Search

Changed By Glory

"And we all… beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." II Cor. 3:18

Open Search

Resolved ~ Reflections on The Life & Writings of Jonathan Edwards

Heavenly Reality

    In an earlier post I wrote about the upbringing that Edwards had in the harsh environment of colonial New England that placed in him a firm grasp on reality; a reality in which heaven and hell are very real and very close at hand. As he grew to adore Christ and came to be captivated with God’s glory he also grew very fond of heaven and meditating deeply on its splendor. For him it was not fantastical, but very real and very near.  Others have done a much better job of applying and expounding on Edward’s thoughts on the eternal that I will not presume to add anything or offer a commentary of his writings, but only to share how my heart was stirred and continues to be stirred by this heavenward concentration of thought.

    As I have considered my own weakness and sin I have noticed that at my most selfish point, my most prideful moment, I am not living in the reality of a kingdom that I have never seen, but in a kingdom of my own making that is like a flimsy façade on a film set. This version of reality that I often fabricate looks pretty real to me and the special effects may even stun those looking on in the  theatre of life, but those thrilling special effects are only a strong wind or flame away from revealing what they are; real only to the extent that they are made of matter and can be touched, but they disappoint because that exterior represents a false sense of what is.  We are very familiar with the words of the preacher of Ecclesiastes who declares “Absolute futility. Everything is futile” Eccl 1:2(HCSB). In fact the apostle Paul declares that since the fall “creation was subjected to futility” Rom 8:20. For us in Christ we need not be fatalists about this, but cling to the rest of Romans 8:20 which says that creation was subjected to futility “… in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption….”  It will finally be set free in full one day and we must be aware of our default gravitation to futile and vain things and look to the reality that is ahead….

   We are daily in danger of believing what we can taste, touch and feel rather believing the promises of a good and trustworthy God.  The old saying that one can be “so heavenly minded he is no earthly good” is satanic and untrue. To be heavenly minded is not to be disconnected from reality here on earth, but to understand truly what is and what will be. If we have our gaze focused on heaven we will not waste time here, but the opposite. Now it is possible to have a wrong view of heaven; a pop culture “better place” view that is absent of what heaven is all about, which is Christ. I am speaking of believing in going and seeing Christ face-to-face and beholding with no barrier the radiance of his beautiful face! I fear I would have to write for many days to scratch the surface of how grasping the reality of that moment for the saved and how believing in it will change our lives! If only we would think on and yearn for what is waiting for us we would agree with Paul that “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Paul did not use this as an excuse to lock himself in a cloister and wait for death or the trumpet sound but he says “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” Philippians 1:23-24 . Rooting ourselves in the reality that after we have run the race hard Jesus will wipe the tears from our eyes makes us fearlessly bold! There is no such thing as burnout for the one that has counted the heavenly as realest of realities.

  Paul knew that a crucial element to our endurance and our war with the flesh was to be fixed on what is above. Colossians 3:1-2 says “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not things that are on the earth.” He also encourages in the epistle to Titus obedience fueled by setting hope in what is to come! In his greeting “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began….” And after a long string of instructions for the church he declares that they should “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions… waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,…” And again he says that we have become “heirs according to the hope of eternal life”. Our holiness and the degree to which we view heaven as real coincide. There are many factors to this, I understand, but I believe this one is huge, because it is in the Bible and it has been very real in my life.

  I could go on and I hope to God that I will be able to take this further. I fear in my own heart I have often viewed Heaven, eternity, as being about as real as Tolkien’s Middle Earth; we are moved by it, even in awe of it, but it’s not real. We go through life, expecting to get to heaven one day, but the way we live says that we really think that we will just die like a dog. Heaven is so real! What is eternal is real! So much of what we see here that we think is real is just our finite mind and futile heart fooling us! I don’t want to be fooled! Jesus said that he went to prepare a place for us (Jn 14:3) and he prayed to the Father that we may be with him and behold his glory (Jn 17:24). I want to see his glory! I want to gaze on the beautiful face of the one who saved me! I want to worship him as I stare face-to-face without the fetters of sin and self! And I will! By his grace I will! Now I must go and I must work and I must give every ounce of what I am because that day will come soon when I will eternally rest! Rest to labor no more for millions and billions and trillions of ages! I know this is a lot of exclamation marks but I don’t know how else to plead! Jonathan Edwards knew that heaven was real and he lived a life dedicated to the glory and majesty of God. God grant us grace to be people that watch the sky, people that long for true reality, people that  live for a kingdom that they have never seen…. May our lives bear evidences of what is real and to come….

