John 8:57-59 - 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
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Thinking only in a this-worldly way, the Jews simply point out that Jesus is not old enough to have seen Abraham. Jesus is under 50. In fact, he is likely around 32 or 33. Abraham lived approximately 2,000 years before that time. So, in the minds of the Jews, Jesus must be crazy. No way could Abraham have seen him.
Then Jesus makes a statement that carries the force of a nuclear bomb. It starts with the double truly, telling us to listen and listen good. Then Jesus says, “before Abraham was, I am.” Literally, he says that he existed before Abraham’s time. He existed more than 2,000 years before. Jesus is claiming eternal existence.
Besides claiming a long existence, the phrase “I am” carries an incredible meaning. God, in Exodus 3:14, calls himself “I Am Who I Am.” When Jesus says “I am” here in John 8:58, he uses the same phrase as In the Greek translation of the Old Testament where God calls himself “I Am.” Jesus, with this phrase, can only be claiming one thing. He can only be claiming to be God.
And, lest anyone argue that claiming to be God is not what Jesus just did, look at verse 59. The Jews immediately, without hesitation, pick up stones to stone Jesus. They are not waiting for a trial. They were not picking up stones in verse 57. But something changed with what Jesus said in verse 58 that changed what the Jews thought of him. Before, they called him crazy. Now, they think that Jesus has uttered blasphemy. Why? Because they know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jesus has just claimed to be God. Since they assume he can not be God, they only have one alternative, and that alternative is to stone him for blasphemy. This is, by the way, an alternative they fail to carry out, because it is not yet time for Jesus to give his life.
How should you and I respond to this amazing statement from Jesus? If Jesus is God, we must worship him. Nothing else will suffice. If he is not God, we must reject him and hate him as the greatest liar or fool the world has ever known. But, if Jesus is God, we must give him our lives. What will you do?
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Honor God By Believing in Jesus (John 8:48-50)
John 8:48-50 - 48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.
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If the Jews dishonored God by dishonoring Jesus, we should expect that the same would be true of us. You can not please God without honoring his Son. God has sent his Son, Jesus, to earth. Honoring and believing in Jesus is the only way to please the Father. To think for a moment that anyone can please God while refusing to follow the Son is absurd. Therefore, if you want to please God, you can do so only through Jesus.
How many of you have heard the awful stories in the news about that supposed church in Kansas, the Westboro Baptist Church, that has been traveling across the country demonstrating at the funerals of US soldiers killed in Iraq? Can you imagine the depth of the insult that the families must feel? They are grieving the loss of their loved ones who gave their lives in service of their country, and across the street are people who call themselves Christians declaring that the family has lost their loved one in vain, that the death is God’s judgment on the US, and that no good came of the sacrifice. Take a moment to let the emotion sink in. What if that was your brother, your sister, your husband, your wife? How angry would you be?
Now, I want you to take that level of emotion that you would feel as the people demonstrate at your own relative’s funeral, and I want you to magnify it a thousand times. You still are not caught up to the level of outrage that God the Father has toward those who dishonor his Son. God sent his Son to earth to suffer an infinite punishment to pay for our sins. What would you expect God to do in response to those who say to him, “I don’t need Jesus’ blood. I’m just fine on my own thanks. I don’t believe in Jesus and will not follow him. I just want to have some fun with my life, and I’ll think about religion later.”
Hebrews 10:26-31 - 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Tremble, ladies and gentlemen, tremble at the concept of any person spurning the blood of the Son of God. God will not take lightly anyone’s refusal to place his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Do you want to escape that wrath? Do you want to honor God? Then you must honor God by believing in Jesus. Remember, God will judge. Do not dishonor God by dishonoring his Son. Honor God by believing in Jesus.
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If the Jews dishonored God by dishonoring Jesus, we should expect that the same would be true of us. You can not please God without honoring his Son. God has sent his Son, Jesus, to earth. Honoring and believing in Jesus is the only way to please the Father. To think for a moment that anyone can please God while refusing to follow the Son is absurd. Therefore, if you want to please God, you can do so only through Jesus.
How many of you have heard the awful stories in the news about that supposed church in Kansas, the Westboro Baptist Church, that has been traveling across the country demonstrating at the funerals of US soldiers killed in Iraq? Can you imagine the depth of the insult that the families must feel? They are grieving the loss of their loved ones who gave their lives in service of their country, and across the street are people who call themselves Christians declaring that the family has lost their loved one in vain, that the death is God’s judgment on the US, and that no good came of the sacrifice. Take a moment to let the emotion sink in. What if that was your brother, your sister, your husband, your wife? How angry would you be?
Now, I want you to take that level of emotion that you would feel as the people demonstrate at your own relative’s funeral, and I want you to magnify it a thousand times. You still are not caught up to the level of outrage that God the Father has toward those who dishonor his Son. God sent his Son to earth to suffer an infinite punishment to pay for our sins. What would you expect God to do in response to those who say to him, “I don’t need Jesus’ blood. I’m just fine on my own thanks. I don’t believe in Jesus and will not follow him. I just want to have some fun with my life, and I’ll think about religion later.”
Hebrews 10:26-31 - 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Tremble, ladies and gentlemen, tremble at the concept of any person spurning the blood of the Son of God. God will not take lightly anyone’s refusal to place his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Do you want to escape that wrath? Do you want to honor God? Then you must honor God by believing in Jesus. Remember, God will judge. Do not dishonor God by dishonoring his Son. Honor God by believing in Jesus.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
First Memory Verse - Deuteronomy 7:9
Deuteronomy 7:9 – Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
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It makes great sense for this verse to be the first verse on the list of memory verses in a program. This passage does a wonderful job of reminding us of who our God is and what he is like. In fact, knowing who God is and what he is like is exactly the command for Israel in this verse.
What are we supposed to know as we read this text? We are supposed to know that the LORD (not simply a title there, but an actual name) is God. There is only one God. That God is the LORD, Yahweh, the God of the Bible. There are not other gods out there.
Second, we are supposed to know that God is faithful. God is trustworthy. When he promises something, he does it. He does not change his mind. He does not mess with us, pretending to be one thing and then change on us when we’re not looking. He is faithful to what is right, to who he is, and to his promises.
Third, God keeps covenant and steadfast love. He is faithful to his covenant. He is not one to renege on his promises. And he keeps steadfast love, covenant-keeping love. He loves those who are his with an unbreakable love.
Fourth, notice to whom it is that God is faithful. He is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments. Those two things go hand-in-hand. To love God is to keep his commandments (see John 14:15, 21, & 23). If you love God, you will strive to do what he commands, and you will grieve when you fail. And God is loving and faithful to those who love him and keep his commands.
Finally, this loving faithfulness of God lasts a very long time. God is faithful to a thousand generations of those who love him. This is not to say that, if you obey, God will bless your family line for a thousand generations. Instead, it is to say that no generation will come that God is not faithful toward if they love him and keep his commands. No matter how far removed we are from this verse being written (I’d guess around 2,400 years or so), we still have the joy of knowing that, if we love God and keep his commands, he will be faithful, loving, and covenant keeping toward us.
This verse leads us to worship our God, because he is the only true God who exists. It calls us to praise God for his faithfulness and his covenant-keeping love. It challenges us to love our God and keep his commands. And it encourages us to remember that God is faithful for thousands of generations. Let us learn to love this great and faithful God.
