1 Thessalonians 4:7-8–"For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you."
This passage comes as the conclusion of a brief exhortation about Christian living. But, as we reach this verse, there is an interesting point being made. Paul is exhorting believers to live to Christ, for Christ, and as Christ. This means, at the very least, that our lifestyles will be pure and undefiled. The point here, though, is that the authority with which Paul makes these commands is not his own. More than that, if we disregard Paul's teachings it is, in truth, not Paul we are disregarding at all; we are disregarding God Himself.
We should never, not ever forget this. It is, ultimately, not the church, any man, or institution that compels us to live lives of purity and holiness. It is God Himself that desires it. It is He who orders and commands. This is, it turns out, everything.
Showing posts with label holiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiness. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Glory to God
Without getting too deep today, let us take a moment to speak of the glory of God. The glory of God is one of the central figures in Holy Scripture. But it is also one the most misconceived theological concepts. In the the most plain terms, the glory of God is the functionining processes of His holiness. Or, with less flourish, God's glory is the representation of His holiness. Every aspect and attribute of God exudes from His holiness and His infinitude.
God is holy. This means, among many things, that God is perfectly pure and entirely other; or, in other words, He is unlike us. And it is from his Divine Otherness that He creates and sustains by the power of His Word. This 'active step,' so to speak, is His glory; it is the evidence of His holiness. Because He is holy, His glory comes out. In a sense, His glory derives from God from His holiness, and it is from seeing His glory that we can assess and recognize His holiness.
There is a direct correlation between His infinite holiness and his glory much as the connection between the bulb and the light that pours forth from it: the light is evidence is the affect of the bulb's being just as the bulb's being as a giver of light is reflected in whether light comes from it or not. Therefore, God's glory must properly begin with Hos holiness, otherwise we run risk of naturally supplanting His holiness with our own in the presence of His glory. Needless to say, this is a counterfeit understanding of God just as it is a simple case of odplatry of self, and neither are acceptable in worship before the holy Lord.
Let us, then, always bow in penitent reverence before God when we encounter His glory, understanding that it is ultimately before His holiness that we fall prostrate. And amen that it should be so!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Holiness is Not Attainable
One of the primary characteristics of the people of God is that they will be holy as the Lord is holy (Lev 20:26; 1 Pet 1:16). But this identification is something affirmed, something declared by God to define His chosen people. God places the badge of holiness upon His people, holiness. But it is essential to recognize that this distinction is not earned or attained by the chosen people; it is given by God's grace.
This is important. There has always been a large swatch of the Christian experience that has thought of personal piety as a status, some state of being to be attained through personal discipline or strength of will. But this does not conform to the narrative of Scripture. Holiness is an attribute that only God possesses and the only way for a human being to possess holiness is for God to bestow it.
The key is this: no man can achieve holiness, God gives it by virtue of His choosing. There is no effort to exert aside from obedience to the covenant obligations, but God, because of who He is, bestows the status of holiness to whomever He pleases as expressing His love and faithfulness. Only in Christ are we made holy. This cannot be stated any more firmly. What it means, though, needs to be carried throughout its ripples in the pool of theology.
This is important. There has always been a large swatch of the Christian experience that has thought of personal piety as a status, some state of being to be attained through personal discipline or strength of will. But this does not conform to the narrative of Scripture. Holiness is an attribute that only God possesses and the only way for a human being to possess holiness is for God to bestow it.
The key is this: no man can achieve holiness, God gives it by virtue of His choosing. There is no effort to exert aside from obedience to the covenant obligations, but God, because of who He is, bestows the status of holiness to whomever He pleases as expressing His love and faithfulness. Only in Christ are we made holy. This cannot be stated any more firmly. What it means, though, needs to be carried throughout its ripples in the pool of theology.
Friday, October 5, 2012
We Have Been Made Holy in Christ
Holiness has a two-fold definition encompassing, in the very least, the concepts of moral purity and utter uniqueness. In the latter, which will be under examination today, this uniqueness is not to be thought of as a uniqueness of a different degree, as in, one is holy when they do something more, better, etc. Instead, holiness in this sense is best thought of a difference in kind, akin to, say the difference between water and sand.
It is this form of holiness that has particular importance for believers, for we are called to be holy as He is holy. And, while it is certainly true that this exhortation refers to moral purity, it simultaneously speaks to the fact that believers are to be set apart and of a different kind of human from unbelievers.
This is in no way to seem elitist or arrogant, instead it is a reality. Much like a dead person is different from a live person, due to his/her absence of life, so is the unbeliever different in kind from the Christian due to his/her lack of life in Christ, who is the One who is and gives life. In this sense, holiness is not something that needs to be sought out, but claimed and accepted as an already-evident truth: the Christian, by confession, repentance, and belief in Christ Jesus, is made alive from death, reborn into holiness that sets them apart from who they were before. This is what is meant by the idiom, in the world but not of the world.
Scripture speaks substantially to this effect. One such passage that struck me today was Psalm 4:3, "But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself." Or consider the words of Paul, who writes about his calling, "But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace (Gal. 1:15)." Although these are two seemingly dissimilar verses, they both point out that it is, in fact, God who sets apart those whom He has been pleased to love and bestow His grace upon and make holy by the washing of His Word, which is the blood of His Son, Christ Jesus. This is, among many exclaiming adjectives, amazing. Let us then claim the holiness that God has given us in His Son! Praise God!
It is this form of holiness that has particular importance for believers, for we are called to be holy as He is holy. And, while it is certainly true that this exhortation refers to moral purity, it simultaneously speaks to the fact that believers are to be set apart and of a different kind of human from unbelievers.
This is in no way to seem elitist or arrogant, instead it is a reality. Much like a dead person is different from a live person, due to his/her absence of life, so is the unbeliever different in kind from the Christian due to his/her lack of life in Christ, who is the One who is and gives life. In this sense, holiness is not something that needs to be sought out, but claimed and accepted as an already-evident truth: the Christian, by confession, repentance, and belief in Christ Jesus, is made alive from death, reborn into holiness that sets them apart from who they were before. This is what is meant by the idiom, in the world but not of the world.
Scripture speaks substantially to this effect. One such passage that struck me today was Psalm 4:3, "But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself." Or consider the words of Paul, who writes about his calling, "But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace (Gal. 1:15)." Although these are two seemingly dissimilar verses, they both point out that it is, in fact, God who sets apart those whom He has been pleased to love and bestow His grace upon and make holy by the washing of His Word, which is the blood of His Son, Christ Jesus. This is, among many exclaiming adjectives, amazing. Let us then claim the holiness that God has given us in His Son! Praise God!
Friday, September 28, 2012
A Treatise on Holiness
In an ever-secularizing world, holiness seems to be a forgotten thing, or an unknown thing altogher. However, more than any other attribute or characteristic of God, He is described as holy. Additionally, this holiness is something that, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the personal application of the Word of God, Christians are to exhibit as well.
Metaphorically, it can be thought of in this way: if a liquid is, in its purest form, the color red, then everything that the liquid comes into contact with will have the attribute of red. Similarly, God in His very essence and being is holy. He cannot be separated from His holiness because holiness, in its basest form, derives from the holiness of the Lord God Almighty. Therefore, it stands to reason that a believer who, by confession and faith, has received God's grace and the Holy Spirit is now living within him or her, then the holiness of God will be present.
