Bob's Box

A Biblical Standard of Music?

2011-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was challenged at a conference to consider the styles of music that our children listen to as a signal of whether they respect us as parents. The speaker indicated that there are styles or genres of music that are by nature rebellious and parents need to be careful what genres of music they expose their children to as well as what genres their teenagers are listening to. This challenged me to consider what genres of music my wife and I play around the house and in the car. Would the speaker at the conference consider these genres to be "rebellious" music? What does the Bible say about genres of music? Should I shield my children from certain genres to protect them from a worldly influence through music?
As I began this study, understand that I entered with a willingness to change the music I listen to if the Holy Spirit indicated from God's Word that my music was "worldly and rebellious." Also understand that primarily the focus of my study was on the genre of music with a natural by-product being the instruments employed in those styles. The issue was not on the lyrical content of the songs, though as you will see in my conclusion, the lyrical content is vitally important in a Biblical standard of music. Finally, we must recognize that there are two spheres in the Christian's life involving music, the sacred and secular or the religious and common. That is to say that we have music that we use in Church and music that we listen to at home. Is there an overarching standard to apply in both spheres or is there one standard for religious usage and another for common usage?
To begin the study, I researched the music of the temple. King David was the initiator of temple music. He was the one who arranged the "choirs" and ranked the musicians. We can assume that music used in the temple would have to be special and unique in some way because it was played in the very presence of God! Unfortunately, I did not find a reference to the genre of music used in the temple.
Most likely the music played in the temple was very unlike the music that we are accustomed to in our modern Western culture. It was probably very Eastern in sound and would sound strange to our ears. More interestingly to our modern debate over musical styles in the church, we probably would have a very hard time "worshiping" to the style of music David used in the temple!
Since the style of music is not directly addressed, perhaps we can get a clue from the types of instruments used in the temple. Incredibly, the Old Testament has a lot to say about the instruments used in the temple. The three most commonly used were the lyre, the harp, and the cymbals. Both the lyre and harp are stringed instruments (interestingly the Hebrew for lyre is kinnowr, and the Greek for lyre is kithara which sounds to me like the Spanish word guitara!).
I also found it interesting that the Bible gives us the name of the inventor of the lyre, Jubal great-great-great-great-grandson of Cain. Genesis 4:21 says, "His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre (kinnowr: instrument of ten strings played with a plectrum) and pipe ('uwgab: double or manifold pipe; pan-pipe or reed-pipe)." I have heard some teach that we must differentiate between worldly instruments and "sacred" instruments based on the fact that Jubal was the descendent of Cain (presumably evil) and he was the father of those who played a certain kind of instrument. They add to this argument the fact that David "invented" the instruments used in the temple (2 Chronicles 7:6) and conclude that the temple instruments were different and special. I have several issues with this line of reasoning, not the least of which is that the Hebrew word for one of the instruments used in the temple is kinnowr, the very same instrument invented by Jubal.
The lyre was used by David as a young man in King Saul's court to play soothing music when Saul was oppressed by the spirit from the LORD (1 Samuel 16:23 where kinnowr is translated harp). The lyre was later used in the temple by the choirs. This does not sound like an evil instrument!
Though David "created" the instruments used in the temple, the fact is that they were the same kind of instruments invented by Jubal and used in common, non-religious settings in that culture. A modern comparison would be a guitar that is used for folk singing verses a guitar that was built to be used in a church service setting. The instruments are the same, though one is built and dedicated specifically for use in praising the LORD.
We see that the kinnowr was invented by "evil" Jubal. We see that it is used in common, non-religious applications (Genesis 31:27). We see that David used it to soothe King Saul's troubled spirit. We also see it being used to praise the LORD in the temple. One instrument being used in all of these ways seems to indicate that God does not consider instruments good or bad. The only conclusion I can derive is that there is no instrument considered so "evil", "immoral", or "vulgar" that it cannot be used in the praise of the LORD!
Now, given that the Bible does not reference the genre of music used in the temple, another interesting point that I found was that the Bible does refer to the volume of music used in praising the LORD. "Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres." (1 Chronicles 15:28; by the way in this same context David "danced" before the ark of the LORD presumably in joyful praise to the LORD. see also Exodus 15:20 for another instance of dancing used in praise) "The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice." (2 Chronicles 20:19) "They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying 'For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.' And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid." (Ezra 3:11) There are many other examples of the volume of the praise of the LORD (2 Chron. 5:12-13; Nehemiah 12:43; Psalm 33:3; 81:1; 92:3; 95:1, 2; 98:4, 6; 100:1, 2; 150:5). I cannot find any direct reference to the music used to praise the LORD being played quietly, though some translators insist that a few of the untranslatable words in Psalms referring to the music imply a quiet or plaintive mood (like Higgaion; many of the untranslatable words are assumed to refer to the instrument to be used, the melody to be played, or the voicing in which to sing the song.)
Some teachers try to conclude that the music used in the temple was unique to the temple. However, the Bible does not make that claim. We could just as easily argue from the silence of the Bible on the issue that the music used in the temple was the common, folk music of that day. In fact, it would make more sense from a musician's perspective if David wrote the Psalms to known tunes that the musicians could easily play while singing the new words of the Psalm. In modern times, we see that many hymn writers employed this tactic in writing songs for the Church, including Martin Luther.
Based solely upon the Scriptural references to music, it is impossible to build a "Biblical standard of music" that allows certain styles/genres and disallows others. At best we can boil it down to different tastes in music and happily agree to disagree. We are fortunate in America to have many local churches that employ various genres of music in their services, making it easy for each of us to find a congregation that agrees with our preferences. However, that music influences us emotionally cannot be denied (though one song may influence two people in two different ways). With this in mind, is there a Biblical principle that we can apply to music dealing with what we allow to enter our minds and influence us?
I believe the answer is yes. As an example, Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right (righteous), whatever is pure (including sexually chaste), whatever is lovely (pleasing), whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence (morally excellent) and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." I think it would do damage to the verse if we tried to force the genre of music to fit into these categories, but I still think we can apply this principle to music in that the lyrical content of the music we listen to does easily fall into these areas. The songs that Christians listen to must present that which is true, honorable, righteous, sexually pure, and pleasing (i.e. to God). I would hope that the artists and their songs have good reputations, are morally excellent and worthy of praise.
If the Bible gives no clear instruction concerning the genre of music employed in praising God, is it then righteous for everyone to listen to all genres? No, because to some certain genres would cause them to stumble based upon past experiences with that genre or negative emotions/ thoughts incited by the genre. For example, I heard the story of a young man raised in the Occult. This group used the music of Beethoven during their ceremonies. This young man was saved and added to the Church but when the congregation used Beethoven's music in praise, the young man had to leave the service because of the negative thoughts and emotions that music incited within him. Romans 14:14 says, "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."
Finally, we know that the Bible gives no clear teaching on the rightness or wrongness of using certain genres in the praise of the LORD. We see that all instruments that are used in common music can also be used praising the LORD. We know that we must take care with what we allow to enter our minds including the lyrical content of the music we listen to. And we know that it is sin for certain people to listen to certain styles of music based upon their own perception of the rightness or wrongness of the style. I want to end with this thought represented by Psalm 150: every instrument, every genre, every word, every song employed or listened to by the Christian should be used to express praise to the LORD. If we cannot express praise to the LORD with it, maybe we should not listen to it or play it.

Warning: Not Politically Correct!

