My oldest son's memory verse for the week is Psalm 1:1-2 which reads,
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
What stands out is this idea of sitting in the "seat of scoffers." I am struck that I have no mental images nor references to the meaning of this phrase. What is the Psalmist illustrating? In this entry, I would like to share with you what I have discovered from this oft quoted but rarely understood portion of Scripture.
With the understanding of Hebrew parallelism, you might see the grouping of the blessedness of avoiding walking, standing, and then finally sitting with those in rebellion against the LORD. The first two involves movement: walking in the advise or plan of wicked people or standing in the pathway of sinners. When Jesus states, "I am the way," our Lord is telling us that He is the way of wisdom. We walk, not in the advice and planning of worldly wickedness, but that of the Word of God to inform our walk in life. We stand in the path of wisdom that is Christ, not the worldly way of sinners.
However, this idea of sitting down on a seat belonging to scoffers seems like an inaction. Looking closely to the Hebrew, however, reveals a more active avoidance. The word "sits" is יָשָֽׁב (ya'shab), which literally means to be settled. You might imagine someone settling down into a chair. Yet, the word translated "seat" is וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב (ube-moe-woe-shab) is an active sense of sitting in a group or assembly. The dynamic seems to me to read "nor settles down in the seat of an assembly of scoffers."
This leads to "scoffers" from לֵ֝צִ֗ים (leh-tzim). This is an act of mocking. These are people in the act of mocking. I might imagine a group of people on a bench mocking someone (with or without that person present). Do not settle down with them on that bench! The Septuagint uses the Greek word λοιμῶν (loiphone), which literally means "plagued people" or "diseased people." Scoffers are a diseased people equal to those "in devotion to sin" and "wicked" in the previous parallels.
Lastly, notice the delight of people. There is not a neutral ground in this passage. Either your delight is in the law or instruction of YHWH and you meditate on His Word every hour of your life, or you delight in the wicked crowds. Living is daily action. The way of wisdom is not "to get better" or "try harder," it is having a delight in the Word of God. Christianity is not simply found in the doing of religion, but is found in the delight of God and His Word. You cannot come to this by force of will, but by being born-again. Divine joy comes to those who avoid joining the wicked crowds but delights in God and His Word.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Improving the First Adam
"You will not surely die." This Satanic verse not only fooled our first parents, but has been spewed throughout human history and has found its way into modernity through American pulpits and Christian bookstores. American Christianity appears content on improving the first Adam, whether by preaching moralism or the promise of the abundant and prosperous life. So, the gospel is then twisted from Christ dying for the glory of God to Christ dying so I might feel good and be the "real/authentic me." This ugliness builds local congregations into mega-churches and sells many books, but look closely and you might find dust clouds billowing from your preacher's mouth. My intent with this article is to reveal the false gospel that so many American Christians cling to and to present the sweet words of the real gospel of Christ Jesus.
Home Improvement
There is an older couple in my congregation that once lived in an old farmhouse that is on their property beside the home they currently reside in. This old farmhouse holds lots of memories of their long lives together, but the joists and frame of the old, wooden house is being plagued by termites. Many attempts to salvage the house has been thought of or tried to no avail. One could paint the house, spackle the dry wall cracks, and replace the carpet. The doom of the old farmhouse is inevitable, however. The house is slowly rotting and remains inhospitable.
The same could be said of our human life. Each of us are born with the inevitable reality of death. In many churches across the U.S., psychological improvement toward happiness and self-esteem has replaced the true gospel. In such churches, Christ died for your happiness and well-being. They paint the old farmhouse and move in new furniture and perhaps host a few parties inside, all while the termites keep feeding on the wood. What is even more depressing, when the consequence of termite damage to our souls find the walls collapsing and the roof caving in, the preacher espouses to keep a positive outlook and convince yourself of happiness.
Just as improving the old, decaying farmhouse is an absurdity, improving the old Adam with positive thinking is equally as absurd. Yet, visit the local Christian bookstore and you will find rows of self-improvement, books on your best life now, and so-called Bible studies that are more about human-centered abundant life through pop psychology rather than exalting God. What, then, is the true gospel?
