Find more pictures here.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
How Do You Know If You Are Too Clean - A follow up.
After yesterday's post, I feel it may be appropriate to offer some ways of assessing whether we are "too clean" or not. These two posts are based on Christ's indictments against the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."
The Pharisees were very good at diagnosing the world, but they were very poor at identifying with the world - with "sinful" Gentiles. Because of their ethnicity and their facade of moral superiority, these men brought a condemning curse to a world that was supposed to be blessed through them (Gen 12).
We must fight to avoid doing the same. Here are some symptoms to be watching out for.
We may be too clean if we spend more time fighting for our innocence than confessing our sin. What do you do when confronted by someone concerning your sin? Do you immediately disregard their concern and fight for your innocence? I am not saying that we must always be guilty; but I am saying that it is dangerous to think we are always innocent when confronted about how we may be guilty.
Be careful to insist that you are not a sinner. Christ died for sinners.
We may be too clean if we don't have friends who are willing to confront our uncleanliness. Sin makes us hide. Be weary of only having acquaintances (who only affirm your cleanliness), and not having any true friends. True friends will confront uncleanliness in a godly way. Do you have anyone who loves you enough to confront you? Did you have someone in your life like this? Did you push them away by wrongly fighting for your innocence (see #1)?
We may be too clean if we distance ourselves from those who are "too dirty." We can either do this geographically, verbally, or morally. For example, we may say something like, "I don't like to be around (geographically) fags (verbally) because they are sinful (morally)."
We may be too clean if we spend more time, money and effort on the "outside of our cup" than the inside. Do you spend more time assessing how you look on the outside rather than how you are on the inside? This should not be.
We may be too clean if the problem with life is everybody but us. We must pay attention to our language when we enter or assess conflict. Do we use more third person pronouns (he, she, they, them, their) or first person pronouns (I, me, we, us, our)?
We may be too clean if we have reduced Christianity to merely following a set of rules in order to be perfect. We often think we are a good Christian if we can assess whether or not someone is right or not. Christianity is not about being perfect, but about being united to the Perfect One. Those with the truth must always be confessing the truth that we are sinners saved by grace. When we confess our uncleanliness, God is faithful to robe us in the Cleanliness of Another.
This is our Gospel that we must humbly proclaim to a fallen world.
The Pharisees were very good at diagnosing the world, but they were very poor at identifying with the world - with "sinful" Gentiles. Because of their ethnicity and their facade of moral superiority, these men brought a condemning curse to a world that was supposed to be blessed through them (Gen 12).
We must fight to avoid doing the same. Here are some symptoms to be watching out for.
We may be too clean if we spend more time fighting for our innocence than confessing our sin. What do you do when confronted by someone concerning your sin? Do you immediately disregard their concern and fight for your innocence? I am not saying that we must always be guilty; but I am saying that it is dangerous to think we are always innocent when confronted about how we may be guilty.
Be careful to insist that you are not a sinner. Christ died for sinners.
We may be too clean if we don't have friends who are willing to confront our uncleanliness. Sin makes us hide. Be weary of only having acquaintances (who only affirm your cleanliness), and not having any true friends. True friends will confront uncleanliness in a godly way. Do you have anyone who loves you enough to confront you? Did you have someone in your life like this? Did you push them away by wrongly fighting for your innocence (see #1)?
We may be too clean if we distance ourselves from those who are "too dirty." We can either do this geographically, verbally, or morally. For example, we may say something like, "I don't like to be around (geographically) fags (verbally) because they are sinful (morally)."
We may be too clean if we spend more time, money and effort on the "outside of our cup" than the inside. Do you spend more time assessing how you look on the outside rather than how you are on the inside? This should not be.
We may be too clean if the problem with life is everybody but us. We must pay attention to our language when we enter or assess conflict. Do we use more third person pronouns (he, she, they, them, their) or first person pronouns (I, me, we, us, our)?
We may be too clean if we have reduced Christianity to merely following a set of rules in order to be perfect. We often think we are a good Christian if we can assess whether or not someone is right or not. Christianity is not about being perfect, but about being united to the Perfect One. Those with the truth must always be confessing the truth that we are sinners saved by grace. When we confess our uncleanliness, God is faithful to robe us in the Cleanliness of Another.
This is our Gospel that we must humbly proclaim to a fallen world.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We are Way Too Clean
Eminem begins his song Love the Way You Lie with these words: "I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like." This line, for some reason, is constantly on my mind. Over the past year or so, I have started listening to the popular artists with a new focus, through a new lens - the lens of redemption.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to understand the world in which we live. Music is a very good way to gain this understanding. There is a reason why the songs are on the radio. There is a reason why Eminem is so popular. Music is a common medium for people to express, however illogical or immoral, how they feel and what they desire. Dave Matthews is a case in point.
Many are listening to these songs with a deep sense that someone has finally articulated with words what they are feeling inside. Someone has identified with them. Love the Way You Lie is a remarkable depiction of a common (idolatrous) relationship; the kind in which undoubtedly millions are enslaved.
Yes, the little white, blonde-headed rapper can tell us what it feels like; but he is at a loss to tell us what is actually going on. Eminem only has half of the truth. But a large portion of Christian music doesn't bring much more to the table - nor, for that matter, does the church from which the music flows.
Rarely do you hear Christians, or Christian songs say, "I can tell you what it feels like (because I have been there too)." Rather, we say things like, "But I sure can tell you what it is" or, "I can tell you what you are supposed to feel like." The pendulum has only swung to the other side. The listening masses remain in the dark.
It has been my experience that struggling people would rather live among those who identify with them, and not with those who merely diagnose them. In a sense, our lives are way too clean. We desire to diagnose, but we don't want to identify. We can help you, but let's be clear that we are not like you.
As a result of this, we live among people in this world who do not trust a word that we say. The Scriptures are pretty clear: If we say we have no sin, we are a liar, and the truth is not in us. We can only put on the facade so long before the watching world says, "Liar."
We have to be careful not to communicate to a sinful world that Jesus only saves really clean people. I'm not saying that we should go get dirty; but rather that we should confess that we are dirty and that Christ alone makes us whiter than snow. By doing so we can identify with sinners (because we are sinners as well); and we can also help in diagnosing their sickness (because we know the One who washes sin away).
As Christians, we have a responsibility to understand the world in which we live. Music is a very good way to gain this understanding. There is a reason why the songs are on the radio. There is a reason why Eminem is so popular. Music is a common medium for people to express, however illogical or immoral, how they feel and what they desire. Dave Matthews is a case in point.
Many are listening to these songs with a deep sense that someone has finally articulated with words what they are feeling inside. Someone has identified with them. Love the Way You Lie is a remarkable depiction of a common (idolatrous) relationship; the kind in which undoubtedly millions are enslaved.
Yes, the little white, blonde-headed rapper can tell us what it feels like; but he is at a loss to tell us what is actually going on. Eminem only has half of the truth. But a large portion of Christian music doesn't bring much more to the table - nor, for that matter, does the church from which the music flows.
