Hello everyone. If you've been able to stay on track, then you have read through the entire New Testament in just over two months as of Friday. Congratulations!!! Over the weekend we finished off Revelation and read through John's epistles. Today we start John's gospel. Since we've gone over this section last time we read through John, I'm going to comment briefly on a passage I didn't cover last time. The topic I will discuss may seem controversial, but it's biblical.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
God's love for us is evident in Jesus Christ. Verse 18 transitions us from 16-17 into 19-21. Notice the contrast here in these verses. Saved vs. condemned and light vs. darkness. John uses this illustration frequently. "This is the verdict" in other words: This is the root cause of condemnation. We love darkness when our deeds are evil. That's pretty straight forward. The more complex part is verse 20. Those who do evil will not go into the light because they don't want their evil to be exposed. The Bible teaches that Christians are saved. Here's the question: As Christians, do we ever love evil and hide in the darkness to prevent ourselves from being exposed?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Repentance is an on going process. Sure we repent of many things when we're saved. It's a necessary part of salvation, but as Christians we still sin. Because we still sin, though our life is not a life of sin, we need to repent of the sins that we allow in our lives. The problem is, often times we don't want to acknowledge sin when it emerges in our lives. Sometimes we're just ignorant and haven't obtained a level of maturity necessary to understand that what we do is sinful. Sometimes, deep down, we know what we do is wrong and don't do anything about it because we've believed the lie of Satan. "If I am a good person in the majority, then the minority of things I am not good in are not a big deal." Wrong!!!
When we are unwilling to acknowledge our sin, no matter how small it is, we are living in the darkness and not in the light. Even if we live in the light in every area of our lives but one, we still have one area of our lives in the darkness. The Bible calls that evil. When we intentionally allow one speck of evil, evil can drag us body and soul back into the darkness totally. It often happens slowly and softly step by step. Before we know it, we've changed. What's worse is, when that happens, when we reach that point, we no longer care about God or Jesus. The Bible calls that blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the only unforgivable sin.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” - Mark 3:29
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. - Hebrews 6:4-6
That's why it is so important for us to evaluate ourselves regularly. Contrary to popular opinion...you can lose your salvation. Please don't misunderstand me, everyone is able to be saved, but whoever allows themselves to fall away and deny God, and dies without repenting, will not inherit the kingdom. This sounds harsh and discouraging. Please understand that salvation is a work of God. We are saved by grace. But when we have faith, our faith is put to work. It isn't the work that saves us, but it is the out pouring of our faith and salvation. When we allow our faith to die, we too die spiritually. How can we crucify the Son of God again?
If you are still discouraged, remember that God works in ALL THINGS for our good, those who love Him (Romans 8:28). God is mighty and powerful, but also loving. If we choose to remove Him from our lives, He will not stop us. He does love us so much!!! He does not want this for anyone. So, all Christians, take this lesson seriously. Be ever vigilant in your spiritual walk. Rest in God's love, mercy, joy and peace. And know, faithful believer, no one can take your salvation, but you can give it away.
I wish you all a fine week and much blessing in our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you all.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Revelation
Hello everyone. I hope you all had a good Labor Day. I hope it was a wonderful day of rest for you. Today we will be looking into the book of Revelation. There is no other book that is regarded with as much caution as Revelation. Many are afraid to read it. Many don't read because they think that they could never understand it. I will not deny that it is difficult to understand at times. The early church found it to be a book of comfort and encouragement during times of persecution.
Revelation is unlike any other work of Scripture. Some things to keep in mind are first, that it consists of many visions that interweave together. Some are literal and some are metaphorical. These images were familiar to the people of this time and come from the Old Testament as well as other sources that we may or may not have at our disposal today.
Second, the style it used is called apocalyptic, and the people were also familiar with this. Things like beasts, dragons, and even dissolving universes were pictorial representation of deep historical and theological realities (Elwell). Sometimes we may have to stop as we read and try to figure out what these things represent. Some of them are obvious, but not all. Perhaps a good solid biblical commentary would be a good companion for your Bible study.
Third, we have to remember that basic Christian doctrine is woven throughout the book (Elwell). Don't get bogged down in the symbolism. Keep a look out for the deep spiritual truths. Jesus is Lord. He died on the cross and rose again on the third day. He ascended into heaven. He will return to claim His people, the Church.
Revelation was written by the apostle John from the island of Patmos, which is a small island off the coast of Asia Minor in the Aegean Sea. If your Bible has a map section, it can probably be found on one of those maps. Though there is some debate as to the date of it's writing, most agree that the date is between 81-96 A.D. during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian.
