“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is the what Jesus tells His disciples in John 13 shortly before going to the cross. The level of love commanded here is quite amazing. We are love each other just as Christ loved us. What did He do for us? He considered Himself of no reputation and took on the form of man and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2)
This is the kind of love we are to have for one another. That same chapter of Philippians verse 4 tells us to look out not only for our own interests but also for the interests of others esteeming others better than ourselves.
When we look at the characteristics of love given for us in 1 Corinthians 13 we find that love suffers long and is kind. Love is not boastful or envious. It doesn’t put on airs and is not puffed up. It does not behave rudely nor seek its own way. It is not provoked and does not think evil of others. It’s relatively easy not to speak evil of others, but not to think it?!
What a challenge for us who call ourselves Christians to realize that this kind of love is the target we are aiming at. Jesus told the disciples in John 13 that everyone would know our connection with Christ as His disciples by the evidence of this kind of love.
I have a long way to go.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
A Picture of Humility
The picture Jesus used to illustrate humility is interesting to me. There are probably other things He could have used if all He was trying to teach was the need for humility. In this instance, though, He used a cleansing process. To me this shows that what we do for one another is a type of spiritual cleansing. We are our brother’s keeper. Not in a pride, arrogant and pharisaical way, but in a humble serving way. James 5:16 tells us that we are to confess our faults to one another and thus be healed. Galatians 6:1 tells us that when a brother is overtaken in a fault, a spiritual person should restore this one with a spirit of humility. I Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that we are to edify one another. All of these verses speak of a humble cleansing process that Christians do for one another.
This, of course, takes a great deal of humility. It takes humility to receive admonition and spiritual advice from someone else. Just as Peter resisted, we often resist. We don’t need the help. We can do it on our own. Who do they think they are to give us advice or challenge our behavior?
It also takes humility on the part of the person reaching out to give the spiritual assistance. Jesus laid aside his regular garments and dressed like a servant. We should do the same when playing this role.
This cleansing or washing that we do for one another needs to be based on the Word. Ephesians 5:26 says about Christ that He “gave Himself for her {the church}, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” Our service to one another in the sense that I am writing about today is based on and uses the Word of God. We have not right to take our personal preferences and opinions and impose them on other people. Rather, we are to use the Word of God as the cleansing agent. It alone has the power to cleanse and change lives. We need to take the Word, make sure we have applied it to our own lives first (Matthew 7:3), and then gently and humbly help others in their walk with Christ. Paul had said in Philippians 1 that his purpose for having been left here on earth was for the progress and joy of faith of others. (vs 25) and that should be the same for us.
This, of course, takes a great deal of humility. It takes humility to receive admonition and spiritual advice from someone else. Just as Peter resisted, we often resist. We don’t need the help. We can do it on our own. Who do they think they are to give us advice or challenge our behavior?
It also takes humility on the part of the person reaching out to give the spiritual assistance. Jesus laid aside his regular garments and dressed like a servant. We should do the same when playing this role.
This cleansing or washing that we do for one another needs to be based on the Word. Ephesians 5:26 says about Christ that He “gave Himself for her {the church}, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” Our service to one another in the sense that I am writing about today is based on and uses the Word of God. We have not right to take our personal preferences and opinions and impose them on other people. Rather, we are to use the Word of God as the cleansing agent. It alone has the power to cleanse and change lives. We need to take the Word, make sure we have applied it to our own lives first (Matthew 7:3), and then gently and humbly help others in their walk with Christ. Paul had said in Philippians 1 that his purpose for having been left here on earth was for the progress and joy of faith of others. (vs 25) and that should be the same for us.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Wash My Feet? Never!
This week I’ve been meditating on John 13:1-17 which deals with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. I’m not one of those who believes that this practice is literally to be practiced in the church, so I ask myself what exactly am I to learn from this account?
One of the first things that caught my attention was the illustration this is of Jesus’ step of humbling himself to come to earth to redeem us. Verse 4 says that he arose and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded himself. It struck me how similar this is to Philippians 2 where we learn that Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and taking the form of a bondservant, He humbled Himself. It seems to me that this event of washing feet is a picture of the grander event of Christ’s humiliation for us.
Peter’s reaction to all of this is interesting. First he says, “You will never wash my feet!” Then when Jesus tells him that if he doesn’t then he will have no part with him, Peter goes to the other extreme and asks for a complete bath. There is humility in receiving some service or gift from another. Jesus was willing to be humble enough to wash feet, but at first, Peter wasn’t humble enough to receive it. How many times have you been in a situation outside of your control where you needed to call someone to help you? Don’t you often look for any other possible way to accomplish the task without help? We so often try to be self sufficient and we don’t like the humble position of needing help. 2 Corinthians 8:14 tells us that our abundance is to be used to help someone else and then at some other time their abundance will be available to help us when we lack.
One of the first things that caught my attention was the illustration this is of Jesus’ step of humbling himself to come to earth to redeem us. Verse 4 says that he arose and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded himself. It struck me how similar this is to Philippians 2 where we learn that Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and taking the form of a bondservant, He humbled Himself. It seems to me that this event of washing feet is a picture of the grander event of Christ’s humiliation for us.
Peter’s reaction to all of this is interesting. First he says, “You will never wash my feet!” Then when Jesus tells him that if he doesn’t then he will have no part with him, Peter goes to the other extreme and asks for a complete bath. There is humility in receiving some service or gift from another. Jesus was willing to be humble enough to wash feet, but at first, Peter wasn’t humble enough to receive it. How many times have you been in a situation outside of your control where you needed to call someone to help you? Don’t you often look for any other possible way to accomplish the task without help? We so often try to be self sufficient and we don’t like the humble position of needing help. 2 Corinthians 8:14 tells us that our abundance is to be used to help someone else and then at some other time their abundance will be available to help us when we lack.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
The Cross - Part 4
Another result of the death of Christ is the fact that in His death, we have died to the law. To prove his point, Paul uses the example of marriage in Romans 7. I’m not going to quote all 6 verses here, but if you find a Bible and read this section, I’ll summarize it for you.
Basically what Paul is saying is that if a woman’s husband is alive, it would be adultery for her to marry another man. If however, her husband has died, that law no longer has jurisdiction over her. She is free to remarry.
The key point begins in verse 4. “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another.” In the same way that the woman in this illustration has been freed from the law because of the death of her husband, we too have been freed from the law through the death of Christ.
Galatians 2:19,20 says, “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ….” Do you see what Paul is saying here? It is through the law that I died to the law through Christ. It is the law that frees us from the law. It is the law which says that it applies to a man only while he lives. Since we have died with Christ, according to the law, we are not under the law any more.
The standards of God haven’t changed. His holiness hasn’t changed, but our relationship to Him and the law has changed. The law has no jurisdiction. If the accuser of the brethren (Satan) brings a charge against us and challenges God to punish us based on the law, I imagine God saying something like this. “The sins you have brought up are worthy of death according to the law. But this person has already died and so that law doesn’t apply to someone who has died. I can’t punish him with death again.” So even though God is holy and righteous, and though He expects us to live righteously, the law is not the means to accomplish that. (See the previous post.)
Paul tells us in two different places that sin gains its power from the law. In Romans 7:7, 8. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.”
In I Corinthians 15:56 Paul writes, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” Once the law has been put into its proper place and perspective, it can no longer give power to sin. In “O For a Thousand Tongues” the writer says, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin.” That’s the point here. Sin’s curse and power have been broken by Christ on the cross. Law’s accusatory finger can no longer point at us and charge us with anything because we are no longer under its dominion. We have died with Christ and been raised with Him and therefore are on the other side of the resurrection as far as God is concerned. Because of this sin’s power has been removed.
