So, I know it has been a while since I've written anything, most of that is just because I haven't really felt like writing anything. But, I wanted to share something I was talking about with my father. In reading back through Genesis and considering how I would approach different passages to preach about them, I began to consider Genesis 3:17-19. I thought about the curse that God placed on man, that the ground would only yield to hard labor. And I thought about how that passage should be understood in relation to the Christ event.
While perhaps there is some modification of this passage in Genesis 8 where God says he will no longer curse the ground for man's evil disposition, yet we never see anything that indicates that the curse of work has been done away with. (Here I wish to make some distinction between the curse of work and the blessing of work. What I mean by the curse of work is not just that we must work for our food, man was always supposed to be a creature of work, but the fact that work would be toilsome, would require difficulty, and would be painful. Work itself is a blessing from God, but the hardness of work, the pain that comes with work, these are aspects of the curse.) So, throughout the rest of Scripture we see men who work the land, from planting fields to caring for flocks. Jacob, in his reasons for leaving Laban, discusses the hardships of being a shepherd, and those who have worked the ground for farming or gardening know that while there can be joy in the results, the work is also hard and can be painful. So, while God may not curse the ground (more likely he is discussing cataclysmic judgments like the flood) he has not rescinded the curse of labor.
Man must work for his food, and man only eats his food by the sweat of his brow. So even Paul says that if a man will not work, then he shouldn't eat. 2 Thes. 3:10 Our command remains that we are to work to have something to give to others, and we are to work so we can eat with a clear conscience. Even if we are not working, or cannot work, we are to be willing to work, if able.
But, what are we working for? We work for food, with which we nourish our bodies, satisfy our appetites, and have energy to do more work. We work so that we do not go hungry, so that we can be happy. But all we can nourish with the results of our work is the flesh and blood body that breaks down with age and injury, and will not last long. Beauty fades, strength passes, and health gives way to sickness in time. Death is inevitable.
Yet, while we work for our bodies, consider what we read in Matthew 26, "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.'" (Matt 26:26-29) Here Jesus and his disciples had gathered to partake of a meal, they had gathered to partake of the work of the sweat of their brows, and Jesus invites his disciples to go deeper. Not only does Jesus want his disciples to partake of a meal, he wants them to partake of a meal that he will share with them again in heaven, a meal that celebrates the redemption of sins that he will purchase through his blood. So the eating of bread becomes more than simply the reward for hard work, it becomes symbolic of the redemption that is offered through Jesus.
Here we see a beautiful contrast begin to develop. Where the meal we are invited to partake of reminds us of the curse of work, the meaning of the meal points us to the grace of God. What Paul says to us in Ephesians should be noted here: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) So Jesus invites us to partake of bread, a reminder of the curse of work, but as he does so he changes the interpretation of the event, so that the bread becomes his body, and the wine becomes his blood, bringing to mind the salvation we have received, for which we have not worked. So our labor becomes a reminder of that for which we have not labored.
Here I wish to spell out, in part, a way we might see this contrast: We have worked for our meal, but we have not worked for our salvation. We come, reading in Genesis that by the sweat of our brow we will eat our bread, but finding that Jesus has invited us to a meal that we have not worked for at all. Christ has done the work, being perfect in accordance with the Law of Moses, and now we are invited to eat at his table, where he will celebrate with us one day in Heaven. Though we eat of earthly bread, we are brought to fellowship with heavenly hosts. The contrast could not be more beautiful, or more meaningful: We come sweaty, we come exhausted, we come having labored for our bodies, and we find that Christ has labored for our souls.
While we have fed our bodies with the sweat of our brows, we need spiritual food for our souls. And how can we labor for spiritual food? God fed the Israelites with manna, but even that did not satisfy their souls, as they regularly failed to obey the Word of the Lord. If manna from heaven is not sufficient to satisfy our souls, then what earthly food might we find that will accomplish this task? Christ answers this for us as he reveals that only he is sufficient for our hunger. We who were dead in sin desire the food of life, and his body is that food. Yet we cannot labor for this food, because we can never do enough to deserve to draw near to that which is perfect, being imperfect ourselves, and so we become dependent on him to give us what we could not take for ourselves.
So, Genesis 3:17-19 becomes a passage that leads us to Christ by way of contrast. We see in Genesis 3 why we need Christ. We come from the dirt, and we labor in the dirt. We feed ourselves through our labor, and when we eat our bread we should be reminded of the hardships of life. Yet, earthly bread does not address spiritual concerns, and cannot satisfy the longings of the soul. For this we need spiritual bread, and in Christ alone do we find that bread offered. In Christ alone do we find that we are invited to a meal for which we have not labored, a meal which maybe we never even wanted, but a meal that is more important than any other we will ever eat: a meal prepared for those who have not labored but have found rest in the Son of God.
Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
And be Thankful
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." - Colossians 3:14-16 (ESV)
From what we see in the above passage we note that there are three things Paul called the church to: put on love, let the peace of Christ reign, and be thankful. Of course these are not three distinct events, they are, in fact, very closely tied together. How can we love without the peace of Christ unifying us as a body? How can we be thankful if we are not bound to God or to others through love? In fact, the very idea of being one body is the reason we (Christians) ought to love one another.
Think about it like this: love unites. Anger, hatred, fear, distaste, and discomfort all divide. Those things which stand opposed to love do not bring the body of Christ together, they divide us. We cannot be ruled by the peace of Christ because we are too worried about whether the man sitting across from us is dangerous, or we want to get away from the smelly bag lady who sat next to us in the pew. More than that, we are not thankful to God for bringing this brother or sister into our lives, instead we sit in judgment of them, when God shed the blood of Christ to win them.
But, being thankless not only separates us from our relationship with God, it also separates us from those around us, and it separates them from us. When we do not thank those who do good things for us, we insult them. We insult them because we do not acknowledge the time, the care, or the resources they put into doing good for us. We act as though we are deserving of that which we have received, as though somehow we earned some good gift that was given to us.
In my last post I noted that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights. (James 1:17) But, James really begins that thought earlier, and the context around James 1:17 is important. In James 1:16 he says, "Do not be deceived my beloved brothers." My point being that James urges us to think about what he is saying more deeply than just saying, "okay." James really intends for us to understand that every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from God. When one of your co-workers did a favor for you, making sure you wouldn't be too overburdened, that was a gift from God. When one of your friends called you up and asked if you wanted a coffee, just so they could spend time with you, that was from God. Every good gift, every perfect gift, all of them, come from God.
It is so important to grasp this because it relates directly to what Paul says about being thankful. If every good gift comes from God, then when you disregard a favor, or when you belittle the work of someone who sacrificed for you, then you are insulting the kindness of God. Likewise, when you make light of someone trying to do good for you, even if it does not accomplish exactly what you wanted, it is not simply a slight to that person, it is an insult to God, because he is the one who gave you the gift. Such an attitude shows that you have not put on love, you are not living in the peace of Christ, and you are not thankful to God. Such an attitude shows that you have taken for granted the good things you have been given, as though you deserved them, when it is most pertinent to remember that those good things are a gift, and you have not earned any of them at all.
In addition to what being thankless says about your own life, it is also harmful to others. When you disregard the good things people do for you, or try to do for you, it places them in a position of inferiority. Instead of you showing appreciation for their kindness, now they have become mere tools, and if they perform well you give them no praise, for that was all that was expected of a good tool. This is not love for your fellow man. To be thankless is an insult to those who show love and respect for you.
But, there is one more point worth making: being thankless is a little demonstration of hell on earth. What I mean by this is, if James is true, that every good gift is from God, then in hell there will be no good gifts. There will be no friends, because there will be no kindness, because God will not motivate goodness or gentleness among those from whom he separates. So, when we are thankless, we are demonstrating to those who would do good things for us a little taste of hell. We are demonstrating the real sin that lives within every one of us when we do not thank people, or God, for the good things we receive, and, in hell, that sin will be given free reign, because there will be no common grace from God to keep it reigned in.
