[God], who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Cor 1:8
Name the Corinthians' problem. Divisive over the gifts? Arrogant toward their sin? Triumphalistic in their view of their own sanctificaation?
Name Paul's attitude toward the Corinthian church. Frustrated at their lack of spiritual growth? Surprised by their willingness to treat other brothers with contempt? Upset that they would willingly tarnish the bride of Christ?
All of this (and probably much more) serves as a helpful diagnostic when reading 1st and 2nd Corinthians. But nowhere do we get the real sense that the Corinthian church was doubting God's sustaining love and grace.
So my question the other day was this: Why did Paul insert v8 into his introduction to his letter? He never really follows up. He never really stresses this theme again (ala Rom 8). So, why did you do it Paul?
I think the answer is this: the power and promise of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are so central in Paul's mind that he doesn't see the need to repeat himself. Everything flows from this reality. Christ paid the infinite price. Therefore we don't have to, now or forever. Jesus secured our redemption, not just for Good Friday, not just for Easter Sunday, not just for the day we "accepted" our salvation, not just for the day we are ushered into heavenly glory, but for everyday and for all time.
Paul's whole thesis to the Corinthians, be the Christians Jesus has called you and saved you to be, is grounded on the fact that Jesus died and rose (15:1-4) and through this sacrifice of himself, Jesus will hold us secure and guiltless to end. No matter what.
To God Alone be the Glory
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
To Cling and Hunger Like Never Before
A prayer by CH Spurgeon
"O Lord, that we would cling to you more firmly than ever we have done. We trust that we can say we love you Lord, but Oh that we would love you more! Let this blessed flame feed on the very marrow of our bones. May the zeal of your house consume us; may we feel that we love you Lord with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, with all our strength, and hence may there be about our life a special consecration, an immovable dedication unto you O Lord alone...
"O Lord Jesus, deepen in us our knowledge of you. We would that the Word of God were more sweet to us, more intensely precious, that we had a deeper hunger and thirst after it. Oh that our knowledge of the truth were more clear and our grip of it more steadfast. Teach us, O Lord, to know the reason for the hope that is in us, and to be able to defend the faith against all comers. Plough deep in us, great Lord, and let the roots of your grace strike into the roots of our being, until it shall be no longer we who live, but 'Christ who lives in us' "
"O Lord, that we would cling to you more firmly than ever we have done. We trust that we can say we love you Lord, but Oh that we would love you more! Let this blessed flame feed on the very marrow of our bones. May the zeal of your house consume us; may we feel that we love you Lord with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, with all our strength, and hence may there be about our life a special consecration, an immovable dedication unto you O Lord alone...
"O Lord Jesus, deepen in us our knowledge of you. We would that the Word of God were more sweet to us, more intensely precious, that we had a deeper hunger and thirst after it. Oh that our knowledge of the truth were more clear and our grip of it more steadfast. Teach us, O Lord, to know the reason for the hope that is in us, and to be able to defend the faith against all comers. Plough deep in us, great Lord, and let the roots of your grace strike into the roots of our being, until it shall be no longer we who live, but 'Christ who lives in us' "
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Grace and the Sovereignty of God
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Col 1:15-20 (ESV)
I have chosen my words carefully for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because I know there is an age old debate within the Church regarding God's sovereignty set against a person's responsibility. I am not bold enough to say I have the answer, although I do believe God's Word constrains the debate much more than many of us would like.
The second reason for choosing my words carefully is that some reading this may think this is an attack on (or a defense of) of a particular person. That is certainly not my intent. There is only One person with a perfect theology and I am not Him. I wish to speak to our heart attitude and I think God's Word gives us more clarity than we realize, if we are willing to press into it.
With that being said, I feel compelled to declare that it is a gracious gift to us that God is sovereignly in control of all things. I realize that there is much packed into that thought and it may be too much for me to address in the remainder of this post. However, I will try to lay out a Biblical defense of this idea.
First, it almost seems silly, but I will state it for the record: I think the Bible is clear that God is sovereign over all things. Col 1 (above) states it, as does the conclusion of Job, the story of Joseph (Gen 37ff), Jer 1:5, Phil 1:6, Acts 4:27-28, and so on. Jesus states that not a sparrow falls to the ground without God's decree (Mt 10:29) and that God clothes the flowers that last only a day (Mt 6:30). Yet, both of these statements are not laid out by Jesus to defend God's sovereignty. Rather, he presumes this sovereignty to declare something even better: God's love and grace!
Second, I think our amazement at the the love and grace of God is limited by our lack of amazement at the sovereignty and authority of God. Somehow, in our quest to reform our own behavior and the behavior of those around us, we too quickly slide into calling ourselves or each other to act. "Do this and God will be pleased." "Stop that or you may miss the blessing God has for you." And while I want to be crystal clear that there is a huge responsibility in following Christ and God's expectations on us are indeed high, we must get things in the correct order. If not, we will not ultimately reform our behavior nor we will we please the God who desires mercy, not sacrifice.
