From the Vossed World....
The narrative about Jacob wrestling a “man” has become, for me, one of those key OT passages that explains so much about OT redemptive history (Abraham’s torch-oven vision would be the other). These are some of the thoughts I shared with my SS class a few years back (loosely based on some thoughts from Brian Vos quite a few years ago when I asked the same question).
At its core, this narrative is a “theology of glory vs. theology of the cross” episode. Jacob’s wrestling with a man is all about Jacob being confronted by the Lord of the Ladder to once and for all rid Jacob of his self-dependence and self-reliance. Jacob’s entire life has been marked by wrestling... he was born holding Esau’s heel. He “wrestled” with Esau over a birthright and blessing. He “wrestled” with Laban. Jacob was known as a conniver, getting what he wanted through wit, cunning, and deception... all in his own strength for his own glory. If there was ever a picture of someone who believed and lived as if God existed solely to bless his efforts, it was Jacob. This is the kind of man who, in the wake of heaven -- and Coram deo no less, dared bargain with God with his own benefit in mind (Genesis 28:20-22).
While much has changed in the interim between Bethel and Genesis 32, not *enough* has changed. Jacob is about to meet his brother for the first time in years and already he is conniving and manipulating the situation in fear of what might happen. But Bethel has already begun to intrude again into Jacob’s life (Gen. 31:13 and 32:1-2). Angels, much like Eden, guard the gateway back into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and most recently, Jacob. The “supplanter” is no longer the orchestrator of his life’s events and he knows it. Jacob may have been faithless in bargaining with the Lord of the Ladder, but the Lord of the Ladder has not been unfaithful since.
In his fear, Jacob reminds God of the Abrahamic promises made to him in the land of Laban. Years of hard living at the expense of Laban have stripped Jacob of his former pretense. It is clear that his transformation has already begun. Jacob acknowledges that he is not worthy of God’s covenant love (this is the second mention in scripture of the formulaic “steadfast love and faithfulness” that describes God’s favor toward His people). Faced with the unknown of meeting his brother again, Jacob reaches out to God in apparent affirmation of Abraham’s covenant. Jacob initiates this interaction with the covenant God of Abraham and his father Isaac, probably hoping for a “more sure word” than the one he had been given. But God is silent. If Jacob had been expecting all Bethel to break loose, especially in the wake of Mahanaim, his expectations were ingloriously unmet. The silence between Mahanaim and Peniel is deafening.
God has something else in mind for Jacob. The Lord of the Ladder does descend into the silence, but in a most unexpected way. Jacob expects glory; he expects assurance. What he gets is mystery, vulnerability, and darkness. It is no coincidence that what transpires is at night. God is about to resolve the self-centered bargain made by Jacob at Bethel. Before Jacob can return to the land, before he can reconcile with his brother, and before he can return to Bethel, Jacob’s transformation must be complete. He cannot take self-sufficiency into the land. His self-reliant striving must be brought to an end; his self-rule will be brought into submission to another; his self-serving resolve must be broken.
This time there is no gateway to heaven. The ford at Jabbok is a gateway to land. Indeed, this divine meeting has no angelic glory with the LORD of hosts standing in the gateway to heaven. This one has an earthy feel. For Jacob, there is no sleep as he had at Bethel. There is only insomnia, loneliness, and the sweat of a wrestling match with a mysterious man-figure whose identity is not cloaked in glory but humanity’s darkness.
Just as has been true with Esau and Laban, the stranger who meets Jacob at the gateway to the “promised” land is just another man to be wrestled with and conquered. And, true to form, Jacob prevails in his wrestling. Once again, Jacob’s self-reliance seems vindicated. Or has it been? Things aren’t what they seem. As dawn breaks, the truth dawns on Jacob and his world is flipped on its head. The mysterious “man-figure” is no mere man. And Jacob knows it. This is the Lord of the Ladder with whom he has been wrestling, the Son of man whose glory transcends and transverses heaven and earth (see John 1:51). The Lord of hosts has come to earth and the all-glorious concedes defeat in humanity. Despite having the power to maim Jacob’s strength and reduce him to nothing, the mysterious man allows Jacob to seemingly prevail. Jacob has bested the Lord of the Ladder. But it is not Jacob who is the ultimate victor. It is not a good thing to wrestle with God and win.
The prospect of the mysterious divine-man-figure leaving the scene without blessing Jacob is more than a now broken and contrite Jacob can bear. For the one who is "undone" face to face with the Holy, a departure without blessing is unthinkable. Jacob's transformation is complete. There will be no more wrestling. Only clinging. The divine intrusion into Jacob’s life via submission of the mysterious man in “conflict” moves Jacob from wrestling to clinging. The divine touch on his life emanating groin has not merely robbed him of physical strength. Jacob’s knowledge of the holy exhausts him of his willpower. No longer is Jacob attempting to impose his will on God. He is no longer reminding the covenanting God of promised blessing. Gone is the cocksure attitude that would bargain Coram deo with the Lord of the Ladder. Now he is clinging to the Lord of the Ladder for blessing, even if it costs him his life. It is the clinging of the spiritually bankrupt at the end of himself crying out the only hope he has: “Bless me or I die”. He recognizes that the wrestling man is both antagonist and Savior. The Lord of hosts has humbled himself; in conceding defeat, he wins Jacob's salvation. And Jacob's desperation of faith is that of Job's: "though he slay me, I will still hope in Him".
