Psalm 16 is a perfect summary of the contrast between the nature of true happiness and unhappiness.
"Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (ESV)
A few observations:
1. The Psalm begins and ends with David's delight in God. This is the essence of true happiness, knowing God. That is what we were created for.
2. He also lists other things that make him happy: other saints, the land that God gave him to live on, the security and guidance that God gives him. But all these things are secondary to his relationship with God, for without the relationship, he would not have any of these other things. As Paul says in Romans 5:11 - "we rejoice in God". This statement comes after an in depth description of what God has done for us in Christ. It all climaxes in our delight in Him, over and above the many good things that He gives us in addition to Himself.
3. "The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply" vs. 4. This becomes hugely relevant when we recognize that "another god" can be anything we put foremost in our affections. Whatever we really love the most, that is our God.
The tragic thing about sin is that most people cling to it because they think that it will make them happy, but the opposite is true. Drug and alcohol abuse are prime examples of this fact. Sure they give a temporary high, but then the high goes away and is replaced with a hangover. You have to keep on pouring more and more chemical happiness into your body, to temporarily fake yourself into thinking that you are happy. But without the drugs, there is nothing but hollowness, barrenness of soul, despair. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply. Somehow, the devil has managed to fool the whole world into thinking that God's way is restrictive, inhibited, un-fun, and that his (the devil's) stupid way is the way to really be free and have a good time. But why, if you are really happy, must you keep on doping yourself silly? Why can't you have any peace without the drugs? It is because you are not happy at all. You are miserable and you are totally deceived by the lies of the devil. What you are actually experiencing is a little taste of hell (though the real thing will be much worse).
Why did God give us desire? What is it for? We are all driven by impulses. We are desperate to be happy and we search for happiness everywhere. Human desire, whether it be for sex, food, drink, entertainment, the approval of others, anything... it is infinite. We are never satisfied no matter how much of these things we get. We always want more and more. The reason our capacity for desire is infinite is because God is infinite and we were created with an infinite capacity to enjoy Him. But if we misplace our affections and try to satisfy ourselves with anything less than Him, we will be unsatisfied. This is hell - always wanting, but never obtaining.
There will be no sex in hell, but hell will be full of sex addicts who, through years of debaucherous living, trained themselves to love this thing above all else. They will never be satisfied.
There will be no drugs or alcohol in hell, but hell will be full of addicts in eternal withdrawal. They will never be satisfied.
There will be no food in hell, but it will be full of gluttons with empty bellies. They will never be satisfied.
The list could go on, you get the point. Only when all our desire is focused on God do we find true, infinite satisfaction. Our deepest needs are met in Him. But you see, God really gives everybody what they ask for. To those who say, "I don't want you God" He says, "Okay, you won't have me." And so they are never satisfied because they have abandoned Him, the spring of living water, and have dug for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water, (Jer. 2:13).
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." - John 3:19-20 (NASB)
Hell is separation from God. If God is not there, it can be nothing but hell, for He is the very definition of goodness and happiness and everything we really need and want.
So why did God create so many pleasurable things other than Himself? Just to trip us up? No, the good things in this world are to be enjoyed with gratitude. Gratitude orients our enjoyment properly, because it reminds us that all the good things we enjoy are from God, and are intended to give us a small taste of some aspect of His inherent goodness. A good meal, a beautiful sunset, even the passion of sex, all were given as good gifts from God, to be enjoyed in the proper way, place and time. When these things are taken out of their proper contexts, they do not satisfy like they should. Instead of increasing our understanding of God and our happiness in Him, they become stumbling blocks that we worship in God's place.
"For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the created thing, rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen." - Romans 1:25 (NASB)
All this is to say that if you want to be happy, seek God, you won't be disappointed. If you want to be miserable forever, reject Him. Or as John Piper would say, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him."
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore!"
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
In faithfulness You have afflicted me...
I've really been enjoying Psalm 119 lately, and have been meditating on verse 75.
"I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."
So I thought I should list all the evidences of God's faithfulness in this situation.
