Sunday, December 20, 2009
Hurry Up Hermeneutic: Forgiveness
I've always thought that since seven times seventy was 490, and since I Corinthians 13 says that love keeps no records of wrongs, then we are supposed to always forgive our brothers, no matter how many times they sin against us. Now, this is true, but this is not why it's true. I understand that this is a bit of splitting hairs, but I think that proper hermeneutics and exegesis is extremely important, so I have learned that Peter was asking Jesus if they should forgive their brother once each day, and Jesus responded, "no, you should forgive them seventy times each day." Now, since it would be really hard for someone to sin against you seventy times in one day, then you should always forgive your brother, no matter how many times they sin against you. I Corinthians 13 is now not necessary to understand Matthew 18, but it does provide a bonus: confirmation of the clear teaching in Matthew.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Genesis is Not About Evolution
In the beginning...
The last couple of days, I have been watching the comment thread on a You Tube video posted by christianjr4 Why, oh why, won't Richard Dawkins debate William Lane Craig? As often occurs in threads such as these, the debate has changed from the subject, namely that Dawkins should/should not debate Craig, to a debate on creation vs. evolution. Invariably, Genesis 1 gets dragged into the debate by one or the other side. The problem I have with this is the primary purpose of Genesis 1 is NOT to dispute evolution, but was intended by the author (God through Moses) to be a special revelation of who he is, and to foreshadow the coming Christ.
That's how our lives are before we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Formless here means in chaos and confusion, which is exactly what a life without Jesus looks like. You may think you have it all together, but then let a major catastrophe happen. I never understood why people who lose millions of dollars commit suicide until I realized that they did not know the Lord. They, like the earth, are empty inside and they try to fill that emptiness with material things. The problem with this is that the emptiness inside them is God-sized and God-shaped. NOTHING else can fill that void. We are in darkness, and in us there is no life. We were dead and buried under a sea of sin and disobedience to God, which overwhelms us and chokes us from breathing. The idiom "In over your head" definitely applies. You feel like you are drowning when you are without God and he has given you over to your fleshly desires. If you feel like that, there is some good news!
God's word gives us life.
Now skip ahead just a few verses in Genesis 1 to verse 9
This is the cool part. Once we have the light of Jesus Christ, we become a new creation. We are not just refurbished, but become completely new. "God doesn't shave caterpillars, he creates butterflies." according to Setting Captives Free team member Mike Cleveland. www.settingcaptivesfree.com The old passes away and we burst forth from out of the water into the light of the source of life and we begin to produce fruit! This is symbolized by our baptism by immersion in water as a believer.
Now you have a testimony. You know that you were in chaos and confusion, in darkness, and buried in your sin. Then, God came and spoke light into your heart, raised you from the dead and caused you to bear good fruit. How wonderful! How marvelous! And, did you notice that in Genesis this "resurrection" of the Earth occurs on the third day? Hmmmmmm.
This post was taken and adapted from "The Lord's Table" course at www.settingcaptivesfree.com Day 28, Section 1. If you are struggling from habitual sin or addiction such as overeating, alcoholism, pornography, smoking, etc. I strongly encourage you to check it out.
The question is often posed by skeptics: "If God is so good, why did he create Hell?" This is a good question, one that has been fumbled many, many times. There are a lot of ways that people have attempted to respond to this, some more harmful than others. I think I'll deal with that next time.
The last couple of days, I have been watching the comment thread on a You Tube video posted by christianjr4 Why, oh why, won't Richard Dawkins debate William Lane Craig? As often occurs in threads such as these, the debate has changed from the subject, namely that Dawkins should/should not debate Craig, to a debate on creation vs. evolution. Invariably, Genesis 1 gets dragged into the debate by one or the other side. The problem I have with this is the primary purpose of Genesis 1 is NOT to dispute evolution, but was intended by the author (God through Moses) to be a special revelation of who he is, and to foreshadow the coming Christ.
