 Feedback
We all like to receive affirmation that we are doing a good job or doing the right thing. I am currently teaching horseback classes at a summer camp. Most of my words are giving an instruction or correction to a student followed by several encouragements. When we are learning something new, dangerous, or difficult it can be very helpful to be praised for our progress and advancement in the endeavor. Even when we are veterans at a certain task that is very subjective, such as an artisan or creator, it helps to receive positive feedback. However, the most helpful responses are probably those that point out areas where changes need to be made or where improvement is possible. The problem is that most of us, the present author included, don’t like to have our flaws and failures pointed out. These kinds of criticisms can cause someone to feel incompetent, ill equipped, or just down right worthless. But when they are received with genuine humility they can prove to be a true blessing and benefit. Of course, part of the difference can rest on the person bringing the criticism. If the individual is an enemy or worse an enemy who poses as friend or brother then the criticism may be a form of attack and not an honest assessment of the situation. If the criticism is mean spirited then the person in the bullseye of the attack will no doubt feel vulnerable and defensive. On the other hand, if the criticism is brought with the best interest of the brother being criticized in mind, then this can be a real asset. In this case, the goal is not to harm or to wound but to help and to heal. In the end, both the person receiving the criticism and the relationship should be stronger and better. Wrong Way I would like to share a horrible example from scripture of how we should not receive criticism. In 2 Samuel 17, the usurping son of David, Absalom, received two differing plans for how to deal with his pursuit of his absconding father. I don’t intend to deal with the differing advice only with the fact that when Absalom chose not to follow the advice of Ahithophel, Ahithophel is reported to have went away and committed suicide. I think it is important to note as well that this is no crime of passion where in shock at having his advice unheeded he fell from his horse or out of a window or onto his sword. No, Ahithophel saddled his donkey, rode all the way home, set his affairs in order and hanged himself. This post is not really about suicide that is a deep and grievous issue. But the point here is that Ahithophel did not consider that his life was even worth living in light of his advice being ignored. He did not know how to wisely receive this rebuke. Especially since in less than 24 hours Absalom would be dead and David restored. A Better Way The wisdom of God not only gives us this example of the wrong way that we should avoid but also a better way for Christians to deal with constructive criticism. In Proverbs 27:6, it says “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” The point being made is that a true friend, or better yet brother in Christ, will love you enough to tell you hard things. Not in an effort to hurt or humiliate, but from a genuine desire to help and strengthen you for even greater service for God and for His glory. But this wisdom is not only in the proverbs. The Apostle Paul teaches something closely related to this in his letter to the Ephesians(4:15). Here Paul tells believers that a sure sign of Christian maturity is that we speak the truth in love. I think that there are two points to be gleaned from Paul saying “speak the truth in love.” First, we need to speak the truth with the motivation of love. The source of our criticism must be our care and affection for our brother or sister, not any desire to put them in their place. If our motivation isn’t right it really doesn’t matter what we say or how we say it. Secondly, if our motivation is love then we ought to want to speak in a way that also communicates that love. Many things are not communicated well because they are not communicated to be heard but rather to be said. We can all be guilty of saying a thing just to get it off our chest when the motivation and the application was not loving but rather for our own selfish benefit. Remember love is not selfish. The love of God that should be growing in us as Christians is a giving and sacrificing love (1 Corinthians 13). So brothers and sisters, let us love one another and always speak the truth!
