I recently have been working through the story of Moses. I spent over a week camped out studying Exodus 33 and 34. Moses and God's interaction in these 2 chapters is very interesting to me. Moses in Exodus 33:11 is said to have spoken with God "face to face". Verse 17 hints at the fact that God and Moses have such a special relationship that God knows Moses by name. Then in verse 18, Moses asks to see the full glory of God. Moses by the end of chapter 33 wants to experience God in all of His fullness. Moses wants all of God, wants to see all of God, wants to be allowed to be in the full presence of God. Apparently, up to this point Moses has never been in the full presence of God. But in a bold move of true intimacy Moses wants to fully be wrapped in all of God.
But how does God respond to Moses request? God makes it clear with Moses that he will never be able to experience or be in the full presence of God. What does God do with Moses? God, in Exodus 34, hides Moses in the cleft of the rock and allows Moses to get a glimpse of His back. As God says to Moses (one who has experienced Him more intimately than any other human), "if you were to see my full glory Moses, you would immediately die". So God hides Moses, protects Moses, shelters Moses, from Himself and only allows Moses a split second of experiencing the glory of God from the shadow of His back passing by. This is anthropomorphic imagery to say, "Moses only got a split second of roughly 1% of God's glory and majesty.
Yes, Moses was in intimacy with God. Yes, Moses experienced God face to face. Yes, Moses was in a very close relationship with God. Yet, Moses had much to fear of God, even in that relationship, because to experience God fully would be immediate and certain death.
This story of Moses and God teaches us an important point about God. We are to fear God becasue we know that to see and experience the glory of God would bring about our deaths. Just being in the presence of God (without His protection) would kill us. God's glory, majesty, holiness, and transcendence would bring obliterating death to any human that was in His full presence. Even for all eternity, we will only experience the fullness of God in Jesus. We as created creatures will never be able to stand in the fullness of all that God is and survive. This is God and a God that we must fear.
Yes, God is knowable. Yes, God is experienceable. Yes, God is our God who we can be in relationship with. But God stoops down, to form a covenant relationship with us, becasue God is almighty and we as humans are no where close (we are simply dust). God has to come down to the human level so we can be in a relationship and know Him. But it is always God coming down, to a manageable, protected level to interact and be with humans.
Sadly, God coming down, God being in covenant with us, God even protecting us from Himself, has created a people that take God for granted. We no longer fear God becasue we have been lulled to sleep with His manageable parts. We no longer revere, respect, and stand in awe of God becasue He has protected us from His fullness and we think God is manageable as a result. Even we as God's redeemed people have begun to think little of God or worse think God is fully known in the human thoughts.
The Bible is clear. We must fear God. We must stand in awe of God. We must revere and respect God. All becasue God has only given us a small glimpse of who He is, even who He is in Jesus. God is to be feared becasue of who He is in the fullness of His majestic being. A majestic holy being that would obliterate us on the spot if we ever got even 10% of who He is.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
The Bible is Jewish Literature
Over the last few weeks in my Sunday School class, we have been working through important points that help a reader interpret the Bible correctly. First, we spent three works working through the different types of literature in the Bible and understanding we need to know we are reading a story or poem or discourse. Knowing the type of literary genre we are reading is important to correctly understanding God's message.
This past Sunday, we spent time thinking through the truth that the Bible was written 2000 years ago or more. The Bible was written by Jewish men and women. The Bible was written in a Middle-eastern Jewish culture. The Bible was written for a Jewish audience. And the Bible is nothing like 21st century American culture, in its literary style. Understanding the Bible is a piece of art that is Jewish literature is critical for correct interpretation.
Understanding the Bible is Jewish literature that is thousands of years old, there are 4 important points, that I taught to help keep interpretation correct.
First, the Bible being Jewish literature from that place and time, means that it is mediation literature. Psalm 1 (among many other Psalms) point to the way of the righteous. The psalmist makes clear that it is a meditation on the Word of God, day and night, that brings delight, transformation, and fruit (like a tree planted by a fresh stream). The Bible is meant to be a book that saturates the soul. As a person reads from the Bible daily, reading through the Bible yearly, spending their entire life in the Bible, it begins to bear fruit for God. The Bible was written to be meditated on. This means reading it, reading it out-loud, and reading it throughout the day (like muttering the Scriptures to yourself). The Bible as Jewish literature is mediation literature.
Second, being Jewish meditation literature, means the Bible lacks much of the detail that we in America enjoy and want in our literature. The Jewish literary style did not care about details. Take for example the story of Genesis 3. We are not given the details about; where the snake came from, what the snake looked like, what color hair Adam and Eve had, what type of fruit it was, or even where Adam was, when Eve was tempted (among other details). This means first, the details that are given in the Bible are important to notice. In the story of Genesis 3, the fact that it is a snake that tempts them is important. The fact that the humans were naked is critical. Secondly this means we have to fight the tendency to add detail when detail is not needed. We do not need to know if the snake had wings or legs. We do not need to know if they ate an apple or a plum. Jewish mediation literature only adds the details we need to know and notice.
