Thursday 29 December 2011
Sunday 25 December 2011
Happy Christmas (as they say in the UK)
Dave Worsley's fun Christian Christmas tidbit (in his words):
The wise men who came to see Jesus were likely from Babylon, having been part of the wise men club that the prophet Daniel had started centuries before. They would have had access to Daniel's prophecies about the time of the Messiah etc. from his prophecies that we read today [in the book of Daniel].
The wise men who came to see Jesus were likely from Babylon, having been part of the wise men club that the prophet Daniel had started centuries before. They would have had access to Daniel's prophecies about the time of the Messiah etc. from his prophecies that we read today [in the book of Daniel].
Saturday 24 December 2011
My Heart Will Choose to Say
Worship is always a choice. At times it's an easy, straightforward one. When life is peaceful and painless, the choice to respond to God in thanksgiving and praise may not be such a hard one to make. But at other times in our lives, worship becomes a much gutsier decision. Caught up amidst a whirlwind of pain and confusion, the decision to cry out, "Yet I will praise You," is a costly act of devotion.
In the life of every worshipper there will come times when worship meets with suffering. And these moments shape what kind of worshippers we will become. Yes, praise be to God for times of abundance and plenty in our lives - those carefree days full of peace and laughter. Yet we praise Him also in the wilderness times - those dark and stormy seasons of the soul when we're left crying out with the psalmist, "How long, O LORD, how long?" (Psalm 6:3).
When trials come, trust must arise. When there's nothing to rock the boat, our trust in God is rarely tested. Seasons of stillness and calm are wonderful; yet before too long the winds will start to gather, and we'll find ourselves caught up once again in the storms of life. The question then is this: Can we still find our way to the place of praise?
We may have faith to believe in God as Lord of the calm - but do we also have faith to believe in Him as Lord of the storm? He is Lord of both the hurricane and the gentle breeze. The One who rules and reigns amidst all of the earthquakes of this life - those times when our whole world seems to be shaking and breaking apart...
If you yourself are in a season of struggle, take a minute even now to remind yourself of the God who sees your struggle. It's possible to talk your soul into a place of hope.
We worship a triumphant Saviour, a victorious King. The all-powerful and all-loving God, who is faithful in all He says and gracious in all He does. The One who has never been anxious, overwhelmed or outsmarted. The God of unbroken promises. When He acts, no one can reverse it. When He speaks, His commands never return empty. The God who never wastes His words.
The doors He chooses to open, no one can close; and the doors He purposes to close, no one can open. No plan of His has ever been thwarted. No one has ever outmanoeuvred Him, outlived Him or outloved Him. He remains as faithful as the day He created you in love, and as powerful as the day He spoke the world into being.
And in your brokenness He stays as close and as involved as you want Him to be.
- Matt and Beth Redman, Blessed be Your Name
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 (NIV)
In the life of every worshipper there will come times when worship meets with suffering. And these moments shape what kind of worshippers we will become. Yes, praise be to God for times of abundance and plenty in our lives - those carefree days full of peace and laughter. Yet we praise Him also in the wilderness times - those dark and stormy seasons of the soul when we're left crying out with the psalmist, "How long, O LORD, how long?" (Psalm 6:3).
When trials come, trust must arise. When there's nothing to rock the boat, our trust in God is rarely tested. Seasons of stillness and calm are wonderful; yet before too long the winds will start to gather, and we'll find ourselves caught up once again in the storms of life. The question then is this: Can we still find our way to the place of praise?
We may have faith to believe in God as Lord of the calm - but do we also have faith to believe in Him as Lord of the storm? He is Lord of both the hurricane and the gentle breeze. The One who rules and reigns amidst all of the earthquakes of this life - those times when our whole world seems to be shaking and breaking apart...
If you yourself are in a season of struggle, take a minute even now to remind yourself of the God who sees your struggle. It's possible to talk your soul into a place of hope.
We worship a triumphant Saviour, a victorious King. The all-powerful and all-loving God, who is faithful in all He says and gracious in all He does. The One who has never been anxious, overwhelmed or outsmarted. The God of unbroken promises. When He acts, no one can reverse it. When He speaks, His commands never return empty. The God who never wastes His words.
