Shepherds Fellowship Pulpit Magazine

Do You Pray? (Tue, 27 Oct 2009)
The following is a timely reminder adapted from an essay by J.C. Ryle, on the vital importance of this oft-neglected spiritual discipline. To read the full essay, click here. I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words, DO YOU PRAY? The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether you have family prayers in your house or not, your relations know. But whether you pray in private or not, is a matter between yourself and God. I beseech you in all affection to attend to the subject I bring before you. Do not say that my question is too close. If your heart is right in the sight of God, there is nothing in it to make you afraid. Do not turn off my question by replying that you say your prayers. It is one thing to say your prayers and another to pray. Do not tell me that my question is unnecessary. Listen to me for a few minutes, and I will show you good reason for asking it. I ask whether you pray, because a habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. All the children of God on earth are alike in this respect. From the moment there is any life and reality about their religion, they pray. Just as the first sign of life in an infant when born into the world is the act of breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying. This is one of the common marks of all the elect of God, “They cry unto him day and night” (Luke 18:1). The Holy Spirit, who makes them new creatures, works in them the feeling of adoption, and makes them cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). The Lord Jesus, when he quickens them, gives them a voice and a tongue, and says to them, “Be dumb no more.” God has no dumb children. It is as much a part of their new nature to pray, as it is of a child to cry. They see their need of mercy and grace. They feel their emptiness and weakness. They can not do otherwise than they do. They must pray.  I have looked carefully over the lives of God’s saints in the Bible. I cannot find one of whose history much is told us, from Genesis to Revelation, who was not a man of prayer. I find it mentioned as a characteristic of the godly, that “they call on the Father” (I Peter 1:17), or “the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 1:2). Recorded as a characteristic of the wicked is the fact that “they call not upon the Lord” (Ps. 14:4). I have read the lives of many eminent Christians who have been on earth since the Bible days. Some of them, I see, were rich, and some poor. Some were learned, and some unlearned. Some were Calvinists, and some were Arminians. Some have loved to use a liturgy, and some to use none. But one thing, I see, they all had in common. They have all been men of prayer. I study the reports of missionary societies in our own times. I see with joy that heathen men and women are receiving the gospel in various parts of the globe. There are conversions in Africa, in New Zealand, in Hindustan, in China. The people converted are naturally unlike one another in every respect. But one striking thing I observe at all the missionary stations: the converted people always pray. I do not deny that a man may pray without heart and without sincerity. I do not for a moment pretend to say that the mere fact of a person’s praying proves is everything about his soul. As in every other part of religion, so also in this, there may be deception and hypocrisy. But this I do say, that not praying is a clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot really feel his sins. He cannot love God. He cannot feel himself a debtor to Christ. He cannot long after holiness. He cannot desire heaven. He has yet to be born again. He has yet to be made a new creature. He may boast confidently of election, grace, faith, hope, and knowledge, and deceive ignorant people. But you may rest assured it is all vain talk if he does not pray. And I say, furthermore, that of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit, a habit of hearty private prayer is one of the most satisfactory that can be named. A man may preach from false motives. A man may write books and make fine speeches and seem diligent in good works, and yet be a Judas Iscariot. But a man seldom goes into his closet, and pours out his soul before God in secret, unless he is in earnest. The Lord himself has set his stamp on prayer as the best proof of a true conversion. When he sent Ananias to Saul in Damascus, he gave him no other evidence of his change of heart than this, “Behold, he prayeth” (Acts 9: 11). Do you wish to find out whether you are a true Christian? Then rest assured that my question is of the very first importance — Do you pray?
