It is such a big issue dealing with the church, it is hard knowing where to start. If you start in the wrong place you have to explain everything else to back up what you are saying. Get it right and the picture should build itself up one bit at a time!!
I think first of all we will start with two views, one is like looking at the Christian's week through a telescope from a distance, and then we will zoom right in to the Sunday meeting as if through a microscope.
Firstly though, you know that the word "Church" doesn't mean a building! It comes from a term that means those who are called out. It was the same word used of local councils. a meeting of the people called out from among the people.
When the church started there were no life long members, no Christians from birth, no old ladies who'd been there since before the building was built making sure no one can do anything! There were the Apostles and what they had been taught. These Apostles had been given the specific instruction to teach people what they had seen and heard, to make disciples and to establish the church.
There was no New Testament other than what the apostle's taught. So that's where we'll start, first they preached, and people believed and then they taught those who believed. They taught them, at first, on mass in the temple. In the temple around inside of the outer wall were lots of arches. In the court of the gentiles anyone was allowed to stand in one of these arches and teach. So that's what the apostles did. After all they were not a new religion, they were the fulfilment of the Jewish religion, where better to teach. Even today many Jewish converts call them selves completed Jews or Messianic Jews. So, the church gathered in the temple to hear the apostles teaching. This we are told happened daily. They didn't have TV then so they were not used to locking themselves away of an evening. There was time in the day for things like this.
But we also know not only did they devote themselves to the apostles teaching but they also devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. We know that the breaking of bread was something that took place on a Sunday and it took place in the believer's homes.
So we have two separate meetings going on, one is the meetings in the temple to hear the word preached and the other is the gathering in the homes on Sundays to break bread.
We also know that the word used for this "the Lord's supper" was a word that means a meal, the main meal of the day, in fact. We know from other places that this was a full meal referred to as the love feast as well as the Lord's supper. Again denoting that this was a large meal, as much a celebration as anything. We know from the Corinthian book that people were getting drunk as well. The alcohol was not frowned on, just the getting drunk!
Now, clearly it would be impractical to make a feast at the temple everyday, but we know that they didn't do that. This was the Lord's day celebration that took place in believers homes.
So, to start with, the "scripture teaching" and the "sacred meal" were not part of the same meeting.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
The Church, What should we do?
Having just done a piece on the conscience, I think it is best to start with our response. To help our consciences has to be better than entertaining the soul!
So what should our response be? In broad strokes, nothing! We are told to do all things to maintain unity and a bond of peace. We are told to love one another. The worst church in scripture has to be Corinth. The letter that Paul wrote was full of guidance and correct, but never once did Paul tell anyone to leave it and start again, this time getting it right. Never once did he tell anyone to go along to Ephesus because they were getting it right. The instruction and correction was given "to the church" and not to individuals. We are the body of Christ and Christ's body is not divided. We are the family of God and God's family is not about factions and divisions. Paul even goes so far as to say that divisions are of the flesh.
So no matter what I write about the church, no matter how much you feel that you want it so bad you have got to go and find one, or start one, let me warn you, God will more likely bless those who stay and faithful to His body than those who leave!
I have been in churches where a group has left to "do it right!" and a few years later you hear that it all dissolved into nothing, yet the church that was doing it wrong is still going!
Personally, and I don't want anyone to feel challenged by this too much, I'll give qualifiers, I feel that the only criteria as to which church we belong to is geography. In scripture churches are known by there location. Paul even specifically speaks against denominations in 1 Corinthians when he says twice, about "one of Paul," and so on. No where do we see the idea of people migrating, going past church doors to meet with another group, because "it suits "ME!" The number of people I meet who say that we should choose a church based on what suits us!
Now, let me give some grounds for mercy here!! We live in a world where the church is already divided, I am blessed in that the church nearest me is a nice family church. It isn't all singing and dancing and the teaching is a bit less than "wow" every week! There aren't miracles happening up the front, and I haven't seen anyone older than six fall over! But it really does have a great sense of family and for me that is more important than all the other stuff.
Like I say, I am blessed, the church has already been divided. Basically, I would stay where you are if you are happy. If God is using you then wait on Him to do any changes that are necessary. If our nearest church was a Catholic church, for example, I would have a real problem, I would not want to go there. There are other types of church that I really wouldn't want go to as well, so, what I would say is, we should go to the nearest church that doesn't give us problems! What I mean by that is, I don't really think we should be choosing churches based on what we want. For example, let's say there is a perfectly wonderful church that a person has to go past in order to get to the one where "Mr Big" is the pastor, in my mind they are choosing the church based on one person rather than the family of God.
I have found that generally the reason we join a church is often the reason we leave it. For example, if we join because the teaching is great the moment the teaching isn't great we leave. If we join because of the Big Guy, then when He career moves to a bigger church we leave. If we join because the singing is wonderful, when the singing isn't wonderful we leave! We may not leave physically, but the moment we aren't satisfied anymore, we leave spiritually and start sticking the knife in.
Obviously if you find there are unresolvable personality clashes then it probably is best to move on to where you feel relaxed in God's presence. But the reason we are going to Church, is and isn't to meet with God. We can and should meet with God all the time. That should be what we are striving for. to have more of God in our lives. The thing we can't do on our own is be with God's people, have fellowship. We can talk in tongues, prophecy, pray, read the bible, listen to a study, do a study, worship, get involved in ministry all on our own. The one thing we can't do alone is be family and have fellowship with that family!
Church is really about going round dad's house as His family and having a meal together. That in essence is what and where church started. Now, some people, like toddlers, like to roll on the floor and have their tummies tickled! Others like to get together and chew the fat. But, if the toddlers go to one place and the fat chewers go to another, we have divided the family, and the family is already divided. We have become like the age where learning is divided into colleges, where colleges look down their noses at each other. It isn't about what we want, we might as well be heroin addicts. When one needs his fix of tummy tickling and another needs his fix of erudite debate, we are no better than those in the world.
Our response to all of this is to wait and trust God to sort it out. It is only if we all humble ourselves and listen to Him that we will ever unravel this mess!
So what should our response be? In broad strokes, nothing! We are told to do all things to maintain unity and a bond of peace. We are told to love one another. The worst church in scripture has to be Corinth. The letter that Paul wrote was full of guidance and correct, but never once did Paul tell anyone to leave it and start again, this time getting it right. Never once did he tell anyone to go along to Ephesus because they were getting it right. The instruction and correction was given "to the church" and not to individuals. We are the body of Christ and Christ's body is not divided. We are the family of God and God's family is not about factions and divisions. Paul even goes so far as to say that divisions are of the flesh.
So no matter what I write about the church, no matter how much you feel that you want it so bad you have got to go and find one, or start one, let me warn you, God will more likely bless those who stay and faithful to His body than those who leave!
I have been in churches where a group has left to "do it right!" and a few years later you hear that it all dissolved into nothing, yet the church that was doing it wrong is still going!
Personally, and I don't want anyone to feel challenged by this too much, I'll give qualifiers, I feel that the only criteria as to which church we belong to is geography. In scripture churches are known by there location. Paul even specifically speaks against denominations in 1 Corinthians when he says twice, about "one of Paul," and so on. No where do we see the idea of people migrating, going past church doors to meet with another group, because "it suits "ME!" The number of people I meet who say that we should choose a church based on what suits us!
Now, let me give some grounds for mercy here!! We live in a world where the church is already divided, I am blessed in that the church nearest me is a nice family church. It isn't all singing and dancing and the teaching is a bit less than "wow" every week! There aren't miracles happening up the front, and I haven't seen anyone older than six fall over! But it really does have a great sense of family and for me that is more important than all the other stuff.
Like I say, I am blessed, the church has already been divided. Basically, I would stay where you are if you are happy. If God is using you then wait on Him to do any changes that are necessary. If our nearest church was a Catholic church, for example, I would have a real problem, I would not want to go there. There are other types of church that I really wouldn't want go to as well, so, what I would say is, we should go to the nearest church that doesn't give us problems! What I mean by that is, I don't really think we should be choosing churches based on what we want. For example, let's say there is a perfectly wonderful church that a person has to go past in order to get to the one where "Mr Big" is the pastor, in my mind they are choosing the church based on one person rather than the family of God.
I have found that generally the reason we join a church is often the reason we leave it. For example, if we join because the teaching is great the moment the teaching isn't great we leave. If we join because of the Big Guy, then when He career moves to a bigger church we leave. If we join because the singing is wonderful, when the singing isn't wonderful we leave! We may not leave physically, but the moment we aren't satisfied anymore, we leave spiritually and start sticking the knife in.
Obviously if you find there are unresolvable personality clashes then it probably is best to move on to where you feel relaxed in God's presence. But the reason we are going to Church, is and isn't to meet with God. We can and should meet with God all the time. That should be what we are striving for. to have more of God in our lives. The thing we can't do on our own is be with God's people, have fellowship. We can talk in tongues, prophecy, pray, read the bible, listen to a study, do a study, worship, get involved in ministry all on our own. The one thing we can't do alone is be family and have fellowship with that family!
Church is really about going round dad's house as His family and having a meal together. That in essence is what and where church started. Now, some people, like toddlers, like to roll on the floor and have their tummies tickled! Others like to get together and chew the fat. But, if the toddlers go to one place and the fat chewers go to another, we have divided the family, and the family is already divided. We have become like the age where learning is divided into colleges, where colleges look down their noses at each other. It isn't about what we want, we might as well be heroin addicts. When one needs his fix of tummy tickling and another needs his fix of erudite debate, we are no better than those in the world.
Our response to all of this is to wait and trust God to sort it out. It is only if we all humble ourselves and listen to Him that we will ever unravel this mess!
The Church the bit before it starts
I feel I want to do a bit of a series on the church. However, there is some dangerous stuff in here, so you need to buckle your seat belt and take a chill pill. There is some provocative and subversive stuff in here. I am not sure where to start. Here are the three main questions we need to look at:
1, How did the apostles establish the early church and what was their attitude to it?
2, How does the church today fair in comparison and are there grounds to return to a biblical picture?
3, what should our personal individual response be?
Having started of with a scare story, and I mean it, I gave this study two and a half years ago, I lost friends over it and upset a few people! I wouldn't give the study in the same way now though. Two and a half years later I have been there, and got the t shirt, I feel qualified to share this now without losing friends!!
But for me it is now a liberating study. Possibly not for the manic church doer and lover of all things church. But for those who sit and wonder why church doesn't do it for them.
I say I don't know where to start, because I don't know whether to start with the third question, so we know why we are looking at this stuff, or being the tease that I am, leave it until last so people are wondering where I am going with it?!!
1, How did the apostles establish the early church and what was their attitude to it?
2, How does the church today fair in comparison and are there grounds to return to a biblical picture?
3, what should our personal individual response be?
Having started of with a scare story, and I mean it, I gave this study two and a half years ago, I lost friends over it and upset a few people! I wouldn't give the study in the same way now though. Two and a half years later I have been there, and got the t shirt, I feel qualified to share this now without losing friends!!
But for me it is now a liberating study. Possibly not for the manic church doer and lover of all things church. But for those who sit and wonder why church doesn't do it for them.
I say I don't know where to start, because I don't know whether to start with the third question, so we know why we are looking at this stuff, or being the tease that I am, leave it until last so people are wondering where I am going with it?!!
Beauty
We say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but tonight a friend gave me the words for how I have felt for a long time (thanks Alice). A long time struggle and frustration. It is funny, we have so many things going on in life that we don't notice sometimes when we are struggling with things. My struggle has been with those I love. My frustration has been that they don't see themselves as beautiful as I see them!
The words of a song by Maroon 5, "She will be loved" say, "I want to make you feel beautiful." Those words sum up my frustration. When I love someone who doesn't think they are beautiful, it is like I am not trusted, my opinions are rejected and not valued. Now that's more about my own self pity, but there is truth in this.
We can battle with each other, trying to make each other feel beautiful while still not wanting to feel beautiful ourselves!! How stubborn can we get?!!
Does God want us to feel ugly or beautiful? We are the bride of Christ. It is often said that if you were the only person who accepted salvation, Christ still would have died for you. We know that when God looks at us He sees the beauty of His son's righteousness (so that doesn't make us feel personally beautiful!) But don't you think that God would want us to feel beautiful? Over the years there have been those Christians who think we should feel wretched, a kind of worm theology that says we are not fit or worthy of anything. Well that might be true in some sense, but Jesus was willing to die for us, so we are worth that much! A thing is really only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
If someone paints a picture, that picture could easily end up on the rubbish tip, but if someone came and paid several million pounds for it, then that picture would be valued and treasured and kept under lock and key. The pictures that hang in the galleries are only a few drops of paint on a canvas, they aren't worth more than a few pounds in real value, in fact apart from reusing the canvas they probably aren't actually worth anything. Yet the beauty that people see in those pictures is what makes them worth that money to them. They are seen as worth the government having special buildings to house them so that everyone can enjoy their beauty.
So, if we were worth so great a price, then perhaps God thinks we are beautiful. Perhaps, then He wants us to feel beautiful. Not arrogant and proud, but not downcast and dejected. Both really are pride. Both are based on one's own interpretation of one's self. Humility would be to say that we are whatever God says we are. There isn't a lot in scripture that talks about our beauty. There is the Song of Songs. And there is Isaiah 61:3:
"and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair."