The doors He chooses to open, no one can close; and the doors He purposes to close, no one can open. No plan of His has ever been thwarted. No one has ever outmanoeuvred Him, outlived Him or outloved Him. He remains as faithful as the day He created you in love, and as powerful as the day He spoke the world into being.
And in your brokenness He stays as close and as involved as you want Him to be.
- Matt and Beth Redman, Blessed be Your Name
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 (NIV)
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Gifts and the Giver
A story is told of a man who enjoyed spending time with his little boy. One day, he took his son to McDonald's. The boy was excited!
As they went, the little boy kept hoping that his father would buy him a big packet of french fries. When the french fries came, the little boy smiled. It was upsized!
But when the father reached out his hand to take some fries from his son, the boy immediately protected the fries with his little arms and looked angrily at his father. "These fries are mine!" he shouted.
The little boy was too focused on having the french fries. And at the end of the day, he had forgotten the whole purpose of the trip.
Like the boy, many of us wonder about the size of fries that God intends to give us. And when we get a smaller packet, we start wondering if we have made God upset. Yet, perhaps God is more interested in us as individuals than the size of the packet of fries on the table.
- Victor Teo, God, Money and the Singaporean Me
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." - Job 1:21 (NIV)
As they went, the little boy kept hoping that his father would buy him a big packet of french fries. When the french fries came, the little boy smiled. It was upsized!
But when the father reached out his hand to take some fries from his son, the boy immediately protected the fries with his little arms and looked angrily at his father. "These fries are mine!" he shouted.
The little boy was too focused on having the french fries. And at the end of the day, he had forgotten the whole purpose of the trip.
Like the boy, many of us wonder about the size of fries that God intends to give us. And when we get a smaller packet, we start wondering if we have made God upset. Yet, perhaps God is more interested in us as individuals than the size of the packet of fries on the table.
- Victor Teo, God, Money and the Singaporean Me
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." - Job 1:21 (NIV)
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Jesus Our Great High Priest
*Thoughts from Wai Ling's message at Sky Camp 2011*
"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
"Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
"The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man... But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises." - Hebrews 7:23-8:2, 6 (NIV)
The resurrection is not an afternote to the cross, as if the cross in itself was sufficient to save us and the resurrection merely demonstrated God's power. The cross in itself is necessary but not sufficient to save us.
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." - 1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)
Furthermore, the resurrection is not so much a demonstration of God's power (although it is that) as it is the defeat of death, the reversal of the Edenic curse, the turning point of history, the launchpad for new creation.
According to Romans 4:25, Jesus was raised to life for our justification. According to 1 Corinthians 15:20, Jesus was raised from the dead as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. According to Hebrews 7:23-8:2, 6, Jesus has a permanent priesthood (as the mediator of the New Covenant) because He lives forever.
No resurrection = no New Covenant!
*****
"Do you not know, brothers - for I am speaking to men who know the law - that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:1-6 (NIV)
The cross marks the end of the Old Covenant and the resurrection heralds the start of the New Covenant. Both are necessary to save us; neither in itself is sufficient.
"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
"Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
"The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man... But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises." - Hebrews 7:23-8:2, 6 (NIV)
The resurrection is not an afternote to the cross, as if the cross in itself was sufficient to save us and the resurrection merely demonstrated God's power. The cross in itself is necessary but not sufficient to save us.
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." - 1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)
Furthermore, the resurrection is not so much a demonstration of God's power (although it is that) as it is the defeat of death, the reversal of the Edenic curse, the turning point of history, the launchpad for new creation.
According to Romans 4:25, Jesus was raised to life for our justification. According to 1 Corinthians 15:20, Jesus was raised from the dead as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. According to Hebrews 7:23-8:2, 6, Jesus has a permanent priesthood (as the mediator of the New Covenant) because He lives forever.
No resurrection = no New Covenant!
*****
"Do you not know, brothers - for I am speaking to men who know the law - that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:1-6 (NIV)
The cross marks the end of the Old Covenant and the resurrection heralds the start of the New Covenant. Both are necessary to save us; neither in itself is sufficient.
