"Wisdom shouts in the street. She lifts her voice in the square. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out. At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention and you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof. I will also laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (rf. Proverbs 1:21-33)
You would think Solomon was alive and well and living in 21st century America, publishing this passage for consumption in his latest blog or newsletter article, hoping that we would read it and get his point.
One can see her desperately shouting to the passers-by, trying to get their attention. Wisdom endeavoring to warn them of what will befall if they will not heed her plain teachings. Most walk quickly by her as if she were a statue in the park, a lifeless relic of days gone by, a monument of values long forgotten. Others in their absolute foolishness seek to deify her as if she were a god, falling prostrate at her feet, worshiping her and singing her praises even as she defiantly kicks them away for their rank idolatry. She is, after all, the servant of the Most High God, not a competitor for His adoration and allegiance. Never would she brook such a rebellious thought in her own heart much less allow such an action her way.
Only a small few actually stand and listen to her words. They take in not only her warning but are prompted to run to the same Foundation upon which her words are based. Indeed, their eyes are opened to the reality that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”From that relational starting point, their lives are changed, their souls refreshed, their minds renewed. They are now ready to follow Wisdom’s path, prepared to face the challenges that life has awaiting them fully armed with the Master’s weapons of truth, faith and knowledge.
The question is this: Has Wisdom’s words of warning fallen on your deaf ears or have you been open to Wisdom as expressed in God’s Word? Though personified as a woman here in Proverbs, the wisdom of God is nonetheless intended for us to heed if we are to live our lives in accordance to His will. Thus, if God’s Word takes a distant back seat in our daily lives in terms of importance, then so does His wisdom.
The above warning is for us. If we despise His wisdom, we should not complain when our wisdom falls and our plans fail miserably. However, if we seek His wisdom, He promises not only to grant it in abundance, but also the blessings that accompany it. Personally, I will take His wisdom over mine anytime. Comparing the greatness of the God of the universe to my own pitiful qualities: No contest. His wisdom, without question!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Being Holy
“Be holy, for I am holy”
This is a command given by God to His people, repeated four times in the OT (Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2, 20:7) and once above with clarity and power in the NT (I Peter 1:16). By “holy”, God is not requiring His people to be perfect as without all sin for He knows such a standard would be impossible for us to achieve on this side of heaven. However, we must understand that this does not give us liberty to go out and sin as much as we feel is possible without the vexation of conscience (rf. Romans 6:1-14). He does want us to refrain from sin as much as possible with the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit, depending on Him not on ourselves to accomplish this.
The very NT context of the passage surrounding “Be holy” shows that God’s expectation of “holiness” has a direct connection to our actions.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior...” (rf. I Peter 1:14-15)
Moses in the Old Testament and Peter in the New both mean by “holiness” being separate from the world by the way that we live, the things that we do and say as we obey the teachings of Scripture, God’s Holy Word. Specifically, in the NT, the teachings of Jesus Christ provide all the guidance necessary for us to follow God’s precepts to live holy lives. As stated before, He also gives us the indwelling power and Presence of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be obedient to this task.
If we were to take this truth of being holy seriously (since it is a command), we would surely be a much different people of God, expressed as the Church today, than what we are at present. We would not be complicit with the attitudes and actions of our culture. Rather, we would be counter-cultural in all that we do. We would not be encouraging the ways of anti-Biblical movements whose practices and beliefs that run cross-grained to the historically-held truths of the Christian faith. We would be speaking truth into these groups with the love of Christ in the hope that, by being agents of light and grace, we could be a transforming influence to each and all.
We should also address within our own ranks the growing ills of rampant adultery, drunkenness, fornication/living together, lying, cheating, pornography and the many other sins that have subtly increased like cancers in our midst. Our church fellowships are sickened by hypocrisy because they have brought into the sanctuary the god of “political correctness”, the philosophy of mutual toleration, a new cover for the “multitude of sins” and have set it up for all to bow down to and worship. This new idolatry allows for church members to freely use Saturday nights for bar-hopping and then come to church on Sunday as a matter on conscience-soothing penance. On the opposite end of the spectrum, for those of the “holier-than-thou” mentality, one can just as well act “super-spiritual” while masking a heart full of pride and self-righteousness. In either case, as long as “political correctness” occupies the sanctuary, no one will ever bring up the subject of accountability or submission, the two words most abhorred and feared in the realm of idolatry.
Yet, in reality, these are two of the greatest needs in His Church. Reasserting our submission to Christ and our accountability to Him and His Word are paramount. We must “come clean”, confessing and repenting of our individual and corporate hypocrisies. Only by doing this can we start afresh and have the correct foundation upon which a holy life can be firmly built.
If God has commanded us to “be holy” (and He has), then we have no other option, no other choice, than to be obedient if we truly want His blessing upon us. Therefore, may we take an honest look at our own lives. Do away with the things that are unholy and start living like the “peculiar people” He wants us to be. Others might not want to be around us anymore. We may lose friends as a result. Family members could think us as strange. So be it. The most important thing for us to remember is that we should be obedient to the One Who has purchased us with His blood. He is the One Whose acceptance and pleasure of our actions and heart attitudes counts the most in the end.
