I’m sure you’ve seen the bumper sticker which states the message “Question Authority.” It is usually attached to the bumper of a young male, & reflects the common attitude of rebellion particularly strong within this segment of society. They often consider themselves, personally & generationally, the antagonists to authority. The counter to protagonist power. The inquisitor of inquisitors.
To the surprise of some, I see this as a healthy sentiment. Men are not God & even the apparently divinely gifted & knowledgeable should not be blindly trusted to convey the knowledge of God at all times. Peter apparently was the one disciple who was speaking in Temple alongside the Lord (1), the one charged by the Lord to feed His sheep (2), & the one divinely anointed to confess Him as the Christ (3a). However, Scripture also records in Peter a man given to times of improper admonishment (3b), of doubt (4) & falling away from the essence of the Gospel- that faith in Christ’s work alone is salvific (5). So, right from the start of the early church, we have a man who has been given a powerful & prophetic voice for his leadership role, & was rightly accorded great respect as such. Yet this same man occasionally needed to humbly receive instruction himself, & Paul appropriately did not shrink back from such a task. (6)
All through Scripture God exposes the imperfections of the seemingly perfect to demonstrate that all- from the minor to the mighty- must submit themselves to God’s ultimate authority & His true perfection. Those in positions of authority should remember that King David had to be reproved by Nathan & Balaam by his donkey. But those under authority should likewise consider that both Nathan & the donkey returned to their prior standings of submission after they had brought God’s rebuke. Nathan did not become King Nathan, nor was the donkey called by the angel to saddle Balaam & assume the role of prophet herself.
Many properly accord the Apostle Paul much respect for his own zeal & adherence to right doctrine after his Damascus road experience. I agree that few, if any, in the early church matched his level of piety & sound doctrine; yet Romans 7 & 1 Cor. 9:24-27 clearly show a man still battling with a sin nature in the present tense. In Galatians 1:8, Paul tells his flock that the Gospel he first brought to them was the only true Gospel & they should accept no other- even if “we,” as Paul says, were the ones to bring it. Some may perceive this as a purely rhetorical literary tool wielded by this master of the art of debate (to an extent, I would agree), but I think he is chiefly informing the church that apostasy can conceivably come from the mouth of any man & that we should be alert for this prospect, even leaving open the very remote possibility that could come from Paul himself.
So, in the instance of Peter’s visit to Antioch, Paul justly opposed this anointed Apostle when his “conduct was not in step with the truth of the Gospel.” But when the “Question Authority” mindset runs afoul of God is the when the questioning is pervasive. This attitude is rooted in the haughtiness of human nature which refuses contriteness before any authority. They revel in a false perception of themselves as more knowledgeable, or maybe a better person, than those placed in authority over them. This is where the self-anointed auditor, if he were truly wise, should audit himself, as God tells us He has subjected all men under sin so the field would be level, so to speak, & He could consequently deliver grace through faith to all as well.
The Bereans were noble for two reasons- they tested Paul's word by God's Word, but they also "received it with all eagerness."
We all should regularly audit ourselves to avoid the unpleasantry of an outside audit. Even so, such outside audits must come at times, for the sake of our ministry to others & even our own relationship with God, for as Paul said of Peter- “he stood condemned.” It’s hard to see Peter as “condemned” in light of his Apostleship, gifting, & frequently displayed zeal, but when we step back to see him as mere man, an earthen vessel incapable of totally living out Christ in all His perfection, & then unite that understanding with Paul’s testimony in Galatians 2, it becomes conceivable. And if it is conceivable that such great men as Peter & Paul could fall away from the truth, whether for moment or season, how could any of us, leaders & followers alike, be so smugly confident to think that we could never fall away from the truth?
(1) Matt 17:27 “... So go cast a line into the lake and pull out the first fish you hook. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Use it to pay your taxes and mine."
(2) John 21:15 -17 “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.”
(3) Matt 16:15 -23 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 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. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
(4) Matt 26:73-75 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you." Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.”
(5) Gal 2:11-16 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
(6) Many Protestants seem to reject Peter’s role as the primary leader of the post ascension church, despite large Scriptural evidence to the contrary. I think they do this for three reasons- because John seemed so much more steadfast, because John was the disciple whom “Jesus loved,” & to deny the ecclesiastical power of popery. With regards to the first two points, I agree that John seemed to be the most knowledgeable & unwavering of the twelve disciples & therefore the one most men would have chosen; all the same, I cannot deny what to me is the clear teaching of Scripture. Maybe the Lord anticipated men gazing inordinately upon a strong example such as John, falsely according “vicar of Christ” status to him, considering him to be something more than what he was- mere man. Ironic, for this is what has actually happened with regards to the RCC’s view of the Pope. But Peter’s frailties becomes the strongest witness against such apostasy, for the individual the RCC deems as the foundation of their leader’s infallible status seems to be most clearly & demonstrably fallible himself. For this reason, & on the simple grounds that Scripture nowhere declares the institution of a Petrine legacy of rule over the worldwide church, I have no qualms about accepting Peter’s role as the foremost leader of the early church (in Palestine, at least) while concomitantly denying the succession of Roman pontiffs any likewise authority.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
What's Driving You?