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OT Saints Indwelt by the Spirit? Counterpoint (Mon, 26 Oct 2009)
(By Massimo Mollica) On September 23, Mark Zhakevich blogged here at the Shepherd’s Fellowship about the the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit in the OT. On the basis of evidence for regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment in the OT, he concluded that the Holy Spirit indwelt OT saints.  This blog sparked some friendly debate around Grace Community Church as not all around here agreed with Mark’s conclusions. In response, I offer an alternative approach to Mark’s blog. I will offer some preliminary cautions when addressing the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the OT. Then I will highlight some of the weaknesses of Mark’s approach. Finally, I will make the case that the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit is something unique to the New Covenant. Preliminary Caution When understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the OT, one must first let the explicit texts define the Holy Spirit’s OT ministry. Thus, Mark is right in discussing the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit, as that is one of the primary emphases in the OT. Furthermore, if Scripture does not speak explicitly regarding a specific doctrine, then we should be reluctant to emphasize it. I think this is the case with the question of whether or not the Holy Spirit indwelt OT saints. There is not a single text in the OT or the NT that says the Holy Spirit indwelt OT saints. Therefore, at best it is a theological conclusion. It is that very theological conclusion that I question. Weaknesses There are four weaknesses in Mark’s approach that make his conclusions suspect. Prior to highlighting these weaknesses, I want to note that Mark is a personal friend and has been for many years as we grew up together. So, no hard feelings Mark. 1) First, he assumes that because the Holy Spirit regenerated, sanctified, and empowered people in the OT that it means He indwelt them. This is not tight logic. Just because the Holy Spirit had these ministries does not mean that He indwelt the OT saints. In fact, especially in the case of empowerment we must exercise caution because not all who were empowered by the Spirit of God were necessarily believers (i.e. Balaam in Num 24:2).  2)  Second, Mark does not discuss Scriptures unfolding or progressive development of God’s presence among men, which I believe sheds light on the question of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry. 3) Third, when addressing the meaning of John 7:39 and that which is new regarding the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the New Covenant era, Mark contradicts himself. He says that the OT never says that the Holy Spirit functioned to comfort, to witness to Christ, or to glorify Christ. Thus, Mark concludes these are all new roles in the NT era. Using the same logic, Mark should have concluded that the Holy Spirit did not indwell OT saints because the OT never says He did. 4) Finally, Mark does not look to the explicit texts in the NT that actually discuss the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit to see what sort of light they shed on the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the OT. The Holy Spirit’s Indwelling Ministry is Unique to the New Covenant Era As I argue for this position, I want to state up front that I agree with Mark that the Holy Spirit regenerated OT saints, even if the language of regeneration in the OT is a bit anachronistic. This is a safe conclusion from the doctrine of man’s depravity, from the OT use of language regarding the circumcision of the heart, and from Jesus' discussion of the new birth with Nicodemus in John 3. I don’t disagree that that the Spirit empowered people in the OT. I don’t necessarily disagree that the OT believers needed the Spirit for sanctifcation (though I don’t think the OT speaks very clearly to this). I disagree that the three ministries of the Holy Spirit in the OT that Mark discussed--regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment--either together or individually, demand one to believe that the Spirit indwelt OT believers. In Scripture, the dwelling ministry of God among men is unfolded in progressive fashion. In the OT, God’s presence was made known among His people, first in the tabernacle and later in the Temple. In Ezekiel 10, the glory of God departed Israel and the Temple and will return later in the millennium (Eze 43). If you were to ask an OT believer where God dwelt, they would have pointed you to the Temple. They would not have said, “He dwells within men.” In fact, in Ezekiel 36:27, it says that in Israel’s future restoration under the New Covenant, then God would put his Spirit within in them. So, even Ezekiel recognizes that the Holy Spirit did not indwell OT saints. It is significant