So I have been using the Professor Horner's Bible-Reading system for my Bible study and today I read Genesis 22. Chapter 22 is when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I have heard many things said about this passage and how many different ways you can look at it.
When I read it this time, firstly I was blown away by Abraham. God had just asked him to kill his son, and Abraham not only obeys, but he obeys to the best of his ability. Verse 3 says, "so Abraham rose early in the morning..." I don't have a child, but I can't imagine having to kill a son. If I had been Abraham, I don't think I would have gotten up early to kill my son. I would have stall and delayed as much as possible (that's if I obeyed God in the first place).
Abraham really shows trust in God. Genesis 17:19 says, "God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife shall bear a son, and you shall call his name. Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.'" So God had promised a covenant with Isaac's descendants before He told Abraham to kill him. Even so, Abraham was holding the knife, preparing to kill his son, when an angel stopped him.
The second thing I thought of was God sacrificing His Son. Not only was the bond of Father and Son crushed at that point, but Christ had to experience what it was like to have God forsake Him. Christ experienced the worst part of Hell in that moment. It wasn't about the pain, shame, or mockery. The reason the cross was so horrible was because His intimate connection with God was broken.
Christ went through that for us. He made the biggest sacrifice to save those that spit on Him, mocked Him, and bitterly hated Him. Despite our wickedness, He gave up His life and bond with the Father to save us. When I consider my self (and am honest with myself about how sinful I am), this blows my mind. I don't know why Christ did it. All I know is that I want to spend my life thanking and promoting Him for his love and grace.
Lord, I want to thank you for making the sacrifice that saved me; the sacrifice that I cannot begin to understand. Make me humble, Lord. Show me my sin, and how much I need you. I never want to lose the price of the cross in my life. The payment that you made and what you went through to make that payment should overwhelm me, Lord, and too often it doesn't. I pray that you would soften my prideful heart, that likes to give the credit to Luke. Thank you again, Lord. Amen.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
By accepting Jesus into my heart i knew that i was a sinner and had offended a Holy God, but if God had let me know just how evil and sinful i am...i don't think i would have become a christian (well i don't want to mess with the sovereignty of God so ill stop here). Im sure i would have thought in my sweet little 15 to 16 year old brain "surely God not me, i couldn't possibly that sinful", but as it turns out i am. one of the beautiful things about becoming a christian is that we get Christ in us and with that we get conviction and we begin sanctification, (god making us more like him and less like the sinful jerks we are).
i am prone to think highly of myself and to constantly pray that i would see my need for christ and any sins in my life. theres a song that captures it so beautifully ill just put a few lines
"im broken, and im bent to sin
im desperate, and im dirty within
you are my hope, you are my joy
you are my reason for living"
the whole song is great but i love these words because they constantly remind me of what scripture says for examply Titus 3:3 "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." There are plenty of other scriptures that confirm that our hearts are wicked and far from God, that we were dead in our sins and could only be brought back to life by Jesus. It amazes me that people think that they are "good", this human concept of "oh im not as bad as that guy" idea that is total nonsense.
So i know this has been kind of a rant, but it really is so important for us as christians to grasp our depravity and how badly we need Christ, otherwise how can we truly appreciate Christ and grow deeper in our walks?
Grace and Peace
sarah B.
i am prone to think highly of myself and to constantly pray that i would see my need for christ and any sins in my life. theres a song that captures it so beautifully ill just put a few lines
"im broken, and im bent to sin
im desperate, and im dirty within
you are my hope, you are my joy
you are my reason for living"
the whole song is great but i love these words because they constantly remind me of what scripture says for examply Titus 3:3 "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." There are plenty of other scriptures that confirm that our hearts are wicked and far from God, that we were dead in our sins and could only be brought back to life by Jesus. It amazes me that people think that they are "good", this human concept of "oh im not as bad as that guy" idea that is total nonsense.
So i know this has been kind of a rant, but it really is so important for us as christians to grasp our depravity and how badly we need Christ, otherwise how can we truly appreciate Christ and grow deeper in our walks?
Grace and Peace
sarah B.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Gospel understanding of an eight year old
The Gospel understanding of an eight year old
Originally I did not plan on writing another post on the gospel but tonight allowed for a great opportunity.
My wife and I have an opportunity to meet with a ministry every week called STEP where we both have kids that we mentor. Tonight's lesson was strongly focused on recapping and understanding the gospel.
The conversation with my eight year old mentee Xia Xia:
Me: Who is God?
Xia Xia: The guy who made everything (referring to our conversation last week about Genesis 1 which blew his mind)
Me: Who is Jesus?
Xia Xia: The Son of God
Me: what did He do?
Xia Xia: He came to the planet as a baby and grew up and did good things for people and never did anything to hurt nobody. Then He died and came back to life, but first He talked to that other guy on the other cross about heaven.
Me: Why did He die
Xia Xia: Because thats why He came here. And so we wouldn’t have to.
(after a long conversation about what sin is and that God cannot sin or be around sin)
Me: So if God cannot be around sin what would that mean for us?
Xia Xia: It means we can’t be with God... but Jesus told the other guy on the cross he would be in heaven....
(after a long conversation on the implications of Christ’s death, atonement and beginning to move into memorizing our verse Romans 8:11)
Me: Any questions about the verse?
Xia Xia: (he decided to back track) If God can’t be around sin, and every one doesn’t believe... then where do those people go? (how would you dodge that question if you were afraid of turning people off by talking about hell)
(moved into a conversation about justice, mercy, heaven and hell)
Amazing the simplified answers and direct questions from a kid who didn’t know who Jesus was on the first lesson. He may not have all the pieces put together but at least its evident that he’s listening. Obviously this wasn’t the full conversation but this seemed to be a great complement to last weeks post.
Grace and peace,
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Let me decrease; let Christ increase
Here, again, are some thoughts with Thomas Watson. I have been so blessed to be able to jump back into some of his books, and I am thankful for their helpfulness! These particular thoughts were especially convicting to me. This passage is from "The Godly Man's Picture" in a section about how the Godly man is a humble man.