The Death of Death
The farmhouse illustration is not enough. Many reading this consider their worldview outside that camp. However, many of you would suggest that Jesus died for your happiness in some form or another. If what you preach or listen to could be done without Jesus, then it is not the gospel. Plenty of people are happy; often this happiness, although worldly, is not what many might say is egregiously immoral. Positive thinking with works of charity and a care for the less-than-fortunate is a Christless effort. This Christless effort focuses on personal transformation. Such effort is being pushed in many American evangelical circles, both liberal and conservative alike. Yet, the gospel espouses something like what John Owen said is "the death of death in the death of Christ."
If the gospel is like painting a decaying farmhouse, or ridding one's heart of negative and destructive thoughts and replacing them with happy and positive thoughts, then all hope is lost. We did not introduce death and destruction into God's creation because we thought negatively about ourselves. We sinned and we sin against God. The old Adam dies and is at an infinite distance from the holiness of God. No positive thoughts about yourself or works of love will even get you on the first rung of a ladder to heaven. The Bible tells us that we are dead in our trespasses against God, not psychologically sick (Ephesians 2:1-2, Colossians 2:13-14).
In the death of Christ, however, is the death of the first Adam for those who believe (Romans 5:15). The resurrection of Christ is to walk in newness of life for those who believe (Romans 6:1-8). This is demolition to that old farmhouse and replacing it with a permanent structure not built by human hands. No longer are we combating sin with human effort. We are saved by the merit of Christ alone by faith alone through grace alone. This is not "Jesus gives me happy thoughts about myself." This is Jesus is exalted and highly praised for saving a wretched dead worm like me who could do nothing, not even take the first step of salvation. When you have been born-again by the Spirit, you no longer live life like a dead person - striving to do good and feel good - but live like a living, breathing person; that is, have the power of the Holy Spirit to put sin to death (Romans 8:12-13).
A Plea to End Moralism
Many people in the prosperity gospel camp, the abundant living churches, or the pop psychology feel-good circles of Christianity would not think that they are moralists. Yet the striving to change your own behavior, to replace negative thoughts and feelings for positive ones, and play make-believe that you are living the "abundant life" when your world continues to place stress upon your souls without relief, this is moralism.
Put down your paint brushes. Stop reading self-improvement books. Put an end to your attempts to exchange unhappy feelings for feel-good feelings about yourself. Trust not what you will get out of Christ to improve yourself, but what Christ has already done to make a new you. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is not about you and your psychological/emotional healthiness. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is about who Christ is and what He has done to resurrect dead sinners for the praise of our God of sovereign and free grace. The sweetness of the true gospel of Jesus Christ is that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves.
We can change our behavior and think happy thoughts about ourselves apart from Christ, but we cannot make ourselves right in the just and perfect judgment of our holy God. Those with faith in self improvement change their own behavior and thinking without changing their status before God. Those with faith in Christ have their status before God changed by Christ, and the Spirit works in us to change our behavior and thinking to conform to Christ (Galatians 3:10-15).
Home Improvement
There is an older couple in my congregation that once lived in an old farmhouse that is on their property beside the home they currently reside in. This old farmhouse holds lots of memories of their long lives together, but the joists and frame of the old, wooden house is being plagued by termites. Many attempts to salvage the house has been thought of or tried to no avail. One could paint the house, spackle the dry wall cracks, and replace the carpet. The doom of the old farmhouse is inevitable, however. The house is slowly rotting and remains inhospitable.
The same could be said of our human life. Each of us are born with the inevitable reality of death. In many churches across the U.S., psychological improvement toward happiness and self-esteem has replaced the true gospel. In such churches, Christ died for your happiness and well-being. They paint the old farmhouse and move in new furniture and perhaps host a few parties inside, all while the termites keep feeding on the wood. What is even more depressing, when the consequence of termite damage to our souls find the walls collapsing and the roof caving in, the preacher espouses to keep a positive outlook and convince yourself of happiness.
Just as improving the old, decaying farmhouse is an absurdity, improving the old Adam with positive thinking is equally as absurd. Yet, visit the local Christian bookstore and you will find rows of self-improvement, books on your best life now, and so-called Bible studies that are more about human-centered abundant life through pop psychology rather than exalting God. What, then, is the true gospel?