There is simply no excuse for Christians to forget to be thankful. We, above all people, have received great and wonderful gifts that we do not deserve. We who have trusted in the death of Christ and his resurrection as the payment for our sin, and the means of reconciliation with God, have been given a promise of eternal life with the Lord. Every good gift we receive after that ought to refresh our spirits in memory of that which we have received and make us sing the praises of God, that not only did he redeem us from hell, but he also saw fit to give us more gifts on top of that. Every generous hand, from every person, should invoke in us a deep and abiding thankfulness, for we know that our God is the one who has given this to us. In short, we should have no problem fulfilling this command from the Holy Spirit, through Paul, "And be thankful."
From what we see in the above passage we note that there are three things Paul called the church to: put on love, let the peace of Christ reign, and be thankful. Of course these are not three distinct events, they are, in fact, very closely tied together. How can we love without the peace of Christ unifying us as a body? How can we be thankful if we are not bound to God or to others through love? In fact, the very idea of being one body is the reason we (Christians) ought to love one another.
Think about it like this: love unites. Anger, hatred, fear, distaste, and discomfort all divide. Those things which stand opposed to love do not bring the body of Christ together, they divide us. We cannot be ruled by the peace of Christ because we are too worried about whether the man sitting across from us is dangerous, or we want to get away from the smelly bag lady who sat next to us in the pew. More than that, we are not thankful to God for bringing this brother or sister into our lives, instead we sit in judgment of them, when God shed the blood of Christ to win them.
But, being thankless not only separates us from our relationship with God, it also separates us from those around us, and it separates them from us. When we do not thank those who do good things for us, we insult them. We insult them because we do not acknowledge the time, the care, or the resources they put into doing good for us. We act as though we are deserving of that which we have received, as though somehow we earned some good gift that was given to us.
In my last post I noted that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights. (James 1:17) But, James really begins that thought earlier, and the context around James 1:17 is important. In James 1:16 he says, "Do not be deceived my beloved brothers." My point being that James urges us to think about what he is saying more deeply than just saying, "okay." James really intends for us to understand that every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from God. When one of your co-workers did a favor for you, making sure you wouldn't be too overburdened, that was a gift from God. When one of your friends called you up and asked if you wanted a coffee, just so they could spend time with you, that was from God. Every good gift, every perfect gift, all of them, come from God.
It is so important to grasp this because it relates directly to what Paul says about being thankful. If every good gift comes from God, then when you disregard a favor, or when you belittle the work of someone who sacrificed for you, then you are insulting the kindness of God. Likewise, when you make light of someone trying to do good for you, even if it does not accomplish exactly what you wanted, it is not simply a slight to that person, it is an insult to God, because he is the one who gave you the gift. Such an attitude shows that you have not put on love, you are not living in the peace of Christ, and you are not thankful to God. Such an attitude shows that you have taken for granted the good things you have been given, as though you deserved them, when it is most pertinent to remember that those good things are a gift, and you have not earned any of them at all.
In addition to what being thankless says about your own life, it is also harmful to others. When you disregard the good things people do for you, or try to do for you, it places them in a position of inferiority. Instead of you showing appreciation for their kindness, now they have become mere tools, and if they perform well you give them no praise, for that was all that was expected of a good tool. This is not love for your fellow man. To be thankless is an insult to those who show love and respect for you.
But, there is one more point worth making: being thankless is a little demonstration of hell on earth. What I mean by this is, if James is true, that every good gift is from God, then in hell there will be no good gifts. There will be no friends, because there will be no kindness, because God will not motivate goodness or gentleness among those from whom he separates. So, when we are thankless, we are demonstrating to those who would do good things for us a little taste of hell. We are demonstrating the real sin that lives within every one of us when we do not thank people, or God, for the good things we receive, and, in hell, that sin will be given free reign, because there will be no common grace from God to keep it reigned in.
There is simply no excuse for Christians to forget to be thankful. We, above all people, have received great and wonderful gifts that we do not deserve. We who have trusted in the death of Christ and his resurrection as the payment for our sin, and the means of reconciliation with God, have been given a promise of eternal life with the Lord. Every good gift we receive after that ought to refresh our spirits in memory of that which we have received and make us sing the praises of God, that not only did he redeem us from hell, but he also saw fit to give us more gifts on top of that. Every generous hand, from every person, should invoke in us a deep and abiding thankfulness, for we know that our God is the one who has given this to us. In short, we should have no problem fulfilling this command from the Holy Spirit, through Paul, "And be thankful."
Friday, September 24, 2010
More Than Bread
While wondering through the desert Satan tempted Christ by appealing to his hunger. Satan said to the Lord, "Turn these stones into bread and so you do not have to go hungry!" It may not sound like much of a temptation, but the real point was to get Christ to rely upon himself, instead of trusting that the Father would provide for him what he needed. Christ responded by quoting Scripture and standing against Satan saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." We have to eat to live, but if all we take in is bread, then while we may continue to exist, we are far from having full lives.
This was part of the problem that the church in Corinth dealt with. Instead of taking in the Word of God, they were more concerned with the bread and wine of the Lord's table. Paul condemns the church noting that some come and feast, and others are left to starve. Instead of sharing love and compassion for one another they became selfish gluttons. To partake of the Lord's supper is to share in Christ, to eat and drink of his memory and in obedience to his words, it is not just to fill our stomachs, but to live on the Word of God.
Christ promised his presence always, and proclaimed of himself that he is the bread of life. Obviously there is metaphor involved in that statement. Christ is not literally made of bread. Likewise, as much as I respect those Catholics who take seriously the traditions that have been handed down, as a protestant and one who adheres to solo scriptura, I find nothing in Scripture that makes me think that the bread literally becomes the body of Christ and the wine becomes his blood in some metaphysical way. But, despite the fact that the bread is not literally Christ, when we partake of the bread and the wine, we are joined to Christ in his presence, as we partake of the feast that he is preparing for us in heaven.
To eat of the Lord's Table is to partake of a heavenly feast. Consider this: Christ began and ended his ministry with food and wine. When his mother asked him to help with the situation at the wedding feast, Christ turned the water into wine. When Christ gave his last instructions, before his death, to his apostles, he did it over a feast including bread and wine. And, when Christ brings all things to completion, we will once again sit down to a feast with him, at the wedding supper of the Lamb. When we eat of the bread and drink of the wine of the Lord's Table, we are participating in feasting with Christ, joining with him in faith to the Father, believing that one day we will eat at the wedding supper of his Son.
This is why Paul was so severe with the church in Corinth, and why he says that when we eat of the Lord's Table and fail to recognize the body of Christ, we eat and drink judgment on ourselves. When we partake of the Lord's Table, if we do not recognize that we are eating a fellowship meal, a celebration of Christ and the feast that will join all believers together, then we are not acting in faith, but faithlessly. We turn the admonition of Christ on its head: instead of living on the Word of God, we begin to treat the feast of Christ as nothing more than bread and wine. Any church that treats the Lord's Supper lightly, not realizing the significance of what it means to partake of the body of Christ is asking for the same judgment that Paul says was already being poured out on the church at Corinth: weakness, sickness, and premature death.
It ought to be born in mind that death, weakness, and sickness, do not necessarily have to be upon individuals. Those who sit in the congregation, who are ignorant of the reality of the Lord's Supper, while certainly responsible for failing to take seriously the Word of God, are not as accountable as those who teach them. Thus as James says, "Not many of you should desire to be teachers, knowing that we who teach will be judged more strictly." In this way, because those who teach from the pulpit have failed to properly teach the Word of God, and because those who sit in the congregation have failed to hold them accountable to what has been taught, everyone brings judgment upon themselves for their faithless living before God. So, particularly in congregational churches, no one has excuse, and no individual can claim innocence if they have not been faithfully warning their brothers and sisters of the coming wrath of God.
Because Churches do not take seriously the Word of God in what it teaches about why we should do the things we do, the churches get weak. The churches grow sick. Eventually, those churches who fail to be faithful to God, who no longer reflect a healthy image of his body, die. And no amount of man made emotion and passion can change what God has already said will be the judgment of those who take the Lord's Supper lightly. But it does not have to be this way.
Our God is a God who forgives, who restores, who wounds and heals. If we will turn back to him and seek him, then he has promised us blessing in Christ. We, who are in Christ, do not need to fear that God will hold our sins against us, for we are already forgiven, covered by the blood of Christ. If we seek to partake of the blood of Christ at his table, then we must be sure that we are covered in the blood when we are away from the table.