Third, an important point for the Bible and its Jewish meditation style, is that the Bible is meant to interpret itself. The Bible is complex book. It is a hard book to understand at times. The Bible has passages (becasue it is God talking) that are somewhat mysterious. Some parts of the Bible though are clear. Some parts of the Bible are simple. Some parts of the Bible are easier to understand. The Bible, as Jewish meditation literature, is written in a way that the harder parts are supposed to be made simpler by the easier parts. The Bible is designed to be interpreted by itself. This means, the Bible does not contradict itself, it is just designed and written by God to be a mysterious book at times. So the person who mediates on the book can take the clear easier parts, that stick through mediation, and use them to interpret the harder parts. We must do the hard work of using the Bible to understand the Bible.
Lastly, the Bible being Jewish mediation literature means it is meant to read the reader as the reader reads it. Reading the Bible in a life of meditation saturates the Bible to the mind and the heart. As a person spends a life time, day and night, reading through the Bible, something slowly and amazingly happens. The Bible begins to read the reader and transform them. As we read through the Bible, we begin to understand God more, we see the human nature (both before conversion and after conversion), and come to know what obedience to God is (a righteous life). As we read through the Bible and it does this to us, it begins to change us. The Bible (becasue it is living and active) begins to read the reader and change their mind, heart, and life. Jewish mediation literature is meant to change the person over a lifetime of meditation.
So understanding these 4 important aspects of Jewish mediation literature, a person can come to a better understanding and right interpretation of the Bible. We can't read the Bible like a 21st century American, because if we do, we will miss apply it and become self-centered and think that God first and only cares about us. The Bible, as Jewish mediation literature is clear, it is God's holy, living, perfect, powerful Word that we must spend a lifetime mediating on so that we learn to submit to God and through His grace be changed into a child of righteousness.
This past Sunday, we spent time thinking through the truth that the Bible was written 2000 years ago or more. The Bible was written by Jewish men and women. The Bible was written in a Middle-eastern Jewish culture. The Bible was written for a Jewish audience. And the Bible is nothing like 21st century American culture, in its literary style. Understanding the Bible is a piece of art that is Jewish literature is critical for correct interpretation.
Understanding the Bible is Jewish literature that is thousands of years old, there are 4 important points, that I taught to help keep interpretation correct.
First, the Bible being Jewish literature from that place and time, means that it is mediation literature. Psalm 1 (among many other Psalms) point to the way of the righteous. The psalmist makes clear that it is a meditation on the Word of God, day and night, that brings delight, transformation, and fruit (like a tree planted by a fresh stream). The Bible is meant to be a book that saturates the soul. As a person reads from the Bible daily, reading through the Bible yearly, spending their entire life in the Bible, it begins to bear fruit for God. The Bible was written to be meditated on. This means reading it, reading it out-loud, and reading it throughout the day (like muttering the Scriptures to yourself). The Bible as Jewish literature is mediation literature.
Second, being Jewish meditation literature, means the Bible lacks much of the detail that we in America enjoy and want in our literature. The Jewish literary style did not care about details. Take for example the story of Genesis 3. We are not given the details about; where the snake came from, what the snake looked like, what color hair Adam and Eve had, what type of fruit it was, or even where Adam was, when Eve was tempted (among other details). This means first, the details that are given in the Bible are important to notice. In the story of Genesis 3, the fact that it is a snake that tempts them is important. The fact that the humans were naked is critical. Secondly this means we have to fight the tendency to add detail when detail is not needed. We do not need to know if the snake had wings or legs. We do not need to know if they ate an apple or a plum. Jewish mediation literature only adds the details we need to know and notice.
Third, an important point for the Bible and its Jewish meditation style, is that the Bible is meant to interpret itself. The Bible is complex book. It is a hard book to understand at times. The Bible has passages (becasue it is God talking) that are somewhat mysterious. Some parts of the Bible though are clear. Some parts of the Bible are simple. Some parts of the Bible are easier to understand. The Bible, as Jewish meditation literature, is written in a way that the harder parts are supposed to be made simpler by the easier parts. The Bible is designed to be interpreted by itself. This means, the Bible does not contradict itself, it is just designed and written by God to be a mysterious book at times. So the person who mediates on the book can take the clear easier parts, that stick through mediation, and use them to interpret the harder parts. We must do the hard work of using the Bible to understand the Bible.
Lastly, the Bible being Jewish mediation literature means it is meant to read the reader as the reader reads it. Reading the Bible in a life of meditation saturates the Bible to the mind and the heart. As a person spends a life time, day and night, reading through the Bible, something slowly and amazingly happens. The Bible begins to read the reader and transform them. As we read through the Bible, we begin to understand God more, we see the human nature (both before conversion and after conversion), and come to know what obedience to God is (a righteous life). As we read through the Bible and it does this to us, it begins to change us. The Bible (becasue it is living and active) begins to read the reader and change their mind, heart, and life. Jewish mediation literature is meant to change the person over a lifetime of meditation.
