A Biblical Response: Social Justice & the Christian

Yesterday afternoon I read a thought-provoking article entitled, “Is the Gospel No Longer Enough for Black Christians?” by Darrell B. Harrison. I then reposted it with this comment…

“Just finished reading this. Good, biblical thoughts about a very sensitive and explosive topic. We must always remember in our efforts as Christians for justice/change to be had/heard in social areas that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The aim and means of our efforts must always be guided by this end. On the other hand, when our efforts as Christians are for justice/change in social areas to be had amidst the Church, the end is then that our actions and views are worthy of the gospel that saved us (Eph 4:1-3, Phil 1:27).

“It is that message which, I fear, is being lost as increasing numbers of black Christians become convinced that their primary loyalty is to an ecclesiastical legacy rooted in a socio-ethno missiology that emphasizes societal reformation apart from spiritual transformation.” #greatword”

A fellow brother, whom I once pastored, asked if I could “provide a biblical example(s) where the apostles/disciples stood up and spoke out against social injustices.” Below is my response. I wrote this with, any believer who may also want to know this, in my mind. May we hear God’s heart and all be edified.

A Biblical Response
When we hear/read “social justice” don’t always equate it to politics or social movements. It is always wise to first ask (or investigate) what context is this “social justice” referring to before assuming what you think the person meant. In my post I explained what I meant without ever using the term “social justice”. I said “justice/change to be had/heard in social areas” and “justice/change in social areas to be had amidst the Church”.

Social means “relating to human society, or the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society” (Merriam-Webster online).

So my use of “social areas” would be “areas relating to the welfare of human beings as members of society”.

Justice means “the maintenance or administration of what is ‘just’ especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments”; “the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action” (Merriam-Webster online).

So my use of “justice” would be “the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action”.

Thus, my use of “justice/change in social areas” would then mean “the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action in areas relating to the welfare of human beings as members of society and/or the Church”. This is what I mean whenever I communicate something regarding “social justice”. (I also believe this is what it should mean for every Christian).

Here are several biblical imperatives that would be in agreement with my use of social justice:

Rom. 12:17 (ESV)—“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”

1Thess. 5:15 (NASB)—“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

Heb. 13:16 (NLT)—“And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.”

Tit. 3:14 (NASB)—“Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”

Jam. 1:27 (NIV/NLT)—“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

In addition, James the elder in 2:1-17 of his epistle checks the Church about favoritism toward those of an upper socio-economic status and the prejudices toward those of a lower socio-economic status. He’s calling for “justice/change in social areas to be had amidst the Church”. It’s in this context that he declares this truth, “Mercy triumphs over judgment”.

Furthermore, we see a call for social justice in Acts 16:16-40. Apostle Paul delivers a girl from an evil spirit. Her owners get mad and go after Paul. Paul and his companions were unjustly beaten and imprisoned by the local authorities. Miraculously set free by God, Paul saves the jailer from suicide and he and his family end up getting saved. The authorities who unjustly imprisoned Paul and his companions decide to let them go. Paul refuses to leave and calls out the injustice and calls for justice.

Acts 16:37-40 (NIV), “But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.”

How these biblical imperatives are carried out will look different from believer to believer and context to context, yet they are to always be in accordance with Scripture and never distracting from the gospel. This simple handful of verses is a crystal clear example as to “the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action in areas relating to the welfare of human beings as members of society and/or the Church”. Therefore, so long as these biblical imperatives are being obeyed in a manner in accordance with Scripture and not distracting from the gospel, we should not be criticizing or dismissing fellow believers standing up for justice in social areas or speaking out against social injustices. If anything we should be supporting them because it is biblical to do so, even if it may look different than how they may do so.

Too make sure it’s obvious as to what I’m not saying, I’m not arguing for political agendas or social movements. I am exhorting the Church that being gospel-centric is not contrary to standing/speaking for or reasonably pursuing justice/change to be had/heard in social areas, and even more so to be had within the Church. True biblical social justice is nothing more than the demonstration of the gospel in social areas.

Apostle Peter sums it up well, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1Pet. 2:17, NKJV). Peter hits social justice in every area: in general relations, in Christian relations, and in civil relations. Christ exemplified all of these. As did the first century Church. And so we are too.

9/14/17

What’s the Big Deal Between Men & Women?

This past Sunday (5/21/17), I taught part 5 of my church's relationship series. My topic was, what is now, the title of this blog. I'm not a fan of topicy-topics, and this topic is so broad and so polarizing that up until after both services I was not sure how it was going to be received. Surprisingly, it was received far better than I could've imagined. Awesome how the Holy Spirit works, right! Based on the feedback I received, and since I had manuscripted the whole message (minus the parts where I expounded on the Bible references, and so on), I decided to post it along with the link to the audio sermon. May this not only bless you but challenge you to better understand and obey God accordingly.

I. Introduction
As a student of Scripture and a student of history, I have observed, relating to the topic I’m teaching on today, that a noticeable and touchy complication in relationships is in how men and women regard and treat one another’s similarities and differences. And that is pretty much my objective this morning, to biblically address how men and women are to regard and treat one another’s similarities and differences. In order to do so, I’ll be tackling 4 things: (i)how men and women are similar, (ii)how men and women are different, (iii)how things get complicated, and (iv)how we are to be in regarding and treating one another’s similarities and differences.

Some things to NOTE:

• Topicy-topics are so broad they can pose the problem of the preaching coming across as too narrow. So if by the end, some of you think that I didn’t touch enough or address other specifics, forgive me in advance.
• Most of this won’t be surprising. But it will challenge what we say we believe to be true with how we actually live out what we say we believe to be true.
• A lot of what I’ll be touching on today is applicable for all relationships and interactions with others, not just between men and women. But my context for this message is between men and women. So keep that in mind.

II. How are men and women similar?
-According to Scripture, we are similar universally in...

1. being image-bearers of God (Gen. 1:26-27)
   
   Because God decided in His love, goodness, and grace to create us in His image and according to His likeness, He has placed a divine imprint of value on humankind (both man and woman). And by doing so, God has dignified man and woman above every other aspect of His Creation, including heavenly hosts. So, whether a person believes in Jesus or not, every human (man and woman) is worthy of dignity because their mere existence is God’s testimony of His divine imprint of value upon them. Yet, because of sin, there is a constant depreciation of viewing and treating each other with this value and dignity.
2. our humanness (Gen. 1:27)
   
   You know what this mean? This means whatever trait we can think of for a human, we, both man and woman, share it (minus some biological traits, clearly). And to be sure this is being truly understood, I’ll push in a little further.
   

   The traits that we normally attribute to men or women (e.g. men are physical, sexual, logical, etc; and women are nurturing, sensitive, emotional, etc), the Bible does not declare those things as reserved distinctly for one or the other only. Those differing traits may be true of many men and women, but not all, and they certainly don’t define a man as a “man” or a woman as a “woman”. But that’s exactly what we (society, culture, & the Church) do. For example, there are many women who possess traits normally attributed to men (e.g. toughness, works with their hands, analytical, driven, etc) in which we (society, culture, & the Church) chauvinistically call them “tomboy” or “boyish” or say things like “they wear the pants”, etc); and, there are many men who possess characteristics normally attributed to women (e.g. sentimental, affectionate, docile, etc) in which we (society, culture, & the Church) chauvinistically call them “effeminate” or “soft”, or say things like “he’s not a man’s-man”, etc. If God does not define a man as a “man” or a woman as a “woman” by the traits mankind normally attributes to men and women, then neither should we define each other as such. Because when we do so, we are compartmentalizing our humanness to suit and justify our control or minimization of the other sex (or the same gender).
   