There is also Peter's reference to women being beautiful with good qualities rather than adornments.
In the Isaiah passage, notice that God wants to reward those who are after His heart with making them want to feel beautiful.
If we truly felt beautiful, then would we abuse ourselves as we do? If we accepted the beauty that those who love us want us to feel, would we be insecure? Would we feel useless or worthless? Would we feel depressed and alone? Surely it is the devil who wants us to feel like this, certainly not the God who says nothing can separate us from His love and that we are more than conquerors! So, if the devil wants us to feel wretched and God wants us to feel beautiful then why do we oblige the devil?
The five cow wife!
"On the boat trip to the island he noticed a group of locals laughing hysterically. Through an interpreter he asked them what was going on. On this particular island and I make no comment about it they had a custom that a woman's hand in marriage was paid for by the groom in cows. There had been no inflation for centuries, and the going rate for an average woman's hand in marriage would set you back about two and a half moo moos. The most that had ever been paid was five cows for the most beautiful and perfect woman the island had ever seen. The least was half a cow, indicating that the lady involved was well passed her sell-by date. The islanders were all laughing because there was one man who had actually paid five cows for a wife that, really, could only ever be considered a three cow-er. The islanders said that the groom had been conned by his new father in law, a situation which they all found particularly funny.
Once the student was on the island he made up his mind to find the man with such poor bartering skills and let him know what people were saying. Eventually the two met, and our English friend tactfully and gently told the man that he was a fool with no concept of what a good woman was worth. 'Ah yes,' was the reply. 'I paid for my wife what I wanted to pay for her, and I paid what I thought she was worth. To me she is worth every udder, and when she walks through the village, now she walks with her head held high. She says to herself, I am a five-cow woman. And because she believes that she is worth five cows, she acts like she is worth five cows and she even looks like she is worth five cows.'" Mike Pilavachi (Soul Survivor)
If we truly believe that we were worth the death of Jesus, do you think we would act like it and even look like it?!!
Wouldn't that be a great ministry title? Shouldn't it be every Christians' answer to, "What is your ministry?"
"I make people feel beautiful!"
The words of a song by Maroon 5, "She will be loved" say, "I want to make you feel beautiful." Those words sum up my frustration. When I love someone who doesn't think they are beautiful, it is like I am not trusted, my opinions are rejected and not valued. Now that's more about my own self pity, but there is truth in this.
We can battle with each other, trying to make each other feel beautiful while still not wanting to feel beautiful ourselves!! How stubborn can we get?!!
Does God want us to feel ugly or beautiful? We are the bride of Christ. It is often said that if you were the only person who accepted salvation, Christ still would have died for you. We know that when God looks at us He sees the beauty of His son's righteousness (so that doesn't make us feel personally beautiful!) But don't you think that God would want us to feel beautiful? Over the years there have been those Christians who think we should feel wretched, a kind of worm theology that says we are not fit or worthy of anything. Well that might be true in some sense, but Jesus was willing to die for us, so we are worth that much! A thing is really only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
If someone paints a picture, that picture could easily end up on the rubbish tip, but if someone came and paid several million pounds for it, then that picture would be valued and treasured and kept under lock and key. The pictures that hang in the galleries are only a few drops of paint on a canvas, they aren't worth more than a few pounds in real value, in fact apart from reusing the canvas they probably aren't actually worth anything. Yet the beauty that people see in those pictures is what makes them worth that money to them. They are seen as worth the government having special buildings to house them so that everyone can enjoy their beauty.
So, if we were worth so great a price, then perhaps God thinks we are beautiful. Perhaps, then He wants us to feel beautiful. Not arrogant and proud, but not downcast and dejected. Both really are pride. Both are based on one's own interpretation of one's self. Humility would be to say that we are whatever God says we are. There isn't a lot in scripture that talks about our beauty. There is the Song of Songs. And there is Isaiah 61:3:
"and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair."
There is also Peter's reference to women being beautiful with good qualities rather than adornments.
In the Isaiah passage, notice that God wants to reward those who are after His heart with making them want to feel beautiful.
If we truly felt beautiful, then would we abuse ourselves as we do? If we accepted the beauty that those who love us want us to feel, would we be insecure? Would we feel useless or worthless? Would we feel depressed and alone? Surely it is the devil who wants us to feel like this, certainly not the God who says nothing can separate us from His love and that we are more than conquerors! So, if the devil wants us to feel wretched and God wants us to feel beautiful then why do we oblige the devil?
The five cow wife!
"On the boat trip to the island he noticed a group of locals laughing hysterically. Through an interpreter he asked them what was going on. On this particular island and I make no comment about it they had a custom that a woman's hand in marriage was paid for by the groom in cows. There had been no inflation for centuries, and the going rate for an average woman's hand in marriage would set you back about two and a half moo moos. The most that had ever been paid was five cows for the most beautiful and perfect woman the island had ever seen. The least was half a cow, indicating that the lady involved was well passed her sell-by date. The islanders were all laughing because there was one man who had actually paid five cows for a wife that, really, could only ever be considered a three cow-er. The islanders said that the groom had been conned by his new father in law, a situation which they all found particularly funny.
Once the student was on the island he made up his mind to find the man with such poor bartering skills and let him know what people were saying. Eventually the two met, and our English friend tactfully and gently told the man that he was a fool with no concept of what a good woman was worth. 'Ah yes,' was the reply. 'I paid for my wife what I wanted to pay for her, and I paid what I thought she was worth. To me she is worth every udder, and when she walks through the village, now she walks with her head held high. She says to herself, I am a five-cow woman. And because she believes that she is worth five cows, she acts like she is worth five cows and she even looks like she is worth five cows.'" Mike Pilavachi (Soul Survivor)
If we truly believe that we were worth the death of Jesus, do you think we would act like it and even look like it?!!
Wouldn't that be a great ministry title? Shouldn't it be every Christians' answer to, "What is your ministry?"
"I make people feel beautiful!"
Monday, 28 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & 8 the one after the last part!
Conscience
I feel I should go into the conscience a bit. I don't really want to do a full study of it but just outline some generally accepted principles and then put some things straight!
The conscience is given a very high status in scripture. We are told to do all things for the sake of our conscience. Although the biologist would study the body and a psychologist would study behaviour and measurable aspects of our being. The Bible talks about us in ways that modern science doesn't. (Guess who I believe!!)
It is generally accepted that the conscience is the conduit that joins the our own human spirit and our soul. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit and when we have something in our soul (mind / emotions) that is against the Spirit then our conscience is alerted. If we keep ignoring our conscience then we can sear it so that it becomes numb.
Our consciences are as fallen as the rest of us, so we need to train our consciences and we do that through good bible teaching (emphasis on "Good" (and Bible!!))
If we want to be led by the spirit then it follows that we need to be attuned to how the Spirit communicates with us. We need to listen to our consciences and be ready and quick to follow them. If our conscience tells us something is right and we know it isn't then we need to obey our conscience. Why? Because we need to make sure that our conscience is not seared. If we ignore our conscience then we will sear it and it will go numb!
That said, I get really annoyed at Christians who say, "It's a matter of conscience!" or "Well my conscience is clear!" It is never just a matter of conscience, that is the biggest and most telling statement that a person doesn't really have a heart after God. I have seen some of the most evangelical people use the conscience as an excuse for whatever they want to indulge in.
The point is it is up to us, we have an obligation to be led by the Spirit and not by our fallen consciences! Haven't I just contradicted myself? No, the point here (and I'm on my soap box now!!) is that we do what our conscience says in order to keep ourselves attuned to them, but we then make sure we teach our consciences so that we sanctify them.
Let me give you an example: I want to watch a certain film. My Christian friends give me a hard time about it and tell me I shouldn't watch that kind of stuff as a Christian. Now if I do not watch it because they told me not to, then I am making them the authority and ignoring the Spirit speaking to me. And remember that young Christian get more slack than older ones! Remember what you were like! OK, so I now have a problem, my Christian friends are horrified that I am watching a certain film, but it doesn't give me a problem. What I need to do is sit down with them and listen to what they have to say. Not to be persuaded by them but to listen to the Spirit and listen to the word as they speak. Following that I need to go and find other people who have taught on that subject and see what they have to say. After studying the word on the matter and being open to the leading of the spirit, my conscience will be made more Holy. Now when I come to watch that film my conscience wont let me.
Of course, I do realise that sometimes people will tell us stuff that isn't on the naughty list. It is difficult, because there are times when we think people are from a different planet because of what they say, then ten years later God finally drums it into us! In nearly every area of theology there are extreme polar opposites. It isn't easy, that's why we shouldn't get stressed about it,. as long as we know we are close to God and that God is still speaking to us, then He can bring us revelation.
There are issues that I have had flags up over for years , still waiting for God to lead me one way or the other, however, until He does, it obviously isn't that important to God that I should go one way or the other! He is the author and finisher of our faith.
I feel I should go into the conscience a bit. I don't really want to do a full study of it but just outline some generally accepted principles and then put some things straight!
The conscience is given a very high status in scripture. We are told to do all things for the sake of our conscience. Although the biologist would study the body and a psychologist would study behaviour and measurable aspects of our being. The Bible talks about us in ways that modern science doesn't. (Guess who I believe!!)
It is generally accepted that the conscience is the conduit that joins the our own human spirit and our soul. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit and when we have something in our soul (mind / emotions) that is against the Spirit then our conscience is alerted. If we keep ignoring our conscience then we can sear it so that it becomes numb.
Our consciences are as fallen as the rest of us, so we need to train our consciences and we do that through good bible teaching (emphasis on "Good" (and Bible!!))
If we want to be led by the spirit then it follows that we need to be attuned to how the Spirit communicates with us. We need to listen to our consciences and be ready and quick to follow them. If our conscience tells us something is right and we know it isn't then we need to obey our conscience. Why? Because we need to make sure that our conscience is not seared. If we ignore our conscience then we will sear it and it will go numb!
That said, I get really annoyed at Christians who say, "It's a matter of conscience!" or "Well my conscience is clear!" It is never just a matter of conscience, that is the biggest and most telling statement that a person doesn't really have a heart after God. I have seen some of the most evangelical people use the conscience as an excuse for whatever they want to indulge in.
The point is it is up to us, we have an obligation to be led by the Spirit and not by our fallen consciences! Haven't I just contradicted myself? No, the point here (and I'm on my soap box now!!) is that we do what our conscience says in order to keep ourselves attuned to them, but we then make sure we teach our consciences so that we sanctify them.
Let me give you an example: I want to watch a certain film. My Christian friends give me a hard time about it and tell me I shouldn't watch that kind of stuff as a Christian. Now if I do not watch it because they told me not to, then I am making them the authority and ignoring the Spirit speaking to me. And remember that young Christian get more slack than older ones! Remember what you were like! OK, so I now have a problem, my Christian friends are horrified that I am watching a certain film, but it doesn't give me a problem. What I need to do is sit down with them and listen to what they have to say. Not to be persuaded by them but to listen to the Spirit and listen to the word as they speak. Following that I need to go and find other people who have taught on that subject and see what they have to say. After studying the word on the matter and being open to the leading of the spirit, my conscience will be made more Holy. Now when I come to watch that film my conscience wont let me.
Of course, I do realise that sometimes people will tell us stuff that isn't on the naughty list. It is difficult, because there are times when we think people are from a different planet because of what they say, then ten years later God finally drums it into us! In nearly every area of theology there are extreme polar opposites. It isn't easy, that's why we shouldn't get stressed about it,. as long as we know we are close to God and that God is still speaking to us, then He can bring us revelation.
There are issues that I have had flags up over for years , still waiting for God to lead me one way or the other, however, until He does, it obviously isn't that important to God that I should go one way or the other! He is the author and finisher of our faith.
Romans 6, 7 & 8 Part 13
"8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:8
In case we miss this! He did just say, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In other words, if we are living with a fitness rulebook, it doesn’t matter how many sit-ups and push ups we do, our fitness instructor will still feel rejected and ignored. We will be wanting him to be impressed with what we have done, and he will just be feeling left out!
"9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Romans 8:9
Paul is not assuming that all of his readers are born again believers. He is not dividing believers into spirit filled and not spirit filled. This is important. Here Paul is taking the opportunity to preach the gospel while still teaching us about this crucial truth. If you are born again and have accepted Jesus into your life then the Spirit dwells in you that is God's promise.
But there is the problem that those who have the spirit are not living according to the Spirit but according to the flesh.
"10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness."
This is going back to what Paul was saying chapters ago, those who receive Jesus have been put to death as far as their flesh is concerned.
"11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
This is building up the the great climax. This is God's side of the bargain. God's Spirit in us will give us life. We don't, God's Spirit does. But it doesn't stop there. We need to reach the top of this mountain and the next two verses to me are the top of that mountain we have been climbing. It has been said that if the Bible is a diamond ring of our engagement to God, then Romans is the diamond and Romans 8 is the sparkle in the diamond! I would add to this that, for me, the centre of that sparkle is Romans 8:12 &13. It is the centre because it is dealing with our side of the bargain. We have been asking the question, "If we do not live by the Law then what is it we do do as our side of sanctification?" Once we reach the peek of sanctification, Paul goes onto to tell us wonderful truths like, God works all things together for those who love Him; God will bring those who have started the journey through to glorification and nothing can separate us from the love of God.