“These all died in faith, not having received the things

Promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged

That they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people

Who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had

Been thinking of that land from which they had gone out,

They would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better

Country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called

Their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Hebrews 11:13-16

0

My Feeble Exegesis: II Corinthians 1:11

Petition That Aims At Praise

II Corinthians 1:11

“You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our

Behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many”.

  Paul explains in the verses prior to this that they (Paul & Timothy) endure deadly peril based on the hope which they have that they will ultimately be delivered in the resurrection, for they relied not on themselves “but on God who raises the dead”. Then in verse eleven Paul allows the church to participate in their endurance by entreating, even commanding them, to help them by prayer. I could use this as a chance to write about the corporate role of the church in the perseverance of the individual saint, but instead I would like to inspect what this passage speaks about prayer.

As there seems to be three successive parts to the idea set forth in verse 11, I would like to inspect them in the order that they appear.

  •     1.  “You also must help us by prayer….” With this simple command Paul speaks to the power of prayer in respect to their ministry and endurance. Paul set the example for this time and again as he lifted up the saints with whom he interacted. Take for a couple of examples, Colossians 1:9 “…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,….”, 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We give thanks to God for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers….”. Paul believed that the prayers of the church in Corinth would help them and bless them in their ministry. He is not relying on the people or the prayers themselves for his hope and supply of strength but is testifying that God is trustworthy in such a way that if they would pray God would act in the granting of a blessing. He is pointing them to his supply for endurance and entreating them to believe that God is that good Father that Jesus Christ testified of, one who does not grow weary like an unrighteous judge, but will “give justice speedily” “to his elect who cry to him day and night” (Luke 18:7). Paul gives no “maybe” or “perhaps” in this passage, but displays unwavering confidence in a God who answers the prayers of his children.  One might say to never underestimate prayer but I believe it would be better to say to never underestimate the God who hears the prayer. Be diligent to pray for your brothers and sisters and especially your leaders as they will give an account for your souls and are often assailed in their labor for the Gospel. Be active in the endurance of each other, O Church! Help by prayer to the One who is the source of all help. Trust in his faithfulness and believe his word.
  •    2.  “…so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us….” It is interesting that Paul expects that the ultimate result of the help by prayer will be thanksgiving toward God. This displays the God-exalting and God-dependent mind that Paul had when writing this passage under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The end of our prayers in not the blessing, which would seem to be the end, but the praise of God. One would think that when you make a request to God it is like when you order something and then receive it a week later in the mail. In that example the receiving of the item is the end, but this is not what Paul has in mind. Paul wants to be helped in order that God would be praised through thanksgiving! We find here an amazing truth about how we go about prayers of supplication and intercession in regards to the posture of our heart when we consider what the end goal of that prayer is. As we search our motives we should always check to see that our prayers of petition, supplication, and intercession flow from the desire that God would be worshiped in thanksgiving.
  •    3. “…the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” It is Paul’s desire that this should be a corporate exercise in prayer. If the prayers of many leads to praise and thanksgiving for blessings granted, then no one person will be able to rob an ounce of glory from the Supplier of the blessing who hears their prayers. This is not to diminish the role of individual prayer, but to remind us that our time in the closet of prayer are being collected in bowls like incense (Rev 5:8) to be poured out before the throne and that we may not be alone in our petitions and thus should not take any credit. Many pray and many gives thanks so that the only one who receives praise is the Father who hears and pours out his blessing.

