From the book Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul--
The Point--The Implicit is to be Interpreted by the Explicit
Another example of less than careful treatment of implications may be seen in the question of the nature of Jesus' resurrection body. Again, I have seen descriptions of Jesus' glorified body as being a body that has the capacity to move unimpeded through solid objects. The biblical warrant for such a claim is found in John 20:19: "When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" Look carefully at the words of the text. Does it say that Jesus "dematerialized" and floated through the door? No, it says that the doors were shut and Jesus came and stood in their midst. Why does the author mention that the door was shut? Perhaps to indicate the amazing way Jesus appeared. Or perhaps to indicate the amazing way Jesus appeared. Or perhaps merely to accentuate what he actually says, that the disciples were afraid of the Jews. Is it possible that Jesus came to his frightened disciples who were huddled together behind closed doors, opened the door, walked in and began speaking with them? Again, maybe Jesus did in fact float through the door, but the text does not say that. To construct a view of Jesus' resurrected body on the basis of this text involves unwarranted speculation and careless exegesis.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The End of An Era
It makes me so sad to type this. The end of an era (or at least 8 weeks) has come. Our beloved Evangelism Class is over with less of a bang than I thought. Because of unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to hold our last class (which would have been last night) where the dogs were let loose and would be encouraged to howl, bark and bay on the mean streets of West Hartford, sharing the true gospel message to anyone who would listen.
Recapping these last few weeks, there are many things to mention. The first is giving glory to God for the cross of Calvary. Without the sum total of all that the cross of Christ represents, this class would be moot at best.
Secondly, to say that I appreciate and am grateful for our godly hound dog trainers would be quite the understatement. Frank, an incredibly gifted teacher and loving pastor, formed a class that was thoughtful, intellectual, refreshing, challenging, humorous and unifying. My favorite part (although there were many) has to be when he took something like the word "gospel" and scripturally showed us where the unbiblical cliches were (i.e. personal savior, saved by a prayer, altar calls, etc.) His clear and precise manner in explaining imputation, atonement, true repentance, justification, and all of the heavyweight words that must be understood if we are to truly and deeply praise God for His saving work, was pure delight. There is something so personal about Frank. While he is intelligent, prepared and diligent in what he does; he does not lack in personable skills and it makes him easy to listen to and and easy to understand. Praise God for someone like Frank. Every church should have a "frank."
Then there is Dave. His training on the personhood of Jesus Christ was par excellence (accents are hard to type.) His accuracy and knowledge of scripture challenged me in areas that were much needed, starting with the laziness and distraction-filled weakness that I possess in studying the bible. He is so soft spoken, yet confident and bold in scripture, which gave him the perfect combination of a gifted teacher and expert conversationalist. Praise God for someone like Dave, whose godly training has helped me to fully appreciate the work and lordship of the master of all of us.
Each class we had was filled with delightful conversation and excellent exhortation. I hope that my pitiful summaries of what took place has inspired some of you out there to seek out such a class in your local area. While I readily admit that my experience in this class was unique because of the giftedness of the trainers; the lively discussion of my dogmates; and the hearts of servants like Lisa and Patria, who made the ambiance a learning environment, I would encourage everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ, so seek out such a class like this. A class that will revamp, gut and completely reshape what you thought evangelism was and will take old dogs like Scott and me, and teach us, not just old tricks, but true, eternal-value skills that will bring our Heavenly Father magnified glory.
I didn't think that this early on in my blogging career, I would be closing out a category so soon, but The Dog Pound jersey must be retired.
Thank you, Lord, for allowing me something that is so undeserved. Rubbing shoulders (or paws) with fellow dogsters that love and are committed to learning and serving and to learn how to accurately share the good news that could possibly bring those homeless and wandering strays into a forever home.
Recapping these last few weeks, there are many things to mention. The first is giving glory to God for the cross of Calvary. Without the sum total of all that the cross of Christ represents, this class would be moot at best.