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It makes great sense for this verse to be the first verse on the list of memory verses in a program. This passage does a wonderful job of reminding us of who our God is and what he is like. In fact, knowing who God is and what he is like is exactly the command for Israel in this verse.
What are we supposed to know as we read this text? We are supposed to know that the LORD (not simply a title there, but an actual name) is God. There is only one God. That God is the LORD, Yahweh, the God of the Bible. There are not other gods out there.
Second, we are supposed to know that God is faithful. God is trustworthy. When he promises something, he does it. He does not change his mind. He does not mess with us, pretending to be one thing and then change on us when we’re not looking. He is faithful to what is right, to who he is, and to his promises.
Third, God keeps covenant and steadfast love. He is faithful to his covenant. He is not one to renege on his promises. And he keeps steadfast love, covenant-keeping love. He loves those who are his with an unbreakable love.
Fourth, notice to whom it is that God is faithful. He is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments. Those two things go hand-in-hand. To love God is to keep his commandments (see John 14:15, 21, & 23). If you love God, you will strive to do what he commands, and you will grieve when you fail. And God is loving and faithful to those who love him and keep his commands.
Finally, this loving faithfulness of God lasts a very long time. God is faithful to a thousand generations of those who love him. This is not to say that, if you obey, God will bless your family line for a thousand generations. Instead, it is to say that no generation will come that God is not faithful toward if they love him and keep his commands. No matter how far removed we are from this verse being written (I’d guess around 2,400 years or so), we still have the joy of knowing that, if we love God and keep his commands, he will be faithful, loving, and covenant keeping toward us.
This verse leads us to worship our God, because he is the only true God who exists. It calls us to praise God for his faithfulness and his covenant-keeping love. It challenges us to love our God and keep his commands. And it encourages us to remember that God is faithful for thousands of generations. Let us learn to love this great and faithful God.
2008 Reading & Memorization Plans
Spiritual Disciplines only work when we add the “discipline” to the spiritual stuff. With that in mind, I want to share with you my plan for doing a couple of important things in 2008.
Scripture Memory
I’ve been a little too lazy in the whole Bible memory category over the last couple of years. But, thanks to Justin Taylor’s Blog, I have found a web site that looks like it is going to be very helpful in the process of memorizing scripture.
http://www.biblememory.us/
I visited this site, and created my own new account in about a minute. I elected to receive updates via RSS, though you can also have them emailed to you. And I have chosen to use John Piper’s “fighter Verse” set C program in the English Standard Version for memorization.
Bible Reading
I’m also borrowing from John Piper and Desiring God for this year’s plan to read the Bible in a Year. I emailed DG, and asked for them to send me the plan that they use, and they sent me the files which I will pass along if you are interested.
The great thing about this Bible reading plan is that it only lists 25 readings per month, thus allowing for us to catch up when we lag behind.
Both the memory verses and the Bible reading plan will be key sources for my Blog over the next year. I’d love to have any of you join in the process of doing this memorization or the Bible reading.
Scripture Memory
I’ve been a little too lazy in the whole Bible memory category over the last couple of years. But, thanks to Justin Taylor’s Blog, I have found a web site that looks like it is going to be very helpful in the process of memorizing scripture.
http://www.biblememory.us/
I visited this site, and created my own new account in about a minute. I elected to receive updates via RSS, though you can also have them emailed to you. And I have chosen to use John Piper’s “fighter Verse” set C program in the English Standard Version for memorization.
Bible Reading
I’m also borrowing from John Piper and Desiring God for this year’s plan to read the Bible in a Year. I emailed DG, and asked for them to send me the plan that they use, and they sent me the files which I will pass along if you are interested.
The great thing about this Bible reading plan is that it only lists 25 readings per month, thus allowing for us to catch up when we lag behind.
Both the memory verses and the Bible reading plan will be key sources for my Blog over the next year. I’d love to have any of you join in the process of doing this memorization or the Bible reading.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Sadness Like God's (Ezekiel 33:11)
Ezekiel 33:11 - Say to them, “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”
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If you know me, you will know that I believe in the Bible’s teaching of God’s sovereignty over all things, including over our salvation. I do not doubt for one minute that, if any person is saved, they are saved by God and not by their own righteousness (including righteous decision-making). In this, I do not negate that God commands all people to have faith in Jesus Christ. However, as Romans 3:10-12 makes it plain, no person will, on their own, come to faith in Christ without God first doing something to change them.
With that said, I want to make a comment in verse 11 of Ezekiel 33 that needs to be heard by my own camp in this discussion. God takes no pleasure, absolutely none, in the death of the wicked. God has no pleasure in pouring out his wrath over a sinner who has, by that sinner’s own free will, chosen not to repent of his or her sin and come to Christ for mercy. God is never indifferent to the lostness of the lost. Though we may not be able to work out how this all works in the light of his sovereign grace, we can not deny the truthfulness of the fact that God does not want the wicked to perish.
Two things at least should come of this thought. First, we too must learn to have God’s heart when thinking about the lost. If God’s heart breaks at the thought of a lost person being damned, ours should break too. If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, not even in the death of international terrorists and pedophiles (the very people whose deaths do not tend to bother me), that we need to learn to find even those deaths to be occasions of sorrow in our own hearts.
Second, this verse ought to effect our evangelism. No matter how strongly you believe in God’s sovereignty, you can not escape the conclusion that God does not like it when people perish. Thus, if you love your God, you will share the gospel with passion, regardless of any discussion of election. The fact is, we love God’s sovereignty because it is taught in scripture and it frees us to share the gospel with confidence, honesty, passion, and trust that God will do his own will. At the same time, sovereignty does not remove God’s own sadness over the death of the wicked; and sovereignty must not remove our sadness over the death of any lost person. Let us learn to share the gospel passionately, because we too are touched by the horror of the lostness of the lost.
God is sovereign. When eternity rolls around, we will not sit there and say that something happened in the eternal scheme of things that was not right. Yet, we also should want to sit on the other side of eternity with the understanding that, so far as it depended on us, we shared the gospel with every person we possibly could in the deep desire that as many as would be saved were saved.
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If you know me, you will know that I believe in the Bible’s teaching of God’s sovereignty over all things, including over our salvation. I do not doubt for one minute that, if any person is saved, they are saved by God and not by their own righteousness (including righteous decision-making). In this, I do not negate that God commands all people to have faith in Jesus Christ. However, as Romans 3:10-12 makes it plain, no person will, on their own, come to faith in Christ without God first doing something to change them.
With that said, I want to make a comment in verse 11 of Ezekiel 33 that needs to be heard by my own camp in this discussion. God takes no pleasure, absolutely none, in the death of the wicked. God has no pleasure in pouring out his wrath over a sinner who has, by that sinner’s own free will, chosen not to repent of his or her sin and come to Christ for mercy. God is never indifferent to the lostness of the lost. Though we may not be able to work out how this all works in the light of his sovereign grace, we can not deny the truthfulness of the fact that God does not want the wicked to perish.
Two things at least should come of this thought. First, we too must learn to have God’s heart when thinking about the lost. If God’s heart breaks at the thought of a lost person being damned, ours should break too. If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, not even in the death of international terrorists and pedophiles (the very people whose deaths do not tend to bother me), that we need to learn to find even those deaths to be occasions of sorrow in our own hearts.
