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Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Why We Play in Youth Group:
Last Friday night Upper Room Youth Group hosted a lock-in for 7th-12th grade students. A major emphasis of the lock-in was having fun and playing games. Around midnight I gathered all of the teens together for a time of discussion about what the teens desired in a youth group. A wise young lady suggested we play more games, at least one game every time we meet. I kept my mouth shut but I wanted to shout, "AMEN"! I love playing games and believe games can/will lead to deeper connection among each other and with God. Below are 5 reasons to understand and appreciate play.
5 Reasons to Understand and Appreciate Play
1. Play is a unique, God-given, universal, human experience.
One of the first things a baby does to express her humanity is to play and laugh. That first game of peek-a-boo not only melts a parent’s heart, it establishes a uniquely human connection. Play is basic to being human. As Jackson Lee Ice puts it:
Man is the only animal that weeps and laughs and knows that he weeps and laughs, and wonders why. He is the only creature that weeps over the fact that he weeps, and laughs over the fact that he laughs. He is the most play seeking, play making, and play giving species that has walked the earth, ever ready to provoke or be provoked with play; even in the midst of fear and pain he is capable of incongruously ameliorating his misery by a smile, pun, or joke. He is the jester in the courts of creation.[1]
2. Play is a vital part of most meaningful, healthy human relationships.
The ability to play well with others is one of the first social expressions we look for in human development. Although we tend to forget how to play as we “mature,” it remains a vital quality in the most edifying relationships.
3. Play tends to be seen as either frivolous or an end in itself.
Play, especially within sport, tends to be dismissed as meaningless, worldly, and contrary to sober Christian living. On the other hand, Christians can be pulled into the idolatry of sport and leisure as an end in itself to be sought at all costs. A biblical understanding of play as given by God for his glory and our good, but never an end itself, will help coaches, athletes, and soccer moms appreciate play and use it as a conduit of glorifying God. Such a re-orientation will give perspective to our lives as intended. "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).
4. Christian maturity should develop a godly sense of play.
As all other areas of our lives, play should fall under the sanctifying effects of the Holy Spirit’s work.
5. Ministers should help people play well.
A Christian who takes his role as a minister seriously must be able to lead people in godly play. As a pastor of middle/high school students who generally have a deep hunger to know God, I’m convinced that helping God’s people survive in a broken world requires a well developed ability to play. A minister of the gospel must be able to cry and mourn, laugh and play with godly gusto, and lead others in these as well.
Taking God Seriously, But Not Ourselves
Play is not a major emphasis in the Bible, and it can be unhelpful to encourage play in a culture that so often and easily trivializes God and life itself. Yet I do believe that a sense of play is necessary for a healthy Christian perspective on life. The failure to appreciate play in the Christian life could easily turn piety into sanctimony, reverence into rigidity, and sanctification into stuffiness. We must take God as seriously as we can, but never ourselves.
God invites us to approach him as his free, forgiven, secure children. We are to approach our holy God with healthy fear and hearts broken by our broken world. But God’s people are also called to rejoice, sing, play, and laugh because we know that the owner of all things is working out his perfect plan that ends with a wedding banquet and perfect resolution and rest. This sure hope in God’s sovereign power and loving-kindness enables us to play with reckless abandon, even before the Great Wedding Banquet begins.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Why Your Happiness Is So Important To God:
WHY YOUR HAPPINESS IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD:
No one puts it as bluntly as Blaise Pascal in his Pensées:
All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
There you are. Warrior, pacifist, suicide, sluggard, workaholic; if you’re a human, you’re a hedonist. You can try to deny it, but you can’t change it.
If you want to try your hand at stoicism, forget the Bible. It has little for you. Scripture does not support the idea that our motives are more pure the less we are pursuing our own interested happiness. Nope. In fact, according to the Bible, unless we are pursuing our happiness we cannot even come to God: “for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
What Pleasure Measures
God blatantly entices us to seek happiness, joy, pleasure — whatever you want to call it — in him with verses like this: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), and “in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). We’re supposed to want pleasure.
Why does God want us to want pleasure? Because it is a crucial indicator. Pleasure is the meter in your heart that measures how valuable, how precious someone or something is to you. Pleasure is the measure of your treasure.
Your treasure is what you love. Your greatest treasure is what you love the most. “For where your treasure is, there your heart [your love] will be also” (Matthew 6:21). You glorify your treasure by the fact that it’s the object of your pleasure.
“Your treasure is what you love.”
And that’s why God is not indifferent about your joy. It’s a big deal to him. Your pleasure in God is the measure of how much of a treasure he is to you.