1. David came home before he burned himself, and so was able to have a meaningful conversation with my parents the night before. In that conversation he expressed his desire to turn things around, and re-affirmed his faith in Christ. This is a huge comfort to all of us.
2. The kids were all gone, and did not see him burn.
3. He had the chance to apologize to my dad before losing consciousness.
4. Michael 'just happened' to be in Fort Worth instead of Maryland so he could come quickly.
5. All our friends and church family really stepped up in a huge way to support us (thank you!)
6. This experience has given me a much greater sense of urgency for prayer:
- for unbelievers
- for wandering believers
- for my own need to persevere in faith
- for my own need to take sin seriously in my personal life, and not just ignore "small" issues
- for my daughter, and any future children we may have
- for spiritual protection against demonic forces
- for awareness of hurting people around me, and the courage to get involved in their lives and love them even (especially) if they don't want me to.
7. This experience has given me new awareness of the incredible power of prayer and the sovereignty of God
8. This experience has given me a new depth of longing for Jesus to come back and fix this world, thereby loosening my attachment to the worldly, temporary things that I cannot keep forever anyway.
9. This experience has caused me to be much more "of sober spirit" (1 Peter 5:8) and has reminded me that we are in a real spiritual war.
10. After encountering firsthand the blindness and spiritual deception that has overtaken the minds of so many former church kids, this experience has motivated me to go on the offense against these lies by writing this blog, and by addressing these issues with my High School Sunday School class and young adults Bible study. Already I have seen positive results in some kids.
11. This experience has provided a tangible demonstration of the fact that real freedom is found in a disciplined life - exactly the opposite of what the world says.
12. This experience has motivated me to savor every minute that I have with my wife and daughter and all the people I love, because this life is so short.
13. This experience has reminded me that all sin leads to death.
14. This experience has proven to me that God is really the only true source of spiritual satisfaction; that when everything else is bad, He is good. It has proven that He is faithful, and it has given me the first real opportunity to learn what it means to rejoice in trials. I would not have asked for this to happen if God had told me about it in advance, but now that it has happened I can say that it is in faithfulness that He has afflicted me.
"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants. If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them, You have revived me."
- Psalm 119:89-93
"I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."
So I thought I should list all the evidences of God's faithfulness in this situation.
1. David came home before he burned himself, and so was able to have a meaningful conversation with my parents the night before. In that conversation he expressed his desire to turn things around, and re-affirmed his faith in Christ. This is a huge comfort to all of us.
2. The kids were all gone, and did not see him burn.
3. He had the chance to apologize to my dad before losing consciousness.
4. Michael 'just happened' to be in Fort Worth instead of Maryland so he could come quickly.
5. All our friends and church family really stepped up in a huge way to support us (thank you!)
6. This experience has given me a much greater sense of urgency for prayer:
- for unbelievers
- for wandering believers
- for my own need to persevere in faith
- for my own need to take sin seriously in my personal life, and not just ignore "small" issues
- for my daughter, and any future children we may have
- for spiritual protection against demonic forces
- for awareness of hurting people around me, and the courage to get involved in their lives and love them even (especially) if they don't want me to.
7. This experience has given me new awareness of the incredible power of prayer and the sovereignty of God
8. This experience has given me a new depth of longing for Jesus to come back and fix this world, thereby loosening my attachment to the worldly, temporary things that I cannot keep forever anyway.
9. This experience has caused me to be much more "of sober spirit" (1 Peter 5:8) and has reminded me that we are in a real spiritual war.
10. After encountering firsthand the blindness and spiritual deception that has overtaken the minds of so many former church kids, this experience has motivated me to go on the offense against these lies by writing this blog, and by addressing these issues with my High School Sunday School class and young adults Bible study. Already I have seen positive results in some kids.
11. This experience has provided a tangible demonstration of the fact that real freedom is found in a disciplined life - exactly the opposite of what the world says.
12. This experience has motivated me to savor every minute that I have with my wife and daughter and all the people I love, because this life is so short.