So understanding these 4 important aspects of Jewish mediation literature, a person can come to a better understanding and right interpretation of the Bible. We can't read the Bible like a 21st century American, because if we do, we will miss apply it and become self-centered and think that God first and only cares about us. The Bible, as Jewish mediation literature is clear, it is God's holy, living, perfect, powerful Word that we must spend a lifetime mediating on so that we learn to submit to God and through His grace be changed into a child of righteousness.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Biblical Discourse
This past Sunday in Sunday School, I finished teaching a 3-week broad study of the Biblical genres of Scripture. We spent the first week thinking about the stories of the Bible or Biblical narrative. Week 2 was a short study of Hebrew Poetry. In week 3, we spent time thinking about Biblical discourse.
Biblical discourse is the genre of the Bible that is not story or poetry. Biblical discourse or prose is anything in the Bible that is not a story about characters and conflict or a song and poem. Biblical discourse can be speeches, Law, letters, sermons, or genealogies. Biblical discourse makes up roughly 24% of the Bible. Biblical discourse is in almost every single book of the Bible (with a few exceptions like Psalm). Biblical discourse exists to teach the reader, inform the reader, persuade the reader, comfort the reader, or challenge and warn the reader. It can be found in the teachings of Jesus, 10 Commandments of Moses, Proverbs of Solomon, speeches of Isaiah, and letters of Paul.
When considering how to apply discourse, we discussed 3 important pieces that a reader must consider. First we have to consider who is speaking or giving the discourse. It most cases the discourse is from a human being to another human being, but it is really a word from the Lord. Discourse can be given through Moses, David, Jesus, or Paul. But in each case, it is God speaking to God's people, giving them a word they need in that moment.
Second, when considering applying discourse, we have to consider the audience or the person/people receiving the word from the Lord. Sometimes it is a group of people that are receiving the discourse. Sometimes is a whole church that is receiving the Word. Sometimes it is all of God's people receiving the word from the Lord. And sometimes it is an individual, in a specific situation that is receiving the Word. Understanding the audience helps us understand the application and keeps us as a modern reader from misinterpreting it.
Finally, when considering applying discourse, the setting of the discourse is important. Is the speech being given in the desert to God's wandering people? Is the discourse being given to God's people disobeying in the Promised Land. Is the discourse in Israel to God's people under Roman rule? Or is the discourse being given to a Gentile people scattered all over the known world? Knowing the setting of the discourse helps in application.
The last piece for discourse that I taught this past week was how the application works or more importantly the weight of the application. We realized as a class that the Law of God (10 Commandments) are not optional. When we read the 10 Commandments and God's Law, this discourse must be obeyed and if it is not, sin is a result. We then flipped over to the book of Ephesians and read through Paul's discourse of persuasion in chapters 4-6. Understanding that the discourse of Exodus 20 is not optional, we then thought about the force and weight that Ephesians 4-6 must also carry. We concluded that discourse, all discourse, has the same force and weight to it. If the discourse can apply to the reader (not a specific person in a specific situation) then it must carry the same weight as all of God's Law. All discourse is truly God's Law to God's people for the rule of life and faith. That is why the Westminster Catechism states about the Word of God, "The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience".
Biblical discourse is the genre of the Bible that is not story or poetry. Biblical discourse or prose is anything in the Bible that is not a story about characters and conflict or a song and poem. Biblical discourse can be speeches, Law, letters, sermons, or genealogies. Biblical discourse makes up roughly 24% of the Bible. Biblical discourse is in almost every single book of the Bible (with a few exceptions like Psalm). Biblical discourse exists to teach the reader, inform the reader, persuade the reader, comfort the reader, or challenge and warn the reader. It can be found in the teachings of Jesus, 10 Commandments of Moses, Proverbs of Solomon, speeches of Isaiah, and letters of Paul.
When considering how to apply discourse, we discussed 3 important pieces that a reader must consider. First we have to consider who is speaking or giving the discourse. It most cases the discourse is from a human being to another human being, but it is really a word from the Lord. Discourse can be given through Moses, David, Jesus, or Paul. But in each case, it is God speaking to God's people, giving them a word they need in that moment.
Second, when considering applying discourse, we have to consider the audience or the person/people receiving the word from the Lord. Sometimes it is a group of people that are receiving the discourse. Sometimes is a whole church that is receiving the Word. Sometimes it is all of God's people receiving the word from the Lord. And sometimes it is an individual, in a specific situation that is receiving the Word. Understanding the audience helps us understand the application and keeps us as a modern reader from misinterpreting it.
Finally, when considering applying discourse, the setting of the discourse is important. Is the speech being given in the desert to God's wandering people? Is the discourse being given to God's people disobeying in the Promised Land. Is the discourse in Israel to God's people under Roman rule? Or is the discourse being given to a Gentile people scattered all over the known world? Knowing the setting of the discourse helps in application.