Thus, an understanding of holiness and what it is to be holy is in order for, as stated explicitly by the apostle Peter, "But just as He who called you is holy, be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16).'" So, in reality, holiness and being holy is not merely a suggestion but it is a necessity for the believer.
To be sure, only a believer in Christ Jesus who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is capable of being truly holy, for only a believer will have access to He who is holy. This is like saying that the only people who can have toes are those that have feet. If you have no feet (are not a believer), then you will not be able in any sense to have toes (be holy).
Becuase holiness is such a fundamental part of God, a basic two-part definition is in order and should serve as both the rubric and the barameter of holiness in our own lives. First off, to be holy is to be set-apart, separate, not only of degree but primarily of kind. That is to say that God's holiness, and by extension believers' holiness, means that we are of a different kind, separate from that which is not holy. This is what is meant by the phrase, "in the world but not of it."
Secondly, holiness refers to moral purity. Think of two glasses of water. One glass is full of sediment and impurities, while the other is absolutely pure H2O. The pure glass, lacking any literal impurity is holy in that it is absolutely and utterly pure. The other would be akin to unholiness, full of impurities and, thus, lacking holiness.
The second sense of holiness often rubs people wrong, believers and unbelievers alike, because to understand holiness in this, quite literal sense, means that believers are to be holy as God is holy, an outright impossible acheivement, correct? No. The essential component here is to separate what God has made holy and what God is/will make holy.
In the former, God has made us holy in our souls and in our economical (sin) standing before His justice. In this sense, we are already holy. Redemption, salvation, justification, these are areas of already holy. In the latter, God is and will make us holy. The is refers to the process of sanctification by which the Holy Spirit applies the Word to us directly in our lifelong transformation.
In this sense, we are being made holy. The will here refers to the glorified state that believers will find themselves on the otherside (post-mortem) of eternity. When this occurs, we will be made perfectly holy because we will be blessed definitively with the utter presence of the Holy Lord. This is beautiful! So, when we use the language of holiness, now we may have a better understanding both of its vital significance as well as what it means for us today. And praise be to God who has seen fit in His pleasure to bless us with His presence so as to make us holy as He is holy!
Metaphorically, it can be thought of in this way: if a liquid is, in its purest form, the color red, then everything that the liquid comes into contact with will have the attribute of red. Similarly, God in His very essence and being is holy. He cannot be separated from His holiness because holiness, in its basest form, derives from the holiness of the Lord God Almighty. Therefore, it stands to reason that a believer who, by confession and faith, has received God's grace and the Holy Spirit is now living within him or her, then the holiness of God will be present.
Thus, an understanding of holiness and what it is to be holy is in order for, as stated explicitly by the apostle Peter, "But just as He who called you is holy, be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16).'" So, in reality, holiness and being holy is not merely a suggestion but it is a necessity for the believer.
To be sure, only a believer in Christ Jesus who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is capable of being truly holy, for only a believer will have access to He who is holy. This is like saying that the only people who can have toes are those that have feet. If you have no feet (are not a believer), then you will not be able in any sense to have toes (be holy).
Becuase holiness is such a fundamental part of God, a basic two-part definition is in order and should serve as both the rubric and the barameter of holiness in our own lives. First off, to be holy is to be set-apart, separate, not only of degree but primarily of kind. That is to say that God's holiness, and by extension believers' holiness, means that we are of a different kind, separate from that which is not holy. This is what is meant by the phrase, "in the world but not of it."
Secondly, holiness refers to moral purity. Think of two glasses of water. One glass is full of sediment and impurities, while the other is absolutely pure H2O. The pure glass, lacking any literal impurity is holy in that it is absolutely and utterly pure. The other would be akin to unholiness, full of impurities and, thus, lacking holiness.
The second sense of holiness often rubs people wrong, believers and unbelievers alike, because to understand holiness in this, quite literal sense, means that believers are to be holy as God is holy, an outright impossible acheivement, correct? No. The essential component here is to separate what God has made holy and what God is/will make holy.
In the former, God has made us holy in our souls and in our economical (sin) standing before His justice. In this sense, we are already holy. Redemption, salvation, justification, these are areas of already holy. In the latter, God is and will make us holy. The is refers to the process of sanctification by which the Holy Spirit applies the Word to us directly in our lifelong transformation.
In this sense, we are being made holy. The will here refers to the glorified state that believers will find themselves on the otherside (post-mortem) of eternity. When this occurs, we will be made perfectly holy because we will be blessed definitively with the utter presence of the Holy Lord. This is beautiful! So, when we use the language of holiness, now we may have a better understanding both of its vital significance as well as what it means for us today. And praise be to God who has seen fit in His pleasure to bless us with His presence so as to make us holy as He is holy!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Praise God Who Saves His Dirty Kids
Paul, in his letter to Titus, writes:
"For we ourselves were once foolish, obedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Tit. 3:3-7)."
Often the Word is so clear that it speaks for itself with a piercing tone. This is one of those instances. Paul states it clearly, that we who have been saved by the blood of Christ were once hostile and fleshly. And it was nothing good in us or any good that we had done to earn or cause God to offer us grace. Rather, it was God's good mercy and compassion that washed over us who have faith in Christ who receive His grace.
This is comforting to know that God does not require sinners to get clean and healthy before He will come to save them. Instead, God takes our degraded, our diseased, our dilapidated, and our dysfunctional. He saves us during our despair and in the midst of our depression and sickness. This is beautiful and we should never lose sight of it. God loves us so much that He is willing to pick us up from the mire and bog of our messy lives and to cleanse us in Jesus' blood. Let us then always keep this in mind whenever we feel unworthy or too-dirty for God, for He is a God who loves us!
"For we ourselves were once foolish, obedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Tit. 3:3-7)."
Often the Word is so clear that it speaks for itself with a piercing tone. This is one of those instances. Paul states it clearly, that we who have been saved by the blood of Christ were once hostile and fleshly. And it was nothing good in us or any good that we had done to earn or cause God to offer us grace. Rather, it was God's good mercy and compassion that washed over us who have faith in Christ who receive His grace.
This is comforting to know that God does not require sinners to get clean and healthy before He will come to save them. Instead, God takes our degraded, our diseased, our dilapidated, and our dysfunctional. He saves us during our despair and in the midst of our depression and sickness. This is beautiful and we should never lose sight of it. God loves us so much that He is willing to pick us up from the mire and bog of our messy lives and to cleanse us in Jesus' blood. Let us then always keep this in mind whenever we feel unworthy or too-dirty for God, for He is a God who loves us!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Perfect Purity
We live in a world in which purity is overlooked by the vast majority of the culture in favor of pleasure seeking and relativism. God asks for more. He asks us to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16). Obviously, for us to overcome the gap of holiness set before us, two things are in order: (1) we must understand what holiness is, and (2) we have to come up with a game-plan for holiness.
For starters, holiness has two basic definitions, to be pure and to be set apart. Although God asks for us to take on holiness in both measures, the former of the two is to be the focus of this discourse. Purity, to be pure, requires acknowledging what purity is as well as understanding that which taints purity, making it impure.