   We, as the Church, through the Holy Spirit, must follow the wisdom of God in Scripture and describe individuals (each man and woman) by how God has uniquely, fearfully, and wonderfully created that man or woman in His image. We have to stop defining men and women by the customary, societal, and cultural qualifiers that overtly and subliminally emphasize the superiority or inferiority of one sex over the other, or by swinging the pendulum to the other extreme and attempt to terminate the distinction between male and female altogether. None of these are right or pleasing to God.

We are co-equal as image-bearers of God and co-equal in our humanness. Until we trust God enough to see this and accept this and stop defining one another by mankind’s flawed opinion and not God’s Word, we will not be able to treat and value each man and woman with dignity and equality.

-According to Scripture, we are similar, exclusively for those who are born-again, in that...
3. we are equal in Christ (Gal. 3:25-29)
   
   What does this mean? This means God makes no distinction between man and woman in our spiritual status in Christ Jesus. We are equal brothers and sisters because we are both equally unconditionally loved by God as daughters and sons. We are both equally seated with Christ in the heavenlies. We are both equally citizens and ambassadors of the Kingdom. We are both equally ministers of the Gospel. We are both equally disciples of Jesus. Neither man nor woman is superior or inferior to the other in Christ. And we should never make the other feel as such.

These 3 are how men and women are similar: (i)in our value in God’s eyes as image-bearers, (ii)in our humanness, and specifically for Christians, (iii)in our spiritual status in Christ. We need to value and treat each other appropriately in these ways, and yes it will be tough, but we can do so through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

III. How are men and women different?
-According to Scripture, we are different universally…

1. in our individuality (Ps. 139:13-16)
   
   While your biology defines you as a man or woman (i.e. male = man; female = woman, cf. Gen. 1:27), it is your character (i.e. the sum of your traits, disposition, and convictions) as an individual man or woman that defines what kind of a man or woman you are. When you add how God fearfully and uniquely created you in His image + your sinful nature (which has distorted some of God’s image in you) + how you’ve been nurtured and influenced throughout your life (i.e. “the days that were formed for [you]”) = your individuality that defines what kind of a man or woman you are.
   

   And therein lies another reason why men and women are different, because this equation is filled in differently for each person. Hence, you will never find two of the same individuals. So, men and women, embrace and appreciate your God-shaped individualities without equating superiority or inferiority to the other, because your individuality is what makes you “you” and others “them”.
   

   Now, I’m not saying we have to like everybody. I’m also not saying we have to like everything about everybody. I’m saying because we’re co-equal in value to God, co-equal in our humanness, and (for believers) co-equal in our status in Christ, we have to value and respect the different individualities of other men and women.

-According to Scripture, we are different, exclusively for those who are born-again...

2. in our roles in marriage
   
   Scripture is clear from OT to NT, man has his particular instructions for his role/responsibility as “husband” and woman has her particular instructions for her role/responsibility as “wife”. The most emphatic and defining example of the difference in the roles in marriage is Jesus and the Church (Eph. 5:22-33). Jesus’ marriage with the Church is a model of how the roles in a marriage relationship are to be:

   –Jesus = groom/husband | Christian husband’s role = sacrificial love, servant leadership, and to exhaustively care for, protect, pursue, and value his wife like Jesus does so for His Bride/the Church
   –Church = bride/wife | Christian wife’s role = loving, respecting, pursuing, and following her husband’s lead like the Church does so unto Jesus

   Notice something, Jesus never steps into the Church’s role and the Church cannot step into Jesus’ role. There is a clear and necessary distinction in these roles. To change or ignore this undermines and rejects the nature of the relationship with Christ and His Church as well as the clear instructions to each spouse in Scripture. The consequences of changing or ignoring or disobeying these distinct roles in marriage leads to the same kind of fallout as Adam and Eve—Adam dropped the ball in his role and left his wife vulnerable and that led to sin, death, and destruction entering; Eve dropped the ball in her role and that too led to sin, death, and destruction entering; neither of them were innocent because both stepped outside of their roles.
   
   God gave us these different roles in marriage for two reasons, (i)for our complementary benefit and (ii)when carried out rightly (which we can do because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) these roles, even through our imperfect marriage, still portrays the hidden beauty of Christ and the Church....and also of the Holy Trinity.

   –The two, husband and wife, become one flesh = plurality in oneness \ There is plurality in the oneness of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
   –Husband and wife are equal as image-bearers, equal in their humanness, and equal in Christ, but are also distinct in their individuality and roles \ The Trinity is co-equal as God and distinct in personhood as God.
   –Thus, marriage as also a portrait of the hidden beauty of the Holy Trinity.

   All of this reinforces the severity of marriage, because marriage portrays to a watching world the hidden beauty of Christ’s relationship with His Church and the Holy Trinity. Christian singles should not rush into marriage and Christian spouses cannot afford to be lazy in marriage.

IV. How things get complicated...
For Christians, our normal response to how things get complicated between men and women is what...? Sin. And maybe some of us will include and say “our differences/incompatibilities”, right? Yet as men and women, we complicate relationships not solely because of the generality of sin or because we’re different, but also because sin, selfishness, and fear specifically corrupts how we view our similarities and the good from our differences. And that corruption turns us either chauvinistic toward the other or preferential towards what’s familiar.

So you know what happens then? You get us men who, in our thinking, attitudes, and behaviors, whether knowingly or unknowingly, undervalue or devalue women. So much so, that by the 1800s women began contending for liberation from the discrimination of male domination; and the Bible was the basis for this movement in the US. And from the broader positive perspective of that movement, they were right to use the Bible as we’ve already seen today from our shared similarities. Feminism exists because of the sin of men having consciously and persistently failed at treating women and loving our wives like Scripture commands.

• Men, women are not to be objectified sexually or by their appearance (this includes our wives too). They are image-bearers of God who are to be treated, valued, and loved as such. Be intentional about guarding against your lust and checking your desires for sex because of lust.
• Christian men, as husbands, marriage is not your totalitarian domain. You are to be servant-leaders who follow Jesus’ example in how He leads His Bride/the Church. How you lead your wife affects how she loves you, and that ripples down to how your kids will lead and love their future spouses.
• Men, don’t presume a woman’s role is to motherhood only or to be a stay-at-home wife/mom only. That can (not will, but can) limit the beauty and potential of their God-designed individuality.
• Men, no woman owes you a single thing. You, like they, are indebted to God alone and none other.

You know what else happens because of sin, selfishness, and fear specifically corrupting how we view our similarities and the good from our differences? You get women, yes, you ladies, who, in your thinking, attitudes, and behaviors, whether knowingly or unknowingly, either overvalue men or become manipulative or biased toward men.