The last piece for discourse that I taught this past week was how the application works or more importantly the weight of the application. We realized as a class that the Law of God (10 Commandments) are not optional. When we read the 10 Commandments and God's Law, this discourse must be obeyed and if it is not, sin is a result. We then flipped over to the book of Ephesians and read through Paul's discourse of persuasion in chapters 4-6. Understanding that the discourse of Exodus 20 is not optional, we then thought about the force and weight that Ephesians 4-6 must also carry. We concluded that discourse, all discourse, has the same force and weight to it. If the discourse can apply to the reader (not a specific person in a specific situation) then it must carry the same weight as all of God's Law. All discourse is truly God's Law to God's people for the rule of life and faith. That is why the Westminster Catechism states about the Word of God, "The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience".
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Why we don't share the Good News
Recently, I have been thinking about the reasons we do not share
the Gospel with others. Evangelism is part of the Christian life. Yes, we must
support missionaries, local churches, and other Gospel ministries in our
community. But we are commanded to share the Gospel with those we meet every
day and with those God has put in our life. I personally do not share the good
news of Jesus as much as I should. None of us share the good news as much as we
should. The question is, why do we not share the Gospel with others? What holds
us back from using our mouth to tell others about Jesus and His death for
sinners? Why do we find it so hard many times to spread the grace and love of
God in words with others?
While I believe there are a
myriad of reasons we do not share the Gospel with the lost, I think there are 3
large, main reasons we do not. Of all the reasons that
prohibit us from evangelizing the lost, there are 3 reasons that keep surfacing
that seem to staple our mouth shut when the opportunity to share the Gospel
arises. Here are the 3 largest reasons we can't seem to share the Gospel enough
with others, and the solutions to each of the 3 reasons.
#1-We fear the response we
will receive when we share the Good News.
Simply put, we live in fear of rejection and anger. When the time comes to share our faith in words, we freeze
because we are scared the person will get angry with us. We imagine the person
calling us a bigot, intolerant, close-minded, weak, or stupid. We imagine the
person (after they hear the Gospel) getting red in the face, getting cold, or
turning away and cussing us out. When we could share God's love, we imagine the
person rejecting us, we imagine losing a friend, or worse we imagine the person
attacking us with their words or actions. Fear to the response of the other person,
is what stops us from sharing the Gospel as much as we should.
Solution: Fear God more than man.
God commands us to share the
Gospel. God commands us to make disciples. God commands us to be the bearer of
good news and blesses the feet of those who carry the good news. As
Jesus tells His followers, we must fear the one who can kill the soul, not
the one who could kill the body. Rather than fearing the response of humans, we
must fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is the only solution to a lack of sharing the
Gospel.
#2-We do not believe the
person will change.
When the time comes to share
the Gospel with others, many times we do not open our mouths because we
think it won't matter. We believe the person who is about to hear the Gospel
will not change and will continue to live in sin. We do not believe the Gospel
has the real power to change a person. So, we move on with our lives assuming
the person will continue to live in sin. We do not believe in the power of the
Gospel.
Solution: Read the Bible
The Bible is full of stories of
people changed by the power of the Gospel. Some examples are; Abraham (idolater
to father of a nation), Judah (sexual pervert to son of blessing), David
(adulter and murderer to repenter), Peter (brash and outspoken to leader of the
church), Mary Magdalene (prostitute to follower of Jesus), and Paul (persecutor
to martyr). If we spend time in God's Word, the power of the Gospel will be
very clear. Jesus did not come down from heaven to die for His people so that
they were powerless. Jesus came to give His people power through the Holy
Spirit. The good news is the good news because it is the most powerful message
in history. We need to truly believe the Gospel has power to change since it
changed each one of us.
#3-We do not believe the
good news is actually good news.
Sadly, this is the worst reason
we do not share the Gospel. We do not believe in the news we are sharing. We do
not believe we were once sinners deserving the condemnation of God. We do not
believe in the justice or holiness of God. We do not believe hell is real. We
do not believe God has grace. We do not believe that people need to repent. We
do not believe Jesus died to accomplish salvation (instead we think salvation
is just possible). We do not believe eternal life is for everyone. We do not
believe the Holy Spirit regenerates dead people. We do not believe in the
resurrection. We do not believe in the return of Jesus. Simply put, there is
some part of the Gospel message we do not believe, so we refuse to share a
message we are not totally convinced is true.
Solution: Get on your knees and become a
Christian.
If there is a part of the
Gospel message we do not believe, then we truly are not a Christian anyway. We
need to fully and completely believe the entirety of the Gospel message.
Every single human being is
a spiritual dead condemned sinner from birth. It is only in the grace of God,
the mission of Jesus (life, death, resurrection), and the application of the
Holy Spirit, that sinners will be saved. It is only through the
regeneration of the Spirit and the repentance of the sinner that God
justifies. Tt is only in the righteous life of Jesus and the sin applied to Him
on the cross that salvation occurs. Jesus will one day return to this earth for
those the Father elected in His grace who have believed and lived a life
of fruitful faith in Him.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Fearful People
We are a scared society. We as humans are full of fear. Yes, I am
speaking about our fear of things we should fear. If I fell out of a tree, I
might die, and I should be full of fear (so I do not climb trees). If a bear
was chasing me in the woods, I should be full of fear, in that the bear would
kill me (so I do not go into the woods). But I am also speaking about fear in
humanity with things we should not be scared about. We as humans fear the
unknown, the future, sickness, monetary problems, and other people. We as
humans are full of fear for things we must never be full of fear for.