But before we go through to receive those truths, let's have a look at what sanctification is for the Christian!
"12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Firstly, notice Paul says, "We are under obligation." This is not a request, this is something we have agreed to and signed up for. This is what God wants from us and it is His will that we fulfil our obligation.
That is pretty strong what Paul says about "you must die." I could say this is talking about your flesh must die. I could say that this is talking about the likes of Ananius and Sophira who dropped dead because they were living according to the flesh (If that were the case then there wouldn't be many Christians left on the Earth including me!) I could say this is about that those who are of the flesh (the unsaved) will be put to death, so therefore we should not live in the same way as those who will be put to death. But whichever way you cut it, surely the point is, we are not supposed to be living according to the flesh!
Notice it does not say “But if by the LAW you are putting to death the deeds of the flesh!” or "By the WORD" (I can hear certain evangelicals cringing as I say it!) It is by the Spirit that we are putting to death the deeds of the body. Our obligation is to put the deeds of the body to death - by the SPIRIT. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know how to do that!!!! I mean, if I want to stop doing stuff that I shouldn't do, how do I get hold of God's Spirit and us Him to stop myself? The point is that is a Law attitude, not a Spirit attitude. It isn't us who do it by using the Spirit, it is the Spirit doing it if we allow Him.
The key is in learning to be led by the Spirit, the Spirit will led us into all righteousness, if we are following Him He will get us there. If we are following our flesh we wont get there! There is a great story about a really wide river in one of the Prophets. After you walk 500 yards into the river your ankles are covered. After another 500 yards your knees are covered, another 500 yards and you waist is covered and so on. In other words it takes time, it takes confession and correction. It isn't a case of, "Here's the Law now do it!" It is a case of, "Let me take your hand and lead you!" (I would love to talk about the conscience here, but I will try and do that as an additional study!)
This is not an "away with the fairies" theology! I had a friend who told me that Mary had appeared at the foot of her bed and told her that everything the Catholics say about Mary was true. I pointed out that the Bible is clear that Joseph did not have relations with Mary until after Jesus was born, therefore she wasn't "ever virgin!" To this she said, "I don't care, Mary told me!" Our authority for what we believe is scripture and we must test every spirit against scripture.
In case we miss this! He did just say, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In other words, if we are living with a fitness rulebook, it doesn’t matter how many sit-ups and push ups we do, our fitness instructor will still feel rejected and ignored. We will be wanting him to be impressed with what we have done, and he will just be feeling left out!
"9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Romans 8:9
Paul is not assuming that all of his readers are born again believers. He is not dividing believers into spirit filled and not spirit filled. This is important. Here Paul is taking the opportunity to preach the gospel while still teaching us about this crucial truth. If you are born again and have accepted Jesus into your life then the Spirit dwells in you that is God's promise.
But there is the problem that those who have the spirit are not living according to the Spirit but according to the flesh.
"10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness."
This is going back to what Paul was saying chapters ago, those who receive Jesus have been put to death as far as their flesh is concerned.
"11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
This is building up the the great climax. This is God's side of the bargain. God's Spirit in us will give us life. We don't, God's Spirit does. But it doesn't stop there. We need to reach the top of this mountain and the next two verses to me are the top of that mountain we have been climbing. It has been said that if the Bible is a diamond ring of our engagement to God, then Romans is the diamond and Romans 8 is the sparkle in the diamond! I would add to this that, for me, the centre of that sparkle is Romans 8:12 &13. It is the centre because it is dealing with our side of the bargain. We have been asking the question, "If we do not live by the Law then what is it we do do as our side of sanctification?" Once we reach the peek of sanctification, Paul goes onto to tell us wonderful truths like, God works all things together for those who love Him; God will bring those who have started the journey through to glorification and nothing can separate us from the love of God.
But before we go through to receive those truths, let's have a look at what sanctification is for the Christian!
"12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Firstly, notice Paul says, "We are under obligation." This is not a request, this is something we have agreed to and signed up for. This is what God wants from us and it is His will that we fulfil our obligation.
That is pretty strong what Paul says about "you must die." I could say this is talking about your flesh must die. I could say that this is talking about the likes of Ananius and Sophira who dropped dead because they were living according to the flesh (If that were the case then there wouldn't be many Christians left on the Earth including me!) I could say this is about that those who are of the flesh (the unsaved) will be put to death, so therefore we should not live in the same way as those who will be put to death. But whichever way you cut it, surely the point is, we are not supposed to be living according to the flesh!
Notice it does not say “But if by the LAW you are putting to death the deeds of the flesh!” or "By the WORD" (I can hear certain evangelicals cringing as I say it!) It is by the Spirit that we are putting to death the deeds of the body. Our obligation is to put the deeds of the body to death - by the SPIRIT. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know how to do that!!!! I mean, if I want to stop doing stuff that I shouldn't do, how do I get hold of God's Spirit and us Him to stop myself? The point is that is a Law attitude, not a Spirit attitude. It isn't us who do it by using the Spirit, it is the Spirit doing it if we allow Him.
The key is in learning to be led by the Spirit, the Spirit will led us into all righteousness, if we are following Him He will get us there. If we are following our flesh we wont get there! There is a great story about a really wide river in one of the Prophets. After you walk 500 yards into the river your ankles are covered. After another 500 yards your knees are covered, another 500 yards and you waist is covered and so on. In other words it takes time, it takes confession and correction. It isn't a case of, "Here's the Law now do it!" It is a case of, "Let me take your hand and lead you!" (I would love to talk about the conscience here, but I will try and do that as an additional study!)
This is not an "away with the fairies" theology! I had a friend who told me that Mary had appeared at the foot of her bed and told her that everything the Catholics say about Mary was true. I pointed out that the Bible is clear that Joseph did not have relations with Mary until after Jesus was born, therefore she wasn't "ever virgin!" To this she said, "I don't care, Mary told me!" Our authority for what we believe is scripture and we must test every spirit against scripture.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Romans 6,7 & 8 part 12
Setting our minds on the right thing
"6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace," Romans 8:6
There is no getting away from it, when our minds are set on the things of the flesh, and that includes following rules, it is death. When our minds are set on following the living God’s personal instruction spoken instruction, it is life.
"7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so," Romans 6:7
This is the sad fact, the person who thinks they love God because they do what His word says, are actually hostile towards God! Why? How? Imagine your financial adviser ringing everyday and you don’t even pick up the phone because you are happy to follow the financial rulebook! Would the financial adviser not feel that you were being hostile towards him? You employ him and then ignore him. We could split hairs over meanings of words, whether ignoring is the same as hostile, but here we are told "The Flesh” is hostile towards God, not us. Ignoring God is one outward sign of inner hostility.
Imagine a policeman having to slow traffic down in an area because of an accident, but then someone driving through at 30 because the sign on the road says "30!" Wouldn't the policeman feel that the person is being hostile towards him!
This morning we were told again that we are all missionaries based on the great commission! One day I'll tackle that, but for now, this guy this morning was saying that if we do not speak then we could be the reason why that person doesn't go to heaven. The trouble is, it is because we speak that a lot of people don't got to heaven! It is so easy to put people off. People fuelled with the "need" to share, fire off at people in very in appropriate ways. That is being led by the flesh. Being led by the Spirit we would speak what the Spirit gives us to speak when the Spirit tells us to speak. We would have a relationship of trust.
Many would rather have a relationship with a rule book than have a relationship with a living God. Even though they can kid ourselves we have a relationship with Him. The point is that our relationship with the living God is first. Then and only then the rule book that lets us know we are doing it right.
Imagine someone having a photo of their partner and instead of ever looking at the person they look at the photo. They are in love with the image of their partner rather than actually with their partner. It is nonsense.
Friday, 25 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & 8 part 11
"5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5
Imagine you want to get fit. And set before you are two choices you can either get a book on exercise or hire a personal trainer. If we have our mind on the spirit, we will be like one who has a personal trainer, rather than one who has a fitness rulebook. The Law is like a fitness book.
The mistake we make is to say that we live in obedience to God’s word, rather than to His spirit.
That doesn’t diminish the word.
It is like our personal trainer tells us something and we check it out in the fitness rulebook because we are not confident that we heard right. The difference is that the personal trainer establishes our program and not us. Instead of us reading the rule book and saying, "Today I will do press ups." Having the book doesn't make us an expert. Jesus said about the blind leading the blind and about removing the plank from our own eye before removing the speck from someone else's. We can have the book and we can study it, but that still doesn't make us the expert. In the same way that you can join a climbing club, listen to all the lectures and buy all the kit but never have been on a mountain. You could study the city sewage system and know it backwards, but have never been there. Simply having the book doesn't make us the expert. The Holy Spirit is the expert. If we claim to have experienced what the word says without experiencing the leading of the Spirit, then we are deceiving ourselves because the word talks about the leading of the Holy Spirit!
Now, we listen to the trainer and when he says, "Do press-ups," we look in the book and make sure press-ups are a good exercise and that we are doing them right. In exercise, we know that things that used to be thought of as good now aren’t! So it is useful to make sure that we are hearing the Spirit and not just our wishful thinking or even the devil trying to trick us.
There are lots of people who have gone astray through following the spirit, and not making sure they are grounded in the word. However, I have seen some of these brought back. God is able to look after his own. The protection against this is not to ignore the spirit because there is equal danger in thinking we understand God’s word! I have heard several great bible teachers all expound on the same verses and say completely different things.
Personally, I find that a lot of arrogance and "know it all"ness creeps in. But, for me, I would rather reject the idea that “I know” and trust in my ignorance depending on God to guide me and instruct me. By ignorance, I mean that if I have an exercise book and a personal trainer, I will not try and work out an exercise routine for myself!
Imagine you want to get fit. And set before you are two choices you can either get a book on exercise or hire a personal trainer. If we have our mind on the spirit, we will be like one who has a personal trainer, rather than one who has a fitness rulebook. The Law is like a fitness book.
The mistake we make is to say that we live in obedience to God’s word, rather than to His spirit.
That doesn’t diminish the word.
It is like our personal trainer tells us something and we check it out in the fitness rulebook because we are not confident that we heard right. The difference is that the personal trainer establishes our program and not us. Instead of us reading the rule book and saying, "Today I will do press ups." Having the book doesn't make us an expert. Jesus said about the blind leading the blind and about removing the plank from our own eye before removing the speck from someone else's. We can have the book and we can study it, but that still doesn't make us the expert. In the same way that you can join a climbing club, listen to all the lectures and buy all the kit but never have been on a mountain. You could study the city sewage system and know it backwards, but have never been there. Simply having the book doesn't make us the expert. The Holy Spirit is the expert. If we claim to have experienced what the word says without experiencing the leading of the Spirit, then we are deceiving ourselves because the word talks about the leading of the Holy Spirit!
Now, we listen to the trainer and when he says, "Do press-ups," we look in the book and make sure press-ups are a good exercise and that we are doing them right. In exercise, we know that things that used to be thought of as good now aren’t! So it is useful to make sure that we are hearing the Spirit and not just our wishful thinking or even the devil trying to trick us.
There are lots of people who have gone astray through following the spirit, and not making sure they are grounded in the word. However, I have seen some of these brought back. God is able to look after his own. The protection against this is not to ignore the spirit because there is equal danger in thinking we understand God’s word! I have heard several great bible teachers all expound on the same verses and say completely different things.
Personally, I find that a lot of arrogance and "know it all"ness creeps in. But, for me, I would rather reject the idea that “I know” and trust in my ignorance depending on God to guide me and instruct me. By ignorance, I mean that if I have an exercise book and a personal trainer, I will not try and work out an exercise routine for myself!
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & 8 part 10
When I was looking through my notes on this, my notes for each verse now are about as long as what I have been posting each time. That would mean looking at each verse one at a time. That is fine but I get impatient and tell myself we will lose the continuity of the passage as a whole if we break it down too much. But then I think, well this is important stuff, we have taken 9 posts to get this far, don't blow it all in one go so the point doesn't actually sink in! Anyway, on balance, I'll post a verse at a time and have a good chew!
"4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Here is a glimpse at the “how to.” The question we need to ask ourselves is, “How do we sanctify ourselves if we do not sanctify ourselves by the law?” Let’s backtrack and look at what has been said so far. In Romans 6:10 we are told that Jesus “Lives to God.” In 6:13, we are told, “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” The point is to live to God. In isolation I could do a talk on what it means to live to God and get it completely wrong.
I remember a guy telling me that he was fixing his car. He needed to put a bolt through the floor of the car. However, he couldn't hold the bolt and put the nut on at the same time. He called his 6 year old son and asked him to hold the bolt in the car while he went underneath and put the nut on it. He slid under the car and noticed the bolt wasn't there! He called to his son, but no answer! He looked out from under the car to see his son skipping down the garden path towards his wife who was hanging out the washing. The boy was waving the bolt in the air and singing, "I'm helping daddy, I'm helping daddy!"