Some have great fear that when we start discussing the fact that we are no longer under the jurisdiction of the law that that will bring forth all sorts loose living. But we need to go back to what we read from Romans 6. “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” The answer is that we can’t. Some misunderstand what grace is. Titus 2:11 tells us that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and godly lives. Grace, forgiveness and freedom from law do not provide the occasion for loose living. They provide the strength and power to live godly lives.
Basically what Paul is saying is that if a woman’s husband is alive, it would be adultery for her to marry another man. If however, her husband has died, that law no longer has jurisdiction over her. She is free to remarry.
The key point begins in verse 4. “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another.” In the same way that the woman in this illustration has been freed from the law because of the death of her husband, we too have been freed from the law through the death of Christ.
Galatians 2:19,20 says, “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ….” Do you see what Paul is saying here? It is through the law that I died to the law through Christ. It is the law that frees us from the law. It is the law which says that it applies to a man only while he lives. Since we have died with Christ, according to the law, we are not under the law any more.
The standards of God haven’t changed. His holiness hasn’t changed, but our relationship to Him and the law has changed. The law has no jurisdiction. If the accuser of the brethren (Satan) brings a charge against us and challenges God to punish us based on the law, I imagine God saying something like this. “The sins you have brought up are worthy of death according to the law. But this person has already died and so that law doesn’t apply to someone who has died. I can’t punish him with death again.” So even though God is holy and righteous, and though He expects us to live righteously, the law is not the means to accomplish that. (See the previous post.)
Paul tells us in two different places that sin gains its power from the law. In Romans 7:7, 8. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.”
In I Corinthians 15:56 Paul writes, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” Once the law has been put into its proper place and perspective, it can no longer give power to sin. In “O For a Thousand Tongues” the writer says, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin.” That’s the point here. Sin’s curse and power have been broken by Christ on the cross. Law’s accusatory finger can no longer point at us and charge us with anything because we are no longer under its dominion. We have died with Christ and been raised with Him and therefore are on the other side of the resurrection as far as God is concerned. Because of this sin’s power has been removed.
Some have great fear that when we start discussing the fact that we are no longer under the jurisdiction of the law that that will bring forth all sorts loose living. But we need to go back to what we read from Romans 6. “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” The answer is that we can’t. Some misunderstand what grace is. Titus 2:11 tells us that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and godly lives. Grace, forgiveness and freedom from law do not provide the occasion for loose living. They provide the strength and power to live godly lives.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The Cross - Part 3
In addition to what we have seen in the last two posts, the Bible teaches us that if we know Christ as Savior, we died with Him when He died. This has tremendous implications both for our understanding of what we have in Christ and for our daily walk in victory.
Romans 6:3 says “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” Ephesians 2:5,6 adds to this by saying, “even when we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
I believe that the baptism mentioned in Romans 6:3 is not water baptism, but the baptism of the Spirit which means that the Spirit immersed us into or placed us into the body of Christ. This is spoken of in I Corinthians 12:13 where it says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
So since we have been placed into the body of Christ, God sees us as having died with Christ, risen with Christ and seated with Christ in heavenly places in Christ. This has great implications for our daily walk as Romans 6 teaches us.
If we go back to Romans 6:1 Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” His answer in verse 2 is that we cannot because how can someone continue to sin who has died to it? In what way have we died to it? We died to it when we died with Christ. Paul says in verse 6, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” That is a strong statement.
Sometimes sin seems to have so much power over us and we feel like we are its slave. But God tells us that if we are a Christian we have died with Christ and we have been freed from sin and its power. He goes so far as to say that the body of sin was destroyed or done away with. It certainly doesn’t feel that way does it? This almost makes it worse when we sin because we are doing so freely and we cannot blame our bondage to it and its power over us.
The key to victory is given in verses 10 and following. “For the death that He (Christ) died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Now here’s the key, verse 11, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead.” We are to count ourselves to be dead with Christ. We are to believe it to be true and to act accordingly. So much of the time we let our minds dwell on things that aren’t true. In this case we are to think on and reckon as true the fact that we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3) We are to give ourselves to God as those who are past death and past the resurrection. As resurrected people we are to offer the parts of our body as tools or instruments to God for righteousness and we are to avoid presenting our bodies to sin as instruments or tools of unrighteousness. We may have given our bodies to sin before we died, but now that we are dead and resurrected, we are to be tools that God can use.
It’s interesting to look back at the passage in Colossians 3 that I quoted from earlier. The motivation for what we do is to be based on these truths. We are to seek those things which are above because we’ve been raised with Christ. We are to set our minds on the things above because “you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The next post will be related to our new relationship with the law because of our death with Christ. However, I might mention here that right thinking concerning our identity with Christ and our death with Him is the best and most effective motivation for right living.
Romans 6:3 says “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” Ephesians 2:5,6 adds to this by saying, “even when we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
I believe that the baptism mentioned in Romans 6:3 is not water baptism, but the baptism of the Spirit which means that the Spirit immersed us into or placed us into the body of Christ. This is spoken of in I Corinthians 12:13 where it says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
So since we have been placed into the body of Christ, God sees us as having died with Christ, risen with Christ and seated with Christ in heavenly places in Christ. This has great implications for our daily walk as Romans 6 teaches us.
If we go back to Romans 6:1 Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” His answer in verse 2 is that we cannot because how can someone continue to sin who has died to it? In what way have we died to it? We died to it when we died with Christ. Paul says in verse 6, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” That is a strong statement.
Sometimes sin seems to have so much power over us and we feel like we are its slave. But God tells us that if we are a Christian we have died with Christ and we have been freed from sin and its power. He goes so far as to say that the body of sin was destroyed or done away with. It certainly doesn’t feel that way does it? This almost makes it worse when we sin because we are doing so freely and we cannot blame our bondage to it and its power over us.
The key to victory is given in verses 10 and following. “For the death that He (Christ) died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Now here’s the key, verse 11, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead.” We are to count ourselves to be dead with Christ. We are to believe it to be true and to act accordingly. So much of the time we let our minds dwell on things that aren’t true. In this case we are to think on and reckon as true the fact that we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3) We are to give ourselves to God as those who are past death and past the resurrection. As resurrected people we are to offer the parts of our body as tools or instruments to God for righteousness and we are to avoid presenting our bodies to sin as instruments or tools of unrighteousness. We may have given our bodies to sin before we died, but now that we are dead and resurrected, we are to be tools that God can use.
It’s interesting to look back at the passage in Colossians 3 that I quoted from earlier. The motivation for what we do is to be based on these truths. We are to seek those things which are above because we’ve been raised with Christ. We are to set our minds on the things above because “you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The next post will be related to our new relationship with the law because of our death with Christ. However, I might mention here that right thinking concerning our identity with Christ and our death with Him is the best and most effective motivation for right living.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Cross - Part 2
We’re thinking through some of the implications and results of Christ’s death on the cross for us. Last time we looked at His victory over Satan and sin. Today we consider the fact that the cross is different things to different people. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 1:18 ff that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. Later in verse 23 he says that it is foolishness to the Greeks or Gentiles.
Isn’t that the truth in today’s sophisticated culture? The thought of God becoming a man in the first place seems like foolishness to most people today. To go further then and say that this one man’s death provided salvation for those who would come to Him by faith apart from works seems even more foolish.
Yet Paul quotes from the Old Testament and says that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. It was in the wisdom of God that He made it so that people could not come to Him through their wisdom, but through the “foolishness” of the message preached.