God is faithful to himself, and he will exalt himself through judgment, and through mercy. Thus, we have great reason to pray to God for revival, if we are willing to embrace the discipline of God in our lives. We do not need to continue to eat and drink judgment to ourselves. If we will learn from the Word of God, and understand what it means to be a part of the body of God, then we have great reason to hope in God. Our God is full of grace, and he speaks to us if we will be listen to his admonitions.
Let us eat of the Lord's Table with joy and with sobriety. Let us recognize that what we do here prepares us for a feast we will share there. But, let us also remember that when we eat and drink of the elements of the table, Christ is present with us, partaking with us as we are his body. We eat and drink not simply in his memory, but also in his presence. There is great reason to rejoice for those of us who rightly recognize the body of Christ when we come to the Lord's Table, so let us rejoice!
This was part of the problem that the church in Corinth dealt with. Instead of taking in the Word of God, they were more concerned with the bread and wine of the Lord's table. Paul condemns the church noting that some come and feast, and others are left to starve. Instead of sharing love and compassion for one another they became selfish gluttons. To partake of the Lord's supper is to share in Christ, to eat and drink of his memory and in obedience to his words, it is not just to fill our stomachs, but to live on the Word of God.
Christ promised his presence always, and proclaimed of himself that he is the bread of life. Obviously there is metaphor involved in that statement. Christ is not literally made of bread. Likewise, as much as I respect those Catholics who take seriously the traditions that have been handed down, as a protestant and one who adheres to solo scriptura, I find nothing in Scripture that makes me think that the bread literally becomes the body of Christ and the wine becomes his blood in some metaphysical way. But, despite the fact that the bread is not literally Christ, when we partake of the bread and the wine, we are joined to Christ in his presence, as we partake of the feast that he is preparing for us in heaven.
To eat of the Lord's Table is to partake of a heavenly feast. Consider this: Christ began and ended his ministry with food and wine. When his mother asked him to help with the situation at the wedding feast, Christ turned the water into wine. When Christ gave his last instructions, before his death, to his apostles, he did it over a feast including bread and wine. And, when Christ brings all things to completion, we will once again sit down to a feast with him, at the wedding supper of the Lamb. When we eat of the bread and drink of the wine of the Lord's Table, we are participating in feasting with Christ, joining with him in faith to the Father, believing that one day we will eat at the wedding supper of his Son.
This is why Paul was so severe with the church in Corinth, and why he says that when we eat of the Lord's Table and fail to recognize the body of Christ, we eat and drink judgment on ourselves. When we partake of the Lord's Table, if we do not recognize that we are eating a fellowship meal, a celebration of Christ and the feast that will join all believers together, then we are not acting in faith, but faithlessly. We turn the admonition of Christ on its head: instead of living on the Word of God, we begin to treat the feast of Christ as nothing more than bread and wine. Any church that treats the Lord's Supper lightly, not realizing the significance of what it means to partake of the body of Christ is asking for the same judgment that Paul says was already being poured out on the church at Corinth: weakness, sickness, and premature death.
It ought to be born in mind that death, weakness, and sickness, do not necessarily have to be upon individuals. Those who sit in the congregation, who are ignorant of the reality of the Lord's Supper, while certainly responsible for failing to take seriously the Word of God, are not as accountable as those who teach them. Thus as James says, "Not many of you should desire to be teachers, knowing that we who teach will be judged more strictly." In this way, because those who teach from the pulpit have failed to properly teach the Word of God, and because those who sit in the congregation have failed to hold them accountable to what has been taught, everyone brings judgment upon themselves for their faithless living before God. So, particularly in congregational churches, no one has excuse, and no individual can claim innocence if they have not been faithfully warning their brothers and sisters of the coming wrath of God.
Because Churches do not take seriously the Word of God in what it teaches about why we should do the things we do, the churches get weak. The churches grow sick. Eventually, those churches who fail to be faithful to God, who no longer reflect a healthy image of his body, die. And no amount of man made emotion and passion can change what God has already said will be the judgment of those who take the Lord's Supper lightly. But it does not have to be this way.
Our God is a God who forgives, who restores, who wounds and heals. If we will turn back to him and seek him, then he has promised us blessing in Christ. We, who are in Christ, do not need to fear that God will hold our sins against us, for we are already forgiven, covered by the blood of Christ. If we seek to partake of the blood of Christ at his table, then we must be sure that we are covered in the blood when we are away from the table.
God is faithful to himself, and he will exalt himself through judgment, and through mercy. Thus, we have great reason to pray to God for revival, if we are willing to embrace the discipline of God in our lives. We do not need to continue to eat and drink judgment to ourselves. If we will learn from the Word of God, and understand what it means to be a part of the body of God, then we have great reason to hope in God. Our God is full of grace, and he speaks to us if we will be listen to his admonitions.
Let us eat of the Lord's Table with joy and with sobriety. Let us recognize that what we do here prepares us for a feast we will share there. But, let us also remember that when we eat and drink of the elements of the table, Christ is present with us, partaking with us as we are his body. We eat and drink not simply in his memory, but also in his presence. There is great reason to rejoice for those of us who rightly recognize the body of Christ when we come to the Lord's Table, so let us rejoice!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A Perfect Inheritance (part 3)
This is the last post on the topic of our perfect inheritance, based off of the sermon I preached on Sunday, 9/19/10. In the last two posts I have attempted to demonstrate that Ephesians 1:3-14 calls us to praise God for all he has done, and has called us to recognize that we are adopted as sons of God, and so we should live according to this truth. In this post I want to talk about one final aspect of our perfect inheritance, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit. There is so much more that can be said about Ephesians 1:3-14. The fact is this is an incredibly rich section of Scripture, but lest I tire you too much, or myself, this will be final post on it for now.
This post really is to make two points, those points have to do with what we read in Ephesians 1:13-14. Paul writes, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." The two points I want to address deal with the fact that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is not a future tense promise of sealing, it is a present reality: we have already been sealed.
In the first and second posts I continually made the point that we are saved according to God's will. Our salvation is not dependent on us and our continued work. This final section proves that point concretely. We have been sealed, and that which is sealed, according to what Paul says, is guaranteed. How can that guarantee be violated then unless God himself is a liar about what he has sealed? Basically, either God must be a liar, or he must be weak.
Certainly we would be complete fools to argue that God is a liar. If God were a liar (such a blasphemous idea ought to be repugnant to our thoughts) then there would be no point in believing anything in Scripture. What would be the point of trying to do anything to please God? If God were a liar then everything we know of his character in Scripture and everything he tells us to do as pleasing to him could potentially be a lie. In such a situation we may as well throw the bible away, because it would be useless to us.
But, God is not a liar. Therefore Scripture is trustworthy, because it comes from him. So, if God says we are sealed, then we are sealed. If God says that our salvation is guaranteed, then it is guaranteed, there is no need to doubt that. But, is God strong enough to make good on his guarantee? That is, what if God has guaranteed our salvation, but he can't really secure it against our strength, or the strength of sin or whatever else?
If that were the case then we would be back to the first point, believing that God is a liar. If God has said we have a guarantee of salvation, and we say, "But I could walk away from God! His guarantee could become void!" then we are arguing the idea that God is in fact wrong in saying that our salvation is guaranteed. In such a situation, God is once again a liar. Therefore, because God has said we are sealed, and our salvation is guaranteed, it must be so.
Therefore we are sealed, and there is no disputing this is what Scripture says. We accept this by faith then, and we ask the question, "What does our sealing mean?" It means that we will one day receive our inheritance. All of creation will one day be given over to Christ, and we will reign over it with him. We will have perfect relationship and harmony with God, even as we are already perfect before him. This inheritance will be ours, unquestionably.
But, it also means that one day we will be given to God. The fact is that we are God's possession. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says we were bought with a price. That which is bought is owned by the one who bought it. We are God's and one day God will take full possession of us.
It is hard to explain why this is such a wonderful fact, but I'll endeavor to do so. Because we have been bought by God, we are not slaves to anyone or anything else. According to what Paul commands us in 1 Corinthians 7:23, we are not to become slaves, which means that we are not slaves now. We were redeemed, purchased by God for himself, and that means we were set free from all our sinful limitations that at one time held us down.