Likewise, we can kid ourselves we are living “to” god when we are doing great works of charity, or even studying His word day and night, There are plenty of people like Jehovah’s Witnesses who are very misguided. Unless we are actually living in the full knowledge that we are doing exactly what God wants us to be doing, then we are just like that boy. We think we are helping but we are only really making ourselves happy.
Living to God was the glimpse Paul gave us in answering the first question regarding sinning. In the answer to the second Question in Romans 6:16, we are told we can either sin or obey. In 6:22 we are told that we are enslaved to God. So, the second glimpse at “how to” is, Obedience to God. Again in isolation we could do a whole talk on that and get it completely wrong! For example, clearly there are two very different ways to be obedient to God: "The word" and "the Spirit!" (Not counting church tradition and "God gave us a brain to work it out for ourselves" liberalism!)
If I follow the Spirit and do not test it against the word with integrity then I am a Charismaniac! If I am using my intellect to follow the word and do not take my leading from the spirit then I am an evangelegalist! Here in Romans 8:4 Paul has just said we “do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Here is the glimpse of how we "do" sanctification! We live to God, We obey God by walking by the Spirit. We take our leading from the Spirit and test it against the word.
If we remember that the relationship we have with the law was through the flesh, then to live according to the flesh brings us under the law. However, through the spirit, we have died to the law. This takes us back to what I said about Joseph working for Potiphar. When he was thrown into prison he was dead to Potiphar, when he worked for the king, he now kept Potiphar but was no longer obeying his commands. In the same way, when we are obedient to the spirit, the spirit will not cause us to break the law. In the same way that Abraham believed God and obeyed him, that was counted to him as righteousness, so when we believe God and obey Him, it is counted to us as righteousness. How do I know it is the Spirit and not deception? By testing it against the word!
"4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Here is a glimpse at the “how to.” The question we need to ask ourselves is, “How do we sanctify ourselves if we do not sanctify ourselves by the law?” Let’s backtrack and look at what has been said so far. In Romans 6:10 we are told that Jesus “Lives to God.” In 6:13, we are told, “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” The point is to live to God. In isolation I could do a talk on what it means to live to God and get it completely wrong.
I remember a guy telling me that he was fixing his car. He needed to put a bolt through the floor of the car. However, he couldn't hold the bolt and put the nut on at the same time. He called his 6 year old son and asked him to hold the bolt in the car while he went underneath and put the nut on it. He slid under the car and noticed the bolt wasn't there! He called to his son, but no answer! He looked out from under the car to see his son skipping down the garden path towards his wife who was hanging out the washing. The boy was waving the bolt in the air and singing, "I'm helping daddy, I'm helping daddy!"
Likewise, we can kid ourselves we are living “to” god when we are doing great works of charity, or even studying His word day and night, There are plenty of people like Jehovah’s Witnesses who are very misguided. Unless we are actually living in the full knowledge that we are doing exactly what God wants us to be doing, then we are just like that boy. We think we are helping but we are only really making ourselves happy.
Living to God was the glimpse Paul gave us in answering the first question regarding sinning. In the answer to the second Question in Romans 6:16, we are told we can either sin or obey. In 6:22 we are told that we are enslaved to God. So, the second glimpse at “how to” is, Obedience to God. Again in isolation we could do a whole talk on that and get it completely wrong! For example, clearly there are two very different ways to be obedient to God: "The word" and "the Spirit!" (Not counting church tradition and "God gave us a brain to work it out for ourselves" liberalism!)
If I follow the Spirit and do not test it against the word with integrity then I am a Charismaniac! If I am using my intellect to follow the word and do not take my leading from the spirit then I am an evangelegalist! Here in Romans 8:4 Paul has just said we “do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Here is the glimpse of how we "do" sanctification! We live to God, We obey God by walking by the Spirit. We take our leading from the Spirit and test it against the word.
If we remember that the relationship we have with the law was through the flesh, then to live according to the flesh brings us under the law. However, through the spirit, we have died to the law. This takes us back to what I said about Joseph working for Potiphar. When he was thrown into prison he was dead to Potiphar, when he worked for the king, he now kept Potiphar but was no longer obeying his commands. In the same way, when we are obedient to the spirit, the spirit will not cause us to break the law. In the same way that Abraham believed God and obeyed him, that was counted to him as righteousness, so when we believe God and obey Him, it is counted to us as righteousness. How do I know it is the Spirit and not deception? By testing it against the word!
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & 8 part 9
Chapter 8!
So far Paul has told how not to be sanctified! We are not sanctified by deliberately sinning to invoke God's grace. We are not sanctified by the law. To the Jewish mind, and to most minds we only see these two options, we either keep God's Law or we sin. There seems no other way. In Romans 8 Paul starts by outlining our justification. But that is important because our justification is what has freed us from the law.
"1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Condemnation is the sentence that is passed after we have been found guilty. No one is saying we are not guilty and deserving of condemnation, but Christ has paid the price and set us free.
"2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
We have been set free from the law that leads to death by another law, the law of the Spirit of life. God cannot break a law. We do not break the law of gravity by flying in the plane, we have to apply other laws to counteract the first. In the case of a plane we apply the law of up lift and force from the engines. In the case of the Law of Moses, God counteracted it with the law that is in Christ Jesus.
"3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
Jesus took on the likeness of sinful flesh but not actually sinful flesh. Rather than condemn us because of sin He condemned our sin in Him.
"4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Here we see that God has not bypassed the law, but rather has fulfilled it. We do not walk according to the flesh, we walk according to the Spirit. Here is the first glimpse of how we live out our sanctification. We walk according to the spirit not the flesh. Paul will make more of this as we go on. I will leave it there today. We need to make sure we have fully grasped the point that we free from condemnation and freed from the law. We have a new law, the law of spirit of life in Christ Jesus, it is up to us to walk in it!
So far Paul has told how not to be sanctified! We are not sanctified by deliberately sinning to invoke God's grace. We are not sanctified by the law. To the Jewish mind, and to most minds we only see these two options, we either keep God's Law or we sin. There seems no other way. In Romans 8 Paul starts by outlining our justification. But that is important because our justification is what has freed us from the law.
"1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Condemnation is the sentence that is passed after we have been found guilty. No one is saying we are not guilty and deserving of condemnation, but Christ has paid the price and set us free.
"2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
We have been set free from the law that leads to death by another law, the law of the Spirit of life. God cannot break a law. We do not break the law of gravity by flying in the plane, we have to apply other laws to counteract the first. In the case of a plane we apply the law of up lift and force from the engines. In the case of the Law of Moses, God counteracted it with the law that is in Christ Jesus.
"3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
Jesus took on the likeness of sinful flesh but not actually sinful flesh. Rather than condemn us because of sin He condemned our sin in Him.
"4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Here we see that God has not bypassed the law, but rather has fulfilled it. We do not walk according to the flesh, we walk according to the Spirit. Here is the first glimpse of how we live out our sanctification. We walk according to the spirit not the flesh. Paul will make more of this as we go on. I will leave it there today. We need to make sure we have fully grasped the point that we free from condemnation and freed from the law. We have a new law, the law of spirit of life in Christ Jesus, it is up to us to walk in it!
Monday, 21 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & 8 part 8
At last!! This is the bit I have been wanting to get to. This is the bit where I disagree with all of the commentators!
The last part of chapter 7, from verse 14, has always been a great comfort to me. It was also a great comfort when I first heard the commentators on it. The trouble is, like most people I completely forget what I have just read and read this in complete contradiction to what has gone before.
When we read this passage, "The thing I don't want to do, I end up doing and the thing I want to do I don't do" has always been my cover up. But when I looked more closely and decided to follow it through I realised that Paul was not actually writing his Christian experience. We have just seen some crucial things:
1, we are dead to the law
2, it is only by deception of sin that we try to keep the law
3, Paul is speaking to those who are under the law
4 we are under grace not law
Paul is actually summing up for those who know the law the futility of trying to follow the law. He sums up that he agrees that the law is good, and that it is him that cannot keep it. It is the cry of the futility of trying to live by the law that cries out, "24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" The Christian should never cry this because in the next verse Paul gives the answer "25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We have already been set free, we just don't live like it! We live according to the flesh, even when we try to live by law, we are living according to the flesh. We need to put off the old nature and put on the new. The Christian life is written in Romans 8.
We can obviously identify with what Paul is saying here because we have the essential ingredients the same as everyone else, an old fallen nature, sin and the law. However, if we think this is describing the Christian life then we have missed the point that we are dead to the law. The Christian does not live according to the law, which is exactly what this passage is talking about. I do not know many Christians who do not live by this passage and cling to it as "grace." The kind of grace that says, "Well as long as you wanted to do the right thing it's OK!" But as we have hopefully seen grace isn't a cover up. Grace is the driver, it is God's grace at work in us that sanctifies us, not trying to live by the law.
"14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."
To back this up compare verse 25 with Galatians 5:4 "4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."
The last part of chapter 7, from verse 14, has always been a great comfort to me. It was also a great comfort when I first heard the commentators on it. The trouble is, like most people I completely forget what I have just read and read this in complete contradiction to what has gone before.
When we read this passage, "The thing I don't want to do, I end up doing and the thing I want to do I don't do" has always been my cover up. But when I looked more closely and decided to follow it through I realised that Paul was not actually writing his Christian experience. We have just seen some crucial things:
1, we are dead to the law
2, it is only by deception of sin that we try to keep the law
3, Paul is speaking to those who are under the law
4 we are under grace not law
Paul is actually summing up for those who know the law the futility of trying to follow the law. He sums up that he agrees that the law is good, and that it is him that cannot keep it. It is the cry of the futility of trying to live by the law that cries out, "24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" The Christian should never cry this because in the next verse Paul gives the answer "25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We have already been set free, we just don't live like it! We live according to the flesh, even when we try to live by law, we are living according to the flesh. We need to put off the old nature and put on the new. The Christian life is written in Romans 8.
We can obviously identify with what Paul is saying here because we have the essential ingredients the same as everyone else, an old fallen nature, sin and the law. However, if we think this is describing the Christian life then we have missed the point that we are dead to the law. The Christian does not live according to the law, which is exactly what this passage is talking about. I do not know many Christians who do not live by this passage and cling to it as "grace." The kind of grace that says, "Well as long as you wanted to do the right thing it's OK!" But as we have hopefully seen grace isn't a cover up. Grace is the driver, it is God's grace at work in us that sanctifies us, not trying to live by the law.
"14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."
To back this up compare verse 25 with Galatians 5:4 "4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Romans 6,7 & 8 part 7
Is the Law Sin?
When we left the last study, we left on the question:
"7a What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! " Romans 7:7a
To answer this question Paul changes the pronoun from "we" to "I." It is interesting that he is still following on from what he was saying before, only now he is making it personal. Some commentators have a problem with this. They assume that because Paul is saying "I" that he must be talking about himself. However, in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul uses what we could call "the poetic I." We never stop and ask, "Is Paul referring to himself?" We read it in the poetry of the first person, It is I who am reading and therefore I refers to me. But 1 Corinthians doesn't apply to everyone. It applies to the believers. It is the same here, although we could angle ourselves into this passage, Paul is addressing the Jewish believers and trying to point out to them how the law failed as far as salvation and sanctification is concerned. Not only that but we are so deceived by the sin in us we kid ourselves that we are keeping the law and that it will save us. That said, we are all just as deceived and will try from time to time to cling to laws and rules as if by keeping them (even though we can't) we will be better for it!
"7b On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
We could try and tie this into humanity in general, but the Law was given to the Jews, not to humanity in general. This section is still addressed to those who know the law.
"8But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead."
We are so fallen that when we are told not to do something there is immediately a drive in us to do it!
"9I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;"
This is an interesting point that most commentators ignore by trying to make it personal to Paul. If we were able to walk on this planet without law then we would be alive. However, there is a righteous God and He has a righteous law, when that law meets our fallen state we are condemned to death. If it were not for the law, we would not even know there was such a thing as sin.
"10and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me."
Sin is deceptive, our hearts are deceptive, we think we are keeping God's law and we are in fact continuing in sinfulness. The self righteous / religious person thinks they are holy because they keep God's law, however, that is the deception of sin. None of us can keep God's law. The power of sin at work in us tells us that if we have rules then we will be alright. But sin, like a living being set to destroy us, deceives us away from the need for a saviour. It is not through works that we are saved but through faith in Jesus.
"12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful."
Here Paul is again making the point that “law” isn’t the problem. It is the Sin in us that is the problem. It is clearly wrong to blame the law for pointing out our failings. But what we need to draw from this is that for the Christian the law is clearly not the route to our sanctification. Time and again Paul has pointed out that even though the law itself is not faulty it could not do the work of making us righteous, it could not make us produce works that are pleasing to God.
We can draw a few things from this, those who have not been redeemed cannot please God. Those who have been redeemed through Christ can please God but not through works of the law. In effect we had to die to the law in order to become alive to God. The religious orders that demand adherence to laws, are a deception of sin.