God is pure. Scripture speaks most aptly about the purity of His Word (Psa. 12:6; 119:140; Pro. 30:5). Purity thus is a direct reflection of His Word in us. When we are in His Word, His Word acts to purify us. Additionally, purity speaks to perfection. For something to be pure it has no extraneous or unnecessary pieces; it is perfect, complete. This should convict us to assess: are there parts of us that we could deem extra?
Furthermore, purity is unsoiled, undefiled, and ultimately clean. To be pure then necessitates a state of perfect cleanliness of soul. When we speak of holiness, this is what we are discussing: the state of a person's soul. Purity is to be, then, utterly pure and without sin. To be sure, that's no small order.
Think of a glass of water with sediment floating inside. This is akin to the state of a unrepentant soul. We are so full of the depravation of sin that we, our very beings, have become tainted and defiled. Only when we are poured out and sieved to remove the unclean sediment of sin can we become "holy as He is holy." Confession and belief in Jesus by way of repentance and humility accomplishes this purging.
Peter, John, and Peter all speak about the necessity for humans to pursue holiness (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 3:3). For fear of getting too theologically dense, it is sufficient to say that striving for holiness is a big deal for believers. It can be summed up in a single term: sanctification.
It is true that God guides and administers the sancitification process; however, this does not negate the man's responsibility. To be holy is not a passive ordeal but an intensely active endeavor. In order for us to be holy, we need to pursue holiness. The writer of Hebrews also speaks to this effect, that we have responsibility to put forth effort in holiness (Heb. 12:14).
Because of the vast and singular requirements of holiness, we, believers, should heed the call to holiness and "take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5)." To be made new and pure in holiness is what repentance and sanctification is all about. Let us then press forward to live more like Christ, perfect and blameless, undefiled by the world and pure in His Word by the power of the Holy Spirit urging us to greater holiness in Him!
For starters, holiness has two basic definitions, to be pure and to be set apart. Although God asks for us to take on holiness in both measures, the former of the two is to be the focus of this discourse. Purity, to be pure, requires acknowledging what purity is as well as understanding that which taints purity, making it impure.
God is pure. Scripture speaks most aptly about the purity of His Word (Psa. 12:6; 119:140; Pro. 30:5). Purity thus is a direct reflection of His Word in us. When we are in His Word, His Word acts to purify us. Additionally, purity speaks to perfection. For something to be pure it has no extraneous or unnecessary pieces; it is perfect, complete. This should convict us to assess: are there parts of us that we could deem extra?
Furthermore, purity is unsoiled, undefiled, and ultimately clean. To be pure then necessitates a state of perfect cleanliness of soul. When we speak of holiness, this is what we are discussing: the state of a person's soul. Purity is to be, then, utterly pure and without sin. To be sure, that's no small order.
Think of a glass of water with sediment floating inside. This is akin to the state of a unrepentant soul. We are so full of the depravation of sin that we, our very beings, have become tainted and defiled. Only when we are poured out and sieved to remove the unclean sediment of sin can we become "holy as He is holy." Confession and belief in Jesus by way of repentance and humility accomplishes this purging.
Peter, John, and Peter all speak about the necessity for humans to pursue holiness (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 3:3). For fear of getting too theologically dense, it is sufficient to say that striving for holiness is a big deal for believers. It can be summed up in a single term: sanctification.
It is true that God guides and administers the sancitification process; however, this does not negate the man's responsibility. To be holy is not a passive ordeal but an intensely active endeavor. In order for us to be holy, we need to pursue holiness. The writer of Hebrews also speaks to this effect, that we have responsibility to put forth effort in holiness (Heb. 12:14).
Because of the vast and singular requirements of holiness, we, believers, should heed the call to holiness and "take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5)." To be made new and pure in holiness is what repentance and sanctification is all about. Let us then press forward to live more like Christ, perfect and blameless, undefiled by the world and pure in His Word by the power of the Holy Spirit urging us to greater holiness in Him!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Discipleship's Cost
There is a distinct and clear cost to following Jesus. Throughout the New Testament, the price of being a disciple of Christ is simple but stiff: everything. Devotion to Christ requires that we lay everything down before the Lord. This is inline with the greatest commandment, which commands us to devote every part of ourselves to the Lord in worship and devotion.
Scripture presents numerous examples of believers paying the price of discipleship. For starters, there is Abraham. The Lord called Abram to pick up his whole life and leave his homeland for a promise (Gen. 11:1-3). Abram simply laid down his previous life for the promises of God. Or consider Abraham's ordeal in regards to Isaac. Abraham and Sarah had been barren for several decades, waiting for God to fulfill His promises of descendants. Yet when God did finally bless the couple with Isaac, the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice him. And Abraham proved himself obedient to the cost of discipleship and was blessed for his faithfulness.
Another example is the calling of the disciples by Jesus (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Lk. 5:2-11). All of the accounts are remarkable. Jesus simply calls the disciples to come and they, like Abram, pick up everything and follow the Lord. They were successful self-employed business men that laid down it all to follow Jesus. As Peter declares, "we've left everything to follow you (Lk. 14:26).
The other pertinent example of this is Saul, who becomes Paul after he lays down everything for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. Saul was a Hebrew of Hebrews, on the fast track to the Jewish religious elite (Phil. 3:4-6). Saul had created a life to be envied, yet when the Lord Jesus called him, he cast it all aside. This is the true cost: giving everything up for the sake of relationship to the Lord Almighty. Paul is quick to assert that he counts everything lost as a gain because of the immeasurable riches of gain the Lord (Phil. 3:7).
Scripture is unified in this regard. Discipleship costs believers their very lives. Practically speaking, believers are to take all of their lives, everything, and to devote it to the Lord. In this, God sanctifies our past experiences, good and bad, for His purposes. This is what is described by the concept of daily picking up your cross and denying yourself to follow Jesus (Lk. 9:23).
Ultimately, Jesus is the Suffering Servant who served the world through His very death. If we are to be His followers, it makes logical sense that we will acquiesce to the same fate as His. In a real way, this means that we will relinquish every part of our selves for the purposes and will of the Lord. Truly, the cost of discipleship is high but the resulting relationship with the Lord far outweighs the cost. Let us then press forward to live lives of servanthood that mirrors the life our Savior lived!
Scripture presents numerous examples of believers paying the price of discipleship. For starters, there is Abraham. The Lord called Abram to pick up his whole life and leave his homeland for a promise (Gen. 11:1-3). Abram simply laid down his previous life for the promises of God. Or consider Abraham's ordeal in regards to Isaac. Abraham and Sarah had been barren for several decades, waiting for God to fulfill His promises of descendants. Yet when God did finally bless the couple with Isaac, the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice him. And Abraham proved himself obedient to the cost of discipleship and was blessed for his faithfulness.
Another example is the calling of the disciples by Jesus (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Lk. 5:2-11). All of the accounts are remarkable. Jesus simply calls the disciples to come and they, like Abram, pick up everything and follow the Lord. They were successful self-employed business men that laid down it all to follow Jesus. As Peter declares, "we've left everything to follow you (Lk. 14:26).
The other pertinent example of this is Saul, who becomes Paul after he lays down everything for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. Saul was a Hebrew of Hebrews, on the fast track to the Jewish religious elite (Phil. 3:4-6). Saul had created a life to be envied, yet when the Lord Jesus called him, he cast it all aside. This is the true cost: giving everything up for the sake of relationship to the Lord Almighty. Paul is quick to assert that he counts everything lost as a gain because of the immeasurable riches of gain the Lord (Phil. 3:7).