Second, this verse ought to effect our evangelism. No matter how strongly you believe in God’s sovereignty, you can not escape the conclusion that God does not like it when people perish. Thus, if you love your God, you will share the gospel with passion, regardless of any discussion of election. The fact is, we love God’s sovereignty because it is taught in scripture and it frees us to share the gospel with confidence, honesty, passion, and trust that God will do his own will. At the same time, sovereignty does not remove God’s own sadness over the death of the wicked; and sovereignty must not remove our sadness over the death of any lost person. Let us learn to share the gospel passionately, because we too are touched by the horror of the lostness of the lost.
God is sovereign. When eternity rolls around, we will not sit there and say that something happened in the eternal scheme of things that was not right. Yet, we also should want to sit on the other side of eternity with the understanding that, so far as it depended on us, we shared the gospel with every person we possibly could in the deep desire that as many as would be saved were saved.
You Are the Watchman (Ezekiel 33:6)
Ezekiel 33:6 - But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.
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Some verses of the Bible are fun ones to read. Others are piercing and a touch frightening. This morning, as I read through Ezekiel 33, I find one of those verses that should shake any of us to our very bones.
Look at the logic. You and I are called, like Ezekiel, to be watchmen. We can see destruction coming upon people we know, people who do not have God’s forgiveness in Christ. If we warn them of the danger, their response is entirely up to them. Warning them honestly is what frees us from obligation regarding their future. But, if we do not warn them about the danger to come, their response is still up to them. However, we too bear the guilt of seeing the coming wrath of God and not calling the lost to repentance. This is perfectly logical, and it should be perfectly terrifying to us.
God has made it plain to his children what is our responsibility. We can not, by our own power or charisma, persuade any person to come to know Jesus Christ. That work is the work of God’s Holy Spirit alone. We must, however, take an active roll in communicating the good news of Jesus Christ to all the peoples of the world. If we fail to tell them about God’s offer of grace in Jesus, God’s wrath toward our sin, and God’s command of repentance, we are guilty of not warning the people as God commands us to.
I do not fully understand what it will mean that God will require their blood of us. IF we are in Christ, all the guilt for all of our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus. However, I know that I do not want to be in any way held responsible for another’s damnation. Again, the one damned is ultimately responsible for his or her rejection of Jesus Christ. At the same time, I must share. Let us never be guilty of holding back the truth from a world destined for the wrath of Almighty God.
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Some verses of the Bible are fun ones to read. Others are piercing and a touch frightening. This morning, as I read through Ezekiel 33, I find one of those verses that should shake any of us to our very bones.
Look at the logic. You and I are called, like Ezekiel, to be watchmen. We can see destruction coming upon people we know, people who do not have God’s forgiveness in Christ. If we warn them of the danger, their response is entirely up to them. Warning them honestly is what frees us from obligation regarding their future. But, if we do not warn them about the danger to come, their response is still up to them. However, we too bear the guilt of seeing the coming wrath of God and not calling the lost to repentance. This is perfectly logical, and it should be perfectly terrifying to us.
God has made it plain to his children what is our responsibility. We can not, by our own power or charisma, persuade any person to come to know Jesus Christ. That work is the work of God’s Holy Spirit alone. We must, however, take an active roll in communicating the good news of Jesus Christ to all the peoples of the world. If we fail to tell them about God’s offer of grace in Jesus, God’s wrath toward our sin, and God’s command of repentance, we are guilty of not warning the people as God commands us to.
I do not fully understand what it will mean that God will require their blood of us. IF we are in Christ, all the guilt for all of our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus. However, I know that I do not want to be in any way held responsible for another’s damnation. Again, the one damned is ultimately responsible for his or her rejection of Jesus Christ. At the same time, I must share. Let us never be guilty of holding back the truth from a world destined for the wrath of Almighty God.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Indulgences Again?
Did you think that indulgences were a thing of the past? Nope. According to an article in the London Telegraph, “Pope Benedict XVI is offering relief from purgatory to Roman Catholics who travel to Lourdes over the next year, the Vatican said yesterday.”*1
If you do not understand what this means, let me help. The Catholic church teaches that faith in Jesus Christ alone is not enough to fully cleanse us of our sins and make us righteous enough to immediately enter into heaven. They therefore teach, contrary to the Bible, that there is a third option, neither heaven nor hell, where people may go after they die in order to suffer for their sins for a period of time sufficient to purge them of those sins and prepare them to enter into heaven. This place is called purgatory (think of the word purge).
Now, in Lourdes, France, there is a cathedral where, 150 years ago, a peasant girl claimed to see an appearance of the virgin Mary, the Madonna. The Pope wants to increase the traffic of visitors to this site, and thus is offering a plenary indulgence to any pilgrim who will make the journey this next year. The plenary indulgence means that you will be able to cut off your time in purgatory. Or, in Monopoly speak, you will receive a “Get out of purgatory free” card for visiting the site.
What is the problem? The first problem is that we dare not say that the blood of Christ has not sufficiently covered and cleansed us from all sin. No amount of our own suffering could ever make us right before God. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and none of that comes from ourselves either in our merit, our will, or our suffering. To say that we pay any amount of price for the remission of our own sin or for our own cleansing is to deny the truth of the work of Christ done once for all. If someone has saving faith in Jesus, they will not be sent somewhere to burn off sins that Jesus' blood somehow did not get to.
Also, there is no true love shown to the church even if the concept of indulgences was somehow legitimate. As martin Luther asked in 1517, "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial." (#82 from Luther’s 95 Theses).*2 Said in modern speak, “If the Pope can let people out of purgatory, he ought to do so because he loves people, not to simply make money or drive people to visit an attraction.”
Sources:
*1 Telegraph Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/06/wpope106.xml
*2 Luther’s 95 Theses: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html
If you do not understand what this means, let me help. The Catholic church teaches that faith in Jesus Christ alone is not enough to fully cleanse us of our sins and make us righteous enough to immediately enter into heaven. They therefore teach, contrary to the Bible, that there is a third option, neither heaven nor hell, where people may go after they die in order to suffer for their sins for a period of time sufficient to purge them of those sins and prepare them to enter into heaven. This place is called purgatory (think of the word purge).
Now, in Lourdes, France, there is a cathedral where, 150 years ago, a peasant girl claimed to see an appearance of the virgin Mary, the Madonna. The Pope wants to increase the traffic of visitors to this site, and thus is offering a plenary indulgence to any pilgrim who will make the journey this next year. The plenary indulgence means that you will be able to cut off your time in purgatory. Or, in Monopoly speak, you will receive a “Get out of purgatory free” card for visiting the site.
What is the problem? The first problem is that we dare not say that the blood of Christ has not sufficiently covered and cleansed us from all sin. No amount of our own suffering could ever make us right before God. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and none of that comes from ourselves either in our merit, our will, or our suffering. To say that we pay any amount of price for the remission of our own sin or for our own cleansing is to deny the truth of the work of Christ done once for all. If someone has saving faith in Jesus, they will not be sent somewhere to burn off sins that Jesus' blood somehow did not get to.