We are possessed by God, so we are free to hope, free to rejoice, free to give him the glory for all that he has done. We are promised that he will have us, and that reassures us that we will also receive all that he has promised us. The promises given us belong to us because we belong to God. And because we know that God will assuredly take possession of us, we do not have to fear that somehow we will lose that which he has promised us.
We are sealed to receive and inheritance, and as an inheritance to be received by God. Our God, the maker of the heavens and the earth will not lose that of which he has taken possession. There is nothing stronger than God, nothing that can from his hand that which he has grasped. There is no one who can stand before God or be victorious over God. And that means that we do not have to fear that we will ever lose that which has been given to us, we can praise God in good times and bad, knowing that our hope is sure, because of the awesome might of our God who holds us, even if we should fail to hold to him.
Give God the glory, praise him for his might. Realize that you have been sealed, and what has been promised will be accomplished. Let this sink into your life and change you. Do not be afraid that you are going to go the wrong way, but remember, God will accomplish what he wants for you, because you are his possession. Do this, as Paul says, "to the praise of his glory."
This post really is to make two points, those points have to do with what we read in Ephesians 1:13-14. Paul writes, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." The two points I want to address deal with the fact that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is not a future tense promise of sealing, it is a present reality: we have already been sealed.
In the first and second posts I continually made the point that we are saved according to God's will. Our salvation is not dependent on us and our continued work. This final section proves that point concretely. We have been sealed, and that which is sealed, according to what Paul says, is guaranteed. How can that guarantee be violated then unless God himself is a liar about what he has sealed? Basically, either God must be a liar, or he must be weak.
Certainly we would be complete fools to argue that God is a liar. If God were a liar (such a blasphemous idea ought to be repugnant to our thoughts) then there would be no point in believing anything in Scripture. What would be the point of trying to do anything to please God? If God were a liar then everything we know of his character in Scripture and everything he tells us to do as pleasing to him could potentially be a lie. In such a situation we may as well throw the bible away, because it would be useless to us.
But, God is not a liar. Therefore Scripture is trustworthy, because it comes from him. So, if God says we are sealed, then we are sealed. If God says that our salvation is guaranteed, then it is guaranteed, there is no need to doubt that. But, is God strong enough to make good on his guarantee? That is, what if God has guaranteed our salvation, but he can't really secure it against our strength, or the strength of sin or whatever else?
If that were the case then we would be back to the first point, believing that God is a liar. If God has said we have a guarantee of salvation, and we say, "But I could walk away from God! His guarantee could become void!" then we are arguing the idea that God is in fact wrong in saying that our salvation is guaranteed. In such a situation, God is once again a liar. Therefore, because God has said we are sealed, and our salvation is guaranteed, it must be so.
Therefore we are sealed, and there is no disputing this is what Scripture says. We accept this by faith then, and we ask the question, "What does our sealing mean?" It means that we will one day receive our inheritance. All of creation will one day be given over to Christ, and we will reign over it with him. We will have perfect relationship and harmony with God, even as we are already perfect before him. This inheritance will be ours, unquestionably.
But, it also means that one day we will be given to God. The fact is that we are God's possession. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says we were bought with a price. That which is bought is owned by the one who bought it. We are God's and one day God will take full possession of us.
It is hard to explain why this is such a wonderful fact, but I'll endeavor to do so. Because we have been bought by God, we are not slaves to anyone or anything else. According to what Paul commands us in 1 Corinthians 7:23, we are not to become slaves, which means that we are not slaves now. We were redeemed, purchased by God for himself, and that means we were set free from all our sinful limitations that at one time held us down.
We are possessed by God, so we are free to hope, free to rejoice, free to give him the glory for all that he has done. We are promised that he will have us, and that reassures us that we will also receive all that he has promised us. The promises given us belong to us because we belong to God. And because we know that God will assuredly take possession of us, we do not have to fear that somehow we will lose that which he has promised us.
We are sealed to receive and inheritance, and as an inheritance to be received by God. Our God, the maker of the heavens and the earth will not lose that of which he has taken possession. There is nothing stronger than God, nothing that can from his hand that which he has grasped. There is no one who can stand before God or be victorious over God. And that means that we do not have to fear that we will ever lose that which has been given to us, we can praise God in good times and bad, knowing that our hope is sure, because of the awesome might of our God who holds us, even if we should fail to hold to him.
Give God the glory, praise him for his might. Realize that you have been sealed, and what has been promised will be accomplished. Let this sink into your life and change you. Do not be afraid that you are going to go the wrong way, but remember, God will accomplish what he wants for you, because you are his possession. Do this, as Paul says, "to the praise of his glory."
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Perfect Inheritance (Part 2)
I noted yesterday that God has provided a perfect inheritance for us in Christ. Today I'd like to develop that a little more. Not only has God provided a perfect inheritance for us, he has provided us with a means to receive that inheritance. God has given us Christ, he has provided us with a perfect savior, redeeming us from the curse of the fall. He has also given us sonship through Christ, providing the means by which we are able to receive that which he has prepared for us from before the foundation of the world.
In Ephesians 1:5 we read, "He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." Our position before God is not dependent on our prayers or our works or our thoughts, they are dependent on God's determination.
Yes, we who are sons will pray to God, because we will want to speak with our Father, and to tell him of our troubles and ask him for his help. Yes, we who are sons will seek to do the will of our Father, not because of our great debt to God, which we can never repay, but because we desire to please our Father and show him our love for him. And yes, our thoughts will be upon the mercy of God, the goodness of God, everything good and noble and worthy of the Lord, because it is only normal and natural to think about that which is most important to us, which ought to be, and will be, God. But, none of these things makes us sons of God through Christ, instead it is the will of God that brings us to himself through Christ that makes us his sons. The Lord is responsible for our position before him, so that we cannot take credit for that which he has done.
But, consider that our position before God, being dependent on God, will never falter if we fail or fall. God has already ordained that we are his sons through Christ, if we are indeed in Christ, so that it does not matter if we stumble and fall, he still calls us sons. This is what Ephesians 1:4 & 7 tells us: "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him," and, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." We have this forgiveness now, not that we shall have it, but that already it is done. Already we are holy and blameless before God, and continually so, because God's word does not change. We are not now holy only to be unholy tomorrow, we are not now forgiven so that tomorrow we will be condemned. Our holiness and righteousness is not dependent on us, it is dependent on God alone, because it is what he has proclaimed.
Consider how this works in contrast with the choices of the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 11:26 we read Moses words to the People of Israel that he was setting before them blessing and curse. In Deuteronomy 30 we can read how this blessing and curse would work out. Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us that the blessing and curse can also be called life and death. Moses tells the people to choose life that they and their children might live. But, here, in Ephesians, notice that Paul does not call us to a choice, instead he tells us of the choice that God has made for us.
We are not a people who have to choose blessing or curse, our choice has been made for us. If we are in Christ, if we are those whom God has called to him, predestining us to receive his Son, then blessing has been chosen for us. It is not a matter of our will, so that our positions as sons before God depends on our continuous choosing. God has spoken, he has declared what will be, so that our adoption is sure, our redemption is promised and is ours now, and will be ours eternally. How wonderful it is to know that we can relax, we can trust in God, we can have faith in him, and we can enter into his rest, no longer striving but knowing that God holds us in his hands eternally.
Once we stop striving to save ourselves something more amazing comes into view. We who have been adopted and have been forgiven also have been told what God wants. We who have received the adoption of God through Christ have been told of God's amazing plan, to bring all things together in Christ at the end of all things. This is a wonderful blessing because it means that we don't have to wonder at what God wants of us. We don't have to worry about whether we will choose wrongly, because we know that our goal ought to be God's goal, and God will accomplish his goal, even if it seems we have butchered it.
What I mean is that we who have been redeemed and forgiven do not need to worry that we are not going to accomplish what God wants. We ought not be lazy, because laziness is not pleasing to our Father. We ought not be paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice, because such a fear betrays a mistrust of the Lord. We ought to be busy doing the work of him who sent us, even as he sent Christ, because it is wonderful and good work, and it is this work which provides us with fulfillment in life. God's purpose for all of creation is to bring all things together under Christ, so what more meaningful lives can we live than lives that seek to bring everything we do under Christ today?