I want to talk a moment about interpretations of Revelation. This book, along with tidbits from other books, depicts the event leading up to Christ's return. There are many views on this topic. The Left Behind series is based on just one of many interpretations. If this is a subject of interest for you, there are four major view points: Premillennial, Amillennial, Dispensational Premillenial, and Postmillennial.
With that said, let me warn you. It is dangerous to be too caught up in eschatological (the end times) theology. Some of the best Bible scholars throughout history have not agreed or were unsure as to which interpretation was best. I think we need to hold to the words of Walter Elwell, "It is tragic when the return of Christ becomes a point of controversy. The important thing is that Jesus is coming back, not when or exactly how He will accomplish it." And to quote Martin Luther, "We ought to live as though Christ was crucified yesterday, risen today, and coming tomorrow." If we live these words, we will be ready for when our Lord does return.
I know I've said a lot. With that said, I'm not going to offer commentary on this book. I want you look deeply into this book and find what is important. I wish you good reading and may you get closer to God because of it. I leave you with these words from the chapter 22.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!!!
Revelation is unlike any other work of Scripture. Some things to keep in mind are first, that it consists of many visions that interweave together. Some are literal and some are metaphorical. These images were familiar to the people of this time and come from the Old Testament as well as other sources that we may or may not have at our disposal today.
Second, the style it used is called apocalyptic, and the people were also familiar with this. Things like beasts, dragons, and even dissolving universes were pictorial representation of deep historical and theological realities (Elwell). Sometimes we may have to stop as we read and try to figure out what these things represent. Some of them are obvious, but not all. Perhaps a good solid biblical commentary would be a good companion for your Bible study.
Third, we have to remember that basic Christian doctrine is woven throughout the book (Elwell). Don't get bogged down in the symbolism. Keep a look out for the deep spiritual truths. Jesus is Lord. He died on the cross and rose again on the third day. He ascended into heaven. He will return to claim His people, the Church.
Revelation was written by the apostle John from the island of Patmos, which is a small island off the coast of Asia Minor in the Aegean Sea. If your Bible has a map section, it can probably be found on one of those maps. Though there is some debate as to the date of it's writing, most agree that the date is between 81-96 A.D. during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian.
I want to talk a moment about interpretations of Revelation. This book, along with tidbits from other books, depicts the event leading up to Christ's return. There are many views on this topic. The Left Behind series is based on just one of many interpretations. If this is a subject of interest for you, there are four major view points: Premillennial, Amillennial, Dispensational Premillenial, and Postmillennial.
With that said, let me warn you. It is dangerous to be too caught up in eschatological (the end times) theology. Some of the best Bible scholars throughout history have not agreed or were unsure as to which interpretation was best. I think we need to hold to the words of Walter Elwell, "It is tragic when the return of Christ becomes a point of controversy. The important thing is that Jesus is coming back, not when or exactly how He will accomplish it." And to quote Martin Luther, "We ought to live as though Christ was crucified yesterday, risen today, and coming tomorrow." If we live these words, we will be ready for when our Lord does return.
I know I've said a lot. With that said, I'm not going to offer commentary on this book. I want you look deeply into this book and find what is important. I wish you good reading and may you get closer to God because of it. I leave you with these words from the chapter 22.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!!!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
1 Peter
Hello everyone. I am excited for I am finally able to once again write to you twice in one week. Today we start the book of 1 Peter. Like Hebrews, 1 Peter is in a group of books known as the General Epistles. These epistles have a vague or unspecific audience and were widely distributed among the churches.
Together with Silas, Peter wrote this epistle from Rome under the persecution of Nero. We are able to speculate that, for a time, Peter and Paul were in Rome simultaneously. Though not in Scripture, Church historians place their deaths within a relative short time from one another. Tradition states that Paul died first by beheading and Peter second by crucifixion.
In his epistle, Peter discusses such themes as: How to deal with persecution (He mentions Christ's sufferings 5 times), faithfulness (even in a helpless/powerless situations), admonition of elders, preparing your mind for action and some 34 commands. Look for these things as you read through Peter's first epistle.
1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
This is one of the themes I mentioned above. Prepare your minds for action has a militaristic feel to it. It's like arming yourself for battle. When going into battle, our minds must be prepared for the evils that we will face. It is much the same in our daily lives in this fallen world. We have to prepare our minds to be obedient in our day to day living or else we may fall victim to our enemies' trappings. Satan and his demons desire for us to give in to our evil desires. They seek to ravage our minds and lives in order to pull us further away from the Lord our God.
