The Art Of Bible Study Approach And Technique

"[A]nd there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word" (1 Sam. 3:21, NIV).
"[T]ill what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true [tested him]" (Psa. 105:19, NIV).  
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27, NKJV).
"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law" (Psa. 119:18, NKJV).
"It's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that bother me, it's the parts I do understand." --Mark Twain

NB: It is one thing to know the Scriptures, and quite another to know the Author, as the Bible doesn't so much as describe God as to make Him known.  

We all need to address a problem with a plan of attack and studying the Bible is no easy one for the novice.  Basically, all the rules that apply to any literature also do apply to Scripture, only more so.  The Bible, for instance, is to be taken literally, at face value, but not everything is meant to be literal but as plays on words and figures of speech.  Poetry is usually figurative and not to be taken literally all the time, which is a common mistake; likewise, citing Proverbs as promises you can take to the bank or divine directives is mistaken--all genres must be treated accordingly.  One common error is to interpret the Bible according to our experience; the flip side is correct, though--interpret experience according to the light of the Scripture.  The Bible makes sense and common sense is a basic concept--if common sense makes sense, seek no other sense, or you'll have nonsense, it is said.

The Bible is a library with a coherent theme that forms a complete picture taken as a whole, and to see the big picture one must recognize the storyline, the revelation of Jesus everywhere, and main message, which even a child can comprehend.  Normally, we interpret it as it's written and let Scripture be its own interpreter or Supreme Court.  This means understanding poetry as poetry and narrative as narrative, history as history, etc; i.e., distinguishing genres.  Be careful not to read into the Bible what you already believe and are just looking for proof texts to validate yourself.  We must search for the intended meaning to the recipients and what the author meant, not what it means to us when we see some far-fetched idea from some isolated passage.  Don't look for far-out truths, but try to see the obvious ones first.  Caveat for mysticism:  Note that "no prophecy is of any private interpretation" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20), and God isn't going to show you unique, or personal truths that no one else knows as some special revelation--He reveals truth to the body of Christ and the church in particular to confirm it.  "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life..." (cf. Deut. 32:47, ESV).

The Bible is meant to change our lives, not increase our knowledge and it will keep us from sin, or sin will keep us from it.  We must apply ourselves to the study of the Word, and be in the right spirit, frame of mind, having an open, willing, and obedient attitude. We need to be like Ezra, who "prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD," (cf. Ezra 7:10).  God's Word will test you and it's what sanctifies us as Jesus called it truth (cf. Psalm 105:19; John 17:17).  Don't think it needs to be rewritten, it just needs to be reread, for you don't read it once and put it on the shelf. Even Lincoln said he was profitably engaged in reading the Bible!  We need to be like Paul said, "The Word is very near you...."  Paul urged Timothy to give himself wholly to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Tim. 4:15).

Remember, when reading, that the entirety of God's Word is truth (cf. Psalm 119:160), and this means the sum of it, and you cannot divorce or isolate Scripture to suit your private interpretations.  What would the reader have understood? That means don't try to apply ex-post facto standards or laws to Bible times, but interpret according to the time written and don't fit it into politically correct norms.  The whole purpose of reading is to see the world through the spectacle of God's Word and get a Christian worldview, experiencing the mind of Christ and thus be sanctified by the Truth.  It is said the Bible is our beacon, our celestial fix, our heavenly GPS, and our guidance system for life; however, it's much more than a rule book or set of instructions or code to live by--we experience God in the Word and find that He speaks through it.

One key to reading, as with all reading, is to do it with purpose and have the right attitude:  a needy heart, a willing spirit, and an open mind.  God will show us "Aha!" moments in the Word if we do this. We learn to experience the living God in the living Word!  No need to get Bible fatigue, or boredom from overuse of familiar versions, try new ones!  When we learn to see Jesus in the Word, we can rightly divide the Word of Truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15), as exhorted; the whole of Scripture is about Him in some fashion.

The most common mistake is to take texts out of context and get a pretext, even when using it as a proof text. As is the case with all reading, common sense, grammar, logic, diction, syntax, and the rules of inference and allusion or quotation apply.  Don't read into the text (eisegesis) with preconceived notions and opinions just looking for verifications!  You must be willing to go where the Truth leads and be willing to admit you could be wrong!  There is no such thing as total or perfect objectivity but this is no excuse not to have sound study technique and habits.

In studying it, be sure to interpret narratives or history in light of didactic or teaching passages, implicit in light of explicit, obscure and unclear in light of the clear, and also don't forget that we interpret the New Testament in light of the Old Testament and vice versa--never dividing what God has progressively revealed and joined (cf. Mark 10:9). A caveat for Gnosticism or mysticism:  Don't individualize it or think it applies especially to you and no others or there is some secret message or knowledge to be had.  It is easy to take a mere academic approach or to over-spiritualize, allegorize (see it merely as a tall tale and only a practical lesson to be learned), or be guilty of subjectivism (inserting personal opinion and feelings).

For example, seeing the story of Job as merely a grin and bear it, or David and Goliath as standing up to your foes; or the feeding of the multitude as being prepared.  Even though some passages are allegorical, such as Sarah and Isaac and Ishmael, but we must see the deeper meaning of what is intended, that which only the Holy Spirit can illuminate.  Thus, there is grave danger in negligence of the author's intent and concentrating on your immediate impression.  In other words, we don't read it like we would Aesop's Fables for the moral of the story, that we could learn from any fictional source.  We can expect "the day to dawn and the morning star to arise in [our] hearts" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).

There's more than one way to skin a cat:  Do word studies traced through the Word; look for the big picture and see the main message gradually revealed from book to book; take on a subject and see the entire Word develop the doctrine, known as topical study; trace the development of a doctrine; study one book at a time or certain genres of books; study by genre, such as poetry, proverb, history, prophecy, law, and gospel; do an exegesis of one text and analyze it critically, in context, to decipher its message in detail, or do expository studies to reveal and expose truths needed to be discovered,  broadcast, or disseminated.