When we left the last study, we left on the question:
"7a What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! " Romans 7:7a
To answer this question Paul changes the pronoun from "we" to "I." It is interesting that he is still following on from what he was saying before, only now he is making it personal. Some commentators have a problem with this. They assume that because Paul is saying "I" that he must be talking about himself. However, in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul uses what we could call "the poetic I." We never stop and ask, "Is Paul referring to himself?" We read it in the poetry of the first person, It is I who am reading and therefore I refers to me. But 1 Corinthians doesn't apply to everyone. It applies to the believers. It is the same here, although we could angle ourselves into this passage, Paul is addressing the Jewish believers and trying to point out to them how the law failed as far as salvation and sanctification is concerned. Not only that but we are so deceived by the sin in us we kid ourselves that we are keeping the law and that it will save us. That said, we are all just as deceived and will try from time to time to cling to laws and rules as if by keeping them (even though we can't) we will be better for it!
"7b On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
We could try and tie this into humanity in general, but the Law was given to the Jews, not to humanity in general. This section is still addressed to those who know the law.
"8But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead."
We are so fallen that when we are told not to do something there is immediately a drive in us to do it!
"9I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;"
This is an interesting point that most commentators ignore by trying to make it personal to Paul. If we were able to walk on this planet without law then we would be alive. However, there is a righteous God and He has a righteous law, when that law meets our fallen state we are condemned to death. If it were not for the law, we would not even know there was such a thing as sin.
"10and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me."
Sin is deceptive, our hearts are deceptive, we think we are keeping God's law and we are in fact continuing in sinfulness. The self righteous / religious person thinks they are holy because they keep God's law, however, that is the deception of sin. None of us can keep God's law. The power of sin at work in us tells us that if we have rules then we will be alright. But sin, like a living being set to destroy us, deceives us away from the need for a saviour. It is not through works that we are saved but through faith in Jesus.
"12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful."
Here Paul is again making the point that “law” isn’t the problem. It is the Sin in us that is the problem. It is clearly wrong to blame the law for pointing out our failings. But what we need to draw from this is that for the Christian the law is clearly not the route to our sanctification. Time and again Paul has pointed out that even though the law itself is not faulty it could not do the work of making us righteous, it could not make us produce works that are pleasing to God.
We can draw a few things from this, those who have not been redeemed cannot please God. Those who have been redeemed through Christ can please God but not through works of the law. In effect we had to die to the law in order to become alive to God. The religious orders that demand adherence to laws, are a deception of sin.
Friday, 18 April 2008
Romans 6, 7 & the first bit of 8 part 6
Chapter 7
Here Paul goes into more detail about how we have died to the law.
"1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?"
Paul has answered questions that arise from talking about grace. Now he is answering the question of, “What about the law?” Paul now creates an analogy to show our relationship to the law. It is important to note that we do not "know the law!" We have heard of it, we have read it, but we have not lived it. The Jews knew the law from the point of view of a living relationship. Imagine how hard it would be if someone said, "The food you eat, the way you wash, the way you name your babies, and so on has all got to stop!" I don't know many people who would cope with such a stark change.
"2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man."
"4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Here we see that it is the believer who dies to the law. We also see that the purpose is to bear fruit for God. The obvious point that Paul is making here is that no one under the law bore fruit for God.
"5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the
Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death."
The only fruit those under the Law produced was fruit for death
"6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."
If the Jew is released from the Law how much more so the gentile?! We serve the Spirit and not the letter.
"7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be!"
The obvious question here is if the Law could only produce fruit for death then does that mean the Law is a bad thing? Of course it isn’t the Law that is out, it is us, and the Law only showed us that we were out. That was the problem, the could only show our failings, it could not produce righteousness in us. James says:
"10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" James 2:10
Even if we manage to keep 99.999% of the law, we are still law breakers, we might as well have not bothered in the first place! Obviously, God has compassion and grace and knew the hearts of those who wanted to keep the law. Paul will go onto this idea in verse 14.
Here Paul goes into more detail about how we have died to the law.
"1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?"
Paul has answered questions that arise from talking about grace. Now he is answering the question of, “What about the law?” Paul now creates an analogy to show our relationship to the law. It is important to note that we do not "know the law!" We have heard of it, we have read it, but we have not lived it. The Jews knew the law from the point of view of a living relationship. Imagine how hard it would be if someone said, "The food you eat, the way you wash, the way you name your babies, and so on has all got to stop!" I don't know many people who would cope with such a stark change.
"2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man."
"4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Here we see that it is the believer who dies to the law. We also see that the purpose is to bear fruit for God. The obvious point that Paul is making here is that no one under the law bore fruit for God.
"5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the
Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death."
The only fruit those under the Law produced was fruit for death
"6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."
If the Jew is released from the Law how much more so the gentile?! We serve the Spirit and not the letter.
"7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be!"
The obvious question here is if the Law could only produce fruit for death then does that mean the Law is a bad thing? Of course it isn’t the Law that is out, it is us, and the Law only showed us that we were out. That was the problem, the could only show our failings, it could not produce righteousness in us. James says:
"10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" James 2:10
Even if we manage to keep 99.999% of the law, we are still law breakers, we might as well have not bothered in the first place! Obviously, God has compassion and grace and knew the hearts of those who wanted to keep the law. Paul will go onto this idea in verse 14.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Romans 6,7 & 8 part 5
The second question
(Apologies if this is getting bit long, but this is all one subject and therefore hard to break down.)
In the first question Paul asked whether it was right to continue to sin, that is to deliberately keep sinning to bring about God's grace. His answer to that was that we are dead to sin and therefore it is nonsense to continue in it. The conclusion was that we are under grace not law. To carry on sinning would imply we are under law and need to invoke grace. But Paul points out that we are under grace, we do not need to invoke it. Just as when a person is under the law they can expect punishment, so those under grace can expect sanctification (remember that word from before? It is about us being put right now!)
Now he is asking a second question. On the surface it looks no different to the first, but it is not only different it is essential that he asks it:
"15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" Romans 6:15
The first question asked, "Should we deliberately continue is sin to invoke grace?"
This second question asks, "May we occasionally indulge in sin if we are not under the law?" Again his immediate answer is "No!"
It follows that if we are not judged by the law then what does it matter if we occasionally indulge ourselves? Paul goes on to answer the question in more depth. (And can I say that understanding this question is key to understanding the brilliance of the answer!)
"16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:16
The point here is we become slaves to the one we obey.
If we obey sinful desires when they arise then we make ourselves to be slaves to sin again.
Joseph, when he was no longer Potipha's slave no longer popped back to serve Him. It would be nonsense for him to go and do a bit of cleaning for him occasionally whenever Potipha told him to.
When the sinful desire calls us, we must remember that we are not it's slave anymore and it is not our master anymore. We must become obedient to God and the result of that is all righteousness. When Sin calls us we must remember that we are a slave to righteousness. A slave is not free to serve who he chooses. A slave must serve his master. Therefore we must serve righteousness and not sin.
"17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (Have we?!)
18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Romans 6:17-18
"19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh." Romans 6:19 part 1
The human terms is basically using the analogy of slaves. But without such a black and white picture, we would not understand what he is talking about.
"For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." The rest of verse 19
Here is the mention of the word “sanctification.”
We were justified by Christ in His death,We are being sanctified by making ourselves slaves to God and righteousness.
"20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness."
While we served sin, we were unable to serve righteousness
Paul is not saying we were free from having to be righteous,
But we could not be righteous as we were slaves to sin
"21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death."
If we ask, “Can we still sin?” What is the point? We were ashamed of who we were as sinners.
The result of that was to be death. So what can we possibly get out of it?
"22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. "
There is far more benefit in submitting ourselves to God rather than sin. The results are far better! Sanctification and eternal life!
"23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
That famous verse! Concluding the answer to the question. The answer to the first question was,
“We should not continue to sin so that grace may abound because we are dead to sin through Jesus.” The answer to the second question is, “We should not occasionally indulge in sin because we are no longer slaves to sin and therefore should not obey it anymore. Shame and death are the benefits of sin Whereas, sanctification and eternal life are the benefits of being obedient to God.”
(Apologies if this is getting bit long, but this is all one subject and therefore hard to break down.)
In the first question Paul asked whether it was right to continue to sin, that is to deliberately keep sinning to bring about God's grace. His answer to that was that we are dead to sin and therefore it is nonsense to continue in it. The conclusion was that we are under grace not law. To carry on sinning would imply we are under law and need to invoke grace. But Paul points out that we are under grace, we do not need to invoke it. Just as when a person is under the law they can expect punishment, so those under grace can expect sanctification (remember that word from before? It is about us being put right now!)
Now he is asking a second question. On the surface it looks no different to the first, but it is not only different it is essential that he asks it:
"15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" Romans 6:15
The first question asked, "Should we deliberately continue is sin to invoke grace?"
This second question asks, "May we occasionally indulge in sin if we are not under the law?" Again his immediate answer is "No!"
It follows that if we are not judged by the law then what does it matter if we occasionally indulge ourselves? Paul goes on to answer the question in more depth. (And can I say that understanding this question is key to understanding the brilliance of the answer!)
"16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:16
The point here is we become slaves to the one we obey.
If we obey sinful desires when they arise then we make ourselves to be slaves to sin again.
Joseph, when he was no longer Potipha's slave no longer popped back to serve Him. It would be nonsense for him to go and do a bit of cleaning for him occasionally whenever Potipha told him to.
When the sinful desire calls us, we must remember that we are not it's slave anymore and it is not our master anymore. We must become obedient to God and the result of that is all righteousness. When Sin calls us we must remember that we are a slave to righteousness. A slave is not free to serve who he chooses. A slave must serve his master. Therefore we must serve righteousness and not sin.
"17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (Have we?!)
18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Romans 6:17-18
"19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh." Romans 6:19 part 1
The human terms is basically using the analogy of slaves. But without such a black and white picture, we would not understand what he is talking about.
"For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." The rest of verse 19
Here is the mention of the word “sanctification.”
We were justified by Christ in His death,We are being sanctified by making ourselves slaves to God and righteousness.
"20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness."
While we served sin, we were unable to serve righteousness
Paul is not saying we were free from having to be righteous,
But we could not be righteous as we were slaves to sin
"21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death."
If we ask, “Can we still sin?” What is the point? We were ashamed of who we were as sinners.
The result of that was to be death. So what can we possibly get out of it?
"22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. "
There is far more benefit in submitting ourselves to God rather than sin. The results are far better! Sanctification and eternal life!
"23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
That famous verse! Concluding the answer to the question. The answer to the first question was,
“We should not continue to sin so that grace may abound because we are dead to sin through Jesus.” The answer to the second question is, “We should not occasionally indulge in sin because we are no longer slaves to sin and therefore should not obey it anymore. Shame and death are the benefits of sin Whereas, sanctification and eternal life are the benefits of being obedient to God.”
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Romans 6,7 & the first bit of 8 part 4
"8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. " Romans 6:8-9
The price of sin is death (we know that) Christ died as the punishment for sin. There is now no punishment for sin for those in Jesus. This is so against the natural idea. We are brought up with the training, "If you break the rules, you will be punished!" How can it be that we will not be punished? What do we get? We don't get punished, we get trained. There is a word "disciplined" that word is usually used to mean punished, but it actually can mean "trained, reigned in." A disciplined horse, is not a horse that has been punished, it is a horse that does what it's rider tells it! An artist who is disciplined is not one who is punished but one who makes time and schedules work. A disciplined dieter is not someone who is hit every time they eat something, they are someone who eats what they should.
"God will discipline you if you keep doing that!" Is now the best thing we can hear. When we cannot discipline ourselves, God disciplines us! The worst thing that we can imagine is probably that God would remove us from the Earth early because we didn't behave, yet from God's point of view that is the best thing that can happen to us. We will then be glorified, we will be with Him. We will no longer have the problems we have. Suffering will end. (Sorry, I am not advocating an exit cult!)
"10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. " Romans 6:10
Having been freed from the punishment of sin He is not fee to do anything, (although I realise that He only wants to do His Father's will) He is free to live as His Father desires.
"11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11
Just like Him, we now need to consider that we are the same. We no longer work for Potiphar, we now work for the King.
Like Jesus we need to consider ourselves dead to sin. That is, not fearing sin and its consequence, because Jesus has paid the consequence. We need to be “alive to God”
Living free from sin isn’t living wild and free
"12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. " Romans 6:12-13
Is it possible not to sin, yes!
Is it likely that we will sin, yes!
Is it possible for me to play an 18 hole golf course and get a hole in one on every hole? Yes, it is possible! Is it likely? Not really!
A team at half time have are done 37-nil. Is it possible that they will win? After all the other team managed to score a lot of goals in half a game! It is possible, but it isn't likely!
Although we have a new nature, we still have our old nature. Our new nature can only please God and our old nature cannot do anything but sin. It cannot please God. If it could there would be no need for a sacrifice.
Sin is not king in our lives anymore, Jesus is! Therefore we are called to no longer obey sin and let it reign over us.
"14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:14
We are not under the law.
Sin is not master over us.
We are under grace! What is grace? I have covered this on a post called "Let's have a go at grace!" But to sum up, grace is the empowering presence of God enabling us to do what God has called us to do and become what God has called us to become.
Under the law the Jews were not able to do what God wanted them to do. Under grace we can! Grace has replaced the law for the believer. Punishment is a result of law, we have seen we are dead to the law and dead to sin. The punishment has been removed. Now God's grace is at work in us.