Secondly, to say that I appreciate and am grateful for our godly hound dog trainers would be quite the understatement. Frank, an incredibly gifted teacher and loving pastor, formed a class that was thoughtful, intellectual, refreshing, challenging, humorous and unifying. My favorite part (although there were many) has to be when he took something like the word "gospel" and scripturally showed us where the unbiblical cliches were (i.e. personal savior, saved by a prayer, altar calls, etc.) His clear and precise manner in explaining imputation, atonement, true repentance, justification, and all of the heavyweight words that must be understood if we are to truly and deeply praise God for His saving work, was pure delight. There is something so personal about Frank. While he is intelligent, prepared and diligent in what he does; he does not lack in personable skills and it makes him easy to listen to and and easy to understand. Praise God for someone like Frank. Every church should have a "frank."
Then there is Dave. His training on the personhood of Jesus Christ was par excellence (accents are hard to type.) His accuracy and knowledge of scripture challenged me in areas that were much needed, starting with the laziness and distraction-filled weakness that I possess in studying the bible. He is so soft spoken, yet confident and bold in scripture, which gave him the perfect combination of a gifted teacher and expert conversationalist. Praise God for someone like Dave, whose godly training has helped me to fully appreciate the work and lordship of the master of all of us.
Each class we had was filled with delightful conversation and excellent exhortation. I hope that my pitiful summaries of what took place has inspired some of you out there to seek out such a class in your local area. While I readily admit that my experience in this class was unique because of the giftedness of the trainers; the lively discussion of my dogmates; and the hearts of servants like Lisa and Patria, who made the ambiance a learning environment, I would encourage everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ, so seek out such a class like this. A class that will revamp, gut and completely reshape what you thought evangelism was and will take old dogs like Scott and me, and teach us, not just old tricks, but true, eternal-value skills that will bring our Heavenly Father magnified glory.
I didn't think that this early on in my blogging career, I would be closing out a category so soon, but The Dog Pound jersey must be retired.
Thank you, Lord, for allowing me something that is so undeserved. Rubbing shoulders (or paws) with fellow dogsters that love and are committed to learning and serving and to learn how to accurately share the good news that could possibly bring those homeless and wandering strays into a forever home.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A Dedication (of Sorts) to Ted Bigelow
Ted--Pastor-Teacher--Grace Church, Hartford, CT
Setting up this post, I need to start with the famous words of Steve Cooley, a wonderful Associate Pastor at BBC. He described Ted as "crazy smart" and that about sums it up.
I recognize that what I'm about to type, he (Ted) has publicly denounced as any source of pride or achievement during his lifetime. He has acted as Paul did and publicly declared this in a Philippians 3:8 (skubala) sort of way. I have heard it with my own imperfect ears. So why do this? Because I believe it's informative and Christ-exalting.
There are a great many words that I could tell of my gratitude and praise to God for my Pastor. Many more words could tell of my personal experiences while being a part of his flock here in Connecticut. But as in all things, (and I'm sure much to the relief of my reader audience) I always have to bottom line it. I need to start at a base line and work my way up. I like to analyze things, situations, causes and effects, etc. The words and actions of people are interesting to me, with so many twists and turns in regards to their motivations, heart, and the like. Ted is no different.
Admittedly, I don't know him very well. Oh sure, we've been to each other's houses when our families have shared a meal together; we've shared a few jokes, but overall, my relationship with him is at an appropriate and opposite gender, non-married distance. So I really don't know him that well. He continues to surprise me at many turns.
But one way he has not changed or at least how I have come to the conclusion of how to bottom line his life from my perspective, is his deep, deep love for all things sound through the filter of biblical revelation--sound truth, sound doctrine, sound teaching and sound and thorough study. I've tried to think of ways to describe it. I've tried to write about it and practice, in small measure, the same type of studying so I could walk on a thorough, practiced, diligent and desire-filled path, but I need agonize no more. Thankfully, in a current book I'm reading, R.C. Sproul has done that for me and has bottom lined it in a way that I just couldn't. If my time was limited and I had to sum up my Pastor--here is how I would do it:
From R.C. Sproul's book Knowing Scripture:
The Role of the Teacher: [In regards to small groups and home bible studies] Pooling of knowledge is edifying to the church; pooling of ignorance is destructive and can manifest the problem of the blind leading the blind.