The Whistleblower of Your Heart
This also makes pleasure the whistleblower of your heart. If something sinful gives you pleasure, it’s not a pleasure problem. It’s a treasure problem. Your pleasure mechanism is likely functioning just fine. It’s what you love that’s out of whack. And pleasure is outing you. It’s revealing that, despite what your mouth says and the image you try to project to others, something evil is precious to you.
That’s what sin is at the root: treasuring evil. Which makes the fight of faith in the Christian life a fight for delight. It’s a fight to believe God’s promises of happiness over the false promises of happiness we hear from the world, our fallen flesh, and the devil. And yes, it often involves denying ourselves pleasure, but only denying ourselves a lesser, viler pleasure in order to have a much higher pleasure (Luke 9:23–25).
Wonderful and Devastating
This biblical truth that we call Christian Hedonism is both wonderful and devastating. It is wonderful to realize that God’s pursuit of glory and our pursuit of joy is not supposed to be different pursuits, but the same! Because, as John Piper says, “God is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in him.” That means that God’s glory in us depends on our being as happy as we possibly can be for all of eternity! If you’ve never read the book, Desiring God, dive into it this Fall and revel in what makes the Gospel so good (take advantage of our free PDF version to read or browse).
“There is greater joy in God than you’ve yet known.”
But the devastating thing is that as soon as we realize that God receives the most glory from our satisfaction in him, we also realize how far short we fall in so many areas of finding our satisfaction in him. And if you’re in a slough of discouragement over this, then put When I Don’t Desire God on your Fall’s must-reads list (we have a free PDF for this one too!). It will encourage your heart and equip you with weapons in the fight for the right joy.
Pursue Your Highest Pleasure!
Fight for the right joy! There is greater joy in God than you’ve yet known. Don’t give up. Don’t settle for the lesser joys. Make it your aim to be a full, unashamed, bold Christian Hedonist! Pursue your pleasure in God, the greatest Treasure that exists, with all your heart (Matthew 22:37). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Original Article: Why Your Happiness Is So Important to God
Original Author: Jon Bloom
Original Date: September 15, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
The Pumpkin Prayer:
THE PUMPKIN PRAYER:
Dear God,
As I carve my pumpkin help me to say this prayer:
Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(cut the top of the pumpkin)
Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.
(Clean out the inside)
Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut eyes shaped like hearts)
I'm sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.
(Cut a nose in the shape of the cross)
Open my ears so Your word I will hear;
(Cut ears shaped like the Bible)
Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near.
(Cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)
Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle inside and light it)
*As told by Gabe Fresch at Trunk or Treat.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Tough Questions: Why Does God Allow Evil?
The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:
1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.
Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey. They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.
2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.
While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?
3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.
Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).
In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!
1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.
Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey. They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.
2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.
While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?
3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.
Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).
In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The Harm of Pornography:
Pornography will take you further than you want to go.
It will cost you more than you want to pay.
It will keep you longer than you want to stay.
1) It derails your walk with God: "You cannot serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24) In serving pornography intimacy with God decays and one's walk becomes cold and distant. It stagnates his heart, steals his power, stunts his growth, squanders is time, sways his conviction and stains his soul. "In a survey of over 500 Christian men at a men's retreat, over 90 percent admitted that they were feeling disconnected from God because lust, porn, or fantasy had gained a foothold in their lives." (pastors.com, Kenny Luck)
2) It distorts God's view of sex: Sex is intended to be shared between a husband and wife. Pornography distorts the mind into believing that any form of sex is acceptable at anytime. It is a major contributor to pre-martial sex and adultery which God strictly forbids. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
3) It devours peace: Pornography leads to shame and deep guilt that robs one's inner peace and joy.
4) It destroys life: Pornography fuels the heart with such passion that it can lead to acts of violence to satisfy its craving. Confessed serial killer Ted Bundy acknowledged personal responsibility for his sex crimes but stated that they were the results of a child consumed by pornography-fed sexual fantasies. His introduction to "soft-core porn" was at a grocery store while his first experience with "hard-core porn" was in the discarded copies found along the road. Eventually a time arrived in his life when the visual no longer satisfied and he murdered a woman while acting out his sexual fantasy.
It also destroys its user. How does an Eskimo kill a wolf? First, he coats his knife with blood and allows it to freeze. He continues this process several times. In time the knife is hidden beneath layers of frozen blood. Next he buries the knife in the frozen tundra blade up. In time a wolf will smell that blood and begin licking the blade. he licks more and more until the blade is licked clean. Due to the frigid cold the wolf never feels the pain inflicted from the blade and eventually bleeds to death. Pornography works in the same manner. It gives you a taste of the forbidden knowing you will crave more. You continue "licking" at its offerings to satisfy fleshly desires while unbeknowlingly its razor sharp blade is destroying your character, wholesomeness, and life.