The price of sin is death (we know that) Christ died as the punishment for sin. There is now no punishment for sin for those in Jesus. This is so against the natural idea. We are brought up with the training, "If you break the rules, you will be punished!" How can it be that we will not be punished? What do we get? We don't get punished, we get trained. There is a word "disciplined" that word is usually used to mean punished, but it actually can mean "trained, reigned in." A disciplined horse, is not a horse that has been punished, it is a horse that does what it's rider tells it! An artist who is disciplined is not one who is punished but one who makes time and schedules work. A disciplined dieter is not someone who is hit every time they eat something, they are someone who eats what they should.
"God will discipline you if you keep doing that!" Is now the best thing we can hear. When we cannot discipline ourselves, God disciplines us! The worst thing that we can imagine is probably that God would remove us from the Earth early because we didn't behave, yet from God's point of view that is the best thing that can happen to us. We will then be glorified, we will be with Him. We will no longer have the problems we have. Suffering will end. (Sorry, I am not advocating an exit cult!)
"10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. " Romans 6:10
Having been freed from the punishment of sin He is not fee to do anything, (although I realise that He only wants to do His Father's will) He is free to live as His Father desires.
"11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11
Just like Him, we now need to consider that we are the same. We no longer work for Potiphar, we now work for the King.
Like Jesus we need to consider ourselves dead to sin. That is, not fearing sin and its consequence, because Jesus has paid the consequence. We need to be “alive to God”
Living free from sin isn’t living wild and free
"12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. " Romans 6:12-13
Is it possible not to sin, yes!
Is it likely that we will sin, yes!
Is it possible for me to play an 18 hole golf course and get a hole in one on every hole? Yes, it is possible! Is it likely? Not really!
A team at half time have are done 37-nil. Is it possible that they will win? After all the other team managed to score a lot of goals in half a game! It is possible, but it isn't likely!
Although we have a new nature, we still have our old nature. Our new nature can only please God and our old nature cannot do anything but sin. It cannot please God. If it could there would be no need for a sacrifice.
Sin is not king in our lives anymore, Jesus is! Therefore we are called to no longer obey sin and let it reign over us.
"14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:14
We are not under the law.
Sin is not master over us.
We are under grace! What is grace? I have covered this on a post called "Let's have a go at grace!" But to sum up, grace is the empowering presence of God enabling us to do what God has called us to do and become what God has called us to become.
Under the law the Jews were not able to do what God wanted them to do. Under grace we can! Grace has replaced the law for the believer. Punishment is a result of law, we have seen we are dead to the law and dead to sin. The punishment has been removed. Now God's grace is at work in us.
Monday, 14 April 2008
Romans 6,7 &the first bit of 8 part 3
The old self and the new self
"6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; " Romans 6:6
The breakthrough "bingo" moment I had with this was that it is only as part of the new covenant that we are given the new nature. The Jews/ Israel/ God's people before this did not get a new nature.
In Ephesians 4:22-23 Paul explains the old nature new nature thing in more detail:
"22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24
Before Jesus death, people had to struggle with the old sin nature, sin and the law. Under the new covenant the old sin nature has been replaced with the new righteous nature. Our struggle is no longer with sin and the law, our struggle is now with putting off the old nature and putting on the new.
This is why Paul is able to say in the next verse of Romans:
"7for he who has died is freed from sin." Romans 6:7
How can we be free from sin? Why is it a big deal? Because the people under the old covenant were not free from sin, they were in bondage to it. They had the law but the law as we will see only increased sin. Now instead of a law we have been given a new nature. Does this mean we will not sin any more? No, it means we are free from the power of sin. Which we will look at next time.
When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers he was under Potiphar. He served Potiphar, he had no choice. When he was thrown into prison, he was dead to Potiphar. He could serve Potiphar no more. When he was prime minister of Egypt he kept Potiphar better than he could have ever kept him while living under him. Joseph was now free from Potiphar, but in serving all of Egypt kept Potiphar, one small part of Egypt, almost as a side effect.
In the same way, what Paul is describing to those who new the law is: you were once under the law, you served the law; through Christ you have died to the law and now, through the new nature, you keep all righteousness and in so doing keep the law as well!
"6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; " Romans 6:6
The breakthrough "bingo" moment I had with this was that it is only as part of the new covenant that we are given the new nature. The Jews/ Israel/ God's people before this did not get a new nature.
In Ephesians 4:22-23 Paul explains the old nature new nature thing in more detail:
"22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24
Before Jesus death, people had to struggle with the old sin nature, sin and the law. Under the new covenant the old sin nature has been replaced with the new righteous nature. Our struggle is no longer with sin and the law, our struggle is now with putting off the old nature and putting on the new.
This is why Paul is able to say in the next verse of Romans:
"7for he who has died is freed from sin." Romans 6:7
How can we be free from sin? Why is it a big deal? Because the people under the old covenant were not free from sin, they were in bondage to it. They had the law but the law as we will see only increased sin. Now instead of a law we have been given a new nature. Does this mean we will not sin any more? No, it means we are free from the power of sin. Which we will look at next time.
When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers he was under Potiphar. He served Potiphar, he had no choice. When he was thrown into prison, he was dead to Potiphar. He could serve Potiphar no more. When he was prime minister of Egypt he kept Potiphar better than he could have ever kept him while living under him. Joseph was now free from Potiphar, but in serving all of Egypt kept Potiphar, one small part of Egypt, almost as a side effect.
In the same way, what Paul is describing to those who new the law is: you were once under the law, you served the law; through Christ you have died to the law and now, through the new nature, you keep all righteousness and in so doing keep the law as well!
Romans 6,7 & the first bit of 8 part 2
"1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? " Romans 1:1
This is not talking about those accidental little slips, this is actually answering a serious question. There have been people whose theology actually followed the idea that we should sin so that we can then confess our sin because 1 John 1:9 says, "9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." How will we be cleansed from all unrighteousness if we do not have sins to confess? Probably the most famous person to have this idea was the Russian monk Rasputin.
I once watched a documentary about his life and supposedly he would tell young women that they need to perform a sinful act together so that they can confess it and be cleansed! (I've heard some chat up lines but his was surprisingly effective!)
Of course Paul's immediate answer to this is, "2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"
So we are to no longer live in deliberate sin, we have died to it. If we are dead to sin then it is a nonsense to continue in it as a deliberate act. It makes as much sense as an ex smoker deliberately starting to smoke again so that he can give up again! Now an ex smoker may well find himself falling back into it again at a time of weakness, but this isn't talking about that kind of fall. This is talking about a deliberate act.
Now, clearly this probably doesn't apply to us, and so our brains get confused as to why we need to know something we wouldn't knowingly do anyway. We wonder whether it really has got something to do with us and struggle to find the connection that isn't there.
Although we wouldn't knowingly sin to bring about God's grace, the arguments that Paul gives to support this are very key to our understanding of our faith as a whole.
"3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
(Paul could assume that all early Christians were baptized.)
4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, " Romans 6:3-5
This is a glorious truth, and Paul cannot contain himself to the subject of sanctification. The amazing truth that we who have died with Christ have also been raised to a "new life" with Him and one day "shall certainly" be in His likeness when we are with Him.
This is not talking about those accidental little slips, this is actually answering a serious question. There have been people whose theology actually followed the idea that we should sin so that we can then confess our sin because 1 John 1:9 says, "9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." How will we be cleansed from all unrighteousness if we do not have sins to confess? Probably the most famous person to have this idea was the Russian monk Rasputin.
I once watched a documentary about his life and supposedly he would tell young women that they need to perform a sinful act together so that they can confess it and be cleansed! (I've heard some chat up lines but his was surprisingly effective!)
Of course Paul's immediate answer to this is, "2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"
So we are to no longer live in deliberate sin, we have died to it. If we are dead to sin then it is a nonsense to continue in it as a deliberate act. It makes as much sense as an ex smoker deliberately starting to smoke again so that he can give up again! Now an ex smoker may well find himself falling back into it again at a time of weakness, but this isn't talking about that kind of fall. This is talking about a deliberate act.
Now, clearly this probably doesn't apply to us, and so our brains get confused as to why we need to know something we wouldn't knowingly do anyway. We wonder whether it really has got something to do with us and struggle to find the connection that isn't there.
Although we wouldn't knowingly sin to bring about God's grace, the arguments that Paul gives to support this are very key to our understanding of our faith as a whole.
"3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
(Paul could assume that all early Christians were baptized.)
4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, " Romans 6:3-5
This is a glorious truth, and Paul cannot contain himself to the subject of sanctification. The amazing truth that we who have died with Christ have also been raised to a "new life" with Him and one day "shall certainly" be in His likeness when we are with Him.
Romans 6,7 & the first bit of 8 Part1
Introduction/ prelude/groundwork
There are three theological words that we don't need to know how to spell or really remember but what they describe is important to understand. These words are:
Justification
Sanctification
Glorification
What these three words are used to describe in order is
Justification, we have been saved
Sanctification, we are being put right
Glorification, we will one day be put completely right when we are with the Lord.
The bit before Chapter six, i.e. the previous chapters, have been talking about Justification, that is, how the work of Jesus and that alone has brought us salvation. Romans 5:18 is the conclusion/ summing up, of that:
"18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19
Most of us have no problem with knowing we are saved; we have wrestled with that already. Most have little or no problem with where we are going and what will happen when we get there! What we generally have a problem with is what we should be doing while we are here! That is, our sanctification. How does that work, is it a case of - if I don't smoke or fornicate I'm ok?!
Chapters 6,7 and 8 deal with the this whole issue of sanctification. They can seem very complicated but they aren't that bad really. They have been made bad by a lot of theologians and Bible teachers. I have looked at these for a long time and hopefully they will become very clear. Really clear. The kind of clear that would impress a double glazing salesman!
There are three theological words that we don't need to know how to spell or really remember but what they describe is important to understand. These words are:
Justification
Sanctification
Glorification
What these three words are used to describe in order is
Justification, we have been saved
Sanctification, we are being put right
Glorification, we will one day be put completely right when we are with the Lord.
The bit before Chapter six, i.e. the previous chapters, have been talking about Justification, that is, how the work of Jesus and that alone has brought us salvation. Romans 5:18 is the conclusion/ summing up, of that:
"18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19
Most of us have no problem with knowing we are saved; we have wrestled with that already. Most have little or no problem with where we are going and what will happen when we get there! What we generally have a problem with is what we should be doing while we are here! That is, our sanctification. How does that work, is it a case of - if I don't smoke or fornicate I'm ok?!
Chapters 6,7 and 8 deal with the this whole issue of sanctification. They can seem very complicated but they aren't that bad really. They have been made bad by a lot of theologians and Bible teachers. I have looked at these for a long time and hopefully they will become very clear. Really clear. The kind of clear that would impress a double glazing salesman!
Saturday, 12 April 2008
The Unrighteous Steward
After a discussion with a friend last night I went to bed and woke up at some point with another of my flags answered. I have never really understood what Jesus parable in Luke 16, refereed to as "the unrighteous steward" is about. Don't get me wrong I have heard plenty of people say it's easy, but none have satisfied me. Maybe others are too easily satisfied, maybe I am too fussy. But when I say what I think it is about I will explain why I think others have missed the point. Or maybe I have missed there point and we agree, but it has taken until now for me to get the concept!!
Here is the Parable:
"1Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. 2"And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3"The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5"And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6"And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7"Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8"And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
16"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
18"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." Luke 16:1-18 (NASB)
Let's do a basic break down. Is Jesus making a comparison between the steward and the Christian or a contrast? Clearly when Jesus says, "the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." Verse 8, He is making a contrast.
So, if Jesus is making a contrast, but comparing the way the unrighteous man used His masters wealth and us then how does that make sense?
The clue is simply in the "unrighteous wealth." We are to make friends for ourselves using unrighteous wealth. What is "unrighteous wealth?" The wealth of unrighteousness is that which is produced by the unrighteous. The things of this world that are not for those who no longer belong to this world. There are things in this world that Christians should not approve.
There is another verse which has long been a favourite of mine, "those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." I Cor 7:31 (NIV)
There are things in this world which we are free to use, but not so as to get engrossed.
Let me give you a couple of example situations, let's say that someone who was into Satanic Porn was converted. That person has some DVDs. They repent of what they did and want to get rid of their DVDs. Are they free to sell them? After all those other people would not be Christians so what does it matter? But they would be perpetuating and promoting Satanic Porn! So they would not be shred in their use of unrighteous wealth to use it to make money.
Jesus specifically said that we should use this wealth of unrighteousness to make friends. We know we are free to use it, but so as we get engrossed. I know the above example would frighten the life out of some, so let's make it less extreme. The kid's in the neighbourhood are mad on Harry Potter, they can't get enough. So your church runs a "Harry Potter and the Gospel" meeting for them. They are intrigued so they come to watch. The preacher shows favourite clips and give readings from Harry Potter, and uses them to cunningly portray the truths of the gospel. He lays it on heavy and gives an alter call at the end. Now, any who go forward are friends who have been won by the use of the wealth of unrighteousness.
I get the point about why certain evangelists use this stuff to win people. If only their congregations didn't take it as endorsement of the product and equally others be horrified that they are "Showing Harry Potter in Church!!"
