it is considered immoral if not outright sinful. But, like capitalism, socialism is amoral, neither good nor evil.
At the final analysis, however, when capitalism as a system is held up the light of Scripture it is opositional, if not actually contrary to the teachings of Scripture. If the last sentence chaffed something inside then the point has been made. The value of anything is based on how well it adheres to the teaching of Scripture, not in how American it is, whatever that means.
Our allegiance, as Christians, is to Christ and to His Word. If we, at any point, begin to associate Christ with America in a theological sense, then we have already started down the road of serving two masters, something Jesus indicts.
All this being true, I think it is important to state clearly that I am an American citizen and proud of my American heritage. However, if my ethno-cultural-national background hinders my vision as to how I should live, etc., then I am already walking the tightrope of choosing America over Christ.
Additionally, it would be foolish to not look back at the brief history of America and point to the clear hand of favor present. But it would be foolish to assume that that favor is as a result of America as a socio-political-economic construct instead of recognizing that God's hand of blessing falls upon those who are obedient to His covenant commands. In the future, let us consider this when the political rhetoric sounds theological and the theological rhetoric sounds political, making sure that our allegiances are sure and definite.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Worship: Something Altogether Different
Worship, in that modern-day evangelical world, has become shorthand lingo referring to a musical genre or some sort formula for congregational services. To be sure, this has been a centuries-long reduction of what it means to worship from an all-encompassing way of life shrunken to an hour long mass. In the end, to think of worship as merely musical or to confine worship to an act of service would be to diminish worship and sever its theological density and meaning, rendering the worshiper confused, disjointed, and fractured, unable to worship truly for their lack of understanding.
At the introduction, the word worship immediately brings the limitations of language to bear upon the conversation. Because worship, as it is commonly known, has generally been used as an adjective, i.e. worship music, worship service, worship time. This betrays that worship serves, most fully, as a verb, as in, worship is an activity. This is not to detract from worship being used to describe various activities or times, but worship should be thought of more than merely a type or form of an activity.
Think of music. Because evangelicals have made worship a musical genre, the part of the active worship participator has been moved to the role preferential spectator. Now worship has been deemed a taste. As if the one who would be the active worship participator could actually choose if they wanted to worship or not like it was as common a decision as deciding whether they wanted italian food for dinner. This is not to say that music is not a medium for worship, rather, it is to highlight the apparent deficiency in the minds and hearts of worshipers that has come about from a misconception.
Worship, at its irreducible base, requires body and head, Church and Christ. This is one of those difficult things to understand: there is a unity, a communal requirement of worship. Although it occurs on a personal, private level to a limited degree, it is primarily a community activity, requiring a lifting of one voice from many to sing with one accord that Jesus is Lord. Worship is a word that describes an active worship. The deficient focus, in the past, has spent to much time on the personal aspect of the adjective to the declension of the community verb. In the end, though, these are not mutually exclusive ideas, far from it, for they are both necessary for worship to be.
Remember Jesus' words: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matt. 18:20). Jesus is not undervaluing the individual in the slightest, however, He is laying out a community requirement of worship. Often times this verse is employed for matter of prayer, but its context deals with binding and loosing, the very activity of worship needs to be focused on these elements.
In addition to the community requirement of worship, two other factors must be present, namely, Spirit and Truth. Again we turn to the words of Jesus: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him." (John 4:23). The truth is the Word, which is Christ. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, which is the indwelling within the hearts of believers.
The Truth is the content, the Spirit is the outpouring of emotion and energy, both focused on worshiping the Father. In this way, worship engages with every member of the Trinity in their respective realms of influence and function. The point, then, is not to designate specific activities or certain tasks as worship but, rather, to fulfill the greatest commandment in every posture, remembering the words of Paul: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col 3:17).
Our goal and intent, as worshipers, is to join together with one, unified voice to offer sincere praise, adoration, exaltation, and thanksgiving to the Father, through His Son, Christ Jesus, which is empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who baptizes those whom He is pleased to call His own. If we understand worship in this way, we would cease to lack evangelistic energy or mission or focus, and we would no longer think of worship as a common spectator activity. Let us then join together in song so loud and unified that the foundations of the earth are shaken!
At the introduction, the word worship immediately brings the limitations of language to bear upon the conversation. Because worship, as it is commonly known, has generally been used as an adjective, i.e. worship music, worship service, worship time. This betrays that worship serves, most fully, as a verb, as in, worship is an activity. This is not to detract from worship being used to describe various activities or times, but worship should be thought of more than merely a type or form of an activity.