Besides being foolishness to the Gentiles, the cross is a stumbling block to the Jews. The Jewish nation was looking for a Messiah who would be a conqueror and release them from the Roman oppression and set up a kingdom on earth then and there. They missed what had been written in the Old Testament about the fact that the Messiah must come, suffer and die and be raised to life before any promised kingdom could be established. So for the Jews, the cross was a stumbling block.
“But”, says Paul, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In verse 24 he says it this way, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
The cross is the central message we are to preach. So many churches today have abandoned the message of the cross and yet it is the central and most important message that must be preached. There is no other salvation than through Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.
Isn’t that the truth in today’s sophisticated culture? The thought of God becoming a man in the first place seems like foolishness to most people today. To go further then and say that this one man’s death provided salvation for those who would come to Him by faith apart from works seems even more foolish.
Yet Paul quotes from the Old Testament and says that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. It was in the wisdom of God that He made it so that people could not come to Him through their wisdom, but through the “foolishness” of the message preached.
Besides being foolishness to the Gentiles, the cross is a stumbling block to the Jews. The Jewish nation was looking for a Messiah who would be a conqueror and release them from the Roman oppression and set up a kingdom on earth then and there. They missed what had been written in the Old Testament about the fact that the Messiah must come, suffer and die and be raised to life before any promised kingdom could be established. So for the Jews, the cross was a stumbling block.
“But”, says Paul, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In verse 24 he says it this way, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
The cross is the central message we are to preach. So many churches today have abandoned the message of the cross and yet it is the central and most important message that must be preached. There is no other salvation than through Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The Cross - Part 1
“ ‘Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.’ This he said, signifying by what death He would die.” John 12:30-33 (NKJV)
Over and over through the book of John, Jesus said that His hour had not yet come. Now the hour was at hand and He says that this is the time for the judgment of the world. The word for judgment is the word ‘crisis’. This was to be the pivotal moment, the watershed moment of world history.
This was the judgment of the world for several reasons. First this was the time when the prince of this world was judged. In addition, the punishment of sin was to be meted out on Christ at this moment and God’s just retribution against sin was satisfied. It also was a time of judgment because how a person received this teaching would be pivotal in his eternal destiny.
This Easter season of the year is an appropriate time to meditate once again on what was accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ.
Jesus said, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” His death and resurrection declared victory over Satan. Consider the following passages.
Hebrews 2:13 says, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” The word “destroy” in this passage means to destroy, abolish or put away.
Colossians 1:13: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” When we trusted in Christ, the kingdom of which we were a part changed. We had been part of Satan’s kingdom, “children of wrath” as God called us. But when we were saved from sin by Christ, we were moved from Satan’s kingdom over to God’s kingdom, the kingdom of His beloved Son. Satan has one less person to reign over every time Christ saves someone.
Colossians 2:13, 14 “…He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
What an amazing couple of verses! We’ll talk further about our death to the law in a future post, but look at what has taken place here. If you are a believer, all your trespasses have been forgiven. The requirements that worked against you have been wiped out. There is no more condemnation. (Romans 8:1) Our sins are washed away as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against us again. What a promise!
He goes on to say in verse 14 that God has disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them through His cross. Satan has been defeated, disarmed and humiliated. What more could we ask for?
Galatians 3:10 says that “as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’” Verse 12 says that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse of us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’)”.
Paul says in I Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” These verses get at the heart of the gospel. Christ became a curse for us; he was made to be sin for us. The result is that there is no curse for us and we’ve been made the righteousness of God in Him. As Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is what Paul said was his great desire. In Philippians 3:9 he writes, “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” This is what the Jews missed. Romans 9:30 -33 tells us that the Jews pursued the law of righteousness, but it wasn’t the righteousness of faith given by God as a gift. God’s righteousness is given to us in place of our righteousness which are as filthy rags in God’s sight.
I guess the question you should ask yourself is, “Are you trusting in your own righteousness in order to be right with God, or have you received His righteousness?” He offers it freely to all who will repent and turn to Christ and believe the gospel. It is truly the good news that is the power of God for salvation.
Over and over through the book of John, Jesus said that His hour had not yet come. Now the hour was at hand and He says that this is the time for the judgment of the world. The word for judgment is the word ‘crisis’. This was to be the pivotal moment, the watershed moment of world history.
This was the judgment of the world for several reasons. First this was the time when the prince of this world was judged. In addition, the punishment of sin was to be meted out on Christ at this moment and God’s just retribution against sin was satisfied. It also was a time of judgment because how a person received this teaching would be pivotal in his eternal destiny.
This Easter season of the year is an appropriate time to meditate once again on what was accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ.
Jesus said, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” His death and resurrection declared victory over Satan. Consider the following passages.
Hebrews 2:13 says, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” The word “destroy” in this passage means to destroy, abolish or put away.
Colossians 1:13: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” When we trusted in Christ, the kingdom of which we were a part changed. We had been part of Satan’s kingdom, “children of wrath” as God called us. But when we were saved from sin by Christ, we were moved from Satan’s kingdom over to God’s kingdom, the kingdom of His beloved Son. Satan has one less person to reign over every time Christ saves someone.
Colossians 2:13, 14 “…He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
What an amazing couple of verses! We’ll talk further about our death to the law in a future post, but look at what has taken place here. If you are a believer, all your trespasses have been forgiven. The requirements that worked against you have been wiped out. There is no more condemnation. (Romans 8:1) Our sins are washed away as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against us again. What a promise!
He goes on to say in verse 14 that God has disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them through His cross. Satan has been defeated, disarmed and humiliated. What more could we ask for?
Galatians 3:10 says that “as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’” Verse 12 says that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse of us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’)”.
Paul says in I Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” These verses get at the heart of the gospel. Christ became a curse for us; he was made to be sin for us. The result is that there is no curse for us and we’ve been made the righteousness of God in Him. As Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is what Paul said was his great desire. In Philippians 3:9 he writes, “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” This is what the Jews missed. Romans 9:30 -33 tells us that the Jews pursued the law of righteousness, but it wasn’t the righteousness of faith given by God as a gift. God’s righteousness is given to us in place of our righteousness which are as filthy rags in God’s sight.
I guess the question you should ask yourself is, “Are you trusting in your own righteousness in order to be right with God, or have you received His righteousness?” He offers it freely to all who will repent and turn to Christ and believe the gospel. It is truly the good news that is the power of God for salvation.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
CAMPONTHIS: Regeneration Precedes Faith
...the transforming power of God-centered evangelism
After writing my previous article, I stumbled on the following article posted last Saturday on Steve Camp's blog. I thought it fit together well.
CAMPONTHIS: Regeneration Precedes Faith
...the transforming power of God-centered evangelism
CAMPONTHIS: Regeneration Precedes Faith
...the transforming power of God-centered evangelism
Spiritual Life
Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus came to the tomb. When Jesus asked them to move the stone that covered the tomb, Martha said, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Then He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
To me this is a wonderful illustration of the power of God in regeneration. The Bible teaches us that in our natural state we are dead in trespasses and sins. (Eph 2:1) “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” (Romans 3:10, 11) God had told Adam that in the day he ate of the forbidden tree he would die. As a result “just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
How is one raised from the dead? Other than Christ who could raise himself from the dead, can anything dead give life to itself? It’s certainly not possible with physical life, how can it be any different with spiritual life?
How was Lazarus able to obey the command of Christ to come out of the tomb? Could he as a dead man have laid there and said, “No, I think I’ll just stay dead, thanks.” He perhaps could have decided to stay in the tomb, but he could not have decided to stay dead. The voice of God awoke him. So too the voice of God through the preaching of the gospel brings life to the spiritually dead.