The Death of Death
The farmhouse illustration is not enough. Many reading this consider their worldview outside that camp. However, many of you would suggest that Jesus died for your happiness in some form or another. If what you preach or listen to could be done without Jesus, then it is not the gospel. Plenty of people are happy; often this happiness, although worldly, is not what many might say is egregiously immoral. Positive thinking with works of charity and a care for the less-than-fortunate is a Christless effort. This Christless effort focuses on personal transformation. Such effort is being pushed in many American evangelical circles, both liberal and conservative alike. Yet, the gospel espouses something like what John Owen said is "the death of death in the death of Christ."
If the gospel is like painting a decaying farmhouse, or ridding one's heart of negative and destructive thoughts and replacing them with happy and positive thoughts, then all hope is lost. We did not introduce death and destruction into God's creation because we thought negatively about ourselves. We sinned and we sin against God. The old Adam dies and is at an infinite distance from the holiness of God. No positive thoughts about yourself or works of love will even get you on the first rung of a ladder to heaven. The Bible tells us that we are dead in our trespasses against God, not psychologically sick (Ephesians 2:1-2, Colossians 2:13-14).
In the death of Christ, however, is the death of the first Adam for those who believe (Romans 5:15). The resurrection of Christ is to walk in newness of life for those who believe (Romans 6:1-8). This is demolition to that old farmhouse and replacing it with a permanent structure not built by human hands. No longer are we combating sin with human effort. We are saved by the merit of Christ alone by faith alone through grace alone. This is not "Jesus gives me happy thoughts about myself." This is Jesus is exalted and highly praised for saving a wretched dead worm like me who could do nothing, not even take the first step of salvation. When you have been born-again by the Spirit, you no longer live life like a dead person - striving to do good and feel good - but live like a living, breathing person; that is, have the power of the Holy Spirit to put sin to death (Romans 8:12-13).
A Plea to End Moralism
Many people in the prosperity gospel camp, the abundant living churches, or the pop psychology feel-good circles of Christianity would not think that they are moralists. Yet the striving to change your own behavior, to replace negative thoughts and feelings for positive ones, and play make-believe that you are living the "abundant life" when your world continues to place stress upon your souls without relief, this is moralism.
Put down your paint brushes. Stop reading self-improvement books. Put an end to your attempts to exchange unhappy feelings for feel-good feelings about yourself. Trust not what you will get out of Christ to improve yourself, but what Christ has already done to make a new you. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is not about you and your psychological/emotional healthiness. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is about who Christ is and what He has done to resurrect dead sinners for the praise of our God of sovereign and free grace. The sweetness of the true gospel of Jesus Christ is that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves.
We can change our behavior and think happy thoughts about ourselves apart from Christ, but we cannot make ourselves right in the just and perfect judgment of our holy God. Those with faith in self improvement change their own behavior and thinking without changing their status before God. Those with faith in Christ have their status before God changed by Christ, and the Spirit works in us to change our behavior and thinking to conform to Christ (Galatians 3:10-15).
Sunday, April 1, 2012
God's Sovereign Providence And Fallen Tree Limbs
The last storm partially broke a large tree limb from 25 feet atop the propane tank at the rear of the parsonage. The connection of the limb to the tree held the heavy limb by threads of wood. Eventually, the limb would fall and the entirety of the weight of the limb might hit the propane tank. This spelled disaster in my mind.
So, I took a handsaw out to cut some of the smaller branches from the limb close to the ground. The first branch to cut, of course, is the branch atop the propane tank. I paid little attention to where I was standing. Also, I gave little thought to what might happen when I cut the branch from the limb.I sawed through the branch and heard a thunderous snap from above me. A branch scratched my ribs and my left wrist as the massive limb and its branches crashed to the ground all around me.
Yet God's sovereignty over every aspect of His creation in His providence is not to be held as a replacement word for "luck." We must not simply give credit to God for good fortune when events go our way. God controls each rain drop. God sustains even sparrows in the deepest woods which no human eye will ever gaze upon. God's providence is not limited to certain events or people. God's providence is His continued involvement with all of His creation.The answer to question 11 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, "God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions." God has control over all His creation, including falling tree limbs and my position on the ground.