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 Heat
Summer is really here! The temperatures have risen. I am not a fan of the sweltering heat of the mid-year season. I find it especially uncomfortable. I have heard that much of our country is experiencing a heat wave. As uncomfortable as someone like me may find the heat, there is a point when the heat moves from merely being uncomfortable to being dangerous. The heat can do damage to the body even resulting in death. Because this is the case, people must recognize the danger and rightly deal with the pain that the heat is inflicting. In this post, I want to think about pain and what its purpose is in our lives. Obstacle The first thing that we should recognize is that pain can often be an obstacle to be overcome. If you decide to start a new exercise program and load your muscle groups with work that they are not accustomed to you will experience pain. The pain will make you want to quit, but if you are going to accomplish your goal of increasing strength and becoming more healthy then you must overcome the pain. In this way pain is a barrier to the good things that need to happen in your life and this barrier must be overcome. Barriers are key to understanding the mission of gospel expansion in the world. If we never worked to overcome painful barriers then the gospel would never advance. But missionaries and believers who support them must sacrifice to the point of pain for the advancement of the gospel beyond these barriers. Endurance In Romans 5, Paul tells these congregations of believers in Rome, that as believers in Christ we rejoice even in our suffering because our suffering results in a chain reaction that produces hope. Now, the next step after suffering is endurance in this domino effect. Without suffering we would not learn that endurance that would give us the kind of mature character that should be the attribute of every genuine descendant of Abraham and David. But both of the terms “suffering” and “endurance” imply something hard, uncomfortable, or even painful that is in opposition to our growth in grace. Warning However, pain is not always something to be overcome or endured. Pain can also be a warning that something is wrong. The pain of touching something hot actually protects us from the destruction of our flesh. The pain of a heart attack can cause us to seek the medical attention that can save our lives. Even just the fear of pain can often keep us from making some risky, foolish decisions. Pain can also motivate us to make changes that we would not usually make. It can cause us to take necessary actions to improve our situation because we do not want to stay in the painful circumstances any longer. In this way pain actually assists us in our way toward holiness by motivating our transformation. Certainly if the world were not infected with sin (Genesis 3) then we would not be afflicted with pain (Revelation 21:4). But in God’s gracious way even pain can serve for our ultimate good and His eternal glory!  Busy
Technically, it isn’t summer until June 21st. But, I think we can all agree that summer starts on Memorial Day. Our summer is off to a busy start. This week we have been having Vacation Bible School. This has been one of the best VBS’s that I have ever been around. Everyone has been so positive and energetic about pointing the children to the truth found in the Bible. Our theme has been “Farmer’s Market,” emphasizing the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22. On top of that, of course, all of the hustle and bustle of normal life has continued on. Camp, vacations, various summer activities seem to pile our days and nights with a seemingly infinite list of things to do. This isn’t a bad thing, just something worth recognizing. In keeping with our VBS theme and the season, the old saying “you have to make hay while the sun shines” comes to mind. During these busy seasons it is important that we not miss the blessing that we have received. Baptists This is also the time of year that many of the denominations are having their big annual meetings and that includes the Southern Baptist Convention. I was not in attendance at the SBC annual meeting and, barring some extreme providence, doubt that I will ever again attend that meeting. I really don’t want to comment on the things that took place there, because my views would be second hand at best. However, one of the things that I often hear surrounding these meetings (in almost all denominations) is the struggle between the liberals and the conservatives. This often parallels the same kind of conversation observed in the wider political sphere. Of course, many of the specific things being argued about are things that would be differences between liberals and conservative. However, especially concerning the SBC, I think the division is actually at a different point than liberal and conservative. I think the distinction is actually, at least among these Baptists, between the pragmatists and the biblicists. By biblicist, I mean those who believe that if we only do things according to instruction and prescription of the Bible, we can expect God to bless His church according to His purpose (Ephesians 1:11-12). I do not mean to say that the others do not believe in or trust God’s word, but only that the biblists are committed to simply obeying and applying the Bible to the life and mission of the church. On the other side