• Christian wives, your husband is not an emperor or a savior, you are not a subservient subject or a co-dependent doormat. You are to be lovers of Jesus your Savior and seek to ultimately please Him in your marriage as He has instructed you.
• Christian wives, on the other hand, don’t misapply God’s design for marriage by removing or reinterpreting or reversing the distinct roles He’s clearly and repeatedly laid out in Scripture for both you and your husband—even if your husband isn’t living up to it (cf. 1Pet. 3). Be on your guard against the curse of Eve (cf. Gen. 3:16), because your fleshly desire will be, in some way, for your husband’s role.
• Women, you are not to “use what you got to get what you want”, that is sinful and distorts and devalues the beauty of God’s image in you.
• Women, men are not sugar-daddies or boy-toys or meal-tickets or emotional plug-ins. They too are image-bearers of God who are to be treated, valued, and loved as such.
• Women, don’t assume the worst of men to the point that you become guilty of the same sin committed against you—discrimination, unfairness, chauvinism.
• Women, despite the centuries of male chauvinism, no man owes you a single thing. You, like they, are indebted to God alone and none other.

Bottom line, things get complicated (and real messy) between men and women when we don’t view or treat each other as God defines in Scripture. We must recognize our necessity of each other. Man was incomplete without woman (cf. Gen. 2:20). This would then imply woman was incomplete without man (for she came from man). And since the beginning, they now both come from one another (cf. 1Cor. 11:11-12). Which means neither man nor woman is superior or inferior to the other. In actuality this affirms our necessity and complementation of each other. Otherwise, man and woman would still be incomplete.

V. Conclusion: How we are to be regarding and treating one another…
I started this morning by saying, a noticeable and touchy complication in relationships is in how men and women regard and treat one another’s similarities and differences and that we were going to have to address several things to discover how to biblically deal with this. Throughout my sermon, if you’ve noticed, I have pointed out several things we, as believers, “are to be doing” (and can do because of the Holy Spirit) concerning how we regard and treat one another’s similarities and differences.

1. We are to see and accept our co-equality in value to God, in our humanness, and in our status in Christ, so we can esteem and interact with each other appropriately in these ways.
2. We have to stop defining one another by mankind’s flawed opinion and not God’s Word, so we can treat and value each man and woman with dignity and equality.
3. We are to value and respect our God-shaped individualities as men and women without equating superiority or inferiority to the other, because your individuality is what makes you “you” and others “them”.
4. We are to rightly carry out our distinct roles as husband and wife modeled after Jesus’ marriage to the Church for our complementary benefit and to portray the hidden beauty of Christ and His Church (as well as the Holy Trinity).
5. We must recognize our necessity of each other because we are incomplete without the other.

My hope is that by now you’ve come to realize that the big deal between men and women is that our similarities and differences are good and necessary. Our similarities are good because there is no superiority or inferiority between men and women in our value and dignity—we are co-equal as image-bearers, co-equal in our humanness, and (for Christians) co-equal in Christ. Our differences as men and women are good because in them we can see how they cause us to complement one another and not dominate the other. And our similarities and differences are both necessary because things get complicated (and real messy) between men and women when we don’t view or treat each other as God has defined in Scripture, and thus sin, selfishness, and fear creep in and corrupt that which is good between us.

We must be anchored in the truth of knowing that our similarities and differences are an extension of God’s love, goodness, and grace. Therefore, when we regard and treat one another appropriately in these ways we then are being an extension of God’s love, goodness, and grace to each other; which also means the opposite is true, we are then withholding God’s love, goodness, and grace when we don’t regard and treat one another appropriately in these ways.

I’ll end with some reflections questions and a time of response.

• How are you with treating and valuing each other with dignity and equality?
• How are you with regarding and respecting each other’s individuality?
• How are you representing Christ in these ways toward each other?
• How are you at encouraging and urging other believers to represent Christ in these ways toward each other?

Know that however you respond today, and anything you may have been guilty of from this message, it does not diminish the love, forgiveness, or grace of God toward you in Christ Jesus. He allowed you to hear this today because He loves you, because He has forgiven you, and because He is gracious toward you. So respond to Him today confidently knowing these things.

For unbelievers, what you need to know is that the God that you are running from, rejecting, and rebelling against created you in love and has placed His divine imprint of value upon you. You are valuable to God, so much so that He doubled your value by sending His Son to die for you. I implore you to respond to Him in faith today for your salvation.

Is Abuse Biblical Grounds for Divorce?

Three days ago I received an email from a brother in the Lord with a most interesting question. After answering his email, I thought this would be good to post. From the articles I had read on this topic, I hadn't come across one that I thought answered this question credibly. I hope I have done an adequate job biblically addressing a sensitive and serious subject that has grave ramifications.

NOTE: I have removed some of his email for privacy sake.
__

"Hey it's ________. I met you a couple weeks back.... I had a question for you... _________ mentioned that ___________ believes abuse is biblical grounds for divorce. Can you expound on that and bring clarity? I've only seen two grounds for divorce in the Bible. Adultery and abandonment. I'm curious about abuse as well. Thanks. Hope you're having a great day"
__

Hi ________,

Thanks for reaching out man! I wanted to respond to let you know I have received your email. And I am glad you asked rather than assumed. As a pastor, I appreciate someone wanting to check for biblical backing of a point made in a sermon. It shows you were listening and it holds us accountable to preaching the Word in proper context and interpretation.

Because I cannot speak for what __________ may have had in mind, I am going to answer your question as a merely stand-alone question proposed to me.

The Bible does not directly speak on abuse as grounds for divorce. And that may be because of 3 reasons:

1. God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16). Hence, there is not going to be many reasons for it permitted in Scripture.
2. Because there is no mention of spousal abuse whatsoever in Scripture that must not have been a common thing among the Jewish people during the time span from OT-NT. Thus, we're not going to find a correlating scriptural reference/example.
3. The Bible was not meant to be an encyclopedia. Therefore, we cannot expect to find a direct answer to everything.

Now, some will use 1Cor. 7:15 and stretch it to fit abuse. But that is an improper use of that text in context. If the abusive husband wants the marriage to end or to separate, then that verse can be enacted. Until then, that verse does not fit abuse. There are OT laws concerning violence against others (Exod. 21:12-27) that could be used for the argument of divorce from abuse. But contextually that was not the original intent of those verses. Furthermore, Jesus supersedes those laws by telling us to not resist an evil person but turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:38-39ff). To be clear, Jesus isn't affirming abuse or passivity. The context of that passage with Jesus has nothing to do with marriage. However, He is addressing how we are to rightly respond to mistreatment from another---(no retaliation, retribution, etc)---which can be applied to marriage.

So does that leave married women prey to abusive husbands? No. God hates sin and wickedness. Thus, He hates abuse of every form. And if God goes so far as to say that His wrath burns toward those who afflict widows and fatherless children (Exod. 22:22-24), then no doubt would this also include married women. So, in this case, it would be clear that God is on the side of the abused wife. But, He also hates divorce, which would appear to put abused wives in a catch-22. I believe the answer to this catch-22 is implied in 2 verses:

"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death." (Prov. 24:11, NLT)
"But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers." (1Tim. 5:8, NLT)

Proverbs 24:11 demonstrates, in this case, that it is clearly acceptable and tactically responsible for an abused wife to rescue herself from her abusive husband (i.e. leave him and/or press charges so she can live). Even more, this is not only an imperative for her but also for anyone else who knows she's being abused (Prov. 24:12). 1Timothy 5:8 demonstrates, in this case because of the nature of abuse, that if there are children or others in an abusive home, it would be uncaring and a denial of faith for an abused wife to remain and allow her kids to remain in that home. And again, this is not only an imperative for her but the verse implies it is also toward any other family member who knows about the abuse.

