Scripture Meditation: Prov. 16:26

"A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on." (Prov. 16:26, NASB). The Message paraphrases it like such, "Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder."

This is what we can take away from this passage:
1. Find out what is your appetite for work, volunteering, serving the church, serving one another, ministry, and so on (i.e. what is it that urges you on/makes you work harder?). For our appetites can work for us or against us.
2. If our appetite for work, volunteering, serving the church, serving one another, ministry, and so on is not centered on the Gospel, the glory of God, souls being saved, and believers being built up, then our appetite is self-centered and (a)we'll only work toward the end of whatever our appetite is for, (b)we'll grow weary and discontent because our appetite is for something temporal and not eternal, (c)we'll bail out when our appetite isn't being satisfied, and (d)we'll slowly become a slave again to our self-centered appetite.
3. If our appetite for work, volunteering, serving the church, serving one another, ministry, and so on is centered on the Gospel, the glory of God, souls being saved, and believers being built up, then our appetite is Christ-centered and we'll hunger to serve, help another, sacrifice, and so on all the more, despite the obstacles, to satisfy our godly appetite!

If you find after careful examination that your appetite is off, then take a break and focus on readjusting it away from the self-center towards the Christ-center. Don't be discouraged if this is you. Be encouraged because your spiritual health is far more important, and God cares more about you than your service. For the rest of us, continue to love and serve in excellence unto our Lord Jesus!

2011

A Short Interpretive Journey of 1Timothy 6:10

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1Tim. 6:10, NASB)

1. Summarize the original situation and the meaning of the text for the biblical audience.

Paul is writing a letter to Timothy who is at Ephesus (1:1-3). This is a letter of instructions and exhortations to Timothy for the church at Ephesus (1:3ff, 15ff, 18ff; 2:1ff, 8ff, 11ff; 3:1ff, 8ff, 11ff, 14ff; 4:1ff, 6ff, 9ff, 11ff; 5:1ff, 17ff; 6:1ff, 3ff, 11ff, 17ff, 20ff). In chapter 6 verses 6-10 Paul is addressing contentment. In verse 9 Paul specifically calls out “those who desire to be rich”. He says of “those” that they “fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” Thus when we come to verse 10 Paul is basically summing up what he called out in verse 9: “For the love of money”—those who desire to be rich—“is a root of all kinds of evil”—temptation, a snare, many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

2. What are the difference between the biblical audience/situation and our situation?

Some obvious differences are we are not the church at Ephesus, we don’t live in the first century, and our current economic plateau isn’t the same. Another difference is that every believer who reads this verse may not be a leader/pastor as was Timothy.

3. List the theological principles communicated by the passage.

If there is a love of money inside you (a desire to be rich) it will produce (lead to) all kinds of evil. Also, in light of the surrounding context, another principle is rather than desiring to be rich desire godliness and be content with what you have.

4. How should Christians today apply the theological principles in their lives?

An example of how to apply this theological principle today would be for a Christian not to pursue a career, advancement, ministry, achievements, or whatever else strictly or largely for the monetary or status gain. Another application is instead of having a love for money (desiring to be rich or wealthy or wanting more for more’s sake) gather (pray for and seek) a desire for godliness, contentment, and the love of Christ—which we do by reading, studying, and abiding in the Word of God.

Although this is not an extensive look at this verse, this short blurb is still powerfully to the point and challenges us to not want (desire) more for more’s sake—something I call the worship of self-gratification—because it’s ultimately to our disadvantage and destruction if we do so.

"Permissible" Session #1: Drinking Wine

One day on Facebook I happened to read Mark Driscoll’s status update. He said something about Christians drinking alcoholic beverages. The comments on his update erupted with a flood of people speaking for it and against it. This led me to start thinking, “Is it really that serious? Are you kidding me, people are actually arguing over it being okay to drink wine and beer as Christians. Where is this type of passion in the Body of Christ for sanctification and holiness?” Right there is where this blog began to bubble in my heart and mind. My mind would not shut-up. So here I am, writing to address this issue objectively and biblically.

Let’s start with some of what the Bible has to say or show about drinking wine.
For:

• Old Testament people drank wine and were told to drink wine at times- (too many verses to list)
• Jesus turned water into wine- Jn. 2:1-10
• Jesus drank wine- Mk. 2:16, Lk. 5:30
• Jesus and His disciples drank wine at the Lord’s Supper (the first “communion”)- Lk. 22:14-20
• Apostle Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for infirmities- 1Tim. 5:23
• A voice in the midst of the four living creature around the throne of God said not to harm the wine on earth- Rev. 6:5-6

Against:

• Wine is not for Nazarites or priests- Lev. 10:8-11, Num. 6:1-4
• Bishops, elders, pastors, deacons, deaconess, and older women are not to drink much wine- 1Tim. 3:1-10, Tit. 1:5-9; 2:3
• Don’t get drunk- (too many verses to list)
• Not wise for kings and princes to drink wine- Prov. 31:4-5
• Don’t seek out wine- Prov. 23:29-35
• Don’t drink wine if it causes your brother to stumble- Rom. 14:21
• Wine is addictive- 1Tim. 3:3, 8, Tit. 1:7, 2:3
• Wine makes a mockery of you and strong drink (beer, liquor) leads to commotions- Prov. 20:1
• Wine takes away understanding- Hos. 4:11
• Wine gratifies the flesh/stimulates the body- Eccl. 2:3

The “wine” used in all of these verses are from the same Hebrew term (yayin) and Greek term (oinos).