In sum, we take Scripture at face value (the Bible does engage in symbolism and Jesus didn't always beat around the bush though) and take it according to the whole analogy of the Word and we cannot fabricate our own truths; we have a right to our own opinions and applications, but not our own truths. 

CAVEAT:  We need to steer clear of being mystical and interpreting passages with private meanings that others don't see; i.e., wondering what it means to us, not what the writer intended and what the recipient understood--the Bible isn't a fairy tale or bedtime story.    Soli Deo Gloria!

When No Man Can Work

"But I said, 'I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.  Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God'" (Isa. 49:4, NIV).  "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me..." (Psalm 138:8, ESV).  "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4, ESV).

The night will come when labor ceases and no man can work (cf. John 9:4), and evaluation or judgment takes place, the reward according to our deeds.  Some people of great faith made good on it and produced labors worthy of their God-given faith, which was God's gift to them, not their gift to God, just like our righteousness is by grace.  We are all here for a purpose to fulfill and if the bugle doesn't give a distinct call, no one will be ready for battle (cf. 1 Cor. 14:8). The psalmist said that the LORD will fulfill His purpose for him (cf. Pss. 138:8; 57:2).  We are all here for a reason and we must find our calling to be fulfilled persons in the will of God.

The only happy people, according to Albert Schweitzer, are those who've learned to serve.  It is in serving that we find our mission; only those who've never ventured out of their comfort zones and tried to serve don't know of any spiritual gift or grace from God.  We must even serve if we don't think it's our gift and make ourselves available, for availability is the greatest ability.  God does indeed call us to faithfulness in what He does bestow and not to success, which is up to Him to make the seed grow and provide life.

Paul was aware that he must suffer many things for the sake of the cross.  The more God blesses us, the more is expected from us, for to whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48).  Paul said, "The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me" (Acts 20:24, NCV).  It may seem that our work is in vain, but Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:58 that no work done in the name of the Lord is in vain.

Sometimes we don't comprehend the purpose of our efforts or the seeming fruitlessness, and it all seems in vain, as Isaiah said in Isa. 49:4 that his work seemed "useless."  This is merely a test of faith to see what our true motives and intentions are, just as God withdrew from Hezekiah to see what was on his heart (cf. 2 Chron. 32:21).  It has been proven that a person can endure nearly any trial if he sees purpose in it; Job was put on trial for no fault of his own and shows us the ultimate in patience in testing and the lesson that God is always just in the end and will reward us for the year the locust has eaten (cf. Joel 2:25) or make it up to us for the bad years with good ones (cf. Psalm 90:15.  We are never in a no-win situation with God and it always pays to trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding (cf. Prov. 3:5).

The most rewarding epitaph we can have is "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"  To know that the Lord will be pleased with our labors and that we will be deemed good and faithful servants of what He entrusted us with is an intrinsic reward in itself.  True holiness, according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, is doing the will of God with a smile!  We are formed to serve God and can only find fulfillment in doing that; a "non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms," according to Rick Warren.  When we leave to our reward let us be like Jesus, who said, "I have finished the work You have given me to do" (cf. John 17:4).

We were created to be servants and will only find fulfillment in finding service!  Even Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (cf. Mark 10:45).  We don't serve to be noticed or to make a name for ourselves, but to bring glory to God and to do it in His name!   Many people are willing to serve, but for the wrong motive--we must be pure before God and do it by the power of the Spirit, as Zechariah 4:6 says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit."

We must be willing to keep a low profile and not draw attention to ourselves when the real glory belongs to God.  Some people are merely people-pleasers or work with eye service to gain the approbation of man, like to curry favoritism, but we must focus on the eternal goal and serve in light of eternity, where we will be rewarded--for some, their reward and portion is in this life (cf. Psa. 17:14).   See yourself as a special agent of God on special assignment or in the secret service!  Remember we are created unto good works and are expected to fulfill the mission assigned us faithfully, which was even foreordained for us and planned out by God (cf. Eph. 2:10).

The right mental attitude is one of excellence and of doing our best for the Lord, for there is a curse on one who does the Lord's work with slackness (cf. Jer. 48:10).   We ought to have the frame of mind to do our utmost for His Highest.  It's all right to have godly ambition, but "selfish ambition" is forbidden and worldly, not spiritual (cf. Jer. 45:5; Phil. 2:3).  In other words, do not "seek great things" for yourself, but look out for the Lord's interests and expect big things from Him as you attempt big things [plans or projects] for Him, as William Carey said.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Nature Versus Nurture 2?

"If God does not exist, all things are permissible." --Fyodor Dostoevsky 

This was a great debate a few years ago in the discipline of psychology, and even of sociology.  What if it's neither (i.e., nature nor nurture)?  They left out one important possibility or factor to insert into the equation as a constant and/or variable, a key player but ultimately sovereign, and a given:  God. Don't rule God out!  What if God says we are to blame?  But we are the clay and God is the Potter and guides the details of our lives.  Christianity is a type of psychology too and does offer real solutions, if taken seriously, to behavior issues, and offers counseling to help troubled individuals with unresolved personal problems and issues, or in some cases salvation, if they are lost.

Two people can react quite differently to the same stimuli or tragedy with divergent results: it's not what happens to you but in you that counts!  The same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay and the same hammer that forges steel and breaks the glass.  We all react according to our God-given nature and either become bitter or better for we are all mere clay in God's hands as our Potter.  Our worldview affects greatly how we interpret our world and react to it; it's not a matter of faith versus reason, but which set of presuppositions we accept as fact. Everyone has faith, even the secular person can have faith in science as the answer to problems.  God thus orchestrates our life to make us what we are.