The achievements, technological
advancements, scientific discoveries, and human creativity, have created a
society of people who are trying to push back fear. We are asserting our
appeared control. We have tried to become masters of our own fate. We are
grappling and wrestling with our perceived destiny. With each new drug or
medical solution, we seem to think we are less full of fear. With each new
scientific find, space discovery, or break through, we convince ourselves there
is less to fear. As a Western culture, as an advanced society, and beings who
are increasing our knowledge, we wrestle with the fear we have and try to trick
our minds and thoughts, in that there is nothing to fear.
Yet, it has not worked. We as
people are still full of fear. We still lack the control. We still have not
controlled our destiny. We are scared. We live in fear. We act in fear. Our
decisions are based upon fear. We try to muster courage (to no avail many
times) to push back fear.
The easiest expression we show
in our face is the expression of fear. We are still ruled by fear. We have
never thought about it this way, but the fear of man and all that is connected
to him, is the god of man. We as humans live by the rule of fear.
The Bible is clear though. We
live in fear of man because we do not fear God. If we fear God, we will no
longer fear man and all that is connected to him. If we increase a fear of God,
we will no longer fear the unknown. If we fear God, we will no longer fear the
sickness or death we might receive. If we fear God, our fates are in His hands.
If we fear God, there is nothing else to fear. Fearing God is the only solution
to every other fear we sinfully have. So, fear the Lord.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Basics in Biblical Poetry
In Sunday School, my class is working through a 3-week basics of
Biblical literary genre. The first Sunday we understood the basics of Biblical
Narrative and learned 5 questions we must ask every story in the Bible (I wrote
a post on this last week). This past Sunday, we worked together through
Biblical poetry and understood the basic differences between stories in the
Bible and poems in the Bible. Here are the 3 basics elements from
Biblical poetry I taught this past Sunday.
First, Biblical poetry has a
different goal for the reader than Biblical narrative or discourse (I
will be writing a post on this genre next week). Biblical discourse uses reason
to transform the reader from the mind to the heart to the hands.
Biblical narrative leads the reader to imagine and understand truth in the mind
through story. Biblical poetry is different, in that it engages the reader not
through the mind, but through the emotions (heart). Biblical poetry is an emotional
genre, in that it evokes feelings, emotions, desires, passions, and appetites.
Biblical poetry engages the heart to transform the mind. This goal of
Biblical poetry, is why it is important in the Bible. As story engages the
imagination and discourse engages the mind, poetry is going after the heart.
The balance of these three genres together, brings transformation to the whole person.
Second, Biblical poetry is a
different type of literature in that it uses different tools. Biblical poetry
uses pictures, adjectives, and adverbs to touch the reader. Biblical poetry uses
parallelism to repeat the point. Biblical poetry uses metaphors and similes to
invoke the heart. Biblical poetry is not as literal as it is figurative.
As a reader engages Biblical poetry there are different rules for interpreting
the writing. The most basic understanding of Biblical poetry is the sense
that poetry is a totally different language and as a
result must be understood and interpreted in a totally different way.
The third basic tool for
understanding Biblical poetry is the fact that any good Bible translation
formats poetry different than story or discourse. Poems, songs, or prophecies
in the Bible have a different type format in Bible translations than a story or
teaching. Poetry is not formatted in paragraph form. Poetry is formatted by
lines, parallels, and indents. Poetry, in any good Bible translation, will be
indented, go line by line down the page, and be broken-up by couplets (2-line pairs) or 3
lines in the Bible. Narrative or discourse in the Bible, is formatted by
paragraph and flows like reading a normal book or newspaper. This is a basic
understanding of Biblical poetry in how it is formatted, so that the reader can
know when they have come to poetry and have left discourse or story.
Understanding the basics of type format helps the reader know when they have
poetry and must begin to be interpreted differently.
Understanding these 3 basics of
Biblical poetry will help the reader understand and interpret the Bible
rightly. We are commanded in God's Word to handle His Word correctly,
understand it rightly, and grow in our knowledge of it. To use God's Word
correctly in a life of obedience, we must know God's Word correctly. To know
God's Word correctly, we must know the basics of the literary genre we are
reading. Too many of God's people misinterpret the Bible simply because they do
not know the basics of God's Word. These 3 basic tools for Biblical poetry will
help us read the Word of God correctly.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
The Fear of God in Wisdom
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools
despise wisdom and instruction".
There is a growing
movement in the church today, that stresses "no fear needed for God". I have
heard many comments by God's people that stress God's love and the need to no
longer fear God because He is love. I even recently read a thought by a well-known
Pastor, who said a fear of God is an Old Testament, old covenant, old dead thought, that must not be held to any more. There have been books written on
God's love and how it wins over everything else. There have been sermon series and
Christian conferences that stress a need to only embrace God as your "best
friend" or "loving Father". I have even heard in my own
congregation the sentiment that to fear the Lord is an immature belief for weak
Christians that is wrong. Sadly, this is all non-biblical and a severe problem in the church
today.
"Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the
knowledge and understanding".
Fearing the Lord is a
command all throughout Scripture. If a Christian is to obey the commands of
God, 100% of God's commands, then fearing Him is a part of it. Yes, God is
love. Yes, God has adopted us as His children. Yes, God has shown us mercy and
compassion. As a wise theologian once stated, "the cross is where God's
mercy and justice sweetly kiss". Yes, we as God's justified children, no
longer must fear the final judgment. Yes, we as adopted sons of the King, no
longer must fear final and full eternal condemnation. But that does not mean
there is no longer a sense in which Christian's must fear the Lord. It is a
command in the Bible and that is a good enough reason for a fear of the
Lord.
"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away
from evil".
Fearing the Lord is the
most natural and wholesome response to knowledge of God. God is the one who
created the entire universe of existence. God is the one who formed every
single one of us in our mother's womb. God is the one who controls every
hurricane and snowstorm. God is the one who feeds the birds. God is the one who
can stop our hearts. God is the one who could (and might) send us to hell. God
is the one who created, enacted, fulfilled, and applied the plan of salvation.
God is the one who kills stars. God is the one who hatches eagles eggs. God is
the one who multiplies our cells. God is the only sovereign, omniscient, infinite,
holy, and eternal being in existence. A fear of the Lord is a most natural and
important response a Christian must have to Him.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is insight".
Fearing the Lord is critical
for the Christian life. As someone once declared, "a distorted view of
God will inevitably lead to a distorted view of the Christian life". This
means that if we do not fear the Lord, we will never live rightly, holy,
gracefully, or fearfully in our Christian walk. To fully and rightly know God,
fear of Him is a response. To live the Christian life correctly, for the glory
of God alone, fear must be part of our walk with the Lord. If we want to parent
our children correctly, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. If we want to live a life
of worship, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. If we want to make disciples in the
church and the world, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. If we want to love our spouse
compassionately, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. If we want to steward all that God
has given us, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. If we want to work hard for our
employer, fearing the Lord is a part of the Christian life. Fearing the Lord is a part of every step
we take in this life.
"The fear of the LORD prolongs life; but the years of the
wicked will be short".
So, we have a choice. We
can listen to the devil and not fear God. We can fall prey to soft theology and
teaching and not fear the Lord. We can focus on the parts of God we want to and
not fear the Lord. We can drink only milk and never eat the meat of God's Word
and not fear the Lord. We can remain arrogant and prideful and not fear the
Lord. We can remain stunted in our growth and Christian walk and not fear the
Lord. Or we can grow in God's grace and wisdom of Him, and fear the Lord. It is
ultimately our choice, but God's people will always rightly fear Him because
they rightly now Him and rightly live for Him. If we are truly a child of God
and Christian, we will fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is not optional and must
be obeyed. FEAR THE LORD!
"The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rest
satisfied; he will not be visited with harm".
So, let us be blessed by
the God that we fear and let us be satisfied as God's children; FEAR THE
LORD.
*All the verses for fearing
the Lord in this post come from only 1 book in the Bible. If only 1 book says
this much, fearing the LORD must be a huge deal. *
Thursday, January 11, 2018
How Jesus prayed
Prayer is simply a conversation between you and God, simply put you are talking to God and listening to Him talk back. Jesus in His life gives us the greatest and wisest examples and teaching about prayer. Here is a list of the many things that Jesus shows us about prayer by His example.
He prayed early in the morning.
He prayed in a quiet solitary place away from any distractions.
He prayed all night long, like 12 hours of solid prayer.
He prayed before any major decisions that He had to make, like choosing the 12 disciples.
He prayed about His needs.
He prayed about His wants and desires.
He prayed for God's will to be done.
He prayed to His daddy.
He prayed while weeping.
He prayed while filled with joy and excitement.
He prayed while in anguish of the future.
He prayed for others.
He prayed humbly yet confidently.
He prayed and fasted.
He prayed and listened to His Fathers voice.
He prayed continually.
How many of these examples of Jesus prayer life do we practice in ours? It is a great place to start when we think about prayer and having a conversation with God our Father.
He prayed early in the morning.
He prayed in a quiet solitary place away from any distractions.
He prayed all night long, like 12 hours of solid prayer.
He prayed before any major decisions that He had to make, like choosing the 12 disciples.
He prayed about His needs.
He prayed about His wants and desires.
He prayed for God's will to be done.
He prayed to His daddy.
He prayed while weeping.
He prayed while filled with joy and excitement.
He prayed while in anguish of the future.
He prayed for others.
He prayed humbly yet confidently.
He prayed and fasted.
He prayed and listened to His Fathers voice.
He prayed continually.