Ephesians 2:4, 5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” I Peter 1:23 says, “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”
Using a different metaphor in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul explains how the gospel is hid because the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of God should shine unto them. How is that blindness overcome? If as he writes elsewhere the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God because they are foolishness to him, how is that natural state of blindness and death overcome? The answer in 2 Corinthians 4:6 is this: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
In other words it takes the regenerating, life-giving, light-giving power of the Word of God to bring life to us. Everything else in the Christian life flows from this. All of those things that give evidence that life is present come from that life. Faith, hope, love, joy, etc. all flow from life miraculously granted to us by the Word of God.
Then He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
To me this is a wonderful illustration of the power of God in regeneration. The Bible teaches us that in our natural state we are dead in trespasses and sins. (Eph 2:1) “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” (Romans 3:10, 11) God had told Adam that in the day he ate of the forbidden tree he would die. As a result “just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
How is one raised from the dead? Other than Christ who could raise himself from the dead, can anything dead give life to itself? It’s certainly not possible with physical life, how can it be any different with spiritual life?
How was Lazarus able to obey the command of Christ to come out of the tomb? Could he as a dead man have laid there and said, “No, I think I’ll just stay dead, thanks.” He perhaps could have decided to stay in the tomb, but he could not have decided to stay dead. The voice of God awoke him. So too the voice of God through the preaching of the gospel brings life to the spiritually dead.
Ephesians 2:4, 5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” I Peter 1:23 says, “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”
Using a different metaphor in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul explains how the gospel is hid because the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of God should shine unto them. How is that blindness overcome? If as he writes elsewhere the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God because they are foolishness to him, how is that natural state of blindness and death overcome? The answer in 2 Corinthians 4:6 is this: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
In other words it takes the regenerating, life-giving, light-giving power of the Word of God to bring life to us. Everything else in the Christian life flows from this. All of those things that give evidence that life is present come from that life. Faith, hope, love, joy, etc. all flow from life miraculously granted to us by the Word of God.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Raising of Lazarus -- Part 2
The next verse tells us that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. This time the word for love is agape. This kind of love is selfless, purposeful, and places value on the person loved. Agape love does not usually stem from emotional feelings, but rather from purposeful action. Jesus therefore had both kinds of love for this family.
The next verse is difficult to follow because it appears to be attached to the verse we just discussed. Verse 6 tells us that for this reason, because of His love for them, He stayed two more days where He was. From our point of view it seems as though love would have driven Him to them sooner rather than later. Jesus seems to explain this somewhat in verse 15 where He tells them that He was glad (happy and rejoicing) for their sakes that He had not been there. Why? So that they might believe. He was more interested in their growth in faith than in the temporary feelings involved with having lost their brother.
Later on when Jesus arrives, (verse 21) Martha says to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” What does this tell us about Martha and her faith? To me it says that she believed that Jesus would have cured her brother if Jesus had been there. It also tells me that she might not be so sure that Jesus could raise Him from the dead. Except, when we continue reading, we see that she says that “even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You.”
She knew of Jesus’ power and His relationship with the Father and she knew that the Father would honor Jesus’ requests no matter what they were. When Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”, it’s almost as though she dared not believe that it was possible right now. She gave the “right” answer that he would rise again in the resurrection. But Jesus wanted her to see that He is the resurrection. He is life and has the power of life in himself. In fact Jesus said that in another passage that He had the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up again. Think about that for a minute. It is one thing to believe that Jesus has the power to raise someone else from the dead. It’s a miracle of an entirely different order to raise oneself from the dead. But that is who Jesus is and what He is capable of. He is the resurrection and the life.
The next verse is difficult to follow because it appears to be attached to the verse we just discussed. Verse 6 tells us that for this reason, because of His love for them, He stayed two more days where He was. From our point of view it seems as though love would have driven Him to them sooner rather than later. Jesus seems to explain this somewhat in verse 15 where He tells them that He was glad (happy and rejoicing) for their sakes that He had not been there. Why? So that they might believe. He was more interested in their growth in faith than in the temporary feelings involved with having lost their brother.
Later on when Jesus arrives, (verse 21) Martha says to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” What does this tell us about Martha and her faith? To me it says that she believed that Jesus would have cured her brother if Jesus had been there. It also tells me that she might not be so sure that Jesus could raise Him from the dead. Except, when we continue reading, we see that she says that “even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You.”
She knew of Jesus’ power and His relationship with the Father and she knew that the Father would honor Jesus’ requests no matter what they were. When Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”, it’s almost as though she dared not believe that it was possible right now. She gave the “right” answer that he would rise again in the resurrection. But Jesus wanted her to see that He is the resurrection. He is life and has the power of life in himself. In fact Jesus said that in another passage that He had the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up again. Think about that for a minute. It is one thing to believe that Jesus has the power to raise someone else from the dead. It’s a miracle of an entirely different order to raise oneself from the dead. But that is who Jesus is and what He is capable of. He is the resurrection and the life.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Raising Lazarus - Part I
I’m sitting here thinking about the incident where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. We’re studying John 11 in our Sunday School class tomorrow and I’m wondering what needs to be emphasized from a passage that is so familiar. This incident involves a “certain” man from Bethany who was sick. The Bible claims that this is a true story. There was a certain man who became sick and then died. Jesus called that same man back to life again. The blind man had said, “I once was blind. Now I see.” This man will be able to say, “I once was dead. Now I live.”
When the sisters sent for Jesus they told him that the one he “loved” was sick. This kind of love is the word phileo or brotherly love. This is the kind of love that shows tender affection and kindness. Jesus had a tender love for this man.
Jesus’ response is interesting because He tells them that this sickness is not unto death, but rather is for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Shouldn’t this be the case in all of our trials? Our ultimate purpose in life is to bring glory to God. We say that so glibly and yet it is true. Therefore, when we are sick or going through some other trial it is so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. It may not involve a miracle of the level of raising someone from the dead, but it may be a demonstration of God’s tremendous grace at work in our lives showing those around that we have His peace and His joy even though the circumstance itself may be hard.
When the sisters sent for Jesus they told him that the one he “loved” was sick. This kind of love is the word phileo or brotherly love. This is the kind of love that shows tender affection and kindness. Jesus had a tender love for this man.
Jesus’ response is interesting because He tells them that this sickness is not unto death, but rather is for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Shouldn’t this be the case in all of our trials? Our ultimate purpose in life is to bring glory to God. We say that so glibly and yet it is true. Therefore, when we are sick or going through some other trial it is so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. It may not involve a miracle of the level of raising someone from the dead, but it may be a demonstration of God’s tremendous grace at work in our lives showing those around that we have His peace and His joy even though the circumstance itself may be hard.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Christians and the Brave New World
Tuinstra Blog 07
I’ve never tackled an on-line book review before, but I’m going to give it a try since it’s an important topic. The book is titled How to be a Christian in a Brave New World by Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel Cameron. The book was published in 2006 by Zondervan. I first became acquainted with Nigel Cameron and his work through Mars Hill Audio here.
The back cover introduces the book as follows, “Stem-cell research. Cloning. Genetic engineering. Today, discoveries in biotechnology are occurring so rapidly that we can barely begin to address one ethical debate before another looms overhead. This brave new world we’ve entered is a daunting one as well, with disturbing implications for the sanctity of life and for human nature itself. How should we respond as Christians?
I’m going to leave the review of the literary qualities of the book to others who are more qualified than I. What I was interested in are the issues that Joni and Nigel put before us.
One thread that weaves itself throughout the book is the commodification of life. Commodification is the process of turning something into a “thing” to be investigated, bought, sold, manipulated, and improved-upon. When we turn the focus of technology on ourselves we become machines – things to be investigated and understood. At the beginning this seems harmless enough until we begin to patent our genes, create embryos for tissue transplant and manipulate our basic genetic makeup.