No God means no sin as Albert Camus said, "The absurd is sin without God." We do well to heed the admonition of psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger's book Whatever Became of Sin?  This means we are responsible for our choices!   But guilt (from this sin) is real and cannot be denied--it can dog us all our lives, but it can be good to feel bad and it's therapeutic, forcing self-examination and soul-searching, though there is psychological guilt that is imagined and cruel, and this must be dealt with to bring healing to the soul, i.e., there's ultimate meaning in all suffering.  Note it was Freud who popularized the notion of a "guilt complex."  Perhaps we feel guilty because we are guilty!  We're fighting God!  We all make choices!  You simply cannot blame your genes for your bad behavior or weaknesses, they are sins--this is just inventing pretty names for them! You have no right to claim:  I was born this way!  It's a cop-out to blame the environment, family, upbringing, or society (the first sin was committed in the idyllic place known as the Garden of Eden), but we should never be in the blame game, period.

Sin is our fault and we are culpable!  We shall be judged if we do not find the mercy of God.  Sin is only a sign of the virus inherited from Adam and everyone has it.  Yes, no one is perfect nor can they put themselves on a pedestal.  We must assume individual responsibility and come clean.  Sir Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA, said we are "not pawns of our genes," and therefore we cannot play the blame game.  Scientists do say that some people are more vulnerable than others and it's only stressors that trigger illnesses, but that is the case with all sin--some may be more vulnerable to committing rape or murder, but they are still going to be judged and are responsible.

Why?  Because God's grace is sufficient and can change us from having hearts of stone to hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek. 36:26) and regenerate us into new creatures (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).  Christ is still in the resurrection business and changes lives!  The biggest miracle that cannot be denied is how He transforms sinners into saints!  We all have the opportunity to repent and believe in the gospel and if we turn our back on Christ and harden our hearts, it's our blame, not our genes nor our environment--there's no excuse, period!   Yes, we are worse off, but not too bad to be saved!  No one is too far gone.  Some people just need to come to an end of themselves to realize their need for grace in their lives, and that they aren't in control as the master of their fate and captain of their soul.  God can conquer anyone and is stronger than we are (cf. Jer. 20:7).

It's been postulated by John Locke, et al., that children are born with a tabula rasa (are blank slates), not prone to evil, but inherently or intrinsically good, merely spoiled or corrupted by the impure environment, which is to blame (favoring the nurture in the debate). This erroneous hypothesis arises from eliminating God from the equation and refusing to factor Him into consideration--it's a cop-out!  Where you start determines where you'll end up--this is a recipe for psychological chaos (for cosmos without Logos, the expression of God, the logic of God is chaos) and makes all scientific endeavor futile.  We must begin with God and explain our problem and not with the problem and explain away God!

What is the solution then?  Only in genuine repentance and saving faith in Christ, acknowledging our guilt before a holy God, seeking reconciliation, as we are personally culpable before God, to deliver us from the power of sin over us--though we must live with the consequences they are neutralized and turned to our benefit and overall blessing.  Remember, God will discipline the wayward child who persists in living a life of sin without repentance and will not countenance it.  To just make excuses or shift the blame only compounds the problem and evades the issue.  The missing link in the equation is that we're created in God's image and there's something about us that is like God, and we need to find out what it means to be human.  All worldviews must contemplate what's wrong with man--some only learn by the school of hard knocks. Soli Deo Gloria!

Have Thine own way, Lord!
Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after will,
While I am waiting yielded and still.
--famous gospel hymn, public domain

The Way Up Is Down

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, NASB).
"Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you" (James 4:10, ESV).
NB:  A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms, for Christ came to serve (cf. Mark 10:45).  
"... [T]he straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie" (John 1:27, NIV).

In God's economy, the way up is down, so to speak, because humility comes before honor; God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (cf. 1 Pet. 5:5; James 4:6).  John was inclined to put this into action by demurring to baptize Jesus, saying he wasn't worthy to untie Jesus' sandals, and ultimately said, "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30, NIV).  

Jesus humbled Himself ultimately to the point of death on a cross, but on the eve of the Passover celebration, the Seder, He took a towel to do some foot-washing--demonstrating that nothing should be beneath us if we have a servant's attitude and heart, i.e., menial chores. This can be called the order of the towel whereby we serve one another in the body, for there is no elite in the church but we are all members one of another and family. No one is indispensable in the sense of not being replaceable gift-wise in the body, and we are all necessary for the body to be healthy.

Jesus is the supreme exemplar of servanthood, for He emptied Himself (kenosis in Koine). He took on our infirmities and limitations as man and stood in the gap experiencing our pain in order to be able to sympathize and intercede for us as our High Priest in heaven.  We are exhorted to think of ourselves as Christ thought of Himself--to be of the same mind (cf. Phil. 2:5). Everyone wants to be Number One in the kingdom, but Jesus stated that the first shall be last (cf. Mark 9:35)!  

Greatness in God's economy is not measured by how many people serve you, but by how many you serve!  Real servanthood is when we forget ourselves long enough to lend a helping hand (cf. Phil. 2:4, MSG), and make a difference in the world for the good. No one serves in obscurity, for God sees in secret and will reward us in time.

John Wesley's motto was an example to emulate:  "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."  Servants make themselves available and see open doors and opportunities to use whatever God has entrusted them to as stewards.  Don't ever say that you are a limited servant and cannot make yourself useful when there's a need: if you see a man in a ditch, pull him out--don't say you don't have the gift of "helps!"   Matt. 10:42 says that even offering a cup of cold water for the sake of the Name will not go unrewarded.  When we've done it to the least of His brethren, we've done it unto the Lord (cf. Matt. 25:40).

In God's economy, it's not how much we can exalt ourselves or play the fool, it's how low we can go, for the kingdom of God goes to the lowest bidders--we must realize our unworthiness.  "... He that humbles himself shall be exalted, "(cf. Matt 23:12).  We ought not to think of ourselves any more highly than we ought (cf. Rom. 12:3).  "Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited" (Rom. 12:16). 