I hope that this verse can help us to pray with confidence for others, believing that our Father hears and acts according to his will which is ever for the good of his elect and that we would pray in order that God may be praised and thanked and that we would never seek our own praise and thanks as we labor on our knees but declare, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory…” Psalm 115:1  

0

Resolved ~ Salvation: Beholding the Glory of God in Christ

Reflections on the Life & Writings of Edwards

  In reading the thoughts that transpired in Edwards’ heart and mind as he was converted as a young adult I find myself pleased with the confirmation of what I have experienced, what others have testified to, and what God’s word teaches about what happens to us when we are truly born again. Mainly, that when someone is truly saved by the grace of Christ there is a common and necessary shift that occurs that impacts us on a spiritual and intellectual level. Those that have truly perceived the nature of their salvation have become aware of certain and distinct glories of God that are hidden from those that are perishing and are yet in the dominion of darkness with a veil imposed by Satan and a futile, darkened nature inherited from Adam.

   What I am speaking of is not an instant apprehension of all spiritual mysteries or any sort of immediate perfection, but of an immediate exaltation in the heart and mind of God and his Gospel. This is a posture of the soul towards God that is present in the elect, those for whom Christ pled to the Father “that they may behold my glory”, from the moment of new birth. In fact, unless this fundamental shift, awakening, or enlightening occurs no one may be saved. From the dawning of the first morning of the “new creation” there is a continual growing and forming but it all stems from the event in which the Creator declared “Let there be light”. Thus the creation of the universe by the Almighty stands as an allegory of the Gospel.

   If person has not been enlightened or made alive in Christ yet he claims to be a Christian he will in two fashions approach the Gospel. The one will see the Gospel and the obedience that God expects of his children and he will work very hard to fulfill the demands of the law and thus have the appearance of one who has been sanctified. He will accept these acts of human sovereignty and will-power as a proof of his right standing and will speak false peace into his darkened heart while disbelieving the state of his soul and the nature of the Gospel. The other is perhaps more dangerous and the most prevalent in this day. This one will see the call to only believe, to say a prayer, to go to church and thus know he is saved. There is no vexation in his soul over his sin for all is of grace in his mind and he believes that God accepts who he is. After all (I speak facetiously) he has said a prayer and now God must save him. His view of God is low, perhaps even blasphemously so, and he believes that the center of the Gospel is himself. Both have read the Word and both have come to darkened conclusions of what is being said.

    The shift that occurs when one goes from darkness to light, from death to life is one that occurs when God looks into the inky void of a darkened, lifeless heart and says, “Let there be light!” (II Cor 4:6). As light breaks into the darkness and a young, tender creation begins he is unable to make any boast in his own effort or intelligence. Now the question is of what does this burst of light and this new breath make the child of God aware? What shift occurs that allows someone to come to faith in Christ and to be sanctified, that is conformed into the image of Christ? II Corinthians 4:6 teaches us that what we are made to see is the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. It is in considering this that we find the distinction between those that are dead and those that have been made alive. So now we will consider with the help of Edwards’ testimony what happens when we behold “the glory of God in the face of Christ”.

1.    Beholding the Glory of God in Christ makes us aware of our sin and depravity

   Many assume the Gospel and are never saved because they never come to a place where they weep like Peter or plead like the Philippian jailer “what must I do to be saved?” Many a so-called saint cannot identify with the great Apostle Paul when he declares “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” If we behold the glory of God in the face of Christ the result is the same as Isaiah who when God displayed his glory to him in the temple he declared “Woe is me! For I am lost!”. Isaiah did not need a seminary lecture on depravity to become devastatingly aware of his sinfulness; he only needed to get a glimpse of the glory of God. Those that have had their eyes opened have beheld the glory of God by the Holy Spirit through the word of Christ.

2.    Beholding the Glory of God in Christ causes us to see magnitude of God’s mercy in Christ to satisfy his just wrath towards us

   The same aspect of having our eyes opened that causes us to see our depravity causes us to begin to comprehend the magnitude of God’s mercy. I say “begin” because we see through a glass darkly now and only in eternity when we behold perfectly God’s glory will we understand the incalculable magnitude of what God accomplished in the cross. As we are made to sense the majesty and holiness of God and to behold it in the narrative of Scripture we come full circle to the cross. This is where we behold the “Gospel of the glory of Christ”. We see at this time the graciousness of our adoption and election which was “to the praise of his (Christ’s) glorious grace” (Eph 1:6). In this we avoid presuming upon God’s grace but learn to live in humble amazement of God’s mercy towards us.