Monday 19 December 2011
God's Sovereign Control
Here is a promise every Christian can claim, either before or after a decision has been made: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). This awesome promise doesn't enable us to see why God does what He does, nor is it a quick cure for sorrow; but it is a promise we cling to because we know that God is working for our good.
Be encouraged by the comprehensiveness of God's purposes. "All things" means everything works together for good. Life is haphazard, with no neat categories, but God makes them fit together. He finds a place for everything. What does He use to work for our good? He uses His Word and His people, but He also uses our foolish decisions, financial reversals, and people who work against us - "all" means all.
Don't misunderstand. We can't excuse our sinful decisions as fodder for God's good works; but God is greater than our mistakes and wrong choices. Paul says that all things "work together". The word in Greek is synergism, which derives from two words - syn, meaning "together", and ergo, meaning "to work". God works and He works things together. God sees around corners and knows the outcome in ways that you and I cannot possibly fathom; and He works everything together for our ultimate good.
When I was a boy on the farm, I loved to take things apart. My eldest brother was able to take apart a tractor motor, repair it, put it back together, and make it run again. The best I could do was take apart a clock because I was intrigued by all the little wheels. Some were going in the same direction as the hands of the clock, and others were going counterclockwise. Some were going fast and some slow. Because some of the wheels were spinning in opposite directions, it seemed as if some of the parts were working against themselves. But when I looked at the face and realised it kept time accurately, I had to admit that all the parts were working together for good.
Mark my words: When you have a bad day, it may be a very good day from God's standpoint. God is working to bring about your ultimate good. Only He can do that. When He synergises events, they fall together for good. I don't know how God takes sodium and chloride, both of which are poisonous, and puts them together to create salt, without which we could not possibly live. I don't know how God takes sin and disappointment and brings them together and makes something good out of them, but I'm convinced that He does. If you love Him and are called, you're in the circle of those who benefit from this special work of God.
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Be encouraged by the comprehensiveness of God's purposes. "All things" means everything works together for good. Life is haphazard, with no neat categories, but God makes them fit together. He finds a place for everything. What does He use to work for our good? He uses His Word and His people, but He also uses our foolish decisions, financial reversals, and people who work against us - "all" means all.
Don't misunderstand. We can't excuse our sinful decisions as fodder for God's good works; but God is greater than our mistakes and wrong choices. Paul says that all things "work together". The word in Greek is synergism, which derives from two words - syn, meaning "together", and ergo, meaning "to work". God works and He works things together. God sees around corners and knows the outcome in ways that you and I cannot possibly fathom; and He works everything together for our ultimate good.
When I was a boy on the farm, I loved to take things apart. My eldest brother was able to take apart a tractor motor, repair it, put it back together, and make it run again. The best I could do was take apart a clock because I was intrigued by all the little wheels. Some were going in the same direction as the hands of the clock, and others were going counterclockwise. Some were going fast and some slow. Because some of the wheels were spinning in opposite directions, it seemed as if some of the parts were working against themselves. But when I looked at the face and realised it kept time accurately, I had to admit that all the parts were working together for good.
Mark my words: When you have a bad day, it may be a very good day from God's standpoint. God is working to bring about your ultimate good. Only He can do that. When He synergises events, they fall together for good. I don't know how God takes sodium and chloride, both of which are poisonous, and puts them together to create salt, without which we could not possibly live. I don't know how God takes sin and disappointment and brings them together and makes something good out of them, but I'm convinced that He does. If you love Him and are called, you're in the circle of those who benefit from this special work of God.
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Sunday 18 December 2011
Worship through Work
During the Middle Ages, many people believed that God was concerned only with works of a religious nature - such as saying a prayer, giving alms, or doing a good deed. Then Martin Luther came along and taught that we are all priests before God, meaning that everything we do can be pleasing to God if done for His glory. Thus, a scrubwoman could glorify God by washing a floor (if she did her work as unto the Lord), whereas a pompous priest with a heart far from God would not be pleasing to God, even if dispensing the sacraments.