Late in the book the authors summarize their points by using the three words: take, make, and fake.
By “take”, they mean the taking of life, i.e. abortion and euthanasia. I’m quite familiar with the basic arguments related to abortion, but what I didn’t realize is that the discussion now centers on creating embryos for the purpose of killing them for embryonic stem cells or to select the characteristics the parents want in their offspring. When in vitro fertilization is used, extra embryos are usually created and a selection process may be used to choose the embryo that has certain characteristics or that avoids certain inheritable syndromes. The acceptance of abortion has opened the door to thinking of these embryos as objects to be manipulated and exploited. Joni does a good job in making clear that no evidence exists for the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells whereas there has been quite a bit of progress using adult stem cells. It’s discouraging that the popular culture pins its hopes on the embryonic stem cells when there is no evidence that they’ll help.
One of the things that was new to me was the concept of eugenics. Eugenics is the philosophy of using genetics to breed superior individuals. Most of us know how this was used by the Nazis under Hitler, but what I didn’t realize is that there was a strong eugenics movement here in the United States. This movement more or less died away when Hitler’s atrocities came to light, but now it’s back using embryos as the subjects.
The second word, “make”, represents the developing ability to make designer babies. Certain genes have already been patented so that genetic screening of those genes generates royalties for the owners of the patent. In addition, the cloning of human beings is not too far down the road. Some are calling for cloning of humans to create embryos for research or to harvest their stem cells, but forbidding the bringing of a cloned baby to birth. Others want all cloning of humans banned entirely.
The third word, “fake” involves the merging of human life with technology, especially computer technology. Can we eventually understand enough about human consciousness in the brain to upload our consciousness into a computer so that when our body dies, our consciousness remains? What about enhancing brain power with computer chips? What if we could have the whole Bible available in our memory as a result of the synthesis of the biological with the technological?
At the end of the book, the authors bring up several interesting questions for discussion. Questions such as, “If cloning is ever successful, do cloned babies have souls?” “What if I have several frozen embryos – what should I do now?” Most of these are questions we are not used to thinking about and are not prepared to answer.
Hopefully this short review has made you aware of the issues that are before us. As Christians we need to be better prepared for this debate than we were for the abortion debate. God made us in His image. We are close to surpassing the attempt made at Babel not to construct a tower, but to create ourselves in any image we desire. Will God allow this? Are we prepared to enter the debate and take a stand for human dignity as created in God’s image and to oppose attempts to kill and mutilate the smallest humans among us? I strongly encourage every Christian to familiarize himself with the issues involved in this discussion and to prepare a biblically based response. Students in high school and college need to be able counter the secular, godless teaching found in so many classrooms. In my opinion this topic needs to be discussed thoroughly in our churches so that every Christian will know and understand the concepts, terminology and issues involved. How to be a Christian in a Brave New World is a good place to start the learning process.
I’ve never tackled an on-line book review before, but I’m going to give it a try since it’s an important topic. The book is titled How to be a Christian in a Brave New World by Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel Cameron. The book was published in 2006 by Zondervan. I first became acquainted with Nigel Cameron and his work through Mars Hill Audio here.
The back cover introduces the book as follows, “Stem-cell research. Cloning. Genetic engineering. Today, discoveries in biotechnology are occurring so rapidly that we can barely begin to address one ethical debate before another looms overhead. This brave new world we’ve entered is a daunting one as well, with disturbing implications for the sanctity of life and for human nature itself. How should we respond as Christians?
I’m going to leave the review of the literary qualities of the book to others who are more qualified than I. What I was interested in are the issues that Joni and Nigel put before us.
One thread that weaves itself throughout the book is the commodification of life. Commodification is the process of turning something into a “thing” to be investigated, bought, sold, manipulated, and improved-upon. When we turn the focus of technology on ourselves we become machines – things to be investigated and understood. At the beginning this seems harmless enough until we begin to patent our genes, create embryos for tissue transplant and manipulate our basic genetic makeup.
Late in the book the authors summarize their points by using the three words: take, make, and fake.
By “take”, they mean the taking of life, i.e. abortion and euthanasia. I’m quite familiar with the basic arguments related to abortion, but what I didn’t realize is that the discussion now centers on creating embryos for the purpose of killing them for embryonic stem cells or to select the characteristics the parents want in their offspring. When in vitro fertilization is used, extra embryos are usually created and a selection process may be used to choose the embryo that has certain characteristics or that avoids certain inheritable syndromes. The acceptance of abortion has opened the door to thinking of these embryos as objects to be manipulated and exploited. Joni does a good job in making clear that no evidence exists for the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells whereas there has been quite a bit of progress using adult stem cells. It’s discouraging that the popular culture pins its hopes on the embryonic stem cells when there is no evidence that they’ll help.
One of the things that was new to me was the concept of eugenics. Eugenics is the philosophy of using genetics to breed superior individuals. Most of us know how this was used by the Nazis under Hitler, but what I didn’t realize is that there was a strong eugenics movement here in the United States. This movement more or less died away when Hitler’s atrocities came to light, but now it’s back using embryos as the subjects.
The second word, “make”, represents the developing ability to make designer babies. Certain genes have already been patented so that genetic screening of those genes generates royalties for the owners of the patent. In addition, the cloning of human beings is not too far down the road. Some are calling for cloning of humans to create embryos for research or to harvest their stem cells, but forbidding the bringing of a cloned baby to birth. Others want all cloning of humans banned entirely.
The third word, “fake” involves the merging of human life with technology, especially computer technology. Can we eventually understand enough about human consciousness in the brain to upload our consciousness into a computer so that when our body dies, our consciousness remains? What about enhancing brain power with computer chips? What if we could have the whole Bible available in our memory as a result of the synthesis of the biological with the technological?
At the end of the book, the authors bring up several interesting questions for discussion. Questions such as, “If cloning is ever successful, do cloned babies have souls?” “What if I have several frozen embryos – what should I do now?” Most of these are questions we are not used to thinking about and are not prepared to answer.
Hopefully this short review has made you aware of the issues that are before us. As Christians we need to be better prepared for this debate than we were for the abortion debate. God made us in His image. We are close to surpassing the attempt made at Babel not to construct a tower, but to create ourselves in any image we desire. Will God allow this? Are we prepared to enter the debate and take a stand for human dignity as created in God’s image and to oppose attempts to kill and mutilate the smallest humans among us? I strongly encourage every Christian to familiarize himself with the issues involved in this discussion and to prepare a biblically based response. Students in high school and college need to be able counter the secular, godless teaching found in so many classrooms. In my opinion this topic needs to be discussed thoroughly in our churches so that every Christian will know and understand the concepts, terminology and issues involved. How to be a Christian in a Brave New World is a good place to start the learning process.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Godliness + Contentment = Gain
I don’t know if you make New Year’s resolutions or not. I tend not to because I’m not that good at keeping them. Having said, I think it is wise from time to time to evaluate where I’ve been and where I’m headed. Over the last several months I have been thinking about the characteristics we are diligently to add to our faith based on 2 Peter 1:5-8. Most recently I’ve been thinking about godliness. The definition of godliness centers on piety and spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, worship, etc. That led me to 2 Timothy 6:6 which says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Paul said that he had learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself. The author of Hebrews says in 13:5: Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
It is so easy for us to become enamored with the culture around us and the things that it says we need to be a significant person. Paul told Timothy that these two things in combination with each other were great gain. A life of spiritual focus on God and the things related to God along with contentment with what He has chosen to provide is a life of great gain.
May I encourage you to make these aspects of the Christian life a priority for you as you go through this year?