13. This experience has reminded me that all sin leads to death.
14. This experience has proven to me that God is really the only true source of spiritual satisfaction; that when everything else is bad, He is good. It has proven that He is faithful, and it has given me the first real opportunity to learn what it means to rejoice in trials. I would not have asked for this to happen if God had told me about it in advance, but now that it has happened I can say that it is in faithfulness that He has afflicted me.
"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants. If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them, You have revived me."
- Psalm 119:89-93
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I've been thinking today about the previous post, and realizing there are many loose ends to be brought together. For one thing, the title - God Victorious - I realized it may not be clear how that relates. That post came about as a result of someone telling me that a Christian young person thought that David's death was only a victory for Satan, and not at all a victory for God, since many people who need to repent of their sins are not repenting, but are merely rationalizing their lifestyle in various ways.
Two things. We don't know what's happening inside of them. Repentance often is a long process. Also, if God is really glorified by judging sinners as well as by saving them, then He is victorious even if they never repent.
I'm doing a lot of studying on this. It is helping me work through the grief, and it's edifying. Don't know if anyone else is reading it, but, anyway, more is coming.
Two things. We don't know what's happening inside of them. Repentance often is a long process. Also, if God is really glorified by judging sinners as well as by saving them, then He is victorious even if they never repent.
I'm doing a lot of studying on this. It is helping me work through the grief, and it's edifying. Don't know if anyone else is reading it, but, anyway, more is coming.
Monday, July 20, 2009
God Victorious?
It is amazing to me how much our assumptions color the way we interpret the events in our lives. This is a pretty obvious point. But it has taken on fresh significance for me since Dave died. This post is about the sovereignty of God, and how our belief or unbelief on this point is so crucial in times of suffering.
The logic is not complex: God, if He exists, is all-powerful. God, if He exists, is all-knowing. Therefore, everything that happens in the universe happens because He either directly causes it Himself, or He allows secondary agents to bring it about.
This applies to the good and happy things as well as the sad and awful things. You see, if God knows everything in advance, then He knows that bad things are coming in advance. And if He has all power, then He could stop them if He wanted to... but He often does not stop them. He could have stopped my brother from soaking himself in gasoline and lighting himself on fire. The God I pray to and worship every day decided that He would allow that to happen. Or perhaps God actually made David do it. If God is real these are our only options. Now I have opened the biggest of all worm-cans.
The struggle for most people is that the Bible claims over and over again that God is a good and loving God. At this point in the thought process, people respond in one of the following ways:
1. God must not really exist, since so many bad things happen in the world. It is not possible that a supreme being who is all-powerful, all-knowing and loving can exist, or else he would stop all the evil in the world. This is a classic atheist argument.
2. God's sovereignty is limited by human free will. He cannot stop bad things from happening because if He did, it would violate human will. This is probably the most prevalent line of reasoning in the American church today.
3. God has a purpose for allowing bad things to happen. Since He is the one who defines, by His essential nature, what love is, it is possible for Him to be loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing, and to allow the existence of evil and pain. This is the view that I take because I believe it is what the Bible teaches.
Why bother with all this "logic" and "theological stuff"? Because I believe that the most important thing about us is what we think about God (Tozer), and the quickest way to find out if someone believes in the Almighty God who actually exists, or in some smaller version that they have invented in their own mind, is to find out what they believe about this topic.
The greatest possible good is for God to be glorified. God is glorified when His character is displayed through His actions, and is acknowledged, first among the members of the Trinity, and then by His creatures.
God is glorified in the display of His love and mercy when He saves sinners from the punishment that they deserve, and He is glorified in the display of His holiness and justice when He gives sinners the punishment they deserve. In either case, He is glorified because in both cases His character is accurately displayed. All humanity sinned in Adam and therefore justly deserves to burn in hell for eternity. Therefore, if we get anything less than absolute hell, that is a gift of His grace. We should not be amazed that God allows suffering in the world. We should be amazed that He allows so many people who hate Him to go on living relatively comfortable lives.