Rarely do you hear Christians, or Christian songs say, "I can tell you what it feels like (because I have been there too)." Rather, we say things like, "But I sure can tell you what it is" or, "I can tell you what you are supposed to feel like." The pendulum has only swung to the other side. The listening masses remain in the dark.
It has been my experience that struggling people would rather live among those who identify with them, and not with those who merely diagnose them. In a sense, our lives are way too clean. We desire to diagnose, but we don't want to identify. We can help you, but let's be clear that we are not like you.
As a result of this, we live among people in this world who do not trust a word that we say. The Scriptures are pretty clear: If we say we have no sin, we are a liar, and the truth is not in us. We can only put on the facade so long before the watching world says, "Liar."
We have to be careful not to communicate to a sinful world that Jesus only saves really clean people. I'm not saying that we should go get dirty; but rather that we should confess that we are dirty and that Christ alone makes us whiter than snow. By doing so we can identify with sinners (because we are sinners as well); and we can also help in diagnosing their sickness (because we know the One who washes sin away).
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Great Story Against All Odds
This is a great story of a young man who has fought the odds. His mother was an addict. His father committed suicide. He's on his way to being an astronaut.
Thanks Terry for sharing this.
Thanks Terry for sharing this.
On Preaching.
There are times when what we say, we find only in our hearts.
There are times when what we say, we find only in the Text.
But there are times when what we say, we find in both our hearts and in the Text.
This is what I call preaching.
There are times when what we say, we find only in the Text.
But there are times when what we say, we find in both our hearts and in the Text.
This is what I call preaching.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Resurrecting Easter - Supremacy: Jesus is the King
The resurrection is the culmination of redemption. The bedrock of the Christian
faith rises and falls on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. No resurrection
means: no savior, no forgiveness, and no hope of a resurrected eternal life. Simply
put, if Jesus is dead, there are billions of people alive today who worship Jesus as
God who should be considered gullible and foolish. If the resurrection is not true,
Jesus is the best scam artist who ever lived! He claimed to be someone he wasn’t and
fooled the course of human history by doing so.
Although the veracity of the doctrine of the resurrection is beyond the scope of
this post, I want to ponder some broad generalities for the significance of the
resurrection.
First, everybody is religious. Whether you describe yourself as a Christian, non-
Christian, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, etc. the truth is you are religious. The reason
there are so many religions and anti-religions in the world today is because we were
created to worship. Committed and zealous atheists are “religious” about not being
religious! They have such an unwavering devotion to disprove everything that they
prove too much, to the demise of their own worldview. The good news is that Jesus,
by his resurrection, replaced religion with himself.
Second, everybody wants the resurrection to be true. Regardless of worldview, if the
resurrection is true, it makes a lot of sense of the world. Apart from the resurrection,
apart from God’s work of restoration and redemption in Jesus, the world is cruel
and bizarre. Whether you believe in the overwhelming evidence in favor of the
resurrection or not, you have to admit, you want the resurrection to be true.
Third, the resurrection changes everything. The resurrection of Jesus had a clear
impact on the immediate context in first-century Jerusalem. People were selling
their goods, sacrificing their lives and changing the way they viewed everything.
Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t just for the good of a few people, it changed the course of
human history, and it also had eternal implications.
Finally, the resurrection changes everybody. When it is said that Jesus “rose from the
dead,” the reference is to a bodily resurrection. Jesus is not just alive in our hearts,
minds or in some spiritual resurrection; the physical body of Jesus was raised from
death to life by the power of God. The very body the Roman soldiers battered and
bloodied is the very body Jesus rules and reigns over the earth in as King. There is
an objectivity and physicality to Jesus’ resurrection. Not simply the resuscitation
of a mortal body that could die again, but a physical resurrection to the immortal
splendor of a body that would never die again. Jesus’ bodily resurrection declares
that he is the King of everything and everybody. Everybody has something or
someone functioning as the King of their life but Jesus declared himself as the only legitimate King worth serving.
faith rises and falls on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. No resurrection
means: no savior, no forgiveness, and no hope of a resurrected eternal life. Simply
put, if Jesus is dead, there are billions of people alive today who worship Jesus as
God who should be considered gullible and foolish. If the resurrection is not true,
Jesus is the best scam artist who ever lived! He claimed to be someone he wasn’t and
fooled the course of human history by doing so.
Although the veracity of the doctrine of the resurrection is beyond the scope of
this post, I want to ponder some broad generalities for the significance of the
resurrection.
First, everybody is religious. Whether you describe yourself as a Christian, non-
Christian, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, etc. the truth is you are religious. The reason
there are so many religions and anti-religions in the world today is because we were
created to worship. Committed and zealous atheists are “religious” about not being
religious! They have such an unwavering devotion to disprove everything that they
prove too much, to the demise of their own worldview. The good news is that Jesus,
by his resurrection, replaced religion with himself.
Second, everybody wants the resurrection to be true. Regardless of worldview, if the
resurrection is true, it makes a lot of sense of the world. Apart from the resurrection,
apart from God’s work of restoration and redemption in Jesus, the world is cruel
and bizarre. Whether you believe in the overwhelming evidence in favor of the
resurrection or not, you have to admit, you want the resurrection to be true.
Third, the resurrection changes everything. The resurrection of Jesus had a clear
impact on the immediate context in first-century Jerusalem. People were selling
their goods, sacrificing their lives and changing the way they viewed everything.
Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t just for the good of a few people, it changed the course of
human history, and it also had eternal implications.
Finally, the resurrection changes everybody. When it is said that Jesus “rose from the
dead,” the reference is to a bodily resurrection. Jesus is not just alive in our hearts,
minds or in some spiritual resurrection; the physical body of Jesus was raised from
death to life by the power of God. The very body the Roman soldiers battered and
bloodied is the very body Jesus rules and reigns over the earth in as King. There is
an objectivity and physicality to Jesus’ resurrection. Not simply the resuscitation
of a mortal body that could die again, but a physical resurrection to the immortal
splendor of a body that would never die again. Jesus’ bodily resurrection declares
that he is the King of everything and everybody. Everybody has something or
someone functioning as the King of their life but Jesus declared himself as the only legitimate King worth serving.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
--John 11:25-26--
by Adam Viramontes
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Resurrecting Easter - Sabbath: The Silence of Saturday
Saturday was quiet and likely a somber Sabbath for many of Jesus' disciples. The gospel accounts surround Saturday with busyness including: requests for Jesus’ body, burial preparations, and an early morning to continue their mourning. However, the silence of Saturday declares several theological and practical implications for us to consider.
1. Jesus was a man. The reason Saturday was so quiet was primarily because Jesus took on flesh. God declared death to be the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23). And though Jesus was perfect and without sin, he took our sin upon himself and was buried in a tomb as the consequence. Jesus was the only legitimate substitute for us, simply because he was the God-man, fully God and fully man.
2. Jesus had to be buried in order to be raised. In order for the victory of Sunday to come, the demise of Saturday was necessary. Jesus paid the full requirement for us to be reconciled with God. This required death and burial. In order for us to understand why one day in the grave was sufficient for Jesus, yet an eternity of punishment is required of those apart from Christ, we must understand the relationship of the buried One to the Judge.