5) It depreciates women: Pornography is primarily a man's business. It degrades women into sex objects. Playboy degrades women into the status of mere animals (bunnies) or "playmates" making them a toy for one's personal pleasure while Penthouse depicts women as "pets" with which one is to play. Pornographers present women as "sex things" not the majestic pearl of awesome value God created. Viewers of porn cannot help but develop an unhealthy and highly toxic view of women.
6) It dominates the mind: Pornography masters a person's will. It will only take the effort to abandon it to discover how dominating, controlling it actually is. The chains of pornography are forged with the strongest steel making emancipation from them impossible apart from the power of God.
7) It dupes you: It deceives you into believing what you once thought was abominable is really acceptable. Gradually over time it numbs the senses towards what is deviant until you wake up one day with sympathetic convictions. Everything pornography tells you is a lie.
8) It disrupts marriage: Pornography leads to an unhealthy expectation regarding sex in marriage. It's pictures, movies, and magazines mar normal and healthy expectations.
9) It damages one's reputation: Pornography injures your witness and testimony.
10) It depletes a person's time and energy: Endless hours and energy can be exhausted searching for that "right" picture on the internet or in magazines. It robs one of time and energy that should be spent studying for class, Bible study, or in wholesome activities with family and friends.
In conclusion, this list came from The Pornography Trap by Frank R. Shivers. If you are struggling with pornography please me an appointment to come to my office to see me. Remember pornography will take you further than you want to go. It will cost you more than you want to pay. It will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Monday, September 8, 2014
TOUGH QUESTIONS: What Will Happen During the End Times:
The Bible teaches that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (the rapture) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth. At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged. This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy.
After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David and establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years on the earth. During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth. This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world.
The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel to restore them to the land that they forfeited through their disobedience. The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside, but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing.
This time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life, and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan.
This time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life, and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan.
Following the release of Satan after the 1,000-year reign of Christ, Satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment.
The resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment, they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire.
After the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers, the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved and replaced with a new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells. Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another. Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever.
Tough Questions: How Can I Know I Am Saved?:
I am often asked by teenagers and adults who are struggling with their assurance of salvation, "How can I know I am saved?" In response, I usually ask them three questions.
First I ask, "Do you love Jesus perfectly?" Every person to whom I have asked that question has responded candidly, "No I don't." That's why they are not sure of the state of their souls; they know there are deficiencies in their affection for Christ, because they know that if they loved Christ perfectly, they would obey Him perfectly. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:5). So as soon as we disobey one of His commandments, that's a signal to us that we do not love Him perfectly.
Second, when a person acknowledges that he doesn't love Jesus perfectly, I ask, "Do you love Him as much as you ought to?" The person usually gives me a strange look and says, "Well, no, of course, I don't." That's right; if the answer to the first question is no, the answer to the second question has to be no, because we're supposed to love Him perfectly, but we don't. Therein lies the tension we experience about our salvation.
Third, I ask, "Well, do you love Jesus at all?" Before the person answers, I usually add that I'm asking about his love for the biblical Christ, the Christ whom we encounter in the pages of Holy Scripture. Why do I say that? I say that because it is possible to love a caricature of Jesus rather than Jesus Himself. So when I ask people, "Do you love Jesus at all?" I'm not asking whether they love a Christ who is a hero for kids or a Christ who is a good moral teacher. I'm asking whether they love the Christ who appears in Scripture.
Now if someone can say "Yes" to that third question, that's where theology comes in. Consider this question: "Is it possible for an unregenerate/unsaved person to have any true affection for Christ?" My answer is no; affection for Christ is a result of the Spirit's work. That is what regeneration/becoming saved is all about; that is what the Spirit does in quickening. God the Holy Spirit changes the disposition of our souls and the inclination of our hearts. Before regeneration, we are cold, hostile, or indifferent (which is the worst kind of hostility) to the things of God, having no honest affection for Him, because we are in the flesh, and the flesh does not love the things of God. Love for God is kindled by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, who pours the love of God into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).
In conclusion, if a person can answer "Yes" when I ask whether he/she has an affection for Christ, even though he/she may not love Jesus as much as he/she ought to (i.e., perfectly), that assures me the Spirit has done this transforming work in his soul. This is so because we do not have the power in our flesh to conjure up any true affection for Jesus Christ.
First I ask, "Do you love Jesus perfectly?" Every person to whom I have asked that question has responded candidly, "No I don't." That's why they are not sure of the state of their souls; they know there are deficiencies in their affection for Christ, because they know that if they loved Christ perfectly, they would obey Him perfectly. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:5). So as soon as we disobey one of His commandments, that's a signal to us that we do not love Him perfectly.