This is a command given by God to His people, repeated four times in the OT (Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2, 20:7) and once above with clarity and power in the NT (I Peter 1:16). By “holy”, God is not requiring His people to be perfect as without all sin for He knows such a standard would be impossible for us to achieve on this side of heaven. However, we must understand that this does not give us liberty to go out and sin as much as we feel is possible without the vexation of conscience (rf. Romans 6:1-14). He does want us to refrain from sin as much as possible with the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit, depending on Him not on ourselves to accomplish this.
The very NT context of the passage surrounding “Be holy” shows that God’s expectation of “holiness” has a direct connection to our actions.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior...” (rf. I Peter 1:14-15)
Moses in the Old Testament and Peter in the New both mean by “holiness” being separate from the world by the way that we live, the things that we do and say as we obey the teachings of Scripture, God’s Holy Word. Specifically, in the NT, the teachings of Jesus Christ provide all the guidance necessary for us to follow God’s precepts to live holy lives. As stated before, He also gives us the indwelling power and Presence of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be obedient to this task.
If we were to take this truth of being holy seriously (since it is a command), we would surely be a much different people of God, expressed as the Church today, than what we are at present. We would not be complicit with the attitudes and actions of our culture. Rather, we would be counter-cultural in all that we do. We would not be encouraging the ways of anti-Biblical movements whose practices and beliefs that run cross-grained to the historically-held truths of the Christian faith. We would be speaking truth into these groups with the love of Christ in the hope that, by being agents of light and grace, we could be a transforming influence to each and all.
We should also address within our own ranks the growing ills of rampant adultery, drunkenness, fornication/living together, lying, cheating, pornography and the many other sins that have subtly increased like cancers in our midst. Our church fellowships are sickened by hypocrisy because they have brought into the sanctuary the god of “political correctness”, the philosophy of mutual toleration, a new cover for the “multitude of sins” and have set it up for all to bow down to and worship. This new idolatry allows for church members to freely use Saturday nights for bar-hopping and then come to church on Sunday as a matter on conscience-soothing penance. On the opposite end of the spectrum, for those of the “holier-than-thou” mentality, one can just as well act “super-spiritual” while masking a heart full of pride and self-righteousness. In either case, as long as “political correctness” occupies the sanctuary, no one will ever bring up the subject of accountability or submission, the two words most abhorred and feared in the realm of idolatry.
Yet, in reality, these are two of the greatest needs in His Church. Reasserting our submission to Christ and our accountability to Him and His Word are paramount. We must “come clean”, confessing and repenting of our individual and corporate hypocrisies. Only by doing this can we start afresh and have the correct foundation upon which a holy life can be firmly built.
If God has commanded us to “be holy” (and He has), then we have no other option, no other choice, than to be obedient if we truly want His blessing upon us. Therefore, may we take an honest look at our own lives. Do away with the things that are unholy and start living like the “peculiar people” He wants us to be. Others might not want to be around us anymore. We may lose friends as a result. Family members could think us as strange. So be it. The most important thing for us to remember is that we should be obedient to the One Who has purchased us with His blood. He is the One Whose acceptance and pleasure of our actions and heart attitudes counts the most in the end.
The Reality of Hell
In the latest issue of Time (April 25, 2011), on the basis of the recent release of megachurch pastor Rob Bell’s latest book, Love Wins, the magazine asks the question on its cover, “What If There’s No Hell?” This question arises due to the premise of Bell’s work wherein Bell challenges the Biblical doctrine of Hell and God’s judgment of those who reject the message of Christ in His Gospel. Bell surmises that the love of God is so great as to overcome every obstacle, even our sin of unbelief and the death that might prevent us from exercising said belief in the end. He states his assertion that God will ultimately win in bringing His saving love to bear upon the most adamant of unbelieving souls to prove how great and glorious a God He really is. Thus, though we should still encourage others to believe in Christ during this life, it really will not matter in the end because eventually Love Wins according to Bell.
One readily understands the sentimentality that Bell exudes when thinking about the subject of Hell. We all have folks in our lives that we do not want to go there...if, according to Bell, Hell even exists (which, by the way, he doesn’t). After all, in Bell’s own humble and self- perceived accurate opinion, we know “good” people, even “great” people (take Gandhi for Bell’s example) who do not or would not deserve to go to such a place of eternal punishment. Indeed, if “God is love” according to Scripture, why would He even conceive of creating a location like Hell? It would seem in our sensibilities to be a contradiction in His character. This is the reasoning of folks like Rob Bell. They endeavor to appeal to our emotions, tugging at our heart strings.
Yet, reality is not to be judged by human emotions. Rather, we should heed the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:14-15...
“...we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ...”
Our beliefs are based on the clear teachings of God’s Word which reveal the whole picture of Who God is in all of His qualities and character. These aspects are not a buffet table on which we have the authority to pass through and choose the things we like to keep and which ones are to be dismissed because we do not understand them. As God clearly points out in Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Oddly enough, Hell was never a subject of ambiguity for Jesus. He spoke very frequently about it throughout His ministry, using the trash dump that was always aflame outside of Jerusalem, Gehenna, as His point of illustration for the spiritual place of eternal punishment. He also made it plain that entrance into this eternal torment was by virtue of disbelief in and denial of Him as well as disobedience of His teachings (rf. Matthew 10:24-28; Luke 12:4-9). The basis of Hell and its creation was God’s justice on all ungodliness and wickedness (rf. II Peter 2:4).