We no longer live in ignorance, we are without excuse. God has called us to be holy, though that may be impossible for us, it is possible to do so while we rest and trust in Him that is Christ. In order to fully rely on Christ we must put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) and keep our minds prepared. We must think about such things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4). If we have our thoughts focused on whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, then our enemies will have a much harder time penetrating our thoughts.
Let me encourage all of you to continue to fight the good fight. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Together with Silas, Peter wrote this epistle from Rome under the persecution of Nero. We are able to speculate that, for a time, Peter and Paul were in Rome simultaneously. Though not in Scripture, Church historians place their deaths within a relative short time from one another. Tradition states that Paul died first by beheading and Peter second by crucifixion.
In his epistle, Peter discusses such themes as: How to deal with persecution (He mentions Christ's sufferings 5 times), faithfulness (even in a helpless/powerless situations), admonition of elders, preparing your mind for action and some 34 commands. Look for these things as you read through Peter's first epistle.
1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
This is one of the themes I mentioned above. Prepare your minds for action has a militaristic feel to it. It's like arming yourself for battle. When going into battle, our minds must be prepared for the evils that we will face. It is much the same in our daily lives in this fallen world. We have to prepare our minds to be obedient in our day to day living or else we may fall victim to our enemies' trappings. Satan and his demons desire for us to give in to our evil desires. They seek to ravage our minds and lives in order to pull us further away from the Lord our God.
We no longer live in ignorance, we are without excuse. God has called us to be holy, though that may be impossible for us, it is possible to do so while we rest and trust in Him that is Christ. In order to fully rely on Christ we must put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) and keep our minds prepared. We must think about such things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4). If we have our thoughts focused on whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, then our enemies will have a much harder time penetrating our thoughts.
Let me encourage all of you to continue to fight the good fight. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Hebrews 1-3
Hello everyone. Sorry it has been some time since my last post. Today we start the book of Hebrews. Hebrews finds itself a part of the General Epistles. That is, epistles with a broad or no specific audience. Hence why they are generally named for the author rather than the audience as is the case with Paul's letters. We are unsure who wrote Hebrews. Some suggest Paul, but Hebrews lack certain characteristics that are a part of all Paul's writings. Some also suggest Luke, Barnabas or Apollos.
Though we are unsure who wrote it, we do know based on facts that Hebrews was written sometime between 40 and 70 A.D. The fact that there was no mention of the destruction of the Temple and that Timothy was still alive leads us to this conclusion. Also, Clement of Rome writes about Hebrews in his writings near 95 A.D. which gives us further proof that the book was indeed written before the end of the apostolic age. Our Christian forefathers deemed it to be authoritative on par with the rest of the New Testament. Many Christians still hold to that belief even though we do not not for sure who wrote Hebrews.
As you read through Hebrews pay attention for certain themes. There is much said about Christianity being superior to religion, specifically Judaism. The word "better" is used 13 times in reference to things like: the Old Testament, the Law, the prophets, angels, Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood. This isn't done to denounce these things, but rather to show how Christ is superior to them. Other key themes include: showing how the Old and New Testaments fit together, warning to Christians about immaturity, and pleasing sacrifices to God. Now...onto the text...
2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The word "therefore" is used here to connect the previous passage to this one. In light to what has just been said we need to be careful to not drift away. By some Christians it's called "Backslide". This message "spoken by angels" implies that the message has authority and gives it another level of depth as to how authoritative it is. The message is binding and of God, not man. We have a duty to follow God's will. God's will is that we be saved, but how are to be saved if we intentionally or unintentionally neglect His message? Remember that faith without deeds is dead. How can we ignore such a great salvation? How can we ignore and not take part in God's word, which helps us to hold fast to Him and His truth? How can we ignore what our responsibility is, which is showing God's word to others that they may hear and be saved (Romans 10:14-17)?
2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
People sometimes cannot wrap their minds around that God came down and took on flesh and dwelt among us. Not only did Christ do this in order to be the sacrifice we needed, He also did it to comfort us. He became just like us. He took a flesh and blood body identical to ours. He had real human needs, needs that God does not need, but rather the ones a human needs. Because He did this, He has gone through every spectrum of emotion, temptation and physical suffering imaginable.