Many people, including Christians, recoil at this talk. They say things like, "I don't think I want to worship a God like that!" Well, fortunately it's not all wrath and judgment. But without a proper understanding of our true plight, we cannot truly appreciate the grace that He gives. If we think we deserve to be saved from hell, we will not really be thankful, nor do we truly understand what our salvation actually is. Our salvation is more than just a "get outa hell free" card. It is the state of being that delights in God above all else. Believing in Jesus is equal to finding all satisfaction in Him.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (ESV)
He compares Himself to bread and water because He wants us to recognize Him as the only source of true spiritual satisfaction. Those who come to Him and believe in Him never hunger or thirst - spiritually. This is where we discover the beautiful confluence of God's glory and our happiness. You see, by seeking His own glory, through our salvation and the destruction of the unrepentant, He is working for our happiness at the same time, because we were created to be in relationship with Him. Therefore, it is in the experience of worship - recognizing who God is through what God has done - that we are ultimately fulfilled. It is only through this that we can be fulfilled.
If we seek happiness in anything other than relationship with God, we commit idolatry, and are doomed to disappointment.
Jeremiah 2:11 -13 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (ESV)
Or on the positive side:
Psalm 73:25-28 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (ESV)
So God is not a cruel tyrant for seeking His own glory in all that He does, for in so doing, He gives us the only possible way to happiness. Unless of course we do not believe in Him. Then His glory does not bring us happiness. So the bottom line is this - God is going to be glorified through every one of us. Either He will be glorified through destroying us or through saving us. Our responsibility is to acknowledge that His judgment is just, and that we deserve to be punished, then to ask Him for mercy. And He promises that everyone who asks Him for mercy will receive mercy.
Isaiah 55:1-2 "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."
Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."(ESV)
I am heavily indebted to John Piper for the insight about delighting in God and how that dovetails with Gods glory. See, Desiring God, or anything else he has written for the full explanation.
All of this builds up to the answer to our original question - If God is loving and He knows everything and He could stop bad things from happening, why doesn't He stop them?
Answer # 1 - He is judging the sins of those who do not believe. (See Luke 13, "unless you repent, you will all likewise perish")
Answer #2 - He is testing and strengthening the faith of those who do believe. (See Romans 5:1-11, Romans 8:18-39, the whole book of 1 Peter, James 1:2-4).
Believers "pass the test" when we demonstrate that we still find satisfaction and happiness in our relationship with God even though He may take everything else we have.
"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him." Job 13:15 (NASB)
"For Your sake we are being put to death all day long, we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Romans 8:36-37 (NASB)
That brings Him glory. That makes us happy.
The logic is not complex: God, if He exists, is all-powerful. God, if He exists, is all-knowing. Therefore, everything that happens in the universe happens because He either directly causes it Himself, or He allows secondary agents to bring it about.
This applies to the good and happy things as well as the sad and awful things. You see, if God knows everything in advance, then He knows that bad things are coming in advance. And if He has all power, then He could stop them if He wanted to... but He often does not stop them. He could have stopped my brother from soaking himself in gasoline and lighting himself on fire. The God I pray to and worship every day decided that He would allow that to happen. Or perhaps God actually made David do it. If God is real these are our only options. Now I have opened the biggest of all worm-cans.
The struggle for most people is that the Bible claims over and over again that God is a good and loving God. At this point in the thought process, people respond in one of the following ways:
1. God must not really exist, since so many bad things happen in the world. It is not possible that a supreme being who is all-powerful, all-knowing and loving can exist, or else he would stop all the evil in the world. This is a classic atheist argument.
2. God's sovereignty is limited by human free will. He cannot stop bad things from happening because if He did, it would violate human will. This is probably the most prevalent line of reasoning in the American church today.
3. God has a purpose for allowing bad things to happen. Since He is the one who defines, by His essential nature, what love is, it is possible for Him to be loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing, and to allow the existence of evil and pain. This is the view that I take because I believe it is what the Bible teaches.
Why bother with all this "logic" and "theological stuff"? Because I believe that the most important thing about us is what we think about God (Tozer), and the quickest way to find out if someone believes in the Almighty God who actually exists, or in some smaller version that they have invented in their own mind, is to find out what they believe about this topic.