In fact, it is Jesus Himself who states that He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” and that only by believing in Him can one gain access to the Father and eternal life (rf. John 14:6). As the Good Shepherd, He makes it plain that His ministry is to secure His sheep into His fold, both Jew and Gentile (rf. John 10: 10-11, 14-16, 25-29). Yet, for those who do not believe and do not follow Christ’s teachings, these are deemed “goats”, not His sheep, and have a much different destiny when time has reached its conclusion, when the bar of judgment is open and the gates of Hell swing wide awaiting new arrivals (rf. Matthew 25:31-46). Indeed, if God had not made Hell for those who did not abide by His rules and will, He would not be a God of love at all. One would not want to follow a God who thought so little of His servants as to not ultimately distinguish good from evil, much less to negate the evil as He refused to protect and extol that which was righteous. If that is the god that Rob Bell and others like him serve, then Love does not win...it rather fails and does so miserably.
Following Bell’s logic, removing the doctrine of Hell takes away both the need to believe in Jesus as Messiah and God’s requirement for the atonement, the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior! As the Apostles’ Creed itself declares, “He (Christ) descended into Hell”, echoing the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:9-10:
“Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.”
If it’s not necessary for Jesus to die on the cross and be resurrected in order for us to be saved, then the entirety of the Christian faith is a sham! As Paul states in I Corinthians 15:13-19:
“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
However, thanks be to God, false prophets like Rob Bell will not thwart us because we know the Truth, the Life, and the Way—Jesus Christ. He is our Good Shepherd. We are His sheep as we have trusted in Him and His Word to us. We know there is a Hell for those who do not believe in Him and it is our calling to “make disciples”, bringing the “lost sheep” back into His fold. We praise Him for being both just and merciful so that when time is over, seeing the Lord in all of His glory and splendor as His judgments are concluded, the righteous will loudly, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord our God”! God’s Holiness and Love will win!
One readily understands the sentimentality that Bell exudes when thinking about the subject of Hell. We all have folks in our lives that we do not want to go there...if, according to Bell, Hell even exists (which, by the way, he doesn’t). After all, in Bell’s own humble and self- perceived accurate opinion, we know “good” people, even “great” people (take Gandhi for Bell’s example) who do not or would not deserve to go to such a place of eternal punishment. Indeed, if “God is love” according to Scripture, why would He even conceive of creating a location like Hell? It would seem in our sensibilities to be a contradiction in His character. This is the reasoning of folks like Rob Bell. They endeavor to appeal to our emotions, tugging at our heart strings.
Yet, reality is not to be judged by human emotions. Rather, we should heed the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:14-15...
“...we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ...”
Our beliefs are based on the clear teachings of God’s Word which reveal the whole picture of Who God is in all of His qualities and character. These aspects are not a buffet table on which we have the authority to pass through and choose the things we like to keep and which ones are to be dismissed because we do not understand them. As God clearly points out in Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Oddly enough, Hell was never a subject of ambiguity for Jesus. He spoke very frequently about it throughout His ministry, using the trash dump that was always aflame outside of Jerusalem, Gehenna, as His point of illustration for the spiritual place of eternal punishment. He also made it plain that entrance into this eternal torment was by virtue of disbelief in and denial of Him as well as disobedience of His teachings (rf. Matthew 10:24-28; Luke 12:4-9). The basis of Hell and its creation was God’s justice on all ungodliness and wickedness (rf. II Peter 2:4).
In fact, it is Jesus Himself who states that He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” and that only by believing in Him can one gain access to the Father and eternal life (rf. John 14:6). As the Good Shepherd, He makes it plain that His ministry is to secure His sheep into His fold, both Jew and Gentile (rf. John 10: 10-11, 14-16, 25-29). Yet, for those who do not believe and do not follow Christ’s teachings, these are deemed “goats”, not His sheep, and have a much different destiny when time has reached its conclusion, when the bar of judgment is open and the gates of Hell swing wide awaiting new arrivals (rf. Matthew 25:31-46). Indeed, if God had not made Hell for those who did not abide by His rules and will, He would not be a God of love at all. One would not want to follow a God who thought so little of His servants as to not ultimately distinguish good from evil, much less to negate the evil as He refused to protect and extol that which was righteous. If that is the god that Rob Bell and others like him serve, then Love does not win...it rather fails and does so miserably.
Following Bell’s logic, removing the doctrine of Hell takes away both the need to believe in Jesus as Messiah and God’s requirement for the atonement, the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior! As the Apostles’ Creed itself declares, “He (Christ) descended into Hell”, echoing the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:9-10:
“Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.”