God's protection was granted to me by grace. I prayed for His protection before I began the work. I did not pray in a cliche manner of protection, but with full understanding by God's Word that He is in control of all things. This is a good work of God. I would even suggest this is extraordinary that God protected me. Yet, let this event serve to us a reminder: God's providence over all things is not simply in this event or that action, but in all things to fulfill His purposes. I cannot plan out my day or a trip with full guarantee that I will succeed with my life (James 4:13-16). I pray to God knowing that each event throughout history is in His hands leading to fulfill His divine purposes. I say, "if the Lord wills, I will survive the day." Our faith unlocks understanding the truth that God provides and sustains all things, even the sparrows, directing each step throughout history to fulfill His purposes. Such a worldview is important. Your life is a vapor, but the Lord's sovereign providence in all things for His glory directs all things for His good pleasure.
Monday, March 19, 2012
What Does God Know?
Ask this question, "What does God know?", in Sunday School and you will receive a Sunday School answer: everything. Have you given much thought to what is included in the "everything" God knows? David writes in the 139th Psalm:
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
God is closer to you than any other possible relationship. There are thoughts and activities you can hide even from your closest friend or your spouse! God knows every thought, every motive, and every action we take. We cannot attain such incredible knowledge, it is "too wonderful for me." God sees our wickedness. God sees how ugly we think of others, our true motives for doing any given task, and sinful deeds we commit in the dark.
There is good news. Grace is given by God that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-11). Although God knows everything you say, think, or do, even though God knows the massive amount of sin and your inability to atone for such wickedness, God's grace is that He sent His Son to make our payment and give us perfect righteousness instead.
A question for you, dear reader: do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? We hear our Savior preach how "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). Do you truly desire all sin and evil to make a hurried exit from your thoughts and your feelings? Then, pray with David at the end of this Psalm:
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
This is a dangerous prayer! Oh, the trembling our flesh might experience if such prayer is answered! This is not a prayer for God to search you for something He is unaware of, for God knows everything. Beloved, this is a prayer for God to search you and find sin in places you have tried to hide it. This is a prayer for God to reveal sin you have given no thought to. This is a prayer to publish what you have tried to hide in private, either by will or by ignorance.
God's all-knowing attribute provides terror, not comfort, to those trying to make it on their own. Perhaps the very thought of an all-powerful deity gives nothing but dread and lament to some. Following Jesus from such a distance as to attend church services and scantily read their Bible, some might say, makes up for what is said in secret and done in nobody's presence. Be warned, God is an all-knowing God. Without the merit of Christ which produces the fruits of faithfulness, you stand in judgment on your own goodness. God sees all thoughts, all actions, and all words.
If the desire for your heart is being led in the way everlasting, the way of Christ-likeness, then your heart rejoices in God's examination and granting repentance. Confess your guilt and God is faithful to forgive you (I John 1:9). This is not a one-time confession, but a life of continual confession and utter dependence upon our sovereign, all-knowing God. Hiding sin or trading sins for other sins which are hidden more easily will not disguise your guilt before our all-knowing God. Acknowledge your guilt, pray for God to make public what sins are in private, and repent by the power of God.
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
God is closer to you than any other possible relationship. There are thoughts and activities you can hide even from your closest friend or your spouse! God knows every thought, every motive, and every action we take. We cannot attain such incredible knowledge, it is "too wonderful for me." God sees our wickedness. God sees how ugly we think of others, our true motives for doing any given task, and sinful deeds we commit in the dark.
There is good news. Grace is given by God that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-11). Although God knows everything you say, think, or do, even though God knows the massive amount of sin and your inability to atone for such wickedness, God's grace is that He sent His Son to make our payment and give us perfect righteousness instead.
A question for you, dear reader: do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? We hear our Savior preach how "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). Do you truly desire all sin and evil to make a hurried exit from your thoughts and your feelings? Then, pray with David at the end of this Psalm:
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
This is a dangerous prayer! Oh, the trembling our flesh might experience if such prayer is answered! This is not a prayer for God to search you for something He is unaware of, for God knows everything. Beloved, this is a prayer for God to search you and find sin in places you have tried to hide it. This is a prayer for God to reveal sin you have given no thought to. This is a prayer to publish what you have tried to hide in private, either by will or by ignorance.