More often we face the problem of people calling themselves to the role of teacher who are simply not qualified to teach. A good teacher must have sound knowledge and the necessary skills to unravel difficult portions of Scripture. Here the need for mastery of language, history and theology are of critical importance. We need teachers who have sound knowledge and whose hearts are not set against the Word of God.
To sound teaching and diligent study God gives blessing.
Thank you, God, for giving Ted a mastery of language, history and theology. Thank you for giving Ted a heart that is not set against your holy scriptures. Thank you, God, for giving Ted his incredible and rare gift of intelligence; his enduring discipline and heart toward study throughout many years in his life; his keen insight into the text; and the masterful way in which he delivers.
And thank you, Ted, for earning your doctorate and continuing to study and love the word of God with the engine of a first-year seminary student, but with the mind of a meticulous, seasoned scholar. Your (and your family's) sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, nor un-thanked in my prayers.
Through God's immeasurable grace, He has enabled you to provide Grace Church with an indescribable blessing.
Setting up this post, I need to start with the famous words of Steve Cooley, a wonderful Associate Pastor at BBC. He described Ted as "crazy smart" and that about sums it up.
I recognize that what I'm about to type, he (Ted) has publicly denounced as any source of pride or achievement during his lifetime. He has acted as Paul did and publicly declared this in a Philippians 3:8 (skubala) sort of way. I have heard it with my own imperfect ears. So why do this? Because I believe it's informative and Christ-exalting.
There are a great many words that I could tell of my gratitude and praise to God for my Pastor. Many more words could tell of my personal experiences while being a part of his flock here in Connecticut. But as in all things, (and I'm sure much to the relief of my reader audience) I always have to bottom line it. I need to start at a base line and work my way up. I like to analyze things, situations, causes and effects, etc. The words and actions of people are interesting to me, with so many twists and turns in regards to their motivations, heart, and the like. Ted is no different.
Admittedly, I don't know him very well. Oh sure, we've been to each other's houses when our families have shared a meal together; we've shared a few jokes, but overall, my relationship with him is at an appropriate and opposite gender, non-married distance. So I really don't know him that well. He continues to surprise me at many turns.
But one way he has not changed or at least how I have come to the conclusion of how to bottom line his life from my perspective, is his deep, deep love for all things sound through the filter of biblical revelation--sound truth, sound doctrine, sound teaching and sound and thorough study. I've tried to think of ways to describe it. I've tried to write about it and practice, in small measure, the same type of studying so I could walk on a thorough, practiced, diligent and desire-filled path, but I need agonize no more. Thankfully, in a current book I'm reading, R.C. Sproul has done that for me and has bottom lined it in a way that I just couldn't. If my time was limited and I had to sum up my Pastor--here is how I would do it:
From R.C. Sproul's book Knowing Scripture:
The Role of the Teacher: [In regards to small groups and home bible studies] Pooling of knowledge is edifying to the church; pooling of ignorance is destructive and can manifest the problem of the blind leading the blind.
More often we face the problem of people calling themselves to the role of teacher who are simply not qualified to teach. A good teacher must have sound knowledge and the necessary skills to unravel difficult portions of Scripture. Here the need for mastery of language, history and theology are of critical importance. We need teachers who have sound knowledge and whose hearts are not set against the Word of God.
To sound teaching and diligent study God gives blessing.
Thank you, God, for giving Ted a mastery of language, history and theology. Thank you for giving Ted a heart that is not set against your holy scriptures. Thank you, God, for giving Ted his incredible and rare gift of intelligence; his enduring discipline and heart toward study throughout many years in his life; his keen insight into the text; and the masterful way in which he delivers.
And thank you, Ted, for earning your doctorate and continuing to study and love the word of God with the engine of a first-year seminary student, but with the mind of a meticulous, seasoned scholar. Your (and your family's) sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, nor un-thanked in my prayers.
Through God's immeasurable grace, He has enabled you to provide Grace Church with an indescribable blessing.