The man-"mysterium” responds to Jacob’s plea with a question in a manner reminiscent of the Son of Man who invariably would ask a question in these kinds of situations. The question here is meant to illicit a confession from Jacob (compare the confession of Legion in Mark 5:9): what is your name? With the mouth confession is made, and a repentant Jacob speaks a one-word confession that summarizes life long self-gratification and self-sufficiency: "Jacob". At the end of himself, he acknowledges in one word to the Lord of the ladder that his life has been the life of the supplanter, even to the point of naively believing that the covenant promises could be secured through betrayal and deception. Jacob is a sinner, a fool who has lived life in the wisdom of man. In clinging to man-mysterium, Jacob confesses his only hope of life lies in the One to whom he clings.
And in the Son of Man who stood at the top of the ladder at Bethel (John 1:51), Jacob receives grace and life. This life-giving Son of man gives Jacob a new name and with the new name, a new identity. It is this new name and this new identity that not only gives rise to a nation, but it is a name and identity forever borne by those who would cling to the Son of Man at the expense of their own lives. In the receiving of new life with a new name, Israel gains entrance to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 400-500 years later, this will be repeated as a nation is born with a new identity in the Passover and Exodus. Even though Israel the nation gains entrance to the Promised Land, they will forget the lesson of their forefather. Rather than cling to the Yahweh who offers them life, they will play the unfaithful fool and be driven from the land.
Over the course of redemptive history, Israel's descendents will give rise to the Son of Man Incarnate, the new Israel in whom heaven and earth meet. The Lord of the Ladder will shed his mystery and descend the ladder at night, surrounded by the angels of glory. The Lord of those hosts will take upon himself flesh forever. The man-mysterium has been revealed for the ages to be the Image of God, Jesus Christ. In humility and suffering he will concede defeat, and in that defeat win salvation for his people. Our striving in the theology of glory has been brought to its end at the cross in the Son of Man’s death.
A new day dawns. Christ, both Son of Man and New Israel, gives grace and life to the spiritually bankrupt. With a new name and new identity, we have been brought into the new creation, an abundant life that flows with milk and honey from the king’s table. Blessed are those at the end of themselves who prefer death to letting go of the Son of Man. As we cling to our only hope of life, may our desperate plea forever be: bless us or we die.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Missing Husband
Rick was in trouble. He forgot his Valentines Day gift. His wife wasreally angry. She told him 'Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in less than 6 seconds, ANDIT BETTER BE THERE!!'
The next morning Rick got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back in the house.
She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.
Rick has been missing since Friday. Please pray for him.
The next morning Rick got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back in the house.
She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.
Rick has been missing since Friday. Please pray for him.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Evangelicals a Liberal Can Love
New York Times' Nicolas Kristof:
At a New York or Los Angeles cocktail party, few would dare make a pejorative comment about Barack Obama’s race or Hillary Clinton’s sex. Yet it would be easy to get away with deriding Mike Huckabee’s religious faith.
Liberals believe deeply in tolerance and over the last century have led the battles against prejudices of all kinds, but we have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals. They constitute one of the few minorities that, on the American coasts or university campuses, it remains fashionable to mock.
Scorning people for their faith is intrinsically repugnant, and in this case it also betrays a profound misunderstandhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifing of how far evangelicals have moved over the last decade. Today, conservative Christian churches do superb work on poverty, AIDS, sex trafficking, climate change, prison abuses, malaria and genocide in Darfur.
Bleeding-heart liberals could accomplish far more if they reached out to build common cause with bleeding-heart conservatives....
In parts of Africa where bandits and warlords shoot or rape anything that moves, you often find that the only groups still operating are Doctors Without Borders and religious aid workers: crazy doctors and crazy Christians. In the town of Rutshuru in war-ravaged Congo, I found starving children, raped widows and shellshocked survivors. And there was a determined Catholic nun from Poland, serenely running a church clinic.
Unlike the religious right windbags, she was passionately “pro-life” even for those already born — and brave souls like her are increasingly representative of religious conservatives. We can disagree sharply with their politics, but to mock them underscores our own ignorance and prejudice.
More
At a New York or Los Angeles cocktail party, few would dare make a pejorative comment about Barack Obama’s race or Hillary Clinton’s sex. Yet it would be easy to get away with deriding Mike Huckabee’s religious faith.
Liberals believe deeply in tolerance and over the last century have led the battles against prejudices of all kinds, but we have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals. They constitute one of the few minorities that, on the American coasts or university campuses, it remains fashionable to mock.
Scorning people for their faith is intrinsically repugnant, and in this case it also betrays a profound misunderstandhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifing of how far evangelicals have moved over the last decade. Today, conservative Christian churches do superb work on poverty, AIDS, sex trafficking, climate change, prison abuses, malaria and genocide in Darfur.
Bleeding-heart liberals could accomplish far more if they reached out to build common cause with bleeding-heart conservatives....
In parts of Africa where bandits and warlords shoot or rape anything that moves, you often find that the only groups still operating are Doctors Without Borders and religious aid workers: crazy doctors and crazy Christians. In the town of Rutshuru in war-ravaged Congo, I found starving children, raped widows and shellshocked survivors. And there was a determined Catholic nun from Poland, serenely running a church clinic.
Unlike the religious right windbags, she was passionately “pro-life” even for those already born — and brave souls like her are increasingly representative of religious conservatives. We can disagree sharply with their politics, but to mock them underscores our own ignorance and prejudice.