Jesus is eternal and had forever experienced perfect relationship with his Father and the Spirit. At the cross and in the grave, Jesus was abandoned and forsaken by his Father. Jesus suffered more in this abandonment than any single person could ever possibly suffer in the torments of hell. Jesus experienced hell in its fullness for us.
3. Jesus silenced the sting of death. Death is the inevitable doom of humanity. Believers and unbelievers experience physical death as a result of sin. However, the difference between the two is astounding. Jesus remained in the tomb on Saturday to silence the demands of death and the sting that comes from death. This is an obvious implication of knowing the end of the story—Jesus conquers the tomb, death and sin. Though death is still imminent, those united to Christ have no fear or ultimate demise in embracing physical death.
4. Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath. This was the last “Sabbath” held on a Saturday. The direct implications of Sunday changed the course of church history and the Sabbath was fulfilled and declared every Sunday from here forward. Nothing special takes place on Easter Sunday that does not occur on every Sunday. The shift to Sunday in worshipping the Resurrected Jesus has transpired—Sabbath finds meaning and fulfillment in the silence of Saturday.
Saturday is silent, yet successful. Sunday is fast approaching…supremacy will be on full display!
by Adam Viramontes
1. Jesus was a man. The reason Saturday was so quiet was primarily because Jesus took on flesh. God declared death to be the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23). And though Jesus was perfect and without sin, he took our sin upon himself and was buried in a tomb as the consequence. Jesus was the only legitimate substitute for us, simply because he was the God-man, fully God and fully man.
2. Jesus had to be buried in order to be raised. In order for the victory of Sunday to come, the demise of Saturday was necessary. Jesus paid the full requirement for us to be reconciled with God. This required death and burial. In order for us to understand why one day in the grave was sufficient for Jesus, yet an eternity of punishment is required of those apart from Christ, we must understand the relationship of the buried One to the Judge.
Jesus is eternal and had forever experienced perfect relationship with his Father and the Spirit. At the cross and in the grave, Jesus was abandoned and forsaken by his Father. Jesus suffered more in this abandonment than any single person could ever possibly suffer in the torments of hell. Jesus experienced hell in its fullness for us.
3. Jesus silenced the sting of death. Death is the inevitable doom of humanity. Believers and unbelievers experience physical death as a result of sin. However, the difference between the two is astounding. Jesus remained in the tomb on Saturday to silence the demands of death and the sting that comes from death. This is an obvious implication of knowing the end of the story—Jesus conquers the tomb, death and sin. Though death is still imminent, those united to Christ have no fear or ultimate demise in embracing physical death.
4. Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath. This was the last “Sabbath” held on a Saturday. The direct implications of Sunday changed the course of church history and the Sabbath was fulfilled and declared every Sunday from here forward. Nothing special takes place on Easter Sunday that does not occur on every Sunday. The shift to Sunday in worshipping the Resurrected Jesus has transpired—Sabbath finds meaning and fulfillment in the silence of Saturday.
Saturday is silent, yet successful. Sunday is fast approaching…supremacy will be on full display!
by Adam Viramontes
Friday, April 22, 2011
Resurrecting Easter - Sacrifice: The Centrality of Forgiveness
Since we live in a fairly “churched culture,” I think it’s safe to assume that most people (particularly readers of this blog) have probably heard the message of forgiveness found in the gospel of Jesus. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s safe for me to assume that everyone understands the absolute centrality of forgiveness in the cross of Christ and the implications that has for us.
Forgiveness is central to understanding Jesus and the path he calls his followers to tread. Forgiveness is difficult and at its most basic level requires sacrifice by somebody. A simple but accurate understanding of sin is debt. Forgiveness provides the payment required to settle the account. When we wrong somebody—God, spouse, friends—debt is incurred. In order for the debt to be paid, someone must sacrifice. Allow me to use a simple illustration.
Imagine you lend your lawnmower to your neighbor. Upon mowing his lawn he proceeds to mow over a pile of rocks that utterly destroys your lawnmower. Though his intent was not malicious—a debt was still incurred. Either your neighbor will need to replace your lawnmower and be out $200 or you will “forgive” him and absorb the debt yourself, either by replacing it or choosing to be “that guy” on the block and not mow your lawn anymore. Regardless of the outcome, a debt must be paid by somebody.
Biblical forgiveness means giving up the right to seek repayment from the one who harmed you. This definition (unashamedly borrowed from Tim Keller!) provides new insight to Jesus’ words as he hung on a cross between two common criminals.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” –Luke 23:34
Jesus chose to absorb the debt of those who wronged him. The ambiguous nature of “them” provides great comfort for the world. Jesus was certainly speaking of the Roman soldiers who physically punished him and placed him on the cross; but many more can find themselves in the “them” of this text.
Friday was all about forgiveness. The work of the Roman soldiers accurately represented our sympathies toward God—hatred, rebellion, evil—while Jesus’ proclamation of forgiveness displayed his willingness to absorb the debt we owe to God for these sympathies. As unruly people who constantly incur debt against a perfectly holy God, a great sacrifice must be made. Either we will pay for our own debt for eternity in hell; OR, we will look to the Infinite One who paid the debt in full for us. Jesus made good for our debt owed to God.
Are you looking for a way to pay back God apart from faith in Jesus—religion, works, social justice? Jesus alone is sufficient to pay your debt and bring about genuine forgiveness. The implications for life after forgiveness are endless, unfortunately Scott has a “500 word rule”…next up, Sabbath…
By: Adam Viramontes
Forgiveness is central to understanding Jesus and the path he calls his followers to tread. Forgiveness is difficult and at its most basic level requires sacrifice by somebody. A simple but accurate understanding of sin is debt. Forgiveness provides the payment required to settle the account. When we wrong somebody—God, spouse, friends—debt is incurred. In order for the debt to be paid, someone must sacrifice. Allow me to use a simple illustration.
Imagine you lend your lawnmower to your neighbor. Upon mowing his lawn he proceeds to mow over a pile of rocks that utterly destroys your lawnmower. Though his intent was not malicious—a debt was still incurred. Either your neighbor will need to replace your lawnmower and be out $200 or you will “forgive” him and absorb the debt yourself, either by replacing it or choosing to be “that guy” on the block and not mow your lawn anymore. Regardless of the outcome, a debt must be paid by somebody.
Biblical forgiveness means giving up the right to seek repayment from the one who harmed you. This definition (unashamedly borrowed from Tim Keller!) provides new insight to Jesus’ words as he hung on a cross between two common criminals.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” –Luke 23:34
Jesus chose to absorb the debt of those who wronged him. The ambiguous nature of “them” provides great comfort for the world. Jesus was certainly speaking of the Roman soldiers who physically punished him and placed him on the cross; but many more can find themselves in the “them” of this text.