Think of music. Because evangelicals have made worship a musical genre, the part of the active worship participator has been moved to the role preferential spectator. Now worship has been deemed a taste. As if the one who would be the active worship participator could actually choose if they wanted to worship or not like it was as common a decision as deciding whether they wanted italian food for dinner. This is not to say that music is not a medium for worship, rather, it is to highlight the apparent deficiency in the minds and hearts of worshipers that has come about from a misconception.
Worship, at its irreducible base, requires body and head, Church and Christ. This is one of those difficult things to understand: there is a unity, a communal requirement of worship. Although it occurs on a personal, private level to a limited degree, it is primarily a community activity, requiring a lifting of one voice from many to sing with one accord that Jesus is Lord. Worship is a word that describes an active worship. The deficient focus, in the past, has spent to much time on the personal aspect of the adjective to the declension of the community verb. In the end, though, these are not mutually exclusive ideas, far from it, for they are both necessary for worship to be.
Remember Jesus' words: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matt. 18:20). Jesus is not undervaluing the individual in the slightest, however, He is laying out a community requirement of worship. Often times this verse is employed for matter of prayer, but its context deals with binding and loosing, the very activity of worship needs to be focused on these elements.
In addition to the community requirement of worship, two other factors must be present, namely, Spirit and Truth. Again we turn to the words of Jesus: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him." (John 4:23). The truth is the Word, which is Christ. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, which is the indwelling within the hearts of believers.
The Truth is the content, the Spirit is the outpouring of emotion and energy, both focused on worshiping the Father. In this way, worship engages with every member of the Trinity in their respective realms of influence and function. The point, then, is not to designate specific activities or certain tasks as worship but, rather, to fulfill the greatest commandment in every posture, remembering the words of Paul: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col 3:17).
Our goal and intent, as worshipers, is to join together with one, unified voice to offer sincere praise, adoration, exaltation, and thanksgiving to the Father, through His Son, Christ Jesus, which is empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who baptizes those whom He is pleased to call His own. If we understand worship in this way, we would cease to lack evangelistic energy or mission or focus, and we would no longer think of worship as a common spectator activity. Let us then join together in song so loud and unified that the foundations of the earth are shaken!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Courage is from the Lord
Fear, anxiety, worry are all parts of this human experience. They can keep us up at nights, ringing our hearts and drenching our cheeks in floods of tears, and the stress of fear can be stifling like walking fully-clothed into a steam room and gasping for just one, good breath. It is at these moments, when we feel crippled by the strain of this life, when courage becomes real.
Courage does not mean the absence of fear and worry, far from it. Instead, courage is putting on strength amidst the suppressive suffocation and strain of anxiety and fear. This is important to remember: one cannot be courageous until there is a pall-like force attempting to overpower. It is this struggle against an adversarial force that is the call for courage.
These times, when fear clenches our throats and anxiety grips our hearts, courage requires that we find a source of strength that is even more powerful than our greatest fears. For this, God is. He is our present help in times of struggle, our rock, our fortress, our strong tower, our mighty deliverer, our Savior.
Thus, when we feel overwhelmed or overcome by the dark shroud of evil terror, whatever the immediate source may be, our source of courage is to be the Lord Himself. Praise be to God who is our strength and our shield when all else seems bleak and fearsome.
Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths to righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days fo my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Courage does not mean the absence of fear and worry, far from it. Instead, courage is putting on strength amidst the suppressive suffocation and strain of anxiety and fear. This is important to remember: one cannot be courageous until there is a pall-like force attempting to overpower. It is this struggle against an adversarial force that is the call for courage.
These times, when fear clenches our throats and anxiety grips our hearts, courage requires that we find a source of strength that is even more powerful than our greatest fears. For this, God is. He is our present help in times of struggle, our rock, our fortress, our strong tower, our mighty deliverer, our Savior.
Thus, when we feel overwhelmed or overcome by the dark shroud of evil terror, whatever the immediate source may be, our source of courage is to be the Lord Himself. Praise be to God who is our strength and our shield when all else seems bleak and fearsome.
Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths to righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days fo my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Covenant Chat
The Bible is rife with covenant language and theology associated with it. In truth, covenants are the manner with which the Lord relates to humanity, so to understand what is meant by covenant is to understand God and how He relates to us. Therefore, this will be a brief discourse on the nature of covenants and the theological import thereof.
At the onset, covenants define relationships between a strong party and a weak party in terms of promises. The strong party promises to the weak and the weak promises to the strong. Theologically, the strong One is God and the weak is man. To list the promises of God would take all the memory of the internet, but suffice to state that God promises provision, life, and presence, all boiling down to the density of love. For humans, the promise is singular: faith.
