For the Love of God: 1 John 2.14-17

Disordered Passions

The word love is a confusing word. Confusing because it is used so often to describe a myriad of different situations. I use the same word to describe my affection for my favorite taco as I do for my wife. We say we love our iPod then turn to say we love our mothers and fathers. We love whole lot of stuff. Of course, when we say we love tacos or iPods we're not intending it to mean the same kind of love that we show for our loved ones. So why do we use the same word? Because it's emotive and works to describe the various affections of our hearts. To some level, I really do love a good taco, but on another level I truly do love my wife. Our affections are supposed to be ordered in a certain way where one love is properly placed in the chain of a hundred different kinds of love. We love things appropriately according to their value and worth. My wife is worth way more than a taco, but I can still say I love them both.    

So what's the problem with all this? Doesn't this make sense to us? The problem is we often have our loves and affections disordered and out of place. It is possible for someone's love of food to overshadow their love for a person. It's also possible that the love of material goods can outweigh the love for one's spouse. The point is that even though we know somewhere in our hearts that our loves are to be ordered a certain way, in reality our loves are disordered and our passions are often out of place. This is the human condition, struggling to place our affections in the right order yet constantly failing to do so. So how do we explain this?  

Disobedient Hearts  

We can see that our loves are disoriented and our passions are disordered. We often place the love of other things in front of more important things. This is especially true with our relationship to God. Like in a puzzle, you may have many of the pieces in place but if there is a piece missing, it is inevitably incomplete. Though this analogy may be imperfect, it helps to show that without God the picture is partial at best. Not only is it incomplete, but it can't stay together. Scripture testifies that apart from a love of God, our hearts wander and move from love to love never finding it's true place. The prophet Jeremiah says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV). The heart apart from God is easily drawn away from love to love, so deceitful that in fact we can't even discern it apart from God's Holy Spirit. In similar fashion, David says “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3 ESV). So what's the solution?

Understanding the problem is the first step to finding the answer. We understand that our hearts drift from affection to affection, seeking to fill a void which can not be filled. We have also seen that we have turned from God and cannot turn back on our own strength. We also understand that though there are many good things worth loving in this world, they are but a shadow which is cast from God's illuminating light of love. So the solution is to return to the source, God himself. We are called to love God first before all other things. When we love the light, we are able to love the things which the light shines upon. The Source must come before the subjects. Until we trust and obey God through the Holy Spirit and turn our love and affection to him, then all things we attempt to love will leaving us wanting and ultimately broken.

Disencumbered Souls     

Apart from loving God, our love will go towards things which are temporary and that will ultimately fail us. The best the world can do is offer us dark shadows of the light of love which God offers. Those who have been changed by God’s Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ have the power to love God rightly and can now see how the world only offers a shadow of the love found in God. True happiness and joy can only come from loving God. This is true because only in God will our hearts be made whole and only then can we begin to love other things appropriately. Apart from this reconstructed love, our souls continue to be weighed down by the burden of searching for that which cannot be found apart from God.  

Having our passions reordered by God is like a heavy burden being lifted from our souls and having a peace which can only come from God as he fills our hearts with his Holy Spirit. The old self is one who's passions are disordered, the new self in Christ is one who's soul is disencumbered. Paul speaks of this when he says to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV). Love for God is the primary exercise for the Christian. We have now been freed to do so by faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

 

So What?

We must realize that without God our love is broken and apart from him we will seek to love things which will continue to break us unless we turn our devotion to him first. We can’t possibly love God correctly without first trusting in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Christ is the ultimate model of love. Trusting in Christ as the propitiation, the payment, for your sins is the only way your heart will be ignited to love God the way you are called to. The Apostle John knew that apart from a love of God, the rest of our loves would be incomplete. We can not properly love the world nor each other without loving God first. Look into your life this week to see if in fact other loves are in front of what our true love should be, God himself.

He Took Away Our Sins: 1 John 2.1-6

Our Payment

We live in a world of credit and debt. For most of us its inevitable. Whether its a house, college, a car, credit cards or some other item we end up owing money to various different places. The hope is of course that you don't owe more money than you have coming in and that you can pay down those debts until one day you are free from their burden. Debt may be inevitable for various things, but we always long for the day when debt no longer weighs us down and we are free to do other more rewarding things with our time and money.  

There is another debt which we all owe. It's nothing we bought, nor is it from any loan we received, rather it is a spiritual debt inherited from our parents. Scripture testifies that because of sin, there is a deep separation between God and man. There is a debt so great that no human is able to pay, that is, the debt against us not only for the wrongs which we committed, but our state of being which stands in rebellion against God. Without proper payment, that debt will be judged unpaid and the sentence over that non-payment declared. Only God is worthy of being this judge, so what hope do we have for payment? Thankfully, only God is worthy of making payment on our behalf as well. 