Friday was all about forgiveness. The work of the Roman soldiers accurately represented our sympathies toward God—hatred, rebellion, evil—while Jesus’ proclamation of forgiveness displayed his willingness to absorb the debt we owe to God for these sympathies. As unruly people who constantly incur debt against a perfectly holy God, a great sacrifice must be made. Either we will pay for our own debt for eternity in hell; OR, we will look to the Infinite One who paid the debt in full for us. Jesus made good for our debt owed to God.
Are you looking for a way to pay back God apart from faith in Jesus—religion, works, social justice? Jesus alone is sufficient to pay your debt and bring about genuine forgiveness. The implications for life after forgiveness are endless, unfortunately Scott has a “500 word rule”…next up, Sabbath…
By: Adam Viramontes
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Resurrecting Easter - Sacrament: The Significance of a Meal
On Thursday, as Jesus prepared his disciples for the events about to occur, he instituted a meal. While this fast food generation rarely takes time to consider the significance of a meal, this meal had deep significance for the disciples at the table and should have radical implications for many today.
1. Jesus declared himself to be the Passover lamb.
Jesus is described as “our Passover” (1 Cor. 5:7). The connection between what we refer to as the Lord’s Supper and the Passover meal is evident though not equivalent. The point of contact was not the Supper itself but the cross to which it pointed. The Passover meal commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt on the night the destroying angel “passed over” the firstborn male children of Israel and slaughtered in judgment the firstborn of Egypt. Blood was shed and the blood of the lamb covered God’s people. Jesus identifies himself as the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
2. Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
This is one of the weirdest and most often misunderstood statements in the Bible (John 6:53-56). Jesus is not advocating some form of cannibalism, rather he is showing us exactly how he is the bread of life, and that he intends to feed and nourish us to everlasting life. We feed on Christ, the bread of life, through faith alone. It’s not a magic trick of the mind but a spiritual conveyance of the grace of God in his gospel. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper we are united with Jesus and are given living fellowship with the Triune God. What a remarkable feast that we are invited to! This is not a funeral, as the sentiments of many Christians portray when participating, this is intimate participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus!
3. Jesus makes himself known and presides over the Lord’s Supper.
As a pastor in the Presbyterian tradition, with a previously diverse church background, I always struggled with the idea that only an ordained minister should administer the Lord’s Supper. The reason is simple. It is because Jesus himself presides over and reveals himself in the Supper. The minister is his representative in this sacrament. Jesus’ conversation on the road to Emmaus brings clarity. The two disciples traveling to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Jesus until he broke the bread; once he did, immediately they recognized him (Luke 24:30-31). The Lord’s Supper is about, for and with Jesus. He presides over it and he makes himself known in it.
Whether you are a mature believer or an ardent atheist, the reality remains that the meal instituted on Thursday has endured for centuries and will remain intact “until the Kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). Statistics say that the likelihood of you attending church this Sunday drastically increases, consider the significance of this simple meal and the implications it has on your own life.
Next up, the sacrifice…
Author: Adam Viramontes
1. Jesus declared himself to be the Passover lamb.
Jesus is described as “our Passover” (1 Cor. 5:7). The connection between what we refer to as the Lord’s Supper and the Passover meal is evident though not equivalent. The point of contact was not the Supper itself but the cross to which it pointed. The Passover meal commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt on the night the destroying angel “passed over” the firstborn male children of Israel and slaughtered in judgment the firstborn of Egypt. Blood was shed and the blood of the lamb covered God’s people. Jesus identifies himself as the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
2. Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
This is one of the weirdest and most often misunderstood statements in the Bible (John 6:53-56). Jesus is not advocating some form of cannibalism, rather he is showing us exactly how he is the bread of life, and that he intends to feed and nourish us to everlasting life. We feed on Christ, the bread of life, through faith alone. It’s not a magic trick of the mind but a spiritual conveyance of the grace of God in his gospel. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper we are united with Jesus and are given living fellowship with the Triune God. What a remarkable feast that we are invited to! This is not a funeral, as the sentiments of many Christians portray when participating, this is intimate participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus!
3. Jesus makes himself known and presides over the Lord’s Supper.
As a pastor in the Presbyterian tradition, with a previously diverse church background, I always struggled with the idea that only an ordained minister should administer the Lord’s Supper. The reason is simple. It is because Jesus himself presides over and reveals himself in the Supper. The minister is his representative in this sacrament. Jesus’ conversation on the road to Emmaus brings clarity. The two disciples traveling to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Jesus until he broke the bread; once he did, immediately they recognized him (Luke 24:30-31). The Lord’s Supper is about, for and with Jesus. He presides over it and he makes himself known in it.
Whether you are a mature believer or an ardent atheist, the reality remains that the meal instituted on Thursday has endured for centuries and will remain intact “until the Kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). Statistics say that the likelihood of you attending church this Sunday drastically increases, consider the significance of this simple meal and the implications it has on your own life.
Next up, the sacrifice…
Author: Adam Viramontes
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Resurrecting Easter - An Introduction (Part 1 of 5)
Adam Viramontes is one of my best friends. During seminary, I learned more from this individual than a few dozen books that I read. Adam - that is, Reverend Viramontes (please roll the "r" to pronounce that correctly) - is currently the Assistant Pastor of Hill Country Church in Kileen, TX. He and his wife Heather have one son Jadon. I consider it an honor to know this guy and his family.
After years of trying to get him to write for this blog, my prayers have finally been answered! While I take this week off from writing, Adam has graciously offered to fill in. Over the next four days, he will be walking us through a series on Easter. I can't wait.
Here is a small introduction from the good reverend himself:
Easter Sunday is a popular day for church attendane and often brings an influx of individuals who would otherwise rarely cross the threshold of a church building. Why is this the case? If Easter is, for you, the same commercialized one it was for me growing up -- plastic eggs filled with coins and candy that only comes in second place to Halloween, and a jazzy new pair of Levi's -- then what is all the hoopla about?
Over the next few days, I will write a brief, yet hopefully refreshing outlook on Easter and why that weekend over 2,000 years ago shaped the course of human history. I will also give some insight into the events that took place from Thursday through Sunday - events that give us a greater understanding of Sacrament, Sacrifice, Sabbath, and Supremacy.
It is our prayer that these posts will serve to inform, encourage, and edify the body of Christ as we reflect upon His life, death, burial and resurrection!
After years of trying to get him to write for this blog, my prayers have finally been answered! While I take this week off from writing, Adam has graciously offered to fill in. Over the next four days, he will be walking us through a series on Easter. I can't wait.
Here is a small introduction from the good reverend himself:
Easter Sunday is a popular day for church attendane and often brings an influx of individuals who would otherwise rarely cross the threshold of a church building. Why is this the case? If Easter is, for you, the same commercialized one it was for me growing up -- plastic eggs filled with coins and candy that only comes in second place to Halloween, and a jazzy new pair of Levi's -- then what is all the hoopla about?
Over the next few days, I will write a brief, yet hopefully refreshing outlook on Easter and why that weekend over 2,000 years ago shaped the course of human history. I will also give some insight into the events that took place from Thursday through Sunday - events that give us a greater understanding of Sacrament, Sacrifice, Sabbath, and Supremacy.