"A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself. Bernard calls humility a self-annihilation. `Thou wilt save the humble' (Job 22:29). In the Hebrew it is `him that is of low eyes'. A humble man has lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him. David, though a king, still looked upon himself as a worm: `I am a worm, and no man' (Psa. 22:6). Bradford, a martyr, still subscribes himself a sinner. `If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head' (Job 10:15) – like the violet which is a sweet flower, but hangs down the head.
A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself: `let each esteem other better than themselves' (Phil. 2:3). A humble man values others at a higher rate than himself, and the reason is because he can see his own heart better than he can another's. He sees his own corruption and thinks surely it is not so with others; their graces are not so weak as his; their corruptions are not so strong. `Surely', he thinks, `they have better hearts than I.' A humble Christian studies his own infirmities and another's excellences and that makes him put a higher value upon others than himself. `Surely I am more brutish than any man' (Prov. 30:2). And Paul, though he was the chief of the apostles, still calls himself `less than the least of all saints' (Eph. 3:8).
A humble soul is a Christ-magnifier (Phil. 1:20). He gives the glory of all his actions to Christ and free grace. King Canute took the crown off his own head and set it upon a crucifix. So a humble saint takes the crown of honour from his own head and sets it upon Christ's. And the reason is the love that he bears to Christ. Love can part with anything to the object loved. Isaac loved Rebekah and he gave away his jewels to her (Gen. 24:53). The humble saint loves Christ entirely, therefore can part with anything to him. He gives away to Christ the honour and praise of all he does. Let Christ wear those jewels.
A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased. He is content to be outshone by others in gifts and esteem, so that the crown of Christ may shine the brighter. This is the humble man's motto: `Let me decrease; let Christ increase.' It is his desire that Christ should be exalted, and if this is effected, whoever is the instrument, he rejoices. `Some preach Christ of envy' (Phil. 1:15). They preached to take away some of Paul's hearers. `Well,' says he, `Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice' (v.18). A humble Christian is content to be laid aside if God has any other tools to work with which may bring him more glory.
A humble Christian will stoop to the meanest person and the lowest office; he will visit the poorest member of Christ. Lazarus' sores are more precious to him than Dives' purple. He does not say, `Stand by, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou' (Isa. 65:5), but `condescends to men of low estate' (Rom. 12:16)."
"A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself. Bernard calls humility a self-annihilation. `Thou wilt save the humble' (Job 22:29). In the Hebrew it is `him that is of low eyes'. A humble man has lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him. David, though a king, still looked upon himself as a worm: `I am a worm, and no man' (Psa. 22:6). Bradford, a martyr, still subscribes himself a sinner. `If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head' (Job 10:15) – like the violet which is a sweet flower, but hangs down the head.
A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself: `let each esteem other better than themselves' (Phil. 2:3). A humble man values others at a higher rate than himself, and the reason is because he can see his own heart better than he can another's. He sees his own corruption and thinks surely it is not so with others; their graces are not so weak as his; their corruptions are not so strong. `Surely', he thinks, `they have better hearts than I.' A humble Christian studies his own infirmities and another's excellences and that makes him put a higher value upon others than himself. `Surely I am more brutish than any man' (Prov. 30:2). And Paul, though he was the chief of the apostles, still calls himself `less than the least of all saints' (Eph. 3:8).
A humble soul is a Christ-magnifier (Phil. 1:20). He gives the glory of all his actions to Christ and free grace. King Canute took the crown off his own head and set it upon a crucifix. So a humble saint takes the crown of honour from his own head and sets it upon Christ's. And the reason is the love that he bears to Christ. Love can part with anything to the object loved. Isaac loved Rebekah and he gave away his jewels to her (Gen. 24:53). The humble saint loves Christ entirely, therefore can part with anything to him. He gives away to Christ the honour and praise of all he does. Let Christ wear those jewels.
A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased. He is content to be outshone by others in gifts and esteem, so that the crown of Christ may shine the brighter. This is the humble man's motto: `Let me decrease; let Christ increase.' It is his desire that Christ should be exalted, and if this is effected, whoever is the instrument, he rejoices. `Some preach Christ of envy' (Phil. 1:15). They preached to take away some of Paul's hearers. `Well,' says he, `Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice' (v.18). A humble Christian is content to be laid aside if God has any other tools to work with which may bring him more glory.
A humble Christian will stoop to the meanest person and the lowest office; he will visit the poorest member of Christ. Lazarus' sores are more precious to him than Dives' purple. He does not say, `Stand by, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou' (Isa. 65:5), but `condescends to men of low estate' (Rom. 12:16)."
Monday, February 22, 2010
High Five!
In the Bible we find all kinds of special numbers. Jesus fasted for 40 days. The Israelites marched around Jericho for 7 days. Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for 3 days, prefiguring Jesus’ triumph over the grave after 3 days. Some of these translate to modern Christianity quite well. 40 is a good number if you’re looking for purpose (I hope I don’t have to pay Rick Warren for this post now). 7 is the number of boxes of doughnuts a person should bring to Sunday School. And nobody listens to a sermon once it gets past the 3rd point.All that to say, there was a time when another number was used to aid Christians in their walk. During the period of the reformation all good things came in fives. In fact, I believe Martin Luther was once quoted as saying, “if you do not pray 5 times a day I will write you a stern letter and nail it to your door” (paraphrase). As much as I would love to use my time discussing Jon Huss’ concept of the $5 foot long (which is still in use today) or even the famous Zwingly handshake I will focus my attention on the 5 “solas” of the reformation.
Even if you have never heard these 5 Latin phrases chances are your life has been affected by them. I want to use some posts putting the ideas that the reformers fought to reclaim in Christianity. Sometimes it is good for one to look at the foundation of their faith and ask “am I building on this correctly?”