It is so easy for us to become enamored with the culture around us and the things that it says we need to be a significant person. Paul told Timothy that these two things in combination with each other were great gain. A life of spiritual focus on God and the things related to God along with contentment with what He has chosen to provide is a life of great gain.
May I encourage you to make these aspects of the Christian life a priority for you as you go through this year?
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Judging-Summary
Based on the study we’ve been having, here is my summary and conclusion. Don’t take my word for it. Go back and study the passages yourself. Maybe you’ll agree with me and maybe you won’t but at least you will have thought it through carefully.
1. Judging is more than issuing a verdict or condemning. It is sitting on the bench monitoring someone else’s life – scrutinizing and evaluating it.
2. Judging usually involves attributing motives. (In actuality we seldom really know motives.)
3.Judging does not take the growth process into consideration.
4. Judging often sets up personal standards as though they were God’s.
5. Judging even improperly evaluates what God’s standards are or what they mean.
6. Judging sets ourself up above the law. (See James 4)
7. Having strict personal standards is not judging.
8. Desiring holiness in my personal life is not judging.
9.Calling others to a life of holiness through teaching and preaching is not judging.
10. Having an opinion is not the same thing as judging.
11. Confronting a brother over sin or even disagreeing with them on an issue is not judging.
12. Judging usually involves a lack of forgiveness, a lack of mercy and a lack of pity.
13. Biblical judging usually focuses on discernment of the deed rather than judging the person.
Our effort to be obedient to Scripture in avoiding judging should not keep us from being involved in the lives of others. We are one body in Christ and we have a responsibility to one another to help, encourage and strengthen one another.
1. Judging is more than issuing a verdict or condemning. It is sitting on the bench monitoring someone else’s life – scrutinizing and evaluating it.
2. Judging usually involves attributing motives. (In actuality we seldom really know motives.)
3.Judging does not take the growth process into consideration.
4. Judging often sets up personal standards as though they were God’s.
5. Judging even improperly evaluates what God’s standards are or what they mean.
6. Judging sets ourself up above the law. (See James 4)
7. Having strict personal standards is not judging.
8. Desiring holiness in my personal life is not judging.
9.Calling others to a life of holiness through teaching and preaching is not judging.
10. Having an opinion is not the same thing as judging.
11. Confronting a brother over sin or even disagreeing with them on an issue is not judging.
12. Judging usually involves a lack of forgiveness, a lack of mercy and a lack of pity.
13. Biblical judging usually focuses on discernment of the deed rather than judging the person.
Our effort to be obedient to Scripture in avoiding judging should not keep us from being involved in the lives of others. We are one body in Christ and we have a responsibility to one another to help, encourage and strengthen one another.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Discernment Required
Another passage where believers are told to judge is in I Corinthians 10:15 where Paul tells his readers to judge what he says. This goes along with Acts 17:11 where we are told that the Bereans were noble because they searched the scriptures daily to determine whether or not what they were being taught was true.
But you may be wondering if some sort of judging of people or circumstances isn’t required of us. If we aren’t supposed to judge, aren’t we supposed to be discerning? Matthew 18 discusses the importance of confronting a brother who has sinned. If a brother sins against us we are to go to the person and confront him. It’s my observation that most of the time when we are “judging” we have no intention of going to the person to help them. We usually just intend to be critical of them and perhaps talk about them. In this situation described here, someone has sinned against us. It is not a matter of judgment, it is a matter of being on the receiving end of some sinful behavior.
Galatians 6:1 tells us that if a brother is overtaken in a fault, the one who is spiritual should restore that one with a spirit of meekness being careful lest he be tempted in a similar way. Here again the goal is restoration and will require our humble assistance not our critical judging.
Another passage that needs some discussion is I Corinthians 2:15 which says, “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.” Doesn’t this say that the spiritual person judges? The word for judge here is “anakrino” which means scrutinizes and investigates and discerns. The preceding verse uses the same word when it says that the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned. So, yes, the Christian is to judge in the sense of being discerning. I Thess 5:21 says something similar when it says that we should test all things and hold fast to that which is good. The Christian is to discern behavior and weigh consequences and compare behavior to Scripture. And yet there is a subtle difference between this and the kind of judging which normally takes place.
In previous posts I tried to visualize improper judging as a person putting himself up on the bench to watch and listen to evidence with the intention of rendering a verdict. It is not only giving the verdict that is improper it is the attitude of being above another person as their inspector and judge. Being discerning is different. It’s difficult to explain, but I think you can see the difference.
Yet another passage brought up to show that we should judge is Philippians 1:9-10. It says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,” The word for discernment is insight. The word for approve is to test or prove. So as our love increases, it should be a love that is insightful and discerning. It is not a love that just embraces everything and everybody. There is the need to test and prove things to make sure they are real. We as Christians are not to be undiscerning and careless, just accepting everything that comes along without any thought or insight.
Another passage which teaches the same thing is Heb 5:14 which says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Discernment is a good thing and our senses have to be exercised in order to become better at it.
The question becomes, then, how to do this without the judging that is forbidden. I would encourage you to ask yourself this question when you find yourself making judgments on another person’s behavior. Ask yourself this question, “If the kind of judging I’m doing now is biblical judgment or discernment, what would the forbidden judging me like in this case?” Sometimes our pride gets in the way and makes excuses for our improper judging because we somehow believe that we are more righteous or have it more together than the other person. However, if we can examine ourselves on this and see that we are merely making discerning observations and not being critical or “holier-than-thou”, then perhaps we’ve got it right.
In the final installment, I’ll give you my summary of all of this for whatever that’s worth.
But you may be wondering if some sort of judging of people or circumstances isn’t required of us. If we aren’t supposed to judge, aren’t we supposed to be discerning? Matthew 18 discusses the importance of confronting a brother who has sinned. If a brother sins against us we are to go to the person and confront him. It’s my observation that most of the time when we are “judging” we have no intention of going to the person to help them. We usually just intend to be critical of them and perhaps talk about them. In this situation described here, someone has sinned against us. It is not a matter of judgment, it is a matter of being on the receiving end of some sinful behavior.
Galatians 6:1 tells us that if a brother is overtaken in a fault, the one who is spiritual should restore that one with a spirit of meekness being careful lest he be tempted in a similar way. Here again the goal is restoration and will require our humble assistance not our critical judging.
Another passage that needs some discussion is I Corinthians 2:15 which says, “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.” Doesn’t this say that the spiritual person judges? The word for judge here is “anakrino” which means scrutinizes and investigates and discerns. The preceding verse uses the same word when it says that the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned. So, yes, the Christian is to judge in the sense of being discerning. I Thess 5:21 says something similar when it says that we should test all things and hold fast to that which is good. The Christian is to discern behavior and weigh consequences and compare behavior to Scripture. And yet there is a subtle difference between this and the kind of judging which normally takes place.
In previous posts I tried to visualize improper judging as a person putting himself up on the bench to watch and listen to evidence with the intention of rendering a verdict. It is not only giving the verdict that is improper it is the attitude of being above another person as their inspector and judge. Being discerning is different. It’s difficult to explain, but I think you can see the difference.
Yet another passage brought up to show that we should judge is Philippians 1:9-10. It says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,” The word for discernment is insight. The word for approve is to test or prove. So as our love increases, it should be a love that is insightful and discerning. It is not a love that just embraces everything and everybody. There is the need to test and prove things to make sure they are real. We as Christians are not to be undiscerning and careless, just accepting everything that comes along without any thought or insight.
Another passage which teaches the same thing is Heb 5:14 which says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Discernment is a good thing and our senses have to be exercised in order to become better at it.