Our Promise 

If our debt is so massive, in fact beyond calculation, who could possibly pay such a payment? John tells us; Jesus Christ the righteous. Chapter 2 of 1 John begins with a promise: Jesus Christ is our advocate and our payment for sin. He alone is qualified. John tells us this, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world"
(1 John 2:2 ESV). The word he uses is propitiation, a word you don't use in everyday conversation I'm betting! But what a beautiful word!  Propitiation refers to a necessary payment, and we see it explicitly in the Old Testament revolving around the Day of Atonement.  We see in Exodus 30 a provision for God's people that the High Priest would come into God's presence and offer a sacrifice for the removal of the people's sins. This was to be a yearly occurrence, when all the people's sins would be forgiven. They would be given a promise of forgiveness and be reminded of God's goodness.   

John is telling us here that Jesus himself is our means of forgiveness, that which was necessary to make payment for our sin. And this is not a yearly event, but a once and for all event which echoes through the ages and is applied to all who come to Christ through faith. He also stands before God on our behalf constantly pleading our case. Not that God needs to be reminded of who belongs to him, but the picture John paints should cause us to rejoice. Christ is doing the work on our behalf! John is not saying that it's Christ plus something we do; he's saying it's Christ alone! We are the ones in need of this propitiation and advocacy yet due to the size of the debt, we couldn't possibly repay it. The person of Jesus Christ, God in flesh, is himself the sacrifice necessary to make atonement for people's sins before God and to pay that debt. What God demands, God delivers! We can't possibly pay that price, and this is what John is reminding readers of here, Christ alone is our payment and promise and we are to follow that through love and obedience. 

Our Practice 

What is someone's response when a debt has been paid? I know my response is sheer joy! "Finally, I can move on to something else! I can use my time, energy and resources towards another goal!" When someone is released from a debt, the natural reaction is joy and a sense of freedom. Perhaps if the debt was due to selfish spending, we might learn from that debt and seek to spend our money more wisely. There is much perspective that can be gained after coming out from under such a burden. The same should be said for believers in Christ who have had their burden of sin removed. This debt was something which only God himself was capable of removing, so like we would with someone who might pay off an earthly debt, we turn our gratitude to the one who has paid that debt. Because of the infinite nature of our once heavy spiritual burden, our response should be infinite gratitude. John relates this to love and obedience.

Those covered by the blood of Christ are recognized by love and obedience. This is an emphasis which John places later on in his epistle, but we see him beginning to make that emphasis here in the first few verses of chapter 2. He says, "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3 ESV). In the Old Testament, God's forgiveness was intended to drive people to love and obedience. The same goes for the people of God in this age. Obedience to God is infinitely more rewarding than obedience to sin, and John relates those who have been forgiven to obedience towards what God commands. The one who has relieved our debt does not dangle it over our heads taunting us, but rather we are reminded of his infinite grace which was shown to us and our response is obedience to him. As John tells us, "but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected" (1 John 2:5 ESV). The desire of God's people is to love and obey him because he loved us. 

So What?

When a debt has been paid, we rejoice. The same should be said for our spiritual debt, and the rejoicing even more great! The burden of sin is removed and we are now free. John tells us that Christ himself is that payment, and that our love and obedience to him is naturally due. No longer is a once-a-year sacrifice required as in the Old, but Christ is the ultimate atonement that is good for all eternity for all who come to him. God's people do no grow sour at the commands of God, but rather they come alive when they obey and realize how infinitely greater God's loving commands are towards his people. May we rejoice for our propitiation who is Christ and may we seek to live in a manner worthy of the gospel this week!

Darkness and Light: 1 John 1.5-10

Darkness and Light

Imagine a story like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. What do the characteristics of dark and light represent in these two epic tales? Immediately the battle for good (light) versus evil (dark) comes to mind. It is a natural tendency to think of this contrast. The Apostle John, when describing God and those who follow after him, uses this same contrast of light and darkness. Here is what he says, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1.5-7). Our God is one of light, meaning purity, and by nature there can be no darkness in him. Those who wish to follow after him must also retreat from the darkness. To a dark and dying world, our God is a bright and shining light that beckons us to come to him through Christ by the Holy Spirit.  

Thoughts on the Light  

What does it mean to live in the light? Simply put, it means living in God's presence and living in response to what God has revealed. To live before the face of God should be the desire of every Christian. The Latin term for this is Coram Deo, or 'before the face of God.' This is to give one's complete life over to living before God, recognizing our faults and constantly turning to him in our failures, not holding anything back. This is what it means to live in the light as he is in the light. Whether you are a student, parent, male or female, pastor or professional our calling is to live in light of God's presence, openly and honestly admitting to God our constant need for his grace through Christ. And with living in the light comes a promise, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (v. 7). Living in the light means we can come around a common shared belief and recognize that Christ cleanses us from all sin. This is a one time act as well as a continual act. We have been forgiven and we are being forgiven. As we stumble, we know that we have the blood of Christ cleansing us from all sin, so we repent and we continue living in the light. To live in God's presence is the most freeing thing anyone can do, to run from God's presence brings slavery to our own devices.