When I was attending Bible college at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary (It's now a university!) we talked about passages being "exegetically pregnant" which means there is a lot of meaning packed into a scant few words. Notice the state of the Earth in v. 2 before God intervened. It was:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. — Genesis 1:1-3
- Formless
- Empty
- In darkness
- Under water
That's how our lives are before we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Formless here means in chaos and confusion, which is exactly what a life without Jesus looks like. You may think you have it all together, but then let a major catastrophe happen. I never understood why people who lose millions of dollars commit suicide until I realized that they did not know the Lord. They, like the earth, are empty inside and they try to fill that emptiness with material things. The problem with this is that the emptiness inside them is God-sized and God-shaped. NOTHING else can fill that void. We are in darkness, and in us there is no life. We were dead and buried under a sea of sin and disobedience to God, which overwhelms us and chokes us from breathing. The idiom "In over your head" definitely applies. You feel like you are drowning when you are without God and he has given you over to your fleshly desires. If you feel like that, there is some good news!
God's word gives us life.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. — Psalm 119:130
Now skip ahead just a few verses in Genesis 1 to verse 9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land "earth," and He called the gathering of the water "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds." And it was so— Genesis 1:9-11
Now you have a testimony. You know that you were in chaos and confusion, in darkness, and buried in your sin. Then, God came and spoke light into your heart, raised you from the dead and caused you to bear good fruit. How wonderful! How marvelous! And, did you notice that in Genesis this "resurrection" of the Earth occurs on the third day? Hmmmmmm.
This post was taken and adapted from "The Lord's Table" course at www.settingcaptivesfree.com Day 28, Section 1. If you are struggling from habitual sin or addiction such as overeating, alcoholism, pornography, smoking, etc. I strongly encourage you to check it out.
The question is often posed by skeptics: "If God is so good, why did he create Hell?" This is a good question, one that has been fumbled many, many times. There are a lot of ways that people have attempted to respond to this, some more harmful than others. I think I'll deal with that next time.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Quick update
Well, I know it's been a while, and I did promise that posts, at least in the beginning would be sporadic. However, I am teaming up with some others in an effort to have an "apologetics" ministry. The details of which I will fill you in shortly.
This is just a short note to let you know that I have not forgotten and new stuff is coming. I'm considering tackling the divinity of Christ next. This is what separates true Christians from the pseudo-Christian cults such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, and Mormons.
This is just a short note to let you know that I have not forgotten and new stuff is coming. I'm considering tackling the divinity of Christ next. This is what separates true Christians from the pseudo-Christian cults such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, and Mormons.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Beginnings
Even the longest journey starts with a single step. When starting a project of this magnitude, and I hope to do just that, it is important for that step to be in the right direction. I kind of shuffled the last four years and got nowhere fast, so I am stepping out now, with the first step being the most important and the most profound. Now, I know there are eventually going to be people who come in on the middle of the discussion and miss this step. That is what I would call a "good problem" and I will direct those to this post, or some other seeker-oriented material. However, those of you who have stumbled upon this blog right here in the inception -- the true inception -- will be able to start firmly founded in the faith that has brought me through so much in the past and will carry me through to the next life. Sure, I could start with the teleological, ontological, cosmological, theological, oncological, etological, oompaloompalogical proofs of God's existence, but I'm going to start off assuming that God exists and has revealed himself through his Holy Bible. I may use any of several versions, but the one I will use the most for the time being will be NIV. In fact, unless mentioned otherwise, all quotes will be from the NIV. In short, the first step in this long journey will be the most important: Salvation.
According to the official statement of fundamental truths of the Assemblies of God, "WE BELIEVE...Every Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through 'Salvation' (trusting Christ, through faith and repentance, to be our personal Savior). [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the AG]" [Assemblies of God Homepage] Anyone can come to know Jesus and have a personal relationship with the God of the Universe. Some may have accepted that calling a long time ago, some more recently. Some may be hearing that call of salvation but don't know how to respond or are afraid of what might happen. Some have hardened their hearts to that call, and some may not even be able to recognize it, but everyone receives the call of salvation at some point in his or her life and if you are hearing that call now, I'd like to help you take the right steps to respond to that call and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Those that are already Christians, my hope is that you be able to express your salvation to the unsaved more easily so that they can hear the good news.
But I don't need saved.