3.    Beholding the Glory of God in Christ is the means of our sanctification

   As we behold the glory of God we begin to reflect that glory from one degree of glory to the next (II Cor 3:18). It is by this that sanctification is realized in our lives without descending into the Christ-belittling swamp of legalism and dead works. It is impossible not to persevere in holiness once one has been enlightened. In fact the effect of this beholding is of such magnitude that if one were to turn away in a final state of apostasy once being enlightened it would be impossible to again turn that person to repentance so reprobate they would have to be (Heb 6:4).

   Finally, our sanctification is part of our glorification. Romans teaches us that those whom God called “he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” Rom 8:30. Our sanctification is part of our glorification, because God alone is glorious then we must become like him. The apex of our glorification will be when we see Christ for “we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is”(1 John 3:2). This becoming like Christ starts now as we reflect what we behold of him in the Gospel and it will be complete when we behold him fully after the resurrection. We are being sanctified by degrees as we behold with unveiled face the glory of God in the Gospel (II Cor 3:18).

  The next aspect of beholding the glory of God in Christ is also part of our glorification via sanctification. Christ declared that the road is narrow and so sanctification would be joyless were it not for this next aspect which is that….

4.    Beholding the Glory of God in Christ makes us see Christ as more beautiful and valuable than anything in this life

    This practical effect of beholding the glory of God in the Gospel is what separates obedience from legalism. This is perhaps one of the greatest proofs of our salvation in this life while we are yet in these corrupt bodies and yet it is the very thing that should set us apart from the world.

    This is one of the intangibles about those that have been called. In spite of our struggles and our battle with sin we press on because we know not with our minds but with our entire being that there is nothing more valuable than Jesus Christ. Those that have beheld the glory of God in Christ do not recoil when they hear hard truths from God’s word or are called to leave comfort for the sake of the Gospel. If they have beheld Christ as more beautiful than anything then they have no problem with him having the preeminent place in all things. When their young ears hear the Gospel preached in a way that glorifies God their hearts soar within them. These are the ones that uphold scripture even if it calls them to a life of suffering. How few I have met who have experienced this! It is a silent gravity within that points you to Christ again and again as the source of all joy. This is what Edwards experienced when he was saved and he puts it well:

“I began to have new kind of apprehension and ideas of Christ, and of the work of redemption, and the glorious way of salvation by him. I had an inward sweet sense of these things…. My mind was greatly engaged… reading and meditating on Christ; and the beauty and excellency of his person, and the lovely way of salvation of free grace in him” (Works 16)

And he had:

“A real sense of the excellency of God and Jesus Christ, and of the work of redemption, and the ways and works of God revealed in the Gospel. There is a divine and superlative glory in these things; an excellency that is of a vastly higher kind, and more sublime nature than in other things; a glory greatly distinguishing them from all that is earthly and temporal. He that is spiritually enlightened truly apprehends it and sees it, or has a sense of it. He does not merely rationally believe that God is glorious, but he has a sense of the gloriousness of God in his heart. There is not only a rational belief that God is holy… but there is a sense of the loveliness of God’s holiness. There is not only speculative judging that God is gracious, but a sense of how amiable God is upon that account, or a sense of the beauty of this divine attribute.” (Works 17)

5.    Beholding the Glory of God in Christ makes us long for heaven

   Finally in this short writing is the fact that those that have beheld the glory of God in Christ long to behold it more fully, namely face-to-face. Those that are beholding the glory of Christ feel less and less attached to their life here and more focused on things that are eternal, which also plays a role in their sanctification. The Puritan preacher, John Owen, in his work The Glory of Christ says, “No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in heaven who does not, in some measure, behold it by faith in this world…. Many will say with confidence that they desire to be with Christ and behold his glory. But when asked, they can give no reason for this desire, except that it would be better than going to hell…. So it is only as we behold the glory of Christ by faith here in this world that our hearts will be drawn more and more to Christ and to the full enjoyment of the sight of his glory hereafter.”