The promises, from God, can be broken down into two categories: (1) blessings, and (2) curses. Both are dependent upon mankind's fulfillment of their covenant obligation of faith. If humans are faithful, they will be blessed; if humans are unfaithful, they will be cursed. Unfortunately, the last century has seen an overemphasis on the promises of blessing to the neglect of the promises of curses. The net effect of such a lopsided and misconceived notion of God's covenants is that faith has been thought of as either an optional perspective dependent upon the individual's whims, or faith has been reduced to a single event.
Scripture is a book of covenants, in which the various authors write of God relating to people through His fulfillment of promises, either in the form of blessings or, more prominently, in the form of curses. The important thing is that God's covenant obligations are intertwined with humanity's obligations: if humans remain faithful to the covenant decrees they will be blessed, however, if humans are unfaithful to the covenant decrees they will be cursed. This may sound harsh, but either way God is proven just and faithful for He has committed Himself in covenant and has obligated Himself to relate in covenant ways. But praise be to God that He has revealed His covenant requirements to humanity in His Word and through His Son!
At the onset, covenants define relationships between a strong party and a weak party in terms of promises. The strong party promises to the weak and the weak promises to the strong. Theologically, the strong One is God and the weak is man. To list the promises of God would take all the memory of the internet, but suffice to state that God promises provision, life, and presence, all boiling down to the density of love. For humans, the promise is singular: faith.
The promises, from God, can be broken down into two categories: (1) blessings, and (2) curses. Both are dependent upon mankind's fulfillment of their covenant obligation of faith. If humans are faithful, they will be blessed; if humans are unfaithful, they will be cursed. Unfortunately, the last century has seen an overemphasis on the promises of blessing to the neglect of the promises of curses. The net effect of such a lopsided and misconceived notion of God's covenants is that faith has been thought of as either an optional perspective dependent upon the individual's whims, or faith has been reduced to a single event.
Scripture is a book of covenants, in which the various authors write of God relating to people through His fulfillment of promises, either in the form of blessings or, more prominently, in the form of curses. The important thing is that God's covenant obligations are intertwined with humanity's obligations: if humans remain faithful to the covenant decrees they will be blessed, however, if humans are unfaithful to the covenant decrees they will be cursed. This may sound harsh, but either way God is proven just and faithful for He has committed Himself in covenant and has obligated Himself to relate in covenant ways. But praise be to God that He has revealed His covenant requirements to humanity in His Word and through His Son!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Love: defined.
Love. Love is one of those elusive but finite things. It's an action that can have emotional content. Or it's a sense or feeling that is performed outwardly. Or sometimes it is a word used to designate a sort relationship. But Scripture defines love as a posture of the heart, an attitude devotion and humility that informs both word and deed in how we relate to to other people and to God.
To be sure, love comes from God as He is the source of love. Ultimate love is of the supernatural essence of God and it is known most fully in the person of Christ Jesus. His act of condescension, when He took the incarnate form of a human and emptied Himself so as to become a servant unto death was the definition of love. Any definition that does not point to Christ would fall short of highlighting the quintessential love act of all creation: the cross.
Love, as humanity knows and carries it forward, must begin with this base. Putting Christ's work at the foundation of our definition of love will keep us from thinking of love in any less reverence than it deserves. As Christ says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). In this way, we can see that Christ's life and work is to act as an example for how we measure and define love ourselves.
Let us then always remember what Christ Jesus has done and how He has shown love to us truly. And let His example guide us to take the same mind among ourselves: to lay down ourselves so as to lift up others in love. In this way, we will fulfill the great commandments of God and live lives that He has called us to!
To be sure, love comes from God as He is the source of love. Ultimate love is of the supernatural essence of God and it is known most fully in the person of Christ Jesus. His act of condescension, when He took the incarnate form of a human and emptied Himself so as to become a servant unto death was the definition of love. Any definition that does not point to Christ would fall short of highlighting the quintessential love act of all creation: the cross.
Love, as humanity knows and carries it forward, must begin with this base. Putting Christ's work at the foundation of our definition of love will keep us from thinking of love in any less reverence than it deserves. As Christ says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). In this way, we can see that Christ's life and work is to act as an example for how we measure and define love ourselves.
Let us then always remember what Christ Jesus has done and how He has shown love to us truly. And let His example guide us to take the same mind among ourselves: to lay down ourselves so as to lift up others in love. In this way, we will fulfill the great commandments of God and live lives that He has called us to!
Friday, November 2, 2012
A Long Walk Home
For various reasons, when I was a middle-school aged child I often found myself suspended from the school bus. When this occured, plans needed to be made for me to get to and from school. The school was about five miles away from home, so mom or dad would drive there in the morning and I would be left to my own devices to bike or walk home.