that one text in the OT that explicitly addresses the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry puts it in the future. When we come to the gospels, God’s presence is made known in the Person of Christ as the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us (John 1:14). However, after the ascension and prior to Christ’s return, the dwelling ministry of God takes on a different form. The dwelling ministry of God in the New Covenant era is manifested through the Holy Spirit’s corporate indwelling of the church (universal - Eph 2; local - 1 Cor 3) and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling individual believers (1 Cor 6:19). This started at Pentecost. The Spirit’s descent at Pentecost parallels the presence of God descending into the tabernacle at the end of Exodus and into Solomon’s Temple in 1 Kings.  Thus, both the church and the individual are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is this “temple” trajectory in biblical theology that Mark’s arguments seem to miss. The indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit in the NT is a step beyond any ministry he had prior to the ascension. To say that the Holy Spirit indwelt saints in the OT is to miss the heightened ministry of the Holy Spirit that started at Pentecost. If Pentecost does not mark a unique transition in the dwelling ministry of God, what exactly does Pentecost represent? Four texts demonstrate that the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit within the individual is unique to the New Covenant.  First, 2 Cor 1:22 links the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit when it says of God, “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”  In Ephesians 1:3-14, The sealing ministry is something unique to the NT believer since it is linked to the eternal salvation purpose of the Triune God in Christ. Thus, the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit is unique to those who are in Christ. Second, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 link our being indwelt by the Holy Spirit with us having been bought with a price. Since Christ’s blood had not yet been shed in the OT, it is difficult to see how the Spirit indwelt them. Third, Romans 8:9-12 expresses the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry in unique relation to his having raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Finally, and most conclusively, in John 14:17 Jesus says that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is something still future when he says, “He abides with you and will be in you.” Jesus describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit with two different verb tenses and two different prepositions. For the disciples at the time Jesus spoke, and presumably OT saints, the Holy Spirit’s ministry was describes as an abiding “with” (grk: para). In the future, when Jesus would send the Spirit, which we know happened at Pentecost following Jesus’ ascension, the Spirit would abide “in” (grk: en) the disciples. Thus, the Spirit did not take up residence within believers until the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Even if the first three texts are not persuasive, the final one is difficult to get around. Combining these four texts, along with a proper understanding of the progressive development of the dwelling place of God makes it a safer conclusion to see the Holy Spirit’s individual dwelling of the believer as something new post-Pentecost.
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Body and Soul (and Spirit?) (Wed, 21 Oct 2009)
(By Mark Zhakevich) What is Man? The constitution of man is presented in two major views: dichotomy and trichotomy. [1]  Dichotomists argue that man consists of body and soul/spirit, while the trichotomists maintain that the man consists of body, soul, and spirit. The distinction lies in the definition of the immaterial part of the person, whether there is any difference between the soul and the spirit. [2]  Based on (1) the Old Testament teaching of man as a unified being, (2) the two part presentation of man in the NT, and (3) the exegesis of 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, the dichotomist understanding is preferred.  OT on Man’s Composition  The first time man appears in the Bible is in Genesis 1:26 where God contemplates the creation of man. This is followed by Genesis 2:7 where God forms man from the dust of the ground and breathes the "breath of life" into him who then becomes a living being.  Only two aspects are described in this passage: the physical and the breath, there is no reference to a third aspect. [3] The primary OT term for man is nephesh, which refers to "'man's total nature, for what he is and not just what he has;'" [4] this term "stands for the entire person." [5]  Solomon affirms the dichotomist understanding of man when he says "the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it (Eccl 12:7, NASB)."  