The greatest possible good is for God to be glorified. God is glorified when His character is displayed through His actions, and is acknowledged, first among the members of the Trinity, and then by His creatures.
God is glorified in the display of His love and mercy when He saves sinners from the punishment that they deserve, and He is glorified in the display of His holiness and justice when He gives sinners the punishment they deserve. In either case, He is glorified because in both cases His character is accurately displayed. All humanity sinned in Adam and therefore justly deserves to burn in hell for eternity. Therefore, if we get anything less than absolute hell, that is a gift of His grace. We should not be amazed that God allows suffering in the world. We should be amazed that He allows so many people who hate Him to go on living relatively comfortable lives.
Many people, including Christians, recoil at this talk. They say things like, "I don't think I want to worship a God like that!" Well, fortunately it's not all wrath and judgment. But without a proper understanding of our true plight, we cannot truly appreciate the grace that He gives. If we think we deserve to be saved from hell, we will not really be thankful, nor do we truly understand what our salvation actually is. Our salvation is more than just a "get outa hell free" card. It is the state of being that delights in God above all else. Believing in Jesus is equal to finding all satisfaction in Him.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (ESV)
He compares Himself to bread and water because He wants us to recognize Him as the only source of true spiritual satisfaction. Those who come to Him and believe in Him never hunger or thirst - spiritually. This is where we discover the beautiful confluence of God's glory and our happiness. You see, by seeking His own glory, through our salvation and the destruction of the unrepentant, He is working for our happiness at the same time, because we were created to be in relationship with Him. Therefore, it is in the experience of worship - recognizing who God is through what God has done - that we are ultimately fulfilled. It is only through this that we can be fulfilled.
If we seek happiness in anything other than relationship with God, we commit idolatry, and are doomed to disappointment.
Jeremiah 2:11 -13 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (ESV)
Or on the positive side:
Psalm 73:25-28 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (ESV)
So God is not a cruel tyrant for seeking His own glory in all that He does, for in so doing, He gives us the only possible way to happiness. Unless of course we do not believe in Him. Then His glory does not bring us happiness. So the bottom line is this - God is going to be glorified through every one of us. Either He will be glorified through destroying us or through saving us. Our responsibility is to acknowledge that His judgment is just, and that we deserve to be punished, then to ask Him for mercy. And He promises that everyone who asks Him for mercy will receive mercy.
Isaiah 55:1-2 "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."
Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."(ESV)
I am heavily indebted to John Piper for the insight about delighting in God and how that dovetails with Gods glory. See, Desiring God, or anything else he has written for the full explanation.
All of this builds up to the answer to our original question - If God is loving and He knows everything and He could stop bad things from happening, why doesn't He stop them?
Answer # 1 - He is judging the sins of those who do not believe. (See Luke 13, "unless you repent, you will all likewise perish")
Answer #2 - He is testing and strengthening the faith of those who do believe. (See Romans 5:1-11, Romans 8:18-39, the whole book of 1 Peter, James 1:2-4).
Believers "pass the test" when we demonstrate that we still find satisfaction and happiness in our relationship with God even though He may take everything else we have.
"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him." Job 13:15 (NASB)
"For Your sake we are being put to death all day long, we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Romans 8:36-37 (NASB)
That brings Him glory. That makes us happy.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
Been too busy to post anything lately because the things I want to write about are sort of huge topics and I still haven't mastered the skill of conciseness. So I figured I'd take the next 3 minutes and just tackle the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
I stole that title from a book by Douglas Adams. He was an atheist who wrote sci-fi comedy stories. Most notably, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It turned into a whole series of stories, one of which bears the title I'm borrowing for this post. Adams' books are funny, but also sad because his conclusion is that there is no meaning to life. Fortunately for us, Adams is wrong.