If it’s not necessary for Jesus to die on the cross and be resurrected in order for us to be saved, then the entirety of the Christian faith is a sham! As Paul states in I Corinthians 15:13-19:
“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
However, thanks be to God, false prophets like Rob Bell will not thwart us because we know the Truth, the Life, and the Way—Jesus Christ. He is our Good Shepherd. We are His sheep as we have trusted in Him and His Word to us. We know there is a Hell for those who do not believe in Him and it is our calling to “make disciples”, bringing the “lost sheep” back into His fold. We praise Him for being both just and merciful so that when time is over, seeing the Lord in all of His glory and splendor as His judgments are concluded, the righteous will loudly, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord our God”! God’s Holiness and Love will win!
Do Not Fear the Future
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you...”
(rf. Matthew 24:3-4)
“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”
(rf. Mark 13:32)
Earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. Civil war in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain. Economic turmoil throughout the known world breeding uncertainty as to the future. Many are running to the Scripture to find not only comfort and peace amidst troubling times, but also reasons for the things that are happening. They believe that what was written so long ago is as determining as the newspaper headlines printed for today. Added to that are the harbingers of woe from the secular world telling us that, according to the prophets of the Mayan culture predominantly along with the foretelling of Nostradomus of the 16th century, the world will undoubtedly come to an end in December of 2012.
However, if we are to be Biblical Christians and follow the words of Christ specifically, we should be a people of hope and not despair. After all, as the Apostle John tells us in I John 4:18-19, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.”
Fear of the future should not be a part of our pedigree. We should trust in our God without question. He has promised to take care of His people...period. Therefore, we should live our lives in perfect peace, knowing that we are totally secure in Him. Whether we live or die, we are His and He will never leave us nor forsake us ever. He has promised to provide for our every need regardless of the circumstances. So, again, we should not fear the future.
Therefore, having such an encouragement, let us look at what the Scriptures actually state above so we will not fall prey to foolish nonsense that desires to captivate the unsuspecting and ignorant among us. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24 in answering the two questions of His disciples that He wants no one to mislead them as to what the signs of His coming and those of the end of the age, two separate events, will be. To correctly interpret this passage, we must understand that Jesus is speaking to His disciples in the first century, not the twenty-first century. We must never look at the passage first through the lens of our own time, but through the time period in which the passage was originally spoken or written in order to correctly exegete or grasp the meaning.
Secondly, Jesus’ use of “coming”, especially in reference with clouds, power and glory (vs. 30) is an Old Testament pseudonym for judgment (rf. Psalm 97:1-6; 104:1-4; Nahum 1:2-3). If that were true, then His “coming” to the disciples would have been understood as judgment to Jerusalem and to the Jewish people for rejecting their Promised Messiah, a judgment foretold in Matthew 23:37-39 in the same context. Indeed, Jesus spends the first thirty or so verses of Matthew twenty-four simply warning His disciples to flee from Jerusalem when these signs appear because the judgment that He brings will be so severe (rf. Matthew 24:5-31).
Jesus goes on to state (rf. Matthew 24:32-25:30) what the signs of the end of the age would be by virtue of parables, a feature common to the teaching style of Jesus. He shares the parables of the fig tree, the thief in the house, the ten virgins and the talents to give different dynamics of what to look for as signs that the end of the age is coming, of how his followers are to prepare themselves for when He returns to bring all things to their final culmination. He then provides the capstone of this discussion with His disciples by disclosing what the last judgment will look like (rf. Matthew 25:31-46) with Christ separating the people into two groups, His sheep into one with all the rest as the “goats”.
Why am I sharing this brief synopsis of Matthew 24/25 with you? For the very same reason Jesus shared with His disciples: “See that no one misleads you.” The only way that we as believers can safely navigate through troubled times like these is to hold on tightly to God’s Word rightly understood. There are too many folks out there who are trying to profit from the fears of others, exploiting turmoil, and, yes, using God’s Word as a tool to accomplish their ends. Do not be fooled by them! Remember Jesus’ words in Mark: “But of that day or hour no one knows”. If anyone makes a prediction concerning the end of the world or the coming of Christ, etc., mark them down as a false prophet regardless of their credentials!
Make no mistake. Jesus will return in His own time according to the Father’s will. When He does, He wants us to be about the Father’s business. That is what should be our primary concern. We should be ready to welcome Him here nor wringing our hands about when will He be coming! If our hearts are pure, it will not matter when He returns after all. Will it?
(rf. Matthew 24:3-4)
“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”
(rf. Mark 13:32)
Earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. Civil war in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain. Economic turmoil throughout the known world breeding uncertainty as to the future. Many are running to the Scripture to find not only comfort and peace amidst troubling times, but also reasons for the things that are happening. They believe that what was written so long ago is as determining as the newspaper headlines printed for today. Added to that are the harbingers of woe from the secular world telling us that, according to the prophets of the Mayan culture predominantly along with the foretelling of Nostradomus of the 16th century, the world will undoubtedly come to an end in December of 2012.
However, if we are to be Biblical Christians and follow the words of Christ specifically, we should be a people of hope and not despair. After all, as the Apostle John tells us in I John 4:18-19, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.”
Fear of the future should not be a part of our pedigree. We should trust in our God without question. He has promised to take care of His people...period. Therefore, we should live our lives in perfect peace, knowing that we are totally secure in Him. Whether we live or die, we are His and He will never leave us nor forsake us ever. He has promised to provide for our every need regardless of the circumstances. So, again, we should not fear the future.