   Paul had beheld the glory of Christ and this is why he could truly say that it is far better to depart and be with Christ (Phil 1:23). If that is not our ultimate desire then we should tremble and ponder if we have ever had our eyes enlightened. Is what we think we have seen really that beautiful priceless pearl which is the glory of God?

   I have been encouraged greatly to meditate on these things. It causes an unsurpassed joy and excitement to well up in me. I am poor, needy and so full of sin and self, but I have seen something that is worth everything! I have not seen it in my own wisdom or intelligence but because God according to his glorious mercy looked into the inky blackness of my heart and said “Let there be light!” Now all that I know, amidst my brokenness, is that all I want is to see more of him!

0

Genuine Love Abhors Evil

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another….” Romans 12:9-10a
In the past I assumed that the two sentences in verse nine were two separate trains of thought, both necessary but not directly connected. Today as I was reading this I noticed how God ordained that the statement “abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good” falls between two statements about love. This strikes a chord with something that is biblical but has been forgotten, that is that love should be “black and white” in nature. Those that would abhor evil would often be accused of being unloving while it is actually impossible to be full of true love without abhorring evil. To be relative in a world steeped in sin isn’t merciful acceptance or loving , it is cruel and unloving. It is because we have not loved through the lens of abhorring evil and clinging to good that so much that was once considered evil is no longer considered evil in the church.
Love! But please let our love be genuine. May God soften our hearts and toughen our skin so that we may love not as the world loves but love in a way that abhors evil and clings to good.

0

We would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah… But…

“If the Lord of host had not left us offspring we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29
Sold under the curse of sin mankind was doomed from the moment that Adam transgressed. In him there remained no ability to walk uprightly before God on his own agency. “Their foolish hearts were darkened”. Such that if God had not set aside an offspring for himself from among mankind all would have remained doomed, deceived, and darkened. The default of mankind since the fall is to rebel against God and all would unless God would choose to rescue some to display the glory of his grace and the immensity of his mercy. If God had not done this we would be “like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” Unless God had left us an offspring we would have all headed to destruction and eternal ruin, a display to the universe of the infinite justice of God. In choosing an offspring from among fallen man God did not pervert his justice but he sent Christ “who came in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh”. The curse of Adam became his on the cross in order that God could justly gather in his remnant offspring. We (the elect offspring) were vessels prepared beforehand for glory, but hostage to our deadly curse of sin and the wrath that was stored up against us, thus God ransomed us with the blood of Jesus.
In other words election is God’s vehicle to gather in his children from the corners of the earth. Apart from this wonderful grace of God we would all justly be destroyed. It is a great mystery as to who God has “given the right to become children of God” but it is one that we rejoice in. It is impossible for man to justify himself or even choose a sort of assent to a creed that some might call faith for so deep is our depravity. We would be without hope as the race of mankind if God did not adopt from among us an offspring. In this mystery the mercy and severity of God are made clear.

0

My Feeble Exegesis: The Comfort We Are Comforted By

II Corinthians 1:3-10

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
    For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

   God is the God of all comfort just as he is the Father of mercies manifest in Christ which was discussed in the last exposition. Just as the death of Christ on the cross was the apex of God’s mercy and the perfect demonstration of a mercy that agreed with God’s character so the resurrected Christ is the perfect manifestation of God’s eternal comfort amidst and following suffering.

  The distinction between this comfort and the comfort of a nice mattress  or easy-chair is that this comfort comes in the midst of suffering and brings relief (vs 4) which is not an immediate escape from suffering (vs 5) but a sure hope that as Christ endured suffering “for the joy that was set before him” (Heb 12:2) so also we may be comforted with the hope set before us (vs 9).

