 Questions?!
So in the title I put a question mark after “baby dedications.” The reason is that this can be a controversial subject. You may be thinking, “how could baby dedication be a controversial subject?” But it comes down to a couple of doctrinal positions. Now, our church has had baby dedications in the past and we will be again this Sunday, so I would like to point out the doctrinal issues that some people would have with having them, and why I think they are permissible and can be helpful. Dry Baptisms? The first doctrinal issue that could be raised in regards to baby dedications deals with our understanding of the doctrine of inclusion in the New Covenant. For our Paedobaptist brothers, it would seem as if we are trying to do what they do through the practice of “infant baptism.” Paedo is referring to the practices of baptizing infants or very young children who are not born again believers. The Presbyterian view of infant baptism is that the child of believing parents is baptized in the New Covenant community. The child is therefore a member of the visible church and the New Covenant, even though they are not yet a believer. They would regard this as an act of faith believing that the child will be a believer. They do not believe that baptism makes the child regenerate or "saved," however they do consider the child a “christian” in a strictly outward sense. So, they would say that we are doing the same thing with baby dedications. However, we are not including our infants or small children in any way into the New Covenant. In distinction, we identify our child as unregenerate until they come to have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. This being the case, the child dedication is less about dedicating the child to the Lord and more about the parents and church dedicating themselves to the evangelization and discipleship of these children in the biblical knowledge of the Lord so that they can be saved through the proclamation of the gospel. So while the practice of child dedications and paedobaptism may have some practical and liturgical similarities, this does not mean that they are related in terms of belief or practice. Biblical Precedent? The practice of child dedication as opposed to infant baptism is a relatively recent invention. I am not sure of the origins of the practice, but I am quite certain that it did not exist before the modern period. Which brings us to the other possible controversy. We would say that we want to be obedient to the Bible and conform our worship practices as much as possible to the commands and examples of the New Testament. This is usually referred to as the regulative principle of worship. This principle states that the church should only do those things that scripture instructs us to do in the corporate worship gathering. The opposing principle is the normative principle which states that the church is free to do anything that the scripture doesn’t specifically forbid. For example, a church practicing the regulative principle probably wouldn’t have plays or skits during the worship service, because there wouldn’t be a positive example of this in the Bible. However, the normative church might include the skit, claiming that there is nothing forbidding such a practice in the Bible. You can see how both churches would understand themselves to be operating according to the Bible but based on different principles. All churches are probably operating on a spectrum, and two churches claiming to use the same regulative principle might still disagree on if something is permissible according to their interpretation of Scripture. We do not see any New Testament examples of something like child dedication in the Bible. Also, the examples that could be pulled from the Old Testament, such as Samuel, must be interpreted in the unique purpose in which God was working in them. We also must remember that those Old Testament examples were under a system where unbelieving children were included in the (old) covenant people through infant circumcision. Child dedication does not in any way bring the child into the new covenant community in our Baptist view. Maybe it would be best to understand that in the child dedication we are acknowledging the responsibility of the parents and the church to instruct the child in the things of God but this does make the child a member of the church until they become believers. So why is it ok to do parent/child dedications? The instruction for believing parents to raise their children to follow and honor God and for children to obey and honor their parents is consistent throughout scripture. Beginning in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 20:12), and extending into the New Covenant, Paul’s instructions to the Colossians about the responsibility of Christian children and parents (Colossians 3:20-21). I also think that it is a very helpful reminder to the whole church that we have a covenantal responsibility to pray for each other, love one another, and help everyone in our church to grow toward holiness and maturity in the Lord. Once again, the commitments being made are not so much about what the infant will be or do, but rather what we (the church and the parents) (Ephesians 6:1-4) will faithfully strive to do for the good of our children and the glory of our God!