As we ponder, explore, & discover our motives, they reveal to our mind who we really are inside.
Felt needs, pride, fear, & love are all base motivations for our actions & they reveal our heart’s true inclinations.
Faith, worship & service to the Lord sourced from a felt need (sickness & strife) or a fear of an alternative consequence (Hell) betrays a lesser motivation, lesser maturity, & a lesser faith. The Apostles acknowledged their lack of faith as Luke 17:5 declare; verses 6-10 are the Lord’s response. By His response, it would seem that pride was the stumbling block within their hearts. The twelve needed to return to the mindset of simple service to a greater authority & pride was their impediment.
But even pride, though the worst of all motivations, can be used by God’s Spirit to drive the unbeliever to open his mind to Christ’s ministry; as Paul puts forward in Romans 11:11-22:
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. Romans 11:11-22
Note that this passage indicates a lowly human trait & a derivative of pride- jealousy- being used to draw some people to Christ, but then it conversely warns others who are already in Christ that unrestrained pride could lead to their destruction. Gentile believers who consider themselves more deserving of salvation than Jews are ignorant of God's Word, for He teaches in His Word that mankind, of itself, is universally unworthy of God's salvation:
"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Romans 5:12
Felt needs, pride, fear, & love are all base motivations for our actions & they reveal our heart’s true inclinations.
Faith, worship & service to the Lord sourced from a felt need (sickness & strife) or a fear of an alternative consequence (Hell) betrays a lesser motivation, lesser maturity, & a lesser faith. The Apostles acknowledged their lack of faith as Luke 17:5 declare; verses 6-10 are the Lord’s response. By His response, it would seem that pride was the stumbling block within their hearts. The twelve needed to return to the mindset of simple service to a greater authority & pride was their impediment.
But even pride, though the worst of all motivations, can be used by God’s Spirit to drive the unbeliever to open his mind to Christ’s ministry; as Paul puts forward in Romans 11:11-22:
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. Romans 11:11-22
Note that this passage indicates a lowly human trait & a derivative of pride- jealousy- being used to draw some people to Christ, but then it conversely warns others who are already in Christ that unrestrained pride could lead to their destruction. Gentile believers who consider themselves more deserving of salvation than Jews are ignorant of God's Word, for He teaches in His Word that mankind, of itself, is universally unworthy of God's salvation:
"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Romans 5:12
Believers with any haughty confidence in the flesh are in danger of suffering God's stiff rebuke.
Nevertheless, the elect are the elect, & certainly not often "good" (even by man's standards) before they come into His Kingdom, so God uses many different means to call them.
“…that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:11
We see that man calls upon God for many reasons, but fear, felt needs, & certainly pride all fall short of our Savior’s example & His instruction as detailed in His “Sermon on the Mount”-
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt. 5:43-48
Indeed, the Father, Son, & Spirit are all perfect in love as they call us towards comparable perfection.
Jesus exemplified His perfect love on many occasions-
1. He withheld immediate judgment for His accusers. (Matt.12:32, 26:53)
2. He prayed for His enemies (Luke 23:34)
3. He extended understanding & patience to those from the camp of His enemies. (John 3:10)
4. He extended grace to the worst of His enemies. (Acts 9:5)
5. He blessed & accepted the company of His betrayer into His innermost fold. (Luke 22:47)
6. He did not eat for forty days & then suffered every temptation by Satan. (Luke 4:13)
7. He grieved with men. (John 11:35)
8. He healed those He knew would not love Him even after they were healed. (Matt. 17:17)
9. He washed His disciples’ feet, a job normally reserved for the lowliest of servants. (John 13)
10. He came to save sinners. (Mark 2:17)
11. He loved the unlovable.
But, while in all of these He demonstrates His preeminent love, none approach the Scriptural standard & very definition of love- His willing acceptance of suffering & death on a cross in our stead- while we yet still sinners. We did not repent before He took our punishment; no, He accepted the cross while we were yet sinners.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:6-8
Along these lines, imagine you saw the most vile person you know crossing the road about to get hit by a speeding car. Would you surrender your life in that instant to save his? Maybe your love is such that you would give up your life for your wife or children or maybe even a good friend at that moment but for a repugnant stranger?