Therefore, having such an encouragement, let us look at what the Scriptures actually state above so we will not fall prey to foolish nonsense that desires to captivate the unsuspecting and ignorant among us. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24 in answering the two questions of His disciples that He wants no one to mislead them as to what the signs of His coming and those of the end of the age, two separate events, will be. To correctly interpret this passage, we must understand that Jesus is speaking to His disciples in the first century, not the twenty-first century. We must never look at the passage first through the lens of our own time, but through the time period in which the passage was originally spoken or written in order to correctly exegete or grasp the meaning.
Secondly, Jesus’ use of “coming”, especially in reference with clouds, power and glory (vs. 30) is an Old Testament pseudonym for judgment (rf. Psalm 97:1-6; 104:1-4; Nahum 1:2-3). If that were true, then His “coming” to the disciples would have been understood as judgment to Jerusalem and to the Jewish people for rejecting their Promised Messiah, a judgment foretold in Matthew 23:37-39 in the same context. Indeed, Jesus spends the first thirty or so verses of Matthew twenty-four simply warning His disciples to flee from Jerusalem when these signs appear because the judgment that He brings will be so severe (rf. Matthew 24:5-31).
Jesus goes on to state (rf. Matthew 24:32-25:30) what the signs of the end of the age would be by virtue of parables, a feature common to the teaching style of Jesus. He shares the parables of the fig tree, the thief in the house, the ten virgins and the talents to give different dynamics of what to look for as signs that the end of the age is coming, of how his followers are to prepare themselves for when He returns to bring all things to their final culmination. He then provides the capstone of this discussion with His disciples by disclosing what the last judgment will look like (rf. Matthew 25:31-46) with Christ separating the people into two groups, His sheep into one with all the rest as the “goats”.
Why am I sharing this brief synopsis of Matthew 24/25 with you? For the very same reason Jesus shared with His disciples: “See that no one misleads you.” The only way that we as believers can safely navigate through troubled times like these is to hold on tightly to God’s Word rightly understood. There are too many folks out there who are trying to profit from the fears of others, exploiting turmoil, and, yes, using God’s Word as a tool to accomplish their ends. Do not be fooled by them! Remember Jesus’ words in Mark: “But of that day or hour no one knows”. If anyone makes a prediction concerning the end of the world or the coming of Christ, etc., mark them down as a false prophet regardless of their credentials!
Make no mistake. Jesus will return in His own time according to the Father’s will. When He does, He wants us to be about the Father’s business. That is what should be our primary concern. We should be ready to welcome Him here nor wringing our hands about when will He be coming! If our hearts are pure, it will not matter when He returns after all. Will it?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Church Members and Church Attendance
Recently I was privy to a discussion on the subject of church membership. I have always been amazed at how touchy people can become when the issue of membership arises among "the brethren". It stems, I believe, from the erroneous notion based in tradition that one's membership in a church is a sacred bond or trust, tantamount to a stock investment in a company, never to be touched or changed by the corporation, or in this case the church, only by the member or stockholder himself/herself.
This perception on first glance might seem right on target, especially in the light of the "Entitlement"-prone culture in which we presently live. However, our standard of measure is not the culture, but the Scripture, God's Holy Word. When this perspective is lined up accordingly, what we find might actually surprise us.
First of all, church membership, as we know it, being an official name on a roll for statistical purposes and denominational "bragging-rights", is not all to be found in either the Old or New Testaments. What we will find is a very different definition of church membership than what we have come to understand. Church membership in the New Testament, in particular, is the Providential location where God has chosen to place a person for service and worship. Proof of one's faith in Christ was shown in one's life and devotion to His teachings as well as time spent with fellow believers in worship and spiritual growth. It did not reside in the files of church offices and stay there until requested by members or other churches. It went automatically with the believers as they traveled from place to place.
This is why Paul's letters are addressed literally to the "assembled believers" (ekklesia) at Ephesus...Colossae...Philippi, etc. Wherever the believers in Christ were located, they were "members", that is, there they worshiped and served. They were already members of Christ's Body, the universal Church. Location didn't matter. When they moved from Ephesus to Philippi, they didn't "transfer their letter"; they simply moved and attached themselves to one of the house churches at Philippi and started serving and worshiping Christ there. In other words, their "membership" went with them. There was no such thing as leaving one's membership at a previous location for any reason.
Secondly, the New Testament makes it clear that, unless one is hindered by sickness or physical constraints that prevent one's being a part of worship and service at the local fellowship, not to do so brings into serious question one's own salvation at best if not invalidating it altogether at worst. For those who elect not to join in fellowship with the church in which they are members because 1) they have been offended by actions or words by others within the church or 2) they don't like the way the church has decided to do this thing or that or 3) a myriad of other possibilities that they can pursue, hear what the Scripture says:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (rf. Hebrews 10:25)
Note the encouragement at the beginning for those who are of the household of faith: "...hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering...consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds". Obviously, we must be together to do these things. That's why "forsaking (the) assembling together, as is the habit of some" is detrimental not only to do those who do it, but also to the rest of the fellowship because it weakens us all when we all are not present.