Thoughts on Darkness

If Coram Deo is living before the presence of God, then the opposite of that is running from the presence of God. If we live in the darkness, then we are denying that which God has revealed and we refuse to acknowledge that his goodness and mercy is what is best for us. For us who choose to deny the goodness of God revealed to us, we are like the chaff that the wind drives away according the psalmist (Psalm 1.4). We cannot last! Living in the dark means denying who we are and who God is. We are sinful people in need of redemption, and God is the only one who can redeem. Without this realization, we will continue to live in the darkness. In fact, John says we make God a liar if we do so (1 John 1.10)! We can be in church, doing church activities, saying we are alright with God and still be living in the darkness. If we seek to make things right on our own or try to do things within our own power, we are living in darkness. Until we are open and honest about our condition, and recognize that God alone is the physician of our maladies, then we continue to abide in darkness. But, as John tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What wonderful freedom we have in Christ and living in the light! The darkness hides and festers, the light reveals and heals.  

So What?

The light is infinitely more refreshing that the dark. Like the epic movies of good versus evil, we all long for the light to win over the darkness. Though the path of those good warriors is often difficult, we all know that it is the one true way. So too is it with our faith. We have been given a choice, to live in light of God's presence or to turn our backs and run. One way (the light) acknowledges that we are nothing without the grace of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. The other way (the darkness) denies the goodness and grace of God and chooses rather to go an opposite path. A Christian living in light of God's presence choose to deal with sin rather than deny it. They also continue to run back to the arms of a loving Father when they have temporarily gone astray. A Christian walking in the light recognizes that sin hinders a right relationship with God, therefore there is need for continual cleansing through prayer and a repentant life. One who desires to walk in the light will be open and transparent about sin, and continue to have a right relationship with God so that they might be a faithful witness to the world. May the same be said of us. Take care and have a great week in the Lord! 

Summer of Love 2011: A Study in 1 John

Our focus this summer is love. Love for God, love for one another and love for the world. So where in Scripture do we find some of the most clear commands and teaching on the things of love? I would say it would be the first epistle written by the apostle John. This epistle builds directly off of the teachings of Christ and encourages its readers to understand love and place it in its proper context. The world today cannot give an accurate depiction of love, rather, it is skewed and disfigured. Only God's Word can show us what love is all about, and that is our goal this summer!

Who was the Apostle John?

Before we dive into a book of Scripture, it's important to know it's background and setting in order that we might gain insight from it's context. Scripture is applicable everywhere, always and for all believers but as 21st Christians it might do us justice to try and understand what a 1st century Christian was up against. First we ask the question, who was John? We know from Scripture that he was a fisherman (Matt. 4.21). We also know he was one of Jesus's close twelve disciples (Matt. 10.2). According to Scripture and early church testimony, he wrote five books in the New Testament canon (Gospel of John, 1/2/3 John, Revelation). We also gather from tradition and the Scriptural witness that he outlived the remainder of the disciples, allowing him to continue his ministry and writing until a very old age (writing his Revelation under the reign of Emperor Domitian, who ruled from 81-96 AD).    

John is considered to have ministered primarily in Asia Minor, in and around Ephesus. The things to which he writes (those who do not confess Jesus in the flesh and so on) are indicative of issues which the early church faced in the region of Asia Minor, specifically with a group called the Docetists who denied the human side of Christ. His letter assumes a knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and a basic understanding of the Christian faith, leading many commentators to date this letter in the latter half of the first century, perhaps following the gospel account which bears John's name. The issues of building up the church, encouraging people to continue in the faith, and warning people about false teachings are all themes which we find in this epistle.  

Why 1 John 

So why should we study 1 John as students in middle and high school? Good question, and the answer has three main reasons. First, it stresses the importance of knowing the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is divine and human, we can't not deny either nor exclude one by emphasizing the other. He is both and that should continue to remain our confession. Second, it gives us a clear picture of right Christian behavior. The Christian faith isn't all about black and white rules of do's and don'ts, but John reminds us here that there certainly are some clear cut ways to understand whether or not one is a Christian by how they behave. This is important for constant personal reflection and encouraging one another to remember our calling. Lastly, it emphasizes fellowship and relationships. For us as a student ministry, this is a great and awesome task. We must continue to build up relationships for the purpose of growing in faith and making the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to a sick and dying world.