Here is a question to ponder: What is the basis of your confidence in God? For many of us it is based on the fact that He has done something (or many somethings) for us. We see evidence of His mercy and power and say "Amen! I now know that God can save me." This is not an invalid reaction, but what happens if (when) the tide turns? What happens when the cancer or alzheimers comes? What do we do with job loss or children abandoning the faith? What if our government no longer supports or even tolerates us? What is the basis our confidence if every external evidence of God's grace is taken away? Can we worship with Job and proclaim: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ?
(As I write this, I just listened to a sermon from Acts 7 re: Stephan. Did God lose control there? What about God's best for him? And yet through his death the gospel spreads through the Empire via...persecution)
My thesis is this: We are children of God as declared in Rom 8, John 1 and a myriad of other places. Because of this, God is in fact for us (Rom 8:31). But, he is for us not just for today but also for tomorrow. Will he take care of our daily needs? Absolutely! (Mt 6) But he has a much bigger, better goal in mind. He wants the love of our hearts and the shape of our lives to more and more reflect the nature and character of Jesus (1 Th 4:3) for his glory. (Jn 17:9, 16-19)
So, how can God accomplish this work of re-creation if he is not sovereign? If I'm in any way in control, God's mission will ultimately fail and my confidence is a sham. However, if I am a role player in God's great story of my life, then Jesus really can be the author and perfecter of my faith. I really can say with full assurance the nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And I can know that all things (promotions and firings, healthy checkups and cancer, community support and government hostility) work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. He must be sovereign or none of this make sense.
And, if God is sovereign and he is executing his plan for his glory and the good of his people, His sovereignty is such a gracious gift. God owes us nothing, yet he has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
To God Alone be the Glory!
I have chosen my words carefully for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because I know there is an age old debate within the Church regarding God's sovereignty set against a person's responsibility. I am not bold enough to say I have the answer, although I do believe God's Word constrains the debate much more than many of us would like.
The second reason for choosing my words carefully is that some reading this may think this is an attack on (or a defense of) of a particular person. That is certainly not my intent. There is only One person with a perfect theology and I am not Him. I wish to speak to our heart attitude and I think God's Word gives us more clarity than we realize, if we are willing to press into it.
With that being said, I feel compelled to declare that it is a gracious gift to us that God is sovereignly in control of all things. I realize that there is much packed into that thought and it may be too much for me to address in the remainder of this post. However, I will try to lay out a Biblical defense of this idea.
First, it almost seems silly, but I will state it for the record: I think the Bible is clear that God is sovereign over all things. Col 1 (above) states it, as does the conclusion of Job, the story of Joseph (Gen 37ff), Jer 1:5, Phil 1:6, Acts 4:27-28, and so on. Jesus states that not a sparrow falls to the ground without God's decree (Mt 10:29) and that God clothes the flowers that last only a day (Mt 6:30). Yet, both of these statements are not laid out by Jesus to defend God's sovereignty. Rather, he presumes this sovereignty to declare something even better: God's love and grace!
Second, I think our amazement at the the love and grace of God is limited by our lack of amazement at the sovereignty and authority of God. Somehow, in our quest to reform our own behavior and the behavior of those around us, we too quickly slide into calling ourselves or each other to act. "Do this and God will be pleased." "Stop that or you may miss the blessing God has for you." And while I want to be crystal clear that there is a huge responsibility in following Christ and God's expectations on us are indeed high, we must get things in the correct order. If not, we will not ultimately reform our behavior nor we will we please the God who desires mercy, not sacrifice.
Here is a question to ponder: What is the basis of your confidence in God? For many of us it is based on the fact that He has done something (or many somethings) for us. We see evidence of His mercy and power and say "Amen! I now know that God can save me." This is not an invalid reaction, but what happens if (when) the tide turns? What happens when the cancer or alzheimers comes? What do we do with job loss or children abandoning the faith? What if our government no longer supports or even tolerates us? What is the basis our confidence if every external evidence of God's grace is taken away? Can we worship with Job and proclaim: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ?
(As I write this, I just listened to a sermon from Acts 7 re: Stephan. Did God lose control there? What about God's best for him? And yet through his death the gospel spreads through the Empire via...persecution)
My thesis is this: We are children of God as declared in Rom 8, John 1 and a myriad of other places. Because of this, God is in fact for us (Rom 8:31). But, he is for us not just for today but also for tomorrow. Will he take care of our daily needs? Absolutely! (Mt 6) But he has a much bigger, better goal in mind. He wants the love of our hearts and the shape of our lives to more and more reflect the nature and character of Jesus (1 Th 4:3) for his glory. (Jn 17:9, 16-19)
So, how can God accomplish this work of re-creation if he is not sovereign? If I'm in any way in control, God's mission will ultimately fail and my confidence is a sham. However, if I am a role player in God's great story of my life, then Jesus really can be the author and perfecter of my faith. I really can say with full assurance the nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And I can know that all things (promotions and firings, healthy checkups and cancer, community support and government hostility) work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. He must be sovereign or none of this make sense.
And, if God is sovereign and he is executing his plan for his glory and the good of his people, His sovereignty is such a gracious gift. God owes us nothing, yet he has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
To God Alone be the Glory!
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