I believe both of these verses imply that it is permissible and warranted for an abused wife to remove herself (and children) from her abusive husband. Does that removal have to be divorce? Could it be separation? I cannot answer those questions (and neither should anyone else but the wife) because each abuse case is different. What I can say with confidence is that there are biblical grounds for a wife to remove herself (and any kids) from that abusive husband---not out of retaliation or retribution but rather because she's trying to save her life (and care for her kids)---and I believe God is on her side because His wrath burns towards those who afflict others.

I hope that answers your question well enough, brother.

5/10/2017

11 Reasons Why I Value & Love Church History

Many people don't know this about me, but I am a history buff. I find history fascinating! Ancient history, biblical history, history of philosophy, historical theology, western-culture history, Church history, and contemporary history. I love all of these! I have 4 volumes of history books and 2 historical encyclopedias in my personal library. Reading history is like watching a good movie with a riveting story line...but in a book. I'll watch history shows or films and listen to audio lectures too. Books, however, just taste better to my brain and imagination.

In this blog, particularly, I simply want to share my 11 reasons for why I value and love Church history. Since I am a "generational cusper" (born in 1980)—I'm at the tail end of Generation X (I'm their little brother or cousin) and the beginning of the Millennial Generation (I'm their big brother or cousin)—I've observed how many believers around my age and younger tend to pass over the importance of knowing our history. Hopefully this brief blog will spur on another (whether older or younger) to reading, learning, and appreciating our history as Christ-followers.

My 11 Reasons...

1. Church history reinforces my dependency upon God's sovereignty and comfort in His sovereign plan.


2. Church history validates my belief and hope in God working through His Church for the holistic redemption of others—even in our failures, dysfunction, and shortcomings—and for His glory.


3. Church history educates me in my ignorances of how our present Church came to be and how to learn from the mistakes of our past.


4. Church history grounds my apologetics and polemics in that even though our understanding, application, and explanation of God's truth have evolved throughout the course of history, God's truth in His Word and the essential truths of our Faith have not.


5. Church history deepens my appreciation of all who came before (known and unknown) that expended and sacrificed greatly for the present advancements of our Faith we now live in/with.


6. Church history arouses my righteous anger toward the sins and stupidity of the Church, my need to repent of my contributions toward the sins and stupidity of the Church, and my voice to speak against us repeating the same or similar sins and stupidity.


7. Church history moves me to lament over the Church's divisions and injustices, which keeps me humbled, sensitive, and in intercession.


8. Church history drives me to forgo the pettiness and over-complications of the present Church in how we "do church" and are to "be the Church".


9. Church history impassions me to want to do my part in our Church history through my pastoring, discipling, & raising up solid Gospel-centered, biblically-sound believers during my lifetime.


10. Church history reaffirms that I cannot waste time because soon my present will be the past and I will have either spent it vainly or spent it for the glory and advancement of God's kingdom.


11. Church history entrenches the indispensable truth that the Gospel must be the only lens through which every born-again Christian views all and does all in this life.

This is what I get from Church history and why I love Church history.

4/27/2017

Psalm 23: Declarations & Assurances for Life

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23, NKJV)

I have been reading through the Psalms for my morning devotion. I absolutely love Psalm 23. It is one of my most favorites passages in Scripture. As I was reflecting upon it, I was invigorated to worship. I unquestionably believe Psalm 23 is a must scripture memory for every Christian. It is jam-packed with declarations and assurances about God as our Shepherd and us as His sheep. You get 8 actions and assurances about God as our Shepherd that benefit us as His sheep, and 5 additional assurances for us as His sheep.

The 8...

1. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures” (v2a) = He provides us with all we need.


2. “He leads me beside the still waters” (v2b) = He sustains us by way of peace not turmoil.


3. “He restores my soul” (v3a) = He wholly replenishes us.


4. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness” (v3b) = He hand walks us in righteous living for His glory.


5. “You are with me” (v4c) = He goes with us, everywhere, every season; never leaves nor forsakes us.


6. “Your rod and staff...comfort me” (v4d) = He protects and disciplines us for our good.


7. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (v5a) = He sets up His blessings for us, even in the midst of our adversities.


8. “You anoint my head with oil” (v5b) = He overflows us with His blessedness.

The 5...

1. “The LORD is my shepherd” (v1a) = It is part of God's character to shepherd His children (i.e. those who believe in Jesus Christ). He cannot not shepherd us in these ways.


2. “I shall not want” (v1b) = We will never experience true lack because God is our Shepherd. He cannot deny Himself, and He is all-satisfying.


3. “I will fear no evil” (v4b) = We have nothing to ever be afraid of because our Shepherd is always with us. Always!


4. “goodness and mercy shall follow me...” (v6a) = The goodness and mercy of God is always pursuing us, everyday. Everyday and always!


5. “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v6b) = We will never not be in God's presence because His presence now lives within us through the Holy Spirit.

Is this not thoroughly encouraging? What declarations! What assurances we have! This Psalm, 6 verses long, is loaded with so much truth that we can feast on it for a lifetime. In stormy seasons of life it is a great reminder of our Shepherd and the comfort for us as His sheep. In the sunny seasons of life it is a great encouragement to pursue our Shepherd with all vigor, and also motivation to go find His lost sheep and bring them back into this fold.

Be grateful! Be encouraged! Be empowered! Be exuberant! Be worshipful! The LORD is your Shepherd!

__________
*Philip Keller wrote a fantastic little book on Psalm 23 entitled, “A Shepherds Look at Psalm 23”. A must for every Christian's library.

4/11/2017

Our Incredible God Deserves Incredible Worship

Since God can be nothing less than incredible, the worship He deserves and requires can be nothing less than incredible. We are going to skim through the story of Nehemiah, park at chapter 9, and see how our incredible God showed up during then, the incredible worship the Israelites responded with, and how all this relates to us now.

Background of Nehemiah chs. 1-8

• The Israelites are in captivity to the Persians during this time in history (around 445BC).
  
• Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer, but he wanted to see God’s remaining people go back to their homeland because he was burdened about the walls being rebuilt.
  
• Nehemiah’s plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was met with opposition from some of his own people, but he and those with him pressed on.
  
• Nehemiah was later appointed governor of Judah and the walls were rebuilt while still facing opposition from some of their own people.
  
• In addition, it is said that rebuilding walls of a conquered city was seen as a flagrant threat to Persian rule. And yet, Nehemiah put his faith, his desire, his effort, and his voice in the hands of his great God and God did something exceptional with it. Jerusalem went from a forsaken land, in shambles, with no walls or gates, and the people of Israel scattered and in shame, to a city rebuilt, it’s people returned, shame removed, order established, a hometown governor appointed (who was just months earlier a cup-bearer for the king), and the law of God reinstituted, proclaimed, and understood again. Is this not incredible? And that’s just chapters 1-8!
  

Nehemiah 9
So, after all this in chapters 1-8, worship begin breaking out. Chapter 9 is all worship. It’s a declaration, from their past to their present, of the greatness of the most incredible God. Notice also how their declaration of God’s incredible greatness is true in our past to present.