God's all-knowing attribute provides terror, not comfort, to those trying to make it on their own. Perhaps the very thought of an all-powerful deity gives nothing but dread and lament to some. Following Jesus from such a distance as to attend church services and scantily read their Bible, some might say, makes up for what is said in secret and done in nobody's presence. Be warned, God is an all-knowing God. Without the merit of Christ which produces the fruits of faithfulness, you stand in judgment on your own goodness. God sees all thoughts, all actions, and all words.
If the desire for your heart is being led in the way everlasting, the way of Christ-likeness, then your heart rejoices in God's examination and granting repentance. Confess your guilt and God is faithful to forgive you (I John 1:9). This is not a one-time confession, but a life of continual confession and utter dependence upon our sovereign, all-knowing God. Hiding sin or trading sins for other sins which are hidden more easily will not disguise your guilt before our all-knowing God. Acknowledge your guilt, pray for God to make public what sins are in private, and repent by the power of God.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Jesus, Our Sabbath Rest
The fourth commandment reads, "remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy." This is a command from God which reflects His rest from creation on the seventh day. Was God's intent simply to look back as human history moves forward? Is redemptive history that is founded upon the Messiah Jesus fulfill the Law of God in every respect save the Sabbath? In this article, we will discover the biblical truth of Jesus being our Sabbath rest.
"I'm so tired." An expression repeated often in this age of high-paced living. The very technology we manufactured for our benefit is the same technology that is speeding up our lives in favor of efficiency. The worldview of the mechanical universe in the industrial revolution has given way to the worldview of high-speed computers and fiber optics of nanotechnology. Man is but a speck on the motherboard of the universe built for high speed and efficiency until he is worn out. Such a worldview collectively exhausts us, leaving a wave of depression and despair. The eschatological view in this worldview is man works until he is worn, then dies into a black abyss of non-existence. The atheistic view that exalts human innovation and technology is a lonely, dark hell of existence.
The biblical worldview places Christ, not technology, as the highest praise and exaltation. And, in keeping with our worship of the Messiah, we look back and forward to the Sabbath rest. Jesus claims Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Matthew 12 is a continuation from the end of Matthew 11, where Jesus says,
Remember that the Kingdom of God is here already and not yet completed. At the Kingdom's consummation when the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His church, He will grant us perfect rest in Him. In opposition to the eschatological view prevalent in our secular culture (see above), Jesus gives us hope for that rest. We do not work ourselves to death into nothingness, we joyfully labor for Christ who gives us doctrine and commands that are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30) until He returns and completes our rest in Him. Any other work of moralism or pathway to righteousness is a law-keeping that is burdensome and you will burn out. Take upon you the teachings of Christ and He will grant you rest. He will grant you the desires of your heart and you will find joy in obedience. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full" (John 15:11).
We must strive, then, to enter into our rest in Christ Jesus in the end having completed our labors. Do not mistake the Sabbath as a day to rest because you are tired. God "rested" after 6 days of creation, not because He was weary, but ceased in His creative labors in triumph that His glory has been displayed in His "very good" work of creation. By grace, God permits humanity to set apart the Sabbath and join Him in this celebration of His triumph not only in His creative labors (Exodus 16:23, Exodus 20:8), but also in looking forward to the rest the Church receives in Christ's triumph of His glorious work of which the Sabbath was a mere shadow of (Colossians 2:16-17). Let our work for Christ not cease until that day He returns for us. Let us strive to kill sin in our hearts and minds as well as to invited the lowly sinners to the banquet feast. At the Church's rest in Christ completed, our joy will be full and our rest found in God's triumph in the display of His glory to save sinners as His redemptive will rushed through human history to the praise of His glorious Name. As John Piper puts it, "with Christ, a decisive shift from separation ("come see") to declaration ("go tell") occurred in redemptive history" (Taste and See, 264). Now, go and tell the rich glories of Christ.
"I'm so tired." An expression repeated often in this age of high-paced living. The very technology we manufactured for our benefit is the same technology that is speeding up our lives in favor of efficiency. The worldview of the mechanical universe in the industrial revolution has given way to the worldview of high-speed computers and fiber optics of nanotechnology. Man is but a speck on the motherboard of the universe built for high speed and efficiency until he is worn out. Such a worldview collectively exhausts us, leaving a wave of depression and despair. The eschatological view in this worldview is man works until he is worn, then dies into a black abyss of non-existence. The atheistic view that exalts human innovation and technology is a lonely, dark hell of existence.