The question becomes, then, how to do this without the judging that is forbidden. I would encourage you to ask yourself this question when you find yourself making judgments on another person’s behavior. Ask yourself this question, “If the kind of judging I’m doing now is biblical judgment or discernment, what would the forbidden judging me like in this case?” Sometimes our pride gets in the way and makes excuses for our improper judging because we somehow believe that we are more righteous or have it more together than the other person. However, if we can examine ourselves on this and see that we are merely making discerning observations and not being critical or “holier-than-thou”, then perhaps we’ve got it right.
In the final installment, I’ll give you my summary of all of this for whatever that’s worth.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Formal Judging Encouraged
So having given consideration to the passages that tell us not to judge one another, let us turn to passages that tell us to judge. The thing that surprised me as I began to investigate this side of the issue is that there are very few verses that tell us to judge anything using the words “krino” or “katakrino”.
I Corinthians 5 tells us about the man in the church in Corinth who was living an immoral life with impunity as the church did nothing about it. Paul says that though he is absent, he has already judged this person. Then beginning in verse 11 he says, “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.””
One thing I find interesting here is that Paul says that he doesn’t even judge those outside and yet we tend not only to judge one another but also those outside. But back to our main issue here. It seems to me that judging is advocated in this case as a formal responsibility given to the church. The difference then between this kind of judging and that which is forbidden in the passages we’ve already studied is that as individuals we are not to take up the judging responsibility, but as churches we have that corporate responsibility.
In I Corinthians 6, Paul tells believers that they should not go to court against one another. He then tells us that if there is actually a dispute that needs to be resolved, shouldn’t believers be able to handle the case? In other words, it should be possible for the church to find believers who have the wisdom to judge in such a case. This is another case where the church officially takes the role of judging. In this situation there is to be a formal hearing to help resolve a dispute.
I Corinthians 5 tells us about the man in the church in Corinth who was living an immoral life with impunity as the church did nothing about it. Paul says that though he is absent, he has already judged this person. Then beginning in verse 11 he says, “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.””
One thing I find interesting here is that Paul says that he doesn’t even judge those outside and yet we tend not only to judge one another but also those outside. But back to our main issue here. It seems to me that judging is advocated in this case as a formal responsibility given to the church. The difference then between this kind of judging and that which is forbidden in the passages we’ve already studied is that as individuals we are not to take up the judging responsibility, but as churches we have that corporate responsibility.
In I Corinthians 6, Paul tells believers that they should not go to court against one another. He then tells us that if there is actually a dispute that needs to be resolved, shouldn’t believers be able to handle the case? In other words, it should be possible for the church to find believers who have the wisdom to judge in such a case. This is another case where the church officially takes the role of judging. In this situation there is to be a formal hearing to help resolve a dispute.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Don't Judge Before the Time
The following post represents the sixth installment in my study of the Bible’s teaching on judging one another.
Passage 5 -- I Corinthians 4
“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
In this passage Paul explains that it is a small thing to be judged by anyone. In fact he does not even judge himself. He rightly recognizes that it is the Lord who judges him. Paul has told us in other places not to judge and here he tells us that he isn’t influenced or bothered by those who would seek to judge him. He knows there is one person who is the judge and there is a judgment time coming but it is not now and his judges are not other people. Because we know this is true, he says, “Therefore judge nothing before the time…” There is a judgment but now is not the time and therefore judging should not be taking place. The Lord, the judge, is coming and He will bring everything to light and judge righteously. When we first hear that the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts, our response is often one of fear. But the amazing thing to me in this passage is that when the hidden things of darkness and the counsels of the heart are revealed, each one’s praise will come from God. Not only is this true for us it is also true for our brothers and sisters in Christ. So when that judgment day comes and the hidden things come to light, God is going praise that one who we have been judging! Won’t that be a turn of events? I hope you realize that I understand that at the judgment seat of Christ there will be loss of rewards and some will be saved so as by fire. But the passage before us clearly says that when the hidden things are revealed each one’s praise – (that is EACH one) will come from God.
I hope that is both an encouragement to you and a challenge not to be so critical and judgmental of others.
In the next several posts we’ll examine in what ways the Bible teaches us to be discerning and we’ll discuss how that differs from the judging that is forbidden in the Scriptures we have been examining.
Passage 5 -- I Corinthians 4
“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
In this passage Paul explains that it is a small thing to be judged by anyone. In fact he does not even judge himself. He rightly recognizes that it is the Lord who judges him. Paul has told us in other places not to judge and here he tells us that he isn’t influenced or bothered by those who would seek to judge him. He knows there is one person who is the judge and there is a judgment time coming but it is not now and his judges are not other people. Because we know this is true, he says, “Therefore judge nothing before the time…” There is a judgment but now is not the time and therefore judging should not be taking place. The Lord, the judge, is coming and He will bring everything to light and judge righteously. When we first hear that the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts, our response is often one of fear. But the amazing thing to me in this passage is that when the hidden things of darkness and the counsels of the heart are revealed, each one’s praise will come from God. Not only is this true for us it is also true for our brothers and sisters in Christ. So when that judgment day comes and the hidden things come to light, God is going praise that one who we have been judging! Won’t that be a turn of events? I hope you realize that I understand that at the judgment seat of Christ there will be loss of rewards and some will be saved so as by fire. But the passage before us clearly says that when the hidden things are revealed each one’s praise – (that is EACH one) will come from God.
I hope that is both an encouragement to you and a challenge not to be so critical and judgmental of others.
In the next several posts we’ll examine in what ways the Bible teaches us to be discerning and we’ll discuss how that differs from the judging that is forbidden in the Scriptures we have been examining.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Judging in the gray areas
What follows is the fifth installment in my study of what the Bible teaches about judging.
Passage 4: Romans 14
This passage deals with what I will call questionable activities. Some would say they are the “gray” areas. I’m not sure God has gray areas, but God hasn’t chosen to reveal everything about everything. In this chapter Paul deals with those who prefer to eat only vegetables in comparison with those who believe they are able to eat meat. Other believers treat every day as equal, while others believe some days are more special. Verse 3 and following says, “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.”
Neither the one who eats nor the one who does not eat is supposed to despise, judge or look down upon the other. Both are to respect the other. The passage assumes (vs 6) that people on both sides of these issues are doing what they do for the Lord and to please Him. They both are thankful for the provision God has made for them. They stand or fall before their own master not before anyone else. That master is God. The interesting thing is that the next phrase which I left out of the quote above says, “He will be made to stand because God is able to make Him stand.” God is at work to strengthen and hold up all of His children whether they are the eaters or the non-eaters. The verse doesn’t say that God is trying to hold them up, it says that they will stand because He is able to make them stand. We, on the other hand, are often trying to trip up and cause people to be discouraged and to faint along the way because of our criticism. This is completely opposite of what God is trying to do.
The passage goes on to remind us that each one of us will give an account of himself to God. We will not give account of others – just ourselves. Because of this, verse 13 tells us not to judge one another any longer, but to resolve this – not to put a stumbling block in our brother’s way. It couldn’t be any clearer. Don’t judge one another any more.
Here then is the goal. We are to edify and build up, not tear down and trip up. In order to be successful in this goal we are not to judge each other any more.