God is Trinity. I won't take the time to list all the proof-texts and things right now, I'll get back to that later. But for the moment consider this. There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are of one essence - not only of the same essence - but of one essence. In other words, they are not three individuals all made out of the same kind of stuff, they share one essence, deity, with each other. And yet they are distinct from each other in...consciousness?...personhood?... It's hard to nail down with words because, well, it just is. But the point of all this is that at the core of who God is, in His eternal nature, there is community. The primary thing that distinguishes the 3 persons of the Godhead from each other, and the thing that unites them together, is that they love each other. God is in an infinite, dynamic state of unity and distinction that is perfectly balanced forever.
This is very important because it establishes the foundation for our understanding of what community is. It brings us down to the very simple and easy to understand, "Greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. When we do this, we are like God.
But it gets better. We are not only to be like God in our behavior, we who are united to Christ by faith are actually being drawn into the eternal love and union of the Trinity. Jesus prayed,
"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may beleive that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as You have loved Me." John 17:20-23
There are many more Scriptures to quote on this point but I'll do that later. The point of all this is that the meaning of life is relationship with God and others. Why do they stick prisoners in solitary confinement? Why is that punishment? You might think that they would be happy to get away from all those other mean guys and have some time alone. But the fact is, we are so deeply wired for relationship that we go crazy if we don't have it. Love really is the meaning of life, cliche as it may sound. That's what going to church is all about.
I stole that title from a book by Douglas Adams. He was an atheist who wrote sci-fi comedy stories. Most notably, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It turned into a whole series of stories, one of which bears the title I'm borrowing for this post. Adams' books are funny, but also sad because his conclusion is that there is no meaning to life. Fortunately for us, Adams is wrong.
God is Trinity. I won't take the time to list all the proof-texts and things right now, I'll get back to that later. But for the moment consider this. There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are of one essence - not only of the same essence - but of one essence. In other words, they are not three individuals all made out of the same kind of stuff, they share one essence, deity, with each other. And yet they are distinct from each other in...consciousness?...personhood?... It's hard to nail down with words because, well, it just is. But the point of all this is that at the core of who God is, in His eternal nature, there is community. The primary thing that distinguishes the 3 persons of the Godhead from each other, and the thing that unites them together, is that they love each other. God is in an infinite, dynamic state of unity and distinction that is perfectly balanced forever.
This is very important because it establishes the foundation for our understanding of what community is. It brings us down to the very simple and easy to understand, "Greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. When we do this, we are like God.
But it gets better. We are not only to be like God in our behavior, we who are united to Christ by faith are actually being drawn into the eternal love and union of the Trinity. Jesus prayed,
"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may beleive that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as You have loved Me." John 17:20-23
There are many more Scriptures to quote on this point but I'll do that later. The point of all this is that the meaning of life is relationship with God and others. Why do they stick prisoners in solitary confinement? Why is that punishment? You might think that they would be happy to get away from all those other mean guys and have some time alone. But the fact is, we are so deeply wired for relationship that we go crazy if we don't have it. Love really is the meaning of life, cliche as it may sound. That's what going to church is all about.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Awesome quote from Jonathan Edwards
Here is a great quote from Jonathan Edwards. It is from page 8 of his book on "Religious Affections." I found it timely.
"We find that people exercise the affections in everything else but religion! When it comes to their worldly interest, their outward delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural relations, they have warm affection and ardent zeal. In these things their hearts are tender and sensitive, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, and much engrossed. They get deeply depressed at worldly losses, and highly excited at worldly successes. But how insensible and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world! How dull then are their affections! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, depth, length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His gift of His infinitely dear Son offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of men, and yet be so insensible and regardless! Can we suppose that the wise Creator implanted such a faculty of affections to be occupied in this way? How can any Christian who believes the truth of these things not realize this?"
This quote pierces me because I see so much of myself reflected in it. How quickly I get excited enough to devote hours to training for a canoe race. It feels like nothing to devote two hours to watching a movie I'm looking forward to seeing... but when was the last time I spent two hours in prayer?
"We find that people exercise the affections in everything else but religion! When it comes to their worldly interest, their outward delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural relations, they have warm affection and ardent zeal. In these things their hearts are tender and sensitive, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, and much engrossed. They get deeply depressed at worldly losses, and highly excited at worldly successes. But how insensible and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world! How dull then are their affections! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, depth, length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His gift of His infinitely dear Son offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of men, and yet be so insensible and regardless! Can we suppose that the wise Creator implanted such a faculty of affections to be occupied in this way? How can any Christian who believes the truth of these things not realize this?"