The biblical worldview places Christ, not technology, as the highest praise and exaltation. And, in keeping with our worship of the Messiah, we look back and forward to the Sabbath rest. Jesus claims Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Matthew 12 is a continuation from the end of Matthew 11, where Jesus says,
Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.Jesus says rest will be given and found by those who follow Him and learn from Him. When and where will this rest be given and found? Jesus allowed His disciples to gather grain and He Himself healed on the Sabbath in Matthew 12, revealing Himself Lord of the Sabbath. In Mark 2, Jesus states, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." The Sabbath is not a day of legalism and a focus on regulation, but a day for man's benefit to rest from the world. In both cases, Jesus claims to be greater than the Sabbath, which He teaches us was to be a blessing not a burden. In so doing, Jesus claims Himself our rest, and in that rest we are given blessing not a heavy burden.
Remember that the Kingdom of God is here already and not yet completed. At the Kingdom's consummation when the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His church, He will grant us perfect rest in Him. In opposition to the eschatological view prevalent in our secular culture (see above), Jesus gives us hope for that rest. We do not work ourselves to death into nothingness, we joyfully labor for Christ who gives us doctrine and commands that are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30) until He returns and completes our rest in Him. Any other work of moralism or pathway to righteousness is a law-keeping that is burdensome and you will burn out. Take upon you the teachings of Christ and He will grant you rest. He will grant you the desires of your heart and you will find joy in obedience. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full" (John 15:11).
We must strive, then, to enter into our rest in Christ Jesus in the end having completed our labors. Do not mistake the Sabbath as a day to rest because you are tired. God "rested" after 6 days of creation, not because He was weary, but ceased in His creative labors in triumph that His glory has been displayed in His "very good" work of creation. By grace, God permits humanity to set apart the Sabbath and join Him in this celebration of His triumph not only in His creative labors (Exodus 16:23, Exodus 20:8), but also in looking forward to the rest the Church receives in Christ's triumph of His glorious work of which the Sabbath was a mere shadow of (Colossians 2:16-17). Let our work for Christ not cease until that day He returns for us. Let us strive to kill sin in our hearts and minds as well as to invited the lowly sinners to the banquet feast. At the Church's rest in Christ completed, our joy will be full and our rest found in God's triumph in the display of His glory to save sinners as His redemptive will rushed through human history to the praise of His glorious Name. As John Piper puts it, "with Christ, a decisive shift from separation ("come see") to declaration ("go tell") occurred in redemptive history" (Taste and See, 264). Now, go and tell the rich glories of Christ.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Watchmaker
On Wednesday nights, we have been going chapter by chapter together through Arthur W. Pink's The Attributes of God. I thought that I would pen (or in this case, type) some thoughts together and share them with those of you who cannot attend.
When discussing God's solitariness, we must first understand that when our Triune God is alone, He has perfect relationship in Himself. Thus, He did not create the universe out of loneliness or an unfulfilled desire for praise. This would render our God imperfect considering that He is in need of something that He cannot provide for Himself. God is not in need of such things from His creatures because God has perfect praise and relationship within His three Persons. God created for His good pleasure, to display His magnificent glory. If perfection in relationship is found in God who is separate from His creation, what tremendous mercy is shown to sinners for whom Christ died to have reconciliation to God through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:10-11)! When we get away from the world and are "alone with God," we are indeed entering perfection. This perfection is alien to us (I Corinthians 1:30); in other words, entering into God's perfect relationship is not a substance or a work found in us, but given to us by Christ Jesus and His work.
How do we come to knowledge of this solitary, perfect, and Triune God? Pink describes the unhelpfulness of the illustration of the watchmaker. Consider a barbarian man in the amazon. He has never ventured further than two miles from his tribal village. He has never seen a photograph or an airplane. He has never known technology beyond that of a stick with a sharpened stone tied to its tip. Imagine this barbarian man walking along the beach and discovering a watch. He examines the watch and notices its fine details and inscriptions. He opens the watch and finds its intricate gear works. The complexity and fine detail would not bring even such a man as this to assume that the sands made this thing. He would not be so foolish as to believe erosion or time managed to form such fine and complex work (Psalm 14:1). This is what we observe with our universe. The complex design of this vast universe as well as the finer details of the human body such as the eye ball leaves humanity with no other understanding than that of intelligent design. The unhelpfulness Pink discusses in reference to this watchmaker is that studying the watch cannot tell us what the watchmaker is like. What are his characteristics? What brings him pleasure?