of the debate are those who would also affirm the inerrancy, infallibility, authority, and even sufficiency of the Bible, but they would say that it can be faithfully contextualized to our culture in a way that is not as strict and offensive. The pragmatist believes that this is necessary if the minds and hearts of men are going to turn toward God in repentance and faith. I believe that so much of the debating happening amongst churches today stems from this very distinction. This is not only true on the denominational level, but also on the local church level. Many people in a genuine desire to reach people with the gospel are wanting and encouraging their churches to use unbiblical practices for the sake of evangelism. But the problem with programmatic and pragmatic evangelism is that it uses things that lost people like to bring them in and in many cases these people become a part of the church without being born again to new life in Christ. Thus the church must do more pragmatic things to keep these goats entertained and the cycle continues until the church is destroyed. This destruction can mean that the church closes because no one comes or worse, it grows but has no genuine gospel testimony. Fruit Ironically, the pragmatist will argue that their way produces results, such as baptisms, attendance, budgetary goals, etc. But the fruit that the Lord is most concerned with is the fruit of the Spirit and the transformation of people's lives. The Lord Jesus in closing out His great sermon on the Mount pointed us to the fact that the good trees are shown to be so by the good fruit that they bear (Matthew 7:17-20). But the good fruit is the eternal fruit not the temporal fruit, so it takes changed hearts and transformed eyes to see it (Ephesians 1:16-21).  Pride Month
June is here. As I write this post I am reflecting on the homecoming festivities that we enjoyed this past weekend in our hometown. Every year on the first Saturday in June people with some familial or historical connection to Shirley, Arkansas descend on our little valley to mingle and get reacquainted. Many of the same stories will be told again and the young ones will be introduced to traditions and experiences that go back now, sometimes four or five generations. This is not unique to our small village. It is common to rural communities across our country, especially during the summer months. But now the purveyors of so much wickedness and sin in our culture have chosen to co-opt this month for the promotion of iniquity and perversity. They have also picked the banner of the rainbow to symbolize their movement and cause. In blatant disregard for the covenant intent of the rainbow or worse in blasphemous contempt of our great creator and covenant keeping King! Noahic In the days before the great flood of water deluged the planet on account of the wrath of God against sin, the Bible says that “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.” This section of Scripture is often debated on many finer points, but everyone should be able to agree that life among the people of that time was marked by sin and rebellion. I think that we could easily conclude that today our world and most of the cultures of the world are infected with the same kind of disease of sin and rebellion. This post is not meant to dive into the distinctions in eschatological conclusions. But from a historical perspective, cultures seem to ebb and flow in direct proportion to the promotion and reception of the gospel in that culture. Genesis 4 ends with men beginning to call on the name of the Lord. But idolatry and all sorts of immorality also grow quickly after the fall of mankind into sin. Of course, we must remember that while it is only a few chapters, many centuries are covered in the period from the fall to the account of the flood. But even still the population is thoroughly corrupted by sin as it is shown that the fallen heart is totally depraved.(Genesis 6:5) However, the story of Noah is not only a recounting of man’s wickedness and God’s just punishment of sin, but also the record of God’s grace in saving humanity by rescuing Noah and his family. It is interesting that just as we are saved by trusting God’s word of revelation and believing in Jesus, they were also saved by believing what God had revealed to Noah and trusting in the vehicle of redemption provided by God’s own perfect design. But even after the waters subsided and the image bearers are again safe on dry soil, the story continues in God’s faithful covenant promises made to Noah. The Lord affirmed the early covenant made with Adam by giving the Noahic family the charge to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” God gives them all the animals and plants as food, only restricting them from the consumption of a being's lifeblood. In this covenant, the Lord also instituted capital punishment for the sin of murder. Finally, God establishes His covenant with Noah and all life on the earth to never again destroy all flesh through the means of a great flood. All covenants also have signs of the covenant promises that have been made. God gives us the sign of the rainbow as a reminder of His amazing grace and mercy. Divine Patience The Apostle Peter refers back to the events of the deluged world at the end of his second epistle. Peter reminds his readers that the world that then existed was destroyed by a cataclysmic worldwide flood. But he goes on to tell us that this current world will likewise be destroyed by a cataclysmic global inferno (2 Peter 3:5-13). The reason that Peter informs us about this coming destruction is because the Lord is patient toward His people so that they all will reach repentance before that great and terrible day comes. Peter tells us that since this judgment is sure and that this salvation is real, we should wait for this by living lives of holiness and godliness in this present age, while resting in the Lord’s promise of a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Continued…
