The Mighty Resurrection!

This last week, I was reading through Romans and taking in all the amazing nuggets of truth as Paul explores the doctrines of sin, faith, and salvation.  In chapter six, I came to a screeching halt at a verse that I’m sure I’ve read many times, but this time it jumped out at me.  I tried to continue on in my reading, but kept coming back to chapter six to reexamine that one verse:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” - Romans 6:4

What made me stop and think was the second half of the verse.  “Just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too might walk in newness of life.”  I realized this little sentence was telling me that the power that brought Jesus from the tomb is the same power that gives us victory over sin in our life!  That’s pretty amazing!  My mind went to 1 Corinthians 15 and the logical ramifications Paul explores if we lived in a world where Christ was still dead.  This got me thinking as to what other consequences and influences the resurrection of Christ had on man and history.  While I imagine there might be a more exhaustive and eloquent compilation out there, I found some pretty interesting stuff!  The resurrection of Jesus bears weight on our past, present, and future.

Past

It is necessary to validate Old Testament prophesies
Most notably Psalm 16:10 speaks of God’s “Holy One” not seeing decay.  There is some question as to who the “Holy One” is, but if you read Acts 2, you’ll find Peter taught that passage as applying to Jesus Christ.  That’s good enough for me.  We also find it the custom of Paul to use the scriptures (which in his day meant our OT) to prove Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection in Acts 17:2,3.  Psalm 68:18 is also worth looking at on this point.

It is necessary to validate New Testament teaching
One of the first points Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 15 is that he, the apostles, and many other reputable Christians of the day were going around testifying to their first-hand account of Christ’s resurrection.  If he really didn’t rise, they are all liars (1 Cor 15:14).  If we’re going to entertain the teaching of liars, we might as well just go pick up the latest edition of Moroni or Muhammad (think that’ll get me in trouble?).

Under a Necessity of Sinning?

For your consideration: an explanation of man’s condition apart from the grace of God…

Man, since he was corrupted by the fall, sins not forced or unwillingly, but voluntarily, by a most forward bias of mind; not by violent compulsion, or external force, but by the movement of his own passion; and yet such is the depravity of his nature, that he cannot move and act except in the direction of evil.  If this is true, the thing not obscurely expressed is, that he is under a necessity of sinning.
- John Calvin

When Sinners Say “I Do”

Do you ever think about what makes your marriage a “Christian” marriage?  Is it the fact that we go to church, pray, or read our Bible together with our spouse?  Is it because of the couples retreats we’ve been to or that, as husbands, we’re trying to lead our families, or, as wives, you’re trying to submit to your husband’s leadership? Could a couple still do all of those things and yet fail to have a truly “Christian” marriage?

Yes.

A theme that resounds through Dave Harvey’s new book on marriage, When Sinner Say “I Do”, is that the heart of a truly “Christian” marriage is found in its commitment to the Gospel.  A marriage built on the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be a “Christian” marriage.  A relationship in which the Gospel is worked out and worked through is a relationship that manifests and embraces Christ.  A marriage like that is a marriage that is truly “Christ-ian,” one that reveals and glorifies Him.

But what does it look like to have a marriage saturated with the Gospel?  Does that mean you exchange tracts instead of greeting cards on Valentines Day?  Does it mean romantic evenings at Billy Graham Crusades or taking your wife out for a leisurely evening of door-to-door witnessing?

As enticing as that all sounds, Harvey’s book paints a far different (and more powerful) picture of a Gospel saturated marriage.  A marriage that clings to the Gospel is a relationship in which sin is acknowledged, mercy and forgiveness are embraced, and Christ’s work on the Cross becomes the defining center for all of a couple’s actions and attitudes.  And this beautiful picture is unfolded and dissected in the pages of When Sinners Say “I Do”.

In its opening salvo, this book veers off the course traveled by so many marriage books you might find at the Christian book store and it really dives into the heart of the issue. Harvey lays his foundation with this phrase: “What we believe about God determines the quality of our marriage.”  When you really think about it, that statement is as profound as it is simple.  Too many of us think that the key to a great marriage is having our needs met or clearly understanding our roles.  When Sinners Say “I Do” explains that what really unlocks things between a husband and wife is a right view of God, one that confesses that “I am the worst sinner I know,” understands that I daily experience overwhelming grace from God, and embraces my marriage relationship as a wonderful opportunity for me to show to another the mercy and forgiveness that God has shown to me.

Let me give you an example of what this looks like.

Meet Me in the “Middle”

One of the highlights of my college education at the University of Washington was two quarters of Classical Greek. Classical Greek is only one generation older than Koine Greek (the language of the New Testament), so I was excited to manipulate my secular school for spiritual purposes. Having a rudimentary understanding of Greek has allowed pieces of scripture to show more life and vibrancy in my studies and I would recommend studying this beautiful language to any student of the Word (that means any of you!).

My favorite encounter with the Bible and its Greek intricacies happened while I was still in my first quarter and it was incredibly exciting… to me, anyway. It all has to do with the Middle Voice.