Scripture is unified in this regard. Discipleship costs believers their very lives. Practically speaking, believers are to take all of their lives, everything, and to devote it to the Lord. In this, God sanctifies our past experiences, good and bad, for His purposes. This is what is described by the concept of daily picking up your cross and denying yourself to follow Jesus (Lk. 9:23).
Ultimately, Jesus is the Suffering Servant who served the world through His very death. If we are to be His followers, it makes logical sense that we will acquiesce to the same fate as His. In a real way, this means that we will relinquish every part of our selves for the purposes and will of the Lord. Truly, the cost of discipleship is high but the resulting relationship with the Lord far outweighs the cost. Let us then press forward to live lives of servanthood that mirrors the life our Savior lived!
Friday, February 3, 2012
To be Humble before Him
In chapter 18 of the Gospel Luke, Luke recounts one of Jesus' parables in which Christ talks about the importance of humility in reference to true righteousness (Luke 18:9-14). In this parable, two men go to the temple to pray. The first, a Pharisee, stands up proudly and thanks the Lord that he is not like other men but is righteous and good to keep all of God's commandments and that he is better than other men. Next to the Pharisee is another man, a tax collecter, who can't even stand or look to heaven but simply beats his breast and cries out, "God have mercy to me, a sinner!" Jesus concludes the parable with a simple but serious statement: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
This is a major theme of the Kingdom of God that is strikingly antithetical to the kingdoms of the world. Penitence and humility before the awesomeness of God is the only appropriate response to His presence. Think of Isaiah's call, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6:5)."
To further this point, think of John's vision of the Lord in Revelation, who, having seen Jesus in His glory, fell down weeping as if dead (Rev. 1:17). When we come face to face with the Lord, we have the opportunity for the truest and most sincere worship that is grounded in an attitude of penitence and humility before the heavenly Father.
Worship, entering into the very presence of the holy Lord, is the most sobering reality there is. The Lord is the light that reveals everything that is hidden, especially those parts of our inner selves that have been buried in the depths of our beings. When we step into His heavenly presence, He illuminates our truest nature and we are forced to confront ourselves in light of who He is. This can be devastating.
However, when we humble ourselves in prayer to the Lord, He is sure to comfort and to keep us in His love. As Jesus says multiple times throughout the Gospels, whoever exalts himself will be humbled but whoever humbles himself will be exalted before the Lord. This is not just a single expression but is a principle of the Kingdom of God.
Although humbling ourselves can be painful because we are forced to honestly examine our sinning fleshly self in light of God's holiness. However painful this may be, it doesn't come close to the wrath of humility that we are faced with if God is forced to humble our haughtiness. Instead, the best way to meet the Lord is bowing before Him in humbleness so that we aren't crushed beneath Him as judge. Let us then strive for humility before the heavenly Lord!
This is a major theme of the Kingdom of God that is strikingly antithetical to the kingdoms of the world. Penitence and humility before the awesomeness of God is the only appropriate response to His presence. Think of Isaiah's call, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6:5)."
To further this point, think of John's vision of the Lord in Revelation, who, having seen Jesus in His glory, fell down weeping as if dead (Rev. 1:17). When we come face to face with the Lord, we have the opportunity for the truest and most sincere worship that is grounded in an attitude of penitence and humility before the heavenly Father.
Worship, entering into the very presence of the holy Lord, is the most sobering reality there is. The Lord is the light that reveals everything that is hidden, especially those parts of our inner selves that have been buried in the depths of our beings. When we step into His heavenly presence, He illuminates our truest nature and we are forced to confront ourselves in light of who He is. This can be devastating.
However, when we humble ourselves in prayer to the Lord, He is sure to comfort and to keep us in His love. As Jesus says multiple times throughout the Gospels, whoever exalts himself will be humbled but whoever humbles himself will be exalted before the Lord. This is not just a single expression but is a principle of the Kingdom of God.
Although humbling ourselves can be painful because we are forced to honestly examine our sinning fleshly self in light of God's holiness. However painful this may be, it doesn't come close to the wrath of humility that we are faced with if God is forced to humble our haughtiness. Instead, the best way to meet the Lord is bowing before Him in humbleness so that we aren't crushed beneath Him as judge. Let us then strive for humility before the heavenly Lord!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A Call to Holiness
All throughout Scripture, the most used adjective to describe the character and nature of God is holy. God is, above all else, holy. It is His holiness that truly defines Him. The Lord, in all His majesty, is holy. Holiness is defined in two basic ways: (1) purity in reference to morality and cleanliness, and (2) the state of being set apart.
The Word of the Lord is clear to state that we should seek earnestly and strive to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Not only are we to endeavor for holiness, but more so, we are holy in Christ. When we live lives of holiness, we are receiving and claiming the redeemed lives that He has given and desires for each of us. It is this acceptance of our holy and blameless self that is difficult to understand but is quite simple when we recognize that our holiness is only in the Lord and never arises from within ourselves.
In regards to the holiness of morality and cleanliness, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. By the very blood that Christ Himself shed on the cross, which He baptizes us with, we are cleansed from all sin. This is a pure and true gift. Moreover, by the power of the Holy Spirit we are given the ability to live out God's moral code. The Holy Spirit infuses and imputes us with His perfect justice and faultless morality.
God, through the work of Jesus, has freed us from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:22). Because this is the case, the Lord has imputed us with His holiness. As a result, we may live holy. Not only is this remarkable, it is a miracle. Only through the Lord are we able to be holy. This is a primary gift that we receive because of confession and belief in the Lord, Jesus. Praise God.
Additionally, when we confess the Lord Jesus He sets us apart as His very own. Not only that but we who have been given the Holy Spirit and who persevere in Him are elect, chosen by God to be His holy people before the foundations of the earth (Eph. 1:4-6). Although this can be challenging theology, the point of this dialogue is simple: we, because of Christ's work in us, have been made and are being made holy as He is holy.
There is an element of passive reception of the imputed holiness of Christ, however, it is also an active pursuit. More accurately, we play an active role in not hindering the work of the Holy Spirit's work of holy sanctification if our hearts and lives. So let us pursue the holiness that is held and found only in the sovereign holy Lord!
The Word of the Lord is clear to state that we should seek earnestly and strive to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Not only are we to endeavor for holiness, but more so, we are holy in Christ. When we live lives of holiness, we are receiving and claiming the redeemed lives that He has given and desires for each of us. It is this acceptance of our holy and blameless self that is difficult to understand but is quite simple when we recognize that our holiness is only in the Lord and never arises from within ourselves.
In regards to the holiness of morality and cleanliness, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. By the very blood that Christ Himself shed on the cross, which He baptizes us with, we are cleansed from all sin. This is a pure and true gift. Moreover, by the power of the Holy Spirit we are given the ability to live out God's moral code. The Holy Spirit infuses and imputes us with His perfect justice and faultless morality.
God, through the work of Jesus, has freed us from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:22). Because this is the case, the Lord has imputed us with His holiness. As a result, we may live holy. Not only is this remarkable, it is a miracle. Only through the Lord are we able to be holy. This is a primary gift that we receive because of confession and belief in the Lord, Jesus. Praise God.