As you will see it all starts with where we get our faith. The concept of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). The next three involve the essence of the gospel. Salvation is Sola Gratia (by grace alone), Justification is Sola Fide (by faith alone), and this is all Solus Christus (in Christ Alone). The final sola tells us for what purpose creation, salvation, $5 foot longs, and everything else is aimed. It is all Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone).
Why is it really important for us to consider these things? Because of the importance of preserving the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what the reformers were seeking to do when they were considered accursed by the Roman Catholic Church. But the question we need to face ourselves with is whether we are willing to be cursed for the gospel or embrace a different gospel that will make us accursed?
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Divine Rescue
Last week I posted some stuff from C.J. Mahaney’s book “Christ Our Mediator” from the chapter “The Divine Dilemma.” We saw how opposite God and man is and how sin separates us.
This week I’m posting some stuff from the next chapter entitled “The Divine Rescue.” C.J. starts out asking if there was one sentence you could use to best capture the storyline of scripture, what it would be. He said the most common is John 3:16, but that he would go to 1 Timothy 2:5-6:
“For there is one God, and there is one God and mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
But as a mediator, He has to represent both sides. Here’s what C.J. had to say:
“Only someone both fully divine and truly human can effectively mediate between God and men, and Jesus is exactly that. He is unique – totally unlike anyone else. That’s why Paul insists there is only ‘one mediator’, just as surely as there is ‘one God.’”
C.J. uses a quote from Ron Rhodes on this subject:
“If Christ the redeemer had been only God he could not have died, since God by his very nature cannot die. It was only as a man that Christ could represent humanity and die as a man.
As God, however, Christ’s death had infinite value sufficient to supply redemption for the sins of all mankind. Clearly then Christ had to be both God and man to secure man’s salvation.”
So Christ mediates between us and God and this is the result:
“He paid the price you and I owed to the innocent offended party, God our Creator and Judge.
Therefore the offended party is appeased. His righteous wrath against our sin is satisfied, having been poured out not upon us, but on Christ. God’s holy hostility against us has ended. The divine dilemma is resolved.”
This should cause us to fall on our faces in worship to Christ and God. God’s wrath/hostility/judgment crushed Christ instead of us. We were saved because of Christ sacrifice. Praise him for his death, grace, and love.
Dear Jesus, I don’t understand why you would choose to save me, a continuous sinner and offender of God, but we thank you. Help us to never forget the cross. Help us to never do anything in this life, without thinking of why we are able to do anything. The only reason we are alive now is because of your grace. Your grace on the cross and your continuous grace should overwhelm us and cause us to worship with the most humble hearts, because we did nothing, and you did everything. Thank you, Lord.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Comfort
One of Gods characteristics that i forget about sometimes is that he is the God of Comfort. When i was reading through 2 Corinthians 1 this morning the first section is "God of all Comfort". If you are writing to a group of people a word of encouragemnt and comfort, then chances are they are probably uncomfortable and life is really rough. This passage of scripture is so great because it informs us of two things 1. that the christian life is not peaches and cream 2. that God will always be in the midst of affliction and hard times ready to comfort us.
We know that being a christian isn't easy. There are temptations that we still face because we still battle sin and there's also God making us more like Christ through sanctification. on top of those inner dealings, the world hates us and satan will stop at nothing to try to keep the gospel from being spread. Its hard for us as Americans to imagine being persecuted in a physical life threatening way, but it happens all over the world every day. But we know "whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39)
Even though we face different times in our life that aren't comfortable or times of persecution we still have Christ to comfort us. We know that christ can empathize with us because he has had been in uncomfortable situations both physical and emotional. We have this verse which boldly states the truth that God does comfort his children. "The father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1: 4) Its nice that God comforts us which allows us to comfort others, but not with our own "comforting" skills or love, but with what God is doing through us so that he gets all the glory.
Grace and Peace
Sarah b.
We know that being a christian isn't easy. There are temptations that we still face because we still battle sin and there's also God making us more like Christ through sanctification. on top of those inner dealings, the world hates us and satan will stop at nothing to try to keep the gospel from being spread. Its hard for us as Americans to imagine being persecuted in a physical life threatening way, but it happens all over the world every day. But we know "whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39)
Even though we face different times in our life that aren't comfortable or times of persecution we still have Christ to comfort us. We know that christ can empathize with us because he has had been in uncomfortable situations both physical and emotional. We have this verse which boldly states the truth that God does comfort his children. "The father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1: 4) Its nice that God comforts us which allows us to comfort others, but not with our own "comforting" skills or love, but with what God is doing through us so that he gets all the glory.
Grace and Peace
Sarah b.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Simple Gospel
The most simple yet complex thing to attempt to communicate is the Gospel. When your with your friends and talking about Christ its so easy to communicate the truth of Christ in a simple form. When reading a bible story to a child it seems slightly more difficult. As every sentence has to be simplified to a point where big, or even medium sized words, don't have to be defined. But the toughest time to share the gospel is when you have never articulated it in understandable terms to yourself. You've heard it but never thought it through in full yet simplified terms.
What do we mean when we hear a song and reply with “wow, now thats gospel”? Or when someone says that we have to protect the gospel message? The gospel put simply is vital to our Christian walk. We must dwell on it at all times because this message and its implications is what has taken our dark minds and brought light to every corner of our being. Let us never forget the good news that Christ died so that we can live.
Here are simplified versions of the Gospel.