How many of these examples of Jesus prayer life do we practice in ours? It is a great place to start when we think about prayer and having a conversation with God our Father.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Questions for stories in the Bible
I have the privilege to teach a Sunday School class at my church. This past Sunday (and a few upcoming Sundays also) I was teaching the class on the different types of literature in the Bible. I made clear with the class that the Bible has 3 main types of literature in it; narrative or story, poetry, and discourse or teaching. We talked about why it is important to understand the differences, how the differences in types effects interpretation, and clues to know which type of literature one is reading. We then spent a few moments beginning to think about the narrative or story style of literature specifically.
As the class began to look at familiar stories in the Bible, I gave them 5 important questions to ask each story of the Bible. These 5 questions help a reader understand the story in the Bible better, come to understand the main point off the story, and begin to see the application of that particular story. We began an exercise in the class with these 5 questions. We took the story of Genesis 22 and Abraham offering Isaac on the alter. We asked the story these 5 questions and began to think about the big idea and application of this story, on us as the reader.
Here are the 5 questions we should ask of every narrative or story in the Bible.
1)Where are we?
This is a setting question. Where do we find ourselves in the story of the Bible, the book, or even in the life of a particular character.
2)Who are we?
This is a character question. This question begins to help identify the protagonist and antagonist and minor characters in this particular story.
3)Whats wrong in the story?
This is a conflict question. Conflict is what drives any story. This question points to the driving force in the movement of the story and its characters.
4)What time is it?
This question is about the time of day, time of year, time of life, time in the Biblical story, or time in God's plan of redemption.
5)What is the solution?
The resolution to the conflict in the story is where the applications of the story begins. The resolution in the story is usually around the big idea of the story.
As the class began to look at familiar stories in the Bible, I gave them 5 important questions to ask each story of the Bible. These 5 questions help a reader understand the story in the Bible better, come to understand the main point off the story, and begin to see the application of that particular story. We began an exercise in the class with these 5 questions. We took the story of Genesis 22 and Abraham offering Isaac on the alter. We asked the story these 5 questions and began to think about the big idea and application of this story, on us as the reader.
Here are the 5 questions we should ask of every narrative or story in the Bible.
1)Where are we?
This is a setting question. Where do we find ourselves in the story of the Bible, the book, or even in the life of a particular character.
2)Who are we?
This is a character question. This question begins to help identify the protagonist and antagonist and minor characters in this particular story.
3)Whats wrong in the story?
This is a conflict question. Conflict is what drives any story. This question points to the driving force in the movement of the story and its characters.
4)What time is it?
This question is about the time of day, time of year, time of life, time in the Biblical story, or time in God's plan of redemption.
5)What is the solution?
The resolution to the conflict in the story is where the applications of the story begins. The resolution in the story is usually around the big idea of the story.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
The Fear of the Lord in Doctrine and Devotion
When you read the words,
doctrine and devotion, many thoughts might come to mind. Thoughts like; glory,
desire, knowledge, truth, delight, and worship, among others. These words, including
doctrine and devotion revolve around a person and their relationship with God,
both their understanding of God and appreciation of Him. A word that should
come to the mind with doctrine and devotion, but probably doesn’t, is the word
fear. Let’s explore the connections between doctrine, devotion, and fear for a
few moments.
Doctrine is what the Bible
teaches a person about God. Doctrine can be a systematic, Biblical, or even
historical understanding of what God’s Word makes clear about God Himself.
Doctrine includes the character of God, the actions of God, and the redemption
plan of God among other topics surrounding God. As a person studies the
doctrines of God’s Word, they rightly begin to come to an understanding of who
God is and what God is doing both for His own glory and the saving of His
people.
Devotion is the attitude or
action of a person to God. As a person comes to rightly know God, they form a
relationship with God. Devotion, as the Bible makes clear, is the right relationship
a person has with God. Devotion is when a person desires God, delights in God,
and lives every moment (and repents when they don’t) for the glory of God.
Doctrine and devotion then are
two sides of coin. They are a given and give with God. As the person grows in
doctrine, it naturally leads to growing devotion. As a person comes to
understand doctrine about God, the delight and adoration of God increases. Yet
a fear of God is smashed right into the middle of this coin.
The Bible has so much to say
about a fear of God. Romans 3:18 makes it clear that the unbeliever does not
fear God. Jeremiah 32:40 makes it clear that God puts the fear of Himself in
the hearts of His people. Proverbs 1:7 tells the wise man that the beginning of
knowledge is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord includes doctrine.
The Bible is also full of
commands to fear the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:13 is a direct command for God’s
people to fear Him. Psalms 2:11 is a call to serve the Lord with fear. Philippians
2:12 is a command to work out salvation with fear and trembling. The Bible is
abundantly clear that a fear of the Lord is a must for the Christian life. This
means, part of a person’s devotion to God must also include a person’s fear to
God.
This points to the fact that
fear of the Lord is both a mind truth and heart bent. This connects fearing the
Lord to a right understanding of God. That is fear and doctrine. This also
connects fearing the Lord to a life response in action. That is fear in
devotion. Thus, both doctrine and devotion are connected to a fear of the Lord.
But it is a natural response
in the connection of doctrine and devotion. As the previous paragraphs state,
as true doctrine increases in the mind and heart of a person, so devotion will
also increase. As a right understanding of God grows in the mind, so worship of
God grows in the life and actions of a person. As fear of the Lord grows in the
mind through coming to understand God better, so fear in action towards God is
a natural and most wanted response.