More
Wendell Berry on Christianity & the Survival of Creation
Wendell Berry's essay, Christianity & the Survival of Creation...
"In denying the holiness of the body and of the so-called "physical reality" of the world -- and in denying its support to the economic means by which alone the Creation can receive due honor -- modern Christianity has cut itself off from both nature and culture. It has no competent interest in biology or ecology. And it is equally uninterested in any feature of culture by which humankind connects itself to nature: economy or work, science or art."
"In denying the holiness of the body and of the so-called "physical reality" of the world -- and in denying its support to the economic means by which alone the Creation can receive due honor -- modern Christianity has cut itself off from both nature and culture. It has no competent interest in biology or ecology. And it is equally uninterested in any feature of culture by which humankind connects itself to nature: economy or work, science or art."
Garlington on Piper
Don Garlington's review of Piper's "The Future of Justification". His conclusion:
"As much as anything, this book is flawed by its near phobia of anything that smacks of newness and freshness, which, for Piper, must be suspect by definition. This is why we are exhorted to be suspicious of “our love of novelty” and eager to test biblical interpretations by “the wisdom of the centuries” (38). Agreed, but surely “the wisdom of the centuries” includes our own century. Wright is precisely correct: we are “to think new thoughts arising of the text and to dare to try them out in word and deed” (quoted on 37, italics added). Dr. Piper would do well to remember Matthew 13:52: “And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old’.” I would say the appropriate response to matters “new” and “fresh” is not skepticism but the Beroean spirit of searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11)."
"As much as anything, this book is flawed by its near phobia of anything that smacks of newness and freshness, which, for Piper, must be suspect by definition. This is why we are exhorted to be suspicious of “our love of novelty” and eager to test biblical interpretations by “the wisdom of the centuries” (38). Agreed, but surely “the wisdom of the centuries” includes our own century. Wright is precisely correct: we are “to think new thoughts arising of the text and to dare to try them out in word and deed” (quoted on 37, italics added). Dr. Piper would do well to remember Matthew 13:52: “And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old’.” I would say the appropriate response to matters “new” and “fresh” is not skepticism but the Beroean spirit of searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11)."
Friday, February 15, 2008
Augustine on the Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Supper
Video by James White. Augustine quote is about 5 min into the video.
Hell: Spurgeon vs. Seinfield
From Dan Kimball's "Hot Theology"
There is an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine's boyfriend, Puddy, becomes a Christian. He starts listening to Christian music and begins badgering Elaine about going to hell. At one point he asks her to steal the neighbor's newspaper for him because she's "the one going to hell, so [she] might as well steal it." Elaine explodes, starts whacking him with the newspaper, and screams, "If I am going to hell, you should care that I'm going to hell!"
I think Elaine has the right perspective. We cannot approach the subject of hell merely as a doctrine and ignore the human impact. Teaching on hell is not for the sake of knowing Christian trivia or to satisfy theological curiosity. If we believe in hell, and if we believe people created in God's image will either experience eternity in communion with him or apart from him, then we should be communicating the gospel, both the good news and the bad news.
....As Charles Spurgeon said, "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
There is an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine's boyfriend, Puddy, becomes a Christian. He starts listening to Christian music and begins badgering Elaine about going to hell. At one point he asks her to steal the neighbor's newspaper for him because she's "the one going to hell, so [she] might as well steal it." Elaine explodes, starts whacking him with the newspaper, and screams, "If I am going to hell, you should care that I'm going to hell!"
I think Elaine has the right perspective. We cannot approach the subject of hell merely as a doctrine and ignore the human impact. Teaching on hell is not for the sake of knowing Christian trivia or to satisfy theological curiosity. If we believe in hell, and if we believe people created in God's image will either experience eternity in communion with him or apart from him, then we should be communicating the gospel, both the good news and the bad news.
....As Charles Spurgeon said, "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
Barrenness & Brokenness
Barrenness is the way of human history. It is an effective metaphor for hopelessness. There is no foreseeable future. There is no human power to invent a future. But barrenness is not only the hopeless condition of humanity. The marvel of biblical faith is that barrenness is the arena of God's life-giving action. Inexplicably, this God speaks his powerful word directly into a situation of barrenness. This is the ground of the good news. This God does not depend on any potentiality in the one addressed. Abraham and Sarah were quite without potential. The speech of God presumes nothing from the one addressed, but carries in itself all that is necessary to begin a new people in history. The speech of God overcomes and overpowers the barrenness of reality.
Walter Bruggermann
Grace flourishes in the soil of brokenness.
Walter Bruggermann
Grace flourishes in the soil of brokenness.
Missional Discipleship
"Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commission"
by Jonathan Dodson
Retaining the cultural impulse of Genesis, the Gospels call us to a missional discipleship that entails creation care, cultural engagement, social action, and gospel proclamation. Missional disciples will not content themselves by preaching a culturally irrelevant, creation indifferent, resurrection neglecting message. Instead, they redemptively engage peoples and cultures through Christ for the renewal of his creation.
By digging deeper into the great commissions, we have unearthed a wealth of cultural and theological insight. This rereading of familiar evangelistic texts has demonstrated that God in Christ has called us not to mere soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship, to heralding a worldly gospel of a fleshly Christ who humbly accommodates human culture and understands the human condition. These commissions call us to missional discipleship — to redemptive engagement with all peoples and cultures.