Where I think others have missed the point is that they don't see that anything in this world is "off limits" to the new nature. If we are to put of the old nature, surely that includes the stuff the old nature generates and therefore can only feed our old nature. We are supposed to be starving our old natures to death. But we all too readily feed them. It is painful at times but then death usually is! What is hard is doing it in a way that is by your own conscience and not bu the conscience of others. I have given up trying to weigh up what I can and can't do based on what others say. There are Christian film reviewers who tell you whether something is suitable! There is only one criteria for me, is the spirit behind it the spirit of the world or the spirit of God? There are only two! People tend to think there is God's spirit, the devil and then us in the middle. Here are two passages that show no distinction between how Jesus saw the devil and fallen humanity:
"42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:42-44
"23But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s."" Matthew 16:23 Notice how Jesus uses "Satan" and "Man" interchangably.
There are only two natures and only two spirits. The old nature and the new nature, the world's spirit and God's Spirit. That is what some call black and white, but thankfully they accuse Jesus of that!
Here is the Parable:
"1Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. 2"And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3"The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5"And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6"And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7"Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8"And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
16"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
18"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." Luke 16:1-18 (NASB)
Let's do a basic break down. Is Jesus making a comparison between the steward and the Christian or a contrast? Clearly when Jesus says, "the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." Verse 8, He is making a contrast.
So, if Jesus is making a contrast, but comparing the way the unrighteous man used His masters wealth and us then how does that make sense?
The clue is simply in the "unrighteous wealth." We are to make friends for ourselves using unrighteous wealth. What is "unrighteous wealth?" The wealth of unrighteousness is that which is produced by the unrighteous. The things of this world that are not for those who no longer belong to this world. There are things in this world that Christians should not approve.
There is another verse which has long been a favourite of mine, "those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." I Cor 7:31 (NIV)
There are things in this world which we are free to use, but not so as to get engrossed.
Let me give you a couple of example situations, let's say that someone who was into Satanic Porn was converted. That person has some DVDs. They repent of what they did and want to get rid of their DVDs. Are they free to sell them? After all those other people would not be Christians so what does it matter? But they would be perpetuating and promoting Satanic Porn! So they would not be shred in their use of unrighteous wealth to use it to make money.
Jesus specifically said that we should use this wealth of unrighteousness to make friends. We know we are free to use it, but so as we get engrossed. I know the above example would frighten the life out of some, so let's make it less extreme. The kid's in the neighbourhood are mad on Harry Potter, they can't get enough. So your church runs a "Harry Potter and the Gospel" meeting for them. They are intrigued so they come to watch. The preacher shows favourite clips and give readings from Harry Potter, and uses them to cunningly portray the truths of the gospel. He lays it on heavy and gives an alter call at the end. Now, any who go forward are friends who have been won by the use of the wealth of unrighteousness.
I get the point about why certain evangelists use this stuff to win people. If only their congregations didn't take it as endorsement of the product and equally others be horrified that they are "Showing Harry Potter in Church!!"
Where I think others have missed the point is that they don't see that anything in this world is "off limits" to the new nature. If we are to put of the old nature, surely that includes the stuff the old nature generates and therefore can only feed our old nature. We are supposed to be starving our old natures to death. But we all too readily feed them. It is painful at times but then death usually is! What is hard is doing it in a way that is by your own conscience and not bu the conscience of others. I have given up trying to weigh up what I can and can't do based on what others say. There are Christian film reviewers who tell you whether something is suitable! There is only one criteria for me, is the spirit behind it the spirit of the world or the spirit of God? There are only two! People tend to think there is God's spirit, the devil and then us in the middle. Here are two passages that show no distinction between how Jesus saw the devil and fallen humanity:
"42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:42-44
"23But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s."" Matthew 16:23 Notice how Jesus uses "Satan" and "Man" interchangably.
There are only two natures and only two spirits. The old nature and the new nature, the world's spirit and God's Spirit. That is what some call black and white, but thankfully they accuse Jesus of that!
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Seeking God
Following on from the last post and the one on fasting, I have this overwhelming feeling that I should be seeking God. If I am honest there are things in life that I want and want God to bless rather than seeking what He actually wants for me. This causes that confusion causes stagnation, the analysis of paralysis! Should I shouldn't I? Is it right?
So, I want want to seek God. I have been carrying the burden of what I should do for long enough and have been down enough dead ends and have come to that "Right, I'm not getting dressed until you tell me which pair of socks to wear!" place!
I am fed up with trying to work it out for myself. A favourite Psalm, Psalm 13:2 says, "How long shall I take counsel in my soul," I picked through this using a Hebrew dictionary and it could be translated, "How long do I need to work it out for myself?" As in "How long do I need to wrestle with my thoughts?"
How long? How long indeed?
James 1:5 answers the question, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
The answer to the question, "How long should I work it out for myself?" is "Don't! Ask God instead!" It also has that flavour of what we saw yesterday, about God rewarding those who seek Him.
Therefore, I is seeking God!
So, I want want to seek God. I have been carrying the burden of what I should do for long enough and have been down enough dead ends and have come to that "Right, I'm not getting dressed until you tell me which pair of socks to wear!" place!
I am fed up with trying to work it out for myself. A favourite Psalm, Psalm 13:2 says, "How long shall I take counsel in my soul," I picked through this using a Hebrew dictionary and it could be translated, "How long do I need to work it out for myself?" As in "How long do I need to wrestle with my thoughts?"
How long? How long indeed?
James 1:5 answers the question, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
The answer to the question, "How long should I work it out for myself?" is "Don't! Ask God instead!" It also has that flavour of what we saw yesterday, about God rewarding those who seek Him.
Therefore, I is seeking God!
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Faith (Well, something about it!)
As I was reading my Bible last night I noticed something that leaped out at me, the way you probably know.
I was reading Hebrews 11, the chapter about the "Heroes of Faith!" I like locating those verses that you hear a lot, verse 1 starts, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
But verse 6 was what struck me, another famously used verse, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him," But what struck me was the bit that comes after in the same verse, "for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
A few years ago I remember wrestling with this, not this verse but this concept. I remember meeting a sweet little old lady who felt something was missing in her faith. I could see what was missing but could not get it across to her. We kept stumbling over the first bit. If I ever said she wasn't putting her faith in God, she would say, "But I believe He is there, I get down on my knees every morning and pray!"
Just like the verse in James I used a while back that put it so simply that Christians are about purity and charity, here it is put so simply. There is another verse in James that basically says, "So what if you believe God exists!" In James 2:19, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder."
What the writer of Hebrews adds for us is that we not only must believe that God is, but also that He rewards those who seek Him. It seems nonsense to say that those who come to God must believe that He is! Why or how would you come to Him if you didn't believe that He is?! There may be nominal Christians but we wouldn't consider they "Come to God!" We could consider this is a redundant expression which only emphasises the second condition; "And that He rewards those who seek Him!"
Of course, now we get into the "this life - next life" argument. When do we get a reward. The point of Hebrews 11, not at all theological in depth, is that God rewarded these people for their faith in this life. This isn't Pauline theological argument, this is:
"You know those guys we were told about? God blessed them right?"
"Well, yeah"
"Well, that's not because they were anything special, that's because God blesses those who seek Him!"
"What even me?"
"It's got nothing to do with you, who you are, what you've done, what kind of person you are, the point is, if you have faith, and faith is, believing God is and believing He rewards those who seek Him, then He will reward you too!"
"Ooh, thank you very much!"
It was one of those mind blowing moments for me again last night. Another verse that puts it so simply. Not only does God reward those who seek Him, but He is a God of love too! He loves you and wants to bless you.
Now, I know there is a Word - Faith movement and they have made a real pigs ear out of this lot, but that shouldn't mean that we ignore what the Bible says. There are plenty of verses that talk about how God wants to bless us, make everything work to our good, has plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future and so on. But if we don't believe that, as Hebrews 11:6 says, then we are not coming to Him in (Biblical) faith.
OK, so a bit more on faith. The way I see it, everyone has faith. Faith is something humans have a capacity for. But faith is like the linkage on a train carriage. You can join that linkage to something else, but if it isn't joined to the engine that is going somewhere then it wont achieve anything. How do we know that our linkage is properly secured to the engine that is going somewhere? By believing He is and that he is the rewarder of those who seek Him!"
I find that a real blessing. Maybe it is too much of a blessing for some. Not only does God want to love us, but He also wants to bless us.
It occurred to me that I haven't been seeking Him, I have been seeking what I should do. In God's silence I have looked for what I should do to make up for any lack. Every now and then I drift off and thankfully He brings me back. But the last part of this isn't that He just blesses us, "but those who seek Him." We seek Him believing He blesses us and He Blesses us! Obviously not with our worldly desires, but with the things that will actually bless us.
If my son asks for a car at 17 and I think he is a reckless idiot then it wont be a blessing to give him a car. However, if he is mature and sensible then it will be a blessing. So don't write anything off of the list of possible blessing, the only criteria I would think would be whether it is a blessing. But even then, we can be blessed with things that enable us to learn!
I have seen that one of the biggest obsticles for some people is that they just can't accept that God is nice!
I was reading Hebrews 11, the chapter about the "Heroes of Faith!" I like locating those verses that you hear a lot, verse 1 starts, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
But verse 6 was what struck me, another famously used verse, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him," But what struck me was the bit that comes after in the same verse, "for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
A few years ago I remember wrestling with this, not this verse but this concept. I remember meeting a sweet little old lady who felt something was missing in her faith. I could see what was missing but could not get it across to her. We kept stumbling over the first bit. If I ever said she wasn't putting her faith in God, she would say, "But I believe He is there, I get down on my knees every morning and pray!"
Just like the verse in James I used a while back that put it so simply that Christians are about purity and charity, here it is put so simply. There is another verse in James that basically says, "So what if you believe God exists!" In James 2:19, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder."
What the writer of Hebrews adds for us is that we not only must believe that God is, but also that He rewards those who seek Him. It seems nonsense to say that those who come to God must believe that He is! Why or how would you come to Him if you didn't believe that He is?! There may be nominal Christians but we wouldn't consider they "Come to God!" We could consider this is a redundant expression which only emphasises the second condition; "And that He rewards those who seek Him!"
Of course, now we get into the "this life - next life" argument. When do we get a reward. The point of Hebrews 11, not at all theological in depth, is that God rewarded these people for their faith in this life. This isn't Pauline theological argument, this is:
"You know those guys we were told about? God blessed them right?"
"Well, yeah"
"Well, that's not because they were anything special, that's because God blesses those who seek Him!"
"What even me?"
"It's got nothing to do with you, who you are, what you've done, what kind of person you are, the point is, if you have faith, and faith is, believing God is and believing He rewards those who seek Him, then He will reward you too!"
"Ooh, thank you very much!"
It was one of those mind blowing moments for me again last night. Another verse that puts it so simply. Not only does God reward those who seek Him, but He is a God of love too! He loves you and wants to bless you.
Now, I know there is a Word - Faith movement and they have made a real pigs ear out of this lot, but that shouldn't mean that we ignore what the Bible says. There are plenty of verses that talk about how God wants to bless us, make everything work to our good, has plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future and so on. But if we don't believe that, as Hebrews 11:6 says, then we are not coming to Him in (Biblical) faith.
OK, so a bit more on faith. The way I see it, everyone has faith. Faith is something humans have a capacity for. But faith is like the linkage on a train carriage. You can join that linkage to something else, but if it isn't joined to the engine that is going somewhere then it wont achieve anything. How do we know that our linkage is properly secured to the engine that is going somewhere? By believing He is and that he is the rewarder of those who seek Him!"
I find that a real blessing. Maybe it is too much of a blessing for some. Not only does God want to love us, but He also wants to bless us.
It occurred to me that I haven't been seeking Him, I have been seeking what I should do. In God's silence I have looked for what I should do to make up for any lack. Every now and then I drift off and thankfully He brings me back. But the last part of this isn't that He just blesses us, "but those who seek Him." We seek Him believing He blesses us and He Blesses us! Obviously not with our worldly desires, but with the things that will actually bless us.
If my son asks for a car at 17 and I think he is a reckless idiot then it wont be a blessing to give him a car. However, if he is mature and sensible then it will be a blessing. So don't write anything off of the list of possible blessing, the only criteria I would think would be whether it is a blessing. But even then, we can be blessed with things that enable us to learn!
I have seen that one of the biggest obsticles for some people is that they just can't accept that God is nice!
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Fasting
I am one of those people who sticks a flag on what I don't understand. I have had many flags up in the Bible. I usually put these before the Lord and leave it up to Him and His timing to give me the revelation. When I hear teaching on a particular subject I listen to see whether it answers my questions. I have heard a lot of teaching on fasting and not much has really answered my question about it.
My question is simple, Why? From my own experience it does nothing more than make a physical suffering as if to say that this physical suffering, although self inflicted, will get God's attention more readily! This is also the answer that I have received from most teachers.
1, Why is it right to have self-inflicted suffering?
2, Does the "all-knowing" God need something to get His attention?
Anyway, yesterday I heard a teaching that blew my mind. It also did my favourite thing of changing the way we have been taught to read a certain passage!
Let's change subject for a while and talk about "unbelief." How many kinds of unbelief are there? Let's have a basic stab and say there are three:
1, Ignorance, if we don't know we wont believe.