Studying the universe or sitting in a dark room thinking will not lead us to knowledge of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God. God is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3). Therefore, if we are to know God, He must reveal Himself to us, His creatures. God's glory must be revealed to us, and Christ Jesus reveals God's glory to whom He chooses (Matthew 11:27). The glory of God is observed in the face of Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 4:6). The Holy Spirit raises our dead hearts to a new life renewing our minds to witness the glory of God. Let us increase in the knowledge of God by reading, studying, and obeying the Word of God. The Scriptures tell us who God is, what He is like, and what pleases Him. The Scriptures tell us of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God.
When discussing God's solitariness, we must first understand that when our Triune God is alone, He has perfect relationship in Himself. Thus, He did not create the universe out of loneliness or an unfulfilled desire for praise. This would render our God imperfect considering that He is in need of something that He cannot provide for Himself. God is not in need of such things from His creatures because God has perfect praise and relationship within His three Persons. God created for His good pleasure, to display His magnificent glory. If perfection in relationship is found in God who is separate from His creation, what tremendous mercy is shown to sinners for whom Christ died to have reconciliation to God through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:10-11)! When we get away from the world and are "alone with God," we are indeed entering perfection. This perfection is alien to us (I Corinthians 1:30); in other words, entering into God's perfect relationship is not a substance or a work found in us, but given to us by Christ Jesus and His work.
How do we come to knowledge of this solitary, perfect, and Triune God? Pink describes the unhelpfulness of the illustration of the watchmaker. Consider a barbarian man in the amazon. He has never ventured further than two miles from his tribal village. He has never seen a photograph or an airplane. He has never known technology beyond that of a stick with a sharpened stone tied to its tip. Imagine this barbarian man walking along the beach and discovering a watch. He examines the watch and notices its fine details and inscriptions. He opens the watch and finds its intricate gear works. The complexity and fine detail would not bring even such a man as this to assume that the sands made this thing. He would not be so foolish as to believe erosion or time managed to form such fine and complex work (Psalm 14:1). This is what we observe with our universe. The complex design of this vast universe as well as the finer details of the human body such as the eye ball leaves humanity with no other understanding than that of intelligent design. The unhelpfulness Pink discusses in reference to this watchmaker is that studying the watch cannot tell us what the watchmaker is like. What are his characteristics? What brings him pleasure?
Studying the universe or sitting in a dark room thinking will not lead us to knowledge of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God. God is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3). Therefore, if we are to know God, He must reveal Himself to us, His creatures. God's glory must be revealed to us, and Christ Jesus reveals God's glory to whom He chooses (Matthew 11:27). The glory of God is observed in the face of Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 4:6). The Holy Spirit raises our dead hearts to a new life renewing our minds to witness the glory of God. Let us increase in the knowledge of God by reading, studying, and obeying the Word of God. The Scriptures tell us who God is, what He is like, and what pleases Him. The Scriptures tell us of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Gambling in Kentucky
I have been watching the recent political struggles in our Commonwealth regarding Governor Beshear's desire to increase revenues by expanding gambling for some time. Today, Governor Beshear released his gambling bill which is endorsed by Senator Damon Thayer (R-District 17). In light of the recent controversy, Senator Thayer released this statement on his FaceBook page. I am writing this article in response to Senator Thayer.
Gambling is not directly spoken to in Scripture, and indirectly through stewardship commands we might infer that the act of gambling is sinful. Yet, this is not the most disturbing aspect to this bill. The most disturbing aspect to expanded gambling is that this bill allows government to profit from a social injustice. This bill is a desperate act of an over-spending and money hungry government that is predatory to the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in hopes to fill the state coffers while leaving a wake of devastation. As a pastor, all too often do I hear of ruined marriages and families due to gambling: husbands who take out loans to continue gambling, divorces over the financial straits gambling had placed on homes, and the destruction of whole towns around casinos into poverty. To think that anyone would introduce a bill to allow government and businesses to profit from such evil stands against conscience. The lack of any care for the poor, the forcing of others into poverty, and the view of people as prey for government revenue is altogether appalling.