God created man in His own image and likeness. He created us as good beings but the first man, Adam, committed sin against God and the curse that came on man because of sin included death; both spiritual death and eventual physical death. Adam’s sin has been passed down through all generations so that even we were born with an inclination to sin rather than to follow God. Sin is treason against a holy God and God, being perfectly just, must punish sin. However, God is also loving and merciful and sent His Son, Jesus Christ the God-man, to live a perfect live and die a sacrificial death on our behalf. Jesus bore the wrath that you and I cannot bear so that if you would repent of your sins and trust in Him alone for your salvation you can be saved from the wrath of God and declared to be righteous in God’s sight. - Stephen Bean
There is one God, He made us. He made us in His image, He made us good. We have sinned against him, we have fallen. God would be just and good to judge us eternally. But, in His amazing love, the eternal Son of God has taken on flesh; an incarnate Jesus Christ fully man, fully God lived the life we should have lived, lived perfectly, died on the cross in the place of the sins- in the place of everyone who will repent of their sins and trust in Him, and God raised Him from the dead. He ascended into heaven. He will return in the same manner and he calls us to repent of our sins and trust in him and he will give us new life, he will fill us with his Spirit and give us the new birth and adopt us as his reconciled children forever. - Mark Dever
The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. - John Piper
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (ESV)
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
We must hear the gospel, believe in it, study it and meditate daily on this truth. Simple right?
My friend Jason put this nice piece together it you want something more to look into
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
No Greater Spur in the Heavenly Race
Thomas Watson is one of my favorite Puritan authors. I did a post a while back on the fear of the Lord, and this is a section from "The Great Gain of Godliness" (by Watson) which also deals with this idea. This was helpful for me...I would definately recommend this book.
"Doctrine: It is an indispensable duty incumbent on Christians, to be fearers of God. "Fear God!" (Eccles. 5:7). "That you may fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God!" (Deut. 28:58). This fear of God, is the very foundation of a saint. One can no more act as a Christian without the fear of God—than he can act as a man without reason. This holy fear is the fixed temper and complexion of the soul; this fear is not servile—but filial. There is a difference between fearing God, and being afraid of God.
The godly fear God as a child does his father; the wicked are afraid of God as the prisoner is of the judge! This divine fear will appear admirable if you consider how it is mixed and interwoven with several of the graces.
1. The fear of God is mixed with LOVE (Psalm 145:19, 20)
The chaste spouse fears to displease her husband, because she loves him. There is a necessity that fear and love should be in conjunction. Love is as the sails to make swift the soul's motion; and fear is as the ballast to keep it steady in true religion. Love will be apt to grow wanton, unless it is counter-balanced with fear.
2. The fear of God is mixed with FAITH. "By faith Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). When the soul looks either to God's holiness, or its own sinfulness—it fears. But it is a fear mixed with faith in Christ's merits; the soul trembles—yet trusts. Like a ship which lies at anchor, though it shakes with the wind, yet it is fixed at anchor. God in great wisdom couples these two graces of faith and fear. Fear preserves seriousness, faith preserves cheerfulness. Fear is as lead to the net—to keep a Christian from floating in presumption; and faith is as cork to the net—to keep him from sinking in despair.
3. The fear of God is mixed with PRUDENCE. He who fears God has the serpent's eye in the dove's head. He foresees and avoids those rocks upon which others run. "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 22:3). Though divine fear does not make a person cowardly—it makes him cautious.
4. The fear of God is mixed with HOPE. "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18). One would think that fear would destroy hope—but it nourishes it. Fear is to hope, as the oil to the lamp—it keeps it burning. The more we fear God's justice—the more we may hope in his mercy. Indeed, such as have no fear of God do sometimes hope—but it is not "good hope through grace" (2 Thess. 5:26). Sinners pretend to have the "helmet of hope" (1 Thess. 5:8)—but lack the "breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14).
5. The fear of God is mixed with INDUSTRY. "Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). There is a carnal fear, which represents God as a severe Judge. This takes the soul off from duty, "I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground" (Matthew 25:25).
But there is also a fear of diligence. A Christian fears—and prays; fears—and repents. Fear quickens industry. The spouse, fearing lest the bridegroom should come before she is dressed, hastens and puts on her jewels, that she may be ready to meet him. Fear causes a watchful eye—and a working hand. Fear banishes sloth out of its diocese. "The greatest labor in true religion," says holy fear, "is far less than the least pain the damned feel in hell." There is no greater spur in the heavenly race—than the fear of God."
"Doctrine: It is an indispensable duty incumbent on Christians, to be fearers of God. "Fear God!" (Eccles. 5:7). "That you may fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God!" (Deut. 28:58). This fear of God, is the very foundation of a saint. One can no more act as a Christian without the fear of God—than he can act as a man without reason. This holy fear is the fixed temper and complexion of the soul; this fear is not servile—but filial. There is a difference between fearing God, and being afraid of God.
The godly fear God as a child does his father; the wicked are afraid of God as the prisoner is of the judge! This divine fear will appear admirable if you consider how it is mixed and interwoven with several of the graces.
1. The fear of God is mixed with LOVE (Psalm 145:19, 20)
The chaste spouse fears to displease her husband, because she loves him. There is a necessity that fear and love should be in conjunction. Love is as the sails to make swift the soul's motion; and fear is as the ballast to keep it steady in true religion. Love will be apt to grow wanton, unless it is counter-balanced with fear.
2. The fear of God is mixed with FAITH. "By faith Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). When the soul looks either to God's holiness, or its own sinfulness—it fears. But it is a fear mixed with faith in Christ's merits; the soul trembles—yet trusts. Like a ship which lies at anchor, though it shakes with the wind, yet it is fixed at anchor. God in great wisdom couples these two graces of faith and fear. Fear preserves seriousness, faith preserves cheerfulness. Fear is as lead to the net—to keep a Christian from floating in presumption; and faith is as cork to the net—to keep him from sinking in despair.
3. The fear of God is mixed with PRUDENCE. He who fears God has the serpent's eye in the dove's head. He foresees and avoids those rocks upon which others run. "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 22:3). Though divine fear does not make a person cowardly—it makes him cautious.
4. The fear of God is mixed with HOPE. "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18). One would think that fear would destroy hope—but it nourishes it. Fear is to hope, as the oil to the lamp—it keeps it burning. The more we fear God's justice—the more we may hope in his mercy. Indeed, such as have no fear of God do sometimes hope—but it is not "good hope through grace" (2 Thess. 5:26). Sinners pretend to have the "helmet of hope" (1 Thess. 5:8)—but lack the "breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14).