In the beginning of the school year or near the end, when the temperatures were warmer and the streets were free of snow/debris, bicycling was the way to go. But to my discredit, suspensions can occur at any time of the year and, inevitably, they seem to always occur when it's cold outside and there is snow on the ground, prohibiting the use of my bike and forcing me to do something I would rather not do: walk home.
However, seeing as waiting around several uneccessary hours for one of my parents to get off work and pick me up from school would be a ludicrous suggestion, both for me and my parents, I became determined to walk home. At least one half of this walk would be at least somewhat agreeable: well-plowed, close-to-road sidewalks. But for more than a negligible part of the walk, due to the necessary route(s), I had to tredge through unplowed snow for a good amount of time.
On one such day under these sorts of circumstances, I had to walk home. Yet, unbeknownst to me before school, there was an ample snow fall during the school hours, meaning two things: (1) that I would be walking through a foot of snow, and (2) I was woefully underdressed for such an endeavor. Being a middle-schooler with a middle schooler's understanding of how meteorological patterns affect garment decisions, I had failed to bring a winter coat or shoes that were suitable for my walk. But, as there was no choice otherwise, I still had to walk home.
Half way on my journey, in the thick of the snow, every step became a bear as I plodded, cruching with each struggling stride. My limbs were so cold that I had brought my arms back through my sleeves and I was clutching them around the trunk of my core. Luckily, my feet had been numbed by the frigid snow encasing my thin tennis shoes with each step that they barely hurt at all, only tinging subtley with every labored hoof.
At some point, exhaustion hit me and I stopped. I was more than half-way home, but I was still about two miles away from home. Although I was in the middle of suburbia, becuase my route took me through the county park, no one would ever know where I really was. As I stood still in a snow-covered emptiness, I searched my hazy breaths for some of the most sincere thoughts that I had ever or have ever since.
I could sense a sort of foreboding danger in the numbness of my limbs and I feared that I might not make it home in time to prevent hypothermia. My ears felt like they were on fire to the point that I had to touch them to be assured that, no, they were in fact almost frozen. Fear and worry filled my arctic thoughts. I knew that there were two possibilities: (1) I could give up, or (2) I could become determined and trudge on homeward.
To be sure, for a middle school kid this is an existential dilemma but I decided that the latter was the better option. So, with each new step I garnered a bit more determination and will to continue on my path and to reach my goal. This was one of those days that affected me. Ever since, I have learned that there is incredible value in setting a course and, though it may be challenging and long, to stick to it with consistent perseverance. Funny thing is that when I came to Christ and started reading HIs Word in earnest, I learned that this is exactly how God desires us to endure in our faith. Praise be to God for those moments of deep learning that can happen amidst the strangest circumstances in life!
In the beginning of the school year or near the end, when the temperatures were warmer and the streets were free of snow/debris, bicycling was the way to go. But to my discredit, suspensions can occur at any time of the year and, inevitably, they seem to always occur when it's cold outside and there is snow on the ground, prohibiting the use of my bike and forcing me to do something I would rather not do: walk home.
However, seeing as waiting around several uneccessary hours for one of my parents to get off work and pick me up from school would be a ludicrous suggestion, both for me and my parents, I became determined to walk home. At least one half of this walk would be at least somewhat agreeable: well-plowed, close-to-road sidewalks. But for more than a negligible part of the walk, due to the necessary route(s), I had to tredge through unplowed snow for a good amount of time.
On one such day under these sorts of circumstances, I had to walk home. Yet, unbeknownst to me before school, there was an ample snow fall during the school hours, meaning two things: (1) that I would be walking through a foot of snow, and (2) I was woefully underdressed for such an endeavor. Being a middle-schooler with a middle schooler's understanding of how meteorological patterns affect garment decisions, I had failed to bring a winter coat or shoes that were suitable for my walk. But, as there was no choice otherwise, I still had to walk home.
Half way on my journey, in the thick of the snow, every step became a bear as I plodded, cruching with each struggling stride. My limbs were so cold that I had brought my arms back through my sleeves and I was clutching them around the trunk of my core. Luckily, my feet had been numbed by the frigid snow encasing my thin tennis shoes with each step that they barely hurt at all, only tinging subtley with every labored hoof.
At some point, exhaustion hit me and I stopped. I was more than half-way home, but I was still about two miles away from home. Although I was in the middle of suburbia, becuase my route took me through the county park, no one would ever know where I really was. As I stood still in a snow-covered emptiness, I searched my hazy breaths for some of the most sincere thoughts that I had ever or have ever since.