Also, there is no true love shown to the church even if the concept of indulgences was somehow legitimate. As martin Luther asked in 1517, "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial." (#82 from Luther’s 95 Theses).*2 Said in modern speak, “If the Pope can let people out of purgatory, he ought to do so because he loves people, not to simply make money or drive people to visit an attraction.”
Sources:
*1 Telegraph Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/06/wpope106.xml
*2 Luther’s 95 Theses: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html
My Favorite Episode Ever!
Youtube has my favorite episode of Animaniacs ever. It is the one where they enter Hades and torment the devil.
Click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jg4MCBnCl4
Click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jg4MCBnCl4
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Corey Reynolds on Mass and Christmas
Corey did a fine job pointing out the RC roots of the word Christmas. In doing so, he explains the mass and its meaning very well for anyone who does not understand its danger.
Wanderlust in the Word: Let's Take the "Mass" Out of Christmas!
Wanderlust in the Word: Let's Take the "Mass" Out of Christmas!
A Forever Mindset (Philippians 3:18-21)
Philippians 3:18-21 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
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How much does your mindset matter? There are times when I hear some of those positive thinking gurus out there who tell me that everything changes based on how I think, and I find that annoying. I’m just not that touchy feely. I do not think, for example, that anything about my mindset makes a 15 degree day warm or a rainy day dry. Positive thinking does not get my work done or feed my family. But, with that all said, there are some things about how we think, how we set our minds, that are absolutely crucial.
At the end of Philippians 3, Paul talks about the difference between two groups of people. One group is a group of men that he calls enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. There is another group that are clearly not enemies of God. What is the difference? In large part, the difference is mindset.
The enemies of the cross have a mindset that is focused on this world and this life. Paul says that “their god is their belly.” What could make someone so messed up? The answer is that a mind set on earthly things will always, absolutely always, be a mind that leads a man away from God and toward being an enemy of the cross of Christ.
What is the alternative to the mindset that leads a person to be an enemy of God? It is a focus on eternity. When Paul describes in the final verses what characterizes a servant of Christ, it is all about a heart focused on heaven, on the return of Christ, on what we will one day be. Paul clearly understands that, if we truly set our minds on things above, we will live in this world in a way that honors and serves Christ. If we set our minds on eternity, we will serve God here and now.
So, as you think about all this, ask yourself where your mind is set. Are you someone who thinks and lives only for today? If you do, you are likely in danger of missing what God has for you. God wants you to set your mind on forever. Do not let your life be lived for the temporal things that this world has to offer. Focus on forever, and you will find that the things that we think we can not live without are actually not all that important. What we truly can not live without, eternally live without, is the blood of Jesus Christ and the glory of his majesty. If we want life, we will do what pleases Jesus. If we want to please Jesus, we will order our lives around forever.
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How much does your mindset matter? There are times when I hear some of those positive thinking gurus out there who tell me that everything changes based on how I think, and I find that annoying. I’m just not that touchy feely. I do not think, for example, that anything about my mindset makes a 15 degree day warm or a rainy day dry. Positive thinking does not get my work done or feed my family. But, with that all said, there are some things about how we think, how we set our minds, that are absolutely crucial.
At the end of Philippians 3, Paul talks about the difference between two groups of people. One group is a group of men that he calls enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. There is another group that are clearly not enemies of God. What is the difference? In large part, the difference is mindset.
The enemies of the cross have a mindset that is focused on this world and this life. Paul says that “their god is their belly.” What could make someone so messed up? The answer is that a mind set on earthly things will always, absolutely always, be a mind that leads a man away from God and toward being an enemy of the cross of Christ.
What is the alternative to the mindset that leads a person to be an enemy of God? It is a focus on eternity. When Paul describes in the final verses what characterizes a servant of Christ, it is all about a heart focused on heaven, on the return of Christ, on what we will one day be. Paul clearly understands that, if we truly set our minds on things above, we will live in this world in a way that honors and serves Christ. If we set our minds on eternity, we will serve God here and now.
So, as you think about all this, ask yourself where your mind is set. Are you someone who thinks and lives only for today? If you do, you are likely in danger of missing what God has for you. God wants you to set your mind on forever. Do not let your life be lived for the temporal things that this world has to offer. Focus on forever, and you will find that the things that we think we can not live without are actually not all that important. What we truly can not live without, eternally live without, is the blood of Jesus Christ and the glory of his majesty. If we want life, we will do what pleases Jesus. If we want to please Jesus, we will order our lives around forever.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Book Review: When People Are Big and God is Small
Welch, Edward T. When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997. 239 pp. $14.99.
In When People are Big and God is Small, Ed Welch addresses a problem that appears universal in the church: the fear of man. Welch is a noted biblical counselor, author, and teacher for the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. His many books, lectures, and journal articles have earned Welch the respect of biblical counseling students as well as many in the broader Christian community.
Summary
Before offering some words of commendation of Welch’s work, I will briefly present a summary of the book. Welch presents two major parts to addressing our fear of man. In part 1 of the book, he calls us to a greater understanding of the fear of man and its popularity in our world. In part 2, he challenges us to defeat the fear of man by replacing it with appropriate, biblical alternatives.
In part 1, chapters 1-5, Welch first helps us to identify and understand the fear of man. In chapter 1, with the aid of a humorous and vivid illustration, Welch explains to his readers that our modern obsession with self-esteem, peer pressure, codependence, love needs, and a host of other issues are simply new terms to mask the fear of man. In chapters 2-4, Welch presents three forms that the fear of man can take: fear of being exposed by others, fear of being rejected by others, and fear of being physically hurt by others. Then, in chapter 5, the author points out for us to see that the world has deeply influenced the church with its faulty understanding of “needs” and of psychological issues.
After exposing to us the problem and convincing us that we all have it, Welch moves on in part 2 of his book to offer the solutions we need. In chapters 6 and 7, Welch challenges us to know and grow in the fear of the Lord. As one might assume, these calls are calls for us to better understand and more deeply experience the true fear of God. The clear teaching is that the way to truly defeat a sinful fear of man is to replace that fear with an appropriate fear of the Lord.
In chapters 8-10, Welch takes another angle in the battle against the fear of man, devoting these three chapters to a discussion of our needs. Chapter 8 is a call for us to examine what we think are our needs in comparison to the false set of assumptions foisted upon us by needs psychology. Chapter 9 is a reality check in which we learn what are our true needs as people created in God’s image and for God’s glory. Then, chapter 10 is a hopeful section in which we joyfully learn that God is the one who will truly meet our real needs.
Welch concludes his book, chapters 11-13, with a look at true love and obedience. In chapter 11, he challenges us to love our friends, family, and neighbors. This call is a contrast to the needy and selfish way that we approach such people when we fear them. In chapter 12, Welch turns our focus inward, toward the church, to call us away from individualism, selfishness, and self-sufficiency in our relationship with and service to God. Finally, he wraps up the book with an inspiring call to fear God and do our duty before him—a sure way to defeat our fear of man.
One final element that I will mention in this summary is the fact that Welch does not write this book from a simply scholarly point of view. This book is very much focused on application. Through its pages, Welch offers the following 7 steps for us to use in order to work toward the defeat of the fear of man:.
· Recognize that the fear of man is a major theme both in the Bible and in your own life.
· Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by people in your past.
· Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by the assumptions of the world.
· Understand and grow in the fear of the Lord.
· Examine where your desires have been too big.