2011-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reading and thinking a lot on Genesis lately, specifically the first three chapters dealing with the creation of mankind. From this meditation, I'm beginning to develop strange ideas on anthropology (the study of man) and the theology of marriage. Following is a summary of the 'whats' and the 'whys' of my strange ideas. Feel free to comment and critique because I'm still working this one out in my head.
First of all, it is important that in Genesis 1 when God created Man, the narrative links male and female together. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (1:26-27) Later, in Genesis 5, we read, "This is the book of the generations of Adam (man). In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man (adam) in the day when they were created." (5:1-2)
From these two passages I catch a hint of two things; that God created Man to be male and female united (don't get freaked out by this yet) and that the 'image of God' in man is complete only when Man is male and female united. It sounds odd, yet that is the best way I know to phrase it. Obviously, male and female together is pretty important to God.
The second thing that it is important to notice is that in Genesis 2 when the narrative takes a step back and focuses on the creation of Man, we see only the male being created. God had prepared the land for Man, complete with plants and animals. God prepared a garden in Eden for Man. Finally, God creates Man and places him into the garden. God instructs Man in the rules of the garden and gives him a job to do. Everything looks good, in fact, that is what God has been declaring throughout the creation "It is good."
But then we read, "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'" (2:18) For the first time God declares something in His otherwise flawless creation to be "not good." What was not good? Was the man not good? No, the man was perfect. As yet, no fault or flaw had entered Man; he was without sin. So what was not good? The man was alone.
Understand that a part of the "image of God" is answered in His Tri-Unity, or what we call the Trinity. That is to say, God exists in Himself in eternal community. Aloneness is something foreign to the "image of God," yet here was Man alone. In Man's aloneness we do not see the complete "image of God" manifested.
God's solution to this problem was to create a "helper suitable for him." Here is where I get a little stuck. What does God mean by "helper"? From our perspective, a helper is needed when I cannot do something by myself. A helper relates to imperfection or inadequacy in ability to complete work. This cannot be what God intended because Adam was perfect in his nature, without sin. He had a cushy job, tending a garden in a world without weeds or destructive insects. From a human perspective, he did not need help in completing his work.
So what does the title "helper" mean? Some smarter brains than mine cannot give clear answers to that question, but I can summarize what they have said. Basically, some have said that it means the helper provided Adam with the opportunity to experience community, something that he was unable to do alone. Is that a weak answer? Maybe, but it makes sense that the "helper" was to help Adam to do those things which he absolutely could not do or experience alone.
The next thing God does is bring every kind of creature to Adam and gives him the job of naming them all. It is interesting that God did not first create the woman to 'help' Adam in his task, but then again that was not the purpose for her creation. Adam probably began to realize, "None of these animals are like me. They don't match!" Maybe Adam was beginning to feel the "not good" that God had already noticed. None of these animals could relate to Man as an equal. None could reason like Man. None could live in community with Man. The best they could offer is a relationship of trained servitude to their master Adam. This was not what God desired for him.
The next thing we see is God anesthetizing Adam and removing his rib to create the woman. God brings the woman to Adam and Adam initiates a relationship with her, even giving her his name, "She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man." (2:23)
Here is the critical point: Woman was a helper who was suitable for man. Another way to say it is she corresponded to him; she completed him. Adam was created perfect but Man as male was incomplete without female. Just as God in His Tri-Unity lives in Himself in eternal community, so Man as male and female dwell in community. Hence, the "image of God" is completed in Man.
This has obvious implications for anthropology. In it we can see that male and female were created for unique purposes. Man was created and placed into the garden, presumably to tend it. Woman was created and brought to man, to complete him and to provide a community of equals. Much can be said on the distinctions between male and female in this regard. Suffice it to say, men are task oriented, women are relationship oriented. This was by design.
The implications for marriage might be less obvious. Often people decide to marry because they "fall in love". This is a problem because when you "fall in love" eventually you will get up, dust yourself off and realize that it was not really love but it was infatuation. I'll say it here, never, ever follow your heart (Jeremiah 17:9). "Falling in love" is the worst excuse for marriage anyone can come up with.
Instead we should look for a 'helper corresponding to him,' that person who in their character and personality complete what is lacking in us. Certainly it is a much less romantic basis for a marriage, but if we start there and build a relationship based upon mutual dedication (a reasonable interpretation of agape love) and respect, then we have the basis of a marriage that will last a lifetime. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." (2:24)

Pray and Pray and Pray!

2011-05-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

It seems that every year as we approach the National Day of Prayer, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is brought out, dusted off, and applied to the United States as a sort of talisman whereby we can ensure the continued prosperity of our country. Some claim that this verse teaches that if Christians pray, then God will make America prosperous and restore Christian morality to this once Christian country. This and other similar teachings of this verse are wrong and do not accurately deal with the verse in its context and in its specific application.
In understanding any verse in the Bible, the first thing to realize is that context is king. That means we have to know what is happening in the verses surrounding the verse in question in order to have a clear grasp on the meaning of the verse.
2 Chronicles 7 is a response to 2 Chronicles 6, in which Solomon is praying a dedication over the newly built temple. Hear some of Solomon's words:
"Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; Hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive." (6:21)
"If your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house... When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess You name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them... If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer of supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers." (6:24, 26, 28-31)
In the context, Solomon is recognizing a promise which Moses gave to the people of Israel. Namely, God will bless you if you obey His commands and He will curse you if you disobey His commands (see Deuteronomy 27-31). In Moses' last instructions to the people, he warned them of the cycles of judgment that God would bring upon them if they did not walk in all His ways. Recognizing this and the people's propensity to rebelling against God's ways (see the Judges), Solomon requested that God act with mercy toward His people when, in the midst of the curse against their rebellion, they repented and called upon His name.
With this context as the backdrop of chapter 7, we then need to recognize that verse 14 is a central verse in a longer section recording God's answer to Solomon. God's response is:
"I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." (7:12-16) God's response continues in the following verses in a more personal message to Solomon, but verses 12-16 are a direct response to Solomon's prayer and form the immediate context of verse 14.
What is the basic theological statement of 2 Chronicles 7:14?
First, we understand that God is holy and as such must judge sin. This is not an option for God; His nature demands the judgment of all sin. In the New Testament and for the Church we must recognize that this judgment was levied against the Person of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, we also must recognize that God does discipline His erring child (Hebrews 12:7-11).
Second, we must realize that the Holy God who must judge sin is also the Merciful God who is willing to forgive the sin of the penitent (1 John 1:9).
What kind of application can we then make for the Church in America?
If God was required by His very nature to judge the sin of Israel, His covenant people, by cursing their property, their livestock, and their persons, then God owes America nothing better considering He has no covenant with us as a nation. As a nation, we have turned our backs on the Judeo-Christian ethic upon which this nation was founded. We have invested ourselves in every form of evil from ages past and have spent ourselves inventing knew evil. We have called good evil and evil good. Every judgment of Romans 1 against the wickedness of humanity is point by point an indictment against our nation. Do we deserve anything less than the strictest, harshest judgment of the Holy God?
What must we do? What can we do if we desire to avoid the pending doom of our nation?
"If My people, which are called by My name (the New Testament Church), shall humble themselves (recognize and mourn for their sin and the sin of their country), and pray (beg for mercy from the Holy God and Righteous Judge), and seek My face (strive to enter the Presence of God and to know Him, the only true God in which is eternal life; John 17:3), and turn from their wicked ways (repent of the lifestyle of sin which we had been living, which brought the judgment, and willfully follow God's ways); then will I hear from heaven (God's eyes will be open and His ears attentive to our prayers, a powerful statement when we recognize the transcendence of God coupled with His desire to be intimate with us), and will forgive their sin (whatever the sin was which produced the judgment, God will remember it no more; Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12), and will heal their land (God's judgments against Israel were specifically against the physical property of the people, i.e. famine, locust, and pestilence. This speaks of a reversal of the curse, an end of the judgment).
We must understand that 2 Chronicles 7:14 is not a promise from God that if Christians pray for a political renewal or economic resurgence, that God will bless America. Instead, it is a promise that if Christians recognize and repent of the sinful, idolatrous lifestyles that we live, then God will end or at lest waylay impending judgment.
The prophet Daniel understood this. In Daniel 6:10, "Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously."
In Daniel 9:3-5, "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes (humility). I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, 'Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from You commandments and ordinances.'"