The OT seems to distinguish only between the spiritual and the physical aspects of man without adding a third component.  NT on Man’s Composition  The NT likewise portrays man as possessing a body (soma) and soul/spirit (pneuma/psuche). The former refers to the physical aspect of man; the two latter terms refer to the immaterial.  In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul addresses the topic of sanctification, urging his readers to pursue complete holiness.  He writes: "let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness."  As he explains the areas of the individual that sanctification is to affect, he only mentions two: the spirit and the body.  His point is not that only those two parts should be holy, while the mind and the heart can be perverse, rather, he bifurcates the person into the material and immaterial. [6]  Paul is after holiness and if he delineates only two parts that the individual needs to concentrate on to be entirely holy, the implication is there is no third part; otherwise complete holiness will not be attained.  In John 10:28, Jesus upholds the dual division of man when He encourages His disciples not to "fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Jesus is talking about eternity and one would think if there was another part of a person that might be eternally destroyed by God, Jesus would have mentioned it.  Jesus encapsulates the whole of man's material and immaterial existence in the terms "body" and "soul.”      When the NT mentions "spirit" and "soul," it equates the two terms.  This is seen in Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:46-47 where she says: "my soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."  One option is to interpret soul and spirit as referring to different parts of a person's being, [7] however, the parallel fails when we apply the same rationale to "Lord" and "God," thereby making these terms to be references to two deities.  A better way to interpret this statement is to apply the rules of Hebrew parallelism, "in which the second line repeats the thought of the first but with different words. Just as spirit and soul refer to man's spiritual or rational nature, so Lord and God refer to one Deity." [8]  Mary is not accentuating a fine distinction by referring to soul and spirit; she is merely referring to the same immaterial part of the human being. What about 1 Thessalonians 5:23? Some argue for trichotomy from 1 Thessalonians 5:23 [9] where Paul writes, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Is he referring to another part or is he equating "soul" with "spirit?"  Paul is emphasizing total sanctification of the man (cf. 1 Cor 7:34, 2 Cor 7:1) by compounding synonyms. [10]  In Matthew 22:37, Jesus does the same when he tells the lawyer to love God with all of his heart, soul, and mind.  In Mark 12:29-30, it is written that the individual is to love God with his heart, soul, mind, and strength.  These verses are not attempting to divide man's composition into various parts, rather, they emphasize wholeness.  If division in the person was the focus, then we could derive five or even six parts in the man: body, soul, spirit, mind, strength, and heart.  Jesus, however, is not dissecting the man, rather he is teaching that one's love for God must flow out of every part of the person; the whole being must love God.  Paul uses a similar device in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and prays that the sanctification of the Thessalonians be whole, which includes the material part (body) and the immaterial part (whether it is called spirit or soul).  Complete sanctification is the central issue, not a lesson on the anatomy of a man.  There is a clear parallel with 1 Thessalonians 3:13 where Paul prays for the purity of their hearts.  The heart controls the life of a person, the mind, the intellect and the emotions of a person; all these should be holy.  F. F. Bruce argues that spirit, soul, and body in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 "together give further emphasis to the completeness of sanctification for which the writer prays, but the three together add but little to the sense of ["your hearts"] in 3:13." [11]  Paul piles up synonyms to refer to the totality of a person's being; praying the same prayer in 5:23 and in 3:13, namely that the Thessalonians would be completely blameless at the appearing of Christ. [12] What about Hebrews 4:12? At first glance, it seems that the author of Hebrews 4:12 is calling for a division between spirit and soul.  If that were the case, then the author of Hebrews is listing six different parts of a man, not merely three. [13]  It is better to understand this verse as emphasizing the living Word of God.  The Word of God is so powerful that it is able to reach deep down into the inner parts of a man, call it soul or spirit or mind; it is able to shine light into that deep part.  