Senator Thayer's position is simply to bring the issue up for voting by the people of Kentucky. To sponsor a bill is to support its content. Thus, I surmise that Senator Thayer has thought deeply about expanded gambling before signing his name in support of Governor Beshear's bill. I assume that by Senator Thayer's support of the content of the expanded gambling bill he disagrees with my approach toward expanded gambling and my view of the consequences to casinos. However, simply introducing a bill and sweeping its ramifications under the rug of "let the people decide" is outrageous. This is a bill that seeks to restore the horse industry and improve government revenue by what I view as a social injustice. All I ask Senator Thayer to do is state and defend his position in a public debate format.
Hershael York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church and a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has concerns to Senator Thayer's occupation which is linked to the speedway as well as the horse industry as a conflict of interest in sponsoring an expanded gambling bill. I believe this to be a legitimate concern, especially in light of my statement above regarding government and businesses profiting from social injustice. If Senator Thayer's business or any of his clients stands to profit from such a bill, then he should step aside and allow someone else to sponsor this legislation. This is a valid complaint which needs to be addressed in a public debate format.
If Senator Thayer disagrees with me and has full faith that this bill is good for the folks of Kentucky and he sees no conflict of interest in introducing the measure, then he should have no trepidations to debate Hershael York on the matter. If what Senator Thayer says is accurate that he does not intimidate easy, then he should have no problems debating the ideas before the people of the Commonwealth on KET's Kentucky Tonight (as requested by Hershael York in the comments of his FaceBook note).
To urge Senator Thayer to debate Hershael York regarding the gambling bill, post a comment on his FaceBook note and send him an e-mail. You may also write to Kentucky Tonight and request to see this debate.
Gambling is not directly spoken to in Scripture, and indirectly through stewardship commands we might infer that the act of gambling is sinful. Yet, this is not the most disturbing aspect to this bill. The most disturbing aspect to expanded gambling is that this bill allows government to profit from a social injustice. This bill is a desperate act of an over-spending and money hungry government that is predatory to the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in hopes to fill the state coffers while leaving a wake of devastation. As a pastor, all too often do I hear of ruined marriages and families due to gambling: husbands who take out loans to continue gambling, divorces over the financial straits gambling had placed on homes, and the destruction of whole towns around casinos into poverty. To think that anyone would introduce a bill to allow government and businesses to profit from such evil stands against conscience. The lack of any care for the poor, the forcing of others into poverty, and the view of people as prey for government revenue is altogether appalling.
Senator Thayer's position is simply to bring the issue up for voting by the people of Kentucky. To sponsor a bill is to support its content. Thus, I surmise that Senator Thayer has thought deeply about expanded gambling before signing his name in support of Governor Beshear's bill. I assume that by Senator Thayer's support of the content of the expanded gambling bill he disagrees with my approach toward expanded gambling and my view of the consequences to casinos. However, simply introducing a bill and sweeping its ramifications under the rug of "let the people decide" is outrageous. This is a bill that seeks to restore the horse industry and improve government revenue by what I view as a social injustice. All I ask Senator Thayer to do is state and defend his position in a public debate format.
Hershael York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church and a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has concerns to Senator Thayer's occupation which is linked to the speedway as well as the horse industry as a conflict of interest in sponsoring an expanded gambling bill. I believe this to be a legitimate concern, especially in light of my statement above regarding government and businesses profiting from social injustice. If Senator Thayer's business or any of his clients stands to profit from such a bill, then he should step aside and allow someone else to sponsor this legislation. This is a valid complaint which needs to be addressed in a public debate format.
If Senator Thayer disagrees with me and has full faith that this bill is good for the folks of Kentucky and he sees no conflict of interest in introducing the measure, then he should have no trepidations to debate Hershael York on the matter. If what Senator Thayer says is accurate that he does not intimidate easy, then he should have no problems debating the ideas before the people of the Commonwealth on KET's Kentucky Tonight (as requested by Hershael York in the comments of his FaceBook note).
To urge Senator Thayer to debate Hershael York regarding the gambling bill, post a comment on his FaceBook note and send him an e-mail. You may also write to Kentucky Tonight and request to see this debate.
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