He knows what we go through, not only because He's an all-knowing God, but also because He has actually experienced it Himself. He helps those who are suffering and tempted because He has suffered and was tempted. He gives comfort to those in a fallen world because He lived in a fallen world that He created and intended to not be a fallen world. We have a great comforter in Jesus Christ. Let us not forget it and find our rest and satisfaction in Him.
That's all for now. I'll be posting again later this week as we go into the book of 1 Peter, written by the apostle himself. I look forward to talking about this great letter with you and how it impacts us in its relevance today. Until next time...
Grace be with you all!!!
Though we are unsure who wrote it, we do know based on facts that Hebrews was written sometime between 40 and 70 A.D. The fact that there was no mention of the destruction of the Temple and that Timothy was still alive leads us to this conclusion. Also, Clement of Rome writes about Hebrews in his writings near 95 A.D. which gives us further proof that the book was indeed written before the end of the apostolic age. Our Christian forefathers deemed it to be authoritative on par with the rest of the New Testament. Many Christians still hold to that belief even though we do not not for sure who wrote Hebrews.
As you read through Hebrews pay attention for certain themes. There is much said about Christianity being superior to religion, specifically Judaism. The word "better" is used 13 times in reference to things like: the Old Testament, the Law, the prophets, angels, Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood. This isn't done to denounce these things, but rather to show how Christ is superior to them. Other key themes include: showing how the Old and New Testaments fit together, warning to Christians about immaturity, and pleasing sacrifices to God. Now...onto the text...
2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The word "therefore" is used here to connect the previous passage to this one. In light to what has just been said we need to be careful to not drift away. By some Christians it's called "Backslide". This message "spoken by angels" implies that the message has authority and gives it another level of depth as to how authoritative it is. The message is binding and of God, not man. We have a duty to follow God's will. God's will is that we be saved, but how are to be saved if we intentionally or unintentionally neglect His message? Remember that faith without deeds is dead. How can we ignore such a great salvation? How can we ignore and not take part in God's word, which helps us to hold fast to Him and His truth? How can we ignore what our responsibility is, which is showing God's word to others that they may hear and be saved (Romans 10:14-17)?
2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
People sometimes cannot wrap their minds around that God came down and took on flesh and dwelt among us. Not only did Christ do this in order to be the sacrifice we needed, He also did it to comfort us. He became just like us. He took a flesh and blood body identical to ours. He had real human needs, needs that God does not need, but rather the ones a human needs. Because He did this, He has gone through every spectrum of emotion, temptation and physical suffering imaginable.
He knows what we go through, not only because He's an all-knowing God, but also because He has actually experienced it Himself. He helps those who are suffering and tempted because He has suffered and was tempted. He gives comfort to those in a fallen world because He lived in a fallen world that He created and intended to not be a fallen world. We have a great comforter in Jesus Christ. Let us not forget it and find our rest and satisfaction in Him.
That's all for now. I'll be posting again later this week as we go into the book of 1 Peter, written by the apostle himself. I look forward to talking about this great letter with you and how it impacts us in its relevance today. Until next time...
Grace be with you all!!!
Monday, August 15, 2011
1 Corinthians 5-8
Hello everyone. This week we will be looking at the books of 1 & 2 Corinthians. Ancient Corinth was the largest first century Greek city, which served as the Roman capitol of the southern province of Achaia. Corinth was positioned along a narrow isthmus of land (3.5 miles wide) dividing northern and southern Greece. This put the city at an advantage for trading purposes. Almost all Roman trade came through Corinth.
Corinth was also a favorite retirement spot for Roman soldiers. Even though many Roman soldiers retired there, there was a very diverse population. Many Jews lived in Corinth due to being expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in A.D. 49. Corinth was also known for it's sexual immorality among an empire where sexual immorality flourished. Temple prostitutes were a regular part of pagan worship, which is a good explanation as to why sexual immorality was such a snare to the Corinthian Christians.
Paul founded the church at Corinth on his second missionary journey after preaching in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. It was during his third missionary journey that Paul wrote extensively to the Corinthians from Ephesus during his 2-3 year ministry there. Paul had received word from Corinth that the congregation there was being torn apart by quarreling. Paul then penned the letters and sent them to Corinth with Timothy.
Paul addresses issues like: in-fighting, sexual immorality, abuse of the poor, gluttony, abuse of spiritual gifts, dissatisfaction with Paul's leadership. The Corinthian church had issues. Paul hit these issues one after another. He brings everything to a climax at chapter 13. If the Corinthians would focus on loving one another, they wouldn't have these problems. So, we'll begin our look into 1 Corinthians 5 were Paul tells the Corinthians to do something that we often hesitate to do and find controversial.