It is our prayer that these posts will serve to inform, encourage, and edify the body of Christ as we reflect upon His life, death, burial and resurrection!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tornado in Jackson, MS
A few years ago, while in seminary, my little girl and I walked outside to a green, and very erie, sky. Hale started to pour down. The sirens began as well. So we ran inside and hid in the bathroom under the stairwell. The tornado did not touch down near us.
This one did.
The Applebee's you see in this video is just right down the street from the Starbucks I used to frequent to hang out and study. As I understand, the town-home complex (where we used to live) received a bit of damage as well.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
We Shall Know the Truth
Jesus Christ is a man, a God-man. He is personal (Jn 1:14). He is God (Jn 1:1). Even further, Christ Himself is the personal embodiment of truth - yes, Jesus is Truth (Jn 14:6). While volumes could and have been written on these propositions, the purpose of this post is quite narrow; not to write a volume, but an essay - less than 501 words.
Truth, the grand Reality, stands independently of its creation. It is objective, which means it does not depend on another for its true meaning. To be more personal, we proclaim that Jesus Christ stands independent of His creation. He is objective, and does not depend on His creation for His true meaning.
Just because His creation does not determine His meaning, does not exclude His creation from responsibilities concerning Him. Man was created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). As such, man is God's representative on earth. Because of his covenantal relationship to God, he is morally obligated to be God's faithful representative on earth (Exodus 20:16).
Simply put, God is Truth and it is man's obligation to faithfully represent Him. Man must tell the truth.
While I can begin the above sentence with the word "simply," we all know it is not that simple. Man fell from his "very good" estate (Gen 3). And because of this tragic event, he is totally depraved, being unable to rightly fullfil his obligation to faithfully represent God. This is death. It is enslavement to misrepresenting the truth.
Perhaps one of the greatest depicted effects of the fall is found in John 18 when Pilate looks Truth in the face and asks, "What is Truth?" Here we learn that truth exists even when people reject it. We also learn that people turn and create all types of falsehoods and call them truth. As McDurmon
rightly says, "These activities represent fallen man's desperate attempts to impute his own truth instead of God's."
It is important to understand that after the fall Truth did not change. God is immutable. The change happened in man and his ability to know and represent the Truth. After the fall, man was bound to breaking, at least, the 9th commandment.
But God did not leave man in his misery. The "Image of the invisible God" came to redeem fallen man. In Christ, truth is revealed to us (Col 2). Therefore, we can know the truth and be freed from our enslavement to lies (Jn 8:32). Contrary to popular belief, a Christian can know the Truth; not because he/she has superior intellectual powers, but because God does. As the Truth is written, "we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Cor 4:7).
Doctrine is not a bad word when understood in this revelatory light. A confession to know the truth must be accompanied with a confession that we are but jars of clay.
This is what Harris calls Humble Orthodoxy.
Truth, the grand Reality, stands independently of its creation. It is objective, which means it does not depend on another for its true meaning. To be more personal, we proclaim that Jesus Christ stands independent of His creation. He is objective, and does not depend on His creation for His true meaning.
Just because His creation does not determine His meaning, does not exclude His creation from responsibilities concerning Him. Man was created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). As such, man is God's representative on earth. Because of his covenantal relationship to God, he is morally obligated to be God's faithful representative on earth (Exodus 20:16).
Simply put, God is Truth and it is man's obligation to faithfully represent Him. Man must tell the truth.
While I can begin the above sentence with the word "simply," we all know it is not that simple. Man fell from his "very good" estate (Gen 3). And because of this tragic event, he is totally depraved, being unable to rightly fullfil his obligation to faithfully represent God. This is death. It is enslavement to misrepresenting the truth.
Perhaps one of the greatest depicted effects of the fall is found in John 18 when Pilate looks Truth in the face and asks, "What is Truth?" Here we learn that truth exists even when people reject it. We also learn that people turn and create all types of falsehoods and call them truth. As McDurmon
rightly says, "These activities represent fallen man's desperate attempts to impute his own truth instead of God's."It is important to understand that after the fall Truth did not change. God is immutable. The change happened in man and his ability to know and represent the Truth. After the fall, man was bound to breaking, at least, the 9th commandment.
But God did not leave man in his misery. The "Image of the invisible God" came to redeem fallen man. In Christ, truth is revealed to us (Col 2). Therefore, we can know the truth and be freed from our enslavement to lies (Jn 8:32). Contrary to popular belief, a Christian can know the Truth; not because he/she has superior intellectual powers, but because God does. As the Truth is written, "we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Cor 4:7).
Doctrine is not a bad word when understood in this revelatory light. A confession to know the truth must be accompanied with a confession that we are but jars of clay.
This is what Harris calls Humble Orthodoxy.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sex, Rhianna and Redbook
While Rhiann's new song, S&M, is far from a family sing along, it is terribly profound; ironically indicating just how empty this girl (as well as our culture) really is. If Rhianna is telling the truth, then she is one who feels good being good at being bad (how's that for an expression!), and who likes to experience affliction while having sex. At the end of her "afflicting" experiences, however, instead of being fulfilled, she is left "wanting more."
I do want to make myself clear. I am not saying that just because a person is left "wanting more" after having sexual intercourse, that they are out of line. I think it is perfectly normal for a person to want more sex after having sex. Nor am I advocating a limited scope of sexual positions and/or practices that a couple may choose from in order to be ethically "in line."
This brings me to my next point.
If it is sexual positions and practices that we are wanting, we are surely not lacking in that department either. I am personally amazed by the ability of magazines like Redbook and Cosmopolitan to come up with "new" ways to make our sex lives better. Heck, why do we even need to talk to our spouse when all we have to do is read "75 moves your lover wishes you knew" or "2,756 ways to make him/her scream" or "543,789.333333 positions to make him/her come back for more." Give me a break.
My point is simple. If we need that many moves, positions, songs, "afflictions" or whatever to be sexually satisfied, then we are one desperate people. Sex is not God. It will not ultimately fulfill. Sex is merely a shadow of the excitement and satisfaction that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, sex is meant to direct our eyes Godward - it is designed to bring Him glory.
But if we refuse to repent of this idolatry, we will continue distorting this God-glorifying and God-honoring practice. If we fail to direct people toward Christ, we will be enslaved by the tyrannous lie that sex is ultimately fulfilling - leaving singles, as well as those who are in some way sexually disabled, in utter despair. In other words, even if you cannot have sex, God's grace is sufficient for you. Instead of distorting sex, embrace Christ.
So, save yourself the money it would cost to buy that Redbook issue or Rhianna's latest hit, and take your spouse out to coffee. And instead of listening to some "expert", try asking your spouse what sexually satisfies them. How's that for a novel idea?
As our culture continues to distort sex, it is our duty to proclaim the glorious nature of sex within the Christ-centered marital context. Rhianna has no idea, nor does Redbook even come close to describing the pleasure of real sex, between a husband and wife, who are continually communicating their desires, and who are glorifying the Christ who bought them.