They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (rf. I John 2:19)
John here in context is establishing the principle that true faithfulness in fellowship is one of the key signatures in real and abiding salvation. We are drawn together because of Jesus Christ, secondarily because of our love for each other. If we have a problem with either of those two reasons, then the problem is with our own hearts and salvation has more than likely never been experienced.
However, assuming that I have been saved and I am a church member, simply put, to be a part of Christ's Church is a huge responsibility. Although the church body is responsible for displaying to its members the love of Christ (rf. John 13:34-35) and for extending to me opportunities to worship the Lord and fellowship with His people, I am responsible to be a viable asset of the particular gathering of believers God has selected for me at this time in my life. I am responsible to worship Him there in the lifting up of my voice in prayer and praise as well as in the giving of my tithes and offerings consistently to the work of His kingdom. I am responsible for serving Him through the various ministries and missions opportunities afforded me through this particular local fellowship. If I expect this fellowship to do these things in my stead or to beg me to do that for which I alone am responsible, then I am the one who is self-centered, disobedient and sinful. In such a state, I can expect no great blessing from God until I repent and return to the path of obedience and faith once again.
May this walk down "membership lane" serve to encourage us all to take serious stock of the great benefit God has given us in being a part of Christ's Church. After all, if Jesus gave His lifeblood for Her, is it too much to ask that we be committed members in service to Him?
This perception on first glance might seem right on target, especially in the light of the "Entitlement"-prone culture in which we presently live. However, our standard of measure is not the culture, but the Scripture, God's Holy Word. When this perspective is lined up accordingly, what we find might actually surprise us.
First of all, church membership, as we know it, being an official name on a roll for statistical purposes and denominational "bragging-rights", is not all to be found in either the Old or New Testaments. What we will find is a very different definition of church membership than what we have come to understand. Church membership in the New Testament, in particular, is the Providential location where God has chosen to place a person for service and worship. Proof of one's faith in Christ was shown in one's life and devotion to His teachings as well as time spent with fellow believers in worship and spiritual growth. It did not reside in the files of church offices and stay there until requested by members or other churches. It went automatically with the believers as they traveled from place to place.
This is why Paul's letters are addressed literally to the "assembled believers" (ekklesia) at Ephesus...Colossae...Philippi, etc. Wherever the believers in Christ were located, they were "members", that is, there they worshiped and served. They were already members of Christ's Body, the universal Church. Location didn't matter. When they moved from Ephesus to Philippi, they didn't "transfer their letter"; they simply moved and attached themselves to one of the house churches at Philippi and started serving and worshiping Christ there. In other words, their "membership" went with them. There was no such thing as leaving one's membership at a previous location for any reason.
Secondly, the New Testament makes it clear that, unless one is hindered by sickness or physical constraints that prevent one's being a part of worship and service at the local fellowship, not to do so brings into serious question one's own salvation at best if not invalidating it altogether at worst. For those who elect not to join in fellowship with the church in which they are members because 1) they have been offended by actions or words by others within the church or 2) they don't like the way the church has decided to do this thing or that or 3) a myriad of other possibilities that they can pursue, hear what the Scripture says:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (rf. Hebrews 10:25)
Note the encouragement at the beginning for those who are of the household of faith: "...hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering...consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds". Obviously, we must be together to do these things. That's why "forsaking (the) assembling together, as is the habit of some" is detrimental not only to do those who do it, but also to the rest of the fellowship because it weakens us all when we all are not present.
They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (rf. I John 2:19)
John here in context is establishing the principle that true faithfulness in fellowship is one of the key signatures in real and abiding salvation. We are drawn together because of Jesus Christ, secondarily because of our love for each other. If we have a problem with either of those two reasons, then the problem is with our own hearts and salvation has more than likely never been experienced.
However, assuming that I have been saved and I am a church member, simply put, to be a part of Christ's Church is a huge responsibility. Although the church body is responsible for displaying to its members the love of Christ (rf. John 13:34-35) and for extending to me opportunities to worship the Lord and fellowship with His people, I am responsible to be a viable asset of the particular gathering of believers God has selected for me at this time in my life. I am responsible to worship Him there in the lifting up of my voice in prayer and praise as well as in the giving of my tithes and offerings consistently to the work of His kingdom. I am responsible for serving Him through the various ministries and missions opportunities afforded me through this particular local fellowship. If I expect this fellowship to do these things in my stead or to beg me to do that for which I alone am responsible, then I am the one who is self-centered, disobedient and sinful. In such a state, I can expect no great blessing from God until I repent and return to the path of obedience and faith once again.
May this walk down "membership lane" serve to encourage us all to take serious stock of the great benefit God has given us in being a part of Christ's Church. After all, if Jesus gave His lifeblood for Her, is it too much to ask that we be committed members in service to Him?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Different Meanings of Love
The calendar turns again to reds and pinks as a reminder to us that February is the month of “love”. Whether with hearts or Cupids, spelled out or implied, we are everywhere immersed in the concept. It is interesting how we so flippantly bounce that word around, “love”, that is, especially in the English language. We say, “I love you” to our spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, dog, cat, favorite car, stuffed animal, pile of cash, etc. There is no difference in the wording, only the meaning we may place on the wording in our hearts.