I could sense a sort of foreboding danger in the numbness of my limbs and I feared that I might not make it home in time to prevent hypothermia. My ears felt like they were on fire to the point that I had to touch them to be assured that, no, they were in fact almost frozen. Fear and worry filled my arctic thoughts. I knew that there were two possibilities: (1) I could give up, or (2) I could become determined and trudge on homeward.
To be sure, for a middle school kid this is an existential dilemma but I decided that the latter was the better option. So, with each new step I garnered a bit more determination and will to continue on my path and to reach my goal. This was one of those days that affected me. Ever since, I have learned that there is incredible value in setting a course and, though it may be challenging and long, to stick to it with consistent perseverance. Funny thing is that when I came to Christ and started reading HIs Word in earnest, I learned that this is exactly how God desires us to endure in our faith. Praise be to God for those moments of deep learning that can happen amidst the strangest circumstances in life!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
No More Politics
Amidst the constant bombardment of vociferous political rhetoric and flippant disrespect aimed in every direction, I feel compelled towards realignment and stability. Words like "liberty" and "freedom" have taken the center stage, while the marketplace of ideas has been flooded with bombast like a full-on fire hose that leaves us all feeling soaking wet and bruised from the wear.
In moments like these, when issues that affect lives are discussed, there is an inherent tendency to elevate priorities in an effort to clarify thoughts for the purpose of coherent dialogue and debate. But although there may be significant, if not severe, differences between how we evaluate, critique, and decide on any particular issue, it is always important that the method of debate must be commenced with decency and respect. The means with which we arrive at some semblance of consensus is at least as important as the ends we are aiming at.
Humility is the key. Admittedly, this is much easier spoken of than accomplished, especially when convictions about truth are the matter at hand; however, it is vital that we maintain humility throughout our debates. Additionally, humility under circumstances such as these can be nearly impossible because we are dealing with issues of great importance, that strike our deepest persuasions.
Consider this: Christ Jesus was the very Son of God. He possessed, within His very person, truth. This was not some humanistic "idea" about an abstract, subjective truth. Christ Jesus knew the truth, for He, being God, was the source of truth and it is essential to His being. Yet when He was faced with controversy and contrary "opinions" about truth that opposed truth, He spoke gently, directly, and with the utmost humility.
Jesus had the right and the authority to tell it like it is, being in very nature God. Make no mistake: Jesus did call out people directly, but His tactic always matched the matter at hand, and His priorities were set in such a way that He knew when to hug a person to teach them and when to indict them to their faces (think turning tables over in the Temple and calling religious elitists: brood of vipers).
As we continue the debate of politics, let us take this same mind of humility among ourselves. No matter how strongly we feel/know what is true and right, we should always strive to present it in a way that is inline with our Christian convictions and that would not damage our testimony. In other words, we need to love. And above all else, let us pray with earnest supplications that the Lord would help us always to match our convictions with our love.
In moments like these, when issues that affect lives are discussed, there is an inherent tendency to elevate priorities in an effort to clarify thoughts for the purpose of coherent dialogue and debate. But although there may be significant, if not severe, differences between how we evaluate, critique, and decide on any particular issue, it is always important that the method of debate must be commenced with decency and respect. The means with which we arrive at some semblance of consensus is at least as important as the ends we are aiming at.
Humility is the key. Admittedly, this is much easier spoken of than accomplished, especially when convictions about truth are the matter at hand; however, it is vital that we maintain humility throughout our debates. Additionally, humility under circumstances such as these can be nearly impossible because we are dealing with issues of great importance, that strike our deepest persuasions.
Consider this: Christ Jesus was the very Son of God. He possessed, within His very person, truth. This was not some humanistic "idea" about an abstract, subjective truth. Christ Jesus knew the truth, for He, being God, was the source of truth and it is essential to His being. Yet when He was faced with controversy and contrary "opinions" about truth that opposed truth, He spoke gently, directly, and with the utmost humility.
Jesus had the right and the authority to tell it like it is, being in very nature God. Make no mistake: Jesus did call out people directly, but His tactic always matched the matter at hand, and His priorities were set in such a way that He knew when to hug a person to teach them and when to indict them to their faces (think turning tables over in the Temple and calling religious elitists: brood of vipers).
As we continue the debate of politics, let us take this same mind of humility among ourselves. No matter how strongly we feel/know what is true and right, we should always strive to present it in a way that is inline with our Christian convictions and that would not damage our testimony. In other words, we need to love. And above all else, let us pray with earnest supplications that the Lord would help us always to match our convictions with our love.
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