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” (v6)

The Lord (YWHW) alone is God, the Creator of all things, and He preserves all His Creation (lit. He keeps all His Creation in existence). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.” (vv7-8)

As God did to Abraham, He has done so to you! God chose you. He changed your name from ‘Child of Wrath’ and from ‘Wicked One’, to ‘Child of God’ and ‘Beloved’. He made a covenant with you through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.” (vv9-12)

God has seen your afflictions and has heard your cries and He has and will continue to deliver you from them. He wants to declare the fame of His name through your life. What a privilege! What greater sign and wonder is there other than your transformation? Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.” (vv13-15)

In the same way God has provided you with food and water to eat and drink, He has given you His perfect, His true, and His holy Word, which is your heavenly food, to feast on and obey (cf. Deut. 8:3). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.” (vv16-20)

Guess what? Even when you disobey, or your wonderment/awe of God becomes dull, or you return to a former bondage He delivered you from, there is always a “but God” in the life of a believer. God is ready to forgive, He is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, overflowing with kindness, does not forsake those He has redeemed and continues to sustain them. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.” (v21)

God has sustained you in all of your wildernesses. You have remained and still remain because of God. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.” (vv22-25)

God goes before His people and prepares their days to delight (take pleasure) in His great goodness. What an incredible expectation we have as born-again believers! Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (vv26-31)

God loves us enough to give us chance after chance, warning after warning, and correction after correction (Heb. 12:5-6). God does not give up on us even when time after time we may give up on Him. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.” (vv32-38)

God is just/righteous in what He allows to happen in our life and He only deals with us according to His faithfulness (2Tim. 2:13). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

Conclusion
You'll notice, I did not start chapter 9 at verse 1. I started at verse 6. I saved the first 5 verses until now. I want to conclude with highlighting how the people of God during that time chose to demonstrate some incredible worship unto their incredible God.

• In verse 1, (i)they fasted in humility. They knew what they were deserving of (which was judgment) and they fasted in humility recognizing they were unworthy of any of the favor they received from God.
  
• In verses 2-3, (ii)they separated themselves from whatever would corrupt their relationship with God (i.e. lineage). (iii)They confessed their own sins and the generational baggage passed down from their family. (iv)They made reading the Word, confession, and reverencing God the top priority of their life.
  
• In verse 4, (v)they prayed to God with no restrictions.
  
• In verse 5, (vi)they proudly praised God.
  

This incredible kind of worship was their response to the incredibleness of God in their lives. Our worship unto our incredible God should be no less than theirs. He has rescued us like He did them. He has showered His favor in our life like He did theirs. He has delivered us like He did them. He has protected us like He did them. He has sustained us like He did them. He has helped us overcome our opposition like He did them. He has given us His Word like He gave them.

And He has gone further for us under the new covenant. For He has given us the Holy Spirit as a seal, never to leave us, and He has secured our eternity. Our God is truly incredible and has done many incredible things in our lives! Is He not worthy and deserving of the sacrifice necessary to give Him incredible worship in response to all He is and has done for us?

Some of you need to repent today because you’ve been giving God leftover and moldy worship, not incredible worship. Some of you need to tighten up, there are some things you need to separate from, some sins you need to confess. Don’t read this today without responding to God about how He has convicted or challenged you through this writing. God gave us the most incredible salvation! How dare we give Him anything less than incredible worship as our response? We have the Holy Spirit within us to help us do so. We are truly without excuse.

2/14/15

Post Election: A Plea to the American Church

The Presidential Election is over. But the fallout is not. So, allow me to be one of the biblically-reasonable voices in the sea of gloom, uncertainty, and hypocrisy.

I am aware that many Christians voted for Trump, many voted for Hilary, and many did not vote for either. (I, myself, did not vote for either). I am aware that those Christians who voted for Trump and Hilary is disturbing to the Christians on the other side of each other. I am aware that many Christians who did not vote for Trump are deeply concerned about the direction of our nation and the fallout of this election. And I am aware that the same would be said by Christians if Hilary would've won.

So what do we do American Church?

Clearly there is a divide, not merely in our country but in the Church in our country. Sadly, that is one definite thing this election brought to light. Maybe the reasons for the divide are valid. Maybe they aren't as much as you may think they are. Either way, what do we do now American Church?

The Plea
American Church, you need to realize your brethren across the other political aisle is watching how you respond to the outcome of your vote. If you voted for Hilary or simply not for Trump, are you bitter, judgmental, divisive, blinded by your own double-standards, etc. If you voted for Trump or simply not for Hilary, are you justifying amoral behavior and characteristics, are you blind to your own hypocrisy, are you unconcerned about the legitimate fears and anxiety of some of your blood-bought brethren, etc. (And if tables were turned and Hilary won, I would say the same two statements but switch the names around).

American Church, you need to realize that the wall of separation between each other has been removed in Jesus (Eph. 2:11-19, Gal. 3:26-28), which includes the wall of separation from our political views. American Church, do not hide behind this wall! Embrace the uncomfortability. Embrace the tension. Embrace the differences. Let us be like our Savior, Jesus––who clothed Himself in the discomfort of human flesh, lived in the tension of His creation's unbelief and rebellion, and took on the differences that separates us in His body to give us a place where our differences can be accepted in unity in Him. Do not wait for the next Christian to do what is right before you act in obedience. Do not pass the buck in this way! You obey your God because it is right in His sight and because He is worthy of your obedience, regardless if the next Christian does so or not.

American Church, we would do well to recall Church history here as we stand on the shore of the unknown with our newly elected president. The Church has endured through some torturous periods in centuries past. Christians have lived under far worse political climates than those of us here in America, even in light of the newly elected president (and the same would be true if it was Hilary who would've won). Not only have Christians lived under far worse conditions, they pressed more into Jesus in the midst of it, walked in obedience to Jesus even unto martyrdom, and still managed to advance the Gospel amid great political hostility. (Some of those worse conditions for Christians were just 60 years ago in our own country). Presently, we have fellow Christians in other parts of our world living under worse conditions than us in America, and they are spiritually flourishing in their persecution. We, as the Church of Jesus Christ within America, are without excuse. Trump (nor Hilary if she was elected) is not an ancient evil emperor. America is not present-day North Korea or the Roman Empire in the first four centuries of this age. Let us not overreact in these times today toward either extreme. Let us not deify Trump as some anointed one sent from God like the early church did the popes, nor let us demonize Trump as some evil operative like Hilter or Haman. It is nowhere near as bad as in times before.

American Church, let us not forget Apostle Paul in the late 50s AD, while imprisoned and under the reign of Emperor Nero (of whom he and numerous Christians would be killed by some years later), penned Romans 13:1,

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (NLT)

And, possibly just a couple years before his death by Nero, Apostle Paul writes that Christians are to pray to God to help our rulers, to intercede on their behalf, and to give thanks for them because it “is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim. 2:1-4). So whether it was Hilary Clinton or as it is now Donald Trump, your obedience to God as a Christian is to submit to our newly elected president (and all of our other elected officials) as unto to God and to cover them in prayer in this manner, so that if they are not born-again they may come to saving faith and knowledge of the truth. This is our responsibility as the Church of God in America.

To my fellow brethren in the American Church who still feel like the sky is falling or much is lost because of this election and it will be difficult for you to obey Romans 13:1, let me call your mind back to Scripture again,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings...” (Dan. 2:20-21)
“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:6-7)

This truth would be the same if Hilary would have won or any other potential presidential candidate. Our newly elected president was placed in his position according to God's perfect plan. I know for some Christians that still may not be as comforting. Let me encourage you with another Scripture then.