This quote pierces me because I see so much of myself reflected in it. How quickly I get excited enough to devote hours to training for a canoe race. It feels like nothing to devote two hours to watching a movie I'm looking forward to seeing... but when was the last time I spent two hours in prayer?
Where 2 or 3 are gathered...
So today I'd like to comment on Matthew 18:15-20. In this passage, Jesus says that if you see your brother in sin, you should go to him privately and confront him with love. If he does not respond, then you should bring another person with you and confront him together. If he does not respond to this, bring the matter before the entire church, and if he still does not repent - "Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
Treating someone like a Gentile or a tax-collector means rejecting that person socially. For Jews in that time, Gentile's and tax-collectors were outcasts. Jesus says here that when we corporately judge someone who is in unrepentant sin, that person is judged by God. This is a hugely serious point. There is real spiritual power in the church discipline process.
I comment on this passage here for two reasons. First of all, to take another shot at the erroneous, but apparently very prevalent, notion that being a follower of Jesus means you never confront people with their sin because that would supposedly be unloving. Of course, in reality, love seeks for the purity of its object. Therefore, true love sometimes must confront, but not for the purpose of crushing the person, it is for the purpose of restoring the sinning individual to fellowship with God and the community. As Paul says to the Corinthians with regard to the man he judged in 1 Corinthians 5, "...so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him" (2 Corinthians 2:7-8). This statement was made after the guy repented of his sin. If we fail to treat an unrepentant brother like a "Gentile or a tax-collector" we basically approve of his sin by our friendliness and he will feel no need to change.
Secondly, I want to say a couple things about the statement, "where two or three are gathered." I've been quoted this verse, completely out of its context of course, by several people in recent weeks. Dave also quoted it to me back in December when I was trying to convince him to come back to church. All of these guys seemed to think that that statement means you don't need to go to church. They interpret it to mean that anytime you're hanging out with your friends, that's good enough, church is unnecessary. Putting the statement in its context pretty much settles the issue. He is not saying we don't need church, he's saying that the church community, even a small segment of the community, has spiritual power from Christ to judge sin. This power, however, would not be accessible if one were not in fellowship with the body! It means exactly the opposite of what they think it means.
Treating someone like a Gentile or a tax-collector means rejecting that person socially. For Jews in that time, Gentile's and tax-collectors were outcasts. Jesus says here that when we corporately judge someone who is in unrepentant sin, that person is judged by God. This is a hugely serious point. There is real spiritual power in the church discipline process.
I comment on this passage here for two reasons. First of all, to take another shot at the erroneous, but apparently very prevalent, notion that being a follower of Jesus means you never confront people with their sin because that would supposedly be unloving. Of course, in reality, love seeks for the purity of its object. Therefore, true love sometimes must confront, but not for the purpose of crushing the person, it is for the purpose of restoring the sinning individual to fellowship with God and the community. As Paul says to the Corinthians with regard to the man he judged in 1 Corinthians 5, "...so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him" (2 Corinthians 2:7-8). This statement was made after the guy repented of his sin. If we fail to treat an unrepentant brother like a "Gentile or a tax-collector" we basically approve of his sin by our friendliness and he will feel no need to change.
Secondly, I want to say a couple things about the statement, "where two or three are gathered." I've been quoted this verse, completely out of its context of course, by several people in recent weeks. Dave also quoted it to me back in December when I was trying to convince him to come back to church. All of these guys seemed to think that that statement means you don't need to go to church. They interpret it to mean that anytime you're hanging out with your friends, that's good enough, church is unnecessary. Putting the statement in its context pretty much settles the issue. He is not saying we don't need church, he's saying that the church community, even a small segment of the community, has spiritual power from Christ to judge sin. This power, however, would not be accessible if one were not in fellowship with the body! It means exactly the opposite of what they think it means.
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