Caveat:  Do not imitate Diotrephes (cf. 3 John), who loved to be first and lord it over the flock, but be examples of having the mindset of a servant, i.e., of Christ.   A final word to the wise:  He who humbles himself shall be exalted!      Soli Deo Gloria! 

Loving Darkness Or Light?

"I form light and create darkness..." (Isa. 45:7, ESV).
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5, ESV).
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4, NIV).
"The unfolding of your words gives light..." (Psa. 119:130, NIV).  
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light, we see light" (Psa. 36:9, NIV).
"Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me" (Psa. 43:3, NIV).
"I selected and sent you to bring light and my promise of hope to the nations" (Isa. 42:6, CEV).

This is the verdict:  men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil, and refused to come to the light, lest their deeds are exposed (cf. John 3:19). Woe to those who put light for darkness and darkness for light (cf. Isa. 5:20).  Coming to the light is the same as coming to Jesus and coming clean.  There is just enough light to see if one wants to and enough darkness to keep those in the dark who wish to stray there and not come to the light (cf. John 7:17).

It's true that seeing isn't believing, but believing is seeing because we believe in order to understand according to Augustine.  No one is in total darkness (cf. Acts 14:17), but there is always a light to show the way for those who might repent.  We all experience darkness on occasion because we shouldn't "... doubt in the dark what God told [us] in the light (attributed, Raymond Edman).  Jesus came to bear witness of the light and enlightened every man.  When we see the light, our lives are transformed, on a mission, and we see Jesus in action.

The reason we can't see God, who is Light, and dwells in unapproachable light (cf. 1 Tim. 6:16), is because we cannot even bear to look into the sun, one of His creations, much less see His glory.  There is no darkness with God (cf. 1 John 1:5).  It has been told of a man who lived in a dark cave and when he went outside was afraid of the light and went back into the dark cave where he felt secure and unseen.  Newsflash:  God sees in the darkness and nothing is hidden from Him (cf. Psa. 90:8). When we get saved we see the light and our spiritual eyes are opened, especially in reading the Bible.

Christians are called to be lights and not to hide our light but to let it shine and change the world with it collectively.  We are the light of the world (cf. Matt 5:14).  We are to be children of light, putting off the works of darkness, and to act like it as God's ambassadors (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20), and witnesses to a dark, fallen world that doesn't see the way, doing works of light.  Our light is equated with truth (cf. John 3:21, "he that doeth truth cometh to the light"), and Amos accuses the people of "twisting the truth and stomping on justice"--the same thing is occurring today as we see Postmodern worldviews becoming predominate and people not even knowing what truth is, much less what a lie is--they seem to think that truth is what they prefer to believe or what works for them, and another person's truth has no power over them because it's all relevant.

It is unfortunate, as James Russell Lowell says:  "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne."  There seem to be no truths anyone is willing to die for anymore. Hosea 5:6 says that when people refuse the light, it's withdrawn from them.  It is only by God's grace that we acknowledge the truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25) and the highest regard is to be well spoken of by the truth (cf. 3 John v. 12).  It is the truth that sets us free (cf. John 8:32), referring to knowing the Lord, for Augustine said "all truth is God's truth" and Aquinas added that "all truth meets at the top," to discover the truth is to discover the God of truth in some manner.

We are to walk in the truth, or in the light figuratively because the Word of Truth is what sanctifies us (cf. John 17:17).  God is light and in Him is no darkness, and therefore there is no fellowship between light and darkness and we are to come out from it and be separate or holy.  "Come, ... let us walk in the light of the LORD" (Isa. 2:5, NIV). When we walk and abide in the light, even as Christ is in the light, we have sweet fellowship with one another (cf. 1 John 1:7).

The fool walks in darkness though (cf. Eccl. 2:14), so we must show the way and be lights in a dark world, putting on the armor of light (cf. Rom. 13:12).  If we say we are in the light, we ought to walk in the light (1 John 2:9ff).  "The LORD is my light and my salvation..." (Psa. 27:1, NIV):  everyone needs to see the light.  

In summation, let's fulfill the Word of God in Isa. 60:1, NIV, saying, "[A]rise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has come upon you."   It's a known, undisputed fact among believers that the closer you get to the light, the more imperfections are seen.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Where Is Boasting Then?

"[Y]ou who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar [nothing] and say, Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?" (Amos 6:13, NIV).
"... [A]ll we have accomplished is really from you" (Isa. 26:12, NIV).
"But, the one who brags, should brag in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17, CEB).
"For who makes you different from anyone else?  What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor. 4:7, NIV).
"My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name." --Edward Mote

We must come to the eventual realization that we have nothing to boast of in God's eyes--our righteousness is not our gift to God, but His gift to us (cf Isaiah 45:24)!  If we choose to boast, Jeremiah makes the point:  Let it be done in the Lord, that we know Him.  Israel had a problem with pride in their conquering of lands in Amos 6:13; however, God said it was nothing they had done at all.  Paul stresses that he would boast of nothing but of what Christ had done through him as a vessel of honor (cf. Rom. 15:18):  "I will not venture to speak of anything but of what Christ has accomplished through me..." (NIV).

It would've been a temptation for Paul to boast since he had nearly single-handedly converted the Roman empire through his missionary journeys, and he didn't even brag of his visit to the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2). But Paul was forced to be braggadocio (cf. 2 Cor. 12:1) because he was defending the integrity of his credentials and ministry.  But the difference with his boast is that he knew it was all grace from beginning to end, grace was not only sufficient but necessary!  Just as Jesus said in John 15:5 that we can do nothing apart from Him.  Paul seized the day (carpe diem in Latin) and foretold of his weaknesses, not his strengths or accomplishments--for God is not interested in our achievements as much as our faithfulness and obedience! 