God has given us redemption through his Son, and he has given us purpose through Christ. We know that what we do in this life, done with the purpose of bringing all things, our money, our thoughts, our work, our culture, and our friends and neighbors, all under Christ, will prove of eternal worth. We may never see an ounce of movement, but we do not need to be discouraged, because the work is not ours, it is God's. This is not the plan of men, it is the plan of God, and it will be accomplished. The God we serve made the universe, saved us according to his will, and arranged all of history to his purposes; how then can history not end up where he has directed it, so that Christ is glorified and the Father receives all glory through him?
Because of all this there is one more thing we are able to rejoice in, and that is spoken of throughout this passage: we have an inheritance. If all things will eventually be united in Christ, and we are now in Christ, then eventually all things will be united with us in him as well. That means we who are in Christ will eventually receive all things. I'm not speaking out of line here, I assure you.
Consider the promises made to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea. We will be made pillars in the temple of God, in the new Jerusalem. And we will sit down with Christ on his throne, even as he sat down with his Father on his throne. When you consider that there is no temple in the new Jerusalem, for God himself will be our temple, then the promise takes on its full import. We will be joined to God in a way that will be like being pillars in the midst of him, we will never leave from him or go out from him. And we will reign with Christ over all creation.
Paul says that we will judge angels! What is there left that is outside of our authority if we are in Christ then? We will reign with him, we will dwell in the presence of God eternally, and even angels will be under our authority and judgment. We who are in Christ, who stand forgiven and redeemed before God, who know the will of our Father, also have a great and wonderful (consider the real meaning of this word: full of wonder) inheritance in that we shall receive everything through Christ.
What do we have left that we should need then? You do not have a place to rest your head tonight? Don't worry, the whole of creation will be given to you, if you are faithful in Christ. Do you hunger, are you thirsty? Do what you can to eat what you need and drink so that you can be healthy, but remember, the point of life is not fine dining and expensive wine, it is to bring all things together under Christ, so that one day all things will be yours in Christ. Look forward to your inheritance, not for your physical appetites and the satisfying of your lusts, but because God has given you his own presence, he has given you Christ, he has given you a perfect inheritance, and this is your hope.
Live a life worthy of this, seek wisdom now that you will know how to rightly administer the inheritance that is to come. Give God the glory, praise him for all he has done. And share the good news of what you have, so that your rejoicing may cause others to rejoice and add again to your joy in Christ. What do you lack dear Christian? This world is not your home, do not fall in love with it, because you have a better home coming, a better inheritance than you can even imagine.
In Ephesians 1:5 we read, "He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." Our position before God is not dependent on our prayers or our works or our thoughts, they are dependent on God's determination.
Yes, we who are sons will pray to God, because we will want to speak with our Father, and to tell him of our troubles and ask him for his help. Yes, we who are sons will seek to do the will of our Father, not because of our great debt to God, which we can never repay, but because we desire to please our Father and show him our love for him. And yes, our thoughts will be upon the mercy of God, the goodness of God, everything good and noble and worthy of the Lord, because it is only normal and natural to think about that which is most important to us, which ought to be, and will be, God. But, none of these things makes us sons of God through Christ, instead it is the will of God that brings us to himself through Christ that makes us his sons. The Lord is responsible for our position before him, so that we cannot take credit for that which he has done.
But, consider that our position before God, being dependent on God, will never falter if we fail or fall. God has already ordained that we are his sons through Christ, if we are indeed in Christ, so that it does not matter if we stumble and fall, he still calls us sons. This is what Ephesians 1:4 & 7 tells us: "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him," and, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." We have this forgiveness now, not that we shall have it, but that already it is done. Already we are holy and blameless before God, and continually so, because God's word does not change. We are not now holy only to be unholy tomorrow, we are not now forgiven so that tomorrow we will be condemned. Our holiness and righteousness is not dependent on us, it is dependent on God alone, because it is what he has proclaimed.
Consider how this works in contrast with the choices of the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 11:26 we read Moses words to the People of Israel that he was setting before them blessing and curse. In Deuteronomy 30 we can read how this blessing and curse would work out. Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us that the blessing and curse can also be called life and death. Moses tells the people to choose life that they and their children might live. But, here, in Ephesians, notice that Paul does not call us to a choice, instead he tells us of the choice that God has made for us.
We are not a people who have to choose blessing or curse, our choice has been made for us. If we are in Christ, if we are those whom God has called to him, predestining us to receive his Son, then blessing has been chosen for us. It is not a matter of our will, so that our positions as sons before God depends on our continuous choosing. God has spoken, he has declared what will be, so that our adoption is sure, our redemption is promised and is ours now, and will be ours eternally. How wonderful it is to know that we can relax, we can trust in God, we can have faith in him, and we can enter into his rest, no longer striving but knowing that God holds us in his hands eternally.
Once we stop striving to save ourselves something more amazing comes into view. We who have been adopted and have been forgiven also have been told what God wants. We who have received the adoption of God through Christ have been told of God's amazing plan, to bring all things together in Christ at the end of all things. This is a wonderful blessing because it means that we don't have to wonder at what God wants of us. We don't have to worry about whether we will choose wrongly, because we know that our goal ought to be God's goal, and God will accomplish his goal, even if it seems we have butchered it.
What I mean is that we who have been redeemed and forgiven do not need to worry that we are not going to accomplish what God wants. We ought not be lazy, because laziness is not pleasing to our Father. We ought not be paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice, because such a fear betrays a mistrust of the Lord. We ought to be busy doing the work of him who sent us, even as he sent Christ, because it is wonderful and good work, and it is this work which provides us with fulfillment in life. God's purpose for all of creation is to bring all things together under Christ, so what more meaningful lives can we live than lives that seek to bring everything we do under Christ today?
God has given us redemption through his Son, and he has given us purpose through Christ. We know that what we do in this life, done with the purpose of bringing all things, our money, our thoughts, our work, our culture, and our friends and neighbors, all under Christ, will prove of eternal worth. We may never see an ounce of movement, but we do not need to be discouraged, because the work is not ours, it is God's. This is not the plan of men, it is the plan of God, and it will be accomplished. The God we serve made the universe, saved us according to his will, and arranged all of history to his purposes; how then can history not end up where he has directed it, so that Christ is glorified and the Father receives all glory through him?
Because of all this there is one more thing we are able to rejoice in, and that is spoken of throughout this passage: we have an inheritance. If all things will eventually be united in Christ, and we are now in Christ, then eventually all things will be united with us in him as well. That means we who are in Christ will eventually receive all things. I'm not speaking out of line here, I assure you.
Consider the promises made to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea. We will be made pillars in the temple of God, in the new Jerusalem. And we will sit down with Christ on his throne, even as he sat down with his Father on his throne. When you consider that there is no temple in the new Jerusalem, for God himself will be our temple, then the promise takes on its full import. We will be joined to God in a way that will be like being pillars in the midst of him, we will never leave from him or go out from him. And we will reign with Christ over all creation.
Paul says that we will judge angels! What is there left that is outside of our authority if we are in Christ then? We will reign with him, we will dwell in the presence of God eternally, and even angels will be under our authority and judgment. We who are in Christ, who stand forgiven and redeemed before God, who know the will of our Father, also have a great and wonderful (consider the real meaning of this word: full of wonder) inheritance in that we shall receive everything through Christ.
What do we have left that we should need then? You do not have a place to rest your head tonight? Don't worry, the whole of creation will be given to you, if you are faithful in Christ. Do you hunger, are you thirsty? Do what you can to eat what you need and drink so that you can be healthy, but remember, the point of life is not fine dining and expensive wine, it is to bring all things together under Christ, so that one day all things will be yours in Christ. Look forward to your inheritance, not for your physical appetites and the satisfying of your lusts, but because God has given you his own presence, he has given you Christ, he has given you a perfect inheritance, and this is your hope.