· Rejoice that God has covered your shame, protected you from danger, and accepted you.
· Need other people less, love other people more.
Points of Agreement
Over the next few paragraphs, I will present some of the high points of Welch’s book. First among these points is how Welch simply yet profoundly helps us to identify symptoms of the fear of man in our lives. In chapter 1, he writes, “It is true: what or who you need will control you” (14). Throughout the rest of the book, Welch gives us picture after picture of what it looks like for a person to believe that they “need” something or someone and how that “need” ends up driving them away from God. Welch later says, “We've seen that whatever you think you need, you come to fear. If you ‘need’ love (to feel okay about yourself), you will soon be controlled by the one who dispenses love” (87). This simple point is one that all believers ought to identify in their lives. It is so very easy for us to miss that, when we give ourselves over to a need mentality, we give ourselves over to the control of that which we think we need.
Not only does Welch point out the danger of the fear of man, he also does a masterful job of helping us to identify some of the more hidden signs of the fear of man in our lives and in the lives of others. For example, he points to the shyness of children, and issue which many overlook, as the fear of man when he writes, “It may be true that some children are naturally more timid around people, but a great deal of shyness is the child's version of the fear of other people. They are being controlled by others” (192). In another place, Welch tells us, “The road leading to the fear of man may be expressed in terms of favoritism, wanting others to think well of you, fearing exposure by them, or being overwhelmed by their perceived physical power” (71). Back in chapter 1, Welch catches nearly all Christians in the fear of man when he ties it to evangelism by writing, “Have you ever been too timid to share your faith in Christ because others might think you are an irrational fool? Gotcha” (17). In all of these places, and in many more, Welch shows us the great prevalence and danger of the fear of man in our own lives; and this is a good, if painful, thing for us to see.
Not all of the book has a painful feel. There are many places in which, as the reader progresses through, he or she will be quite encouraged. It is encouraging to see that our fear of God is a worshipful fear when the author says, “The Bible teaches that God's people are no longer driven by terror-fear, or fear that has to do with punishment. Instead, we are blessed with worship-fear, the reverential awe motivated more by love and the honor that is due him” (98). In chapter 10, which focuses on how God meets our true needs, Welch writes, “Don't think that God's forgiveness is a begrudging forgiveness and with that thought deny some of God's glorious love” (170). In the same chapter, the author uses the account of Hosea’s marriage to illustrate the wonderful, gracious, overwhelming love of God toward his church. Because god has so loved us, we need not fear that others will expose us or hurt us. We can find true hope and joy in God, and that joy frees us from the crippling effects of the fear of man. As Welch reminds us, “WHEN you spend time in the throne room of God, it puts things in perspective. The opinions of others are less important, and even our opinions of ourselves seem less important” (135).
While I could say many more positive things about this book, I will mention only one more. Welch’s right presentation of replacing the fear of man with the fear of God is a life-changing principle. Welch writes, “Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people” (95). He presents genuine worship of God as an antidote for the worship of others when he says, “If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power” (119). So many books make it clear that we should not let the actions or opinions of others drive our lives; Welch’s book is superior because it offers us a clear alternative instead of simply a reproof.
Negatives
Though there are few books that I could write this about, When People are Big and God is Small is a very difficult text with which to find fault. My complaints about the book are most often limited to wanting more than what was given in this brief text. For example, Welch exposed shyness as the fear of man in children. I would have liked for him to go deeper into that topic. How, for example, should a Christian parent address this fear in the lives of unbelieving children? Is there a shyness that is not fear of man, and if so, what is it? But, given the scope of the book, it is understandable why Welch would not be able to address every contingency that his teaching brings out.
Conclusion
There are very few books that I have read in the past few years that I think are more applicable to everyone I know, including myself, than When People are Big and God is Small. This book is easy-to-read, brief enough to not be a burden, and hard-hitting enough to catch almost anyone’s attention. Welch has done a masterful job of bringing to light an area of needed change for me. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any believer.
In When People are Big and God is Small, Ed Welch addresses a problem that appears universal in the church: the fear of man. Welch is a noted biblical counselor, author, and teacher for the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. His many books, lectures, and journal articles have earned Welch the respect of biblical counseling students as well as many in the broader Christian community.
Summary
Before offering some words of commendation of Welch’s work, I will briefly present a summary of the book. Welch presents two major parts to addressing our fear of man. In part 1 of the book, he calls us to a greater understanding of the fear of man and its popularity in our world. In part 2, he challenges us to defeat the fear of man by replacing it with appropriate, biblical alternatives.
In part 1, chapters 1-5, Welch first helps us to identify and understand the fear of man. In chapter 1, with the aid of a humorous and vivid illustration, Welch explains to his readers that our modern obsession with self-esteem, peer pressure, codependence, love needs, and a host of other issues are simply new terms to mask the fear of man. In chapters 2-4, Welch presents three forms that the fear of man can take: fear of being exposed by others, fear of being rejected by others, and fear of being physically hurt by others. Then, in chapter 5, the author points out for us to see that the world has deeply influenced the church with its faulty understanding of “needs” and of psychological issues.
After exposing to us the problem and convincing us that we all have it, Welch moves on in part 2 of his book to offer the solutions we need. In chapters 6 and 7, Welch challenges us to know and grow in the fear of the Lord. As one might assume, these calls are calls for us to better understand and more deeply experience the true fear of God. The clear teaching is that the way to truly defeat a sinful fear of man is to replace that fear with an appropriate fear of the Lord.
In chapters 8-10, Welch takes another angle in the battle against the fear of man, devoting these three chapters to a discussion of our needs. Chapter 8 is a call for us to examine what we think are our needs in comparison to the false set of assumptions foisted upon us by needs psychology. Chapter 9 is a reality check in which we learn what are our true needs as people created in God’s image and for God’s glory. Then, chapter 10 is a hopeful section in which we joyfully learn that God is the one who will truly meet our real needs.
Welch concludes his book, chapters 11-13, with a look at true love and obedience. In chapter 11, he challenges us to love our friends, family, and neighbors. This call is a contrast to the needy and selfish way that we approach such people when we fear them. In chapter 12, Welch turns our focus inward, toward the church, to call us away from individualism, selfishness, and self-sufficiency in our relationship with and service to God. Finally, he wraps up the book with an inspiring call to fear God and do our duty before him—a sure way to defeat our fear of man.
One final element that I will mention in this summary is the fact that Welch does not write this book from a simply scholarly point of view. This book is very much focused on application. Through its pages, Welch offers the following 7 steps for us to use in order to work toward the defeat of the fear of man:.
· Recognize that the fear of man is a major theme both in the Bible and in your own life.
· Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by people in your past.
· Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by the assumptions of the world.
· Understand and grow in the fear of the Lord.
· Examine where your desires have been too big.
· Rejoice that God has covered your shame, protected you from danger, and accepted you.
· Need other people less, love other people more.
Points of Agreement
Over the next few paragraphs, I will present some of the high points of Welch’s book. First among these points is how Welch simply yet profoundly helps us to identify symptoms of the fear of man in our lives. In chapter 1, he writes, “It is true: what or who you need will control you” (14). Throughout the rest of the book, Welch gives us picture after picture of what it looks like for a person to believe that they “need” something or someone and how that “need” ends up driving them away from God. Welch later says, “We've seen that whatever you think you need, you come to fear. If you ‘need’ love (to feel okay about yourself), you will soon be controlled by the one who dispenses love” (87). This simple point is one that all believers ought to identify in their lives. It is so very easy for us to miss that, when we give ourselves over to a need mentality, we give ourselves over to the control of that which we think we need.