5. The fear of God is mixed with INDUSTRY. "Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). There is a carnal fear, which represents God as a severe Judge. This takes the soul off from duty, "I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground" (Matthew 25:25).
But there is also a fear of diligence. A Christian fears—and prays; fears—and repents. Fear quickens industry. The spouse, fearing lest the bridegroom should come before she is dressed, hastens and puts on her jewels, that she may be ready to meet him. Fear causes a watchful eye—and a working hand. Fear banishes sloth out of its diocese. "The greatest labor in true religion," says holy fear, "is far less than the least pain the damned feel in hell." There is no greater spur in the heavenly race—than the fear of God."
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Heart of Salvation
"At the heart of salvation lies reconciliation to the God who made us and under whose just judgment we lie. Its ultimate triumph is a new heaven and a new earth…the consummating transformation of this fallen, broken existence, the gain of resurrection bodies, and above all the sheer triumph and glory of God." -D.A. Carson
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Divine Dilemma
Sitting on the floor beside my bed is a stack of about twenty-five books by great Christian authors such as John Piper, C. H. Spurgeon, and others. My goal is to read through as many of these as I can before I leave for college this fall. Right now I'm going through C. J.Mahaney's book "Christ Our Mediator".
The latest chapter I read was called "The Divine Dilemma" and I'm just going to give some excerpts from this chapter. First C. J. describes God:
"Paul conveys this dilemma in the opening chapters of his first letter to Timothy. God is 'the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,' Paul says. As King of kings, He's the absolute Sovereign one who transcends time...And He's invisible-living in unapproachable light, so that sinful beings cannot see Him and live. Furthermore, He's the only God, with no rivals."
Then describes man:
"In utter contrast to this is the portrait of humanity Paul paints for Timothy: 'lawless and disobedient...ungodly and sinners...unholy and profane...those who strike their fathers and mothers...murders, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.'"
Now C. J. compares the two and shows the dilemma:
"For God, the divine dilemma comes about because He isn't indifferent to any of this sinfulness on mankind's part. He is, in fact, righteously and furiously opposed to every bit of it. He cannot simply overlook or excuse it. In light of His holiness and justice, He has no alternative but to punish sin and punish the sinner."
Man and God are in complete opposition to each other, yet God wanted to save man. But God had to punish man for their sin. So this is the biggest dilemma that has ever existed and no man can do anything to resolve the issue. Next week C. J. will tell us about the Divine Rescue.
The latest chapter I read was called "The Divine Dilemma" and I'm just going to give some excerpts from this chapter. First C. J. describes God:
"Paul conveys this dilemma in the opening chapters of his first letter to Timothy. God is 'the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,' Paul says. As King of kings, He's the absolute Sovereign one who transcends time...And He's invisible-living in unapproachable light, so that sinful beings cannot see Him and live. Furthermore, He's the only God, with no rivals."
Then describes man:
"In utter contrast to this is the portrait of humanity Paul paints for Timothy: 'lawless and disobedient...ungodly and sinners...unholy and profane...those who strike their fathers and mothers...murders, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.'"
Now C. J. compares the two and shows the dilemma:
"For God, the divine dilemma comes about because He isn't indifferent to any of this sinfulness on mankind's part. He is, in fact, righteously and furiously opposed to every bit of it. He cannot simply overlook or excuse it. In light of His holiness and justice, He has no alternative but to punish sin and punish the sinner."
Man and God are in complete opposition to each other, yet God wanted to save man. But God had to punish man for their sin. So this is the biggest dilemma that has ever existed and no man can do anything to resolve the issue. Next week C. J. will tell us about the Divine Rescue.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Physical vs. Spiritual
Ive been reading through the book of Acts and right now im am in the beginning chapters. i read something today in chapter 5 that reminded me of chapter 3. Acts 3:1-10 is about a lame beggar being healed. I love what Peter says to him vs 6 "I have no silver and gold, but what i do have i give to you. in the name of jesus christ of nazareth, rise up and walk!" That statement is so simple and so true. Miracles like this began with Jesus doing them and i used to see these stories and just see them at face value, why of course who wouldn't be happy that lame can walk and blind can see? When i read this story recently it hit me a little harder because in the same way that jesus made the blind to see, he brought me from death to life. Now we know i didn't physically die, but at one point i was dead spiritually not able to save myself. Christ intervened and produced a miracle in my heart. When i come across stories like this in the bible im still awe-struck, but i hope that these people were getting more than just a physical healing. Yes some were without a doubt but others may have just as well been healed from their aliments and gone on their merry way totally missing out on what is far more important.
we are all wasting away, our flesh will fail at some point, and then we will be spirit that is judged into eternity with Christ or eternity without him. Please think farther than just the physical.
Grace and Peace.
sarah B.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sola Fide
Through the week I've been thinking through this post that I did a while back on another blog. Typically I don't like re posting but Packer has some great incite worth revisiting. I know its short but I can see this truth all around.
To the Reformers' doctrine of justification by faith alone Reformed theology has held down the centuries, maintaining it to be both scriptural in substance and life-giving in effect. This tenacity has, however, involved constant conflict, as it still does. Two things have long threatened the truth as stated: first, the intruding of works as the ground of justification; second, the displacing of the cross as the ground of justification. Both are familiar weeds in the church's garden; both express in very obvious ways the craving for self-justification which lurks (often in disguise!) in the fallen human heart. Something may be said about each. - Dr. J. I. Packer
http://www.the-highway.com/Justification_Packer.html
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
An Abundance of Counselors
One of the very simple but beautiful, and very relieving truths that we find in the book of Proverbs is the idea that the wise will seek counsel from others. This can be seen as a very elementary idea: if you don't know how to do something or act in a certain situation, then ask someone who does. Yet I find that pride and selfishness can make the application of this principle difficult.