What we have accomplished must be done for the sake of the Name and in the power of the Holy Spirit or anointed by God to be worthy of reward.  Paul wasn't against good works at all, even his own, just those done in the energy of the flesh (cf. Rom. 8:7-8).  No matter how great, they are not good enough to boast of. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (cf. Isa. 64:6).  Paul was ready to embrace the grace that was his and that God always met his needs and when he had God, Paul had the confidence that he had all he needed.  God reminded Paul after he had prayed to have the thorn in his flesh removed that God's grace is sufficient for him--God knows our limits and strengths too (this evidently kept him from getting a big head!). 

Why boast of our weaknesses, as Paul suggested?  Because God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and not many mighty are called by God for this reason--God's power can use anyone and empower him to His glory. God likes to use ordinary men like the twelve were.  The lesson goes that the weaker we are, the greater the grace that is manifest and thus the greater glory for God.  We are never to play one-upmanship and try to compare ourselves with each other by some common, invented scale. 

The more we learn to lean on Jesus the more we credit Him for our deeds and realize that it is by the grace of God that we are what we are, as Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:10.  George Whitefield was asked about a criminal going to the gallows and remarked:  "There but for the grace of God go I!"  This is the right attitude: that we are no more worthy than anyone else and cannot merit our salvation or even being used by God as a vessel of honor. 

It is so important that we become grace-oriented and realize that we don't deserve our relationship with God (we have no claim on His friendship), we cannot earn salvation, and will never be able to pay it back.  Christ is the one who paid the penalty He didn't owe for a people who couldn't pay.  When we realize that the price is of infinite value we will awaken to the value of the grace of God on our behalf:  IT IS FINISHED! or PAID IN FULL!   It is done!   Praising God and worship are a form of boasting in the Lord and giving Him the glory He deserves, although we share in it and will be glorified in eternity (cf. 1 Pet. 5:10; Psa. 84:11; Rom. 8:30) just as Christ is in us for the hope of glory (cf. Col. 1:27).

Worship, though, belongs to Him alone, for He is worthy and has paid the price by His blood, obedience, submission, and humiliation for our salvation.  God will get all the credit for our salvation (to God alone be the glory, Soli Deo Gloria!), from beginning to end, start to finish, as the author and finisher of our faith (cf. Heb. 12:2), because it's a work of God in us, not of cooperation, or a joint adventure, but of the grace of regeneration to convert us from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek. 36:26). 

Note that even our faith is the gift of God, it's not merit-based work, for we have "believed through grace," according to Acts 18:27.  At judgment hopefully, we will gleefully sing the hymn, "Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling."   Soli Deo Gloria! 

A Salvation Par Excellence

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share..." (Jude v. 3, NIV).
HEADLINE:  HARDENED CRIMINAL PARDONED; JUDGE ADOPTS HIM AND INVITES HIM INTO HIS HOME!  
"Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray" (Isaiah 35:8, NKJV).

Our salvation is as good as it gets!  It's God's magnum opus--a miracle in its own right!  The greatest miracle is one's salvation or transformation into a new person in Christ.  No one could improve on it or imagine a better deliverance; forgiveness is just the beginning--we are justified and adopted, then sanctified and finally glorified.  Jesus saved us--He did; He keeps us--He does; He's coming for us--He will!  Our salvation is one of position (justification), condition (sanctification), and expectation (glorification).  

It began in eternity past, is realized in time, and will be completed in eternity future.  Another viewpoint shows Jesus delivering us from the ignorance and awareness of sin as our prophet, from the penalty and guilt of sin as our priest, from the power and dominion of sin as our king, and ultimately from the presence of sin itself.  Our salvation provides us peace with God, purpose in life, power over sin, and meaning and purpose in life, and pardon for our wrongdoing, restoring the image of God in us as a work in progress called sanctification, culminating in glorification or Christlikeness.

"[H]ow shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?  [God sees us as saved or lost and in need of intervention]  This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him"  (Heb. 2:3, NIV, emphasis mine).  The complete Trinity partakes, gets involved, and into the act of our salvation:  the Father purposes, authors, and plans it; the Son secures, reveals, and accomplishes it; and the Spirit applies, completes, and executes it!  If you could be the author of a new and improved plan, you would be wiser than God!  It is so great because our total depravity was so bad and our inability to work our way to heaven fell so short; if we had to do anything, we'd fail!  It took the infinite sacrifice of the God-man on our behalf to do a perfect work.

However, we are still addicted to doing something for our salvation (cf. John 6:28; Acts 16:30) because we're works-oriented.  Salvation is purely the work of God in our souls as He kindles and awakens faith within us, regenerating us--the Reformed gospel is that "salvation is of the Lord," like Jonah cried out in Jonah 2:9, meaning it's not "of man alone", nor "of man and God", but solely "of God."  It is not a cooperative or joint effort with God, but a divine work of God in us (i.e., it's not synergistic, but monergistic).  Only in the scenario of God's work alone can assurance be assured!

Just think:  Our past is forgiven; our present is given meaning; our future is secured!  Or you could say our salvation is past, present, and pending.  It's surely a done deal and there's nothing to add to it or we would be insulting God.  You could also say that we are saved, are being saved, and will be saved!  We must never lose track of the fact that our whole being is depraved (heart, mind, and will), and needs salvation.  God starts by making the unwilling willing (cf. Psa. 51:12; Phil. 2:13), and wooing the most stubborn of hearts.

If someone asks you if you are saved, ask them from what and see if they know.  We are saved from the wrath of God, the devil, and even our own old sin nature--our flesh.  We are rescued from the Lord, by the Lord!  Don't forget:  the entire subject matter of the Holy Scripture is salvation and what God has done to secure it for us, not what we are to do to try to save ourselves.  It is, therefore, given, not achieved, because it's a gift received through an act of grace, not merit.  No matter what, we don't deserve it, cannot earn it, add to it, nor can we ever pay it back.