Luther said it isn't the act, but it's the attitude of worship with which we do our work that makes the difference. Did you know that three-quarters of the people who get the most attention in the Bible never held a religious job but served God in the ordinary things of life? For example, Abraham was a shepherd, Joseph was an administrator, and Luke was a doctor. God turned their day-to-day jobs into a calling.
Meditate on this: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV). When applied, this principle can brush away whatever stands in the way of finding satisfaction in our jobs and in life itself. Notice that we should glorify God in the ordinary things of life, like simply eating and drinking; indeed everything we do should be done for His glory.
Jesus demonstrated this when He washed the disciples' feet. When He stooped to do the work of a servant or slave on behalf of His heavenly Father, He was content, satisfied that He had glorified the One He loved. There is nothing shameful about a man with a PhD flipping burgers to earn a living. Even there, working a job that seems far beneath His aptitude and training, He can still bring glory to God by a job well done.
The late Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, disliked washing dishes; but she put a sign above her sink that said, "Divine Service Done Here Three Times Daily." Work can give us a platform from which to witness; but more important, work itself is the witness. We witness to God of our devotion and love...
Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband was killed along with four other missionaries in Ecuador, worked laboriously to break down the local language into writing during a time when there were no computers or photocopiers. Then a suitcase containing two years of work was stolen and she had to start all over from the beginning. When asked if she was angry about the theft, she said, "No, it was my worship to God, and what I did for Him was lost to us, but not to God." She refused to be drawn in by the prevailing belief that you have to be rewarded in this life for all you do; she was not about to trade fleeting success for true significance.
What if God personally appeared to you from heaven and asked you to do for Him what you are required to do when you go to work tomorrow? Would that change your attitude about your present employment? We should not see our jobs as a means of earning a living, but rather as a means to serve the God who has redeemed us.
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Given that we spend on average a quarter of our time at work (40+ out of 168 hours a week), it would be a waste - sinful even - if we don't see our jobs as opportunities for the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Luther said it isn't the act, but it's the attitude of worship with which we do our work that makes the difference. Did you know that three-quarters of the people who get the most attention in the Bible never held a religious job but served God in the ordinary things of life? For example, Abraham was a shepherd, Joseph was an administrator, and Luke was a doctor. God turned their day-to-day jobs into a calling.
Meditate on this: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV). When applied, this principle can brush away whatever stands in the way of finding satisfaction in our jobs and in life itself. Notice that we should glorify God in the ordinary things of life, like simply eating and drinking; indeed everything we do should be done for His glory.
Jesus demonstrated this when He washed the disciples' feet. When He stooped to do the work of a servant or slave on behalf of His heavenly Father, He was content, satisfied that He had glorified the One He loved. There is nothing shameful about a man with a PhD flipping burgers to earn a living. Even there, working a job that seems far beneath His aptitude and training, He can still bring glory to God by a job well done.
The late Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, disliked washing dishes; but she put a sign above her sink that said, "Divine Service Done Here Three Times Daily." Work can give us a platform from which to witness; but more important, work itself is the witness. We witness to God of our devotion and love...
Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband was killed along with four other missionaries in Ecuador, worked laboriously to break down the local language into writing during a time when there were no computers or photocopiers. Then a suitcase containing two years of work was stolen and she had to start all over from the beginning. When asked if she was angry about the theft, she said, "No, it was my worship to God, and what I did for Him was lost to us, but not to God." She refused to be drawn in by the prevailing belief that you have to be rewarded in this life for all you do; she was not about to trade fleeting success for true significance.
What if God personally appeared to you from heaven and asked you to do for Him what you are required to do when you go to work tomorrow? Would that change your attitude about your present employment? We should not see our jobs as a means of earning a living, but rather as a means to serve the God who has redeemed us.
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Given that we spend on average a quarter of our time at work (40+ out of 168 hours a week), it would be a waste - sinful even - if we don't see our jobs as opportunities for the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Saturday 17 December 2011
Simply Jesus
And, you see, it's easy for Christians in the post-Enlightenment world to say, "Was Jesus God or wasn't He God?" "Yeah, I think He was God," and we put a check by that box and we kind of pat ourselves on the back, "We are orthodox Christians, we're not like those reductionists."