While there are those rare people who are rotten to the core and may know they are doomed but either don't care or think they are too far gone to be able to be saved (not true, by the way), most people are basically good people who help out their fellow man, don't do any overtly evil act, and pretty much keep their noses clean. They may give to charity, or even tithe. They may pray a prayer over a holiday meal, volunteer, serve their country, or do any number of praiseworthy things. However, the sad truth is we are all lawbreakers and are guilty of sinning against God and carry an eternal sentence of spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Psalm 14:3 tells us that no one does good, not even one. The thing that gets everyone all confused here is the law. The role of the law is to do what civil law does today: condemn us for wrong-doing. That's right, and I know that sounds quite harsh, but it is articulated quite clearly for us in James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." It is in all actuality the most loving thing a loving God can do. Why? Because it shows us a need for a savior, and God has provided us with the best savior -- himself. If you've ever lied, cheated, put someone or something else before God, been selfish or envious, even a little bit, even only once, you are a lawbreaker and will stand trial and be sentenced to the second death -- eternal separation from God and His protection from evil. Romans 6:23a says, "For the wages of sin is death." Wages, as anyone who has ever traded their time for dollars knows, is what you earn for the effort you put into your job. Even though sin, as we've already found out, is quite effortless to commit, we earn death when we allow sin to be our master, even if it is unintentional. Just as with civil law, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Where is the love, again?
That is the best part, the part that gives me the most joy to talk about, the part where, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) The gospel of John, incidentally, is the best place to start reading the Bible for the very first time. That followed by Romans and James, but that's another post. Romans 6:23b dovetails nicely here, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Even though we have EARNED death, we have a free gift available to us, that is the gift of life, and life more abundantly, so that we can enjoy it to the fullest extent. (see John 10:10) When Jesus laid down his life by allowing the religious leaders of his day to have him crucified, he not only gave his life, but gave us back out lives that we had squandered away.
According to the official statement of fundamental truths of the Assemblies of God, "WE BELIEVE...Every Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through 'Salvation' (trusting Christ, through faith and repentance, to be our personal Savior). [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the AG]" [Assemblies of God Homepage] Anyone can come to know Jesus and have a personal relationship with the God of the Universe. Some may have accepted that calling a long time ago, some more recently. Some may be hearing that call of salvation but don't know how to respond or are afraid of what might happen. Some have hardened their hearts to that call, and some may not even be able to recognize it, but everyone receives the call of salvation at some point in his or her life and if you are hearing that call now, I'd like to help you take the right steps to respond to that call and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Those that are already Christians, my hope is that you be able to express your salvation to the unsaved more easily so that they can hear the good news.
But I don't need saved.
While there are those rare people who are rotten to the core and may know they are doomed but either don't care or think they are too far gone to be able to be saved (not true, by the way), most people are basically good people who help out their fellow man, don't do any overtly evil act, and pretty much keep their noses clean. They may give to charity, or even tithe. They may pray a prayer over a holiday meal, volunteer, serve their country, or do any number of praiseworthy things. However, the sad truth is we are all lawbreakers and are guilty of sinning against God and carry an eternal sentence of spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Psalm 14:3 tells us that no one does good, not even one. The thing that gets everyone all confused here is the law. The role of the law is to do what civil law does today: condemn us for wrong-doing. That's right, and I know that sounds quite harsh, but it is articulated quite clearly for us in James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." It is in all actuality the most loving thing a loving God can do. Why? Because it shows us a need for a savior, and God has provided us with the best savior -- himself. If you've ever lied, cheated, put someone or something else before God, been selfish or envious, even a little bit, even only once, you are a lawbreaker and will stand trial and be sentenced to the second death -- eternal separation from God and His protection from evil. Romans 6:23a says, "For the wages of sin is death." Wages, as anyone who has ever traded their time for dollars knows, is what you earn for the effort you put into your job. Even though sin, as we've already found out, is quite effortless to commit, we earn death when we allow sin to be our master, even if it is unintentional. Just as with civil law, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Where is the love, again?
That is the best part, the part that gives me the most joy to talk about, the part where, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) The gospel of John, incidentally, is the best place to start reading the Bible for the very first time. That followed by Romans and James, but that's another post. Romans 6:23b dovetails nicely here, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Even though we have EARNED death, we have a free gift available to us, that is the gift of life, and life more abundantly, so that we can enjoy it to the fullest extent. (see John 10:10) When Jesus laid down his life by allowing the religious leaders of his day to have him crucified, he not only gave his life, but gave us back out lives that we had squandered away.
So, what do I do?
