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‘I Will Be Yours’: A Promise for Wavering Saints
21 hours ago
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What Do We Lose If We Forsake Paradoxes?
Here is a paradox recorded in John 4:43-44: Jesus is going into Galilee, his hometown, after saying that he will not be welcomed there. What is that about?
It's about Jesus' supreme love so sinners may see his supreme love and repent.
Jesus spent two days in Samaria, a region hated by Judaism, and he as a Jew poured out his love and salvation onto the Samaritans. He loved the people the Jews hated. Therefore, it is consistent for Jesus to go into a territory hostile towards himself in order to show them the same love.
If we write off this paradox in Scripture - Jesus going to a place knowing that he is not welcomed there - then we lose seeing Jesus' supreme love, a love that forsakes reputation and cowardice.
Here is another example of a paradox that if we forsake, then we lose so much: God despises sinners, and yet he is seeking to do good to them.
Where did I get this paradox? Here are two pieces of Scripture demonstrating it:
[1] "For behold, those who are far from you [God] shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you" (Psalm 73:27)
[2]"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good" (Matthew 6:44-45)
In more explicit terms, the paradox is: God will put an end to those who are unfaithful to him, yet he makes the sun rise on those who are unfaithful to him so they may eat.
Why? Today, we have decided not to look for an answer to this question but rather to forsake the paradox. We are more faithful to Ghandi's statement "Hate the sin, love the sinner", who was not a Christian, than we are to Scripture. We say, "God cannot hate someone and love them." And Scripture says, "Oh, yes, he can and it is wonderful how he does this."
What do we lose if we forsake this paradox? We will lose the same thing: God's supreme love demonstrated to us in the appearance of his Son, Jesus Christ. The answer to the paradox is that: God pours out his love on his enemies so that they may repent and be his children. Here's the Scripture:
[1] "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:9-13)
[2] "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)
[3] "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all" (Roman 11:32)
[4] "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7)
When God pours out his love on his enemies, he reveals to us his supreme love.
We are all unfaithful to God by our very nature. We make ourselves his enemies and he will put an end to his enemies. Yet, God is seeking to make his enemies into children through the appearance of his grace and mercy with the revelation of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus saved us, his enemies, by bearing our sins on his cross and rising from the dead to open the pathway of righteousness for us to God our Father. We did not deserve any of this. It was all according to God's mercy. Let us not forsake this paradox, that the Son of God would hate sinners and die for them. Let us not presume about the kindness of God revealed to us in this paradox either. Rather, let us repent, believing on Jesus and receiving the right to be called a child of God, an heir with Christ, by marveling at the mercy God has poured out on us, his enemies by nature.
Don't stay an enemy. Know the supremacy of Jesus according to his mercy.
For an excellent demonstration of the glory revealed to us by the paradoxes in Scripture, watch or listen to John Piper's sermon entitled "Go, Your Son Will Live" that serves as the basis for this blog post:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/4157_Go_Your_Son_Will_Live/
It's about Jesus' supreme love so sinners may see his supreme love and repent.
Jesus spent two days in Samaria, a region hated by Judaism, and he as a Jew poured out his love and salvation onto the Samaritans. He loved the people the Jews hated. Therefore, it is consistent for Jesus to go into a territory hostile towards himself in order to show them the same love.
If we write off this paradox in Scripture - Jesus going to a place knowing that he is not welcomed there - then we lose seeing Jesus' supreme love, a love that forsakes reputation and cowardice.
Here is another example of a paradox that if we forsake, then we lose so much: God despises sinners, and yet he is seeking to do good to them.
Where did I get this paradox? Here are two pieces of Scripture demonstrating it:
[1] "For behold, those who are far from you [God] shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you" (Psalm 73:27)
[2]"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good" (Matthew 6:44-45)
In more explicit terms, the paradox is: God will put an end to those who are unfaithful to him, yet he makes the sun rise on those who are unfaithful to him so they may eat.
Why? Today, we have decided not to look for an answer to this question but rather to forsake the paradox. We are more faithful to Ghandi's statement "Hate the sin, love the sinner", who was not a Christian, than we are to Scripture. We say, "God cannot hate someone and love them." And Scripture says, "Oh, yes, he can and it is wonderful how he does this."
What do we lose if we forsake this paradox? We will lose the same thing: God's supreme love demonstrated to us in the appearance of his Son, Jesus Christ. The answer to the paradox is that: God pours out his love on his enemies so that they may repent and be his children. Here's the Scripture:
[1] "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:9-13)
[2] "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)
[3] "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all" (Roman 11:32)
[4] "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7)
When God pours out his love on his enemies, he reveals to us his supreme love.