Nothing is hidden from the penetrating Word of God, "it can scrutinize the innermost thoughts of the human heart." [14]  Grudem comments that "the Word of God is so powerful that it will search out and expose all disobedience and lack of submission to God." [15]  The author of Hebrews is not dissecting the man; [16] rather this verse contains a "rhetorical accumulation of terms to express the whole mental nature of man on all its sides." [17]          Conclusion Not only do the OT texts, but passages in which Jesus, Paul and Mary speak, equate the spirit with the soul.  Even though at first glance 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12 appear to support trichotomy, based on context and to be consistent with the rest of Scripture, it is better to interpret these verses from a dichotomist perspective.  Paul encouraged the believer to pursue the image of Christ in his total being, not merely certain parts.    * * * * * END NOTES: [1] There is a third view, monism, which maintains that man is a single element and his body is the person. Cf. Millard J. Erickson's, Christian  Theology, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1984), 2:524-27. [2] The trichotomist defines the soul as the intellect of man, his emotions, and his will. It is the part that can be yielded either to the service of God or to sin. The spirit however, is a higher faculty in a man, it is the part that "most directly relates to God."  In contrast, Grudem argues that there is no clear difference in the functions of each from a biblical perspective. "Everything that the soul is said to do, the spirit is also said to do and everything that the spirit is said to do, the soul is also said to do."  The spirit and soul are both said to be able to think, display emotions, praise God, and are affected by sin (Cf. Mark 2:8, Mark 7:20-23, Acts 17:6, Matt 26:38, John 4:23, Psa 146:1, 2 Cor 7:1, Jam 1:21).  Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith, ed. by Jeff Purswell (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1999), 193-95.     [3] David P. Scaer, "Theological Observer: Body, Soul, and Spirit," Concordia Theological Quarterly 66/2 (Apr 2002): 168. [4] As quoted in George J. Zemek, A Biblical Theology of the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace (Little Rock, Ark.: B. T. D. S. G., 2002), 14. [5] Waltke, "nephesh," TWOT, 2:590. [6] Cf. 1 Corinthians 7:34 where Paul also discusses holiness and consistent with 2 Corinthians 7:1, he writes: "to be holy in body and spirit." [7] David Scaer notes that trichotomists interpret this statement as a reference to two parts in a human being. David P. Scaer, "Theological Observer," 168. [8] Ibid. [9] For thorough exegesis  on 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and the trichotomy-dichotomy debate, please refer to footnote 13 in William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of Thessalonians, the Pastorals, and Hebrews, NTC (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2004), 146-50.  [10] Grudem, Bible Doctrines, 196. [11] F. F. Bruce, 1&2 Thessalonians, WBC (Waco, Tex.: Word Books, 1982), 130. Cf. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2:539. [12] A.T. Robertson notes that both the verb "preserved" and the adjective "complete" are in singular person, therefore "Paul conceives of the man as 'an undivided whole,' [it is a] prayer for the consecration of both body and soul."  Paul is not emphasizing each individual aspect of man, rather the whole of man's being.  A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6 vols. (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1931), 4:39.   [13] Grudem helpfully notes that "we do not divide joints from marrow, for joints are the places where bones meet, not the places where joints meet marrow." Cf. Grudem, Systematic Theology, 479.  Robert Reymond explains that "'soul' and 'spirit' are both genitives governed by the participle 'dividing,'" therefore, the author is saying that "the Word of God divides the soul, even the spirit" (emphasis his).  Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998), 422.    [14] Harold W. Attridge, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Hermeneia (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989), 135. [15] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 479. [16] "Our author is not concerned to provide  here a psychological  or anatomical analysis of the human constitution, but rather to describe in graphic terms  the penetration of God's word to the innermost depth of man's personality." Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), 165. [17] Quoted in James Moffatt, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, ICC (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1952), 56.  Cf. F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, rev. ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), 113.