There are four aspects of our salvation:  we are redeemed as Jesus pays the price of our salvation from the slave market of sin; we are justified when righteousness is exchanged in God's court of law; we are reconciled back to fellowship with God's family, and God is propitiated as God's wrath is averted in His temple.  There's much more than just being forgiven or getting a ticket out of hell.  Our salvation shows us the more abundant life in Christ: "Without the way, there's no going; without the truth, there's no knowing; and without the life, there's no living," (according to St. Thomas a Kempis)!

The most wonderful revelation is when one realizes he cannot lose it and its permanency as a state of grace.  Remember, God didn't have to save anyone, or it would be justice; however, He chose us when we didn't choose Him.  This divine work of God was His rescue operation extraordinaire and will be consummated in glory where our works are evaluated and rewarded at the bema of Christ.  We are transformed by the Holy Spirit from being as bad off and depraved as we possibly can be into eventual Christlikeness into being like Him as a contrast.  Our salvation makes us what we were intended to be:  complete in Christ (cf. Col. 2:10)!

The problem is twofold:  sin and sins.  Legalists only see certain sins that offend them, but the real root of the problem is our old sin nature and how sin not only enslaves us but alienates us from God and others.  Sin is defined as a virus and our birthright from Adam and our Declaration of Independence from God.  Albert Camus said, "The absurd is sin without God," and Dostoevsky said, "Without God all things are permissible."  We must realize that all sin is primarily against God and offends His holiness, and sin cannot be in God's presence. We can have our best possible life now with the abundant life or life to the full just as Jesus promised in John 10:10.

Point in fact:  God forgives all our sins:  past, present, future (cf. Psalm 103:3; Acts 3:19; Isa. 43:25)!  We can only lose fellowship, not our relationship! Salvation in toto is deliverance from what we are (our sin nature), as well as forgiveness from what we've done (our sins), thus restoring a right relationship to our Maker.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Performance-oriented Christians

"For Christ's love compels us..." (2 Cor. 5:14, NIV). 
"He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly" (2 Chron. 25:2, NIV)--the epitaph of Amaziah
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25, NIV).

The Christian life is not a test to compare ourselves with others (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12); however, God is testing where our loyalties lie and our motives.  We tend to become performance-minded and think that it all depends upon our personal efforts and goals; however, it's more trusting than trying if you will; e.g., "I wonder who the best preacher, singer, or writer is?"  Some Christians try too hard and never learn to let go and let God take over in faith.  That is the essence of faith:  reliance and trust;  it's not being rules-obsessed as the Pharisees were.

Christ is at work within us and gives us the power to live the obedient Christian life--for without Him, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5).  However, God is always working within us (cf. Phil. 2:13).  The Christian life, they say, is not hard--it's impossible! It's not a code of conduct, a system of ethics to live by, or philosophy to embrace, but a relationship in knowing a person--the unique personhood of Christ indwelling us.  We aren't presenting a creed to believe or recite, but a person to know!  The wonderful thing about our faith is that Christ gives us the power to live it out for Him and we don't have to rely on our own strength; we don't achieve, we believe!

We can never achieve the perfection of the Father, though that is the goal--direction is the test and perfection is the standard (cf. Matt. 5:48) that we will never meet in this life short of glory.  We must learn as Paul said in Gal. 2:20 that the Christian life is not a successful life of imitating Christ, but an exchanged life of Christ living in us--the substituted, surrendered and relinquished life only Christ can offer.  Some people try too hard and never achieve this trust that we must rely on the Holy Spirit for renewal to come (cf. Job 14:14). This is why it's ill-advised to compare ourselves with other believers because they don't have the same gifting or calling and are accountable to God not us for fruit-bearing.  We plant, water, and reap; however, God makes it grow--what a concept!  A fruit tree doesn't require effort to bear fruit, it comes naturally!  And so when we are filled with the Spirit, fruit comes second nature and we are not trying to bear fruit, but do so naturally.

We must learn to walk with Christ in the Spirit and to rely on His strength, not ours.  Strong people are the last to learn to lean on Jesus because they don't have the weaknesses that weaker believers have, who more readily learn to surrender and live in the Spirit.  A fruitful life is giving back to the Lord what He has invested in us and letting God have His way with us, giving up ownership of our lives to the One who bought us.  We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our Lord for His redemption of us and we must trust Him to guide and use us for His glory.

We will be tested and can pass with flying colors if Jesus is ruling our spirit and we are walking with Him, but we inevitably will learn our lesson somehow, either through the school of hard knocks or the easy way--via the Word of God.  There will be no braggadocio at the bema of Christ, but God fully rewards us for the work He accomplishes through our willing obedience. It has been well said that we are Christ's ambassadors:  His feet to go for Him; His hands to help others; His voice to speak for Him; His ears to listen and hear for Him, and His heart to love for Him.

The final test of our efforts are not the results, for they are up to God, but our submission--God gets the glory as we are vessels of honor and He is using us to glorify Himself--it is wrong for a minister, after a sermon, to ask, "How did I do?" for it was the Holy Spirit at work through the sermon that brought conviction and opened hearts!  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 1979 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, now canonized, says God calls us to faithfulness, not success.

Obedience is the only true test of our faith, as Bonhoeffer said: "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  Disobedient Christians are a contradiction in terms--we can fall short and disobey, but not permanently--we must live lives in line with the Spirit's leading, for those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God (cf. Rom. 8:14).

We should emulate King David who did what was right in the sight of the LORD (cf. 1 Kings 15:5), Joshua and Caleb who followed the LORD wholeheartedly (cf. Josh. 14:8), and even King Hezekiah who earnestly sought the LORD and worked wholeheartedly (cf. 2 Chron. 31:21) because the eyes of the LORD are everywhere looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9) in the manner of serving God with gusto and with all our might!  This may mean going the extra mile and being willing to go all the way with the LORD no matter what the cost.  