James is probably my favorite book of the Bible, and James 1:20 is one of the most helpful verses I remember from it. I’ve grown up using the NAS translation, and thus recited the passage as such:

“for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God”

I love that! It’s clear and concise. My application and thinking towards this verse had always been something along the lines of “when I get angry, I can’t accomplish God’s work in the world.” I was surprised to one day read an NIV Bible and find this treatment of the same verse:

America’s Birth of Blessings

In my last post, I asserted that the decision of our founding fathers to break apart from Great Britain was unbiblical and thus sinful.  In researching this, I found that there are many that believe we who would cast such a shadow on our nation’s birth intend to make the conclusion that the United States are therefore inherently sinful and wretched.  That is where I want to focus today.

First of all, let me address the notion that if the nation was “born out of sin,” then it will be perpetually sinful and useless to God.  That’s hogwash.  If we take that same logic, all of us who are born again in Christ are doomed!

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” - Psalm 51:5

But as is the case with myself, God is able to make something useful out of something that started out badly.  There’s no denying the history the United States has of sending innumerable missionaries out into the world to proclaim God’s gospel.  The printing presses of America have been churning out volume after volume of Bibles, study aids, expository articles, and the like.  U.S. resources have been used for over two centuries to further the kingdom of God.  And in God’s good will, America has been blessed tremendously; not of our own merit, but in spite of it.

If you look back to the birth of our country, there is a key document that, I believe, has much more to do with our success than the Declaration of Independence.  A composition that was constructed by many of the same minds as the Declaration, but bears much more significance and biblical influence…

The Constitution of the United States of America

Heaven Gets More Beautiful…

As Amy and I have been grieving the loss of our unborn child, the thought of one day meeting him or her in heaven has been a source of true comfort.  A few months ago, I came across the following quote in a sermon by Charles Spurgeon.  When I first read it, I must admit his thinking stopped me.  I’d never thought of the greatness of the multitude of saints in heaven and how it will exceed the souls in hell.  But then he raised the issue of the number of infants God has brought graciously into His loving presence and my heart began to fill with wonder. I thought about the incredible size of heaven, the vastness of the choir gathered there to sing the praises of Christ and His Cross.   The day I first read Spurgeon’s words, I stopped and shared it with my wife.  After reading her the quote, I sat a few moments in awe, just meditating on the wonder of it all.

The last few weeks God has brought these words and that moment to mind again and again.  Here is what grabbed my attention that day:

Think of the countless hosts in Heaven: if thou wert introduced there to-day, thou wouldst find it as easy to tell the stars, or the sands of the sea, as to count the multitudes that are before the throne even now. They have come from the East, and from the West, from the North, and from the South, and they are sitting down with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob in the Kingdom of God; and beside those in Heaven, think of the saved ones on earth. Blessed be God, His elect on earth are to be counted by millions, I believe, and the days are coming, brighter days than these, when there shall be multitudes upon multitudes brought to know the Saviour, and to rejoice in Him. The Father’s love is not for a few only, but for an exceeding great company. “A great multitude, which no man could number,” will be found in Heaven. A man can reckon up to very high figures; set to work your Newtons, your mightiest calculators, and they can count great numbers, but God and God alone can tell the multitude of His redeemed. I believe there will be more in Heaven than in hell. If anyone asks me why I think so, I answer, because Christ, in everything, is to “have the pre-eminence,” and I cannot conceive how He could have the pre-eminence if there are to be more in the dominions of Satan than in Paradise. Moreover, I have never read that there is to be in hell a great multitude, which no man could number. I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them! Then there are already in Heaven unnumbered myriads of the spirits of just men made perfect-the redeemed of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues up till now; and there are better times coming, when the religion of Christ shall be universal; when “He shall reign from pole to pole, with illimitable sway;” when whole kingdoms shall bow down before Him, and nations shall be born in a day, and in the thousand years of the great millennial state there will be enough saved to make up all the deficiencies of the thousands of years that have gone before. Christ shall be Master everywhere, and His praise shall be sounded in every land. Christ shall have the pre-eminence at last; His train shall be far larger than that which shall attend the chariot of the grim monarch of hell.

How grateful I am for the powerful atoning work of Christ.  What a comfort to know that our little one is now part of that majestic multitude that will be forever praising our Lord.  Through all of this of the past few weeks, Heaven has become even more beautiful for us.  Thank you, Jesus.

Righteous Revolution?

I have often pondered whether the American Revolution was biblically justified or not, and planning for this year’s Fourth of July inspired me to spend some time and energy researching the subject.

Now before we get started, let me make a statement: Oddly enough, Chris and I each wrote about this same subject without any coordination or knowledge of what the other was working on!  I know that this is an emotionally charged issue for some, but I’ve really tried to approach this objectively and do my best to simply hold up the position of the founding fathers to the Bible.  So let’s jump in!