Monday, November 10, 2008
To Berean:
Thank you kindly. Of course, it goes without saying--I'm curious. Please drop me an E-mail when you.
Blessings, Kim
--kim.noble3@gmail.com.
Blessings, Kim
--kim.noble3@gmail.com.
Random Rant #1
From the book Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul--
The Point--Historical Narratives Are to Be Interpreted by the Didactic
One of the chief reasons why this rule is important is to warn against drawing too many inferences from record of what people [in the bible] do. For example, can we really construct a manual of required Christian behaviour purely on the basis of an analysis of what Jesus did? So often when a Christian is faced with a problematic situation, he is told to ask himself, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" That is not always a wise question to ask. A better question would be, "What would Jesus have me to do in this situation?"
Why is it dangerous to simply try to model our lives after what Jesus did? If we try to model our lives precisely according to Jesus' example, we may get into trouble on several counts. First of all, our tasks as obedient children to God are not exactly the same as Jesus' mission. I [Sproul] was not sent into this world to save men from their sins. I can never speak with absolute authority about anything like Jesus did. I cannot go into the church with a whip and drive corrupt clergymen out. I am not the Lord of the church.
Second, and perhaps not so obviously, Jesus lived under a different period of redemptive history than I do. He was required to fulfill all the laws of the Old Covenant including dietary and ceremonial laws. Jesus was being perfectly obedient to the Father when he was circumcised as a religious rite. If I become circumcised, not for reasons of health or hygiene but as a formal religious rite, I am by that rite, repudiating the finished work of Christ and bringing myself back under the curse of the OT law. [A serious sin] Here is where the Epistles are so very important. They do call us to imitate Christ at many points. But they help us delineate what those points are and what they are not. [bolding added]
A third problem with emulating the life of Jesus is in making the subtle move from what is permissible to what is obligatory. For example, I know men who argue that it is the Christian's duty to make visitations of mercy on the Sabbath day. The argument is that Jesus did it on the Sabbath day and therefore we should.
Now the subtlety is here: that Jesus did such things on the Sabbath reveals that such activities do not violate the Sabbath and are good. But Jesus nowhere commands us to do them on the Sabbath. His example shows that they may be done, but not necessarily that they must be done then. He does command us to visit the sick but nowhere stipulates when that visitation must take place. That Jesus remained unmarried shows that celibacy is good but his celibacy does not demand that marriage be repudiated, as the Epistles make clear.
There is another serious problem with drawing too many inferences from narratives. The Bible records not only the virtues of the saints but their vices as well. The portraits of the saints are painted wart and all. We have to be careful not to emulate the "wartiness." To be sure when we read of the activities of David or Paul, we can learn much since these are the activities of men who achieved a high degree of sanctification. But should we emulate the adultery of David or the dishonesty of Jacob? God forbid.
Apart from extrapolating points of character and ethics from the narratives, there is also the problem of extracting doctrine. For example, in the narrative of Abraham's offering Isaac on the alter at Mount Moriah, he is stopped at the last second by an angel from God who says, "Abraham, Abraham! Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:11-12) Note the words, "now I know." Didn't God know in advance what Abraham was going to do? Did he sit in heaven in a state of divine anxiety awaiting the outcome of Abraham's trial? [ ... ] The didactic portions of Scripture preclude such inferences. yet, if we established our doctrine of God purely from narratives such as this one, we should have to conclude that our God is "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth."
Building doctrine from narratives alone is dangerous business. I am sad to say that there appears to be a strong tendency for this in the popular evangelical theology of our day. We all must be careful to resist this tendency.
The Point--Historical Narratives Are to Be Interpreted by the Didactic
One of the chief reasons why this rule is important is to warn against drawing too many inferences from record of what people [in the bible] do. For example, can we really construct a manual of required Christian behaviour purely on the basis of an analysis of what Jesus did? So often when a Christian is faced with a problematic situation, he is told to ask himself, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" That is not always a wise question to ask. A better question would be, "What would Jesus have me to do in this situation?"