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?...It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:5-6, 8-9)

American Church, you need to find your comfort and courage in God's Word! If we as the American Church do this, if we take God at His Word, cry out to Him in our distress, rest in His truth, and do what it says then we will not be swayed by whomever is elected––Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, progressive or moderate, president, congress, etc. If we do this, we will be able to truly look beyond our individual votes and political views and see fellow image-bearers and Christ-followers. If we do this, we will be able to adapt and adjust to the shifting sands of our government (local, state, and federal) and continue on with our Great Commission because we know God is in complete control, He appointed those leaders according to His perfect plan (which means He purposed those to vote the way they did so to elect those particular individuals), He is for us––His Church––and so we have no reason to fear, and our holding firm like a vice-grip to His truths is what sets us free to be able to do so!

American Church, let us learn from the past and not ignorantly and arrogantly repeat some of the same mistakes or unfaithfully and foolishly assume God is not in control and this will not somehow work out according to His good purposes. God's track record is flawless. He's done this before. For example, in Egypt with Pharaoh and Moses, in the Northern Kingdom (Israel) with the Assyrians, in the Southern Kingdom (Judah) with the Babylonians, in Babylon with Daniel, in Babylon with the Mede-Persians, in Persia with Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, in Persia with the Greeks, in Greece with the Romans, in the Greco-Roman world with the coming of Christ and the birth and growth of the Church, in the European Church era with the Protestant Reformation, in America with the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and so on. God is not absent in history, He is perfectly weaving it all (the good, the bad, the ugly, the unsettling, etc) together as part of His story. Trust God and His plan. God does not know how to fail, it is incompatible with His character.

American Church, you need to realize that the world is watching how we respond to one another and our fellow countrymen in light of this presidential election. This is a worldwide stage we are on right now and we can either respond like our professed Savior and God, Jesus Christ, or we can respond in like manner of our secular humanistic American ideology. The world will see us respond in one or the other.

American Church, you need to act like the Church of Jesus Christ, not the Church of the United States of America, not the Church of Your Political Party or Political Views, not the Church of Your Ethnicity, not the Church of Your Social Class, etc. The Church (ekklesia) are those called out from the world unto God. You cannot hold onto both, either you're part of God's Church or you're part of the world's church. You cannot hold allegiance to both.

American Church, please don't miss this. We have another opportunity to etch in our history our allegiance to and anchor in Jesus Christ and not something nor someone else.

So, will the real American Church of God please rise up and show our country what authentic biblical Christianity looks like, what the biblical Jesus Christ truly looks like through our representation of Him in this post election season! I need you to do so. We need each other to do so. Our country and the next generations needs us to do so.

November 9, 2016

11 Reasons Why to Study Theology/Doctrine from Psalm 111

One morning, during my time in the Word with God, I found myself at Psalm 111. I don’t recall what led me there. But clearly the Spirit wanted to minister to me from this Psalm specifically. After a quick read through Psalm 111 something caught my attention. So I went back and spent time going through each verse and I noticed something extraordinary about this Psalm. Psalm 111 gives 11 reasons why every believer is to study biblical theology/doctrine.

Maybe you’re the Christian who has said or thought, “Why do I need to read/study theology/doctrine? That’s for pastors, teachers, professors, and so on. I’m just a regular believer. I love God. I read my Bible. I go to church. I try to obey what I read in my Bible and am taught at church. I don’t need to know all that other stuff.”

Well, the psalmist of Psalm 111 answers that question. And if you hang with me for a little while, we’re going to walk through each verse and discover these 11 reasons.

“1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, in the {assembly} of the upright, [in the congregation]. 2 {The works of the LORD are great}; they are studied by all who {have pleasure} in them. 3 [Full of splendor and majesty] is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. 4 He has made His [wondrous works] to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. 5 He has given food to those who revere Him; He will remember His covenant forever. 6 He has made known to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7 The works of His hands are [faithful and just]; all His precepts are [trustworthy]. 8 They are [established] forever and ever; they are performed in [faithfulness] and uprightness. 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; [all those who practice it have a good understanding]; His praise endures forever.” -Psalm 111 (NASB, {NJKV}, [ESV])

What is Theology & Doctrine?
Not everyone knows the meaning of “theology” or “doctrine”. Allow me to give a quick and basic explanation.

• Theology comes from two Greek words, theos and logo. Theos = God. Logo, in this context, = logic/study. Thus…
  

“theology” = “the logical investigation of God” or “the study of God”

Hence, why I said “biblical theology” in the beginning, so you know I’m speaking of the God of the Bible and that the logical investigation/study of God is to be from the Bible.

• Doctrine is of Latin origin and it means “teaching(s)”. Thus…
  

“biblical doctrine” = “the teachings from the Bible”

Many verses in the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, mention the Hebrew and Greek transliteration of "teaching" as "doctrine" (e.g. Job 11:4, Deut. 32:2, Rom. 16:17, Eph. 4:14, 1Tim. 4:16, Tit. 2:1, 2Jn. 1:9).

To be sure this does not get misunderstood, there are different kinds of theologies and doctrines. Different churches, religions, and many philosophies have theologies and doctrines. So this is a good point of clarity when speaking with others. Find out which theology/doctrine they’re referring to, is it biblical theology/doctrine or some other form of theology/doctrine. Don’t do this to argue, but so you’ll know if you and they are in the same book or not.

11 Reasons Why Every Believer is to Study Biblical Theology/Doctrine
What many believers don’t realize is the moment they read/study their Bible, they’re entering into theology/doctrine. The moment you ask any questions pertaining to God, you have entered into theology. The moment you ask what does the Bible say about this or that, you have entered into doctrine. The moment you seek to answer those questions about God or what the Bible says, you have entered into theology and doctrine. These examples are the occasions that many don’t realize this is exactly what they’re doing.

What we will find in an unlikely place like Psalm 111 is why every believer is to intentionally pursue the study of biblical theology and doctrine. Here are its 11 reasons:

1st Reason: God is worthy of praise and thanks with our whole heart. (v1)

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart…”

What have you ever truly put all your heart into? A sport, a project, a relationship, etc? Was it for something you didn’t know or didn’t treasure? Probably not. Same is true here. You cannot praise and thank the God you don’t know. Even more, you cannot praise and thank God with your whole heart if you don’t know why He is worthy of praise and thanks with your whole heart. So, how do you come to know more about God, how do you come to know why God is worthy of praise and thanks with all your heart? Through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

2nd Reason: God’s works are great and enjoyed by all who study them. (v2)

“{The works of the LORD are great}; they are studied by all who {have pleasure} in them.”

If you think a surface reading of the Bible and a surface knowledge of God is enough, you are severely short-changing yourself. What is something that you thoroughly enjoy? What is something you can spend endless time doing? Reading, gaming, crafting, surfing, writing, etc? When you enter into your world of pleasure, do you feel as though it’s too small or do you feel like it’s boundless and you can’t wait to explore it more and more? God’s works are so grand, it’s an infinite ocean of exploration and excitement! To the believer who truly loves God and finds pleasure in Him, studying His works is the greatest enjoyment of all! And this can only happen through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

3rd Reason: God’s works and goodness are eternally breathtaking. (v3)

“[Full of splendor and majesty] is His work, and His righteousness endures forever.”

God is the most magnificent artist! His Creation and all the details therein are a divine masterpiece! Whether it is music, or art, or photography, or entertainment, we’ve all experienced in one of these forms something that has left us speechless. Well, there is no end to the awe that comes from knowing God’s character and works. But experiencing this only comes from studying biblical theology/doctrine.