Live a life worthy of this, seek wisdom now that you will know how to rightly administer the inheritance that is to come. Give God the glory, praise him for all he has done. And share the good news of what you have, so that your rejoicing may cause others to rejoice and add again to your joy in Christ. What do you lack dear Christian? This world is not your home, do not fall in love with it, because you have a better home coming, a better inheritance than you can even imagine.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Why I Hate the Fall
I get hot easily. I don't mean angry, I mean I bodily get hot, very easily. It could be 70 outside and I would be sweating, not copiously, but sweating none the less. I know this isn't a particularly lovely image, but it is the truth. Because I get hot easily, I prefer cooler temperatures. (There are photos from our honeymoon with my wife wearing two shirts, a jacket with a hood over her head, another jacket on top of that, a scarf, a knit hat over her head, gloves on her hands, standing with her arms crossed while she shivered as we passed through Glacier Bay. I, on the other hand, was wearing a t-shirt. And I was comfortable.)
For someone who gets hot easily and who enjoys cold weather, you would think I would like the fall. And you would be correct. I like the fall, as the leaves change, the weather gets cooler, and the crisp mornings and evenings are wonderful for good long walks.
So, why did I title this, "Why I Hate the Fall"? I used that title because I'm referring to fall of humanity. After we sinned, when we were cast out of the Garden of Eden, we were also cursed. But, it wasn't just humanity that was cursed, it was all of creation. Hence, Paul tells us that all of creation groans, in labor pains, waiting for redemption. This world isn't as it is supposed to be, its broken. (Romans 8:18-27)
The fact of the fallen state of the world was brought to my attention recently as I had a run in with what I believe has to be one of the most obvious reminders of the reality of the Fall that God created. This particular reminder is persistent, I must admit. It isn't a disease, but it lasts for as long as 4 weeks. It also serves as a constant reminder, because as long as it lasts, you will constantly deal with pain and itching, enough so that even sleeping is affected. I speak, of course, of poison ivy.
I have done a lot of research on poison ivy. Allow me to regale you with the information I have come across: The irritant that makes poison ivy so annoying is called urushiol, (You-ROO-she-ohl) it is an oil that is found on and in every part of the plant. Because it is an oil is does not dry up, even if the plant is killed it can linger for as long as a year. Oh, and the properties of an oil are just beginning.
As an oil urushiol suspends in water, so if you wash your hands the oil does not necessarily come off, instead you can transfer it to whatever you use to dry your hands, and then transfer it from that to other parts of your body. (Washing clothes exposed is okay though, the oil suspends in the water and doesn't transfer to other items, it drains out with the water.) It also vaporizes when burned, so if you burn some poison ivy the oil will vaporize with the smoke and cover whatever the smoke comes into contact with, including your lungs. The oil can also last on any object it comes into contact with, again, for up to a year. And, the method used for cleansing the urushiol can leave you even more susceptible if you come back into contact with it within the next few hours. Oh, and to make things even more interesting, the normal method of washing your hands, using hot water and scrubbing for several seconds, can actually cause the oil to sink further into your skin as it opens your pours.
Here's where things get really fun: urushiol cannot be washed out of your skin once it has bound itself into your skin. If you realize you have been exposed you basically have a max of six hours to try and wash the oil out. Washing the oil out can be done with strong soap and hot water (but remember, done wrongly that could only make the resulting rash worse!) but it is most commonly recommended to use rubbing alcohol or something else that can dissolve the oil (oil and water don't mix, basic cooking and chemistry rules). If, for whatever reason, you fail to get your skin cleaned in time (realistically you want to do it within 30 minutes) then the urushiol actually binds with the proteins in your skin. That's right, once it is in you it cannot be removed, it cannot be treated with anti-venoms, and the best you can hope for is a treatment that will make you more comfortable.
And, if you think you're one of those who is immune, be aware: poison ivy gives you at least one free pass. Because of the way poison ivy works you will not break out with a rash after your first exposure. You may think you are totally immune to it. Even on the second, third, etc. exposure, you may have no reaction. 75% of people (estimated) do react though, and just because you didn't react this time doesn't mean you won't react next time. Something about the chemical properties of urushiol cause it to not aggravate people initially, our bodies have to get sensitized to it. You also may not even realize you have urushiol on your hands as you spread it, because the rashes do not break out on your palms (the proteins the urushiol binds with are too think on your palms) but it will break out every where you touch with your palms. (I have a spot on my left arm where I have four pretty definite finger marks from where I apparently put my right hand on my left arm.)
Misery loves company. Hopefully in describing what poison ivy does I have you wincing just a little with me at how annoying it is. If you aren't there yet let me inform you of one more thing: the most common areas for rashes are the face and the groin. Yes, that's right, the two most sensitive areas on any body are the most common areas for the rash to break out, because those are the areas we tend to touch for personal hygiene reasons. Now, if you will, commiserate with me and those many people who are dealing with rashes. (Lest you think I have given you too much information I will be forthcoming: my rashes are just on my right wrist and hand and my left arm where I apparently touched myself, maybe to scratch.)
There is more I could tell you, about weeping wounds, potential for blood disease, infection, boils, blisters, pimples, etc. But, isn't it enough to note that this particular weed is in 48 of the 50 United States? Poison ivy is most common in the east, but it exists in all 48 of the continental United States. Poison oak and sumac, which are just as annoying, and I've been told may be even worse, are a bit rarer. People even imported poison ivy to Europe! (Knowingly, I might add.)
So, poison ivy has become the newest reason I hate the fall. Poison ivy serves as a perfect example, in my opinion, of why anyone who looks at the world should recognize that it isn't as it should be. After all, most animals are unaffected by urushiol (it simply gets on their fir) so it isn't like the plant enjoys any great natural protection from animals, except humans. The seeds of the plant, which also have urushiol, are even used as food by some animals. Poison ivy is only a nuisance to humans, therefore it reminds me that this world is not really my home.
Why would anything in my home be designed particularly as a weapon to be used against me? No, this is not the home for which I long. That home, to be with Christ eternally, will not have poison ivy. Or, if it does, the urushiol will no longer bind with my skin and cause me to break out in a blistering rash. Of this I am convinced: God will not have poison ivy rashes in heaven. It would break his promise that we would never again weep. I'm looking forward to that.
Rejoice, dear Christian, as you think that the Fall which taints everything in this world will one day be reversed. As creation cries out, as though in birth pangs, it will one day deliver. God will bring forth a new heaven and a new earth. If it were not for that promise, why should we bother to endure things like poison ivy, broken bones, or even the common cold? But, the joy that awaits us is such that Paul says our current sufferings aren't even worth comparing to it. Therefore, enduring what we do now for sake of the home we anticipate, all these things will be as nothing, but the time we have may serve to glorify God as are transformed to the image of his Son, and seek to gather more disciples, not to ourselves, but to him, who is all in all. Praise our God, for his promises are great, even in the midst of discomfort and suffering.
For someone who gets hot easily and who enjoys cold weather, you would think I would like the fall. And you would be correct. I like the fall, as the leaves change, the weather gets cooler, and the crisp mornings and evenings are wonderful for good long walks.
So, why did I title this, "Why I Hate the Fall"? I used that title because I'm referring to fall of humanity. After we sinned, when we were cast out of the Garden of Eden, we were also cursed. But, it wasn't just humanity that was cursed, it was all of creation. Hence, Paul tells us that all of creation groans, in labor pains, waiting for redemption. This world isn't as it is supposed to be, its broken. (Romans 8:18-27)
The fact of the fallen state of the world was brought to my attention recently as I had a run in with what I believe has to be one of the most obvious reminders of the reality of the Fall that God created. This particular reminder is persistent, I must admit. It isn't a disease, but it lasts for as long as 4 weeks. It also serves as a constant reminder, because as long as it lasts, you will constantly deal with pain and itching, enough so that even sleeping is affected. I speak, of course, of poison ivy.
I have done a lot of research on poison ivy. Allow me to regale you with the information I have come across: The irritant that makes poison ivy so annoying is called urushiol, (You-ROO-she-ohl) it is an oil that is found on and in every part of the plant. Because it is an oil is does not dry up, even if the plant is killed it can linger for as long as a year. Oh, and the properties of an oil are just beginning.