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 Graduation Season
It’s that time of year when the students and teachers are eager for the school year to come to a close, and the tenured senior class is on the brink of graduation. These students will complete the school year for the final time. It is the end of their basic educational journey. Whether these are public, private, or homeschool students the next chapter of their lives will be something different and new from what has come before for them. This is usually associated with a mixture of emotion for everyone involved. Joy, fear, nostalgia, and excitement can easily fill our hearts as we experience these moments of transition in our lives. Maybe it is a relief for many that this chapter is finally over. For others, maybe there is fear about the changes and challenges that are coming next. In either case, this milestone, while it is a marker on the road, is not the ultimate finish line. To some degree, this is a good lesson for us that ends are not full stops, but only the transition that moves us forward. Endings There are many different types of endings that we will face in life. Some that we are eagerly anticipating and some that we wish would tarry forever. I’m sure we have all experienced those moments when we wish that we could just hit pause and linger in that moment. On the other hand, there are many times that we might want to push fast forward and get past a particularly difficult season. As we age, I’m sure almost everyone longs for the opportunity to hit rewind or get a do over. However, time just keeps going and so each ending of one thing leads to the beginning of another. Oftentimes, endings can leave us with a feeling of accomplishment and at other times we are left with a hunger for more. In either case we know that endings are sure to come. In our temporal experience, we have only understood things from the perspective of beginnings and endings. Try to imagine eternity. It is very difficult, if not completely impossible, because we only experience beginnings and endings. Some religions have tried to satisfy the God given longing of every human heart for eternity through appealing to some mystical, cyclical explanation but in the scripture it is God who reigns over time and eternity (Exodus 15:17-18). Finish Well Given the reality that we all will face the end of many things in our lives and ultimately the end of this physical life then we ought to live in light of that ending. To some degree, even an empty culture such as the one we live in understands this with the YOLO mindset. But what I am postulating is that we should live and act with humility and virtue, so that in each ending we are finishing well. The reality is that the end is coming. We can be found fallen or failed or we can strive to finish well. This was the desire that the Apostle Paul exhibited when he wrote to his young colleague Timothy concerning the end of not only his ministry but his life for the sake of the gospel (2 Timothy 4:6-8). In the text, Paul tells Timothy how he has “fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.” Looking with Spiritual insight into the sureness of his soon death he was able to point out to Timothy that he had finished well. We must realize that finishing well is not as much a matter of being successful or accomplished, but rather, a matter of being faithful. In the end, there will be many who despite being blessed with many talents, advantages, and even prosperity will ultimately not finish well because of a lack of integrity and faithfulness. At the same time, many who have not had those same privileges will be found having fought hard and finished well, because they simply proceeded in faithful obedience to the clear commands of Christ. This kind of faithfulness is the essence of truly saving and transforming faith.  A.I.
When I was child the speculation was all about E.T., meaning extra terrestrials. I guess that is still a thing, however, now the rise of something much more concerning (and real) is at hand. I’m sure everyone is aware of A.I. or artificial intelligence. It is not my intention in this blog to call out that the sky is falling or that A.I. is going to ruin the world. Besides, we sinners are doing a good enough job of that on our own. But I do think we need to consider the ethics and morality surrounding this issue. A.I. is a tool, and as such it can be used rightly or wrongly. I am encouraging all of us as believers to think through the issue so that we are ready for the moral bridges that we will have to cross. How will we utilize this tool for God’s glory and our good? Research or Plagiarism I’m not a scientist, but I would like to run a little experiment to help us think through the issues of using A.I. in the future. Last week, I wrote a blog about the Spring Bride. I was specifically thinking about the church as the bride of Christ and how we should treat the church in light of her being the bride of our King. That essay was 100% my work but I also entered a prompt into chat GPT to see what kind of article it would write about the same subject. This is the prompt I entered: Write a 623 word blog article about The importance of Christians having a high view of the church because the Church is Christ’s bride. I must admit it is a really good article. In fact, it is probably better than anything I could have written, not just grammatically but also substantially. It is so good that it brings up the question of how we are going to know that what we read in the future comes from a person and not A.I.? What is going to keep students, authors, and even pastors from shortcutting their work and study with the use of this kind of technology for profit and advancement? I don’t have the answers to all of these things but I do think that we must prepare to have answers to these questions moving forward. Of course it is plagiarism to copy from the work of A.I. without