I do want to make myself clear. I am not saying that just because a person is left "wanting more" after having sexual intercourse, that they are out of line. I think it is perfectly normal for a person to want more sex after having sex. Nor am I advocating a limited scope of sexual positions and/or practices that a couple may choose from in order to be ethically "in line."
This brings me to my next point.
If it is sexual positions and practices that we are wanting, we are surely not lacking in that department either. I am personally amazed by the ability of magazines like Redbook and Cosmopolitan to come up with "new" ways to make our sex lives better. Heck, why do we even need to talk to our spouse when all we have to do is read "75 moves your lover wishes you knew" or "2,756 ways to make him/her scream" or "543,789.333333 positions to make him/her come back for more." Give me a break.
My point is simple. If we need that many moves, positions, songs, "afflictions" or whatever to be sexually satisfied, then we are one desperate people. Sex is not God. It will not ultimately fulfill. Sex is merely a shadow of the excitement and satisfaction that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, sex is meant to direct our eyes Godward - it is designed to bring Him glory.
But if we refuse to repent of this idolatry, we will continue distorting this God-glorifying and God-honoring practice. If we fail to direct people toward Christ, we will be enslaved by the tyrannous lie that sex is ultimately fulfilling - leaving singles, as well as those who are in some way sexually disabled, in utter despair. In other words, even if you cannot have sex, God's grace is sufficient for you. Instead of distorting sex, embrace Christ.
So, save yourself the money it would cost to buy that Redbook issue or Rhianna's latest hit, and take your spouse out to coffee. And instead of listening to some "expert", try asking your spouse what sexually satisfies them. How's that for a novel idea?
As our culture continues to distort sex, it is our duty to proclaim the glorious nature of sex within the Christ-centered marital context. Rhianna has no idea, nor does Redbook even come close to describing the pleasure of real sex, between a husband and wife, who are continually communicating their desires, and who are glorifying the Christ who bought them.
Monday, April 11, 2011
St. Augustine Was A Black Man
Saint Augustine of Hippo was perhaps one of the most influential men the Christian church has ever known. Born in the middle of the fourth century, Augustine's conversion, life and work are a testimony to how Jesus Christ saves sinners. We would be found in sore error to ignore his impact, not only on Christendom, but also on the world as we know it.
Because he has had such an impact on the Western world, it is quite understandable that almost every available portrait has depicted him as a white man. The portrait to the left I took from Wikipedia. According to Carl F. Ellis Jr., however, the portraits are inaccurate.
Ellis writes about the Gospel in Africa: "Great early scholars like Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were Black men from Africa. Augustine was a major influence on John Calvin. So the Reformation theologians have the African church to thank for a great deal of their theology."
He adds in a foot note: "Scholars B.F. Wright and M. A. Smith have confirmed that Augustine was born of African parents. Actually, Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were brown North Africans and not Black sub-Saharan Africans. They have been classified as Caucasian by some. However, if these men had been Americans they would have been classified as Black, and it is the American classification that I use here."
As I sit here, I am asking myself, Why are you writing this post? After some thought, I have a few reasons.
First, most portraits of a man that we both revere and reference do not represent the truth. Second, as I learn about African-American history, I learn more about my brothers and sisters who are [ethnically speaking] different than I am. Learning more helps me to love more.
Third, it helps me stay away from the racial superiority complex that pervades our culture. When seeing the African-American culture in its broader historical context, we learn that in every culture there are both areas to serve and to be served. I am reminded of the movie Radio. The town thought they were serving him, but it was Radio who was changing the town.
Finally, I just think it is an interesting fact worthy of passing on. St. Aug was a black man.
So far, Ellis's book Free At Last? The Gospel in the African-American Experience
, has been thoroughly insightful, humbling, informative, repentance-producing and encouraging. I would recommend the book to anyone.
Because he has had such an impact on the Western world, it is quite understandable that almost every available portrait has depicted him as a white man. The portrait to the left I took from Wikipedia. According to Carl F. Ellis Jr., however, the portraits are inaccurate. Ellis writes about the Gospel in Africa: "Great early scholars like Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were Black men from Africa. Augustine was a major influence on John Calvin. So the Reformation theologians have the African church to thank for a great deal of their theology."
He adds in a foot note: "Scholars B.F. Wright and M. A. Smith have confirmed that Augustine was born of African parents. Actually, Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were brown North Africans and not Black sub-Saharan Africans. They have been classified as Caucasian by some. However, if these men had been Americans they would have been classified as Black, and it is the American classification that I use here."
As I sit here, I am asking myself, Why are you writing this post? After some thought, I have a few reasons.
First, most portraits of a man that we both revere and reference do not represent the truth. Second, as I learn about African-American history, I learn more about my brothers and sisters who are [ethnically speaking] different than I am. Learning more helps me to love more.
Third, it helps me stay away from the racial superiority complex that pervades our culture. When seeing the African-American culture in its broader historical context, we learn that in every culture there are both areas to serve and to be served. I am reminded of the movie Radio. The town thought they were serving him, but it was Radio who was changing the town.
Finally, I just think it is an interesting fact worthy of passing on. St. Aug was a black man.
So far, Ellis's book Free At Last? The Gospel in the African-American Experience
, has been thoroughly insightful, humbling, informative, repentance-producing and encouraging. I would recommend the book to anyone.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Science to the Glory of God (838 words)
Looking back, I can think of dozens of scientific experiments I and my classmates conducted during grade school. Whether it was as simple as mixing baking soda with vinegar, or as complex as heating some mixture over a bunsen burner until an explosion occurred, science was always a class filled with excitement, complexity, discovery and wonder.
While we often took time to celebrate after a successful [rather difficult] experiment, I do not remember ever hearing a teacher stop the class in humble adoration and reverence to the Creator of the universe. Not one line in my science book spoke of the attributes of God as they are revealed in science. I was never led to consider why science experiments were possible in such a diverse world. After watching the elementary volcano erupt, I was never led to praise God for His incredible faithfulness.
Consequently, I was never taught the whole truth. This is more than merely leaving out a simple fact - or, skipping a hypothetical chapter on how God relates to science. To leave God out of science is less than honest (albeit a passive and often unintentional dishonesty). It is a vital misrepresentation of the facts; a denial of true reality; and a disregard for the Person who holds all things together.
Instead of learning about God, students are often taught to believe and rely upon the existence of scientific laws. These laws exist in the universe. They are discovered and not invented. Laws indicate to us that there is such a thing as regularity in the universe - regularity that can be trusted and employed and even defined as "law." But this raises the question: What characteristics must a scientific law have in order to be a law? And, How do these characteristics relate to God?
First, scientists think of laws as universal in time and space. In other words, the laws to which scientists appeal (even with particular restrictions) apply to all times and all places. Vernon Poythress states, "the law, if it really is a law and is correctly formulated and qualified, holds for all times and all places." Baking soda and vinegar will foam every time they are mixed together (time and space) under the right environmental circumstances (restrictions).
A simple but glorious substitution is necessary here. This "law" of time and space is nothing more than an indication of God's omniscience (space) and eternality (time).