Integrated Holiness

2011-04-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today I was thinking about Paul's words to the Corinthian church concerning their good deeds. I find it very interesting that a church could exist that was as young as the Corinthian church yet as completely carnal as they were! They were seeking to somehow integrate their religion with their pagan lifestyles and still be acceptable to God. In fact, an early heresy was arising which basically taught that it was perfectly acceptable to commit sinful acts because our bodies are evil and only our spirits can be righteous. The Corinthians were practicing this heresy with gusto!
Paul speaks directly to this issue in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. The men in the church were apparently participating in the use of the temple prostitutes in Corinth. Their reasoning from a spiritual perspective was that they were free in Christ, "All things are lawful for me!" (1 Corinthians 6:12) From a physical perspective, they reasoned that their bodies were made for sexual intercourse, "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food!" (6:13)
In many ways, I can see this same thinking permeating Christianity in our time and culture. Christians use biblical sounding arguments to integrate their religion with their pagan lifestyles. They claim that they are free in Christ, they are not bound to the Law of Moses, so they can act in sinful ways contrary to the holy requirements of their God. They also point to their createdness as an excuse for sinful behavior. Because God created them to enjoy this, then it must be good. Unfortunately, they also point to God's love and forgiveness as an escape, "God will forgive me for doing this."
Paul's response to this nonsense was to inform the Christian that you do not belong to yourself. This life is not about you. Salvation is not fire insurance. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (6:19-20)
I am reminded of the temple in Jerusalem, created to be the center of the worship of the LORD God on earth. As the kings of Judah became more wicked, that purpose was changed. The temple became the center of worship of many gods, all the hosts of heaven (2 Chronicles 33:4-5, 7-8). In Ezekiel 8, the prophet describes a vision of the temple of God in Jerusalem in which the temple is filled with profanity, filth, and false worship. The evil is so great that the LORD finally declares his judgment on Jerusalem (8:17-18).
I wonder if the temple of our body looks like that to the Lord. As we justify our sinful behaviors, does God see profanity in His temple? As we choose to watch TV instead of meditate on God's Word, does God see an idol of jealousy? As we sing songs and offer prayers on Sunday morning but ignore God the rest of the week, does God see the false priests offering incense in false worship?
Paul's conclusion was that we are to glorify God in our bodies! That means in the way we live our lives, God is to be glorified or made known through our physical behavior! We cannot make a claim of godliness if we live a sinful life. We cannot be good representatives of the Holy God if we live contrary to that holiness. The Faith to which we are called must be expressed through holiness in our lifestyles!
And lest we are sidetracked by living only outward holiness, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for just that! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." (Matthew 23:25-28)
The point is integrated holiness. It begins with a new nature brought about by our new life in Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-11). It reveals itself to the glory of God through the holy lifestyle to which we have been called (1 Peter 1:13-16).
May we reject the passivity of living down to our pagan culture and choose instead to live up to the calling with which we have been called!

The Journey of Faith

2011-04-06T09:39:00.001-07:00

Since my last post, I have been thinking about the concept of the journey of faith. I had never really thought about the Christian life as a journey in faith before. In my understanding, faith was something you either had or did not have in the sense that you are either saved or not saved. What I am beginning to realize is that saving faith is just the beginning of a journey which continues until we go home.
Marriage is a great example of this journey. God often spoke to his people in terms of marriage. He was the Husband of Israel (Jer. 31:32), the Church is the Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7, 8). God uses these images to express His relationship with His people, so I would like to use this analogy also.
When you come to the point in a relationship with a person of the opposite gender at which you decide that it would be a good idea to marry them, typically you have a pretty good knowledge of that person. You understand certain things about their personality and character which are attractive and admirable. You marry them and think that you know them deeply, intimately. You think that you have "full knowledge."
Maybe the next day, or the next week or month or year, you wake up and think "Who is this person?" Why do you think that? Because you suddenly realize that you did not know this person quite as deeply as you thought! In the marriage relationship, full knowledge of our spouses is a journey. We grow to know them more. In some cases, this deepening knowledge causes the relationship to become more challenging. In others, this deepening knowledge leads to greater respect and admiration.
In marriage, this journey is complicated by the fact that each individual is (or should be) growing, changing, and becoming better as a person and as a Christian. Once we think we have full knowledge of our spouse, they learn something new and change they way they think, act, or speak. The result is that we must re-learn them. This constant flux in the marriage relationship keeps us on our toes. We can never stop learning our spouses, we may never come to full knowledge of them!
Applying this principle to God is infinitely greater! If one finite creature cannot fully understand another finite creature, how can a finite creature ever hope to fully know the infinite God? Yet this is the goal; this is the journey of faith.
Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3) Paul wrote to the Colossians, "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." (Colossians 1:9-12) In the benediction of his second letter, Peter writes, "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:17-18)
From these verse we can easily see how important the knowledge of God is to the Christian. We can also recognize that there is a growth process in this knowledge. God wants us to know Him! This is why He sent Jesus, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) This is also why the Scripture is full of declarations of God's character. Take for example Moses' experience on Mt. Sinai, "The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.'" (Exodus 34:5-7)
Even so, if we were to suddenly and completely come to the full knowledge of a being so holy and infinite as God, we would be destroyed. Even the glimpse that Moses saw caused a change in his appearance; his face glowed (Exodus 34:29-35). Isaiah's glimpse caused him to fall on his face and cry out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!" (Isaiah 6:5) For this reason, God reveals Himself to us slowly as we are able to handle it. Thus is the journey of faith; we grow in our knowledge of our God. We learn to trust Him more as He reveals His faithfulness to us. As He guides us into truth, we make appropriate changes to our lifestyles to reflect His nature. As He reveals our sinful patterns of life, we confess our sins so He may forgive us. Meanwhile, we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be all glory both now and until the day of eternity. Amen!

How "Full of Faith" Are You?

2011-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

This was a question that God asked me recently. I am not in the habit of hearing God's voice audibly calling from heaven like a scene from "The Exodus", but occasionally God uses my own internal dialogue to pull me up and get me to evaluate myself. I had just finished my morning "devotional" reading and was beginning to pray when this thought entered my head. "How faithful are you really? You have enough faith to believe that God will save you from hell and preserve you for heaven; but how far does your faith go after that?"
Recently, I've had conversations with my wife and others on the topic of children and the size of families. I've been impressed with and skeptical of certain couples who have decided to allow "God to plan" their families. I viewed this as somewhat foolish because it opens a couple to having (enter large number here) children. Can they afford to support that many children? Do they have time to properly discipline, train, and equip that many children to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and man? My conclusion was that it was important to be *wise (for the Truth see Ps. 111 especially v. 10; Prov. 9:10) in planning your family so that you do not stretch your finances to breaking nor stretch your time commitments beyond the ability to raise the children well. I felt vindicated in my conclusion by observing the way in which the majority of Christians plan their families.
But then God comes up with this question. "Do you really trust me?"
"Of course, I trust You. I've seen you take care of me in miraculous ways."
"Do you trust me with your family?"
"Um.... sure, I trust You as long as You don't rob them from me."
"To whom do they belong?"
"Oh... right."
"Will you trust me with your family?"
(long silence)
You can see where this is going. For about a half an hour this dialogue continued in my head. We finally came to the crux of the issue. The vindication for my *wisdom about controlling my family was slowly and methodically destroyed from the foundation. The comfortable castle that I had built in which trusting God was an interesting topic but not a necessary evil was razed to the ground
"I will trust You with my family."
"Will you trust me with the size of your family?"
(another long silence) "Yes."
"If I give you 6 children?"
"Yes." (that's all I wanted anyway.)
"What about if I give you 8 children?"
"Yes." (that's still manageable.)
"What about if I give you 12 children?"
(Gulp!) "Yes."
"What if I want you to have more children than the Duggars?"
"Oh please, God, not that!"
"Will you trust me?"
"Yes, but what about the finances and my time and energy? I don't make enough to provide for a family that size and still support missions and put away for retirement! I don't have enough energy or time to spend with each child to train them up appropriately and discipline them toward righteousness! How could I possibly effectively manage a household that large?"
"Will you trust me?"
Obviously, this version of my conversation is edited to fit the time allotted. I will skip to the conclusion that I came to and the challenge this put into my own life.
First, I concluded that I will trust God with the number of children I will eventually have. What this means practically is that my wife and I will do nothing to try to prevent pregnancy unless pregnancy is a direct risk to the life of my wife. We will take that to be a sign from God to stop having children.
Second, I concluded from Scripture that God will provide for all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Don't you hate it when an old familiar verse is thrown in you face to support an uncomfortable change in your lifestyle? So God will provide financially for the number of children with which He chooses to bless me. He will also provide me with the time and energy to effectively raise up these children to become men and women of faith.
"Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127)
I believe that the Bible is Truth, do you? I will try my best with God's help to live according to the Truth of the Bible, will you?
I am not suggesting that if you disagree with my conclusions, then you are somehow ungodly. I simply want to challenge your perceptions as God has challenged mine. As you study God's Word, what will you do with the truth that He reveals to you?