acknowledgement just like it would be to copy a person’s work. So please read the following article which is Chat GPT’s response to the prompt above and I would love your feedback and perspective on this issue. (One last note: because I gave it a specific number of words it stops mid sentence at the end.) Chat GPT Content The Church is not just a building or an institution; it is a living, breathing organism made up of believers in Jesus Christ. The Bible refers to the Church as the body of Christ, with Christ as the head (Colossians 1:18). This analogy highlights the vital importance of the Church to Christ and to every believer. As Christians, we need to have a high view of the Church because it is Christ's bride. In Ephesians 5:25-27, the apostle Paul writes, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Christ loves the Church and gave himself up for her, not just as an institution but as his beloved bride. Therefore, we must value the Church and its members as highly as Christ does. The Church is not just a gathering of believers, but it is where we find fellowship, accountability, and spiritual growth. We are called to be a part of the Church and to contribute our unique gifts and talents to build it up (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). A high view of the Church also means understanding its significance in God's redemptive plan. The Church is not an afterthought or a backup plan, but it is central to God's purpose for the world. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Church is not just a human endeavor but is built by Christ himself. Furthermore, the Church is the means by which the Gospel is spread and lives are transformed. In Acts 2, we see the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost, and immediately the Gospel begins to spread as people are added to the Church daily. The Church is where we are equipped to share the Gospel with the world, and it is where we find the support and encouragement we need to live out our faith. A high view of the Church also means recognizing the importance of unity among believers. The Church is made up of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, but we are all united in our faith in Jesus Christ. In John 17:21, Jesus prays, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Unity is not just a nice idea but is essential for the Church to function as it should. When we are divided, we lose our effectiveness in reaching the lost and fulfilling God's mission. Unfortunately, the Church has often been criticized and maligned by those both inside and outside of the faith. We have seen scandals, divisions, and abuses of power that have caused many to question the relevance and integrity of the Church. However, this should not cause us to lose sight of the Church's importance or to give up on it. Instead, we must work to address these issues and strive to make the Church the holy and unified body that Christ intended. In conclusion, as Christians, we need to have a high view of the Church because it is Christ's bride. We must value the Church as highly as Christ does, understanding its significance in God's redemptive plan, recognizing the importance of unity among believers, and working to address any issues that may hinder its effectiveness. The Church is not just an institution or a building, but it is  Springtime
As we move into mid spring we are just around the corner from the bustling wedding season extending from May to mid autumn. What an exciting time as couples are entering into the beautiful covenant of marriage. While unfortunately many people do not enter marriage with the kind of covenantal commitment that the Scripture calls for, it is still a testimony to the reality of how God has made us, that couples want to enter into this institution. I say this because the Scripture is clear that marriage is about much more than the relationship between these to people, it is about the relationship between God and His people. Covenantal Faithfulness Throughout the Scripture God has spoken in terms that made explicit the relationship He has with His people (Isaiah 62:1-5). God loves His people and even when they had sinned and broken His covenant He would graciously keep extending His steadfast, merciful love to them (Ezekiel 16:59-63). The point is that once God has set His love upon His people, even from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-10), He does not take it back. Rather, He sanctifies and cleanses His bride even at the high cost of His own blood (Ephesians 5:25-27). Watch Your Language However, if this is how God loves His covenant people and His New Covenant people contains all those who trusted in the Savior from Adam to the present time, then we must conclude that this is the kind of amazing and unconditional love that He lavishes on us in the church today. Since this is the case we must understand that when we speak about the church we speak about Christ’s bride. This ought to cause us to choose our words carefully. My point is not that we can never criticize things that are happening in the church or the great Christian sphere of influence. But we must take into account that we do so with reverence of our Lord who is the bridegroom of the church. Certainly the church may exist in frailty but isn’t it true that Christ is her source of strength and power? Again, surely we can find many examples of her foibles and flaws but again isn’t Christ the source of her eternal beauty and perfection? Presently, it may seem as though she is failing and faltering, but isn’t Christ the One who ensures that she will not and cannot ultimately fall away. My point is simply that our view of Christ and His church should not be driven to pessimism and criticism by our assessment of how things are going currently, but rather we must hold to a favorable and enthusiastic optimism based on the promises of God contained in His word. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) and He promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:16-19). Jesus promised that He would present the church to Himself as a bride without spot or wrinkle or blemish (Ephesians 5:27). Jesus even promised that He would never leave or forsake His church (Hebrews 13:5)! Since Christ is so unconditionally and unequivocally committed to His church, the reality is that we should be also. We should only speak critically of the current state of the church through tear filled eyes and with hopeful devotion to her good and His glory!  Dichotomy