Read full article here.
by Jonathan Dodson
Retaining the cultural impulse of Genesis, the Gospels call us to a missional discipleship that entails creation care, cultural engagement, social action, and gospel proclamation. Missional disciples will not content themselves by preaching a culturally irrelevant, creation indifferent, resurrection neglecting message. Instead, they redemptively engage peoples and cultures through Christ for the renewal of his creation.
By digging deeper into the great commissions, we have unearthed a wealth of cultural and theological insight. This rereading of familiar evangelistic texts has demonstrated that God in Christ has called us not to mere soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship, to heralding a worldly gospel of a fleshly Christ who humbly accommodates human culture and understands the human condition. These commissions call us to missional discipleship — to redemptive engagement with all peoples and cultures.
Read full article here.
Fasting
Christian Fasting: A Theological Approach
Online book by Kent Berghuis
Introduction: Contribution and Methodology
Chapter 1: Fasting In The Old Testament And Ancient Judaism: Mourning, Repentance, And Prayer In Hope For God’s Presence
Chapter 2: Fasting In The New Testament: Remembrance And Anticipation In The Messianic Age
Chapter 3: Fasting Through The Patristic Era
Chapter 4: The Development Of Fasting From Monasticism Through The Reformation To The Modern Era
Chapter 5: Toward A Contemporary Christian Theology Of Fasting
Appendix 1: Basil’s Sermons About Fasting
Appendix 2: Fasting In Scripture
Online book by Kent Berghuis
Introduction: Contribution and Methodology
Chapter 1: Fasting In The Old Testament And Ancient Judaism: Mourning, Repentance, And Prayer In Hope For God’s Presence
Chapter 2: Fasting In The New Testament: Remembrance And Anticipation In The Messianic Age
Chapter 3: Fasting Through The Patristic Era
Chapter 4: The Development Of Fasting From Monasticism Through The Reformation To The Modern Era
Chapter 5: Toward A Contemporary Christian Theology Of Fasting
Appendix 1: Basil’s Sermons About Fasting
Appendix 2: Fasting In Scripture
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Accountability
Good post on accountability here, including discussion about
the means of accountability
benefits of accountability
potential pitfalls of accountability
scriptural basis for accountability
the means of accountability
benefits of accountability
potential pitfalls of accountability
scriptural basis for accountability
The Presence of a Hidden God
What can be seen on earth indicates neither the total absence nor the obvious presence, but the presence of a Hidden God.
— Blaise Pascal
Pensées (556)
— Blaise Pascal
Pensées (556)
Newbigin on Faith & Knowledge
The challenge to faith has to be accepted. Faith is not a second-class substitute for knowledge: it is the indispensable precondition for knowledge. This is true in every sphere but supremely true when we are thinking of the knowledge of God. There is a personal invitation which has to be accepted on trust if we are to have the possibility of vision. The common idea in our secular culture that this "personal knowledge" is of an inferior validity to that which depends upon pure induction from the data of the senses, or upon extrapolation from the requirements of a logical system, has no foundation.
— Lesslie Newbigin
The Light Has Come
— Lesslie Newbigin
The Light Has Come
Idolatry: Whom Will You Serve?
The idols of our day and society may not be images made of wood or stone. They are far more likely to be our own lusts or desires, money, power, position, security and relationships. Perhaps the easiest way to identify our idols is to ask what we serve. Idols are often those things we are tempted to trust instead of God. What are those things for which we strive, those things we look to in order to achieve security or a sense of well-being? “Elijah, can’t I serve God and Money?” No. “How about God and Job Success?” No. “Just a little?” No. There can be no wavering between two opinions: “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal [or Money, or Power, or Security] is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).
— Raymond B. Dillard
Faith in the Face of Apostasy
— Raymond B. Dillard
Faith in the Face of Apostasy
The Resurrection Changes Everything
Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead and He shouldn’t have done it. He thrown every- thing off balance. If He did what he said, then it’s nothing for you to do but throw away every- thing and follow Him, and if He didn’t, then it’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can.
— Flannery O’Connor
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
— Flannery O’Connor
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Original Sin
I believe in original sin.... I know that I’m capable of craving a cold beer in a village of starving kids.... I understand that selfishness vies for space in our hearts with compassion ...
— George Stephanopoulos
— George Stephanopoulos
Monday, February 11, 2008
Mohler on the Call of God to Preach
Al Mohler asks,
"Has God called you to ministry? Though all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls certain persons to serve the Church as pastors and other ministers. Writing to young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirmed that if a man aspires to be a pastor, "it is a fine work he aspires to do." [I Timothy 3:1, NASB] Likewise, it is a high honor to be called of God into the ministry of the Church. How do you know if God is calling you?"
Check out his thouhgts....
"Has God called you to ministry? Though all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls certain persons to serve the Church as pastors and other ministers. Writing to young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirmed that if a man aspires to be a pastor, "it is a fine work he aspires to do." [I Timothy 3:1, NASB] Likewise, it is a high honor to be called of God into the ministry of the Church. How do you know if God is calling you?"
Check out his thouhgts....
Tripp on Waiting on God
"This side of eternity you and I are called to wait. We're called to recognize that the most important, most essential, most beautiful, and most lasting things in our life are things over which we have no control. No, these things are the gracious gifts of a loving Father. He never is foolish in the way he dispenses his gifts. He never plays favorites. He never mocks our neediness. He never plays bait and switch. He never teases or toys with us. His timing is always right and the gifts that he gives are always appropriate to the moment. He is kind, faithful, loving, merciful, and good....Somewhere in your life you are being called to wait. In your waiting, you are being given an opportunity to deepen and strengthen your faith."