God's Perfect Requirement

2011-02-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am constantly surprised by my generations understanding of holiness. I recently had a conversation with another Christian in which he basically said, "We should only behave in a holy manner if that is the way we feel like behaving." The philosophy behind that statement is that for a Christian to "act" holy when they do not feel like "acting" holy is hypocrisy and the world knows that the Church is full of hypocrites. So the argument goes, we need to start being "real" by acting out the way we feel instead of acting out holiness. I once heard a Christian man brag about the fact that no one at his work place could tell from his behavior that he was a Christian because he was so "real".
We must understand what hypocrisy really is. Is it behaving in a manner that you do not feel like behaving? Not to put to fine a point on it, but if this is true then many Christian men are hypocrites if they do not cheat on their wives. If it is true that looking lustfully at a woman is equal to adultery, then many men commit adultery anyway. Why not just do what is in your heart to do?
Jesus spoke of hypocrites in this way, "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men... When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men... Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting." (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16) Speaking of judging others, Jesus also said, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matt. 7:5) Also in Matthew 23, Jesus speaks very harshly to the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites because they call themselves religious yet they are full of evil. They call themselves experts on the Law of God, yet they completely misunderstand God's heart in the Law. They call themselves morally pure, but Jesus pointed out that they were full of all kinds of wickedness and impurity.
The implication of these statements is that hypocrites are those who act good when in truth they are evil. Feeling has nothing to do with the hypocrisy of these men. They felt good about themselves. They felt religious and righteous based on their deeds. The Truth is what declared them to be hypocrites. They were not sincere in their pursuit of righteousness and godliness. They behaved the way they did because they wanted others to admire them, not because they were righteous. So hypocrisy does not mean that we behave in ways that we do not feel like behaving, it means behaving in ways that deny the truth of our hearts. If we are not holy, then to behave in holiness is hypocrisy!
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we who by faith in Him are saved have been regenerated, born again, "the body of sin" was "done away with." We have been given a new nature, as Paul says, "put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth." (Eph. 4:24) Because we have a new nature, a nature created in righteousness and holiness of truth, it is not hypocrisy for us to behave in holiness. Actually, it is hypocrisy for us to behave in unholiness! Hypocrisy is acting like something you are not. It is not acting in a way that you do not feel. For a sinner to act like a saint is hypocrisy. For a saint to act like a sinner is hypocrisy. If you have trusted Jesus to save you, then you are a saint.
God has called us to holiness, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were your in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:13-16)
God has empowered us to holiness, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4)
God rewards us for holiness, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:20-23)
The question that I have is, "Why don't you want to behave in holiness?" It seems as though Christians would prefer to dwell in sin. They act like being "real" by behaving in sinful ways is somehow virtuous or blessed by God. God promises blessing for obedience not disobedience. When a Christian behaves in a sinful way he is disobeying God's will for his life even if that sinful action is in keeping with the Christian's "feelings." God does not condone that; He will not reward it. It is not a virtue; it is a vice.
Finally, it is important to understand that God disciplines disobedience in His children, "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:7-11)
I will end with the call of Moses, the Prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:29, 30) "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on you hand and they shall be as frontals on you forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it... I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (Deut. 30:15-20)

Example of Faith

2011-01-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

I know that I have not written anything for a very long time. I apologize for that. Life gets very busy sometimes and we forget things. I decided it was time that I posted something new and hopefully meaningful.
I have been studying the topic of faith lately. My desire is to have a fuller understanding of saving faith in order to teach my children correctly and completely. When I entered college and adulthood, my knowledge of faith was limited to a few select verses and many analogies. I want to give my children many verses and maybe a few analogies.
One of the amazing things that I discovered in my study was that "blind faith" is not real faith. Paul made the statement, "We walk by faith, not by sight," (2 Corinthians 5:7) but that is not blind faith. The difference is between seeing what is not there verses not seeing anything at all. Here is what I mean.
Blind faith simply is accepting anything at all without evaluating or recognizing what has been promised. Blind faith does not see anything at all. Real faith sees what eyes cannot see. Real faith sees with the "eyes of the heart".
As an example of this, Paul talks about the faith of Abraham in Romans 4. He refers back to the promise God had made to Abraham, saying, "Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky." (Genesis 15:5) To that point, Abraham had no offspring; yet he believed God's promise.
Paul continues by pointing out, "In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, 'So shall your descendants be.' Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform." (Romans 4:18-21)
Basically, we can say that Abraham had a faith that was not blind to the problem of the promise. That is to say, Abraham recognized that he was too old to have children and his wife was unable to bear children; yet, the physical limitations did not reduce his faith in God to fulfill the promise. It is as though Abraham said, "God, I don't understand how you are going to produce descendants for me, but I believe you."
Hebrews points out, "But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval." (Hebrews 10:39-11:2) Saving faith is an "eyes-wide-open" belief in the promise of God which sees the promised future as though it were a present possession.
Like Abraham, we understand the problem with the promise. Paul pointed out that the message of the cross was "to the Jew a stumbling block and to the Greek foolishness." (1 Corinthians 1:23) The gospel makes no sense to the 'thinking man' because the problem of man's sin and God's righteous justice should not be able to be dealt with by the death of one man. How can one man's death provide pardon for all mankind? It does not make sense, yet God has chosen the foolishness of this world to confound the wise. Our response is either, "Yes, I believe," or "I cannot believe that!"
So we conclude with Paul, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness

2009-06-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

There is a song that I sing regularly that includes the phrase "Come and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." I finally realized that this was a quote from a psalm and began to do a little research on the subject. I discovered that the phrase is translated in this way only in the KJV. In the NASB, the phrase is translated "holy attire" or "holy array." I also discovered that the phrase only occurs related to worship in four verses: 1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 29:2; and Psalm 96:9.
The context of 1 Chronicles 16 is relating the day that David managed to return the ark to Jerusalem and the tabernacle. He appointed certain men to praise the Lord before the ark continually. Verses 8-36 records the song of praise that these men sang. Embedded within that larger song is this psalm in verses 28 and 29, "Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array." This is quoted directly in Psalm 96:7-9. It is a command for the "families of the peoples" to "worship the Lord in holy array."
A similar usage is found in Psalm 29, "Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array." Here, the sons of the mighty are enjoined to "worship the Lord in holy array." My question from these three passages is this: To whom does the "holy array" refer? Does it refer to the attire of the worshipers, the families of the peoples and the sons of the mighty? Or does it refer to the Lord Himself?
The context of 2 Chronicles 20 gives another interesting twist to the discussion. Here King Jehoshaphat begs the Lord to help them because several enemies have joined forces against Judah. The Lord commands the armies of Judah to go out to battle, although God will destroy the enemy before them. Jehoshaphat establishes a group of singers to praise the Lord. The singers are in "holy array." The rest of the story relates how, when the singers began praising the Lord, He ambushed the enemies, who began killing each other. When the army of Judah arrived on the battle field, every man of their enemies was already dead. This is a great story, but I want to focus on the fact that the singers had "holy array," meaning they had clothes that were set apart for the sole purpose of wearing while singing praises to the Lord.
Back to my earlier question, to whom does the "holy array" refer? I think that we can honestly apply the holy array to both the Lord and the worshipers. Consider that the Lord is "arrayed in holiness." Holiness is the primary attribute of the Lord and that which is most extolled by men and angels (Isaiah 6:3; Rev. 4:8). It would be proper then to say that the Lord is "in holy array" or "the beauty of holiness."
However, I think it is equally correct to attribute the "holy array" to the worshipers. If the temple singers had garments dedicated for use only when they sang praises to the Lord, it is very likely that the "holy array" spoken of in the psalms refers to the garments of the worshipers. Consider that we are commanded to be holy as the Lord our God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). If it can be truly said that the Lord is "arrayed in holiness," should we not also be "arrayed in holiness"? Does this mean that we must have a set of clothes that we only wear when worshiping the Lord? Probably not, but it does mean that our characters should be defined by holiness.
This is my conclusion: just as the Lord is holy in all the He is and does, so also should we be holy in our characters. Worship that is acceptable in the sight of God necessitates holiness in the lives of the worshipers.

A Parable of Two Brothers

2009-06-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have two sons, they could not have more different personalities. The oldest, as an infant, was very independent and loved to be held by any and all. If his mother or I held him he would push away from us in order to look around at all the activity. Also, he was terrified of the vacuum cleaner or the blender. If we were to vacuum or blend anything he would begin screaming and we would have to take him into a different room.
On the other hand, the younger son, as an infant wanted nothing to do with anyone other than mom and dad. It took him many months to even warm up to being held by his grandmothers and after more than a year, he is still uncomfortable with people at our church holding him. However, he had no problem with the vacuum cleaner or the blender, in fact, he was very curious about them and often crawled into the path of the vacuum to get a better look.
Here is where the parable application comes in. It seems to me that the child that was the most independent developed the greatest fear of the vacuum and blender whereas the child who had the closest connection to his parents had no fear of the vacuum and blender. Perhaps the younger brother recognized that any instrument, no matter how noisy, in the hands of the parent could not harm him and therefore was not something to be feared and avoided.
I think that is often how Christians view God. Those who are more independent tend to become more fearful and shaken up by the "vacuums" of our lives, those things God allows to test and strengthen our faith. We run to God in fear and pray, "Why is this happening to me?" On the other hand, those Christians who draw near to God daily and develop a deep intimacy and dependence upon Him do not wring their hands and tremble when everything seems to fall apart. They realize that those things which we fear are nothing more than a tool in the hands of our Heavenly Parent, Who loves us and will not allow us to experience anything more than what we can handle.
This parable became especially meaningful to me this week because my new-born nephew was sent to Neonatal Intensive Care with dangerous lung issues. God is in control, even of this.