A dichotomy is the division into two parts or kinds of a given whole. This can be a pair of something or two corresponding halves of a mutual whole. But more often this word is used to refer to two mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or parts. So while the definition can be of a positive or neutral nature it is more often negative and adversarial. The reason that I am pointing out the meaning of this word is because today I want to meditate on the glorious dichotomy of righteousness presented in the New Testament. As believers under the grace of God and in the New Covenant of Christ’s blood, we are at the same time both possessing an insatiable appetite for the righteous things of God, the glorious good news of Christ and the filling presence of the Holy Spirit, yet we are also already possessing all the righteousness of Christ, all the grace of the Father, and all the life of the Spirit currently. So my thesis is that this is not a contradiction under the economy of the Kingdom of Christ, but rather the glorious blessing that we as saints not only enjoy now but will always possess in eternity. Hunger True believers in Jesus Christ are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). The idea of being hungry and thirsty might at first sound like a bad thing, but Jesus is pointing out that the true people of God have desire and passion, not for things that the world lusts after, but the righteousness of God is now our delight. God has told us that we will have the desire of our heart when we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4)! The loss of appetite is a sign of either depression or sickness and as such cannot be the goal of the Christian life. The life of God in us does not produce the type of stoicism or asceticism that is marked by the absence of all desire. This is the false teaching of man made religions, such as Buddhism which argues for the vanquishing of all desires. The eight fold path is really nothing more than a humanistic therapeutic form of behavioral therapy meant to train you not to care about anything. But God doesn’t want us to be passionless zombies but rather passionate and zealous warriors, workers, and worshippers (Titus 2:11-14). Satisfaction However, the appetite that we have as believers does mean that we are satisfied in God. John Piper’s famous motto, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,” captures this reality well. We as believers always desire for God to be praised, exalted, and glorified. The amazing truth is that this desire is satiated in our satisfaction with the grace, mercy, and love which I have received in Jesus Christ. Remember Matthew 5:6 referenced above. Jesus points out that those with the hunger and thirst for righteousness are also the ones who are satisfied by God’s righteousness. The point is that the more we desire God, the more full of God we will be and the more full of God we are, the more we will want Him!  Good Friday
Today, the release date of this blog, is April 7th 2023, which is Good Friday this year. This is the Friday when we commemorate the death of Christ. Of course, we do this regularly through the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Wouldn’t it be awful if we only reflected on the death and crucifixion of Jesus once a year? But I digress, my point is that this is the time each year when the whole of Christendom and cultures impacted by the gospel are most attune to the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This week, in this post I would like to focus on the assurance gained for us as believers because Jesus has been raised from the dead. As we look around at the culture collapsing all around us I am convinced that part of the problem is not only a lack of evangelistic zeal by us as Christians, but also the inconsistency of our lives. By inconsistency, I mean that we claim to believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that we will therefore also be raised from the dead, but if this is true our lives should be marked by a radical difference from the world. Regeneration Jesus told the rabbi Nicodemus in John 3 that we must all be born again. The theological word for being born again is regeneration. Genesis means beginning and everyone one of us is born naturally in sin and so we need to begin again supernaturally free from sin. But how can we be made alive if we are truly dead in sin? The only way is if another who is sinless and righteous makes atonement for our sin and cancels our debt. This is why Jesus explains to Nicodemus that everyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life. But what is it about Jesus that we must believe? First, we must believe in His divinity! We must believe that Jesus truly is God. For only God can bear the punishment and satisfy the wrath of God against sin. Second, we must believe that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:1-6). For if Jesus did not truly come as a human, he could not be a genuine substitute for human beings on the cross. But we must also believe that God has raised Christ from the dead. We must trust in the full propitiation of our sin on the cross and the vindication of Jesus as our Savior and mediator through His victorious resurrection from the dead (Romans 10:8-13). In Jesus' resurrection, we are assured that our regeneration is a settled reality. We are