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."
- Proverbs 15:22
"for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory." - Proverbs 24:6
The point is this: we were not made to be self-sufficient. We are not suppose to be able to make it through the battles of life by our own strength and wisdom. We are just not strong enough. We are just not wise enough. If we try to make it on our own, our plans will fail. Yet, if we are surrounded by an abundance of God-fearing counselors, we will have victory. Sometimes... many times, we need to ask for help.
This means that we must go ahead and let our pride go. We must release our grip upon an inaccurate portrayal of our life that pictures us as anything but needy and dependent. Though the children of God have been bought with the blood of the Lamb and are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are still fragile, sinful, and easily confused. We still have questions, weaknesses, doubts, and misunderstandings. Is this not why the body of Christ has so many members? Because different people have different strengths, weaknesses, and gifts, we are able to function in such a way that those who are strong in one area can counsel those who are weak in that area; and vice versa. In the areas where we have questions or weaknesses we are encouraged to go to others to receive their counsel. This is seen as wisdom in God's eyes when we seek out an abundance of counselors.
"By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." - Proverbs 13:10
Our Lord does not consider seeking advice to be a sign of weakness, rather, He considers it to be a sign of wisdom.
"Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." - Proverbs 11:14
One of the gifts that God has given us to keep us safe, is the Church! For within the family of God we may surround ourselves with an abundance of counselors. What a simple yet profoundly burden-lifting truth!
When we are faced with sin and temptation, we can seek advice. When we are confronted with various life choices, we can ask for counsel. When we don't understand a verse in the Bible, we can still pursue guidance.
It seems so simple and easy, yet pride always seems to get tangled up in the mix of things. Yet,
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." - Proverbs 11:2
We must seek to put our pride away. We must seek to mortify it. We must remain beneath the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of the world. Repentance must be our daily prayer, as we seek to obey our God because of the redeeming work that He has done on our behalf. May we pray that our God would empower us to walk according to His Word.
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."
- Proverbs 15:22
"for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory." - Proverbs 24:6
The point is this: we were not made to be self-sufficient. We are not suppose to be able to make it through the battles of life by our own strength and wisdom. We are just not strong enough. We are just not wise enough. If we try to make it on our own, our plans will fail. Yet, if we are surrounded by an abundance of God-fearing counselors, we will have victory. Sometimes... many times, we need to ask for help.
This means that we must go ahead and let our pride go. We must release our grip upon an inaccurate portrayal of our life that pictures us as anything but needy and dependent. Though the children of God have been bought with the blood of the Lamb and are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are still fragile, sinful, and easily confused. We still have questions, weaknesses, doubts, and misunderstandings. Is this not why the body of Christ has so many members? Because different people have different strengths, weaknesses, and gifts, we are able to function in such a way that those who are strong in one area can counsel those who are weak in that area; and vice versa. In the areas where we have questions or weaknesses we are encouraged to go to others to receive their counsel. This is seen as wisdom in God's eyes when we seek out an abundance of counselors.
"By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." - Proverbs 13:10
Our Lord does not consider seeking advice to be a sign of weakness, rather, He considers it to be a sign of wisdom.
"Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." - Proverbs 11:14
One of the gifts that God has given us to keep us safe, is the Church! For within the family of God we may surround ourselves with an abundance of counselors. What a simple yet profoundly burden-lifting truth!
When we are faced with sin and temptation, we can seek advice. When we are confronted with various life choices, we can ask for counsel. When we don't understand a verse in the Bible, we can still pursue guidance.
It seems so simple and easy, yet pride always seems to get tangled up in the mix of things. Yet,
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." - Proverbs 11:2
We must seek to put our pride away. We must seek to mortify it. We must remain beneath the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of the world. Repentance must be our daily prayer, as we seek to obey our God because of the redeeming work that He has done on our behalf. May we pray that our God would empower us to walk according to His Word.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sorry is a Sorry Word
Don’t memorize arguments, understand your faith and competing worldviews.
The better you understand where a person is coming from the better you will be able to communicate your faith to them. Because I am trying to give tips on defending the Christian faith my assumption is that you will be in a position where a person from another faith/worldview is in a give and take discussion with you. That isn't always the case, but it is a lot.
Part of defending your faith is knowing why the Christian faith is superior to any other worldview. If you truly believe that Christ reigns supreme over all other treasures you should be able to find where his gospel is better (yes it's ok to say something is truly better) than any belief you encounter.
Obviously I don't have nearly enough knowledge to talk about every worldview out there in detail but I can give some biblical help:
According to the Bible all mankind irrationally gives their worship to idols. Whether it's Animism, Hinduism, or plain old Atheism, worship that is not directed to the one true God of the universe is idolatry. Romans 1:18-32 gives us an overview of how this looks.
Am I suggesting you find the best way to tease a person about their personal beliefs, no. However, you should learn about other worldviews and understand where they fall short in comparison to the beautiful salvation that comes from Jesus Christ.
More to come...
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
Galatians 6:14
The better you understand where a person is coming from the better you will be able to communicate your faith to them. Because I am trying to give tips on defending the Christian faith my assumption is that you will be in a position where a person from another faith/worldview is in a give and take discussion with you. That isn't always the case, but it is a lot.
Part of defending your faith is knowing why the Christian faith is superior to any other worldview. If you truly believe that Christ reigns supreme over all other treasures you should be able to find where his gospel is better (yes it's ok to say something is truly better) than any belief you encounter.
Obviously I don't have nearly enough knowledge to talk about every worldview out there in detail but I can give some biblical help:
According to the Bible all mankind irrationally gives their worship to idols. Whether it's Animism, Hinduism, or plain old Atheism, worship that is not directed to the one true God of the universe is idolatry. Romans 1:18-32 gives us an overview of how this looks.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:22-23)In our day and age this is seen in an inconsistency in morality (how does an Atheist know what is truly right?) only accepting religions that make you feel good about yourself (ask Hollywood for the best options), or simply find the religion that turns you into a deity (learn to ride a bike first). In Isaiah's day the criticism was that the same wood that was thrown into the fire to warm the house was also used to make an idol to which a person could bow down (Isa 44:15).