O Mature, Arise!

2009-03-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

We recently introduced a new song at church called O Church Arise. The last line of this song says, "As saints of old still line the way retelling triumphs of His grace, we hear their call and hunger for the day when with Christ we stand in glory." This phrase made me think about the "saints of old," what they do and what they should do. Though I realize that this song is probably referring to saints that have preceded us in death, I think the application could be made to living saints. I am not going to expound on a song, it simply made me think "What is the responsibility of the older saints toward the younger?"
Moses commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:6, 7, "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." Paul wrote to Titus, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husband, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (Titus 2:3-5) I think that this concept of the older generation teaching the younger should be applied to men as well.
The point that I am trying to make is in application to how our older saints teach and encourage our younger saints. Often, rather than encouraging new and younger Christians to behave in godly ways, the older Christians criticize and complain about the younger Christians. Often the comment is that the younger Christians are too worldly. This is a true assessment, young Christians are worldly by virtue of the fact that they are young and untrained in the ways of godliness. Saying that a young Christian is worldly is like saying a baby cannot walk. What good is complaining and criticizing going to do? Babies will not learn to walk unless they are taught with patience and love, so a young Christian will not embrace godliness unless they are mentored with patience and love.
I think that the Bible teaches the concept of mentoring. The older Christians who are overcoming the world should mentor the younger Christians who are still struggling through it. I am not saying that the older Christian needs to be perfect, but that they need to be mature. They also need to be willing to accept the young Christian as they are without criticism, affirm their growth without condemning their immaturity, and challenge further growth with patience.
We cannot change the worldliness of young Christians unless we encourage them to focus their heart and lives on the Savior. Mentoring does not allow for complaints and criticism, it requires encouragement and challenges. Rather than saying, "A real Christian wouldn't talk that way!" Maybe we should encourage the younger Christian to consider that the way he talks is a reflection on our Savior. The great challenge for the mentor is to live up to the standards that he wants to inspire in his disciple.
Yes, I used the word disciple. That is what the younger Christians are, disciples of any mature Christian who is willing to teach them. Younger Christians hunger for a mature believer to come along side them and show them how to live out the life to which Christ has called us. Unfortunately, I fear that many older Christians are too busy occupying themselves with criticism. Where will the younger Christians go for support and encouragement? They will go to anyone who will accept them, even if the one who accepts them is a wolf in sheeps clothing seeking to lead them astray. I wonder how many Christians who could have had a great witness became useless in the witness because no mature believer came along side them to teach them, because they found acceptance from a wolf, and because they were led astray into false doctrine and empty deception. Now they are worthless as witnesses for God because they do not have a relationship with Him in any meaningful way. If only the godly, mature believer had stood up and mentored that young Christian, how would his life, ministry, and church been different?

Free Will Or A Reliable God, You Choose

2009-01-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

I was reading in Exodus again about the ten plagues. This is a perplexing passage because throughout the ordeal, Pharaoh continually has a hardened heart. Even when his people tell him that the hand of God is performing all the signs and that he should let the Israelites go, Pharaoh refuses to do so. This passage raises some questions that are important to consider. Primarily, the question of free will is most often raised from these verses. The passage alternately states that "Pharaoh... hardened his heart," "Pharaoh's heart was hardened," and "the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart." Did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Was God just in judging Pharaoh if He was the one causing the hard heart? How does this relate to the biblical teaching of free will?
Yes, God hardened Pharaoh's heart even in the passages that say Pharaoh was the agent causing the hardening, it was God orchestrating the events. In Exodus 4:21 God says to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." God did not want Pharaoh to have a soft heart toward the message Moses was declaring. Why not, what about Pharaoh's free will?
Here is where I think we have the whole issue backwards. The story does not primarily deal with the free will controversy. Rather, we are viewing an aspect of God's character that goes much deeper. Remember back to the passage when God called Abram? He promised that "those who curse you I will curse." (Genesis 12:3) God promised to curse the people or nations who cursed Israel. Egypt certainly was not being a blessing to Israel during the 400 years of slavery! Also, God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15. In verses 13 and 14, God said, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions." In a covenant with Abram, God promised to judge the land of Egypt!
Now Pharaoh sees the judgments of God on the nation that has oppressed God's people. All of the Egyptians plead with him to let Israel go because the land is laid waste from all the terrifying plagues. Still, Pharaoh's heart is hard against God (as a part of his nature, a sinful child of the devil) and against the cries of his own people (because God does not want his compassion to overrule the fulfillment of the covenant). The issue then is not free will, but the fulfillment of God's promise. Is God faithful to keep His covenant with Abraham? Yes, even if He must manipulate the "will" of a sinful man to accomplish His purpose.
Even after the tenth plague, God hardened Pharaoh's heart once more. The army of Egypt pursued the Israelites down to the Red Sea where the entire army was destroyed. God was glorified through Egypt's demise, and He showed Himself to be absolutely faithful to His covenants.
The Jews could take this episode as proof that the covenant they made with God at Sinai would be completely fulfilled by God because He is faithful to His covenants. We can take this as more evidence that God will faithfully keep His promises to us. Our God is 100% reliable!

True Attraction

2009-01-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting verse: Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
Our Bible study is currently going through a program called The Truth Project, which seeks to expose the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil that many Christians are unknowingly buying into and to develop a truly Christian worldview based solely on the doctrines of Scripture. This week in our study we examined something that should be considered the most dangerous form of knowledge, that is assumptive language. It is dangerous because when a teacher or a salesperson makes an assumptive statement, they are not saying what they mean. The statement may sound good and acceptable, but when you buy into the statement you also buy into the underlying assumption.
Let me give you an example. A commercial for a hair care product declares you should buy this product "because you're worth it." The immediate statement suggests that you are worth the $9.95 that could make your hair more beautiful. The assumption that is not stated is "It's all about you, you are the most important person, look out for number one."
The verse in Colossians clearly states that Christians can be captured by these deceitful philosophies of men, and most of us are captured by some. Let me apply this to a matter in which I feel most Christians of our generation have been captured, the matter of physical appearance. We are constantly bombarded from every medium with the lie that we must be "sexy" in order to have self-worth. People who are not "sexy" are ridiculed and looked down upon as not having value. Of course, this is not verbally stated because this would not be accepted by our society. However, the assumptive language that we buy into fills our minds with this lie. How many times have we seen a morbidly obese individual and commented about their appearance?
How can we correct this false philosophy into which we have bought? We need to understand what "sexy" is and what true attraction is. Sexy does not mean the same thing as attractive, nor does attractive necessarily include sexy. I have seen many Christian couples in which one of the partners will be sexy and the other will un-sexy, yet the sexy individual is greatly attracted to the un-sexy individual. How can this be unless sexy and attractive are totally separate?
Let me give you a descriptive definition of these two concepts. Sexy is the state of being physically beautiful to the point that you create in those of the opposite gender the desire to have sex with you. On the other hand, attractive is the state of having a personality and character that makes those around you like and appreciate you in a deep and abiding way. Marriages based on sexy always fail unless attraction comes before the divorce.
When an individual looks at others as being "sexy" they are seeing only the external. You might as well stuff the "sexy" person and put them on your mantle, because that is all that sexy is... pleasing to the eye in the same way that a painting from Da Vinci, or Michalangelo is pleasing to the eye. "Sexy" objectifies the individual rather than views them as a person with an inner character. "Attractive" views the individual as a person and focusses on their inner character and personality.
What does the Bible have to say about this issue? 1 Peter 3:3-4, "Your adornment must not be merely external- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." The word "merely" at the beginning of the verse is not in the original but is supplied by the translators. The idea being that we should not be overly concerned with our "sexy" appearance but with our "attractiveness" before God and others.
Is it wrong to braid the hair? No. Is it wrong to wear jewelry? No. Is it wrong to put on dresses? Not for women, but that is a whole different issue. However, the overwhelming obsession of people in our culture is the physical appearance, which is wrong. We must stop looking at the "sexiness" of a person and try to find their "attractiveness" by getting to know their character. Also, we must stop trying to be "sexy" and start developing the inner character of the heart in order to be "attractive" not only to our friends and spouses, but also to God.