But unless you say that Jesus is the One in and through Whom the Living God launched His kingdom project on a surprised and unready world, then you are hiding behind orthodox doctrine in order to escape the REAL challenge of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
- N. T. Wright, Simply Jesus
It is one thing to say that Jesus is God. It is quite another to say that Jesus is the Word who became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and that we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
But unless you say that Jesus is the One in and through Whom the Living God launched His kingdom project on a surprised and unready world, then you are hiding behind orthodox doctrine in order to escape the REAL challenge of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
- N. T. Wright, Simply Jesus
It is one thing to say that Jesus is God. It is quite another to say that Jesus is the Word who became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and that we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Friday 16 December 2011
Trusting God
The good news is this: God is just as ready, willing, and able to care for matters that result from our own bad decisions as He is for situations that are thrust upon us, either by others or by circumstances beyond our control. God wants us to trust Him with everything.
The path God chooses for us might not be easy, but He walks with us all the way and lightens our load. More accurately, He carries the load for us.
Once we've committed everything to Him, we still pray about our needs; but now we pray with a genuine sense of joy and praise. And if God doesn't act as quickly as we think He should, we do not fret, because we no longer need to concern ourselves with God's affairs! And we don't have to go to sleep at night worrying about God's assets!
My best advice to you is to take time right now and commit your situation to God - the loss of your job, your uncertain future, and even your spouse and children. If you have worried all your life, this transfer of ownership will be a struggle at first. Do it anyway. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
Surrender is a proven pathway to peace!
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Imagine having a boss who guides us not only in making the best of bad decisions, but also in making the best decisions. If only we would consult him, we would be free to work for him, knowing that he will cover us with his position/rank should things not work out the way they should.
"The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." - Joshua 9:14 (NIV)
Imagine having God as your boss. Really inquiring of Him in everything. God gives us wisdom to make the right choices and - if we go ahead and make the wrong choices anyway - works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (provided we repent). If only we would commit our way to Him, we would be free to live for Him, knowing that He will cover us with the blood of the Lamb when we sin and fall short of His glory.
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 5:20-21 (NIV)
Which is not an excuse to take sin lightly.
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" - Romans 6:1-2 (NIV)
If we should leave certain decisions to our boss to handle, how much more should we cast all our anxieties on the only wise God!
The path God chooses for us might not be easy, but He walks with us all the way and lightens our load. More accurately, He carries the load for us.
Once we've committed everything to Him, we still pray about our needs; but now we pray with a genuine sense of joy and praise. And if God doesn't act as quickly as we think He should, we do not fret, because we no longer need to concern ourselves with God's affairs! And we don't have to go to sleep at night worrying about God's assets!
My best advice to you is to take time right now and commit your situation to God - the loss of your job, your uncertain future, and even your spouse and children. If you have worried all your life, this transfer of ownership will be a struggle at first. Do it anyway. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
Surrender is a proven pathway to peace!
- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision
Imagine having a boss who guides us not only in making the best of bad decisions, but also in making the best decisions. If only we would consult him, we would be free to work for him, knowing that he will cover us with his position/rank should things not work out the way they should.
"The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." - Joshua 9:14 (NIV)
Imagine having God as your boss. Really inquiring of Him in everything. God gives us wisdom to make the right choices and - if we go ahead and make the wrong choices anyway - works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (provided we repent). If only we would commit our way to Him, we would be free to live for Him, knowing that He will cover us with the blood of the Lamb when we sin and fall short of His glory.
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 5:20-21 (NIV)
Which is not an excuse to take sin lightly.
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" - Romans 6:1-2 (NIV)
If we should leave certain decisions to our boss to handle, how much more should we cast all our anxieties on the only wise God!
Thursday 15 December 2011
For and Against Calvinism
Interview with Michael Horton: For Calvinism
Excerpts:
Q: What has the Calvinist-Arminian debate taught you about the importance of holding the distinctives doctrines of the Reformed faith while also maintaining an ecumenical spirit with non-Calvinist evangelicals?