  The comfort that we are comforted by amidst our affliction is not an escape from that affliction, but a comfort to endure it (vs 6). Sharing in and not escaping from the same sufferings that Christ suffered (scorn, rejection, torture, and even death) we can have confidence that we will also share in Christ’s comfort, which is our resurrection from the dead and eternal bliss in the presence of His glory. Christ is the source of our comfort because he is proof that God raises the dead (vs 9). Christ is the first-fruits of those that sleep and Paul points out that if Christ is only dead and not risen that we are of all men most to be pitied (1 Cor 15:19, 20).

   Those of us that are in Christ should not expect to share in this comfort without also sharing in his affliction (vs 5). Also, just as the comfort with which we are comforted is not for us to hoard so also our suffering is not for ourselves (vs 4, 6). Our affliction comforts others as they behold and hear of our comfort, which is ultimately our confidence that God raises the dead and will deliver us. This comfort is experienced as we patiently endure suffering. Affliction and comfort go hand in hand. Without the affliction Christ endured there would be no comfort, without the affliction of the Apostles there would have been no comfort conveyed to others throughout the world. The invitation to comfort is an invitation to suffering. It is only by picking up our cross that we may experience resurrection, it is only by losing our life that it may be save it. We do not seek out suffering as the legalistic monastics of old did, for this would defeat the purpose. Just as Christ took on flesh and suffered and was afflicted so that we may be comforted, we comfort others in the same fashion. Our lives as comforted ones should be marked by sharing in the afflictions of Christ so that others may be comforted in their affliction. This is the rondoesque pattern of Christ’s church, suffering but being comforted in order that we may comfort others who are suffering.

   Let us not be afraid to experience the comfort of Christ knowing that it is born of affliction. We dare not think that God has called us to stay held up in a fortress of our own fabrication that we think to be the comfort of God, but let us go outside the gates in order that others may be comforted. May we set our hope and confidence in the God of all comfort, that is that God raises us from the dead (vs 9). Because Christ who was so greatly afflicted is being comforted, so we may hope in the same! Praise be to God for His Son who was the original one to be afflicted in order the we may be comforted and comforted so that we may have a sure comfort that touches us even now in the midst of our affliction.

0

Resolved – Reflections of the Life & Writings of Edwards

Leadership: Aspiration & Preparation

As I read about the rigorous road of academia that was Edward’s path to the pulpit, I was struck with the amount of preparation that was expected of those that would take the noble office of pastor and teacher. There was no Sunday morning pep talk about how everyone is a leader that was followed by a sign-up sheet and a weekend long crash course on biblical leadership; there was only a long road of becoming grounded in the word and skilled in how to exposit scripture that eventually led to the right to stand at the lectern and magnify the glory of God to his elect.

In the 21st Century American church it seems that we have perhaps taken the ideology of empowering everyone to be a leader too far or not far enough.

By too far I mean that we have swung the door open wide, regardless of qualification, for people to exercise spiritual, ecclesiastical leadership in the context of small groups. In the effort to mass produce leaders, especially in the context of mega-churches that are trying to manage their exponential growth, leaders are commissioned in an assembly line fashion with little penetration into whether they meet biblical criterion (i.e. 1 Timothy 3,  Titus 1). Many fail to exhibit spiritual maturity or have situations that would historically disqualify them from leadership (i.e. divorce & remarriage is the most common in America). This loose and easy approach to leadership, especially in the absence of mature accountability, can have manifold damaging effects.

The other side of the coin is that perhaps we just don’t go far enough with our empowerment of leaders. It cannot be denied that there is a shortage of leaders and that problem must be addressed, but I don’t believe we should feel compelled to lower the threshold, but to make the biblical threshold for leadership more accessible through training and rigorous accountability. If I were the lead pastor of a church I would want to know that I was leaving my sheep in able hands and not just willing hands. The fact that currently many leaders are unqualified does not mean that they must always be unqualified. Knowledge and grounding in the scriptures can be obtained, sin can be repented of, and accountability can be reality. In this way we should seek to empower all believers to aspire to leadership and then set the bar for what that looks like. In 1 Timothy 3:1 Paul says that “Anyone who aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” We seldom aspire to things that are easily obtained. I have long aspired to be an airline pilot, but the long and expensive road of training makes it just that… an aspiration. I would not like the medical board to decide one day that anyone can be a doctor, give a couple of weekend classes to those interested and then set them lose to prescribe medication, perform appendectomies, etc! Imagine the absurdity! It should be our longing that many would aspire to church/spiritual leadership and that many would become qualified but it doesn’t come easy.