As an oil urushiol suspends in water, so if you wash your hands the oil does not necessarily come off, instead you can transfer it to whatever you use to dry your hands, and then transfer it from that to other parts of your body. (Washing clothes exposed is okay though, the oil suspends in the water and doesn't transfer to other items, it drains out with the water.) It also vaporizes when burned, so if you burn some poison ivy the oil will vaporize with the smoke and cover whatever the smoke comes into contact with, including your lungs. The oil can also last on any object it comes into contact with, again, for up to a year. And, the method used for cleansing the urushiol can leave you even more susceptible if you come back into contact with it within the next few hours. Oh, and to make things even more interesting, the normal method of washing your hands, using hot water and scrubbing for several seconds, can actually cause the oil to sink further into your skin as it opens your pours.
Here's where things get really fun: urushiol cannot be washed out of your skin once it has bound itself into your skin. If you realize you have been exposed you basically have a max of six hours to try and wash the oil out. Washing the oil out can be done with strong soap and hot water (but remember, done wrongly that could only make the resulting rash worse!) but it is most commonly recommended to use rubbing alcohol or something else that can dissolve the oil (oil and water don't mix, basic cooking and chemistry rules). If, for whatever reason, you fail to get your skin cleaned in time (realistically you want to do it within 30 minutes) then the urushiol actually binds with the proteins in your skin. That's right, once it is in you it cannot be removed, it cannot be treated with anti-venoms, and the best you can hope for is a treatment that will make you more comfortable.
And, if you think you're one of those who is immune, be aware: poison ivy gives you at least one free pass. Because of the way poison ivy works you will not break out with a rash after your first exposure. You may think you are totally immune to it. Even on the second, third, etc. exposure, you may have no reaction. 75% of people (estimated) do react though, and just because you didn't react this time doesn't mean you won't react next time. Something about the chemical properties of urushiol cause it to not aggravate people initially, our bodies have to get sensitized to it. You also may not even realize you have urushiol on your hands as you spread it, because the rashes do not break out on your palms (the proteins the urushiol binds with are too think on your palms) but it will break out every where you touch with your palms. (I have a spot on my left arm where I have four pretty definite finger marks from where I apparently put my right hand on my left arm.)
Misery loves company. Hopefully in describing what poison ivy does I have you wincing just a little with me at how annoying it is. If you aren't there yet let me inform you of one more thing: the most common areas for rashes are the face and the groin. Yes, that's right, the two most sensitive areas on any body are the most common areas for the rash to break out, because those are the areas we tend to touch for personal hygiene reasons. Now, if you will, commiserate with me and those many people who are dealing with rashes. (Lest you think I have given you too much information I will be forthcoming: my rashes are just on my right wrist and hand and my left arm where I apparently touched myself, maybe to scratch.)
There is more I could tell you, about weeping wounds, potential for blood disease, infection, boils, blisters, pimples, etc. But, isn't it enough to note that this particular weed is in 48 of the 50 United States? Poison ivy is most common in the east, but it exists in all 48 of the continental United States. Poison oak and sumac, which are just as annoying, and I've been told may be even worse, are a bit rarer. People even imported poison ivy to Europe! (Knowingly, I might add.)
So, poison ivy has become the newest reason I hate the fall. Poison ivy serves as a perfect example, in my opinion, of why anyone who looks at the world should recognize that it isn't as it should be. After all, most animals are unaffected by urushiol (it simply gets on their fir) so it isn't like the plant enjoys any great natural protection from animals, except humans. The seeds of the plant, which also have urushiol, are even used as food by some animals. Poison ivy is only a nuisance to humans, therefore it reminds me that this world is not really my home.
Why would anything in my home be designed particularly as a weapon to be used against me? No, this is not the home for which I long. That home, to be with Christ eternally, will not have poison ivy. Or, if it does, the urushiol will no longer bind with my skin and cause me to break out in a blistering rash. Of this I am convinced: God will not have poison ivy rashes in heaven. It would break his promise that we would never again weep. I'm looking forward to that.
Rejoice, dear Christian, as you think that the Fall which taints everything in this world will one day be reversed. As creation cries out, as though in birth pangs, it will one day deliver. God will bring forth a new heaven and a new earth. If it were not for that promise, why should we bother to endure things like poison ivy, broken bones, or even the common cold? But, the joy that awaits us is such that Paul says our current sufferings aren't even worth comparing to it. Therefore, enduring what we do now for sake of the home we anticipate, all these things will be as nothing, but the time we have may serve to glorify God as are transformed to the image of his Son, and seek to gather more disciples, not to ourselves, but to him, who is all in all. Praise our God, for his promises are great, even in the midst of discomfort and suffering.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Job's Patience
I'm not very good at suffering. Honestly, I whine when things don't go well. Whenever things start to get hard in my life, even when I have what I need, I find myself snickering and doubting Scripture. I remember, "But godliness with contentment is great gain," (1 Timothy 6:6) and I think, "Really? Like what?" Of course, I find my self being rebuked as quick as I say that, and I am forced to acknowledge that I do not know the whole plan of God.
I guess that is why I like the book of Job. It is a hard book to follow sometimes though. I mean, I can follow when who is speaking, the text is pretty good about telling us that, but sometimes I don't get the arguments being made. But, even though I'm certain I miss some of the details, the general concept seems pretty clear to me, most of the time. Job is suffering, and he doesn't know why, and his friends claim that it is because God has found some fault in Job and calling Job to repent of his wickedness.
By the end of the book the youngest character speaks, Elihu, and his rebuke to Job is another animal entirely. He does not rebuke Job for sinning in some unspecified way, but by sinning by not giving God the glory and putting his focus on God. Job's sin is not that he is proud, it isn't that he sinned in his words, but that he forgot that God is bigger than his suffering, God is more than just good times, God is God in all things, and he is always righteous. Job opened his mouth, and in his suffering he called to his friends, "look at me and weep! I'm in pain, I have lost all I had, and God persecutes me and will not leave me alone! If only I could die, then I would be happy, but God won't even give me the mercy of a quick death!" Job was in a sorry state, but more important than Job's suffering was God's glory.
When God confronts Job he makes this clear. He asks Job what he knows of earthly matters, and when Job cannot answer that God confronts Job with questions of his own weakness and finite nature. Job finally realizes that he has been a fool. He wanted to argue with God, but he forgot his own mortality, and that God is more than he could imagine. I imagine it will be the same on the day when I meet God and see his power with my own eyes.
There is great gain in godliness with contentment. I may not know what is happening now, but I will see how great it is on that day when I stand before the judgment of God, given mercy in Christ. Perhaps the greatest gain is not in the peace I can live with now, but it is the preparation of my soul for the glory that is to come. When I am content with godliness now, instead of seeking my contentment in worldly pleasures, I am encouraged to look forward to the fact that one day I will die, and I will be with my God who saved me. There is a new heaven and a new earth coming, and our godliness today is preparing us for the enjoyment of that new creation.
Hardships come, for some more often than others. Job knew that one day God would redeem him, and he continued to hope in God, despite all that happened to him. He said, "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high." (Job 16:19) Also, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25) My prayer is that no matter what I suffer Job's hope might be mine. As we trust that one day our redeemer will stand on the earth, that Christ who intercedes for us now will one day stand triumphant upon the earth, it should give us endurance for every situation.
Godliness is not just how we act, it is what we believe and what we teach. That is why Paul says to Timothy, "If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing." (1 Timothy 6:3-4a) We need to be continually reminding ourselves to pay heed to the teaching we have received. We need our minds to be remade. We need the patience of Job in suffering so that we can say with Paul, "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) And the only way we can have the patience of Job is if we have the faith of Job in the God of Job, for he is our God too.
How is your patience today? How is your doctrine today? Who is your God today?
I guess that is why I like the book of Job. It is a hard book to follow sometimes though. I mean, I can follow when who is speaking, the text is pretty good about telling us that, but sometimes I don't get the arguments being made. But, even though I'm certain I miss some of the details, the general concept seems pretty clear to me, most of the time. Job is suffering, and he doesn't know why, and his friends claim that it is because God has found some fault in Job and calling Job to repent of his wickedness.
By the end of the book the youngest character speaks, Elihu, and his rebuke to Job is another animal entirely. He does not rebuke Job for sinning in some unspecified way, but by sinning by not giving God the glory and putting his focus on God. Job's sin is not that he is proud, it isn't that he sinned in his words, but that he forgot that God is bigger than his suffering, God is more than just good times, God is God in all things, and he is always righteous. Job opened his mouth, and in his suffering he called to his friends, "look at me and weep! I'm in pain, I have lost all I had, and God persecutes me and will not leave me alone! If only I could die, then I would be happy, but God won't even give me the mercy of a quick death!" Job was in a sorry state, but more important than Job's suffering was God's glory.