Not only does Welch point out the danger of the fear of man, he also does a masterful job of helping us to identify some of the more hidden signs of the fear of man in our lives and in the lives of others. For example, he points to the shyness of children, and issue which many overlook, as the fear of man when he writes, “It may be true that some children are naturally more timid around people, but a great deal of shyness is the child's version of the fear of other people. They are being controlled by others” (192). In another place, Welch tells us, “The road leading to the fear of man may be expressed in terms of favoritism, wanting others to think well of you, fearing exposure by them, or being overwhelmed by their perceived physical power” (71). Back in chapter 1, Welch catches nearly all Christians in the fear of man when he ties it to evangelism by writing, “Have you ever been too timid to share your faith in Christ because others might think you are an irrational fool? Gotcha” (17). In all of these places, and in many more, Welch shows us the great prevalence and danger of the fear of man in our own lives; and this is a good, if painful, thing for us to see.
Not all of the book has a painful feel. There are many places in which, as the reader progresses through, he or she will be quite encouraged. It is encouraging to see that our fear of God is a worshipful fear when the author says, “The Bible teaches that God's people are no longer driven by terror-fear, or fear that has to do with punishment. Instead, we are blessed with worship-fear, the reverential awe motivated more by love and the honor that is due him” (98). In chapter 10, which focuses on how God meets our true needs, Welch writes, “Don't think that God's forgiveness is a begrudging forgiveness and with that thought deny some of God's glorious love” (170). In the same chapter, the author uses the account of Hosea’s marriage to illustrate the wonderful, gracious, overwhelming love of God toward his church. Because god has so loved us, we need not fear that others will expose us or hurt us. We can find true hope and joy in God, and that joy frees us from the crippling effects of the fear of man. As Welch reminds us, “WHEN you spend time in the throne room of God, it puts things in perspective. The opinions of others are less important, and even our opinions of ourselves seem less important” (135).
While I could say many more positive things about this book, I will mention only one more. Welch’s right presentation of replacing the fear of man with the fear of God is a life-changing principle. Welch writes, “Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people” (95). He presents genuine worship of God as an antidote for the worship of others when he says, “If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power” (119). So many books make it clear that we should not let the actions or opinions of others drive our lives; Welch’s book is superior because it offers us a clear alternative instead of simply a reproof.
Negatives
Though there are few books that I could write this about, When People are Big and God is Small is a very difficult text with which to find fault. My complaints about the book are most often limited to wanting more than what was given in this brief text. For example, Welch exposed shyness as the fear of man in children. I would have liked for him to go deeper into that topic. How, for example, should a Christian parent address this fear in the lives of unbelieving children? Is there a shyness that is not fear of man, and if so, what is it? But, given the scope of the book, it is understandable why Welch would not be able to address every contingency that his teaching brings out.
Conclusion
There are very few books that I have read in the past few years that I think are more applicable to everyone I know, including myself, than When People are Big and God is Small. This book is easy-to-read, brief enough to not be a burden, and hard-hitting enough to catch almost anyone’s attention. Welch has done a masterful job of bringing to light an area of needed change for me. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any believer.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Death of the Wicked (Ezekiel 18:23)
Ezekiel 18:23 – “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”
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How do you feel about the death of the wicked? All of us are concerned about the life, death, and perhaps even the eternal state of our loved ones. We are all interested in the well-being of those we consider to be good people. But what about the evil? What about the wicked?
God’s heart is pretty plain on this topic. Here in Ezekiel 18, God is totally open with us. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. God finds no joy in a wicked person suffering the appropriate consequences for their sin. This negates neither God’s sovereignty nor our responsibility to carry out justice. But it shows for us his heart. God will do what is right. God will be just. But God will take no pleasure in the death or the ultimate, eternal punishment of the wicked.
So, the question is, “Is your heart like that of God?” I would guess, if we are truly honest with each other, that all of us could use a little heart work here. We ought never find ourselves celebrating when a wicked person dies. We ought never find ourselves indifferent whenever we hear about the death of anyone. We should find no joy when we hear that a murderer’s death sentence was carried out (even though such a sentence is just and within biblical parameters). We ought not find it joyous to hear that terrorists were taken out by our military or that the police took down a gunman. Again, though those things may be right, they are not things that bring us joy. Nor should we simply allow ourselves to be cold or indifferent when we hear of tragedies in third world countries or in the neighboring county.
Why should we find no joy in the death of the wicked? The answer is, hell. Hell is the ultimate punishment for a sinful humanity that has rebelled against a holy, loving, perfect Creator. Hell is just. Hell glorifies God, as God’s perfect hatred of sin is eternally demonstrated. But, make no mistake about it, there is nothing that should give us joy in thinking that anyone, and I mean anyone, is headed there.
God demonstrated his love in that, while we were all still sinners, Christ came to die (Romans 5:8). If we are to be like God, we need to do our dead-level best to take that love of God to as many people as we can in order that some might be saved. We want people to be forgiven. Remember, we who know Christ are not different than those who are lost. We are the wicked who were snatched from the fire. So, let us learn to have our hearts be like the heart of God, finding no joy, no pleasure, in the death of the wicked.
.
How do you feel about the death of the wicked? All of us are concerned about the life, death, and perhaps even the eternal state of our loved ones. We are all interested in the well-being of those we consider to be good people. But what about the evil? What about the wicked?
God’s heart is pretty plain on this topic. Here in Ezekiel 18, God is totally open with us. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. God finds no joy in a wicked person suffering the appropriate consequences for their sin. This negates neither God’s sovereignty nor our responsibility to carry out justice. But it shows for us his heart. God will do what is right. God will be just. But God will take no pleasure in the death or the ultimate, eternal punishment of the wicked.
So, the question is, “Is your heart like that of God?” I would guess, if we are truly honest with each other, that all of us could use a little heart work here. We ought never find ourselves celebrating when a wicked person dies. We ought never find ourselves indifferent whenever we hear about the death of anyone. We should find no joy when we hear that a murderer’s death sentence was carried out (even though such a sentence is just and within biblical parameters). We ought not find it joyous to hear that terrorists were taken out by our military or that the police took down a gunman. Again, though those things may be right, they are not things that bring us joy. Nor should we simply allow ourselves to be cold or indifferent when we hear of tragedies in third world countries or in the neighboring county.
Why should we find no joy in the death of the wicked? The answer is, hell. Hell is the ultimate punishment for a sinful humanity that has rebelled against a holy, loving, perfect Creator. Hell is just. Hell glorifies God, as God’s perfect hatred of sin is eternally demonstrated. But, make no mistake about it, there is nothing that should give us joy in thinking that anyone, and I mean anyone, is headed there.
God demonstrated his love in that, while we were all still sinners, Christ came to die (Romans 5:8). If we are to be like God, we need to do our dead-level best to take that love of God to as many people as we can in order that some might be saved. We want people to be forgiven. Remember, we who know Christ are not different than those who are lost. We are the wicked who were snatched from the fire. So, let us learn to have our hearts be like the heart of God, finding no joy, no pleasure, in the death of the wicked.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sermon Illustration
Since those who did not hear Sunday's message may appreciate this, here is the opening of Sunday's sermon (audio will be available soon at www.olneysbc.org).