Why is it dangerous to simply try to model our lives after what Jesus did? If we try to model our lives precisely according to Jesus' example, we may get into trouble on several counts. First of all, our tasks as obedient children to God are not exactly the same as Jesus' mission. I [Sproul] was not sent into this world to save men from their sins. I can never speak with absolute authority about anything like Jesus did. I cannot go into the church with a whip and drive corrupt clergymen out. I am not the Lord of the church.
Second, and perhaps not so obviously, Jesus lived under a different period of redemptive history than I do. He was required to fulfill all the laws of the Old Covenant including dietary and ceremonial laws. Jesus was being perfectly obedient to the Father when he was circumcised as a religious rite. If I become circumcised, not for reasons of health or hygiene but as a formal religious rite, I am by that rite, repudiating the finished work of Christ and bringing myself back under the curse of the OT law. [A serious sin] Here is where the Epistles are so very important. They do call us to imitate Christ at many points. But they help us delineate what those points are and what they are not. [bolding added]
A third problem with emulating the life of Jesus is in making the subtle move from what is permissible to what is obligatory. For example, I know men who argue that it is the Christian's duty to make visitations of mercy on the Sabbath day. The argument is that Jesus did it on the Sabbath day and therefore we should.
Now the subtlety is here: that Jesus did such things on the Sabbath reveals that such activities do not violate the Sabbath and are good. But Jesus nowhere commands us to do them on the Sabbath. His example shows that they may be done, but not necessarily that they must be done then. He does command us to visit the sick but nowhere stipulates when that visitation must take place. That Jesus remained unmarried shows that celibacy is good but his celibacy does not demand that marriage be repudiated, as the Epistles make clear.
There is another serious problem with drawing too many inferences from narratives. The Bible records not only the virtues of the saints but their vices as well. The portraits of the saints are painted wart and all. We have to be careful not to emulate the "wartiness." To be sure when we read of the activities of David or Paul, we can learn much since these are the activities of men who achieved a high degree of sanctification. But should we emulate the adultery of David or the dishonesty of Jacob? God forbid.
Apart from extrapolating points of character and ethics from the narratives, there is also the problem of extracting doctrine. For example, in the narrative of Abraham's offering Isaac on the alter at Mount Moriah, he is stopped at the last second by an angel from God who says, "Abraham, Abraham! Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:11-12) Note the words, "now I know." Didn't God know in advance what Abraham was going to do? Did he sit in heaven in a state of divine anxiety awaiting the outcome of Abraham's trial? [ ... ] The didactic portions of Scripture preclude such inferences. yet, if we established our doctrine of God purely from narratives such as this one, we should have to conclude that our God is "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth."
Building doctrine from narratives alone is dangerous business. I am sad to say that there appears to be a strong tendency for this in the popular evangelical theology of our day. We all must be careful to resist this tendency.
Friday, November 7, 2008
2 Chronicles 25:2--A Loyal Heart
In the morning, I have been reading through the Old Testament. It's been interesting, challenging and illuminating in a way that I never appreciated growing up in church. There are a variety of reasons for that, but mostly because I'm reading through a sovereign lens rather than a "free will" lens.
For the most part, the Old Testament has been quite a roller coaster ride for me. At times it makes me so perplexed, I want to beat my head against the wall; at times it brings me such pain because I see so much of myself as an Israelite; and sometimes, (confession mode) I laugh because some of it is just downright guttural to me in the way that God describes situations and some of the situations that happen (see just about any passages on dung.)
But this morning, there was no laughter. This morning II Chronicles 25:2 struck my heart and convicted my soul to it's very core. Here's the passage:
And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.
The context is concerning King Amaziah's life. You can read for yourself in II Chronicles. This passage is fairly clear and while I realize that exegeting the passage would bring a much deeper, non-subjectivism meaning... I don't think I'm far off from the practical application of this verse.
How much do I do that is right in the sight of God without having a loyal heart? Ahhh! Isn't that what the bible teaches over and over? The heart over the action. The heart always trumping the action. Why? Because counterfeiting is an ageless sin in the church. Why do so many people leave? Over their distaste of "these people" mentioned Mark 7:6--hypocrisy--not a good reason, but certainly a popular excuse.