It is a “noble” things to aspire to a position of leadership, but I think we can learn a lot about how that desire is fulfilled by examining the lives of past church leaders and what was expected of them. Even on a small group level we are not dealing with cold and flu patients, airplane passengers, or social club members; we are dealing with eternal souls. I think the realization of that magnifies that importance of being trained, grounded, and qualified. I was immensely challenged as I considered the path that Edwards took to the pulpit, despite the advantage he had coming from a rich, godly heritage. I hope that I may with sobriety and tireless equipping serve the office I have been entrusted with well.

0

Intentional Education

~Resolved~

Reflections on the Life & Writings of Jonathan Edwards

Intentional Education

   Education is an ongoing part of our lives whether we want it to be or not. Each day we learn new things and implement them into our lives. Learning does not stop after we graduate from High School or College and so the things I learned from examining Edward’s early years in academia apply just as much to me as they do to my children, though I must admit that I found myself challenged as I consider the schooling process of my young children.  Edwards is regarded as one of the most intelligent people in the history of Christendom. His heady writings and ability for deep analyses give evidence of that. It is no accident that he was this way as we consider the foundation that was laid in his formative years. As this is not a biographical sketch of Edwards but merely my thoughts, I will avoid veering off into a history lesson.

  The observations here are really just a focused extension of the thoughts in the earlier post. A home that is rooted in the realities of life and objective truth is one that considers the purposes for the things that we pursue and effects the reasons and approaches that we take in our life choices. We could zoom out and see how living a life rooted in reality and objective truth impacts so many areas of our life, but for now I would like to observe how it shapes our approach to education.

   There is a valuable paradigm which begins with the question “Why do I seek to educate myself or my children?” There are many legitimate reasons why, but as believers our chief end should be to glorify God and reflect the radiance of Christ. With that as our focus we should be moved to approach education with a certain intentionality. If we are seeing life in light of reality and the concrete truth of the scriptures, then we know that all that we do here is in preparation for eternity, which we have already established should be a solid reality in our lives. I do not see in this as an argument to bury ourselves in the Greek lexicon and systematic theology only, for the truth is that we must work, live, and provide for our own. However, the way we approach that preparation is moved if we realize that our eternal destiny is just as much a reality as working a nine-to-five job. If we prepare for life here in a separate category as preparing for life there then we will be tend to take a carnal, temporal, and short-sighted approach to education.

   The content of our education will be dictated by the goals and objectives we set and will be absorbed based on the paradigm through which that content is delivered. Our goals should be rooted in Biblical reality and content/method chosen that best agrees with those goals.

   The problem that arises from considering this in such a simplified manner is that we must not assume that anyone was ever saved because they had a superior education, even one anchored in Biblical truth. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, made possible by the calling of God alone. Giving our children an education focused on eternity does not give them an advantage in that they are more “save-able” than others. If they are saved it will be totally on the basis of sovereign mercy by the provision of Christ’s atoning work on the cross.

   So why bother? Why not just let them go to fill their minds with all sorts of worldly knowledge and ambition, trusting that if they are numbered among the elect they will be saved and they will fulfill the good works they were created to do in Christ?