5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
We have a hard time with this. Expelling anyone from our church is never an easy thing. But if someone is running a muck in the church, and refuses to stop, then they should be asked to leave. We don't want to do it, but we have to. We love them and don't want to imagine church without them, but if they are causing division in the church they should be asked to leave.
5:6 Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?
If they are not asked to leave, their behavior will have a negative effect on someone. People will get hurt and leave to get away from this individual or will be encouraged to join in the sinful behavior. It doesn't matter if it's sexual or not. If a member of the church is engaging in sinful behavior, and will not stop, then they need to be asked to leave in order to spare the other members of the flock. If you love everyone in your church, you will do this for what is best for them as a whole.
Next, Paul discusses lawsuits against fellow believers in 6:1-11. Paul is frustrated because they can't settle their own disputes. Disputes are inevitable. How we handle them separates us from the world. We're supposed to love and work tings out. It's difficult and requires us to become vulnerable and invest in others. It's worth it. Having a united church is worth it. A united church gains momentum faster and accomplishes much more for the Kingdom. And as I've said before, you get a return for your investment. Being a part of a united church has a positive affect on your personal life. But that all come crashing down if we don't obey God and love one another.
Over the course of the next couple chapters Paul discusses sexual immorality, marriage, food sacrificed to idols. I'm not going to talk about those. I do want you to look beyond what is on the surface and see what the root cause is for these sinful behaviors that Paul is correcting. In every verse of every passage of every chapter, look for what is behind the sin. When you reach chapter 13 it should all come together.
Again I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions. I would be my pleasure to talk with you and discuss Scripture. So, until next time...
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.
Corinth was also a favorite retirement spot for Roman soldiers. Even though many Roman soldiers retired there, there was a very diverse population. Many Jews lived in Corinth due to being expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in A.D. 49. Corinth was also known for it's sexual immorality among an empire where sexual immorality flourished. Temple prostitutes were a regular part of pagan worship, which is a good explanation as to why sexual immorality was such a snare to the Corinthian Christians.
Paul founded the church at Corinth on his second missionary journey after preaching in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. It was during his third missionary journey that Paul wrote extensively to the Corinthians from Ephesus during his 2-3 year ministry there. Paul had received word from Corinth that the congregation there was being torn apart by quarreling. Paul then penned the letters and sent them to Corinth with Timothy.
Paul addresses issues like: in-fighting, sexual immorality, abuse of the poor, gluttony, abuse of spiritual gifts, dissatisfaction with Paul's leadership. The Corinthian church had issues. Paul hit these issues one after another. He brings everything to a climax at chapter 13. If the Corinthians would focus on loving one another, they wouldn't have these problems. So, we'll begin our look into 1 Corinthians 5 were Paul tells the Corinthians to do something that we often hesitate to do and find controversial.
5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
We have a hard time with this. Expelling anyone from our church is never an easy thing. But if someone is running a muck in the church, and refuses to stop, then they should be asked to leave. We don't want to do it, but we have to. We love them and don't want to imagine church without them, but if they are causing division in the church they should be asked to leave.
5:6 Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?
If they are not asked to leave, their behavior will have a negative effect on someone. People will get hurt and leave to get away from this individual or will be encouraged to join in the sinful behavior. It doesn't matter if it's sexual or not. If a member of the church is engaging in sinful behavior, and will not stop, then they need to be asked to leave in order to spare the other members of the flock. If you love everyone in your church, you will do this for what is best for them as a whole.
Next, Paul discusses lawsuits against fellow believers in 6:1-11. Paul is frustrated because they can't settle their own disputes. Disputes are inevitable. How we handle them separates us from the world. We're supposed to love and work tings out. It's difficult and requires us to become vulnerable and invest in others. It's worth it. Having a united church is worth it. A united church gains momentum faster and accomplishes much more for the Kingdom. And as I've said before, you get a return for your investment. Being a part of a united church has a positive affect on your personal life. But that all come crashing down if we don't obey God and love one another.
Over the course of the next couple chapters Paul discusses sexual immorality, marriage, food sacrificed to idols. I'm not going to talk about those. I do want you to look beyond what is on the surface and see what the root cause is for these sinful behaviors that Paul is correcting. In every verse of every passage of every chapter, look for what is behind the sin. When you reach chapter 13 it should all come together.