Last week, we discussed the dangers of convincing people to simply “try” Jesus. I want to be clear that I believe when other Christians do this they are doing so with the best possible motivations. Jesus is faithful! These believers know that the Lord has never failed them so if people could only experience the peace and freedom that we experience through faith in Christ, then they would follow Jesus forever. And that’s true! The only problem is that the only way to have that experience of Christ’s peace and grace is by faith not by experiment (Ephesians 2:8-10). But I mentioned at the end of last week’s article that there may be a way to rescue the word “try” when talking about Christ and His kingdom. Of course, I don’t mean that there is a way to try out the streets of heaven or to take the Holy Spirit for a test drive to see if you're compatible. What I mean is, we could make ‘TRY’ into an acronym or acrostic to help us remember how salvation truly comes to us. Trust in Jesus! The Bible is clear from beginning to end that we must trust everything to the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). But most importantly, Jesus is the only way for us to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). We must place our faith in Christ and in Christ alone. In Romans 4, Paul is clear that Abraham was justified by faith. His faith was credited or counted to him as righteous based on the grace and mercy of God. If we are heirs of the kingdom promises that God made to Abraham, it's not Abraham blood or genetics that we require. Rather, we must share in the same saving faith that he had. Abraham believed that God was faithful and that he would keep His covenant promises (Genesis 15). Abraham believed God could and would raise the dead when necessary to achieve His glorious salvific plans (Genesis 22). Abraham believed that God was worthy of his worship and trust. Rest in Christ! In the New Covenant we are to rest from our striving to earn our place in God’s presence. The Lord Jesus has already done everything for us. Jesus has taken all our guilt and our shame through His sacrificial death on the cross (Colossians 1:19-23). But that’s not all, Jesus has also earned on our behalf a full inheritance of righteousness given to us by Christ through faith (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Even more, the author of the book of Hebrews is clear in 3:1-4:11 that as believers we no longer rest on the calendar day called the Sabbath. Instead, we rest on every day called “today,” because our sabbath rest is in Christ forever! Yield to the Lord! Finally, when we genuinely trust and rest in Christ, then we can, in fact we must, yield to Lordship. The fundamental confession of a Christian is that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:8-10)! We need not fear this yoke for Jesus promised that it was easy and that the burden He gave us would be light (Matthew 11:28-30). Only our sovereign God is good enough, gracious enough, merciful enough, loving enough, and holy enough to be trusted with our submission and worship! So, while we can “try” on Jesus like a jacket at the store, we can Trust, Rest, and Yield in Christ alone!  All or Nothing
The word try can be used in at least a couple of different ways. In the verb form, which is the proper English usage of the word, the various definitions deal with testing the outcome, extent, purpose, or endurance of the thing, person or concept. It can also mean to attempt to do or accomplish something. However, in the slang usage of rural America this verb has taken on a noun function. When functioning as a noun the word means to give maximum effort. For example, an athlete may be said to have a lot of “try” meaning that he or she does the best that they can. The term conveys a descriptive nature that goes beyond the simple action of a verb. But just as words can have proper use and a more casual functional use, words can also be misused or misapplied. There is one specific way that the word “try” gets applied in a religious or theological way that I personally find very unhelpful, even at times misleading. This is when well meaning believers urge lost people to “just try Jesus”. The problem with this kind of language is that a person cannot have a trial run with salvation. In our modern society we are well accustomed to a 7 day free trial offer. But Jesus is clear that He is not offering a partial or temporal hope but rather an eternal hope. The Danger of Apostasy Considering the admonition given in Hebrews 6:4-6. Many people believe that this text upholds the idea that a truly converted person can lose the salvation they once had in Christ. I would disagree. It seems clear to me that the author is using the hypothetical example of apostasy among genuine Christians to display the wickedness of rejecting Christ as Savior, Lord, and