Second, when a person acknowledges that he doesn't love Jesus perfectly, I ask, "Do you love Him as much as you ought to?" The person usually gives me a strange look and says, "Well, no, of course, I don't." That's right; if the answer to the first question is no, the answer to the second question has to be no, because we're supposed to love Him perfectly, but we don't. Therein lies the tension we experience about our salvation.
Third, I ask, "Well, do you love Jesus at all?" Before the person answers, I usually add that I'm asking about his love for the biblical Christ, the Christ whom we encounter in the pages of Holy Scripture. Why do I say that? I say that because it is possible to love a caricature of Jesus rather than Jesus Himself. So when I ask people, "Do you love Jesus at all?" I'm not asking whether they love a Christ who is a hero for kids or a Christ who is a good moral teacher. I'm asking whether they love the Christ who appears in Scripture.
Now if someone can say "Yes" to that third question, that's where theology comes in. Consider this question: "Is it possible for an unregenerate/unsaved person to have any true affection for Christ?" My answer is no; affection for Christ is a result of the Spirit's work. That is what regeneration/becoming saved is all about; that is what the Spirit does in quickening. God the Holy Spirit changes the disposition of our souls and the inclination of our hearts. Before regeneration, we are cold, hostile, or indifferent (which is the worst kind of hostility) to the things of God, having no honest affection for Him, because we are in the flesh, and the flesh does not love the things of God. Love for God is kindled by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, who pours the love of God into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).
In conclusion, if a person can answer "Yes" when I ask whether he/she has an affection for Christ, even though he/she may not love Jesus as much as he/she ought to (i.e., perfectly), that assures me the Spirit has done this transforming work in his soul. This is so because we do not have the power in our flesh to conjure up any true affection for Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Hell: A Terrifying Reality
Bible Passages:
- Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on the left, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!
- Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don't know God and on those who don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord's presence and from His glorious strength...
- Revelation 20:10, 15 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophets are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Romans 2:8 ...but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness...
- Matthew 25:30 ...and throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Mark 9:48 ...where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
- Isaiah 66:24 As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all mankind.
The Fourth Commandment: A Sabbath Rest
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You must not do any work-you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock or the foreigner who is within your gates.-Exodus 20: 8-11
The fourth commandment is based out of creation (v.11). It describes how God made the heavens and the earth and then rested on the seventh day. This Sabbath commandment is found in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 as well. In Deuteronomy the commandment is modeled after God's provision in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. So in Exodus it is related to God's model of rest in creation, and in Deuteronomy it is related to redemption. God's people are therefore called to remember God, the Creator and Redeemer, on the Sabbath.
While there are a number of views on what it means to keep the Sabbath today, it seems that the focus is on the rest, remembering, and worshiping. God said, "Remember the Sabbath day." This calls us to think back to creation, as pointed out in verse 11, and to remember redemption, as pointed out in Deuteronomy 5. God's people are to remember God's creating and redeeming work and God's rest. Further, the Sabbath ultimately points us to a final resting day, which is affirmed in the New Testament (Heb 4:9-10).
Some are very strict in insiting that this happen on the seventh day of the week. However, I do not think the moral demand is on the seventh day of the week. I think the responsibility that is laid on us is to follow the biblical pattern of working six days and resting and worshiping one day.
When Paul wrote to the Colossians he said, "Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah" (Col 2:16-17). These verses, along with Romans 14:5-6 and Galatians 4:10-11, also demonstrate that Paul seemed to lay aside the seventh-day Sabbath with all the Jewish ceremonies as shadows. But I do not think Paul intended to abandon the principle of the Sabbath. What seems to have happened is that the early church chose the first day of the week as their day for rest and worship. After the resurrection, the Jewish Sabbath almost disappeared; the seventh-day Sabbath is never mentioned except as to be tolerated by Jewish Christians (Rom 14:15).
We worship on the Lord's Day (first day of the week), following the early church (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2). In so doing, we recognize the resurrection. The Christian Sunday comes at the beginning of the week symbolizing the "rest" that Jesus Christ has won for those who trust in him.
You need a Sabbath. It is rooted in creation and redemption. Some may argue over thee day, but no one should argue over the principle. The Sabbath is God's gift to us. It benefits us to keep it, and it helps us to anticipate the final rest to come.
Next notice that verse 9 says, "You are to labor six days and do all your work." Remember also that God created us to work! If you work hard during the week, you should be able to take a Sabbath. Your body and heart and mind will need it as well. Work hard to the glory of God, and enjoy the worship on the Lord's Day.
In conclusion, what do we learn about God here? He is a working and resting God. He is creator God. He is sovereign God. He is eternal God. He is the redeeming God. Like God we should work six days and rest on the Sabbath.
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