A: We need to recognise that we are all pilgrims on the way, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Saviour. I have learned a lot from reading and interacting with brothers and sisters outside my own tradition. Even when I disagree, I come to understand a different position better and discover where I had assumed caricatures. As I say in this book and elsewhere, there is no Reformed faith. There is only the Christian faith and I affirm the Reformed confession and exposition of that one faith.
Q: Since becoming a Calvinist, have you considered Arminianism plausible or compelling?
A: No. I am so convinced that Scripture grounds all of our salvation in the unconditional grace of the Triune God that if I were to embrace universal election and atonement, I would embrace (at least in principle) universal salvation. The Bible simply doesn't speak of salvation being merely provided, enabled and offered. So I have sometimes found Karl Barth's view logically coherent and in a sense attractive, but without exegetical support.
Q: What do you think is the strongest argument for Arminianism or any of its distinctives?
A: Roger locates the Achilles heel of Calvinism: the problem of evil. However, that's a problem for all of us. Even if God foreknows sin and evil actions of human beings, these actions are eternally certain to come to pass. That's why open theists take the next step and deny God's exhaustive foreknowledge.
Interview with Roger Olson: Against Calvinism
Excerpts:
Q: What has your involvement in the Calvinist-Arminian debate taught you about distinguishing between people and their beliefs?
A: That it's not easy - especially for those on the receiving end of criticism of their theology. I work hard not to be offended by fair criticisms of Arminianism. I have no desire to insult or offend Calvinists even though I strongly disagree with key beliefs they hold dear. I think the main issue is fairness. We both need to state each others' beliefs fairly and then not take offence just because others disagree with our beliefs.
Q: You state that some Calvinists are among the best evangelical Christians you know. What has this debate taught you about the importance of maintaining an ecumenical spirit among evangelical Christians while holding to distinctive convictions?
A: That it's absolutely crucial but never easy. We (both Calvinists and Arminians) need to bend over backward to be generous and fair and loving in our disagreements. Words like "shallow" and "insipid" and "negotiated (Christianity)" and the like do nothing but break the ecumenical spirit. We need to assume the best about each other even as we strongly disagree about points of doctrine.
Q: In a nutshell, what are some of the ways that you think Calvinism does not cohere with Jesus' person and character?
A: Jesus wept over Jerusalem and lamented that He wanted to gather them to Him, but they would not (Matthew 23:36-39). Jesus' genuine compassion for those suffering from the evil of others or their own hardness of heart reveals God's heart of love and desire for all to experience the shalom of His love and peace. Jesus' willing substitutionary death for all people (1 John 2:2) reveals His loving character.
Q: What do you think is the strongest argument for Calvinism or any of its distinctives?
A: God's absolute, infallible, comprehensive foreknowledge might seem to imply foreordination of everything. In the end, however, I don't think it does.
Q: Since tulips [from the Calvinist acronym TULIP - Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints] are clearly out of the question, what kind of flowers do you purchase for your wife?
A: Always roses!
*****
The Middle (Knowledge) Way: Molinism
Incidentally, in Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach, the author argues for a ROSES [as opposed to TULIP] model of salvation, seen through the lens of Molinism. ROSES is an acronym that stands for Radical Depravity, Overcoming Grace, Sovereign Election, Eternal Life and Singular Redemption. Molinism, simply put, argues that God is able to perfectly accomplish His sovereign will through genuinely free creatures by means of His omniscience.
According to Horton, 'the Achilles heel of Calvinism is the problem of evil'. Calvinism holds that God causes our actions. The problem with Calvinism is that it appears to hold God responsible for our evil actions.
According to Olson, 'the strongest argument for Calvinism is that God's absolute, infallible, comprehensive foreknowledge might seem to imply foreordination of everything. In the end, however, I don't think it does.' Arminianism holds that we cause our own actions. The problem with Arminianism is that it appears to deny God's sovereignty over our actions.