Separation of Church and Church

2008-12-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Christian circles in which I grew up taught that fellowship between denominations was a dangerous thing. I was taught that the true church must separate itself from every other denomination that does not teach or believe exactly the same things that we do. According to this teaching the greatest evil in the church is the ecumenical movement, desiring to see the different church groups associate together and have a joint ministry in the world. I have since come to the conclusion that such standards of separation are unbiblical.
Yet, there is in the Bible clear lines that must be drawn for separation from others who profess Christianity. We should not separate from other Christians simply because they do not belong to the same church or denomination. There are other, more telling and sinister reasons to separate from professing Christians. One of many passages that provide clues to the basis for separation is the warning John gave to the church in 1 John 2:18-24, "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 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. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father."
John's warning is very clear, there are those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ that deny the biblical truths about Jesus Christ. These people are called antichrists and their purpose is to deceive others and lead them away from the truth.
John's admonition in this passage is to cling to that which we know is true. The first century church could honestly adhere to those things which the apostles taught them as being absolute truth. The best way for us to know absolute truth is to study God's Word. Rather than relying on the pastor or teacher to tell us what to believe, we must search it out for ourselves. Then, when we are faced with professing believers who deny the biblical truths about Jesus, we will understand that they are not truly followers of Christ. These are the ones with whom we are to avoid fellowship. In 2 John we are told not to give them a greeting or invite them into our place of worship because they will try to lead astray weak and carnal Christians.
Along these lines, John later teaches in 1 John 4 to test the spirits to see if they are from God. Many teachers claim to believe in Jesus yet they deny all that the Bible claims to be true of him (such as His relationship to the Father and His deity). It is important to test them because we might be fellowshipping with someone who is an enemy of God.
It is vital for our relationship with God that we abide (make our dwelling place) in the truth about His Son. The Jesus revealed in the Bible is the only way to the Father. The Jesus that the antichrists teach is not the true Christ and cannot save anyone. As we pursue intimacy with God, we must cast off anything, including associations, that hinder the growth of that relationship.

Idolatry in the 21st Century

2008-11-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17).
It is easy for my to read these verses and agree with John's point. Do not get caught up in the passing pleasures of this world. Yet living out this doctrine is much more difficult. I think the reason obeying this command is so difficult is because we have an earthly focus. Our minds are saturated by this world and all it contains. We are obsessed with the material and not obsessed with our Father in heaven. The accusation of Paul in Romans stands true for us, we serve the creature rather than the Creator.
While we worship God on Sunday, or even a few minutes every day, we still work hard to accomplish temporary goals. I suppose that I take John's admonition in these verses to relate specifically to the sin of materialism, or as I see it white-collar idolatry. Idolatry in the Bible occurred when God's people ignored God and worshiped statues representing demonic entities. Idolatry in the 21st century occurs when Christians ignore God's will, choosing to fuss and fret to obtain that which will shortly be destroyed.
In the Bible, the Jews worked to gain, grow or raise things that they could offer to the idol in order to cajole it into working for them. In some cases they even sacrificed their own children to the idols in what would be considered by our modern society "gross child abuse." However, our "civilized" culture commits this same kind of sin when fathers and mothers place their children into day-cares in order to spend as much time and energy as possible working in order to gain newer and nicer things; meanwhile rationalizing their obsession with work and 'things' by declaring that all this is for the benefit of their children. Rather than tossing our children into the arms of Molech, we toss our children into the arms of Materialism... both idols and both controlled by the same demonic entity. The result of the former action was a dead and lifeless body, the result of the latter action is dead relationships, broken souls, and children crying for love, affection, and attention by acting out internal rage against others in the form of bullying, rape, murder, or milder deviant behavior.
Why do we sacrifice our children to the idol of Materialism when the Bible clearly declares that, though we must work to eat, our Father will provide all our needs? Jesus said, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for you body as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26). Paul adds to this doctrine, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19). The answer to the question above is that we want more than just our needs fulfilled, we want our materialistic desires fulfilled also. The high percentage of debt ridden people in our nation, including Christians, is a testimony to this attitude of instant gratification held by our generation. You can call it Christian hedonism or idolatry, the result is the same.
The Bible also clearly teaches that it is the responsibility of the parents to raise the children and train them in the ways of the Lord. Paul conveys this doctrine in Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." The implication of this verse is that fathers spend time with their children. It is the responsibility of the fathers to provide spiritual, moral, and emotional guidance to their children, especially their sons who will then become fathers with the same responsibility. When Daddy is too busy at the office and too tired at home to interact with his offspring, the children will search anywhere for the lacking love, affection, and spiritual guidance that Daddy refuses to provide. This may explain why so many Christian teenagers of Christian parents are actively or passively rebelling against sound spiritual leadership. They are looking for guidance and acceptance away from their parents traditional religion. If traditional Christianity does not teach fathers to be involved in the lives of their children, why should the children be overjoyed to join in with that religion? If another religion comes along promising involvement, affection, and guidance, why should the children not follow the false doctrines that temporarily provide them with the very things that their father should have been giving them?
When Jesus promised that God will take care of us in his discourse in Matthew, I believe that He was speaking specifically about the idolatry of materialism. In the verse immediately preceding that passage, Jesus makes this statement, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matthew 6:24).

Face To Face

2008-11-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

In the first chapter of 1 John, John introduces the idea of walking in the Light. This is basically living in intimate fellowship with God because God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). As we move on in 1 John 2, we read more about this intimacy with God and how we can be sure that we have it. John says, "The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (2:9-11).
If walking in the Light means having intimate fellowship with God, then we are assured of our position in the Light by our response to and treatment of fellow Christians. I have come to realize through Jesus' discussions on the topic of "love your neighbor" that if one was to compile a list of every law in the Bible concerning how to treat other people, that list would be a complete "how-to" on love. In other words, if we truly have agape love for our brothers and sisters in the family of God, we will treat them in exactly the ways that God had commanded the Jews to treat each other in the Old Testament and the ways the Jesus commanded his disciples to treat each other in the New Testament. By responding to others in love, we are ensuring ourselves of our position of intimacy with the Father. The one who refuses to respond to others in love, is lying when he claims to have intimacy with the Father. Anyone who truly has intimacy with the Father will respond in love. We cannot separate the connection of obedience to God's law and intimacy with God. If we refuse to obey God's command to love, we cannot have intimacy with God.
I have come to the conclusion that God created man for the primary purpose of having a relationship with Him. After creating Adam and Eve, God walked shoulder to shoulder with them in the garden and spoke face to face with them until the day they sinned. Since the Fall, God has been working out salvation's plan in order to restore the broken relationship with mankind. Though we cannot walk shoulder to shoulder with God or speak face to face as Adam did, we are invited into an intimate relationship with the God of Creation with the knowledge and hope that we will see Him one day face to face.

A Thought On The Elections

2008-10-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

With the elections only a few days away, God brought something very interesting to my attention. Before I tell you about it I have to say that I despise politics to the very core of my being. Politics is about lying and telling half-truths to accomplish a private or partisan agenda. Because of my disdain for politics, this past year has been excruciating for me. The focus in the news, in commercials, and in everyone's mind is the elections. Why? Because people have a deep belief that if we can just get the right combination of president and congress working together we can turn the US into a utopia. We need the right programs, the right spending, the right military actions, etc. My question is "what is right and who decides?" What seems right to me seems wrong to someone else. Who's to say which of us is more right? What if we are both wrong? What if in our elections we only have two bad choices? Is it okay to vote for the 'lesser of two evils?' I don't have the answers to these questions, I only have more questions. So instead of weighting down your mind, let me share what God revealed to me today.
I was reading in the Psalms as is my practice every morning, when I came upon Psalm 146 (the first Psalm in today's reading).
1. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2. I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3. Do not trust in princes (or presidents), In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5. How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6. Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever (He'll do what he promises);
7. Who executes justice for the oppressed (not the court system); Who gives food to the hungry (not the welfare system). The Lord sets the prisoners free.
8. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind (not national healthcare); The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous;
9. The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow (again with welfare), But He thwarts the way of the wicked (again with the court system).
10. The Lord will reign forever (not only for four to eight years), Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1,2)