Paul Tripp
Paul Tripp
Lent & Fasting
There is an ancient Christian tradition of fasting in preparation for Easter. Whether you’re among The Liturgically Correct who started the observance of Lent with Ash Wednesday last week, or whether your church is less engaged with a traditional church seasonal calendar, the basic idea of doing some deep preparation for Good Friday and Easter comes from a solid Christian instinct: the death and resurrection of Christ are, together, the one main event of Christianity. That makes the weeks before Easter a good time to consider the biblical practice of fasting.
Fred Sanders: Biblical Fasting
Fred Sanders: Biblical Fasting
Kim on Atonement & the Cross
Conclusion of Seyoon Kim's "The Atoning Death of Christ on the Cross"...
Thus, when the doctrine of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement on the cross—and the doctrine of justification that issues from it—is properly expounded, it can integrate the Christus victor motif in itself and provide the adequate basis for sanctification or imitatio Christi. Hence Paul uses penal substitutionary atonement for his moral exhortation not to sin against brethren, especially the “weak” ones (“the brother for whom Christ died,” Rom 14:15; 1 Cor 8:11), and not to sell one’s body into slavery either of sexual lust or of a human master (“You were bought with a price,” 1 Cor 6:20; 7:23). Above all, in expounding the missionary and social implications of the doctrine of justification, Paul makes the most revolutionary declaration: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28; cf. also Rom 3:30; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:11). Since justification does not depend on any innate quality or merit of human beings, but it is only by God’s grace manifested in Christ’s substitutionary atonement, and solely through our faith-appropriation of it, racial, gender, or social differences do not count any more.
Thus, when the doctrine of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement on the cross—and the doctrine of justification that issues from it—is properly expounded, it can integrate the Christus victor motif in itself and provide the adequate basis for sanctification or imitatio Christi. Hence Paul uses penal substitutionary atonement for his moral exhortation not to sin against brethren, especially the “weak” ones (“the brother for whom Christ died,” Rom 14:15; 1 Cor 8:11), and not to sell one’s body into slavery either of sexual lust or of a human master (“You were bought with a price,” 1 Cor 6:20; 7:23). Above all, in expounding the missionary and social implications of the doctrine of justification, Paul makes the most revolutionary declaration: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28; cf. also Rom 3:30; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:11). Since justification does not depend on any innate quality or merit of human beings, but it is only by God’s grace manifested in Christ’s substitutionary atonement, and solely through our faith-appropriation of it, racial, gender, or social differences do not count any more.
Wright on Heaven
From "Christians Wrong on Heaven"...
And if people think that our world, our cosmos, doesn't matter much, who cares what we do with that? Much of "traditional" Christianity gives the impression that God has these rather arbitrary rules about how you have to behave, and if you disobey them you go to hell, rather than to heaven. What the New Testament really says is God wants you to be a renewed human being helping him to renew his creation, and his resurrection was the opening bell. And when he returns to fulfill the plan, you won't be going up there to him, he'll be coming down here....
...But the end of Revelation describes a marvelous human participation in God's plan. And in almost all cases, when I've explained this to people, there's a sense of excitement and a sense of, "Why haven't we been told this before?"
And if people think that our world, our cosmos, doesn't matter much, who cares what we do with that? Much of "traditional" Christianity gives the impression that God has these rather arbitrary rules about how you have to behave, and if you disobey them you go to hell, rather than to heaven. What the New Testament really says is God wants you to be a renewed human being helping him to renew his creation, and his resurrection was the opening bell. And when he returns to fulfill the plan, you won't be going up there to him, he'll be coming down here....
...But the end of Revelation describes a marvelous human participation in God's plan. And in almost all cases, when I've explained this to people, there's a sense of excitement and a sense of, "Why haven't we been told this before?"
Piper on Gutsy Guilt
The closest I have ever come in 26 years to being fired from my position as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church was in the mid-1980s, when I wrote an article for our church newsletter titled "Missions and Masturbation." I wrote the article after returning from a missions conference in Washington, D.C., with George Verwer, the head of Operation Mobilization.
Verwer's burden at that conference was the tragic number of young people who at one point in their lives dreamed of radical obedience to Jesus, but then faded away into useless American prosperity. A gnawing sense of guilt and unworthiness over sexual failure gradually gave way to spiritual powerlessness and the dead-end dream of middle-class security and comfort.
In other words, what seemed so tragic to George Verwer—as it does to me—is that so many young people are being lost to the cause of Christ's mission because they are not taught how to deal with the guilt of sexual failure. The problem is not just how not to fail. The problem is how to deal with failure so that it doesn't sweep away your whole life into wasted mediocrity with no impact for Christ.
The great tragedy is not masturbation or fornication or pornography. The tragedy is that Satan uses guilt from these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had or might have. In their place, he gives you a happy, safe, secure, American life of superficial pleasures, until you die in your lakeside rocking chair.
Gutsy Guilt
Verwer's burden at that conference was the tragic number of young people who at one point in their lives dreamed of radical obedience to Jesus, but then faded away into useless American prosperity. A gnawing sense of guilt and unworthiness over sexual failure gradually gave way to spiritual powerlessness and the dead-end dream of middle-class security and comfort.