Introductions

In the first three verses of his first epistle, John reminds his readers that they can't have a relationship with God without Jesus Christ. The fellowship of knowing God is directly linked with fellowship with Jesus Christ (1.3). That fellowship we share together, as John reminds us, is based on that confession. Though people may come in and visit a church, they are not part of the Christian fellowship until they share in the common belief of Jesus Christ. Another vital point we see in John's introduction is that the disciples have intimate knowledge of Christ (1.1). They ate with him, talked with him, laughed with him and so on. What they write about him can be trusted! Lastly, we see a promotion to share the faith which we proclaim (1.3). John is making no secrets about the Christian faith, he wants people to know all about it! This is our calling too; proclaim Christ as the truth of the Gospel!

Summer of Love

The study of 1 John is a wonderful compliment to building up one another and focusing on love for the summer. I hope you will be encouraged by this study and that your faith will be increased as we dive into God's word and learn what it means to truly love God, love one another and the world. Stay tuned for more thoughts and teachings from 1 John and have a great week!

Question: Does believing the right things matter?

This week we ask: does believing the right things matter? For some thoughts, please read below.

Truth Matters

Scripture attests that God's word is true (Psa. 18:30, 25:5, 86:11 119:160; John 17:17; Eph. 1:13). Knowing truth matters. This is the whole goal of our "Q&A" series. God desires that we will know the truth because the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Scripture attests to a holy God who's word is true and therefore, there are specific truths regarding salvation and our eternal destiny. Many people in the world today deny that exclusive truth exists, rather, there are many truths which people can believe. If they are not willing to go that far, some will say that we are saved by Jesus Christ but that we don't necessarily have to proclaim his name. We might call it something else, but in the end it's really Jesus even if we have a different name for him.* Does Scripture back this up? Undoubtedly the answer is no.  

Scripture is very specific about the truth claims of Christ in order to be saved (Matt. 16:13-19; John 14:6; Acts 4:10; Rom. 10:8-9). Jesus explicitly says that he will build his church upon the confession that he is the Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:17-18). Scripture is also specific about the exclusivity of God's holiness above all else. There is none besides him (Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:2; Psa 86:10; Isa. 37:16, 45:6). Again, Scripture is specific about judgment God's place as judge (Psalm 7:11; 50:6; 96:13; Acts 10:42; Rom. 2:2, 6-8; 2 Th. 1:5-6; 2 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 12:23; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 14:7). This denies that man has a final authority in matters of salvation.  

Faith Matters

Certainly we can not know all the wonderful things of God within our finite existence. The Psalmist declares this when he says, "Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?" (Psalms 106:2 ESV). God declares, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isa. 55:8). Though we have been given knowledge of what is true according to Scripture, there is still a need for faith in appropriating those for our lives. Faith is the gift of God which ensures salvation through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). Faith is also something which needs to be continually renewed and encouraged (Psa. 51:12; 1 Th. 5:14). Paul constantly speaks through his letters about encouragement and refreshment.  

There are some hard truths in Scripture and the purpose of the body of Christ is to encourage one another in times of weakness and despair. Scripture constantly reminds us of our need for God's salvation and our inability to accomplish it on our own, therefore we trust by faith in the work of Christ to accomplish this. We have faith that despite turmoil and anguish, God still cares and will be the strength of his people in times of suffering. Faith matters, but the content of that faith equally matters.  

Content Matters

Faith, while a rich and precious word, can also be a quite empty word as well. "Just have faith," one might say. But faith in what? Faith is just as an ambiguous word as any unless it contains the correct content. For the Christian, faith is believing that Scripture is the inspired word of God, that we are in desperate need of salvation from sin, and that Jesus Christ is who he says he is. More could be said, but when a Christian says that he or she has faith, the content must include these things. We believe that to have faith in Christ is to recognize that it's only through his life and death that our sins are forgiveness. Jesus, in John 5, gives us a clear picture of correct content regarding himself. We also recognize that Scripture is God's word and shows his works and plans in the past, now and in the future. We believe that apart from God we are sinful and will perish in our sins. This is what it means to have faith; this is not merely head knowledge, but true heart longings. 

The Final Matter

There is one main truth found in Scripture, namely, that God is holy and we must believe in him now through Christ if we are to be saved. There is no room for ambiguity. This does not mean we need to know every theological proposition in order to be saved, but there is an absolute truth proclaimed in Scripture which we must affirm. Truth matters, and believing the right things matters. Until we understand the judgment of God, we will never understand our need for Jesus Christ. This is what makes the Gospel so offensive, and why people are apt to change its message. We must be people of truth, proclaiming the correct content of faith, yet ultimately affirming the need for faith. May we not be people who seek to dilute the message of the gospel for the sake of popularity or winning more people to our cause, but may we be faithful to the word implanted in our hearts that God would be glorified and draw people unto himself not by our words, but solely by his. Take care and have a great week in the Lord! 

- Coleman

Question: What is the Christian response to the issue of gay marriage?

This week I want us to briefly address an important question that will undoubtedly have a huge impact on all of us in the immediate future: what is the Christian response to gay marriage?