Something Old, Something New

2008-10-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

John tells us that we can know God by keeping His commands, be perfected in God's love by keeping His word, and abide in God by walking in the same manner as He walked. Now he continues this line of reasoning by describing exactly what is the command that we are to keep. In 1 John 2:7-8, he says, "Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining."
In the next few verses, we can see that the command is specifically to love our brothers. My question is, how is this both an old and new command? In Leviticus 19:17, 18, God gives this command, "You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD." Jesus reiterated this command during His earthly ministry. We find in Matthew 22:36-40 an account of a lawyer testing Jesus, "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And He said to him, '"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.'" In Mark's account of the same event (12:32), the lawyer agrees with Jesus' assessment of the Law, showing that this was a commandment that was old, from the foundation of the nation of Israel.
How is this also a new commandment if the Jews have had it since the foundation of their nation? While Jesus agreed with the lawyer on the basic premise that loving God and your neighbor were the foundations of the Law, Jesus' understanding of the extent of that love was much different than that of the lawyer. In Luke's gospel, a similar account is given in which the lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus then asks the lawyer what the law says, to which the lawyer replies, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus basically said, "Yep, you answered your own question." The lawyer wanted to justify his question and asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus' response was in the form of the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man who was a sworn enemy of the Jewish people was the only person to act in a loving or neighborly way to the Jewish man beaten and half dead on the road. This concept of love was entirely new and foreign to the relgious establishment in Jesus' day. Jesus explained the new extent of the old command in Matthew 5:43-48, "'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles to the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'"
The old command is that we are to love our neighbors. The command is made new in Jesus' extension of our understanding of how to apply that command. No longer are we justified in loving only those who return our love. We must love even those who are our enemies, just as the Samaritan showed love to the Jew. In this way we are perfected in love, just as the Father in heaven has perfect love. This is important to keep in mind as John continues his discourse on love and the nature of the Christian, because we will see him again bring up the idea that we can be perfected in God's love.

Am I Christian Enough?

2008-10-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a trend in Christianity to be as much like the world as possible without actually committing acts of horrible evil. This means that we can be involved in idolatry (materialism) and other forms of 'socially acceptable' trespasses of God's commandments, while still feeling spiritual because we are not as evil as our unsaved neighbors. We feel justified in this position because we compare ourselves with the world and other Christians who are more worldly than us. It is almost like we believe that God will have to accept us just because we are better than other people.
John speaks to this attitude in 1 John 2:3-6, "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
There are three points that John is making in these verses, each related to spiritual maturity in the believer. First, Christians have assurance of their knowledge of God by their obedience to His commandments. The opposite of this point could be restated in this way: If we do not obey God's commandments, then we cannot know that we have truly come to know Him. The point is that we have true assurance of salvation and intimate relationship with God only when we are living in obedience to His commands to us. I think that many Christians have a sense that they are not really saved simply because they do not follow God's commands for them. Peter also spoke to this point in 2 Peter 1:9, "For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins."
The second point that John makes is that we are perfected (completed or matured) in God's love when we keep His word. John is restating what Jesus had already declared to his disciples in John 14, "'He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.' Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.'" This point speaks to the concept that Christians should strive through obedience to God's word and commands to develop intimate relationship with their heavenly Father. The point of Christianity is not simply to have salvation from sin, death, and hell. It is to live the eternal life that God desired for us when He created Adam and Eve, intimate fellowship with Him. This intimate fellowship is only attainable through obedience to God's word. Another way to state this is when we obey God's word, we grow into a deeper relationship with the Father.
Finally, John declares that anyone who claims to abide in God should live a life following the pattern that Jesus gave for us. The kind of relationship that Jesus had with the Father through obedience to the direction of the Father is a pattern of the relationship that we can and should have with the Father. I think that John is referring to everyone who calls themselves a Christian, those who claim to abide in Christ. Each of us should pattern our lives after the life of Jesus, obedience and intimacy with the Father.
If we were to take John's statements seriously, we would not desire to be as much like the world as possible; we would desire to be as unlike the world as possible. This is the desire of God for us, to "be holy as the Lord your God is holy" (Leviticus 19:2; 20:26; 1 Peter 1:15, 16).

Un/ Limited Atonement

2008-10-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

As John ends chapter 1, we might get the idea that if I can't be sinless I might as well not try. God will forgive me if I confess my sin, so I'll just rely on that and not try to live up to His holiness. Just in case we come away with that attitude, John adds in the first two verses of chapter 2 this statement, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
These two verses really end the topic of chapter 1. John was not giving us permission to be loose with our morality because God will forgive if we confess. He was writing those things so that we would not sin. John's desire is to see Christians put off sin and put on righteousness, to 'be holy as the Lord your God is holy.' Sin is contrary to the holiness of God.
Yet John also recognizes that Christians are still tempted by sin and will slip up. Fortunately, he reminds us that Jesus' death covers this sin as well. In fact, Jesus stands before God as an advocate, literally Jesus is praying for us. He doesn't want the people whom He has bought with His precious blood to fall away from the righteousness of God and become useless and defeated Christians. What does Jesus pray for us? We have an example in Luke 22:31-32, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
John also reminds us that this Advocate who is praying on our behalf is the same Christ who, being absolute righteousness in and of Himself, became the propitiation for our sins. That means that Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of God's law and opened a way of restoration in our relationship to God. Jesus covered our sins with His own blood, so that we could stand before God acceptable, not by our work or merit but by His.
The final phrase of verse 2 might challenge some theological positions. The propitiation that Jesus worked out on the cross is not only efficient to provide salvation for those who believe but it is also sufficient to provide a way of salvation for those who have not yet. The reality of salvation, restored relationship and removal of sin is present for the believer; the potential of salvation, restored relationship and removal of sin is present for the unbeliever. God does not swiftly and harshly punish sin in the lives of Christians, He also is gracious to not swiftly and harshly punish sin in the lives of those who are not Christians. This is achieved not because God sees some spark of goodness in us that might be fanned into a flame, but only because of the propitiation that Jesus provided for us.
What are your thoughts on this theological position? Limited atonement or unlimited atonement?

Sinless Perfection

2008-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

There are some Christians who believe that they may be able to attain a state of existence known as sinless perfection. Basically, this is a state of such perfect righteousness that they are no longer bothered by the presence of sin in their lives. While this sounds very good for those of us who slog through our days fighting with temptations, the Bible very clearly tells us that such a state is not achievable on this side of heaven.
John states in 1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
The problem is that every Christian is a recovering sinner, some are still practicing sinners and others commit sins that they are either unaware of or unwilling to recognize as sins. Now this raises the question, doesn't the Bible teach that sin is dead in the life of the Christian? The simple answer is 'No.' The Bible teaches that sin is powerless in the life of the Christian. Prior to salvation, sin is a slave master and we are its slaves. After salvation, the whip has been taken away from the slave master so he has no power over the freed slave, however, the slave master can still yell and rant at the freed slave. Think of sin as a toothless and clawless lion, he is still frightening when he roars, but he can do no real damage and we need not fear or obey him.
Sin is still present in the life of the Christian. It still tries to lead astray and cause us to fall into temptation, but we no longer have to obey that inclination to sin. We have been freed from the control of sin by the blood of Jesus. However, the apostle recognizes that Christians still succumb to sin, that is the reason for verse 9. The idea is that because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God is not only willing and able, but also justified and righteous in forgiving our sins as we recognize them for what they are and agree with God that they are sinful and despicable. The great thing about this is that, as we recognize the sins that we commit and confess them, God forgives the sins that we recognize and confess as well as all the unrighteousness that we have not recognized. We do not have to keep a record of all the sins we commit in the day to make sure we confess them all. The humility that we express by confessing the sins we know about is the impetus for God to forgive the sins of which we are unaware. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
So what if we refuse to recognize sin in our lives? John tells us that we are lying to ourselves if we deny the truth that the influence of sin is still present in our lives; while sin is in us, the understanding of truth is not. Also, John says that if we refuse to recognize the commission of sin in our lives, we call God a liar because we are unwilling to recognize sin for what it is; and while sin is in us, the truth of His word revealing our sin is not.
This boils down to pride and humility. Some Christians are too proud to recognize imperfection in their lives. Remember, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) Applied in a similar way in 1 John, the concept is that God cannot forgive the sins of those who refuse to recognize them, while those who are humble enough to recognize them and confess them will receive God's grace in forgiveness. It's something to think about.