Again I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions. I would be my pleasure to talk with you and discuss Scripture. So, until next time...
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Romans 1-4
Hello everyone. I'm sorry it has been some time since my last blog post. The recent weeks have been busy and some things require my attention more so than others. I hope everyone has been well since last I wrote. Today we begin the book of Romans.
It is widely agreed and accepted that Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans during his three month stay in Greece, toward the end of his third missionary journey. This was about A.D. 57. At this time Paul had yet to visit the church there. This makes sense in reference to the epistle's introduction. It is believed Paul wrote the letter from the vicinity of Corinth due to his mentioning of Phoebe, who carried the letter, from the church of Cenchreae, a small town eight miles from Corinth.
Scholars differ on Paul reasoning for writing to the Romans. Some believe Paul wrote to rally support for a missionary journey to Spain, while others believe his reason was a purely theological one. Still others believe he wrote to appeal to the Jewish population there to convince them to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah. Whatever the view point, it can be surmised that Paul wished to visit Rome and wanted to ready the people there for his visit, after which he hoped he could go to Spain and preach the Good News there.
Paul was not afraid to preach on what we would call "controversial topics". Many people in our society today are pushing forward the homosexual agenda. There are many people out there who claim to be Bible believing Christians who have taken up this cause. They say that God is love. While this is true, we can't forget what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.
1:26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Many people read this passage and believe that God hates homosexuals. There are many Bible believing Christians who believe so. This has put a bad taste in the mouth for many people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that God is love, but that He hates homosexuality. How can both be true? God is love. He does love all people. But just because He loves us, He does not love all we do. Remember, God loves the sinner but hates their sin. The Bible also teaches that all people are sinners.
3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We all must remember that we are sinners, just like everyone else. God loves everyone, but hates the sin in our lives. That does not affect or change the truth. Homosexuality is still wrong in the eyes of God. But because God loves all and has commanded that we love all, we too should love homosexuals. They are loved by God and should be extended the grace that was given us in Christ Jesus. Does that mean we should encourage homosexuals to continue in their lifestyle? By no means!
6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Homosexuality flies in the face of everything God created the intimate relationship to be. He created it to be a relationship of intimacy to be shared within marriage between one man and one woman. Homosexuality is not natural and has never been. Homosexuality is a choice, just like every other sin known to man. To condone homosexuality is a denial of God's creation and His power through Christ to loosen the grip of sin.
Society teaches that Christian values are outdated, old fashioned and out of style. Christians are looked down upon as intolerant bigots. Standing up for what you believe in is not wrong. It is not intolerant to stand up against what is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong no matter how you slice it. If any of you who have read this have gay friends or family members please understand that it is not my intention to offend anyone. My intention is to only preach God's truth. Christ came because He loved the world. He still does and always will.
That's why Christians should respond with love toward homosexuals. But Christians should never stand down against a world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards anyone who disagrees with its sinful behavior. This not only includes homosexuality but also heterosexual sin (both being sexual immorality), debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkeness, and orgies to name a few.
Let me encourage you all to take Paul's quote of the prophet Habakkuk seriously. “The righteous will live by faith.” With much love, until next time...
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is widely agreed and accepted that Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans during his three month stay in Greece, toward the end of his third missionary journey. This was about A.D. 57. At this time Paul had yet to visit the church there. This makes sense in reference to the epistle's introduction. It is believed Paul wrote the letter from the vicinity of Corinth due to his mentioning of Phoebe, who carried the letter, from the church of Cenchreae, a small town eight miles from Corinth.
Scholars differ on Paul reasoning for writing to the Romans. Some believe Paul wrote to rally support for a missionary journey to Spain, while others believe his reason was a purely theological one. Still others believe he wrote to appeal to the Jewish population there to convince them to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah. Whatever the view point, it can be surmised that Paul wished to visit Rome and wanted to ready the people there for his visit, after which he hoped he could go to Spain and preach the Good News there.
Paul was not afraid to preach on what we would call "controversial topics". Many people in our society today are pushing forward the homosexual agenda. There are many people out there who claim to be Bible believing Christians who have taken up this cause. They say that God is love. While this is true, we can't forget what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.
1:26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Many people read this passage and believe that God hates homosexuals. There are many Bible believing Christians who believe so. This has put a bad taste in the mouth for many people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that God is love, but that He hates homosexuality. How can both be true? God is love. He does love all people. But just because He loves us, He does not love all we do. Remember, God loves the sinner but hates their sin. The Bible also teaches that all people are sinners.