Not Absolute  

If you haven't already seen them, you will most likely see them in the future on the news holding up signs and chanting various slogans. These groups usually form into two different sides. One group will hold up signs saying "God is love" and "God loves me just the way I am" and the other group will have signs that say something to the effect of "Gays go to hell" or "God Hates Gays." Where do we fit into all this mess? Are we to pick a side or is there better alternative? I propose that for Christians willing to live out the gospel and love others then the answer must be yes. Our other alternative is simple yet profound: preach the good news!  

Al Mohler, theologian and president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky posits three contributing factors which have made same-sex marriage in today's world a plausible and even desirable idea. For our purposes here we will not spend time analyzing these factors, but I invite you to read his article on his blog by clicking here. For us, we should understand that there has been a drift away from the moral absolute regarding marriage and instead we now see the seeds of post-modern moral autonomy blossoming. But again the question for us is: what should our response be?

Not Surprised

Scripture tells us that the "no one is righteous, no, not one...no one does good not even one (Romans 3:10-12). This means that apart from from God none of us is truly good. Though many may have good morals and decide to live in a moralistic way, our natures do not allow us to be truly righteous in the sight of God. So in the end, should we be surprised at our culture when rules and laws are made or changed to reflect man's selfish desires? I say we should not be surprised. As Christians who are saved by grace, we should be the first to understand that those apart from God will ultimately not make choices which fall in line with God's standard of righteousness. In the end, we should not expect government to regulate Christian principles anyway. If laws and regulations do fall in line with Christian standards then we should praise God, but if not then let us not be surprised. Instead, we are to pray and encourage those in government to make the right decisions but ultimately rest on the hope of God and his righteousness yet to be revealed at the second coming of his Son (see Revelation 21 for our hope of the eternal city).

Not Tuned In

In today's world of social media and technology, ideas are much more easily assimilated by our culture. Take for instance the recent political upheavals in Egypt and Libya. Opposition groups in these countries used social media as a way of rallying support for the idea of freedom and independence. I'm not here to comment on the validity of those political situations, but they are an recent example which highlights the infiltration of social media and their ability to spread ideas at an accelerated rate. So too with religion and morality. We are constantly bombarded with differing ideologies regarding same-sex marriage among other important issues. Social media has a way of compounding an issue which may be complex and worthy of dedicated research and debate into an issue of limited options and point of views. What do I mean?

Well, say you had a friend who was pro-gay marriage, and that friend posted something on her Facebook announcing her point of view. Then a conversation started around that, with comments and further updates regarding the issue. And lets say you decide to check your Facebook and all you see are comment after comment regarding this issue. It seems most of your friends are actually pro-gay marriage as well that is all you happen to see regarding the issue. You've automatically been given just one-side to a multi-faceted issue. This may be over simplistic in explaining social media and its effects, but hopefully you see the point. We tend to concentrate on what is getting the most attention, even if the voices are few and the debate and research poorly facilitated. We must decide to view what we see in media and online with much more scrutiny and choose to truly tune in to what God's word may have to say on the issue. And what is the message that God's word provides?  

Not Dissuaded

Again, we must understand that man's fallen ability to legislate God's righteousness is an impossible task. We must not be surprised when it doesn't happen. Even so, we must not be dissuaded from the truth of God's word. Man's nature is fallen and the only hope is the willing sacrifice of the Son of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in order to make use right with God. Morality won't cut it. In light of our fallen state and redemption in Christ, we as Christians must recognize that our obligation is to preach the truth of salvation in Christ alone! We are sinners saved by grace, and our message is to be the same. Paul says, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22-24 ESV). Our response is not to bend to one's claim of moral autonomy, but rather our message is to be of love and grace that points to the Savior. John says, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 ESV). Again our response is not to run and hide nor is it to picket signs of hate, but our job is to love. Love that transforms, not conforms. Love that will be honest and truthful, yet forgiving and full of grace. Love that will implore people to change and not make excuses. That's the kind of love the Father shows to us through the Son and by the Spirit.

Not Over

The issue of gay marriage is one we MUST have a definitive plan of action for. We must be ready to expect disagreement and possibly persecution. We must be ready to stand on the word of God as truth. We must also be willing to embrace gay couples and individuals with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must be relational and willing to sit across from the coffee table with those who need the grace of God just as much as we do. We must be willing to share a meal with those who, like all of us, need the atonement of Christ for their sins. We must be willing to look at all peoples as image-bearers of God yet seek to proclaim the truth that God's standard of righteousness is universal, not morally autonomous. We must love as God first loved us. May God grant you perseverance in showing love to all peoples and proclaiming the truth of salvation in Christ alone. Take care and have a great week!

 
- Coleman

Question: How do I grow in my relationship with Christ?

This week we take a moment to give a short and succinct answer to a big question: how do you grow in your relationship with Christ?
 