Am I suggesting you find the best way to tease a person about their personal beliefs, no. However, you should learn about other worldviews and understand where they fall short in comparison to the beautiful salvation that comes from Jesus Christ.
More to come...
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
Galatians 6:14
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Glorious Power of Christ (Part 2)
Revelation 21:1-5a - "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'"
Basically the reason I chose to share the Revelation passage and the song and Hebrews passage from last week, is because I have been really excited about this. Jesus did the greatest thing for us when He died on the cross to save us. It's why we rejoice, because we had nope hope of salvation, and yet He is that hope.
The passages in Hebrews and Revelation talk about His power from the right hand of God. It speaks of His return and the glory that will be shown on that day. When Jesus comes back to take us home, it will be one of the most joyous days in history (the only ones that compete are Christ's birth, death, and resurrection).
Hebrews just talks of the glory of God, which is the joy and praise of all Christians. Revelation talks more of what the believers will receive from Christ return, which areblessings not deserved (even more so when we consider we don't even deserve salvation). These are just a few things that God has shown me and has me excited about, so I thought that I would share.
Jesus, thank you for being a willing sacrifice to save us. Lord, you would have been perfectly just to let us be sent to hell, but because of your grace, we have salvation. We eagerly await the day of your return. That day will be filled with the constant rejoicing and praising of everything that you are. Lord, give us courage and strength to rejoice and praise openly on this earth and not be ashamed. Your name be praised above all names for your blood spilled for us!
'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'"
Basically the reason I chose to share the Revelation passage and the song and Hebrews passage from last week, is because I have been really excited about this. Jesus did the greatest thing for us when He died on the cross to save us. It's why we rejoice, because we had nope hope of salvation, and yet He is that hope.
The passages in Hebrews and Revelation talk about His power from the right hand of God. It speaks of His return and the glory that will be shown on that day. When Jesus comes back to take us home, it will be one of the most joyous days in history (the only ones that compete are Christ's birth, death, and resurrection).
Hebrews just talks of the glory of God, which is the joy and praise of all Christians. Revelation talks more of what the believers will receive from Christ return, which areblessings not deserved (even more so when we consider we don't even deserve salvation). These are just a few things that God has shown me and has me excited about, so I thought that I would share.
Jesus, thank you for being a willing sacrifice to save us. Lord, you would have been perfectly just to let us be sent to hell, but because of your grace, we have salvation. We eagerly await the day of your return. That day will be filled with the constant rejoicing and praising of everything that you are. Lord, give us courage and strength to rejoice and praise openly on this earth and not be ashamed. Your name be praised above all names for your blood spilled for us!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Text book over thinker
I am a text book overthinker and it plays out in my life at different times. A few days ago i realized it is in my love for God. Sometimes i get so wrapped up in life and trying to live for God that i forget to love Him and be in love with Him in the process. I liken it to marriage...it is easy to get too focued on bills and family and work and all the other little things that have to get done around the house that i forget to think about my love for jonathan. Now do i still love him, of course, but my affections aren't as tender and im not as gracious when i get so focused on the other things and i find myself missing him even though i get to see him everyday. I don't want to engage my husband on a conversation about bills, i want to know whats going on with his life and how hes growing.
The same thing happens with me and my relationship with God, i get so wrapped up in other things that are great things, even Godly things, but i forget to be in love with God. And if this being in love with God fails then i have a big problem because then everything i do becomes works and legalistic and heavy.
Our lives should be lived out to the glory of God, this only happens when love Him ( with love that he gave us in the first place ) and when we enjoy Him.
Grace and Peace
Sarah b.
The same thing happens with me and my relationship with God, i get so wrapped up in other things that are great things, even Godly things, but i forget to be in love with God. And if this being in love with God fails then i have a big problem because then everything i do becomes works and legalistic and heavy.
Our lives should be lived out to the glory of God, this only happens when love Him ( with love that he gave us in the first place ) and when we enjoy Him.
Grace and Peace
Sarah b.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Suffering Well
Before Sarah and I got married we had the opportunity to share the story of how we met with the Dallas News. When we had the interview a writer came over talked to us for a while and we attempted to share as much of our story crediting God for our entire relationship. We wanted the gospel of Jesus Christ to be the center of the story because He IS the center of our story.
Upon receiving the paper I was happy at what was there but still disappointed at the things that were left out and replaced with less important details.
This is what I thought of when reading Matt Chandlers story in the Associated Press article on Yahoo.com “Suffering Well”. Even more so because after doing our story we attended his church because its where Sarah was attending at the time. It made me realize that Matt’s story could not be told with out Gods glory being the central focus. Especially when the man has absolutely no control over anything thats going on. (To read the full article click here)
For background on this story (if you know the story you can skip down) Matt Chandler had a seizurze and woke up in the hospital on Thanksgiving day 2009 in Dallas Texas. He found out later that he had brain cancer and that the doctors had to remove part of his frontal lobe and he now receives heavy radiation treatment. He is now recovering well and preaching not wasting his time in ministry. (that’s the very short version).
Here are some excerpts from the article:
By ERIC GORSKI, AP National Writer Eric Gorski, Ap National Writer – Sun Jan 31, 12:01 am ET
Chandler’s lanky 6-foot-5-inch frame rests on a table at Baylor University Medical Center. He wears the same kind of jeans he wears preaching to 6,000 people at The Village Church in suburban Flower Mound, where the 35-year-old pastor is a rising star of evangelical Christianity.
(that one wasn’t too surprising)
Another cancer patient Chandler has gotten to know spends his time in radiation imagining that he’s playing a round of golf at his favorite course. Chandler on this first Monday in January is reflecting on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of his cross.