Second, if a law remains the same through all times, then we can say that laws do not change with time. Even if a supposed "law" did change, it would not really be the law that changed, but one temporal phase of that law in a higher regularity that would account for the lower-level change. The concept of law itself presupposes immutability. I would also add in this vein that laws are seen as being faithful. We trust that they will work every time. If something goes wrong, we are more likely to question our own faithfulness rather than the law's.
Our God is unchangeable and meticulously faithful.
Third, laws, by nature, are both invisible and immaterial. We cannot see them or touch them in order to know them; but are bound to know them by their effects in the world. When a scientist, or empiricist, appeals to scientific law, he is doing so, not from empirical proof, but from inference. There is a logical bridge in-between what is empirically tested and what is law.
So is God essentially immaterial and invisible; but known through His acts in the world.
Fourth, scientific law is both transcendent and immanent. Poythress comments, "It transcends the creatures of the world by exercising power over them, conforming them to its dictates. It is immanent in that it touches and holds in its dominion even the smallest bits of this world. Law transcends the galactic clusters and is immanently present in the chromodynamic dance of quarks and gluons in the bosom of a single proton."
Transcendence and immanence are characteristics of God.
While many more characteristics can be named, these will suffice for now to get the point across.
What should be attributed to God in order to bring Him the glory He is due, man has attributed to scientific law in order to bring man the glory he so enviously desires. The exchange is both obvious and common. It is also epidemically rebellious.
We simply cannot afford to have another generation led to believe in an impersonal, ambiguous, amoral "law". In an obedience response, we must repent and faithfully proclaim the personal, God who is Spirit, eternal, omniscient, immutable, transcendent yet immanent, and who is meticulously precise and faithful. As Christians we must take time, when educating our children, to give praise to God for the things as He so graciously communicates to us during science class. Make no mistake, Science is theology.
I would also suggest picking up a copy of Poythress's Redeeming Science
. A significant portion of the material in this post was taken from this book.
While we often took time to celebrate after a successful [rather difficult] experiment, I do not remember ever hearing a teacher stop the class in humble adoration and reverence to the Creator of the universe. Not one line in my science book spoke of the attributes of God as they are revealed in science. I was never led to consider why science experiments were possible in such a diverse world. After watching the elementary volcano erupt, I was never led to praise God for His incredible faithfulness.Consequently, I was never taught the whole truth. This is more than merely leaving out a simple fact - or, skipping a hypothetical chapter on how God relates to science. To leave God out of science is less than honest (albeit a passive and often unintentional dishonesty). It is a vital misrepresentation of the facts; a denial of true reality; and a disregard for the Person who holds all things together.
Instead of learning about God, students are often taught to believe and rely upon the existence of scientific laws. These laws exist in the universe. They are discovered and not invented. Laws indicate to us that there is such a thing as regularity in the universe - regularity that can be trusted and employed and even defined as "law." But this raises the question: What characteristics must a scientific law have in order to be a law? And, How do these characteristics relate to God?
First, scientists think of laws as universal in time and space. In other words, the laws to which scientists appeal (even with particular restrictions) apply to all times and all places. Vernon Poythress states, "the law, if it really is a law and is correctly formulated and qualified, holds for all times and all places." Baking soda and vinegar will foam every time they are mixed together (time and space) under the right environmental circumstances (restrictions).
A simple but glorious substitution is necessary here. This "law" of time and space is nothing more than an indication of God's omniscience (space) and eternality (time).
Second, if a law remains the same through all times, then we can say that laws do not change with time. Even if a supposed "law" did change, it would not really be the law that changed, but one temporal phase of that law in a higher regularity that would account for the lower-level change. The concept of law itself presupposes immutability. I would also add in this vein that laws are seen as being faithful. We trust that they will work every time. If something goes wrong, we are more likely to question our own faithfulness rather than the law's.
Our God is unchangeable and meticulously faithful.
Third, laws, by nature, are both invisible and immaterial. We cannot see them or touch them in order to know them; but are bound to know them by their effects in the world. When a scientist, or empiricist, appeals to scientific law, he is doing so, not from empirical proof, but from inference. There is a logical bridge in-between what is empirically tested and what is law.
So is God essentially immaterial and invisible; but known through His acts in the world.
Fourth, scientific law is both transcendent and immanent. Poythress comments, "It transcends the creatures of the world by exercising power over them, conforming them to its dictates. It is immanent in that it touches and holds in its dominion even the smallest bits of this world. Law transcends the galactic clusters and is immanently present in the chromodynamic dance of quarks and gluons in the bosom of a single proton."
Transcendence and immanence are characteristics of God.
While many more characteristics can be named, these will suffice for now to get the point across.
What should be attributed to God in order to bring Him the glory He is due, man has attributed to scientific law in order to bring man the glory he so enviously desires. The exchange is both obvious and common. It is also epidemically rebellious.
We simply cannot afford to have another generation led to believe in an impersonal, ambiguous, amoral "law". In an obedience response, we must repent and faithfully proclaim the personal, God who is Spirit, eternal, omniscient, immutable, transcendent yet immanent, and who is meticulously precise and faithful. As Christians we must take time, when educating our children, to give praise to God for the things as He so graciously communicates to us during science class. Make no mistake, Science is theology.
I would also suggest picking up a copy of Poythress's Redeeming Science
. A significant portion of the material in this post was taken from this book.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
How Can We Be Certain Without Being Arrogant?
It is often thought in our day and age that no one can be certain about anything. This is an old dilema that philosophers have tried to solve time and time again. But the "dilema" is not altogether academic is it? We, common-folk, struggle with the "idea" of certainty as well. We ask questions like, What am I supposed to do with my life? What should people do about the national budgetary issues? What is the right way to handle a particular conflict?
It seems that the pendulum swings in both directions in the effort to find answers. On one side we have the rationalists, who say that our reason alone is sufficient to give us certainty about things. The decisions that are made must make rational sense. A person moves to a city because the money is better there. Another avoids particular relationships because they have been burned before. Others move to a certain part of town because it would be dangerous to live on the other side of the tracks. All of these things make "rational" sense. The decision to do otherwise would, for the rationalist, be unreasonable or irrational.
The Christian rationalist is often marked as Mr. Orthodoxy, who with his superior intellect, has surveyed every systematic point of doctrine and has come to all of the "right" conclusions.
If the pendulum swings to the other side, it will find itself in the postmodern camp where certainty might as well be a four-letter-word. When the rationalist claims certainty about anything, the postmodernist labels him as arrogant for making such conclusions. He rightly acknowledges that the reason is, to use theological jargon, fallen. And a fallen reason cannot be certain about anything.
This is why Mr. Emergent looks at Mr. Orthodoxy with a particular disdain. This is also why Mr. Orthodoxy looks at Mr. Emergent as intellectually inferior and stupid.
But there is a third way that is completely outside of the clock. If the clock is the human mind, then certainty must be found elsewhere. The pendulum, no matter how many times it swings back and forth, will never find true justified belief in anything. Unless there is another way, rational Evangelicals and irrational Emergents will continue to jab back and forth to no avail.