Now you see that you have sinned and fall short. Just to put that into perspective, there is a gulf between heaven and earth, between this life and life eternal, and that gulf is so wide and long that no amount of puny human effort can get us from one side to the other. Some may make it farther than the rest, but no one will be able on their own to go to the other side. There is a bridge, a bridge that only a few find, but those who do and step out on that bridge in faith will be welcomed into heaven with open arms to enjoy eternal life with the Creator of the Universe, heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. That bridge is God himself manifest in the flesh. That bridge is Jesus Christ. John 14:6 tells us that, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" He also said, "13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) By trusting in His name, and accepting this free gift, anyone can inherit eternal life, Jew, Gentile, slave, free, man, woman, old, young. All you have to do is stop following your own leadership and start following Jesus' leadership in your life. While most preachers tell you exactly what to say when you pray and ask for this gift, I don't believe that is the biblical model, so I don't use that. As I said, all you have to do is ask. Sit down someplace quiet and private and pray from your heart. Remember what you've learned here: That you are guilty of sin and sentenced to death, but there is a gift given, that is Jesus Christ and through his death on the cross we do not have to perish in Hell, but we may be an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. Then commit to following Jesus wherever he may lead. This may be a bit uncomfortable at times, and even a real hardship at others, but the rewards are more than worth it.But, how can I tell?
That's easy -- you'll know. I know it sounds a bit simplistic, but when you accept Jesus into your life, you become one with him. According to Romans 8:16, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." So, you know because he tells you, right in your spirit. This is much better evidence than anything you can see, hear, or touch, because when you know, you know. There is no doubt. One person said that if the thought that Jesus is returning gets you excited then you are saved. This evidence, as good as it is, is not without further support. Titus 2:11-12 says, "11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." You will see in yourself a desire to do what is right and a loss of desire to give in to worldly passions. It is important to note that this is not a prerequisite of salvation, but is instead the natural result of salvation. A free life, one that has experienced true freedom, the freedom from sin, will give up selfish desires and actions and replace them will selfless acts and kindness towards others.
The journey has begun.
Whether you have given your life to Jesus for the first time, or have been a Christian for many years, this is the first step to what is an incredible journey. Whether this blog survives or not is immaterial. What is important is whether or not Jesus is the ruler of your life. This is the first step among many, and it is the most important step, and the step in the right direction. Even I, who authored this post, have been gently reminded by the Holy Spirit what my salvation means to me, and to others. Hopefully, you will share with me on this journey. I'll have some topics that are heavy and deep, and others that are fun, but my prayer is that God be glorified and His word preached to the lost.
That's easy -- you'll know. I know it sounds a bit simplistic, but when you accept Jesus into your life, you become one with him. According to Romans 8:16, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." So, you know because he tells you, right in your spirit. This is much better evidence than anything you can see, hear, or touch, because when you know, you know. There is no doubt. One person said that if the thought that Jesus is returning gets you excited then you are saved. This evidence, as good as it is, is not without further support. Titus 2:11-12 says, "11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." You will see in yourself a desire to do what is right and a loss of desire to give in to worldly passions. It is important to note that this is not a prerequisite of salvation, but is instead the natural result of salvation. A free life, one that has experienced true freedom, the freedom from sin, will give up selfish desires and actions and replace them will selfless acts and kindness towards others.
The journey has begun.
Whether you have given your life to Jesus for the first time, or have been a Christian for many years, this is the first step to what is an incredible journey. Whether this blog survives or not is immaterial. What is important is whether or not Jesus is the ruler of your life. This is the first step among many, and it is the most important step, and the step in the right direction. Even I, who authored this post, have been gently reminded by the Holy Spirit what my salvation means to me, and to others. Hopefully, you will share with me on this journey. I'll have some topics that are heavy and deep, and others that are fun, but my prayer is that God be glorified and His word preached to the lost.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Lot Has Happened
I will be keeping this short and sweet. I started this blog in '05, in a kind of low point in my life. Now, I'm back on the hilltop and hoping and praying for the next big thing to happen.
Four years -- WOW!
I have:
Four years -- WOW!
I have:
- Gone from being the lowest on the food chain to one of the top-paid hourly employees at my job.
- Purchased a home.
- Adopted two boys.
- How to pray effectively.
- That I don't have all the answers.
- That God does.
- That Children are precious.
- To speak Esperanto.
- The answers to several (but not all) of my questions.
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