3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We all must remember that we are sinners, just like everyone else. God loves everyone, but hates the sin in our lives. That does not affect or change the truth. Homosexuality is still wrong in the eyes of God. But because God loves all and has commanded that we love all, we too should love homosexuals. They are loved by God and should be extended the grace that was given us in Christ Jesus. Does that mean we should encourage homosexuals to continue in their lifestyle? By no means!
6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Homosexuality flies in the face of everything God created the intimate relationship to be. He created it to be a relationship of intimacy to be shared within marriage between one man and one woman. Homosexuality is not natural and has never been. Homosexuality is a choice, just like every other sin known to man. To condone homosexuality is a denial of God's creation and His power through Christ to loosen the grip of sin.
Society teaches that Christian values are outdated, old fashioned and out of style. Christians are looked down upon as intolerant bigots. Standing up for what you believe in is not wrong. It is not intolerant to stand up against what is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong no matter how you slice it. If any of you who have read this have gay friends or family members please understand that it is not my intention to offend anyone. My intention is to only preach God's truth. Christ came because He loved the world. He still does and always will.
That's why Christians should respond with love toward homosexuals. But Christians should never stand down against a world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards anyone who disagrees with its sinful behavior. This not only includes homosexuality but also heterosexual sin (both being sexual immorality), debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkeness, and orgies to name a few.
Let me encourage you all to take Paul's quote of the prophet Habakkuk seriously. “The righteous will live by faith.” With much love, until next time...
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Luke 17-20
Hello everyone. Today we pick up in Luke, though we've been reading it for a few days now. Luke is interesting in it's structure and the way it was written. Luke was in fact written by Luke who was a first century physician and companion to Paul the apostle. Whenever Paul mentions Luke by name it is in fact this Luke. Luke is credited with not only to have written the gospel, but also the book of Acts. Both the Luke and Acts bear the introduction to a man named Theophilus. Luke adds "most excellent Theophilus" in the gospel Luke. Theophilus was a prominent Roman name. It has been theorized that this Theophilus was in fact a high ranking Roman official who converted to Christianity. The Roman official Theophilus did exist. As to whether that Theophilus and Luke's Theophilus are the same man is uncertain, though it leaves something to think about.
The gospel of John leads the way with the most exclusive material. Luke is second in this regard possessing much exclusive material itself. Luke is known as the gospel of parables. There are some found here in Luke that are not found in the other three. The parable of the lost son, for example, is found only in Luke. Luke is also known for being the best written of the four. This is probably due to Luke's formal education as a physician.
If you read through Luke and see an emphasis given to the poor, you aren't imagining things. Luke gives a special emphasis to caring for the poor. Matthew says, Blessed are the poor in spirit," while Luke says, "Blessed are you who are poor." Jesus is shown by Luke to have cared deeply for the poor, women, children and Gentiles. Which makes sense because Luke's audience to which he wrote was a Gentile. Jesus was constantly on the move in Mark's gospel. Here in Luke, Jesus is always praying.
People have asked, "Why do we need four gospels?" Each gospel reveals more about our Lord. Each gospel tells us something different about Jesus. I'm more than happy to have all four. Though I will caution you to be very careful in reading any extra biblical gospels like Thomas, Judas, Peter and Mary Magdalene. These gospels are not in the Bible for a reason. If you have any questions about biblical and non-biblical books, please ask. For now let's look at Luke gospel.
17:1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.
“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Why does Jesus want us to rebuke our brother when he sins? Based on what He said in verses 1-4, we can tell that He is concerned with someone's sinful behavior leading others to accept and engage in the same sinful behavior. "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck." That's harsh!!! Yes, harsh but true. We are always afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Or we are too sensitive and get our feelings hurt. Let me ask you, would it be better to stop sinning or be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck? In other words, if you are sinning and someone rebukes you, own up to it and stop sinning rather than get offended.
You who are scared to confront someone in their sin, confront them. After all, sin hurts us and those around us. It wouldn't be very loving of you to let your brother continue to live in his sin. We are so afraid of this term "rebuke." We think its a bad thing. Rebuke doesn't mean we have to yell at someone. Rebuke simply means to expose or correct. If you need to expose someone's sin and correct them, do it in love. Love should be your motivation. If you do so without love, you are just as guilty as the person you rebuke.