One thing that I am looking forward to this Christmas is that my family and I will have the opportunity to share it with a new member. While it seems like he’s been around for quite a while now, Josiah is only nine-and-a-half months old, and thus is about to experience his first Christmas. He has, by the way, already gotten himself into the Christmas spirit—on Tuesday, he ate some of the tinsel off of our Christmas tree. You know, we thought we’d never see that tinsel again, but we were wrong. Does it surprise any of you to know that the tinsel actually made its way all the way through to his diaper the next morning? That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a special holiday gift.
As I think back to Josiah’s birth here in Olney, one of the interesting things that I remember is the little bracelet on his ankle. Mitzi and I both had our own matching bracelets that we had to wear on our wrists. And, as many of you will know, those bracelets serve a very important purpose. Those bracelets identified Mitzi, Josiah, and myself as belonging to one another. You would agree, wouldn’t you, that making sure that we identified the right baby as ours is an important thing?
You know, our passage for today has a lot to do with the work done by our little hospital bracelets. As Christmas approaches, many of us are focusing our attention on a baby that was born in a stable around 2,000 years ago. And, make no mistake about it, it is crucial that you identify this baby rightly. You need to know who he is, who his Father is, and who you are in comparison. This is even more important than Mitzi and me identifying Josiah as our own baby; because to identify Jesus rightly is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell, for eternity.
One thing that I am looking forward to this Christmas is that my family and I will have the opportunity to share it with a new member. While it seems like he’s been around for quite a while now, Josiah is only nine-and-a-half months old, and thus is about to experience his first Christmas. He has, by the way, already gotten himself into the Christmas spirit—on Tuesday, he ate some of the tinsel off of our Christmas tree. You know, we thought we’d never see that tinsel again, but we were wrong. Does it surprise any of you to know that the tinsel actually made its way all the way through to his diaper the next morning? That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a special holiday gift.
As I think back to Josiah’s birth here in Olney, one of the interesting things that I remember is the little bracelet on his ankle. Mitzi and I both had our own matching bracelets that we had to wear on our wrists. And, as many of you will know, those bracelets serve a very important purpose. Those bracelets identified Mitzi, Josiah, and myself as belonging to one another. You would agree, wouldn’t you, that making sure that we identified the right baby as ours is an important thing?
You know, our passage for today has a lot to do with the work done by our little hospital bracelets. As Christmas approaches, many of us are focusing our attention on a baby that was born in a stable around 2,000 years ago. And, make no mistake about it, it is crucial that you identify this baby rightly. You need to know who he is, who his Father is, and who you are in comparison. This is even more important than Mitzi and me identifying Josiah as our own baby; because to identify Jesus rightly is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell, for eternity.
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18a)
Ephesians 6:13-18a - Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
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The “armor of God” passage in Ephesians is one of the most famous passages in all the Bible. Christians everywhere, from all denominational backgrounds, make reference to “Putting on God’s armor.” Sermons, sermon series, youth retreats, books, conferences, and whatever else you can think of have been dedicated to teaching the principles of the armor.
One thing that I find a bit sad, in our day, is that more emphasis is often given to the metaphor than is given to the actual attributes which Paul is trying to teach the people of God. If you have sat through a sermon or series on the armor, you likely learned a great deal about the way that Roman soldiers were dressed in the first century. You may have even been given a deeply meaningful lecture on Roman warfare, or perhaps one on the fact that none of the armor protects a soldier’s back in retreat. And, if you are in a more prayerful setting, someone might have even taught you to actually go through the motions of strapping on that armor to prepare yourself for your day.
So, today, as we think through the armor, I want us to go to the opposite extreme. Let’s just look at the list of attributes without thinking of them as pieces of spiritual armor.
· truth
· righteousness
· readiness (given by the gospel of peace)
· faith
· salvation
· the word of God
· prayer
How likely is it, if you were thinking of spiritually defeating Satan, that you would list those things in that way as your tools to win the spiritual war? Sadly, I think it unlikely. Most Christians think of spiritual warfare as something mystical, something emotional, something that is totally unorthodox. But look at that list: Truth, righteousness, readiness (given by the gospel of peace), faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer. Which of those things is mystical? Which of those things is even difficult to grasp. These are simple concepts, and they are what we use in our battle against the enemy.
Truth – You battle against the enemy by battling with truth. You never deceive. You never shade reality. You simply use truth. No gimmicks are necessary. No unseen spiritual incantations are necessary. Just use truth. See the truth; know the truth; embrace the truth, and the truth will protect you.
Righteousness – Part of defeating the enemy is righteousness. In Christ, we have perfect righteousness imputed to our account. At the same time, we are to live in righteousness to defeat the enemy.
Readiness – If you want to live a victorious Christian life, be ready with the gospel. Be ready to share your faith. Be ready to get up and go where God calls you. Do not be unprepared to live as a Christian. Be ready, and your life will be victorious.
Faith – Believing in things you can not see is crucial to the Christian life. It is impossible to please God without faith. It is also impossible to live victoriously in spiritual warfare if you are not willing to believe God, even when you can not see evidence.
Salvation – This one should be a given. If you want to succeed in spiritual warfare, you had better have the salvation of God as your protection. An unsaved person will not live victoriously. A person who has been saved and who is under God’s protection can stand.
The Word of God – No one can live a victorious life without living that life in the word of God. The Bible is the tool that is used by the Spirit of God to teach us who God is and what God wants. A devotion to the word of God is absolutely essential to a Christian life of victory.
Prayer – Talking to God, expressing your trust in him and your need for him, is a final crucial element to spiritual warfare. A prayerless life is very likely to be a life without victory.
Now, not to overemphasize the point, do you see anything hyper-spiritual about those things above? No. There is nothing strange about the armor of God. And, let me say from my own point of view, praying and pretending to put on these things as a soldier’s uniform is not going to make you somehow invulnerable to spiritual attack. What will protect you is if you actually live with these things marking your life. God is telling us all that, if we want victory, we live in truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, scripture, and prayer. Is your life covered in that kind of armor?
.
The “armor of God” passage in Ephesians is one of the most famous passages in all the Bible. Christians everywhere, from all denominational backgrounds, make reference to “Putting on God’s armor.” Sermons, sermon series, youth retreats, books, conferences, and whatever else you can think of have been dedicated to teaching the principles of the armor.
One thing that I find a bit sad, in our day, is that more emphasis is often given to the metaphor than is given to the actual attributes which Paul is trying to teach the people of God. If you have sat through a sermon or series on the armor, you likely learned a great deal about the way that Roman soldiers were dressed in the first century. You may have even been given a deeply meaningful lecture on Roman warfare, or perhaps one on the fact that none of the armor protects a soldier’s back in retreat. And, if you are in a more prayerful setting, someone might have even taught you to actually go through the motions of strapping on that armor to prepare yourself for your day.
So, today, as we think through the armor, I want us to go to the opposite extreme. Let’s just look at the list of attributes without thinking of them as pieces of spiritual armor.