Doing what is right in the sight of God is good and should be a practical goal in our lives, but if we are more concerned about actions than the heart--then we are hypocrites-in-training. It always starts with the heart.
Let's bring it closer to home. How many times have I cleaned my home without a loyal heart? How many times have I served at church without a loyal heart? How many times have I submitted to my husband without a loyal heart? And the list goes on and on.
Actions are so easily counterfeited and certainly the most preached on in wide evangelical arenas, because it is the most evident and easiest to monitor. It is most prevalent in the fundamental and legalistic circles. Mark 7:7, "...but in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" is how this circle accomplishes such monitoring. They teach their traditions as doctrines of scripture. But plain and simple, traditions are not doctrines. Doctrines are doctrines. And where do we get them--in the scripture?
I've come to appreciate a church filled with non-churched people. While I love and am so thankful for my church background, I come at a huge disadvantage growing up in my childhood church. The church I now attend as an adult, Grace Church, (and I rarely mention my church name because I don't want people to ever believe that the bible is founded on Grace Church and not the other way around--meaning the bible is the ultimate authority and not Grace Church) contains a majority of mature believers that were saved as adults, not at an early age and certainly not growing up in church. They are at a huge advantage as they do not have unhealthy doctrine and precepts, taught as doctrines of holy scripture. Many are unhindered to learn what the bible says and they do it. They are godly, reverent, imperfect New Testament Christians. And then there's clumsy, awkward me. I have to relearn so much because of the tradition background, that I tend to be behind the eight ball in just about every practical application in the church. (I am thankful that it doesn't apply to home as much because of the wonderful example my dear Christian mother was and is to this day.) But I digress.
The point of all of this is loyalty. So what in the world do I do with II Chronicles 25:2? I have prayed that I will continually refocus my Luke 10:27 desire to be given by my Lord, a loyal heart in all things. Yes! In a Colossians 3:17 way (I know, I know--I just dogged this verse in a Book Nook post.) But I do pray that a loyal heart will proceed every thought, action and deed in each breath I take. And loyalty not just to my own whims and musings that I find and agree with at the time. But a loyalty to the precious and timeless God and His truths as found in the bible...nothing more and nothing less. The God of the bible who always calls me to the conviction of the heart first, and then the conviction of the action.
Lord, may whatever I do that is right in your eyes, proceed with the right attitude and above all--a loyal heart.
For the most part, the Old Testament has been quite a roller coaster ride for me. At times it makes me so perplexed, I want to beat my head against the wall; at times it brings me such pain because I see so much of myself as an Israelite; and sometimes, (confession mode) I laugh because some of it is just downright guttural to me in the way that God describes situations and some of the situations that happen (see just about any passages on dung.)
But this morning, there was no laughter. This morning II Chronicles 25:2 struck my heart and convicted my soul to it's very core. Here's the passage:
And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.
The context is concerning King Amaziah's life. You can read for yourself in II Chronicles. This passage is fairly clear and while I realize that exegeting the passage would bring a much deeper, non-subjectivism meaning... I don't think I'm far off from the practical application of this verse.
How much do I do that is right in the sight of God without having a loyal heart? Ahhh! Isn't that what the bible teaches over and over? The heart over the action. The heart always trumping the action. Why? Because counterfeiting is an ageless sin in the church. Why do so many people leave? Over their distaste of "these people" mentioned Mark 7:6--hypocrisy--not a good reason, but certainly a popular excuse.
Doing what is right in the sight of God is good and should be a practical goal in our lives, but if we are more concerned about actions than the heart--then we are hypocrites-in-training. It always starts with the heart.
Let's bring it closer to home. How many times have I cleaned my home without a loyal heart? How many times have I served at church without a loyal heart? How many times have I submitted to my husband without a loyal heart? And the list goes on and on.