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:5
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16
Readers of the KJV will note it reads “By this we know the love of God…” These last two words are in italics in the KJV because the translators added them in an attempt to give greater understanding to this text; but in fact these words steal meaning from this verse. "By this know love" conveys the idea that love cannot be fully defined nor understood apart from the cross of Jesus Christ. John wanted to tell us that for us to truly comprehend the depths of love, we must ponder the Christ & His cross, for all other definitions of love, especially those referencing human traits, pale in comparison. Indeed, Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary, actually refers the reader to 1 John 4 for a fuller definition of the term “love.”
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, (cause) we also ought to love one another (effect). No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:7-21
Faith, worship, & service founded upon anything less than pure love for God & His Kingdom is indicative of an individual not yet fully Christ-like in nature. Note, as Christ’s love, witnessed to the believer by God’s Spirit, Scripture, & other Christians takes root within our souls, lesser motives are automatically “cast out.” Love for God & His Kingdom becomes more & more our motivation.
But don’t put the cart before the horse & cast out the God-given fear that sustains us in Christ before the time of your perfection in love. Until that day comes (Heaven, in my opinion) when we become “perfected in love,” we should readily accept fear (of punishment) as a necessary supplement to our sin-tainted imperfect love.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13
Love is the greatest because faith & hope have their foundation in Christ’s perfect love given to sinful men.
Love is the greatest because the invisible qualities of faith & hope find their manifestation & purpose in the visible realm of love.
He loved the unlovable….
I end this post with a inquiry for your soul & mine alike:
Are you a stubborn mule as you walk with the Lord, constantly necessitating His painful discipline, coming in the form of fear & deeply felt needs, to continue in your journey?
Or have you seen & apprehended Christ’s love made manifest on the cross, thereby in fact following Him as a sheep who truly loves his Shepherd?
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
What’s in a Name?
Allow me to briefly discuss the meaning of “Zoarean’s Purse.”
In the book of Genesis (1), we find the angel of God leading Lot & his kin away from the place of God’s wrath. God wishes to destroy not just Sodom & Gomorrah, but all the cities of the valley for their unrepentant sin. Lot claims that he cannot escape to the hills in time & instead begs shelter in a nearby town- a town named Zoar. The angel grants him safety in this place & thereby grants a reprieve to all others in Zoar also.
As I’ve pondered this passage, I’ve wondered what the residents of Zoar took from this shocking testimony of both sides of God’s character (justice & mercy). Did they immediately repent of their own transgressions as burning sulfur(2) poured down from Heaven all around them? I would imagine they did. But was it real repentance, extending beyond the live testimony of a living God who demands justice for sins?
Likewise, God has revealed to me the reality & necessity of Hell as righteous judgment for the sins of those who refuse Christ as their Lord & Savior. Logically, God’s one & only Son’s death was real, so sin’s requisite punishment must be equally real as well. Otherwise, as Galatians 2:21 informs us (5), Christ would have died for no reason.
The residents of Zoar did not deserve protection for any inherent “goodness.” The grace that was bestowed upon them was a matter of God’s sovereign grace. Similarly, God has chosen to lead me to see, worship, & receive salvation in the Lord Jesus. I don’t know why He has done this for me, but what I do know is, like those ancient Zoareans, it wasn't because I was deserving of such splendid grace.
So, as I muse on the ultimate fate of the residents of that place, I sense God’s Spirit instructing me to not neglect “so great a salvation.” (3)
“Purse” is a reference to Luke 12:29-34:
“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This passage does not demand us to be fiscally insolvent; rather it demands spiritual bankruptcy of the soul. Bankruptcy is defined as a person unable to pay his debts & an exegetical examination of God’s Word along with the enlightenment of God’s Spirit (4) convicts us of our own utter moral bankruptcy. My “purse” or treasury is the safe deposit box where I place my most prized possessions- the things I “set (my) heart on;” & this blog is a place where I will share my most valued treasure- apprehensions of faith & understanding of Jesus Christ as our (5) & my (6) Savior & Lord.
(1)Gen 19:20-25 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there--is it not a little one?--and my life will be saved!" He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
In the book of Genesis (1), we find the angel of God leading Lot & his kin away from the place of God’s wrath. God wishes to destroy not just Sodom & Gomorrah, but all the cities of the valley for their unrepentant sin. Lot claims that he cannot escape to the hills in time & instead begs shelter in a nearby town- a town named Zoar. The angel grants him safety in this place & thereby grants a reprieve to all others in Zoar also.
As I’ve pondered this passage, I’ve wondered what the residents of Zoar took from this shocking testimony of both sides of God’s character (justice & mercy). Did they immediately repent of their own transgressions as burning sulfur(2) poured down from Heaven all around them? I would imagine they did. But was it real repentance, extending beyond the live testimony of a living God who demands justice for sins?