King. But even if this passage did teach that a true Christian can reject Jesus and forfeit his regenerated heart, then certainly everyone should be able to agree that that person is now beyond hope of salvation. This text should show that the idea of simply “trying Jesus” is a dangerous concept. The Danger of Discount Discipleship The Lord Jesus Himself also taught that those who hear the gospel ought to count the cost of following Christ (Luke 14:25-33). Of course, justification and reconciliation with God is a free gift of God’s grace through the means of faith, but the necessary consequences of coming to Christ will cost the believer absolutely everything. The life that is given whole to Christ is a life of self denial and cross bearing for the sake of knowing and following Christ (Matthew 16:24-26). The Danger of Delinquent Devotion The Apostle Paul also told the Romans that believers are to present themselves to Christ as a living sacrifice which is holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). He also told the Galatians that the Christians life is fully bound up in the life of Christ (Galatians 2:19-21). Paul uses many more expressions like these. All of them are meant to emphasize the point that the only way to truly know Christ is surrender ourselves totally to Him in repentance from dead works to serve the living and true God as well as trusting ourselves fully mind, body and soul to Christ forever (Hebrews 6:1-3)! As evangelistic Bible believing Christians we must not simply offer a trial citizenship in the kingdom of God, but rather we must call sinners to repent of their rebellion and submit themselves by faith to the Lordship of Jesus Christ our King (Philippians 3:20-21)! Maybe there is a way to salvage the term “try” in relation to Christianity and theology but we will have to save that for next week! To be continued…  Humility
In Acts 8:30, Philip asked the Ethiopian Eunuch whether he understood the Scripture passage from Isaiah that he was reading. The eunuch responded by acknowledging that he could not understand it without someone to explain the meaning. Notice, the eunuch was willing to admit what he did not know or understand. Often, we can be so prideful that we miss opportunities to learn and grow. Because we don’t want to sound foolish, we pretend to understand concepts or instructions that we have not truly grasped. Imagine that pride could have kept the eunuch from salvation if he had not been willing to admit he needed instruction to understand the Scripture. Know It All God has chosen to reveal truth to us in the pages of the Bible. The Bible is so full and vast that we could never master it! But sometimes we can begin to think that we know everything about a particular subject or passage of Scripture. The truth is that most of us think we know more than we actually know. One of the surest signs of growing in wisdom is a recognition of what we don’t know. Now, almost everyone will say that they understand that they don’t know everything. But in practice, many people are tempted to act as if they know everything. Sometimes this even results in the sin of lying to try to promote the facade of our overwhelming intellect. However, it is a thin veil that almost everyone will see through rather quickly. Familiarity One of the things that keeps us from growing in our understanding of many passages of Scripture is the idea that we already know what it means. We are so familiar with the passage (or more like a verse) that we assume that we know the meaning. This is especially true of the stories that we have heard but have not really studied. For example, in 1 Samuel 17, we have the story of David and Goliath. Now if I ask a random group of self identified Christians what the meaning of the account of David’s battle with Goliath is, what are some of the answers I could expect to hear? First, I think many people would think that it is a classic underdog story. The young and inexperienced boy going up against the battle hardened soldier. Certainly those aspects are clear in the story and are central to understanding the point of this drama but that’s not the main thing that we should learn. Second, we would probably hear that nothing is impossible with God. Well, this is clearly true. Jesus taught us this truth explicitly (Mark 10:27). The fact that nothing is impossible for God is an application of the intended meaning of 1 Samuel 17, but it isn’t the point that the passage is about. Third, maybe someone would argue that it is about the need to not disrespect youth. Again, this is something taught by Paul in the new testament (1 Timothy 4:12), but it is not the primary point being made in this text. I think I have made my point that we would hear many interpretations that are not the meaning of the story. So what is the meaning of the story? One popular interpretation is that David foreshadows Christ. That just as David went out to do battle with Goliath and deliver the weak and fearful Israelites, Jesus has come and defeated Satan and death freeing us from our weakness and fear. I love this interpretation, and I believe that it is a true and appropriate application of this story but it isn’t the main thing. The main point is given to us right out of David’s own mouth. In 1 Samuel 17:46-47 David says, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.” Notice the parts that I underlined. The point of the story was to make known to everyone who Yahweh was! Who is the true God, the most high God, the God almighty? Yahweh, The LORD! Study We could do this with so many passages in the Bible. My point is simply that we don’t understand as much as we think and all of us need more humble study (Psalm 111:2) of even the parts of the Bible that we think we already know.  Unsocial Media