4th Reason: God’s wondrous works are to be remembered. (v4a)

“He has made His [wondrous works] to be remembered…”

We are to remember God’s works. He has made His works to be unforgettable! What has been an unforgettable song or movie that you’ve heard or seen? For me, it was Inception. I took my wife to the movies to see Inception when it was in the theaters. She fell asleep. I, on the other hand, was in a deep trance and thought it was outstanding. It instantly became one of my all-time favorite movies. I watch that movie whenever it comes on. So much so, I can remember details and use it in examples or explanations when in conversation or teaching. How much more unforgettable are God’s works? We can only come to remember God’s unforgettable works through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

5th Reason: God’s character and acts toward His people. (vv4b-5)

“…the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He has given food to those who revere Him; He will remember His covenant forever.”

If your spouse habitually sucked, would you take an interest in them? Probably not. Such is the case in many marriages across the world. If your spouse consistently rocked, would you take an interest in them? Probably so. What’s the difference? The difference is the character and actions of the spouse. It’s harder to exhibit love and desire for another when the other habitually sucks, but it’s not so hard to do so when they don’t. God never sucks! God’s character is intact and His actions toward His people are based on His character, and that benefits us in everyway! But if you don’t know His character then you cannot recognize His constant actions toward you. If you can’t recognize His actions toward you, you will begin to think God is absent or indifferent or untrustworthy. The only way to get to know His character and be able to recognize His constant actions toward you is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

6th Reason: God reveals how powerful He is to His people. (v6)

“He has made known to His people the power of His works…”

The God of the universe is…your…God. Let that sink in. This vast and detailed universe—an innumerable amount of galaxies, each billions of miles in size—was spoken into existence by God. Spoken! No sweat, no effort, just words. Boom! Mind blown. And this God has chosen to reveal His great power to you. You! In other words, God has given you exclusive, front-row, all-access viewing of His mighty power. Genesis to Revelation is flooded with the declaration of how powerful God is, and studying biblical theology/doctrine is how we explore the declaration of the power of His works.

7th Reason: What God does is true and just, and what He says is true and fixed. (vv7-8)

“The works of His hands are [faithful and just] all His precepts are [trustworthy]. They are [established] forever and ever; they are performed in [faithfulness] and uprightness.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “If God’s so good, why would God do/say this or allow/not say that?” More than likely if you haven’t thought this yourself, you probably have heard this. And why is that? Because people cannot see how if God is “good” can He then allow so many “bad things” to happen, or Himself do things that seem unfair (e.g. wipe out men, women, children, and livestock), or instruct His people to do things that seem discriminatory (e.g. teach there’s only one way to God). These kinds of questions and criticisms stem from a lack of understanding God and the nature of what He does and says. In a world that questions everything the Bible teaches about God, if you don’t know that what God does is faithful and just or that what He said is trustworthy, you will buckle under the pressure of these kinds of attacks and your own doubts. The only way to know so is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

8th Reason: God orchestrated the redemption of His people. (v9a)

“He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever…”

Many professing Christians do not know the gospel. They think the creedal statement of “Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead” + John 3:16 = the Gospel. Is that wrong? Nope. Is it complete? Nope. What if I told you Genesis to Revelation is the gospel, how would you respond to that? There is no greater love drama than God’s redemption of the nations which starts in Genesis 3:15, and so many believers are missing out on the breadth and depth of the ultimate truth to mankind—the gospel. How do you come to know that God orchestrated the “immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7) through the redemption of His people? Only through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

9th Reason: God is holy and must be revered. (v9b)

“…holy and awesome is His name.”

When you were young, was there something or someone you greatly feared? Not frightened, but more respected its authority and afraid of its consequences? For me it was my father. He had a commanding presence. I dreaded getting in trouble. Yet, I still managed to get in a lot. The mention of my father's name when I was younger would cause me to act right. If you’re a believer and the thought of God and His holiness does not invoke reverence, then you may not know the God of the Bible. There is no way you can truly know about God and His holiness and it not cause you to stand in awe and respect His authority. The only way to get to know more about God’s holiness and marvel at His name is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

10th Reason: Revering God leads to wisdom. (10a)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…”

Come on, who doesn’t want wisdom? Do you want to be wiser than what you currently are? I know I do. And apparently with the robust amount of self-help books, blogs, and articles, so does everyone else. More than likely you do too. The Bible says the beginning of wisdom is fearing the LORD—reverencing God. Not gaining more self-help knowledge. Nope. As we discussed above in the 9th reason, how do you come to revere God? Through learning more about His character. The more you learn about who God is the more it spurs your soul to revere Him. The more the reverence of God bubbles within you wisdom is what is produced. And how do you come to learn more about God to bring about this wisdom? Through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

11th Reason: Following God’s wisdom leads to wisdom. (10b)

“…[all those who practice it have a good understanding]…”

Players who don’t know their team’s playbook look foolish when they play. Why? Because they’re doing things (or not doing things) that don’t fit with what the rest of their team is doing. Actors who don’t learn their lines look foolish when they perform. Why? Because everyone else is on cue but them and it messes up the performance. You can’t follow what you don’t know. You may do your surface reading of the Bible, or a devotional here and there, or your sermon splash from the church service, but your obedience will only go as far as your knowledge, and your growth will only go as far as your obedience. You cannot follow God’s wisdom if you don’t know God’s wisdom, and you won’t grow beyond what you know. Studying biblical theology/doctrine is how we grow in what we know, which leads to following more of what we now know more of.

Conclusion
This blog article was not to discuss “how” we study biblical theology/doctrine, but that we do. This blog article was to demonstrate how a simple psalm like Psalm 111 indicates the “why” for all believers. So many believers don’t study biblical theology/doctrine because they believe they don’t need to or have to. But nothing could be more wrong. It’s like God gives us the keys to the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory and many Christians are content with hanging out front and never going inside and being blown away. To study biblical theology/doctrine is a privilege we receive from God to learn more about Him through His Word to us. Psalm 111 gave you 11 reasons why you are to study theology/doctrine. Ignore this to your own detriment. Heed it for yours and others benefit.

Maybe you're scared or hesitant. Well, don’t be. Dive in! The Holy Spirit will be your lifeguard. It is His responsibility to lead us into all truth (John 16:13-15). Get your appetite wet and watch how it will grow.

We live in an age that affords us so much access to a plethora of Bible/Christian related resources, which comes with its own dangers and benefits. So yes, be careful whom you listen to and read. Go to my “Recommended Sites” page to get a good selection on some biblically-solid resources. Maybe go and purchase “Dug Down Deep” by Joshua Harris. He shares through his testimony how he personally came to his study of biblical theology/doctrine, why, and what it produced in him. It’s not long and it’ll get you started on your own journey, if you haven’t started. For those who have started and are looking for some more depth, try R.C. Sproul’s “Everyone’s A Theologian”. This will definitely feed your appetite.

And last, but not last, pray. Pray for the desire to know God more deeply. Pray for understanding when you read His Word. Pray for discernment with whom to listen to and read. Pray for God’s direction to the right resources. Pray.

July 1, 2016

The Gospel that Transforms

I taught this message in 2015 at a church as a guest speaker. I forewarned them that this would be a tough message for many to hear and swallow. I believed then, and still now for those who will read this, that God wants to breakthrough and capture your hearts and minds and turn them right-side up for His glory in your life and your churches.