It is a far different thing in the Greek language. At least the Greeks were wise enough to use distinctions in their words to differentiate their meanings so one would not have to look at the context to discern what or who a person really loved. Let me give you some examples.
If affection was being shared between brothers and sisters or within a family context or even between friends, those using the Greek language of the New Testament times would employ a form of the word, phileo (pronounced fil-ay-o). An example of this usage would be Matthew 10:37 where Jesus declares that we cannot have greater love and affection for our family members than for Him. This is not to say that this type of love is condemned, not all. It has its rightful place within the family or friend context, just not as superior to Christ.
Though it is not employed as a word specifically in Scripture but definitely in concept, eros is the term the Greeks utilized when referencing romantic, intimate or sexual feelings between men and women. Eros would be akin to the KJV’s application of “to know” as in “Adam knew Eve” (rf. Genesis 4:1a). It obviously means so much more than intellectual knowledge; it is the sharing of one with another on a deep, intimate level, heart-to-heart as well as fulfilling the “one-flesh” command. The eros concept in Scripture is most vividly and beautifully portrayed in the symmetrical interaction of lovers in the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon). Included within the Wisdom literature of the Bible, it is intended to show that intimate love within the marriage covenant is to be a practiced art and is both a God-given gift to man and an expression of praise to our Creator.
Finally, there is the highest and greatest level of love, the unconditional version. Agapeo (pronounced a-ga-pay-o) is the word we most commonly associate with Biblical “love” because it is the love that God has for us as His children. Rather than “love if someone will do this for us” or “love because someone is this to us”, agapeo is simply “I love you period...understanding who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve come from, etc.” As powerful a concept as it is for God to have this kind of love for us, it is even more daunting to realize that He actually expects us to have this same kind of love for each other. Jesus makes this point very clear in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love (version of agapeo) one another, just as I have loved (version of agapeo) you.” Wow, what a target we must reach, huh?
So, as we proceed through this “month of love”, let us be far more mindful of what we mean when we use that term “love”. When we say to our fellow Christians in church (or anywhere else for that matter), “I love you”, do we really mean it, first of all, or is it just a glib saying to assuage our consciences? If we do “love” them, do we love them enough? Is it just phileo or agapeo? And when it comes to our spouses, has the eros gone completely out of our tires, leaving only phileo to bind us together? Could it be that a good dose of the Song of Songs is in order?
Maybe this month we should pray that the Spirit of God Who dwells within our hearts and knows best what distinguishing types of love we need most in our lives, relationships and marriages will instill and ignite just the right ones in just the right spots for just the right purposes. He alone sees our deficiencies and knows exactly how to correct them. With His leading we can apply these phileo, eros and agapeo principles accurately with the desired Scriptural results. Then, as Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one toward another” (rf. John 13:35).
It is a far different thing in the Greek language. At least the Greeks were wise enough to use distinctions in their words to differentiate their meanings so one would not have to look at the context to discern what or who a person really loved. Let me give you some examples.
If affection was being shared between brothers and sisters or within a family context or even between friends, those using the Greek language of the New Testament times would employ a form of the word, phileo (pronounced fil-ay-o). An example of this usage would be Matthew 10:37 where Jesus declares that we cannot have greater love and affection for our family members than for Him. This is not to say that this type of love is condemned, not all. It has its rightful place within the family or friend context, just not as superior to Christ.
Though it is not employed as a word specifically in Scripture but definitely in concept, eros is the term the Greeks utilized when referencing romantic, intimate or sexual feelings between men and women. Eros would be akin to the KJV’s application of “to know” as in “Adam knew Eve” (rf. Genesis 4:1a). It obviously means so much more than intellectual knowledge; it is the sharing of one with another on a deep, intimate level, heart-to-heart as well as fulfilling the “one-flesh” command. The eros concept in Scripture is most vividly and beautifully portrayed in the symmetrical interaction of lovers in the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon). Included within the Wisdom literature of the Bible, it is intended to show that intimate love within the marriage covenant is to be a practiced art and is both a God-given gift to man and an expression of praise to our Creator.
Finally, there is the highest and greatest level of love, the unconditional version. Agapeo (pronounced a-ga-pay-o) is the word we most commonly associate with Biblical “love” because it is the love that God has for us as His children. Rather than “love if someone will do this for us” or “love because someone is this to us”, agapeo is simply “I love you period...understanding who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve come from, etc.” As powerful a concept as it is for God to have this kind of love for us, it is even more daunting to realize that He actually expects us to have this same kind of love for each other. Jesus makes this point very clear in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love (version of agapeo) one another, just as I have loved (version of agapeo) you.” Wow, what a target we must reach, huh?
So, as we proceed through this “month of love”, let us be far more mindful of what we mean when we use that term “love”. When we say to our fellow Christians in church (or anywhere else for that matter), “I love you”, do we really mean it, first of all, or is it just a glib saying to assuage our consciences? If we do “love” them, do we love them enough? Is it just phileo or agapeo? And when it comes to our spouses, has the eros gone completely out of our tires, leaving only phileo to bind us together? Could it be that a good dose of the Song of Songs is in order?