In other words, what seemed so tragic to George Verwer—as it does to me—is that so many young people are being lost to the cause of Christ's mission because they are not taught how to deal with the guilt of sexual failure. The problem is not just how not to fail. The problem is how to deal with failure so that it doesn't sweep away your whole life into wasted mediocrity with no impact for Christ.
The great tragedy is not masturbation or fornication or pornography. The tragedy is that Satan uses guilt from these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had or might have. In their place, he gives you a happy, safe, secure, American life of superficial pleasures, until you die in your lakeside rocking chair.
Gutsy Guilt
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Piper on Teaching Kids (unbelievers?) to Pray
Should children be taught to pray even if they haven't professed faith?
Yes. I think we should teach our children to pray as soon as they can say anything. The first words they should say are, "Dear Jesus, thank you."
I say this is because I can't discern when a child is being spiritually wrought upon by the Lord. I don't put much stock in children's professions of faith. They seem to come and go. What matters is whether or not they have been born again.
desiringGod.org
Yes. I think we should teach our children to pray as soon as they can say anything. The first words they should say are, "Dear Jesus, thank you."
I say this is because I can't discern when a child is being spiritually wrought upon by the Lord. I don't put much stock in children's professions of faith. They seem to come and go. What matters is whether or not they have been born again.
desiringGod.org
Randy Alcorn on Accountability
To experience true accountability, we have both the right and the responsibility to ask each other hard and to-the-point questions. Our goal must be not just to help each other feel good, but to help each other be good. The following questions are only suggestions. You may add and subtract as you wish. The point is not legalism, but checking in with each other in a meaningful way.
Questions to Ask Initially--And Come Back To Periodically
l. What are the biggest barriers to your relationship with God?
2. What are the biggest barriers to your relationship with your wife?
3. What are the most serious temptations you face at home? At work? Elsewhere?
4. If Satan were to wage an all-out attack on your life, what area(s) would he focus on? (What are your greatest points of vulnerability? For example, sexual impurity, financial irresponsibility, dishonesty, greed, pride, etc.)
5. How can your brothers help you and pray for you?
Questions to Ask Each Other Regularly
If there's more than two or three men, not all of the following can be asked of each man each week. Even when asked, the answer may be brief. The point is not to always answer each question but to regularly bring up each area and thereby give opportunity for sharing. Don't let more than a few weeks go by without discussing any of these areas. (You may wish to add questions of your own.)
1. What have you learned or memorized this week from God's Word? (Share a specific passage.)
2. What happened this week that put you to the test? How did you respond?
3. How are you doing in your relationship with God? (Be specific--time in the Word, prayer, sense of dependence on the Lord, etc.)
4. How are you doing in your relationship with your wife? (Be specific--communication, spiritual sharing, conflict resolution, etc.)
5. How are you doing in your relationships with your children? Or parents? Other key people?
6. How are you doing in your relationships at work or school?
7. How are you doing with your thought life? This week did you consistently keep your thoughts and actions pure before God? (If the answer is "yes", ask "Are you lying?")
8. What kind of a ministry did you have this week? Whom did you share Christ with, either directly or indirectly? Or, how did you use your gifts and resources to help the needy?
9. How can the others pray specifically for you this week?
10. Anything else you'd like to share? (questions or issues you're dealing with?)
Randy Alcorn & EPM
Questions to Ask Initially--And Come Back To Periodically
l. What are the biggest barriers to your relationship with God?
2. What are the biggest barriers to your relationship with your wife?
3. What are the most serious temptations you face at home? At work? Elsewhere?
4. If Satan were to wage an all-out attack on your life, what area(s) would he focus on? (What are your greatest points of vulnerability? For example, sexual impurity, financial irresponsibility, dishonesty, greed, pride, etc.)
5. How can your brothers help you and pray for you?
Questions to Ask Each Other Regularly
If there's more than two or three men, not all of the following can be asked of each man each week. Even when asked, the answer may be brief. The point is not to always answer each question but to regularly bring up each area and thereby give opportunity for sharing. Don't let more than a few weeks go by without discussing any of these areas. (You may wish to add questions of your own.)
1. What have you learned or memorized this week from God's Word? (Share a specific passage.)
2. What happened this week that put you to the test? How did you respond?
3. How are you doing in your relationship with God? (Be specific--time in the Word, prayer, sense of dependence on the Lord, etc.)
4. How are you doing in your relationship with your wife? (Be specific--communication, spiritual sharing, conflict resolution, etc.)
5. How are you doing in your relationships with your children? Or parents? Other key people?
6. How are you doing in your relationships at work or school?
7. How are you doing with your thought life? This week did you consistently keep your thoughts and actions pure before God? (If the answer is "yes", ask "Are you lying?")
8. What kind of a ministry did you have this week? Whom did you share Christ with, either directly or indirectly? Or, how did you use your gifts and resources to help the needy?
9. How can the others pray specifically for you this week?
10. Anything else you'd like to share? (questions or issues you're dealing with?)
Randy Alcorn & EPM
On Being Genuinely Happy for Others
During a recent episode of American Idol, Simon Cowell turned to his fellow judges and said, “You know what’s amazing about this country is that you’re genuinely happy when someone you know does well…. The idea of me knowing somebody, they get good news and celebrating with them — I couldn’t do it.”