We should emulate King David who did what was right in the sight of the LORD (cf. 1 Kings 15:5), Joshua and Caleb who followed the LORD wholeheartedly (cf. Josh. 14:8), and even King Hezekiah who earnestly sought the LORD and worked wholeheartedly (cf. 2 Chron. 31:21) because the eyes of the LORD are everywhere looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9) in the manner of serving God with gusto and with all our might! This may mean going the extra mile and being willing to go all the way with the LORD no matter what the cost.

Therefore, we must desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (cf. Phil. 3:10).  The essence of the Christian life is simply "Christ"--without Him, it's disemboweled. One can illustrate it by an "inhabited life", not an "imitated" one.  In the final analysis, God doesn't want our performance or even achievements--He wants our obedience and full surrender so He can do with us whatever He wills to His glory and live through us (cf. Isa. 43:7).   

Caveat:  Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried (G. K. Chesterton).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Christ Is Risen--That's History!

"To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3, ESV).
"But when the fullness of time had come..." (Gal. 4:4, ESV).

To celebrate Resurrection Sunday, known as Easter:  
The typical greeting:  "Christ is risen!" followed by:  "He is risen, indeed!"
But is He risen in you?

"Philosophers have only interpreted the world differently; the point is, however, to change it."--Karl Marx  

It's a fact of history that Christ rose from the dead, and rose Himself at that.  To dispute, this is to be in a state of denial!  Any unbiased jury would render this verdict, given the compelling, circumstantial, historical evidence.  In fact, it is arguably the best-attested fact in antiquity.  Some may feel that secular historians are not as biased as theologians and Bible scholars (everyone is biased for there is no such thing as perfect objectivity), but there were more than 500 eyewitnesses to this event and every type of evidence that would be required in a court of law to be valid--the jury is still out all right, but on the skeptics as to their foolishness, not the wisdom of the believers who have nothing to fear from new revelation or the facts.

They say that to believe in the resurrection is mere history and even the demons believe and tremble (cf. James 2:19), but to take it to heart is salvation!  One must have more than story-book belief or head knowledge to get saved but must believe with all one's heart.  In other words, one must not only be a seeker of the truth but a lover of it or have the right attitude.  Romans 10:10 says that one believes with one's heart and is saved, as the GOOD NEWS TO PREACH!  Christians don't just know the truth, they live it and love it (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10); the unbeliever rejects it (cf. Rom. 2:8) and is ignorant.

We are true historians when we can interpret history and have a reference viewpoint and can put things in perspective, as to how they fit into the big picture or grand scheme of things.  History had a beginning point, a direction because it's going somewhere, and a climax, culmination, ending point, or conclusion.  History is not cyclical, i.e., not repetitive nor repeating.  The resurrection is either the biggest hoax and cruelest April Fool's Day joke ever perpetrated on mankind, or it's the most wonderful news that must be propagated at all costs.  Indeed, if Christ has not risen, our faith is in vain according to Paul and we are most to be pitied most among peoples (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14, 17).

We must believe the resurrection enough for it to make a difference in our lives and to desire to live it out and to share the good news about Jesus. WE MUST OWN IT AND PERSONALIZE IT SO THAT IT REGISTERS IN OUR HEARTS!  Thus, we say the pursuit of historical knowledge ought to be teleological or aimed at some purpose!  It is sheer history that Christ is risen for sure and even an unbeliever can do this, but to take the step of faith and allow this risen Lord to rule over you and to have ownership of your life is quite another ballgame.  We don't want to just be historians but witnesses to the truth--yes, we can be living witnesses with a personal testimony about the wonderful things Jesus has done for us accomplished via His resurrection, which secured eternal life in us as a Done Deal.

As true historians, we see purpose and meaning in the Resurrection and what was accomplished.  Were you there?  We have the living Spirit of God abiding in us, bearing witness with our spirit to give us the experience as if we had been one of the privileged few who saw the risen Lord that first Easter.  In fact, we are better off because we have the full revelation of God in His Word and the resident Holy Spirit to illumine us so that we know all things because of the anointing we received.

We all need to venture out of our comfort zones and make this fact real and live it out, not allowing it to be just another fact of history, but a transforming truth. The truth is what sets us free according to Jesus (cf. John 8:32).  There are many implications of believing this with our heart and stepping out in faith to witness about it:  people will stereotype us and persecute us; they will misunderstand and judge us; they will avoid and shun us; they will betray us and will even doubt our sanity and whether we are in our right mind (cf. 2 Cor. 5:13).  Be prepared to be ostracized, labeled, branded, and even stigmatized for the sake of the Name!  We will be tested to find out just how much we really do believe and if we are willing to bet our life on this fact, or is it just some convenient truth that seems to suit the time and situation, having no risk involved.

Our witness hits home and has weight and cannot be discounted, for our testimony cannot be argued anymore than a blind man saying, "I was blind, but now I see!"  What's to argue?  The difference between our witness and that of a Muslim is that ours is based on historical fact and verifiable experience, coupled with the Word of God itself--this implies both subjective and objective evidence--it's not mystical.  We also have the witness of the Holy Spirit which bears witness with our spirit per Rom. 8:16!  Yes, We can experience God and have a genuine, authentic encounter with Him to substantiate our faith--the proofs ring true, can be verified, and hold water in a court of law according to the laws of evidence.

The whole point of believing this, though, is to do something about it and to disseminate this truth in order to change lives and transform the world by consequence one person at a time.  It is historical, Scriptural fact that the resurrection of Christ changed the world, starting with the Jews in Jerusalem and ultimately the Roman empire, and Christianity had become legalized by the Edict of Milan in AD 313 by the Roman emperor Constantine.  The world was never the same and Jesus is still in the resurrection business!  There's no challenge He's not up to!

