Saturday, February 21, 2009

Just Believe (pt. 5)

John 5:17-24 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (18) This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (19) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. (20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (21) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (22) The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (23) that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Galatians 3:22-26 (KJV) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Scripture often teaches of things beyond our knowledge, but that’s the point of all true teaching. We didn’t walk into seventh grade Algebra 1 with an innate knowledge of algebra that needed to be simply reinforced; no, we needed to be taught algebra to understand it. The Bible was meant to do that; it was given to feed our lack of innate & intimate knowledge of the nature of God & the true nature of man. Some hear these teachings & dismiss them as untrue because this is not what they think to be true. But the good student does not allow his personal opinions to bulwark the wisdom of his teacher. He may have a contrasting belief, but that belief must be set aside to gain the wisdom of his master. The student who arrogantly defends an erstwhile understanding cannot receive the new understanding set before him. He cannot be taught difficult firsthand truths from his master while tenaciously defending what he thinks is true- his own beliefs- that come merely secondhand.

Paul (in the KJV) uses the term “schoolmaster” to speak of the OT Law that men of God were “kept… shut up” under until the revelation of Jesus Christ comes to their heart. He is counterattacking Galatian tendencies to exalt the works of OT Law as significant, therein supposedly reducing the need for Christ. Paul rightly teaches the “schoolmaster” of the Law is dead upon our belief in the completely substitutional righteousness of Christ as salvific. Slavish adherence to the 613 commands of the Torah belies understanding of what is the whole of righteousness. The Law’s role is to bring us to despair of ever saving ourselves; it brings us to the point of worshipping the Law-giver & Judge as the real source of true righteousness.

But what I am analogizing as our ongoingschoolmaster”, the “guardian” (ESV) that should not be ignored as we take hold of faith in Christ, is the full corpus of God’s Word. This master can never be left behind in our pressing on towards greater understanding & faith in Christ, for it is the very source of what can be concretely known of things unseen. We all thought things about the true natures of God & man before studying Scripture, but those mere secondhand opinions must be set aside, if not completely dismissed, to take in the superior firsthand account of the Creator of all things.

Faith in the veracity of difficult truths can be challenging indeed. Some truths are difficult because of the obstinacy of the proud old nature buttressing the confines of the heart & mind against the testimony of God‘s Word. Nonetheless, God shows His sovereignty by breaking down the barricades that would impede faith in such hard teachings as the universal depravity of man. As Gal 3:22 states, He gives faith “to them that believe”. Their faith is not unlike the grace of God; it is given in full by God alone so we would have no place for boast.

But we do feed the faith that God planted in our soul through embracing the fullness of His Word.

The Trinity is hard for us to comprehend; even the best theologians grapple with explaining the nature of a monotheistic, but triune God. Jesus taught of the Father, the Son, & the Spirit as all equally being God, yet He also demanded that God is One. Some dismiss the Trinity based on the difficulty of marrying these two teachings, as if they must be able to comprehend something in order for it to be true.

Faith is necessary for that portion of truth that extends beyond our comprehension.

Matthew 19:11-12 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. (12) For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Do not be dismayed as others around you do not receive the truth of God as you have. Do not be discouraged as your faith in things somewhat unfathomable to your mind, like the omniscience of God throughout His grand creation, are dismissed by unbelievers as preposterous. Know that they simply have not, as yet, been given the faith to believe in the fantastic. Counter their obstinacy with the query “Do you fully understand all that you believe in? Did you have to study the science of electricity before turning on a light switch? Did you have to learn the laws of motion before learning to walk?” No, you believed the simple truths first; possibly deeper understanding came later to help further in your quest to be an electrician, or an Olympic runner. Nevertheless, the greater comprehension must come on the back of the basic instruction. Likewise, our faith in the fantastic morphs into knowledge as we continue to faithfully receive the schoolmaster of God’s corpus Word.

"Do not fear; just believe..." Jesus (Luke 8:50)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Just Believe (pt. 4)

John 5:17-24 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (18) This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (19) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. (20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (21) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (22) The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (23) that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Last week, in speaking of an active & vibrant faith, I mentioned 2 Corinthians 13:5- “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Paul knows that faith in Christ, like food, is useless unless it is taken & consumed. Belief that is bounded by the flesh to the inner confines of the soul is a moribund faith- it is a waning fire. The flesh binds faith by its selfish, lazy, & fearful nature. We don’t let our faith in Christ out of its mortal cage oftentimes because we fear the rebuke of man more than the praise of God. It does not often suit our fleshly goals- indeed, it often impedes such goals; or we are simply too lazy to add effort to the faith formed within us. The latter was the sin of the beneficiary of the one talent. His righteous master & judge made clear in the course of his sentencing that his sin was laziness (Matt. 25:26).