Keller on Gospel Presentations
From Keller's lecture: The Supremacy of Christ & the Gospel in a PoMo World" (~27min):
"I haven't seen a Gospel presentation—a relatively short but comprehensive Gospel presentation—recently that I think actually really, really addresses postmodern people. The older Gospel presentations of Evangelism Explosion and the Four Spiritual Laws were great on systematic theology—God, Sin, Christ, Faith—and they got across the idea of grace vs. works but there was no story arc—Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration. It wasn't there. They had systematic theology, but it didn't have biblical theology (what we call it). It read across the grain of Scripture and did a good job of summarizing, "This is God." "This is what the Bible says about sin." "This is what the Bible says about Christ." "This is what the Bible says about faith." But the basic narrative arc of Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration, was not part of those Gospel presentations. And as a result (critics rightly say), the older Gospel presentations that so many of us grew up on were very individualistic, they helped you get your relationship right with God, but they were in a sense almost consumeristic, and the idea of the kingdom of God was never part of those Gospel presentations. So the Lordship of Christ over all my life—the Lordship of Christ over all of life—its not part of the Gospel presentations; it doesn't follow on from them.
"Now, if you go to the emerging church, if you go to the post liberal church, all the emphasis when they talk about the Gospel, all the emphasis is on the kingdom. All of it. It's all on Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration. And all the emphasis therefore is on the fact that we had a world that we wanted (you see its all done corporately instead of individualistic), we had a world that we wanted and we've lost the world that we've wanted and now Jesus Christ has created a people and He's brought the kingdom and now you need to be a part of His kingdom program which is going to heal the world of injustice. And what you have there is an emphasis on the corporate, an emphasis on the kingdom, but you do almost always in these newer presentations of the Gospel lose the emphasis on grace vs. works, and on substitutionary atonement, and on the way in which Christ absorbed the wrath of God. And you don't see—when you hear these conversations, when I hear these Gospel conversations—I don't want to walk out of these presentations saying, "My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and followed thee"….
"It's going to take all our theological thinking now (not Bill Bright, not Billy Graham) but all our best theological thinking to develop user friendly Gospel presentations that merge both systematic theology and biblical theology in such ways that people can grasp [it] rather quickly and rather easily…."
"I haven't seen a Gospel presentation—a relatively short but comprehensive Gospel presentation—recently that I think actually really, really addresses postmodern people. The older Gospel presentations of Evangelism Explosion and the Four Spiritual Laws were great on systematic theology—God, Sin, Christ, Faith—and they got across the idea of grace vs. works but there was no story arc—Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration. It wasn't there. They had systematic theology, but it didn't have biblical theology (what we call it). It read across the grain of Scripture and did a good job of summarizing, "This is God." "This is what the Bible says about sin." "This is what the Bible says about Christ." "This is what the Bible says about faith." But the basic narrative arc of Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration, was not part of those Gospel presentations. And as a result (critics rightly say), the older Gospel presentations that so many of us grew up on were very individualistic, they helped you get your relationship right with God, but they were in a sense almost consumeristic, and the idea of the kingdom of God was never part of those Gospel presentations. So the Lordship of Christ over all my life—the Lordship of Christ over all of life—its not part of the Gospel presentations; it doesn't follow on from them.
"Now, if you go to the emerging church, if you go to the post liberal church, all the emphasis when they talk about the Gospel, all the emphasis is on the kingdom. All of it. It's all on Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration. And all the emphasis therefore is on the fact that we had a world that we wanted (you see its all done corporately instead of individualistic), we had a world that we wanted and we've lost the world that we've wanted and now Jesus Christ has created a people and He's brought the kingdom and now you need to be a part of His kingdom program which is going to heal the world of injustice. And what you have there is an emphasis on the corporate, an emphasis on the kingdom, but you do almost always in these newer presentations of the Gospel lose the emphasis on grace vs. works, and on substitutionary atonement, and on the way in which Christ absorbed the wrath of God. And you don't see—when you hear these conversations, when I hear these Gospel conversations—I don't want to walk out of these presentations saying, "My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and followed thee"….
"It's going to take all our theological thinking now (not Bill Bright, not Billy Graham) but all our best theological thinking to develop user friendly Gospel presentations that merge both systematic theology and biblical theology in such ways that people can grasp [it] rather quickly and rather easily…."
Cyncism
John Sartle:
This is where cynicism takes hold: with our realization that nothing or no one can be totally trusted, and we can’t even point the finger of accusation at others because we ourselves cannot be trusted. We must number ourselves among the unfaithful and untrustworthy. Cynicism is the temple to which we finally come after stopovers at the houses of all the other gods. It is the temple at the end of “temple row.”
Read the entire article entitled "The Altar of Cynicism" here.
This is where cynicism takes hold: with our realization that nothing or no one can be totally trusted, and we can’t even point the finger of accusation at others because we ourselves cannot be trusted. We must number ourselves among the unfaithful and untrustworthy. Cynicism is the temple to which we finally come after stopovers at the houses of all the other gods. It is the temple at the end of “temple row.”
Read the entire article entitled "The Altar of Cynicism" here.
Childers on the Church as God's Vehicle
Steve Childer's plenary session:
Childers then stressed the importance of vision – not just for a particular church plant, but for how church planting fits into God’s mission in the world of bringing glory to Himself by redeeming sinners out of every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). God’s vehicle for accomplishing this is the church. We need to see our personal stories within God’s over-arching story.