Additionally, when we confess the Lord Jesus He sets us apart as His very own. Not only that but we who have been given the Holy Spirit and who persevere in Him are elect, chosen by God to be His holy people before the foundations of the earth (Eph. 1:4-6). Although this can be challenging theology, the point of this dialogue is simple: we, because of Christ's work in us, have been made and are being made holy as He is holy.
There is an element of passive reception of the imputed holiness of Christ, however, it is also an active pursuit. More accurately, we play an active role in not hindering the work of the Holy Spirit's work of holy sanctification if our hearts and lives. So let us pursue the holiness that is held and found only in the sovereign holy Lord!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Search for Wisdom
Gaining wisdom is not a passive thing. On the contrary, the attainment and accruement of wisdom is a very active endeavor. Those who wish to be filled with wisdom need to seek and search after it with fervor. In many ways wisdom needs to be longed after and earned, while in another sense, wisdom is a divine gift from the Lord.
Proverbs is an entire book on wisdom. In chapter 2, Solomon exhorts believers to seek after wisdom as silver and gold for it is more precious than either (Pro. 2:4; 16:16). God is the source of all wisdom so in the search for wisdom, we are searching for the Lord. The wisdom that is longed for is true wisdom that is indicative of the source of wisdom. Therefore, when we have found wisdom in its purest form, we have found the Lord.
Moreover, we are to treasure wisdom and long for it because there is immense worth and value in the attainment of wisdom. In fact, wisdom is "sweet to your soul," and "if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off (Pro. 24:14)." This is inline with the idea that the search for wisdom is the search for God. Because wisdom is found only in the Lord, when we are given wisdom from the Lord, He is increasing in relationship with us.
As James wrote: "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jam. 3:17). Dissecting this verse reveals the intensely godly character of wisdom, evidence that wisdom is from the Lord. If we cannot trace wisdom back to God, its source, it is not wisdom.
The Lord desires to bless and bestow His perfect wisdom upon His children. Wisdom could simply be defined as the ability to live right and make right decisions over time. Many times, God uses the soil of our lives as the breeding ground for His wisdom. When we think back on our lives with an eye to the Lord, He teaches us what wisdom is and how it applies to our future decisions. So let us harvest the ripe fields of our past experiences and pray to the Lord that He would illuminate our lives with wisdom to live!
Proverbs is an entire book on wisdom. In chapter 2, Solomon exhorts believers to seek after wisdom as silver and gold for it is more precious than either (Pro. 2:4; 16:16). God is the source of all wisdom so in the search for wisdom, we are searching for the Lord. The wisdom that is longed for is true wisdom that is indicative of the source of wisdom. Therefore, when we have found wisdom in its purest form, we have found the Lord.
Moreover, we are to treasure wisdom and long for it because there is immense worth and value in the attainment of wisdom. In fact, wisdom is "sweet to your soul," and "if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off (Pro. 24:14)." This is inline with the idea that the search for wisdom is the search for God. Because wisdom is found only in the Lord, when we are given wisdom from the Lord, He is increasing in relationship with us.
As James wrote: "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jam. 3:17). Dissecting this verse reveals the intensely godly character of wisdom, evidence that wisdom is from the Lord. If we cannot trace wisdom back to God, its source, it is not wisdom.
The Lord desires to bless and bestow His perfect wisdom upon His children. Wisdom could simply be defined as the ability to live right and make right decisions over time. Many times, God uses the soil of our lives as the breeding ground for His wisdom. When we think back on our lives with an eye to the Lord, He teaches us what wisdom is and how it applies to our future decisions. So let us harvest the ripe fields of our past experiences and pray to the Lord that He would illuminate our lives with wisdom to live!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Uncomfortability with Purpose
Throughout our lives, we find ourselves in moments and seasons of uncomfortability. From unemployment, financial insecurity, relational strain, physical pain, to emotional stress, life is brimming with uncomfortability and times of uneasiness. This is the norm for the human condition. These moments, however long, propel us in a search for equilibrium, for a returned sense of comfort and relief.
The reality is that moments of uncomfortability can mean something, in fact, they might be some of the most direct messages we can receive from the Lord. If we acknowledge uncomfortability as a sense of uneasiness from the Lord, and we interpret this uneasiness as a prompt, then we will respond to uncomfortability in obedience and patience, understanding that it serves a divine purpose.
Think of David. David spent years in a constant state of relational, political, emotional, and life-threatening upheaval. Because of God's special anointing, Saul was constantly pursuing David and jealous of him. As a result, David spent years living living in caves and on the run. Talk about uneasiness. However, even though David had to live in a perpetual years-long state of uncertainty he was obedient and faithful to the Lord, even composing many Psalms in his time of trouble and stress.
The time that David spent waiting to receive his God-ordained kingdom was the very thing that God used to sanctify and prepare David to become the greatest king in the history of Israel. Although we may not have nearly the future responsibilities that David was to have, we are still being prepared through the times of stress and uncomfortability for what He has in store for us.
Sanctification takes time. More than that, sanctification takes trials, and we should allow those trials to run their intended courses (Rom 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). It is through suffering that we are made more like Christ because it is in times of trial that we are forced to make a conscious decision to rely on God or not. This is the ultimate purpose of uncomfortable moments and seasons: that they would drive us to greater levels of devotion in the Lord.
Moments and seasons of life will be hard and uneasy. However, when we go through these times we should strive to remain obedient and faithful, understanding that God uses the trials of uncomfortability and uneasiness to sanctify us for His purposes . Let us hold steadfast in these times, remaining patient to the Lord and His will. But He is good to keep us and to grow us into the men and women that He has designed us to be!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Responsible Freedom
In Christ, Christians have been freed from the burden of the law. This means that believers have liberty. We are no longer slaves to sin but have been freed to righteousness. In this, Christians have a new found freedom to live. However, this freedom comes with a certain and definite responsibility. We are to be responsible so that we do not misuse our freedom to the detriment of others.
When we become disciples of Christ, we become image bearers of God, meaning that we are walking, talking testaments of the Lord. Becoming a beacon to the Lord, realizing that our decisions act as witnesses that attest to Him, is a lifelong process of realization and sanctification. Understanding that we are to live every moment to and for Him is what the Christian life is all about.
The freedom that Christians have in Jesus is to be used responsibly. For instance, if their is any action or behavior that hinders others from drawing closer to God, we need to change in order to help and not obstruct the spiritual growth of others (1 Cor. 10:23-33). We should never flaunt our freedom in serving our own desires but should always strive to be responsible with our freedom so that it is beneficial to others.
As Christians, our primary aim is to draw people to the Lord, to be salt and light. If we, in our freedom, become stumbling blocks for others, then we are not being obedient to what the Lord has for us. We should strive to live lives that are the most effective and beneficial in pointing people to God as possible. This means that we will practice personal discipline, decency, and temperance.
We are image bearers of God. Although God is God despite our actions, meaning that we can't, by our lives, make God look better. We can, by our actions, make God look bad. This should never be so. We should always endeavor to be pure and holy and, in so, become living testaments to Him, walking sacraments that point God. Praise be to God that He would use imperfect vessels such as us to be His image bearers on this earth!
When we become disciples of Christ, we become image bearers of God, meaning that we are walking, talking testaments of the Lord. Becoming a beacon to the Lord, realizing that our decisions act as witnesses that attest to Him, is a lifelong process of realization and sanctification. Understanding that we are to live every moment to and for Him is what the Christian life is all about.