To answer this question in a sentence: Come to church. Okay that may seem over simplified and too pastoral, but this is the scriptural and historical answer on how to grow in one's relationship with Jesus Christ. Of course no pastor is going to discourage you from spending time in the word and prayer at home on your own, but those things are not the ultimate expression of Christian spirituality. It is worship, rather, that allows an individual to grow but there can not be true growth outside the context of the church community. This is why Christians since the beginning of the church have gathered together to hear the Word of God read, to pray for one another, and to break bread in the same manner as Christ did in order to experience the presence of Christ in the gathered body of believers (Acts 2:46-47, 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16, 12:26; Eph. 2:21-22, 4:15-16; Col 2:1-2)

The act of worship from the very beginning was an experience of sights, smells, tastes, sounds and touch. This is what is to happen in the worship service, we are to experience who God is and what he has done for us through Christ who came in the flesh and ate, breathed and walked among us. We expect his return and experience this through worship! Hearing the Word of God, having teaching that explains the Scriptures, hearing and singing songs of joy and sorrow, tasting and feeling the bread and wine and coming together to encourage one another is the essence of Christian worship. And this is how we grow. We come together to experience this one faith and continually learn what it means to be a disciple, in community, with others.  

To wrap up this short answer to a big question, here is what God's word tells us. Paul speaks of our one faith when he says, "There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV). This one body cannot be experience if the members are not present. Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5 ESV). Of course this verse has individual implications, but where is Christ most readily experienced today? In worship! If we do not abide in the body of Christ, how can we possibly expect to produce fruit. And finally, the writer of Hebrews gives us this familiar encouragement, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV). We can not stir up one another to good works if we are away from the body! We are meant to experience the hope of Christ in the body of Christ. Apart from that, we can not grow in our relationship with him.

If you truly wish to grow in the faith you proclaim, you will be involved in the body through service and worship. Individualism is not spiritual growth, it's a indication of our selfish pride and arrogance. One must be in the body of Christ to truly experience the grace of God and to grow in one's relationship with Christ. Is faith personal? Of course! But it's only personal in so far as it is fully expressed with other believers in the church. May God encourage our hearts and reveal to us our need to be connected to the body of Christ in order to experience Christ. Take care and have a great week! 

Question: Who is God?

This week we take an in-depth look at the nature of God and how we should understand and describe God. This week's entry is an abridged article from J. Hampton Keathley. The entire article can be found here.

Because the word trinity is never found in the Bible some wonder about whether this is a biblical doctrine or not, but the absence of a term used to describe a doctrine does not necessarily mean the term is not biblical. Historically, the church has believed that He exists in Holy Trinity or Triunity. The tri-personality of God is exclusively a Christian doctrine and a truth of Scripture. No man can fully explain the Trinity, though in every age scholars have propounded theories and advanced hypotheses to explore this mysterious Biblical teaching. But despite the worthy efforts of these scholars, the Trinity is still largely incomprehensible to the mind of man. Perhaps the chief reason for this is that the Trinity is a-logical, or beyond logic. It, therefore, cannot be made subject to human reason or logic. So what's the issue that faces us? The ultimate issue as always is, does the biblical evidence support the doctrine of the Trinity or tri-personality of God?

Because God's Word tells us that we should expect His revelation, the revelation of an infinite, omniscient, all-wise Creator, to contain an infinite depth that corresponds to His infinite mind. In Isaiah, God tells us about this and says: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). As simple as the Bible is in its message of sin and of free salvation in Christ, an incredible subtlety and profundity underlies all its doctrines. Even a child can receive Christ as his Savior, thereby appropriating the free gift of eternal life. Yet no philosopher has more than scratched the surface regarding the things that happened at the Cross. The Bible forces any reader to crash into the ceiling of his own comprehension, beyond which he cannot go until he sees the Lord face-to-face.

Probably no doctrine was the subject of more controversy in the early church than that of the Trinity. Certainly the teaching of "one God in three Person" was accepted in the early church, but only as this teaching was challenged did a systematic doctrine of the Trinity emerge. While the term Trinity is never specifically used nor the doctrine explicitly explained in Scripture, it is nevertheless implicitly stated. The church councils, in their fight against heresy, were forced to think through what the Bible says about how God exists. It was an era when the main dogmas of the Christian Church were developed. The word "dogma" came through the Latin from the Greek word dogma, which was derived from the verb dodeo. This word meant to think. The dogmas or doctrines formulated in this period were the result of intense thought and searching of the soul in order to interpret correctly the meaning of the Scriptures on the disputed points and to avoid the erroneous opinions (doxai) of the philosophers.

The doctrine of the Trinity is the distinctive mark of the Christian religion, setting it apart from all the other religions of the world. Taking the whole of Scripture, one can see that there is stress on: (a) the unity of God, one Divine Being and Essence, and (b) on the diversity of God in this unity, three Persons identified as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It speaks of these Persons in such a way that it ascribes absolute undiminished deity and personality to each while stressing that there is but one God in divine substance. It is the doctrine of the trinity that harmonizes and explains these two thrusts of Scripture-oneness in three personalities. When we see that the Bible teaches these three things: (a) there is but one God, (b) that the Father, Son, and Spirit are each God, and (c) that each is set forth as distinct Persons, we have enunciated the doctrine of the Triunity of God.