According to Molinism, God weaves His infallible foreknowledge of our actions into a grand tapestry which is predestined (before the foundation of the world) to come to pass in due time. God is sovereign over our actions (in contrast to Arminianism) but is not responsible for our evil actions (in contrast to Calvinism).
God sovereignly works (not causes) our actions for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose ;)
Excerpts:
Q: What has the Calvinist-Arminian debate taught you about the importance of holding the distinctives doctrines of the Reformed faith while also maintaining an ecumenical spirit with non-Calvinist evangelicals?
A: We need to recognise that we are all pilgrims on the way, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Saviour. I have learned a lot from reading and interacting with brothers and sisters outside my own tradition. Even when I disagree, I come to understand a different position better and discover where I had assumed caricatures. As I say in this book and elsewhere, there is no Reformed faith. There is only the Christian faith and I affirm the Reformed confession and exposition of that one faith.
Q: Since becoming a Calvinist, have you considered Arminianism plausible or compelling?
A: No. I am so convinced that Scripture grounds all of our salvation in the unconditional grace of the Triune God that if I were to embrace universal election and atonement, I would embrace (at least in principle) universal salvation. The Bible simply doesn't speak of salvation being merely provided, enabled and offered. So I have sometimes found Karl Barth's view logically coherent and in a sense attractive, but without exegetical support.
Q: What do you think is the strongest argument for Arminianism or any of its distinctives?
A: Roger locates the Achilles heel of Calvinism: the problem of evil. However, that's a problem for all of us. Even if God foreknows sin and evil actions of human beings, these actions are eternally certain to come to pass. That's why open theists take the next step and deny God's exhaustive foreknowledge.
Interview with Roger Olson: Against Calvinism
Excerpts:
Q: What has your involvement in the Calvinist-Arminian debate taught you about distinguishing between people and their beliefs?
A: That it's not easy - especially for those on the receiving end of criticism of their theology. I work hard not to be offended by fair criticisms of Arminianism. I have no desire to insult or offend Calvinists even though I strongly disagree with key beliefs they hold dear. I think the main issue is fairness. We both need to state each others' beliefs fairly and then not take offence just because others disagree with our beliefs.
Q: You state that some Calvinists are among the best evangelical Christians you know. What has this debate taught you about the importance of maintaining an ecumenical spirit among evangelical Christians while holding to distinctive convictions?
A: That it's absolutely crucial but never easy. We (both Calvinists and Arminians) need to bend over backward to be generous and fair and loving in our disagreements. Words like "shallow" and "insipid" and "negotiated (Christianity)" and the like do nothing but break the ecumenical spirit. We need to assume the best about each other even as we strongly disagree about points of doctrine.
Q: In a nutshell, what are some of the ways that you think Calvinism does not cohere with Jesus' person and character?
A: Jesus wept over Jerusalem and lamented that He wanted to gather them to Him, but they would not (Matthew 23:36-39). Jesus' genuine compassion for those suffering from the evil of others or their own hardness of heart reveals God's heart of love and desire for all to experience the shalom of His love and peace. Jesus' willing substitutionary death for all people (1 John 2:2) reveals His loving character.
Q: What do you think is the strongest argument for Calvinism or any of its distinctives?
A: God's absolute, infallible, comprehensive foreknowledge might seem to imply foreordination of everything. In the end, however, I don't think it does.
Q: Since tulips [from the Calvinist acronym TULIP - Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints] are clearly out of the question, what kind of flowers do you purchase for your wife?
A: Always roses!
*****
The Middle (Knowledge) Way: Molinism
Incidentally, in Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach, the author argues for a ROSES [as opposed to TULIP] model of salvation, seen through the lens of Molinism. ROSES is an acronym that stands for Radical Depravity, Overcoming Grace, Sovereign Election, Eternal Life and Singular Redemption. Molinism, simply put, argues that God is able to perfectly accomplish His sovereign will through genuinely free creatures by means of His omniscience.
According to Horton, 'the Achilles heel of Calvinism is the problem of evil'. Calvinism holds that God causes our actions. The problem with Calvinism is that it appears to hold God responsible for our evil actions.