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Do We Worship a Bully? (Tue, 20 Oct 2009)
(by Kelly Wright) God’s wrath permeates the pages of Scripture. Its presence cannot be overlooked. The presence of wrath in the Bible has led one author to conclude that: The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, 31) Another author has asked the question, “Who – except for an ancient priest seeking to exert power by the tried and tested means of fear – could possibly wish that this hopelessly knotted skein of fable [The Old Testament] had any veracity?” (Christopher Hitchens, God is not Great, 103). The author of that question was not able to come to terms with his observations of anger displayed by God towards the Israelites and other nations. He was also disturbed by the seemingly inhumane laws given to the people through Moses, “The Bible may, indeed does, contain a warrant for trafficking in humans, for ethnic cleansing, for slavery, for bride-price, and for indiscriminate massacre...” (Ibid., 102). These authors believe that the Bible, and so all contained within it, is a myth. This is a convenient way for them to dismiss any of what the Bible claims, including the description of God’s wrath.  These authors expose the difficulty of understanding the wrath of God. Misconceptions concerning God’s character and His relationship to the world are prevalent. Students of God’s Word must be ready to address the issue of God’s supposed character as a ‘capriciously malevolent bully.’ Scripture does not shy away from revealing the wrath of God but it would seem that many Christians do. “It is sad indeed to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or who at least wish there were no such thing" (Arthur W. Pink, The Attributes of God, 82). Do we worship a bully? In the Old Testament we read of a global flood that kills everyone except one family. Then we stumble upon the ten plagues sent by God against Egypt. Later, Israel is punished for believing the report of the ten fearful spies and are sent to wander in the wilderness for forty years until every person over the age of twenty dies (except Moses, Caleb, and Joshua). The New Testament records the gruesome death of the innocent God-man, Jesus Christ. He lived righteously and never sinned, yet, God put Him to death on the cross. Isaiah 53:10 records, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him.” Acts 2:23 states that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” It was God’s will to crush His son. The death of Jesus Christ was a defined plan of God. Do these realities make God a bully? It is important that we remind ourselves of who God reveals Himself to be in Scripture. The Bible is our source of understanding concerning the nature of God. Three reminders of God’s essence aid us in answering the question about whom we worship. First, God is holy. God’s holiness entails both the aspect of being set-apart as well as being morally pure. Isaiah’s vision of the seraphim reveals that “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).  This song of the seraphim speaks of God’s otherness. God is set-apart from His creation. Isaiah’s vision also reveals God’s moral purity. In v. 5 Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” God’s moral purity is also declared by John, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). God has not sinned, cannot sin, and will not sin. In fact, it is God’s holiness which causes Him to react strongly against sin. Second, God is just. Everything God does is right. No action of His could ever be wrong. Job 37:23, “The Almighty – we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.” God cannot violate the rules that He has established. God’s holiness necessitates that He do what is right, always. God’s justice applies to punishing offenders. God’s law can be summarized this way, “Live holy for I am holy.” Anyone who does not live holy (Romans 3:23 exposes that this is everyone) has earned punishment. Romans 6:23 teaches us that the wages of sin is death. This means that all offenders to God’s law, which is everyone, are deserving of death. Consequence for sin is just. God is as fair for punishing law breakers as human judges are for punishing criminals. Third, God is love. God’s love is one of choice, commitment, and action. Scripture reveals that it is God who first loved us. Love is better appreciated against the reality that we are unlovable. We are rebels, enemies, corpses, and children of wrath; yet God still chose to love us. First John 3:16 teaches us that we know love because Jesus sacrificed His life for us. Jesus was the substitute for us on the cross. He suffered the just reward of our sin, God’s wrath. The death of God’s Son was not an act of bullying, but rather was a sweet display of His sacrificial love. God in His holiness hates sin. God in His justice punishes sin. God in His love settles our sinful debt through the death of His Son. We do not worship a bully. We worship a holy, just, and loving God. Amen and Amen.