There is perfect equality in nature, honor and dignity between the Persons. Fatherhood belongs to the very essence of the first Person and it was so from all eternity. It is a personal property of God 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named' (Eph. 3:15). The Son is called the 'only begotten' perhaps to suggest uniqueness rather than derivation. Christ always claimed for himself a unique relationship to God as Father, and the Jews who listened to him apparently had no illusions about his claims. Indeed they sought to kill him because he 'called God his own Father, making himself equal with God' (Jn. 5:18). The Spirit is revealed as the One who alone knows the depths of God's nature: 'For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God ... No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God' (1 Cor. 2:10f.). This is saying that the Spirit is 'just God himself in the innermost essence of his being.'

It has to be recognized that the doctrine arose as the spontaneous expression of the Christian experience. The early Christians knew themselves to be reconciled to God the Father, and that the reconciliation was secured for them by the atoning work of the Son, and that it was mediated to them as an experience by the Holy Spirit. Thus the Trinity was to them a fact before it became a doctrine, but in order to preserve it in the creedal faith of the church the doctrine had to be formulated.

There are errors to avoid in a trinitarian understanding of God. Tri-theism is the teaching that there are three Gods who are sometimes related, but only in a loose association. Such an approach, abandons the biblical oneness of God and the unity within the Trinity. Sabellianism or Modalism is another. Sabellius (A.D. 200), the originator of this viewpoint, spoke of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but he understood all three as no more than three manifestations of one God. This teaching came to be known as modalism because it views one God who variously manifests Himself in three modes of existence: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Arianism is the last major error to avoid. Arius taught that only God was the uncreated One; because Christ was begotten of the Father it meant Christ was created by the Father. Arius believed there was a time when Christ did not exist. Arius and his teaching was condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325.

While there is no explicit statement in the Old Testament affirming the Triunity, we can confidently say that the Old Testament not only allows for the Triunity, but also implies that God is a triune Being in a number of ways: (1) The name Elohim, translated God, is the plural form of El. While this is what is called a plural of plenitude pointing to the power and majesty of God, it certainly allows for the New Testament revelation of the Triunity of God. (2) There are many instances where God uses the plural pronoun to describe Himself (see Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8). (3) In the creation account, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are seen in the work of creation. It is stated that God created heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1), but that it was the Holy Spirit who moved over the earth to infuse it with life in the sense of protecting and participating in the work of creation (Gen. 1:2). (4) Writing about the Messiah, Isaiah reveals Him to be equal with God, calling Him the "Mighty God" and "Eternal Father" (Isa. 9:6).

The case for the Triunity of God is even stronger in the New Testament. Here it can be unequivocally demonstrated the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. (1) The Father is called God (John 6:27; 20:17; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 4:6; Phil. 2:11; 1 Pet. 1:2). (2) Jesus Christ, the Son is declared to be God. His deity is proven by the divine names given to Him, by His works that only God could do (upholding all things, Col. 1:17; creation, Col. 1:16, John 1:3; and future judgment, John 5:27. (3) The Holy Spirit is recognized as God. By comparing Peter’s comments in Acts 5:3 and 4, we see that in lying to the Holy Spirit (vs. 3), Ananias was lying to God (vs. 4). He has the attributes which only God can possess like omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10) and omnipresence (1 Cor. 6:19), and He regenerates people to new life (John 3:5-6, 8; Tit. 3:5), which must of necessity be a work of God for only God has the power of life.

All doctrine is practical and has specific ramifications to life. This is no less true of the Triunity of the Godhead which draws our attention to the concept of the tri-fold personality of God. This communicates all the elements of personality-moral agency, intelligence, will, emotion, and communion that exists within the three Persons of the Godhead. There is ... diversity in the life of God. God the Father designs, God the Son creates, God the Spirit quickens; a great diversity of life and operation and activity. For that reason we can realize that if the universe is a manifestation of God, we can expect a diversity of life within the whole of the created universe. We think that the so-called uniformity of nature is utterly untrue. All the wonders of creation, all the forms of life, all the movement in the universe, are a reflection, a mirroring, of the manifold life of God.

The doctrine of the trinity is truly beyond human comprehension or the limits of our finite minds, but it is nevertheless a vital truth of the Bible. It is a doctrine that is closely connected to other key doctrines like the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. In fact, our salvation is rooted in the mysterious nature of the Godhead who coexists as three distinct Persons all of whom are involved in our salvation in all its aspects, past, present, and future. It encompasses everything we know and practice as Christians-our sanctification, our fellowship, our prayer life, our Bible study, or our corporate worship. May the Lord bless you in your study of His precious Word and in your walk with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


- J. Hampton Keathley via Coleman

Question: What does it mean to be "saved?"