Maybe this month we should pray that the Spirit of God Who dwells within our hearts and knows best what distinguishing types of love we need most in our lives, relationships and marriages will instill and ignite just the right ones in just the right spots for just the right purposes. He alone sees our deficiencies and knows exactly how to correct them. With His leading we can apply these phileo, eros and agapeo principles accurately with the desired Scriptural results. Then, as Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one toward another” (rf. John 13:35).
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Submit to His Ways
As I type out this article closing out one year moving into the next, the snow falls steadily outside the window disclosing in God’s uncanny way how uncertain, yet exciting are the paths of life. As the Apostle James rightly puts it in 4:13-15: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” When we set out on a journey, we never really know what the Lord has in store for us. We tend to forget that it is He who truly has control over our lives and not us. We fight against that fact constantly in our sinful humanity but much to our own frustration. Regardless of our efforts to the contrary, the Lord shows us in ways both great and small that even though “the mind of man plans his way...the Lord directs his steps.” (rf. Proverbs 16:9)
So, why bring this up? Why stress these things at this time? It should be quite obvious. At this time of year, the world around us makes a very big deal about making plans, reprioritizing one’s life, setting up new resolutions to follow as the new year begins. If we heed this wisdom, we will start out with good intentions and, then, in just a short while, the intentions will fall by the wayside as we allow the cares of life to dictate the decisions we make, overriding the good intentions of yore.
However, if we heeded the wisdom of James and the author of the proverb (probably Solomon) we would realize a different end. Notice that in both cases, there is a clear submission of one’s life to the Lord on a daily basis. This produces humility in attitude and spirit as well as an understanding that none of us ultimate control our own destiny. When we affirm the Lordship of Christ in our lives, we see Him as He is Biblically portrayed, “Lord of all”. That designation is not limited to all things outside of ourselves, but it includes ourselves as well. This does not relegate us to mindless robots, but to beings within the scope of His will, fully responsible for our own decisions yet even those decisions are under the jurisdiction of His plan. Joseph understood this principle perfectly as he explained it to his brothers when they bowed before him as governor over all of Egypt: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (rf. Genesis 50:20)
The truth that we need to see clearly as we proceed into this new year is this: seek and submit. Seek the Lord and His wisdom in everything that we do. If we claim His Name and to be His followers/servants, then it only follows that we need to be attentive to where He leads and what He says to do. He has already given us His Word; therefore, we have only to read it and do what it says... which lead us to the second part of the truth. Not only in attitude but in action, we need to be submissive in our hearts. We should be humble before Him and our fellow man, readily recognizing that His way is much better than our own, His plans far exceeding ours in wisdom and authority. Then after seeking and being submissive, we should follow through with what we believe we are being led to do, regardless if conventional wisdom or popularity tries to convince us otherwise, always verifying our leadings by the clear teachings of His Word. God does not operate by worldly ways, mind you. As His Word testifies, His ways are not ours...but much higher than our own (paraphrase of Isaiah 55:9).
This new year lies before us all with great possibilities and opportunities. Let us then pursue the course that the Lord has set out for us to follow and not the one that we have developed on our own, now understanding that His way and will for us is always best.
So, why bring this up? Why stress these things at this time? It should be quite obvious. At this time of year, the world around us makes a very big deal about making plans, reprioritizing one’s life, setting up new resolutions to follow as the new year begins. If we heed this wisdom, we will start out with good intentions and, then, in just a short while, the intentions will fall by the wayside as we allow the cares of life to dictate the decisions we make, overriding the good intentions of yore.
However, if we heeded the wisdom of James and the author of the proverb (probably Solomon) we would realize a different end. Notice that in both cases, there is a clear submission of one’s life to the Lord on a daily basis. This produces humility in attitude and spirit as well as an understanding that none of us ultimate control our own destiny. When we affirm the Lordship of Christ in our lives, we see Him as He is Biblically portrayed, “Lord of all”. That designation is not limited to all things outside of ourselves, but it includes ourselves as well. This does not relegate us to mindless robots, but to beings within the scope of His will, fully responsible for our own decisions yet even those decisions are under the jurisdiction of His plan. Joseph understood this principle perfectly as he explained it to his brothers when they bowed before him as governor over all of Egypt: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (rf. Genesis 50:20)
The truth that we need to see clearly as we proceed into this new year is this: seek and submit. Seek the Lord and His wisdom in everything that we do. If we claim His Name and to be His followers/servants, then it only follows that we need to be attentive to where He leads and what He says to do. He has already given us His Word; therefore, we have only to read it and do what it says... which lead us to the second part of the truth. Not only in attitude but in action, we need to be submissive in our hearts. We should be humble before Him and our fellow man, readily recognizing that His way is much better than our own, His plans far exceeding ours in wisdom and authority. Then after seeking and being submissive, we should follow through with what we believe we are being led to do, regardless if conventional wisdom or popularity tries to convince us otherwise, always verifying our leadings by the clear teachings of His Word. God does not operate by worldly ways, mind you. As His Word testifies, His ways are not ours...but much higher than our own (paraphrase of Isaiah 55:9).
This new year lies before us all with great possibilities and opportunities. Let us then pursue the course that the Lord has set out for us to follow and not the one that we have developed on our own, now understanding that His way and will for us is always best.
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