History is a bona fide Christian academic discipline with biblical roots and Jesus is the key to history; therefore, it's not demeaning to be given the moniker of the historian as long as it's one with a Christian worldview and sees history, not as bunk with no meaning having no purpose or application, but as God's unfolding narrative of redemption in real-time with the resurrection as its climax or turning point.  The true believer is potentially a bona fide economist, historian, ethicist, counselor, legal advocate or lawyer, politico, scientist, psychologist, biologist, philosopher, theologian, and even sociologist by virtue of his worldview.

Note that our faith is a historical faith, based on fact, or it's nothing but balderdash and poppycock! We not only posit history as having meaning in general but that the resurrection has real-time applications and is about how Christ can resurrect our spirit through salvation. The man of faith has naught to fear from the facts.   History has rightly been called HIS STORY! George Santayana said rightly that those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it!

Let's hope that the maxim, just like Georg W. F. Hegel said, "What history and experience teach is this--that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it."  We don't learn from history!  Hopefully, this doesn't become self-fulfilling and the story of our own lives, but we can see the real meaning of God's intervention into history, stepping into time in the person of Christ via His incarnation and resurrection.

It is the secular historians who are the revisionists, rewriting the past, ex-post-facto, not Christians who postulate the true fact of the resurrection of Christ as His triumph over death and our hope of resurrection.   As believers, we say that God orchestrates history and the fact it has a direction is evidence of His existence and therefore is denied by secularists.  Christian history and worldview are based on, and revolving around, the reliability, fidelity, veracity, and competence of Scripture as its foundation stone.   Soli Deo Gloria!

God's Plan For Our Lives

"A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash" (Prov. 15:14, NLT).
"The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger" (Prov. 24:5, NLT).  
"Knowledge is power."--Sir Francis Bacon
"...' My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'" (Isa. 46:10, ESV).  
"[F]or I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer. 29:11, ESV).

Many Bible teachers point to the famed Bible verse, Jer. 29:11, as indicated to God's eternal plan for believers.  To deny that God has a purpose for our lives and a plan is to deny the eternal decrees of God--Psalm 139:16 denotes God's intricate detailing of our lives.  Stoic philosophy went so far as to not only posit God having a plan but that it is our chief good and aim to accept it without reservation in a sort of grin and bear it philosophy.

Antithetical to adhering to God having a plan for us is the humanistic view that we are the master of our fate and the captain of our soul per Invictus by William Ernest Henley.  Our duty is not to believe in a dogma of a "stiff upper lip" nor to merely grin and bear in time, but to work out our salvation with fear and trembling per Philippians 2:13 and to make good on our destiny, noting that this is not blind fate or kismet (Islam version), but a personal dealing with God whereby we cooperate in His grace on our behalf.  It is never too late to accomplish God's best for us, if we are yielded to Him and willing to do His will wholeheartedly (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9).

According to 2 Cor. 1:20, all the promises are fulfilled and amen in Christ Jesus.  When God gave a promise specifically to Abraham, it has immediate consequences for him as well as long term, but there are also mediate applications for the believer who is the legitimate "son of Abraham," the father of the faithful.  Sometimes we have to realize a symbolic or indirect fulfillment of a promise, but it's still inherent in God's Word, which cannot come back void but will be fulfilled. 

In other words, all promises apply in some sense or degree.  This verse is aimed at Israel and its future as God's people, and so they seem to think that you cannot interpret it for personal application.  It is wrong to say, "This verse means this to me, regardless of what it means at face value." That is to become mystical and close to believing the Bible becomes the Word of God upon having an existential experience or encounter with it.  You must interpret Scripture with Scripture, and according to this principle, God does have a plan for us to have a more abundant life in Christ, according to John 10:10.

God even has a plan for the wicked and a purpose for them in the day of evil (cf. Prov. 16:4).  Job 23:14, NLT, says quite plainly, without any play on words, in the plain sense that God had a plan for Job and a destiny to fulfill ("For he will do to me whatever he has planned.  He controls my destiny").  The error arises when we think that God wants to always prosper us in the material sense, thinking that spirituality is the means to financial gain--an idea opposed by Paul in 1 Timothy 6.  We must learn to be content with what we have and enjoy the blessing God gives us--this is how we find God's calling to use the blessing bestowed and His provision granted by grace.  We are to be faithful to what God has given us in due measure, and not to have gift envy or to think God is being unfair.

Jer. 29:11 says God has no evil in mind for us, and our trials are meant to increase our faith and to give us character through adversity, not to harm us!  Indeed, Paul was right on when he mentioned in Rom. 8:28 that God works all things together for our good, but sometimes we don't' realize it till much later.  The original issue is whether we can apply texts to ourselves that are not directly addressed to us, especially promises.  

The point to note is that we ought to look for general principles of God's character that are immutable and that might apply to us in particular.  In one sense, Christians are God's people now and God has cast aside Israel till the Day of the Lord in the last days, and it is true that we are the seed of Abraham according to Gal. 3:29.  One of the privileges of being the seed of Abraham is to share in his blessings and to claim promises of God in Christ's name.

We are not capable of frustrating or thwarting God's plan; even the episode of temptation in the Garden of Eden was going according to plan and didn't take God by surprise--He's planned our redemption from eternity.  "...' As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand" (Isa. 14:24, ESV).  Again:  "For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" (Isa. 14:27, ESV). 

Indeed, as Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (1646-1716) wrote that this is "the best of all possible worlds," and just as Wycliffe's tenet similarly says, "Everything comes to pass of necessity" so there's no Plan B: God cannot fail and doesn't need a backup, because He's taken every contingency and exigency into consideration and cannot be thwarted!      Soli Deo Gloria!