Now let’s clarify a few things.
The exact nature of the “wine” used in the New Testament is unconfirmed. Here is why. In the O.T., there are two terms for wine: tirosh, which is juice; and yayin, which means a fermented drink; (“strong drink” is a different term). Nowhere in the N.T. is there a term used for juice. They use the same term, oinos, for every occurrence of wine; (except for in Acts 2:13 where gleukos is used, which means a highly intoxicating fermented wine, a.k.a “new wine”).

During Bible times they only had three things to drink other than wine type beverages…juice, water, and milk. In the N.T. language it appears that other than wine, new wine, and liquor (a.k.a “strong drink”, sikera, which means an intensely fermented drink) they only drank water and milk. Wine, new wine, and liquor are all intoxicants—they can get you drunk/intoxicated. This would imply that nobody in the N.T. drunk juice as they did in the O.T., which is highly unlikely knowing the times back then. Thus, it’s probable that the term “wine” used in its 100+ occurrences also refers to “juice” in some of those occasions. It is on which of those occasions that scholars are unconfirmed on. 

Am I diluting Jesus’ miracle? No, because to take jars of water with no fruit around and instantly turn them into juice or wine is still a miracle; (though in that specific occasion it’s more likely that it was wine, taking into consideration that Jews historically drank wine at weddings, banquets, parties, and so on). My point in sharing this is to display that the meaning for wine in the N.T. is not as clear as it is in the O.T. So we have to look at it from another perspective and in its historical and/or literary context to get its proper meaning.

Another point to share is purpose/motive.
Why did Jesus turn water into wine and drank wine on other occasions? Turning water to wine was for miracle-sake so to begin displaying who He was and His ministry (Jn. 2:11). Him drinking a little wine (unconfirmed to which it is) was to reach sinners (Mk. 2:16, Lk. 5:30); for which he was falsely accused of being a glutton and drunkard- Matt. 11:19. He also drank wine during the Lord's supper (Lk. 22:14-20). Jesus’ purpose for why He dabbled with wine was to solely glorify God, not to gratify His flesh. For those Christians who are “for” drinking wine, can you say your purpose for dabbling in wine is the same? Because if not, you cannot validly use these instances of Jesus to justify why you drink wine.

Why would the Bible endorse drinking wine?
The same reason it endorses slavery (Lev. 25:44, 1Cor. 7:21-22, Phile. 1:15-16), and other random things we don’t do or need to do today—for example, building a wall on our roofs (Deut. 22:8), or men and women wearing coverings on their heads (1Cor. 11:2-7, 13-16). As we’ve seen already drinking wine was customary during Bible time and culture (as was slavery and head coverings). Today we have numerous options to choose to drink. Back then, they only had water, juice, milk, and intoxicants—wine, new wine, and strong drink. Regular wine being the lesser of the other intoxicants provided something different to drink, and if only drank in mild moderation it wouldn’t get you drunk. Therefore it was acceptable. Today we don’t have that type of concern because of the numerous options of non-alcoholic drinks. Thus while the Bible says it’s permissible, we truthfully don’t have a need for it; except to gratify our flesh.

Why would Apostle Paul tell Timothy (1Tim. 5:23) to drink wine for his infirmities?
Again, it was customary during Bible time and culture. Today we have plenty medicinal resources they never had nor thought of back then. Thus while the Bible says it’s permissible, we truthfully don’t have a need for it in this capacity as they did back then.

So why drink wine?
What’s the purpose other than because “you want to”? Unless you have a doctor prescribing wine to you for a medical reason there is no purpose for drinking wine, except to gratify your flesh—i.e. because “you want to”. Aren’t we called to die to the flesh/carnal appetites (Rom. 6:1-22; 8:5-13)? Aren’t we called to be salt and light to this world (Matt. 5:13-16)? Aren’t we called to be set-apart (Rom. 12:1-2)? Aren’t we called to walk in sanctification and holiness (2Cor. 5:14-17, 1Pet. 1:13-16)? Aren’t we told to glorify God in all things (1Cor. 10:31, Rom. 15:5-6, 1Cor. 6:20, Rev. 15:3-4)? Drinking wine gratifies the flesh, and gratifying the flesh can never help us fulfill any of these which are far greater than what “we want”.