Actions are so easily counterfeited and certainly the most preached on in wide evangelical arenas, because it is the most evident and easiest to monitor. It is most prevalent in the fundamental and legalistic circles. Mark 7:7, "...but in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" is how this circle accomplishes such monitoring. They teach their traditions as doctrines of scripture. But plain and simple, traditions are not doctrines. Doctrines are doctrines. And where do we get them--in the scripture?
I've come to appreciate a church filled with non-churched people. While I love and am so thankful for my church background, I come at a huge disadvantage growing up in my childhood church. The church I now attend as an adult, Grace Church, (and I rarely mention my church name because I don't want people to ever believe that the bible is founded on Grace Church and not the other way around--meaning the bible is the ultimate authority and not Grace Church) contains a majority of mature believers that were saved as adults, not at an early age and certainly not growing up in church. They are at a huge advantage as they do not have unhealthy doctrine and precepts, taught as doctrines of holy scripture. Many are unhindered to learn what the bible says and they do it. They are godly, reverent, imperfect New Testament Christians. And then there's clumsy, awkward me. I have to relearn so much because of the tradition background, that I tend to be behind the eight ball in just about every practical application in the church. (I am thankful that it doesn't apply to home as much because of the wonderful example my dear Christian mother was and is to this day.) But I digress.
The point of all of this is loyalty. So what in the world do I do with II Chronicles 25:2? I have prayed that I will continually refocus my Luke 10:27 desire to be given by my Lord, a loyal heart in all things. Yes! In a Colossians 3:17 way (I know, I know--I just dogged this verse in a Book Nook post.) But I do pray that a loyal heart will proceed every thought, action and deed in each breath I take. And loyalty not just to my own whims and musings that I find and agree with at the time. But a loyalty to the precious and timeless God and His truths as found in the bible...nothing more and nothing less. The God of the bible who always calls me to the conviction of the heart first, and then the conviction of the action.
Lord, may whatever I do that is right in your eyes, proceed with the right attitude and above all--a loyal heart.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Mortification of Sin
In keeping with the dry theme of this blog, I've decided to start a new category called "Book Nook." This little cuddly corner of my blog will hopefully give you the opportunity to feel like we're sitting together next to a warm, cozy fire, sipping homemade hot chocolate (lots of marshmallows!) in the middle of January, discussing the most recent "great read" in our repertoire. A book review category for those without an imagination.
Honestly, I'm not well-read or at least not well-read in the theology department. To rectify that, I have started a reading campaign. I invite anyone who's interested to read my book reviews and comment in the comments section or via E-mail, their thoughts--especially if they have read the same book. A group book club would be ideal, with lots of titillating discussion, but I think I'm overshooting things a bit, so for right now, I would be completely content with any corrections or other summations of the book.
Upfront, I will give to you some patterned guidelines that I intend to follow for each review:
1) I'll personally rate each book from 1 to 5 stars (5= blow-your-socks-off-wow!)
2) I'll try to give a short, brief overview of the book. Probably plagiarized right from the book's jacket.
3) I'll try and give you a very biased, subjective opinion of what I thought about the book.
Book 2 of this newly created section ends up being another power-packed selection. I'm no math genius, but I would easily say that this book is power-packed times 2--double the pleasure, double the fun. Except worldly pleasure and fun is exactly what this book denounces.
Honestly, I'm not well-read or at least not well-read in the theology department. To rectify that, I have started a reading campaign. I invite anyone who's interested to read my book reviews and comment in the comments section or via E-mail, their thoughts--especially if they have read the same book. A group book club would be ideal, with lots of titillating discussion, but I think I'm overshooting things a bit, so for right now, I would be completely content with any corrections or other summations of the book.
Upfront, I will give to you some patterned guidelines that I intend to follow for each review:
1) I'll personally rate each book from 1 to 5 stars (5= blow-your-socks-off-wow!)
2) I'll try to give a short, brief overview of the book. Probably plagiarized right from the book's jacket.
3) I'll try and give you a very biased, subjective opinion of what I thought about the book.
Book 2 of this newly created section ends up being another power-packed selection. I'm no math genius, but I would easily say that this book is power-packed times 2--double the pleasure, double the fun. Except worldly pleasure and fun is exactly what this book denounces.