Childers' message was broadly divided into four headings:
I. A Vision for the Glory of God
II. A Vision for the Kingdom of God
III. A Vision for the Church of God
IV. A Vision for the Gospel of God
I. A Vision for the Glory of God
Key Question: What is God’s purpose for the world?
Answer: To bring glory to God.
II. A Vision for the Kingdom of God
Key Question: How has God chosen to glorify His name among all nations?
Answer: Through the expansion of His kingdom.
III. A Vision for the Church of God
Key Question: How has God chosen to advance His Kingdom in the world today?
Answer: Through the multiplication of churches.
IV. A Vision for the Gospel of God
Key Question: How can we be empowered to do this?
Answer: The gospel is the power to save the lost and to grow the saved.
1. Good News for the lost: A new record
2. Good News for the found: A new heart
3. The Good News for the Community: A New World
Read the full summary at Alex Chediak's blog.
Childers then stressed the importance of vision – not just for a particular church plant, but for how church planting fits into God’s mission in the world of bringing glory to Himself by redeeming sinners out of every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). God’s vehicle for accomplishing this is the church. We need to see our personal stories within God’s over-arching story.
Childers' message was broadly divided into four headings:
I. A Vision for the Glory of God
II. A Vision for the Kingdom of God
III. A Vision for the Church of God
IV. A Vision for the Gospel of God
I. A Vision for the Glory of God
Key Question: What is God’s purpose for the world?
Answer: To bring glory to God.
II. A Vision for the Kingdom of God
Key Question: How has God chosen to glorify His name among all nations?
Answer: Through the expansion of His kingdom.
III. A Vision for the Church of God
Key Question: How has God chosen to advance His Kingdom in the world today?
Answer: Through the multiplication of churches.
IV. A Vision for the Gospel of God
Key Question: How can we be empowered to do this?
Answer: The gospel is the power to save the lost and to grow the saved.
1. Good News for the lost: A new record
2. Good News for the found: A new heart
3. The Good News for the Community: A New World
Read the full summary at Alex Chediak's blog.
Monday, February 4, 2008
College Students Walking Away from the Faith
More than two-thirds of Protestant young adults exit the church between the ages of 18 and 22, according to a recent report by LifeWay Research, a branch of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Among the chief reasons young adults gave for quitting church - one in four mentioned the transition to college, while 22 percent said they moved too far from church to keep attending and 27 percent said they just wanted a break. Another 23 percent named work responsibilities as the primary factor.
"The years immediately following high school graduation often determine the course of a person's life as decisions are made about careers, lifestyles and spouses," says George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. "It's a tragic loss when a young person walks away from the body of believers during this crucial time. We must pray and do our best to not let that happen."
Wood says approximately 60,000 AG youth are expected to graduate from high school next spring. National statistics indicate 50 to 70 percent will leave the faith within four years. Among those who attend evangelical colleges, however, the percentage is only about 5 percent.
Read entire article.
Among the chief reasons young adults gave for quitting church - one in four mentioned the transition to college, while 22 percent said they moved too far from church to keep attending and 27 percent said they just wanted a break. Another 23 percent named work responsibilities as the primary factor.
"The years immediately following high school graduation often determine the course of a person's life as decisions are made about careers, lifestyles and spouses," says George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. "It's a tragic loss when a young person walks away from the body of believers during this crucial time. We must pray and do our best to not let that happen."
Wood says approximately 60,000 AG youth are expected to graduate from high school next spring. National statistics indicate 50 to 70 percent will leave the faith within four years. Among those who attend evangelical colleges, however, the percentage is only about 5 percent.
Read entire article.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Do We Even Like God?
From Larry Crabb's Shattered Dreams:
"In our struggle to handle the pain of shattered dreams, however, one question is rarely talked about with honesty. The question is this: What do we do with how we're feeling toward God?
Do we even like God, let alone love Him? Is He on our list of cherished friends? Are we resting in His goodness, confidently trusting Him to work all things together for our good?
In the chaos and heartache of dreams that crumble, God so often seems to pull away. When we cry the loudest, He sometimes turns a deaf ear. Nothing changes.
And when He fails - we feel betrayed, let down, thoroughly disillusioned. He neither reverses the tragedy nor fills us with peace and joy.
How do we trust a sometimes disappointing, seemingly fickle God who fails to do for us what good friends, if they could, would do?
"The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name" (Zechariah 14:9).
The best hope, our highest dream of being in His presence where nothing ever goes wrong and where we fully enjoy Him more than every other blessing, will not be granted till the next life.
We will not suffer in heaven."
"In our struggle to handle the pain of shattered dreams, however, one question is rarely talked about with honesty. The question is this: What do we do with how we're feeling toward God?
Do we even like God, let alone love Him? Is He on our list of cherished friends? Are we resting in His goodness, confidently trusting Him to work all things together for our good?
In the chaos and heartache of dreams that crumble, God so often seems to pull away. When we cry the loudest, He sometimes turns a deaf ear. Nothing changes.
And when He fails - we feel betrayed, let down, thoroughly disillusioned. He neither reverses the tragedy nor fills us with peace and joy.
How do we trust a sometimes disappointing, seemingly fickle God who fails to do for us what good friends, if they could, would do?
"The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name" (Zechariah 14:9).
The best hope, our highest dream of being in His presence where nothing ever goes wrong and where we fully enjoy Him more than every other blessing, will not be granted till the next life.
We will not suffer in heaven."
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