As we continue in our series of "Q&A: Answering the Questions of God, Life and Faith" we pose a rather serious and overlooked question. We are comfortable with the language of saying "I'm saved" or "When were you saved?" but do we ever stop to think about the meaning behind such a concept. With this week's question, we take a look at the importance of knowing what salvation means and how to fully understand being "saved."

Question #3: What does it mean to be saved? Jesus says,"I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9). Most of us are used to the language of 'saved' in the church. "Yes, I'm saved!" or "When did you get saved?" are things we hear often in our modern day church environment. So, what does it mean? Before we dive in, we must recognize that our object of faith must be the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus's "I am" statements in the gospel of John give us this affirmation. Likewise, the beloved apostle says, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (1 John 4:2 ESV). We believe in a person, not an idea or concept or philosophy.  

Second, we must recognize that to be saved is more than just belief; its action that matches that belief. This is not works, but love. Jesus said, "Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me" (John 14:23-24). Likewise in Matthew's gospel Jesus says, "And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 27:37-39). So being 'saved' is a state of being that is manifested by love for God and love for others. Belief must be backed up by action! 

Third, we must consider what exactly we are "saved" from. Paul tells us, "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed...Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God" (Romans 2:5, 5:9 ESV). Apart form Christ, we have stored up wrath because of our hard hearts and rebellion but for those who are in Christ, the wrath has been removed. He has taken our punishment for us! This is the culmination of the biblical testimony and the heart of the Gospel! Through Christ we are SAVED from God's wrath. We are not saved from Satan, sin, temptation or injustice rather we are saved from God's ultimate wrath.

The third and fourth points go together in a certain sense. These points point to a present and future reality. Being 'saved' is a total reorientation of your affections from the things of this world to God AND an change in expectation in what this world has to offer. This is the heart of repentance and the expectation of those in Christ who await the return of their Savior. We are not complete in all things until the second coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:21-26; 1 Peter 13-16). We wait eagerly for his return, exhibiting patience through the act of prayer and gathering together to break bread in the same manner as Christ did for he said, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom"
(Matthew 26:29 ESV).  

Those who are saved believe in the person of Jesus Christ and back up their belief with actions which reflect a love for the Savior. They have a reorientation of their affections away from the world and to the things of God. They wait patiently, expecting the coming of their savior like a "thief in the night." We are to cry out everyday because we wait expectantly for the return of our savior when we can say, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come" (Revelation 12:10 ESV). 

 
- Coleman  

New Series: Q&A - Answering the Questions of God, Life and Faith

We all have questions. How were we created? Who exactly is God? What is my purpose? What is this church thing all about? We all have questions, and our goal this semester is to help provide parents and students with answers. We should never be afraid to ask questions, but we should also know that not every question we have will have a clear answer. That's where faith comes in. This semester our goal is to provide answers but also point us to the object of our faith, Jesus Christ the risen Lord!

So far this semester, we have already posed a couple of questions to students. Question #1: What does it take to follow Christ? For many the answer may be plain as day, but for others we may not be sure exactly what Christ calls us to do. Luke 9:23 provides the answer: "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." And he (Jesus) said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:22-23 ESV)

If we desire to truly follow after Christ, the answer is sacrifice; a word our world does not wish to keep in their vocabulary. Christians throughout the ages have sacrificed their time, their possessions and their lives to follow after Christ and make his name known throughout the world. Tertullian, a third century Christian theologian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" meaning that the sacrifice of those who came before us makes up the foundation on which we stand. Together as one body we are called to sacrifice in order that others may know his name and that we together may grow in holiness and humility.  

Question #2: What do you need to do to receive more blessing from God? Answer: Nothing. There is not one thing you can do that will cause God to love you any more or any less. We do not worship a God who will bless or curse us according to what we do or don't do. Rather, we worship a God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ and who has removed the curse of sin because of his son (Eph. 1:3-6; Rom. 5:15-17). We live in freedom because of faith in Christ. No amount of bible study, prayer or good works will cause God to look upon you with more favor and cause things to go better for you. Spiritual disciplines and worship come from a heart that is obedient to God and a love for our Savior (Rom. 6:9-14; 1 John 2:2-6). There is no more blessing needed.

As we journey through different questions this semester, I invite you do follow up and talk more about these questions and answers. What experiences do you have in denying yourself to follow Christ? What are you convicted about in regards to Jesus's call to believers? What about your thoughts on receiving blessing from God? Do you do things out of of love and adoration, or to receive a special "blessing" in order that things may go well for you? These are questions we should all consider and weigh through the impact of the answers. I invite you to ask your own questions and lets see if we can get some answers to the questions of God, life and faith together. Take care and have a great week! 

 
- Coleman