truly raised to life spiritually at our conversion because Christ was truly raised to life in His resurrection. Also, like His resurrection the spiritual life that we now have is abundant and everlasting life. Resurrection We also can have assurance that our bodily resurrection is assured by Jesus’ resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul shows that to deny the bodily resurrection of believers one must also deny the resurrection of Jesus. Paul makes the case that the spiritually resurrection body will be different from the natural body we now have, just as Jesus' resurrection body was different from His body before death. But it is still a body! So not only is our Christian hope tied to the fact that we will have a bodily resurrection, but that Jesus also had a bodily resurrection. This is the fundamental and central confession of Biblical Christianity. Relationship Finally, through Jesus' resurrection from the dead we are brought into a relationship of peace with God. Jesus has gained for us reconciliation with God, not only through His death but also through His resurrection life (Romans 5:6-11). And Jesus is now interceding for us with the Father on the basis of His sacrifice and the faith that He has given to us by His grace. We have been brought back into the familial relationship that God intended for us to have as His children and image bearers. Even now we are being conformed into the image of Christ all because Jesus is raised from the dead. So, if you are reading this post and have not trusted in Jesus then let me urge you to turn from your sin and place your faith in Christ who not only died for you but also lives for us as believers. Believers, let us celebrate that in Christ we have full assurance of our regeneration, resurrection, and relationship with God!  Atheists
Tomorrow is the national holiday of the Atheist. I say that because, as you know, it is April Fool’s Day. The scripture says that the fool says in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 14:1). While this is a bit of a playful jab at the incoherence of a godless worldview, we must also remember that these are fools because of their willful rejection of the light of God seen in the general revelation of nature and the special revelation of Scripture. I point this out because we could be tempted to look at that position sympathetically but instead we ought to see it for the rebellion that it is. This is not only true when we see it in others but also true when we remember that this was us. We must guard against regressing into faithless actions that are based in unbelief. Clowns Just this last week, an internet influencer named JP Sears professed his faith in God (video). This gentleman has for some time been a harsh critic of the draconian policies that have been used the past few years in our country and around the world. He was somewhat famous among those on the right for criticizing the left, while he was probably a rather liberal person himself. As Christians, I think we should desire to affirm and trust every profession of faith even if we are seen to be gullible by the world. However, I must admit that as hopeful as I am that this man has truly been converted, his comedic history does give me some pause to make sure that Lucy isn’t about to pull the football on us as the metaphorical Charlie Brown. So what should we do when we hear about someone with a high profile or celebrated platform converting to Christ? I would like to suggest 3 appropriate responses. First, we ought to pray for the person. It is never a bad thing to pray for people, and we, of course, want to celebrate the great miracle of regeneration and the advance of Christ’s kingdom. Second, we should also praise God because in His sovereignty and providence He is bringing glory, not to this person, but to Himself. Third, we ought to remember that God doesn’t need the wealthy wise or worldly to grant legitimacy to His kingdom. Instead, He has chosen the weak, winsome, and wholesome of this world to show His power (1 Corinthians 1:26-30). Fools I want to point out that the Apostle Paul uses the term “fool” in another way in 1 Corinthians 4:10. In this passage, he is using the word sarcastically to refer to the way that some others have wrongly judged he and the other apostles to be weak and lowly. Paul’s point is that he doesn’t care if he is seen in their eyes, or even in the estimation of the whole world, as a fool, if through that Christ is proclaimed and God glorified. The point we must understand is that the only evaluation of our lives that matters is God’s. We must also remember that our existence is for His glory and not simply our gratification. If we are to magnify Christ with our loves then we must lose all concern with magnifying ourselves. All the glory, honor, and praise be to our glorious God, sovereign King, and holy Counselor!  Show me
I guess it's award season in Hollywood. I'm not really sure, I don’t pay attention to that kind of stuff. Actually, I believe that most people don’t. I heard a proverbial phrase the other day that in your 20’s you care a lot what other people think, by your 40’s you care much less what others think, and by your 60’s you realize people didn’t think much about you at all. I don't know if that is true, but I do think that we often think of ourselves more highly than we ought. This is especially true in reference to our so-called accomplishments. I say “so called” not because they are not real or because we didn’t truly work for them, but because humans are prone to not give credit where it is really due. We live in a narcissistic culture in which we are encouraged to evaluate our life, value, and success by how many likes, clicks, views, follows, or shares we can amass from other people. At the root, so much of what drives our culture is pride. The arrogance of constructing a view of ourselves that is all about us. However, if God is the center and