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Anxiety Attacked (Mon, 19 Oct 2009)
(by Rich Gregory) Stated most bluntly, a worried pastor is an ineffective pastor.   The logic is simple and irrefutable.   If we worry, we are not trusting God.   If we are not trusting God, then how can we, without hypocrisy, effectively minister His gospel?   Anxiety can be a major problem in our lives and in the lives of those within our ministries.  Health experts tell us that 40,000,000 Americans will endure severe anxiety at some point within their lives.  To round out this shocking number, a full 43% of adults will suffer some kind of adverse health effect related to that stress.   These statistics reveal to us that the problem of anxiety is nothing short of a pandemic within our culture. Most of us don’t think that we could be classified as “worriers,” and yet it is so easy to be caught up in concerns surrounding future, family, and finances.   Even if a level of mastery is gained over these particular areas, then our very ministries themselves can easily become ground zero for additional thoughts of anxiety and worry.   In actuality, we don’t truly need statistics to prove to us that anxiety is a problem.  All that need be done is to simply take an honest look into the dark depths of our own hearts, and we will soon understand the sober actuality of anxiety.   Christ certainly understood this, and frankly addressed the matter in Matthew 6:24-34.  According to the definition of Christ, anxiety is to be defined as any thought regarding my circumstances without the purpose of advancing His kingdom.  In this passage, Christ uses the word merimnaw, a term that means “to divide up” or “to district.”  According to this definition, to be worried is to be distracted from our goal.  That goal, as revealed by the surrounding context of the Sermon on the Mount is to be actively looking for, and seeking to advance the coming Kingdom of God.   Especially for those within the Christ’s service, we cannot afford to be distracted, for, as verse 24 clearly states, no man can serve two masters!  There can be no division of purpose, no “districts” within the mind or the heart.  In short, anxiety is a knife that cuts asunder our loyalties between the pursuit of God and the trivial chase of property, comfort, and influence.  How then, does the believer avoid the distractions that naturally crop up within his or her heart?  Within this passage, Christ gives us three strategies for defeating anxiety.   The first is to cultivate a strong faith.   Christ denounces the disciples in verse 30 because of their worry.  “You men of little faith!”   He tells them not to worry because God will be faithful to preserve them just like He preserves the simple birds of the air.  In addition to His preservation, Christ promises God’s faithfulness in providing for them.  He communicates that if God is willing to clothe the unproductive and quickly fading flowers of the field in a way that is more resplendent than Solomon, then how much more is He willing to clothe His followers?   If God cares for the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion, then how much more is He willing to care for the extraordinary, you and me, in a way that is at the very least, ordinary?     Cultivating a strong faith in God’s ability to preserve and provide is the starting point for defeating anxiety.  Until you trust Him, you cannot release your grasp upon your own life. A second strategy that Christ reveals is to pursue a righteous walk.   He commands those who claim to be His true followers to flee from the comfort of identifying oneself with the pagan Gentile.  The true disciple of Christ does not spend his or her time seeking after iniquity, but rather, as verse 33 reveals, in seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.   A righteous walk that abandons iniquity and pursues purity is important to defeating anxiety.   The person who is consumed with looking to advancing Christ’s kingdom does not worry about the trouble that swirls around them.  They are fixed, for their mind is staid upon Christ.    A third strategy is to develop a holy perspective.  The one who would defeat anxiety is to focus on the immediate and the eternal.  His grace is sufficient for us every day.  As Jeremiah proclaims, “[His mercies] are new every morning, great is your faithfulness!” (Lam. 3:23)  The faithful disciple seeks to impact the immediate for eternity without allowing his focus to wander.  To squander the grace of God that is meant for the real trials of today upon the mirage of impending trouble that might happen tomorrow is foolish, and betrays a wrong perspective.  God is sovereign, we are not, and thus, we have no business seeking to do His job by worrying about what might come our way.   The best way to prepare for what might come tomorrow is to faithfully fulfill our obligations towards Him today.  Even if tomorrow does bring a trial our way, as it very well may, we can still rest assured that tomorrow morning, just like every other morning, the grace of God will be sufficient to meet that new challenge, for it is from Him. The distracted man worries, but the wise man makes his plans and forms his strategy with the object of impacting eternity. In the end, we must defeat anxiety so that we can freely serve God.  This can only happen as we strengthen our faith, walk righteously, and have a holy perspective.   If allowed, anxiety will paralyze our effectiveness in life and ministry.  To allow this to happen is to allow ourselves to be distracted from the goal for which we will someday be held accountable.   We must not fail to advance the Kingdom of God, for that is why we exist, and why we labor.  The future is securely in the hands of Almighty God and cannot be changed.   Armed with that knowledge, we must find our reward in the eternal rather than distractedly scrambling after the temporal.  Stop worrying, and start serving your Master from an undivided heart!
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