I know that social media is known for being a place where people seem to be willing to enter into heated debates. However, it seems that there has been more of it lately. You may think that I am referring to political strife around the upcoming election this fall. There is certainly plenty of bitter squabbling about those things. Especially, with the ongoing saga surrounding both Donald Trump’s legal battles and Joe Biden’s diminished mental capacity. But, I am actually talking about sharp discourse taking place between professing believers. My point in this post is not to argue that we shouldn’t hold strong views concerning what we are convinced the Bible teaches. I believe that we should be ready to live and die by what we believe the Bible teaches. I am, however, concerned about the way these discussions are taking place. There often seems to be a lack of respect or even consideration of the reasons why people disagree. These discussions need to happen but they could be taking place in better ways, and this is what I would like to discuss in this post. Tone It Down Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The wisdom conveyed to us in this verse is concerning the effect of our tone on the reaction of our interlocutors. Part of the problem in our day is that many have decided that the one who gets angry first loses. So, the goal is to ignite the anger of the other person. However, if we are genuinely interested in advancing the truth and winning the other person to our view, not simply winning the argument, then we should care about answering them biblically. Now we must understand that answering them biblically does not just mean that the content of our answer must be biblical. It also means that the delivery of our answer must be biblical. Many people today consider themselves biblical if their answer can be proof-tested with Scriptural citations or cross referenced to their favorite doctrinal creed or confession. All the while, they are using the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) not to surgically convict the person in error, but rather as a weapon to mangle and maim their opponent. If we are to be truly biblical, then we certainly will stand boldly on the truths contained in Scripture, but with an attitude and disposition of love for the people with whom we have these sharp disagreements (Ephesians 4:15). Remember the Lord Jesus said that we would be known as His disciples because of our love for one another (John 13:35). Jesus also told us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Isn’t it true that when we show genuine love and respect, even for unbelievers with whom we sharply disagree, that this is a great testimony to the radical and counter cultural nature of the kingdom of God. But when we fight with the same tactics and tools that the political pundits use to rip one another apart, we all lose (Galatians 5:13-15). Practical Suggestions I would like to close this article with a list of practical suggestions that could help us to engage in these spaces in better, more faithful ways.
 Media
This modern age in which we live is truly amazing. Just think about all the things that we are able to do and experience that would have seemed impossible just over a century ago. Of course, we see this in things like travel and entertainment. However, it may be that no other area of our lives has been as completely changed by technological advancement as communication. When we study history we must imagine what it was like to hear Jonathan Edwards or George Whitfeild preach based on the records of other people's experience. We must read the Gettysburg address and imagine what President Lincoln would have sounded like. But If we want to know what President Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy sounded like we could simply listen to their recorded speeches. Can you imagine what it will be like for people one or two hundred years from now? They will have so much audio and video evidence of the past to seek to accurately understand history. Amazing! Did God say? In the garden of Eden, that wicked serpent asked Eve if God had actually said what she was seeking to obey. It’s interesting to note that God had given the commandment concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to Adam before Eve’s creation (Genesis 2:15-17). This would mean that it is conceivable that Eve didn’t actually receive the command directly from God, but from Adam relaying the instructions as God had given them. Notice the ancient enemy’s tactic to bring about the fall of humanity was to question the revelation of God. It may have been that Eve was partly deceived because she was not fully trusting the way she received the instruction from God through Adam. Satan has always utilized attacking the reliability of the transmission and translation of Scripture as a means to derail the faith of some. But, the Bible is the word of God! So when we read the Bible we are hearing what God said. The term “inspiration” in modern usage refers to a person having a certain emotional