Whatever the cause, the test is in the pressing on of oneself to unhinder the faith in Jesus Christ God has placed within you. Act more in accordance with the mind of Christ that dwells within instead of the mind of man & your faith will grow. The world will see to that. Christ promised that the world would hate his disciples to the same degree that they hated Him (John 15:18ff) as they faithfully spoke truth to the power of the natural man in & of the world. This is the form of testing that James speaks of as well. A testing that is part examination, part trial by fire:

James 1:2-15 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (3) for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (4) And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (5) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (9) Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, (10) and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. (11) For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (12) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (13) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Testing is blessing from God that beats down the temptations that dwell in the soul of man. Tortuous temptations lurk within us & the rest of the world as well; the testing draws them out in open where they suffer & die. They cannot live in the place of persecution. This action is the cause of the consequent “steadfastness” James erstwhile mentions. We have a choice of either continuing to afford those temptations a peaceful abode in the soul of man (both in us & the world), or faithfully confronting them & therein bring them out of the boudoir of the elect‘s heart. The French word “boudoir” is broke down into its linguistic derivatives to mean “a place to sulk in”. There is much sulking going on within the soul as the new creation suffers the old man having the run of the place. But the shoe changes feet as the new creation responds to the test by boldly taking hold of the joyous faith set before him & rising up to throw the former nature into a sulking sullen sea of sorrow.

John the Baptist did his case no favors as he faithfully pointed out the sin of his earthly judge Herod. But his actions bore testimony as well as further girded his greater faith in God as the real judge of man. He persecuted the selfish, lazy, & fearful sin nature, ostracizing it from his soul. Peter likewise said to those men of rank who threatened him towards being silent for Christ- “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). This bold proclamation of truth to power came shortly subsequent to the promised test of his faith that was his thrice denial of Christ. Remember what the Savior said to him concerning which: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Man’s temptations & desires give birth to sin & death, but God gives life through faith in Christ. Faith gives birth to the “crown of (eternal) life” as we receive it & apply it to the circumstances of our mortal life.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Just Believe (pt 3)

John 5:17-24 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (18) This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (19) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. (20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (21) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (22) The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (23) that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Last week we covered the concept of faith in Christ as a cause & the more perceptible signs that follow- e.g. confession, baptism, good works, & a yearning towards sinlessness- as effects of said faith. These are only the outward signs of the inner reality of a saving belief in God’s grace extended to man through Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

See, both the faith & the grace are gifts from above so that no one may boast of saving oneself.

But we are called to examine the gift of our faith (2 Cor 13:5). We examine the outward signs of the inner reality & often find ourselves seeming to be in lack, & such that we justly understand it as a gift, we naturally make request of God to deliver more to our inner being. We rightly pray the prayer of the penitent father of Mark 9: “I believe; help my unbelief!”. Though, as we pray that prayer, we should ask ourselves “Have I actually utilized all of what I have already been given? Is there latent belief lying dormant in the closet of my heart as I, like a spoiled child, ask for something new? Could I be so cold & callous to ignore the precious gifts my loving Father has already ministered unto me?”

“Is the faith I seek truly already been given, but not exercised, & so is not evident?”

There are many suitable applications of the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14ff), & I think one of them is towards utilizing the gift of faith in Christ placed within you. Consider the first two servants as they took possession of their master’s property. They were regarded as “faithful” as they made use of it, not lazily, according their desire, but obediently, “according to their ability”. Contrast these with the “slothful” servant who did nothing with what his master had accorded him except hide it away.

Maybe a greater understanding the kind of faith I am referring to as “latent” faith can be seen in an exploration of the two modes of energy- potential & kinetic. Potential energy is static energy that is in a form ready to do work- such as in a charged battery, a compressed spring, or a skier perched at the top of a mountain. The energy is put into the battery by charging it, into the spring by compressing it, & into the skier by the ski lift. Kinetic energy is that energy released, or unbounded to perform work. Such energy should be released in controlled fashion so as to properly perform the task at hand. The battery’s voltage should be regulated, the spring’s force should be modulated, & the skier should be capable of steerage & braking for the welfare of himself & others.

God has ministered to His elect by binding within us “potential” faith in the power of Christ‘s resurrection.

Before receiving Christ as our Lord, the Spirit builds up that “potential” faith within us; then, at the right time, He simply releases it to kinetically impel us towards our Savior. Up to this point, it has been all Him; we may think it is our decision, but little do we understand that all the events of our salvation have been orchestrated autonomously by the triune God. He will not lose a single one of His children.

But it is my belief that, after we have come to His salvation, we have some measure of control over the “release” of our faith. I say our faith not to say that it has originated from us, but to the point that it has been given to us. Just like the talents, it is ours to take & put to work, not so much for our welfare, but primarily for the welfare of the Master. Sometimes we use it unwisely, without moderation, to little effect. Like I did with the expensive bicycle my father gave me when I was young, we often crash hard as we put it into use. This should not dissuade us from pressing on with it though, because it was given to us for a purpose. God’s purpose.

Faith can be expressed, & therein brought to maturity in so many ways. One way the recluse often avoids is through fellowship with other believers. “Potential” faith within racked balls on a pool table will remain so until the “kinetic” faith of the cue ball strikes them. In this, some of the cue ball’s kinetic faith is delivered to every other ball set upon the table. With every stroke of the cue stick, faith is distributed around the table; but the balls not in play can receive nothing.

Maybe the prayer we should pray sometimes is “Lord, how can I release the latent “potential” faith already within me? And Lord, let it not explode forth with unregulated force, except as you would desire. Allow me to bless, & do no harm to others as your faith, given to me, impels me down the mountain of life.”

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'