We are all unfaithful to God by our very nature. We make ourselves his enemies and he will put an end to his enemies. Yet, God is seeking to make his enemies into children through the appearance of his grace and mercy with the revelation of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus saved us, his enemies, by bearing our sins on his cross and rising from the dead to open the pathway of righteousness for us to God our Father. We did not deserve any of this. It was all according to God's mercy. Let us not forsake this paradox, that the Son of God would hate sinners and die for them. Let us not presume about the kindness of God revealed to us in this paradox either. Rather, let us repent, believing on Jesus and receiving the right to be called a child of God, an heir with Christ, by marveling at the mercy God has poured out on us, his enemies by nature.
Don't stay an enemy. Know the supremacy of Jesus according to his mercy.
For an excellent demonstration of the glory revealed to us by the paradoxes in Scripture, watch or listen to John Piper's sermon entitled "Go, Your Son Will Live" that serves as the basis for this blog post:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/4157_Go_Your_Son_Will_Live/
Monday, August 10, 2009
"A Man May Study All His Life"
This quote by Adoniram Judson, the first American missionary to Burma:
"If God gives light and wisdom, the religion of Jesus is soon learned. Without God, a man may study all his life and make no progress."
-Courtney Anderson, To The Golden Shore: The Life Of Adoniram Judson (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1987), 200.
"If God gives light and wisdom, the religion of Jesus is soon learned. Without God, a man may study all his life and make no progress."
-Courtney Anderson, To The Golden Shore: The Life Of Adoniram Judson (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1987), 200.
Monday, August 3, 2009
"Through Faith In The Powerful Working Of God"
When you sin, what becomes your hope for a new life?
What do you rely on to believe that everything will be okay between you and God?
Is it the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, or is it something else... like guilt... or confession... or singing songs at church... or communion... or bitterness... or refraining from that sin...or talking to your friends about it... or moping... or complaining against the church and how it failed you... or whatever?
Paul argues through his writings in Titus and Colossians only the power of God can raise us to new life filled in Christ and not sin.
In Titus 2:11-12a Paul writes,
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness..."
In Colossians 2:9-12, Paul writes,
"For in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."
Renouncing ungodliness is the same thing as putting off the body of flesh, or "the circumcion of Christ." In Titus, Paul says this happens through the appearance of God's grace. In Colossians, Paul says this happens when we are filled in Jesus. How do these two line up?
I think it can be argued this way in this pattern - Grace, Filled, Renounce, Godliness.
[1] God's grace has appeared to us through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on our behalf. "In my place condemned he stood." (Titus 2:11)
[2] This knowledge of God's grace that has appeared to us fills us, it completely satisfies us. Instead of condeming me, the Son of God came and was condemned on my behalf? On and on, we become more mesmerized by the implications and love of what Jesus did on that filthy Roman cross for us 2,000 years ago. (Colossians 2:9-10)
[3] As we become filled in Jesus through the knowledge of the gospel, we cast off anything in our lives that does not fill us in Christ. Why should I continue watching 'Smallville' when '24' is on? Why should I continue to commit this sin that condemns me by God's law when Christ was condemned in my place? That's what Paul means by "the circumcision of Christ". We cut off anything in our lives that does not honor Jesus because it threatens to no longer fill us in Jesus. The grace of God fills us in Jesus and this trains us to renounce ungodliness. (Titus 2:12, Colossians 2:11)
[4] All of this hinges on trusting the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We can renounce ungodliness, but that does not mean we have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus. The gospel begins to fill us in Jesus, we see areas in our life that do not honor Jesus, and we unite ourselves to Jesus' death by cutting off those areas. Then we trust God's power to grant us a new life, a life impossible to achieve on our own, that honors Jesus and so fills us up more in Jesus. (Colossians 2:12)
It all seems to fall apart at #4. We see God's grace. We are in awe of his grace. Jesus begins to fill us. Then we sin. And we trust anything but the power of God to grant us a new life that honors Jesus.
For me, I always trust guilt and anger to create a new life.
In the eyes of my flesh, it makes perfect sense to say, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are for what you have done to him." But what my flesh is really saying is, "If you show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are, then you will have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus; you'll move past this sin." That is very deceptive because only the power of God can grant me new life just as only the power of God could raise Jesus from the dead.
Then I turn to anger. My flesh says, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by your anger at your friends who were not there to stop you from committing this sin against Jesus." Again, my flesh is telling me that if I'm angry, then I'll have new life. And again, that simply is not true.
Guilt will not kill our sin. Guilt, no matter how much power it seems to have, cannot match the power of God because guilt is only the power I can offer to live a new life. Nor does anger have the power of God, or hate, or loneliness, or bitterness, or confession, or communion, or worship, or community group, or talking to my friends, or moping, or laying the blame on someone else. Only God. Only God has the power to raise me to a new life that honors Jesus and so fills me up more in the wonder and glory of Jesus Christ in the knowledge of his gospel.