When God confronts Job he makes this clear. He asks Job what he knows of earthly matters, and when Job cannot answer that God confronts Job with questions of his own weakness and finite nature. Job finally realizes that he has been a fool. He wanted to argue with God, but he forgot his own mortality, and that God is more than he could imagine. I imagine it will be the same on the day when I meet God and see his power with my own eyes.
There is great gain in godliness with contentment. I may not know what is happening now, but I will see how great it is on that day when I stand before the judgment of God, given mercy in Christ. Perhaps the greatest gain is not in the peace I can live with now, but it is the preparation of my soul for the glory that is to come. When I am content with godliness now, instead of seeking my contentment in worldly pleasures, I am encouraged to look forward to the fact that one day I will die, and I will be with my God who saved me. There is a new heaven and a new earth coming, and our godliness today is preparing us for the enjoyment of that new creation.
Hardships come, for some more often than others. Job knew that one day God would redeem him, and he continued to hope in God, despite all that happened to him. He said, "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high." (Job 16:19) Also, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25) My prayer is that no matter what I suffer Job's hope might be mine. As we trust that one day our redeemer will stand on the earth, that Christ who intercedes for us now will one day stand triumphant upon the earth, it should give us endurance for every situation.
Godliness is not just how we act, it is what we believe and what we teach. That is why Paul says to Timothy, "If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing." (1 Timothy 6:3-4a) We need to be continually reminding ourselves to pay heed to the teaching we have received. We need our minds to be remade. We need the patience of Job in suffering so that we can say with Paul, "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) And the only way we can have the patience of Job is if we have the faith of Job in the God of Job, for he is our God too.
How is your patience today? How is your doctrine today? Who is your God today?
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Necessity of Heaven
Previously I noted that we, as Christians, need to be serious about explaining the reality of sin and its consequences to people. Today, I would like to look at the flip side of that, the reality of heaven, and the amazing grace and love of God. Paul says that Christ died for our sins, and on the third day he was raised from the dead. There is an amazing shorthand going on in that statement, that Christ was raised from the dead, that Paul explains more thoroughly in Ephesians and Romans. Christ has risen, and he has not just risen in the since of physically coming back to life, but he has risen in taking authority over death, so that in him we have life.
Salvation entails two aspects: you have been saved from something, and you have been saved to something. Take, for example, any of the great myths. The hero saves the day, he slays the monster, and he rescues the land. But, what is the outcome? It is not just that someone is saved from the monster, but they are saved to peace, life, and happiness. So also in Christianity, we are saved from our sins, but that means we are saved to being righteous and holy before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 4:24, Philippians 1:11)
Because we have been saved to righteousness, we now have an expectation of heaven, as opposed to our previous expectation of hell. And just as it is important to point out the reality of hell, so also it is essential that we talk about the reality of heaven. While we often talk about God's love, and we talk about the idea of being in heaven, we do not talk about the reality of heaven. What I mean is, that if you asked the average person what heaven would be like, most people would tell you wonderful dreamy ideas of clouds, and comfort, and being with friends, but they would not be able to describe for you the image that Scripture paints for us of heaven.
If we miss what Scripture says heaven will be like, then we honestly do not know what we are supposed to living for. Our reward in heaven is described for us so that we might know that heaven is not just an ephemeral idea, it is a very real place. So, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 , Paul notes that Christ appeared to Cephas, to the 12, to James, to all the apostles, and then lastly to Paul himself. Paul gives us these details so we would be reminded that the resurrection of Christ is not just a good thought, it is not just some grand idea, it is reality itself.
What then is the reality of heaven? The first reality is that it includes our bodies. We will rise again from the dead, just as Christ rose from the dead. We will have bodies, just as Christ has a body. What our bodies will look like, what they will be like, may be a mystery, but the fact that we will rise and we will have bodies is not a mystery, it is a promise. (Job 19:25-27, 1 Corinthians 15:12-49)
Not only will we have bodies, but we will live on the earth. Revelation states that there will be a new heaven and new earth, and men shall dwell there, and God will dwell in our midst. Thus there will be heaven on earth in a literal sense, as God will dwell fully among men with no separation any more. So our hope is not just for bodies, but for a new earth, a land in which we shall live. (Revelation 21:1-4)
Heaven is real, and it is our goal. Heaven is not simply being with friends and family, it is not seeing our favorite pet or playing our favorite sport for all eternity. Heaven is the worship of God. When we remember the reality of heaven we are encouraged to continue struggling and rejoicing on earth.
When we remember heaven there is one more thing we should be encouraged with, and that is living among the saints today. If heaven is the goal, and in heaven we will worship and rejoice with all those who are called by the name of Christ, then why aren't we doing that now? Some who claim to be Christians neglect worship, they do not want to spend time with those today who they are supposed to want to spend time with eternally. When we are reminded that heaven is a very real place, we are challenged to worship God now in light of the promise that is to come, and there is no better way to worship God than to do it as a family, amongst his people. Live like you believe in heaven: rejoice over what God has done in your life, share your hope and your faith with others, and hold to your brothers and sisters in Christ, for this is what our eternity will be, shouldn't we begin getting prepared for it now?
Salvation entails two aspects: you have been saved from something, and you have been saved to something. Take, for example, any of the great myths. The hero saves the day, he slays the monster, and he rescues the land. But, what is the outcome? It is not just that someone is saved from the monster, but they are saved to peace, life, and happiness. So also in Christianity, we are saved from our sins, but that means we are saved to being righteous and holy before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 4:24, Philippians 1:11)
Because we have been saved to righteousness, we now have an expectation of heaven, as opposed to our previous expectation of hell. And just as it is important to point out the reality of hell, so also it is essential that we talk about the reality of heaven. While we often talk about God's love, and we talk about the idea of being in heaven, we do not talk about the reality of heaven. What I mean is, that if you asked the average person what heaven would be like, most people would tell you wonderful dreamy ideas of clouds, and comfort, and being with friends, but they would not be able to describe for you the image that Scripture paints for us of heaven.
If we miss what Scripture says heaven will be like, then we honestly do not know what we are supposed to living for. Our reward in heaven is described for us so that we might know that heaven is not just an ephemeral idea, it is a very real place. So, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 , Paul notes that Christ appeared to Cephas, to the 12, to James, to all the apostles, and then lastly to Paul himself. Paul gives us these details so we would be reminded that the resurrection of Christ is not just a good thought, it is not just some grand idea, it is reality itself.
What then is the reality of heaven? The first reality is that it includes our bodies. We will rise again from the dead, just as Christ rose from the dead. We will have bodies, just as Christ has a body. What our bodies will look like, what they will be like, may be a mystery, but the fact that we will rise and we will have bodies is not a mystery, it is a promise. (Job 19:25-27, 1 Corinthians 15:12-49)
Not only will we have bodies, but we will live on the earth. Revelation states that there will be a new heaven and new earth, and men shall dwell there, and God will dwell in our midst. Thus there will be heaven on earth in a literal sense, as God will dwell fully among men with no separation any more. So our hope is not just for bodies, but for a new earth, a land in which we shall live. (Revelation 21:1-4)
Heaven is real, and it is our goal. Heaven is not simply being with friends and family, it is not seeing our favorite pet or playing our favorite sport for all eternity. Heaven is the worship of God. When we remember the reality of heaven we are encouraged to continue struggling and rejoicing on earth.
When we remember heaven there is one more thing we should be encouraged with, and that is living among the saints today. If heaven is the goal, and in heaven we will worship and rejoice with all those who are called by the name of Christ, then why aren't we doing that now? Some who claim to be Christians neglect worship, they do not want to spend time with those today who they are supposed to want to spend time with eternally. When we are reminded that heaven is a very real place, we are challenged to worship God now in light of the promise that is to come, and there is no better way to worship God than to do it as a family, amongst his people. Live like you believe in heaven: rejoice over what God has done in your life, share your hope and your faith with others, and hold to your brothers and sisters in Christ, for this is what our eternity will be, shouldn't we begin getting prepared for it now?
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