The Mortification of Sin by John Owen: Abridged and made easy to read by Richard Rushing
I did not expect to come across a blow-your-socks-off book so soon, but this is it. The more I read and study scripture, the more I find that there are very (VERY) few books that I can honestly label as Christian essentials. But this, my friend, is a Christian essential. So overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars (and secretly, if I hadn't been so unbelieving as to think that the Lord would give me an opportunity to read other stellar books--I would have not limited the rating to a measly 5 stars for these types of books.)
In this abridgement of a classic work, the famous Puritan John Owen shows the need for Christians to engage in a life-long battle against the sinful tendencies that remain in them, despite their having been brought to faith and new life in Christ. Owen is very insistent that believers cannot hope to succeed in this battle in their own strength. He sees clearly that the fight can be won only through faith in Christ, and in the power of the Spirit. Fighting sin with human strength will produce only self-righteousness, superstition and anxiety of conscience. But with faith in Christ, and with the power of the Spirit, victory is certain. The temptations in times like Owen's and ours are obvious on every side; the remedy to them is clearly pointed out in this practical and helpful book.
Don't let the page count of 130 throw you. Don't let the small size of the book deceive you. And please don't let Richard Rushings wonderful attempt at making an "Abridged and made easy to read" paperback lull you into a false sense of security that this is, in fact, easy. It is all but easy. Obviously, those words are meant to give us layman a sort of non-intimidated approach toward such a book. I'm sure, that relative to the actual work of John Owen, it is "easy," but egads--this book was a well-worn hamster wheel for me. Starting with the fact that my sin was the spotlight of every page of this book.
If you're prone to underline every thought, sentence and paragraph that strike you so later on, you can easily reference the major points that hit you the most, be prepared with a large pen and lots of ink. As a dear sister of mine put it so succinctly, you'd be better off underlining the things that you'd rather not remember. I dare say, there would be few things underlined or noted. I know that there will be some who will disagree whether this is an easy read or not, but I would defy anyone to explain to me why each page is not filled with condensed mini, Calvary-exalting text that gives us a deeper understanding of God's work in our doctrinal learnings and practical lives. Yes! Boldly and confidently I declare that this is truly one of the best books I have ever read. It is solidly rooted in the scripture and for every point he makes, he roots it in contextual, well-grounded scripture references.
This is not a cliche read. You know the type of books. They use Colossians 3:17 and I Corinthians 10:31 as a mantra for everything in life. Those are excellent verses of the bible, but I get wearied when reading whimsical books where their only argument is founded under such a giant umbrella. If the bible is the scalpel used to cut and divide, then this book can be compared to the hook that holds the skin back while the bible does the cutting.
I dare say that this book dives deep into the heart of scripture and explains in plain, clear and precise terms, how the bible defines sin; the cause of sin; and the consequences of sin. He takes a word that is under-used and redefined by this culture and uses scripture to turn stiff necks back toward what scripture says sin really is. Dividing it out for us, I'm not sure that there is any major point of the scriptural study of sin, left untouched by John Owen.
If there is any one teensy weensy flaw, I would have to say that you may not agree with every minute detail of how Owen interprets scripture...but it would be few and far between times...if at all.
I'll leave you with this teaser from the book and hope that this will draw you in to either borrow it or pay the pitiful $9.00 from Banner. As stated before, I found it very difficult to find just one paragraph that could wrap up this book into a nice, neat advertising package. My only exhortation--please read this book!
"Suppose a man is a true believer, and yet finds in himself a powerful indwelling sin. This sin makes him captive to its power, and consumes his heart with trouble. It perplexes his thoughts, weakens his soul in communion with God, takes away his peace, defiles his conscience, and exposes him to hardening through the deceitfulness of sin. What shall he do? What course shall he take to mortify this sin, lust or corruption? How can he gain victory enough, even though it is not utterly destroyed, yet, in his contest with it, he may be enabled to maintain his power, strength and peace in communion with God?"
This book is a paperback series from Banner Publishing and God-willing, I look forward to more 5 star reading!
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