(That one was)
Whatever happens, he says, is God’s will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
One of Chandler’s sayings is, “It’s OK to not be OK — just don’t stay there.” In other words, your doubts and questions are welcome at The Village Church, but eventually you need to pull it together.
Chandler’s long, meaty messages untangle large chunks of Scripture, a stark contrast to the “Eight Ways to Overcome Fear” sermons common to evangelical megachurches that took off in the 1980s. His approach appeals, he believes, to a generation looking for transcendence and power.
His theology teaches that all men are wicked, that human beings have offended a loving and sovereign God, and that God saves through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection — not because people do good deeds. In short, Chandler is a Calvinist, holding to a belief system growing more popular with young evangelicals.
“Matt goes right at Bible Belt Christianity and exposes the problems with it,” says Collin Hansen, author of “Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists.” “He says, ‘Enough of this playing around and trying to be relevant and using cultural touch points. Let’s talk God’s words.’”
Chandler was taught that Christianity meant not listening to secular music or seeing R-rated movies. He developed what he calls a small and “man-centered” view of God — that God will bless people who are good. That began to change when a high school football teammate started talking about the Gospel.
Before the meeting ends, Matt prays that his children and others do not grow resentful.
“Lord, you gave this to me for a reason. Let me run with it and do the best I can with it.”
Barnett says later that he’s witnessed many tragedies and miracles. He has seen how people handle life-changing moments. He called Chandler’s attitude one of the most amazing he’s seen.
“Knowing that if God is outside time and I am inside time, that puts some severe limitations on my ability to crack all the codes,” he says. “The more I’ve studied, the more I go, ‘Yes, God is sovereign, and he does ask us to pray ... and he does change his mind.’ How all that will work is in some aspects a mystery.”
“The human experience commonly shared is suffering,” said Mark Driscoll, pastor of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church and a friend of Chandler’s. “If he suffers well, that might be the most important sermon he’s ever preached.”
With all that said and even more it just makes me wonder what kind of an impact this article could have on the readers that visit this. Please pray that more articles like this leak into the press and that God is not edited out.
See the full article here http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100131/ap_on_re/us_rel_the_pastor_s_cancer_1
Romans 8:18-25
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Goodness of God
This is a beautiful Psalm. Our God is such a mighty God. He is a God who provides for us. He is the God of salvation. He atones for our transgressions. He brings His children near. He is the only God, and He is worthy of our praise and adoration! This is a wonderful text to motivate our hearts to gratitude!
Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges, softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges, softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Monday, February 1, 2010
All Apologies
Don’t memorize arguments, understand your faith and competing worldviews.
The better you understand your faith the more effective you will be in defending it.
It is clear that the Bible teaches us to grow in our understanding of the Christian faith (see Hebrews 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:1-4). But this is also important when defending the faith. If you only know your faith at the simplest level you will be able to evangelize but you will not be able to defend it against attacks from ungodly worldviews.
This point has immediate application to my own life. Recently I struck up a conversation about evolution with an old friend because of a Facebook status he had posted. That turned into a deeper discussion on the Christian faith in which I found myself defending core Christian doctrines (and even the authority of the bible itself). To make things more interesting this friend is very intelligent and has raised several objections to Christianity that are logical at face value.
It is only because I have personally taken the time to answer my own questions about the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, and even the necessity of the atonement of Christ that I have been able to provide answers to my friend’s objections. If I only knew now what I knew about my faith when I graduated high school I wouldn’t have been able to answer his questions in a biblical way. More importantly, because I have been able to get into such a deep discussion on the matter I have had several opportunities to take the discussion back to the most important thing, the gospel.
My intention in this post has not been to show off the fact that I have engaged in this evangelistic opportunity. I confess that I do not evangelize nearly as often as I should (seriously). Rather, it is intended to show you the practical importance of understanding your faith. I want to encourage you to raise questions to yourself about the Bible. For example, how does the momentary suffering of one man atone for the sin of millions upon millions who would otherwise pay for their own sin for eternity? If God is all knowing, all powerful, and good why does He permit horrible suffering (for example, Haiti)? I’m sure you can think of many more. Then spend some time researching in Scripture or asking your pastor these things. This will edify you in your walk with Christ and strengthen your ability to defend your faith while spreading the good news of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
The better you understand your faith the more effective you will be in defending it.
It is clear that the Bible teaches us to grow in our understanding of the Christian faith (see Hebrews 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:1-4). But this is also important when defending the faith. If you only know your faith at the simplest level you will be able to evangelize but you will not be able to defend it against attacks from ungodly worldviews.
This point has immediate application to my own life. Recently I struck up a conversation about evolution with an old friend because of a Facebook status he had posted. That turned into a deeper discussion on the Christian faith in which I found myself defending core Christian doctrines (and even the authority of the bible itself). To make things more interesting this friend is very intelligent and has raised several objections to Christianity that are logical at face value.
It is only because I have personally taken the time to answer my own questions about the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, and even the necessity of the atonement of Christ that I have been able to provide answers to my friend’s objections. If I only knew now what I knew about my faith when I graduated high school I wouldn’t have been able to answer his questions in a biblical way. More importantly, because I have been able to get into such a deep discussion on the matter I have had several opportunities to take the discussion back to the most important thing, the gospel.
My intention in this post has not been to show off the fact that I have engaged in this evangelistic opportunity. I confess that I do not evangelize nearly as often as I should (seriously). Rather, it is intended to show you the practical importance of understanding your faith. I want to encourage you to raise questions to yourself about the Bible. For example, how does the momentary suffering of one man atone for the sin of millions upon millions who would otherwise pay for their own sin for eternity? If God is all knowing, all powerful, and good why does He permit horrible suffering (for example, Haiti)? I’m sure you can think of many more. Then spend some time researching in Scripture or asking your pastor these things. This will edify you in your walk with Christ and strengthen your ability to defend your faith while spreading the good news of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
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