“I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.” (Eccl. 2:3, NET).

Conclusion
I’m sure many might be saying I’m making a big deal out of something that’s not a big deal, and others may even be upset in the flesh because of how I’m calling it out. And I say good for both. Drinking is not the issue, it’s the heart behind why one drinks that is the issue (Prov. 4:23; 21:2; 28:26). Yes, the Bible says and implies that drinking wine is permissible; which means you are not wrong if you do, nor are you wrong if you don’t, nor can anyone say you “cannot” drink a little wine every now and then, or that drinking a little wine is a sin. However, while the Bible says/implies it is permissible, the Bible does not say in it’s theologically timeless truth that it is beneficial nor edifying to the believer, or glorifying unto Jesus (another perfect example of this is slavery––permissible but not beneficial). 

Actually, as we’ve seen, the Bible says just the opposite. The Bible says, shows, and implies that drinking wine is of past-time Jewish culture not theologically timeless. It’s addictive, a mocker, takes away understanding, gratifies the flesh, may cause your brother to stumble, and is a no-no for priest, Nazarites, and leaders in the church (of which Christians are all three- 1Pet. 2:4-5, 9; Eph. 2:19; 4:17-24, Tit. 2:1-8, 1Pet. 4:7-11). Thus, while drinking wine is permissible in the flesh it is injurious in the spiritual. Hopefully those of you who are for drinking wine choose that which is greater.

“Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.” “Looking at it one way, you could say, “Anything goes. Because of God’s immense generosity and grace, we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.” But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.” (1Cor. 6:12; 10:23-24, Msg)

There has to be biblical discernment in everything we do—that is, is Christ being glorified in this, if not then why am I doing it; am I or other believers being edified or pushed closer to Christ in this, if not then why am I doing it—especially when we extract that “something” from the Bible.

Hope this helped.

7/2/2010

Exodus: Depart From Your "Egypt" Or Remain In Bondage

Exodus is not just the second book in the Bible. Exodus is the title of the historical event of the Hebrew people leaving Egypt on the strength of God’s coming out party. God was about to add onto His earthly resume with this historical and supernatural event. The exodus from Egypt for the children of Israel is a parallel for everyone God rescues from sin and bondage, or in other words everyone God rescues from “their Egypt”. The reason I entitled this EXODUS: DEPART FROM YOUR "EGYPT" OR REMAIN IN BONDAGE is, as we will see when we go through the Word, that God wanted the Israelite’s obedience to flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage—–Egypt. Thus, God kept reminding them of their exodus. And the same is true for us. We have to daily remind ourselves that God delivered us from our Egypt and calls us to not be conformed again to the way we lived and thought in our old life, but be transformed and become holy as He is holy; or remain in bondage—–which is the very thing we cried out for Him to rescue us from—–and then die in the wilderness, not the promise land, but die in the wilderness ungrateful and deceived.

Let’s look at some passages that explain this for us:
Ex. 1:13-14—While sin presents itself as fun and something not to be missed, truthfully, sin is just like the Egyptians in this passage. Sin makes us serve its desires with harshness, and makes our emotional, psychological, and physical lives bitter with hard bondage.
Ex. 2:23—We are the same. We cry out to God to rescue, save, and deliver us because of our bondage, whatever that bondage may be.
Ex. 6:5-7—This is our salvation. This is exactly what God does for us through Jesus Christ, He brings us out from under the burden of sin and bondage.
Ex. 19:3-6—As I said, God kept reminding them of their exodus so that their obedience would flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage. This is also true for us.
Ex. 20:1-2—Again, God kept reminding them of their exodus so that their obedience would flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage. I keep repeating this because it's the sole purpose for me sharing this.

Remember what your bondage to sin was like. Remember how cruel and deceitful sin is. Remember how you groaned in your private time for someone to save you. Remember that God was the only One who saw and heard your groanings and responded with His Son’s death on a cross to pay for your eternal punishment for your sin and your deliverance from your present Egypt. I cried out to God from a jail cell. He heard my cry and saved me in jail. Remember yours.

Does your life show God how grateful and thankful you are for what He’s done for you? Because if not, you’re telling God, like the children of Israel did, “I rather go back to Egypt and die in the bondage I cried out for You to deliver me from.” And if you continue to live like this, God will do you just like He did the children of Israel: you will die in the wilderness and not enter His promise land.

I’ll close with this passage:
"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2Cor. 5:14-15, NIV)

Live your life no longer for yourself or sin; but live your life for Him who died for you, delivered you, and conquered the grave for you! Either depart from your Egypt (by following God's way) or remain in bondage (by following your own desires, rules, understanding, etc). Your choice! Choose wisely people.