We must go to the Scriptures which are not oblivious to this "conversation." Certainty, or "full assurance" is something that the Gospel loves to bring to believers. Paul struggled in ministry so that people would "reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ..." (Col 2:2). How can we know things with "full assurance" (or, certainty)? It is not because of our superior intellect and reasoning skills, but because God Himself has given it to us, through revelation.
The mystery revealed brings humility to the rationalist in showing him that certainty has come from Another. Revelation also corrects the irrationalist in showing him that, while the reason is limited, God is not. God's revelation is the primary agent of certainty. Our Maker shows off and is glorified when stupid sinners are certain about Christ - about the Gospel.
It seems that the pendulum swings in both directions in the effort to find answers. On one side we have the rationalists, who say that our reason alone is sufficient to give us certainty about things. The decisions that are made must make rational sense. A person moves to a city because the money is better there. Another avoids particular relationships because they have been burned before. Others move to a certain part of town because it would be dangerous to live on the other side of the tracks. All of these things make "rational" sense. The decision to do otherwise would, for the rationalist, be unreasonable or irrational.
The Christian rationalist is often marked as Mr. Orthodoxy, who with his superior intellect, has surveyed every systematic point of doctrine and has come to all of the "right" conclusions.
If the pendulum swings to the other side, it will find itself in the postmodern camp where certainty might as well be a four-letter-word. When the rationalist claims certainty about anything, the postmodernist labels him as arrogant for making such conclusions. He rightly acknowledges that the reason is, to use theological jargon, fallen. And a fallen reason cannot be certain about anything.
This is why Mr. Emergent looks at Mr. Orthodoxy with a particular disdain. This is also why Mr. Orthodoxy looks at Mr. Emergent as intellectually inferior and stupid.
But there is a third way that is completely outside of the clock. If the clock is the human mind, then certainty must be found elsewhere. The pendulum, no matter how many times it swings back and forth, will never find true justified belief in anything. Unless there is another way, rational Evangelicals and irrational Emergents will continue to jab back and forth to no avail.
We must go to the Scriptures which are not oblivious to this "conversation." Certainty, or "full assurance" is something that the Gospel loves to bring to believers. Paul struggled in ministry so that people would "reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ..." (Col 2:2). How can we know things with "full assurance" (or, certainty)? It is not because of our superior intellect and reasoning skills, but because God Himself has given it to us, through revelation.
The mystery revealed brings humility to the rationalist in showing him that certainty has come from Another. Revelation also corrects the irrationalist in showing him that, while the reason is limited, God is not. God's revelation is the primary agent of certainty. Our Maker shows off and is glorified when stupid sinners are certain about Christ - about the Gospel.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Great Quote by Hudson Taylor
Much thanks to my good friend Spivey for bringing this quote to my attention.
"There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs - an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?"
This quote is by Hudson Taylor, and can be found in Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret
.
"There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs - an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?"
This quote is by Hudson Taylor, and can be found in Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret
.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Making Biblical Decisions
For the longest time I made decisions in life with no substantial conviction about whether they were biblical or not. As long as my decision avoided breaking any of the 10 commandments, I figured it was a "good" decision.
Then I took Ethics with John Frame. The class material can be found in his book The Doctrine of the Christian Life
. If you have not already done so, get this book. It is a brick, but worth its weight in gold. I read every word of every page.
Every decision in life is morally charged. As image bearers, every decision we make falls under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. At first glance, this would seem to bring us under a constant judgmental microscope. But this is far from the case. The safest and most restful place is in God's will. Knowing that our decisions are pleasing to Him brings great joy, and the peace of a clear conscience.
In his book, Dr. Frame guides the reader through the Biblical decision making process. I cannot give an exhaustive review now, but I can give some of what I have found helpful in my everyday life. Frame states that in order for a decision to be "good" or biblical it must have a right goal, a right standard and a right motive.
When assessing our goal, we ask What end am I trying to bring about? What will happen as a result of this decision? Because Christ is Lord, He is in control of all things (Col 1:15-20). All things are "to Him." As Christians we know that our biblical goal for doing everything - whether we eat or drink - is the glory of God (1Cor 10:31). So, when making a decision, we must ask ourselves if the decision is bringing glory to Christ or to another?
When assessing our standard, we ask What authoritative voice am I listening to? What does God's Word say about this decision? Because Christ is Lord, He is authoritative (Matt 28:18). His Word is the only rule for our faith and obedience. It is liberating to know that we are obeying the authoritative voice of our God. This voice, we trust, directs us in making decisions for His glory.
Finally, when assessing our motive, we ask Why am I making this decision? Is this decision selfish or loving? Because Christ is Lord, He is always present with us (Matt 28:20). His Spirit dwells within us and gives us a new heart to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (cf. Ezek 36). God does not desire mere stoic obedience, but obedience out of a heart of love and fidelity.
Whether the decision is for our vocation, vacation, or vehicle, it is important to know whether the decision is biblical - whether it is pleasing to God or not. If the decision brings Him glory, is guided by His authoritative Word, and springs from a loving heart, we can be confident that we are under the liberating Lordship of Christ; which, as we have seen provides all we need to make biblical decisions.
Then I took Ethics with John Frame. The class material can be found in his book The Doctrine of the Christian Life
. If you have not already done so, get this book. It is a brick, but worth its weight in gold. I read every word of every page.Every decision in life is morally charged. As image bearers, every decision we make falls under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. At first glance, this would seem to bring us under a constant judgmental microscope. But this is far from the case. The safest and most restful place is in God's will. Knowing that our decisions are pleasing to Him brings great joy, and the peace of a clear conscience.
In his book, Dr. Frame guides the reader through the Biblical decision making process. I cannot give an exhaustive review now, but I can give some of what I have found helpful in my everyday life. Frame states that in order for a decision to be "good" or biblical it must have a right goal, a right standard and a right motive.
When assessing our goal, we ask What end am I trying to bring about? What will happen as a result of this decision? Because Christ is Lord, He is in control of all things (Col 1:15-20). All things are "to Him." As Christians we know that our biblical goal for doing everything - whether we eat or drink - is the glory of God (1Cor 10:31). So, when making a decision, we must ask ourselves if the decision is bringing glory to Christ or to another?
When assessing our standard, we ask What authoritative voice am I listening to? What does God's Word say about this decision? Because Christ is Lord, He is authoritative (Matt 28:18). His Word is the only rule for our faith and obedience. It is liberating to know that we are obeying the authoritative voice of our God. This voice, we trust, directs us in making decisions for His glory.
Finally, when assessing our motive, we ask Why am I making this decision? Is this decision selfish or loving? Because Christ is Lord, He is always present with us (Matt 28:20). His Spirit dwells within us and gives us a new heart to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (cf. Ezek 36). God does not desire mere stoic obedience, but obedience out of a heart of love and fidelity.
Whether the decision is for our vocation, vacation, or vehicle, it is important to know whether the decision is biblical - whether it is pleasing to God or not. If the decision brings Him glory, is guided by His authoritative Word, and springs from a loving heart, we can be confident that we are under the liberating Lordship of Christ; which, as we have seen provides all we need to make biblical decisions.
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