Some questions:
[1] What are you trusting in your life to grant you power to live a new life free from sin to honor Jesus that is not the power of God?
[2] Does it work? Has your sin been killed?
[3] Why is the power of God the only thing suffecient to grant you a new life that honors Jesus?
Next time you sin and you default to whatever it is that makes you think you can have a new life and is not God, tell your flesh to keep its mouth shut and trust in the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.
What do you rely on to believe that everything will be okay between you and God?
Is it the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, or is it something else... like guilt... or confession... or singing songs at church... or communion... or bitterness... or refraining from that sin...or talking to your friends about it... or moping... or complaining against the church and how it failed you... or whatever?
Paul argues through his writings in Titus and Colossians only the power of God can raise us to new life filled in Christ and not sin.
In Titus 2:11-12a Paul writes,
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness..."
In Colossians 2:9-12, Paul writes,
"For in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."
Renouncing ungodliness is the same thing as putting off the body of flesh, or "the circumcion of Christ." In Titus, Paul says this happens through the appearance of God's grace. In Colossians, Paul says this happens when we are filled in Jesus. How do these two line up?
I think it can be argued this way in this pattern - Grace, Filled, Renounce, Godliness.
[1] God's grace has appeared to us through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on our behalf. "In my place condemned he stood." (Titus 2:11)
[2] This knowledge of God's grace that has appeared to us fills us, it completely satisfies us. Instead of condeming me, the Son of God came and was condemned on my behalf? On and on, we become more mesmerized by the implications and love of what Jesus did on that filthy Roman cross for us 2,000 years ago. (Colossians 2:9-10)
[3] As we become filled in Jesus through the knowledge of the gospel, we cast off anything in our lives that does not fill us in Christ. Why should I continue watching 'Smallville' when '24' is on? Why should I continue to commit this sin that condemns me by God's law when Christ was condemned in my place? That's what Paul means by "the circumcision of Christ". We cut off anything in our lives that does not honor Jesus because it threatens to no longer fill us in Jesus. The grace of God fills us in Jesus and this trains us to renounce ungodliness. (Titus 2:12, Colossians 2:11)
[4] All of this hinges on trusting the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We can renounce ungodliness, but that does not mean we have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus. The gospel begins to fill us in Jesus, we see areas in our life that do not honor Jesus, and we unite ourselves to Jesus' death by cutting off those areas. Then we trust God's power to grant us a new life, a life impossible to achieve on our own, that honors Jesus and so fills us up more in Jesus. (Colossians 2:12)
It all seems to fall apart at #4. We see God's grace. We are in awe of his grace. Jesus begins to fill us. Then we sin. And we trust anything but the power of God to grant us a new life that honors Jesus.
For me, I always trust guilt and anger to create a new life.
In the eyes of my flesh, it makes perfect sense to say, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are for what you have done to him." But what my flesh is really saying is, "If you show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are, then you will have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus; you'll move past this sin." That is very deceptive because only the power of God can grant me new life just as only the power of God could raise Jesus from the dead.
Then I turn to anger. My flesh says, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by your anger at your friends who were not there to stop you from committing this sin against Jesus." Again, my flesh is telling me that if I'm angry, then I'll have new life. And again, that simply is not true.
Guilt will not kill our sin. Guilt, no matter how much power it seems to have, cannot match the power of God because guilt is only the power I can offer to live a new life. Nor does anger have the power of God, or hate, or loneliness, or bitterness, or confession, or communion, or worship, or community group, or talking to my friends, or moping, or laying the blame on someone else. Only God. Only God has the power to raise me to a new life that honors Jesus and so fills me up more in the wonder and glory of Jesus Christ in the knowledge of his gospel.
Some questions:
[1] What are you trusting in your life to grant you power to live a new life free from sin to honor Jesus that is not the power of God?
[2] Does it work? Has your sin been killed?
[3] Why is the power of God the only thing suffecient to grant you a new life that honors Jesus?
Next time you sin and you default to whatever it is that makes you think you can have a new life and is not God, tell your flesh to keep its mouth shut and trust in the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Why Can I Be Imperfect?
From the free ebook Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship,
"I can be an imperfect Christian because I cling to a perfect Christ."
You can downolad this ebook here:
http://theresurgence.com/fightclubs/
Speaking of free ebooks, here are some much-needed ebooks on marriage for men and women that hope to marry:
http://www.boundless.org/guys/
"I can be an imperfect Christian because I cling to a perfect Christ."
You can downolad this ebook here:
http://theresurgence.com/fightclubs/
Speaking of free ebooks, here are some much-needed ebooks on marriage for men and women that hope to marry:
http://www.boundless.org/guys/
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