Many times our judging, especially in these areas of questionable activities, stems from the opinion that our view of things is the right one. We tend to compare people with ourselves. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
Many of the standards we set up for ourselves may have been established for wholesome motives. We want to live holy lives and we want to grow and please Christ. However, we need to be careful even in this because as Colossians 2:13 – 23 tells us, the attempt to live a more stoic life (which I grant you is not the same as seeking to live a holy life) does nothing to restrain the flesh. Even though it doesn’t help, we not only attempt to live that way ourselves, but try to impose those standards on others. No wonder Paul told the Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” (Col 2:16, 17)
Now if you have begun to feel a drift toward liberalism as you have been reading this, go back to my introduction in the first post. God expects us to have standards and to be discerning. However, He is forbidding something here. The question we need to ask our self is this, “If the kind of discernment and critical analysis that is standard practice in my life is right and commanded by God, what exactly is He forbidding in these passages?” He is forbidding something. Stay tuned.
Passage 4: Romans 14
This passage deals with what I will call questionable activities. Some would say they are the “gray” areas. I’m not sure God has gray areas, but God hasn’t chosen to reveal everything about everything. In this chapter Paul deals with those who prefer to eat only vegetables in comparison with those who believe they are able to eat meat. Other believers treat every day as equal, while others believe some days are more special. Verse 3 and following says, “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.”
Neither the one who eats nor the one who does not eat is supposed to despise, judge or look down upon the other. Both are to respect the other. The passage assumes (vs 6) that people on both sides of these issues are doing what they do for the Lord and to please Him. They both are thankful for the provision God has made for them. They stand or fall before their own master not before anyone else. That master is God. The interesting thing is that the next phrase which I left out of the quote above says, “He will be made to stand because God is able to make Him stand.” God is at work to strengthen and hold up all of His children whether they are the eaters or the non-eaters. The verse doesn’t say that God is trying to hold them up, it says that they will stand because He is able to make them stand. We, on the other hand, are often trying to trip up and cause people to be discouraged and to faint along the way because of our criticism. This is completely opposite of what God is trying to do.
The passage goes on to remind us that each one of us will give an account of himself to God. We will not give account of others – just ourselves. Because of this, verse 13 tells us not to judge one another any longer, but to resolve this – not to put a stumbling block in our brother’s way. It couldn’t be any clearer. Don’t judge one another any more.
Here then is the goal. We are to edify and build up, not tear down and trip up. In order to be successful in this goal we are not to judge each other any more.
Many times our judging, especially in these areas of questionable activities, stems from the opinion that our view of things is the right one. We tend to compare people with ourselves. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
Many of the standards we set up for ourselves may have been established for wholesome motives. We want to live holy lives and we want to grow and please Christ. However, we need to be careful even in this because as Colossians 2:13 – 23 tells us, the attempt to live a more stoic life (which I grant you is not the same as seeking to live a holy life) does nothing to restrain the flesh. Even though it doesn’t help, we not only attempt to live that way ourselves, but try to impose those standards on others. No wonder Paul told the Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” (Col 2:16, 17)
Now if you have begun to feel a drift toward liberalism as you have been reading this, go back to my introduction in the first post. God expects us to have standards and to be discerning. However, He is forbidding something here. The question we need to ask our self is this, “If the kind of discernment and critical analysis that is standard practice in my life is right and commanded by God, what exactly is He forbidding in these passages?” He is forbidding something. Stay tuned.
Monday, November 20, 2006
No Evil Speaking - James 4:11
What follows is the fourth installment in my study of what the Bible teaches about judging.
Passage 3: James 4:11
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Here the admonition is to not speak evil of one another. The next sentence puts judging and speaking evil of another in the same category. Even though we may not understand this sentence, it is very clear that the person who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. Doing so makes one a judge of the law and thus above the law. In our relationships with one another no one is above another. None of us is on the judicial bench investigating and evaluating another person’s life. The passage before us teaches us that there is one Lawgiver – God. Lifting ourselves above another and thus above the law is equivalent to putting ourselves on an equal footing with God. Is that really where we want to be? He is the one who is able to save or to destroy. Therefore who are we to judge one another?
James, almost as a passing comment says in 5:9, “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold the judge is standing at the door.” What a picture. Here we are grumbling against our brother and the true Judge of the universe knocks on the door. He is the one who has the true power to condemn or justify. We started this discussion with the word condemn. Here we see that just grumbling against one another is dangerous. Why, because it may bring the condemnation of the judge. Shouldn’t we be making sure our behavior will be pleasing to Him rather than lifting ourselves up to God’s level and finding ourselves condemned by Him?
Passage 3: James 4:11
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Here the admonition is to not speak evil of one another. The next sentence puts judging and speaking evil of another in the same category. Even though we may not understand this sentence, it is very clear that the person who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. Doing so makes one a judge of the law and thus above the law. In our relationships with one another no one is above another. None of us is on the judicial bench investigating and evaluating another person’s life. The passage before us teaches us that there is one Lawgiver – God. Lifting ourselves above another and thus above the law is equivalent to putting ourselves on an equal footing with God. Is that really where we want to be? He is the one who is able to save or to destroy. Therefore who are we to judge one another?
James, almost as a passing comment says in 5:9, “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold the judge is standing at the door.” What a picture. Here we are grumbling against our brother and the true Judge of the universe knocks on the door. He is the one who has the true power to condemn or justify. We started this discussion with the word condemn. Here we see that just grumbling against one another is dangerous. Why, because it may bring the condemnation of the judge. Shouldn’t we be making sure our behavior will be pleasing to Him rather than lifting ourselves up to God’s level and finding ourselves condemned by Him?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Judge not, that you be not judged
What follows is the third installment in my study of the Biblical teaching on judging.
Passage 2: Matthew 7:1
In this passage God tells us that whatever measure we use in judging others will be used in judging us. Therefore, we are to be careful to make sure that the plank is out of our own eye before working on the speck in our brother’s eye.
Here’s what the passage says in the NKJV: “1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
The very first words are “Judge not.” Many of us cringe when we hear someone say this because it usually means that he is trying to get away with something and doesn’t want us to tell him where he is wrong. The reason not to judge is so that we would not be judged because whatever measure we use to evaluate others is the same measure that will be used to evaluate us. At first we might conclude that that would be fair, after all we don’t do the kind of things the other person does. However we need to remember what we learned in the last passage – we who judge do the same things. It might not be the same exact thing, but it is just as sinful in God’s sight.
In this passage we also learn that it is possible to help a brother with an issue in his life, but we have to have enough sensitivity to know that we may have something that is a hindrance in our own life and this should be taken care of before we presume to be able to help another. Galatians 6:1 tells us that if our brother is overtaken in a fault, those who are spiritual should restore such a person, but with care, knowing that we may be tempted and fall in the same way. Any attempt at helping another to see the sins or faults in his life must be coupled with a thorough examination of our own life along with a large portion of humility.
Passage 2: Matthew 7:1
In this passage God tells us that whatever measure we use in judging others will be used in judging us. Therefore, we are to be careful to make sure that the plank is out of our own eye before working on the speck in our brother’s eye.
Here’s what the passage says in the NKJV: “1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
The very first words are “Judge not.” Many of us cringe when we hear someone say this because it usually means that he is trying to get away with something and doesn’t want us to tell him where he is wrong. The reason not to judge is so that we would not be judged because whatever measure we use to evaluate others is the same measure that will be used to evaluate us. At first we might conclude that that would be fair, after all we don’t do the kind of things the other person does. However we need to remember what we learned in the last passage – we who judge do the same things. It might not be the same exact thing, but it is just as sinful in God’s sight.
In this passage we also learn that it is possible to help a brother with an issue in his life, but we have to have enough sensitivity to know that we may have something that is a hindrance in our own life and this should be taken care of before we presume to be able to help another. Galatians 6:1 tells us that if our brother is overtaken in a fault, those who are spiritual should restore such a person, but with care, knowing that we may be tempted and fall in the same way. Any attempt at helping another to see the sins or faults in his life must be coupled with a thorough examination of our own life along with a large portion of humility.
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