2, Wrong teaching, same as number one.
3, Natural unbelief concerning supernatural things.
So, how do we get rid of this unbelief? How do we make each one go. The first to go through patient teaching. Providing a person is ready to receive and the teacher has the right teaching, then it follows that ignorance and wrong teaching can be replaced with the truth.
But how do we get rid of our natural unbelief? Jesus actually tells us, however, with a few added words from the translators we have missed the meaning.
"When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him."And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:14-21
The last part of this passage is one of those "Not in early manuscripts" passages. However, that doesn't give me a problem. The point here is that the subject of what the disciples ask Jesus about is the demon. The subject of what Jesus talks about is their unbelief!
If "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" when did Jesus pray. I could kick myself because I had spotted that before, but hadn't spotted it in connection with "what goes!" Jesus immediately told the demon to go and it went. He didn't do what He said needed to be done to get rid of it (if He was talking about the need to fast to get rid of the demon!)
The "kind" that goes, is the kind of natural unbelief in the power of God. Now that fits with my problems. We are not trying to get God's attention through fasting, we are driving out our unbelief. We are starving it. We are denying the flesh the opportunity to be able to have its boastful stand. If we are prepared to starve our bodies for something then that something has to be important to us. If it is important to us then it follows that we are believing in it more strongly than if we aren't prepared to put ourselves out at all over it.
Of course, if you have strong belief in an area then you probably don't need to fast.
The only thing that pleases God is faith. There is no more sacrifice that we can do except believe. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Therefore we believe what the Bible tells us and what the Spirit tells us, testing it with Scripture. Acting on these is faith. However, what if we act on it, but don't fully believe what we are acting on? For example, we pray for healing, but somewhere deep down inside we don't believe it? How can we get rid of that unbelief. Pray harder? Shout? Pound our fists on the floor? Jesus says "This kind goes out only through prayer and fasting!"
My question is simple, Why? From my own experience it does nothing more than make a physical suffering as if to say that this physical suffering, although self inflicted, will get God's attention more readily! This is also the answer that I have received from most teachers.
1, Why is it right to have self-inflicted suffering?
2, Does the "all-knowing" God need something to get His attention?
Anyway, yesterday I heard a teaching that blew my mind. It also did my favourite thing of changing the way we have been taught to read a certain passage!
Let's change subject for a while and talk about "unbelief." How many kinds of unbelief are there? Let's have a basic stab and say there are three:
1, Ignorance, if we don't know we wont believe.
2, Wrong teaching, same as number one.
3, Natural unbelief concerning supernatural things.
So, how do we get rid of this unbelief? How do we make each one go. The first to go through patient teaching. Providing a person is ready to receive and the teacher has the right teaching, then it follows that ignorance and wrong teaching can be replaced with the truth.
But how do we get rid of our natural unbelief? Jesus actually tells us, however, with a few added words from the translators we have missed the meaning.
"When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him."And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:14-21
The last part of this passage is one of those "Not in early manuscripts" passages. However, that doesn't give me a problem. The point here is that the subject of what the disciples ask Jesus about is the demon. The subject of what Jesus talks about is their unbelief!
If "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" when did Jesus pray. I could kick myself because I had spotted that before, but hadn't spotted it in connection with "what goes!" Jesus immediately told the demon to go and it went. He didn't do what He said needed to be done to get rid of it (if He was talking about the need to fast to get rid of the demon!)
The "kind" that goes, is the kind of natural unbelief in the power of God. Now that fits with my problems. We are not trying to get God's attention through fasting, we are driving out our unbelief. We are starving it. We are denying the flesh the opportunity to be able to have its boastful stand. If we are prepared to starve our bodies for something then that something has to be important to us. If it is important to us then it follows that we are believing in it more strongly than if we aren't prepared to put ourselves out at all over it.
Of course, if you have strong belief in an area then you probably don't need to fast.
The only thing that pleases God is faith. There is no more sacrifice that we can do except believe. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Therefore we believe what the Bible tells us and what the Spirit tells us, testing it with Scripture. Acting on these is faith. However, what if we act on it, but don't fully believe what we are acting on? For example, we pray for healing, but somewhere deep down inside we don't believe it? How can we get rid of that unbelief. Pray harder? Shout? Pound our fists on the floor? Jesus says "This kind goes out only through prayer and fasting!"
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Adam's task completed!
Adam and Eve were given a task by God, "28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."" Gen 1:28
It has taken 6,000 years but Adam and Eve have finally reached the pinnacle of the task given to them! They can both lie back switch on the TV in the full knowledge that the animal's have been subdued and are under dominion!
It has taken 6,000 years but Adam and Eve have finally reached the pinnacle of the task given to them! They can both lie back switch on the TV in the full knowledge that the animal's have been subdued and are under dominion!
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Today, the road seems longer!
It may be "a long hard road, but we're gunna get there!" But at times it seems that that road is longer than is possible to bare. I feel I am back in the basement again! I should know that I am only visiting for a while and will soon get out. But at the moment it feels like I don't know how to get out and don't want to!
I had planned to go into my workshop yesterday, but I allowed the devil to steal my joy over a phone call with a friend. It deflated me. It wasn't much, just that they were too tired for us to come over! Not sick, not out, not got visitors, just too tired! They had been gardening all weekend and were stiff. It is a different standards thing. Now if I'd put my back out, that'd be something, but feeling a bit stiff to me is feeble. So I judge them by my standard and think if they would rather make feeble excuses than see us then they are obviously trying to tell me something.
Here goes the stupid as far as losing my joy is concerned! Two other friends phoned me out of the blue who I haven't seen for ages. Both, were wanting to see us! We are booked for Thursday afternoon and Friday morning!
On Sunday I caught up with a load of old friends and one of them wants to meet up with us as well. The issue for others is that because I am a man and they are women they don't want to do the "bringing the kids round to play and chat over coffee" thing. I understand that and respect that, but no matter how many times I get told that, no matter how much I respect that, the child in me feels rejected. "They don't want to play with me!"
Anyway, Becky has been having problems with a friend from Girls Brigade. I actually think this friend is ASD (after all we are all on the scale somewhere supposedly!)
Now, I have heard parents say, "let them fight their own battles", "Let them sort it out for themselves" "let them find there own answers" "don't get involved!" But the problem for me is, we are trying to bring our kids up with Christian values. The Bible says, "Teach your child!" Not, "Let them sort it out for themselves!" The fact that Becky is having problems with this girl isn't the issue, it is that she listens to our advice and then goes and does it her way and instead of winning and friend she makes an enemy!
Last night she had a toe to toe row with the girl. I don't really understand it. Neither me or CJ had these problems when we were kids. OK so we had our share of problems, but Becky seems to always find friends she can fall out with! Usually they do the falling out! I would say, "who's the common denominator?" but I remember this one girl was as sweet as anything. She came to our house for meals and she was so polite and so giving, "This is the nicest pizza I have ever had!" and things like that. Then one she blew up at Becky. It seemed so odd. A real Jekyll and Hyde. Then at this girls birthday party, we were talking to her next door neighbour and she was telling us how this girl had such a temper on her. She was always slamming doors and so on!
Obviously, as Paul said, "with some their sins come afterwards!" But this seems to be Becky's life. People who live on roller coasters! One minute they are lovely nice and warm people, next they are biting her head off! Why does she draw people like this? Are there any normal, sane people in the world?
Anyway, The issue here at the moment is, not the situation she is in, but how she handled it. It's groundhog day again! If the same situation keeps coming up perhaps we have to change how we handle it until we deal with it as we should. What Becky has shown me is she would rather follow her flesh than our advice. As a first generation Christian, at least one that wants to be Christian anyway, it is hard breaking new ground in teaching our children to be Christian.
We watch Little House on the Prairie a lot. Every now and then Charles is proud that his daughters, "socked it to 'em, and good too!" But that is hardly "Christian!" That is one persons play on right and wrong who wasn't a Christian. It is almost subversive in that it comes across as Christian, but Michael Landon changed a lot of the story and he himself was married three times. He may have been held up as a great moralist by one of the Presidents, but he is no Christian icon!
I feel that Becky may be getting wrong messages from this. Especially as her favourite episode is called "bully boys" from he third series, where three brothers cheat everyone in town. Charles tries to beat them up, Mary (can you believe it) hits on with her lunch pale! Eventually the whole town gangs up against the nasty ones and marches them out of town. Again, where were the usual attempts to win them round like they usually do?
It is a parents roll to correct and guide. There would be no point correcting and guiding if they were getting it right all the time. We'd be out of a job!
Like I say, the biggest problem is I'm never that sure what the right thing to do is anyway! If it was down to my flesh, I'd do what she's doing! All along, I've have been saying to Becky to have a quiet word with this girl about the issues, sound her out find out what she feels about it. However, she has shyed away from this and ended up having a big row with everyone else taking sides! All I know is we are supposed to add mercy, forgiveness, love, kindness, patience and all that stuff and not outbursts of anger, quarrels, disputes and divisions!
I had planned to go into my workshop yesterday, but I allowed the devil to steal my joy over a phone call with a friend. It deflated me. It wasn't much, just that they were too tired for us to come over! Not sick, not out, not got visitors, just too tired! They had been gardening all weekend and were stiff. It is a different standards thing. Now if I'd put my back out, that'd be something, but feeling a bit stiff to me is feeble. So I judge them by my standard and think if they would rather make feeble excuses than see us then they are obviously trying to tell me something.
Here goes the stupid as far as losing my joy is concerned! Two other friends phoned me out of the blue who I haven't seen for ages. Both, were wanting to see us! We are booked for Thursday afternoon and Friday morning!
On Sunday I caught up with a load of old friends and one of them wants to meet up with us as well. The issue for others is that because I am a man and they are women they don't want to do the "bringing the kids round to play and chat over coffee" thing. I understand that and respect that, but no matter how many times I get told that, no matter how much I respect that, the child in me feels rejected. "They don't want to play with me!"
Anyway, Becky has been having problems with a friend from Girls Brigade. I actually think this friend is ASD (after all we are all on the scale somewhere supposedly!)
Now, I have heard parents say, "let them fight their own battles", "Let them sort it out for themselves" "let them find there own answers" "don't get involved!" But the problem for me is, we are trying to bring our kids up with Christian values. The Bible says, "Teach your child!" Not, "Let them sort it out for themselves!" The fact that Becky is having problems with this girl isn't the issue, it is that she listens to our advice and then goes and does it her way and instead of winning and friend she makes an enemy!
Last night she had a toe to toe row with the girl. I don't really understand it. Neither me or CJ had these problems when we were kids. OK so we had our share of problems, but Becky seems to always find friends she can fall out with! Usually they do the falling out! I would say, "who's the common denominator?" but I remember this one girl was as sweet as anything. She came to our house for meals and she was so polite and so giving, "This is the nicest pizza I have ever had!" and things like that. Then one she blew up at Becky. It seemed so odd. A real Jekyll and Hyde. Then at this girls birthday party, we were talking to her next door neighbour and she was telling us how this girl had such a temper on her. She was always slamming doors and so on!
Obviously, as Paul said, "with some their sins come afterwards!" But this seems to be Becky's life. People who live on roller coasters! One minute they are lovely nice and warm people, next they are biting her head off! Why does she draw people like this? Are there any normal, sane people in the world?
Anyway, The issue here at the moment is, not the situation she is in, but how she handled it. It's groundhog day again! If the same situation keeps coming up perhaps we have to change how we handle it until we deal with it as we should. What Becky has shown me is she would rather follow her flesh than our advice. As a first generation Christian, at least one that wants to be Christian anyway, it is hard breaking new ground in teaching our children to be Christian.
We watch Little House on the Prairie a lot. Every now and then Charles is proud that his daughters, "socked it to 'em, and good too!" But that is hardly "Christian!" That is one persons play on right and wrong who wasn't a Christian. It is almost subversive in that it comes across as Christian, but Michael Landon changed a lot of the story and he himself was married three times. He may have been held up as a great moralist by one of the Presidents, but he is no Christian icon!
I feel that Becky may be getting wrong messages from this. Especially as her favourite episode is called "bully boys" from he third series, where three brothers cheat everyone in town. Charles tries to beat them up, Mary (can you believe it) hits on with her lunch pale! Eventually the whole town gangs up against the nasty ones and marches them out of town. Again, where were the usual attempts to win them round like they usually do?
It is a parents roll to correct and guide. There would be no point correcting and guiding if they were getting it right all the time. We'd be out of a job!
Like I say, the biggest problem is I'm never that sure what the right thing to do is anyway! If it was down to my flesh, I'd do what she's doing! All along, I've have been saying to Becky to have a quiet word with this girl about the issues, sound her out find out what she feels about it. However, she has shyed away from this and ended up having a big row with everyone else taking sides! All I know is we are supposed to add mercy, forgiveness, love, kindness, patience and all that stuff and not outbursts of anger, quarrels, disputes and divisions!
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
It's a long hard road!
This is a passage of scripture I have come to call a favourite, not because it is one that I would think of when people ask that kind of question, but because it is one I find myself using so much!
"1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3
Not only that but in a world of motivational books, it ties up really well with my favourite motivational song!
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