The freedom that Christians have in Jesus is to be used responsibly. For instance, if their is any action or behavior that hinders others from drawing closer to God, we need to change in order to help and not obstruct the spiritual growth of others (1 Cor. 10:23-33). We should never flaunt our freedom in serving our own desires but should always strive to be responsible with our freedom so that it is beneficial to others.
As Christians, our primary aim is to draw people to the Lord, to be salt and light. If we, in our freedom, become stumbling blocks for others, then we are not being obedient to what the Lord has for us. We should strive to live lives that are the most effective and beneficial in pointing people to God as possible. This means that we will practice personal discipline, decency, and temperance.
We are image bearers of God. Although God is God despite our actions, meaning that we can't, by our lives, make God look better. We can, by our actions, make God look bad. This should never be so. We should always endeavor to be pure and holy and, in so, become living testaments to Him, walking sacraments that point God. Praise be to God that He would use imperfect vessels such as us to be His image bearers on this earth!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Practicing Righteousness
Practice. Life is all about practice. Practice is the action of repeating/rehearsing any activity while improving at doing it, whatever "it" may be. Nearly everything in life is a practice of some sort or another. From waking up in the morning, brushing teeth, putting on clothes, driving, or working: everything is a practice. The odd thing is that we do not always recognize everything that we practice.
In music, perfect practice has two basic features: (1) consistency, and (2) a good teacher. This is the same for the Christian life. Consistency means that we read the Word regularly, we are in prayer often, and we seek opportunities to serve. The second part, having a good teacher, points to the necessity of being tied to a local church.
Local churches, especially the elders/spiritually mature thereof, are responsible for discipling believers and helping them to grow into mature believers. Getting involved and being committed to local churches is essential for Christian growth. Remember, practicing, though not always desirable, is both rewarding and challenging but it is required when it comes to righteousness and living out the Christian life.
John talks about practice in reference to sin and righteousness (1 John 3:4-10). John is clear that those that practice sinning are lawless and unfaithful. Additionally, those that make a practice of sinning do not belong to the Father. Because God is holy, those that practice sin prove that the Father is not in him/her.
This should not be so. As John says, the evidence that the Father is in people is the measure of righteousness by which they live their lives. If we are in Him, we will live and desire to live by His holy standards of righteousness. This means that we will make an intentional practice of pursuing His righteousness.
There is an old adage: practice makes perfect. This is not correct. In truth, only perfect practice makes perfect. In spiritual terms, this means that the manner and method by which we practice righteousness must be righteous in order for it to be right practice. This means that we will be aware not just of the "what" of practicing righteousness, but also the "how" of practicing righteousness.
In music, perfect practice has two basic features: (1) consistency, and (2) a good teacher. This is the same for the Christian life. Consistency means that we read the Word regularly, we are in prayer often, and we seek opportunities to serve. The second part, having a good teacher, points to the necessity of being tied to a local church.
Local churches, especially the elders/spiritually mature thereof, are responsible for discipling believers and helping them to grow into mature believers. Getting involved and being committed to local churches is essential for Christian growth. Remember, practicing, though not always desirable, is both rewarding and challenging but it is required when it comes to righteousness and living out the Christian life.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Life Eternal
John 3:16, one of the most known and memorized verses of the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life." John, more than any other NT author, is clear that the reward given to Christians for belief in Jesus is eternal life (John 10:28; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-12). Moreover, those that do not have the son do not have eternal life but its converse: eternal death and damnation.
Although eternal life is significant and an essential teaching of the New Testament, it is important to note that eternal life is not the purpose of confession and belief in Christ. Eternal life is a side effect of a right relationship with God. Think of it logically, God is life and the Holy Spirit resides in believers; therefore, believers are blessed with eternal life as a result of their relationship with the Lord.
Again, eternal life is not the purpose of belief, it is a side effect of belief. The purpose and end of belief in Christ is a reconciled right relationship with the Lord. This, in and of itself, is the most wonderful and amazing gift that confession and belief in Jesus provides for Christians. It is the right relationship with God that belief offers; a side effect of that relationship is eternal life.
God is the giver, the Lord of life. Death is a result of sin. In Eden, Adam and Eve had eternal life because they were in right relationship with God but, due to the Fall, their relationship was damaged and their eternal life revoked as a result. Because the Lord is life, when we are obedient to Him, His will and Word, we will be blessed. Part of His blessing is life, eternal life.
Because eternal life is a side effect of right relationship with the Lord, the giver of life, eternal life is not an "after death" venture. Instead, eternal life is the life we now live in preparation for our lives after the ceasing of this mortal coil. In essence we should strive to live in a constant state of eternal life. In reality, this means that we will pursue a right relationship with the Lord. Remember, not only is eternal life a side effect of a right relationship with God through Jesus, but it is a life to be lived now not after death. Therefore, let us be diligent to live lives pleasing to Him and to His will.
Although eternal life is significant and an essential teaching of the New Testament, it is important to note that eternal life is not the purpose of confession and belief in Christ. Eternal life is a side effect of a right relationship with God. Think of it logically, God is life and the Holy Spirit resides in believers; therefore, believers are blessed with eternal life as a result of their relationship with the Lord.
Again, eternal life is not the purpose of belief, it is a side effect of belief. The purpose and end of belief in Christ is a reconciled right relationship with the Lord. This, in and of itself, is the most wonderful and amazing gift that confession and belief in Jesus provides for Christians. It is the right relationship with God that belief offers; a side effect of that relationship is eternal life.
God is the giver, the Lord of life. Death is a result of sin. In Eden, Adam and Eve had eternal life because they were in right relationship with God but, due to the Fall, their relationship was damaged and their eternal life revoked as a result. Because the Lord is life, when we are obedient to Him, His will and Word, we will be blessed. Part of His blessing is life, eternal life.
Because eternal life is a side effect of right relationship with the Lord, the giver of life, eternal life is not an "after death" venture. Instead, eternal life is the life we now live in preparation for our lives after the ceasing of this mortal coil. In essence we should strive to live in a constant state of eternal life. In reality, this means that we will pursue a right relationship with the Lord. Remember, not only is eternal life a side effect of a right relationship with God through Jesus, but it is a life to be lived now not after death. Therefore, let us be diligent to live lives pleasing to Him and to His will.
Monday, December 19, 2011
When in the Wilderness
For the Israelites, the 40 years spent in the wilderness represented more than a topographical designation. It was a place of sanctification and preparation. The Israelites had to stay wandering in the wilderness for forty years and, due to their disbelief and unfaithfulness, none of the first-generation exodus survivors were allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num. 13-14). The wilderness served distinct theological purposes.
Additionally, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness following His baptism and prior to the start of His ministry (Matt. 4). During His time in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted. He also had to rely solely on the provision of God to sustain Him through the hardship. The wilderness served as a training ground, preparing Jesus for His divine work.
We also spend time in the wilderness, although our wilderness experiences are not so geographically delineated as were Jesus' or Israel's. Sometimes wilderness experiences do depend on actual, physical wildernesses, but, on the whole, the Christian's wilderness is one of the spirit. Our wilderness is the world, specifically the fleshly world. When we go out into the world of the flesh, we are entering a wilderness, a wilderness of desolation and of sin.