Walk In The Light

2008-09-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

In the first four verses of John's first letter, he efficiently contradicted two of the most widespread heresies of his day, Docetism and Cerinthus. In the next three verses, he attacks the core belief of Gnosticism that there is a sharp distinction between the spirit and the flesh, what is done in the flesh has no bearing on the spirit.
John says in 1 John 1:5-7 "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
In these verses, Light and Darkness are used figuratively to refer to Righteousness and Evil. The statement that God is Light means that God is morally perfect or righteous, being without evil or sin of any kind. John also introduces the idea of having fellowship with God. In verse 4, he spoke of the Christians having fellowship with him as he has fellowship with God; but here he speaks of Christians having intimate fellowship directly with God apart from their relationship with the apostle. The idea of fellowship is intimate relationship; the picture that is used in the New Testament about Christ being the husband and the Church His bride is a wonderful expression of intimate relationship. Literally, Christians are to draw near in intimate relationship with God in a similar way that a bride has intimate relationship with her husband, to understand him deeply and relate to him emotionally, to seek his desires and serve him selflessly.
Obviously, for someone to have this depth of relationship with another person they must live together. A husband and wife cannot understand each other or relate to each other emotionally, seek to fulfill each others desires or serve each other selflessly unless they live together. In the same way, a Christian who does not dwell in the Light where God is cannot develop an intimate relationship with God. They will not be able to understand God, they will not seek to fulfill His will, they will not desire to serve Him selflessly. In short, the Christian who harbors darkness in his or her life cannot know God intimately. Later in this letter John will say, "The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him." (3:24). Obedience to God's standard of righteousness, walking in the Light, is the only way to have intimate fellowship with God... and, by the way, assurance of salvation (2 Peter 1:9).

What Is Truth?

2008-09-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Our modern Western culture is identified by theologians as "post-modern," defined in part by a belief that truth is subjective and there is no absolute truth. In the Bible the issue of truth is central. In fact, Jesus said, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth." (John 18:37). If at least one of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to testify to the truth, it appears that truth is a rather important issue! Even in Jesus' time the issue of truth was questioned and debated; take for example the Greek philosophies. Men sat around all day debating what was truth.
This brings me to the passage of the week, 1 John 1:1-4, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete."
As I read this the first question in my mind is, "Why is John so insistent that he was a physical witness of the things he was sharing with his readers?" It is helpful to understand a little background to this letter. John was writing to Christians in churches that had been touched by false teachers. These were men who combined Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine to create something entirely unique... and false. At the time some of the primary heresies were Docetism: the belief that Jesus did not have a physical body but only appeared or seemed to do the things reported of Him. Also the teachings of Cerinthus: that Jesus was merely human but the divine Christ possessed him at his baptism and left him at some point before his crucifixion. And finally an early form of Gnosticism: strict dualism in which the spirit and flesh were sharply distinguished resulting in the belief that sin in the flesh did not impact ones spiritual standing before God. In the very opening verses of his letter, John attacks the doctrines of these false teachers. Obviously, if John was able to touch Jesus, then Jesus had a real physical body; Docetism cannot be true! If the Word of Life was with the Father and if we have fellowship with the Father AND His Son Jesus Christ, then Cerinthus cannot be true because Jesus Christ is in fact divine. In a period of three verses John adequately puts to rest the two most incipient teachings harassing the church. Jesus is God and man, 100% and 100% in one body.
This was important to John because it was the truth. He did not want the Christians, who at that time did not possess the whole Scripture as we have it, to be deceived by the lies of ungodly and unprincipled men. John knew the truth and he was made joyful by the knowledge that others were made aware of that truth.
Jesus said, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32). The Psalmist wrote, "The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." (Psalm 119:160).

Draw Near To God

2008-09-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

James 4:8 contains a really cool promise. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." As a worship leader it seems as though all the material that I read lately is related to worship. It also seems as though all the worship leaders think that this passage has to do with worship. Isn't it a cool thought that when we draw near to God in worship for example on Sunday morning, that God is drawing near to us? After all, the Psalmist declares that God inhabits the praise of His people. It just makes sense that if we draw near to God in worship, He will draw near to us.
Unfortunately, Sunday morning worship is not what James is talking about in this passage. Rather, the context refers oddly enough to sin. Specifically, the Christians response to this world and all it contains. Let me hit a few of the highlights of the passage up to the point of verse 8. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?... You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures... do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?... Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'?... Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
The language that James uses here is reminiscent of the language used by the prophets of the Old Testament who warned Israel of God's wrath over their sin. God called the Israelites adultresses, because they abandoned God, their 'husband', and followed after the idols of the foreigners around them. Christians are called 'aliens and strangers' in this world; yet we do exactly what the Jews did in the Old Testament. We make ourselves comfortable in our culture and begin adopting lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviors of the world around us. James warns that such 'friendship with the world' makes us enemies of God. Paul talks about those who are not children of God being children of wrath, which means that the wrath of God is directed at them for their sin and rejection of Jesus Christ. As a child of God, why would I want to cozy up to a world that is being prepared to receive the full force of God's wrath? If you saw someone walking in the middle of the road while a bus was barreling down on them, would you walk in the middle of the road with them?
This is basically what many Christians do. We want to be comfortable while we are here on earth, so we desire things that we do not have and pray for possessions to fulfill our desires. For the majority of Christianity, living is about life and what you can get out of it. Just like the world, most Christians in America believe they must get what they can out of this one life. "The one who dies with the most toys wins!" LIE "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?" TRUTH.
Christians place themselves in the path of God's wrath against this world when they decide that this world is the most important thing to them. If my goal in life is to be comfortable, successful, and wealthy, then I am allying myself with the losing team, the world, the flesh, and the devil. However, if I recognize that this life is mine to glorify God and use everything I possess for that purpose, then I am drawing near to God. The result of which is that He will draw near to me. This should bring proper perspective to the Christian life.

"Only one life, will soon be passed; only what's done for Christ will last!"

Religion Vs. Relationship

2008-09-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

The subtitle on this page might seem confusing to some people. It was to my wife, who said, "Religion has a negative connotation." Unfortunately, this is true. One of the popular statements of modern Christianity is, "It's not a religion, it's a relationship!" Another truth that I used to believe wholeheartedly. I'm beginning to change my mind.
Modern Christianity defines religion as a system of rules usually developed by men that believers follow in hopes of achieving some kind of higher existence, whether heaven, enlightenment, Valhalla or whatever. Yet, if this definition is a true definition, why does the bible speak of religion as a desirable part of Christianity. "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:26, 27
It is interesting to me that James, the brother of Jesus, old camel knees himself, would write about religion rather than relationship. I mean if anyone had a relationship with the Savior it was James. Yet his focus is on religion. Why is that?
I think that the problem lies in our understanding of what constitutes true religion. The Jews of the Old Testament were given a list of rules to follow. These were commands directly from the mouth of God, delivered to them by Moses; religion if ever there was one. The idea was to obey these rules in order to be acceptable to God. However, a brief overview of all the Bible reveals that it was not strict adherence to the Law that made a Jew righteous, it was his faith in the Law Maker. Those Jews who had faith in God demonstrated it by obedience to His Law; not always perfect obedience as in the case of King David who was an adulterer and murderer yet the apple of God's eye and a friend of God.
What is my point? True religion involves a relationship and a relationship involves true religion. It is very easy for Christians of my generation to claim a relationship with Abba, and many do. Yet the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, or in the case of a relationship with Abba, in the religion. Many Christians who have a "deep and close" relationship with God never allow that intimacy to impact their lives in a meaningful, religious kind of way. The Bible very clearly states that our deeds, our obedience to the will and commands of God, verify or deny our claim of salvation. The question I must wrestle with is the validity of my relationship. "Is my relationship with God verified or denied by my religion?" Is my claim of intimacy with God shown to be true by what I do? That is the focus of James, true religion is the working out of my salvation.

What I am about

2008-09-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

I am a young Christian man who desires more than anything to become more like my Savior, Jesus. As I 'grow up', I am constantly faced with my failure as a true follower of Christ. I laugh at things that I probably should not; I think about things that I probably should not; I talk about things that I probably should not. It is the conflict of maturity: the more I know, the more I know I don't know. I understand that I can not achieve perfection on this side of heaven. However, I also understand that I am required as a child of God and follower of Christ to strive for what I cannot yet attain. My striving is not in my own strength but in the power of God granted to me for life and godliness.
The purpose of this blog is not simply to chronicle my growth as a follower of Christ. It is to share my discoveries along the way. I am a teacher at heart and as such cannot be satisfied to study and discover without sharing my discoveries. My hope is that my growth will challenge other followers of Christ to deepen their knowledge of and relationship with Abba, our Father.
"Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." 2 Peter 1:3