Likewise, God has revealed to me the reality & necessity of Hell as righteous judgment for the sins of those who refuse Christ as their Lord & Savior. Logically, God’s one & only Son’s death was real, so sin’s requisite punishment must be equally real as well. Otherwise, as Galatians 2:21 informs us (5), Christ would have died for no reason.
The residents of Zoar did not deserve protection for any inherent “goodness.” The grace that was bestowed upon them was a matter of God’s sovereign grace. Similarly, God has chosen to lead me to see, worship, & receive salvation in the Lord Jesus. I don’t know why He has done this for me, but what I do know is, like those ancient Zoareans, it wasn't because I was deserving of such splendid grace.
So, as I muse on the ultimate fate of the residents of that place, I sense God’s Spirit instructing me to not neglect “so great a salvation.” (3)
“Purse” is a reference to Luke 12:29-34:
“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This passage does not demand us to be fiscally insolvent; rather it demands spiritual bankruptcy of the soul. Bankruptcy is defined as a person unable to pay his debts & an exegetical examination of God’s Word along with the enlightenment of God’s Spirit (4) convicts us of our own utter moral bankruptcy. My “purse” or treasury is the safe deposit box where I place my most prized possessions- the things I “set (my) heart on;” & this blog is a place where I will share my most valued treasure- apprehensions of faith & understanding of Jesus Christ as our (5) & my (6) Savior & Lord.
(1)Gen 19:20-25 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there--is it not a little one?--and my life will be saved!" He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
(2) Though I don't necessarily agree with all of the conclusions of this link (city locations), it nevertheless gives intriguing evidence of that "burning sulfur."
http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/sodom.html
(3)Hebrews 2:1-4 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
(4)John 16:7-8 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
(5)Gal 1:3-5 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
(6)Gal 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Intellect & Obedience
Someone once asked me "Which do you think is smarter, a dog, because he can be taught to obey, or a cat because he can't be taught to obey?"
This person, because he was a cat lover, went on to argue the cat was smarter because no authority was able to dictate their desires to him. I said the dog that can be trained is smarter. Most of my dogs I've had I've been able to train to stay safely in the yard, while half the cats I've owned I have found somewhere else dead or crippled as they have rejected the authority of home & master.
Many people likewise look down on Christianity & esteem personal freedom because they reckon themselves smarter as they maintain sole authority over their destiny. But who's smarter? The one who recognizes & subjects himself to his stronger & more intelligent Master? Or the "strong, independent individual" who lives only for himself & therefore can receive no guidance or protection? Both receive common grace as they live out their lives- the basic necessities of life; but the one who humbles himself to his Master receives special grace & love- he is the one who obediently comes when called. The ear of the supposedly more intelligent is deaf to his Master’s voice except when he is in temporal need & he consequently misses the Master’s real ministry of eternal life. The proudly independent individual does not recognize his inability to truly control his destiny, nor his Master’s benevolence to save him from a tragic ending to his life.
At least in the cat’s case, his misery has ended when he’s found dead on the side of the road. But God’s Word clearly warns that the headstrong human who will not receive the mastery & ministry of Jesus Christ has an eternity to suffer:
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Mark 9:43-48
"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:4-5
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house- for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" Luke 16:19-31
“The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Meditation. Selah.
The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah” Psalms 9:16-20
This person, because he was a cat lover, went on to argue the cat was smarter because no authority was able to dictate their desires to him. I said the dog that can be trained is smarter. Most of my dogs I've had I've been able to train to stay safely in the yard, while half the cats I've owned I have found somewhere else dead or crippled as they have rejected the authority of home & master.
Many people likewise look down on Christianity & esteem personal freedom because they reckon themselves smarter as they maintain sole authority over their destiny. But who's smarter? The one who recognizes & subjects himself to his stronger & more intelligent Master? Or the "strong, independent individual" who lives only for himself & therefore can receive no guidance or protection? Both receive common grace as they live out their lives- the basic necessities of life; but the one who humbles himself to his Master receives special grace & love- he is the one who obediently comes when called. The ear of the supposedly more intelligent is deaf to his Master’s voice except when he is in temporal need & he consequently misses the Master’s real ministry of eternal life. The proudly independent individual does not recognize his inability to truly control his destiny, nor his Master’s benevolence to save him from a tragic ending to his life.
At least in the cat’s case, his misery has ended when he’s found dead on the side of the road. But God’s Word clearly warns that the headstrong human who will not receive the mastery & ministry of Jesus Christ has an eternity to suffer:
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Mark 9:43-48
"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:4-5
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house- for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" Luke 16:19-31
“The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Meditation. Selah.
The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah” Psalms 9:16-20
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