In these times, we need to be on guard to remain obedient through the hardships that will attack our hearts, our minds, and our souls. We should rely on God for direction and guidance, for provision and sustenance. The wilderness is a medium for sanctification. This is not to say that Christians should willingly leap at every wilderness opportunity without preparation. The wilderness can be dangerous and preparations need to be made for wilderness experiences.
For instance, the primary mode for making a camping excursion enjoyable is having the right gear: tent, sleeping bag, etc. Similarly, handling the wilderness means having the right gear. Since the wilderness for Christians is a spiritual land, this means having the Word of God printed on our hearts, His praises on our tongues, and our spirits fixed on the Lord.
When these components are in place, the wilderness can be a challenging but rewardingly sanctifying experience. When we are not prepared for the wilderness, it can be dangerous. The wilderness will naturally push us to rely on ourselves for provision and to doubt the Lord, both being unfaithfully treacherous and sinful. In contrast, the wilderness requires that we rely solely on God and do not doubt. But thanks be to God for He is always faithful to use the wilderness for our good and steadfast to pull us through and closer to Himself!
Additionally, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness following His baptism and prior to the start of His ministry (Matt. 4). During His time in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted. He also had to rely solely on the provision of God to sustain Him through the hardship. The wilderness served as a training ground, preparing Jesus for His divine work.
We also spend time in the wilderness, although our wilderness experiences are not so geographically delineated as were Jesus' or Israel's. Sometimes wilderness experiences do depend on actual, physical wildernesses, but, on the whole, the Christian's wilderness is one of the spirit. Our wilderness is the world, specifically the fleshly world. When we go out into the world of the flesh, we are entering a wilderness, a wilderness of desolation and of sin.
In these times, we need to be on guard to remain obedient through the hardships that will attack our hearts, our minds, and our souls. We should rely on God for direction and guidance, for provision and sustenance. The wilderness is a medium for sanctification. This is not to say that Christians should willingly leap at every wilderness opportunity without preparation. The wilderness can be dangerous and preparations need to be made for wilderness experiences.
For instance, the primary mode for making a camping excursion enjoyable is having the right gear: tent, sleeping bag, etc. Similarly, handling the wilderness means having the right gear. Since the wilderness for Christians is a spiritual land, this means having the Word of God printed on our hearts, His praises on our tongues, and our spirits fixed on the Lord.
When these components are in place, the wilderness can be a challenging but rewardingly sanctifying experience. When we are not prepared for the wilderness, it can be dangerous. The wilderness will naturally push us to rely on ourselves for provision and to doubt the Lord, both being unfaithfully treacherous and sinful. In contrast, the wilderness requires that we rely solely on God and do not doubt. But thanks be to God for He is always faithful to use the wilderness for our good and steadfast to pull us through and closer to Himself!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
New Law Theology
Shortly following the Exodus from Egypt, Yahweh established a new covenant: the Mosaic covenant. The Mosaic covenant was established in the wilderness at Sinai. At that moment, the covenant was given by the Lord to Israel through Moses. The Mosaic covenant was God's desire to make a holy nation for Himself, a chosen and priestly nation.
There were two major parts of this covenant that distinguished and sealed it: the Law, and the Sabbath. The Sabbath served as a sign of the covenant, sealing it much like circumcision sealed the Abrahamic covenant. More significant than the establishment of the Sabbath though was God's deliverance of the Law. The Law was God's most significant revelation of His character in all of history up to that point and it came to dominate and define Israel.
A general synopsis and simplification of Mosaic Law would be that it is a revelation of God's holiness. Mosaic Law is the majority content of the Pentateuch, especially Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. It is often oversimplified to just the Ten Commandments but it entails much more. The major theological thrust and purpose of the Law was to reveal God's character, particularly His holiness.
Holiness is defined in two ways: to be set apart and to be pure. The Mosaic Law was a set of regulations for cleanliness and sacrifice, offerings that covered the sinfulness of man in order for man to come near the holy presence of God. The problem with this was that the blood of bulls and goats is unable to cleanse sin or truly forgive iniquity; therefore, a holy offering had to be made. Enter Christ.
Jesus became the perfect, sinless, spotless sacrificial lamb. In a real sense, He was the final sacrifice under the Mosaic law. He in fact abolished the law and made it obsolete by His death and resurrection (Col. 2:13-14; Heb 8; 10). Now man can become holy by the blood of the holy lamb that is Christ. Whereas the Mosaic covenant exposed the sinfulness of man but was unable to truly atone for sin, the New covenant, made in Jesus, atones for man's iniquity and restores the right relationship with the Lord that sin had broken.
The point is that the Mosaic law, its regulations and requirements, has been made obsolete in that it is no longer necessary to sacrifice bulls and goats to obtain the holiness of God. Now, holiness is attained through confession and belief in Jesus as God. The Law does serve a purpose though. It still reveals who God is as holy and perfect, pure and set apart.
Although, thankfully, believers do not need to hold to the regulations of the Mosaic law as Israel did, the law still serves to expose sin. The difference is that while the Mosaic system was unable to atone for the iniquity that it exposed, Christ, through His death and resurrection, has perfectly atoned for the sin that the law reveals. Praise be to God that He would condescend into the world in order that we would be able to draw to Him by His righteousness!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Magnifying the Lord
Throughout the Scripture, particularly in Psalms, there is an attitude of praise presented in terms such as these: my soul magnifies/glorifies the Lord. God is the focus of Christian life but how Christians handle that focal point is worth addressing. The concept of soul magnification and God glorification is to be the content of this dialogue.
Magnification is an ocular term. It refers to looking at something through a lens and making it more visible through magnification. Physically, this happens through the use of lenses placed at particular angels and distances in order to reflect and refract light so that objects appear larger and with more definition that they would otherwise. Think about binoculars. The objects that we aim binoculars at become more visible and accessible images due to the effectiveness of the lenses within the binoculars.
In a spiritual sense, Christians are binoculars to the Lord. We are meant to magnify the Lord and glorify His name. Like ocular magnification, this happens through properly placed lenses. The lenses of spiritual magnification are the Word and the Holy Spirit. When we are in the Word and the Holy Spirit is working in us, we will magnify the Lord. The Word and the Holy Spirit sanctify believers. To continue the metaphor, sanctification is like replacing and cleaning the lenses of believers so that they work properly.
So, who do we magnify the Lord for, or, who is looking through the binoculars of our lives? Simply put, the world. We glorify and magnify the Lord because it is right and joyous to do so; however, the purpose is to draw the world to who He is. A part of this is denying the natural tendencies to glorify and magnify ourselves. In truth, we are only able to magnify one thing at a time; you can only aim the binoculars at one thing at a time to the denial of looking at other things.
Ultimately, we are commanded to worship Him at the denial of self. This is beautiful. We are conduits of His glory, meant to serve as walking magnifiers of who He is. What a wonderful gift, that God would use such as us for His glory and purposes!
Magnification is an ocular term. It refers to looking at something through a lens and making it more visible through magnification. Physically, this happens through the use of lenses placed at particular angels and distances in order to reflect and refract light so that objects appear larger and with more definition that they would otherwise. Think about binoculars. The objects that we aim binoculars at become more visible and accessible images due to the effectiveness of the lenses within the binoculars.