   This would seem to be a reasonable question, but such thinking is immensely flawed. Here are a couple of reasons why: (1) “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ”. Every person that was ever saved, as a result of the sovereign calling of God, was saved when they heard the preaching of the Gospel and believed. It should be our desire that our children would be drenched in the Gospel. Many are saved because they grew up in a Gospel-centered home that God sovereignly placed them in. Do not make the arrogant mistake of turning the doctrine of election on its head, removing the Biblical role of man and the will from the equation. Instead, praise God that he has placed children and students in your life, thus allowing you to be an agent in his great work of salvation. Educate them with eternity in mind. Fill their minds with spiritual knowledge having confidence from scripture that if they will only believe they will be saved. (2) Edwards began learning Latin at age seven and Greek/Hebrew at twelve. He knew the Bible inside and out as a result of his education, yet it would appear that he was not actually converted until late in his teen years. All of his knowledge to this point that had been God-ward focuses was not in vain. At the point of being saved it became useful, a glorious tool-kit of knowledge to be used for the glory of God. All education should be focused on biblical truth and reality for the purpose of when that truth meets a heart transformed by the Gospel it becomes a powerful weapon against Satan and a glorious bulwark against worldliness. This is why I do catechism with my daughter though she is only three and has little realization of what she is even saying. One day by the grace of God those truths in her head will spring to life and provide her with a rock-solid foundation to face life and eternity. Giving our children an intentional education rooted in biblical reality is a huge advantage to them and to the kingdom of God.

   It should be my goal to create an atmosphere of learning that is intentional and serious. Intentional with Biblical goals and truths and serious because life here is short and eternity is the epitome of reality that we want ourselves and our children to be anchored in.

0

My Feeble Exegesis: II Corinthians 1:3 ~ Christ: God’s Merciful Offspring

Christ: God’s Merciful Offspring

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”

  What does it mean for God to be the “Father of mercies…”? There are perhaps manifold facets of this expression, but I think it does us good to examine what it means to be a father, especially in the divine sense. The inspired Apostle could have easily said “the God of mercy” but he does not. The Holy Spirit moved on Paul to call God the Father of mercies putting  God in a special category as he relates to the mercies that he shows to mankind. To examine this passage I would like to observe three things: (1) What does it mean to be  the father of something? (2) If mercies are offspring then how do they relate to their Father? (3) God’s mercy in the flesh.

What does it mean to be the Father of something?

  In a natural sense to be the father of something is to be the source of the seed from which the progeny is formed. The source of a continuous line of descendants that form a family. A father is a source of identity and provision, but ultimately a father is the source of existence.

If mercies are the offspring of God, the how do they relate to their Father?

  The offspring of God will never be something alien to his nature or contradictory or at odds with the other aspects of his nature. The mercies of God can only work in concert with and not against his eternal existence as a God who is holy and just. The offspring of God will be a reflection of his nature and be imprinted with facets of all of his divine attributes. Mercies that would be in rebellion to their father or the opposite who their Father has revealed himself to be would prove to be bastardly. In order for the mercies to be the offspring of God then they must agree with who God has revealed himself to be. They will bear his image.

God’s mercy in flesh

   The problem we then have with God being the Father of mercies to man is that man is by default deserving of wrath, rather than mercy (Romans 1:18; 3:9-18,23). If God is the Father of mercies to fallen man, then those mercies must reflect his nature, essence, and being. If God’s mercy is sheer mercy at odds with his justice then it proves itself not to be progeny of God because it does not display the unbroken DNA of God’s perfect righteousness and holiness. If God sacrificed the attribute of his justice in order to display mercy he would be unrighteousness. His merciful offspring must contain the stamp of all of his divine being with all of its manifold attributes.

  The good news is that God did that. It would seem that it is no accident that side by side are these two statements in the passage we are examining “…the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies….”. Christ the son of God is the son of mercy. In Christ is the sum of all of the mercies that God has shown to man. In Christ God’s mercy is justified, showing the ways of God to be inscrutable and above reproach. For Christ according to Hebrews 1 is the “exact imprint of his (God’s) nature”. Christ is very God of very God. The incarnation and sacrificial, propitiating work of Christ was the only way that God could rightly be the Father of mercies to a fallen mankind. In sending Christ, his offspring, to die for the salvation of man, he showed a mercy that was consistent with his justice and mercy. The only mercy that God could display and remain true to his nature was one that met the demands of his justice and holiness. Christ is God’s merciful offspring. All of the mercies of God are summed in this epitome of God’s nature, Jesus, who lived a perfect life and died a death to meet the demands of death that the law had placed on Adam’s race. The cross is the place where the mercy of God and the justice of God were perfectly displayed to their fullest measure.

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