focus of all things, then this should destroy our boasting. For everything is about Him and not us! Show Off In 2 Kings 20:12-21, we read that after God healed King Hezekiah of a deadly illness the king of Babylon sent messengers to comfort Hezekiah, because they heard that he was sick. (That seems kind of suspicious to me.) But Hezekiah, possibly still full of euphoria because of his healing, welcomed these men into his palace and proceeded to give them an exhaustive tour of his kingdom, wealth, and military provisions. Hezekiah clearly desired to show off all that he had. He proudly desired the admiration, not only of these men, but of the king of Babylon. Whether Hezekiah thought that this was a strategic way to flex on the Babylonians or simply the foolish arrogance of materialism, Hezekiah was clearly all about himself and his own power and prosperity. The question we must ask ourselves is: Did Hezekiah really have anything to boast about? Of course, the wealth and weapons were really there but were they really his? In the passage Isaiah goes on to tell Hezekiah of the punishment of God that will befall his house, his children, and his nation because of this foolish and reckless action. Of course, God was going to judge Judah with the 70 years of exile for far more reasons than just this but while Hezekiah was gloating over all that he had he failed to attribute this all to God. I think that a big part of Hezekiah’s sin was not only the strategic foolishness of helping his enemies to case the joint but also in not remembering that Hezekiah was only a steward and manager of the nation that belonged to God. Hezekiah is so oblivious to his pride and selfishness that even after Isaiah proclaims the judgment, he is content because the disaster will not happen until after his death. Even in this Hezekiah’s concern is not for his nation, his family, or his God. Show Out So, how do we guard ourselves against becoming like Hezekiah? I think it starts with an understanding that everything belongs not to us but to our great God (Psalm 24:1-2). Hezekiah had lost sight of the reality that every blessing and good thing that he had was from God (James 1:16-18). In this we need to remember that it is not wrong to publish the news of all the things that God has done. We should be readily and regularly testifying to what God has done in our lives (Psalm 34:1-3) but the necessary emphasis must remain on the fact that God has done this and not us. One practical way that we can cultivate this kind of genuine humility is by fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2) and His accomplishment on the cross for us. If we are to boast, let it be in the cross (Galatians 6:14) and the resurrection of Christ our Lord. Let us glorify our Father in heaven through the Spirit whom He has given to us! (1 John 3:24)  Engagement
Do you remember Mrs. Kravitz from the show ‘Bewitched’? She was always being nosy and came off looking crazy when she could not prove the incredible things that she had seen. A hilarious trope that is used very often in sitcoms to make fun of the person who just can’t seem to mind their own business. However, in our day the internet, social media, and the 24/7 news cycle has turned most of us into our own virtual version of Mrs. Kravitz, just without the rollers in our hair. Part of the problem stems from having so much information. Historically, most news that had traveled for some distance was so old and remote that it was completely unactionable. On the other hand if something happens near you in time and space then it was probably reasonable for you to respond appropriately. But today we are bombarded by so much information that seems actionable, but is actually completely outside of our control. Online platforms have given us the appearance of influence. So often we assume that even if our opinion isn’t wanted it is needed. The essential problem that we are dealing with is that in our desire to not feel helpless with the onslaught of issues we respond to everything that we perceive to be a problem happening around us. I am not arguing that we should not be proactive in dealing with real problems in our genuine sphere of influence. Nor am I meaning that we should be unwilling to call out sin and false teaching when necessary. But most of us could use a healthy dose of faith filled optimism and a reorientation of our priorities. Wealth Everyday there will be someone that has something wrong on the internet. If we let ourselves become the all time truth police, we will always be denouncing something that has happened culturally or that has been proclaimed doctrinally. Of the abundance of problems there is no end. Never before has there been an opportunity for us to be so well informed about things that have nothing to do with us. We are much like the Athenians in the first century because we spend all of our time listening for something new (Acts 17:21). They were gluttonous in their appetite for the fleshly stimulation of philosophy and controversy. As extreme as Luke makes their cultural circumstance sound, I cannot imagine that ours is not many times worse given the technological advances that not only allow us access to this intoxicating feast but also the addictive nature of our devices. This is especially a problem when believers exhibit this kind of behavior because we ought to be so fulfilled in Christ, so joyful in the Spirit, and so reverent of our Father that we should not be constantly drawn away by these lesser things. Instead of being pessimistic naysayers, why aren’t we the happy proclaimers of the good news that can actually save and transform the world and culture? Of course, the proclamation of the gospel includes the bad news and I, in no way, mean to say that we should sweeten or soften the message but we must proclaim Christ with either tearfilled eyes or happy smiles, but not angry and bitter growls. Mind Set So, you may be saying that I am