Below is the transcript with some minor additions and retractions I've made for posting it here.
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A Clash of Realities
Many people that sit and attend many churches do not know the gospel. Many people around the globe that hear the term “gospel” or “Jesus” do not know what it truly is and what it truly means. Many either don’t know it at all or they know the media’s versions, or artists and entertainers versions, or the social media versions, or false beliefs versions, or a mixture of these, but not God’s version giving through biblical revelation. Thus, if many who sit and attend church and call themselves Christians don’t really know God’s biblical gospel, then how can they ever experience it’s transforming power in their lives? Maybe the reason some of you continue to go around the mulberry bush in your life, prostituting yourself with deliberate sin and compromise, is because you do not truly know the gospel nor have you been truly saved by it.

The power of the gospel is to transforms lives.

Rom. 1:16-17 (NIV)—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.””

Therefore, the evidence of the gospel being known and believed by a person is their transformed life. If there is no evidence of a transformed life, then the gospel has not truly been known or believed by the person.

What is the Gospel?
I’ll answer this in brief, not exhaustively. The gospel is a comprehensive subject and this is just one message, so am I not attempting to cover everything, simply a few points about the gospel.

Allow me to start with what the gospel is not.

• The gospel is not traditionalism—the traditions that you follow.
  
• The gospel is not the church you attend nor any denominational affiliation.
  
• The gospel is not the books of the Bible nor the stories in those books—though some of them reveal the gospel, they are not the gospel.
  
• The gospel is not favor from God for you to obtain things in life.
  
• The gospel is not the spiritual gifts you receive.
  
• The gospel is not “the anointing”.
  
• The gospel is not catchy clichés that church people say.
  
• The gospel is not health, wealth, and prosperity.
  
• The gospel is not your best life now.
  
• The gospel is not social justice and activism—it can be demonstrated in that way, but that doesn’t make it the gospel.
  
• The gospel is not being ordained as a minister.
  
• The gospel is not your title/role in the church.
  
• The gospel is not the Christian songs you sing (some of which we call praise-worship, though if it’s “me-centered” content its not authentic praise & worship; some we even call gospel music, and it’s not about the gospel).
  
• The gospel is not your fire insurance—believe "this" so you won’t go to hell.
  
• The gospel is not a scripted “repeat after me” prayer.
  
• The gospel is not water baptism—get baptized and your saved or be baptized to seal your salvation.
  
• The gospel is not universalism—i.e. God is going to save everybody, there is no hell.
  
• The gospel is not any other “ism” that removes Jesus as the only Way to the Father, the only absolute Truth, the only Life-giver and sustainer, or adds anything to Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life.
  
• The gospel is not found in political parties, CNN (or any other news station), Oprah Winfrey, nor white or black pictures of Jesus.
  
• The gospel is not found in Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Black Hebrew Israelites, Islam, Judaism, New-age beliefs, eastern religious beliefs, or any other view or belief that is not in accordance with the clear revelation of God in the Bible.

On and on the list can go about what the gospel is not. This is but a few things that the gospel is not that many may believe it is or attach to the gospel.

The gospel is the truth of the reality of the encompassing good news of Jesus Christ. Let's break down Ephesians 2:1-10 and see what the gospel is.

Eph. 2:1-10 (ESV)—"1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

1. The gospel is God transferring those who believe in Jesus from death to life. (vv. 1-3, 5)
We are all zombies (the walking dead) on a bus oblivious that it’s heading directly and rightly for the wrath of God. God sends Jesus to pay our bus fair and give us a transfer pass to get off the death bus and come onto the life bus—heading directly for eternal life with God. We can only receive this transfer pass when we place our trust in Him. This is the gospel.

2. The gospel is God’s outpouring of His rich mercy and great love toward those who believe. (v. 4)

Eph. 1:7-8 (NLT)—He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Rom. 5:5-9 (NLT)—And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

This is the gospel.

3. The gospel is God transferring those who believe from eternal separation from Him (Hell) to eternal placement with Him (Heaven). (vv. 6-7)
Do you know what makes “Hell” hell? Being separated from God’s grace and presence for eternity. Unconstrained sin running rampant with no end, no break, no ease, nothing. That is hell. And without the gospel, this is what everyone is justly doomed for. Do you know what makes “Heaven” heaven? Spending eternity in the personal presence of God, seeing and experiencing God in all His splendor, majesty, and glory with no end, no break, and no fear. That is heaven. This is the gospel, that God made a way for those who believe, we who deserve hell, to spend eternity with Him.

4. The gospel is God’s gift given to us. (vv. 8-9)
Grace, salvation, and faith are one packaged gift from God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”. We play no part whatsoever in this packaged gift from God. We don’t and can’t earn this packaged gift from God. This packaged gift from God is freely given so that those who believe can believe. This is the gospel.

5. The gospel is God recreating those who believe (new creation) in Christ for His foreordained good works. (v. 10)

Tit. 2:14 (NLT)—He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
Tit. 3:3-8 (NLT)—Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

This is the gospel.
   God’s foreordained good works for those who believe is our life—everything in it from smallest to greatest, from internal to external—being lived and carried out in a manner that pleases Him, honors Him, and glorifies Him in accordance with His Word (cf. Tit. 2:12, 14). And here in Titus and Eph. 2 we see a clear and extreme contrast in comparison to our dead in sin life (zombie life). This is why we’re coined as new creations, because after the power of the gospel gets ahold of our life we’re completely different from the old creation, further displaying the transformation of a sinner through the gospel.

The Power of the Gospel
God through His gospel transforms our spiritual state (spiritually dead to spiritually alive), our eternal state (eternal separation to eternal placement), and our present state (people of disobedience to God’s workmanship/new creation). The gospel transforms the whole person. Nothing is off limits from the power of God in the gospel.
   The gospel is an eternal, life changing reality. The gospel is God’s loving, merciful, and grace-filled action toward us. Therefore, someone who truly understands and believes this gospel will not want to continue as they did before they knew it. Think about it, from the gripping reality of this truth and all God has done to redeem us, to the fact that the power of the gospel is to transform us into new creatures walking in God’s foreordained good works for us, where is there room to consciously live again like you’re still dead in sin, men and women of disobedience, willingly and happily pursuing things that God hates? If someone can say they truly understand and believe the biblical gospel and continue to live like they have not been rescued, like they have not been transformed into a new creation, then either the gospel is powerless and the Holy Spirit lied or that person does not truly understand and believe the gospel and thus is unsaved and still dead in their sin. I stake my life on the latter.

A Final Word
To those who’s life is marked by the transforming power of the gospel, hold your head high as one who is exuberant because you were once dead but now alive and in relationship with the Almighty Creator and King. Continue to fight through the struggles of sin and walk worthy of the glorious gospel that saved you. But also keep your heart humble as one who is grateful because your salvation is not of your own doing or your own initiation but by God’s rich mercy and great love toward you.
   To those who realize your life does not reflect this transformation you’ve read and heard about today, I appeal to you to respond to God right now. Some of you need to respond to God in repentance and some need to cry out to God for true salvation. You’re not here by accident. God wanted you to hear this particular message. As I said in the beginning of my message, I believe God wants to breakthrough and capture your hearts and minds and turn them right-side up for His glory in your life and your churches. If this is you, then pray and talk to God like you’re on your deathbed (as if this is your final words), tell Him what’s on your heart, repent if needed, or trust and believe if needed. Your eternity and soul are on the line.

March 2015