· truth
· righteousness
· readiness (given by the gospel of peace)
· faith
· salvation
· the word of God
· prayer
How likely is it, if you were thinking of spiritually defeating Satan, that you would list those things in that way as your tools to win the spiritual war? Sadly, I think it unlikely. Most Christians think of spiritual warfare as something mystical, something emotional, something that is totally unorthodox. But look at that list: Truth, righteousness, readiness (given by the gospel of peace), faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer. Which of those things is mystical? Which of those things is even difficult to grasp. These are simple concepts, and they are what we use in our battle against the enemy.
Truth – You battle against the enemy by battling with truth. You never deceive. You never shade reality. You simply use truth. No gimmicks are necessary. No unseen spiritual incantations are necessary. Just use truth. See the truth; know the truth; embrace the truth, and the truth will protect you.
Righteousness – Part of defeating the enemy is righteousness. In Christ, we have perfect righteousness imputed to our account. At the same time, we are to live in righteousness to defeat the enemy.
Readiness – If you want to live a victorious Christian life, be ready with the gospel. Be ready to share your faith. Be ready to get up and go where God calls you. Do not be unprepared to live as a Christian. Be ready, and your life will be victorious.
Faith – Believing in things you can not see is crucial to the Christian life. It is impossible to please God without faith. It is also impossible to live victoriously in spiritual warfare if you are not willing to believe God, even when you can not see evidence.
Salvation – This one should be a given. If you want to succeed in spiritual warfare, you had better have the salvation of God as your protection. An unsaved person will not live victoriously. A person who has been saved and who is under God’s protection can stand.
The Word of God – No one can live a victorious life without living that life in the word of God. The Bible is the tool that is used by the Spirit of God to teach us who God is and what God wants. A devotion to the word of God is absolutely essential to a Christian life of victory.
Prayer – Talking to God, expressing your trust in him and your need for him, is a final crucial element to spiritual warfare. A prayerless life is very likely to be a life without victory.
Now, not to overemphasize the point, do you see anything hyper-spiritual about those things above? No. There is nothing strange about the armor of God. And, let me say from my own point of view, praying and pretending to put on these things as a soldier’s uniform is not going to make you somehow invulnerable to spiritual attack. What will protect you is if you actually live with these things marking your life. God is telling us all that, if we want victory, we live in truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, scripture, and prayer. Is your life covered in that kind of armor?
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Christians, Compasses, and Conversations
Every so often, something will happen in the entertainment world that will draw strong reaction from the Christian community. Remember the outcry against “The Da Vinci Code?” Warranted or not, these reactions from the community of faith have often done more to heighten curiosity about the offending pieces than to turn people away from them. And, just in case you think Christians are the only ones guilty of decrying something in entertainment only to make it wildly popular, do not forget that Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was a movie that no one, and I mean no one, expected to make the kind of cash or stir the kind of discussion that it did.
Now stand back, hold your breath, and watch what happens when New Line Cinema’s “The Golden Compass” hits screens. The controversy is already brewing. Articles, Blog entries, and radio talk shows (not to mention way too many emails) have already been devoted to the discussion of the movie which is based on a series of novels by atheistic (or at least militantly agnostic) author Philip Pullman.
Before we find ourselves swept up in this controversy, perhaps it would be good for Christians to look before we leap. Let’s take a moment to think clearly about the film, the book, and our reaction. At this point, without seeing an advanced screening of the film, I can only comment based on the writings of those who have already seen it. Word on the street is that the film, while maintaining some of its religious material, is a somewhat sanitized telling of Pullman’s story.
The stronger concern that I have been hearing expressed is that the movie could lead to a spike in the popularity of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, of which The Golden Compass is the first book. In that series of books, Pullman presents a world in which the mission of the main characters is to overturn the concept of original sin. In Pullman’s mind, sin is what makes us who we are, and most certainly should not be thought of as bad. The author considers the church to be an evil institution which tears the very souls away from people by trying to turn them away from sin, autonomy, and human sexuality and toward the principles of a tottering yet tyrannical deity.
So, what about our reaction? First, as Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president, R. Albert Mohler, wrote on his web site (www.albertmohler.com):
A good first step would be to take a deep breath. The Christian faith is not about to be toppled by a film, nor by a series of fantasy books. Pullman has an agenda that is clear, and Christians need to inform themselves of what this agenda is and what it means. At the same time, nothing would serve his agenda better than to have Christians speaking recklessly or unintelligently about the film or the books.
We must be careful. If we, as believers, work ourselves into a tizzy over this movie, we are likely to make ourselves look like the false caricature of the church that Pullman describes in his books. We must find a better response.
And there is a better response. It has been said that the best way to contradict a falsehood is not to attack the lie, but to present the truth better. Christians, we must do a better job of showing the world the truth of who God is than Pullman does in presenting a false view of Christianity. God is our loving Creator. We have rebelled against his perfect standards, to our own harm. God has graciously provided the means for our forgiveness through the sacrificial death of his son, Jesus Christ. And this loving God offers us the highest of all possible joys, the joy of experiencing his beauty and glory for eternity, if we will but turn from our self-destructive ways and receive his grace through faith.
Now stand back, hold your breath, and watch what happens when New Line Cinema’s “The Golden Compass” hits screens. The controversy is already brewing. Articles, Blog entries, and radio talk shows (not to mention way too many emails) have already been devoted to the discussion of the movie which is based on a series of novels by atheistic (or at least militantly agnostic) author Philip Pullman.
Before we find ourselves swept up in this controversy, perhaps it would be good for Christians to look before we leap. Let’s take a moment to think clearly about the film, the book, and our reaction. At this point, without seeing an advanced screening of the film, I can only comment based on the writings of those who have already seen it. Word on the street is that the film, while maintaining some of its religious material, is a somewhat sanitized telling of Pullman’s story.
The stronger concern that I have been hearing expressed is that the movie could lead to a spike in the popularity of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, of which The Golden Compass is the first book. In that series of books, Pullman presents a world in which the mission of the main characters is to overturn the concept of original sin. In Pullman’s mind, sin is what makes us who we are, and most certainly should not be thought of as bad. The author considers the church to be an evil institution which tears the very souls away from people by trying to turn them away from sin, autonomy, and human sexuality and toward the principles of a tottering yet tyrannical deity.
So, what about our reaction? First, as Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president, R. Albert Mohler, wrote on his web site (www.albertmohler.com):
A good first step would be to take a deep breath. The Christian faith is not about to be toppled by a film, nor by a series of fantasy books. Pullman has an agenda that is clear, and Christians need to inform themselves of what this agenda is and what it means. At the same time, nothing would serve his agenda better than to have Christians speaking recklessly or unintelligently about the film or the books.
We must be careful. If we, as believers, work ourselves into a tizzy over this movie, we are likely to make ourselves look like the false caricature of the church that Pullman describes in his books. We must find a better response.
And there is a better response. It has been said that the best way to contradict a falsehood is not to attack the lie, but to present the truth better. Christians, we must do a better job of showing the world the truth of who God is than Pullman does in presenting a false view of Christianity. God is our loving Creator. We have rebelled against his perfect standards, to our own harm. God has graciously provided the means for our forgiveness through the sacrificial death of his son, Jesus Christ. And this loving God offers us the highest of all possible joys, the joy of experiencing his beauty and glory for eternity, if we will but turn from our self-destructive ways and receive his grace through faith.
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