a hypocrite. After all, aren’t I doing the very thing that I am warning against just by warning you against something? Maybe. So let me shift to give you some practical things that we can do to be more optimistic and hopeful. First, we ought to heed the warning from scripture to not be busybodies. The Apostle Paul tells the Thessalonians that they must watch out for idleness because it breeds this kind of fruitless curiosity. We must keep active and busy in seeking to glorify the Lord. Paul also instructs them to not get tired in doing the good things that God has given them to do (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). I am sure that there are plenty of opportunities around my life and family to keep me busy and out of the business of other folks (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10). Paul also tells Timothy to warn those who have fallen into the serious sin of gossip and have become the stereotypical busybody (1 Timothy 5:11-13). Second, we must set our minds on better things. Those things which accompany salvation and that adorn the gospel. We ought to be focusing our minds on the grace and beauty of our great God and His awesome salvation. Our minds should be set on the things above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-4). Brothers and Sisters isn’t it better to let our minds linger on those things which are pure, lovely, honorable, true, just, commendable, and excellent (Philippians 4:8-9). Paul says that with this focus comes the very promise of the peace of God. Finally, I would encourage all of us to turn attention off of the things happen in exotic places (i.e. Kentucky) and the people we don’t even know and instead focus on loving and edifying the brothers and sisters in our local church. We need to be seeking to share Christ with the lost people in our own communities. We must be not only content but happy to serve God where He has planted us and among whom He has placed us!  Good Clothes
Last week, I began dealing with the issue of how we should dress in the gathering of the church on the Lord’s day. In this post, I want to go through a few passages that deal with this specifically. There are actually many more that we could consider about how concerned we ought to be about clothing in general in passages such as Matthew 6:25-33 and Luke 12:22-48, but here I want to deal with what the Apostles had to say about our clothing in the New Covenant Church meeting. The New Testament Principles Many will contend that we are instructed to offer our bodies in worship to the Lord (Romans 12:1). This is absolutely true, however, in this text Paul is not making a case for the attire they should wear in worship. Instead, from this point in the book of Romans through chapter 15, Paul is imploring us to act and behave consistently with the theology he has explained in the first eleven chapters. Romans 12:1 simply doesn’t have anything to do with the discussion of how to dress for the church meeting. Some may also point out that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that we should glorify God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Again, I would agree wholeheartedly. The point that Paul is making in this passage is not about our clothing but our behavior. The passage actually is dealing with abstinence from sexual immorality, not our Sunday outfit. In both of these passages one must, at best, infer some implicit not explicit ideas about the way we should dress in church. As matter of fact, if we apply these passages to our dress then it would extend far beyond the worship service, because in both texts it is our whole life that is being discussed. So, are there any New Testament texts that deal directly with our clothing and how to dress in the church gathering? Yes! Since we have looked at two passages by Paul, let's start with his instructions. In 1 Timothy 2:8-10, Paul instructs the godly women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel. Of course, we must interpret what respectable apparel means. In different times and cultures that could be different. We do not dress as they did in the first century today. But thankfully, Paul helps us out by telling us that this respectable apparel is modest and self controlled. He also specifically points out that it should not be fancy and expensive. Which is kind of the opposite of dressing up. The Apostle Peter also speaks to this topic in 1 Peter 3:1-4 where he addresses the women and pretty much says the same thing as Paul. Peter even says, “Don’t let your adorning be external.” Meaning that the clothing you wear should not be the focus. James also gives us insight in James 2:1-7 where he points out that judging one another by the clothing we wear to the church gathering is a way of committing the sin of partiality. So it seems that the case for grace toward one another in the area of church attire is far stronger than that of “dressing up” for the church meeting. Modern Practice With all of that I have said the last two weeks in mind, it seems to me that we ought to encourage people to dress appropriately, by which I mean modestly and in such a way as not to be a distraction. Much of this will depend on the culture of the particular church. I think it is possible to under dress in some cases or over dress. If the congregation's regular practice is for the men to wear a collared shirt and the ladies wear dresses and the new pastor comes in wearing a t-shirt and shorts then that would be an unnecessary distraction. However, in a small rural community where most folks maybe don’t even own anything but jeans, a pastor in a three piece suit could also be a distraction. The men should dress as men and the women should dress modestly. The goal should be on humbling ourselves and dressing in whatever way, either up or down, so as to not be a distraction from our main purpose of worshiping the Lord and fellowshipping and edifying the saints! |