Before we close these thoughts
on, doctrine, devotion and fear, let it be crystal clear. A fear of the Lord is
a good thing. Fearing God is revering God. Fearing God is respecting God.
Fearing God is standing in awe of His power and might. Fearing God is living
humbly and repentant in the grace of God. Fearing God is not declaring any
rights (in yourself) for yourself. Fearing God is knowing and living rightly in
the truth that God is God and we are simply dust. So, fearing the Lord is part
of the sanctified life of a believer.
The culture today is trying to
convince humanity that there is nothing to fear. Many Christians have fallen
prey to this lie and only look to a God who loves and is peaceful. They do not
think about their sin, both the offense and result of it. But God’s Word stands
in a much different way. As sinners who deserve wrath rightly, we must truthfully
know the grace of God which is what saves alone through faith alone. This
means, for a true believer in Jesus, as they grow in a right understanding of His
life, the plan of the Father, and the working of the Spirit, they will grow in
fear. And as a true believer grows in fear of the Lord alone who can save, they
will respond in worship and delight in the one who saves. This means at the
heart of the connection of doctrine and devotion is the truth of fearing the
Lord. Do we fear truly the Creator and Redeemer of our very souls?
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Slaves to Christ
Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
1 Peter 2:16
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up of evil; live as slaves of God.
We are free but yet at the same time we are slaves. That is very interesting, challenging, and important to think about. I will not take the length to give a full explanation of what I think all this means but I believe it has a few very important things to remind us of.
Being free means first as Romans says we are free from the bondage of sin. This also means that we are free from the bondage to the flesh and the sin of being a dead person. We are free from our old self, the ball and chain that the life of a dead person brings. We are free from the bondage of this world and free from the deep seated desire in us to call this world home and settle in for a long stay. We are free from making our selves happy and having happiness as the only pursuit in this life. We are free from the desire and passion in ourselves for our own good at all cost and the drive of self. Being free sets us free in many ways and gives us an ultimate freedom that a person not in Jesus could have.
But this freedom in Jesus does come with a cost and that cost is being a slave as Romans and 1 Peter highlight. So what does it mean that we are slaves to righteousness and servants of God? Simply put this means we are now captive and slaves to our love, desire, and passion for Jesus. Having become slaves we now lives lives that are in love with the person who set us free and that is Jesus. We then live to serve Him and work for His mission. We live lives that are in love with Him and we become slaves to that love of Jesus so our lives are then centered around a life of service and holiness for Jesus. We become slaves and servants to our passions and pursuit of Jesus. Our life is full of works and acts of service and love in honor of Jesus. We join and are a part of Jesus' bride, which is visibly His church. We spend time talking with Jesus and spend time reading His words and commands to us. In a life of slave love to Jesus we follow His commands and continually live as a broken repentant person knowing that we continually need Jesus to set us free from our sin struggle and tension. We are free with Jesus but now become slaves to the love and desire and want of Him.
This is the amazing tension of the Christian life and it is a great reminder for us as we wake up each day trying to follow and honor God with our words and actions. We are free but at the same time should be slaves. Amen
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
1 Peter 2:16
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up of evil; live as slaves of God.
We are free but yet at the same time we are slaves. That is very interesting, challenging, and important to think about. I will not take the length to give a full explanation of what I think all this means but I believe it has a few very important things to remind us of.
Being free means first as Romans says we are free from the bondage of sin. This also means that we are free from the bondage to the flesh and the sin of being a dead person. We are free from our old self, the ball and chain that the life of a dead person brings. We are free from the bondage of this world and free from the deep seated desire in us to call this world home and settle in for a long stay. We are free from making our selves happy and having happiness as the only pursuit in this life. We are free from the desire and passion in ourselves for our own good at all cost and the drive of self. Being free sets us free in many ways and gives us an ultimate freedom that a person not in Jesus could have.
But this freedom in Jesus does come with a cost and that cost is being a slave as Romans and 1 Peter highlight. So what does it mean that we are slaves to righteousness and servants of God? Simply put this means we are now captive and slaves to our love, desire, and passion for Jesus. Having become slaves we now lives lives that are in love with the person who set us free and that is Jesus. We then live to serve Him and work for His mission. We live lives that are in love with Him and we become slaves to that love of Jesus so our lives are then centered around a life of service and holiness for Jesus. We become slaves and servants to our passions and pursuit of Jesus. Our life is full of works and acts of service and love in honor of Jesus. We join and are a part of Jesus' bride, which is visibly His church. We spend time talking with Jesus and spend time reading His words and commands to us. In a life of slave love to Jesus we follow His commands and continually live as a broken repentant person knowing that we continually need Jesus to set us free from our sin struggle and tension. We are free with Jesus but now become slaves to the love and desire and want of Him.
This is the amazing tension of the Christian life and it is a great reminder for us as we wake up each day trying to follow and honor God with our words and actions. We are free but at the same time should be slaves. Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)