In a spiritual sense, Christians are binoculars to the Lord. We are meant to magnify the Lord and glorify His name. Like ocular magnification, this happens through properly placed lenses. The lenses of spiritual magnification are the Word and the Holy Spirit. When we are in the Word and the Holy Spirit is working in us, we will magnify the Lord. The Word and the Holy Spirit sanctify believers. To continue the metaphor, sanctification is like replacing and cleaning the lenses of believers so that they work properly.
So, who do we magnify the Lord for, or, who is looking through the binoculars of our lives? Simply put, the world. We glorify and magnify the Lord because it is right and joyous to do so; however, the purpose is to draw the world to who He is. A part of this is denying the natural tendencies to glorify and magnify ourselves. In truth, we are only able to magnify one thing at a time; you can only aim the binoculars at one thing at a time to the denial of looking at other things.
Ultimately, we are commanded to worship Him at the denial of self. This is beautiful. We are conduits of His glory, meant to serve as walking magnifiers of who He is. What a wonderful gift, that God would use such as us for His glory and purposes!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Right Priority
We live in a world of fragments and compartmentalization. Work doesn't mix with home nor school with family nor church with state: fragmentation. The underlying question that this world of fragmentation begs is a matter of priorities. Because we are constantly shifting gears and hats to adjust to constantly changing environments, we often look more like walking, talking chameleons than human beings.
The reality is that this is not the way it is supposed to be. In the biblical sense, wherever we are is where we are supposed to worship and give thanks. Whether we are at work, at school, with family, with friends, voting at the booths, or praying in the pews, we are to maintain a consistent life, one in which we do not compromise that which is most important: God.
The point here is priority. The Lord and only He is to be the only basis for all and every aspect of our lives. Practically speaking, this means that when we go to work, to school, to friends, to anywhere, we are still grounded in the most foundational of truths. This is how we live out Jesus' command to be salt and light wherever we may go.
When we are constantly aware of the Lord, we will be apt to live lives and make sound decisions that are guided by the Holy Spirit. If He, the Lord, is to be the master of our lives, and if we are to love Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, then we need to be dedicated in the the discipline of focusing on Him in every environment. If we only live out our Christian beliefs when we are at the church building then we are not letting Him permeate every crevice of our beings.
The truth is that living a life of right priority is anything but easy. To be sure, it is difficult. But the reward for living a life focused on Christ far surpasses any sacrifice of self that we could possibly offer. The Lord Himself is the reward for devotion. The fact that God Himself, through His Holy Spirit, would reside within our lives is the most wonderful and beautiful gift that God could or would ever bestow upon His children. Thanks be to God for He has given us His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, that we could live lives that bring Him glory!
The reality is that this is not the way it is supposed to be. In the biblical sense, wherever we are is where we are supposed to worship and give thanks. Whether we are at work, at school, with family, with friends, voting at the booths, or praying in the pews, we are to maintain a consistent life, one in which we do not compromise that which is most important: God.
The point here is priority. The Lord and only He is to be the only basis for all and every aspect of our lives. Practically speaking, this means that when we go to work, to school, to friends, to anywhere, we are still grounded in the most foundational of truths. This is how we live out Jesus' command to be salt and light wherever we may go.
When we are constantly aware of the Lord, we will be apt to live lives and make sound decisions that are guided by the Holy Spirit. If He, the Lord, is to be the master of our lives, and if we are to love Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, then we need to be dedicated in the the discipline of focusing on Him in every environment. If we only live out our Christian beliefs when we are at the church building then we are not letting Him permeate every crevice of our beings.
The truth is that living a life of right priority is anything but easy. To be sure, it is difficult. But the reward for living a life focused on Christ far surpasses any sacrifice of self that we could possibly offer. The Lord Himself is the reward for devotion. The fact that God Himself, through His Holy Spirit, would reside within our lives is the most wonderful and beautiful gift that God could or would ever bestow upon His children. Thanks be to God for He has given us His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, that we could live lives that bring Him glory!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Die to Live
Sin creates a chasm of unholiness between creation and its holy creator. Sin must be paid and atoned for. The wages of sin are death, meaning that in order for the cost of sin to be covered, blood must be spilled. Under the Mosaic covenant sin was covered by the sacrificial offerings of bulls and lambs.
However, these sacrifices were wholly unable to remove iniquity, and the sin of man still stood as a debt. God was not pleased with the sacrifices of bulls and goats and desired a perfect sacrifice. Fortunately, the Lord Himself determined to condescend into creation to become the perfect spotless sacrifice, Jesus (Heb. 10:4-14).
Because Jesus paid man's sin debt in full, spilt blood is no longer required for salvation. Now salvation comes through true confession that Jesus is Lord and belief that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:19). Additionally, we are saved by God's grace alone, not by works so that no one can boast of his own righteousness (Eph. 2:8-10).
Before Christ, we were required to die, literally, to pay the penalty of our sin. Under grace we still die physical deaths, this truth is not disputed; however, the physical death that we die now is a gateway into eternity, damnation or exaltation. There's more to the story though: we now die to self in order to live to Christ.
In Colossians 3, Paul exhorts believers to die to sin, die to self, and be made alive to the Spirit, alive to God. This is the Christian life in a nutshell. When we die to our flesh, we are able to live a life unencumbered with the trappings of the world because it will no longer hold any weight in our eyes. Also, we begin to see what really matters, what's actually worth living for.
Dying to self so that we can live to Christ is one of the sincere joys and constant challenges of the Christian life. It is the essential truth. To live a life of belief is to live a life of denying and dying to self in order to be made new in Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation. This is not a passive activity, we do not die to self apathetically. On the contrary, truly dying to self in order to live to Christ, requires a very active believer. We are to be in the Word and praying regularly, meditating on His precepts constantly, and pursuing Him. This is how we live to God and die to self.
However, these sacrifices were wholly unable to remove iniquity, and the sin of man still stood as a debt. God was not pleased with the sacrifices of bulls and goats and desired a perfect sacrifice. Fortunately, the Lord Himself determined to condescend into creation to become the perfect spotless sacrifice, Jesus (Heb. 10:4-14).
Because Jesus paid man's sin debt in full, spilt blood is no longer required for salvation. Now salvation comes through true confession that Jesus is Lord and belief that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:19). Additionally, we are saved by God's grace alone, not by works so that no one can boast of his own righteousness (Eph. 2:8-10).
Before Christ, we were required to die, literally, to pay the penalty of our sin. Under grace we still die physical deaths, this truth is not disputed; however, the physical death that we die now is a gateway into eternity, damnation or exaltation. There's more to the story though: we now die to self in order to live to Christ.
In Colossians 3, Paul exhorts believers to die to sin, die to self, and be made alive to the Spirit, alive to God. This is the Christian life in a nutshell. When we die to our flesh, we are able to live a life unencumbered with the trappings of the world because it will no longer hold any weight in our eyes. Also, we begin to see what really matters, what's actually worth living for.
Dying to self so that we can live to Christ is one of the sincere joys and constant challenges of the Christian life. It is the essential truth. To live a life of belief is to live a life of denying and dying to self in order to be made new in Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation. This is not a passive activity, we do not die to self apathetically. On the contrary, truly dying to self in order to live to Christ, requires a very active believer. We are to be in the Word and praying regularly, meditating on His precepts constantly, and pursuing Him. This is how we live to God and die to self.
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