experience or burst of creative energy leading to new ideas and increased productivity. This is common to all people in the natural world. But the theological concept of “inspiration” is referring to the text being actually breathed out by God. Some translations translate the Greek term “theopneustos” as being “breathed out,” but others follow the Latin tradition and use the word inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But the Bible is not merely the product of creative talents or disciplined productivity, it is the product of God using holy men to write down His Holy Word (2 Peter 1:19-21)! As it is Written We also know from Scripture that the Prophets and Apostles themselves appealed to what had been recorded in the sacred text. Even the Lord Jesus appealed to Scripture when answering the attacks of Satan (Matthew 4:1-11) and dismantling the arguments of the Pharisees (Matthew 19:4). If even Jesus wielded the sword of the Spirit in proclaiming and proving the truth of God then how much more do we need the authority that resides only in the Bible? My point is that while God could have chosen to communicate with us in a variety of different ways, as He actually did do in the ages before Christ came (Hebrews 1:1-2), He now reveals Himself to us in the written word so that we may study His works (Psalm 111:2) and know Him personally (John 20:30-31). Stop with what is Written Finally, it is important that we realize that so much of the division and deception that happens, even among Christians, would be avoided if we would only restrict ourselves to what is written for us in the Bible. Paul clearly tells the Corinthian Christians that they must “learn not to go beyond what is written”(1 Corinthians 4:6). I believe Paul’s point is clear that we should keep away from meaningless speculations or extra biblical revelations and content ourselves with the whole sufficient word of God contained in the 66 books of the Bible. God could have given us an audio file or a video or some technology that will exist a hundred years from now but instead He gave us a book. So we should read it. We should study it. We should memorize it. We should commit to knowing it so that we would truly know Him!  Again
Well it’s spring again. It’s also quickly approaching graduation time. The trees and flowers are in full bloom and the transformation from the dormant state of winter to the long, hot days of summer is in full swing. If you have read my posts over the last several years you might note that I tend to get a bit nostalgic during these seasons of change during the year. With that in mind, I would like to think with you about some of the things that we know about change and how we should deal with change as believers. Inevitable Change is inevitable. This can be both good and bad. This obviously means that change cannot be avoided. Sometimes when things are going well or we are experiencing a truly sweet time of blessing in our lives we can wish that everything would just stay that way. However, in reality, since you and I have not yet lived in a world free from the presence and consequences of sin, to stop even at the best of moments is to rob ourselves of the future glory that we will inherit (2 Corinthians 4). It is also a reality that the coming struggles, trials, and even sufferings will be used by God to produce the kind of maturity and obedience that brings God ultimate glory (1 Peter 1:3-12). This is why we exist so we can know that God is going to help us to grow in Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). Beneficial On the other hand, when we are going through things that are very hard and difficult we can trust in the fact that, while our God does not change, our circumstances do change. This means that we will have the benefit of seeing the gloomy clouds part and the sun shine again. We know that no suffering will endure forever because we have God’s promises as a sure and steady anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:13-20). We must understand that most of the things that we celebrate in life are the result of positive changes that the Lord has brought about in our lives. Change is the flow that causes our lives to be like a pure bubbling spring not a stagnant pond. The beauty of the transformation that the Lord brings to each person who is born again is the most amazing testimony of positive change (Romans 12:1-2). Also the blessing of new life that invigorates a family when a precious baby is born. Or consider when a child is adopted into loving, believing homes out a difficult or dangerous situation. Also, when we celebrate a high school or college graduation or a couple entering into the covenant of marriage. All of these things are examples of the benefits and blessings of change happening in our lives. Unchangeable But we also must remember that in a world so full of changes and developments, we can rest because our one constant is that our God does not change (James 1:17-18). He is unchanged by anything that happens or could happen. This should give us amazing confidence because we can trust Him to bring about the promises He has made because those promises haven’t changed. It is also true that we can know that the character of God is trustworthy because He is consistent in His perfect character. Because our God does not change we can trust Him with all the twists and turns of our life and our eternity (Hebrews 13:8). |