According to Olson, 'the strongest argument for Calvinism is that God's absolute, infallible, comprehensive foreknowledge might seem to imply foreordination of everything. In the end, however, I don't think it does.' Arminianism holds that we cause our own actions. The problem with Arminianism is that it appears to deny God's sovereignty over our actions.
According to Molinism, God weaves His infallible foreknowledge of our actions into a grand tapestry which is predestined (before the foundation of the world) to come to pass in due time. God is sovereign over our actions (in contrast to Arminianism) but is not responsible for our evil actions (in contrast to Calvinism).
God sovereignly works (not causes) our actions for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose ;)
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Let Go and Let God
As children bring their broken toys,
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
Because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help,
With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How can You be so slow?"
"My child" He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."
- Let Go and Let God by Lauretta P. Burns
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
Because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help,
With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How can You be so slow?"
"My child" He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."
- Let Go and Let God by Lauretta P. Burns
Sunday 4 December 2011
The Justice of God
(1) God is just.
"Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"" - Genesis 18:23-25 (NIV)
"Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free." - Proverbs 11:21 (NIV)
"The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished." - Nahum 1:3a (NIV)
"The wicked will not go unpunished..." - Proverbs 11:21a (NIV)
(2) Being just, God would not allow our sins to go unpunished. In His sovereignty, He ordained that Jesus would take the punishment for our sins, that Jesus would pay the wages of sin (ie. death - even death on a cross!) on our behalf.
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
(3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:23-26 (NIV)
"...but those who are righteous will go free." - Proverbs 11:21b (NIV)
(4) Being just, God would not allow Jesus (who lived a perfect life and hence did not deserve to pay the wages of sin - not least on our behalf) to remain dead.
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)
(5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead.
"David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'" - Acts 2:25-28 (NIV)
To recap...
(1) God is just.
(2) Being just, God would not allow our sins to go unpunished. In His sovereignty, He ordained that Jesus would take the punishment for our sins, that Jesus would pay the wages of sin (ie. death - even death on a cross!) on our behalf.
(3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.
(4) Being just, God would not allow Jesus (who lived a perfect life and hence did not deserve to pay the wages of sin - not least on our behalf) to remain dead.
(5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead.
Reflecting on (2) and (4), the justice of God is such that God would not allow our sins to go unpunished and God would not allow Jesus to remain dead.
Through the cross - when (3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, and the resurrection - when (5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead, God is both 'just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus' (Romans 3:26b, NIV).
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." - Romans 4:25 (NIV)
"Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"" - Genesis 18:23-25 (NIV)
"Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free." - Proverbs 11:21 (NIV)
"The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished." - Nahum 1:3a (NIV)
"The wicked will not go unpunished..." - Proverbs 11:21a (NIV)
(2) Being just, God would not allow our sins to go unpunished. In His sovereignty, He ordained that Jesus would take the punishment for our sins, that Jesus would pay the wages of sin (ie. death - even death on a cross!) on our behalf.
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
(3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:23-26 (NIV)
"...but those who are righteous will go free." - Proverbs 11:21b (NIV)
(4) Being just, God would not allow Jesus (who lived a perfect life and hence did not deserve to pay the wages of sin - not least on our behalf) to remain dead.
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)
(5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead.
"David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'" - Acts 2:25-28 (NIV)
To recap...
(1) God is just.
(2) Being just, God would not allow our sins to go unpunished. In His sovereignty, He ordained that Jesus would take the punishment for our sins, that Jesus would pay the wages of sin (ie. death - even death on a cross!) on our behalf.
(3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.
(4) Being just, God would not allow Jesus (who lived a perfect life and hence did not deserve to pay the wages of sin - not least on our behalf) to remain dead.
(5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead.
Reflecting on (2) and (4), the justice of God is such that God would not allow our sins to go unpunished and God would not allow Jesus to remain dead.
Through the cross - when (3) God demonstrated His justice by presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, and the resurrection - when (5) God demonstrated His justice by raising Jesus from the dead, God is both 'just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus' (Romans 3:26b, NIV).
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." - Romans 4:25 (NIV)
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