Read 19:11-27
The parable of the ten minas teaches us a very important lesson. Was the king unfair or unjust towards the servant who did not do anything with his mina? The application is this: We are all entrusted with talents and gifts by God. Some of us are lucky enough to be entrusted with wealth. Though these things can be a benefit to us, we aren't proved trustworthy if we use them only for ourselves. Our gifts, talents and wealth are to be multiplied for the pleasure of our King. That means we have to use our gifts to serve God. How do our gifts serve God? By servicing to others in love. Our gifts and resources are given to us to lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Period. If you are using your gift and it's not leading others to Jesus, then you are not using your gift to the glory of God. Also, we cannot show favoritism towards who we share our gifts with. Gifts are used for everyone, not just to a certain group.
Though I have spent more time giving you background than normal and not as much time on the material as normal, I believe that in our reading today these two passages are important. We have to protect each other from the sin in our lives. We have to keep it from spreading among us. That's also why God has given us gifts. We have gifts to serve God and each other. One way we serve each other is by protecting the church in love. The Church is important to God. After all, Christ died for the Church. If God is serious about the Church, which is made of people and not a building, we too should be serious about the Church. I love you all. Until next time...
Stay continually at the temple praising God. Grace and peace to you all.
The gospel of John leads the way with the most exclusive material. Luke is second in this regard possessing much exclusive material itself. Luke is known as the gospel of parables. There are some found here in Luke that are not found in the other three. The parable of the lost son, for example, is found only in Luke. Luke is also known for being the best written of the four. This is probably due to Luke's formal education as a physician.
If you read through Luke and see an emphasis given to the poor, you aren't imagining things. Luke gives a special emphasis to caring for the poor. Matthew says, Blessed are the poor in spirit," while Luke says, "Blessed are you who are poor." Jesus is shown by Luke to have cared deeply for the poor, women, children and Gentiles. Which makes sense because Luke's audience to which he wrote was a Gentile. Jesus was constantly on the move in Mark's gospel. Here in Luke, Jesus is always praying.
People have asked, "Why do we need four gospels?" Each gospel reveals more about our Lord. Each gospel tells us something different about Jesus. I'm more than happy to have all four. Though I will caution you to be very careful in reading any extra biblical gospels like Thomas, Judas, Peter and Mary Magdalene. These gospels are not in the Bible for a reason. If you have any questions about biblical and non-biblical books, please ask. For now let's look at Luke gospel.
17:1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.
“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Why does Jesus want us to rebuke our brother when he sins? Based on what He said in verses 1-4, we can tell that He is concerned with someone's sinful behavior leading others to accept and engage in the same sinful behavior. "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck." That's harsh!!! Yes, harsh but true. We are always afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Or we are too sensitive and get our feelings hurt. Let me ask you, would it be better to stop sinning or be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck? In other words, if you are sinning and someone rebukes you, own up to it and stop sinning rather than get offended.
You who are scared to confront someone in their sin, confront them. After all, sin hurts us and those around us. It wouldn't be very loving of you to let your brother continue to live in his sin. We are so afraid of this term "rebuke." We think its a bad thing. Rebuke doesn't mean we have to yell at someone. Rebuke simply means to expose or correct. If you need to expose someone's sin and correct them, do it in love. Love should be your motivation. If you do so without love, you are just as guilty as the person you rebuke.
Read 19:11-27
The parable of the ten minas teaches us a very important lesson. Was the king unfair or unjust towards the servant who did not do anything with his mina? The application is this: We are all entrusted with talents and gifts by God. Some of us are lucky enough to be entrusted with wealth. Though these things can be a benefit to us, we aren't proved trustworthy if we use them only for ourselves. Our gifts, talents and wealth are to be multiplied for the pleasure of our King. That means we have to use our gifts to serve God. How do our gifts serve God? By servicing to others in love. Our gifts and resources are given to us to lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Period. If you are using your gift and it's not leading others to Jesus, then you are not using your gift to the glory of God. Also, we cannot show favoritism towards who we share our gifts with. Gifts are used for everyone, not just to a certain group.
Though I have spent more time giving you background than normal and not as much time on the material as normal, I believe that in our reading today these two passages are important. We have to protect each other from the sin in our lives. We have to keep it from spreading among us. That's also why God has given us gifts. We have gifts to serve God and each other. One way we serve each other is by protecting the church in love. The Church is important to God. After all, Christ died for the Church. If God is serious about the Church, which is made of people and not a building, we too should be serious about the Church. I love you all. Until next time...
Stay continually at the temple praising God. Grace and peace to you all.
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