The Grace of a "Throw Away" Verse

[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

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' "

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!

Amazing Grace?

We probably all know the first line of this hymn:

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me"

I want to say that I agree with John Newton's assessment. Grace is amazing and its very, very sweet.

And yet I think that familar words and hymns and creeds can become rote and routine. I think we can read or sing or say the words but lose their meaning and power. So, today I'm seriously asking myself: "Is God's grace really amazing?" and "If it is amazing, why?"

Amazing? Really?

One could probably open the Bible to any page and see statements of God's grace, mercy and steadfast love. Lam 2:22-24 come to mind (see blog post for 1/4). However seeing the reality of these things and assigning an adjective like amazing to them are two different things. And people being who they are can easily dismiss something that may in fact be amazing (see Jn 12:27-29)

But, if you slowly and carefully read passages like Isa 1 or Rom 1:18-3:20, you begin to get the sense that there are dimensions to this grace and mercy that we have received that go beyond the simple fact that I'm a helpless sinner (which in fact we all are). So, I thought I'd list some of the realities that make God's grace amazing.

• We are totally helpless in the spiritual sense
• We are broken / fractured at such a foundational level that we cannot truly discern God's work
• We see ourselves as the center of the universe
• We consciously and subconsciously wish God would both leave us alone and provide everything we need (spiritually bi-polar?)
• Others exist to make us happy and we would gladly kill them (physically or at least verbally / emotionally) when they fail in this task
• Our view of heaven is where we finally achieve all that has been missing in our lives

The fact that Jesus steps into this quagmire should simply astound us. The more I know about God (a small thimble compared to all the oceans' water) and the more I know about the human heart (maybe two thimbles), the more I identify with God's judgement in Noah's day and in Lot's day (Gen 6-8; 19). These events both demonstrate the justice (good and right) of God. But, even here, where God is giving human rebels, spiritual traitors the punishment they deserve, we witness grace. Why save Noah? Why save Lot? Why save you? Why save me?

More than amazing?

For me, this is where the love and grace and mercy of God become incredibly amazing. When you consider the fact that He paid our unpayable debt and he gave to us the right standing we did not and could not obtain on our own and you add to that the reality that he did this while we were his enemies, rebels and traitors, then you have astoundingly, amazing grace.

Years ago, I heard a speaker say that the stunning thing about John 3:16 is not so much that God loved the whole world in a numeric sense (i.e. isn't it amazing that God can love so many people). Instead, John 3:16 is stunning because the world, especially in John's writing, is such a bad place (i.e. isn't it amazing God can love anyone as sinful as me, much less millions of us). God's love is expansive, covering the globe, covering the centuries, covering all cultures and languages and genders. But this love and mercy and grace become a multifaceted diamond when you really consider how unlovely and unworthy and treacherous and self absorbed we are.

Consider anything you enjoy or appreciate. Something you "love" in the broad, 21st century way of speaking. Why do you love or appreciate that thing? In the end, isn't there something that you find lovely or enjoyable about it? Whether its a spouse, a close friend, or pizza, the things we love are the things that appeal to us, that make us feel good, that are lovely to us.

Now consider the depth of Rom 5:8, "God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us". Brother, sister, friend, God loves the unlovely. God loves what would make him vomit, would make him turn away in disgust, would make him weep. We don't really know that kind of love, but we can see it in the cross.

In the end, the grace of Christ is incredibly amazing. It is amazing in what it accomplishes. It is amazing in what is secures. It is amazing in what it overcomes. It is amazing in what it endures.

And, it is amazing in that it is given at all.

To God Alone be the Glory.

New Year, new grace

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lam 3:22-24

This is an often quoted passage of scripture and, I feel, often misapplied. My goal here is not to debunk any particular misapplication of these verses but instead take a moment to reflect on the grand truths they contain. And I also want this to be, in a sense, a statement of my writing theme (themes actually) for the foreseeable future.

Here are the the glorious realities that Jeremiah lays out in the middle of his lament over the destruction of Jerusalem (Imagine every home and business in your town (including your own) being totally destroyed and then singing this kind of praise to God!)

God's love is certain and forever - we cannot out run it or ruin it.

God's mercy (and grace, flip sides of the same coin) are not limited to an event or experience but are unlimited and are continually renewed - we cannot sin beyond God's grace and we cannot exalt ourselves beyond our need for his mercy.

God's faithfulness is great, in fact greater than we realize - we need each person of the Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit - intervening in our lives constantly to keep us from falling into oblivion

God's provision for us is complete and sufficient - all we need, whether we admit it or not (God makes the rain fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous) comes from God and rests in his love and faithfulness.

Our response is hope and faith and praise - Scriptural images abound, but my mind continually returns to the tax collector in Lk 18:13 "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner"

There is a lot here and perhaps my goal of having a more focused writing theme has been blown out of the water. And yet, as I reflect on the themes of these three verses, I see a lot of overlap and much that compliments the other. In the end, I think it boils down to the grand theme of the love of God reflected in his grace and mercy and manifested most powerfully in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

To God Alone be the Glory

New Year, new focus

Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? - Isa 40:21

In the midst of not making any resolutions, I have set a couple of goals for 2013. I want to pray more (a perennial goal). I want to listen more (especially to God). And, I want to write more.

I'm recording these goals here, in a blog post, for a couple of reasons. One reason is for accountability. If something is written down, its easier, at least for me, to remain conscious of it and continue striving toward the goal.

Another reason is that I think the feel of my posts might change. There may not be any more of them. In fact, there may be less. But I sense a need for me to focus my writing in a more specific direction. So, instead of 200 somewhat random thoughts, I may post only 100 entries, but all tied together a similar theme. Of course there will be exceptions, but even these may be a little more focused, and if possible tied to the main theme that is coursing through all of the posts.

I imagine someone reading this may be asking: so, what's the theme? I am actually still praying and reflecting on that question. If you are lead to pray for the Spirit's guidance on my behalf, even if just in this moment, I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm looking forward to 2013. And, if Jesus waits to return and continues to give me sound mind and body, I look forward to continuing to share Spirit lead thoughts with you.

To God Alone be the Glory

New Year, New Life

What is it about the replacing of a calendar that has such a profound effect on so many of us? I am certainly not immune to looking back over the events of the past year, both good and bad, and looking forward to what is to come. I have, however, failed in keeping enough resolutions that I think I am forever cured of that particular New Year's tradition.

But what causes us to use these few, precious days to reflect and project? Perhaps its simply something that's been enculturated into us, something that we do because society does it or we've always done it. Perhaps its a result of unwinding after Christmas or an all too brief pause before the storms of the new year. Or, perhaps its something deeper, something more profound.

Perhaps we've been hard wired to know that even the best of the past year pales before what is yet to come. Perhaps we realize that the ache we feel is not so much grief over our past mistakes and failings but regret that we cannot undo what we've done or unsay what we've said. Perhaps its the dawning reality that while our bodies are finite, our souls are not and we may not really be ready for the next stage of our lives.

Thankfully, into all of this, God speaks. To those who will listen, He continually speaks. Since today is the day, listen to His word:

Rev 22:17 - Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Mat 11:28 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2Co 5:6-7 - So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

So, even though today is just another day, may the Spirit allow today to be the first day of your New Life.

To God Alone be the Glory.