It helps to understand some of the prevailing philosophies leading up to the late 1700’s.  In 1650, a man name Robert Filmer published the book Patriarcha, which was a defense of the notion that kings and rulers had a divine right to absolute authority.  The application of this idea was that kings could do as they pleased, and subjects were required to obey the king no matter what as a matter of religious obligation.  While this was predictably popular with the monarchy, it

Happy Birthday to My Bride!

Happy Birthday, my wonderful wife!
I love you so much!

One Nation Under God!

As we celebrate Independence Day, I thought it only proper to recount just a few of the lesser known events that led to our decision to become a nation. What struck me in my research was the depth of spiritual reasoning that our forefathers used as the basis for their separation from England. Many of my thoughts below are my own condensing of a more complete explanation that can be found in a book entitled “The Light and the Glory” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel. Enjoy and Happy Independence Day!

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It is impossible for us (nearly 230 years later) to fully appreciate just how radical the words of the Declaration of Independence must have sounded to the generation that formed them. “All men are created equal!” Never before in history had the world actually believed in the equality of man. Certainly not as it pertained to governing nations. All men were mere subjects of the King - a privileged position for a man who sat at the top of an extensive class system that trickled down through society to the lowliest of servants. All things considered, it is truly remarkable how far freedom has come. The freedoms we enjoy today are a direct result of both difficult choices by God fearing men, and the beauty of the gospel granted to us as a gift from God. It was God at work directing the affairs of man to allow for such a land as ours to even exist. God was raising up a nation devoted to freedom. The time and place was right - it would be America.

Knowing You

It is easier to know about someone than to really know them.

One of my heroes is Thomas Watson.  I’ve read his works and studied his biography, his time and its culture- but still I don’t know the man.  I just know about him. Because my hero and I are separated by time and biology (my body is still functioning while his has been decomposing in the ground for some time) I am kept from the pleasure of sitting down and having a good face to face chat with him (one day, in glory, I hope this situation is remedied!).

However, our God faces no such obstacles.  Not only does He know about everyone (and everything) but He also has chosen to know His own and bring them to the delight of knowing Him.  This is the wonderful teaching of Romans 8:29-30 (and really much of the entire chapter delights in this truth) but sadly this point has been lost through the confusion over one interesting little word, the word “foreknew.”

Romans 8:29-30 reads like this: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

Some argue that this text teaches that God looked down the tunnel of time and “foreknew” (or saw) an individual’s faith.  In other words, God saw before hand who would believe and these whose faith He “foresaw,” He predestined.  This view holds, then, that the work of God’s election to salvation is His response to the faith exercised by the individual.

But this understanding sadly misses the rich truth of this word “foreknew.”

Notice what the text says.  It doesn’t say “those whose faith He foreknew” but it says “those whom He foreknew.”  You see, the foreknowledge being talked about here is not a prior knowledge of an action but a prior knowledge of a person.

So what’s the difference?  Let me explain.

What do you want?

“What do you want?”

I’ve heard that question many times in the last couple months; though not in the context I’m used to. Normally this is the kind of thing you hear at the drive-thru, but lately it’s the question I get when I tell people my wife is pregnant with our third child.

We are blessed with two ridiculously cute and wiry boys, and the typical sentiment is that we are supposed to have a girl this time around. This scenario has led me to reflection on what I think is an unfortunate area of spiritual immaturity in the lives of many Christians, including my own.

With our first pregnancy, I can honestly say that I really didn’t care what gender the baby was. I was so excited to be jumping into parenthood that it was not of any concern to me. Daniel was born and the excitement only escalated.

When the second pregnancy came around, everything was different. I couldn’t imagine a boy being anything other than a clone of Daniel, and we still had our favorite girl name waiting to be used. I told myself (and others) I didn’t care, but when the ultrasound showed that we were having a Jonathan, I had a split second of uncertainty.

Job, Grief, and the Cross of Christ

A week ago last Thursday, my wife and I found out we were expecting our third child.  We were both stunned as our youngest is just three months and were a bit overwhelmed by the thought of such a quick “turn-a-round.”  However, after the shock wore off, we both grew in our excitement over the thought of a new baby on the way.  We told our parents and friends and many in our church family.  We scheduled our first doctor’s appointment and began talking with both of our girls about their new sibling.

A week after finding out we were expecting, we sat in the doctor’s office watching the ultrasound screen and tried to take in the what we were seeing.  On the screen there was what looked like our child’s tiny little body, but there was no heartbeat and no movement.  The doctor silently and intently stared at the monitor.  Amy and I did the same.  Our delight was turning to concern and, after a gracious explanation from the doctor, it turned to mourning.  Although our child’s little body remained, its life was gone and so were our expectations.

Emotions have come like waves.  At one moment, I feel nothing- ready to move on.  The next I’m so overcome, I feel like sobs are going to explode out of me.  Telling Rylie (our 3 year old) and watching the waves continue to crash upon my wife have all been moments of piercing rawness- moments that expose vulnerability and frailness in me I’d rather not discover.  My heart hurts for my family and for thoughts of what would have been.

And through all of this, this last week of extreme emotional highs and lows, I have been walking through life with Job.